On the steps of Cleveland City Hall Monday evening, Ward 14 Councilman Brian Cummins challenged his opponent, Jasmin Santana, to a debate before the November 7 general election.
“I will debate you any place, anywhere, that is done in a fair manner,” Cummins said, a blockade of Hispanic leaders and pastors behind him. “You did not debate in the primary election. My supporters want to see a debate between the two candidates for our ward, and I challenge you to that debate.”
In addition to the Plain Dealer’s endorsement — the paper called the Ward 14 race a “stew of distemper,” for the win — Cummins received official support from former councilman and 2017 primary candidate Nelson Cintron, candidate Omar Medina and more than 10 religious leaders from his ward.
Cummins is on the offensive, though, after Santana defeated him in the primaries last month. When the official results were tabulated, Santana’s lead actually increased. She won 405 votes (35.5 percent), compared to Cummins’ 371 (32.5 percent).
Santana is Puerto Rican. Among other things, she has said that Ward 14 — the city’s most densely populated Hispanic ward — should have a Hispanic representative. She is a former community outreach coordinator with MetroHealth and wants to improve the civic literacy of her constituents, especially women.
Cummins and Ward 1 Councilman Terrell Pruitt, who was bested by opponent Joe Jones, were the only incumbent councilpeople who were not their ward’s top vote-getters.
This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2017.
Santana needs to igmore Cummins and get rid of him, once and for all.
Brian tries to defend his pitiful record. Once upon a time, he started as a decent council representative. But, that slowly eroded as he was broken by the demolition and real estate machine politics controlled by the previous councilman for Old Brooklyn, Jim Rokakis, and his network of cronies that include Gus Frangos and Anthony Brancatelli, now president of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank board.
To catalog some of Cummin’s more egregious failures:
–give-away of public parkland for NRP Foster Pointe – low income housing (built on contaminated fill)
–failed housing project Aberdeen Homes- later demo’d at tax-payer expense and given back to the shady developers
–failure to control unchecked house flipping and strawbuyers during 2008 housing crisis, including CMHA deal for former Art House director
–failure to save historic properties and legacy of fraud w/CDBG funds used to purchase Art House/Wirth House while he directed Old Brooklyn CDC
–YMCA flipping and deterioration under his council representation by Robert McCall, who is a listed LinkedIn friend of the councilman-over 118K wited out by Cuyahoga County Land Bank
–touting Masonic Building transfer to August Garfoli and John McCartney of Ginmark-White Gold LLC – now delinquent 40K and growing in unpaid taxes (Ginmark was also a County Land Bank demolition contractor)
–creation of non-representative CDC, Stockyard, Clark-Fulton, Brooklyn Centre- now rebranded Metro West in collusion with Matt Zone and Anthony Brancatelli under Detroit Shoreway Community Development Corporation (DSCDO)
–Dilapidation of Coral Group Brooklyn Plaza owned by DSCDO partner Peter Rubin Coral Group
–Aragon redevelopment w/use of public monies, still undisclosed by Brian Cummins- project is at complete standstill
–Loss of community services including grocery store ALDIs and Head Start daycare at UCC Archwood
–Pitching a complex redevelopment along West 25th that involved displacing a tire store, permiting said tire store in a pager building owned by Sam Nazmi Khaleq – who was named in Cuyahoga County corruption scandal-foiled by area residents
–Pitching the sale of the historic Carnegie South Branch Library for reuse using historic tax credits as part of fraudulent “Villa Hispana” -foiled by area residents, but resulting in a dangerous temporary relocation of the library to the commerical strip along Clark Ave.
–Attempted transfer of Storer Park to a commercial property owner – foiled by area residents
–Prior knowledge of City of Cleveland application for EPA clean up monies for WC Reed field that led to “remediation” and closure of vital community space from 2012-2017
–Continued dilapidation of housing throughout the ward with problematic conditions ignored when reported by residents, including a vacant house w/squatters adjacent to Denison K-8 school.
–Fraudulent dealing with Cleveland Housing Network to structure fake “Dream Neighborhood” (rebranded International Village) and fraudulent transfer of the YMCA to CHN-Eden for “permanent supportive” housing, less than one mile from an existing problem facility South Pointe Commons.
In addition, Cummins has only sporadically used his franking privilege in Cleveland City Council to send out community newsletters. These newsletters only coincide with the times he is running for public office.
Brian tries to defend his pitiful record. Once upon a time, he started as a decent council representative. But, that slowly eroded as he was broken by the demolition and real estate machine politics controlled by the previous councilman for Old Brooklyn, Jim Rokakis, and his network of cronies that include Gus Frangos and Anthony Brancatelli, now president of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank board.
To catalog some of Cummin’s more egregious failures:
–give-away of public parkland for NRP Foster Pointe – low income housing (built on contaminated fill)
–failed housing project Aberdeen Homes- later demo’d at tax-payer expense and given back to the shady developers
–failure to control unchecked house flipping and strawbuyers during 2008 housing crisis, including CMHA deal for former Art House director
–failure to save historic properties and legacy of fraud w/CDBG funds used to purchase Art House/Wirth House while he directed Old Brooklyn CDC
–YMCA flipping and deterioration under his council representation by Robert McCall, who is a listed LinkedIn friend of the councilman-over 118K wited out by Cuyahoga County Land Bank
–touting Masonic Building transfer to August Garfoli and John McCartney of Ginmark-White Gold LLC – now delinquent 40K and growing in unpaid taxes (Ginmark was also a County Land Bank demolition contractor)
–creation of non-representative CDC, Stockyard, Clark-Fulton, Brooklyn Centre- now rebranded Metro West in collusion with Matt Zone and Anthony Brancatelli under Detroit Shoreway Community Development Corporation (DSCDO)
–Dilapidation of Coral Group Brooklyn Plaza owned by DSCDO partner Peter Rubin Coral Group
Aragon redevelopment w/use of public monies, still undisclosed by Brian Cummins- project is at complete standstill
–Loss of community services including grocery store ALDIs and Head Start daycare at UCC Archwood
–Pitching a complex redevelopment along West 25th that involved displacing a tire store, permiting said tire store in a pager building owned by Sam Nazmi Khaleq – who was named in Cuyahoga County corruption scandal-foiled by area residents
–Pitching the sale of the historic Carnegie South Branch Library for reuse using historic tax credits as part of fraudulent “Villa Hispana” -foiled by area residents, but resulting in a dangerous temporary relocation of the library to the commerical strip along Clark Ave.
–Attempted transfer of Storer Park to a commercial property owner – foiled by area residents
–Prior knowledge of City of Cleveland application for EPA clean up monies for WC Reed field that led to “remediation” and closure of vital community space from 2012-2017
–Continued dilapidation of housing throughout the ward with problematic conditions ignored when reported by residents, including a vacant house w/squatters adjacent to Denison K-8 school.
–Fraudulent dealing with Cleveland Housing Network to structure fake “Dream Neighborhood” (rebranded International Village) and fraudulent transfer of the YMCA to CHN-Eden for “permanent supportive” housing, less than one mile from an existing problem facility South Pointe Commons.
In addition, Cummins has only sporadically used his franking privilege in Cleveland City Council to send out community newsletters. These newsletters only coincide with the times he is running for public office.