Let's lighten up

[Justine Cooper]

Ken-

I appreciate your perspective and the advice. I took the mayor's comments in a bit of a different light, coming on the same day as his comments in the paper suggesting I am for cutting senior services and am extremely right-wing.

If the mayor has any interest in conceding and working on a transition for the next month instead of blasting away at each other, I'll be all ears.

I don't know either of you but the blasting seems to have come from two sides here, not one. It sounds like you are saying if the Mayor concedes, only then you will be all ears and quit blasting each other. After all the ugliness that happened before the primary there are still some of dying just to hear positive plans minus any negative slams. Implying the mayor should concede sounds pretty arrogant though and insulting.

[Stan Austin]

Justine-- This might be also appropriate on other campaign threads but it does fit in here.

We just had a ceremony for Fallen Firefighters, an annual ceremony within our own safety forces community and nationwide.

The Mayor and a regular Lakewood citizen each read poems that paid tribute in simple but timeless language.

Ceremonies such as this are so very important to the sinew and strength of our community.

I had a pleasant chat with one of our EMS firefighters who just happened to save my life a couple of years ago.

The Chief of Police was there to symbolize the chain link unity of safety forces protecting us.

Ed Fitzgerald---- Where were you?

Have you no respect at all for our safety forces?

We bowed our heads in recognition of 4 Lakewood firefighters who were killed on the job and for those in New York City.

Couldn't you have at least spared 45 minutes to show some respect?

Have you EVER shown up at these so simple, but so, very essential recognitions?

Stan Austin

[Justine Cooper]

I also have heard that Mayor does indeed patronize Madison Ave and other Lakewood businesses-he was a regular at the Coffee Pot I hear while kitchen renovations were going on. While people put down birdtown, he is patronizing the area.

[Bryan Schwegler]

Justine-- This might be also appropriate on other campaign threads but it does fit in here.

We just had a ceremony for Fallen Firefighters, an annual ceremony within our own safety forces community and nationwide.

The Mayor and a regular Lakewood citizen each read poems that paid tribute in simple but timeless language.

Ceremonies such as this are so very important to the sinew and strength of our community.

I had a pleasant chat with one of our EMS firefighters who just happened to save my life a couple of years ago.

The Chief of Police was there to symbolize the chain link unity of safety forces protecting us.

Ed Fitzgerald---- Where were you?

Have you no respect at all for our safety forces?

We bowed our heads in recognition of 4 Lakewood firefighters who were killed on the job and for those in New York City.

Couldn't you have at least spared 45 minutes to show some respect?

Have you EVER shown up at these so simple, but so, very essential recognitions?

Stan Austin

Just wondering, but why was it held at 12:00 on a Sunday? Lots of people have church that they attend which doesn't even get out until after then. Seems like a Saturday 12:00 or later on a Sunday may have been a better choice.

For example I would have liked to attend, but my church service doesn't even let out until about 12:30. I think our Firefighters do an amazing job and definitely deserve respect for putting their lives on the line, but church is also very important to me so I had to miss it.

Perhaps Ed was at church? I don't know, I'm sure he'll be along to answer.

[Shawn Juris]

It's amazing how this is being spun, but then again there does seem to be quite a bit of ground to be made up.

[Justine Cooper]

Come on Shawn, any politician can say they want to fill empty store fronts. Actions speak louder than words.

[Justine Cooper]

It's amazing how this is being spun, but then again there does seem to be quite a bit of ground to be made up.

So when someone has an opinion the same as yours, it is a fact, but when it is different, it is "spun"? I don't even know who I am voting for but want to see real action in regards to what is most important to me-the small businesses here-everyone has other things that are more important to them. I am just expressing my opinion. I will vote for anyone who has the best plan of action to do something to clean up the city more and build up the small business attraction we have going. Yes that does include actually going into the businesses, meeting the owners and patronizing them.

[Shawn Juris]

Ken-

I appreciate your perspective and the advice. I took the mayor's comments in a bit of a different light, coming on the same day as his comments in the paper suggesting I am for cutting senior services and am extremely right-wing.

If the mayor has any interest in conceding and working on a transition for the next month instead of blasting away at each other, I'll be all ears.

I don't know either of you but the blasting seems to have come from two sides here, not one. It sounds like you are saying if the Mayor concedes, only then you will be all ears and quit blasting each other. After all the ugliness that happened before the primary there are still some of dying just to hear positive plans minus any negative slams. Implying the mayor should concede sounds pretty arrogant though and insulting.

Did you read Ken's original post where he made the suggestion that a possible reason for this "classy" thread was possibly to signal his concession?

[Ed FitzGerald]

Stan-

Ceremonies for fallen firefighters are not opportunities to score political points, and your post cheapens the whole thing. For the record, I was attending mass at the time.

The mayor has made this same point in a political context before, and as someone who spent 8 years fulltime in the public safety sector, I find it completely inappropriate. And yes, I have attended fallen firefighters' memorials before, in Lakewood, with all my children. Last time we got a tour of the fire station on Madison, which my kids really enjoyed. I also attend the ceremony for fallen police officers every year in downtown Cleveland.

My comments about the mayor conceding were in response to Ken Warren's comments. I certainly don't expect it to happen.

I think your post clears up any questions about how the mayor intends to campaign in the next 30 days.

[Stan Austin]

Ed--

Real good Inspector Erskine. Most places of worship have several masses on Sunday.
The Firefighters only had one ceremony this year.
Enough of the "the server was down crap."

By the way-- the VFW will really buy that explanation, too.

Again, you claim to have been a representative for several years.

Have you ever attented or even shown up when it counted?

Stan Austin

[Kenneth Warren]

Shawn:

I must concede - in the fantasy baseball league of Lakewood politics constructed in this thread, you are the champion.

The game is on.

Wild Thing has taken the mound to throw Rovean heated spit balls at the batter.

The batter believes real heat flames hotter in hell; he went to Mass on Sunday to worship at a time that made sense for his family.

I understand the personal is the political but is this the only game in town? Is this how safety issues and the crisis in quality of life offenses are to be addressed in the mayoral campaign?

If there is to be a contest, let the team differentiate their candidates around substantive issues and strategies rather than character flaws.

Let the handlers and candidates huddle, dig a little deeper for substance, pitch without spit and swing honorably for the fences.

Kenneth Warren