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Why Rick Nagin Is the Best Candidate for Ward 14Submitted by talbano on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:49.
 Check out www.naginforcouncil.com/ for more information on Rick Nagin's campaign for Ward 14, to volunteer and to read his endorsements. · Rick knows Ward 14 better than any other candidate. Rick has lived in Ward 14 over 25 years. He has raised a family and his children attended Denison Elementary. He worked as the Ward 14 Councilman's Assistant for over seven years and handled 40,000 requests for service. He has been active in block clubs, social clubs, voter registration drives and election campaigns in the ward.
· Rick has worked closely with Hispanic agencies and organizations on many issues. He was a coach for the Roberto Clemente Little League. He was a member of the San Lorenzo Club and helped found the Cleveland chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Ward 14 is 44% Hispanic. No one can or should represent this ward who does not have close ties to the Hispanic community.
· Ward 14 has a growing African-American population. Rick has worked for many years on voter registration drives with the NAACP Voter Fund.
· Working people are the overwhelming majority of Ward 14. Rick is a member of the Communications Workers of America and a delegate to the North Shore (Cleveland) AFL-CIO. He has the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, Laborers Local 310, the Postal Workers Union and AFSCME Local 3360 representing the employees at MetroHealth, the largest employer in Ward 14.
Labor backs Rick because of his many years of involvement in organizing drives, strike support and electoral and legislative campaigns of organized labor. He was on the staff of the Labor 2006 election campaign and a full time volunteer for the Labor 2008 effort to elect Pres. Barack Obama.
· Rick understands the values and ideals of the growing number of professionals now living in Ward 14 due to its proximity to downtown and the presence of MetroHealth. Rick is a graduate of Harvard College and has a doctorate in biology from The Rockefeller University.
· Because of his many years of activism in labor and progressive causes and his service in City Council, Rick has close ties with government officials at City, County, State and Federal level. He can get help to address the problems we face in Ward 14. As a labor and politics writer for a national newspaper, he is well versed on the critical issues we face.
· Rick is a doer. He listens to your concerns and takes action. He is hard-working, honest and accessible.
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thanks for posting this
thank you.
Yes, thank you talbano for
Yes, thank you talbano for posting this. I spoke with my son on Sunday and he agrees that Nagin is the better candidate for Ward14. And my son is very critical of the fact that Nagin is a member of the Ohio Communist Party. But, even having reservations about that he is supporting Nagin because he thinks he is the best choice for Ward14. I hope other residents of this community will also realize that Nagin is the best choice for all the reasons listed above and more. He has worked in the trenches and not it is time for him to take the lead.
ward14resident
I agree that it is substance rather than a poltical party affilation that counts. I have known Rick Nagin for many years, and believe that he is honest and sincere. He is also very effective and compentent. I don't know Cummins that well, but I do know that he has some mighty unhappy constituents in Ward 15. I am really turned off by the Communist stuff he is putting out there. Why such a negative take on things? Does he have so little to offer to Ward 14 that all he can do is go into attack mode? Let's have some real solutions offered to the overwhelming issues facing us in the inner city. I feel like offering up red baiting is treating us as if we are too dumb to see through it. Again: drugs, youth, housing, vandalism, car theft, prositution, decaying housing and much more.
skindell & smith endorse Nagin
Joining State Rep. Mike Foley in endorsing Rick Nagin for Ward 14 City Council are State Rep. Mike Skindell and State Senator Shirley Smith. Also, endorsing Nagin are various members of the Cuyahoga Democratic Party, and the list goes on.
Has Cummmins received any endorsements from peers? I haven't seen or heard of any.
Brian Cummins for Ward 14
I've known Nagin for decades.
Nagin lives in Ward 15 and has lived in Ward 15 for the past 21 years. He is not one of us. Nagin represents the past. He is almost 70 years old and has no plan for the future except to keep you poor. As long as Ward 14 is poor you will think that you need someone to take care of you. That is the oldest trick of tyrants and despots.
His endorsements are half-hearted admitted paybacks for favors rather than support.(read the PD)
Nagin is:
A follower. He followed Gus Hall. Swooned over him. Spent his whole life trying to get someone to pay attention to him.
A self proclaimed activist with zero accomplishments.
He claims to have registered some voters and now expects them to vote for him. He believes he is entitled to your vote just for hanging around the ward for decades.
Do the whole world a favor and send Nagin home and tell him to stay there.
For the first time in 12 years we have a chance for a bright capable person to represent Ward 14. And that is Brian Cummins.
Brian Cummins Endorsements
*UPDATED
cummins lives in 15 too
check your facts. nagin has worked hard with us that live in 14. cummins is now councilman in 15 and now that he got booted he is running in 14 cause he just wants a job. he is not trustworthy and thats why the list of endorsements are a list of old has beens and isn't that sad?
Get your facts straight
Both Rick Nagin and Brian Cummins LIVE in Brooklyn Centre NEIGHBORHOOD divided by NPI/SII/CDC/Triad gerrymandered politics--formerly Ward 15, soon to be Ward 14. Both families essentially live on Mapledale (Nagins at West 42nd St.)...about five blocks away from each other. Two daughters in each family. Nagin's kids went to CMSD Denison Elementary and then private school. Cummin's kids attend charter Old Brooklyn Constellation School.
Stop with the crap information.
facts and endorsements
Laura is correct and if people read a little, they would know that both guys live in Ward 15, soon to be Ward 14 and that without leaving our homes, we are being shifted around. After the census next year, we will likely lose a couple more wards then we all get do to this again. Oh, what joy!
Age discrimination? Why
Age discrimination? Why bring up a candidates age? Isn't that called discrimination?
I admire Nagin's courage and ambition to run for council. He could sit back and enjoy his retirement, but no, he is out there going door to door talking to the residents of Ward14. His life experience in and of itself surpasses that of the other candidate. If we want someone that knows how to work with people and work with politicians, Nagin is the best candidate. He listens to what the residents have to say about the needs of the ward. He is the best choice for Ward14 because he has life experience in addition to his political experience.
ageism
I think this is just another type of bigotry that is used when substance is lacking. Just like the red baiting, ageism is used to divert people from the fact that we have some real problems in this city, and in Ward 14 in particular that require some experience and savvy. I really like Nagin's practice of building up block clubs to address a lot of these problems. We look out for each other, get to know each other and help each other. Crime decreases in areas that have active block clubs, and active block clubs can track delivery of city services and collectively determine what is best for their area vs a CDC telling us what is best. Not all members of a block club will agree on everything, but when needed, they do tend to act together. We do need someone with Nagin's ability to bring people together, and I don't think that he will use the position of the ward as a stepping stone up the ladder of disgusting Cleveland politics. He isn't a patsy but he can collaborate without selling out the ward to special interest. The endorsements that he received from the State Senator and the State Representatives speak loudly, as well as the members from the county democratic party. There are also numerous block club leaders and neighborhood leaders joining in to endorse him. It is actually just nice to watch this process of unity happen, and that makes it so distasteful when the bigotry rears its' ugly head.
facts or misrepresenting them
We all know where they live. The difference is that Nagin is the one who has claimed throughout the primary campaign that he was a current Ward 14 resident. It wasn't true. He isn't, nor has he been a Ward 14 resident for at least 21 years. Those are the facts. I think it is significant that someone will misrepresent such a minor point about themselves.
In my neighborhood when Nagin and Cintron were in office they were responsible for creating a rift between the 2 CDCs and they supported rival blocks to form and defect from one group to the other. This caused a rift within the neighborhood that still 10 years later has not mended. And nothing of value came of it other than a power play by Nagin and Cintron.
All this talk about grassroots and for the people is just talk where I come from. Nagin is a sloganeer of century old failed ideas. We have had 12 desolate years in Ward 14 and Rick made 7 of those possible. I cannot name one thing that improved while he was in city hall. We need a neighborhood leader. Rick has never been a leader.
facts and apples
and then oranges, as edward 33 lays out a call for facts. We all know that Nagin will live in 14 when the redistricting takes effect so presenting that as an issue just does not cut it, and it has only been 4 years since Cintron was defeated, not 10. Santiago has the last 4 so I gotta say, edward33, either you are a little off target and we all go there, sometime, or you are not for real. If you are for real, then you will remember the divisive games of the Helen Smith years that cut poor people out of the neighborhood, invested millions of dollars into Ohio City for the few there while abandoning the south of Lorain part of Ward 14. No services, no code enforcement except for the interests of developers, and cronies.
Helen Smith
When Councilwoman Helen Smith, who endorses Cummins in Ward 14, was approached by the person who rehabbed homes for low income people, about the south of Lorain area, Smith's response was to refuse to help, saying that that part of her ward should just be bulldozed.
Cummins
corrected
In my neighborhood when Nagin and Cintron were in office they were responsible for creating a rift between the 2 CDCs and they supported rival block clubs to form and defect from one CDC to the other. This caused a rift within the neighborhood that still 10 years later has not mended. And nothing of value came of it other than a power play by Nagin and Cintron.
There is nothing off target about the timeline. I've been here for 30 years. Nagin and Cintron were in office from 1998-2005. Nagin left early to run in Ward 15.
Nagin has a proven record of offending people and leaders and being reviled everywhere he peddles his newspaper in northeast ohio. If being disrespected and discounted by all the leaders in the region is being for the people then Nagin truly is that. How will that help you?
These are my experiences. I want a future here. Nagin is the past. I will have to vote Cummins to have a chance at a future.
endorsements
When I posted the latest endorsements, it obviously hit a sore spot. We have a lot of those in Ward 14. Edward33, I think that these endorsements point out that Cummins has isolated himself. He is a member of the Green Party, therefore, he can not be a member of the Democratic Party (Green Party rules, not mine). He sort of claims to be a Democrat often enough to get the attention of the Green Party that is starting wonder about him, so what are his politics? Cummins has alienated himself from the Democratic Party to the point that he has no endorsements, the Greens may not want him much longer, and it is not because he is the champion of the people, it is more a trust problem. This is also the same problems (trust not principals) that Council leadership has with him, and they took away his ward. Word has it that a lot of current Ward 15 people in Old Brooklyn are relieved that he is going and did not protest his loss of the ward, so are you sure this is what you want for 14? It sounds like you have some personality issues with Nagin, and obviously take issue with his politics. But if he has offended people in his writings, bully for him because the writings are about corporations that use and abuse us. Can you tell me who these leaders in the region are that are offended? I would really like to know, so please tell who these leaders are. Thank you.
Nagin vs. Cummins
For all of you who complain about the Old Boy Network, then point out all the endorsements from suburban democrats backing Nagin....isn't this a bit disingenous? The fact that none of these individuals endorsed Cummins is a plus as far as I'm concerned. I heard Sweeney made a deal with Nagin, threw money his way by various channels. If you count the votes - potential and likely winners in council races, it's a close vote against Sweeney. He's sweating.
Further, anyone who worked with Cintron for as many years as he did is suspect. Short memories people!
Kate
This is news to me. Can you divulge your source? Kind of serious stuff to say about the big Sweeney guy and of course, taints anyone else. I don't think of people like Mike Foley, whom I have known for years from the City of Cleveland, Shirley Smith from the City of Cleveland, and Mike Spindell, who has been much touted as a good guy, as suburban democrats. Don't forget that Cintron has is supporting Cummins. I think that it is disingenuous of you to say that one is ok and another is not. I would take Foley & Smith any day over Cintron. Cummins is touting the support of Cintron. By your own measurements, that makes him suspects.
I have to ask, Kate, who in the Democratic Party garners enough of your respect to warrant Donna Brady seeking their endorsement should she seek Dimoria's position? Anyone?
Suspected as much--thanks Kate
Rick, please feel free to disagree here. You can decide my vote here and now.