IT ISN’T EASY being on Cleveland City Council if you’re maneuvering outside Council President Martin Sweeney’s tenuous East Side majority. It’s a little like being an elephant in the lion cage or a Democrat in Columbus. For some, it means having to work harder just to have your voice heard, only to be ignored in the end anyway. But at least you’re putting pressure where the wound is.
That’s the motivation behind a meeting at 7 p.m. tonight (Wednesday,
March 4) at Applewood Center, 3518 W. 25th St. in Cleveland.
Near-West-Side council members, stymied by Sweeney’s
behind-closed-doors excision of two council wards, want residents to
have a say in how the new lines are drawn.
After leading a successful charter change to reduce council this
year from 21 to 19 seats, with a few more dumpings likely in the coming
years, Sweeney now is working with a consultant to redraw ward
boundaries based on a model of one leader per 25,000 residents. Many
believe the unexpected bribery conviction of Ward 2 Councilman Robert
White will make Sweeney’s planning for the East Side a cakewalk; but
it’s still a toss-up what will happen to West-Side boundaries on April
1, Sweeney’s deadline.
“It’s Marty — and paid consultants — who are coming up
with all this,” says Ward 17 Councilman Matt Zone, Sweeney’s most vocal
critic.
On February 9, Zone submitted a potential resolution (bound to
collect dust in committee) that encourages council leadership to join
President Obama in creating “a new era of transparency, public
participation and collaboration for all government.”
Until that happens, Zone will have to be happy with efforts like the
special meeting tonight, at which his colleague, Ward 15 Councilman
Brian Cummins, will press for the implementation of another
recommendation of Sweeney’s now-disbanded charter review commission
— Neighborhood Development, Planning and Service Districts. The
special groups would be formed to assist council members in keeping in
touch with residents and their concerns, essentially adding more voices
to the decision-making process while the level of representation is
being diminished.
“Once we take care of the initial redistricting, we should focus on
that leading up to 2010,” says Cummins, “because we’ll probably have to
[cut] another two more positions by 2013. If we’re going to do that,
then why not consider this service district recommended by charter
review commission?”
You’re talking crazy, Mr. Cummins. Have you cleared your stance
through the Council President? No? Shame.
— Dan Harkins
GET USED TO DISAPPOINTMENT
Sweeney’s not the only one playing favorites among council members.
Mayor Frank Jackson has been exhibiting selective hearing as well.
Discussing how the administration compiled its $2-billion,
100-plus-project wish list for the federal stimulus money, Jackson’s
Chief of Government Affairs Valerie McCall told Tom Beres Sunday on his
WKYC-Channel 3 Between the Lines show that Chief of Staff Ken
Silliman had spoken “to each and every council person to get their
priority projects for their wards.” Councilman Zack Reed, who was
surprised to see an “unneeded” $2.5 million project for new pavilions
at Luke Easter Park on the list, says his meeting with Silliman is news
to him.
Other council members opposed to Council President Martin Sweeney’s
majority hold say they were never approached either. “I have no record
of it,” says Ward 15 Councilman Brian Cummins. “The council leadership
has not done anything to pin the administration down and have them come
over here and get council’s help.” Maybe if everyone signed a gag order
and agreed to vote in lockstep, then their help would be appreciated.
— Harkins
more online at clevescene.com
JUST SAY ‘OH!’
About once a semester, The Kent Stater, the
university’s daily rag, publishes an editorial piece that sparks
argument and dissent among its readership. Last year, it was a rant
about Black United Students being unwelcoming towards a white activist
who wanted to help their cause. This year, everyone’s getting all bent
out of shape over a recent op-ed that suggests virgins are no fun.
Last Wednesday, the Stater ran an editorial titled “Why lose
your virginity? Because it’s awesome!” Written by Marshal Staggs, the
editorial argues that saving yourself for marriage is “creepy,
disgusting and prohibitive to your free will.” Staggs points out the
hypocrisy of horny Christians who practice “saddlebacking” (some kids
have found a Biblical loophole in which unprotected anal sex —
dubbed “saddlebacking” by readers of Savage Love — is not
a sin), and yet still find it in their hearts to hate gays. In a final
thought, Staggs asks, “You wouldn’t drive a car without a test drive,
would you?”
It’s the sort of article that, 40 years ago, would have instigated a
few orgies and some free weed for the writer. This is, after all, the
place where a revolution almost began (until the National Guard started
killing people). But it appears the hippies have been replaced by
prudes.
Student Sarah Caplin responded with a column of her own — “Why
wait until marriage? Because it’s awesome!” — which was published
Friday. “I feel society has completely twisted the meaning and purpose
of sex,” she writes. “Sex is the ultimate physical expression of love.”
She goes on to claim that “You cannot ‘test drive’ a human being.”
Are you sure? Bob Serpentini smiles a lot. — James
Renner
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2008.
