Friday, December 30, 2011

Congresswoman Fudge Responds To News that Turner Won't Enter Primary


The Campaign for Rep. Marcia L. Fudge released the following statement this afternoon:

I have great respect for State Senator Nina Turner and I wish her well in her future endeavors.  It is my intention to maintain the trust and confidence of the people of the 11th Congressional District and provide the representation they deserve. It is my honor and privilege to serve them.  I look forward to the opportunity to continue to be their voice in Congress.

Three candidates have filed to run against Fudge in March 6 Democratic primary. Well-known political activist and former Cleveland School board member Gerald C. Henley filed yesterday; his petitions have been ruled valid. Marie Jefferson and Isaac Powell filed petitions by today’s 4PM deadline. The validity of their petitions will likely be determined next week by the county Board of Elections.

The winner of the Democratic primary will be the presumptive winner in November’s election unless an independent candidate files to run by March 5. No Republican filed by today’s deadline.

BREAKING NEWS: Turner bows out; will not challenge Fudge


Nina Turner issued the following statement through a spokesperson about 2 PM today:

"Last month, I filed to run for Congress with the intention to take on the status quo and give voters an opportunity for change.  Since then, two things have happened.  First, the redistricting process was manipulated to allow incumbent politicians to guarantee their reelection.  And, the primary election was set for March 6, 2011, a date which gives challengers little time to wage competitive campaigns.
Under these circumstances, I have decided not to run as a Democrat in the 11th Congressional District.  
Let me be clear:  Our community faces huge challenges, which the present leadership has utterly failed to meet. The past few months have only convinced me and many Northeast Ohioans of the necessity for change and reform, and so my work will continue.  We can and must do better."  

Turner's spokesperson says the Senator is out of town and unavailable for comment.

Update on Jan. 5 Prosecutors Debate: McGinty camp reports his unavailability



Our post yesterday included the following statement regarding our conversations with each candidate as well as with Brendan Doyle, campaign manager for Timothy McGinty:
 
The Real Deal contacted the other three candidates — Kelley, McDonnell and McGinty — yesterday, with each confirming their expectation to participate, although a couple had reservations due either to scheduling conflicts or concerns about one of the sponsors. [emphases added]
Late last night we received an email from Mr. Doyle indicating his camp’s inability to resolve the scheduling conflict in favor of the debate.

If you read the comments to the original post, you won't have much trouble reading between the lines.

We just love our Kentucky Negroes


We just love our Kentucky Negroes
We thank our fashion friend Kim for alerting us to this incredible product offering:
Coclico, a shoe manufacturer, is offering ladies’ boots in that fab color “Kentucky Negro”!
Take a look here for another reason to celebrate how President Obama’s election ushered in this new era of harmony and understanding!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Cavs look good in Detroit as rookie adapts to leadership role


Cavs look good in Detroit as rookie adapts to leadership role

A major key for the fortunes of this year’s Cleveland Cavaliers will be how quickly the rookie point guard Kyrie Irving learns the pro game. Thus, last night’s win over the host Detroit Pistons was a tonic for Cavalier fans, as Irving showed himself a fast learner.
Cavs’ color commentator Austin Carr was right on the money when he said that Irving needs to play his game at his speed, and let the rest of the team follow. Irving began to do that last night and the result was exciting and positively portentous, even if it was against the Pistons team that promises to be sorry.

Black community activists host Jan. 5 debate in wide-open race for County Prosecutor


Black community activists host Jan. 5 debate in wide-open race for County Prosecutor
Six candidates expected to participate in most even race in sixty years

Voters in Cuyahoga County are about to have a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in the open selection of Cuyahoga County prosecutor.
Ever since the legendary — many would say infamous — John T. Corrigan began the thirty-five year run that ended in 1991 and made him perhaps as feared locally for the exercise of discretionary powers as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was nationally, and for many of the same reasons, voters have been faced with insiders and incumbents.
This year, five men and one woman, mostly all well-qualified on paper, are vying in the Democratic Party primary for a place on the November ballot. It’s a safe bet the March 6 primary winner will be the next county prosecutor as no Republican filed to run before the deadline.
The Democratic candidates are former Cleveland law director Subodh Chandra, who has been a federal prosecutor; police officer Stephanie Hall, who was an assistant county prosecutor before resigning to run; Cleveland city councilman Kevin Kelley; former North Royalton city prosecutor James J. McDonnell; former Common Pleas judge Timothy McGinty; and former judge and Cleveland law director Robert Triozzi.
All seek to succeed the incumbent prosecutor, Bill Mason, who used his political muscle to win the critical endorsement of the Democratic Executive Committee in the fight to succeed Stephanie Tubbs Jones after she resigned to run for Congress in 1998. Once installed as the incumbent, Mason never faced any opposition with the potential to oust him. 
Three candidates — Chandra, Hall, and Triozzi — had confirmed their participation by the time the sponsoring coalition, headed by The Imperial Women and The Audacity of H.O.P.E. Foundation, issued its press release on Tuesday. The Real Deal contacted the other three candidates — Kelley, McDonnell and McGinty — yesterday, with each confirming their expectation to participate, although a couple had reservations due either to scheduling conflicts or concerns about one of the sponsors.
The debate program will start at 5:30pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012. It will be held at the Lil’ Africa Party Center, 6816 Superior Ave., symbolically located in the heart of the inner city.
Cleveland Ward 7 councilman T. J. Dow, a former assistant county prosecutor, will moderate the debate. A community panel including Ward 8 councilman Jeff Johnson, attorney Michael Nelson Sr., Cleveland Jobs With Justice executive director Debbie Kline, and Art McKoy, will pose questions to the candidates. One intriguing aspect of the debate is that two of the panelists — are formerly incarcerated persons.
The public will be invited to ask questions during a 30-minute period following an hour of questions from the panel.
Sponsoring organizations include Occupy Cleveland, Occupy the Hood, The Cleveland chapter of the New Black Panther Party, Peace in the Hood, and Cleveland Urban News.

Contacts for the event are: Executive Director Frances Caldwell [Cleveland African-American Museum, 216-421-0929]; Kathy Wray Coleman   [Imperial Women Coalition Leader, 216-932-3114]; and Griot Y-Von [Audacity of H.O.P.E.  Foundation, 216-355-3374].

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Quote for today

We would worry less about what others think of us if we realized how seldom they do. — Ethel Barrett

Monday, December 26, 2011

New Era for Cavs Starts Tonight


I am working on a follow-up to several pieces I have written over the past couple of months about leadership and Cleveland’s black community. I won’t have time to post it before the Cavs play their season opener tonight but I do want to lay my prognostication out there:

The Cavs will win between 26 and 28 games in this abbreviated season. Top pick Kyrie Irving should be Rookie of the Year.

The team will play an entertaining brand of ball, hustling and defending for a full 48 minutes a night. The rotation will feature ten players and the team’s youth and depth will make them an undesirable foe against the older, less-than-stellar opponents they encounter on back-to-back nights.

I expect the Heat will win it all this year but I would be delighted to see them fail. If they don’t, it’s likely because the Bulls stopped them in the Eastern Conference finals. If the Heat don’t break through this season, then the rash promise by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert to bring home a title before you know who gets his first will begin to seem like a worthwhile bet.