I am not directly affiliated with People’s Budget Cleveland (PB CLE)—nor do I speak on their behalf—but I do support it completely. This amendment emerged because of the continued waste, fraud and abuse perpetrated by Cleveland City Council and current, along with past, mayoral administrations—at least since I moved here in 1993. The continued support of the sports stadiums is a prime example. Rather than selling these monuments to ignorance—since they don’t provide a product or a service—the city is continually on the hook for repairs. Our leaders are not even smart enough to buy stock in the sports teams and see a return on our investment. The return could be used to fund several neighborhood projects. But no, it is more important to stuff the pockets of the team owners/players than to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Cleveland. I hoped that PB CLE would have kept this issue front and center as the primary motivator for Clevelanders to vote yes. After all, it is the quintessential issue that everyone in Cleveland understands. Just imagine how nice the surrounding neighborhoods would be today if even a smidgeon of money used to fund the stadiums was spent on true “community development.” On Tuesday, Nov. 7, vote yes on Issue 38. You’ll be glad you did.

Joe Bialek