Bus Ride!

James Robert is out of money again , seems the notes that he is entitled to from our Federal Government never seem to stretch out the month. Last evening with the north west wind cutting knife like up and down Cleveland , Ohio avenues. James Robert spent his evening enjoying not an evenings sleep bedded down , instead James found himself taking a " bus ride!" . Ashamed to say that our house cat slept warmer and ate better than James last evening. Caught up with James today at the chili parlor , and was able to shift enough notes his way to ensure him cover until Uncle Sam's eagle flies past and drops some script in his account to help him survive.......What could the local buncha swells that administrate the Downtown Cleveland Alliance , been thinking of when they started there , " Don't Give When It Can't Help" campaign to discourage citizens from giving money to the homeless , and contribute the money to DCA instead? In typical feckless political fashion , The Downtown Cleveland Alliance managed to spend five thousand dollars on this campaign designed to discourage panhandling , while receiving just one hundred dollars in response to their anti human campaign. Who would have guessed that with such negative copy emphasising " Don't give" , people noticed and didn't give. No surprises here ! That five thousand dollar sum could sure go along way towards providing folk like James Robert a little ease from the pains of living on our city streets! I know , these downtrodden human beings that do not smell so sweet , and have the look about them of living under a bridge offend the white table cloth patrons that the downtown interests would prefer as representative of it 's new privileged downtown. Wake up and smell the vomit left on downtown sidewalks by the sports fans that hunker around these parts acting the fool on any game day. Spend more time and effort discouraging the drunken displays of the well fed suburban knuckleheads that flock here to do their damage and depart , instead of depriving some of the unfortunate humans down on their luck a few dollars ............... Not difficult to notice the street level storefront vacancies that abound in shoddy downtown Cleveland today. If real estate is so precious why does so much go unused? Speculation! Reminds me of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem that begins " Water , water everywhere , not a drop to drink". From the Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner. Nobody buying. Nobody renting either. The bottom has yet to fall out of the current real estate market here , and before it does , some of these speculative types should take heed. When the corporate ghouls that have occupied our downtown hotels and buildings cut their losses and hit the exits , what appears to be speculative gold will turn a darker shade of brown on your plate and in your greedy hands!.................Book selling Time! If you look around the park across from the West Side Market , located at West 25th street and Lorain Avenue , you will often see men and women milling about or sitting on benches , either waiting for busses or perhaps your spare change left over from a day's shopping at the West Side Market across the street. Men like james Robert sit here , sometimes talking to themselves , or perhaps just passing time and wondering how their lot in life came to pass? Remember them! The West Side Market is the poor cousin d of Cleveland's former Central market , and the one remaining City run public market in Cleveland , Ohio. An old friend named Paul Bova who sold quality fruit at the Central Market used to admonish those unfortunate enough to shop for fruit and vegetables at the West Side Market by muttering the statement that the produce vendors at the West Side Market " Are undertakers, Mark, undertakers! " , referring to the near dead or past prime produce sold there. Not always , but often the truth. A few old time West Side Market quality merchants remain outdoors , The Calabrese family still does a fine job of selecting and selling fruits. " Caveat emptor" ,is the operative phrase here . Inside you will fare much better , with a great selection of meats , fish , cheese , bakery , and the like. If you desire a read concerning this Market's fabled history , we suggest Joanne Lewis TO MARKET , TO MARKET. Thanks to John and Kim , and my family.

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