Plain Press

  • Have the Haslams and Gilberts been priming the pump?

    by Chuck Hoven      What should local politicians do when billionaires come calling for a handout?      A recent post on a social media site featured a photo of Star Trek’s Spock, a character dedicated to logic. Underneath the photo is a comment about billionaires who claim they need a public contribution to make a…

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  • Additional funding needed for mental health programs and services

    Additional funding needed for mental health programs and services by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, October 2022)  Individuals suffering from mental health crises often find themselves in court when it would be more appropriate for them to receive treatment that would allow them to have a path toward recovery from their illness. Instead, many end up…

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  • Cleveland’s approach to community development should put people before developers’ profits

    Cleveland’s approach to community development should put people before developers’ profits by Chuck Hoven Plain Press, May 2022             The City of Cleveland’s tax abatement program is coming up for renewal at the end of May. For many years, the City has used tax abatement as a means of attracting new residents and improving its housing stock…

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  • Twenty groups protest anti-protest efforts that are happening locally and statewide

    Twenty groups protest anti-protest efforts that are happening locally and statewide (Plain Press, January 2022)           Defending Democracy and Dissent, along with 20 other organizations, held a protest on Saturday, December 4th, that began on Public Square and ended in front of the Justice Center. The protest highlighted recent efforts to criminalize peaceful protesting in Cuyahoga County…

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  • Council of Cleveland Neighborhoods presents concerns to mayoral candidates 

    Council of Cleveland Neighborhoods presents concerns to mayoral candidates  by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, November 2021)        With the majority of registered Cleveland voters staying home and choosing not to vote in the mayoral primary, it remains uncertain whether they’ll decide to cast a vote in the general election on November 2 for either Justin Bibb or…

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  • Low voter turnout allows small pockets of voters to determine results in Cleveland’s Primary Election

    Low voter turnout allows small pockets of voters to determine results in Cleveland’s Primary Election by Chuck Hoven    Only 15% of Cleveland’s 247,742 eligible voters voted in the Primary Election. A total of 38,360 Clevelanders cast votes in the primary according to the unofficial preliminary results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. 13,506 of…

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  • What can Cleveland do to be a more welcoming city to low-income families with children?

    What can Cleveland do to be a more welcoming city to low-income families with children? by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, April 2021)         Cleveland has an opportunity to create a more just society within our borders. A unique time has come when we, with proper planning, can take advantage of federal dollars and address the needs of…

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  • Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice (EYEJ) works to close the digital divide

    Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice (EYEJ) works to close the digital divide by Colin Murnan (Plain Press, September 2020)       The EYEJ (Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice) is hard at work trying to close the digital divide in Cleveland. Founded in 2013, the organization works to give voice to the youth and promote change for the greater good…

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  • Cleveland Tax Abatement Study recommendations stir policy debate

    Cleveland Tax Abatement Study recommendations stir policy debate by Bruce Checefsky                                                                               (Plain Press, September 2020)       Michael H. Norton, Chief Policy Analyst at Reinvestment Fund, summarized the 109-page Cleveland Tax Abatement Study at the Committee of the Whole Council Meeting streamed live on July 29 on YouTube. He concluded the presentation with six broad recommendations: Cleveland should…

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  • Trump Administration ends pharmacy coupons when patients need them most

    Trump Administration ends pharmacy coupons when patients need them most by Peter J. Pitts (Plain Press, September 2020)       For chronically ill Americans, the economic damage from COVID-19 could be nearly as life-threatening as the virus itself. More than 40 million workers have filed for unemployment since the beginning of the outbreak. For many, the financial…

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