The County Conspiracy Against Lakewood - Plans Within Plans?

[Bill Call]

Why is everything overstated as a question?

I am intrigued.

[Jeff Endress]

The issue of "regionalism" is something that has been percolating in the smoky back rooms for some time. The centerpiece of the argument is that by combining service areas, there will be massive economies of scale which will lead us all into the happy panacea of huge tax savings.

The reality is that there is only assumption and supposition to support the notion. Is the Cleveland school district more bloated and more poorly run than Lakewood? How does combining our sysytem with a a fat top heavy beauocracy, with the loss of local control and imposition of outside mandates benefit Lakewood? The stark reality is that to whatever degree there are savings, economy of scale or otherwise, those funds will get channeled into the areas of greatest need at the expense of those at the upper tier, resulting in a reduction for all to the lowest common demoninator.

Yes, I've heard the argument of the need to save the central city, for without it, everyone goes down. The unspoken assumption is that if we take one for the team, we'll benefit, somewhere down the line. We'll probably only have to wait a generation or two while the regional reconfigeration takes shape.

A few years ago, there was a powerful push to regionalize the libraries under the banner of the County system. Put forth by Rokakis, fueled and funded by Cleveland and Gund foundations, the county looked to pick some low hanging fruit to give an impetus to their grand strategy. Working with both Suzanne Metelko and Ken Warren, we took a hard look at the percieved benefits and found that Lakewood was doing more with less....WE were the model. There was no no upside (other than taking one for the team). That issue hasn't gone away. It's floating around in the County offices and Foundation game plans. But, this issue, as with all issues of regionalism is sold on the basis of assumption and unproven projection. When you actualy look at apples to apples comparisons, all that is really on the table is the opportunity for Lakewood to transfer its tax base and income streams to prop up those that have vanished from the "mother city".

And so now, because we opt out of voluntary participation in the grand scheme, we can expect a less straight forward approach. Empty rental stock converted to section 8. Tax funded Develoment pushing low economic stratas out of the central city into inner ring suburbs. Lack of facilities for those in need of social and psychological assistance causing a huge pressure on our own capacity to provide those services. Once all the residents of Lakewood who can afford to escape this county sponsored backdoor Block Busting, have fled to Medina, the inner ring suberbs will be stripped of the ability to finance their own needs and Lakewood will have no choice but to play along and take whatever scraps the county sees fit to provide, once the CLinic, city of CLeveland, and new administration buildings, convention centers, and urban renewal projects are completed.

The game is afoot. And Solon isn't the target.

Jeff

[ryan costa]

Perhaps the solution would be to give different neighborhoods in Cleveland more autonomy and fewer resources. The ones that do better would serve as models to the others.

Civic management seems to be creeping toward the same Giganticism that the Soviet Factory system and American Corporatism have done. That is the only way to afford all the lawyers and professionals to make sure all the laws are being followed right.

[Suzanne Metelko]

Ryan,

We can't strategize on Cleveland neighborhoods' behalf. We're not at that table and frankly, Cleveland and the CCC aren't interested in having us there.

What we can do is make Lakewood so strong, so unique that assimilation is too tough for them to manage. For the last four years Lakewood Municiple government has, in my opinion, worked with the plan for regionalization and actively weakened our ability to reject the overtures of the invaders. The challenge for the current mayor and our council is to work quickly to shore up what can be saved and manage well what is left. Lakewood has a legacy of regional leadership and innovation. Look at the city schools ie program and facilities; the Beck Center, Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood Public Library; City of Lakewood ie services and green space. The leadership and vision that build those assets is long gone. It is time for a new generation to step up and embrace the legacy.

It was a close fight for regionalizing the libraries. What stopped it? Lakewood's assertion that regionalization should be about using the strongest model. We knew that would be ours. They folded. If we want to save the community, we have to insist that our community leaders work to make each asset as strong as possible. If regionalization is coming to CC then Lakewood must be the model. In this fight, if we're not the top dog, we'll just be another bone.

Suzanne

[Stephen Eisel]

This is like a game of dominos. If Lakewood falls then so does the entire west side.

[Kenneth Warren]

It’s not a conspiracy; it’s the post-industrial capitalist economy. That is to say, it’s how individuals and investors – large and small - attempt to score one for themselves, to accumulate by dispossession and to dis-embed (see Anthony Giddens) the face-time, social capital and community trust that underwrite a stable neighborhood accumulation of norms and values, all in the great game of creative destruction that is capitalism.

In one sense, the conspiracy of regionalism is imperialism lite, a bite for the rest of us.

From Wall Street to Real Estate Developers, pump and dump is the profiteering strategy in the post-industrial capitalist economy.

Pump

Pump capital flow to green fields.

Pump highways and fossil fuels to support escape routes that accelerate the dispossession of accumulated civic and social capital in once solid working class and middle class neighborhoods.

Pump the New Eden through realtors and media.

Dump

Dump the already dispossessed into municipalities where the working class and middle class have accumulated value and maintained quality of life

Dump quality schools and public services.

Dump the tax levels through abatements.

Dump caseload – criminal, illiterate, psychiatric - until working class and middle class property owners are dispossessed of their accumulated values and institutions.

Dump the overpriced new properties in the laps of the new over extended credit drenched bag-holders.

See David Harvey for broad Marxist insight into this process:

“Accumulation by dispossession is a concept presented by the Marxist academic David Harvey, which defines the neoliberal changes in many western nations, from the 1970s and to the present day, as being guided mainly by four practices. These are privatization, financialization, management and manipulation of crises, and state redistributions.â€￾

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accumulati ... possession

Kenneth Warren

[Lynn Farris]

I don't mean to be contrary, but I see this as two different philosophies both of which have data to back them up, success stories and merit.

We are looking at it on a regional scale - but you can also see it on a global scale. Are we for Protectionism or Globalization?


Is Dr. Paul right? Be pleasant with everyone, trade with everyone, but avoid entangling alliances? Is it better to be self sufficient?

Or are we our brother's keeper? In working together do we lift everyone up? In working together do we bring a higher standard of living to everyone in the county, state, country or world?

Not to be philosophical - but this is a problem that our country has struggled with since it was founded. Do we work together as a nation - or do states have the power? One could argue this at any level. American's have a strong independent self sufficiient streak. Maybe in general we are libertarians at heart - valuing our freedom and independence.

But that hasn't stopped us from moving back and forth and arguing over where the power should reside. I see this as arguing the same thing on a smaller scale.

Is their room for compromise? Are there places where we can work together that benefits all of us? Can we share some resources or not duplicate work or services? I'm sure we can. What we need to do is find out where this is a win win situaiton and embrace it and avoid it where it creates a win/lose or a lose/lose situation.

I personally think Windmills in the Lake could be a joint project by the Westshore suburbs - Lakewood, Rocky River and Bay Village. I think that could be a win win situation not only for the Westshore -but for the area as a whole.

JMHO

[Rick Uldricks]

deleted

[ryan costa]

perhaps with oil reaching 110 dollars a barrel intercontinental trade will fall back to moderate levels without the need of any coherent trade policy. shipping finished freight involves shipping a lot of empty packaging space. The big cargo ships are mostly made in south korea, japan, and china. most of the cargo is also made there. They also have enough cheap labor, technicians, and managers to build up the Nigerian oil fields: there aren't a bunch of million dollar lawsuits everytime one of them is killed. Mostly we can sell them insurance policies and then outsource the customer service/claims department to a call center in the philippines.

A realistic model of resisting Clevelandization and Regionalization would consist of the western suburbs making fun of all the failures of Cleveland in rational and accurate ways.

The public libraries should get rid of internet computer stations, because they attract too many aggravating people to the libraries. Besides, students who can't write reports using books and other hardcopies of materials don't deserve to succeed. Just keep a wireless signal available for people with notebook computers.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Perhaps I am interpreting this wrong -- but am I reading here that the proliferation of subsidized and cheap rentals along with the influx of thuggery that we're experiencing here in Lakewood is part of an intentional grand regionalism conspiracy?

Just trying to understand the thread...

Rick

To clarify...

Yes and No.

It is not necessarily a singular large conspiracy working together. In fact many might actually believe their brand of snak oil they have decided to pimp to the consumers.

I spoke to many leaving "Voices and Choices" that thought it was the best thing since ovens. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? Look again at the Chamber they will tell you with a straight face that attracting industry to Youngstown is good for Lakewood!

What we have is many, many overlapping players. Just like in the real world. The joke always has been, "Like there is one group trying to run the world! Yeah sure." When the truth is there are many large groups trying to run the world, and because of that it ebbs and flows, and at times works against each other, thank god!

It is the grand game, but if we are very sharp and very aware, and set our goals, we can win this one.

I mean you do not believe that the bubble bursting in the home market, the plunge of the dollars, and the tightening of loans is just an accident do you?


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[Jeff Endress]

Rick

Not to sound like a conspiracy wacko.....but, sometimes what the political powers do for a stated reason has certain expected (and welcomed) side effects.

Euclid corridor. Speedy state of the art mas transit between two places that really were okay without it. And in the process, virtually every storefront along the entire length of Euclid had to close. Place like Best Steak and giros...there for decades. CAC, everything on Euclid from public square to playhouse square...Now there is a tabla rusa. Out with the old, redevelop, in with the new. Was there a design to accomplish the outing of the businesses along Euclid? No, probably not. Was it expected and welcomes? Sure 'nuff!

If the continued donward spiral of the core city impacts Lakewood, property values, services, tax base, whatever, that's to the beneift of those who would seek annexation/regionalisation. They may not overtly seek those results, but view them as a beneficial side effect of the current trends. And they will seek to capitalize on those trends to maintain the direction.

Lynn

While there is much that can be accomplished with co-operation, much of that is already in place and working. What's on the horizon is not just purchasing agreements. What's being planned is co-operating Lakewood out of things like an independant school system, safety forces, parks and services. Lakewood Park as the next jewel in the State Lakefront park system.....

Jeff

[Bill Call]

[ryan costa]

sometime later, in the future, many of the smart kids from the suburbs will grow up and move to Cleveland. Cuz that's where the big offices and factories are. Gas will be five bucks a gallon, so it won't make sense to build new offices and factories in cornfields a few miles outside of Columbus. So all the new smart people will have to move to Cleveland and figure out how to make stuff run better. They'll have had high SAT scores and MBAs and stuff, so that should turn out well.

[Bryan Schwegler]

The latest scheme is to spend $1 billion tax dollars to "revitalize" Euclid Avenue. That misguided expenditure creates an indirect displacement of people from Cleveland to cities like Lakewood. To that extent it is intentional.

I didn't think that many people actually lived on Euclid Ave? Isn't it mostly businesses? Where are all the people coming from that are going to move into Lakewood?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Where are all the people coming from that are going to move into Lakewood?

The Coasts. We have found a goldmine of potential residents on both coasts.

Sell your house in LA, San Fran, Seattle, Boston for a couple million, come to Lakewood and and be a player!


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