Environmental Justice Community Representative speaking at First White House Environmental Justice Forum

Please find below a fascinating request from the U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION (OAR) for public comment on a CONCEPT PAPER FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER. The OAR is taking the lead in developing a learning center or institute for environmental justice community members to increase community awareness and understanding of environmental risks stemming from pollution and related environmental justice concerns. This effort will build communities’ capacity to participate in the protection of their air, water, and land resources. This represents Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has made one of EPA’s key priorities under her leadership.

Regarding the challenge being addressed... from Administrator Jackson, in releasing this concept paper for public input:

Many minority, low-income, and indigenous people have been historically underrepresented in environmental decision making, while at times experiencing higher levels of environmental pollution and other social and economic burdens that result in poorer health outcomes. Many members of these communities have not been able to participate effectively in environmental decision making in part because they lack the background and information they need for meaningful participation. As a result, EPA does not always benefit from important community input.

It is my strong belief Administrator Jackson's statement perfectly describes Northeast Ohio - these are the words that should have been said by Cleveland's Mayor Jackson, as citizen and community leader... for decades! These are the words citizens of Northeast Ohio must hear from our leaders for the future.

Home Rule in Cleveland, Ohio gives powers to the local municipal leaders that provides minimal oversight by the "State" Government.

Join Cleveland Public Library in celebrating African American History Month with a special program highlighting the talents of two individuals from the Cleveland area.

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Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Opening Statement Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power

As prepared for delivery – Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to testify about Chairman Upton’s draft bill to eliminate portions of the Clean Air Act, the landmark law that all American children and adults rely on to protect them from harmful air pollution.

The bill appears to be part of a broader effort in this Congress to delay, weaken, or eliminate Clean Air Act protections of the American public. I respectfully ask the members of this Committee to keep in mind that EPA’s implementation of the Clean Air Act saves millions of American children and adults from the debilitating and expensive illnesses that occur when smokestacks and tailpipes release unrestricted amounts of harmful pollution into the air we breathe.

Last year alone, EPA’s implementation of the Clean Air Act saved more than 160,000 American lives; avoided more than 100,000 hospital visits; prevented millions of cases of respiratory illness, including bronchitis and asthma; enhanced American productivity by preventing millions of lost workdays; and kept American kids healthy and in school.

EPA’s implementation of the Act also has contributed to dynamic growth in the U.S. environmental technologies industry and its workforce.  In 2008, that industry generated nearly 300 billion dollars in revenues and 44 billion dollars in exports.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is hosting a FREE Brief Advice and Referral Clinic

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As we learn that Cleveland City Council, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries and the Cleveland Police Department have dedicated their extensive resources to the persecution of Father Henry and shutting down St. Hermans home for the most disadvantaged Americans on Earth... we should assess their past performance addressing crime in the most impoverished, lead poisoned, broken-down, polluted city in America... besides ignoring nearly a dozen rapes and murderers by a friend of Mayor Jackosn's family, for years... today the Plain Dealer reports "Jurors so upset about case brought against 19-year-old that they will give the defendant their jury pay".

Highlights:

Jurors are so convinced that a Cleveland teen should not have been charged with assaulting another teen that they've gone beyond acquitting him. A few are writing angry letters to police and intend to donate their jury pay to him.

Jurors said the case against McCloud on charges of kidnapping and felonious assault quickly evaporated in the courtroom of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab.

Most of the jury could not be reached for comment, but three members complained of a "sheer lack of evidence."

"He seemed like a decent kid who was falsely accused," Nagin said.

Boe said she will mail letters today to Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath and Fourth District Commander Deon McCaulley about the lack of a thorough investigation. Other jurors said they also will write to the police.

Char Richtmyer, a Grand Lake St. Marys resident for 16 years, pulls a dead fish off the beach to toss it back in the water.
For the second year in a row, the lake has been plagued by a new and potentially toxic form of algae that is killing fish,
creating foul odors and driving away tourists at the height of the summer season. Staff photo by Jim Witmer

Ohio was in the news for incompetent environmental planning, last week, in The Daily Impact - Chronicling the Crash of the Industrial Age - "Ohio Lake “Dying”: Governor Applies Lipstick" - what does this say about our future? Thank God for outside media coverage of Ohio... the truth is sometimes told...

The government of the great state of Ohio demonstrated last week, with laser-like precision, exactly why we do not have a chance of avoiding the multiple catastrophes bearing down on our supplies of food, energy and water. In unveiling what was universally described as a “plan” to deal with one of the state’s biggest pollution problems, the governor and his fellow politicians also demonstrated the new first principle of government: it is far, far better to appear to be doing something than to actually do something.

A press release I received today from the Environmental Protection Agency reports: "Former city of Detroit Health Department lead inspector Donald Patterson was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release on wire fraud charges stemming from an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation. In July 2010, Patterson pleaded guilty and admitted he accepted cash to provide a clean bill of health to homes in which he had either done no inspection or provided fraudulent lead removal training". Which makes me wonder how much time Cleveland "Environmental Leaders", CDC directors, building inspectors, the Mayor, and Councilpeople should spend in jail for the lead poisoning of 1,000s of children in Cleveland, with contempt.

Perhaps Ohio does still need the death penalty?!?!

WASHINGTON — Former city of Detroit Health Department lead inspector Donald Patterson was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release on wire fraud charges stemming from an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation. In July 2010, Patterson pleaded guilty and admitted he accepted cash to provide a clean bill of health to homes in which he had either done no inspection or provided fraudulent lead removal training. Lead is a serious public health issue causing a range of health effects from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.

So precious are the pure of heart... Paulie was a beautiful red haired, blue eyed  boy... Mom once told me about how he tried to change his brother's diaper and flushed the diaper down the toilet after soiling the entire house with the contents and coming to get her saying; "Mommy, 'brother' sh#t....I changed diaper!" She had to call in the plumber! 

Yet, his life was taken away harshly and no one deserves to live with that kind of horror story. Our family has endured more than our share, that is for sure...

There are two classes in Cleveland--those with cars and those who walk and ride public transit.  For those who walk--it's like being on the moon and looking at another universe far, far away.

Cleveland NORML, the National Organization for the reform of marijuana laws, will be meeting at Sidetracks Cafe on February 5th from 4 to 6pm to host our open meeting. We welcome members and non-members alike!

BBQ Chef Extraordinaire Greg Williams (standing), with his father LeMaud "Hot Sauce" Williams and a satisfied customer

I'm excited to see the Plain Dealer picked up the story of development of an MMJ BBQ Sauce by Greg Williams, of Cleveland's Hot Sauce Williams, and OrganaLabs, of Colorado. As was posted to Cleveland.com, today - Pot Sauce Williams, aiming to be the Heinz of medical marijuana BBQ sauces - great coverage by Evelyn Theiss and Diane Suchetka, who interviewed me for their story - some highlights: "We hope to make it the Heinz of medical marijuana sauces," said Norm Roulet, a Cleveland business consultant who got the idea off the ground - Heidi Morgan, co-owner with her husband, Ralph, of OrganaLabs in Denver, confirmed that the company developed and tested a recipe for Pot Sauce Williams - "There is a huge market for this," she said. "People are sick and tired of brownies - Especially, she said, people who have illnesses like MS, HIV, or other autoimmune disorders -- "They'll say, 'I don't want 100 milligrams of sugar when I eat this'"- So what's Pot Sauce Williams like? - Kohn, who has a referral for medical marijuana, loves it - "It packed just about the right size wallop you wanted," he said. "It made you merry. It gave you positive body sensations, good tingles, it was as good or better as any edible product I've tried - and I've tried a lot. It's da bomb" - "Their model is to have a number of sauces out, and they are looking at even doing some of their bakery products," Roulet said. "They have a sweet potato pie and a pecan pie - "One of the things they are looking at is creating some products to appeal to the urban marketplace" - "They are being innovative."

On October 27, 2010, I published on realNEO Understanding The Cannabis Divide, where I wrote "I've been exploring the growing cannabis divide in America, which increasingly offers affluent whites the right to legally prosper and use marijuana while poor blacks go to jail for minor marijuana charges. I've been traveling out west, meeting with associates and exploring economic development opportunities in specific regions that offer synergistic benefits to stakeholders in NEO, interested to participate in the cannabis economy now, legally. To offer Ohio businesses legal access into the cannabis economy, I am working with folks in the Denver/Boulder area to put in place what we call Grohio - a cooperative facilities-based cannabis think tank, advocacy organization, political action committee, venture capital fund, research and development institute and enterprise incubator, designed to help drive innovation at the bleeding edge of cannabis commerce world-wide, and allow Ohio entrepreneurs to fully participate in the cannabis economy locally in Colorado."

The first market outcome of Grohio Colorado is development of a first-on-Earth line of Cleveland-soul sauces infused with cannabis concentrate, for medical marijuana patients in Colorado (and eventually worldwide), based on original and world-renowned sauce recipes of Cleveland's Williams family, of the historic Hot Sauce Williams Bar-B-Q restaurants... loved in real NEO and worldwide for around 50-years... soon to be available as Pot Sauce Williams sauces infused with MMJ, where legal.

The Pot Sauce Williams sauces are the result of a collaboration between the Grohio team in Cleveland and Denver, working with cannabis concentrates experts at OrganaLabs, of Colorado, and Hot Sauce Williams Special Projects Manager Greg Williams, of Ohio... and taste tests by qualified medical marijuana consumers are all raves!

Perhaps when you are done understanding this nightmare of a "GOVERNMENT BASED ECONOMY"...you can help implement real Economic Development while protecting the rights of our public at large! 

Martin Juredine, from his Facebook Profile

My favorite bar, music club and local hang-out in Northeast Ohio (perhaps the world!!!) has always been The Barking Spider, because the owner Martin was always so friendly and cool, making his the coolest place in town. Musicians loved to perform there and be part of the vibe, which was generated by as diverse a crowd as any meeting place could attract - multiracial, diverse, and all ages, including kids. Some of my favorite local musicians played there regularly. I use the past tense, as I was saddened to learn Martin passed on yesterday, February 2, 2011, after a long illness. Even as The Spider lives on, it will never be the same. All those great tunes and times.

Open Meeting!

Cleveland NORML will be meeting at Sidetracks Cafe on February 5th from 4 to 6pm to host our open meeting. We welcome members and non-members alike!

Join us in our fight to reform marijuana laws in Ohio and advocate for safe, compassionate access to marijuana for all patients.

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Norm --

I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.

Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an "up by the bootstraps" mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue.

It is a good skill Tom Bier has, pointing out an obvious solution in ever gaining disaster, (Plain Dealer, Sunday, 1/30, 2011, op/ed section). He has done it for decades in front of conferences of mayors where they called him “Dr. Doom.”  It's unfortunate that the obvious solution of real reagionalism borne by Mr. Bier looks like indecipherable hieroglyphs to our minor despot leaders.

How many non certified employees work for Cuyahoga County? 

How many have tried to get certified? 

Who are they? 

What is the status of their "EMPLOYEE AT WILL" employment today? 

How many have taken and failed/passed the Civil Service Exam? 

How many would qualify for immediate employment termination that would help balance our local government budgets? 

Why are we keeping non certified employees around our local government?

 Thanks to all the dedicated pawns in this industry who have ever looked down their nose at another human being for whatever reason!

I doubt a minor misdemeanor traffic violation rises to the level of a probation violation, though I'd think a series of tickets could.  Regardless, it's noteworthy that less than 20 days after he was sentenced and placed on probation for criminal menacing, and just 3 months after he completed his Aggression Control & Anger Management class,  Sammy Catania was pulled over by the police and ticketed for aggressive driving. 

See the Cleveland Municipal Court's dockets.