PD EGGING ON UNNECESSARY ROAD

We have a problem Plain Dealer.

The monopoly newspaper has been pushing hard for the so-called Opportunity Corridor. The problem is that the co-chairman of the push is Terry Egger, publisher of the Plain Dealer. He’s a walking conflict of interests.

 

Multi-millionaire Egger is a board member of the Cleveland Clinic, likely the chief entity to benefit from the proposed road. The road would go from I-490 at East 55th street and slice to, well, the Clinic area.

 

So Egger has two conflicts of interest – his position as publisher and his position as a Clinic board member along with his position as head of the only newspaper in town.

I wrote Egger for information on his committee’s efforts a while back. Egger punted over to Terri Hamilton Brown. She’s the project head, working at the Greater Cleveland Partnership. The Partnership helped finance a study on the importance of the road, helped with matching $100,000 contributions from the Cleveland and Gund Foundations.

 

Money is easily gotten for projects that benefit the powerful and wealthy.

 

Once again today the PD had big headlines: “Opportunity Corridor needed even more now, officials say,” read the top headline on the Metro Page. I had a hard time finding in the article any officials, other than Ms. Hamilton Brown, making comment that would back up that headline.

 

The same old line is given us by the Pee Dee. The urgency deals with “spawning” economic and community development. Please, give me a break.

 

What I did notice, however, is that the price of the 2-3/4 mile road has already gone up since the last article by $25 million, from $350 million to $375 million.

 

Egger, who once complained to me that I overstated his income from the sale of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, made millions on the deal. The numbers came from the St. Louis Journalism Review, which cited Security & Exchange Commission figures. See here for Egger’s wealth:

http://www.lakewoodbuzz.com/RoldoBartimole/RB%2005-24-06_Cleveland_Plain_Dealer_Terrence_Egger_Lakewood%20Ohio%20Roldo%20Bartimole.html [1]

 

I inquired about meetings of Egger’s Corridor group. The answer came from Ms. Hamilton Brown.

 

“The Steering Committee held a kick-off meeting on May 15 at the Plain Dealer…” Well, isn’t that convenient for Mr. Egger.

 

The next meeting was scheduled for Sept. 1 and was held “in the board room of the Greater Cleveland Partnership.” Also, convenient for those most interested.

 

The public, well, not so convenient, especially meeting at 9 a.m.

 

Well, I asked for minutes of the meetings. I’d like to see what’s going on. Wouldn’t you?

 

“Minutes from the Sept. 1 meeting have not been completed and I am now out of town until Sept. 21. I will forward minutes from both meetings when I return to the office.”

No mention of minutes from the May meeting?

 

Anyway, I don’t expect too much in the way of cooperation.

 

Egger is busy putting out an inferior newspaper. The Partnership is busy doing what it always does – taking care of those with power. The Cleveland and Gund foundations are busy doing that they typically do – funding what those in power want funded.

 

This is a disgrace. Opportunity Corridor, indeed. When people who need transportation are being hit with increased fares and lesser service by the Regional Transit Authority, our leaders are busy wrangling $375 million (so far) for a road we don’t need, for the convenience of people who can afford to travel Cleveland’s streets.

 

This is simply a very expensive bypass of ghetto residents for those who don’t want to see the seamy side of Cleveland. Let them take Woodland, Carnegie, Cedar, and Chester to University Circle. These are roads, already built, already convenient, and already paved.

 

You don’t hear much from the black political leadership. I remember when this issue came up years ago, Frank Jackson, then Council President, was a bit hesitant, as I remember. After all, the proposed road went through his ward.

 

Hardly a stir can one hear from Jackson or any other African-American politician.

 

Let’s stop building ghetto by-passes and calling them an OPPORTUNITY.