Sometimes the Pee Dee is so laughable that you just can’t believe the ridiculousness of it.

I certainly got that feeling by recently turning to the Sunday Opinion pages and viewing the paper’s endorsement of Joe Cimperman in the 10th District Congressional election.

There certainly was no surprise in the choice.  The paper had been telegraphing its desire to flak for Cimperman for weeks.

The Pee Dee used the entire space of the Sunday editorial slot to bless Cimperman.  Actually, it was not so much to anoint Cimperman as to throw slaps at his opponent, Dennis Kucinich.

Talk about overkill. Is this the most important political race in decades to the Pee Dee?  Does Cleveland teeter on a precipice with Kucinich to tip us into the abyss?

“We do not come to this conclusion lightly.  We have watched Kucinich’s career for decades; he once worked in our newsroom,” said the Pee Dee.

“Not come to the conclusion lightly?”  Pray tell, not so much how heavily you weighed the decision but when did you come to the conclusion he should go – the day after Kucinich was re-elected two years ago.

“We have watched Kucinich’s career for decades…”  Well, you certainly haven’t spent much of those decades being fair in your “watching.”

And, “he once worked in our newsroom” – what does this mean?  Dennis was a copy boy at the paper back in 1967 – 40 years ago – don’t make it sound as if he were someone of some importance in your newsroom yesterday – or that it has any significance at all to your “reasoning.”

What struck me as really odd was how little space the paper spent on telling us of any accomplishments of Cimperman.  His major accomplishment, as I can see, is giving away city money to developers.

It will be interesting to read Pee Dee reporters covering this campaign to determine how much news coverage is biased and reflects the editorial stance.

The editorial concluded with this whimpering call to action...

“In this election season, when voters everywhere say they want change, 10th District Democrats can show they mean it. They can vote for Joe Cimperman.”

Maybe the writer didn’t really have his or her heart in it.

Yet, it’s so symbolic of our feeble, continually disappointing daily newspaper.

Not even when it’s really against someone, can it summon up only the passion of a potato.

I think I summed up my assessment of Cimperman when he gave backing to the subsidy-soaked (see below) Wolstein Flats project...  “Further, the once refreshing, now characterless Joe Cimperman, in whose ward the project will be, has now diminished to a hack politician going nowhere good.”

Here’s an Editorial Position I’d Love to See

I’m waiting for the Pee Dee’s passionate editorial telling Dick Jacobs and the Sam Miller/Ratner families to pay back the money they owe the city. Every penny of it.

The Pee Dee reported last week that both Jacobs and Miller/Ratner are balking at repaying the city at a discount, a plan by Mayor Frank Jackson to invigorate its financial position by allowing the loans to be paid before the due date but at reduced amounts.

The paper reported that Jacobs owes some $18 million and the Miller/Ratners some $25 million. These loans at no or very low interest rates were made back in the 1980s by George Voinovich and George Forbes, the two who worked to give away whatever they could to downtown interests.

I’d like to hear the Pee Dee show some citizen outrage ONE TIME against these public pirates, Jacobs, Miller and the Ratners.

It is always calling upon Mayor Jackson to show some vigor. Why not show some vitality itself, or is that too much to expect for the play-it-safe Pee Dee?

Will Reporters Follow Editorial Choice with Same Bias?

Two weeks or so ago, the Pee Dee had two rather large photo shots of Kucinich campaigning for President.  The thrust was that Kucinich said he campaigned on the weekends so that it didn’t affect his Congressional work.  So here’s proof he’s a liar.

The Pee Dee caught him campaigning on days that were not weekend days.

I wonder if they would use the same reasoning by following Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones.  I’ve observed her away from Washington, D. C. at a number of campaign functions with Sen. Hillary Clinton, who Tubbs Jones has endorsed over Barak Obama.  Shame on her.

It just shows when a newspaper has an agenda, the staff follows the lead and can’t think anywhere near out of the box.

It would seem to me that the Pee Dee ought to be examining how African-Americans in her district feel about Tubbs Jones’ endorsement and passion for Sen. Clinton over Sen. Obama.

Cimperman - The Delivery Boy for Developers

Just to remind people of what the donation-gobbling Cimperman has become as the downtown councilman, I’ve listed below what the city and others, with Cimperman’s strong backing, gave to the Wolstein project in the Flats.  The project is in Cimperman’s ward.

Of course, the city also helped with eminent domain to shift properties to Wolstein from others.

There’s an interesting battle now going on for downtown real estate development with several major corporations and law firms reportedly interested in new office space.  Looking for new digs: Baker & Hostetler, Eaton Corp., Ernst & Young, Huntington Bank and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.  So there’s demand.

It will be interesting in the climate of demand to observe how city officials – Mayor Frank Jackson and City Council – react to this renewed interest in new office space.

Since there’s high demand should the city avoid offering all kinds of subsidy incentives to developers to do what they must do – meet the demand by building?  (It’s also unclear whether the new space will be added space or simply newer space to shift tenants from older buildings, in other words, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic/Cleveland.)

The Pee Dee could do a service to the citizens by researching and telling us which downtown property owners got what part of the $100 million in taxable property that came off the tax rolls in recent years.  Likely suspects: Forest City Enterprises, Dick Jacobs and John Carney interests.

The market is supposed to rule.  And, to some degree, it does.  The best example is the empty space on the west side of Public Square.  The city, in 1989, awarded Dick Jacobs the same sweet subsidy deal to build on that site as the developer received for the north side of Public Square (Key Center & Marriott Hotel).

Yet, 19 years later, the site remains fallow, a parking lot.

That’s because there has been no market for new office space and thus no development.

Now, since there is said to be demand, why don’t the developers meet the demand – but without seeking to wring out abatements and other subsidies from the depressed City of Cleveland?  The answer is simple: greed.

They don’t because our political leaders are too eager (Cimperman) to serve their benefactors at the expense of their constituents.

Here is the list of the incredible “incentives” given to the Wolstein partnership for the Flats East Side project...

-  BDOHS (port authority) will provide $11 million in loans.

-  City of Cleveland will provide $6 million in Core City loans.

-  Cleveland Public Power will provide $3.4 million in services.

-  Cleveland Water Division will provide $740,000 in infrastructure costs.

-  Cleveland will provide another $1 million from its general obligation bonds.

-  The County, City and Cleveland schools will forgo $11,140,000 in property taxes under a TIF (tax abatement) program to help the project.

-  Cuyahoga County will provide $1 million in subsidies.

-  The State of Ohio will provide a grant of $3 million for “environmental remediation,” matched by a loan from Cuyahoga County of $1 million, both committed from the 2005 Clean Ohio program.

-  Tax exempt Parking Revenue Bonds estimated at $8,540,000 will be repaid from Public parking facility revenues.

-  Tax-exempt infrastructure bonds estimated to be $9 million are secured by annual payments by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

-  The sum of approximately $4,550,000 will be made available through the Federal Highway Administration.

-  The federal government has appropriated and the city shall obtain and make available when required for eligible project costs a grant of $1,464,735 from the U. S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration (NOAA grant).

-  All rental and condominium units (some 300 units) will be tax abated at 100% for 15 years. No cost estimate given by the city, port authority or county.

-  The city agrees to enact legislation as necessary to amend and extend the CRA residential tax abatement program to assure that all residential improvements are eligible for the full 15-year, 100% abatement of real estate taxes. No cost given.

-  The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will construct a transit station on the RTA Waterfront Rail Line for the project “…all at no cost or expense” to the developer.  No total or estimated cost mentioned.

-  The City of Cleveland “shall take all necessary action to vacate all existing streets within the project site to the extent no longer require as public improvements for the project, and any easements which impair or adversely affect the development, construction or occupancy of the project, or which lie within the project site and are no longer required for use as public improvements for the Project.”  No cost estimate given.

-  The City of Cleveland “shall convey to the developer all the land owned by it (the city) within the residential site not necessary for public improvements by official quit-claim deed…”  No cost estimate given.

-  Under a section called “public improvements” it states: “Public improvements necessary to support the Residential project will include but may not be limited to the following….

-  Abatement, demolition and environmental remediation (including all necessary earthwork and soil clean-up) of the Project properties as they exist as of the execution date of this Agreement so as to allow for construction of the Residential Project.

-  On-site paving and landscaping for all areas from the building lines of the Residential Project to the street curb as well as the public spaces of the Riverfront Park described below.

-  A Riverfront Park extending from the southern boundary of the Project along the Cuyahoga River ’s edge north to the Norfolk & Southern rail line with an eastern edge defined by a realigned Old River Road and a new street network described below.  The Park may include but not be limited to the following elements: a riverfront boardwalk, gather places; pavilions; project signage, retail kiosks; and a marina for transient boater use.  The Riverfront Park shall be planned in such a manner so as to receive the proposed extension of the Towpath Trail…

-  Utility improvements, replacements and/or upgrades sufficient to provide necessary storm and sanitary sewer, water, electrical, gas and thermal heating and cooling services for the Residential Project and the permanent improvements in the public right of way (e. g. street lighting) and property (e.g. Riverfront Park fixtures and appurtenances) for ongoing and seasonal needs.

-  Street improvements, realignments and additions to serve the Residential Project and its associated parking facilities, including all necessary traffic control equipment and signage…

-  Bulkhead repair, replacement and improvements sufficient to maintain the long-term integrity of the eastern edge of the Project site bordered by the Cuyahoga River.

-  The Public Parking Facilities and Private Parking Facilities estimated to consist of a minimum of 1,600 spaces in total and sufficient to serve the retail and residential uses of the Project by way of four structured facilities and no fewer than two surface lots, including all necessary equipment, landscaping and appurtenances.

-  An allocable share of land acquisition costs associated with the square footage occupied by the Public Improvement as a percentage of the entire Project square footage (Residential Project plus Public Improvements.)

-  Any and all soft costs which may be attributable to construction of the Public improvements including but not limited to architectural and engineering services, lighting, traffic and parking consultants, permits/fees, testing and inspection,  temporary utilities, financing fees and costs and capitalized interest on bonds or loans.

With Joe in Congress, just think of how much booty can be delivered to our developers.