Cornell McCleary, Former 610 - WTVN Radio Bad Boy

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Columbus Black Mayor, Director of Public Safety and Police Chief should be champions of Civil Rights

State agents illegally abducted a Somali man in Columbus legally on private property and engaged in legal activities and, after a formal complaint was files, Columbus Police did nothing.

Now, before I get all hot and bothered, I am going to put some facts out as they are written in the City of Columbus Charter:

Sec. 62. General powers and duties of mayor.

It shall be the duty of the mayor to act as chief conservator of the peace within the city; to supervise the administration of the affairs of the city including but not limited to purchases and sales on behalf of the city; to see that all ordinances of the city are enforced; to recommend to the council for adoption such measures as the mayor may deem necessary or expedient; to keep the council advised of the financial condition and the needs of the city; to prepare and submit to the council such reports as may be required by that body, and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are conferred or required by this charter or by the laws of the state in so far as they are consistent with this charter or by such laws of the state as it is beyond the competency of this charter to supersede. (Adopted 5-7-74; amended 11-3-98.)

Sec. 63. Mayor's investigation.

The mayor may without notice cause the affairs of any department or the conduct of any officer or employee to be examined. Any person or persons appointed by the mayor to examine the affairs of any department or the conduct of any officer,or employee, shall have the same power to compel the attendance of witnesses, and the production of books and papers and other evidence and to cause witnesses to be punished for contempt, as is conferred upon the council by this charter.

      

        Sec. 101. General powers and duties of director.

Under the direction of the mayor, the director of public safety shall be the executive head of the division of police and fire. The public safety director shall have all powers and duties connected with and incident to the appointment, regulation, and government of the department, except as otherwise provided by this charter. The public safety director shall keep a record of all proceedings. (Amended 11-5-74; 11-3-98.)

Sec. 103. [Control by chief of police.]

Under the direction of the director of public safety, the chief of the division of police shall have control of all police stations and substations, and of the stationing and transfer of all police officers and employees constituting the division of police. (Amended 11-3-98.)

In August of 2004, while I was still a talk show host on 610-WTVN radio station in Columbus, Fuad A. Mahamud was abducted by two Ohio Liquor Control agents while he was working as a parking lot attendant at a downtown parking lot.  Published reports state that the two agents in plain clothes and in  a unmarked vehicle drove onto the private parking lot and refused to pay for being there when legally requested to do so by Mahamud.  Further, according to the reports, Mahamud was handcuffed by the State agents and pushed into the back seat their car, drove off the lot, kept Mahamud for about a half-hour before releasing him behind a gas station a few blocks from the parking lot.

While I was still on the air at WTVN (part of the reason the station management wanted me gone) I raised a lot of hell about this incident.  The two agents, David Pollock and Timothy Gales have personally caught hell over the incident but they have not been criminally charged as they should have and, to date, no public official black or white has called for their heads as would be expected when an incident of obvious police misconduct becomes public.

A recent story published in the Columbus Dispatch and written by Bill Bush, the State is to pay Mahamud for the agent's actions in the incident without an admission of liability.  Because of the length of time of inaction on the part of the City, 2004 to date, it may not be possible to prosecute the State agents but, Mayor Michael Coleman can still have a Mayoral investigation into the actions of the Columbus Division of Police as to why the State agents were not themselves arrested and charged.

The truth of the matter is that if  either the Mayor, Director of Public Safety or Police Chief was white, Columbus would be up in arms.  The media would be hammering whoever that white public official was to compel them to do something.  With Michael Coleman being both black and the darling of the media, he is not going to be pushed to address such things as this incident or other issues that specifically negatively impact blacks and other minorities.

Ted Stickland has Black Politicos on leash

Strickland is a true Democrat and blacks are going to pay dearly for supporting him for Governor

Many people in Ohio are in deep do do.  Children, poor whites and blacks in general.  In Ohio, the general public has observed that under Republican government domination, the black politicos has increased in prominence (black mayors of key Ohio cities), influence(State Senator Ray Miller, State Representative Joyce Beatty and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman) and presence.  Now comes Gov. Ted Strickland, white, Democrat and politically disconnected from a majority of Ohioans, especially minorities.

To date, I have pretty much held off from publicly commenting on Strickland's actions until I was sure I had a good feel for the man and his plans.  I watched with amazement how the media continues to give Strickland public hug after hug no matter how boneheaded his actions are.  As usually, I read my Sunday Dispatch and there is a picture of my buddy Gov. Ted Strickland with the headline "For-Profit schools could lose millions: Students seeking two-year degrees would be affected."  I looked  and I looked for a response from one of our prominent black politicos regarding this issue and there was was nothing to be found in spite of the fact that no other single sector of the community is going to be more negatively impacted by Strickland's decision or should I say Strickland's priorities or lack thereof, than the minority community.

I would like this opportunity to make public a question in my mind for a long time.  Why is it that when issues of major concern particular to the black community, that the likes of black Democrats Michael Coleman, Joyce Beatty and  Ray Miller are silent and my black Republican ass is always up in arms and the majority of the black community are silent on the issues?

Coleman, Beatty and Miller are elected by the people to act on the peoples behalf. They are also elected by black and white people alike.  The white people vote for them because they believe that black people want them.  Black people vote for them because the white media declares them the chosen one's for black people.  Nobody voted or chose me for squat.  I'm just a political pain in the ass by calling.  I must confess that even I sometimes question the voice behind that calling but I never hesitate to act because the ations at issue reqires a public response.

Unfortunately for Strickland, that voice in my head has directed my attention towards him and his official actions.  For profit educational centers do a better job of outreach towards minorities than non profit educational institutions like Columbus State and Ohio State University.  The Governor's own research can confirm this.  Jobs and Skills training are critical to reducing the historical double digit unemployment rates in minority communities (The Governor might not know this because nobody bought it up) when the unemployment rates are a single digit  for the majority community.  Most minority students will in fact lose their educational option based on the Governor's planned actions because the non profit institutions do not offer the same educational options that are a parity to the for profit educational institutions.

I personally believe that Ted Strickland is a good and decent man but, uninformed and unimpressed with the black politicos around him or those that have access to him, therefore, the Governor is stepping on a political hot potato with his shoes off.

Politically, the black community is a strange bird.  It walks when it can fly and stands still when it should run - like a deer, staring into the headlights of an on-coming vehicle.  Then, for no apparent reason, it acts, decisively and with profound impact.  Why?  Unknown and unheard voices of destiny.

National NAACP refuses to do the work required for continued progress for black people

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond and a majority of the 64-member national board wants to continue giving lip service for progress instead of taking responsibility for making progress happen.

Outgoing President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Bruce S. Gordon officially, and finally, told the world what most African-Americans already knows.  The national NAACP does not want to do anything but look good and get in peoples face.  The real challenges facing blacks, black on black crime, babies having babies, lack of job skills and the likes, the national leadership wants no part of that.  Even though their list of what whites are doing to hinder the progress of blacks is short, the battle cry of the national leadership is still "We shall overcome."

Personally, I can feel Gordon's pain.  I was the former Chairman of the Ohio NAACP's Legislation and Lobbying Committee and the former 1st Vice President of the Columbus Branch of the NAACP in the 80's.  I left the NAACP for the exact same reason that Gordon did.  The old guard is lazy and comfortable and, for the most part, compromised.  The progressive leadership of the local chapters is often frustrated because of the lack of support from the national office.

Many national so-called leaders justifies their continued do nothing approach by declaring what Julian Bond has recently declared, that few American blacks would quibble that equality remains an unfulfilled dream.  Equality will always remain an unfulfilled dream for everyone.  The American experience has never been or will never be about equality.  The American spirit is about parity and opportunity - the potential to gain.

The American Constitution is about individual rights not group’s right.  It is flat out impossible to apply group rights and not go against the grain of the Constitution with few exceptions.  The Civil Rights Act of 1866, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave blacks parity rights in America.  Now, as individuals, blacks must personally do the heavy lifting to achieve individual prosperity and success.

This is not to say that there is no disparity due to race.   Disparity does  in fact exist but, there are very few institutional solutions to the problems that exceed the viability of personal achievement, development and spirituality.  A great house is built one brick at a time.  A great nation also requires each and every one of us during our personal pursuits and endeavors to contribute as a matter of will, our best efforts for the collective that we call America.

Columbus Dispatch has become public policy 800-pound gorilla

The powerful daily newspaper affirms the saying that "Might make right" for the uninformed

How do you tell a friend that, in spite of their good intentions, their careful deliberation of every action and their sincere due consideration of outcomes, that they are still wrong as two left feet?

Michael F. Curtin, Vice Chairman and Associate Publisher of The Columbus Dispatch is truly a remarkable individual.  For all the power and influence he wields, I have never met a more humble individual.  I remember from at one of our "what's going on in the world" breakfast meeting years ago, before the rest of the political world discovered the ring of power of Mike Curtin, in the middle of our conversation I suddenly stopped talking and stared at Mike.  I said Mike, you are going to do great things.  God has his hand all over you.  I saw the glow then and I watched it grow into the powerful beacon of light that it is today.

As the years went by, Mike did what he does best, empower the people around him.  Mike grew and the people around him grew.  Dispatch reporters and editors in ways never experienced before were given a free hand in that which they did.  The paper became stronger because of it and the community was better served.  Then, the logical negative consequences of success started to get inserted in the equation of power, progress and public policy - business interest conflicts, political interest conflicts and complicated social and political issues that required a public response but did not mandate that those publicly responding were adequately educated on the issues.

To help my readers better understand the issues at hand and, provide a historical perspective, I am going to site material from an article written by Attorney Karhlton E. Moore "Pro Se at the Supreme Court" for the Columbus Bar Association's Bar briefs publication - Archive 2001-2004:

On December 1, 1999, Columbus resident Cornell McCleary argued a landmark public records case before the Ohio Supreme Court.  Although Mr. McCleary was not successful in his attempt to obtain records in the possession of the city of Columbus, the McCleary decision is the best known and the most cited public records case in Ohio.

The issue - Whether the Recreation and Parks Department's database containing personal identifying information regarding children who use the City's recreational facilities is a public record subject to disclosure pursuant to R.C. Chapter 149, Ohio's Public Record Act?

Published by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in their County Information and Data Service (CIDS) publication:HIGH COURT NARROWS SCOPE OF PUBLIC RECORDS LAW, STOPS DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ON PRIVATE CITIZENS CONTAINED IN RECREATION DEPARTMENT DATABASE

Personal information about private citizens that appears in public documents is no longer subject to disclosure under the state's public records law, according to a decision released by the

Ohio Supreme Court on April 12^{th (2000)}.

In the case of State ex. rel. McCleary v. Roberts (88 Ohio State 3d 365), the high court significantly narrowed the scope of the state's public records law. The decision was surprising because it unanimously reversed an appeals court decision and because courts, in the past, have consistently come down on the side of mandated disclosure of public records.

The case arose from the effort of Cornell McCleary, a well-known Columbus political activist, to obtain a database from the city's Recreation and Parks Department. The database contained information on children enrolled in the Columbus swimming pools photo identification program, including names, home addresses, emergency contacts and medical histories. McCleary maintained that this information was subject to disclosure because it is maintained in a record kept by a public agency.

The court rejected that argument. It held that the mere fact that the information was contained in the department's database did not require disclosure. Disclosure is required under ORC 149.011 (G) only if the information serves to "document the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the office."

Under the court's reasoning, a blank application form for the department's swimming pool photo identification program would have been subject to disclosure because it pertains to a function, policy or procedure of the public office. However, the personal information supplied by the youths who filled out the application forms did not need to be disclosed because it does nothing to document any activity of the department.

The court stressed that the decision does not extend to public employees and their public employment personnel files. Instead, it applies to what the court described as "files on private citizens created by government."

To really appreciate what I was up against in this matter, in addition to the Dispatches articles of support and editorials for the City's actions, there was Janet E. Jackson, Columbus City Attorney, and Daniel W. Drake, Chief Counsel, for appellant (City of Columbus), Betty D. Montgomery, Attorney General, Mark R. Weaver, Special Counsel, and Lisa Wu Fate, Assistant Attorney General, urging reversal for amicus curiae Attorney General of Ohio, attorneys Barry M. Byron, Stephen L. Byron and John Gotherman, urging reversal for amicus curiae Ohio Municipal League.  Plus, the Ohio General Assemble who, while the Supreme Court delayed making an official decision, passed a specific law prohibiting anyone from getting the type of public records that I was requesting.

In this case, like most issues of great public interest, everybody is talking to everybody.  The Dispatch hammered the City's and Betty Montgomery's BS position of "We have to protect the children" over my clearly stated and factual public presentation presentation that the issues are (1) The city of Columbus illegally collecting public information on children and using it at-will against these children and not even their parents could view the information or records maintained by the City regarding their children; (2) Parks and Recreation employees under the direction of Wayne Roberts was illegally giving this information to law enforcement agencies: and (3) If Columbus is allowed to do this, almost every government entity in Ohio will be allowed to do this, a serious erosion of our civil rights.

The Ohio Supreme Court in this case, by a unanimous decision, build a brick wall regarding records of Ohio's governmental actions and citizen's access to records and knowledge of these many actions.  Even the mighty Dispatch can't get past the great wall of governmental secrecy built by the Ohio Supreme Court in this particular and specific decision.

I laid this Supreme Court case before you to set the stage for where I am going next.  When I ran for public office as a Columbus City Council candidate in 2001, I went before the Dispatch's editorial board.  A female Dispatch reporter or editor grilled my ass over this public records case (This was before the Dispatch itself was bitten in the ass by the Court's decision).  I tried to the best of my ability to get her to understand the true issues of the case.  She could not get past her emotions in the matter, the records that I were trying to get involved kids period.  I did not get the Dispatch's endorsement and for a time, the Dispatch was proud of its actions regarding the Supreme Court decision.

There is a saying that goes "Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them."  Some of todays major public policy issues that the media's 800-pound gorilla has weighted in on that I personally feel that they have not fully realized the potential negative consequences of their editorial and/or news reporting actions: 

Crime and community safety issues - The Dispatch has consistently reported and editorialized crime and related problems in our community.  However, they selectively report on negligent private multi-family property owners and managers who are politically connected and play a major role in housing known criminals and criminal suspects.  The Dispatch also frequently reports how our community needs more police yet flat out refuses to report or educate the community of the fact that in the State of Ohio there exist such a thing as Private Police who are private security personnel and the role the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission plays in both training and certification of such individuals.

Mayor Coleman's super capital-improvement bond package - When voters approve bond packages they, at the same time, vote to approve a tax increase to cover the bond package.  The City and the Dispatch consistently wrongfully inform voters that they are not voting for a tax increase because the City has yet exercised acting on the voted tax increase.  Instead, the City has increase service fees, tax collections, user's fee, etc to avoid imposing the tax or flat out tax increase.  It is only a matter of time before the City runs out of back door tax increases and have to walk through the front door and raise taxes.

Civil rights and governmental control - Of late, the Dispatch's reporting and editorials supporting a Nation ID, Red Light Cameras, Conceal Carry Weapons Ban, the City's plan to pass an ordinance to require scrap yard dealers to ID customers and a  statewide Anti-smoking Ban.  At issue, law enforcement agents are use to acting outside of the law to enforce the law.  Most agents when attempting to enforce the law are mostly focused on getting the would-be bad guy not civil liberties.  The same as the military for the most part.  We have civilian control over such entities to keep them in check.  The truth is, post 911, military and law enforcement agencies do what the hell they want to do and the civilian authorities over them had better not try and stop them.  The only controls that we have today is potential public outrage related to reported abuse of power incidents, after the fact.

Let's take a look at the Red Light Cameras issue.  According to both the  City and the Dispatch this is a safety issue even though big bucks is being made.  At issue, the red light cameras are electronic surveillance devices under government or should I say police control.  In place is the ability to video monitor citizens as well as auto tags.  The police can and will find a way to take advantage of that capability.  It's not a matter of if, its a clear case of when.  They do what they do.  They just need the Right bad guy to take the system to the next level.

In my mind's eye I'm sitting across the table from my friend Mike Curtin.  I'm smiling and he's giving me that look he gives me when I'm right and he thinks he's right.  In some cases we both agree to disagree.  But we both know that we have impacted each other and given each other food for thought.  Nothing else need be said. 

FARRAKHAN

Nation of Islam leader earned the respect of Black America but never their love - A leader forced to roam in the shadow of history.

Minister Louis Farrakhan, a former Calypso singer, dancer and violinist. A leader of men but never truly having done so outside of the followers of the Nation of Islam.  Why?  Because of his contributions to the death of one of the most profound leaders of our time, Malcolm X.  Many Black Americans never got beyond the fact that many believed that Farrakhan played a direct role in Nation of Islam former leader, Minister Malcolm X's death.

In 1964, Malcolm X publicly revealed that Nation of Islam (NOI)leader Elijah Muhammad had impregnated several of his teenage secretaries, in blatant violation of his own (Muhammad's) admonitions against sex outside of marriage.  Farrakhan was outraged at what he perceived as Malcolm's disloyalty and called him a traitor.  Ten weeks before Malcolm was assassinated, Farrakhan denounced him in the NOI newspaper Muhammad Speaks.  "Only those who wish to be led to hell, or to their doom, will follow Malcolm.  The die is set, and Malcolm shall not escape, especially after such evil, foolish talk about his benefactor; such a man is worthy of death..."

No reasonable person would be able to dismiss Farrakhan's love and passion for blacks but, his passion for blacks was tainted by his professed negative views of whites and Jews.  The acts of injustice and shame of some does not truly reflect the ways and the will of the whole or all.  Acts of omission in times of challenge does not always reflect consent but more often reflects weakness of character.

The paradox of the conflict between Malcolm and Farrakhan in fact, enabled Farrakhan to keep memories of Malcolm alive and, established a positive place in history for himself.  What was this paradox?  Both men became and continues to be symbols of Black Manhood in America.  Some would argue, what about Muhammad Ali?  Ali's greatness in life were personal.  The civil rights struggle and movement did not find Ali in those rings.

In 1995, Farrakhan established his place in history and affirmed my perspective of Farrakhan being the symbol of Black Manhood in America.  That year Farrakhan played a key role in an event known as the Million Man March on the Mall in Washington, D.C., which allegedly drew two million men, mostly black men.  I don't know if there was 2 million people there but I can assure you that there was a hell of a lot of black men there.  More than any other movement event in the history of America.

February 25, 2007, in Detroit, MI, Farrakhan gives his final speech declaring that his time has come and the Final Call can't last forever.  Now, Black America is moving quickly into the time of Barack Obama and Black Gay Pride.  As far as national black leadership goes, one could say, the current black national leadership never met a man that they did not like.

Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield will get away with having cost thousands of innocent American and Iraqi lives

Lie regarding a relationship between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaida will ultimately cause Bush to leave office in disgrace

The truth has finally surfaced, the White House and the Pentagon are responsible for misleading Americans regarding a relationship between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaida.  Up until now the CIA and other intelligence agencies have taken the heat but, it appears to be that these agencies were in fact the good guys. 

Very few Americans will be able to embrace the fact or accept that we are in grave danger as a people and a country - our President and the U.S. military can't be trusted.  All of Bush's 911 related laws and policies should now be viewed as suspect as to what are the real objective of these laws?  This all appears to be something right out of the TV series 24 script.  Except, this shit is for real.

A recent Associated Press Ipsos poll indicated that 65 percent of Americans disapprove of how Bush is handling his job; 58 percent of Americans disapproved of the way Congress is handling its job and 68 percent of Americans think that this country is moving in the wrong direction, off on the wrong track.  Yet, each day, Bush and the Pentagon are attempting to make a case for a continued war in Iraq and a potential war with Iran and North Korea.  Problem, the people are going in one direction and our government is going in another.  Logical results, World War III or another American Civil War.  There is no moderate in Between. November's Election was American's civil attempt to bring about change.  If that attempt fails all hell breaking loose is the next thing that is logically going to happen or even worse, the government and Congress are going to engage us in a major global war.

It is time for reasonable minds to conclude that for reasons unknown, Vice President Cheney and the Pentagon is running the country, President Bush is taking the heat, Congress does not have a clue and the CIA most likely are the only ones that can save us from who or what has us on this certain path of chaos.

Michael Coleman is like a cepted woman - Looks great in night attire but you can see the makeup lines in daylight

The Columbus Dispatch was quick to try and make Coleman seem invincible after my Blog posting

Headline, February 4, 2007, "GOP looks for cash for city campaign: Handful of candidates challenge Democrats".  The whole thrust of the article to make William Todd, Michael Coleman's opponent, look like a political 90 pound weakling up against heavy weight champion Michael Coleman.  The article also made it very clear Coleman's fund raising ability - like I said in my Blog, Coleman has the Titan's blessing as far as support but, Coleman is not worth as much to them as he was in his first run for mayor.  Now the powers-that-be have the Franklin County Commissioners and the Governor's office - all Democrats and all eager to please.

If the truth be known, Coleman does not have much more to offer them except maybe playing a tactical role in Ohio's big-time business and civic leaders (The Titans) playing a key role in capturing the White house in 08. Thats a reaching a bit.  Most of the major interest of the Titans in Central Ohio is in the works.  A Coleman lost would have minimum impact on their respective plans.  They like the guy but they won't sell the farm to save him.

Back to William Todd.  Todd has to get the public to respond to what they already know when it comes to Coleman - nice package but there's nothing in it.  Coleman has no substance.  Almost every issue he has championed is either someone Else's idea or there will little substance if any, regarding the outcome of the  issue.  Remember when Coleman was the Education Mayor?  Remember when Coleman was going to be the Crime Fighting Mayor - he former a committee made up of the City's brightest minds and they did squat?  I could go on and on.

Anyway, this is getting to be fun to watch the powerful Columbus Dispatch trying to made Coleman look dynamic and effective when the truth is that Columbus's economic strength and vitality is more of a direct result of all the government jobs and educational institutions in the area then anything else.  When you take an honest look at all the intended development plans and projects one would see that these plans caused as many problems as they were solutions.  Its hard to tell if we are behind or ahead because of them.  Think Easton.

The Titan's blessing may not be able to shield Mayor Coleman this time

Coleman's opponent William Todd might be the right man at the right time to exploit Coleman's weaknesses

Recently the Franklin County Republican Party officially endorsed a slate of city and county candidates for public office races this November.  Generally speaking, the move made by one of the weakest Republican county Party's in the state was no big deal.  However, the brain dead leadership of the Party accidentally made a good political move and gave long-time Party loyalist and attorney, William M. Todd the Party's endorsement to oppose Mayor Michael B. Coleman in November.

In The past, the Titans, Columbus's shadow government has used campaign donations or should I say withholding campaign donations to keep Coleman and Columbus city council members in office and away from stiff competition.  William Todd is a political insider but a local outsider that may prove to be both Coleman and the Titian's worse nightmare.

Todd has a history with two very powerful activist organizations that appear to have access to a lot of cash for political adventures or misadventures - the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's political arm, Citizens for a Strong Ohio and Common Sense Ohio, a non-profit group that took a few bites out of Ted Strickland's butt during his run for governor.

What is significant about these two groups is that they are not intimidated by the media.  Make no mistake about it, this time around that soft glow painted around Michael Coleman is going to turn into a ring of fire.  Have you ever noticed that when something good happens in Central Ohio Michael Coleman gets the credit and when something goes wrong then it just a matter of circumstances that the Mayor has to deal with.  An even better example of the media's painting Coleman as the Saint of all Good Intentions, is the issue of Red Light Cameras.  The city is screwing the public big time with those super hefty fines in the name of safety when the city's traffic signaling is messed up and, all but forcing you to run Red Lights because the Yellow Lights are intentionally set at different times so you don't know how much time you have to pass through the intersection.  The media gave St. Michael Coleman a lot of play for his forceful advocacy of our safety with the city's hand in our pocket.

Anyway, back to William Todd.  I've met with Todd a time or two in the past.  He did not strike me as an original thinker or a rocket scientist but he did strike me as a believer, committed to doing what ever it is he sat out to do and thats why I think Coleman and the Titans are in trouble.  If Todd can get outside Central Ohio money to flow his way, a Mayoral campaign ran on character issues will potentially destroy Coleman.  I'm not trying to say that Mayor Michael Coleman is a bad or shady character but, I am saying that the media has not let the public, for whatever reason, see Coleman's character.  When many issues in the past have occurred that are character defining Coleman was let off the hook or not pressed for a response like what is he going to about black-on-black crime in the city since his so-called committees and task forces are not getting the job done.  I predict that the Mayoral contest between William Todd and Michael Coleman is going to change all of that.

Every day that 6 year old went to school death was waiting on him

Scottwood Elementary School student did not stand a long-term chance, it was just a matter of time before he got hit by a school bus

On Friday, January 5, 2007, the Columbus Dispatch published a front page headline story that scared the hell out of me.  The story was wrote by reporters Theodore Decker and Bill Bush about a 6 year old boy killed by a school bus while trying to cross street while his grandmother watched from her warm and cozy seat in the car. If I sound pissed its because I am.  My 5 year old son goes to that school and, the picture of 6 year old Asa Mayle in the Dispatch article, too close for comfort, looks like that of the face of my 5 year old son.

Every morning that I drop my son off at school, looking at the traffic pattern on Scottwood Road, with mostly everyone in the auto-pilot mode, with some parents in a too-big-of-a-hurry mode and, the ambush crosswalk that was waiting on little Asa or someone like him, my head and my heart fills with dread as I issue a stern warning to my son each and every day since he started to going to Scottwood Elementary School as he gets out of the car and, I am right there beside him, with his hand in my hand "Look both ways for cars before you cross the street OK?"

When I heard news reports of the little Asa incident, I was filled with rage and fear, mostly rage because I felt that little boy did not have to die.  When I read the Dispatch article I really hit the ceiling.  In the article, police said the investigation could take months.  I found that incredible.  So I'm writing this article in the interest of justice and the memory of little Asa, and I'm going to let the sticks fall where they may.

First, Grandma McCarey, you should have got your butt out of the car every morning and walked little Asa to his bus stop.  Even a damn fool could see that Scottwood Road is very dangerous in the morning.

The flashing warning light compelling people to slow down to 20 miles per hour that was on the day after little Asa's death at the time of his death, should be on all day until the last kid leaves the school and the last kids that are going to arrive in the area have come and gone.  Its called traffic calming.

Here is the biggie and this should help the police get their investigation completed faster.  Scottwood Elementary and Columbus Public Schools, stop letting school buses pick up children in front of a crosswalk.  When a bus driver takes off they are accelerating and looking for other cars, and changing lanes and not looking for children who will be trying to do what they were trained to do.  Cross at the crosswalk.

Little Asa is dead in part because the bus driver was trying to stay on schedule, navigate down a narrow, 2-way street with parking allowed on both sides of the street, change lanes and accelerating with her starting point just a few feet from the crosswalk which was in her direction of travel.  Little Asa did not stand a chance.