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1hls Monday, Cleveland ClLy Councll wlll have Lhe opporLunlLy Lo dlssecL Lhe proposal besLowed by Lhe !ackson
AdmlnlsLraLlon and Lhe Cleveland 8rowns, and Lhey wlll have Lhe opporLunlLy Lo pass Lhls proposal or opL Lo
exLend Lhe lawful process.

WhaL has lgnlLed my ouLrage and dlsappolnLmenL surroundlng Lhls proposal-2 mllllon dollars for 13 years of
lmprovemenLs Lo llrsL Lnergy SLadlum, ls Lhe very same paLronlzlng aLLlLude l wlLnessed from seelng ken
Lancl's upslde down blll boards durlng Lhls pasL year's Mayoral campalgn. l LhoughL Lo myself, Lancl musL
really Lake Cleveland resldenLs for fools. ?eL, [usL Lhree days ago, l read LhaL Mayor !ackson ls saylng Lhere
wlll be no decrease ln servlces," essenLlally saylng Lhe clLy doesn'L need Lhe money. My flrsL LhoughL wenL Lo
conversaLlons l've had wlLh varlous people close Lo my organlzaLlon, Lhe Cleveland 1enanLs CrganlzaLlon, who
have sLaLed ln Lhe pasL LhaL Lhe cuLs we have seen Lo our conLracLs should come aL a prlce-Lhe servlces we
provlde Lo Cleveland resldenLs should be cuL. We are a 38 year old, small buL mlghLy counLy-wlde organlzaLlon
who deals wlLh mosLly Cleveland resldenLs wlLh landlord/LenanL lssues. We deal wlLh varlous lssues ranglng
from repalr work, Lo healLhy homes, Lo aglng, Lo homeless prevenLlon, [usL Lo name a few. We are ln Lhe
Lrenches deallng wlLh Lhose resldenLs who need help Lhe mosL, and llke a good Clevelander, l defended Lhe
AdmlnlsLraLlon (and Lhe Councll who approved Lhe budgeL) when we have had our budgeL cuL. l malnLalned
LhaL we would flnd a way Lo keep our servlces lnLacL for Cleveland resldenLs, and we have, buL aL a cosL Lo our
sLaff and our exlsLence as an organlzaLlon. And l am only one of dozens of such agencles LhaL have Lhe exacL
same sLory, who work every day wlLh resldenLs of Cleveland who are sLruggllng.

1o hear Mayor !ackson conLend LhaL 2 mllllon dollars lsn'L slgnlflcanL ls paLronlzlng. Lvery slngle Councll
member knows Lhe sLruggle of many Cleveland resldenLs. Cleveland ClLy Councll should allow more Llme Lo
sLudy Lhe u8S englneerlng reporL on Lhe necessary lmprovemenLs LhaL would meeL Lhe conLracLual obllgaLlon.
AddlLlonally, flnd a cosL savlngs of even a porLlon of LhaL 2 mllllon and reallocaLe lL Lo Lhe communlLy
developmenL budgeL, speclflcally Lhe soclal servlce agencles and Lhe clLywlde" agencles LhaL have had Lo
wlLhsLand years of cuLs. 1he Mayor wanLs Lhls passed by emergency measure-an unnecessary buL ofLen-used
LacLlc LhaL goes unnoLlced mosL of Lhe Llme. 1he reallLy ls LhaL Lhe Llmlng on Lhls ls dellberaLe and
manlpulaLlve-Lwo presumed yes" voLes LhaL wlll noL be on councll when Lhey resume sesslon ln !anuary.

1hls ls noL falr Lo councll. 1hls lsn'L falr Lo Mayor !ackson, elLher. 8rowns CLC !oe 8anner pralses Mayor
!ackson as a flerce negoLlaLor." 1he Mayor and some of Lhe councll see Lhls as a good deal." 1he reallLy ls
LhaL you have a CollaLh llke Lhe Cleveland 8rowns who have cornered Lhe ClLy and have poslLloned Lhe clLy Lo
belleve LhaL lL ls endeavorlng on a good deal." 1he research ls ouL Lhere-mosL lf noL all of Lhe nlL Leams have
hoodwlnked clLles ln Lo Lhese lnsane arrangemenLs LhaL can only be regulaLed on a lederal level. l can'L help
buL wonder lf ln Lhe mldsL of Lhe CC offlclals' gala lasL evenlng, lf Lhey even LhoughL LhaL Lhey had a say ln
Lhls, ln beLween paLLlng each oLher on Lhe backs for a [ob well-done. So Cleveland ClLy Councll and Lhe Mayor
have lnherlLed an unfalr slLuaLlon, buL LhaL's why Lhey were elecLed-Lo make Lough declslons.

WhaL lf Lhe ClLy leL Lhe 8rowns sue Lhem for breach of conLracL? WhaL lf. Could Lhls be Lhe beglnnlng of a
blgger flghL for all urban areas around Lhe counLry Lo equallze Lhese arrangemenLs? Can you lmaglne Lhe
8rowns nlckel and dlmlng Lhe Laxpayers ln lederal courL over Lhelr need for a new scoreboard when people
are Lrylng Lo flgure ouL how Lo pay for food? Could lL spur Lhe much needed reform conversaLlon LhaL should
Lake place? Pow can Lhe nlL have non-proflL sLaLus? Cf course, Clevelanders are preLLy keen on bllllon-dollar
organlzaLlons noL paylng Laxes.