Polensek

[ryan costa]

At least the councilman is galvanizing the constituents. Punks like Arsenio are the ones presently with the most power in Cleveland. We've seen how they use it.

Nearly every reform in Cleveland over the last 30 years has failed. More money is spent per Cleveland student than per student in places like Westlake, Rocky River, and Bay Village. Even if a greater portion of funding comes from the state, more is spent on Cleveland students than most more successful school districts. Cleveland is a black hole of failed improvement mandates.

It is time for new reforms. Kids who consistently disrupt classes or commit a series of misdemeanors of felonies need activities to break them out of their patterns. A change of environment brings life changing opportunities. We've got a few million illegal immigrants doing seasonal agricultural labor in the U.S. We may has well give our worst performing school students that opportunity: because it sucks visiting a fast food restaurant employing them.

It will work. It will be almost as much fun as working at Cedar Point. The Social Workers can get involved. Teach the teens not to blow too much of their paychecks, manage bank accounts, get train tickets home at the end of the season, etc. Private industry could also gain in this structural readjustment. Entrepeneurs can contract to build or manage bunkhouses, and use economies of scale to make the numerous forms of liability insurance - which all parties innvolved will end up buying - more "affordable".

[Beajay Michaud]

What is really sad the mother seemed more concerned about the letter than the fact that her son is out selling crack. One remark she made today was that her 12 year old daughter is asked (is the councilman going to kill her brother?)

It is a shame that the mother is not worried about how many will die from the drugs her son sells or that he himself could be killed over the drugs that he is selling.

I personally feel that she is trying to work the race card.

[Jeff Endress]

What is really sad the mother seemed more concerned about the letter than the fact that her son is out selling crack.

And that's it in a nutshell. Absolute OUTRAGE at the insentitive, nasty letter. No particular concern about the actions of this punk. Where is the parental OUTRAGE at the behavior of their child. Where is the OUTRAGE at the parenting that bore this fruit?

Instead of looking for attorney to sue, she should be looking for an attorney to provide her with a criminal defense against charges of negligent parenting.

Jeff

[Bryan Schwegler]

Jeff and Beajay,
I couldn't agree more. This is just another symptom of the complete lack of personal responsibility in some people. It's always someone else's fault, always someone else to blame. Or they have a sad story to try and justify some bad thing they've done.

While some people have truly had a rough life or need help or are discriminated against, those things never justify negative or illegal behavior.

I also don't think the mother is really playing the "race" card as much as she's just using it to try and make some quick money from a settlement. But that's just IMHO.

I just have a hard time having any pitty towards a drug dealer.

[Beajay Michaud]

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It is time for new reforms. Kids who consistently disrupt classes or commit a series of misdemeanors of felonies need activities to break them out of their patterns. .

You are correct my duaghter taped one of her classes last year (about 9 times) which we still have. There were students in the classroom acting out for up to 25 minutes at a time. I spoke to the teacher and didn't get anywhere until we took the video an played them back for the princpals.

We also went to a couple of the kids homes and played it back for their parents...

[David Scott]

Yeah, blame it on the mother. She did have the boy apologize to Polensek last fall, but maybe the Councilman did not feel it was heart felt. Maybe before everybody judges her, they think about what to do in her position. Society has failed a generation or two and we middle class folks can't deal with that. So blame the ones we let down. Until there are strong laws to enforce child support, until there are real social programs for youth - it seems easy to blame the parents.

The letter is just Polensik being Polensik. He will always be the councilman from Collinwood as part of a dis functional organization. He supported Frank Jackson and will never say anything bad about the administration. If you look at the history of Polensik, why is this any different ? If he were my representative I would be embarrassed by his language. Of course he was just trying to keep it real and talk in the language of the streets. All this letter was, was a way for him to vent his frustrations. He knew it would do no good, and now he had to pay the price for his words. Thats personal responsibility on his side.

[Dustin James]

Sharon (and all),
How much better might it have been if Mr Polensek just sat down and talked with the young man (and the parent) one more time?

Patience all, I remember a particularly long hot Cleveland Summer in the '60's.

One of those was enough.

You know, I was thinking about this today - and Gary's sentiment is very close to where I ended up. It's been very hot here in Florida, almost 100° today and people get cranky. One of my best designers almost melted down in rage and frustration. Damn.

So that helped frame up my thoughts about emotional communication. It's beyond obvious that reacting negatively to crack dealing is a no-brainer. Take a poll in any mall with a little clip-board asking if crack dealing is a good thing or a bad thing? Hmmm. My educated guess in such things, as with many completely easy binary choices, is that most sane citizens will say it's a bad thing. While you're at it, throw in rape, home invasion and any number of other low hanging fruit. Excellent start. Truly out of the box thinking.

My only point here is about communication and persuasion. Having spent my career in advertising, I've learned that yelling at, berating or scaring people is a less effective form of persuasion than other means might be.

Don't get me wrong, there is no formula per se, but there are statistical trends that point to the negative for certain techniques. Even torture is way over-rated statistically speaking; mileage may vary when one goes there of course.

Remember the war on drugs and "just say no"? Stellar performance and ROI on that one. Millions stopped using the next day - am I right?

So where I'm going is not the councilman's outrage and sense of civic duty, that is as unquestioned and easy to understand as Al Sharpton "burying" the N word. Nothing about that is hard to parse.

Where the councilman screwed up was emotional communication. We've all done it. I'm a poster boy for it on this very deck! The difference here is that he has to consider his position. I don't care if he is Republican, Democrat, White, Black or any other label...his passion is only as productive as his persuasion.

In this case he failed to persuade the young man who was dealing crack to do anything other than to continue his behavior. Sure the little poll on Channel 5 overwhelmingly supported the letter he sent. Ah yes, the masses speak with unbridled knowledge with the click of a mouse. F_ _ _ing-A man, the little thug is a menace. Brilliant deduction Watson!

With a little less emotion and more forethought, either as Gary suggests, he has a sit down with the kid--- or perhaps finds a crack whore mother to go with him to deliver an envelope full of pictures of babies born addicted to Cocaine. Perhaps children killed in drive-by killings over dealings gone bad, or any number of reality based data- then maybe there is something other than rhetoric for this kid to relate to.

I guess my impression is that he wanted to rant, but he failed with the kid. Now if the kid was never the real objective and it was to mobilize the neighborhood to the outrage of crack dealing, well then he succeeded. It's all about agenda's. If he wanted to be a social worker he could have been. If he wanted to be a politician, he was.
my 2¢.

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[Frank Murtaugh]

Phillip Morris of the PD realized "Polensek's approach was crude, but effective". Page B1 Metro Section.

[Rick Uldricks]

Phillip Morris of the PD realized "Polensek's approach was crude, but effective". Page B1 Metro Section.

Here's a link to the story:
http://www.cleveland.com/politics/plain ... thispage=1

[Frank Murtaugh]

Phillip Morris of the PD realized "Polensek's approach was crude, but effective". Page B1 Metro Section.

Here's a link to the story:
http://www.cleveland.com/politics/plain ... thispage=1

Arsenio Winston has missed his scheduled court appearance and a warrant has been issued.

[Tom Bullock]

Polensek has the right idea, as long as we scrub his mouth with a bar of soap.

In Lakewood, we should fight with all our might for our city--but we've got to live by the same rules we're asking others to live by.

Leaders must walk the walk, not talk the smack.

[Frank Murtaugh]

Polensek has the right idea, as long as we scrub his mouth with a bar of soap.

In Lakewood, we should fight with all our might for our city--but we've got to live by the same rules we're asking others to live by.

Leaders must walk the walk, not talk the smack.

"Mr. Quarterback" Arsenio Winston hopefully will not be dealing deadly drugs and injuring innocent civilians and police while he attempts to avoid arrest on the current warrant.

Mr. Polensek used no vulgar or profane language in his letter to the thug. He used direct, clear words which apparently "Mr. Quarterback" understood. Such writing does not merit the old "wash your mouth out with a bar of soap" remedy.

Mr. Polensek deserves to be treated to a top shelf adult beverage for saying what needs to be repeated loud and often to thugs who make it dangerous for residents of Collinwood to simply live.

[Grace O'Malley]

Mr. Polensek deserves to be treated to a top shelf adult beverage for saying what needs to be repeated loud and often to thugs who make it dangerous for residents of Collinwood to simply live.

Now that is simply hysterical.

We're talking about drug related criminal activity and you suggest "treating" Polensek to another type of drug, albeit a legal one.

LOL.

Alcohol is as much a drug as cocaine and maybe just as addictive for many people.

Great suggestion.

[Bryan Schwegler]

Arsenio Winston has missed his scheduled court appearance and a warrant has been issued.

Gee...and I bet there are some who would blame society for the fact he skipped bail and is on the run from police.

[Frank Murtaugh]

Mr. Polensek deserves to be treated to a top shelf adult beverage for saying what needs to be repeated loud and often to thugs who make it dangerous for residents of Collinwood to simply live.

Now that is simply hysterical.

We're talking about drug related criminal activity and you suggest "treating" Polensek to another type of drug, albeit a legal one.

LOL.

Alcohol is as much a drug as cocaine and maybe just as addictive for many people.

Great suggestion.

Grace, or whatever your real name is, I'm so pleased you found my suggestion hysterical. Unless I know Mr. Polensek has a problem with ETOH, I will be pleased to buy him a round. I just hope the speech(thought) police don't attempt to wash my mouth out with soap for referring to adult beverages.