The Fork In The Road

[cmager]

The Bottom Line
Excellent job, my fellow Democrats!

Democrats in name only.

[Mark Kindt]

I'm sorry Mr. Mager, these elected officials are simply not registered Republicans. They are registered Democrats, just like I am.

We witness their long-term policy outcomes. I criticize them as a life-long Democrat, not as a Republican.

Calling them "DINO" does not advance the debate (much).

They have to take ownership in their participation in these outcomes.

[cmager]

I'm sorry Mr. Mager, these elected officials are simply not registered Republicans. They are registered Democrats, just like I am. We witness their long-term policy outcomes. I criticize them as a life-long Democrat, not as a Republican. Calling them "DINO" does not advance the debate (much). They have to take ownership in their participation in these outcomes.

I understand your point, and they do have to own it. At the risk of belaboring it...
** Summers is a life-long registered Republican.
** One or more of Team Summers is a Koch-ster.
** The C-Level corporatists at the Cleveland Clinic cannot be anything but Republican - and their enablers and sycophants.
** Their tactics are straight from the playbook used by Republicans in Arizona and in Republican majority locations across the country. Privatize and profitize. Appalling.
** Adopting the label of "Democrat" simply gets their foot in the door into NE Ohio politics. They get automatic votes that way. Republicans do not have that same purchase in NEO.

DINO

[Mark Kindt]

The Bottom Line

A two bedroom apartment at Center North costs over $1700 per month.

That would require a combined household income around $82,000 per year to afford.

No ordinary resident can afford to finance a townhouse at One Lakewood Place.

And, worse, few ordinary residents will be able to afford to rent an apartment there either.

Let's demolish our hospital, spend $7,000,000 in clean-up, donate the hospital land for $1.00 -- All -- Just so we can have luxury housing most residents can never afford.

Excellent job, my fellow Democrats!

The headline feature in the Plain Dealer today is on the issue of rental housing affordability.

I encourage all elected officials in Lakewood to take the time to read this article.

Why has Lakewood adopted economic development policies that structurally exclude the majority of residents from new luxury housing supported with public assets, public funds, and public land?

[Mark Kindt]

Coming Soon. Uniformity That No One Can Afford.

Thanks to Mr. O'Bryan for sharing this recent photo.

Unaffordable Uniformity.jpg (1.15 MiB) Viewed 17811 times

[Mark Kindt]

Public Relations Myth-Tracking

Last Lakewood myth -- "Healthcare is Changing."

Newest Lakewood myth -- "Empty-Nesters want a 'lock & leave' Lifestyle"

Mr. Summers surfaced the newest myth in his comments about the new cluster-homes to be built on Lake Avenue quoted in the press recently.

Let's not forget that he is only describing affluent empty-nesters, like himself and his peers, who can afford half-a-million dollars for a new cluster-home.

Wishing them all the best in their high-end town homes.

How about this tag-line?

"Lakewood is changing and you, yes, you, won't be able to afford to live here."

[Mark Kindt]

Public Relations Myth-Tracking

Last Lakewood myth -- "Healthcare is Changing."

Newest Lakewood myth -- "Empty-Nesters want a 'lock & leave' Lifestyle"

Mr. Summers surfaced the newest myth in his comments about the new cluster-homes to be built on Lake Avenue quoted in the press recently.

Let's not forget that he is only describing affluent empty-nesters, like himself and his peers, who can afford half-a-million dollars for a new cluster-home.

Wishing them all the best in their high-end town homes.

How about this tag-line?

"Lakewood is changing and you, yes, you, won't be able to afford to live here."

Structural Exclusion of Seniors, Veterans, Union Members, Teachers and Average Families.jpg (159.71 KiB) Viewed 17459 times

[Bridget Conant]

As Mike Deneen said:

MAKE LAKEWOOD WESTLAKE AGAIN!

[Mark Kindt]

The current Lakewood median home sale price is $178,000 not $500,000.

Our City tore down its largest public asset in order to build townhouses for the wealthy, that no ordinary person will ever be able to afford.

What is wrong with that picture?

[Mark Kindt]

The current Lakewood median home sale price is $178,000 not $500,000.

Our City tore down its largest public asset in order to build townhouses for the wealthy, that no ordinary person will ever be able to afford.

Why has Lakewood adopted economic development policies that structurally exclude the majority of residents from new luxury housing supported with public assets, public funds, and public land?

Perhaps those running for elective office in Lakewood in 2019 can answer this question.

[Bridget Conant]

957AB195-33A3-4789-9E89-7C174A1FB535.jpeg (20.28 KiB) Viewed 17367 times

[Mark Kindt]

Ms. Conant, with this election, I hope that we can finally move beyond the perpetuation on encrusted cronyism.

[Mark Kindt]

Ms. Conant, with this election, I hope that we can finally move beyond the perpetuation of encrusted cronyism.

Today, I am very cross-eyed from proofreading my other legalese.

[dl meckes]

Let's not forget that there was a push to oust, "those people", who used Lakewood Hospital. And while our government squandered our assets, they made sure to push the changes in the city charter that eliminated all the hospital references and the directive that said, in plain English, that the foundation money was to go into the City's coffers for the benefit of all of the citizens of Lakewood, rather than whisk that money away to another foundation.

It's unconscionable.

[Mark Kindt]

Sometimes the Fork In The Road is obvious to all who see it.

Hospital Demolition.jpg (1.37 MiB) Viewed 16419 times