Dennis Kucinich served a fraught two years as Cleveland’s “boy mayor” from 1977-1979, when he was in his early 30s. They included the city’s default; a revolving door of city officials; and a recall campaign (the first in the city’s history), which he survived — just barely. He lost to George Voinovich after serving a single two-year term. Much later, he served in Congress, campaigned for a “Department of Peace” and ran two quixotic presidential campaigns in the ’00s.
His admirers always point to what they see as his greatest accomplishment: he saved Muny Light! That was Cleveland’s publicly owned utility company, now Cleveland Public Power, which the privately owned, for-profit Illuminating Company wanted gone. You might point out that others were also ultimately involved in preventing its demise, including Voinovich. You could also argue, as some do, that Cleveland Public Power doesn’t necessarily do a great job. But Kucinich standing his ground was a high point in an otherwise chaotic administration.
We haven’t heard from Kucinich in a while — I last saw him at VegFest in 2018 (he’s a vegan) — and it turns out he’s been focusing for the last three years on writing a book. And guess what this 800-plus page tome is about? That’s right: saving Muny Light.
The book The Division of Light and Power, which hits the streets June 8, tells the whole story from Kucinich’s viewpoint, the brave little mayor against the giant corporation.
“The Division of Light and Power is the thoroughly documented true story of one courageous American mayor, who fought, and beat a utility monopoly in an epic battle which involved corporate espionage and sabotage, bank co-conspirators, extortion, political corruption, organized crime, mob-directed assassination attempts, congressional investigations, and media cover-ups,” says the book’s back cover blurb.
“With utilities in California, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio pushing consumers to the brink, The Division of Light and Power, the story of the fight to save a publically owned utility in Cleveland, achieves a new importance,” says Kucinich. “I spent the better part of the last 40 years working on the writing and documentation. During the 16 years I served in Congress, I set it aside to focus on trying to stop America’s illegal wars. Then, once I left Congress, slowly but surely, through one draft after another, I was finally able to complete the work.”
You can snag the book — which should take care of all your summer reading in one volume — here. Or, in keeping with Kucinich’s “little guy against the big corporation” theme, you could buy or order it from one of Cleveland’s fine locally owned independent book shops.
Loganberry Books, Larchmere Boulevard
Appletree Books, Cleveland Heights
One Response to “Dennis Kucinich’s New Book Tells The Story of His Fight for Muny Light”
Sid gould
Good God Dennis is still relying on the one thing he ever did for Cleveland worth of shit.. Come up with something new will you this is ancient history