tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52742112024-02-28T12:32:22.492-05:00The Real DealRegular reporting and commentary on the interplay of race, class and power in the civic, business and cultural spaces of NEO from the inner rings of Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Primary interests: Cleveland/NEOhio regional public affairs; African American politics, commerce, culture and society; public education; national and international affairs; Cavaliers∫Browns.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.comBlogger638125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-29689733281734809192021-03-09T12:42:00.004-05:002021-03-09T12:45:50.401-05:00A New Home for a New Era<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some time last year Google, which owns this site, made some changes that suddenly made it more difficult to post content here. I could no longer simply write a story in Word, then copy and paste it here. I thought it was a settings issue before learning that many other bloggers were having the same problem. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">This turned out to be a good thing for <b><i>The Real Deal</i></b> in some ways, as we had been dragging our feet in making the transition to our own website. But the frustrations we were having here, along with the inherent limitations of a blog, helped push us to confront and overcome an unhealthy degree of tech phobia. We essentially had to learn to navigate a platform new and a couple of wholly unfamiliar, and largely nonintuitive</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>, programs. [Old dogs, </span><span>even if slightly arthritic,</span><span> can still learn new tricks when properly motivated]. But we've put in the work, and after a period of time cross-posting, we have begun to post exclusively on</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">our new site</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">That in turn has kept us so busy that we have unforgivably neglected you, our most loyal readers, whose encouragement has helped sustain us over the nearly 15 years and more than 500 posts we have posted on this site.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">So if you can see your way to stick with us, come over to <b><i><a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/" target="_blank">The Real Deal Press</a></i></b> [we added the surname in 2014 when we ventured back into print to distinguish our first cycle in print [1991-1993]. You will find that we are publishing virtually every day, that we have a sophisticated, attractive, and yet easily navigable site that will reward your curiosity. We have relationships with folk who help us keep you apprised as to what's happening in our state capital and elsewhere. We also have regular columnists like <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/columns/real-money-burner-crew" target="_blank">Burner Crew</a> and <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/columns/face-the-competition-jinida-julius-dorsey-jr" target="_blank">Jinida & Julius Dorsey</a>, who write provocatively and practically.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our main menu has topics in your favorite areas of interest: Government, Business, Health, Education, Community, and Essential Diversions [Arts, Books, Sports, Entertainment]. The latter is also where every Friday morning you can find <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/essential-diversions/nate-northcoas-notes-nathan-e-paige" target="_blank">Nate's Northcoast Notes</a>, an eclectic selection of what's going around town and on the web. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Other popular sections are <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/people" target="_blank">People</a> and <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/obituaries" target="_blank">Obituaries</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We've also established a <b><i>Real Deal Press</i></b> archive where you can find more than five dozen PDFs of issues that we produced either in print or online from 2014-16 and 2018-19.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We are making site improvements practically every week, thanks to the good folk at <a href="https://www.digitaljetstream.com/2.0/" target="_blank">DigitalJetstream</a> and especially their chief tech officer, Anthony "Big Tone" Jones, once an aspiring astronaut and now just a genius techie.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We could say more, but that would be like an extended speech when the food is hot and ready on the table. So <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/" target="_blank">click here</a> and get started. We''d love to see you there and hope you will like it enough to sign up [it's free] and return often.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">By the way, we have the capacity to offer display advertising and much more now. As our audience continues to grow, because of articles like <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/community/262-breaking-news-dr-charles-modlin-is-out-at-cleveland-clinic" target="_blank">this</a>, <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/politics/252-newcomer-running-hard-for-mayor-while-others-linger-at-starting-block" target="_blank">this</a> and <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/people/215-william-fields-joins-biden-administration" target="_blank">this</a>, we are becoming a better bargain every day.*</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for sticking with us. <a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/" target="_blank">Come visit our new digs</a>!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">_______</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-size: large;">* </span><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Ask about our special discount if you have have been a follower here.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-77849197050545329012021-02-04T21:45:00.030-05:002021-02-04T22:04:20.501-05:00Ohio leaders say they want more competitive districts<p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><span face=""Open Sans", arial, sans-serif"><i><b>By Marty Schladen</b></i></span></span></p><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="753" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/El_lyjIW0AEKEtZ-696x753.png" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/El_lyjIW0AEKEtZ-696x753.png 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/El_lyjIW0AEKEtZ-277x300.png 277w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/El_lyjIW0AEKEtZ-768x831.png 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/El_lyjIW0AEKEtZ.png 800w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="Congressional Delegation" width="696" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;">Pictured is Ohio's congressional delegation as it has looked after the 2012, '14, '16, '18 and '20 elections.</figcaption></figure></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted on Tuesday said they hope a new system of drawing congressional and state legislative districts will result in more competitive elections. But, they cautioned, the task will be far from simple.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ohio has among the worst partisan gerrymandering, according to </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.the-review.com/news/20190321/bad-ohio-gerrymandering-is-among-nations-worst-good-it-should-get-better/1" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">multiple</a> <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">analyses</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Districts are typically redrawn once every 10 years to reflect population changes when new census data become available. Until now, the party in control of the Statehouse has commanded the process and, using modern technology, that party has been able to greatly advantage itself.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A 2019 analysis by the Associated Press determined that in the U.S. House, Ohio Republicans got 52% of the vote but held 75% of the seats. They also held supermajorities in the state House and Senate that exceeded the portion of votes they received at the polls, the analysis found.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A separate </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="http://bl.ocks.org/cingraham/7551527" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2013 analysis</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> found that Ohio Democrats were the second-most underrepresented in the U.S. House and that Republicans were overrepresented by 18 seats nationwide. The imbalance was a consequence of the fact that the GOP wiped out Democrats in statehouse races in 2010 and had control of the last redistricting process in most states.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The problems created by such a partisan skew extend beyond unbalanced party representation. It also fuels polarization and extremism.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We’ve all read the same studies about how many of the 435 congressional districts in the country aren’t really competitive and for many of them, the greatest… perceived threat to the incumbent is a primary,” DeWine said.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Voter turnout in party primaries tends to be much lower than in general elections and is dominated by the most ardent partisans — a dynamic that can result in winning candidates with fringe views that would make them sure losers in a competitive general election.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Think Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has a record of expressing </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/17/house-republicans-condemn-gop-candidate-racist-videos-325579" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">racist views</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">, </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/parkland-victim-s-mother-says-she-spoke-marjorie-taylor-greene-n1256294" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">denying the reality of school shootings</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> and whose speculations that California wildfires might have nefarious origins resulted in the mocking hashtag </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.thejc.com/news/us/congresswoman-s-comments-linking-rothschilds-to-california-wildfires-prompt-mockery-and-outrage-1.511357" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">#JewishSpaceLasers</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">.</span></span></p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; display: flex; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 550px; width: 550px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1354870334655262724" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=OhioCapJournal&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1354870334655262724&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fohiocapitaljournal.com%2F2021%2F02%2F03%2Fohio-leaders-say-they-want-more-competitive-lege-congressional-districts-cite-challenges%2F&siteScreenName=OhioCapJournal&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; flex-grow: 1; height: 603px; max-width: 100%; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px;" title="Twitter Tweet"></iframe></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">He’s a member of her party, but comments by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Monday might indicate that even when they add to GOP numbers, highly gerrymandered districts are damaging to his party. He didn’t mention Greene by name, but his reference was clear when he said many of the </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-greene-cancer-republican-party-d0622c86db9d67dff60a5d9511801795" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">“loony lies” expressed by her were “a cancer for the Republican Party.”</a></span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9423" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_9423" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px 24px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-9423" height="116" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/dewinejordan-300x116.png" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/dewinejordan-300x116.png 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/dewinejordan-1024x394.png 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/dewinejordan-768x296.png 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/dewinejordan-696x268.png 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/dewinejordan.png 1397w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-9423" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan.</figcaption></figure><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Closer to home, <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/us/politics/qanon-candidates-marjorie-taylor-greene.html" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, endorsed Greene</a> in her bid last year to win a crowded Republican Primary so she could run unopposed in the General Election. </span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jordan himself has espoused conspiracy theories — including <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/politics/jim-jordan-election-stolen-fact-check/index.html" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">s</a></span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/politics/jim-jordan-election-stolen-fact-check/index.html" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">peaking at one of President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rallies on Nov. 5</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Lies by fringe politicians about a stolen election pose an even more direct threat to American democracy. They fueled a Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that killed five and delayed certification of the presidential election.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">One of Trump’s closest allies, Jordan was reelected to his District 4 seat with nearly 70% of the vote.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">There was widespread speculation that Jordan might seek the GOP nomination to fill the U.S. Senate seat held by Rob Portman, a Republican who is stepping down in 2022. Jordan later announced that he would not seek the seat.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">His office didn’t respond Tuesday when asked if the congressman had calculated that he couldn’t win outside of his gerrymandered district.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">DeWine wasn’t asked about Jordan, but of the scarcity of competitive congressional races he said, “Truly, it is a national problem.” </span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">To address the issue, Ohio voters in 2018 </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Ohio_Issue_1,_Congressional_Redistricting_Procedures_Amendment_(May_2018)" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">overwhelmingly approved a system</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> that would require bipartisan support for 10-year congressional maps. If that fails, four-year districts could be drawn with a party-line vote.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Husted, the lieutenant governor, said the new system has multiple goals, some of which may be mutually complicating.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In Ohio and elsewhere, the crazy shape of </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/OH/4" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">districts such as Jordan’s</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> have been widely criticized. His zigs and zags and goes from just west of Columbus almost to the Indiana line, north almost to Toledo and east almost to Cleveland. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Techniques known as “cracking and packing” have been used to draw districts that maximize partisan numbers. But they often result in maps that don’t make much sense when it comes to representing constituent interests.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The new system is “designed to hit the goals of making the districts more compact, less gerrymandered, keeping communities of interest together,” Husted said. “We think those are positive enhancements to the system and it will ultimately lead to representation that is more consistent among those communities.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But doing that while also drawing competitive districts has become more difficult as politics have become more polarized — especially along geographic lines, DeWine said.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“The counties that were Republican 10 years ago may be much more Republican today,” he said. “In other words, the margins have gone way up and we’ve seen the same thing with Democrat counties.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #19d099; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span data-wahfont="15" face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium;">This story is provided by </i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5274211/3497486914562724130" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s3" style="color: #dca10d;"><b><i>Ohio Capital Journal</i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium;"> a part of </i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5274211/3497486914562724130" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s3" style="color: #dca10d;"><b><i>States Newsroom</i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story</i><span class="s3" style="color: #dca10d;"><i> </i><b><i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/02/03/ohio-leaders-say-they-want-more-competitive-lege-congressional-districts-cite-challenges/" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></b></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br /></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-71891681317347300242021-02-02T06:00:00.001-05:002021-02-02T06:00:14.249-05:00Politics has no off-season<p><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><i>By R. T. Andrews</i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are no off-years in politics.</span></span></p><div class="articleBody" itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s a big mistake to think the long intervals between presidential elections are not every bit as consequential as the one day when we officially reject or retain an incumbent or elect a new president.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This should be clear if we understand politics to be how people living in groups make decisions so that they can live together as a community, as a state, as a nation.</span></span></p><p data-autoattached="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In fact, if we consider January 2021 alone, it looks like there are no off <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">months</em> in politics, let alone off years.</span></span></p><broadstreet-zone-container style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; display: block;"><broadstreet-zone active-style="text-align:center;" id="street-t4qe972628" position="afterend" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; text-align: center;" tracked="true" zone-id="81901"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div></broadstreet-zone></broadstreet-zone-container><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The January 6<span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> insurrection in our nation’s capital, incited by a sitting president, supported by a loose but extensive network that included police officers, military veterans, public officials, white supremacists — and which is being defended, excused or downplayed by 90% of a major party’s political leadership — was a transformational political event that will affect our nation for at least the next two generations. If ordinary citizens do not find effective ways to respond to this assault on our system, it will sooner or later become the norm. [Just yesterday, the military in Myanmar took over in a coup, claiming the recent election, in which 83% of the popular vote went against them, was fraudulent. Where might they have found a role model?</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two days earlier and closer to home, Gov. Mike DeWine signed “Stand Your Ground” legislation into Ohio law, caving into the state’s right wing legislature, and potentially turning any encounter outside your house into a lethal action.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last week Ohio’s junior Senator, <a href="https://rtandrews.blogspot.com/2021/01/ohio-politics-rob-portman-has-had-enough.html" target="_blank">Rob Portman</a>, made himself a lame duck, announcing that he will not run for a third term next year. Portman has been mostly MIA these past four years, fiddling with feeble calls for civility as his party and its unstable leader were setting ablaze many of the laws, institutions, traditions and protocols that make civility possible in a diverse nation of 330 million people.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(Highlighting the profiles in cravenness of Ohio’s top two Republicans reminds us to salute the stand-up vote of area GOP congressman Anthony Gonzalez, one of the fewer than five percent of his party’s House colleagues who voted to impeach Donald Trump for his incitement of insurrection.)</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting even more local, former Cleveland city council president and state rep <a href="https://rtandrews.blogspot.com/2021/01/cpt-breaking-news-marty-sweeney-to-join.html" target="_blank">Marty Sweeney</a> secured his return to public office by winning a close vote of the Democratic executive committee members to fill the vacancy on Cuyahoga County council occasioned by Dan Brady’s retirement.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">By the way, even as the process by which Sweeney returns to office was publicly </span><a href="https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2021/01/19/marty-sweeney-weasels-his-way-back-into-office-aided-and-abetted-by-cuyahoga-county-dems" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">savaged</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">, many political observers including several Sweeney detractors, had to acknowledge his mastery of vote-whipping, while his opponent, ward leader and Young Dems president Brandon Heil, was perhaps too busy measuring curtains for an office he had yet to secure.</span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also in January, Pernel Jones and Cheryl Stephens were elected by their colleagues president and vice president of county council. It’s fair to say few if any predicted council’s top two positions would both be held by African Americans. Perhaps even more remarkable than this stunner is how few eyebrows appear to have been raised by the feat.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mano of the folk who opposed the reorganization of county government back in 2009 would have lost their fortunes on a bet that the black people they professed to represent might attain the level of success under the new system exemplified by Jones and Stephens.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This perhaps segues into the reentry into local politics of former state senator Nina Turner.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Turner, you may recall, was vilified as a sellout back in 2009 for being just about the only black elected official who supported the reorganization of county government.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, by virtue of her policy chops, celebrity, and fundraising prowess, she is the frontrunner to win the Democratic primary in the expected soon to be announced special election to succeed Marcia Fudge.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And that’s not even half of the area’s January politics.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shirley Smith, Turner’s former state senate colleague, also declared her entry into the race last month, joining county councilwoman Shontel Brown and former Cleveland councilman Jeff Johnson.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, civic activist Justin Bibb heads a list of candidates who declared their candidacies for local offices. Bibb, 33, has an impressive set of career credentials to accompany a sterling academic resume and a policy nerdiness. He’s put together a tight political organization and raised over $200,000, more than enough to establish himself as a serious, credible candidate for Cleveland mayor.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Elsewhere, attorney and ward leader Rebecca Maurer announced her plans to run for council from her base in Slavic Village. In Cleveland Heights, Kahlil Seren tossed his hat into the ring to be Cleveland Heights’ first elected mayor since that suburb abolished its city manager structure.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s contests like these that trickle upward to build a base that can support political and social change or entrench the status quo. The choice is up to us.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have written several pieces about Ohio’s 11<span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> Congressional District, which for fifty years has been centered in Cleveland’s black community. Its political, social, and cultural importance is undeniable. But knowledgeable people tell us that turnout for the upcoming special election is likely to be around 25,000 voters. In a crowded field, the primary winner and likely next successor to Marcia Fudge could garner fewer than 7,500 votes.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If ever there was opportunity to make your voice heard, this would seem to be the time. The new technologies and platforms prospering under social media in the COVID era have made it easier than ever to educate yourself on the issues and the candidates. Just last week I sat in on a “meet and greet coffee klatch” from the comfort of my desk and listened to a candidate in Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood engage with three dozen or so voters from all around town.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now is the time to engage your family, neighbors, and friends and networks; and turn out the vote. Stacey Abrams lives in Georgia. She isn’t coming to Cleveland to do what we should do for ourselves.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Can I get an amen?</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #339966;"><span style="font-size: large;">• • •• • •</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 25px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #339966;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This post first appeared at <b><i><a href="https://therealdealpress.com/2.0/index.php/politics/200-politics-has-no-off-season" target="_blank">The Real Deal Press</a>.</i></b> Click here to see the original post.</span></span></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-8751688552329804942021-01-31T06:00:00.004-05:002021-01-31T16:44:36.327-05:00COMMENTARY | WILL OUR UNION BE A VICTIM OF COVID 19?<p><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><u>FROM the PULPIT to the PUBLIC SQUARE</u></b></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4KNQNEWGbMi8OoTOa_6mepfg9px_24ZmphoMuvLoTjGlkfDp2myXPfzL58TN_6haUNQ-zt7jcowXypgG04Yw9qaUPiglbtOAy17t-kvIswYKCnBrKFZMMTDTfwtOEao-R2zw/s656/vaccine+needle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="656" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4KNQNEWGbMi8OoTOa_6mepfg9px_24ZmphoMuvLoTjGlkfDp2myXPfzL58TN_6haUNQ-zt7jcowXypgG04Yw9qaUPiglbtOAy17t-kvIswYKCnBrKFZMMTDTfwtOEao-R2zw/w640-h274/vaccine+needle.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Marvin A. McMickle, Ph.D.</span></i></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Will we still be the UNITED States of America after the threat of COVID 19 has passed? We have not seemed UNITED when centuries of social neglect have caused African Americans to die from COVID 19 at a rate that greatly exceeds our percentage of the national population. It is disheartening to discover that in my hometown of Chicago, African Americans are about 32% of the population, but they account for 72% of the deaths associated with COVID 19. That same pattern appears in states across the country. Jocelyn Wilder, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, noted in the </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Chicago Tribune</i><span style="font-size: large;"> that we should “attribute the difference in mortality and infection rates to socioeconomic factors that preceded the epidemic.”</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><b><strike><i><span style="color: red;">1</span></i></strike></b></span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">We do not seem UNITED when higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and heart disease make African Americans more susceptible to being impacted by and dying from this virus. Living in poverty, not having access to affordable health care, not having access to fresh meats and vegetables, and being reliant on public transportation that makes social distancing impossible are major contributors to these higher rates of infection and death. In Chicago, the </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Chicago Tribune </i><span style="font-size: large;">reports that “food and pharmacy deserts are concentrated on the South side (where I was born and raised), and eight of the ten ZIP codes with the highest percentage of people without cars are on the South and West sides (which are largely African American communities). </span><b><i><span style="color: red;">2</span></i></b></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We do not seem UNITED when this nation’s centuries-long history of racism has resulted in overcrowded housing, low-paying jobs, limited access to preventive health care, and an economic position that forces too many African Americans to use emergency room services as their primary source of medical care. We get sicker more easily because of these pre-existing and underlying conditions referred to as co-morbidity. We may die from COVID 19, but we were made more vulnerable to the effects of the virus because of so many existing health problems that allowed the disease to take hold of our bodies with more deadly results.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">We do not seem UNITED when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said during one of his daily news briefings about the impact of COVID 19 in his state, ”It always seems that the poorest people end up paying the highest price. Why is that?”</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><b><i><span style="color: red;">3</span></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Why, indeed? This is the richest nation on earth in terms of economic capacity, technological capacity, medical research and resources capacity, higher education capacity, and military capacity. Nevertheless, we remain a nation deeply divided along lines of race, region, religion, and especially along lines of resources. Poverty is one of the great evils gripping our nation despite its great wealth. Like a scene out of <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> by Charles Dickens, it is the best of times for some Americans and the worst of times for others.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">One last problem has arisen that further divides us as a nation, and that is the rate at which African Americans are agreeing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Bad enough that we are more susceptible to this virus resulting in increased rate of infection, hospitalization, and mortality. Worse than all that is the unwillingness of some people to protect themselves from a virus that has painted a bullseye on our back. White Americans are being vaccinated at twice the rate of African Americans even though we are twice as likely to contract COVID-19.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Some persons may harbor suspicions about the safety of the vaccine or the speed with which it was developed. Some people may not trust a medical/research system that conducted the Tuskegee Experiment from 1932-1972 when 400 African American men who had syphilis went untreated so scientists could document the terrible effects of that disease on their bodies. The difference is that the Tuskegee Experiment was about medical help that was being denied to black bodies. Refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is about medicines that black people are denying to themselves.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In more ways than one, our Union is a victim of COVID-19, and there is a lot of blame to go around. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">______</p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>1. <span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Nausheen Husain and Cecelia Reyes, “As Chicago blacks die from COVID 19, communities of color knew recovery from COVID 19 would be slow”, ChicagoTribune.com, April 21, 2000.</span></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> 2. </span>Nausheen Husain and Cecelia Reyes, Chicago Tribune.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> 3. </span>Cuomo vows to investigate racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths: “Why do the poorest people always pay the highest price?”, TheHill.com, April 8, 2020.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">The Rev. Marvin A. McMickle, pastor emeritus of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, retired in 2019 as president of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York, where he had served since 2011.</em></p><h1 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #00ff5e; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></h1>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-32600683774050517612021-01-29T15:47:00.004-05:002021-01-31T15:04:12.951-05:00Nate’s Northcoast Notes • The Power of Music and Social Justice • Gaetano’s Jazz Quintet • Open Mic at Twelve Literary Arts • “Love Letters”<p><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;">By Nathan E. Paige</span></i></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: justify;"><b><i></i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUZwtgktXIjkIwZzUEPsOWvnFQJD89MHeAgE75zL95roP4EsLkhRs0bF38GJjxlF7Yh4nmEqycC2z-MGyKwiH3nLxoZuau13ySWCviyV9LRrKBVjq6aPKD9e9ChDIZp1x_oM9/s592/gaetano%2527s.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="592" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUZwtgktXIjkIwZzUEPsOWvnFQJD89MHeAgE75zL95roP4EsLkhRs0bF38GJjxlF7Yh4nmEqycC2z-MGyKwiH3nLxoZuau13ySWCviyV9LRrKBVjq6aPKD9e9ChDIZp1x_oM9/w640-h238/gaetano%2527s.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Catch a live stream performance of the Gaetano Jazz Quintet this Sunday on the BOP STOP’s Facebook page.</p><div><br /></div><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gaetano’s Jazz Quintet Live Stream at BOP STOP – January 31</span></b><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Gaetano’s Jazz Quintet, consisting of Bill Ransom (Drums); Theron Brown (Hammond D3); Bob Esterle (Saxes); Matt DeRubertis (Bass); and Gaetano (Tom) Letizia (Guitar) will perform a live streamed concert Sunday, January 31 from The BOP STOP at the Music Settlement.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The concert, which offers listeners a preview of the upcoming nine-song CD “Chartreuse,” will be accessible on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bopstop"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">BOP STOP’s Facebook page</span></span></a> at 7PM.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Free, but <a href="https://givebu"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">donations encouraged</span></span></a>.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Politics of Sound in Cleveland Museum of Art dialogue series – February 3</span></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6TA6ilCo9-qoFhjvtxuPqg6rnulnGVdCM5nqplg-HnH_PpZAApjQ1ujN4DwCvJeyXbI1p4NQwhkX14YG9TQfNkacMHh0sHcm9b7BMiVLPhmm8qKt7eHbL4oMdn0mUGv7UPgq/s692/Screen+Shot+2021-01-29+at+3.29.12+PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="558" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6TA6ilCo9-qoFhjvtxuPqg6rnulnGVdCM5nqplg-HnH_PpZAApjQ1ujN4DwCvJeyXbI1p4NQwhkX14YG9TQfNkacMHh0sHcm9b7BMiVLPhmm8qKt7eHbL4oMdn0mUGv7UPgq/w258-h320/Screen+Shot+2021-01-29+at+3.29.12+PM.png" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nwaka Onwusa</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">On Wednesday, February 3 at noon, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Manager of Collection and Exhibition Programs Andrew Cappetta, and the <a href="https://www.rockhall.com/"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">Rock and Rock Hall of Fame</span></span></a>’s vice president of curatorial affairs and chief curator Nwaka Onwusa team up for a virtual discussion on the power of music and artists who have harnessed word and sound to fight for social justice and racial equality. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/desktop-dialogue-the-politics-of-sound-registration-138615892867"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">Register for this free event on Eventbrite</span></span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Museum’s <a href="https://www.clevelandart.org/desktop-dialogues"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">Desktop Dialogue series</span></span></a> takes place every first and third Wednesday of the month.</span><p></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gjXCbC_57nIg_MqmMnYSrjFAcaVRcwhsRTQzlIEDcibJ9H-EpYk9GUtYq6MchI4PMlq5wgWoYy64QzdEkYzInolWi8MoguGTF4XKIsxnMV-Jt-k9_UkY-8n7MJ8RK8Am8zA3/s1524/Screen+Shot+2021-01-29+at+3.37.17+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1524" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gjXCbC_57nIg_MqmMnYSrjFAcaVRcwhsRTQzlIEDcibJ9H-EpYk9GUtYq6MchI4PMlq5wgWoYy64QzdEkYzInolWi8MoguGTF4XKIsxnMV-Jt-k9_UkY-8n7MJ8RK8Am8zA3/w640-h364/Screen+Shot+2021-01-29+at+3.37.17+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">The monthly Twelve Literary Arts, Inc. poetry event, One Mic Open, takes place Thursday, February 4 at 5:30PM via Zoom.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Inspired by Amanda Gorman? Twelve Literary Arts offers open mic opportunity<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>– February 4</span></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Nearing its sixth anniversary, the Twelve Literary Arts One Mic Open series continues virtually on Thursday, February 4 at 5:30PM <a href="https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sd-msrTgsEtJYSaTMxZFiSq78DNmgtwzO?fbclid=IwAR3JWyZF4SOx90ZdJp4i1AyxuNEOIjh91zgaoGEiuqGJqVnchK77vhmuydQ" target="_blank"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">via Zoom</span></span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Please register. Sign-up runs from 5:30-6PM.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Artists of all ages and mediums are welcome to attend and participate. One Open Mic takes place the first Thursday of each month. For more information about the event, please contact <a href="mailto:eodum@twelvearts.org"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">Youth Program Coordinator Eric Odum</span></span></a>.</span></p><p class="p8" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p8" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8iaFhsy-8CT0xDgNo-WjI7Z9ua6tWsExAy83QfyniEoWSwZSo48WgSTktMoPAn5PQmnl4Ojq2S4uDkbrZAhwVrsg4YSMFMPcwx8qiFymajSEjROLIK6qveDMbL1ZvWb4InHK/s500/love_letters_gcleabj.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8iaFhsy-8CT0xDgNo-WjI7Z9ua6tWsExAy83QfyniEoWSwZSo48WgSTktMoPAn5PQmnl4Ojq2S4uDkbrZAhwVrsg4YSMFMPcwx8qiFymajSEjROLIK6qveDMbL1ZvWb4InHK/w640-h640/love_letters_gcleabj.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Local black journalists present ‘Love Letters’ in fundraiser – February 13</span></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists (GCLEABJ) presents a virtual production of "Love Letters," A.R. Gurney’s Pulitzer Prize nominated play on Saturday, February 13 at 7PM via Zoom. Suggested donation: $8. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/love-letters-a-play-by-ar-gurney-hosted-by-gcleabj-tickets-136719586965" target="_blank"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite</span></span></a>. A silent auction will take place during intermission. Directed by, and starring Emmy Award-Winning TV Anchor Leon Bibb, and Talk Show Host, Minister and Motivational Speaker Sandra Bishop. Proceeds will support the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Annual Convention which will be held in Cleveland in 2025.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p8" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUieTwTrt80rsvWhYN8w3fDI7sw2PwLcGXjN7MojB1JNrvWVq6Iq7RckUypev7LqStg_agXYrMriD9CcB4o0fkxAZQdDx7N7RfMz8W2qKGZnlTv_vQ_5NLDXShJ5LCmBFBHmss/s500/michael_colyar.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUieTwTrt80rsvWhYN8w3fDI7sw2PwLcGXjN7MojB1JNrvWVq6Iq7RckUypev7LqStg_agXYrMriD9CcB4o0fkxAZQdDx7N7RfMz8W2qKGZnlTv_vQ_5NLDXShJ5LCmBFBHmss/w640-h640/michael_colyar.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Comedian Michael Colyar comes to the Cleveland Improv February 4-6.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Michael Colyar at Cleveland Improv - February 4-6</span></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Affectionately known as the King of Venice Beach, <a href="https://clevelandimprov.com/ShowDetails/49797604-9748-44f2-8582-6686bfa50794/751c5ad7-fc92-4d78-a0ef-b7942a2d898a/Michael_Colyar/Cleveland_Improv"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">comedian/actor Michael Colyar</span></span></a> comes to the Cleveland Improv for four shows Friday, February 4 through Sunday, February 6.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Tickets are $20. Colyar can also be seen on Amazon Prime’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Episode-01/dp/B073XXM2YY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1H41RGZMG184I&dchild=1&keywords=the+rich+"><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;">“</span><span class="s2"><span style="color: #990000;">The Rich and The Ruthless</span></span><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;">”</span></a>, portraying the character Willie Turner. This soapy drama, returning for Season 4 this year, was created by Victoria Rowell, who many fans of “The Young and the Restless” will remember as the feisty Drucilla Winters. </span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></span></p><p class="p8" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to<span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b><a href="mailto:northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: red;">northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com</span></i></b></span></a><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span>at least two weeks prior to the event.</i></b></p><p class="p9" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>• • •• • •</b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-13720251732959895902021-01-27T11:28:00.004-05:002021-01-27T11:28:56.234-05:00HEALTH | COVID-19 vaccine: Strides toward equity, access demanded<p><b style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;">By Susan Tebben</span></i></b></p><div class="td-post-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><header class="td-post-title ho" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div class="td-module-meta-info" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 16px; min-height: 17px;"><div class="td-post-author-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: inline-block; float: left; position: relative; top: 2px;"><br /></div><div class="td-post-author-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: inline-block; float: left; position: relative; top: 2px;"><br /></div><div class="td-post-author-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: inline-block; float: left; position: relative; top: 2px;"><br /></div><div class="td-post-author-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: inline-block; float: left; position: relative; top: 2px;"><br /></div><span class="td-post-date td-post-date-no-dot" data-wahfont="11" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; display: inline-block; float: left; margin-left: 4px; position: relative; top: 2px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="464" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/young-man-vaccinate-696x464.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/young-man-vaccinate-696x464.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/young-man-vaccinate-300x200.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/young-man-vaccinate-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/young-man-vaccinate.jpg 1024w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="young-man-vaccinate" width="696" /></span></div></header></div><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;">Marko Geber/Getty Images.</figcaption></figure></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As COVID-19 vaccine distribution slowly but surely continues in the state, minority populations still represent a small percentage of those that have received the vaccine, and officials and advocates say more strides toward minority equity and access need to happen.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine hasn’t wavered in recent messages that vaccine doses coming to the state are scarce.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We know there’s not enough,” DeWine said again on Tuesday.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As of Tuesday, <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-vaccination-dashboard" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">state data</a> showed 5.62% of the state’s population, or more than 656,000 people, had “started the vaccine,” meaning they have received at least the first dose of the two-dose vaccine. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Statewide, 4.63% of white Ohioans have received at least their first dose. The Black population only represents 2.07% of those who’ve begun vaccination.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/state-covid-19-data-and-policy-actions/#raceethnicity" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kaiser Family Foundation</a> analysis showed, <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">as of Jan. 19, the demographic distribution for vaccines was 82% white and 6% Black.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Some data is missing from the analysis, with 19% of the vaccination distribution showing “unknown race” and 24% showing “unknown ethnicity.” A spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Health said the race and ethnicity data is voluntarily filled in by the person receiving the vaccine, so the department does not control whether that data is completed.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The absence of or small amount of data showing people of color receiving the vaccine — though reporting of vaccine distribution is still in its early stages — could stem from a <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/12/15/olbc-more-information-can-help-combat-hesitancy-to-covid-19-vaccine/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">continuing distrust</a> by the Black community and people of color of vaccines and the government’s implementation of public health.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We’re still monitoring the data, but the the fact of the matter is that our health care system is not set up to serve Black Americans well,” said Hope Lane, policy associate at Ohio-based think tank Center for Community Solutions.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Lane said the <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tuskegee Experiment</a>, in which Black participants were intentionally not treated for syphilis, and the experiments conducted on Black women in the <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.history.com/news/the-father-of-modern-gynecology-performed-shocking-experiments-on-slaves" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">early days of gynecology</a> are “not so distant history,” and a shortage in doctors and pharmacists of color doesn’t help the hesitancy some have in receiving treatment or vaccines.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">That situation combines with a lack of forethought in the plans for vaccine distribution, according to Lane.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“There are drive-up sites, but when you don’t have a car you can’t drive-up,” Lane said. “There’s just things like that are part of the lack of access.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Even statewide distribution of the vaccine to pharmacies does not equal access in some areas.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Putting it just in pharmacies doesn’t work in communities like Dayton, because we have food deserts and prescription deserts in our African-American communities,” said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley on Tuesday.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Whaley was a part of a press conference to push for a new COVID-19 funding plan put together by President Joe Biden, but said strategies around getting the vaccine into minority communities must occur on the local, state and federal level to work.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">That includes bringing the vaccine to places where the communities gather, like churches. Of the 800 vaccines Public Health of Dayton & Montgomery County received recently, 200 of those were placed at St. Margaret’s Church in west Dayton, according to Whaley.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“So (the vaccine) would be in a place that is trusted in our community, connected to our community, for the African-American community,” Whaley said.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Carol Smith, a retired nurse from the Ohio State Penitentiary emphasized the need for education and outreach in order to get past the fears that are present because of the history of the country’s health care system.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We must acknowledge the concerns and acknowledge that these concerns are legitimate,” Smith said during the press conference. “Here comes the paramount role of education to those around us, who need encouragement and the knowledge to educate themselves and others.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">DeWine has said the state government will begin some “communication and education strategies aimed at minority communities,” such as town halls, marketing campaigns, and a “tool kit” for community partners to address vaccine hesitancy.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">On Tuesday he mentioned partnerships with churches as another way to “make sure we’re covering everyone in the state of Ohio.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“It’s an ongoing effort,” DeWine said. “We’re not there yet, but it is what we’re going to strive for, what we’re going to continue to strive for.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The efforts will begin Feb. 8, DeWine said, aligning with the week vaccines are scheduled to be distributed to Ohioans aged 65 and older. That week, vaccines will be taken directly to “affordable senior housing” facilities, where DeWine said the threat of serious illness is high because of the age of the residents and “potential barriers to accessing the vaccine.”</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #00ffa2; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>• • •• • •</b></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;">This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>,</i></b><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>,</i></b><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/26/for-years-portman-navigated-the-shifting-political-climate-now-he-wants-out/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b82d7558-2d1d-43ac-8b43-c33a08cb8659" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></a></i><span class="s2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/27/covid-19-vaccine-strides-toward-equity-access-demanded/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=c416195e-44e0-41c2-b96a-a162d1336086" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span></i></b></span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>.</i></b></span></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-22507306082361247042021-01-26T15:06:00.001-05:002021-01-26T15:06:43.753-05:00OHIO POLITICS | Rob Portman has had enough<p><b> <span style="color: #111111; font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large;">For years, Portman navigated the shifting political climate. Now he wants out.</span></b></p><div class="td-post-header" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><header class="td-post-title ho" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h1 class="entry-title" data-wahfont="41" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 50px; margin: 0px 0px 7px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Open Sans, arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>By Tyler Buchanan</i></span></h1></header></div><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="696" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot-696x696.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot-696x696.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot-150x150.jpg 150w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot-300x300.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot-768x768.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/portman_headshot.jpg 1177w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="Sen. Rob Portman" width="696" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;">Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH</figcaption></figure></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Rob Portman of Ohio will not be seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate, with the Cincinnati Republican citing increased polarization in American politics as a reason to not campaign for a third term</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The surprise announcement on Monday morning set off an early-week scramble for politicians of both parties to consider a run at the open seat in 2022. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In a statement, Portman said he intends to use his final two years in the U.S. Senate to “get a lot done,” pledging to work with the newly-inaugurated Biden administration on the COVID-19 pandemic response and other legislative priorities. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“I feel fortunate to have been entrusted by the people of Ohio to represent them in the US Senate,” Portman said in a statement, calling it “an honor” to have served the Buckeye State.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The departure will cap off a decades-long career in public service for Portman, 65, a moderate in both policy and style who has navigated a rightward shift within the Republican Party in recent years.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">An ‘increasingly polarized country’</span></b></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-994" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_994" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px 24px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-994" height="200" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-300x200.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-300x200.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-696x464.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman.jpg 1024w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-994" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman said Monday that “it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He called America “an increasingly polarized country” with both parties being pushed toward ideological extremes, making this “a tough time to be in public service.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“This is not a new phenomenon, of course, but a problem that has gotten worse over the past few decades,” his statement added.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It is certainly a much different political climate than when Portman first entered politics more than four decades ago. As a student of Dartmouth College, Portman interned for Cincinnati Congressman Bill Gradison.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He would return to New Hampshire in 1980 to work on the presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush, sparking a close relationship with the Bush family that continued in the years that followed.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman went on to study law and Bush won the presidency in 1988. He hired Portman to serve as an associate White House counsel and later as a liaison to Congress. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">When Gradison resigned from his seat in 1993, Portman defeated a number of Republicans in a special election primary. He then proved</span> his financial prowess in his first general election, raising 16-times as much as his Democratic opponent to win the seat.</span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman developed a reputation as an amicable policy wonk who could be a great asset for Republican campaigns. He once again helped out the Bushes by becoming a surrogate and fundraiser for George W. Bush’s presidential run in 2000. One Cincinnati event organized by Portman brought in $1 million for the Bush campaign.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Ohioan made a name for himself as an expert debate prepper. Starting in 2000, Portman portrayed Democratic politicians in mock debates for four straight presidential cycles.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He was the “stand-in” for Joe Lieberman against vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney that first year, also assisting New York Republican Rick Lazio by portraying Hillary Clinton during a 2000 election for U.S. Senate.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman would go on to play John Edwards against Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, sparring against John McCain and Mitt Romney.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">Portman’s coveted debate work was a combination of studious preparation, political knowhow and an innate acting ability, </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/27/rob-portman-obama-romney-debate" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The Guardian quoted</span></a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> a McCain advisor as saying in 2012.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He remained a loyal ally to the Bush administration while in Congress. In 2005, Bush appointed him to serve as U.S. trade representative and later named him director of the Office of Management and Budget.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman stepped down as budget chief in mid-2007. He had been commuting home on weekends for over a decade — since being first elected to Congress — and expressed a desire to head back to Ohio. In leaving Washington, Portman did not rule out a future run for governor or senator. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“There’s no finer man in public service than Rob Portman,” President Bush said upon his departure.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Back to Ohio, then back to D.C.</span></strong></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Returning to Ohio, Portman learned to toe the line between a political center and the more hardline elements of his party. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In February 2008, Portman was invited to speak at a Cincinnati rally for McCain’s campaign. Preceding him on stage was conservative radio host Bill Cunningham, who referred to Obama as a “hack” and made disparaging comments about former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s looks. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Cunningham even invoked Portman and his wife Jane’s names in making a crude joke about the homosexuality of Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">“Willie,” </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.statesboroherald.com/nation/campaign-2008/mccain-disavows-radio-talk-show-host-who-calls-obama-hack-chicago-style-politician/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Portman said in taking the mic</span></a><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.statesboroherald.com/nation/campaign-2008/mccain-disavows-radio-talk-show-host-who-calls-obama-hack-chicago-style-politician/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">,</a><span style="color: #222222;"> “you’re out of control again. So, what else is new? But we love him. But I’ve got to tell you, Bill Cunningham lending his voice to this campaign is extremely important.”</span></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">After the event, McCain denounced Cunningham’s comments and apologized for them. Portman told reporters: “I was backstage so I didn’t hear everything (Cunningham) said.” </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman jumped back into electoral politics in 2010 in announcing a run for U.S. Senate.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">“My concern is that Washington doesn’t seem to get it,” </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://madison.com/news/opinion/column/e-j-dionne-jr-senate-hopefuls-play-up-outsider-status/article_464dbe67-60eb-5910-b9b1-17389852657a.html" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">he told columnist E.J. Dionne Jr.</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">An election cycle centered on outsider politics and the Tea Party movement could have proven to be a challenge for a former Bush appointee. Instead, he benefited from there being a Democratic senate primary; a weakened Ohio economy putting pressure on his eventual opponent, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher; and the Portman trademark of prolific fundraising. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman raised more than $13 million for the race and cruised to a comfortable victory in a fortuitous election year for Ohio Republicans. The party took back the governor’s seat and rising stars such as Jon Husted and Josh Mandel were elected to their first statewide offices.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman outperformed them all, winning the highest percentage and largest total of votes. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: large;">From possible Romney VP to Trump supporter</span></strong></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Early in his first term, Portman was vetted for the vice presidential slot on Mitt Romney’s 2012 ticket.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman’s biggest strength — experience — also proved to be a hindrance. The Romney campaign was skeptical about choosing someone with close connections to the George W. Bush administration. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It was believed Portman could help the ticket carry Ohio, but the Romney camp found little evidence to back up that conclusion. In February 2012, a Quinnipiac University survey of Ohio voters found that President Obama polled slightly ahead of Romney. The poll also asked how Ohioans would vote if Portman was named as Romney’s VP pick </span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">— Obama actually </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">gained</i><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> a percentage point.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Romney ended up going in a different direction.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In 2013, Portman made headlines for becoming the first sitting GOP senator to endorse the legalization of same-sex marriage. He said this support followed his son coming out as gay two years before. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">More a workhorse than showhorse in D.C., Portman primarily stayed out of the spotlight during Obama’s two terms. A Quinnipiac Poll from May 2016 found that 42% of registered voters in Ohio said they didn’t know enough about Portman to form an opinion about him. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">That was after he had already served a dozen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, two years in the Bush administration and five years as a U.S. Senator.</span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-995" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_995" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px 24px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-995" height="212" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-wMitch-McConnell-300x212.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-wMitch-McConnell-300x212.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-wMitch-McConnell-768x543.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-wMitch-McConnell-100x70.jpg 100w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-wMitch-McConnell-696x492.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rob-Portman-wMitch-McConnell.jpg 1024w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-995" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">Ohio U.S. Sen. Rob Portman with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">During the Republican presidential primary, Portman first chose </span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">to endorse fellow Ohioan John Kasich. He later backed Trump for the general election before rescinding his support after an Access Hollywood tape was published showing Trump in 2005 boasting of grabbing women’s genitals without their consent. </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/portman-says-hell-vote-for-pence-instead-of-trump-229393" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Portman said</span></a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> he would vote for vice presidential candidate Mike Pence instead. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman is often ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators, in that he frequently co-sponsors bills that are sponsored by Democratic lawmakers. It is also true that Portman became a reliable vote in favor of Trump’s policies as president.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/rob-portman/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">An analysis from the website FiveThirtyEight</span></a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> found that <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Portman voted in line with Trump’s positions 88% of the time </span></span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">— a higher amount than other Trump allies such as Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham. It is nearly the identical voting record percentage as Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, who is considered one of Trump’s top supporters on Capitol Hill</span>. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman voted in favor of the Trump tax cuts and sought a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, though he broke with the president in not wanting a repeal without a replacement in place. He voted for Trump’s cabinet members and the Supreme Court nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/09/22/portman-brown-flip-on-issue-of-filling-supreme-court-vacancy/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The latter vote was in contrast</span></a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> to Portman’s own legislative precedent he outlined in 2016. When a Supreme Court seat opened up in February of that year, Portman advocated for waiting to confirm a replacement in order to allow “the American people to weigh in on who should make a lifetime appointment that could reshape the Supreme Court for generations.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died six weeks before the 2020 election, Portman reversed course and urged the Republican-led Senate to confirm Barrett. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #222222;">Portman avoided criticizing the president and dodged questions related to Trump’s conduct, </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/07/11/rob-portman-donald-trump-jr-meeting-russia/469871001/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">telling reporters</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> he was</span></span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> unfamiliar with the controversies in question. In one exchange, </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-struggle-respond-trump-s-actions-protests-n1222726" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">he evaded questioning</span></a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> by saying he was late for lunch.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The president’s Access Hollywood tape all but forgotten, Portman served as a co-chair for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and was named a co-captain of its Victory Finance Committee. He joined the president’s daughter for a MAGA rally in Youngstown a week before Election Day.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">Nevertheless, Portman was one of the first Republicans in Congress to acknowledge Biden’s victory as being legitimate. He did not object to Biden’s presidential electors </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/07/4-ohio-congressmen-object-to-electoral-college-count-in-effort-to-overturn-result/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">as several other Ohio Republicans did</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> and has stated there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Who will run for the open seat?</span></b></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">There is a long list of Democratic and Republican names already identified as potential candidates for the seat.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">For Republicans</span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">, this announcement provides a newfound opportunity for those who were not otherwise planning to run in a contested primary for the seat. Among those who have already expressed interest or are rumored to be eyeing a campaign include Lt. Gov. Jon Husted; former state treasurer Josh Mandel; Rep. Jordan; Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta; Attorney General Dave Yost; former Rep. Jim Renacci; and others.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://twitter.com/nanwhaley/status/1320881921870749698" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Ohio Democrats had created</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> a “Defeat Rob Portman Fund” following the Justice Barrett nomination fight and now have a much different path to winning the seat. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, tweeted Monday he was “looking seriously” at running, with other possible candidates including Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley; Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes of Akron; Dr. Vin Gupta of the Toledo area, and others.</span></span></span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3974" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_3974" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px 24px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 188px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-3974" height="230" loading="lazy" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/timryan.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="188" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-3974" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said Monday he was “looking seriously” at running for U.S. Senate in 2022.</figcaption></figure><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">Some 2022 election ratings predicted Ohio would not be competitive with Portman on the ballot. Kyle Kondik, a political analyst for the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/senate-2022-an-early-look/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">believed a Portman race in 2022</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> would be “potentially competitive” but was likely to lean in the incumbent’s favor.</span></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://twitter.com/kkondik/status/1353736829602828290" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Kondik tweeted Monday</span></a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> the race remains favored toward the Republican Party, but the shake-up provides an opening to Democrats “under (the) right circumstances.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: large;">Still two years remaining in term</span></b></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As the dust settles from Portman’s announcement, it remains to be seen how the Republican will approach his final two years in office now that he is unencumbered by any electoral considerations.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Such is the major question, said David Niven, an associate professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati who is a former Democratic Party speechwriter. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Niven outlined two models for how the next two years could go for Portman: Jeff Flake and Lamar Alexander.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Flake, an Arizona Republican, was a vocal Trump critic and frequently spoke his mind after announcing he would not run for reelection in 2018. (Trump responded in kind, and Flake was recently censured by the Arizona Republican Party.)</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, decided in 2018 not to run for reelection for the 2020 cycle and remained a Trump ally for the rest of his term.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Niven said the next two years will give a clear sense of Portman’s true political leanings without another race in front of him.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">The first major test could be the upcoming impeachment trial. While other Republicans in the senate have condemned the impeachment effort </span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">—</span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> Marco Rubio of Florida </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marco-rubio-senate-impeachment-trial-trump-stupid-2021-1" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">called it “stupid”</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;">—</span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222;"> Portman has adopted a more tempered, open-minded approach. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman has said Trump “bears some responsibility for what occurred” during the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol. In that statement, he said about an impeachment trial: “I will do my duty as a juror and listen to the cases presented by both sides.”</span></span></p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; display: flex; font-size: 15px; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 550px; width: 550px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1349536664989945856" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=tylerjoelb&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1349536664989945856&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fohiocapitaljournal.com%2F2021%2F01%2F26%2Ffor-years-portman-navigated-the-shifting-political-climate-now-he-wants-out%2F&siteScreenName=OhioCapJournal&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; flex-grow: 1; height: 675px; max-width: 100%; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px;" title="Twitter Tweet"></iframe></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman, familiar with the delicate negotiation process between the White House and Capitol Hill from his time with the first Bush administration, may play an important role with the current U.S. Senate’s relationship with President Biden.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“In these next two years, I will continue to be actively engaged,” Portman said in his Monday statement, “doing my best to provide hope as we try to get through the devastating coronavirus pandemic and doing my best to help bring our great country together, to help us heal, so we address the many challenges we face together.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #00ffa2; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>• • •• • •</b></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;">This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>,</i></b><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>,</i></b><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story</span><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/26/for-years-portman-navigated-the-shifting-political-climate-now-he-wants-out/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b82d7558-2d1d-43ac-8b43-c33a08cb8659" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></a></i><span class="s2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/26/for-years-portman-navigated-the-shifting-political-climate-now-he-wants-out/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b82d7558-2d1d-43ac-8b43-c33a08cb8659" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span></i></b></span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>.</i></b></span></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-30714347256711718852021-01-25T06:00:00.013-05:002021-01-26T17:06:32.814-05:00OHIO POLITICS | State rep. again calls for virtual hearings, testimony during pandemic<p> <span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">By </span><a data-wahfont="11" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/author/tyler-buchanan/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; margin-right: 3px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tyler Buchanan</a></p><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="335" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Debra-696x335.png" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Debra-696x335.png 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Debra-300x144.png 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Debra-1024x493.png 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Debra-768x370.png 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Debra.png 1462w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="Task Force April 20" width="696" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;">Members of the Economic Recovery Task Force are seen at a virtual meeting in April. A state representative wants to see the Ohio General Assembly allow for virtual committee hearings and testimony with the pandemic ongoing.</figcaption></figure></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When Ohio business owners were asked early on in the pandemic to share their concerns with lawmakers, they were given a chance to do so via Zoom video conference.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And when lawmakers on the Ohio Controlling Board hold regular meetings, they discuss budgetary issues with agency officials on a similar digital platform.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But ordinary Ohioans wanting to testify in favor and against proposed laws must still travel to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to be heard directly by their legislators.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A Democratic state representative is once again urging the Ohio General Assembly to allow for virtual committee hearings and testimony as the state continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Brigid Kelly of Cincinnati introduced resolutions near the end of the previous legislative term seeking these rule changes. She announced plans to introduce them again with the 134th General Assembly kicking off this month.</span></span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10955" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_10955" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px 24px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 168px;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-10955" height="236" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 168px) 100vw, 168px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/kelly-214x300.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/kelly-214x300.jpg 214w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/kelly.jpg 640w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="168" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-10955" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">State Rep. Brigid Kelly, D-Cincinnati</figcaption></figure><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“No one should have to choose between their health and wellbeing and having their voice heard,” she stated in a news release. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Dozens of advocacy organizations whose members often testify on legislation are similarly calling digital testimony going forward. While people can submit written testimony to committee members, testifying directly allows for questioning and extended dialogue on a given subject.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In a letter to House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, and Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, the groups argue “our democracy works best when all of us are involved and when all of us have equitable access to it.” </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The groups point to the coronavirus health concerns as well as broader challenges brought about by the pandemic. Parents and caregivers may not be able to travel to and from Columbus to have their voices heard, the letter contends.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Ohioans balancing these increased demands of caregiving and family responsibilities can be met with insurmountable obstacles in having their voices heard at the Statehouse because they cannot partake in person,” the letter continues. “Additionally, the health and wellbeing of legislative and Statehouse staff and members of the press corps are at risk when there is an increase in the number of people with whom they come into contact at the Statehouse.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Besides digital meetings of the House Economic Recovery Task Force and Ohio Controlling Board, lawmakers also approved a bipartisan bill to let university trustees attend their meetings electronically. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Rep. Susan Manchester, R-Waynesfield, said during a committee hearing the bill’s passage was “imperative to the functionality and safety of state university boards and their trustees” during the “unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The bill passed unanimously in the Ohio Senate and near-unanimously in the Ohio House of Representatives.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #00ffa2; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>• • •• • •</b></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;">This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story </i><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><b><i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/25/state-rep-again-calls-for-virtual-hearings-testimony-during-pandemic/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></span></a></i></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>.</i></b></span></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-62569659157997428112021-01-22T23:13:00.000-05:002021-01-22T23:13:31.271-05:00Nate’s North Coast Notes • Six Scintillating Sisters Shine in PBS’ ‘How It Feels to Be Free’ • Peter Lawson Jones hits ‘Chicago Fire’, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ • Tommy Davidson at Cleveland Improv • MIX returns to art museum<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><i>By Nathan E. Paige</i></b></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b></b><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjup4V6JIiZIHCyggM9AG5WUROfQIi8mUdzfCFT6je0CCojA-7am_kV_NuMqw6wbqrS-jhakgMwD_RViJRV0RZM0oo0ElLlBVDLCa2Yr1p4X2pPfc4J9GPTMzA-MXHGb6FRXvoM/s2000/howitfeels2bfree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjup4V6JIiZIHCyggM9AG5WUROfQIi8mUdzfCFT6je0CCojA-7am_kV_NuMqw6wbqrS-jhakgMwD_RViJRV0RZM0oo0ElLlBVDLCa2Yr1p4X2pPfc4J9GPTMzA-MXHGb6FRXvoM/w640-h640/howitfeels2bfree.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: justify;">“How It Feels To Be Free” the latest PBS “American Masters” documentary, features clockwise from top left, <br />Lena Horne, Cicely Tyson, Pam Grier, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, and Diahann Carroll. </span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: georgia; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">‘How It Feels to Be Free’ – ‘American Masters’ on PBS</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">PBS’ “American Masters” series presents the new documentary, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/how-it-feels-to-be-free-documentary/15247/"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #800180;">“How It Feels to Be Free,”</span></span></a> highlighting six prominent black women artists<b> — </b>Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier — who became game changers in the</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> entertainment industry. Celebrity interviews include Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Meagan Good, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Horne’s daughter Gail Lumet Buckley. Alicia Keys narrates and serves as executive producer. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> “I am proud to be a part of such a meaningful, important project,” says Keys. “Art is the most powerful medium on the planet, and I continue to be inspired by and learn from these powerful, brave and stereotype-shattering women who leveraged their success as artists to fearlessly stand up against racism, sexism, exclusion and harassment. I honor their courage by celebrating their stories and continuing the work they started.”</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The documentary is based on the book “How It Feels To Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement” by Ruth Feldstein. The video link above is accessible on <a href="http://pbs.org/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #800180;">pbs.org</span></span></a> until February 16.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4D8HnG8PSsLdq5VHfety84SMlsYaX8intt4M2fvsYnFhH8Ix0IRL_XaIbvy1SyKcMmDExVT0crui8QSHhNn3msCoN1FrmPcqS_kHtKPLfHKZ8vueXgb2pLVhO1vvDt8A7iWOt/s500/peter_lawson_jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="500" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4D8HnG8PSsLdq5VHfety84SMlsYaX8intt4M2fvsYnFhH8Ix0IRL_XaIbvy1SyKcMmDExVT0crui8QSHhNn3msCoN1FrmPcqS_kHtKPLfHKZ8vueXgb2pLVhO1vvDt8A7iWOt/w640-h332/peter_lawson_jones.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Local politician-turned-actor Peter Lawson Jones appears in the January 27 episode of “Chicago Fire” on NBC.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Peter Lawson Jones on NBC’s “Chicago Fire” - January 27</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Local politician-turned-actor Peter Lawson Jones can be seen in the Wednesday, January 27 episode of the <a href="https://www.nbc.com/chicago-fire"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #800180;">NBC drama “Chicago Fire,”</span></span></a> airing at 9PM ET.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He also has a role in the upcoming “Judas and the Black Messiah,” starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, which is scheduled for a February 12 release.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-O08DrapGtRHrhQPDnfPJcQ-5Fspe676kYRTa6WqoiNiWfoy3yPmpeGbvjrckBhd2aeV9G5cC8wyfXxo-Z3lIaFN-9U5LjLrdMRCR1VN-XjVBd7rqbLmcnbcGDez5kZPe69Sg/s440/tommy_davidson.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="440" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-O08DrapGtRHrhQPDnfPJcQ-5Fspe676kYRTa6WqoiNiWfoy3yPmpeGbvjrckBhd2aeV9G5cC8wyfXxo-Z3lIaFN-9U5LjLrdMRCR1VN-XjVBd7rqbLmcnbcGDez5kZPe69Sg/w640-h402/tommy_davidson.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;">Comedian Tommy Davidson will do five shows at the Cleveland Improv January 29-31.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Comedian Tommy Davidson at Cleveland Improv – January 29-31</span></b><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Comedian Tommy Davidson comes to town for 5 shows Jan. 29-31 at the <a href="https://clevelandimprov.com/ShowDetails/409fab23-fdea-4cfa-96cb-5b242115238d/751c5ad7-fc92-4d78-a0ef-b7942a2d898a/Tommy_Davidson/Cleveland_Improv"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #800180;">Cleveland Improv</span></span></a>, 1148 Main Avenue in the Flats. Tickets $20. In recent years, Davidson has been seen in the 2020 Netflix special “Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine,” and heard as the voice of Oscar Proud on The Disney Channel’s “The Proud Family.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He also had a small role in the fourth installment of the “Sharknado” franchise.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdg1gUOH-RfUvYTiGK43O91DQVZipZY23QnSYMJqPDtTMXZcEH0Y6Zmwcply3FLj643pBF1fdkt6Y3sLOpsPau7D2-di6_i8nwSxt3h6yhEeMnS3YykG6DXeDmJXvN8TLqL4J/s1270/maltese_falcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1270" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdg1gUOH-RfUvYTiGK43O91DQVZipZY23QnSYMJqPDtTMXZcEH0Y6Zmwcply3FLj643pBF1fdkt6Y3sLOpsPau7D2-di6_i8nwSxt3h6yhEeMnS3YykG6DXeDmJXvN8TLqL4J/w640-h504/maltese_falcon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">The film noir classic “The Maltese Falcon” returns to theaters to mark the 80<sup>th</sup> anniversary of its release. <br />[Photo c</span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">ourtesy of Fathom Events]</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Fathom Events presents 80th anniversary screenings of ‘The Maltese Falcon’ – January 24, 27</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Fathom Events will re-release <a href="https://www.fathomevents.com/events/The-Maltese-Falcon-80th-Anniversary-presented-by-TCM-(2021)"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #800180;">“The Maltese Falcon”</span></span></a> in select theaters January 24 and 27 in conjunction with the 80<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the film noir classic. Based on the short story by Dashiel Hammett, the film stars Humphrey Bogart — one of the prototypes for what a cinematic private detective should be — who portrays hard-boiled gumshoe Sam Spade. Also starring Sidney Greenstreet, Mary Astor and Peter Lorre.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Don’t try to follow the story, just go along for the ride. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8Y75fmqA8FUjb2WG71HDjoDnE6PsDWkthY_5I8R8P3W7kvvKRzCTGE46hxlEUq-VrJm_cbjiC65b3WgyfpJjpjUJpoGzHe9fNx4pNmOC3bLjInBMgg906pWxpP2JwzzPjab8/s960/cma_mix_feb21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="960" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8Y75fmqA8FUjb2WG71HDjoDnE6PsDWkthY_5I8R8P3W7kvvKRzCTGE46hxlEUq-VrJm_cbjiC65b3WgyfpJjpjUJpoGzHe9fNx4pNmOC3bLjInBMgg906pWxpP2JwzzPjab8/w640-h384/cma_mix_feb21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: justify;">A virtual version of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s MIX event takes place Friday, February 5 at 8PM.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">MIX: Move at The Cleveland Museum of Art – February 5</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Cleveland Museum of Art reopened to the public on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Come February 5 at 8PM, the <a href="https://www.clevelandart.org/events/virtual-events/mix-at-cma"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #800180;">MIX event returns</span></span></a> with “MOVE” featuring<b> </b>movement and performance artist Marcia Custer who will take the audience on a virtual dancing tour through the galleries, accompanied by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>visuals from artist Ben Oblivion.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>DJ Haley Himiko Morris provides the tunes. Free.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Colorful attire encouraged.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to </i></b><a href="mailto:northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com"><span class="s1"><b><i><span style="color: #800180;">northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com</span></i></b></span></a><b><i> at least two weeks prior to the event.</i></b></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #00ffaa; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>• • •• • •</i></b></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-69152891314584258572021-01-22T06:23:00.002-05:002021-01-22T06:23:28.248-05:00OHIO POLITICS | Dem. lawmakers want newly-enacted ‘Stand Your Ground’ law repealed<p><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif;">By Tyler Buchanan</span></b></i></span></p><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="486" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest-696x486.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest-696x486.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest-300x210.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest-1024x716.jpg 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest-768x537.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest-100x70.jpg 100w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/millerwest.jpg 1142w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="Reps. West and Miller" width="696" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;">State Reps. Thomas West, D-Canton, and Adam Miller, D-Columbus</figcaption></figure></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Just two weeks after Gov. Mike DeWine reluctantly signed a so-called “Stand Your Ground” bill into law, two Democratic legislators are pushing in the new Ohio General Assembly term to have it repealed.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The passage of Senate Bill 175 during a lame-duck session last month marked a significant policy victory for Ohio gun advocates. The bill removed from state law a person’s “duty to retreat” from a confrontation before using deadly force against a perceived threat. </span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The bill passed along mostly party lines, with all Democrats voting against and just four Republicans in the Ohio Senate joining them.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Democratic Reps. Adam Miller of Columbus and Thomas West of Canton plan to introduce legislation to repeal SB 175, which they refer to as a “Shoot First” law. In a provided statement, the two claimed this new law could allow minor conflicts to escalate into deadly violence.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“One of our most important responsibilities as elected officials is to ensure the safety and security of those we serve, those who sent us to Columbus,” stated West, who serves as president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. “This law did the opposite — quite simply, its passage made us less safe, especially Black Ohioans and other Ohioans of color.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">With Republicans still holding supermajorities in both legislative chambers, this repeal effort is unlikely to be successful. But the two noted public pressure to reform Ohio’s gun laws following the 2019 Dayton shooting as well as DeWine’s own calls for reform.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In signing SB175 into law, DeWine stated he was “very disappointed … that the legislature did not include in this bill the essential provisions that I proposed to make it harder for dangerous criminals to illegally possess and use guns.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">West added, “When the people of Dayton and others across our state issued us a call to ‘do something’ following the horrific tragedy in that city, this is not at all what they meant. We hope our colleagues will join us in restoring our neighbors’ safety by repealing this dangerous law.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #00ff91; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">• • •• • •</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;">This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;"> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story </i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/dem-lawmakers-want-newly-enacted-stand-your-ground-law-repealed/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a5f207ec-9efc-4a92-ae5b-4a1396abb76b" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;"><i>.</i></b></span></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-68984479989464849612021-01-21T09:50:00.005-05:002021-01-21T09:54:47.832-05:00Op Ed • Police should be a part of the community they serve<p><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;"> <span face=""Open Sans", arial, sans-serif">By David Niven</span></span></i></b></p><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="464" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/police-cruiser-2290-900-600-h-696x464.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/police-cruiser-2290-900-600-h-696x464.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/police-cruiser-2290-900-600-h-300x200.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/police-cruiser-2290-900-600-h-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/police-cruiser-2290-900-600-h.jpg 900w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="police-cruiser-2290-900-600-h" width="696" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It was a tiny detail in another devastating story of police use of force. Seeking comment from the Columbus police officer involved in the most recent killing of a civilian, the </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/crime/2020/12/23/columbus-activists-outrage-over-police-shooting-unarmed-black-man/4018762001/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Columbus Dispatch</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> described the “No Trespassing” sign tacked to the front door of the officer’s house </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">in Union County</i><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">There is a crisis in American policing today, a disconnection between those who police and the people they are meant to serve. Much of this crisis can be understood from the commonplace practice of employing people to police a diverse city who would choose to live in a county where whites outnumber African Americans 33 to 1.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A Census report revealed that in nearly every big city in America — including Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Toledo — African American police officers are more likely to live in the city they serve than their white peers. The nation recoiled at the police strangulation of George Floyd in Minneapolis — a city where 19 in every 20 white officers live out of town.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Cities in Ohio once had the ability to combat this problem. In fact, twenty years ago more than 100 Ohio cities had employee residency requirements that made living within city limits a condition of continued employment. In 2006, however, the Republican legislature and Gov. Bob Taft set out to end residency requirements. They spoke of personal freedom imperiled by residency requirements as if cities were storming into people’s homes and forcing them to move.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But residency requirements no more forced someone to move than education requirements force someone to attend college. It was, rather, a job qualification like any other — something city leaders saw as making their employees better at their work.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The city of Lima unsuccessfully challenged the residency ban as an affront to home rule. The Republican-dominated state supreme court upheld the law. But the city’s argument still rings true today. Lima outlined the advantages of city employees living in town, including their knowledge of the city and their commitment to it. More to the point, Lima asserted that its residency requirement “promotes the employment of individuals with a greater empathy for the real and long term concerns and problems of the people of Lima.”</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Empathy. </i><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">The ability to understand the feelings of another. The quality so obviously lacking when a Columbus police officer investigating a noise complaint shot Andre Hill within ten seconds of seeing him. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">This summer the </span><a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2020/06/22/licking-county-neighbors-block-disabled-youth-group-homes/112780178/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Dispatch reported</a><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> on a zoning meeting in Licking County in which several local residents vociferously opposed plans to build a group home for young people with disabilities. One opponent said he was a Columbus firefighter with a Columbus police officer fiancée. He told the zoning board, “We’ve dealt with this stuff a lot. It’s not something that we want to be around.” He said they “want to leave everything in the city” when they come home.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As if Columbus was a foreign land, a place to be reviled, filled with people one must escape from. Escape from the people they people are supposed to serve, from the people who pay their salaries. Empathy, or more aptly its total absence, on display in a residency choice at odds with the very nature of public service. </span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A residency requirement might actually make some public servants more empathetic — but just as importantly, it would weed out people who have no business serving the city, indeed have no capability to truly serve the city, because they view its residents as unworthy of them.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A 2015 U.S. Department of Justice taskforce on 21</span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">st</span><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;">-century policing recommended that police departments institute “residency incentive programs.” It’s past time for Ohio legislators to embrace the future of policing by reviving our policies of the past. Admit the folly of residency requirement bans and let cities build police forces from people who actually want to be there.</span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0dd764; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b>• • •• • •</b></span></span></p><p data-wahfont="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">David Niven is a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati.</span></i></span></p><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story </i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/20/protect-and-serve-and-live-next-door/" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><i>.</i></b><div><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div><div class="td-author-social" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: -5px;"></div></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-68149600279049443962021-01-21T08:00:00.127-05:002021-01-21T08:00:10.723-05:00 HEALTH • Slavic Village effort takes HIV prevention to the neighborhood level in hopes of reversing trend<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">By Rachel Dissell</span></i></b></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3IJMdRi-33xyxbqU7udZzekjidxnjttluZxngm0Irfex4KQQqra3crpE-hcoQ62VPUd9oIbtkuR7fFtXaJisf2xBqTr-aDpoJSJKU4sA2JG5x866WZrjvbA0X4PapIp-ZVue/s1244/Slavic+Village+Street+sign+crppd.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1244" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3IJMdRi-33xyxbqU7udZzekjidxnjttluZxngm0Irfex4KQQqra3crpE-hcoQ62VPUd9oIbtkuR7fFtXaJisf2xBqTr-aDpoJSJKU4sA2JG5x866WZrjvbA0X4PapIp-ZVue/w640-h424/Slavic+Village+Street+sign+crppd.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood has seen an increase in new HIV diagnoses since 2015, according to state health officials. A project there aims to learn more about how the virus is being transmitted, to step up prevention and treatment, and to distribute condoms and other safer-sex products. (Tim Harrison for ideastream)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">On a crisp fall day, a small group of masked community researchers fanned out on the streets of Slavic Village to ask residents a few questions about their sex lives. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The effort was one part of a plan to understand why the Cleveland neighborhood has seen higher levels of new HIV cases diagnosed<b> </b>over the past five years, despite an overall downward trend in Cuyahoga County. The clipboard-toting volunteers also popped into local stores to record condom prices and availability. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Slavic Village ZIP code, which also includes the Union-Miles neighborhood, was one of two in the county to report 50 or more new HIV diagnoses between 2015 and 2019, according to the most recent Ohio’s <a href="https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/hiv-aids-surveillance-program"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #800180;">HIV Surveillance program</span></span><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;">.</span></a> (The other ZIP code, 44102, includes the Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater neighborhoods.) </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="302" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fBE7-3okBK7C_iMXU1F7zjyrpJxHWdNEtShONkz3mybz8NpWohcL78M9Ji8ti0RvKgUGWOxvHPjxvakFu7jqFu276G0ez4FE8JI_aA3GtXsdzNsFyaE_9KI8wMcro54HbpOrqK6F" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="619" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Two Cleveland ZIP codes have the most new reported diagnoses of HIV between 2015 and 2019. </p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Ohio Department of Health HIV Surveillance program</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Slavic Village’s hyperlocal response to the rise in cases, aided by a $25,000 AIDS Funding Collaborative grant, mirrors a national trend in prevention and treatment efforts, which until recently were orchestrated at the city or metro level. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It also means combatting two viruses at once: HIV, which has lingered stubbornly for decades, and the coronavirus that has ripped through a neighborhood already exhausted from efforts to tackle cycles of generational poverty, food insecurity and low literacy. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“I felt kicked in the stomach with another reality about Slavic Village,” said Earl Pike, who for about a decade headed the AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland but had heard little discussion about the issue since taking the helm of <a href="https://www.universitysettlement.net/what-we-do"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #800180;">University Settlement</span></span></a>, a social services agency, in 2017. </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">One more challenge</span></i></b></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Viruses don’t respect neighborhood boundaries but learning more about how HIV is being transmitted in Slavic Village is key to tailoring a prevention strategy, said Bob Eckhart, a public health practitioner who has worked on HIV prevention and treatment and AIDS services since the 1980s, when he helped catalyze the local and national response. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In recent years, new diagnoses of HIV in Cuyahoga County have overwhelmingly been among men who had sex with men and who were black and under the age of 35. (Note: HIV infections among transgender women are counted based on their assigned sex at birth.)</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But the full picture of what is happening with HIV countywide is murky because of a shift to “priority-based testing,” which requires a focus on the most at-risk populations that can also be harder to reach. The new protocols and organizational problems within the Cleveland Department of Public Health, which until last year was responsible for testing, led to a steep drop in HIV tests countywide from more than 10,000 in 2018 to about 3,000 in 2019.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">County health officials are still trying to get a sense of what the infection numbers mean, said Melissa Rodrigo, deputy director of prevention and wellness at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, which took over testing for a six-county region in 2020. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The pandemic created more obstacles for community partners, though most have adjusted, meeting people at their homes to administer HIV tests. Still, Rodrigo said, it will take a little time to understand whether the reported infection numbers are low because of the reduced amount of testing. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“It’s hard to know exactly where we are at,” Rodrigo said. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">There are other issues to untangle, as well, to understand how the virus is spreading. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For instance, ZIP codes with the highest number of emergency room visits related to opioids and the distribution of naloxone, which reverses overdoses, overlap with the greatest number of HIV diagnoses, according to a county epidemiological profile published in August. But the number of newly diagnosed patients linked to needle sharing or drug use is low, possibly because Cleveland supports one of the largest free clean needle exchange programs in the state.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9w5KwMi5ZtGJjD-btvrleIimJNQu-mtM2FpUour6np_jtiNcGug1vHT6eCWYzx2IdRONBGksG05Ewhw9DRNnhZeAbAJVvN8XCv5J_-1n3oysUxw1kkIMbSxzHFpnl6jpuYsM/s1248/Slavic+Village+%25E2%2580%25A2%25C2%25A0Free+Condoms+bowl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1248" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9w5KwMi5ZtGJjD-btvrleIimJNQu-mtM2FpUour6np_jtiNcGug1vHT6eCWYzx2IdRONBGksG05Ewhw9DRNnhZeAbAJVvN8XCv5J_-1n3oysUxw1kkIMbSxzHFpnl6jpuYsM/w640-h534/Slavic+Village+%25E2%2580%25A2%25C2%25A0Free+Condoms+bowl.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"> Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood is working on a strategy to combat an uptick in new HIV diagnoses in the <br />past five years. University Settlement, a neighborhood anchor, makes free condoms available at its front desk.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Hearing from the community</span></i></b></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Though it can be awkward to ask questions about a person’s sex life or what protection they use, hearing directly from residents helps to avoid assumptions, said Autumn Franz, a recent John Carroll University graduate who helped to organize the community “research mob” and collect surveys from about 50 residents to learn more about how often they use protection during sex. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It’s particularly important in black communities, where it can be harder to come out as gay or bisexual, or where transgender women of color are not always part of the conversation, Franz said. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Another challenge is figuring out who can help pay for and deliver prevention messages and services to the neighborhood's 22,000 or so residents, many of whom are low income. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRcC70NF_Sx4EJISf8d8TndjYwOQxJnrQg4_XvhPcESHHITqmscOLR6ZdWoRJ9hS5uXzqVWdQpe-mgCnZMntv-ihLuBYaZExlrc6R2oKAouFdQWVuhZtRs_MrLvhRNOA2xm9I/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="480" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRcC70NF_Sx4EJISf8d8TndjYwOQxJnrQg4_XvhPcESHHITqmscOLR6ZdWoRJ9hS5uXzqVWdQpe-mgCnZMntv-ihLuBYaZExlrc6R2oKAouFdQWVuhZtRs_MrLvhRNOA2xm9I/w640-h174/image.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When Eckhart started reaching out to interview community leaders, most were surprised to hear HIV infections were on the rise. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“People haven’t thought about AIDS and HIV in a long time,” he said. What he heard was ‘we just didn’t know.’” </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">One thing, though, was clear: Residents don’t want people to come in from outside the neighborhood to address the issue. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">That makes sense to Gary Scofinsky, who has called Slavic Village home since 1995. Despite all of its pressing problems, it’s a place that has a strong network of neighbors who take care of their own, he said.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Scofinsky is known for his massive garden operation, which provides vegetables like kohlrabi and eggplant for neighbors, and jalapenos for employees at the nearby Dollar General, where he often shops. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The 54-year-old, who has lived with HIV for more than two decades, believes one way to raise awareness might be to use neighbor networks to pass out literature and condoms, particularly to younger residents who might be harder to reach or who aren’t openly gay or bisexual and have concerns about people passing judgment on them.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“A lot of teenagers and young adults don’t seem to care about [the virus] anymore,” he said. “It will be tough to reach them.”</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Scofinsky also thinks there should be more outreach at local drug rehabilitation centers. Often, he said, people are careful about needle sharing but not as cautious about unprotected sex when drinking and using drugs. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Scofinsky, who is partially paralyzed due to a violent physical attack decades ago, says he has mostly stayed inside during the pandemic. But once it is safe, he’d volunteer to hand out condoms or answer questions at community events. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“There’s a lot of people who know me,” he said. “They might hear it coming from me.”</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Local voices key</span></i></b></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Information gleaned from community research can be invaluable, said John Barnes, executive director of Funders Concerned About AIDS.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For a variety of reasons it is harder to give federal money to small neighborhood groups. The formulas used to measure the problem and dole out the money have also disadvantaged communities with new or emerging outbreaks, he said. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In some ways, the work to eradicate HIV has been hampered by strides in treating the virus. “The success of treatments and prevention strategies have lessened the sense of urgency,” Barnes said, though the people currently at the highest risk for infection are among the most marginalized. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In 2019, the Trump administration announced it would direct the majority of HIV/AIDS-related funding to 57 communities with the goals of diagnosing infections and identifying outbreaks more quickly, stepping up the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications and allowing communities to locally design treatment and prevention initiatives. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The grant to University Settlement was one of the first the Cleveland AIDS Funding Collaborative gave for a “neighborhood deep dive,” said Julie Patterson, director of the collaborative.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It has since awarded “catalyst” grants to several other community or neighborhood organizations that might not qualify for larger federal grants with more rules and restrictions, Patterson said.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Brainstorming solutions</span></i></b></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">COVID-19 halted the door-to-door part of the community research as infections climbed this fall and winter, so the group went virtual, organizing a Zoom call recently with nearly a dozen residents: mothers, artists, health care workers, a young couple with a chubby-cheeked baby.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">From their couches and kitchens, they brainstormed potential places where free condoms could be distributed in the community, such as the rapid transit station on East 55<sup>th</sup> Street or a blood plasma donation center on Broadway Ave. They also discussed how to best weave conversations about sexual health into the fabric of neighborhood events that already exist. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">While most agreed free condoms should be widely available, they also thought opportunities for discreet testing would be helpful for those unwilling to get tested at a doctor’s office or at the AIDS Task Force office, which features its name on a large sign over the door. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It’s also essential to acknowledge men are in relationships with women and have sex with other men on the “down low” because it is not culturally acceptable, said Mimi, 41, who runs a church-based group for mothers of all ages. (She asked that only her first name be used.)</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">Sign up here to get free condoms mailed to your home. </b><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://ohiv.org/positive/free-condoms/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">https://ohiv.org/positive/free-condoms/</a></b></span></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The place to start, most agreed, was to raise awareness about how to prevent HIV and reduce the stigma of talking openly about it.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“People that I know have shut down and they have feared for their lives because people may get angry and treat them a certain way, and so they are scared to let people know what is going on,” Tyra Jackson, 44, told the group. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We know everybody is not going to be accepting,” said Jackson, who last year started an outreach organization called “The Caring.” </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“But if we can get more people to be a little more welcoming, she said, “maybe we can make a difference and make people feel like they can come out and say, ‘Hey, I have HIV.’”</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #09e05f; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></b></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i>This story is provided by ideastream as part of special community coverage of COVID-19 and funded by Third Federal Foundation and University Settlement.</i></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-41688420385377180932021-01-18T14:25:00.001-05:002021-01-18T14:25:49.533-05:00OHIO POLITICS | Non-violent, heavily armed demonstration forms at Statehouse<p><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif;">By </span><a data-wahfont="11" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/author/jake-zuckerman/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", arial, sans-serif; margin-right: 3px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jake Zuckerman</a></span></i></b></p><div class="td-post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-top: 21px; padding-bottom: 16px;"><div class="td-post-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" height="462" sizes="(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-696x462.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-696x462.jpg 696w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-300x199.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-768x510.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-2048x1360.jpg 2048w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="Boogs" width="696" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; z-index: 1;">Armed men stand outside the Ohio Capitol Jan. 17.</figcaption></figure></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A cohort of armed men stood at the Statehouse steps calling for unity yesterday.</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">A conspiracy theorist with a megaphone yelled about dangerous vaccines, 9/11 and the 2020 election.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Black Lives Matter activist simply waved a flag in celebration of the looming inauguration of a new president.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The entire Sunday crowd of roughly 100 stood, braving a sometimes-heavy snowfall, outside a Statehouse fortified with Humvees, National Guardsmen, and police barriers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Exactly who came out for what reason is unclear. Despite <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/13/ohio-girds-for-unrest-as-governor-say-he-didnt-anticipate-right-wing-uprising/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">stark warnings from Gov. Mike DeWine</a> and a coterie of state and local officials, there was no violence on display Sunday. There were, however, dozens of armed, masked civilians in combat fatigues with assault rifles. A crowd forcefully shouted down an interview between a reporter and a man in a “Make America Great Again” hat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The gathering formed in the context of two related events; Biden’s inauguration scheduled for Jan. 20, and a violent mob raid at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 as part of a last-ditch effort to force Congress to overturn the results of the presidential election. The raid came after months of President Donald Trump and his allies baselessly claiming the election was fraudulent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 11:30 a.m., more than 15 men with assault rifles (many had holstered pistols as well) arrived identifying themselves as members of the Boogaloo Movement — an <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://www.adl.org/boogaloo" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">anti-government group</a> focused on gun rights and civil liberties, some of whom anticipate an incipient civil war. More joined them later in the day.</div></span></div><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10898" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_10898" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px auto 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 2560px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-10898" height="1700" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-scaled.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-300x199.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-768x510.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Boogs-and-horses-696x462.jpg 696w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: 696px;" width="2560" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-10898" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">A group of Boogalu Bois staging before the Jan. 17 demonstration. Several officers on horseback stopped by. Source: Jake Zuckerman.</figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite the weaponry and facial coverings, one man with the group who declined to provide his name said they were there for what he called a “unity rally.”<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">“If we look at the unarmed completely peaceful protests that have happened across America in this recent year, a majority of them get shut down by police force — brutal police force,” he said. “If you look at your armed marches, they last all day. Everybody gets to speak, and everybody gets to ensure they have a platform, and they are heard.”<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Sitting in a lawn chair outside, Dan Wertz said he came out with a megaphone to counter-protest an expected pro-Donald Trump crowd that never materialized. He wound up in an amplified, public debate with another man with a megaphone.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The other man offered a torrent of baseless conspiracies: debunked claims that vaccines cause autism, that elections infrastructure companies rigged the presidential contest, that 9/11 was an inside job, and similar ideas.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Wertz said despite officials’ concerns about an armed and possibly violent protest, he didn’t want to let right-wing extremists chill his free speech rights.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">“If I chose not to come out here because they’re armed, that would give them everything they want,” he said.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The conspiracy theorist then hurled a number of anti-trans insults at Wertz, prompting many of the Boogaloo Bois to stand with Wertz and distance themselves from the conspiracy theorist.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">One man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat would only identify himself as “Todd” and said he came out to stand up for Trump, repeating the lie that Trump won the election. Variations of this claim have been dismissed by dozens of courts, elections officials from both parties around the country, and the Trump administration’s ranking elections security chief (who Trump later fired).<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">A crowd slowly gathered around the man and a reporter, accusing the man of being a racist and the reporter of giving him a platform.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">“Stop giving racists platforms! Stop giving racists platforms! Stop giving racists platforms!” they chanted, seeking to overpower a voice recorder and derail the interview.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The relative peace of the day came in contrast to warnings from DeWine, based on evidence he declined to make public, of threats of violence Sunday.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Alongside the violence in Washington D.C., several fights including a <a data-wahfont="15" href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/15/the-last-statehouse-protests-ended-in-fistfights-now-officials-worry-for-inauguration-violence/" role="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #5779bc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">full-fledged brawl broke out Jan. 6 in Columbus</a> between BLM activists and members of the Proud Boys — a group of all male, right-wing extremists known for engaging in fistfights with liberal groups.</span></span></div><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10900" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_10900" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 6px auto 0px; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; width: 2560px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-10900" height="1700" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" src="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-scaled.jpg" srcset="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-300x199.jpg 300w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-768x510.jpg 768w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Black-lives-matter-flag-696x462.jpg 696w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: 696px;" width="2560" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-10900" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; margin: 6px 0px 26px; text-align: left;">A Black Lives Matter flag furls outside the Ohio Statehouse Jan. 17. Source: Jake Zuckerman.</figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Other factors may have worked against the violence: The day proved cold and wet; a rare Cleveland Browns playoff game kicked off at 3 p.m.; the robust security acted as a deterrence; and a sweeping prosecutorial effort related to the Jan. 6 raid may have weighed down any would-be instigators.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Maurice Carpenter of Columbus avoided the thick of the crowd and waved a Black Lives Matter flag at passing traffic.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“I’m just here ‘cause we’re celebrating, our president just won, we’ve been fighting all year,” he said. “They’re the ones who are sore losers. So hey, you lost, get over it. He had four years.”</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #14d963; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start;">This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start;"> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start;"><i>,</i></b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story </i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/17/non-violent-heavily-armed-demonstration-forms-at-statehouse/" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></i></b></span></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: start;"><i>.</i></b></div></div></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-38935954256846941482021-01-16T12:26:00.007-05:002021-01-25T05:52:08.459-05:00CPT • BREAKING NEWS: Marty Sweeney to join County Council after winning County Dems' unit vote<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><b><i><u><span style="font-family: arial;">Cuyahoga Politics Today</span></u></i></b><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><i>By R. T. Andrews</i></b></span></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgFUZaY681DcNIFpBMHsek5sBpLKXFyZLlg08WB9mm-GH0ftdGBmfelVjl43WWacS1SUfqAEjhKkENEUQLrZS5f6zz6MUqVUlTTdZPO6SasyLj9i9bJSfnaVVON6rwyoyYX77/s794/SWEENEY.Martin+%2540+District+3+meeting.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="794" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgFUZaY681DcNIFpBMHsek5sBpLKXFyZLlg08WB9mm-GH0ftdGBmfelVjl43WWacS1SUfqAEjhKkENEUQLrZS5f6zz6MUqVUlTTdZPO6SasyLj9i9bJSfnaVVON6rwyoyYX77/w640-h362/SWEENEY.Martin+%2540+District+3+meeting.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Martin Sweeney at Cuyahoga County Democratic Party District 3 Executive Committee Meeting on Zoom</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Former Cleveland city council president Martin J. Sweeney was selected to fill the Cuyahoga County District 3 seat left vacant by the resignation last month of County Council president Dan Brady. The </span><span>closely contested vote was conducted this morning over Zoom.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweeney won a second ballot victory over attorney Brendan Heil, 35-27. Ryan Ross came in third with one vote.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">33 votes were required to win the nod. On the first ballot, Sweeney led Heil 32 to 26, with Ross getting five votes; there was one abstention.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a telephone interview with <i>The Real Deal Press</i> earlier this week, Sweeney, also a former state representative, said that he greatly missed public service and that if elected, he would dedicate himself to constituent service.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is widely anticipated that Heil, who is the Cleveland ward 15 leader, and also president of the county's young Democrats, will challenge Sweeney when an election is held to fill the unexpired term.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Heil-Sweeney contest was seen by many as a harbinger of what may be a changing of the guard in Cleveland's political climate, with so many key positions — the 11th Congressional District, Cleveland mayor, county executive — coming on the ballot in the next two years. And there are no doubt many Cleveland city councilmen anxiously awaiting to see how far the shoe drops when results of the 2020 Census become known. An expected steep decline in the city's population will trigger an automatic reduction in council's size, with some estimates that 4-6 seats will be eliminated.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Adding some intrigue to the contest was speculation by some that Sweeney was encouraged to enter the race against Heil by to deter Sweeney from challenging Cleveland ward 15 councilman Brian Mooney this fall. That encouragement was thought to come from forces aligned with council president Kevin Kelley, who is expected to announce soon his candidacy for the mayor's job this fall. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweeney denied such speculation, although he did acknowledge in our interview that he was alerted to the county council vacancy by former county executive Ed FitzGerald, a known Kelley confidant.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #09e854; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></p></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-72172227786003812722021-01-15T08:24:00.002-05:002021-01-15T08:24:27.869-05:00Nate's Northcoast Notes • MLK Day Holiday Events • CPH: 'Inspiring Revolutions' •<p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;">By NATHAN E. PAIGE</span></i></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b><i></i></b><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhtDG1YvrKYZmDFBqXZZnScQBAoboP1A-MXz1_8oVXoBUaIaql6lheLpnz9UyxUZa5Lrfg5eNLbOpzHKRLdfXmi4AMFn1l4mKLCFh2xGfDW_38dSvkFQd9NcOIGRJoP4ocxAX/s1546/Screen+Shot+2021-01-15+at+8.03.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1546" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhtDG1YvrKYZmDFBqXZZnScQBAoboP1A-MXz1_8oVXoBUaIaql6lheLpnz9UyxUZa5Lrfg5eNLbOpzHKRLdfXmi4AMFn1l4mKLCFh2xGfDW_38dSvkFQd9NcOIGRJoP4ocxAX/w640-h428/Screen+Shot+2021-01-15+at+8.03.30+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cleveland Museum of Art’s MLK Day Program: Becoming A Beloved Community (January 18)</span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Monday, January 18 at 6PM, local poets Honey Bell Bey and Orlando Watson pay homage to The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of a Beloved Community by focusing on the artwork of Cleveland artist Michelangelo Lovelace, namely his 1998 painting, <i>My Home Town</i>. Opening remarks will be made by the Reverend Dr. Jawanza Colvin, pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church,<b> </b>a museum trustee, and the inaugural chair of the museum’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. There will also be a moderated discussion.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/493456302"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Watch the program via Vimeo</span></span></a>.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cleveland Orchestra Annual MLK Concert (Broadcast available through April 14)</span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74wC8Xm5uVrZudN4b-BaWYFt_exm9r1tNfKxgNuKFzUTnwnIQ9osRnod4KyyVoVFnwm4Bbx2IlE63a4VhdKir5-BfAiL4aRsHP2tW3UrR-A_qo1IeGSxShzhAEFlpfTAqxayI/s995/severance_hall.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="995" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74wC8Xm5uVrZudN4b-BaWYFt_exm9r1tNfKxgNuKFzUTnwnIQ9osRnod4KyyVoVFnwm4Bbx2IlE63a4VhdKir5-BfAiL4aRsHP2tW3UrR-A_qo1IeGSxShzhAEFlpfTAqxayI/w200-h148/severance_hall.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Severance Hall, home to <br />The Cleveland Orchestra</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Due to the restrictions on crowd gathering put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cleveland Orchestra will rebroadcast their 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. concert <a href="https://www.adella.live/"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #cc0000;">free of charge through the Adella streaming app</span></span></a>. The concert will be available for viewing January 14 through Wednesday, April 14, 2021.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Conducted by Franz Welser-Most, the program is narrated by Karamu alum James Pickens, Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber on “Grey’s Anatomy”) and features performances by bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green and the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>William Henry Caldwell serves as director.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i></i></b><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihED-DJmnLSAjWfUZezXSEvdkKH-_dVqvdAf_JBxPRvIWYwydCMgNIeIDhujeyJozYiYporaf9c2VxdwtVv9GR8uGRoxCRCP6M0nTqz3fr7r2KtiXBXqeNh9-08HAZE-5ioMVi/s675/matthew_cherry_hair_love.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="675" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihED-DJmnLSAjWfUZezXSEvdkKH-_dVqvdAf_JBxPRvIWYwydCMgNIeIDhujeyJozYiYporaf9c2VxdwtVv9GR8uGRoxCRCP6M0nTqz3fr7r2KtiXBXqeNh9-08HAZE-5ioMVi/w640-h328/matthew_cherry_hair_love.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Filmmaker/author Matthew Cherry will speak at the Akron Main Library Sunday, January 17 as part of the Library’s MLK Day celebration.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Virtual MLK lecture with filmmaker/author Matthew Cherry at Akron Main Library (January 17)</span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Matthew Cherry, Oscar-winning filmmaker of the animated short, “Hair Love,” will discuss how his creative works reflect The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision and dreams during a <a href="https://services.akronlibrary.org/event/4797490"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #cc0000;">free Zoom webinar</span></span></a> Sunday, January 17 at 2PM. Registration required.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>“Hair Love” was adapted into a children’s book and is now in its 26<sup>th</sup> week on the New York Times Bestseller List of Children’s Picture Books. The book was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Book. Cherry was a wide receiver for the Akron Zips during the early 2000s. He went on to a pro career with several NFL teams. He also has an executive producer credit for Spike Lee’s “BlacKKKlansman.”</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cleveland Play House Theater Thursdays presents ‘Inspiring Resolutions’ (January 21)</span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax2lrasrSTN2u9hEcJ-PRdHJssbvu4Gjdzz5ApNaXCTSyFEcLb6q9YJL5z3tpYxD6pbq-ZZKGOCby_V70zQQRbdvRToQDtHFv3ol9ntPqL0r9WKKImYJ7kkoT4kaLzAZNE6EQ/s364/cph_theatre_thursday.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="364" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax2lrasrSTN2u9hEcJ-PRdHJssbvu4Gjdzz5ApNaXCTSyFEcLb6q9YJL5z3tpYxD6pbq-ZZKGOCby_V70zQQRbdvRToQDtHFv3ol9ntPqL0r9WKKImYJ7kkoT4kaLzAZNE6EQ/w200-h198/cph_theatre_thursday.PNG" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The January virtual production for the Cleveland Play House’s Theatre Thursdays series is “Inspiring Resolutions.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Hosted by Artistic Director Laura Kepley, “Inspiring Resolutions” consists of songs and monologues designed to initiate transformation, including excerpts from “The Belle of Amherst” and “The Amen Corner,” as well as poems from Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou and more. Featured actors are Peter Hargrave, Eric Lockley, Laura Perrotta and Mariama Whyte. The performance also includes tips and suggestions from Life Coach Bjorn DuPaty. <a href="https://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/calendar/2021/01/21/theatre-thursday-inspiring-resolutions"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Tickets are $5; registration required</span></span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A Q&A session follows the performance. The purchase of a ticket gives the viewer access to the performance for 72 hours.</span></div><p></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR83h7bjtSXFL8Z8nGFQLPeiRbX7uvgN-V-hs5JcUY2BssoCbIwWa1nFQsO2W1AA6L6z7NZ2woeF2arAHRk0hPH2_hFCKHdWdt1EVHIQrI3QDZezBeQA04xbK2PCgk7UdVklr/s524/one_night_in_miami_crop.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="422" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR83h7bjtSXFL8Z8nGFQLPeiRbX7uvgN-V-hs5JcUY2BssoCbIwWa1nFQsO2W1AA6L6z7NZ2woeF2arAHRk0hPH2_hFCKHdWdt1EVHIQrI3QDZezBeQA04xbK2PCgk7UdVklr/w323-h400/one_night_in_miami_crop.PNG" width="323" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">‘One Night in Miami’ (Streaming on Amazon Prime begins January 15)</span></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The latest offering from Amazon Studios is “One Night in Miami,” a fictionalized account of a real-life encounter between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke and pro football player Jim Brown, celebrating Ali's surprise title win over Sonny Liston in 1964.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Directed by Regina King (“Watchmen,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), the film stars Aldis Hodge, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Eli Goree.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><h1 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0cf585; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></b></h1><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to </i></b><a href="mailto:northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com"><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;"><i>northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com</i></span></a><b><i> at least two weeks prior to the event.</i></b></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-80369196782384162222021-01-15T08:15:00.011-05:002021-01-15T08:15:02.304-05:00POLITICS • Walters elected new chair of Ohio Democratic Party<p><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span style="font-size: large;">2022 elections for state executive offices will provide daunting early test for party's first woman chair</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;">By Tyler Buchanan</span></i></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Elizabeth Walters, president of the Summit County Council, was elected the new chair of the Ohio Democratic Party yesterday.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n0i7UWM5CQuMLptfIAEpj4nZUAH3DFOS4hc4Vx6h9YAtjZWqlxcIV-iHBHsQf7L0kgQmeG81fLL2GMsMBGv3STn6P-DCWOAtHaYAx2QgI2e79HN9Vn4spITfVs7eQb6hwzu-/s641/WALTERS.Liz+2021.0114**.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="633" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n0i7UWM5CQuMLptfIAEpj4nZUAH3DFOS4hc4Vx6h9YAtjZWqlxcIV-iHBHsQf7L0kgQmeG81fLL2GMsMBGv3STn6P-DCWOAtHaYAx2QgI2e79HN9Vn4spITfVs7eQb6hwzu-/w198-h200/WALTERS.Liz+2021.0114**.png" width="198" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Liz Walters</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Walters becomes the first woman to lead the state party. She replaces David Pepper, who stepped down after six years as chairman at the end of 2020.</span><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: georgia;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4hIk7TixLAN-M0pHUjGTZbw8NSNwr3ZyHSU2lWH3ofwUllZYLNITXLqPW_b5mvs4JHmEF13OXr_GvDdDNoDJ9GMDnjm8CYDpqQnVJ3k-Sxj_Vb3IjXskFkycCEclffMUGfd0/s887/WASHINGTON.Andre+2021.0112+crppd+screen+shot*.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="887" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4hIk7TixLAN-M0pHUjGTZbw8NSNwr3ZyHSU2lWH3ofwUllZYLNITXLqPW_b5mvs4JHmEF13OXr_GvDdDNoDJ9GMDnjm8CYDpqQnVJ3k-Sxj_Vb3IjXskFkycCEclffMUGfd0/w200-h169/WASHINGTON.Andre+2021.0112+crppd+screen+shot*.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Andre Washington</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Andre Washington, a field representative of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees [OAPSE] and president of the Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute, a black trade union group, was elected vice chair. </div></span><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Speaking via Zoom conference, Walters and party leaders spoke of the need for the Ohio Democratic Party to move forward in a different direction. Walters inherits a party seeking a change of fortune at the ballot box following back-to-back 8-point victories in Ohio by President Trump. Republicans also hold all six statewide executive offices, supermajorities in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly and a narrow majority on the Ohio Supreme Court.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We’re going to be in an exciting time to evolve this party to something new, something that is responsive to the needs of our activists and our voters and our candidates,” Walters said shortly before being elected, “and make it sustainable for the long run so we can elect Democrats statewide from precinct committees all the way up to the federal level.”</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A handful of interested candidates to become chair had whittled to two: Walters and Antoinette Wilson, a campaign manager and former assistant secretary of state. On Thursday, Wilson backed out of the race to consolidate support behind Walters.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Nothing is more important than the strength and unity of this party,” Wilson said.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A number of Democratic leaders spoke optimistically about the party’s fresh start, including U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">State Rep. Thomas West, D-Canton, incoming president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, said the organization was “really ready to move forward with the party to bring a new direction for the Ohio Democratic Party.”</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The first big test for Walters will be the 2022 midterm elections. The party will look to field candidates for the six executive offices (governor/lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and attorney general) along with a challenger for the U.S. Senate. </span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Democrats are also trying to reverse the tide in the Ohio Statehouse. The Republican Party strengthened its supermajorities in both the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate last November. </span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Wilson said the party has a goal of “making our red counties a little more pink, our pink counties a little more purple, with the hope of blue on the horizon.”</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“In 2022 we have a huge race,” Beatty said, “and this is our time to win.”</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b>• • •• • •</b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b><i>,</i></b><i> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b><i>,</i></b><i> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. Additional editing by R. T. Andrews. See the original story </i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/15/walters-elected-new-chair-of-ohio-democratic-party/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=13cdd8ef-0039-4d17-85f8-ea36daef82a5%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s2"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></i></b></span></a><b><i>.</i></b></span></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-63800324172061354452021-01-14T14:42:00.002-05:002021-01-14T14:58:48.658-05:00POLITICS • Ohio Dems to pick new leader tonight<h2 style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Regardless of outcome, state’s elected black officials need to find ways<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to increase influence</span></b></h2><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">By R.T. Andrews</span></i></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Ohio Democratic Party’s executive committee will meet virtually tonight to select a successor to outgoing chairman David Pepper, who is stepping down after five years on the job.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY3l1H6NoRf65p6d8YefVV5WuoooRXpW0e6b4LhVij-IfKb1PVtQ3IFOA0OV_xXKKZdqiC80JFq6ApQMgiIdRAS8tCIxt8bfJOyzKILHqsGpQL1j_EbSQ-ocTU4NxBwRrfy7k/s1566/WALTERS.Liz+2021.0112+**.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY3l1H6NoRf65p6d8YefVV5WuoooRXpW0e6b4LhVij-IfKb1PVtQ3IFOA0OV_xXKKZdqiC80JFq6ApQMgiIdRAS8tCIxt8bfJOyzKILHqsGpQL1j_EbSQ-ocTU4NxBwRrfy7k/s320/WALTERS.Liz+2021.0112+**.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz Walters</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The new chair is expected to be Liz Walters, the party’s former executive director, a Summit County Council member who was recently elected as council president. Walters has the endorsement of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and will also receive support from the major labor unions that contribute heavily to the party’s treasury.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div></span><p></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCuDxNy_r4ufUtUZ2ZK7mK1Vx3GWOkpgxBR819R7YCgfUcfkat739NYNZ1nRqoxngz665MhiEwvwCzq3SGKqHsdESL8LkGWlGHdvW7GGM07JgIh7ajikcHJ5_SUhQAfApkbT-/s1568/WILSON.Antoinette+2021.0112+**.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCuDxNy_r4ufUtUZ2ZK7mK1Vx3GWOkpgxBR819R7YCgfUcfkat739NYNZ1nRqoxngz665MhiEwvwCzq3SGKqHsdESL8LkGWlGHdvW7GGM07JgIh7ajikcHJ5_SUhQAfApkbT-/s320/WILSON.Antoinette+2021.0112+**.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antoinette Wilson</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Walter’s main challenger is Antoinette Wilson, a Franklin County-based political consultant. Her firm, Triumph Communications, touts<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>a sterling record of victories in many high profile races, including four successful election campaigns for Columbus mayor Michael Coleman, along with recent wins for Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner, who outpaced President-elect Joe Biden on the state ballot.</div></span><p></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Despite this record of achievement, Wilson is clearly not a favorite of the party’s bigwigs, although she is endorsed by Janet Carson, who leads the party’s county chair association.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Wilson was a candidate for the post in December 2014 but lost out to Pepper, who was labor’s choice.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Whatever chance Pepper had for a successful tenure may have been lost when his<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>sidekick, former state senator Nina Turner, left his leadership team after a few months to join U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’s campaign to win the 2016 Democratic nomination for president. Pepper and Sanders had promised to institute "a culture of high ethics, accountability, transparency, trust and fairness" and to promote diversity and inclusion in their administration.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The measurables for those lofty goals were not high on Pepper’s watch, and the party’s lackluster performance in those areas was not counterbalanced by success at the ballot box, where Republicans continue to batter Democrats statewide, outside of the state supreme court, where Democrats in the last few years have gone from being shut out 7-0 to winning three seats.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And on that score, had Pepper taken seriously the pleas of black elected officials not to clear a path yet again for John O’Donnell — he of <i>Brelo</i> case fame — to make his third run at a Supreme Court seat, the Democrats today might be enjoying majority status on that bench.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Which brings us back to tonight’s choice. At a Facebook forum earlier this week both Walters and Wilson made pledges to consult frequently with black elected officials in state party affairs, swore to promote diversity and inclusion, and in fact to help underwrite the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. They also promised to be respectful of the importance of the black vote.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I don’t know either Walters or Wilson, although I have spoken with the latter about her candidacy. I suspect that whoever wins is likely to be more solicitous of black input than has traditionally been the case at party headquarters. It won’t take much for that to be the case.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But even as most black legislators and the Ohio Young Black Dems fall in line behind Walters, the same problems persist. Black elected officials who want to be respected and consulted must do the work of turning out their districts in elections. They need to spend less time supplicating party officials and more time studying what Pepper’s law school classmate, Stacey Abrams, did in Georgia to get out the vote in Georgia, and figuring out how to adapt those methodologies to Ohio’s undervalued black electorate.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When the turnout in black precincts advances from subterranean to at least sea level, their representatives won’t have to mope around, hat in hand. In that regard, at least in Cuyahoga County, black state legislators may be indirect beneficiaries of the energy jolt that Nina Turner’s Congressional bid and Justin Bibb’s mayoral campaign promise to inject into the local black body politic.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #17eb93; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></b></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-22472096944318552032021-01-12T21:50:00.000-05:002021-01-12T21:50:54.634-05:00Portman waffles to avoid angering core Trumpers<h1 style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span style="font-size: large;">Calls for panel to investigate claims of voter fraud</span></b></h1><p class="p5" style="color: #dca10d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="color: black;"><b><i>By </i></b><b><i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/author/marty-schladen/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank">Marty Schladen</a></i></b></span></p><p class="p5" style="color: #dca10d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="color: black;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="p5" style="color: #dca10d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7gzY13ELuAvQFZLwuMfOn9MVYBI_Q11a3xeIcnH7RtQIpxCJ7ESrg3xvC8lEn2EiPKEqC2E6DiCT01hk3uqgv3d7CY_FblggPS4flTP8w2_HgBw-dLzkymNtQniYXX7JhTDT/s1394/PORTMAN.Rob+%2526+McCONNELL.MItch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1394" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7gzY13ELuAvQFZLwuMfOn9MVYBI_Q11a3xeIcnH7RtQIpxCJ7ESrg3xvC8lEn2EiPKEqC2E6DiCT01hk3uqgv3d7CY_FblggPS4flTP8w2_HgBw-dLzkymNtQniYXX7JhTDT/w640-h454/PORTMAN.Rob+%2526+McCONNELL.MItch.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ohio U.S. Sen. Rob Portman with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.</div><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is continuing to raise doubts about the integrity of American elections — even after President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election fueled a deadly insurrection at the Capitol while Congress was trying to certify that Joe Biden had beaten Trump.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And while he continues to say we need to “restore confidence in the integrity of our electoral system,” Portman won’t respond when asked for evidence of widespread voter fraud in the Nov. 3 or any other election.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman, a Republican, appears to be trying to walk a line between reality and the wishes of constituents whom Trump has convinced are victims of massive fraud.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">On Nov. 23, after multiple recounts, serial Trump losses in the courts and while states were certifying their votes, Portman wrote an<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/11/23/portman-says-biden-likely-next-president-says-trumps-behavior-has-been-good-for-democracy/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3" style="color: #dca10d;"> </span><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>op-ed</b></span></span></a> in the Cincinnati Enquirer saying that Biden was “likely” to be the next president.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Four days earlier, Portman’s colleague, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, took to Twitter to say that Trump “failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy.” But in his column, Portman wrote something quite different.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“There were instances of fraud and irregularities in this election, as there have been in every election,” he said. “It is good that those have been exposed and any fraud or other wrongdoing should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but there is no evidence as of now of any widespread fraud or irregularities that would change the result in any state.”</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman’s office at the time ignored requests to produce evidence of any fraud, much less the 12,000 or so fraudulent votes it would have taken to swing the outcome in Georgia.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Last week, after unsuccessfully wheedling and threatening state officials to try to get steal them to steal the election, Trump called a mob of about 8,000 to Washington, D.C. to “stop the steal.” After Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani exhorted the crowd to engage in “trial by combat,” Trump directed them to the Capitol.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">They smashed their way in, killed a Capitol police officer, and effectively took the Legislative Branch hostage. One of the rioters was shot and killed while the mob smashed furniture, attacked journalists and looked for Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, apparently to kidnap or kill them.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In the wake of the outrage, Republican leaders such as Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri came under withering criticism for stoking the lie that the election had somehow been stolen. Just hours after the deadly riot, Hawley, Cruz — and <a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/07/4-ohio-congressmen-object-to-electoral-college-count-in-effort-to-overturn-result/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>five House members from Ohio</b></span></span></a> — again objected to certifying the election, again promoting the fevered myth that motivated the mob in the first place. </span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Many are now calling that myth <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/world/europe/trump-truth-lies-power.html%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>“the big lie.”</b></span></span></a></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman didn’t join Cruz and Hawley in their objections. But in a tweet Sunday, he continued to cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections, saying he wanted to form a blue-ribbon panel to investigate and restore public confidence.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7RFFJ2dfzXGgHXOhdLgdRYCfXoq-3OKNLOg-zTNNARDTTAI83ntUmsoo9jflijOEJeWejtktAvXVtKlumVKTTBsAi8ZFP3bXctEBYfn0E4FMeRbjGU9TipjlM8rLtOil2kmw/s1164/PORTMAN.Rob+tweet+2021.0110.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1164" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7RFFJ2dfzXGgHXOhdLgdRYCfXoq-3OKNLOg-zTNNARDTTAI83ntUmsoo9jflijOEJeWejtktAvXVtKlumVKTTBsAi8ZFP3bXctEBYfn0E4FMeRbjGU9TipjlM8rLtOil2kmw/w640-h368/PORTMAN.Rob+tweet+2021.0110.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Cruz has been criticized for citing the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/1/2/22210509/ted-cruz-11-gop-senators-electoral-college-votes%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>high percentage of people who believe the election was rigged as a justification to continue contesting it</b></span></span></a>. Of course, a big reason why so many don’t think it was on the level is that Trump, Cruz and many others have used their megaphones to repeat the lie at every opportunity.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">False claims of voter fraud now have something of a history in the United States.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In 2007, the George W. Bush Justice Department was embroiled in scandal after it <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/justice-departments-voter-fraud-scandal-lessons%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>fired seven U.S. attorneys</b></span></span></a> after they refused to prosecute bogus voter fraud cases. Despite the scandal, the GOP persisted in claiming fraud and passing laws they said would fight it.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Portman and others might be reluctant to produce evidence of widespread voter fraud because it seems vanishingly hard to find. For example, more than 135 million people voted in the 2016 presidential election, but it produced just <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/01/0-000002-percent-of-all-the-ballots-cast-in-the-2016-election-were-fraudulent/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>four documented cases of voter fraud</b></span></span></a>. That’s a rate of .00000003%.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Despite his win in 2016, Trump lied relentlessly about voter fraud to explain away the fact that he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million. He appointed a commission to investigate voter fraud, but it <a href="https://apnews.com/article/f5f6a73b2af546ee97816bb35e82c18d%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>closed up shop without issuing a report</b></span></span></a>, much less having proven fraud.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Critics say a big reason why the GOP doggedly pushes the voter-fraud narrative is that it justifies laws — such as requiring a photo ID — that benefit it politically. For example, <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/new-voter-suppression%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>25% of Black voting-age citizens, who are likely to vote Democratic, don’t have a valid government ID</b></span></span></a>, while only 8% of white citizens don’t, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School. </span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Not only have Portman, Trump and others not produced any evidence of widespread fraud, this year’s claims don’t make sense. Instead of being an objective attempt to root out fraud wherever it might exist, Trump and his supporters have only been claiming it where it serves to their advantage.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For example, Trump is not claiming fraud in North Carolina, a swing state he won. And while some Georgia and Arizona congressmen are saying their states’ presidential races were marred by massive fraud, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/04/politics/chip-roy-congress-voter-fraud/index.html%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>they’re not troubled about votes they received on the same ballots</b></span></span></a>.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In a passionate speech amid the rubble of last Wednesday’s attack on American democracy, Romney called on his Republican colleagues to stop lying to Americans about the election.</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“No congressional-led audit will ever convince those voters, particularly when the president will continue to claim the election was stolen,” the former Republican presidential nominee said. “The best way we can show respect for the voters who were upset is by telling them the truth.” </span></p><p class="p8" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>• • •• • •</b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i>This story is provided by </i><a href="http://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Ohio Capital Journal</span></i></b></span></a><b><i>,</i></b><i> a part of </i><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s3"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">States Newsroom</span></i></b></span></a><b><i>,</i></b><i> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story</i><a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/12/wheres-the-beef-portman-wont-provide-evidence-of-voter-fraud/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=04d63ccf-f5dd-43cb-b02b-4e52da55280a%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blank"><span class="s4" style="color: #dca10d;"><i> </i></span><span class="s3"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">here</span></i></b></span></a><b><i>.</i></b></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-51547016308919416212021-01-12T16:48:00.005-05:002021-01-12T18:07:28.743-05:00REAL MONEY: How to get ready for the post-pandemic economy<p><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">By J. Burner Crew</span></span></p><p><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWOCmpCBS2NIcQFm2DfZxqQYySQCFHak0h977BV4HoYQojPh5e5tFPZlm6N7-szP1-Wr0xQJmEtN-PYytvI1To8rQ1PGgEVRlM1LO0qI3S_ysUhsTim5GBo3hg1hMr_-4t3F8/s364/Screen+Shot+2021-01-12+at+4.18.16+PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWOCmpCBS2NIcQFm2DfZxqQYySQCFHak0h977BV4HoYQojPh5e5tFPZlm6N7-szP1-Wr0xQJmEtN-PYytvI1To8rQ1PGgEVRlM1LO0qI3S_ysUhsTim5GBo3hg1hMr_-4t3F8/w198-h200/Screen+Shot+2021-01-12+at+4.18.16+PM.png" width="198" /></a></div><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The local economy has been disrupted at best and devastated at worst over the past year. If you are an employee in the hospitality or restaurant business life has changed dramatically, your employment and income subject to the latest state shutdown or restrictions to combat the virus. While help is on the way there is no guarantee the vaccine will cure all of the ills created by the virus. You may also realize you do not control your employment destiny and the virus may be more difficult to control than we currently realize as we are learning the virus is modifying its behavior and becoming more aggressive and contagious. </span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It will take time for our local businesses to recover to pre-Covid levels of activity and profitability. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">The best outcome will be difficult to achieve, a return to normal will take wide distribution by the end of 2021. </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The vaccine is the best stimulant for the global economy and the best path to full recovery, but widespread vaccination will take time and our community may not be a priority until the majority is safely out of the void.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Now may be a great time to start your own business or company to control your future income and destiny. There are a number of variables that may work in your favor. First, if you are unemployed or laid off, time is on your side. Explore your options and create a list of the top three activities that would provide an income stream in the near term. The internet has provided multiple platforms for sales if you have a creative product for our changing digital economy. There are YouTube seminars from Amazon and others that will stimulate and create options you may not have considered until now.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What happens next will almost assuredly be different from the past. There must be opportunities to enhance productivity that have not been created yet. We have learned working from home is more productive than assumed. Include a more traditional option to your list: landscaping, painting or a trade may offer immediate returns as you explore more unconventional options.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Until we overcome the lack of knowledge and some modest fear, we will continue to be consumers and not owners. </span></i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Finally, consider buying on reasonable terms an existing business that others are looking to exit. Don’t allow what you may not understand today about buying a business stop you from this option. There are resources in the community that welcome your effort and can be of great assistance. Northeast Ohio has a nonprofit network that is underutilized by the African American community. While there are multiple risks to navigate owning your own business, it is the best way to close the wealth gap and control your own future.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Consider low interest rates and multiple assets for sale at attractive prices due to Covid.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We live in a capitalistic system. Until we overcome the lack of knowledge and some modest fear, we will continue to be consumers and not owners. There are multiple risks in being a permanent consumer in our economy; a blend of producer and consumer is much more desirable. We will cover tangible steps in our next column. If you have examples share them with the editor [rta(AT)theRealDealPress.com] and we will respond in our next column. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Remember: we have time as we shelter in place to make a positive impact on our future and the future of our community.</span><span style="color: #0dd862; font-size: x-large;">
</span></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span data-tt="{"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0dd862; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></span></h1>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-78012329535314197862021-01-08T05:30:00.014-05:002021-01-08T05:30:01.499-05:00Nate’s Northcoast Notes • MLK Memorial Concert at Bop Stop • Bootsy Collins featured at AARP awards • Edwin’s Brandon Chrostowski offers cooking classes • ‘Sylvie’s Love’ streaming on Amazon<p><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;">By NATHAN E. PAIGE</span></i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mI661ivA10WGQYL6U7j69-0xNGUMMdc9EBbdpIkvE2-d8golwcQd8-g3xkh_W1s6JQNcYlsM3Pkl9Svbe0LBlk7tOyU6OSB7vB23TSTdPRYwsFMt2mTreynrPJ-1UjCWF397/s500/mlk_jr_concert.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mI661ivA10WGQYL6U7j69-0xNGUMMdc9EBbdpIkvE2-d8golwcQd8-g3xkh_W1s6JQNcYlsM3Pkl9Svbe0LBlk7tOyU6OSB7vB23TSTdPRYwsFMt2mTreynrPJ-1UjCWF397/w400-h163/mlk_jr_concert.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Staff and faculty of the Cleveland Music Settlement will perform <br />during the MLK Jr. Memorial Concert, Sunday, January 17.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="p4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">MLK Memorial Concert Livestream at BOP STOP (January 17)</span></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="http://themusicsettlement.org/"><b>The Cleveland Music School Settlement</b></a></span>’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Concert will take place virtually this year, livestreamed from the BOP STOP, 2920 Detroit Avenue [44113], Sunday, January 17<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>at 3PM and available for viewing on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bopstop/videos/"><span class="s3"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>BOP STOP’s Facebook page</b></span></span></a> and featuring performances by Settlement faculty and students. The concert is curated by Linda Allen and Matthew Jones. Free, but <a href="https://givebutter.com/mlkconcert"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>donations encouraged</b></span></span></a>.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4sAA3IdtYoNpFKPPDhu6WIMyKXlXU8ydHcua7MNmewiEtIWEPAWVCKY5JsvomxZ5VK11XBcyBRydeEz33ECSwvAB5H6EVdguqStgY2hHms1z2z0nGo1hHkZ8Y22xSggLRv03/s597/bootsycollins.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="597" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4sAA3IdtYoNpFKPPDhu6WIMyKXlXU8ydHcua7MNmewiEtIWEPAWVCKY5JsvomxZ5VK11XBcyBRydeEz33ECSwvAB5H6EVdguqStgY2hHms1z2z0nGo1hHkZ8Y22xSggLRv03/w640-h430/bootsycollins.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Funkateer Bootsy Collins will be honored at AARP Cincinnati’s 3<sup>rd</sup> Annual Living the Dream Awards January 15.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">AARP’s 3rd Annual Living the Dream Awards featuring Bootsy Collins (January 15)</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">One of Ohio’s own Funkateers, Bootsy Collins will be honored at AARP Cincinnati’s 3rd Annual Living the Dream Awards during a virtual ceremony Friday, January 15 at 8PM.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This event highlights the work of the Bootsy Collins Foundation, examines the impact of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s contribution to civil society, the power of music, and AARP’s efforts in helping to disrupt disparities and inequities.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>During the event, Collins will be interviewed by Cincinnati radio personality Lincoln Ware. This free event is open to the public, but <a href="https://bit.ly/3s15Fbn"><span class="s2"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>registration is necessary</b></span></span></a>. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Edwin’s Vivant @ Home Virtual Cooking Classes (Multiple Dates, January)</span></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBXkGsHbe9q_c125j4C5mwjZiAzDs5GicGdOusiIlHneGTcW1vRj6i7UznaeuxzgzzUHHI4u86k5cWCQ8mn4OnsUJOKoAhdd9vMdvSB_X7xGkkHhwfKBooTVtCyNBbA_1uG0y/s599/vivant_at_home.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBXkGsHbe9q_c125j4C5mwjZiAzDs5GicGdOusiIlHneGTcW1vRj6i7UznaeuxzgzzUHHI4u86k5cWCQ8mn4OnsUJOKoAhdd9vMdvSB_X7xGkkHhwfKBooTVtCyNBbA_1uG0y/s320/vivant_at_home.PNG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Why not start off the new year by enhancing your culinary skills?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Chef Brandon Chrostowski, of <b><span style="color: #0000ee;"><a href="http://edwinsrestaurant.org/"><span class="s2">Edwins</span></a> </span></b>and <a href="https://edwinsrestaurant.org/edwins-too/"><span class="s2"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Edwins Too</span></b></span></a>, is hosting virtual cooking classes <a href="https://edwinsrestaurant.org/vivant/"><span class="s3"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">throughout the month</span></b></span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Get professional, hands-on advice on braising, roasting and cake decorating, as well as learning about various wines and cocktails.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Classes are an hour long and cost $20.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Advance registration necessary. Take-home kits can be purchased from Edwins Butcher Shop, 13204 Buckeye Road, the day before the selected event. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><p></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YZzBRmbtGWL8ExeqNC2CgCfVxdEKYRSe53ajlRtBNWLJhaWlrGQBmN4jO370HctuzpbJhbjv4kROwqEwrXYx3G3Be-CzEBHSIk7cBrq8V8_A77iBGHHgFYFoMCYtBRn-7q4V/s940/sylvies_love.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YZzBRmbtGWL8ExeqNC2CgCfVxdEKYRSe53ajlRtBNWLJhaWlrGQBmN4jO370HctuzpbJhbjv4kROwqEwrXYx3G3Be-CzEBHSIk7cBrq8V8_A77iBGHHgFYFoMCYtBRn-7q4V/w640-h536/sylvies_love.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">The romantic drama “Sylvie’s Love” is now streaming on Amazon Prime.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">‘Sylvie’s Love’ via Amazon Prime (Now Streaming)</span></b><p></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The latest release from Amazon Studios is the romantic drama “Sylvie’s Love,” starring Tessa Thompson (“Westworld,” “Creed”) and Nnamdi Asomugha (“Crown Heights”).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Set in 1957, “Sylvie’s Love” tells the story of talented saxophonist Robert (Asomugha) who plays in a jazz quartet he feels is going nowhere. Sylvie (Thompson) aspires to have a career in television, but currently works in her father’s record store while her fiance is abroad fighting in the war.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>When Robert takes a part-time job at the record store, their lives are forever changed. Written and directed by Eugene Ashe, the film also stars Aja Naomi King, Erica Gimpel, Lance Reddick and Eva Longoria.</span></p><h1 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #11d968; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></b></h1><p class="p7" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Is there an upcoming event you’d like included in this column? Please send the details, along with a high-resolution photo/graphic, to </i></b><a href="mailto:northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com"><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;"><i>northcoastnotes@therealdealpress.com</i></span></a><b><i> at least two weeks prior to the event.</i></b></span></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-16050961033362590232021-01-05T11:54:00.001-05:002021-01-05T11:55:34.279-05:00FACE THE COMPETITION • For businesses planning for the new year, hindsight really is 20-20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOS0vDS3igi1d8BiEQTErBQp_a5Dkh1i7_vaV0Q2n8ycj6x4Ufy4f7Mhr_CwTXICwvJT4En8ZTquSpVbhJqftFqMu3IrdjI9wgq5AeBlTIbJufnEmNHn_CBhCeE-EoO3xULW7/s1024/RDP+%25E2%2580%25A2+Dorsey+col.+artwork+2021.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOS0vDS3igi1d8BiEQTErBQp_a5Dkh1i7_vaV0Q2n8ycj6x4Ufy4f7Mhr_CwTXICwvJT4En8ZTquSpVbhJqftFqMu3IrdjI9wgq5AeBlTIbJufnEmNHn_CBhCeE-EoO3xULW7/w640-h426/RDP+%25E2%2580%25A2+Dorsey+col.+artwork+2021.01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now more than ever, a strategic and tactical review can assess the past to improve the future</span></h1><p><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">By Jinida Dorsey & Julius C. Dorsey, Jr.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Whether you’re operating a B2B, B2C or non-profit, the focus at this time of year under normal circumstances is closing out the year in the black and doing bigger and better things next year.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the COVID 19 health crisis made sure that 2020 was certainly </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> normal – for businesses, families, educational institutions and just about everyone and everything else.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">While many did not celebrate the New Year at the festive gatherings we’re used to, this time of year may be ideal to take a look back on the bumps and bruises of 2020 to plan for a more productive and profitable 2021.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A valuable way to assess the past and improve the future is something that we at Dorsey & Company call a strategic and tactical review. The good news is such a review is not dependent upon “normal” circumstances. Instead, because the review is </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">strategic</span><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> first, any tactics to follow must be devised to fit the current circumstance. This is especially important as business owners are trying to figure out just how they’re going to move forward from the COVID crisis.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Even in a post-COVID operating cycle, such a review can serve three important functions:
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">1. Identification of areas for immediate adjustment to ensure you meet sales and profit goals with available resources and staff.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">2. Avoidance of preventable missteps or costly pitfalls that will delay success and tarnish your brand image.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">3. Enter the next year better informed and focused on available marketing and sales opportunities.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A strategic and tactical review need not be complicated. What is required, however is </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">objectivity</span><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. The business or organizational leadership must be willing to take an objective look back at the fit and effectiveness of the 2020 plan (adjusting, of course, for the abrupt disruption in business) relative to the stated goals, objectives and strategy.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A look back as part of a strategic and tactical review should help you reconsider the marketing initiatives, their components, associated processes and the reasons for the results they delivered, in order to:
</span></span></p><ul><li><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100},"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> – those parts of the plan that – despite COVID – effectively implemented your strategy and accomplished your goals and should therefore be continued this year.
</span></span></p></li><li><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100},"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adjust</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> – those parts of the plan that worked but could still be improved this year. (And, unfortunately, many will find MUCH to be improved in 2021.)
</span></span></p></li><li><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100},"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eliminate</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> – those parts of the plan that do not implement strategy or help you reach goals, and cannot be improved to do so this year.
</span></span></p></li><li><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100},"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add</span><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"style":100}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> – those elements that the COVID crisis revealed to be missing from your plan in 2020.
</span></span></p></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">While some businesses or organizations require more complex strategies to achieve the results they seek, many others could grow by leaps and bounds if they simply had the right (objective) perspective on which questions to ask, which problems/opportunities to prioritize, and how to move forward to achieve goals. A strategic and tactical review is a good place to start to set 2021 on a better, more hopeful path.
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Here's to brighter days ahead for all!</span>
</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span data-tt="{"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0ee9a7; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span data-tt="{"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify; white-space: normal;"></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbJxE6jnVbs2s6w_HkQo5OOwQMt0hi14X2PNJxTqTG9FnqsTvrDzJL11bigey7EXIsyIN4AQjvEpSRnisFkAHD3BMkeTwMVSUoAYRSTrkTQBNEW6uHxswic7YzeRbMI7rYnDc/s434/Screen+Shot+2021-01-05+at+11.51.06+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbJxE6jnVbs2s6w_HkQo5OOwQMt0hi14X2PNJxTqTG9FnqsTvrDzJL11bigey7EXIsyIN4AQjvEpSRnisFkAHD3BMkeTwMVSUoAYRSTrkTQBNEW6uHxswic7YzeRbMI7rYnDc/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-01-05+at+11.51.06+AM.png" width="320" /></a></i></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify; white-space: normal;"><br />Founded in 1987, Dorsey & Company Strategic Consultants to Management is a carefully assembled group of more than 50 associates who offer a wide range of marketing expertise to thoughtfully approach every engagement according to its unique competitive and marketing challenges and requirements. The Dorsey & Company approach has consistently yielded favorable results for leading clients in automotive, energy, utility, branded and consumer goods, retail, higher education, telecommunication, government and nonprofit, financial and professional services, health and pharmaceutical, and other industries. Visit </i><a href="http://www.dorsey-co.com/" style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify; white-space: normal;"><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;"><i>here</i></span></a><span class="s1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: normal;"><i> </i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify; white-space: normal;">to learn more about Dorsey & Company.</i><p></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-64260820307217689252021-01-04T09:21:00.001-05:002021-01-04T09:21:55.403-05:00Indigent burial program may see more action amid opioid epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ztKhyphenhyphenclYkBsnluJToYDgvmBqlOV6n2fbJg54rLPnPzqJTOA2nGK0N5us5CoeystMgzPK3GGZcEvUzzFJt2prbN7tMWvUSM859ZOpMovkF73cZMvfwzr8dE9OyyArD_K20fkh/s1398/Screen+Shot+2021-01-04+at+8.18.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1398" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ztKhyphenhyphenclYkBsnluJToYDgvmBqlOV6n2fbJg54rLPnPzqJTOA2nGK0N5us5CoeystMgzPK3GGZcEvUzzFJt2prbN7tMWvUSM859ZOpMovkF73cZMvfwzr8dE9OyyArD_K20fkh/w640-h432/Screen+Shot+2021-01-04+at+8.18.32+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span data-tt="{"fontHints":2}" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Medical staff tend to a COVID-19 patient. Courtesy of University Hospitals</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;"><br />By Susan Tebben</span> </span>
</span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A state program to help those who can’t afford to bury their loved ones might see more action than usual and cause the need for re-education for townships that have to pay for these burials.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Indigent Burial and Cremation program works with townships and municipalities to reimburse some of the costs of funeral disposition. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">When a resident is found to fall below the federal poverty line, Ohio law requires that a local government pay for the burial or cremation.</span>
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But local government officials have said the program wasn’t used often in its last version, nearly two decades ago.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">More recently, however, several townships have called the state’s Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors to get information about the program, and there are currently 450 applications being processed, according to Cheryl Grossman, the board’s executive director.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“We look for that number to grow dramatically,” Grossman said.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">While a death certificate isn’t required with the application for funding reimbursement, Grossman and others have said the ongoing opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic could cause the program to have increased use.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“The opioid crisis is not going away and in some places it’s only being exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Heidi Fought, executive director of the Ohio Township Association.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The program was a part of the budget more than a decade ago, but budget cuts led to the elimination of it until the last budget bill, passed in July of 2019.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The new budget line item moved the program from the state Department of Job and Family Services to the Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and allowed the reimbursement of a total of $2 million.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Under the new version of the program, a township can get reimbursed for up to $1,000 in burial or cremation expenses for an adult, and up to $750 for a child. Those numbers are a slight increase from the previous program, where reimbursements were set at $750 for an adult and $500 for a child.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors seems to be the only state agency with information on the program. Representatives from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the Department of Health, the Office of Budget and Management and the Auditor of State all referred questions about the use and payment of the program to the board.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“While the local governments in the Southeast Region receive some funding, it is usually sporadic and nominal,” said Denise A. Blair, assistant chief auditor in the Southeast Region for the Auditor of State. “It would not rise to the level of materiality that would be included in our scope.”
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The OTA specifically lobbied to bring back the funding for the indigent burial program in the last budget, despite the rarity of a cut program returning to the state budget.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“The fact that it did come back does show that the need is there,” Fought said.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The need to re-educate townships on the existence of the program and how to be reimbursed for it is also there, because of the turnover over of local officials in the period between the program’s existence, according to Fought.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Only local government representatives can apply for the reimbursement, so individuals have to go through those government officials to get help with their funeral disposition.</span>
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Ohio Township Association says the push to increase the program’s funding will continue, especially considering local governments are required to pay for indigent burials whether or not there is money in the program’s coffers to reimburse them.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“A local government entity must carry out this duty even if funds are no longer available through the program,” according to the embalming and funeral directors board page on the program.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The program is needed as a state program because poverty does not focus on one particular county, nor does the need for burials or cremations.
</span></span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Indigency knows no boundaries,” said Fought. “They’re in central Ohio or Cleveland or Cincinnati, they’re everywhere.”</span>
</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span data-tt="{"fontHints":1}" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #00ff22; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span>
</span></p><p><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">… </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":2}" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">This story is provided by </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href=" https://ohiocapitaljournal.com" target="_blank">Ohio Capital Journal</a>,</span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":2}" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a part of </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/" target="_blank">States Newsroom</a>,</span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":2}" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story </span><span data-tt="{"fontHints":3}" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href=" https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/01/04/indigent-burial-program-may-see-more-action-amid-opioid-epidemic-covid-19-pandemic/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e8d8cd18-d6d8-4adf-83a3-50e3de698cac" target="_blank">here</a>.
</span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></p><p><span data-tt="{}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></div><br /><br /><p></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-88048580416722112062020-12-30T19:46:00.008-05:002020-12-31T10:08:50.670-05:00Cuyahoga County Democratic Party losing executive director<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cuyahoga County Democratic Party executive director Ryan Puente has stepped down after two and a half years on the job. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmLUsjeucwXVRls3GemZlCBta5DDaFlQZH98tr462GRaRWJ4PAUpcFp7C6E3l3hQ4KDCVJcTlMrh-f-iErc52AHyKrfL6SoxhEpZAQDqv-NzeeoLdIWggs1kHMi5EgBbuVfyf/s612/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+7.33.07+PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmLUsjeucwXVRls3GemZlCBta5DDaFlQZH98tr462GRaRWJ4PAUpcFp7C6E3l3hQ4KDCVJcTlMrh-f-iErc52AHyKrfL6SoxhEpZAQDqv-NzeeoLdIWggs1kHMi5EgBbuVfyf/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+7.33.07+PM.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Puente, who announced the move simultaneously via Twitter and Facebook, says that he is leaving "to pursue another opportunity".</div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">With a number of high profile races on tap for 2021, including the Cleveland mayoral race and a likely Congressional race, the timing and vagueness of Puente's statement on social media is sure to fan speculation about his next move.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">There have been rumblings Puente will soon sign on to run a campaign. More than one person has linked him to political newcomer Justin Bibb, who made a splash recently with the announcement his committee had banked to close $180,000 in less than three months for a likely run for Cleveland mayor. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is hard to imagine better preparation to run a mayoral campaign than Puente has acquired over the past few years as the go-to person for virtually every Party activity. He has worked closely with both party officials and rank and file, earning kudos from all corners for his dedication, knowledge, and professionalism. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a recent letter to Party members, Chairwoman Shontel Brown wrote, </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Ryan has been outstanding in his role as Executive Director, I can’t begin to tell you how many positive comments I have received about Ryan and his commitment to the job. He is so very responsive to everyone, and he juggles so many things at once. He has credibility in the community which says a great deal about our organization.”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cleveland city councilman Blaine Griffin, commenting on Puente's exit, described him as "one of the most talented people I've run across in the political arena."</span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Puente's exit comes at an especially critical time for the party. While he has been acclaimed as the high efficiency engine behind many of the organizing and campaign successes local Democrats have enjoyed recently, county and city Democrats have also been roundly criticized for low turnout, especially among Cleveland voters last month. Among those criticized for poor effort have been state party chair David Pepper, who has stepped down, Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson, and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, who was announced earlier this month as President-elect Joe Biden's choice to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Should Fudge be confirmed by the Senate, she would resign from Congress, leaving a vacancy to be filled in a special election around the same time as Cleveland's mayoral campaign will kick off.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Party chair Brown is a</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">mong the announced candidates for Fudge's 11th District seat if and when it becomes open. Former state senator Nina Turner and former Cleveland councilman Jeff Johnson have also tossed their hats into the ring.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Given that the party's endorsement in the primary will be highly sought, questions of party leadership are sure to receive added scrutiny. Puente told <b><i>The Real Deal Press</i></b> that the short term plan will involve the Party's hiring a part time office manager until his replacement is found.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #00ff80; font-size: x-large;">• • •</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-11908570920588664782020-12-18T15:17:00.000-05:002020-12-18T15:17:00.136-05:00CPT • Change is Coming to Ohio's iconic 11th Congressional District — Part III<p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><i>Cuyahoga Politics Today</i></b></span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></span></p><h1 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Fudge departure must be wake up call for 11</b><sup>th</sup><b> District’s Black Civic Leaders — <i>Part III</i></b></span></h1><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By R. T. Andrews</span></span></i></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></i></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://rtandrews.blogspot.com/2020/12/cpt-turner-candidacy-upsets-local.html" target="_blank">The gale force entry of former state senator Nina Turner into the developing race to succeed Cleveland area Congresswoman Marcia Fudge</a></b>, pending her confirmation as the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, knocked our plans for this column momentarily askew.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Having discussed <b><a href="https://rtandrews.blogspot.com/2020/12/cpt-change-is-coming-to-ohios-iconic.html" target="_blank">here in Part I</a> </b>and <b><a href="https://rtandrews.blogspot.com/2020/12/cpt-change-is-coming-to-ohios-iconic_8.html" target="_blank">here in Part II</a></b> the District's proud origins and history, and its importance to Cleveland’s black community, we had planned to advocate for a new process whereby we might begin more effectively to cultivate the generation of new black political leadership.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Turner’s reemergence on the local scene, taken together with the initiative <b><a href="https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/12/15/bibbs-early-campaign-contributions-make-him-instant-contender-in-2021-mayoral-race" target="_blank">Justin Bibb</a></b> is showing in the race to replace Frank Jackson next year, might seem to suggest a reinvigorated local political scene. But Black Cleveland needs a long term strategy if it is ever to realize its potential as an agentic community or capitalize on its status as the city’s largest ethnic group.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">If we can do that, we would not only address our seemingly intractable problems of poverty and despair, we would galvanize a sorely needed larger civic vision that for once was truly inclusive, not just so in our typical top down <i>pro forma</i> way.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A smart community has a system for developing and nurturing talent.</span></i></b></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh56tDA4-J5Zo-gSYRBEB9zvQZYijikLvBzJSd7GR8ss3OgWz14D8QFVavlACKU21cthcOuddf-fbgKnDOLhTcy9fooB4QIacFOG7GLaQLHVXlLhPGsDiRBjQowWV-2s__Gcsk/s2048/HOLLY.John+O..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh56tDA4-J5Zo-gSYRBEB9zvQZYijikLvBzJSd7GR8ss3OgWz14D8QFVavlACKU21cthcOuddf-fbgKnDOLhTcy9fooB4QIacFOG7GLaQLHVXlLhPGsDiRBjQowWV-2s__Gcsk/w640-h406/HOLLY.John+O..jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John O. Holly, founder and president of The Future Outlook League</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So, while Rep. Fudge is still our Congresswoman, we should consider that a smart community has a system for developing and nurturing talent. Let us realize that the mid-twentieth century ecology that produced our community’s greatest political talent — the Stokes Brothers — is not the environment we inhabit today. Carl and Louis Stokes, separately and collectively, were a once in a lifetime occurrence, products of a compact hothouse black community where they could attach themselves to a </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">John Holly</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">, perhaps black Cleveland’s greatest civic leader, and imbibe his sense of community service and spirit.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><p></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Black Cleveland needs a long term strategy if it is ever to realize its potential as an agentic community and capitalize on its status as the city’s largest ethnic group.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></b></p><p class="p7" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></i></b></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Carl and Lou came of age at a ti</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">me when avenues for black excellence were tightly constricted. Many avenues of career and professional development were unavailable. Black people were unwelcome in every professional association. Black real estate agents could not participate in multiple listing services and could not even call themselves realtors, forcing them to invent the term “realtists”. You couldn’t find a black professional anywhere from downtown east until you neared 55</span><sup style="font-family: georgia;">th</sup><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and Woodland Ave.</span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">How did we overcome? We got organized, informally and formally. John Holly formed The Future Outlook League, which quickly became 10,000 strong, forcing employers large and small to open their hiring gates.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Informally, civic leaders convened Operation Alert, a regular conclave of community leaders who shared information, plotted how to capitalize on vulnerable points in the area’s apartheid regime, and discussed how to navigate both opportunities and crises, whether sudden or foreseeable.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The eventual 1960s breakthrough was communal, collective, cultural, and simultaneously national, global, and local.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Regrettably, once black people began to find status and success in positions of public service, i.e. as elected officials, the definition and pecking order of community leaders and spokespeople began to shift, often with unfavorable results. Sometimes we placed impossible demands upon some of these officials. More often we asked too little of them and failed to hold them accountable. And most fatally, we failed to recognize the extent to which they in fact often answer to interests outside the community that are inimical to our own.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">How can we change a system where too many of our elected officials do not work for us, do not respect us, do not love us enough to care for our welfare?</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In much of the black community, the quality of our elected officials is left to chance. We do not identify, train, nurture and develop our political leaders. They self-select, more often than not becoming beholden to those who finance their campaigns.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">There has to be a better way.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">To find it, we spoke over the past month with a number of folks from all walks of life about the black community might develop a more effective politics. The brightest among them were quick to decouple the issue from any particular office or imminent election.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The frustration and despair that sometimes peeked through our questioning gave way before long to hope as we realized the enormous talent that already resides within our community.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In the midst of our discussions, cleveland.com<b> <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2020/12/campaigns-already-being-plotted-for-the-seat-us-rep-marcia-fudge-has-yet-to-vacate-brent-larkin.html" target="_blank">published a column</a></b> that purported to identify some leading candidates to succeed Fudge. With a couple of exceptions, the list was tired, perhaps reflecting a veteran reporter’s old paradigm and his obvious disconnect from the black community of the present and future. It seemed almost an attempt to select a leader for us.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">This is what happens when by our inaction we leave the field to others.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In the next and final installment of this series, appearing this Sunday, we will explore how we might become, as a friend of mine is wont to say, “active participants of our own deliverance”.</span></p><p class="p8" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">• • •• • •</span></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274211.post-12347119647324310762020-12-16T11:59:00.002-05:002020-12-16T15:51:50.144-05:00CPT • Turner candidacy upsets local political apple cart<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i><u>Cuyahoga Politics Today</u></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Candidate’s return home will raise District’s profile, heighten the stakes </span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: helvetica;"><i>By R.T. Andrews </i></span></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFWAT92G0ufZ8r3R1DhNPg9PKilPpf6dHWpJKOkBPzR-rB0FsHn8UZiqUQ_edYOevnMhaJYHYqJpWUI54H_aW2TF4sf1wEZbyZsMp7q8kyvEG51Ab_IYyPRm1RMuRPKGsu2WH/s1096/TURNER.Nina+Announcement+2020.1215.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1096" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFWAT92G0ufZ8r3R1DhNPg9PKilPpf6dHWpJKOkBPzR-rB0FsHn8UZiqUQ_edYOevnMhaJYHYqJpWUI54H_aW2TF4sf1wEZbyZsMp7q8kyvEG51Ab_IYyPRm1RMuRPKGsu2WH/w640-h336/TURNER.Nina+Announcement+2020.1215.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nina Turner announcing from her home in Cleveland's Lee-Harvard neighborhood that she will be<br />running for Ohio's 11th Congressional District seat if Rep. Marcia Fudge vacates the office upon her<br />confirmation as US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. [Screenshot by R. T. Andrews]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">She hasn’t won an election for anything in over a decade, and the last time her name appeared on a ballot was in 2014, when her candidacy for Secretary of State was part of a statewide ticket that cratered from top to bottom, but if you watched the rollout of former state senator Nina Turner’s declaration of candidacy for a Congressional seat that is not yet vacant, you know that star power has come to Cleveland and its 11th District.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Turner left town in 2015 in bold and shocking
fashion when she very publicly shifted her allegiance from Hillary Clinton, the
presumptive favorite for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, to the
insurgent Bernie Sanders, because his campaign more closely aligned with her
principles. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If I say many of her fans felt betrayed and
effectively burned her political jersey in effigy, then you know what’s coming
next. Turner
took her native political talents to the national stage where she performed
under the brightest lights, the harshest scrutiny, and against the toughest
competition. She performed in leading roles and was regularly center stage in
the high stakes production of two national political campaigns. In between, she
headed a dynamic national political organization for several years and spent
frequent time as a commentator on national television networks. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Long
story short, Turner left town on a mission, learned what it takes to compete at
the highest level, sharpened her skills, developed a team of loyalists, and in
the process built a national fan base. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Yesterday,
flanked virtually by a carefully selected array of former legislative colleagues, current
public officials, and Hollywood star power in Danny Glover, Turner announced from
her home in Cleveland’s Lee-Harvard community, that she was running to succeed
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, who will vacate the seat if confirmed as Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development for the incoming Biden administration. The
event was impeccably scripted, the production values were tight, the presentations were
succinct, coordinated, and on point, and the candidate was at her most radiant,
composed, and centered. (She obviously understands the suburban voters she will need to
win over to broaden her base.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Clearly, like
another prominent prodigal Northeast Ohioan, Turner has returned better
equipped to pursue the brass ring. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">By
law, Gov. Mike DeWine would set dates for special primary and general elections
if Fudge resigns. The winner of the special general election would serve until
December 31, 2022. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Turner,
53, joins county councilwoman Shontel Brown, 45, and former state senator and
ex-Cleveland city councilman Jeff Johnson, 62, as announced candidates to
succeed Fudge. The field will undoubtedly expand when and if a vacancy in fact
occurs. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Make
no mistake: Turner’s candidacy, while anticipated, irreversibly changes the
dynamics of the race in many ways. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">First
and foremost, Turner’s presence assures the race will be about policies and
ideas. Atypical of most local politicians of any stripe, the Turner brand is
associated with big policies and big ideas. She will force discussion of critical
issues like healthcare, public education, affordable housing, food insecurity,
living wage, income inequality and public transportation in any candidate
forums. The candidates who have not prepared themselves adequately to debate
these issues will likely find themselves exposed, if not overwhelmed. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Notwithstanding
Turner’s presence in the race, she is by no means a shoo in. Her presumptive
status as front runner in an incomplete field will have no value when the votes
are tallied. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Indeed,
Turner herself may become an issue. A passionate person who inspires many, she
also incites fierce opposition on both personal and policy matters. Some
suburban white women may never forgive Turner for her perceived abandonment of
gender solidarity when she left the Clinton plantation for Sanders.
Businesspeople who applauded Turner’s courage as a solitary African American
advocate for county reorganization in 2009 will be appalled by the prospect of
an unapologetic leftist representing the District. And Cleveland’s staid black
political establishment, a low expectations bunch, are unlikely to appreciate
Turner’s disruptive force. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So,
assuming that Fudge leaves office in the next 45 days or so, expect the
following: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">· The race to succeed her
will draw the most national attention to a local political contest since Carl
Stokes was elected mayor in 1967. It’s already begun.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">· Anti-Turner forces will
coalesce around an ABT candidate. (Anybody But Turner) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">· Many disengaged eastside Cleveland voters, who once comprised the District's heart, will find their concerns
center stage. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">· A spirited special Congressional contest will impact next year’s mayoral race in Cleveland, possibly accelerating a wholesale changing of the guard.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And in a wild off the cuff prediction: do not be surprised if northeast Ohio’s original prodigal child, who now reigns in Los Angeles, but whose childhood home is part of the District’s crazy Akron tail, and who has become widely respected for his willingness to speak out politically from his platform of fame and fortune, finds a candidate to endorse in the race.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #00ff99; font-size: x-large;">• • •• • •</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div></div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05300693291544680955noreply@blogger.com1