DESPERATE CITY

Submitted by Roldo on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 14:08.

DESPERATION CITY
We have a deal!

The public today was given, as one observer at the meeting says, an “information free” description of the deal between Cuyahoga County and Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI).

The deal, however, is in the details, which are very scarce to simply lacking. Yet, how can the public assess this with scant real information.
Upbeat Fred Nance of Squire-Sanders tells us and the Commissioners that MMPI will put up $20 million. However, no details. Does that mean cash? Or does that money minus any money already spent by MMPI for surveys, travel, studies or whatever else might be invented? Does it, indeed, really mean any actual dollars toward building the mart?
Are we, the citizens, forever obliged to accept such public-private deals on trust? And trust the words of Nance, Hagan and Dimora?

Nance also tells us that the County’s commitment is “capped.” Does that mean that the $400 million in the sales tax increase by the Commissioners will be sufficient for the medical mart and convention center? And if there are overrun costs, does that mean the County will leave the construction undone? Or will the Commissioners require further funding, as they did in Gateway to the tune of some $300 million in bond issues, if you include interest?

I’d suggest the cheering for a publicly-financed medical mart be held to a low volume until we get the statement of charges – a bill that can be believed.

‹ DENNIS VOTES THE WAY VOINOVICH WILL - NOupDICK JACOBS - HE LOVED MONEY BUT ALSO LIFE ›
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everything about this deal is a con

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 22:10.

We all know everything about this deal is a con. What makes me sick is the media coverage... talk about pay per view talking heads. The gem is "Talks went to the wire. Attorney Fred Nance, who negotiated the deal on the commissioners' behalf, worked through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning to iron out remaining questions." What a bunch of bullshit. This deal was carefully scripted by MMPI/Kennedy and his associate Hagan and ALL the commissioners and Carney with Miller and Ratners and Ronn Richards and Mayor Jackson and Nance for the GCP and Squire Sanders and Cosgrove and Egger and a few other wierd Cleveland power trip folks... for two years, with great effort, including forcing a tax on citizens. The real problem is the medical industry consists of two things... very cool care providers, who work saving lives (not at MedMarts) and healthcare industry maggots. I'd rather have a tombstone mart.

Disrupt IT

Healthcare Maggots

Submitted by lmcshane on Fri, 03/14/2008 - 02:23.

  Nice choice of language for the unscrupulous side of the business.  I agree.  I was chastised today by a realtor for calling a board -up contractor a "bottom-feeder."   This is the "contractor," hired by someone out-of-state for Chase bank, who showed up in my neighborhood in a beat-up pick-up truck with no identification or license plate on his truck, who left the house open, so that stray cats can get into a significant, historic home, and, who strategically boarded up the house so that scrappers would know that it was vacant, and, who told me that "I should move, because Cleveland is a poor, dying city."  Wow, and I am supposed to be... NICE?