Cleveland's leaders need to seriously look at and emulate what comparable regions with similar challenges have been doing to turn themselves around. For example, Pittsburgh is a better model for us than Columbus since the former has largely been making headway by shoring up its existing legacy assets, while the latter has been able to largely position itself through annexation and the rapid growth this has induced. Why can't CWRU become for us what CMU has become for Pittsburgh, a producer/magnet for tech and innovation?

As a Leadership Cleveland 2007 alum, always felt that CLC was one of the most underutilized non profits in our region. They mix an incredibly diverse group of 65 leaders every year who care enough to devote a year to the process.....let's let them run with this! Marianne Crosely is amazing, a great listener and leads one of the few objective, neutral platforms in NE Ohio. There are thousands of alums we could rally to get this going!

I concur. CLC is a great nonprofit. I have know Michael Bennett for some years. He, Marianne and the entire staff is very helpful. I was part of the first Accelerate and the other events. They were well organized and CLC was very helpful to all the participates and I continue to connect with them as a great resource. The resources and people at CLC and their alum are part of this community and very dedicated to seeing it prosper. It is just a matter of rallying and getting the region to live up to its potential.

In my post, in support of CLC, I forgot to mention, I am Alex P. Michaels of Prelude2Cinema. I think it is also important that those who speak out, mention who we are and our connection to the community.

Here is my comment deleted by Michelle Jarboe's editors: Where are you PD Clevelanddotcom writers holed up these days? The PD real estate deal for CLE police headquarters in the Forest City Publishing building sale is an example of the cannibalism that passes for development at the City of Cleveland. Also, given a pass the never ending nightmare known as the Cuyahoga County Land Bank and the legacy of the two crooks, Frangos and Rokakis, who destroyed the tax base in NEO with their collusion w/ "non-profit CDCs and rackets like Cleveland Housing Network. Both will be remembered in time like Albert Porter - machine boss who intentionally segregated the east side from west side w/the demolition of the Clark-Pershing bridge and push for the Shaker Freeway, which has become the incredible black hole that no one discusses any more - "The Opportunity Corridor."

My comment was deleted for two reasons: calling out the parasitism of "non-profits" here and for calling attention to the fact that the "Opportunity Corridor" has done nothing to improve Cleveland's economy. Consider the fact that no one at GCP bothered to include the land available in the their bid for Amazon's second headquarters. GCP's Joe Roman wrote a lame preemptive op-ed in PD before the presentation and Mark Naymik capitalized on the faux outrage over no women on Pinney's list, attempting to undermine Pinney's message. Folks were at the City Club because Pinney is a white male - one who helped deliver a president to the White House. I am a woman writing under my real name saying that we have to change by implementing open government that stops riding the federal and state money train. Cleveland was a powerhouse city - and, we still have all of the elements that make our region important to running a county, state and federal government that can take care of its people.

I had the day off today - met two CWRU graduates now living in Andover MA (near Boston and MIT)- they were staying at the Radisson downtown and were underwhelmed by what has been touted as the Cleveland Renaissance. I assured them that we still have the world class Cleveland Orchestra and world class Cleveland Art Museum among our many cultural assets. I encouraged them, next time, to stay at the Courtyard Marriott in University Circle. Cleveland is STILL affordable for retirees, like these CWRU alum and we have more to offer. Boston..does not have our culture. I lived there. It's nice, though expensive. Also, on my trip today (via GCRTA) ran into an OSU engineering student working as an intern at Voss and staying with relatives in Parma. He expects to graduate and work in Huntsville Alabama or near Cape Canaveral FL, where some of the aeronautical engineering firms are located and relocating. Does Cleveland have a plan to retain Voss?? Who knows? Cleveland council people like Kevin Kelley and Tony Brancatelli are too busy courting a tax evading non-profit alliance between Cleveland Housing Network and Eden to care about a REAL manufacturing business in Northeast OH.

Happy to see the pressure being applied to "get off these lists". Hope the civic leaders can put egos aside and begin the process of turning the regional economy around.