Plain Press

  • City Club hosts Clevelanders for Public Comment in a forum and a mock public comments session

    City Club hosts Clevelanders for Public Comment in a forum and a mock public comments session by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, May 2021)      The resident led movement, Clevelanders for Public Comment, now has a majority of Cleveland City Council — nine members — committed to passing legislation written by Near West Side activist Jessica Trivisonno that…

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  • Cleveland Mayoral candidates crowd the field

    Cleveland Mayoral candidates crowd the field by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, May 2021)      More than a dozen candidates have registered with Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to raise money towards the Cleveland mayoral election scheduled to take place on November 2, 2021, with others expected to announce their candidacy in the coming weeks.      Blaine Griffin announced…

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  • Basheer Jones eyeing up mayor’s race

    Basheer Jones eyeing up mayor’s race by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, May 2021)    Ward 7 Councilman Basheer Jones was elected in November 2017, representing an area which includes the historic Hough district, as well as the St. Clair-Superior, Midtown and Asia Town neighborhoods. His first order of business once in office was to open a food distribution…

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  • Cleveland Documenters examine opportunities for members of the public to speak at Cleveland City Council meetings

    Cleveland Documenters examine opportunities for members of the public to speak at Cleveland City Council meetings by Doug Breehl-Pitorak (Plain Press, April 2021)         The lack of a public comment period – a space for residents to speak – at Cleveland City Council meetings is once again on the civic radar. A group called Clevelanders for City…

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  • Dennis Kucinich considers Cleveland mayor’s race

    Dennis Kucinich considers Cleveland mayor’s race by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, April 2021)      Dennis Kucinich hasn’t officially announced his candidacy for mayor, at least not yet, but he did file paperwork with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections this past December to form the “Re-elect Mayor Kucinich” campaign fundraising committee. He previously served as Mayor of Cleveland from…

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  • Justin Bibb launches his mayoral campaign

    Justin Bibb launches his mayoral campaign by Bruce Checefsky                                                                                      (Plain Press, April 2021)      Justin Bibb launched his 2021 Cleveland Mayoral campaign in mid-January. Since then, he’s been busy working the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and participating in live streaming programs including The City Club of Cleveland Forum on Politics and Public Policy, as…

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  • Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley considers running for mayor

    Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley considers running for mayor by Bruce Checefsky        (Plain Press, April 2021)      Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley is near the end of his two-month Neighborhood Listening Tour across the City of Cleveland. The tour, which began in February as a way to learn firsthand from community members about their immediate…

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  • Cleveland City Council’s three women share their reflections on politics and public policy

    by Jack Barnes Plain Press, March 2021      On January 26th the Cuyahoga Democratic Women’s Caucus organized a “Conversation with Cleveland City Councilwomen” via Zoom hosted by its Chair, Cynthia Demsey. The hour-long event featured all three of the women on the 17-person Cleveland City Council reflecting on their paths to public service; on being women in…

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  • Precinct Committee members select Martin Sweeney to represent District Three in Cuyahoga County Council

    (Plain Press, February 2021) At a January 14th virtual Candidate Forum, three candidates –Brendan Heil, Ryan Ross, and Martin Sweeney — vied to be the representative for Cuyahoga Council District 3 for the remainder of the term of retiring County Council member Dan Brady. The term expires in 2022. The candidates were not seeking a vote of…

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  • “Defund the Police” Is A Misleading, Irresponsible Slogan

    To the Editor: (Plain Press, February 2021) As Cleveland, Ohio embarks on a new election season, I’m concerned about the growing narrative pitting communities of color against police officers.  I support the principles embodied in most versions of Defund the Police legislation.  But citizens rarely hear these principles. Instead, we repeatedly hear the misleading and irresponsible Defund the…

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