Authoritarians Against Authority

The Beacon Journal is doing its best to keep Slurred-Speechgate in the news. The latest reminder is a front pager that attempts to stir up controversy about reports filed by police officers that responded to the scene of last weekend's Mayoral incident (I think a crime actually occurred there too). The question begging to be asked is whether a request was made to change the official account of what happened last weekend.

The Mayor's slurred speech is now front and center.

One of the officers had complained to the FOP boss that he was asked to white-wash the aspects of the report that mention the Plusquellic's slurred speech and nasty demeanor. There has to be more pertinent questions asked about the latest dust up between the FOP and the Mayor. That's really what this about isn't it?

Yeah Yeah, we know Plusquellic is brash and even heavy handed. The mayor's prerogative is to make it clear he's the guy running the guy running (micromanaging) the show in Akron.

As I've pointed out I think most effective mayors do have these traits. Sure it rankles the members of the public safety forces when the guy they are directed to show disdain for bosses them around. I'm sure the rank and file have been given their marching orders - the mayor is not to be trusted. An age old fight continues.

What rankles me, a taxpayer, is the blatant disregard by police officers for the just order of things in city governance. The Beacon article made sure to point out that the officer who made the claim has an honorable military record with the U.S Marines. While that is impressive and much appreciated it's not an excuse to contravene the mandate our elected leaders have to act as the chief executive of the city. Even though it may hurt your feelings.

How can I say this politely? The union president is not the elected leader of Akron, the mayor is. As an police officer you don't have to like him but, you do have to respect his position. He put in office by a vote of the people (twice in less than two years). In fact I'm almost sure that the armed forces are tasked with protecting our system which is based on the rule of law.

To go further I'd guess that one of the tenets that people who've served in the armed forces take with them is respect for the chain of command. The stubborn fact here is that the dude at the top of the food chain is the mayor and you don't have to like him to serve and protect the rest of us. The FOP leadership should consider this principle, especially if they are going to foist that Safety Tax Levy on us this fall.

Giant Purple People Movers Invade Akron

Akron METRO had unleashed new purple buses on the highways traversing the Akron-Cleveland highway corridor. The local transit authority has revamped the express bus fleet with newer more colorful rides.

Not only was the nearly $3 million cost of new buses covered with ARRA dollars but the purple machines come with bike drawers and will soon be WiFi equipped. Yet another move towards public internet connectivity in Akron. An email sent by METRO announced the rollout of Molly and her purple friends:

New NCX Buses Are Here

Six new buses are being put into service on the NCX express routes. The new buses have a vastly different look to them and will be eye catching, to say the least. Eventually they will be WiFi enabled. The bike racks are in a "drawer" under the bus and the operator will be able to show you how to use it.

If you haven't seen one yet and would like to see a photo of the bus email Molly at communications@akronmetro.org

Thank you for your patience with our current fleet and we hope you enjoy the new buses. Each bus cost $497,000 and was purchased with stimulus funds.

The use of stimulus dollars is good in a couple of ways. The purchase of new buses demonstrates how the dollars are finding their way down to the local level. And with $3 million freed up METRO can think about dialing back the rate they charge for riding the North Coast Express.

That wold be the rate that was increased even after voters approved a sales tax increase. Did you think we forgot?

Akron Recall: An Epilogue of Sorts

With the recall business in the rear view mirror it's time for Akronites to start the healing process or at least stop laughing about the results. There are some lessons learned from this odd detour from the rational discourse of our city's future into the bizarre obsession of one man.

Firstly, the mayor is not an infallible or unassailable political tour de force. Sure the guy has great hair and a square jaw but there was never a claim that he's perfect. There have been brash statements, public fits, feuds with the police and the failed sewer lease plan. Aside from the sewer thing (which I was critical of here, here here) there was nothing that warranted a bona fide public campaign to remove the mayor. That was accepted early on.

As dumb as the recall attempt was the process did afford the citizens of Akron a unique and comprehensive review of the Plusquellic years. Once observers were able to filter out the noise created by the Mendenhall Syndrome a reaffirming picture of Plusqeullic's tenure emerged. This cleansing was so pronounced that it actually resulted in nearly 5,000 more votes being registered in support for Don in the recall election than in the general election. Perhaps the lunacy of the recall effort also motivated people to get to the polls on a Tuesday in late June.

I mentioned in my last post that we should be devoid of Warner for at least three months. He has hinted at another attempt to hoist term limits on the voting populace. He is also trying to establish a puppet regime with his wife now planning to run for city council. I wouldn't rule out other forms of instigation involving the Akron FOP or maybe a caper involving Joe Finley. At any rate it may not matter what Warner's next act is. The recall debacle has cast a considerable shadow over his reputation, whatever that was.

Two more requiems on the Mendenhall Affair that are worth checking out were posted by The Pho and Abe Zaidan. Both contributions are much more eloquent than anything that I have attempted to convey on these pages.

Akron Recall: Game Over

I'm not waiting for the polls to close to call this thing. With very little knowledge or insight my gut tells me the recall is going down in flames.

As of now the recall of Mayor Don Plusquellic went down to a thirty point defeat. Total ballots cast 11,200 against, 4,800 for and 1 undecided (Joe Finley). God I hope I'm right about this.

Anyway, I voted at 6:30AM with about ten other inhabitants of 8's N and Q. The same crew was manning the polls but they were a tad confused. I find that the elderly function much better with an infusion of fiber to start the day.

The recall defeat should buy the citizens of Akron at least a three month reprieve from the minions of Mendenhall.

Update: I was a little off. The number of total votes cast was 24,133. It looks like the piker rebellion of 2009 will go down by 40 plus points. I'm sure Warner has already concocted a worthy conspiracy to explain the trouncing.

Akron Recall: The Mendenhall Syndrome

June 23rd can't come soon enough. At this point I'm not even concerned about the results of the special election. What the arrival of that day really means for me and other citizens of Akron is the removal of Recall Warner from our lives. As Lady Anne exclaimed in Richard III , "thou dost infect my eyes!", and Mendenhall has been infecting our eyes, ears and sensibilities for the past year.

We have all been exposed to the Mendenhall Syndrome. Aside from being an insufferable whiner Warner's symptoms also include a preoccupation with conspiratorial delusions about Mayor Plusquellic. The mayor shouldn't take it so personally, there have probably been scores of other people that have been directly exposed to this virulent strain.

The most recent example of the affliction was the immediate condemnation of the roll-out of the first phase of the Connect Akron venture. To the casual observer the introduction of a public wireless network is a good thing.

Those afflicted by the syndrome see a calculated plan to buy votes by timing the announcement. Somehow Don was able to cajole the dudes stringing fiber and installing access nodes all over Akron to finish right before the recall election. The guy has impeccable timing alright. If he is that good of a manger then sign me up for four more years.

Then the 1,000 or so new jobs announced by PlusOne Communications, a new call center start-up in downtown were identified as a transparent scheme to garner votes. To the mentally lucid observer the announced job openings are a desperately needed shot in the arm for an economy that continues to suffer from unemployment.

Perhaps Warner didn't see the latest unemployment numbers. I thought he was unemployed. You'd think he would be standing in that line at the old Firestone Bank building.

Comments Are Not News

Someone please inform the folks at the Beacon that reader comments on the paper's website are not news. This is true even if the comments are from the friends of Tom and Howie. Good taste would dictate to refrain from quoting a reader comment in a news story.

Home Rule Goes Poof!

The home rule provision of the Ohio Constitution was laid to rest today by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Today it's residency requirements tomorrow it's income tax rates or something else. The 5-2 ruling upholding a State law barring the residency requirements was to the delight of police and fire unions and the dismay of city officials all over Ohio.

I guess this decision was inevitable. The State Supremes and the General Assembly have been hostile towards the very precept of local control of governance when it comes to large cities in the north end of the state.

Here are some points on the now defunct residency requirements and a sort of postmortem on our dear friend home rule.

Residency Lost

Police unions in particular are happy about the overturn of the requirements in Akron and Cleveland. I suspect Cleveland is going to be worse off than Akron or Lima. The Cleveland Police Department is already redeploying as a hired mercenary force at this hour. I hear that the County Land Bank is willing to buy up all the vacated homes left by police and fire guys fleeing Cleveland proper.

Many will choose to leave their respective cities and live elsewhere.
Still there are plenty of people who will stay in Akron or Cleveland
for a variety of reasons. What makes a community livable and a desirable to live in? Some would say it's all about the schools. Safety and decent neighborhoods are just as or more important. Of course the State is getting to work on fixing school funding so that will negate the school system variable soon enough.

There is still a need to get public safety employees especially police forces to be cognizant of the community vibe so to speak. The residency requirement was sort of a forced fit in trying to attain that end although it was also an assurance to city finance directors of a certain level of captive income tax revenue. It was never perfect and has bred some animosity between the rank and file and city management. This pervasive tension was probably counter productive to the achieving the better effective policing and healthy relations with the community. Akron's steps to strengthen community relations with a citizen review committee can be a positive force in offsetting the lost residency requirement.

I suspect the decision will be a morale booster for public safety forces. The eradication of a perceived hardship could renew the outlook a lot of public safety workers, I hope. There's always something to complain about in ANY line of work (present company included) but this change may translate into better dialogue and respect between both sides.

Wither Home Rule

Here is an aphorism that I just made up, "Everyone likes activist judges
when the decision falls on their side of the policy argument". This one ruling has changed the local governance landscape. The majority's dependence on Section 34, Article II in particular will leave the door open for more home rule erosion.

What is the future of home rule now that Ohio's merry band of Republican justices have struck such a harmful blow to the provision? Will this ruling impact the way cities govern themselves in other areas besides employment practices? How does a mayor or city council evaluate a policy initiative that would seemingly rely on the once safe harbor of home rule?

I think going forward there will be a chilling effect on local governance. One that could inhibit local leaders from thinking boldly when it comes to addressing challenges (think red light cameras and gun ordinances).

With the residency card pulled from the deck, cities may want to find ways to incentivize employees to live in city limits. There are no doubt numerous carrots that could be offered as a way to entice people to remain residents. As a mayor faced with eroding home rule power do you even bother having staff evaluate and assemble policies that could be wiped out by a legal opinion? Who's to say income tax or property tax abatement offered as an enticement to keep resident employees aren't on shaky legal ground now?

Dead Idea or Not?

I just finished reading The Tyranny of Dead Ideas by Matt Miller and think his book speaks to the death of the residency requirement. A dead idea is a conventional wisdom that has reached the end of it's useful life of determining policy outcomes. Perhaps when residency requirements are looked at in conjunction on with regionalism, tax sharing and other 21st trends in local governance their shelf life looks past due.

That may be the case for a policy like residency requirement that had limited application and mixed results. My fear is that home rule is next up for elimination and that would not be good.

Akron Recall: Debt Perspective

The question about Akron's indebtedness is clearly over the heads of the Mendenhall Gang. The recall savants made a mistake by wading into the unfamiliar waters of public finance during their kitchen sink approach to unseating the mayor. A constructive argument could be had on the merit of individual investments funded by City debt but, not on the nature of borrowing money alone.

The analysis by CSU professor Ned Hill that was featured in an above the fold story in Sunday's ABJ made this point for us. I’m sure Warner has already been chirping away on the comment section at Ohio.com about how biased the ABJ has been.

Information provided by Professor Hill and the subsequent reporting in the Beacon story separated the uninformed outcry about the destructive force of municipal debt from the accepted practice of using bond financing for capital improvements and development projects.

Often times people who mean well, sound the alarm over a city’s borrowing habits. This a common criticism levied at public official’s who have already gone through a thorough evaluation of a specific project or capital improvement. The debt (or borrowing though issuing bonds) is the final step to getting a project underway. Under competent leadership the evaluation of affordability, credit risk and legal limitations should already have been completed. In the case of Akron it appears these steps where part of the decision to take on additional debt.

Part of disconnect comes from the negative connotation that the term "debt" has when paired with the words increase, municipal and large amounts. The lay person may not be familiar with the positive and enabling role that utilizing the bond markets to fund capital investments has. When it comes to analyzing the use of long-term debt by cities and counties, critics tend to hang on the word debt. That's to be expected because that word has a negative implication when associated with our personal finances.

So instead of focusing on the underlying projects financed by bonds this woefully uninformed bunch attacks the idea of city taking on debt. What's that mean? The increase in municipal debt has grown since the massive tax law changes of the mid 1980's which allowed local governments to use long-term bonds to fund expansion.

Consider this fact about the creditworthy nature of municipal debt. Moody's Investor Service (the same Moody's mentioned in the article) conducted a study of the default rate of municipal issuers over the last three decades. The study concluded that municipal issuers are very unlikely to default on their bonds. In fact the comparative ten-year default rate of all investment grade issuers was only 0.1%. This is much lower than the defaults on investment grade corporate debt over the same period.

What’s my point? Well, my point is that the stigma against using debt financing to fund major investments in infrastructure and economic development is wholly unfounded. Thousands of cites, counties and other governing entities have show prudent use of debt issuance to implement a strategic vision. Merely screaming the word debt is not a useful critique of a public official’s financial stewardship and it’s definitely a reason to run someone out of office. Considering Akron’s debt ratings the City’s management has been graded very favorably.

Of course each project should be evaluated on its own costs and benefits to the citizens of Akron. Maybe we didn’t need Inventure Place or Canal Place. That is a discussion that was finished years ago. We’re still waiting for a solid fact-based refutation of the various investments made by the City under Mayor Plusquellic. The recall committee has been largely incoherent on that front.

Akron Recall: A Mayor Knows

Why did fifteen local mayors from both parties draft a letter condemning Akron's recall process? Mayors are by necessity pragmatic people.  They know that managing a city or village requires a balance of long term vision and "up in your grill" micromanagement.  At times the latter can win out to the detriment of the vision thing.

Good mayors get things done. There was a campaign a few years ago that touted this axiom.  The bus tour in support of Ohio's big cities enlisted mayors from large cities including Don Plusquellic.  

Getting things done does not being sheepish or hanging out in the back of the room at conferences. At times brash behavior and bold statements are required to back up brash and bold new ideas.  A mayor on occasion may need to put decorum and congeniality aside to defend their city.  That's what Plusquellic has been doing for the better part of two decades in making the City of Akron the driving force of his career.  Has he offended people with harsh words and braggadocio?  He sure has.

Back to the letter from the gang of fifteen mayors.  The abuse of the recall process a la Warner Mendenhall is a threat to the continuity of leadership that good mayors provide.  What is disappointing is that Don Robart who is Plusquellic's Republican analog in Cuyahoga Falls refused to sign the letter.  The refusal to me is short sighted and was done with calculated partisan intent.  

Robart is in a similar position as Plusquellic.  He's been in office for two decades, has worked tirelessly for his city and has built a healthy list of detractors it the process.  So, why aren't there calls to remove the Mayor of CF from office?  Probably because the city has a sensible recall provision the city charter and nobody wants to waste time on recall effort unlike Akron.  You think the guy would be more empathetic to the other Don's plight.

Speaking of the charter in Akron.  The letter from the mayors recommends the action of an emergency charter review as a way of blocking the recall election.  This is not a goos idea.  AS much as I loathe the recall process the current charter is the legal guideline and has to be accepted as such for now.  Let's ride out this storm for now.  Once the dust settles the recall threshold can be changed to a more sane level. 

Akron Recall Afterthoughts

City Council has certified the recall petitions collected by the Mendehall Whiners Brigade as meeting the signature threshold.  Who even cares at this point how many signatures were collected?  At this point it's all academic.   There will be a recall election on Mayor Plusquellic.

Eric Mansfield raises some intriguing questions in his post from yesterday. There is a whole slew of complicated minutiae that will need to ironed out before an actual election can be held.  I''m sure it will all be worth it in the end. 

Anyway, looking past the election mess and the potential for a new mayoral contest reveals more future relevant questions that should be addressed. 

Has council or someone else started drafting a revision the section of the city charter that deals with the recall process/  Now would be an ideal time to make some basic changes to the amount of signatures required to trigger an election.  I think the current situation speaks to why this jhs to be changed. 

I don't know how often the charter review commission can consider new language but revising the recall language should be given priority.  You see where I'm going with this?  Why not stick a revamped recall version to the charter on the same ballot as the mayoral recall?  Time permitting of course.

Finally, would it be too much to look into the possibility of getting our rabble-rousing barrister dis-barred?  What are the requirements for starting that process?   Where's the Akron Bar Association on this matter?   It seems to me that Mendenhall's flagrant abuse of the civic legal system to pursue personal vendettas rises to the standard of malfeasance. 

Pizza Begets Violence

What is it about the pizza business that has made it a focal point of the local police blotter? Just in anecdotal terms there's an indication of an entire class of crime has sprung up around pizza shops and the delivery of pizzas around the Akron area. Maybe its the latest iteration of youth gangs and street criminals exploiting the latest weakness in the community they victimize.

The latest and most troubling episode in the pizza crime chronicles is playing out in West Akron. The fallout from the "pizza guy fights back" shooting continues to stir up the sediment of the social and racial divide that exists in our town.  There is of course more to the incident than the incident itself.

A follow up on the aftermath of the shooting in the Beacon Journal attempts to add more layers to the story.  A business owner did shoot and kill a twenty year old robber in what was most likely a solid case of self defense.  A family is left to wonder why their son and brother made such a foolish and life altering choice  They say he was raised to respect his fellow citizens so how did he end up in that pizza shop wearing a mask and brandishing a sawed-off?  

A man who was exercising his right to protect his life and property ended up killing the would be assailant.  As much as you may feel gratified over the outcome, taking another person's life is a profound event.  It doesn't matter if its on the street or on the battlefield.

Addressing the real societal problems at play requires a certain level of maturity and sincerity. Brush aside the the gun-slinger machismo and race baiting from the fools on local talk radio and the corrosive effect of gun violence and youth crime is left revealed.  The issue is much more complex and is undermined by a society enamored with guns and a city that is awash in youth crime.  Akron like many urban areas has to contend with this problem before this latest generation succumbs to the unrelenting wave of despair and recklessness brought on by economic disparity and lack of positive influences.

I hope we spend less time dwelling on the white man shoots black man dialectic and try really hard to think about how we establish more solidarity against the growing epidemic of violent crime in Akron. Making headway on containing the spread of gang related crime comes first. This may be tied to the enhancement of policing trouble spots, shifting enforcement tactics (one good example here ) and getting the community more involved in pushing back against the hoodlums living in their midst. 

The corollary to this is continuing to prioritize education as the great equalizer and expanding opportunities for self sufficiency for all of Akron's residents.  I don't know of any other way.  Relying on more guns in the streets is not going to get us there. 

Mayoral Recall Losing Its Luster

The Warner Mendenhall recall may be developing a toxicity that could doom it to failure. There are some recent developments that seem to indicate a weakening of the populist wave that Warner and Co. were hoping to surf to victory.

All of these indicators of recall sentiment trends were neatly presented in a piece in today's ABJ . The article headline sings about Chrissie Hynde hosting a rally for the besieged Mayor Plusquellic. The rally held at Summit Dem HQ in Akron is serving as an official launch of the anti recall, pro mayor canvassing push. The rest of the story actually follows the details of the rally.

At this point in the game any effort to unseat a sitting mayor should be building towards a crescendo. There is some evidence in today's report from the ABJ that the Change Akron movement is losing some steam.

When asked about gathering the required 3,200 signatures Mendenhall kind of balked at the question:

Mendenhall said Friday he thinks the group will reach the 3,200 mark but might need another 20 days to gather enough valid signatures — a provision permitted under the city's charter.

So much for overwhelming force. Isn't the whole thrust of the recall effort getting the signatures?  The hint of fizzle on the Change Akron Now side contrasts with gathering of pro-Don forces in an organized front. The other problem for Mendenhall is the apparent epidemic of defections plaguing his inner circle of followers.

Association with the Mendehall lunacy is starting to develop a taint. The most revelatory nugget is the announcement by one time mayoral candidate and poster boy for anti-Plusquellic contrarianism, Joe Finley , that he is not supporting the recall. Say it ain't so Joe. He was for the recall before he was against it.

Both Joe and ward 2 councilman Bruce Kilby indicate that their future plans to run for elected office outweigh the desire to carry on with the recall nonsense. This could be proof that being identified with the Mendenhall faction could be hazardous to your political health. With Finley out the that only leaves the hapless former opponent of the Mayor, Brian Williams, that has any name recognition. I'll leave that one alone.

Say No To Recall Therapy

I haven't had much to say about the silly-ass recall effort being championed by some pinhead named Warner. Now that it looks like there is a serious chance of an actual recall election occurring I feel obligated to comment.

Unfortunately, I think Mendenhall's group, Obtuse People For Change will be able to get enough signatures to trigger an election. The low threshold seems obtainable for these cranks especially if they use targeted contacts to get signatures. A knock list made up of disgruntled cops who feel trapped in Akron and dummys caught by red light cameras will get them half of the way there. The other half will come from anyone who either doesn't like Plusquellic or thinks Joe Finley is a fountainhead of civic leadership.

The anti-recall, defend Mayor Don group now has a web presence called Citizens For Akron where followers can learn about the stupidity of the recall ploy and take blood oath to the Mayor.

Sure I signed up and vowed to fight to the death because I like Plusquellic. My real motivation is the complete disdain I have for the recall process. Rarely has the recall option ever been used for its intended purpose. This latest variation is made even more detestable by the cast of whiners and flakes that are pulling the strings.

Come on man, recalls are something they do in Norton every three weeks. Do you want Akron to become a laughingstock? Get out there on the internets and sign up to defeat the recall effort even if you are a detractor of our blustery Mayor. Don't let one man's quest to feel loved supplant the real election process in Akron.

H/T, Pho.

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Rubber City Recovery

The project requests for ARRA dollars keep pouring into the Ohio Recovery web portal. As expected requests far outweigh the available dollars. Just looking at Akron's request alone takes some time.

As of March 3, the City of Akron has submitted about 130 projects with an estimated cost of $478.5 million. The largest projects so far include an expansion of the CSO containment system ($30M), retrofitting lights with LED technology ($25M) and a new trash & recycle transfer station ($20M).

All three major capital outlays have an environmental tie-in and can be started within the next three to six months.

I wish some young enterprising geek would get a mash-up of Ohio's site going in StimulusWatch fashion. Until such time I give you Akron's requests in word cloud format courtesy of Wordle.

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Academics Plotting Coup In Akron 8

I will not buy my milk and paper towels at the West Point Market. In fact I may not even buy a gourmet dessert there if I so choose. I refuse to own a cat and I will not stop reading the online version of the New York Times.

Life in Akron's ward eight neighborhood could be changing soon. City Council has appointed Raymond Cox III, a University of Akron professor, to the ward eight council seat. Cox is replacing Bob Keith, a humble business owner who vacated the seat to become council clerk (and increase his PERS retirement payout) last month.

Ward eight appears to be home to an inordinate amount of U of A professors. They come for the charming Tudor homes and proximity to Stan Hywet Hall. Nothing beats being within walking distance to Ohio Mart. Now one of their own is about to consolidate their power over the fiefdom.

Cox, According to the West Side Leader, is a professor of public administration. That doesn't bode well for ward eight. I happen to have an MPA and know all about the academics in that field of study.

They feel like they have something to prove. Public administration is stuck in a hopeless pursuit of finding an identity. Come on, the giant name in P.A. was a guy named Dwight Waldo. His last name was Waldo. I had a prof. in graduate school lecture us not on the virtue of public service but on the evils of comma misuse in our writing.

With Cox in power we are sure to see all kinds of crazy ideas of good governance being offered up at council meetings. He may even look beyond the details and focus on the policy aspect of the job. There could be more to council than allocating new sidewalk work and paving streets. That will probably ruffle some egos on council.

What's next? Block watch parties where Tapas is served? Will the ward be divided up along academic lines? The social sciences given free reign over the ward and the other studies forced to stay north of Garman Rd.?

I accept the professor's new authority but I don't have to like it. I refuse to bring a chair to music in the park, I will not go to Ohio Mart...