Public Comment

The public comment on display in this city has been abhorrent. People using the microphone or shouting from the gallery with calls for violence, threatening council members, erasing Israel from the map. Where has decency gone?

Cleveland stubbornly remains one of the poorest big cities in the United States, after decades of lavish public subsidies to the private sector to stimulate economic activity that would somehow “trickle-down” to poor people in the city. Why is endemic poverty in Cleveland not the city’s number one budget priority?

There are now pictures circulating online of Council President Griffin posing with Alexander Popivker, a person known for anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate crimes. This was at a meet and greet event. It causes me great, deep concern. This past Monday, Popivker was was charged for felony aggravated menacing and ethnic intimidation due to his actions at Cleveland State. This individual is dangerous - with the help of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, he circulated a heavily edited video doxxing two CSU students. He has destroyed/stolen property, intimidated and threatened students on campuses across our region. Most recently, he has been permitted to speak during public comment and shouting vague threats at Palestinians members of the public while doing so. This person should not be permitted a platforms. Take steps to ensure that EVERYONE is safe in our communities - this includes Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian communities.

Greetings Council Members, Ladies and Gentleman in the audience, my apologies for my absence. My name is LaTonya Goldsby, President of Citizens for a Safer Cleveland, one of the authors of Issue 24, now Charter Section 115. I write to you this evening during black history month to discuss the importance of civilian oversight and why you should be more engaged with the Community Police Commission. This council is responsible for appointing three members to the police commission and should be evaluating their performances as commissioners; those commissioners that you have appointed to the police commission terms will be ending this year, so you should begin the process of considering new appointments. I encourage you to have a more transparent and open process when you begin your new selection. It has taken residents of Cleveland 100 years to establish police accountability and civilian oversight of the Cleveland Division of Police, that’s longer than most of us have been on this earth. Black History in America and locally here in Cleveland has taught us that police need to be held accountable for their actions and not given a slap on the wrist for violating police policies and procedures, the consent decree, or Charter Section 115. These systems of accountability and oversight are in place to improve community-police relations and the quality and integrity of our law enforcement agencies. A violation of either of these violates residents' trust in their police department's ability to keep them safe in their community. Right now the CPRB is still reviewing cases of police complaints without an updated manual reflecting the changes under Charter Section 115, after two years of implementation. This is a direct violation of Judge Oliver’s amendment to the consent decree. I encourage you to attend their meeting tomorrow at 9 am right here in city hall and ask them about their manual of operations. Lastly, in order for true democracy to work, politicians have to listen to their constituents. I hope your ears are open and receiving the messages from the voices that put you in your seats. We deserve more than “Taxation without representation”. Thank You Good Night. Citizens for a Safer Cleveland LaTonya Goldsby, President

Can they be used to House homeless people

I recently saw an interview by Council President Blaine Griffin in which he claimed he could restrict the topic of public comment so that no one would be able to bring up the topic of a Ceasefire Resolution or ban public comment altogether. Given this council just voted on new rules for public comment I would have thought the Council President would be familiar with the rules, but since he's not let me share a few lines: "The presiding officer's enforcement of these Rules and Procedures shall be viewpoint neutral." "The Council applies these Rules and Procedures to all speakers and does not discriminate based on the identity of the speaker, content of the speech, or viewpoint of the speaker." There is also nothing written rule stating council can unilaterally suspend public comment. Given that City Council is already facing a lawsuit for violating the First Amendment during public comment, attempting to once again do so by either barring the public by speaking on certain topics or removing public comment altogether when there is no power granted for them to do so would seem to be ill advised.

After the 9-11 massacre, no person or organization pressured President George Bush to cease fire on the terrorists of Al Qaeda. Israel should NOT be pressured to cease firing on terrorists who slaughtered grandmothers, raped mothers, and decapitated babies in their cribs. How vile and disgusting to pressure Israel to walk away from a terrorist massacre just like the one on 9-11! It is ludicrous that the citizens of Cleveland cannot distinguish right from wrong. I have lived in Shaker Heights for only one year. This past December I put up a large Hanukkah menorah light in my front yard. On only the second day I went to light this electric menorah, I discovered a criminal had cut the power cord to my light display! I have barely lived in this town for even a short time yet I have already been on the receiving end of anti-semitic hate crimes! How disgusting that I have to endure the destruction of my private property! Think of the Israelis who saw the lives of their loved ones cut short! Raping women is WRONG! Slaughtering grandmothers is WRONG! Decapitating babies in their cribs is WRONG! LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG PEOPLE OF CLEVELAND! STOP DESTROYING MY PRIVATE PROPERTY! STOP RATIONALIZING THE INSANE VIOLENCE OF TERRORISTS!

I have been trying and trying and trying to get someone to listen to get repairs to the street infront of my house repaired, the plow trucks ended up plowing a big piece of street, and the hole is starting to get bigger, when it rains it just starts flooding. Seems no on listens or is concerned about doing anything On top of the, the street farther down and next street over got repaved, not our street, all they do is patch work which constantly crumbles apart This street NEEDS TO BE REPAVED - WHAT ARE MY CITY TAXES GOING TO THEN IF NORMAL WEAR AND REPAIR CAN'T BE HANDLED

This proposition is only going to make affordability for renters less achievable. The idea of added costs will simply be padded into rents, inflating rent beyond where it currently sits. The City of Cleveland also needs to strongly reconsider mandatory interior point of sale inspections. This is a slippery slope that is not only invasive, but unfair to those that are renters, taking away their ability to live without the notion of city officials coming in at any time. I firmly stand behind the notion that exterior-only inspections for ALL residents, on a structured schedule, is the best manner in which to keep the City up to par, and maintain a strong relationship in the community while keeping neighborhoods beautiful.

You all should be ashamed for your utter lack of humanity. How absurd are you to still repeat proven lies to perpetuate zionist rhetoric. Just remember that when he said "the Palestinian-Hamas community", that's actually plausible incitement of genocide. I'll be forwarding that information to the ICC.