m buckley wrote:This is an administration focused on "brand" and commercial interests. It appears that Mayor Summers decided that acknowledging a rape at gunpoint in Lakewood was bad for both "brand" and business so instead he chose to gamble with public safety. His conduct has been reprehensible and I'm sickened by his choice to remain silent . Mark Buckley
Amy Martin wrote: THIS IS THE LETTER AMY MARTIN GOT FROM SUMMERS
Finally, this government works hard to create conditions that will attract private investment in our city. While some recent notoriety has accompanied a few entertainment investments that serve alcohol, by no means is this a complete story. Four information technology companies, two small law firms, several new retail operations; popcorn, bicycles, graphic arts, soap, drug stores, and numerous others have invested 60 million dollars in Lakewood. Equally important is the retention of several existing commercial office tenants.
All of us understand how important it is that we all feel safe in Lakewood. In this day and age, this is a serious challenge. We must not let our guard down for a second. It is my job to ensure that we don’t!
Michael P. Summers
Mayor, City of Lakewood
Amy, All
What has gone wrong with this world, and this City (Hall)?
As I saw posts come in, and people stopped me on the street as I delivered papers yesterday, I was amazed at some of the comments that I heard. One of the many was, “That woman had no business running at 4am.” Which is totally abstract to me. When we have to fear at what hour we do things in a community, there would seem to be more serious issues. Hint to Mayor Summers: we do not need to "feel safe." We need to be safe.
But nothing was more disturbing and borderline disgusting than the response from Mayor Michael P. Summers. Who sent one resident a page of reasons why it is not Lakewood’s fault for waiting until another Westside (potentially Lakewoodite) resident was raped in the same way three days later.
The paragraph I pulled above from the mayor's letter underlines exactly what I have been saying for years. What others in this project have said for years. CITY HALL DOESN’T CARE ABOUT RESIDENTS OR OUR SAFETY, they only care about BARS, RESTAURANTS, POPCORN, Bestest Taco Bells, and everything and anything but RESIDENTS. THEY SEE US AS JUST COMPLAINERS or PROBLEMS IN THE WAY.
Even with a woman desperately reaching out and begging for some sort of reason why the Mayor did not think it important to warn residents (women) of a violent predator on the loose, he makes a speech about how lucky we are to have popcorn stores? Seriously?
This makes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall look like a pro-active extremely sensitive business man.
No, first he makes clear that it was not his or the City’s fault, then he ends the letter on the soapbox about Lakewood's Brand and how lucky we are.
Is it any surprise that Lakewoodites feel that the city cares more about our brand than our safety? When the Mayor's daughter was nearly beaten to death in Ohio City last year, did the mayor take any satisfaction knowing it happened in a really cool neighborhood that has basically the same thing Mayor Summers mentions, popcorn, tech companies, bars and restaurants?
It is troubling that, to the bitter end, he sees the need to protect "a few entertainment investments that serve alcohol," more than the women and residents of Lakewood.
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