Thanks to Roldo, and the Internet, the people of Northeast Ohio are finally starting to see a clearer picture of Dan Gilbert, the man betting $10s millions that more than 50% of Ohioans will risk the state's social and economic future and $ billions on him and casinos. Roldo first awoke real NEO to the "TRUTH ABOUT DAN GILBERT'S GAMBLING CHARGES", on October 19, and today Roldo brings forward first hand testimony that "STATE COP'S ARREST STORY DIFFERS FROM GILBERT'S VERSION", opening "A former Michigan state trooper tells a different story of Dan Gilbert’s arrest on operation of gambling business than the Cavs owner has been peddling to the news media." See video above for Officer Fielder's video statement.

Driving from Cleveland up into the eastern Heights, today, I noticed how different the political signs are in the most affluent part of the Cuyahoga County, compared to in my lowly 'hood... and how illegal. While there are quite a few pro-Issue 6 signs on front lawns of fancy houses, in the lofty Heights, where the pro-Issue 6 signs are most prominent is on public property, from Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights east.

Does it make sense for a school district to abandon buildings, defer maintenance on all,  demolish and rebuild some buildings at enormous cost, when the district is strapped for operational funding? 

Well, that is what CMSD continues to do.  Is that Sustainable Cleveland?

It's not all gloom and doom--here are some uplifting images from a grey day in Cleveland.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Vote Nagin for City Council

Today (Monday Oct. 26, 2009) the Plain Dealer ran my letter concerning the blundering approach to development along the new Health Bus Rapid Transit Line on Euclid Avenue being taken by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

I have posted here that Lincoln West is one of the schools in the City of Cleveland, which provides critical after hour community recreation and classes.  The program is called School as Neighborhood Resources. 

Where is this $180,000 sculpture, who is the artist, why is it located here, how was it selected, who  paid for it, who will maintain it, what does it say, is it successful, does it represent serious problems in unreal NEO, and how may you get it to speak for you, in the future?

With timing that could not be better for political candidates who actually care about the environment and real sustainability for NEO and the world... the greatest demonstration of the unsustainable harm of our current leadership of Mayor Jackson and all or most Cleveland City Council members (did any oppose), and of our other Powers That Be, will be showcased here, tomorrow, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports "AMP Inc. on Monday holds its annual membership meeting in Cleveland". AMP is planning a poorly conceived $3+ billion coal burning powerplant in Southern Ohio, at astounding ecological expense, that is largely the fault of Cleveland politicians committing to buy the unsustainable, dirty power to be generated there, for 50 years!

I was reviewing emails from last week and read, from the EPA, "EPA Proposes Tightening Standards for Lead-Safe Renovation Practices and Lead Paint Dust to Protect Children", which reports "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is marking National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week by announcing several actions the agency proposes to take to prevent lead poisoning."

Do you remember hearing anything in Northeast Ohio about last week being National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week? 

Okay, for once, JeffB and NormR--we can agree that aersol art can be a thing of beauty--I am including here an image, I shot while in college at Miami University of Ohio. 

Long live the REVOVOLUTION!

What is sustainability for Cleveland? Recently Major Frank Jackson lead an acclaimed three-day “Sustainability Summit,” which brought together 700 excited business people, students and environmental activities in feel good optimism while the Jackson-lead city government slogs along to Cleveland’s oblivion as usual.

"I think Ohio can be the next Silicon Valley", said Cleveland Foundation President and "former head of North American research and development for Panasonic" Ronn Richard, for a November 2007 Cleveland Plain Dealer article titled "German solar company plans HQ in Cleveland". The PD then reported: "For months, the Cleveland Foundation has sent teams to Europe in an effort to sell Ohio to solar and wind turbine companies as the right place to manufacture."

Today, less than two years later, the PD reports "IBC Solar to leave Cleveland for San Francisco." "The company has maintained its one-person U.S. headquarters here since February 2008." "Cleveland Foundation President Richard hadn't given up Thursday evening. He was to meet with Buntain today to talk about the company's decision -- and what it will take to keep a presence in Ohio."

I was quite breathtaken when I scanned the list of contributors to Issue 6 - the NEOCON ploy to restructure Cuyahoga County - published today in the primary communications vehicle for NEOCON 6, the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

Disgraced, bankrupt National City Bank contributed $30,000 for Issue 6 - in Federal Bail-out funds, must be.

The article reports "The primary authors of Issue 6, County Prosecutor Bill Mason and Parma Heights Mayor Martin Zanotti, lent $5,000 each to the cause."

The Cleveland Plain-Plan Dealer has shown remarkable bias in the coverage and promotion of Issue 6 - the NEOCON-created, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor/Off Shore Wind Economy Expert/political insider's-insider Bill Mason-sponsored plan to eliminate Cuyahoga County government, as we know it, and replace it with some lawyerese slight-of-mind proposal for new leadership of our region... aka NEOCON 6.

Confessions of a bibliophile:  I read the Plain Dealer every Sunday for the book section and I am so grateful that the Plain Dealer understands the extreme regional importance of the BOOK.

Follow Karen Long here and please note that the PD has twitterized their site for the readers, so you will have to register to become a follower :)

The Glass City Jungle blog in Toledo seems to be the only media outlet to have picked up on a TruthPAC poll with results showing, as Dave Betras, Chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, says, “It looks like Issue 3 is going down.” Wonder if and when the Plain Plan Dealer will share this insight with its intentionally misinformed readers... hopefully, they read REALNEO as well...

Welcome to REALNEO, new REAL COOP member and recent Cleveland transplant Bill Botkin. Thanks for joining our real NEO community.

Bill's REALNEO member bio reads: "I am a transplant from Columbus as of 2 years ago. My career has spanned 20 years in the copier/mfp industry and I recently made the change to the Office Supply/Furniture Industry where I discovered Sustainability. I am looking to become more involved in the Cleveland area." Bill came to the right place!

Because Bill filled out his REALNEO user profile with useful information about himself and his employer, I found reasons to learn more about Bill and spent some time visiting his employer's website - Today's Business Products - where Bill "discovered Sustainability"... and Today's Business Products seems to have a good interest in sustainability - they list many "green products".