The Observation Deck

Great observation!

It ultimately makes no difference whether or not these are in the current charter or not.

What makes a difference is that this is that these are examples of citizens being stripped of their rights, which, as noted before, is how dictatorships begin.

Again, review the names that worked on this charter. It's the same old names, appointed by Summers and Council. Ten to one, anything these folks think is best is probably not best.

If one of the big-shots on this committee is leaving town and has their house for sale, that is almost all I need to know.

Mid-2014 was also when they were starting to nail down detail of the hospital deal (if I have my timeline right). Maybe they didn't want the ethics section codified until after the deal was signed, sealed and delivered?

I received an email the other day questioning the zoning board of appeals section changes, but I can't quite get my arms around it. Maybe someone else can explain.

Given the documented shenanigans (particularly ethical) related to the hospital debacle, it is not unreasonable to infer that the adoption of the Third Amended Charter was strategically postponed.

It is unbelievable to me that the City of Lakewood has waited until 2017 to include ethical provision in its charter. They are --like-- 45 years late.

I would encourage all elected and appointed officials in Lakewood to re-educate themselves on their official duties as they relate to Ohio sunshine laws and the basic principles of ethics-in-government.

These officials all need to commit to doing better than what we have recently witnessed.

The Third Amended Charter will be a dead letter upon adoption, if political expediency and cronyism continue to be the hallmarks of our local political process.