ROLDO: This Is Reform Government?

By Roldo Bartimole

You have to wonder whether our politicians look ahead or think at all.

Or whether it’s just too convenient to keep their heads in the sand and not worry about what they’re doing.

I’m talking about Cuyahoga County’s new form of government.

It doesn’t seem a bit of an improvement on the old. And I found the old rather damaging to its constituents.

First it was the decision to use $350 million for downtown development. For a hotel of 600 or more rooms. Built with County money. The County will own it. A preposterous idea in every respect. But one apparently that County Executive Ed FitzGerald believes, I have to assume, will make him a hero enough for people to spring him from any responsibility for the bungle by voting for him as Governor. At least he pleased the Plain Dealer temporarily.

Then a few days later we have another great need from the County – an $80 million mental health tax – 3 mills for six years. Likely a good use of its resources.

But why do we need a new tax? Well, property tax revenue is down. Even though it appears from reading the paper that things are booming. Well, sure it’s down. Practically any new or renewed building is tax abated. And too the big property owners have lawyers who appeal and get the value of their properties reduced.

Will the Plain Dealer, still posing as a newspaper, tell us how much abatements and tax exemptions and tax reductions are costing? Probably not.

And apparently – despite the acclaim for “reformed” County government – neither will any of our new reform council members seek the information and tell the public a bit of truth.

What no one says, however, is that our County elected officials have to know that the owners of the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers will be asking – and the County officials will be acceding to – either an extension (or making it permanent) of the sin tax that will cost Cuyahoga voters at least $12 million a year. The cost has been $343 million since 1990. (If you’ll look at my last posting you will read the laundry list of downtown gifts.)

My solution? Simple. Drop the taxes. Give the stadiums and the arena to the team owners for $1 each – Larry Dolan, Dan Gilbert and Jimmy “The Chiseler” Haslam – and put the facilities back on the tax rolls. Very simple. Those who benefit should pay. What could be fairer?

And, of course, we will have to have an extension (or make permanent) the cigarette tax for the arts because that is reaching its 10-year ending. It’s collected $110 million since 2007.

This is to say nothing about the fact that Cuyahoga County faces a real fiscal problem with a service that is really essential to the health of its resident, especially poorer residents. What to do about Metro Hospitals. The need is real.

So, are you ready to build a 600-room hotel that will lose money? Likely from the first day it opens, if such a possibility ever is realized. Or is this more political pie in the sky?

And are you ready for a convention center that also will lose money in short order. And who will pay for those costs? You, my friend.

We have a Plain Dealer that loves big headlines.

But its editors never seem to relate one big headline event to another and what the costs mean. As in, if you have this, can you afford that?

Editorially, the PD people might as well be living in New Orleans or Portugal.

They certainly don’t seem to pay any real attention to what’s being done here.

Last week I tried hard to compile the costs that have burden us because we have a place called Downtown. And it has a powerful constituency made up of people like Joe Roman of the Greater Cleveland Partnership Joe Marinucci and other foundation biggies. They tell us how important it is to pour more and more money there. Even if it’s a chandelier swinging over Euclid Avenue. Just do it, they say.

Who do they represent? Oh, the Cleveland Foundation, the Gund Foundation, the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Are you part of that partnership? Absolutely not.

It’s made up of only top corporate leaders and top law firm biggies.

And their highly-paid officers get special treatment from our media mediocrities. What they have to say is IMPORTANT!

Art Falco of Playhouse Square drew pay of $612,398 in 2011; Ron Richard of the Cleveland Foundation, $574,274 in 2011; Dave Abbott of the Gund Foundation, $366,245 in 2001; and Marinucci of Downtown Cleveland Alliance, $252,747 in 2011. Those are the latest IRS figures for these non-profit guys who work heavily for the big profit guys.

I guess they don’t mind paying a few more pennies on everything they buy since they get so well paid to pass the taxes on to you. Nice work if you can get it.

And you can bet there isn’t any tax that will present even a slight burden on these wealthier individuals.

All the taxes are on ordinary citizens, already burdened with carrying the 1 percent on their shoulders.

Reform government? Not hardly.

 

 

In 1991 he was awarded the Second Annual Joe Callaway Award for Civic Courage in Washington, D.C. He received the Distinguished Service Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, Cleveland chapter, in 2002, and was named to the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, 2004. [Photo by Todd Bartimole.]

 

 

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