November 04, 2024

Thank you, Council President. Thank you everybody. Today I want to speak to every single one of you, but also to every resident of Cleveland that is watching live on TV. This upcoming election is one of the most important elections in my lifetime, and in yours too. And I know we heard that in 2016, we heard it in 2020, and we're hearing it once again. But it is the most important election.

Yesterday I had the chance to go canvassing with many of my friends for issue 1, issue 55, and issue 49. It was amazing. Today I had a chance to meet Sherrod Brown and talk to him about the amazing issues and things that we have done for Cleveland in the past four or five years. But now all that can be undone with just one vote wrong or one vote and goes higher than the other. This is the first time in forever that I am going to go to the post and vote like I really really really mean it more than ever. Because my girlfriend at home needs that vote, my mother needs that vote, my sisters need that vote. Almost every woman in this country need me to vote. They need every single one of you to vote also. So I remind everybody if you're registered, take the time to get out and vote. It's so important, and I know we keep saying it's so important every four years, but this year is so important. When we elected Barack Obama, we elected the first black president of the United States. This year we have the opportunity to elect the first black woman president in the United States, which is so important for our history, it is so important for diversity, but most importantly to keep this country in line, keep justice to this country, and keep the people of this country safe. Think about this, for everybody who has a child, who will your child remember you vote for, will you vote for the right candidate, will you vote for the one who's going to destroy us slowly?

This past week I was in Kamm's Corners with some friends to where there was a rally, and the rally was full of far-right fascists, cuz there's no other word to describe them, screaming racial slurs at me. On top of that, they were screaming and just chanting horrible things about many things. My eyeline in the past weeks has been called trash, cash has been degraded, and our people has been degraded for many many centuries by the United States. It is time for us to stand up together and vote for a better America, for a better Cleveland, and for a better world. So I encourage you again tomorrow to vote. If you need help or assistance, there's many places you can go, and RTA will be free from 3:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. the next day for all those that need a free ride. And if not you can find me online and I will find you right if you need to get to the polls and back home. Thank you so much.

being paid I do want to make that very clear and hello good evening Council and attendees my name is diab I've spoken a public comment quite a few times in the past I'm sure you recognize the voice it's a unique one I've been told I want to start off my speech by saying that I work nights you might wonder why this is relevant and you'll soon see why I worked late Tuesday night and I slept in Wednesday afternoon well imagine my surprise when I got an email confirming I have a slot to speak I was sleeping and did not sign up now if you recall there was public comment back in May where somebody used my name to call me off and now I think they're just having fun at it and they're randomly signing people up I don't know who it is but were they hoping I'd be a no call noow were they trying to embarrass my group I'm not sure but I definitely think public comment needs an overhaul with security measures put in place with that being said I'll gladly take advantage of this free slot I've been given with it being November this is definitely a time of where I can reflect on how grateful I am and to show gratitude and appreciation I think back of the fights we have had this year with cudal Park as well as ensuring the former CVS's new development is going to be the highest and best use and the utmost benefit to the community while we have made tremendous strides in both of these fights it's not over until we can celebrate the respective ribbon cuttings for both of these sites um with me given this slot there are other things I'd like to talk about maybe how Greatful I am that I'm able to work with such amazing generous thoughtful and diligent like-minded people who have been an amazing group of friends and activists they have definitely made my 2024 memorable we also need to ensure that the City prioritizes Community engagement and not people such as those advocating for the gas station trying to use intimidation tactics also those trying to manipulate councel and for those who are trying to silence others I also think that we need Justice for fahe and I also implore everybody to fight for what's right surround yourselves with those who will amplify your message and Echo your sting and in closing make sure you don't start seeing yourself Through The Eyes of those who don't value you know your worth even if they don't thank you and that's my time and again I am not being paid I don't know where you got that from thank

floor I address the Cleveland City Council through the council president good evening councilman uh tomorrow November 5th 2024 is the national general election there are many important races for important government positions uh there is a great deal of information that voters need to know but aren't informed about I will relay some of it first the fact is that KLA Harris is a doubtful eligibility to become president of the United States she has not to my knowledge been proven to be quote national natural I should say a born citizen unquote to be a natural born citizen according to law means to have been born to US citizens I have seen no proof that presents her that her parents were both US citizens at the time of her birth second former president Trump was guilty of complicity with the crime of murder during a January towards the end of his presidency I'm talking about the date January 3rd 2020 when according to his unlawful order an Iranian General was murdered in Iran this was a war crime so KLA Harris is reasonably ineligible to become the first pres become president in former president Trump as guilty of complicity with the crime of murder third an elected official must be given elected office should say must be given to a person of above average virtue even if she was eligible kamla Harris supports the murder of unborn children and she has the blood of many murdered children on her hands because she was the Attorney General of California the attorney general has the duty to enforce the just laws of the state fourth everyone show that for president and other offic National offices or any office I should say it is almost certainly futile except as a protest to vote for any candidate who is not either a Republican or a Democrat that being said he may be the best candidate from a moralist perspective the candidate on the Ohio B ballot most deserving the presidency of the United States is Peter ssky of the American solidarity party fifth between Republicans and Democrats it would be morally impossible to vote for a Democrat who stands with his party platform Democrats support evil to a much greater extent than Republicans one example this is the Federal Reserve in case you didn't know the Federal Reserve is the current cause of inflation this year there was a bill sponsor introduced in the US House to among other things abolish the Federal Reserve the sponsor and every single co-sponsor are Republicans finally there are a number of other facts that ought to be known one is that researchers have found that having an abortion increases the risk that a woman will develop breast cancer by an average of 800% two is the nature of money money is not wealth money is artificial wealth paper is not money it's fraud thank

that yes tonight I'm coming to you with the topic of a weird trick to get more people to vote and I want to start by saying nothing I'm saying here is an endorsement of any candidate no ballot issue it's just my opinion my opinion is right Mr President council members and uh all my friends the public I'm just some guy in derborn Avenue I live in technically ward 3 you know where it's got that little saw tooth bit at the end of Clark Avenue where it's kind of Ward 14 but it's kind of w 15 and I know you got to draw the line somewhere but you sort of Drew the line everywhere and that's what I'm here to talk about everyone knows there's a big election tomorrow right and you got to come out for the things at the top of the ticket but it's also really important to vote on issue one to end gerrymandering and one particular council member is asking what more can we do to get people out to vote and I'm saying stop gerrymandering all you because as we have a ballot measure to try to eliminate Jerry mandering at the state level and you all want me to vote for it you're working on a Jerry mandard map for yourselves what you can do is look in the mirror and see yourselves as the problem by far the single most important thing Cleveland politicians can do to get people to vote is stop canceling our votes people do the things that matter to them people do things that result in good things so if you go to work and you don't get paid you stop going to work if I go to vote and I keep having majority and I keep having it undercut I'm going to stop voting so let me say that again when voting doesn't matter people are going to stop voting so when has our vote not mattered I've only got 3 minutes but let's talk about 2017 huge Grassroots effort to undo the Q deal because it was a ripoff and this Council snuck in legislation to sign a contract it was it's a long legal story but basically you made it so it was illegal through Act actual crap legal tactics made it illegal for us to undo the Q deal so our V our votes mattered so much to you that you had to shut them down um we voted for many other things but you need me you need everyone to vote so hard in these even numbered years but where are you in the odd numbered years where are you in the years when you are on the ballot and you want low turnout because low turn yeah that's right y'all looked up you want low turnout cuz that benefits incumbent 13 out of 14 incumbents got reelected and the turnout there was no thank you Mr President thank you next

FY good evening council president Council it's about time I mean five weeks I've been blocked out now thank you uh I want to talk to Mayor bib mayor bab we stand in with you you stand in to the to those uh billionaires begger owners of the Cleveland Browns we stand in with you you represent the Dignity of this city and this city has a lot more dignity than all the billionaires in the world we're with you council president with your permission I like to focus on something on the east side chairman Fahim is a community activist he's not extor he's he's he's not he never threaten anyone he said that and I believe him Community activists don't lie I've been a community activist for 45 years we do work to all we do day and night to protect the community to make sure kids in the communities are safe from drugs from gangs from violence and in some cases there are business owners B they running their business corrupt in corrupt way they uh trade uh sell gas for food stamps they sell cigarette for food stamps they and when a community Act catch that then they threaten actually they threaten the the the community act they don't want the community act to to to go anywhere with those with whatever they find chairman Fahim is is a person of integrity and I know uh councilman Jones is a person of decency he told me he had nothing to do with chairman Fahim problem and chairman Fahim is is and councilman Jones they both part of that community and I ask you to sit and talk together because you both important to your community uh other think president Griffin people when they come here to speak because they respect you they respect this Council and if we get blocked then we can take to the street whoever blocks us can't prevent us from going to the street we don't want to go to the street we come here because we time thank you thank

anyone I'm so happy to be here um I'm grateful to my creator for every breath that I am privileged to take I'm thankful for the ancestors that have came before me and have made tremendous sacrifices for me to stand on their shoulders today I'm also thankful to the elders from the community for passing the torch to me and having faith and believing that I would move forward with courage in the face of all adversity and I'm also thankful to my community and when I say my community I don't draw the line at race I draw the line at people that believe in the same principles and values that I do the many people that have come down here and spoke before this Council representation from all Races religious backgrounds sexual orientations and so on and so forth advocating for my character that's powerful and I also believe that that's what this Administration fears is our Collective Unity now as long as the focus was just issues going on within the black community it was easy to ignore us but when we see members of the Palestinian community of the Jewish community of the lgtb QA and others standing with us in solidarity that's true power until that I would like to say that I know this election tomorrow is important right but the following year we have a even more important election taking place here in the city of Cleveland and our Focus as this Coalition we're building east side and west side is to reallocate the local political power here in the city of Cleveland and that's what this system is afraid of that's what this Administration is afraid of and that's exactly what's going to happen with every breath in my body I stand on that courageously and so things that we experienced during this past summer I came out here and make public comment five times last year 21 weeks we spent touring communities every neighborhood from East Side to West Side from West 53rd to Leon Harvard to 71st in Fleet a gas station where three people have been shot in a two we span of time a 15-year-old young man lost his life amsbury projects a 12-year-old girl hit with a straight bullet Heritage King Kennedy out wve and the the premise of this engagement was to one build relationships in community because that's the most important asset that we have that's the most important tool and resource that we have relationships number two showing up at some of these businesses right human trafficking is our number one Focus violence prevention is our number two Focus so we are hyperfocusing on the business in the neighborhood is for one of those two reasons and if a business is taking issue with us show and a presence at that business it's for one or two reasons and it's just concerning to me to see members of this body time protecting predators in our neighborhood thank you

Speaker um well good evening members of council uh I came here to uh urge you to uh pass councilman Stars resolution uh 10832 2004 okay 24 uh it appears that you've already passed it I meant to get here a couple Mondays ago I appreciate your leadership on this uh as you all know issue one uh is the last chance we have to create balance in the state legislature and create a legislature that's reflective of the people of Ohio and not of one party uh so I just wanted to come and thank you for your leadership on this uh I look forward to getting it P and I look forward to continue to work with each and every one of you as we move forward after it passes thank you Mr President thank

gray hey all thank you for your time well I'm not going to comment directly on the proposed legislation today regarding CPP I do want to comment on the importance of Cleveland Public Power to our community citizens Utility Board Cub Ohio advocates for consumers across Ohio to assure ensure affordable and reliable utility Service as a part of that mission we track reliability numbers as reported uh to the federal government the Energy Information uh agency and these numbers show the value of Public Utilities to Cleveland by the Numbers CPP is consistently outperforming our investor owned utility CI across the three most important categories we track the number of outages per year the total minutes of missed customer service and the average outage duration per customer the federal reporting shows that across the past 5 years CPP has had less outages less minutes of outage per customer and shortage outer duration on 14 of the 15 metrics that we're tracking additionally CPP has scored better on six out of the six reliab scores versus CI for the first two years of this Administration it's a rolling number so we only have through 2023 and to put a final data point on the strong performance in 2023 the last year of numbers that we have CPP actually outperformed all of the other investor owned utilities across the state from for a reliability standpoint and then finally to put a real life example of what this means in practice we can look at the recent storm outages the tornadoes in August based on our research 85% of CPP customers had their service restored within 72 hours while at that same point more than 50% of CI customers were still without service for more than a couple days afterwards and this is not surprising because CI has to take care of hundreds of thousands of customers outside of the city of Cleveland I think that actually proves the point here which is that we need a utility that's focused directly on the residents of Cleveland does not have a profit motive and is regulated by the folks here in this room and not the folks in Columbus in short we need a healthy Cleveland Public power and we hope you all do the right thing to support that thank

everybody council president mayor hi Dolores Gray from war five resident of War five everybody's neighbor so I'm come here to talk about the asset map that's very important to our award um I got we got introduced to it at at our council meeting with Molly was in October when she came in so I was aware about it in more for when Council woman was talking about it in her meeting so I just wanted to bring to attention that this asset Mapp is very important to everybody and everybody's Community because this is our vote our vote and our voice this is this would determine what we want in our Ward and what we want to see without blaming it on what council is not doing this is up to us as resident in our community I'm a resident of everybody's neighbor I actually took the assets mapping out in W five Community I didn't did 70% of w five door too mapping for the residents to understand what's going what the Mappy mean I went to the houses I talked to people in the highrise at the house in the neighborhood because a lot of our residents did not understand about this they not even wor what the S mapping is all about so education is very important animportant to our community about this SS mapping you know what I'm saying so when I went out to the highrises the managers actually allowed them me to put it in the elevators when I went out to the homes I cleared the homes and talked to everybody the seniors they actually took the package because they don't do the I IQ code so the seniors took the package I gave them my number when they finished it I picked up the packages the people in front of me young people did the IQ code actually in front of me when I was talking to them boom on their phone boom so we had a conversation about understand that this will bring what we want in our neighborhood I mean even with Council still signing off on it they will pick and choose they would know what they want in neighborhood they' be aware what they want in neighborhood because the majority of our people in our community don't come out to the meetings the majority of our people don't show up because they don't know to know so education and knowledge and I just want to put it out here with this asss mapping me because voting is coming up this is our vote and this will be your vote as well if you need the support of your community thank you thank