AND THEN THERE WERE TWO

 Update:
10/12/2015 2pm

see our continuing comments 10/27/2015 (in italics) at the very bottom of this post


Well, if you trust the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (which sorry we don't), after Wednesday's count there will be two candidates with relatively little public service experience vying for mayor of Maple Heights in the November Election.  Bill is a 1 term councilman (who caused many of the inhabitants of Maple Heights City Hall great angst) and Annette was "Mayor appointed" to serve on Charter Review in 2011, but has never held an elected office in Maple Heights city government.  Maple, by the way, is in Fiscal Emergency.  

As we see it, you'll either have another "white male" as mayor or one that is "white male" mayor approved.   Maple Heights has an estimated 70% African American population with considerable money circulation problems.  Whether you like African Americans or not, if money continues to largely circulate outside the community (that includes paying a large number of full time city employees who for the most part live and spend their money outside the city), Maple Heights financial problems will remain. That's bad for white and black residents. Regarding these taxes asked for ... they are temporary fixes at best and will not correct the long standing multitude of financial problems facing Maple; (what will help) money circulation within the community will.

We know at least one of the candidates wants more transparency in government, the other, "who the hell knows". 


Brownlee wants to restructure Maple's government to a city manager form of government.  (2)  (3)  That certainly won't be an easy task and it may or may not help the community.
Blackwell may try to keep the same folks around who were positioned when Maple went into Fiscal Watch and then Fiscal Emergency.



Both candidates are loose canons (meaning you don't know what the hell they'll do once they get in office).  Both candidates may shy away from dealing with the Department of Justice (2) (3), though it wouldn't be a wise move.

One will most certainly be replacing the current "issues with transparency" Law Director (When? No one knows), the other we hope will but we're skeptical.  Residents are going to have to carefully watch whoever is appointed to that position, including the Assistant Law Director position.


No matter which candidate lands in the mayor's seat, (ARTICLE V, THE EXECUTIVE) they will be handing out appointments.  This is what should really concern you!!!!


Be careful of those candidates who push taxes.  Think about who is being fed with your taxes (and we're also talking about school taxes). When those schools were built, who were the contractors? Who made money in the building of those schools?  Did residents participate in the building of those schools?  We're there any local contractors used (esp. Black contractors)?   Did those who dispensed our tax money insist that there be Black contractors/Maple Hts residents or Maple Heights/Black residents who would receive on the job training?  Are there any Black contractors being used now?  Look beyond the rhetoric you hear. Look at where your money goes and to whom the money goes.  

BHF: Black children do better when they know their history and culture. (2) see also: The Rise of Homeschooling Among Black Families.
A number of  HBCUs offer African American Studies. 

 [Go HERE for Maple Heights School report card]

As to candidates who will or could possibly have a seat on council come 2016 .. well, there's Toni Jones who seems to think "a resident speaking up (in 2011) about what she feels is a sitting mayor attacking the character of a Black female candidate without cause" is "playing the race card".   Ron Jackson and Edwina Agee (as did all of the current council members, including Brownlee first go round) voted for speed cameras in Maple Heights (without voter consent).  And then there's two uncontested wild cards, Stafford Shenett (an attorney), ... and Tanglyn Madden.

This is what we said in August 2012.  Click the link: MAPLE HEIGHTS LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO GO.   Adams, Cefaratti, Lansky and Albers will soon be gone, though whose to say who may linger in the background. 
Not sure if Jones or Trojanski will remain though our guess is they will.

Side note:  While we appreciate people's passions and comments, we've been dealing with Maple Heights city government for quite some time, and have put in the time and effort to try to understand how to create viable, diverse communities. 

And to those who comment:  Do you  know where your tax dollars go?  Do you attend council meetings?  Do you ask your council representative pertinent questions?  Have you ever asked for public records?  If not, why not?  Do you know how to create viable and diverse communities?  Have you done any research on how to create viable, diverse communities?  Do you understand the principle of money circulation and how to circulate money within a community (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)?  
If you're a politician, are you prepared to deal with the constant problems of running a government and criticisms thrown at you, and prepared to get calls late at night (or all through the night)?
As a politician, do you have the balls to criticize the police if necessary and deal with police union demands? 

We're not candidates or politicians and we don't bow down to any politician.  If you want to be in public office, get a thick skin and get used to the criticisms (and deal with them) or pack up and leave.
  

[Edited 10/04/2015]
"And to the person who left a comment in the comment section stating we promised to work together (??? WTH!!).  Since we did not attend any mayor's forum and we're not candidates or politicians who promised anything, your comment regarding what we said is misdirected.  ****We made no such comments. 


It's also very obvious that we have some commenters who have only been to the Maple Heights African American Gazette once or twice and are supporters of Ms. Blackwell (Which is fine - but that remark "Get Over It" was adolescent).  Look around.  You'll find links to not only "Codified Ordinances of Maple Heights", but also to organizations that are excellent resources.


Each commenter needs to do their own research and ask relevant questions of both candidates and go to council meetings and ask for public records.  Please do read the section "About Us".  Finally, ... Just because you're an African American doesn't mean we trust you or support you.  You have to earn our trust and support.  


We (plural) live here and we watch City Hall, this community and its leadership and community organizers and those who are considered community activists. We also speak out and ask for public records and place ourselves at grave risk for doing so in some instances."  


The Maple Heights News did video tape the mayor's forum and post on YouTube along with their other video tapes of council meetings, etc. 

____-------------------------______-------------------------__________
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10/27/2015

You wanted an education, we're going to give it to you .... though you may not like what you read.

Click HERE






Related:
Codified Ordinances of Maple Heights

Residency Rules: The Detroit Experience

From Black Wall Street to the Black Dollar Project

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT MAYOR OF MAPLE HEIGHTS?

Maple Heights is coming up on a primary election and general election to pick a mayor to lead its city.

Seriously, come on,  are voters actually considering a bunch of lightweights going up against a heavyweight (Mrs. Neomia Mitchell)?  Far above those lightweights, Mrs. Mitchell (a 27 year Maple Heights resident) has devoted a large majority of her life to public service, which included serving on city council (at least 2 terms).*  City Council creates laws and policy that affect resident’s financial, business, and social lives.  Mrs. Mitchell, a retired Human Resource Officer, Payroll, Benefits Officer and Accounting Specialist; as well as a Financial Planner (27 years) and Tax Consultant (32 years), understands the importance of governance.

A graduate from Philander Smith College (an HBCU in Little Rock, Arkansas), Mrs. Mitchell is strong on education; and she has fought (even her former council colleagues) for a recreation center for Maple Heights youth.  At one time she even formed a youth group.

A great many of her supporters are seniors; and if you remember, those supporters were able to get the required number of signatures to get a charter amendment placed on the ballot that would allow the voter to decide if they wanted those speed cameras in their community.  Those supporters/seniors fought Maple Heights City Hall all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court (and won) to get that charter amendment placed on the ballot.  Had those cameras stayed, we all know where most of that money would have circulated and it wasn’t for community development.** Voters overwhelmingly decided to get rid of those speed cameras. So clearly Mrs. Mitchell has the clout and has demonstrated over and over again that she can get the job done. 

Mrs. Mitchell has a plan (and we’ve seen some of it) that will bring the big T (transparency to Maple Heights government), help circulate money within the community, bring diversity to government, attract grants and small business, help seniors and young people and homeowners; and will have the backing of various influential and “get the job done” members of state and federal government. 

In the past we’ve seen ugly attempts to sully her reputation, but this lady is classy and always tries to run a clean campaign. 

We could go on and on, but while we appreciate the competition, none of those competitors can hold a candle to  Mrs. Neomia Mitchell.



*Note: Bill Brownlee served 1 term on City Council.
Donald Grossmyer - police officer


**Various members of council are gearing up again to cram traffic cams down the throats of Maple Heights residents.

MAPLE HEIGHTS AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS ARE READY TO ASK PUBLIC EMPLOYEES TO RESIGN

I love the fact that the Maple Heights African American Gazette is online.  At last African Americans who live in Maple Heights have a voice.  They cannot be ignored. 

Most egregious - African American women have no real voice in Maple Heights government.  Those women who speak the loudest are ridiculed, disrespected, and spoken to in a condescending manner. 

Bear witness - This is to all politicians and other public servants who work in Maple Heights.  Harassment of residents,  failure to respond to requests/questions for Maple Heights public records and Maple Heights public information (and other actions that violate the terms of your employment agreement or violate the law)  may be reported on the Maple Heights African American Gazette (and so I don't have to write that long word, MHAAG will be the short form).

If anyone has a question to ask a Maple Heights public servant that concerns Maple Heights public information, ask it here.  If you would like a Maple Heights public record, ask for it here.  Your request will be posted on the REQUESTS FOR MAPLE HEIGHTS GOVERNMENT PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION page from this point on.  You can even leave the question or request for public records in the comment section of the page. 

I, personally am sick and tired of these politicians and other high paid public servants refusal to answer questions about their job,  Maple Heights public information; or refusal to provide Maple Heights public records.  We pay them.  We are their boss.

From this point on, any questions asked will be published on the request page, and all answers to those questions will be published on the request page.  If the public servant does not answer or refuses to answer, a "no response" next to the employee's name, will be published  on the REQUESTS FOR MAPLE HEIGHTS GOVERNMENT PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION page. 

If it is seen that a public servant has refused to answer questions or provide public records that they should provide, or has interfered with this process,  there will be a request for that public servant to step down from office or be asked to resign from office.

Note:  Anyone can ask for a Maple Hts government public record, and they can do it anonymously, or have someone else ask for them (and even pick up the documents for them).   I would start by asking your elected council person for that information.  If they refuse to provide it, let us know and we will ask your representative why they refused, and we will post their response on the request page.  Personally, if your council person refuses to provide information that you requested regarding Maple Heights government, property belonging to Maple Heights, contractors working for Maple Heights, information about Maple Heights public employees (that is allowed under Ohio Sunshine laws), and information allowed under Ohio Sunshine laws, I would think about asking them to step down from office, but I would definitely not vote for them (my opinion).

Ohio Sunshine law manual