Making Government Work

The recent arrests of County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and former County Auditor Frank Russo further cemented the fact that Cuyahoga County government has been paralyzed by lack of accountability and transparency.  For years, Dimora, Russo, and others used their office and taxpayer dollars to advance their own political and personal interests, while the region they served witnessed massive brain drain and lost thousands of jobs. Incompetent leadership in government at any level is a recipe for conventional thinking and persistent decline. For Cuyahoga County, and the Greater Cleveland area, this is has been a sad reality for far too long. However, with the new county charter and the upcoming county elections, there is a small glimmer of hope that the newly elected leaders will put restoring faith in government as their number one priority.

When voters head to the polls on November 2nd, the most important vote they cast will be for the newly elected county executive. So far, a majority of the candidates have a promised specific policies to promote openness and transparency. According to a survey conducted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a majority of the candidates agreed to the following provisions:

• Make public records available without delay
• Provide timely access to their calendars of public business
• Disclose any gifts they receive as public officials and the values of them

These are all steps in the right direction. Yet, beyond these basic recommendations, voters should look towards putting their faith in the candidate who best articulates a vision and a plan to usher in a new era of leadership in county government. One that is grounded in understanding the fundamental challenges our region faces in today's global economy, not based upon patronage and favoritism. As the sole shareholders of our region, citizens must take their vote seriously. We must hold our elected officials accountable. Each of us have a stake in the economic prosperity of our region. To invoke the words of Thomas Paine, let us begin the work of remaking our county. If we wait any longer, it may be too late.