Pre-Gaming: Election Day '05 Preview

If last month's primaries were any indication, at least 17% of the city knows that election day is this Tuesday. There are a number of critical decisions to be made on the 8th, and if we learned nothing else from last November, it's that if you do not take part in the decision making process by voting, Diddy will kill you. With that, these choices lie in the hands of Cleveland voters. (warning: dangerous spin ahead.)

Issue 1 - This bond issue will decide whether Ohio will allocate $2 billion towards the advancements of infrastructure, technology, and research throughout the state. If passed, $1.35 billion will go to road repairs, $150 million for buisness-site preparation, and $500 million to promote high tech job growth. Critics don't like the idea of the state investing in private buisiness and others oppose government money going to support stem cell research. Those qualms are understandable, but it is important for Ohio to keep up with other areas to compete in the new economic landscape by emphasizing technology. Voters must also keep in mind that the majority of stem cell research in the state occurs in Cleveland, where only adult stem cells are used, avoiding the complications that come with embryo harvesting. Fuel cell research will also benefit from the funding.

Issues 2, 3, 4, & 5 - Voters in Ohio are upset about the way that elections are run, so here are four (yes, four) proposals designed to remedy these problems. Issue 2 eases up restrictions on absentee voting, allowing voters to send in their ballots up to 35 days before an election. Issue 3 reforms how much individuals can contribute to state and local campaigns. Issue 4, designed to end gerrymandering, will bring upon a new independent commission to redraw legislative and congressional districts. Currently, district boundaries are decided upon by the political party in power (GOP). Issue 5 takes responsibility of overseeing elections away from the Ohio Secretary of State, and will create a nine-member board to run election day.

Issue 6 - If passed, $1.2 million will be raised to improve Cuyahoga Community College, and keep tuition affordable. Tri-C serves all of northeast Ohio, and is key in educating the region's workforce. Cuyahoga County residents who own homes worth $100,000 will lose an additional $9 every year to pay for this proposal.

Issue 7 - This tax increase is slightly more significant, costing $100,000 home owners $23 over the course of a year. The $3.9 million raised will go towards the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which is responsible for assisting roughly 8,300 children and adults with MR/DD around the county. The board is known as one of the most responsible at managing tax-money, and serves 25% more people than they did five years ago.

Mayor - This year's race for Cleveland's top job has been characterized by doubt. Both candidates have their flaws and questionable records. And in a time when the city is in desparate need of strong leadership with purpose and vision, in many ways we're more lost than we were in 2001 when the whole world thought it could be mayor of Cleveland. Four years ago, County Commissioner Jane Campbell defeated an inexperienced young lawyer in Raymond Pierce. Campbell won that election by exploiting her years of public service, and uniting the east and west sides, miraculously garnering 30% of the black vote to become the city's first female mayor in 205 years. The excitement of Campbell's first year however included remarkable ups and downs, and the confidence the city held in her experience was mired by an extended learning curve that saw the mayor requiring much on the job training.

To her credit, Cleveland has experienced many improvements under Campbell's stewardship. City Hall is finally in healthy order, the city's financial records have been cleaned up, and downtwon development is taking on a number of multi-million dollar improvement projects, including the Euclid Corridor, the Avenue District, and plans for a reinvigorated lakefront. Many of these projects however, have only gained momentum during the past year, the last twelve months of Jane's first term. Was Campbell finally getting the hang of the job, or was she just suddenly motivated by the proposition of losing the position of mayor after three years of being accused of lacking a vision or plan for the city? All of the progress that Campbell has recently made, including the terribly ill-advised casino push and Steelyard Commons proposal, no matter how energetic, reeked of political maneuvering to hang on to a job, when many, former supporters included, were doubting her (think Erick Dampier getting 12 ppg & 12 rpg in a contract year).

This says nothing of Campbell's defficiencies as mayor. Under her leadership, crime rates are up, the schools have gone into disarray, and the city was unable to cope with a nation-wide recession and spike in unemployment. Not all of these problems are strictly the mayor's fault, however, Jane Campbell has gone to extensive lengths to make sure people realize that it's everybody else's fault but hers. Never a strong supporter of Barbara Byrd Bennett, Campbell left the school CEO to burn at the pyre along with Cleveland's students. Trying to separate herself from political corruption in City Hall, she has indicted former Mayor Mike White and his 12-year administration, without directly saying his name. And while White had a publicly negative relationship with City Council, Campbell relied on her close cooperation with Council to win in 2001. Now her strongest oppenent is City Council President Frank Jackson, and everytime a legislative proposal does not succeed, Campbell is the first to point the finger at Council's 21 men and women. With this, Jackson has taken every opportunity to point out Campbell's inability to take responsibility and be accountable for her shortcomings.

But while he has spent much of his own campaign on the attack, Frank Jackson has not done much to explain what he will do differently as mayor. In fact, judging by both candidates' campaigns, Frank Jackson would do very little differently. Rather, the Ward 5 Councilman emphasizes integrity, honesty, and strength of leadership. While Jane Campbell is the superior politician and public speaker, this quiet, self-effacing man wants voters to know that he is everything that Campbell is not. He is a lifelong Clevelander, educated by Cleveland's schools, understands Cleveland, and is not a politician but rather a citizen serving his city. Unfortunately he is also stubborn, and has been known to delay or halt city projects when uncertain of the effects progress will have on his citizens (not an altogether bad trait, but it can be stifling at times).

In deciding who should be the next mayor of Cleveland, it is important to step back and observe the bigger picture of things in northeast Ohio. The region is at a point where cooperation is crucial, and leadership is at a premium. I'm afraid that Jane Campbell has exhausted all of the confidence that Clevelanders had invested in her four years ago, and now the divide between the east and west is more intense than it has been since Hough was burned to the ground. True, she has done a number of remarkable things for this city. Expansive projects and lobbying has been her strength since she served the area as County Commissioner. And because of it, Cleveland has the momentum of multimillion dollar public projects and developments underway. But that work has been done, and no matter who's mayor, in the next three to six years, downtown will be an altogether different, better place thanks to Jane Campbell's work.

But now it's time to shift our focus. At this juncture, it is imperative to concentrate on rebuilding our schools, neighborhoods, and public services. Jane Campbell has alienated the school board, making it difficult to cooperate on behalf of the students, and impeding the search for a new talented CEO. She has lost the support of the majority of City Council, including its president, making it difficult to cooperate and work together on improving the city's neighborhoods. And under her watch, Cleveland's police and fire departments have become embroiled in tense race relations that will not end well for citizens.

Frank Jackson's vision may not be revolutionary in comparison to the incumbent's, but his service and honesty have gained him respect and a confidence that can once again unite this city. A confidence in unity that was experienced when the winner of last month's primary was overwhelmingly 'anybody but Jane'. Jackson is a man that disenfranchised citizens can believe will act on their behalf. A man whose experience in public service can be trusted, but who's stayed out of the spotlight long enough to not have made many enemies and not have severed important relationships around the city.

We thank Jane Campbell for what she has accomplished, and her legacy will live on through shiny new construction in the year's to come. But Cleveland is still in dire trouble when it comes to the millions of little things that make up the region's big picture, and we can't afford to be led in different directions anymore. Frank Jackson needs to step in and provide the strong leadership that he's promised us, and Cleveland must move ahead, together, as one city.

Quick Recap & Endorsements:

Issue 1 - Yes, better infrastructure is always good, and Ohio must shake off the rust belt stigma by advancing the emphasis on technology.

Issues 2-5 - I honestly am confused by all this reforming. There are obvious issues with the way that elections are run in Ohio, but these proposals do not seem to be well thought out, and might only make things more difficult to fix later on. Either way, I am not confident enough with either side of the issue to vote, and will therefore abstain from doing so.

Issue 6 - Yes, a healthy Tri-C benefits the entire region, and the tax increase is minimal.

Issue 7 - Yes, we must support northeast Ohio's most vulnerable men, women, and children (vote no and you're a bad person).

Mayor - Not the most charismatic man in town, but Frank Jackson has a better chance at mending Cleveland's wounds that have been allowed to fester in the last four years.

Listen to me or not, just
REMEMBER TO VOTE!