County government reform bites dust; people named Russo breathe easier

Thank goodness for our state senators. Yesterday, they moved to block a proposal to “reform” Cuyahoga County government -- allowing nieces, nephews, and well-connected ex-girlfriends of politicians everywhere to breathe a deep sigh of relief. The doomed proposal, put forth without a trace of irony by Commissioner Tim Hagan, would have turned elected offices such as auditor, sheriff, coroner, and clerk of clerks into appointed posts. In theory, this restructuring would help cut down on waste and patronage, perhaps even winning us a few bureaucrats who knew how to use a calculator. In practice, of course, it simply would have given Hagan and Jimmy Dimora another avenue to stack the cubicles with their favorite minions...