I’ve long argued that what we call racism in America masks the deeper, darker, evil of classim; that we simply don’t care about those whose class status is benetah our own. Joan Walsh makes her case: We still don’t know how much police are culpable for failing to find Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. [...]

Tim Russo writes: The smearing of Charles Ramsey begins. From the fevered swamps of right wing talk radio. Where else? Gee, I can’t imagine why anyone would be reluctant to do what Charles Ramsey did this week. Who knows what could happen if you try to act like a human being and, you know, help [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Add them up: The Imperial Avenue atrocity of 11 women raped and murdered by Anthony Sowell; The gunning down of Timothy Russell and Melissa Williams by out-of-control Cleveland police; and now the revelation that three young women have been held captive for years in a home on the city’s near West Side [...]

Over the past few centuries, Western cultures have been very good at creating general prosperity for themselves. Historian Niall Ferguson asks: Why the West, and less so the rest? He suggests half a dozen big ideas from Western culture — call them the 6 killer apps — that promote wealth, stability and innovation. And in this new century, he says, these apps are all shareable.

History is a curious thing, and Niall Ferguson investigates not only what happened but why. (Hint: Politics and money explain a lot.)

Roldo Bartimole writes: It was good to see three school board members voted against the fire sale of the Cleveland schools downtown administration building. But wait. Unfortunately, the majority voted to sell the historic building to Drury Hotels of St. Louis. The deal: more than $4 million below the appraised price. Who’s counting the pennies? [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: I had to chuckle reading Steve Litt’s lead on his umpteenth piece ballyhooing a revamp of Public Square. “Cleveland’s drab and gray Public Square…” Litt starts the latest propaganda push for more downtown public dollars. Public Square is an essential property for the city. Is that why we put a gambling joint [...]

From Ian Welsh’s Golden Laws of Prosperity 1. Implement policy which is as good for as many people as possible. 6. Enforce the doctrine of first sale. 10. Do not allow the private sector to pillage the social sector. 25. Enforce accountability on decision makers, especially corporate decision-makers. 31. Reduce barriers to entry in new [...]

We can dream can’t we…?

Roldo Bartimole writes: As I reach the age of 80 it is hard for me to believe that my life has taken roads that I would never have foreseen. It has been an unexpected life journey. So I take liberty now to speak of it. Never would I have believed as a youngster that I [...]

There is a corruption at the heart of American politics, caused by the dependence of Congressional candidates on funding from the tiniest percentage of citizens. That’s the argument at the core of this blistering talk by legal scholar Lawrence Lessig. With rapid-fire visuals, he shows how the funding process weakens the Republic in the most fundamental way, and issues a rallying bipartisan cry that will resonate with many in the U.S. and beyond.

Tim Russo copied me this morning on a letter he’s written to Brent Larkin regarding the former director of the Plain Dealer’s editorial page’s essay in this morning’s PD. Brent, I’m not clear on your column today against splitting downtown into 3 wards. It seems your entire argument is, well, “because.” More representation among more [...]

NED WHELAN – HE COULD TELL THE TRUTH By Roldo Bartimole How do you do aggressive, honest reporting? Ned Whelan, who died Wednesday, days after an accidental fall, showed exactly how. He died in Phoenix, visiting his daughter. He was 70. As a Plain Dealer reporter in 1970, Whelan covered a meeting of the Bluecoats, [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Okay Plain Dealer reporters: the outlook is dark and tragic. No easy way to put it. So take advantage of the Newhouse family’s bad situation of caring more about making money than serving the public. If they’re going to go to three days start now producing some hard hitting stuff that tests [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: My former colleague Mark Naymik opened what should be a serious discussion on sports funding. We both worked at the Free Times. At least I hope it opened the debate. It’s long overdue. He casts Council President Martin Sweeney as the heavy in the failure of the city to pursue some of [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: We have a No Fault Cleveland City Hall. – A No Fault Mayor Frank Jackson. – A No Fault Police Chief Frank McGrath. – A No Fault Safety Director Marty Flask. – A No Fault Cleveland Police Force. HELL, nobody’s responsible for Anything in Cleveland. What a wonderful world where no one [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: There was one time I felt sorry for Art Modell. It was in a court room. I’ll get to that. What bothers me now of the attacks on Modell by our sports writers and fans are that they for so long kissed his ass. He was the Big Dog. Just as they [...]

Roldo Bartimole writes: Some of the nasty partisan war by Republicans against President Barack Obama reminds me of how white politicians – mostly Democrats in this case – played politics against Carl Stokes, the first black mayor of Cleveland. Stokes, like Obama, shocked political observers by winning Mayor of Cleveland in 1967, defeating oligarch Seth [...]

Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent and our language — so the argument runs — must inevitably share in the general collapse. [...]