Can I build you a house & pay you to live in it?

Submitted by Roldo on Thu, 03/20/2008 - 08:49.

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners have given me a  great idea.

 

Let's privatize the Commission by hiring one person who actually  knows what he or she is doing and do away with electing our three Stooges for Private Businesses of Any Kind, aka, Tim Hagan, Jimmy Dimora & Peter Lawson Jones.

 

Let see if I have this correctly. The taxpayer will build a new medical mart and convention center at maybe (with interest) $600 or $800 million. Then the taxpayers will pay an outfit from Chicago more than $100 million (over 20 years) to operate the County facility. Do we have to wash anyone's feet, too?

Where is labor in this town? I seem to remember that Cleveland labor pours money and effort into electing these three Democrats.

What for? To turn over public jobs to private interests that simply have profit as their motive of operation?

 

I was thrilled that the Plain Dealer last week told the public that there might be some conflict in Michael Wager, recently named to chair the Port Authority, and the fact that he is a Squire, Sanders & Dempsey lawyer. SS&D has been a leading law firm in the state doing bond counsel work and the Port, of course, is in the bond letting business. (Remind me some day to tell the story of a former SS&D managing partner that wanted to build a jetport and city in Lake Erie with bonds, admitted eventually that yes, he's make lots of money).

 

But Fred Nance is the managing partner of Squire-Sanders and County bonds will be the method of financing the mart and convention center. One hopes that Squire-Sanders will stand aside and not participate in the bond deal. But I believe this might be the same as expecting competency from the Bush-like County Commissioners. I'm sure making a few million dollars from the bonds was furthest from Fred's mind.

 

Maybe the County can sell the naming rights to Squire-Sanders. Or give it to the firm in return for Nance's sage advice. 

‹ CAN COMMISSIONERS SWALLOW THIS ROTTEN DEALupCAN NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS BE HONEST? ›
( categories: )

big business in NEO

Submitted by Susan Miller on Thu, 03/20/2008 - 10:41.

Is the biggest industry in NEO healthcare? Law? or Government?

I have to walk my dog now, but maybe someone can go to city data and look up the largest employers in NEO. Then can we find out how much money changes hands in these hallowed halls/operating rooms? Interesting to note from this morning's PD the payouts that will go to 4 individuals if National City is sold. Thank god not much of my money is invested there - what will happen to the share price?

What other "hall" in history does Cuyahoga County politics resemble today?

Need to take to halls of justice

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 03/20/2008 - 12:58.

It will take Federal oversight to drive real change here. That will only come if there is a Federal investigation of some misaffairs of government or politics here. An inside contract - payback scheme - padding invoices - misappropriation of minority set aside funds - it seems folks here are breaking lots of major laws but it doesn;t seem to bother anyone. But then, look at how the Bush Administration has used the Federal government to reduce individual liberty and increase corporate charity... it is hard to say the Federal government cares about government corruption when government is at the root of so much corporate corruption, and corporations control so much of local government and take their paybacks there...

Disrupt IT

the wheels of justice turn slowly

Submitted by Susan Miller on Thu, 03/20/2008 - 13:14.

are DiMora's qualifications an issue?

Submitted by TimFerris on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 15:01.

I was wondering the other day whether all of our commissioners are qualified to be making the business deals they've been trying to make lately.

 

What really started me wondering was when I heard about DiMora's bombastic assertions a few weeks ago about the convention center's earmarked funds' being segregated in a special account, and about how David Lambert was compelled to quietly correct DiMora's ranting. I started thinking about how I knew he went to Bedford High School, but I knew nothing of college work. I remembered the joke about how, when he was working at the sewer plant, he slipped off a gangway, fell into a vat of shit, and came out a politician.

 

Going to the Cuyahoga County website (http://www.cuyahogacounty.us/index.asp), looking for traces of an education for Jimmy, I didn't find any, although the other two commissioners make an ample case for their educational credentials.

 

Is Jimmy qualified to be making the deals he does, or is it all just a bluff? Experience counts for a lot, but I just wonder how much he's benefited from his, making sloppy claims about earmarked funds that don't hold up to the most cursory scrutiny.

 

Is he putting us all at risk by being undiscriminating, and loose with his logic?

 

 

SSD foreclosed from bond work?

Submitted by TimFerris on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 15:11.

Roldo, you're right.

 

So long as Fred Nance is working as an insider on the machinations involving public-works-financed cash flow here and there, SSD should be foreclosed from doing any bond work at all for any government entities which might be remotely affected by his advuce.

 

It seems to be the ethical thing to do. What is the Conflict of Interest policy of SSD? Of Nance himself? Of the county?

I totally agree with Tim

Submitted by victors on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 03:46.

I totally agree with Tim ferris. There is nothing in our minds except making money instead of this we should think about our country and if we are talking about building scheme than i would prefer Houston Remodelling Company because they are the best and are providing their services with full honesty.

How to File Federal Fraud Complaints: HUD & DOJ

Submitted by ANGELnWard14 on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 04:57.

FYI, if you have facts that constitute the need for direct federal oversight....go to the DOJ website and submit a complaint. Take viable action instead of discussing it over and over. If you have proof, facts, and direct instances...then make the difference and do something about it...

DOJ/FRAUD: http://www.usdoj.gov/whatwedo/whatwedo_if.html

HUD FRAUD: http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm

DOJ/Civil Rights Division: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/complaints.php

 

2) Now, that we are addressing the abusive practices.... let's go to the next step....

PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE...

HOW CAN WE PREVENT THEM IN THE FUTURE?  What kind of legislative proposals can be made to prevent this widespread abuse? Let's collaborate some resolve & prevention avenues that protect our people. I am certain that collectively we have enough educated folks to come up with some simple solutions to this nightmare locally.