not one of the hive -- have you ever encountered critical mass? you could move forward slowly notifying nearby bikers out the window of the emergency. they would let you through. the mass rides very slowly. you could also turn around and go down a different street if you really had to...
What if you were escorting your dying dad and got to an intersection where there was a street festival, a parade, a funeral procession or road construction? how is this any different than that?
also, bicycler, i was just ahead of daniel and allison and can attest that several people went through that intersection before the cop stopped them. but maybe the light had just changed when the cop appeared? i don't remember. at any rate, this clearly wasn't about the actions of just those two. The cop was angry at the group. My guess is because he felt that it was out of his control, and therefore had to be stopped. It is silly because the people who take part in Critical Mass really don't want any trouble and have tried to cooperate with authorities. I don't understand what was so threatening to this cop about a bunch of people on bicycles. At the same time, the group has encountered many cops in the past and all have been cordial. This is the first time there's any such problem, so I think and hope that this was an isolated incident.
Also, I completely agree with Michael Gill's comment. Critical Mass is a really cool civic event, it's fun to watch, fun to participate in and creates an awesome sense of community. Those who talk negatively about it have obviously never seen Critical Mass in Cleveland before. I encourage you all to come downtown on the last Friday of the month and interact with the awesome people from all walks of life who take part in this event. It's easy to write off the group as a bunch of arrogant bike snobs. But this is Cleveland, not San Fransisco. Here we are a humble bunch who really do participate for a lot of different reasons. Some are avid cyclists, some are casual commuters, and others just ride for occasional excercise. The group is extremely friendly and welcoming and is really not trying to piss anyone off. So please learn more about it before you cast broad judgments.
The crazy thing that the entire group of 200+ people ALL ran the red light. Apparently Dan and Alison were just being made examples of.
Yes, bicyclists should obey traffic laws, but this is a special event. Critical Mass momentarily blocks crossing traffic so that the group can stay together. The event wouldn't work any other way. There's nothing unsafe about it. And considering the lack of traffic crossing Euclid on Friday evening, it's only inconveniencing a few drivers, most of whom are getting a kick out of seeing hundreds of bikes pass by. The group also moves out of the way for buses.
Also it should be noted that the Cleveland police were contacted about this event before it took place.
Jimster, cyclists may not have to pay gas tax, but they work a lot harder to get from place to place. If cyclists have it so good why don't you ditch your car?
Also, I have a car. I pay gas taxes. I would still like to be able to easily walk or bike from Tremont to downtown. This bridge path wouldn't just be for bike commuters, it would create a pedestrian gateway between two major Cleveland centers. Like SK said bikers and drivers are not neccessarily two different groups of people. For example, a person who lives in Tremont may drive to Independence for work, but want to bike into downtown on the weekend.
and mpetrie... check out bike/pedestrian paths on other highway bridges. They are completely seperate from the road. There would be practially no safety concern there. Bikes, of course, are not allowed on highways and no one is suggesting that.
I don't think "cheerleader " is the right word. Saying "Cleveland is great! Go Cleveland!" isn't going to help anything.
You said in Philadelphia's "Ed Rendell would often compare the city's condition at the time to a cancer patient with a gunshot wound to the chest."
That's not chearleading.. it's acknowledging that the city has problems. It sounds like Rendell then took the initiative to push ideas and solutions to those problems.
Cleveland needs a visionary. I was very disappointed not to have one to vote for on Tuesday. Did the party bosses forbid any decent candidates from running against Jackson? That's the only reason I can think of that none of the real leaders in this city took him on. It was a prime opportunity for a new leader to come in. Because despite Jackson's 70+ percentage of the vote, he is not that popular. I'm pretty sure nearly all the 20 percent of the vote Patmon won was a vote *against* Jackson, not for Patmon who really brought nothing to this election.
WTF. The Republican Chair's comment is absurd. I was expecting him to condemn the action and blame it on some unknown aide... Wow.
Although, I don't agree with your comment about "if it were a Democrat." A) Most Democrats have some degree of integrity B) If a Democrat DID do that, the party would definitely throw him/her under the bus. C) The media arguement is tired.There are just as many "liberal" media outlets as there are "conservative" ones. The thing is, liberals tend not to stoop as low. But that's where comedians like John Stewart come in. When liberals stoop, they acknolwedge it by doing it with humor.
I have to disagree... suburban folk are more likely to consider voting for a Republican than someone in the city is. To most urban dwellers Republican=evil.
While I don't think there will be a Republican take-over, per se, I think Republicans will gain more power if Issue 6 passes, especially considering they have absolutely no power right now. Like I said, I don't think this is a bad thing; it's good to have some party balance because it would require Democrats to differenciate themselves, and maybe do a better job.
Out of all 59 cities in Cuyahoga County, including Cleveland, there are 32 Democrats, and 18 republicans. The rest are non-partisan, or independents.
I got that from: http://www.cuyahogacountygop.com/officials…
That's a little more than half Democrat, and about 30 percent Republican.
If the same percentage of county council seats went to republicans, that would be a lot more Republican influence on the county than we have now. As we all know, there are 0 republicans in elected county positions.
Also, you are right. I have not spent any time in the suburbs lately. But I don't need to visit a suburb to know that the middle to upper-class people who live there have different financial and societal interests than the poor people who live in the city. They do not vote for the same types of candidates. Even most of the Democrats who are elected in suburbs probably wouldn't stand a chance in Cleveland.
But, that's besides the point. Yes, creating a council could mean more diverse representation, including Republicans and more business-minded Democrats. I think this could be a positive thing. The only reason I was leaning toward voting against it is that I don't trust Bill Mason or any of the other players behind the initiative. I am just skeptical that those people are just looking out for themselves. I'm afraid there's more to Issue 6 than meets the eye.. and, therefore, voting against it seems the safer bet. Also, our current system seems to be working in almost every other county in the state. So, I don't quite see why there's a need to change the system. I would hope people have learned there lesson and will just choose to stop electing bozos into county offices... but maybe it's not that easy.
PS I live in the city. And I vote against the powers that be every chance I get (even it means choosing a candidate I agree with even less). It's obviously not working, though.
Recent Comments
What if you were escorting your dying dad and got to an intersection where there was a street festival, a parade, a funeral procession or road construction? how is this any different than that?
also, bicycler, i was just ahead of daniel and allison and can attest that several people went through that intersection before the cop stopped them. but maybe the light had just changed when the cop appeared? i don't remember. at any rate, this clearly wasn't about the actions of just those two. The cop was angry at the group. My guess is because he felt that it was out of his control, and therefore had to be stopped. It is silly because the people who take part in Critical Mass really don't want any trouble and have tried to cooperate with authorities. I don't understand what was so threatening to this cop about a bunch of people on bicycles. At the same time, the group has encountered many cops in the past and all have been cordial. This is the first time there's any such problem, so I think and hope that this was an isolated incident.
Also, I completely agree with Michael Gill's comment. Critical Mass is a really cool civic event, it's fun to watch, fun to participate in and creates an awesome sense of community. Those who talk negatively about it have obviously never seen Critical Mass in Cleveland before. I encourage you all to come downtown on the last Friday of the month and interact with the awesome people from all walks of life who take part in this event. It's easy to write off the group as a bunch of arrogant bike snobs. But this is Cleveland, not San Fransisco. Here we are a humble bunch who really do participate for a lot of different reasons. Some are avid cyclists, some are casual commuters, and others just ride for occasional excercise. The group is extremely friendly and welcoming and is really not trying to piss anyone off. So please learn more about it before you cast broad judgments.
Yes, bicyclists should obey traffic laws, but this is a special event. Critical Mass momentarily blocks crossing traffic so that the group can stay together. The event wouldn't work any other way. There's nothing unsafe about it. And considering the lack of traffic crossing Euclid on Friday evening, it's only inconveniencing a few drivers, most of whom are getting a kick out of seeing hundreds of bikes pass by. The group also moves out of the way for buses.
Also it should be noted that the Cleveland police were contacted about this event before it took place.
Also, I have a car. I pay gas taxes. I would still like to be able to easily walk or bike from Tremont to downtown. This bridge path wouldn't just be for bike commuters, it would create a pedestrian gateway between two major Cleveland centers. Like SK said bikers and drivers are not neccessarily two different groups of people. For example, a person who lives in Tremont may drive to Independence for work, but want to bike into downtown on the weekend.
and mpetrie... check out bike/pedestrian paths on other highway bridges. They are completely seperate from the road. There would be practially no safety concern there. Bikes, of course, are not allowed on highways and no one is suggesting that.
You said in Philadelphia's "Ed Rendell would often compare the city's condition at the time to a cancer patient with a gunshot wound to the chest."
That's not chearleading.. it's acknowledging that the city has problems. It sounds like Rendell then took the initiative to push ideas and solutions to those problems.
Cleveland needs a visionary. I was very disappointed not to have one to vote for on Tuesday. Did the party bosses forbid any decent candidates from running against Jackson? That's the only reason I can think of that none of the real leaders in this city took him on. It was a prime opportunity for a new leader to come in. Because despite Jackson's 70+ percentage of the vote, he is not that popular. I'm pretty sure nearly all the 20 percent of the vote Patmon won was a vote *against* Jackson, not for Patmon who really brought nothing to this election.
Although, I don't agree with your comment about "if it were a Democrat." A) Most Democrats have some degree of integrity B) If a Democrat DID do that, the party would definitely throw him/her under the bus. C) The media arguement is tired.There are just as many "liberal" media outlets as there are "conservative" ones. The thing is, liberals tend not to stoop as low. But that's where comedians like John Stewart come in. When liberals stoop, they acknolwedge it by doing it with humor.
While I don't think there will be a Republican take-over, per se, I think Republicans will gain more power if Issue 6 passes, especially considering they have absolutely no power right now. Like I said, I don't think this is a bad thing; it's good to have some party balance because it would require Democrats to differenciate themselves, and maybe do a better job.
Out of all 59 cities in Cuyahoga County, including Cleveland, there are 32 Democrats, and 18 republicans. The rest are non-partisan, or independents.
I got that from: http://www.cuyahogacountygop.com/officials…
That's a little more than half Democrat, and about 30 percent Republican.
If the same percentage of county council seats went to republicans, that would be a lot more Republican influence on the county than we have now. As we all know, there are 0 republicans in elected county positions.
Also, you are right. I have not spent any time in the suburbs lately. But I don't need to visit a suburb to know that the middle to upper-class people who live there have different financial and societal interests than the poor people who live in the city. They do not vote for the same types of candidates. Even most of the Democrats who are elected in suburbs probably wouldn't stand a chance in Cleveland.
But, that's besides the point. Yes, creating a council could mean more diverse representation, including Republicans and more business-minded Democrats. I think this could be a positive thing. The only reason I was leaning toward voting against it is that I don't trust Bill Mason or any of the other players behind the initiative. I am just skeptical that those people are just looking out for themselves. I'm afraid there's more to Issue 6 than meets the eye.. and, therefore, voting against it seems the safer bet. Also, our current system seems to be working in almost every other county in the state. So, I don't quite see why there's a need to change the system. I would hope people have learned there lesson and will just choose to stop electing bozos into county offices... but maybe it's not that easy.