My Opinion: October 2008 Archives

"This is probably more of a political statement than simply my art.  A life long Clevelander I have watched this city go from new skyscrapers built by BP, a new fabulous building built by Jones Day and new spectacular shopping malls built by a world class real estate developers to vacant retail and office space, a city where the only downtown development is now done by the county government and paid for by a rapidly declining tax base, a city that has become the poorest in the nation and a city that is now virtually totally dependent on federal money.  I have watched the years of politicians demonizing people like Mr. Albert Ratner and Forest City Enterprises who invested heavily in Cleveland in the past, proposed many outstanding projects for downtown and Cleveland's lakefront to be defeated by our life long politicians and who now are building in New York City and California.  The most constant theme in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County now is a tax increase to pay for another government facility that promises to be the corner stone, yet another corner stone of the future.  Ohio is the 4th worst business tax climate in the nation, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County's answer to everything is raising taxes and without federal money they will go broke." Douglas said.  "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a life time.  As the poorest city in the nation Cleveland now has a majority of people and a city government waiting for the next free government fish and fewer and fewer fishermen.  Welcome to Cleveland,  'amature nite'."