The Observation Deck

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Ready for my question?

Sure.

Matt,
You and the rest of the school board do an amazing job. The report cards are inspiring. The open houses and new schools inspiring. The teaching staff excellent. The technology and research-based materials top of the line. I hope the rumors are wrong about one getting in unopposed and retiring to allow someone different to step in. Again. Because that would be wrong no matter how the charter is written.

Why do you think there is so little competition in the school board elections? And vareity and disagreeing can be good if we are fighting for the children and the city. The people "fighting" now for honesty and integrity and transparency are fighting for the kids and city too. NOthing more and nothing less.

It is sad that some don't think they have a right to that. Or to a different opinion.

Thanks for the link Sharon.

However, from reading that, the CAC only prepared a list of recommendations for City Council to approve. That's a far cry from approving money.

The city council still had to review the recommendations and vote on the allocations.

If this was someone who controlled the pursestrings, I would most definitely expect someone to recuse themselves. In an advisory role? That's a slightly different animal.

EDIT: Further reading that link, it states that Community Development Block Grant Funds proposals totalling $2,314,037 were submitted. The city expects to receive $2,100,000 in CDBG funds.

$175,702 worth of proposals for Emergency Shelter Grant Funds were submitted and the city expects to receive $96,000.

They received one proposal for HOME funds (no $ listed) and expect to receive $300,000.

It seems like the CAC didn't have much impact on the CBDGs - They only had to slice less than 10% from the proposals to make them fit the budget. LA appears to have only applied for CBDGs.

I also checked to see how much LA was recommeded for and compared it to what they asked for:

Lakewood Alive Economic Development - Mainstreet Approach $45,000.00 ASKED FOR $59,928

Lakewood Alive Outreach Services for Housing $30,250.00 ASKED FOR $57,050

It seems to me, if anything, the CAC gave LA proportionally less than what they asked for than most that applied.

Just looking at bare numbers, without any knowledge of the behind the scenes dealings, it doesn't look like LA got significant special treatment there. Am I missing something?

Sorry Kevin and Bob but it's a conflict of interest whether there is a monetary reward or not. Frankly, many maybe members of council who are now "friends" (when they were members yesterday)of LA should have recused themselves also.

I wonder what the feds think about this?

It's awfully interesting to see all of you jump right in here when you haven't exactly been participating in any other part of the conversation.

Is Monique Smith incapable of talking for herself? The last time I had something to say Chuck Shaughnesy came swaggering in hinting at questionable legality on my part which was crap. Of course that's what has been going on in this city for a while, crap.

Sharon,

I don't think the Feds care one white about a committee that doesn't have the power to approve money, but I'm no legal scholar, so please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Why is my involvement here awfully interesting? It's close to election time and I'm interested in learning more about what's going on Lakewood. I've started reading LO (and the competition) to try to get an idea of what's going on in the city. When I hear comments about backroom dealings, it gets my attention, so I try to learn as much as I can about it. I thought that I could add a little to the conversation in a rational way.

You've got my real name here, so feel free to find out what you can about me, but I'll save you the trouble. I've been in Lakewood 9 years, own a double, work as an engineer on the east side and have never been involved with politics. I have been involved with some young professionals groups in the past, but haven't done anything with them in a couple of years. I've recently gotten married and am trying to decide where I'd like to settle long term. Therefore, what goes on in Lakewood is pretty important to me right about now.

I apologize if I waded into a personal discussion. That wasnt the impression I got from reading the website.

I asked a question. Obviously I'll be shot for that.

Bob - Frankly my dear I care not one whit about you. Why should I?

I care about the town I grew up in and will die in. No more complicated than that.

If you want to be in a huff over my asking a question, you won't last long around here.

sharon kinsella wrote:I asked a question. Obviously I'll be shot for that.

Bob - Frankly my dear I care not one whit about you. Why should I?

I care about the town I grew up in and will die in. No more complicated than that.

If you want to be in a huff over my asking a question, you won't last long around here.

You asked me no question. You made a statement laced with innuendo that implied that I have some devious intent.

I don't really care if you care about me or not, I didn't ask you to in my previous post. I merely pointed out some data from the link that you yourself provided and was hoping to spark a discussion on that data.

Do you want facts, or would you prefer to wallow in conspiracy theories? I can go either way.

sharon kinsella wrote:I asked a question. Obviously I'll be shot for that.

Bob - Frankly my dear I care not one whit about you. Why should I?

I care about the town I grew up in and will die in. No more complicated than that.

If you want to be in a huff over my asking a question, you won't last long around here.

On that note, Bob, Welcome.

Corey

Corey Rossen wrote:On that note, Bob, Welcome.

Corey

Thank you Corey, guess I earned the baptism of fire!

Actually I said it was interesting and you went off.

sharon kinsella wrote:Bob - Frankly my dear I care not one whit about you. Why should I?

I care about Lakewood and I feel that implies I care about it residents and their opinions on a public forum. To each their own.

Welcome Bob.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Selected memory loss, you forget before John Kamkutis, the name of the people who
were originally slated to replace Chaz Geiger? Look at the names on the second list
that had to be hurried together when the scheme was uncovered, and the board had
to go public. I think if you talk with the board, you will find an interesting story how
John got selected.

Charlie, please a little critical thought here.


.

I was under the impression it was a public process to appoint a successor? Posted here on the Deck as Matt Markling stated. Are you saying there was another list that was intended to subvert the process? And this is the first time the general public is hearing about it. If the public knew sooner, there might be challengers to the unopposed. Too late now.

sharon kinsella wrote:Sorry Kevin and Bob but it's a conflict of interest whether there is a monetary reward or not.

Win me over, Sharon. Explain why.

Kevin, anyone who has been on council knows that we virtually approve the recommendations of the citizens committee. Only once did we make changes to their recommendations in the four years I was on city council. Where is Monique Smith? Why is she absent from this forum? It's because she can't defend herself from public scrutiny. She is a cog for the machine.

Well Kevin, she is a member of a group with a specific agenda, things like shopping malls, hiring people from outside the city for work. An organization who truly has not made an impact with the money they've been given.

Where are the annual reports? I've looked and haven't seen them.

If you are part of an organization that monetarily may benifit from your participation in a funding process there are some serious ethical issues involved. Ask the Cleveland Foundation, The Gund Foundation what there standards and practices are.