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Dec
31
Top Ten Things I Learned My First Year in Elected Office
Filed Under Government, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Pepper Pike 2.0, Politics, Transparency | 1 Comment
10. People will be mean and nasty simply because I am in elected office. It’s not personal.
9. People will respect me simply because I put myself out to be in elected office. It’s not personal.
8. If you’re not going to be able to sleep at night because you decide not to say something or not to vote a certain way, then say it, vote it and sleep.
7. Judging who is acting in good faith and who is not is central to building trust but should never dictate what you decide is the right thing to do.
6. There are approximately 6000 citizens in the City of Pepper Pike. Rounding off in estimates: That’s 1000 more than are registered to vote, 3000 more than voted in our August special election and about 5960 more than have ever been to City Council meetings. As a member of Council, however, I have to consider each and every one – regardless of whether they are registered to vote, eligible to vote, voted or have ever been to a Council meeting.
5. Listening is critical, but critical thinking and discussion shaped by critique is equally important.
4. I don’t know everything but thinking that I can and will eventually has led me to learn more about this City in twelve months than most citizens will in 12 years.
3. If you don’t like politics as usual, find the unusual path to serving the best interests of the City.
2. Our employees should be treated with dignity and respect and not as throwaway commodities. We should never underestimate the value they give to the city we’ve chosen to live in, no matter how difficult the decision-making becomes.
1. I am one of the luckiest people to have ever walked this Earth. Thank you for letting me serve this City.
Happy New Year.
This is cross-posted from my council-related blog, In The Arena. Please consider following it in 2011 – Pepper Pike will have candidates for mayor and three council seats in 2011. It should be a very different year – again – in Pepper Pike.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:15 pm December 31st, 2010 in Government, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Pepper Pike 2.0, Politics, Transparency | 1 Comment
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Dec
31
From Behind Paywall, Ohio Treasurer-elect Mandel Gives Press Interview
Filed Under Government, John Kasich, Josh Mandel, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Transparency, treasurer | Leave a Comment
I think public servants should, well, be…public and not behind paywalls. But here it is, “Mandel plans to use ‘bully pulpit’ of treasurer’s office to help state.”
That would be from the most current issue of Columbus Business First. What’s even more bothersome to me is that we don’t have some equivalent offering of information from the only NE Ohio statewide elected in an NE Ohio publication – first.
Between Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich’s declarations to “exploit” Ohio’s natural resources (his word, not mine) and the Treasurer-elect suggesting that the overseer of the state’s coffers is actually in line with Theodore Roosevelt’s view of elected office as being an excellent place from which to push an agenda, I’m really looking forward to 2011.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:04 pm December 31st, 2010 in Government, John Kasich, Josh Mandel, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Transparency, treasurer | Please comment
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Dec
30
RIP “Rosie the Riveter” aka Geraldine Doyle of We Can Do It Fame
Filed Under activism, Gender, Politics, Sexism | Leave a Comment
As The Washington Post points out, her name was never Rosie and she wasn’t a riveter. But Geraldine Doyle and the original image of her that led to the iconic image of a working woman staring us into action are unlikely to fade from our political landscape any time soon. Thank you, Geraldine, and RIP.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:55 pm December 30th, 2010 in activism, Gender, Politics, Sexism | Please comment
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Dec
29
Seven Hills Service Department Director To Be Mandel’s Deputy Treasurer
Filed Under Josh Mandel, Ohio, Politics, treasurer | 1 Comment
That’s according to this article (and this follow-up piece) in the Parma Sun Post. From the first article:
Bishilany, of Seven Hills, described his job in Columbus as to oversee daily operations of a chief operating officer and various directors comprising a staff of 141 at a salary greater than he is now being paid.
Bishilany said he was given to understand he was the first choice by Mandel, a Republican who defeated incumbent Democrat Kevin Boyce in November.
Mandel is to be sworn in Jan. 10.
He couldn’t be reached for immediate comment.
You can read more about William Bishilany here or after the jump.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:02 pm December 29th, 2010 in Josh Mandel, Ohio, Politics, treasurer | 1 Comment
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Dec
25
Merry Christmas
Filed Under Holidays | Leave a Comment
Went to pick up my kids from an activity two nights ago and this came on the radio. I had tears in my eyes remembering when it first came out. Needless to say, my kids didn’t get why I thought it was funny. Have a happy, everyone.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:08 am December 25th, 2010 in Holidays | Please comment
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Dec
15
First Debate in NH, for 2012 GOP Contenders, Set: June 7,2011
Filed Under Debates, Media, Politics, Republicans | Leave a Comment
The first 2012 Republican debate in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire has been scheduled, with the GOP contenders slated to face off on June 7, 2011.
CNN, WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader are jointly hosting the debate. The timing of the debate is nearly the same as the one the three organizations held in the 2008 cycle; that debate took place on June 5, 2007.
Politico and NBC News announced last month that they will co-host the first debate of the primary season at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in the spring of 2011. The Reagan Library also plans to sponsor a second debate on the eve of Super Tuesday.
So does this mean that Politico-NBC’s will be before June 2011?
Regardless, who’ll be on stage in June 2011 for the GOP?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:01 pm December 15th, 2010 in Debates, Media, Politics, Republicans | Please comment
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Dec
15
WLST Untabbed: 12/15/10
Filed Under Government, John Kasich, Ohio, Politics, Sexism, Social Issues, Tech, Transparency, Voting, Women | Leave a Comment
1. A group in Canada, the Women’s Executive Network, posts a list of the 100 most powerful women in that country.
2. Pew research on “The Decline of Marriage and Rise of New Families.”
3. Not sure where this bi-partisan bill in the US Senate to allow states to opt-out of the health care reform law passed earlier this year is, but something to keep in the back of our minds regardless of what happens with the individual mandate.
4. While many in NE Ohio are fixated on how bad a gaffe the meeting between six not yet sworn in County Council members, all of whom are Democrats, was, don’t you think we should be talking more about the condescending ‘tude coming down from our newly elected Governor, John Kasich, and openness? He doesn’t even come around to seeing anything wrong with the secrecy he desires – he considers the fact that he’ll have to follow the law to be a loss – for him that is.
5. From the all you had to do was ask department: 95 per cent of aggressive behaviour, harassment, abusive language and degrading images in online spaces are aimed at women. Read more here for the study.
6. From the reality check department, and a few months ago, taxes are at near historic lows:
William Gale, head of the Tax Policy Center at the Brookings Institution, tells CBS News that federal taxes are actually “at their lowest levels in 60 years.”
7. Over at In The Arena, my blog related to being on Pepper Pike City Council, I’ve got a new untabbed post too.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:02 am December 15th, 2010 in Government, John Kasich, Ohio, Politics, Sexism, Social Issues, Tech, Transparency, Voting, Women | Please comment
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Dec
14
Helen Hunt Confesses To Not Being Black & Jean-Luc Picard Curses on Behalf of Charity
Filed Under Charity, Judaism, leadership, peace | Leave a Comment
Great article, better video.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:15 pm December 14th, 2010 in Charity, Judaism, leadership, peace | Please comment
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Dec
13
What’s So WEIRD About Our Damn Weather
Filed Under Cleveland+ | Leave a Comment
And this:
It’s just going to stay STUCK THERE for like, at least 36 more hours. UGH.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:27 pm December 13th, 2010 in Cleveland+ | Please comment
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Dec
13
WaPo The Fix’s Chris Cillizza Weighs In: Sherrod Brown v. Mary Taylor 2012 Senate Race
Filed Under Politics, Predictions, senate, Sherrod Brown | Leave a Comment
Check it out at the 5:45 mark here.
I’m not giving any hints. I will only say that Chris is a fellow Hoya and he is a prolific reporter and pundit. I look forward to my Morning Fix everyday because it usually has news that isn’t anywhere else yet.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:02 pm December 13th, 2010 in Politics, Predictions, senate, Sherrod Brown | Please comment
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Dec
13
[Live video/chat] No Labels Launch
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
Read more here. Also, follow and see live-chat via a coveritlive tool.
The agenda: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:20 am December 13th, 2010 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
13
Bill Hader as Julian Assange Assailing Cleveland
Filed Under Cleveland+, Humor, Law, Media, Tech | 2 Comments
And it’s worth every minute:
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:54 am December 13th, 2010 in Cleveland+, Humor, Law, Media, Tech | 2 Comments
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Dec
12
[video] Fareed Zakaria Takes on Glenn Beck’s “10% of Muslims Are Terrorists” Claim
Filed Under intolerance, Media | 11 Comments
And really, it is must-see-tv – watch to the very end (and don’t forget, John Boehner still hasn’t gotten the violent radicalization act anywhere – why not? Could it be because of the number of tea party people who do use or advocate the use of violence if necessary to change our government?) :
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:08 pm December 12th, 2010 in intolerance, Media | 11 Comments
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Dec
12
Cleveland Schools CEO Eugene Sanders to Retire in 2011
Filed Under Announcements, Cleveland+, Education, Ohio | Leave a Comment
Was just getting on the literal treadmill and heard the news. Wow. And he just had his contract extended for three years. Hmm. Television says there will be a press conference in an hour – might have to do an extra long time on the treadmill so I can see it. There’s a video at the heard the news link of Kim Wheeler interviewing Sanders about this development.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:07 am December 12th, 2010 in Announcements, Cleveland+, Education, Ohio | Please comment
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Dec
10
Ohio Supreme Court to be Majority Female: Yvette McGee Brown Appointed, Associate Justice
Filed Under Announcements, Courts, Law, leadership, Ohio | 4 Comments
When I heard Yvette McGee Brown for the first time, while on the trail with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland as his Lt. Gov. running mate, I was blown away. From the Columbus Dispatch:
Former Columbus judge Yvette McGee Brown will become the first African-American woman to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court.
…
Brown said today that she intends to run in November 2012 to fulfill the remaining two years on O’Connor’s current term, and then seek a full six-year term in 2014.
“I told the governor I believe I can hold the seat,” Brown said.
As noted to me by Jeremiah Arn via Twitter, this also means that the Ohio Supreme Court will be majority female. I don’t know how many are majority female but it’s very nice to have accomplished. Will check that out with some folks I know.
Congratulations to Yvette. I’m very excited for her and for us.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:31 pm December 10th, 2010 in Announcements, Courts, Law, leadership, Ohio | 4 Comments
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Dec
10
See Plain Dealer’s Headline Protecting Kasich for Yourself
Filed Under John Kasich, Media, Ohio, Politics | 8 Comments
This image is from the three articles you can find at Cleveland.com this morning when searching on “rail kasich lahood” for articles in the last 24 hours:
This is how the first article, titled at Cleveland.com as, “Feds to Ohio: Your high-speed rail project is officially dead (and New York thanks you)” is headlined on the front page of this morning’s print version of the PD, above the fold:
That’s right – “US Taking $400M in rail funds from Ohio.”
That’s what we get from the neutral, has filters, just the facts ma’am traditional media. A news story that exists SOLEY because of Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich’s repetitiously stated policy preference for no rail is headlined, in a print version of the paper, as the U.S. “taking” funds “from” Ohio.
Unbelievable.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:25 am December 10th, 2010 in John Kasich, Media, Ohio, Politics | 8 Comments
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Dec
9
Chagrin Valley Times’ Editor Cites Kasich, Grendell as Government “…of the politicians, for the politicians and by the politicians”
Filed Under Cleveland+, Council, CuyahogaCounty, democracy, Government, John Kasich, Law, leadership, Media, Ohio, Politics, Statehouse, Transparency | Leave a Comment
Dave Lange, Editor of the Chagrin Valley Times (Pepper Pike is included in its coverage area), wrote and published this scathing critique, “Government no longer of people,” related to recent behavior by Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich and State Senator Tim Grendell.
About Kasich:
The governor-elect, conveniently forgetting that he and his political appointees soon will be employed by the government and paid by the people of Ohio, attempted to keep the selection process of filling jobs in his administration a secret. He was dumbfounded to learn that the resumes submitted by those seeking to work for the state government must be open to their would-be employers, who happen to be the people.
Ignorance of the Ohio Open Records Law being a sad reflection on Mr. Kasich’s preparation for the highest office in the state and contempt for the people’s right to know being a poor excuse, he rationalized, “When a person applies for another job, it doesn’t make their current employer happy.”
Working in the administration of the governor in one of the nation’s largest states isn’t just another job, and it’s hard to imagine those applicants’ bosses holding grudges against them. Furthermore, by what sense of fairness should employers be denied the right to know when their employees are looking elsewhere? And why should employers be surprised by people’s desire for career advancement?
And about Grendell:
The people of the 98th Ohio District, which makes up one-third of Mr. Grendell’s 18th Ohio Senate District, had a right to know when they voted on Nov. 2 that he had no intention of honoring their decision. They could understand him abandoning his Senate seat because of the term limit that would force him out of that office in two years. But he took their trust and played it like a diabolical fiddle. He didn’t steal the election. He stole the democratic process.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:17 pm December 9th, 2010 in Cleveland+, Council, CuyahogaCounty, democracy, Government, John Kasich, Law, leadership, Media, Ohio, Politics, Statehouse, Transparency | Please comment
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Dec
9
Three Republican County Councilmen Can Meet Secretly Whenever They Want
Filed Under Council, CuyahogaCounty, Government, Law, Media, Ohio, Politics, Transparency | 14 Comments
In all the articles in the Plain Dealer about the current open meeting examination with the new County Council, I have not seen any discussion of or explanation of the open meeting requirements, period. You can see all the PD pieces here. No sidebar links, no three or four sentence paragraph explaining them, just assertions that the rules have been broken.
I know some PD folks read this blog and if in fact I’ve missed an explanation about open meetings law that you’ve run, I would be grateful for a correction – and I offer my apologies in advance. You know how inadequate that search function on cleveland.com is – but I could not find anything that looked like an explanation of open meetings law in relation to the County Council.
For now, here is a very simple FAQ from the Ohio Attorney General’s office about open meetings law in Ohio.
My understanding, based on my experience on a city council in addition to that FAQ and other Sunshine law information available, is that no more than five county council members can meet outside of a public meeting and without all the attendant open meeting requirements. This is what has given rise, at least in part, to the concern over a not public meeting between more than five of the Democrats on the County Council.
Yet one key piece of information has never, from what I have seen, been mentioned in any of these articles, and I believe it’s a significant and material fact: with only three Republican members of the County Council, those three can meet anytime, anywhere and about anything including County Council business without ever telling anyone or making their conversations public.
No where has the PD written that they’ve asked those three members if they’ve communicated about county business when not in the presence of the public or not in the presence of the Democrats, one, two or more (if it’s three or more, that would violate the open meetings law again).
I’m not saying that they have – I have no knowledge. I’m also not saying that they shouldn’t. What I’m saying is that as far as reporting goes and the constant suggestion that all is equal in this matter, well – that’s just not a complete or accurate portrayal of how this works, based again on my knowledge and experience (and if this is wrong, again, someone chime in):
The three Republicans, as a caucus, can meet without worrying about open meetings law because there are only three of them. The Democrats, of which there are eight, will never have that ability – because there are more than five of them. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:22 am December 9th, 2010 in Council, CuyahogaCounty, Government, Law, Media, Ohio, Politics, Transparency | 14 Comments
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Dec
9
Mandel: Tells Local Officials He’ll Increase Returns to Them
Filed Under Government, Josh Mandel, Ohio, Politics, treasurer | Leave a Comment
From Ohio Treasurer-elect’s listening tour, via The Courier:
Officials told Mandel they want him to give counties better returns on their funds invested in the state’s investment pool. Allen County Treasurer Jim Link said the state is earning about 2 percent on $5 million Allen County has invested. Yet it has paid Allen County only 0.04 percent to 0.12 percent recently.
From that comes a Mandel promise, according to the article:
Mandel was empathetic. He said he will increase returns to local governments.
Goodness knows all local governments, Pepper Pike included, could use that increase.
The article also says that the 40 government and school leaders from Hancock and neighboring counties present pressed to stop unfunded mandates that come from Mandel’s current government entity – the state legislature: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:48 am December 9th, 2010 in Government, Josh Mandel, Ohio, Politics, treasurer | Please comment
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Dec
7
Excerpt from Cleveland Family Mommy Matters:
Being Jewish, I love that my kids learn and understand that Chanukah and all the Jewish holidays are special unto themselves and best when not combined with other religions’ holidays. I never wanted to celebrate Christmas in my home growing up, and I have no desire to do so now.
Still, every year when Christmas comes around, I get smiley and wistful because of a cultural link made before I probably was able to read. This link, through a childhood friend and her family, has let me be exposed to Christmas and other holidays in memories I continue to cherish and, most important to me, in a way that has never been a threat to my own religion’s convictions.
Chappy Chanuka, Merry Christmas, Celebrate Kwanzaa and Happy New Year.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:58 pm December 7th, 2010 in Holidays, Religion, Writing | 1 Comment
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