The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s investigative reporter Mark Naymik’s article regarding Cleveland Councilperson TJ Dow’s objection to a $100 million project in his ward raises serious questions about the internal politics of Cleveland City Council and the judgment of Councilperson Dow.
The proposed project, sponsored by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic, would relocate the CWRU dental school and phase two of a hotel/residential facility in Dow’s Hough area ward. According to the article, Dow objects on the basis that the developers are not committed to benefits for his community. The problem is, the sole community benefits that Dow is willing to accept in exchange for his approval is the financing of his pet project — which he nebulously defines as a community resource center, rumored to be the new home of his council office.
There is no question that local leaders should voice concerns on behalf of their constituents when development projects come in and make substantial changes to a neighborhood. In such cases there should be a guarantee of jobs for residents, minority contractors and other projects advantageous to the community.
If Case is building a dental school, it seems like a no-brainer that the community should demand and receive some kind of programs that would provide free and low-cost dental services for residents — especially inter-city children who by and large have virtually no access to dental care, in addition to various forms of academic opportunities for local students in dentistry and allied health fields.
Cleveland City Council has for generations had an unwritten rule that dictates that council members defer to the so-called wisdom of individual council persons before approving such projects. This means that “one monkey can stop the show” — for whatever reason, valid or invalid.
This archaic way of thinking has done much to hamper development in Cleveland. If a councilperson has a legitimate objection to a project it should be brought to the fore and hashed out with the city administration — including the mayor, the department of development and the council president. They should act as arbitrators to weigh the benefits of the projects versus the objections of the councilperson and the neighborhood. Cleveland is one of the most depressed cities in the nation. It is in no position to turn down projects that would revitalize neighborhoods and create jobs on the whim of one councilperson.
Dow’s mindset reminds me of the people in East Cleveland that blocked the takeover of the severely depressed East Cleveland Library by the Cuyahoga County Library system. Opponents of the takeover should take a ride to the Warrensville Heights Libary and the new South Euclid Library. They will see two magnificent facilities built by the county library system, providing a myriad of services to residents. Then compare them to the bedraggled East Cleveland Library. Some East Cleveland politicians won the two-bit political battle and lost the war. They can claim that we kept control of “our” library in East Cleveland but who lost? The residents.
Looking at the current battle between Dow and the prospects of new development in the ward takes my mind back to 1977. The Cleveland Clinic was on the move. It wanted to expand its footprint and consolidate its campus. The problem was East 93rd Street, which was a major north/south thoroughfare. Since my aunt lived on East 93rd off Cedar and my family lived in Glenville; this was the street that we always used to get there. We were among the local residents who said “no way” to the closing.
Enter Councilman James Boyd who represented the then Ward 18. The details have now faded, but the bottom line is that Boyd was indicted and convicted of bribery in connection with personal benefits he received in exchange for his approval of the street closing. Prosecutors alleged and a jury believed that Boyd was, shall we say, overzealous in his demands of the Clinic. The jury determined that the community benefits went not to the community but to Boyd. He ended up in the clink.
If Councilman TJ Dow is not careful, he could next. There’s a thin line between love and hate but there is also a thin line between extortion, bribery and making unspecified demands by elected officials of prospective developers in exchange for government approval.
With the county corruption scandal in the not-so-distant past, in addition to the indictments growing out of the building of the VA Hospital, Cleveland does not need another politician headed to jail. If TJ Dow is not careful, he could be going down the same path as Boyd. In politics, common sense and good judgment can go a long way. It’s about time Councilman TJ Dow found some.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she serves on the Board of the Ohio History Connection and was recently appointed to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.