When I cruised through cleveland.com to see what was up after a friend alerted me (I have been in research all day) about the FBI descending like midges on the County today, I found this tidbit:

FBI hauls away more evidence in corruption probe by estarzyk [at] plaind [dot] com July 28, 2008 17:08PM

Categories: Breaking News, Crime, Cuyahoga County government, FBI raids Cuyahoga County (Note they made a new category - probably smart since this will be ongoing for long enough to use that phrase for a sort)

Then I clicked through to Doan Pyramid Electric to see why they might be involved in the investigation. I mean, what they wired a new fixture at Jimmy's house for free?

But here's what smells fishy there:

Remember when Norm reported on the destruction of the historic properties to expand the Veteran's Administration Hospital at University Circle? Well, guess who the developer in that deal is... you guessed it - DPE!!! Jay Miller of Crain's Cleveland Business covers it here - right on their website. Thanks for the handy link DPE!

Doan Pyramid Electric LLC, an electrical contractor, is growing into a developer. November 6, 2006.

Here's a choice quote from the story, "When Mr. Forlani laid out his plan before City Council last week, he said he hoped the city would agree to approve the tax increment financing. If it does, taxes on 100% of the increase in the assessed value of the property would be diverted to help cover construction costs.

That's a hefty tax break, more than the city would grant in a tax abatement, but Mr. Forlani argued that the financing structure of the deal and the nature of the project justify it.

'The market rents wouldn't support the project without some incentives to reduce the capital cost,' Mr. Forlani said after the City Council hearing. 'And if the VA had the money to do the project itself, it would pay no taxes.'

Under a tax increment financing arrangement, the county auditor would bill the project for its full tax payments. However, the bulk of the tax money collected would be diverted to pay off the port authority bonds rather than be sent to the city or to the Cleveland Municipal School District.

Mr. Forlani told City Council he is negotiating with the Cleveland schools to make payments in lieu of taxes and would give the school district a portion of the tax revenue. An analysis of the project by the city's Economic Development Department describes the entire VA expansion as bringing 1,200 jobs to the neighborhood, in large part by creating a hospital complex that employs 2,700 people. The analysis estimates the new jobs will bring in $1.6 million a year in city income taxes at current salary and tax levels, and it projects a total of nearly $80 million over 30 years."

Can’t find the follow up story about the PILOTS they have granted to the schools yet, can you?

Ah, it's the old "make 'em sick, make 'em well" close. In this case, the federal guvmint makes 'em sick (sends them off to senseless wars) and the taxpayers, make 'em well - OK maybe not well, but stable.

When I was down in Apalach I had an argument with a guy who was a McCain supporter. (Really he was a card carrying racist, but that's another story.) He said, "Why should I pay for someone else's health care?" Well, Mr., here's a good example of how you are paying and taxpayers in communities throughout this "great land" are paying right along with you, from the cost of the morphine  to the cost of the anti-depressants to the costs of the buildings in which to administer the drugs and therapies.

Well, you might have known that "hefty tax break" was covered here on realneo, too. The wheel of karma turns slowly sometimes. Sometimes it accelerates. Who's sweating tonight?

Tomorrow's PD will be the first real test of the new publisher and editor, who probably don't realize how corrupt NEO and the local media really have become... they must now expose as crooks the people they have praised and championed, and they should dedicate considerable resources (which they do not have) to cover the story well.

We'll see, tomorrow...

Disrupt IT

City of Cleveland? Port Authority? National Park? Cleveland Metroparks? Forest City? Will it be like a government official foreclosure crisis where offices are vacated and jail cells filled instead?

I was reminded of the lyric by William Burrows on Laurie Anderson's Mister Heartbreak album.
"Hey sport. You connect the dots. You pick up the pieces." From Sharkey's Night. Well with the internet, we're connecting the dots and we're picking up the pieces.

I personally got a kick hearing that one. Doan Electric threw in the fixtures to get something.

Obviously the FBI and IRS we're there not to get the evidence. They have that collected over the course of dunderheaded corruption by Huey, Dewey and Louie.

They were putting the finishing touches for the court case. How else are you going to get a picture to verify if you can't get near Frank Russo's palace?

and to top it off...meddling lawyers like John Climaco just happen to be wandering around the grounds.

When's Dimora going to announce his "retirement" from both the commisioner post AND the county democratic party? .

Could this truly clean out the county house? I'm doubtful. We're not going to become Portland Oregon when this is done. Would be nice.

My worst fear will is that someone at the bottom will take the fall or the two will only get replaced by the next new bully on the block.

  To quote dweller:
My worst fear will is that someone at the bottom will take the fall or the two will only get replaced by the next new bully on the block.  I am going to have to reread Candide :)

(A cautionary note to Brian Cummins--this is how it all starts).

Susan, don't be fooled by the musical chairs routine.  There are no saviors here.  Rokakis and Cimperman are the last two politicos I would be looking at for salvation.  Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

Great comments, all.   Having followed developing events to this point and learning a bit more about the evil phrase 'Public Corruption' we're looking at the sort of behavior that has likely prevailed amongst 'Cleveland Crony' government and corporate bigwigs in the misogynist back rooms of the Union Club since the dawn of time.  Time and time again we've seen public officials, whether frustrated by what they perceive to be middling salaries relevant to their powerful positions, or giddy with said power - travel down the path of corruption.  Insider deals, kickbacks, infidelities, and dishonesty pervade this evil world of dirty politics.

Providing lucrative and illegal exclusivities to key contractors for big-money projects is probably just the beginning in this case.  We'll find out much more, I'm sure in the coming days and weeks ahead. 

If anything, I hope the microscopes now honed in on the County by Press and Feds alike will discover and purge all these corruptive elements - and not fear extension of this investigation to the other two comissioners, Hagan and Jones, in the process.  In the Cuyahoga County Commissioner world - it takes three to tango - perhaps the other two were truly oblivious to all these goings on but I am a bit skeptical at this point.   Better safe than sorry...