Calamity Jane's New Economic Development Plan

Where there is no vision the people perish.

Phone rings. Michael picks up.

Michael: "Hello?"

Mayor: "Michael, it's Mayor Campbell. How are you?"

Michael: "Fine, Mayor. What can I do for you?"

Mayor: "Well, everyone is upset about my backing of the casino gambling initiative. They say this is an act of desperation on our part and that we need real economic development."

Michael: "They may have a point, your honor."

Mayor: "Here's an idea. I drove along Central and 71st the other day and spotted an old building. It said Westinghouse Electric on it and I thought, Oh my gosh, if Westinghouse liked it here before then maybe they might want to come back and fix up this building and open the plant again. You know Cleveland has a great past. If we could just recreate it then everything will be great again."

Michael: "Wow, your honor, that's very inspired."

Mayor: "Why don't you get your department working on this right away?"

Michael: "I was thinking the same thing, madam."

Mayor: "Great! Then we'll send someone from the Development Department and have them drive all over the city and find all the old buildings that still have names on them. We'll make a list and then look it over. This could be big!"

Michael: "I'll start a memo on this right away."

Mayor: "And a committee too. This'll show Dimora who's running the show."

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Fellow Clevelanders, when will we stop electing officials who's only purpose is to continue to sustain the politics of the past? The tired old 1950's political machine is collapsing and it must be dismantled.

We need leaders who are willing to forgo the past ways and forge a new future for Cleveland. It's not about parties it's about vision and the courage to see it through. It's not too late. It's never too late even for Mayor Campbell. It just gets harder the longer we wait.

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Copyright © 2005 James D. Fisher
All rights reserved.