|
CLEVELAND, OH – We are very pleased to hear that Mr. Mason has heeded our call. Strict campaign finance rules are an essential component of any real county reform measure.
This further illustrates the importance of an open and transparent process to real county reform. Our campaign is not about distraction, confusion or attacks; this is about developing a comprehensive reform proposal for all of Cuyahoga County. Restrictions on campaign contributions are core to any reform. The public exchange that has taken place over the past week further illustrates the importance of Issue 5’s open and transparent approach.
When Issue 6 leaders met behind closed doors to develop their charter, they ignored calls to include finance reform. Its crafters had multiple opportunities to address this important issue, clearly before last week they had no intention of doing so. It was not until the Issue 5 campaign shed light on the problem that something finally took place. Now county reform has truly taken a major step forward. Unfortunately, the absence of campaign finance reform was not the only flaw in their proposal:
§ Their plan has no independent investigator, senior officials (that were elected previously) don’t have to file ethics commission reports, and the County Executive can fire those appointed to conduct investigations and internal audits.
§ Their plan destroys checks and balances by giving the Executive extraordinary investigative powers, which can be used to intimidate those who challenge him/her...even county council members.
§ Their plan creates a bloated, inefficient structure that divides the county into 11 districts — adding another layer of government and pitting districts against each other for job creation and county dollars.
With Issue 5, these and many other flaws can be dealt with so that we can have a quality proposal for real county reform. The discussion over the past week is evidence that a quality county reform charter can only developed with an open and inclusive process, rather than a proposal developed by a self-appointed group of elites behind closed doors.
For more information on real county government reform that works for all residents visit www.Yes5No6.com.
...
|
rss
