wcpn puts the con

in the convention center/medical mart project slated for downtown Cleveland by stacking the deck with two shills from the metaphorically challenged organization positively Cleveland? , dismissing any objective discussion concerning this tax spun project which aired Tuesday December 18 ,2007 on their nine to ten a.m. slot.

Yet another heated make out session between the gutless radio batch that commands our so called public radio for Northeast Ohio and a civic cheer leading organization such as positively Cleveland...

Under the guise of seeking public input for what this convention center should include and it's possible location this dog and pony show dragged on for its entire hour without even a single outside telephone call amounting to any substantive input or value.

One caller suggested that Cleveland would make a great destination as a bird watching venue, some sort of ornithological tourism?

Perhaps this is what will save this mess of an urban disaster, bird watching?

The suggestion to have the caller ride most of the city RTA lines and observe the fellow passengers crossed my mind. Business as unusual per the norm at the live flea circus at playhouse square which passes as a public radio station...

The perfect location for this proposed project would be the property that Cuyahoga County previously purchased, and over paid for, at East 93rd Street and Quincy Avenue, were some actual economic impact might occur that would have a tacitly positive affect on Cleveland and Cuyahoga County citizens...

What was for certain is that for all the blather of the hour we can be certain that whatever is built here in terms of a convention center will be small potatoes, and on a par with small market cities such as Indianapolis, Indiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.

What's the point?

To compete with small market venues a few hours away, not learn from their mistakes in building these moribund convention centers in the first place.

If you are interested in why the modern convention center is not the economic generator that it is painted as such by outfits such as positively Cleveland merely Google the academic source of study undertaken by Doctor Heywood T. Sanders at the University of Texas who has made studying the building and usage of contemporary convention centers his business.

As for the medical merchandise mart that is proposed as part of this deal please refer to Roldo Bartimole and his article concerning the potential conflict of interest in this matter posted earlier this year.

Do you really believe for one precious moment that the Chicago medical merchandise group that is driving this project forward in Cleveland will be naive enough to slide many convention events on our plate instead of keeping the events and monies in Chicago?

Ask yourself as a potential National group seeking a convention venue which city you would prefer as a site?

Perhaps once, though Cleveland, Ohio is not a very exciting place unless compared to Indianapolis or Columbus, so perhaps this small town logic is not as flawed as it seems. Cleveland, Ohio has once again set the bar low in terms of competition and forget constructing a convention center to compete with Las Vegas, New York, or New Orleans.

Truth be told a single urban block in New York City provides more excitement than all of Cleveland has to offer. Ditto New Orleans and Las Vegas.

Do not bother touting the trifling rock n' roll hall of fame as a tourist attraction. One visit to this clothes closet in a lifetime is plenty for any visitor.

Our museums are fine, and we have most professional sports teams in place, save professional hockey. Yet so do the cities we will be competing with for convention business.

As for the actual location of this convention center/medical merchandise mart, if it must be built please consider the large parking area owned by the city of Cleveland that is currently used as a drunken zone prior to Cleveland Oranges football team, also known as the browns.

Take this party lot and turn it into a true Lake Erie view destination complete with RTA rail access. This current under used parking lot as a convention center location seems to make the best sense from a political viewpoint.

Why?

None of the usual competing interests, Woolstein, Forest City, or Jacobs properties come into play... As for the question proposed for the public use of the convention center when not occupied with events, should provide plenty of time, please consider giving back to the citizens of Cuyahoga County who will have paid for this structure access to this facility on a regular basis for meetings, youth cultural and sports activities, geriatric programs, and any community needs that will trump the profit motives set upon us by the greedy likes of positively Cleveland.

It really is a shame when your public radio station is anything but public. Even a scrap or nod at objectivity would be appreciated.

Bad enough that the for profit and civic agenda laden p.d. has their hooks into wcpn in such a large fashion , though stacking the deck with two public relations types and calling the event newsworthy is merely indicative of the lost cause of public radio in contemporary Cleveland.

Book Selling Time!

A true reason for any convention to visit Cleveland would be an evening spent in Severance Hall listening to the Cleveland Orchestra. We offer Robert Marsh's 1967 volume THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA, which captures with great clarity the first fifty years of this world class orchestra.

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