Thursday, February 23, 2012

Fiasco at Milliken

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board has rejected an offer from Mosdos Ohr Hatorah for the purchase of the Severance-Milliken school. The building has not been used in many years. This is the same board that put its hands out for a tax levy last year. The annual cost per student in CH-UH is about $3,600. Is the maintenance of this decaying building factored into of that cost? The district sits in the Continuous Improvement ranking. That means improvement is NEEDED, not OBSERVED. Gee, those Heightsters sure get a lot of bang for their buck!

This is an example of the kind of penny wise/pound foolish kind of thinking that sent the once great CH-UH schools down the rat hole. The Milliken school has been sitting unused for six years. No one has made a realistic offer to purchase the building at its peak value of over $2 million. No one has offered to lease the building at a rent that would allow Heights schools to recoup their costs for remediation. No one will. The best option for Heights schools is to cut their losses and sell the property with the stipulation that the property is being sold “as-is” and Mosdos Ohr Hatorah will be responsible for removal of asbestos and any other remediation.

This is also an example of the latent anti-Semitism that exists between differing Jewish sects. Many Reformed and Conservative Jews are embarrassed by Orthodox Jews who adopt a certain manner of dress and observe the Sabbath. Meanwhile, Orthodox Jews do not consider Conservative and Reform Jews to be “real” Jews in the same way that some Catholics do not consider Protestants to be “real” Christians. And let’s not even talk about secular Jews and secular Christians!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Yup it’s true

Walmart’s coming to Oakwood Commons. It will be the anchor tenant.

Ain’t it ironic that the people decrying Walmart are the same ones whining that it’s leaving Severance? We don’t want Walmart unless it’s at Severance! That’s what they’re saying.

Here’s a link to the Oakwood brochure. You’ll need Adobe acrobat to read it: http://www.goodmanrealestate.com/PropertyPdf/Oakwood_Commons_Full_Brochure.pdf

The brochure doesn't specify whether this is a regular or a Super Walmart. If it's just Walmart, why would they leave Severance? Could it be the decades long decline of that neglected shopping center, the bad management there? Or is it the crazy high taxes in Cleveland Heights?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Is Fiorelli feeling the heat?

During the past weeks, councilor at large Dennis Fiorelli has made it his cause to kick Marty Gelfand of the South Euclid city council because of Gelfand's day job. Read the Sun Messenger report here.  Thing is, it's council decides what is a conflict of interest when it comes to regular employment. The council position pays about $10k a year. Not enough to live off of, and I for one don't want council run by the idle rich or by retirees who need something to do. Ruth Gray has a job that caused some controversy, but she was allowed to maintain her council seat. Why should it be any different with Gelfand? No, every one should be treated equally and there should be no double-standards.


It’s obvious why Fiorelli is bending over backwards to get Gelfand booted from Council. Fiorelli is threatened by the presence of another at-Large councilor who is more experienced and more qualified than he. Fiorelli ran a dirty campaign for council Ward 4 in 2009 and lost to Jane Goodman. He was appointed to replace Sunny Simon based on knowing the right people and going to the right church. That's how things work in this town although to be fair that's how things work in all small towns. Fiorelli sees Gelfand as some kind of competition and a threat to his job. And well he should. Gelfand has worked as an attorney for Dennis Kucinich. He’s not a money man. He’s a law man.  Fiorelli is a money man. You know, a tool of big banking. The douchebags who sold this nation down the river and control both parties thanks to Citizens United. Fiorelli will do and say anything to get elected. That includes trying to use the legal process to throw Gelfand off council. You notice, Fiorelli never stated Gelfand should stop working for Kucinich. No, he just wants Gelfand off council.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Bystander75 - unmasked

I suspected bystander75 was Garry Kanter long before he posted this on December 27. He referred to himself in the 3rd person which is just what he would do to anonymously solicit funds for his silly lawsuit which is going nowhere because it has no merit!



Yesterday, my suspicion was confirmed. Only a DNA test would be more conclusive.


Friday, February 17, 2012

A Conthpirathy, I tell ya...

A French TV crew recently visited South Euclid to study the city’s program to deal with housing problems. This is the second time journalists from outside America have come to South Euclid to study our housing. The city has rehabilitated five houses in the southwest area, making them energy efficient with eco-friendly landscaping. The 2-story homes are now designed in such a manner that all appliances are on the first floor. This is ideal for a senior who has difficulty climbing stairs. Also, foreclosed abandoned houses that are in distressed condition have been torn down. Some of the empty lots have been turned into community gardens. Others remain unfilled. Certain busy-bodies have made a big deal of criticizing this program. The positive national and international coverage South Euclid has received vigorously rebuts their complaints. But the complainers have responded with their usual conspiracy theories. Jeez. These guys. Next thing you know, they’ll say the corpse of President Garfield is being revivified at Area 51.

Either there is some vast conspiracy of politicians, developers, and local & international media. Or South Euclid’s leadership really is doing the right things to confront the city’s problems: getting rid of distressed housing, courting developers, encouraging entrepreneurs.