To solve many of our social ills, NEO simply needs to give back what we have abandoned

It is interesting to reflect on "Cleveland" as a "shrinking city", with 100,000s in declining population, 10,000s of abandoned residential, commercial and industrial lots and buildings covering 1,000s of acres of land, and a failing tax base. Simply put, much of Cleveland is free to the taking, and taxpayers will even pay to get taken by their leaders - the land that is being freed up in this latest Savings and Loan "crisis" is worth $ billions and is being given to the friends of politicians for long term speculation and short term enrichment... what is bad for the poor is very good for the rich, who can buy low (can't beat free, with public subsidy). I'd say all this foreclosure hoopla is as fraudulent as was the housing bubble itself, being pure voodoo economic bullshit media spin to steal from the poor and give to the rich - the "Developed Nations" way and a NEO leadership specialty. I'd like to propose a completely different spin on dealing with our shrinking city crises, which is to give back to the Native Americans what we stole from them in the first place, since we destroyed it and supposedly it is now a burden to we settlers in our cowardly New World.

Create a virtual and real First Nations reservation in NEO, which includes all plots that go through foreclosure and become public property, which can be offered free or under special terms to any Native Americans who want to live there or develop, and provide the incentives to make this happen here before some other region has the sense to pursue such good economics and good karma. Offer the best incentive packages we offer the most politically connected local developers. Take the largest lots and allow them to be developed as duty-free zones, casinos, etc... give these developments the best incentives we have to offer locally, and help them secure whatever economic advantages are offered to Native Americans elsewhere in the Americas.

Basically, give the Native Americans back their land and let them make it green and bountiful again, bringing with them 100,000s of jobs and a new economy. Envision an urban Native American Vatican, so to speak, where we now have developed a Superfund Site (the Flats)... rising from the polluted ashes of Mittall, building a center of the First Nation's thought, trade, learning and economic intersections with other nations, making this an international duty free trade zone. Perhaps casinos won't be necessary to have a $ multi-billion impact, but NEO leaders want casinos soooo bad they will jump at Native American ownership without reservations.

This will all bring respect and balance to our community, for a change.