Cleveland Urban News.Com News

By Kathy Wray Coleman, publisher, editor-in-chief

CLEVELAND,Ohio- Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath (pictured), who is under fire by community activists and victims family members to resign in the wake of senseless deadly shootings of unarmed Blacks by Cleveland police, will address the Black community at the Harvard Community Center in Cleveland Ward 1 today at 7 pm.

The gathering has been called by Cleveland Ward 1 Councilman Terrell Pruitt.

McGrath will be joined by Fourth District Police Commander Deon McCaulley and Daryl W. McGinnis, the city's new fire chief, who was sworn in last month.

Last week a group of some 100 community activists leaders and family members of victims of deadly police shootings called for McGraft, Safety Director Martin Flask, Law Director Barbara Langhenry and Chief Prosecutor Victor Perez to step down at a forum sponsored by The Imperial Women at Lil Africa on Cleveland's majority Black east side.

The family of Daniel Ficker, whom police killed in 2011, and the mother of 20-year-old aspiring rapper Kenneth Smith, whom police pulled from a car last year and shot in the head, were there and also voted for Flask, McGrath, Langhenry and Perez, none of whom are Black, and all of whom are at will appointees of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, to be replaced.

Activists have also turned down an invitation to speak with McGrath today saying that there is nothing else to talk about.

"Since we have called for Police Chief Michael McGrath to resign, we have nothing more to say," said Al Porter, vice president of Black on Black Crime, one of several activists groups that joined The Imperial Women, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, Peace in the Hood, The Oppressed People's Nation, Ohio Family Rights and other area grassroots organizations in seeking the resignation of the police chief.

At that meeting at Lil Africa on Feb 11,  which was moderated by Minister Robert "Brother Bob" Saffold, the activists did not entertain the request for Jackson, who is Black, to resign.

"This is not the forum to decide if the mayor should resign and let's be smart and not get the issues confused, " said Imperial  Women Kathy Wray Coleman at the meeting, which also included Famed Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney Terry Gilbert, who represents the estate of 137 bullets unarmed Cleveland police shooting victim Timothy Ray Russell.

Russell, 43, was gunned down late last year by a group of Cleveland police officers along with Malissa Williams, 30. Neither was armed and police shot at the pair with an unprecedented 137 rounds of ammunition following a car chase that began in downtown Cleveland and ended near Heritage Middle School in the neighboring largely Black city of East Cleveland.

Jackson would be invited to address the grassroots factions before they consider asking for his resignation, activists said.

Editorial By Cleveland Criminal Defense Attorney Michael Nelson Sr. (pictured in red tie)

CLEVELAND,Ohio-It's been [nearly three months] since an unarmed [Black]couple died in a hail of bullets with at least 137 shots fired by at least 13 Cleveland police officers. State and local officials continue to investigate while community leaders, some less than enthusiastically, call for federal intervention.

Yet in spite of the tension that exists between the Black community and the police, [Mayor Frank] Jackson (pictured) has systematically excluded Blacks from leadership positions of law director, police chief, safety director and city prosecutor. Out of the last six Cleveland mayors since 1967, [including Carl B. Stokes, Michael R. White and Jane Campbell, all of  whom had Blacks], he is the only mayor to have this dubious distinction. I have to check the administration of Ralph Perk to be sure on whether he had any Blacks. It is therefore no surprise that Blacks are more likely to be victims of police brutality and subject to a higher degree of profiling than any other group in Cleveland.

Shame on you Mayor Jackson, and a greater shame on those who have given him "a Black pass." A White mayor would have been crucified for this type of racism. (Even when committed by a Black man, it's still racism).

Oh and I can't wait for the next person to attempt to justify the mayor's failure in this area by telling me how many Blacks work at the airport or finance or community development, etc..

While these investigations follow what seems to be a very leisurely pace, an unwelcome spot light has been shone on the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson, and his stewardship of the police and law departments.

Unfortunately, while this incident is getting the attention it deserves, it is not the first outrage committed against citizens by this administration. Thousands of brutality complaints have been filed against the department and yet under this administration none have been found in favor of the complainants. The only relief has been secured in lawsuits filed against the city.

Michael L. Nelson, Sr., Attorney and Counselor At Law, 55 Public Square, Suite 1500

CLEVELAND, Ohio-  Flanked by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson,  Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-11) (pictured), a Warrensville Hts. Democrat whose majority Black 11th congressional district includes the city of Cleveland and its eastern suburbs,  announced introduction of federal legislation to aid states and cities in addressing the need to demolish  foreclosed, vacant and abandoned properties that have become eyesores to the community  during a press conference last week on Cleveland's east side with GOP Congressman Dave Joyce ((pictured) (R-14) and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (pictured) (D-9) of Toledo, who are also sponsors of the bill.

The Restore Our Neighborhoods Act of 2013 is a successor to a bill introduced in 2012 by Fudge and former Congressman Steven LaTourette of Ohio , who did not seek reelection last year.

“This legislation provides a strong, sensible and cost- effective tool to meet the immediate need of rebuilding our communities," said Fudge. " The sheer volume of foreclosed and abandoned properties continues to lower property values in neighborhoods across the nation.  These blighted structures invite crime and negatively impact the quality of life for residents who work hard to maintain their homes."

Fudge said that communities of her district, including Cleveland and Akron, have been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and that Ohio remains one of the hardest hit states and that she is grateful to Joyce and Kaptur, whose 9th congressional district includes the majority White west side of Cleveland, for joining with her in introducing the bi-partisan measure that provides resources for demolition to all 50 states.

Restore Our Neighborhoods Act of 2013

· Permits the U.S. Treasury to allocate bonds to states, which will then be sold to investors.

· Allows proceeds from the sales to be used by land banks for demolition purposes (states without land banks can participate as well).

· Designates $4 billion for these bonds (Qualified Urban Demolition Bonds) and divides them into 2 different allocations:

o   $2 billion divided equally among all 50 states ($40 million per state)

o   $2 billion among Qualified States

· Allows states to use up to 100% of Hardest Hit Funds (HHF) to be used for demolition (currently HHF cannot be used for this purpose).

o   Imposes a requirement that states spend all of the HHF funds within 2 years of enactment or 25% of the funds will be returned to Treasury.

U.S. Representative Marcia L. Fudge:

Washington DC Office

2344 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: (202) 225-7032

Fax: (202) 225-1339

District Office

4834 Richmond Road, Suite 150

Warrensville Heights, OH 44128

Phone: (216) 522-4900

Fax: (216) 522-4908

By: Stephanie Ramirez (pictured), newsnet5.com