Governor Strickland to Raid the Third Frontier Fund

[Bill Call]

I do think that citizens, politicians, the police chief and Lakewood's FOP need to get on the same page and begin a deliberative process that addresses safety and a policing strategy. Given the condition of Cleveland and the migration of crime, psychiatric caseload and thugs, time is of the essence.

I would have thought that the very sensible things you mentioned would already be well underway as part of a routine management process.

Rather than additional taxes in the form of a police levy I would suggest decreasing the minimum staffing requirements at the fire department. The previous finance director told me that each reduction would save $250,000 per year. That seems a little high but it's worth looking at.

The savings could be used for additional policing.

[Brad Humphreys]

Bill,

I only reply to this because both your contention and your extrapolation from it are extremely poor it my personal experience. I mean no disrespect, but let me provide my personal experience.

The company that I work for just this past month received a 3rd Frontier Grant to bring to market a medical device of which I am a listed co-inventor on the patent (along with another gentleman from Avon Lake). The technology was originally developed for a NASA application (under a small business grant); our partner in it's development is the Cleveland Clinic (based on their excitement about its terrestrial applications).

The 3rd frontier program will help provide funding to the small minority owned company that I work forto get through the costly FDA approval process. Awards from programs like this are based on both your potential and your ability to turn technology into reality (a product).

I am a Lakewoodite. These funds are not slush plans; they do directly enable technology and job development here in our communities.