Appointing Problem

[sharon kinsella]

Mel, Thanks for taking initiative on this issue.

I, for one, appreciate it. I'm sure your inquiries will be better received than mine.

Good luck and again, thank you.

[Betsy Voinovich]

Back in the days of the Visionary Alignment for Lakewood, we looked at retail, commercial,
and what Lakewood has almost always been a bedroom community. Which is the surer
bet for Lakewood, and what can be implemented the quickest. In all cases we came back
tothe VAL credo, CLEAN, SAFE, FUN. If a city is clean(streets/housing/parks), and if it
is safe(police/fire/businesses/walkability) and fun(entertainment, recreation) with a
good location it should be easier to accomplish here than anywhere outside of a very few cities in the region. This should be able to attract another 10,000 - 15,000 residents
which give us taxes, and makes all businesses more solvent, for more taxes.
.

Jim,

I like the credo of the Visionary Alliance for Lakewood, but I have to ask, why did you leave out ‘good schools’, which seem at least as important as ‘entertainment’ to attracting families to Lakewood?

Or does the modern vision of Lakewood exclude families?

Is that why it seems okay with everybody to close the school in the center of the densest population of people and families in the city? Because maybe someday when the economy recovers, a mall can be put there? Is that the kind of entertainment you’re talking about?

Closing that school is going to drive away families looking for a good community in which to raise their young children—the very same people that you would think would respond to the “Safe Clean Fun” idea, only they’d also be looking for good schools, which we have.

When they consider Lakewood, with no centrally located school, they’ll see that all of the schools are clustered on the edges, south of Athens, north of Detroit, as if Lakewood was embarrassed to admit that they have families and kids, and they certainly don’t want people with strollers and little kids with backpacks walking, or shopping, or eating at restaurants, or paying taxes, right in the center of their safe, clean, fun town. Who was that beautiful new library, with the amazing children's section, built for?

As you know, I was part of the Phase 3 committee that researched population density and “walkability” as it pertained to schools. We found that Grant, which is right in the middle of the city, was the school that best served the city, along with Roosevelt, in the southern central part of the city, if the criteria was “walkability.” Or, if we wanted to put schools where kids and families are, have been, and will continue to be, if one believes the U.S. Census Bureau or the County Auditor's Office.

At the September 15th Community Forum, our findings were marginalized or hidden outright, in the presence of our elected officials on the School Board. There might have been those in the room that night, or in the community in general, who did not agree with the conclusions we reached with our data, but they were not given the opportunity to have that data presented to them.

The School Board has yet to make their official decision on this issue—which school to close, or if they even should close a school--but they made no move to protect, support, or even reveal the findings of the committee that they themselves commissioned. They made no move to reassure the moms and dads and concerned residents who spent hundreds of hours working on that committee-- when they could have been home with their families-- that their time wasn’t utterly abused and wasted. There were more than fifty of us, every other Tuesday since January, for two hours a night, and a lot more on our various committees between meetings, more than 2000 hours all together away from our lives and homes and kids. All that time, all that work. None of it considered by the community at the forum set up for exactly that.

At the last School Board meeting, at which the Phase 3 Committee was to report their recommendations, the evening started with a petition being read that asked that the School Board disregard the "findings" of the September 15th Community Forum, and instead, make their decision "based on facts." The Phase 3 portion ended with a different member of the Coordinating Council, one who was trying to respect all the work that the Phase 3 Committee had done, telling the School Board that because of elements that had been brought into the second Community Forum that were "out of the scope of the Phase 3 Steering Committee," our committee wasn't going to make a recommendation after all. After all that work.

I'm very glad that a responsible person from the Phase 3 Coordinating Council stepped up and had the last word at that School Board meeting. But what about all the work we did? The Phase 3 Committee was not tasked with making final recommendations. By law, the School Board must make a final decision. We were asked to sort through a lot of information and make preliminary recommendations. We did have recommendations. We were not allowed to share them with the community at the "Community Forum."

Why did this happen?

When I continued reading this thread and I saw Shelly Hurd’s message to Elected Officials, along with Jim’s “safe clean fun” comments, I had to jump in.

Just how hard is it to investigate the facts, represent your constitutes interests (which by the way are what THEY tell you they are, not what other elected officials and or businesses types tell you is in their best interest) and treat these people as if they were human, have legitimate concerns, are aware of what’s good for them themselves. And they also know what is in Lakewood‘s best interest. Show some humility and realize you are NOT omnipotent . Then deliver and state truth.

Really, how hard is that?
.

This sounded so much like a voice crying out from the Phase 3 committee, I wanted to make sure that it was.

So what I'm saying is that maybe Lakewood doesn’t actually want families here if their elected officials are willing to treat them this way.

I know that there’s a concern that in the latest census Lakewood will fall under 50,000 people. You would think families moving here would help. You would think keeping families from moving out of here, because they no longer have a pleasant walk with their young kids, but a haul to one end of the city or the other—might as well drive, or move—would help.

Whose vision are we following?

And is it important that the regular citizens of Lakewood are kept blind for it to work?

We worked for more than 6 months to try to shed some light for our fellow citizens on a matter as simple as where students live and are likely to live, and which building sites were best suited for schools, only to have our "Coordinating Council" taken over by one politically connected person who decided that the regular parents in Lakewood didn't need the information we worked so hard gathering. Even though it was precisely our task to gather it.

Many of us had been told from the beginning that we were wasting our time on the Phase 3 Committee, that "the fix was in," that the Board already knew which school they were going to close but they wanted it to look like "the community" had made the decision. We took the School Board at their word and did good work, and in the end, had that work buried. The school we were were told would be "chosen", was miraculously "chosen" by "The Community", who were never given the chance to see the actual information we spent all that time researching.

To give the School Board credit, even though they immediately posted the September 15th Community Forum "findings" online, as if it was indeed a done deal and the September 15th Forum had actually been honest, in the end, they did not allow those "findings" to result in a recommendation from the Phase 3 Committee. The Board accepted the decision of more responsible voices on the Phase 3 Committee, when those voices stated that the Phase 3 Committee, in good conscience, could not make a recommendation. The Board is now back at square one, having to make this decision by themselves.

I have loved this city and these schools and the care they've taken with my children, which is why I joined the Phase 3 committee in the first place. If the people who "really" run Lakewood, don't understand what's valuable about this city, and try to suppress information that would help it survive into a difficult economic future, what are we to do?

I thought the answer was that we regular moms and dads and residents make sure that everyone is registered to vote, and then make sure that everyone does vote. But if the people we elect are going to step down and appoint more insiders, with their narrow vision of what is "good" for the city, what are we supposed to do?

Betsy Voinovich

[Meg Ostrowski]

As diverse as Lakewood is, I'm not sure our elected officials (as a group) are equally as diverse in their attitudes. The trouble comes in when everyone in power thinks the same and opposing opinions are disregarded, then the vision does not reflect that of the entire community.

Lakewood offers a balance between urban and suburban living. Something that appeals to many (especially young) families. Many choose to live in Lakewood because they want to be close to downtown Cleveland. That doesn't necessarily mean that they want to be just "close" to DowntowN Lakewood (although for some it does) but some actually want to live IN DowntowN Lakewood...or at least within a block or so to make walking a reasonable option.

My family is certainly not "the posterchild" for walkability but I always delight when we are out there on foot, getting to and from school, running our errands and enjoying our city. It is one of the things that has kept us in Lakewood this long.

What I don't want to see happen is our last centrally located elementary school closed, leaving DowntowN Lakewood as just a destination from the suburbs (a.k.a. elementary school districts) of Lakewood neighborhoods. If young families are pushed to the borders where elementary schools are located, what's to stop them from heading out of town for work, coffee, meals, errands, entertainment...and eventually other suburbs to reside?

I think the most important thing Lakewood can do is offer choices. Quiet suburban like neighborhoods, lively urban residences and something in between. Each option should include reasonable walking access to our excellent schools.

[Ken Wilder]

"At the September 15th Community Forum, our findings were marginalized or hidden outright, in the presence of our elected officials on the School Board. There might have been those in the room that night, or in the community in general, who did not agree with the conclusions we reached with our data, but they were not given the opportunity to have that data presented to them." Betsy Voinovich

This is all very troubling. My wife attended the last meeting, I could not. She was seated with a group of parents from Lincoln, that she thought controlled the conversation, and seemed to shoot down any conversation about anything but keeping Lincoln. As she had not attended any of the others, she did think it was odd that she would be asked to vote at all, and the Lincoln parents made her table a keep Lincoln table. Hijacked and Kangaroo Court were the terms she used.

Even more troubling is all of the talk about appointments, long running programs of stepping down, and moving along. Candidates with little experience getting large amounts of votes even though they have never been to my door or to the doors of our friends in the city. Almost like a machine is running the entire process on all levels. Candidates remaining silent and having other politicians coming in to speak for them!

I generally think conspiracies are over played but this is starting to remind me of the movie Cop Land, or any other New Jersey city with harbor front!

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Shelley Hurd]

Justine Cooper on Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:51 am

And speaking of honest, Monique may have a decent resume, but if she is in charge of HUD funds and some of those are now going to Lakewood Alive and she is running for council, isn't that a conflict of interest? We need people for council who care for the whole city, not the desire of Lakewood Alive. Are there public records for that money available?

By the way..Did anyone find out if this is true? I would really like to know before I vote.

In the intrest of finding out the truth on these issues I sent her an email asking her to help clear up and clairify her involvment.

I do not have a solidified opinion on her yet, but her response and or lack of response will determine my final take on her and her level of Integrity.

She has yet to respond.

When and if she does I will share her response (with her permission)
As I am sure clearing this up is the publics best intrest.

As promised I said I would let you know when and if Monquie Smith responded and what she had to say.

As of now, Monquie Smith has failed to respond to any inquiry.

To be fair, I am sure 6 days is not alot of time for her to respond to a voters questions during this hectic election time.

To be fair she did respond to me the first time I emailed her on 7-21-09. And did so promptly

Hi, Shelly.
Since you have probably seen my website and have the benefit of knowing a little about me, could you tell me a bit more about your involvement and history with the city? I don't believe you and I have met before, but I appreciate your reaching out to me.

Sincerely,
Monique

However, upon asking her, her thoughts on a few issues and where she stood... Monquie Smith has yet to respond to questions I posed to her shortly after her above email, way back on the same day, July 21, 2009. I would think 3 months would of been sufficent time to allow for her to respond.

Has she told me all I need to know about her?

Yes. Yes she has.

[Rhonda loje]

Well..Shelley,
You tried....
I wish she would have answered your questions...
But I think your right....
The lack of response says it all....
If she can't answer your questions now...
How can you expect her to get your questions answered or your problems solved if she is your councilperson.
Kinda says it all.....
That's too bad....

[Rhonda loje]

Hi, Shelly.
Since you have probably seen my website and have the benefit of knowing a little about me, could you tell me a bit more about your involvement and history with the city? I don't believe you and I have met before, but I appreciate your reaching out to me.

Sincerely,
Monique

Shelley,
After rereading her quote do you find it odd that she wanted to know more about you before she told you about herself? I would think that it would make no difference! If you were running for office, I would think you would be trying to convince anyone and everyone you were the right person for the job not matter what kind of involvement or history you had with the city.

Did you find that question odd?

[Shelley Hurd]

Hi, Shelly.
Since you have probably seen my website and have the benefit of knowing a little about me, could you tell me a bit more about your involvement and history with the city? I don't believe you and I have met before, but I appreciate your reaching out to me.

Sincerely,
Monique

Shelley,
After rereading her quote do you find it odd that she wanted to know more about you before she told you about herself? I would think that it would make no difference! If you were running for office, I would think you would be trying to convince anyone and everyone you were the right person for the job not matter what kind of involvement or history you had with the city.

Did you find that question odd?

Yes I found it very odd but did try to answer her inquiry

Monique,

I am a 20 year resident of Lakewood who has seen this city dramatically change in the past few years. I have no involvement in the city other then I am a concerned homeowner and resident.

I look forward to your thoughts pertaining to my concerns:

I guess I failed the test for deserving any answers../shrug

[Rhonda loje]

Very odd!!

[Danielle Masters]

Wow. I guess just being a homeowner isn't enough to be worthy to ask a question or two. Very odd.

[Shelley Hurd]

As a life long Democrat, I can honestly say, the events and agenda which have transpired under the current City Hall.... Will leave me for the first time in my life..to trudge heavily to the polls tomorrow.

If I even go.

I am unable to express how mad I am over this. Voting has been the highlight of the year for me. Since my 18th birthday and my first vote cast (on my birthday!), I have looked forward to my participation more so then any other Holiday. And yes to me, election day has always been a Holiday.

The gifts I give, my vote. The gifts I receive, representation. These are precious to me.

I hope its all been worth it to those of you who have stolen this shared day of community, anticipation and celebration.

Tomorrow I will tredge heavily to the polls, with the weight of your wrongs on my shoulders

[Rhonda loje]

Shelley,
You must vote! It is very important. No matter who you vote for!
As a Scorpio.....your date gives it away...you can change things...but you must vote!
As a fellow Scorpio...we just have to put our minds together and figure out how to do it.
Everyone...vote...

[Shelley Hurd]

Shelley,
You must vote! It is very important. No matter who you vote for!
As a Scorpio.....your date gives it away...you can change things...but you must vote!
As a fellow Scorpio...we just have to put our minds together and figure out how to do it.
Everyone...vote...

Rhonda

Happy Birthday O^O

I will vote. The issues matter. I will do my part and will have my vote on the issues counted.

But, voting agaisnt City Hall, and knowing that even that vote will not count in the long run....Taints the whole experience.

Again, and I am not alone in this...

Tomorrow I will tredge heavily to the polls, with the weight of City Halls wrongs on my shoulders.

G-D Bless them

[Rhonda loje]

Who knows your vote may count...
I think there is a movement afoot....
And I don't think your voting against City Hall
Your voting for what is right.
There is something to say about being right even if you do not win!
That I can attest to....

[sharon kinsella]

Friday is my birthday my Scorpio sisters.