The Observation Deck

Today I got an announcement from Lakewood about how Lakewood can
win $100,000 by regionalizing our fire department!

Oh Boy!

What do we win?

NOTHING, but lack of control over our fire departments in a city with most homes
75 years old or older.

What is even more ridiculous, is the fact Lakewood only wins, if the region wins.
GET IT.

We get nothing, $100,000 divided amongst 25 communtities.

So we have watched the Chamber explain how good regionalism is. We have watched
LakewoodAlive with their close connection to Team Neo present how good it is. Now
the regionalist are trying to trick us into WINNING REGIOANLISM!

If it was 100th as good as they make it out to be, why all the tricks?

Why all the lies?

Why all of the BS.

Is the current state of garbage, tagging, graffiti, down turn is housing stock, and now
contest all way to MAKE Lakewood give us the great life we have or used to have!

PLEASE!
Just say no thank you.

Lakewood City News

July 23, 2009

Help Lakewood and The Westshore Council of Governments Win $100,000     

The Westshore Council of Governments (COG), which includes the City of Lakewood, was   selected as one of nine project finalists in the EfficientGovNow grant contest to win $100,000.

The EfficientGovNow is a program presented by the Fund of Our Economic Future to strengthen Northeast Ohio's economic competitiveness by increasing collaboration and efficiency.

You can help Lakewood win this award by voting for
4. Westshore Regional Fire District Project (Cuyahoga and Lorain counties)


Pitiful, just pitiful.


.

Jim-

Do you know the difference between sharing services and one regional government?

We already share some services with other Westshore suburbs. Did you know that we share SWAT services? Drug investigations? Mutual aid for fire and EMS response?

Did you know that we've been discussing sharing other aspects of fire services for years, including dispatch services? Did you know that the firefighters' union doesn't object to studying this concept? Did you know that a joint fire district wouldn't necessarily mean that we wouldn't have control over our own fire department? That it might just include joint purchasing or unified civil service testing?

Right now, all of the Westshore suburbs agree that we should study this. If we win this grant, it will help pay for the study. Or, we could be stuck with costs without any grants, if we took your advice.

Then you decide to somehow drag LakewoodAlive into your rant, to include your favorite target, and then throw in grafitti tagging for good measure.

While you were on a roll, you decided to misstate the grant terms by stating it was $100,000 to be divided among 25 cities, instead of $300,000 divided between three winning proposals.

Jim, sometimes you do great things for Lakewood.

Not today.

Hi,
Yea, Jim, where did you get this idea of regionalism? Oh, wait, did you actually go there and read the idea?

"The Westshore Council of Governments is working toward a comprehensive regionalization of its entire Fire and EMS operations, which covers more than 75 square miles and serves more than 250,000 residents."

That's the opening sentence of their plan. So, where would you get the idea this was about regionalization?

As lease this plan has Lakewood buddying-up with the western burbs and not Cleveland. It could always be worse.

Here's my 5 ideas to make Lakewood a better place (and ways to bring in more revenue).

1). Make Clifton Park a gated community. Lakewood's top real estate is there and studies have shown the property values of a gated community increase 27% over the same community non-gated. This will give those living in the Park a reason to stay in the Park and not move to the new gated communities in the x-burbs. This would generate more tax revenues for the City and Schools and lessen the burden on the rest of Lakewood. This is one of my ideas that Lynn hates the most.

2). Make Clifton Beach open to the public. Extend the metroparks access road up to the Clifton Beach area and extend the bike trails up to the Park. I think its a fair trade for letting the Park go gated.

3). Begin a 25-50 year plan to convert the steep cliffs along Lake Erie into a Lakewood/State shoreline park. This would entail filling in land along the shore to make the coast of Lakewood a gradual sloping grassy hill with an access road, path and bike trails at it's base. In the end it would look like the park at the mouth of the Niagara river in NY. Lake Forest, IL did an amazing job of something similar to this. This will protect Lakewood's valuable homes along the shore that risk falling into the Lake. Plus, it makes the shoreline an asset for all to enjoy. State and federal dollars should be available to assist with the cost of this. The access way and bike trails that would be extended to the Beach in Step 2 would then be able to connect to this bike trail.

4). Build the peninsula and all the park improvements. At least do the next step. Look at what it costs to build and what the properties on it would bring to the City. There will always be wealthy people and in these hard times, their idea of cutting back could be building that summer cottage on Lake Erie in Lakewood, Oh as opposed it on an island in the Caribbean. My conservation numbers shows after 5 years this would bring in about $5,000,000 a year in new taxes.

5). Many other cities have implemented a home improvement plan where people can borrow to make "green" improvements (e.g. geo-thermal heat, solar panels or even as simple as insulation and new windows) the cost of these improvements is then placed as a lien on their house that is paid back to the City when the house is sold. This could piggy-back into some stimulus plans the Federal Gov't are putting into place. But it would put money on the table for improving Lakewood's existing housing stock.

Nowhere have I used the work regionalization. This would all be by Lakewood, for Lakewood.

Which ideas do you like? Which ones do you not like? What's your better idea?

it seems like most of the times I step onto Fulton or Pearl or Ridge, there is soon a fire truck charging down the street with sirens roaring. there's usually not a fire. they have some kind of policy. is this a policy worth spreading?

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Jim-

Do you know the difference between sharing services and one regional government?

We already share some services with other Westshore suburbs. Did you know that we share SWAT services? Drug investigations? Mutual aid for fire and EMS response?

Did you know that we've been discussing sharing other aspects of fire services for years, including dispatch services? Did you know that the firefighters' union doesn't object to studying this concept? Did you know that a joint fire district wouldn't necessarily mean that we wouldn't have control over our own fire department? That it might just include joint purchasing or unified civil service testing?

Right now, all of the Westshore suburbs agree that we should study this. If we win this grant, it will help pay for the study. Or, we could be stuck with costs without any grants, if we took your advice.

Then you decide to somehow drag LakewoodAlive into your rant, to include your favorite target, and then throw in grafitti tagging for good measure.

While you were on a roll, you decided to misstate the grant terms by stating it was $100,000 to be divided among 25 cities, instead of $300,000 divided between three winning proposals.

Jim, sometimes you do great things for Lakewood.

Not today.

Thanks as always for the note and the kind words.

I suppose we all have our good days and bad days.

The number I posted and the comment in bold was straight from the City of Lakewood
e-letter. "The Westshore Council of Governments (COG), which includes the City of
Lakewood, was selected as one of nine project finalists in the EfficientGovNow grant
contest to win $100,000." Now I will admit, my math, reading, and writing skills
are lower than most, but I could swear it says Westshore Council Of Governments...
... $100,000 if chosen. This would be less money than when LCPI filed for the Hamburger
Helper Contest a couple years back to win $15,000.

I am aware and a huge supporter of WEB/SWAT. It is truly a specialized service with
special expensive vehicles and very special needs.

I am also aware of how we share fire services with Rocky River, and that they even claim
to share/help us. I might be mistaken but the one time we needed RR they were
involved in an accident on I-90 and never made it. Because of the accident Lakewood
fire department was needed in Rocky River more often than usual. Or so the story goes.

My single biggest and many say psychotic issue is that "regionalism" is a very slippery
slope that is nearly impossible to reverse. I can understand why many cities
feel the need to be belong to any regional plan, hugging the titanic anchor known as
Cleveland, or CLE+. I always thought Lakewood had/has so much more to offer that with
just a modicum of imagination, we could be the crown jewel in the regional mud puddle.
A place that stands out from all of the other cities as a great place to live and raise a
family, if we offered something different. Look at what Lakewood has gained walking
away from RITA.

Recently at the "Leaders Breakfast" put on by the Chamber of Commerce I got to see
Team NEO explain why we needed to be regional, and hurry to do it. I have posted the
charts from that presentations, and still wonder if these people get paid for their smoke
and mirror show of maybes, possibly, we think, etc. and if they do who pays them!
You know quite well the connections between Team Neo, a group working the regionalist
angle and LakewoodAlive, both have have a key member in common it is not some
quantum leap to see the connection. Remember you were all sitting together at the same
table at the TeamNeo award to the city and LakewoodAlive, just last month. Team Neo
also congratulated this member at the leaders breakfast for the work he had done in both
the regionalization push and LakewoodAlive stating how "lucky" we were to have their
employee in our city involved in changing Lakewood! You never found it odd that the
Chamber of Commerce/LakewoodAlive office had FREE CLE+ stickers but NO stickers that
only had Lakewood on them?

I have no doubt that EfficientGovNow is another Orwellian regional op. Let's get everyone
competing for regionalism. That is it we will call it a contest!

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Did you know that we've been discussing sharing other aspects of fire services for years, including dispatch services?

I would imagine this means that for years we have never figured out how to make it
work, or sell it to the residents but now that we can win, a share of $100,000 - $300,000
it will all make sense.

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Did you know that the firefighters' union doesn't object to studying this concept?

Mayor you never struck me as a guy that was lead around by unions, why now?

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Did you know that a joint fire district wouldn't necessarily mean that we wouldn't have control over our own fire department?

But as you phrase it here, it could also mean we would lose control.

Ed FitzGerald wrote:That it might just include joint purchasing or unified civil service testing?

I thought the county and Lakewood was already doing this?

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Right now, all of the Westshore suburbs agree that we should study this. If we win this grant, it will help pay for the study.

Never been a big fan of following the lead of other cities, especially in this region.
If we are doing that, we might as well become the hindquarters in the regional dog
right now. Why can't we lead? We were leading the country in libraries, library directors,
civic journalism, girls soccer, and High School Rock Orchestras.

Then there is the fact that we will still have to pay more for the study. How much? What I
have found with regionalism. If we sit back, they will always be willing to take us in down
the road.Regionalism is not, a "one time only offer." We can afford to sit out this dance.
Or are we already locked into calling Brookpark for a fire emergency, and hoping the
person knows that Edgewater is in three sections? That there are three Franklins in
Lakewood? There is a small difference between Clifton Beach, and Beach just off of Clifton?

Mayor I really appreciate how hard you work, and the tough choices you have made.

On this one, I disagree.

But then, I have good days and bad days.

As always thank you for the open discussion.

ryan costa wrote:it seems like most of the times I step onto Fulton or Pearl or Ridge, there is soon a fire truck charging down the street with sirens roaring.

You too!


.

I voted for number 4. You should too:

http://www.efficientgovnow.org/Vote/.

This is a study and not a decision. I wonder if the firm chosen to conduct the study will have the courage to challenge the current UNION CONTRACT structure of the safety departments?

I'm not opposed to regionalization of some services. I just haven't seen one proposal that makes any sense. A study done on the proposal to merge fire departments found that the larger department would cost more and have more employees. The conclusion of the authors was that it should be done anyway.

The current drive towards regionalism is founded in the belief that Northeast Ohio is burdened with many layers of corrupt and inefficient and expensive bureaucracies that hinder economic growth. The solution, of course, is to add another layer of bureaucracy.

If we had a regional government:
1. Would the shoreway development have been defunded?
2. Would Crocker Park have been built?
3. Would we be spending $200 million this year to widen I-77 and I-71?
4. Who decides who will win and who will lose and what are the criteria and where in the world is there an example of government central planning increasing prosperity?


Here is a test of the regional spirit: Elliminate all local income taxes and replace those taxes with one 1.5% County income tax. The taxes would be distributed according to population. Each City would be free to vote on adding an additional levy that would stay in that community. Any takers?

Bill Call wrote:I voted for number 4. You should too:
This is a study and not a decision. I wonder if the firm chosen to conduct the study will have the courage to challenge the current UNION CONTRACT structure of the safety departments?

I'm not opposed to regionalization of some services. I just haven't seen one proposal that makes any sense. A study done on the proposal to merge fire departments found that the larger department would cost more and have more employees. The conclusion of the authors was that it should be done anyway.

The current drive towards regionalism is founded in the belief that Northeast Ohio is burdened with many layers of corrupt and inefficient and expensive bureaucracies that hinder economic growth. The solution, of course, is to add another layer of bureaucracy.

If we had a regional government:
1. Would the shoreway development have been defunded?
2. Would Crocker Park have been built?
3. Would we be spending $200 million this year to widen I-77 and I-71?
4. Who decides who will win and who will lose and what are the criteria and where in the world is there an example of government central planning increasing prosperity?


Here is a test of the regional spirit: Elliminate all local income taxes and replace those taxes with one 1.5% County income tax. The taxes would be distributed according to population. Each City would be free to vote on adding an additional levy that would stay in that community. Any takers?

Bill

I see that you are all over on this one. If the Firefighter's union is backing this, then
why are you so sure we can then challenge the unions?

Also does Lakewood have money to throw away on studies that at best benefit Lakewood
in a very small way? Please read, it will, help pay for a study...

1. Would the shoreway development have been defunded?
Yes as the next power brokers move money where they want in the city.

2. Would Crocker Park have been built?
Yes, developers must develop by nature. Developers love regionalism.

3. Would we be spending $200 million this year to widen I-77 and I-71?
No, probably more, years ago. To serve the region.

4. Who decides who will win and who will lose and what are the criteria and where in the world is there an example of government central planning increasing prosperity?
Bill the general thought fro your folks is, the only way Republicans will ever grab
power again in the region is through regionalism. Meanwhile the Dems, are merely looking
at changing one power regime with another.

As you said, never makes sense, hard to believe throwing more money at it will do
anything but pad the pockets of the regional power brokers.

As I always say, ask your friends in Bay, Westlake, River, North Olmsted, Parma, Cleveland
Heights, Shaker Heights, Beechwood, etc. what they think of Lakewood. Then figure
what that description will bring to Lakewood.

FWIW


.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I see that you are all over on this one. If the Firefighter's union is backing this, then why are you so sure we can then challenge the unions?

I'm just curious to see what they come up with. The last study is no longer available on line. That's the one that determined that merged departments would cost more.

The unions actually like larger bureaurcracies. Those bureaucracies are more insular, less responsive, less subject to public scrutiny and control and more likely to prefer dealing with a large union bureaucracy. All those things that you and I see as negatives the regionalists see as positives.

The firefighters union is backing this because they see a bigger payday.

In California the large government unions used their influence to force local governments to accept ruinous pay and benefit packages that are leading those local governments straight into bankrupty:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... ss.opinion

The most recent round of Lakewood Firefighter retirees are getting their generous pensions and up to $250,000 in lump sum distributions. There are visions of even bigger payoffs dancing in their heads.

Bill Call wrote:A study done on the proposal to merge fire departments found that the larger department would cost more and have more employees. The conclusion of the authors was that it should be done anyway.

The new "study" is budgeted at $650,000. The cities would "win" $100,000 towards the new study.

I'm guessing at a blended bill rate of the consulting firm of $180 per hour. $650,000 divided by $180/hour is just over 3,600 hours. That seems like a lot of time for this project.

What is the relationship between "efficientgovnow.org" and the firm pushing the new study? Is there any mutual benefit between the two?

When was the previous study done? And was it done by a firm other than the one who is pushing the new study?

What's changed since the old study to say there would be an estimated $1,300,000 a year savings over current (which is not much divided by all the cities)? How can a savings number be established when the new study hasn't been performed...or has it?

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewoodsunpos ... xml&coll=4

Charlie Page wrote:When was the previous study done? And was it done by a firm other than the one who is pushing the new study?

What's changed since the old study to say there would be an estimated $1,300,000 a year savings over current (which is not much divided by all the cities)? How can a savings number be established when the new study hasn't been performed...or has it?

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewoodsunpos ... xml&coll=4

If any one has access to the previous study post it here. I can't seem to find it. All I remember is that one of the conclusions was that the merged departments would actually cost more to operate.

I'm tempted to write my own study and compare it with the $600,000 version.

My guestimate is that $1.3 million in savings amounts to about 5% total savings. If they are talking about saving on equipment then much of that is a one time saving.

I think they anticipate saving much of the rest on overtime. Lakewood managed to save $1 million per year in overtime by lower the minimum staffing requirements. Other cities have lowered overtime buy hiring part time fire fighters. You don't need to merge departments to do either.

If the study contains a recommendation to establish a new contract that eliminates the waste, fraud and abuses allowed by the current contracts then it might actually produce something worthwhile. Do you need a new fire district to get a new contract?

The non-profit organizations pushing for regionalization depend upon tax payer subsidies for their survival. Has it ever occured to them that the problem might be all the non-profits draining resources from the local economy? Maybe the better reform is taxing the non-profits. Or better yet lets merge all the non-profits into one super non profit agency. Let them show the way!!!

RULE # 1: The real economic engines are the organizations and individuals that PROVIDE the subsidy.

Bill Call wrote:The non-profit organizations pushing for regionalization depend upon tax payer subsidies for their survival. Has it ever occured to them that the problem might be all the non-profits draining resources from the local economy? Maybe the better reform is taxing the non-profits. Or better yet lets merge all the non-profits into one super non profit agency. Let them show the way!!!

RULE # 1: The real economic engines are the organizations and individuals that PROVIDE the subsidy.

Bill

This is one of the major problems in a nutshell. When you scratch the surface everyone
talking of regionalism gets paid for talking regionalism. Why I am so suspicious of any
group that has a major player who makes a living from regionalism and the snake oil
that goes with it. Right now the number of players that get funding just talking about it
borders on insane. Why the need for so much smoke and mirrors if it is such a good
system.

I have been in many many discussion with all of them from here to Youngstown and back.
None of it, that would be ZERO percent, holds up to any critical thinking. Once you get past
the theoretical conversation of bulk purchasing for toilet paper, salt, and office supplies
it all starts to fall apart very quickly.

We both know the larger the organization the larger the chance for corruption on a
larger scale. To me the complete reason for regionalization is either power, or money,
the term savings is nothing more than a red herring. That is used to sell the idea.

This is the problems with real conflict of interest in this city. If you have civic leaders
that are trying to sell regionalism, and you have seen the regional map which is Lakewood
combined with Cleveland, not Rocky River then you know what they are really thinking
and what they are moving towards. It is not helping Lakewood, it is pulling a paycheck
at the expense of Lakewood and our future.

Hence all of the cryptic but I hope insightful comments like, "Can a person serve two
masters?" "What is real conflict of interest?" I think the residents of Lakewood really
needs to develop critical chops and some common sense if we are going to really
retain our identity, and future, not to mention control of our future.

In the "Slaughter of Cities" and other great books on the subject you see that they use,
religion, race, lifestyle, costs, theories, scare tactics, and lies to devalue property move
people around, and build to destroy to rebuild. After all developers must develop or they
cannot make money. So they are always pushing the need for development, as doctors
push for check ups, the water bottling companies tell you 8 bottles a day, and people
paid to make cities like Lakewood fail and fall tell you we need regionalism. Because
that is how they get paid. On your blood, sweat and investments.

This is why I am bothered when one person gets paid for regionalism, heads up
Lakewood's "revitalization" projects, "helps" the schools, and "works" to define
Lakewood's brand and future, always behind closed doors. Can a person really serve
two masters. I say I doubt it. I do not want Lakewood to turn into Cleveland or East
Cleveland.

FWIW

.

Efficientgovnow.org is "presented by the Fund for Our Economic Future as part of the ANEO Choice Awards".

The Fund for Our Economic Future

Formed in 2004, the Fund is a response to the forces of global economics that have made regions the central economic unit of the 21st century. Regions, not individual communities, must be able to compete for business investment and jobs in the global economy. The mission of the Fund is to improve the 16-county region of Northeast Ohio's (the Cleveland Plus region) ability to compete in the global economy.
Cleveland Foundation President Ronn Richard (left) discusses the work of JumpStart with the nonprofit's president Ray Leach at the Fund's 2007 annual meeting.

The Fund's members have raised more than $60 million and the majority of its charitable grantmaking has gone to regional economic development organizations that work to start, accelerate, attract, and grow companies in the region.

In addition, the Fund works with partners in Advance Northeast Ohio, the region's economic action plan, to develop and implement regional strategies that address four key priority areas of Business Growth & Attraction; Talent Development; Growth Through Racial & Economic Inclusion; and Government Collaboration & Efficiency.

The Fund began its second, three-year phase in early 2007. All members of the Fund that commit at least $100,000 to the collaboration are eligible to vote on how the Fund allocates its resources. The Fund members vote on grants and other matters quarterly.

The Fund is not a legal entity. Rather, its members have agreed to collaborate to support a select number of initiatives that acheive the objectives of Advance Northeast Ohio. The Fund's leadership team and numerous representatives from member organizations work with the Fund's small staff to oversee its grantmaking, research and civic engagement.

http://www.futurefundneo.org/page9066.cfm


Advance Norteast Ohio

Advance Northeast Ohio, the region's economic action plan, unites our 16-county region to collaborate and implement strategies that create jobs, increase incomes and reduce poverty. Launched in 2007, more than 80 organizations, institutions and leaders from business, philanthropy, government and the civic arena are united behind this movement to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio.

These 80-plus partners agree that for our region to successfully compete in the global economy for jobs and investments then Northeast Ohio must be united in its work and we must share a common vision for our region's economic future. This is our vision:

Northeast Ohio is home to growing, innovative employers and healthy core communities; all of our residents have access to educational and economic opportunities; and our governments collaborate to accelerate sustainable growth.

Partners in the plan share a commitment to address four key priorities to achieve that vision:

1. Business Growth & Attraction
2. Talent Development
3. Racial & Economic Inclusion
4. Government Collaboration & Efficiency

Partners in the plan:
1. Publicly -- and in some cases financially -- support regional economic competitiveness initiatives to strengthen our region.
2. Seek collaborations on regional economic competitiveness efforts.
3. Align their institutional strategies and actions with Advance Northeast Ohio.


Priorities and Strategies

BUSINESS GROWTH AND ATTRACTION
* Assist high-growth entrepreneurs
* Strengthen existing industries
* Attract growing companies
* Support innovation and technology commercialization to build growth industries

TALENT DEVELOPMENT
* Prepare residents for present and future jobs
* Connect employers to qualified talent

GROWTH THROUGH RACIAL & ECONOMIC INCLUSION
* Grow minority-owned enterprises
* Expand access to educational, training and business opportunities

GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION AND EFFICIENCY
* Support government collaborations that strengthen economic competitiveness
* Implement regional planning to acclerate sustainable economic growth and enhance our quality of life

http://www.advancenortheastohio.org/actionplan

Following the trail of these groups is like putting together a family tree in West Virginia, they are all somewhat related through alliances, as partners, "presented by", etc. And many have the same members.

One thing in common is regionalism, in one form or another. This theme seams to permiate throughout all these groups.

Charlie Page wrote:Following the trail of these groups is like putting together a family tree in West Virginia, they are all somewhat related through alliances, as partners, "presented by", etc. And many have the same members.

One thing in common is regionalism, in one form or another. This theme seams to permiate throughout all these groups.

The common thread among all these groups is the belief that Northeast Ohio needs a centrally planned economy like the old Soviet Union.

The citizens of this area are the victims of these organizations and not the benficiaries.

The Port Authority is about to embarke on a $1 billion dollar plan to relocate the port to the East 55th area. They will spend this money so the City can develope 100 acres of land too the West of Browns Stadium.

Why is this a priority? No one can give an answer that makes any sense but this project will be done. If you asked the political leaders in this region what they would spend $1 billion on how many would even mention relocating the port? On a list of 100 most important devlopment projects where would this be?

While promoting ideas like that these same organizations work to kill shoreway development, Clifton Road improvements and more. What is their real agenda? I think I know.

I am hoping the lack of movement on this thread is because Lakewoodites are
starting to realize that Regionalists will say and do anything to sell you on what
is right for you, with no thought about what is really right for you.



I would also like to underline that my comments on regionalization, are not
completely related to the topic of the fire departments, but more on the slippery
slope that some groups like CLE+, Team Neo have tryed to sell one way or another
for over a decade but have NEVER made work.

I am also trying to underline that many forces here in Lakewood are being underwritten
or are tied in one form or another to regionalization and it will be the death of Lakewood
as we know it. So if you want to live in East Cleveland...

One should also not that many regionalist groups prefer Facebook where they can control
the message, and avoid any real questions or critical thought. They run quite freely from
open honest discussions, as they cannot stand up to the scrutiny. Just say no.

FWIW

.

I have no idea why in the world you are attempting to equate 1984 with "regionalism". You either don't understand the book or you are blowing this thing way out of proportion.

TeamNEO is hardly Big Brother. The information about them online is hardly frightening enough to merit that comparison. They're just promoting themselves by promoting regional business. Not that hair-brained an idea.

Sure, it wouldn't be a good idea for Lakewood to mesh with Cleveland, but there is no reason why organizations or individuals that are trying to collectivize resources should be demonized.

I can understand that some people on this board might be opposed to the idea of regionalization, and that's your right, but it is foolish to be so dead set against the idea that you cannot even hear the other side or positive aspects without balking. It's closed-mindedness akin to this that keeps progress from being made.

I also agree that Lakewood needs to improve itself first, but I don't see many people fixing the empty storefronts. And I wonder how everyone will vote on the school levy?