Health & Fitness
It's Not Always What They *Do* Say...
"We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." –National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. It wasn't.
Here's the latest from the CH mayor regarding the Coventry Arts Fest cancellation:
"“I know we made the right call," said Kelley, "and if I had to do it again I’d make the same call 100 times out of 100. Sure, there are some people who will second guess it, but I sleep well at night. It would only take one bad incident at an event like this to potentially bring the whole district down. I’m never going to compromise the safety of our community.”
"“Other communities have canceled events. Shaker Heights canceled its fireworks. Until somebody comes up with a new strategy to deal with this, the police are going to continue to monitor social media,” he said."
http://www.heightsobserver.org/read/2013/07/23/city-cancels-coventry-village-family-arts-day
First, note who's going to "...make that same call 100 times out of 100."
Find out what's happening in Cleveland Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Second, what is *your* threshold for taking this most draconian action possible: a last minute cancellation, with all the attendant disappointed people and harsh publicity?
The "Everybody else is doing it" portion of the mayor's explanation has shifted to Shaker Heights' night time fireworks event. That's probably because the mayor's previous everybody else's event's "out of control" (that's a quote) situation was contradicted by the South Euclid police chief.
Find out what's happening in Cleveland Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The mayor makes no mention of a credible threat. Or anything else. Just "It would only take one bad incident at an event like this to potentially bring the whole district down. I’m never going to compromise the safety of our community.” "
What does that mean? Boston Marathon II? Doesn't sound like it, does it?
There were countless better, actual "solutions" that could have been deployed.
I find this over-reaction to be consistent with other city hall analysis and decisions.
It's the same problematic processes - poor data gathering and analysis leading to under-informed decision making - that leads to:
- Multiple ill-conceived, failed proposed tax abated housing/retail projects at Meadowbrook-Lee. The most recent tax abatement being worth $4 MILLION, and the property would have been sold for $1 MILLION below cost - without any appraisal
- Numerous risky loans to entice businesses - without underwriting procedures
- The insistence of building more tax abated housing on every last Green space. And selling these public spaces to developers - without any appraisals. And who decided we need more (subsidized) housing?
... and it's been going on for years.
Except *this* time, people noticed.
All because, "Until somebody comes up with a new strategy to deal with this, the police are going to continue to monitor social media."
Deal with what? Twitter, facebook and instagram? He can't be serious.Let's show the mayor how serious we are this November.