We Shouldn't Forget, History Gives Perspective

[Jim O'Bryan]

AS we discuss the hospital, and what was happening, and who was leading who where, and who was sucking up to who, and who was trying to win favor with whatever, the cloud of sycophants (servile flatterer; fawning parasites) circled around the new big start of the Democrat Part, Ed FitzGerald. Of course Ed's court was Kevin Butler, who he later partnered with in newspapers. Councilman Summers, newly democratic, and ready to follow Ed to County, State, up the steps of the White House. Of course with any political dynamo comes spenders looking to spend on government, and people who can work miracles, or so they promise.

Lakewood was a fairytale city, With a Mayor working miracles*, though he was only here for 2 years, if you talked to people, "Ed FitzGerald was a man on a mission, a man of promise!"

We we have been finding out ever since, not big on details, and the details are killers.

We live in a world where we see daily what money buys in politics, and politicians courting favor with lobbyists and financial supporters. We have seen the thousands of remora (any of several fishes of the family Echeneididae, having on the top of the head a sucking disk by which they can attach themselves to sharks, turtles, ships, and other moving objects.). It becomes easy to see how this all came together and all is falling apart.

Carry on, next the personalities traits of remoras...

* most miracles Ed worked came through the hard work of Tom Jordan and the framework set up by Tom George (Mainstreet, LakewoodAlive, etc.).
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[Jim O'Bryan]

Should we expect anything different from City employees, making six figures, even five figures when they are working for one of the most vindictive mayors in recent memories, or a mayor that seems to shed city workers like water rolls off a duck's back?

Employer Political Coercion: A Growing Threat
http://prospect.org/article/employer-po ... ing-threat

Ohio State Law

Title I. State Government. Chapter 124. Department of Administrative Services—Personnel Prohibitions and Penalties

§ 124.57 Political activity prohibited

(A) No officer or employee in the classified service of the state, the several counties, cities, and city school districts of the state, or the civil service townships of the state shall directly or indirectly, orally or by letter, solicit or receive, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving, any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political party or for any candidate for public office; nor shall any person solicit directly or indirectly, orally or by letter, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting, any such assessment, contribution, or payment from any officer or employee in the classified service of the state, the several counties, cities, or city school districts of the state, or the civil service townships of the state; nor shall any officer or employee in the classified service of the state, the several counties, cities, and city school districts of the state, or the civil service townships of the state be an officer in any political organization or take part in politics other than to vote as the officer or employee pleases and to express freely political opinions.

(B)(1) Nothing in division (A) of this section prohibits an officer or employee described in that division from serving as a precinct election official under section 3501.22 of the Revised Code.

(2) Nothing in division (A) of this section prohibits an employee of the Ohio cooperative extension service whose position is transferred from the unclassified civil service to the classified civil service and who also holds the office of president of a city legislative authority from completing the existing term of office as president.

Elections. Campaigns, political parties.

§ 3517.092 Solicitation of political contributions from public employees by appointing authorities.

(A) As used in this section:

(1) “Appointing authority” has the same meaning as in section 124.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) “State elected officer” means any person appointed or elected to a state elective office.

(3) “State elective office” means any of the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, and justice and chief justice of the supreme court.

(4) “Contribution” includes a contribution to any political party, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, or legislative campaign fund.

(B)(1) No state elected officer, no campaign committee of such an officer, no employee of the state elected officer’s office, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to a state elected officer or to such an officer’s campaign committee, and no state elected officer and no campaign committee of such an officer shall accept a contribution, from any of the following:

(a) A state employee whose appointing authority is the state elected officer;

(b) A state employee whose appointing authority is authorized or required by law to be appointed by the state elected officer;

(c) A state employee who functions in or is employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the state elected officer.

(2) No candidate for a state elective office, no campaign committee of such a candidate, no employee of the candidate’s office if the candidate is a state elected officer or an elected officer of a political subdivision of the state, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to a candidate for a state elective office or to such a candidate’s campaign committee, and no candidate for a state elective office and no campaign committee of such a candidate shall accept a contribution, from any of the following:

(a) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;

(b) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if elected, as authorized or required by law;

(c) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, who will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.

(C)(1) No elected officer of a political subdivision of the state, no campaign committee of such an officer, no employee of such an officer’s office, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to an elected officer of a political subdivision of the state or to such an officer’s campaign committee from any of the following:

(a) An employee of that political subdivision whose appointing authority is that elected officer;

(b) An employee of that political subdivision whose appointing authority is authorized or required by law to be appointed by that elected officer;

(c) An employee of that political subdivision who functions in or is employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as that elected officer.

(2) No candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of the state, no campaign committee of such a candidate, no employee of the candidate’s office if the candidate is a state elected officer or elected officer of a political subdivision of the state, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution to a candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of the state or to such a candidate’s campaign committee from any of the following:

(a) An employee of that political subdivision at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;

(b) An employee of that political subdivision at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if elected, as authorized or required by law;

(c) An employee of that political subdivision at the time of the solicitation, who will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.

(D)(1) No public employee shall solicit a contribution from any person while the public employee is performing the public employee’s official duties or in those areas of a public building where official business is transacted or conducted.

(2) No person shall solicit a contribution from any public employee while the public employee is performing the public employee’s official duties or is in those areas of a public building where official business is transacted or conducted.

(3) As used in division (D) of this section, “public employee” does not include any person holding an elective office.

(E) The prohibitions in divisions (B), (C), and (D) of this section are in addition to the prohibitions in sections 124.57, 3304.22, and 4503.032 of the Revised Code.

Title I. State Government. Chapter 102. Public Officers – Ethics.

§ 102.04 No compensation to elected or appointed state official other than from agency served.
(A) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, no person elected or appointed to an office of or employed by the general assembly or any department, division, institution, instrumentality, board, commission, or bureau of the state, excluding the courts, shall receive or agree to receive directly or indirectly compensation other than from the agency with which he serves for any service rendered or to be rendered by him personally in any case, proceeding, application, or other matter that is before the general assembly or any department, division, institution, instrumentality, board, commission, or bureau of the state, excluding the courts.

[m buckley]

the most vindictive mayors in recent memories

Mr. Summers is the Cancer in the body politic of Lakewood. He has willingly fuelled divisiveness and hatred among us. Never offering a path towards reconciliation. Never extending a hand towards compromise. He divides, he doesn't lead. His political paradigm of just win at whatever cost, eats at the very core of democracy.
Lakewood can not move forward as a community, Lakewood cannot heal as a community, as long as Mr. Summers is Mayor.
RESIGN.