Legalities of the tax — There was a question of the legalities of how the County Board of Commissioner’s passed the .25% sales tax. In discussions with the General Counsel to the Commissioners, the response was that the Ohio Revised Code allows for the tax to be passed as it was. This appears to be true, but many of us believe it was done out of spirit with the law as it clearly states that if the funding is intended for the sole use of a convention facility.  See below – it was passed based on A3 as opposed to A1 that would of required a vote of the people, see #10 paragraph 3 of the ORC section referenced below (5739.026 County sales tax for specific purposes).

Has anyone challenged the constitutionality of this legal loophole? I researched it and found that the State Attorney General's Office does not provide opinions to private individuals (read citizen taxpayers). Is THAT constitutional? I know that the question was posed to former Atty Gen, Marc Dann who replied that it was not his jurisdiction, but would have to be posed to County Prosecutor Mason. Well, we all know that would be a dead end. Dann did say that it sounded like consumer fraud. If this is to be foisted upon us by some lapel pin seeking commissioners and private enterprisers is it not the civic duty of someone with standing to question this apparent fraud? What say you Councilman Cummins?

Bottom line - the return on investment is ZERO. Projection math can tell any story you want it to tell. This medcon solution is based on growth in a mythological service sector economy. Get real Fred Nance! The service economy was over come 1990!

So all that news that we've been hearing over the years about how “our economy is becoming a sort of service economy” has been a lie, what they we're really saying is “our economy is failing, so we're going to tell you it's becoming something better so you don't panic!”

The last thing NEO needs is another loss leader. We've got the shrinking maneuver down pat already. Most of our leaders are already lost and suffering increasing losses. At this point the final loss for all of them is their upcoming elections.

I do wish someone on Cleveland City Council would get some spine and stop bowing and scraping and steppin' and fetchin' for these bozos who are decades behind the curve. Don't tell me Brian that you go along with this charade. Years in the Peace Corps and now this? It is not the solution and you know it. How would they preserve Public Auditorium (if I might appeal to the preservationist in you)? Would Cleveland give it up for a song to turn it into some circus sideshow big tent? Disgraceful. Jesus Brian! Take a stand!

Brian (and Ed and others who cross post here at realNEO),

Thanks for posting here. In reference to the above post, I chose to comment here rathert than at BFD because of this: I needed to register there. I was able to proceed until I arriived at this:

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I just couldn't get through the wikipedia entry on logical fallacies. My response was slipping away. Even part way through it, I began to recognize that the very issue being discussed (medcon) was a prime example of several of these logical fallacies.

Editor? Really? I have to identify myself with my real name (not a problem) but then I await an email confirmation from an unnamed "editor". Then there's the threat - "think twice about saying something you don't want coming back to you." Wow, is this some polite way to effectively silence critics? Maybe not (there's plenty of dissent there), but I prefer a place where I can speak my mind without the suggestion of recrimination (which is always possible CoolCleveland or not). We've been picked up by the Pee Dee here at realNEO dating back several years.  The Pee Dee can quote our writers (though you have to click through for the real opinions, like this one, "Now do you see why this top-down leadership bullshit doesn't work, and is downright dangerous?!?!?"). And even Chris Kennedy said, "We read the blogs."  (I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get an image posted with this new editor, but here is a link to the look Falanga gave me when Kennedy said that.) Even Google features realNEO posts in their financial pages (Buster on Eaton's move for example), and Environment Ohio refers to his post in a report on Energizing Ohio's Economy and even forums in Thailand have linked to these posts. Our ideas make it into scholarly publications. I guess CoolCleveland doesn't feel like too big a concern.

Here at realNEO we know what a bite in the butt feels like, but hey, we're not afraid and we're not alone. Citizens throughout the region have been ridiculed and made to feel unwelcome. Maybe that's part of why NEO is shrinking, veiled threats and warnings aimed squarely at our right to question authority and the logical fallacies they force us to fund, like the medcon and the port move, etc.

 I'm sorry to read about Council's action.

What it says to me is that the quality of governance in Cleveland simply goes lower and lower.

What is says is that  Council, the Mayor and the County Commissioners have all taken positions

that disregard the public good and take sides with various entities that have vested interest in

the building of unnecessary public facilities at great public expense.

Very disappointing. The  public is unrepresented again.

I almost hope that Forest City has the power and the will to stop the project if it doesn't

get its way.

Sad when the only possible ally appears to  be the originally selected benefactor of this

entire scheme.