Public Comment

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to shadow Holocaust research in Lviv, Ukraine. My professor, Father Patrick Desbois, interviewed Holocaust witnesses to locate and document mass grave sites and local complicity. The Holocaust there looked different than what most of us learn in history books: Father Desbois’ work has found that millions of Jews, Roma, and other marginalized groups were murdered by firing line in broad daylight. That was his emphasis: the Nazis and local sympathizers were successful in genocide not in spite of, but because they worked in broad daylight. That is what I see happening now: the Israeli government is committing a genocide in broad daylight, and as long as we bear witness without action, our inaction makes us complicit. But, further, we cannot call our current policy “inaction” — our country is serving the perpetrator, and supplying the weapons that make continued genocide possible. To claim there are “two sides” in this moment that we should view as morally equal is willful ignorance and a poor excuse for remaining complicit in genocide. The question is not to call for a ceasefire or to remain neutral, the question is whether we will confront our own complicity and demand to change our course of action from the wrong side of history to the side of justice.

This has been going on for FAR too long. We NEED a ceasefire now. If we spent the money being sent to Israel on social programs, community outreach, etc., we would have a better America and a better world.

Seeing that Cleveland City council has no spine/have financial interests tied to Israel, the people will pass their own ceasefire resolution for the children being blown apart in Gaza. We can see Bibb is too busy posing on Instagram with music stars while the school district sits in shambles with millions in deficits. You HATE children, demonstrably. Meanwhile, also expunging records of money launderers so they can continue to govern in Cleveland, and let old farts go on racist tirades from their office's phones. It's a racket and a joke. The more I learn about this city leadership, the more I realize how messed up it is. What kind of inhumane, out of touch, self important, privileged know-nothing says no to a ceasefire? Says no to ending genocide? Says yes 13,000 children are dead, let's do it some more! People who get money from it, apparently. These representatives are, quite literally, enemies of the people and must have their powers and privileges stripped.

We demand a permanent and immediate Ceasefire now!!!

Why are we not talking about decades of lavish tax abatements for fancy hotels, billionaire-owned sports franchises, luxury apartments, gargantuan nonprofit land holdings and swank office buildings that have effectively stripped urban public schools of desperately needed revenue increases? All this austerity talk now with respect to the public schools is being treated as if it’s somehow a good thing, sounding a lot like idiot Neutron Jack Welsh’s sadistic business orthodoxy: cut the fat, tighten the belt, trim the deadwood; like this is an inherently healthy process. It’s anything but healthy. It’s deeply toxic. NOBODY is talking about increasing funding, only cutting expense. So immediately, half of the critical arithmetic is made irrelevant. 40 years in business taught me this essential lesson: you NEVER can cut your way to success. It's a continuous death spiral for the city when we refuse to invest more in public schools, and the city’s children. Which is why we can expect only worse outcomes as a result, with no end in sight. Very sad.

It is abhorrent to me that Cleveland city council can easily pass resolutions regarding Ukraine, but is unwilling to stand with the majority of Americans, including over 70% of democrats, that are calling for a ceasefire (https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2024/2/27/voters-support-the-us-calling-for-permanent-ceasefire-in-gaza-and-conditioning-military-aid-to-israel#:~:text=Around%20two%2Dthirds%20of%20voters,escalation%20of%20violence%20in%20Gaza.) All this while council president is taking pictures with known harassers of the Palestinian community, and council members are spewing racist rhetoric about Palestinians in Cleveland.

Tamir rice age 12 who was murdered by the Cleveland police we need to lower the voting age to 12, six or really actually zero ! Cleveland should I thought adopt ranked choice voting and allow all residents regardless of the immigration status to vote. We had a cinemas defund War & prison. We awesomeness explain putting rights to those were currently in prison.

I think Cleveland as a City should not make proclamations about things such as this. We should focus on us and what can bring us together. I see how all the council people are respectful to each other. If only all of us acted that way. I know the protesters have their own thoughts, but I do not believe they have The City of Cleveland as their main concern. They can't impose their will on others. Cleveland first!

The flats east bank do not have any public transportation since the rapid closed. Can the B Like Trolley add a stop or 2 in the flats? In the winter it is difficult to walk up the hill to the stops on west 9th Street.

I remember playing softball for Chesterfield playground, around 1962 and on our way to play Glenside, we were called all kinds of niggers by grown-ups and kids. At that time that area was mostly white. During1964 and 1965, Busing was a big issue. I remember Black children bused to elementary school in Murray Hill. These Black children were not allowed to eat lunch with the white children and also one day the Black children, parents and school officials were assaulted by the People in Murry Hill. Also, Black children going to Collinwood High School were assaulted by grown White men as they got off the bus to attend school. Some of these Brothers and Sisters, I knew personally, and some were my friends. Some of us were Drafted, some Volunteered and some died in Vietnam for a country that did not protect us a children. I REMEMBER .