Cuyahoga Politics Today • Around Town this Weekend • Frank Jackson criticized for missing the boat on Puerto Rico

Ten days ago, we wrote about forthcoming changes both to our format and to our reporting. 

Three days later, we posted an exclusive first report of a shakeup in the mayor’s campaign. That post got more hits in 24 hours than we have ever had in a 30-day period! Thank you very much to all who read and shared that story.

Today, we offer a trifecta: our semi-regular feature — CPT-Cuyahoga Politics Today; a new feature, Essential Diversions, that will report on stage, drama, sport, art, etc.; and, a thought-provoking op-ed piece from civic leader Juan Molina Crespo.

Enjoy, and please come back tomorrow to find coverage on new doings in Glenville.

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CPT — Cuyahoga Politics Today

Not so strange bedfellows

The reincarnation of former county prosecutor Bill Mason now seems complete with today’s hosting of a fundraiser for County Executive Armond Budish.

Mason, who is now partner-in-charge of the Cleveland office of the politically potent statewide law firm of Bricker and Eckler, used his formidable political organizing skills to win the county Democratic Party’s Central Committee election as the area’s top cop after Stephanie Tubbs Jones left that job to go to Congress. He served as prosecutor from 1999 to 2012, spending more time building his machine than dealing with the outrageous behavior of fellow county officeholders Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo. It took federal prosecutors to take down the rotten county politics of the Dimora era. Reformers and Republicans seized upon the opportunity to install a new form of county government, eliminating most archaic elective county offices like recorder, clerk of courts, treasurer, sheriff, etc., subsuming them under the new office of county executive.

Mason’s machine had enough clout to keep the prosecutor’s office an elected position and to finish his term. Fallout from the corruption scandal had tarnished his brand sufficiently that he chose not to run for re-election, and he resigned his term a couple months early to join Bricker.  Whatever ambition he had for statewide office seemed to end as well.

Now, like a bad penny, the man has returned as a power behind the throne, a gray eminence who has already made book with Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and is now further ingratiating himself with the county executive. Whatever the virtues of the election of county councilwoman Shontel Brown’s election several weeks ago as head of the county Democrats, the real story was always the handshake between Mason and Fudge that made it possible.

Our area politics have always suffered by the unholy alliance between the public officials who indulge in the petty perks of office and the business interests who endorse and fund them for their own self-aggrandizement. Sound policy and the people’s interests get taken for a ride along in the trunk.

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Endorsement Report

• The Cuyahoga Women’s Democratic Caucus today announced new endorsements in this year’s general election.

In city races, The Caucus endorsed only ten of a possible 16 incumbents, including Mayor Frank Jackson. Newcomers endorsed are Kevin Bishop (Ward 2); Delitha "Gail" Sparks (Ward 4); and Jasmin Santana (Ward 14). The Caucus issued no endorsements in Wards 7, 8, 9, 10, and 16. There is no incumbent in the Council races for Wards 2 and 10.

Other caucus endorsements announced today:

BEACHWOOD: Martin S. Horwitz for Mayor; Gail McShepard and James Pasch for City Council.

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS: Cheryl Stephens, Jason Stein, Mike Ungar, and Melissa Yasinow for City Council.

EUCLID: Laura Gorshe (City Council Ward 8)

NORTH OLMSTED: Chris Glassburn (City Council Ward 2).

OLMSTED FALLS: Ann Marie Donegan for Mayor.

SHAKER HEIGHTS: Anne E. Williams and Robert Zimmerman for City Council.

SOUTH EUCLID: Ruth Gray (City Council Ward 1), Sara Continenza (Ward 3) and Jane Goodman (City Council Ward 4)

CWDC previously endorsed the following candidates:

GARFIELD HEIGHTS: Shayla Davis (City Council Ward 4) and Tenisha Mack (City Council Ward 2)

LAKEWOOD: Tom Bullock and Cindy Marx for City Council at Large.

The CDWC also endorsed levies for both the Cleveland Public Library Levy [Issue 60] and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority [Issue 59]

• Mayoral challenger Zack Reed picked up a couple of key endorsements earlier this week from the Teamsters and Amalgamated Transit Union locals.

• Meanwhile, looking ahead to next year, the Betty Sutton for Governor campaign reports receiving the endorsement of the Cleveland Teachers Union. The former Congresswoman is one of four announced candidates for the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. The others: former state rep. Connie Pillich, Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni, and Dayton mayor Nan Whaley.

Voting starts next week

The last day to register is October 10. Early voting begins next week, starting Oct. 11. Election day is November 5.

“We expect upwards of 75,000 people to vote by mail in this important election that includes the Mayor of Cleveland and two statewide issues,” said county elections board director Pat McDonald in a statement released earlier this week.

There are 60 other issues and hundreds of municipal, school and judicial candidates on the ballot.  “This election will affect the future of our cities, county, and state.  I want to remind people that these types of elections can have a bigger impact on their daily lives than in presidential years,” said McDonald.

Voters are encouraged to submit their vote by mail ballot applications as soon as possible.  To request a ballot application visit: www.443vote.com, or call 216-443-VOTE (8683).  They are also available at all public libraries.  The Board will begin mailing ballots to voters on October 11th.

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Essential Diversions

What’s happening this weekend?

It’s probably too late to get tickets if you’ve been dithering around about whether to see the fabulously satisfying performance of Simply Simone at Karamu. There are only four more shows [tonight through Saturday at 7:30PM

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and a 3 PM Sunday matinee]. The diva show began and ended on the perfect notes, and all the ones in between were pretty good, too. The four Ninas are Sheffia Randall, Afia Mensa, Corlesia Smith and home girl Mariama Whyte.

Don’t let me be misunderstood: Don’t you wish you knew how it would feel to be free? Call 216.795.7077.

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Across town, previews start tonight for the world premiere of The Family Claxon by once-local playwright Eric Coble. The Cleveland Public Theatre production opens officially on October 13 and runs through October 28. Check it out here.

The Cast of The Family Claxon, opening in preview
tonight at Cleveland Public Theatre.
[PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Wagner]

Also tonight, if you have missed Ava Duvernay’s four-time Emmy Award winning documentary, 13^th — about America’s star-spangled prison industrial complex — that film screens for free today at 5:30 PM at the ACLU Cleveland office, 4506 Chester Ave. in midtown. Discussion and light refreshments will follow. More info here.

Finally, the Cleveland baseball team begins its quest for post-season honors tonight at home against the long-hated Yankees. We think this may be the most capable team in the team's history — from the manager to the defense to the pitching to the bats. They start off with a tough test — the better team can be upset in a short five game series — and the opponents will only get tougher from there. But if Cleveland can win eleven post-season games this year, they will be World Champs, and maybe a certain obscene creature will burn up in a blaze of glory, never to receive official sanction again.

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IN MY OPINION

By Juan Molina Crespo                                                                       October 5, 2017

Cleveland misses opportunity to aid Puerto Ricans and Clevelanders

Once again, the statement released by Cleveland’s Mayor and other elected officials, on the devastation of Puerto Rico, to attempt to help soothe the psychological damage among Cleveland’s Puerto Rican community, personifies the historical ambivalence between Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and majority culture leaders. 

It is outrageous that Mayor Jackson thinks that expressing his sympathy, and “thoughts and prayers” is comforting, and enough. 

This is not the time for “ay bendito” or soft, soothing rhetoric. Our community has been devastated. Where is the moral and forceful leadership, where is the action, the substance?

At a time when Cleveland seeks to increase population to stave off the very real possibility of losing yet another Congressional seat, the Mayor and other public and civic officials should be putting out a clarion call welcoming all Puerto Ricans to Cleveland. Instead, we are silent, while Detroit, Chicago, Allentown, Houston, Fort Wayne and the entire state of Florida are aggressively recruiting to their areas.

The economic implications for our region are significant. An authentic welcoming city could create a one-stop shop for new arrivals, with housing, medical care, beds, and access to social workers and counselors to help mitigate the emotional trauma, and very real physical pain.  Over the past sixty years, Cleveland’s philanthropic community along with the Puerto Rican community has created the foundation of this infrastructure.

Mayor, do not include Puerto Rico in a narrative with Japan, adding it to the geopolitical discourse that continues to fuel the ambiguity of its status vis-à-vis the United States, and call into question the citizenship status of Puerto Ricans. The Puerto Rican disaster must not be used to promote fear, resentment or stereotypes. The narrative must be that as a colony, territory or possession of the United States, it is your obligation to act in a manner aligned with the democratic principles of your sworn oath.

Juan Molina Crespo directs the Hispanic Alliance of Cleveland.

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