Mayor George Endorsed by Sun Newspapers (aka Plain Dealer)

[sharon kinsella]

Shawn -

You did send me the FBI stats - The report shows total overall crime increase of 1.7%

The aggravated assault figures include domestic violence.

The Lakewood PD figures from the Chief of Police show a total of 1% rise in crime between 2005 and 2006.

Cleveland has had more murders in the last year than in a long, long time.

National City has just eliminated 1,200 jobs.

This country is in a recession and drug use regionally and nationally is out of control.

Ed Fitzgerald, the head of the Safety Committee, only held two meetings. Both during the elections. Boy that's really taking the BULL by the horns.

If you think that Fitzgerald is an energetic and innovative force for Lakewood, look at his council record - what has he done before that proves that he can change our world. Really look. It's interesting reading nothing.

[Bryan Schwegler]

I also witnessed the shameful attempted coup this summer orchestrated by Mr. Fitzgerald and some of his colleagues to unseat council President Bob Seelie.

Bob Seelie was a horrible councilman. He was not in touch with his constituents, rarely returned e-mail or phone calls, and for the "lucky" few who did reach him he was often rude and abrupt.

Ward 3 and city council will be better off with him not on it.

I'm excited by both candidates Ward 3 has this November. Either would be a breath of fresh air compared to what we had with Seelie.

Now while I will admit that the tactics used, may not have carried out in the best way possible, in no way will I accept that Seelie was an innocent victim.

[Bryan Schwegler]

The Sun News endorsement is followed by today's Plain Dealer endorsement linked here:

http://tinyurl.com/3xbseh

Aren't they owned by the same company? Why would their endorsements be different?

[sharon kinsella]

Back to the coup that never was.

It was a miserable attempt at a coup. UNSUCCESSFUL.

In case everyone forgot, the two councilwomen refused and thrwarted the coup, with a last minute assist from switch hitter Mike Dever.

[Mary Breiner]

"Now while I will admit that the tactics used, may not have carried out in the best way possible"....
My whole point is that these men (Ed and Ryan) do not have the personalities and the professional demeanor required of a mayor to handle the difficult situations that arise. If that day was an example of how Ed Fitzgerald will handle issues that arise in Lakewood, we are all in trouble. Again, how will he undo the damaged reputation he has bestowed upon Lakewood with his fear tactics that he used in order to GET elected? Familiar ring to it? (election of 2004)

[Bobbie Hendrick]

Shawn,

I seem to have posted these a few times. There are different ways to talk about crime statistics, as you and I and others have discussed. Population has declined in Lakewood, so per capita crime is another issue. But if you want to talk about FBI stats, they are very clear.

Fitzgerald chooses not to use the FBI stats (perhaps because they don't support his claims????), but rather uses the Lakewood Court filings. He says they show misdemeanors as well, and he thinks that is significant. I would like to see the breakdown. I don't know how to get the Court filings stats - can someone tell me? I haven't been able to get an answer as to whether the FBI stats show convictions or arrests or something else. The Court filings I imagine show people who have gone to court, regardless of the outcome. If that is true, they would naturally be higher than convictions.

But I got the FBI offenses back 10 years. I did it by going to the site, clicking on each year, and finding Lakewood. I totaled the violent crimes and the property crimes, because that was how Fitzgerald was citing stats.

These FBI numbers include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as violent crimes. Burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, arson are property crimes. Cities and states all over the country use these statistics for comparisons. These are raw numbers.

I haven't seen George's latest piece. Does it differ from this?

Number of Offenses- Lakewood
Violent Crimes
1997 - 94
1998 - 65
1999 - 83
2000 - 157
2001 - 115
2002 - 64
2003 - 85
2004 - 125
2005 - 114
2006 - 108

Property Crimes
1997 - 1424
1998 - 1370
1999 - 1441
2000 - 1423
2001 - 1375
2002 - 1067
2003 - 947
2004 - 1178
2005 - 1343
2006 - 1287
(http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius)

[Grace O'Malley]

Ed Fitzgerald, the head of the Safety Committee, only held two meetings. Both during the elections. Boy that's really taking the BULL by the horns.

If you think that Fitzgerald is an energetic and innovative force for Lakewood, look at his council record - what has he done before that proves that he can change our world. Really look. It's interesting reading nothing.
_________________

You hit the nail on the head, Sharon.

Just what HAS Ed done as a councilman? What distinguishes him from George?

He likes to whine that Lakewood has gone downhill, but if that's true, isn't he just as responsible? What's he been doing all these years on council?

[Jeff Endress]

Mary

You put forth an interesting query. I would predict that the response will be something akin to "THe ends sought justify the means emplyed". But, when many are advocating the need for wholesale change, sweeping out of the "old political machine" and transparency in government, it seems a bit ironic that the those presenting themselves as the instruments of change resort to the "smoke filled backroom" tactics of which they complain......

Anyone ever read "Animal Farm"?

Jeff

[sharon kinsella]

That's where those strategies are coming from!

[Grace O'Malley]

Agreed.

Does anyone really believe for one moment that Fitzgerald is NOT a politician? That he isn't exactly like every other politician out there?

[Bryan Schwegler]

Agreed.

Does anyone really believe for one moment that Fitzgerald is NOT a politician? That he isn't exactly like every other politician out there?

Who in politics isn't a politician? It's how things go, you just need to find the person that you believe is the best for the job.

I certainly hope you're not trying to somehow imply George is any less a "politician"? I would think all his backroom dealings and the money trail from Glitz and the Kauffman park fiasco would prove otherwise.

[Shawn Juris]

Ok, so now that Sharon and Bobbie have twisted my point let me state it again. Mayor George's claim is "F.B.I. reports crime down in every major category". I understand that the two of you and others are confused and believe that being accurate about the statistics would somehow mean that you were being anti-Lakewood. The fact of the matter is that when you look at the individual categories Lakewood has not shown a downward trend in every category, it has been quite the opposite in many. Bobbie, you mention that you looked up each year for the past 10, I did similar due diligence pulling reports from 1999-2006. The same information that was forwarded to Sharon. I concede that the overall numbers are statistically insignificant. My argument has been about those that have increased not the broad stroke of total violent crime or total property crime that loses the details in the process. The mayor's claim is indefensible. Please correct me if I'm wrong but it cannot be said that crime is down in every major category on the FBI report unless.... I can't even thing of a way that you could manipulate the statistics to support this claim. It is unacceptable campaign propaganda and nothing else.
By all means feel free to discuss how the rest of the world is falling apart and how the opponent is not qualified in your eyes. These are only deflections from the point that the Mayor's assertion is inaccurate.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

hey shawn,

beautiful view of the Downtown Cleveland skyline on the Lakewood jaycees website..

I think you're a bit lost, we're the OTHER way....

[Stephen Eisel]

Shawn,

I seem to have posted these a few times. There are different ways to talk about crime statistics, as you and I and others have discussed. Population has declined in Lakewood, so per capita crime is another issue. But if you want to talk about FBI stats, they are very clear.

Fitzgerald chooses not to use the FBI stats (perhaps because they don't support his claims????), but rather uses the Lakewood Court filings. He says they show misdemeanors as well, and he thinks that is significant. I would like to see the breakdown. I don't know how to get the Court filings stats - can someone tell me? I haven't been able to get an answer as to whether the FBI stats show convictions or arrests or something else. The Court filings I imagine show people who have gone to court, regardless of the outcome. If that is true, they would naturally be higher than convictions.

But I got the FBI offenses back 10 years. I did it by going to the site, clicking on each year, and finding Lakewood. I totaled the violent crimes and the property crimes, because that was how Fitzgerald was citing stats.

These FBI numbers include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as violent crimes. Burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, arson are property crimes. Cities and states all over the country use these statistics for comparisons. These are raw numbers.

I haven't seen George's latest piece. Does it differ from this?

Number of Offenses- Lakewood
Violent Crimes
1997 - 94
1998 - 65
1999 - 83
2000 - 157
2001 - 115
2002 - 64
2003 - 85
2004 - 125
2005 - 114
2006 - 108

Property Crimes
1997 - 1424
1998 - 1370
1999 - 1441
2000 - 1423
2001 - 1375
2002 - 1067
2003 - 947
2004 - 1178
2005 - 1343
2006 - 1287
(http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius)

If you take the average number of violent crime offenses in Lakewood from 1997-2006. You get an average of 101 offenses per year. The last three years have trended well above the 101 average. 125, 114 and 108 are well above the 101 average. Also, property crimes trended above average in 2005 and 2006. In 2004, property crimes dropped a bit below the average of 1285 incidents per year.

[Paul Schrimpf]

Wow. Ten minutes of my life reading these posts I can never get back. What a waste.