ENDORSED BY EL SOL DE CLEVELAND
Buckeye State Sheriff's Association Cleveland City Council Fraternal Order of Police Lodge # 8 Asbestos Workers Local 3 Cleveland Teachers Union Speaker of the House Armond Budish State Rep. Barbara Boyd Rev. Marvin McMickle ...and many more leaders and organizations.
Yes! for 5 Is the Choice of: The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Call & Post El Sol de Cleveland Former Congressman Lou Stokes Mayor Frank Jackson Congresswoman Marcia Fudge Congressman Dennis Kucinich North Shore AFL-CIO MARY ROSE OAKAR and LOUIS STOKES
LEADERS STOKES AND OAKAR SPEAK OUT ON REFORM Standing in front of the Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse in Downtown Cleveland on Thursday, former Congressman Louis Stokes and former Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar gave their support for Issue 5, while raising serious concerns about the many flaws in the Issue 6 charter proposal. Congresswoman Oakar voiced her concerns that Issue 6 gives exclusive and unlimited power to one County Executive with no real checks and balances. “The elected eleven member council, in many cases, must have at least eight out of eleven votes to override the County Executive’s exclusive actions…73% to override the County Executive…Even the Congress of the United States only has to have 66% or 2/3 to override a President’s veto.” Drawing on his experience as the former Chair of the Congressional Ethics Committee, Congressman Stokes urged voters to allow duly elected members of a County Charter Commission, proposed by Issue 5, to present to the voters the most efficient and accountable alternative form of County Government and to reject Issue 6. Said Congressman Stokes, “What I am opposed to is people who arrogate themselves the power behind closed doors, draft legislation without inclusion of diverse leaders in the community, without hearings on the legislation, and then promote it as good government. It is not in keeping with the basic tenets of a democracy.” He continued, “This type of arrogance is not new. It is the kind of arrogance and disrespect of the public that has caused voters to reject similar proposals in past elections.” Created behind closed doors, the Issue 6 reform proposal will foster corruption by giving the County Executive virtually unchecked power. Issue 6 would hamstring its own proposed council by limiting the eleven-member council’s ability to prevent the abuse of the Executive’s power through checks and balances. Without these checks and balances, the Issue 6 proposal will make services for children, seniors, and the disabled less important than business. The charter also has no provisions to combat campaign finance abuses. Issue 5 creates a charter review and drafting committee of 15 elected members charged with developing a new charter that will be placed on the 2010 ballot next fall. The group will develop the charter by consulting experts and holding public forums that allow for diversity of opinion and an opportunity for the citizens of Cuyahoga County to truly participate in real county reform.