If not for the miserable conditions at the Cuyahoga County Jail and a sweeping corruption investigation, Armond Budish’s annual state of the county address, held Thursday at the Huntington Convention Center, would have been his strongest yet.
Though the second-term county executive still delivers remarks like a sixth grader reading a book report, his speech was not without substance. The most important element was the unveiling of a collaborative countywide climate action plan. Budish outlined seven key policy priorities that he says will make the county greener and more inhabitable for generations to come.
It’s possible, if not likely, that the audience interpreted Budish’s point-by-point outline of the climate proposal as a lengthy diversionary tactic. The jail and the probe were clearly on everyone’s minds. In an introduction, City Club Board Chair Robyn Minter Smyers referred to them gently as “concerns,” and the audience remained largely silent throughout the address. Budish did acknowledge the jail “setbacks” early on, and did his level best to put a cheerful spin on the situation.
“I’ve taken and will continue to take decisive action,” he said. “I’m pleased to say that we’ve made great strides!”
He said that the jail was on target to be at or below capacity within the next year, and that every individual now sees a nurse as they arrive.
It’s unlikely that the climate action plan Budish described will do much to affect his legacy. Former PD editorial page director Brent Larkin now says that Budish’s ability to govern or lead is “greatly diminished if not destroyed,” and the cement seems to be drying on the notion that Budish is a catastrophic manager who, despite fundraising acumen, can’t hire or retain top staff, gravely misapprehends county financial priorities and is still presiding over the ugliest period in this history of the county jail.
(It is yet to be determined how much personal responsibility he bears for the jail horrors, and whether his actions rise to the level of criminal misconduct. But cleveland.com reported last year — it should not be forgotten — that it was Budish’s ruthless pursuit of cutting costs that led to the jail’s becoming one of the “worst in the nation.”)
The climate action plan should nevertheless be applauded and taken seriously. Budish called it a “bold and transformative” effort that was also, much like the other highlights and proposals he described, “proactive, creative, distinctive, inclusive, collaborative” etc. Climate action was necessary, Budish said, because climate change is real, and Cuyahoga County is now experiencing “the four Ws: Warmer Wetter Wilder Weather.”
He said he wanted to make the region a “trailblazer” in tackling climate change and said the policies would not only enhance the region’s quality of life but create numerous jobs.
The seven specific policies outlined were the following:
1) TREES: Ask county council for $5 million over the next five years to plant thousands of trees across the region. He wants to encourage companies and organizations to plant trees as well — he can envision competitions — and increase the county’s tree canopy from 14 to 30 percent by 2040.
2) GREEN BANK: With support from local foundations, create a bank that lends money and invests in clean energy projects, including residential solar panels.
3) COUNTY GREENWAY: Work to build more pedestrian and bike paths and connect the existing network. Enhance recreational opportunities while at the same time increasing property values and reducing carbon emissions.
4) PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSISTANCE: “Find ways to increase the use of public transit.” The county’s contribution will be giving preferential development dollars — all else being equal — to projects located within walking distance of transit routes and providing incentives to companies who wish to relocate to transit-connected job hubs.
5) EV CHARGING STATIONS: Accelerate creation of electric vehicle infrastructure. Currently there are only about 50 charging stations in the county. Goal is to create “robust” infrastructure within three years.
6) TRAFFIC LIGHTS: Work with NOACA to better time traffic signals, thereby reducing idling (and concomitant emissions), and speeding up commutes. NOACA’s next street project: Chester, from University Circle to downtown.
7) ROOFTOP SOLAR: Heartened by the success of 35,000 solar panels in Brooklyn, which cover the vast majority of energy consumption at the county’s administrative headquarters downtown, add rooftop solar panels to three county buildings and make available to other county communities the same affordable energy pricing that county receives.
Budish said the climate action plan was a joint project of the County Planning Commission, NOACA, the Cleveland Metroparks, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, the Cleveland Foundation and the Gund Foundation.
This article appears in Apr 17-23, 2019.
The problem isn’t the plan, it’s the execution of that plan that is a problem. He and his minions can’t run a jail, can’t run an IT Department and can’t run an HR Department. There is no reason at all to think they can implement this plan.
Empowering them and financing there ideas at this point is foolish. Let’s clean house first.
Sounds like the Green new deal. Forget socialism. Allard here is willing to forgive all of Budish’ problem because he’s on the climate change bs.
Allard is a science buff now who in addition to reading all the Marxist literature he can find also delves into the sunject of pseudoscience produced by Marxist academics trying to control us using climste change. He has absolutely no scientific background yet he and these other leftists are going to pretend that they know about our environment because they read about it in another corrupt publication. Science publications literally print anything for money. It doesn’t have to be true. We certainly know scene lies
Allard, seriously are you dumb or do you think we are? If the man you told us has spent months lying about the jail is promoting climate change, do you think there could be any little tiny maybe oh my God dude cmon chance that he could be lying about that too?
What I don’t get is how everyone else in this city is falling for this crap. Enjoy your socialist hellhole.
Allard says this guy is corrupt and can’t run a jail. But he knows what to do about the environment though. Yeah sure Sam. Go order your solar roof panels.
Ffs, let’s all rejoice and celebrate this corrupt piece of shit for his one redeeming quality. I have news for you Scene, everyone who came to the jail already sees the nurse, and they charge you a fee to receive your substandard health care, lack of personal hygiene, and polluted with rat shit food. That’s not progress, it’s the same poorly run shithole. Shame on Scene fir jerking off this crook.
When ice melts in a glass of water, the glass doesn’t overflow. When icebergs melt, the ocean doesn’t rise. This is basic science. But Sam and his communist kinfolk in academia have new politicized science that doesn’t make sense just to trick you. Next Sam will be pitching an energy and carbon tax. He’s already trying to get us to give up our cars, our culture, our money, and our senses.
You and your asinine climate change agenda. The earth will be hit by an asteroid before climate change harms us. Youll use any and all deceptions to get the simpleton brainwashed children follow your ridiculous agenda. Youll have the world end from economic strife and war whip you turn the world heck yo a primitive place where the predictors only survive. Youre a duck Allard. Youre about as logical and scientific as that dope you smoke.
2 is usury. Typical Khazar money control tactic.
3,4 are clear indicators that they mean to take our cars and limit our ability to travel and move things
5 Electric cars use the grid which burns coal
6 New traffic lights are part of surveillance network
7 solar panels are a scam- no actual return on $30000 investment. Panels age quickly and go into landfills. Cleveland is always overcast so they won’t work.
1 Im not sure. They probably want to put a bubble over this area in the future.
And when will this thief Budish be finally indicted, removed from office immediately, and sent right to jail for his constant shenanigans and financial mismanagement???
Once he’s finally in jail with all the rest of the County crooks, Taxin Jackson is the next one that needs to go right to jail now!!!
Allard. Such a pawn. And why does the scene support the propaganda spewed out by some of its so call journalists. They are pawns of a leftist political movement and no more journalists as they are scientists. If you feel obligated to participate in being a propaganda provider, maybe its time to say goodbye to the scene. Oh, and its sponsors.