Cuyahoga Politics Today • Election Limbo: What we see

By R. T. Andrews

Urban/Suburban vs. Small Town Rural. White vs. Other. Red vs. Blue. Looking Back vs. Forging Ahead.  False Narratives vs. Reality. Unlogic vs. Logic.

One day after the election, with the final results for the winner of the Presidency unknown, it is difficult to say The United States of America without irony.

More than 150 million people voted nationally in this year’s election, including a record 5,761,200 votes had been cast in Ohio, according to data from the Ohio secretary of state’s website as of this afternoon.

As of this writing, former Vice President Joe Biden holds a projected Electoral College vote total of 264, with 270 needed to win. Biden’s total includes Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. If these projections hold, and Biden maintains his lead in Nevada, he will be the next President.

The remaining states where results are presently still in doubt include Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. Trump won these states in 2016, and needs all of them this year to have any hope for re-election.

With the election still in doubt, Trump and his supporters are calling for a halt to continued vote counting in Pennsylvania, where his lead is diminishing, and are threatening to file suit to halt the process. His campaign has also filed suit to review the Michigan results.

With Biden nearing victory, and Trump having made plain that he will not accept such a result, concerns are shifting to how Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Vice President Mike Pence will respond to a presumptive Biden victory.

Ohio Election News

Perhaps the most significant statewide results come from the two Supreme Court races. Justice Sharon Kennedy defeated Cuyahoga County judge John P. O’Donnell by a margin of 55%-45%.  But Justice Judi French lost her re-election bid by roughly the same 55-45 ratio to challenger Jennifer Brunner, a Franklin County appellate judge and a former Ohio secretary of state.

The results narrow the Republican hold on the state’s highest court from 5-2 to 4-3.

Cuyahoga Results

While the state set a record for turnout, Cuyahoga County voters turned out at a less than impressive 67.85 rate, with 603,337 ballots cast out of 889,175 eligible voters, according to figures released by the county Board of Elections.

In a direct challenge to local area leaders, SEIU labor union spokesman Anthony Caldwell was quick to point a finger at Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson, and various Democratic “leaders”, tweeting that they “showed no effort, yielded no votes.”

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This article originally appeared in The Real Deal Press. Republished with permission. 

CPT | Cuyahoga Politics Today:

The Cleveland Way

Yet another study has identified Cleveland as being at the bottom of the pit when it comes to quality of life. Or as the mayor might say, the b***hole of the nation. WalletHub, a financial services website, announced this week that Cleveland residents are the most stressed in the nation. We rank first — i.e., worst — when it comes to "financial stress". We have the highest divorce rate, the second highest poverty rate, and are third worst when it comes to "health and safety stress".

Had the surveyors factored in police misconduct, we'd have been a runaway winner.

Let’s cut to the chase. Making our condition worse is that the three public issues roiling the nation right now — the economy, the pandemic, and systemic inequality/police misconduct — all weigh most heavily on black people, and Cleveland is a majority black town. So black people are out of work and without financial resources, going untested and getting sick, hospitalized, and dying from coronavirus, and soon to be evicted, on the street and subject to the whims of hostile “safety” forces organized to contain the unruly and the unwanted from invading or disrupting the peace and comfort of the mostly white enclaves that circle the urban core and its first ring suburbs.

Rank these issues — we listed them alphabetically — however you want in terms of salience. They all cry out for being addressed systemically, which means elected officials need to be part of the solution.

Cuyahoga’s most prominent public officials are county executive Armond Budish and Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson. While these gentlemen have enjoyed near-unanimous establishment support, it's hard to envision two more pedestrian and disconnected chief executives. 

Budish has never embraced the idea of holding Ohio’s second-most powerful elected office — as the position was touted during debate over county reorganization in 2009. And his stature has shriveled since he so badly mismanaged the county jail in ways that contributed to a string of inmate deaths under conditions decried as “inhumane” by federal monitors. He has been effectively a lame duck for the past two year, a status unlikely to change over the next two years.

Some politicians might draw strength from being effectively immune to the voters and find courage in seizing moral high ground. Alas, Budish was characteristically timid and indecisive last Friday as he practically begged county residents to wear masks. It’s understandable that his mask edict was devoid of teeth: the county has few resources to even throw a scare into the selfish unmasked. But odds are he could have assembled several dozen area mayors to line up behind a bolder plea.

Which brings us to Frank Jackson. Frank calls me every couple of weeks, usually just before six o’clock dinnertime. His recorded voice informs me that he is about to speak to Cleveland citizens and that I should stay on the line. His tone is both intrusive and flat, so devoid of warmth and energy it’s like a declaration that he hates the imminent engagement with the people who have repeatedly voted him into office.

Frank has been either mayor or council president since the 20^th century. Whatever ambition or drive or fire he might have had in 1999 has long since dissipated. He is the Decider-in-Chief at City Hall who acts on the premise that if voters don’t like what he’s doing, they can vote him out. Short of that, don’t call or petition him with concerns about a living minimum wage, or lead abatement or budgetary concerns that money should be allocated to basic human needs instead of plush digs for corporate elites [Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Sherwin-Williams tax breaks].

Catering to the wishes of the political donor class might be acceptable if Clevelanders didn’t have to live with these realities: a water department that mis-bills city residents, shuts off their water, puts liens on their property, and then forecloses and kicks them out; a health department that supports a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis but is itself thoroughly indifferent to its own longstanding hospitality to that very virus; a top Jackson administration official, James McGrath, who first as police chief and then as safety director [he retired last month], tolerated and condoned, and perhaps encouraged, all manner of felonious behavior from police officers sworn to protect and serve the people.

Or, failing that, in pandemic times, say maybe every hundred years or so, calling upon those fat cat friends to say, hey, we have a problem here, can you help us out by testing a few hundred thousand people so we can try and keep as many of them alive as possible?

Cleveland is justly celebrated for being home to three of the nation’s top medical systems. The quasi-public one, MetroHealth, got millions from in COVID money from the state but has yet to figure out how to test the masses.

The other two — Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals — are huge behemoths, owners of acres and acres of tax-exempt properties, and possess such great wealth that one might think their status as nonprofit entities meant they would step forward in times of great crisis to at least test the black and brown people who live all around them.

We don’t know if the mayor has called upon these friends in times like these. We do know they have yet to step up in any meaningful way to help those most in need. And we know that no one in City Hall — not the mayor, or any of his wannabe successors on city council — have called them out for their indifference.

As we reported this past week, a few entities — some black churches, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Neighborhood Family Practice — are trying heroically to stand in the gap. Their efforts are heroic but are dwarfed by the need.

Is there one elected official willing to call out the mighty Clinic? To be sure, they would be swiftly reminded, “that’s not the Cleveland way”.

Perhaps “the Cleveland way” is why we sit atop virtually every index of misery.

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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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