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Crooked River Cast Show 19
17 Plays1 day ago
Crookedrivercast.com Crookedrivercast@gmail.com
https://tinyurl.com/Rick-Ozzy
- Trump and the Guardians.
- Will State Senate come back to override?
- Ohio renters need how much?
- Protesters FAFO the difference between Cincinnati, OH and Covington, KY.
- East Cleveland Demands the State pay.
- How bad was the city of CLE’s cyber security?
- Top Ninja billboards.
- Pesticide lawsuit bill. https://www.husted.senate.gov/contact-jon/
- And more....
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Transcript
Introduction to Crooked Rivercast
00:00:02
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Crooked Rivercast. I'm your host, Robert, and joining me every week is my friend, Tom, to help us keep track of what is going on in Northeast Ohio. This is show 19, recorded on July 26, 2025.
00:00:15
Speaker
Another week, another show. Let's see what's going on.
Celebrity Deaths Shock: Malcolm Jamal Warner and Ozzy Osbourne
00:00:20
Speaker
to Tom, Tom, Tom, it's a bad week to be to be a celebrity, huh? doing, I'm doing all right. Yeah, certainly is.
00:00:29
Speaker
and We lost a few this week.
00:00:32
Speaker
We'll just start to show out right with this kind of stuff. because you know What does everybody else want to hear about? but I think week started well with, what's his name? Sorry, I pulled up Malcolm Jamal Warner.
00:00:43
Speaker
Malcolm Jamal Warner from the Cosby Show. Yeah. He was have one. And then, what was it, Tuesday, Wednesday? We got the word to Ozzy passed. Yeah.
00:00:55
Speaker
I mean, ah Malcolm, you know, he was... That was a surprise. yeah Yeah, he's 51, 54. 54, yeah. fifty four yeah He's only a few months older than me. um Died ah to an accidental drowning in Costa Rica?
00:01:09
Speaker
Yep.
Ozzy Osbourne's Final Farewell
00:01:12
Speaker
Crazy. Swimming with his daughter. Can we make it any any worse? Swimming with your daughter. Ugh.
00:01:19
Speaker
So that was a kind of a slap, you know, whoa, that was a blast from the past, and and then Ozzy. ahzi what do you have that show two weeks ago a week yeah i think it was ah his last show was two weeks ago what was it called uh it was it basically a farewell back show back to black or back um don't know how they call it it was like six-hour tribute show uh back to the beginning or something like that yeah he did it he did a show uh from his hometown yeah i saw some clips of it uh
00:01:52
Speaker
they are, uh, apparently the Osbournes are, are, ah are sort of like Metallica. They take ah everything down. So there's not, they're, they're kind of, um, sparse up there. There was a bunch up there and they kind of got pulled back. I was watching some of them.
00:02:04
Speaker
Really good show. Some of the, um of the acts on there. would I mean, anthrax was back to, guy I haven't seen anthrax on the same stage in decades, probably. Uh, they owe a lot to black Sabbath. That's for sure. Well, as, as I'll pull the quote from Rick Beato, um, what what can I say?
00:02:21
Speaker
Black Sabbath invented metal. And, and I'll we'll put, maybe I'll put his, his, um, his, uh, YouTube video in the show notes. Everybody can take a look. He's, He a good take. He's like, what what can I say? i mean, what can I say more than what was said at his tribute? Like, like that that he was there, his last show in his hometown.
00:02:39
Speaker
Yeah. It was, um, it was a celebration and it was, it really was. it It was a goodbye. And, uh, I, yeah know something else Beato said too, that i really never thought about, but he, he pretty much, uh, without Ozzy, there probably are black Sabbath. There probably would have been no, um,
00:03:00
Speaker
ah Grunge either. Grunge. Yeah. Yeah. He plays a couple of, he'll pull clips from different songs and match them up with, with the Sabbath tunes and man, wow, there's some definite influences there.
00:03:13
Speaker
It's quite amazing. So that, would that was a shocker, but it's, it, it sounded like this was Ozzy was waiting for that show. Yeah, there's there's rumors that it was assisted suicide too.
00:03:26
Speaker
Yeah. He's been in humongous pain. I mean, huge pain. Humongous pain. Huge pain with some back surgeries he had. and he He's saying he he regretted having now. He's had more pain, than you know all this other stuff. And actually, I heard 2020, they were trying to do this show in 2020.
00:03:43
Speaker
Oh, really? ah But they couldn't for obvious reasons. all Everything shut down. And then he's had some health issues over the past couple years. Yeah. um They're just, you know, everybody's just happy. finally was able to do one more show.
00:03:55
Speaker
And I watched a couple, I mean, he sounded really good. sounded good. you know He looked weak, but he sounded good on most, I mean, I heard a couple of things there from people that um posted stuff that they recorded off you know off their phone.
00:04:13
Speaker
Which the sound isn't good, but yeah yeah you know he was struggling to through certain songs, but it still would have been incredible to see. I see a lot of singers that are up there in age, and it's you know they don't sound bad. they just You could tell they don't have that that projection that they used to have.
00:04:30
Speaker
Yeah, they don't have the tenor anymore. ah and Just the volume, it seems like. just the ah you The years I used to, ah when I was gigging, we used to open up for a lot of those. ah you know, kind of I don't want to say has-beens, but ah singers that were probably big in the 60s. And yeah some of them really just can't, they could sing in key, but they don't have the, and the you know, the, I forget what, it's like, yeah I don't know how to say it. It's like, it well, it happens to everybody once they get old.
00:05:04
Speaker
You know, you lose your, your, your, the, the projection and, yeah, The other one that comes to mind is David ro Roth from Van Halen. I haven't heard him in a while. Last time I heard him, but but I mean, the last time I heard him was probably like six or seven years ago. I thought he sounded okay.
00:05:20
Speaker
Yeah. Not horrible, but I mean, it's just, yeah like I said, they're not bad. You could tell. It's like, ah. Yeah. And then but and and and then then the shocker that, you know, they always come in threes, as
Hulk Hogan's Death and Celebrity Longevity
00:05:29
Speaker
they say. ah So I think um think the Lord's going to have to answer this question, Tom.
00:05:35
Speaker
And what you gonna do when Hulkamania and the largest arms in the world run wild on you? we lost to Hulk. Oh, 71. Way too young. Yeah. seventy one way too young yeah Ozzy was only 76, but both these guys, they lived a life.
00:05:54
Speaker
Ozzy, the way he lived his life, it didn't surprise me he made it to 76. yeah ah hulk Hulk surprised me because he still looked, I know i know he's he was suffering in pain and stuff because from all the surgeries he's had, but he still looked all right.
00:06:10
Speaker
Yeah, and they they abused their bodies, especially in early days of the WWF. I can imagine there was quite a bit of substances going around there. You know, there's, there was roids and stuff I'm sure going on.
00:06:22
Speaker
And that, that' oh yeah that, that shortens your life. Not that to say this is that, but he They abuse the crap out of their bodies. That's for sure. I mean, talk to any of these guys afterwards and the surgeries they had and it was scripted and, you know, they weren't, but man, when you jump off the top ring, ah but it hurts, man.
00:06:40
Speaker
Hell yeah. A couple other, a couple other people that died too ah this week. It's been a long time. It only happens in three, so it can't be anybody else. No, I think there's two more and I think but they're not big names, you know, ah Chuck Mangione.
00:06:55
Speaker
which was a ah ah jazz player. He died. I don't know what he died of. but He was 85. But he was a ah Grammy-winning guy trumpet player, I think.
00:07:08
Speaker
i don't I don't know much about him. But ah he was big and during his day. And one of the founders of Golden Earring 2, which I'm sorry, I forget his name right now.
00:07:20
Speaker
ah Yeah. Good. So one more. That's going to be six. It's been a tough week for the celebrities. Yeah. So keep your eye out if you're a celebrity.
Debate on Sports Team Name Changes
00:07:32
Speaker
And then next, I guess, first first story was brought to us by President Donald Trump this week. yeah yeah He had a, what was that, Truth Social post that he had? um I think he originally started talking about the commanders.
00:07:47
Speaker
Yeah, the Redskins, you mean. Yeah, the Redskins. Excuse me. they're Yeah, the Redskins. they're They're trying to get a new stadium, and he's talking about maybe possibly blocking the funding or something they don't change it back or something to that effect. And then he went on and mentioned...
00:08:03
Speaker
our baseball team in Cleveland, the Indians. and guardians rob the indians and uh sorry i you know i i don't know what else to call them but i but team formerly known as the indians the other one um but first but what i guess what what was left out of the true social post were all the other names that he had come up with don't know if you heard this but here's a report from our friends at the babylon b they have uh they have a report on who uh on some of the other suggestions from the president
00:08:38
Speaker
So apparently Trump just called out the Washington Commanders demanding they change their name back to the Redskins. That seems fair. But did you know that Trump actually had a whole list of updated team names? We're here with the exclusive.
00:08:50
Speaker
First up to bat, baseball teams. Crack Cleveland Guardians. now the Cleveland Indians. Cincinnati Reds. in Cincinnati Indians. Atlanta Braves. Atlanta Indians. Boston Red Sox.
00:09:01
Speaker
Boston Injun Sox. Miami Marlins. Miami Aquatic Injun. But forget about Injuns. The LA Dodgers will now be forced to revert to their old name, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
00:09:11
Speaker
And they'll be forced to play in little groom tuxedos and older games will be wedding themed. Oh man, it's to be so great. And they're marrying each other, if that wasn't clear, because they're homosexual.
00:09:22
Speaker
Chicago White Sox will now be the Chicago Caucasian Sox, because white is an offensive slur and is not tolerated in Trump land. The San Diego Padres will now be called the San Diego Fathers, because we speak English in this country.
00:09:36
Speaker
The Los Angeles Angels, they're going to be changed to the Angels. We speak English in this country. Now let's move over to basketball for some slam dunk name changes. Orlando Magic, they're now the Orlando Satanic Witchcraft.
00:09:49
Speaker
Let's call it what it is. Of course. The Toronto Raptors, which were named after the Ford Raptor, if you know what
00:09:57
Speaker
Well, they're going to be named to the much more butch Toronto Cybertrucks. Nothing gay about Cybertrucks. Utah Jazz is getting a major upgrade to the Utah Heavy Metal in honor of Ozzy Osbourne because Jazz is, you know, I'm not Jazz.
00:10:12
Speaker
ah Stop it there. You had to go getting get to get Ozzy in there. You had to get Ozzy in there. ah So, yeah. And, you know, um I'm reading some of these stories. And just for the record, no way in hell they're changing the name back.
00:10:28
Speaker
I don't think so. What do you think?
00:10:33
Speaker
I don't know. You think there's a possibility? I think they should. but oh I think they should, too. think the fans want it. Do they? i think so.
00:10:45
Speaker
but I have a clip from Channel 5. Okay. And i just want to... what ah yeah So they have a man on the street. It's actually a woman, but she took a poll.
00:10:58
Speaker
And we'll see what she has to say. President Donald Trump says the Cleveland Guardians should go back to playing as the Indians. So we asked. And 59 of you answered. While a lot of fans say they want to stick to tradition, one Native American organization says it only promotes a culture war.
00:11:16
Speaker
It's just trying to get people to recognize that there's a lot involved in this. And after a recent name change. Guardians. Hundreds of fans pack the Progressive Stadium Monday night. hundreds I want the Indians back.
00:11:29
Speaker
Painting the sidewalks. Do you? Indians gear. It's not racism or anything else. It's just... Good old tribe. President Donald Trump expressing the same sentiment, saying in a truth social post on Sunday that, quote, times are different now than they were three or four years ago.
00:11:46
Speaker
Also claiming Native Americans in massive numbers want the name reversal. Massive for him to pretend that Native Americans are absolutely on board with this.
00:11:59
Speaker
He isn't one slightly true. He's about as Indian as ah as a little bit of Warren. ah Elizabeth Warren, yeah. He's about that much Indian. I just want to point out that she's talking to all these people as they're going to a baseball game.
00:12:14
Speaker
In organization Paul Edward Montgomery Ramirez is a part of, the committee of 500 years, fought to have Cleveland change its team name. And in 2021, after 100 years of being known as the Indians, switched to the Guardians.
00:12:29
Speaker
They caved to political pressure, I would say. Now, four years later. We kind of expected this was coming. And the conversation of a name change takes the spotlight once again. We wanted to hear from fans on what they prefer. It was always a woke choice, and there was no reason for this. And ah nobody that I ever talked to wanted I'd like to see it changed back, and I think Trump's on to something. Tim Swallen along with 46 others.
00:12:56
Speaker
Clearly, clearly. yeah Clearly. On your way to the game. Okay. You're so upset. Indians, Indians, Indians. So upset. all in korean I like Indians just because that's all I know. on I have a feeling they sold more of ah merch as the Indians than the Guardians.
00:13:18
Speaker
Yes. yeah ah Attendance has not taken a hit. That tells me... but hasn't? not Nothing that I can... I mean, there's no... No huge drop. It's hard to tell from year to year.
00:13:29
Speaker
Yeah. ah You know, depending on what the team's doing and all this. They had a pretty good year last year. But there's i mean, it's not like all of a sudden people stop going. All these people are complaining about them changing the name while they're wearing Indians gear going to a Guardians game.
00:13:45
Speaker
So I i get they that they say they want it to change. I stopped watching. I mean, I was a huge baseball fan. That that was my sport. I refused to go to the ballpark at this point.
00:13:57
Speaker
And that was the worst one out of all of them. I stopped basically watching all of sports, especially Cleveland sports. I do i do try to keep on track a little bit of just sports in general, especially college.
00:14:08
Speaker
Helps with work when you're in sales to know yeah a little bit about it. So I try to keep it. But they were the worst. So the Browns were the first to go because...
00:14:20
Speaker
You know, years ago, I found myself in the living room screaming at the TV as my wife and children are laughing and playing in the other room. but Why am I torturing myself? It's a crappy product, and it's been a crappy product since my whole life.
00:14:34
Speaker
So I stopped i stop really paying attention, of watching all the games, still paying attention. The Cavs, well, that was ah Black Lives Matter all over the place. I wasn't watching any of that junk.
00:14:45
Speaker
Come on. Yeah. And then the Indians were the worst. Yeah. Because they literally changed their name once once Dolan's son took over, as far as I can see.
00:14:57
Speaker
He caved. That whole thing with ah Native Americans, you know, protesting our name, it's it's a joke. Because remember when there was like protests back in the 90s when the Indians were really hot?
00:15:09
Speaker
Yes. You know, mid-90s, there was protests. And I used to go up to Allegheny, New York, and there was a there was a bar that my band used to play at. And there was a, I would say it was about half, the half the clientele was ah Native Americans.
00:15:23
Speaker
And we'd get out of our van, we'd all have our tribe gear on, T-shirts and hats or whatever. And they would just, they would start busting our balls. Hey, take that jersey off, you racist and all that. And and they would be cracking up because they were just making fun of the protesters.
00:15:42
Speaker
And I actually talked to that you know talk to them on a personal level and asked them, do you really not like the name Indians? And they would just crack up. They're like, we don't care.
00:15:53
Speaker
It's awesome. They loved it. And I was down there but you know in 1995 and 97. ninety seven When they they were at their peak, they were selling out game, continuous sellouts for how many years?
00:16:07
Speaker
i wouldn't I would go down there just because it was like, well, it's a World Series. I'm a baseball fan. It's here. I may never get this chance again. me just hang out and and soak up the atmosphere.
00:16:18
Speaker
You know, ah literally I'd be there by myself in between Jacobs field. And at the time, the gun, I think it was. Yeah. And listening to Tom Hamilton, I'd spend a couple hours and they'd leave.
00:16:29
Speaker
Yeah. And it was just cool. I want to see what the world seaways was like. Right. Never seen one before. So what, what I remember At their pinnacle, at the best possible place you could have the most coverage.
00:16:42
Speaker
They had about 12 people. Yeah. Yeah. It was a joke. There was another group, I think, later on that was actually kind of a scam. They were protesting that, and but they were just collecting money.
00:16:55
Speaker
And what I remember is most it was just mostly white people with science. Yeah. It was pre-Karen days or pre-Karen. pre-purple haired middle-aged woman days that yeah protest everything.
00:17:13
Speaker
So I don't think, I think it should be changed back, but I really I don't think they're going to. I don't know. I wouldn't, I, it wouldn't surprise me if they did because they could at this point,
00:17:24
Speaker
I like, I don't know what the numbers are. Like, I don't care about the um um I'm wondering about the merch because because the I'm sorry, the uniforms are at this point aren't as cool as they used to be.
00:17:37
Speaker
And the tribe hat, you know, the Indians hat with Chief Wahoo on it was a classic. Yeah. And that sold a ton.
00:17:47
Speaker
And yeah. If they went back to it, they could always kind of say, oh, we did it because Trump wanted it to happen. or Or they can kind of blame it on that type of maybe that.
00:18:02
Speaker
They could spin it that way somehow. if they if they want If they want to go back because of the numbers. If the numbers aren't that different, then they don't care.
00:18:15
Speaker
I haven't heard, I haven't heard anything either way. So I'm not saying it's what, you know, it is what it is, but I just don't see them changing back. I mean.
00:18:26
Speaker
Well, that's you. You're black. You're always black billed. Well, in this case, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I'm just kidding. No, I know. But I certainly don't think they're going do it because President Trump said, I think maybe that would, that may, it might deter him even more.
00:18:43
Speaker
don't know. But, Well, hey, here's the thing. They could, they they would get influx, a huge influx in merch sales because everybody would be buying any this stuff again. Yeah, there would be that. And that the thing is, like, kind of the presidential, like the, considering that they, were ah President Trump won the popular vote, a lot of things are changing, you know, slowly, kind of, because have you seen, like, the latest, oh, crap.
00:19:10
Speaker
What's the girl's name, Sweeney? and She did a commercial for jeans. yeah It's that reallying real real nice looking girl. forget what her name is, but I think her last name Sweeney.
00:19:23
Speaker
so Anyways, it's gone back to like being like 90s style. Just kind of a little bit... ah It ain't woke, that's for sure. There's no fat chick there. No body positive.
00:19:37
Speaker
Right. So things are kind of reverting reverting back to... you know, pre woke days. So I, you know, and i I think there's one more, ah I think variable with it's major league baseball.
00:19:54
Speaker
Well, the ones who wanted to change to begin with, you think so? I think so. I think they, they were pressuring, ah Indians organization for years. Yeah. Yeah. Right. I know. yeah and i'm I'm just, I get the, maybe the pressure isn't there.
00:20:08
Speaker
I just, I just don't think that's in the cards. I don't know. Cause they share, they share revenue with merch, right?
00:20:17
Speaker
and they ah yeah They do, but and I don't think the Indians, I think they they are a net positive. they They get more than they give out. they're They're mid to small market teams, so they get most of that sharing.
00:20:27
Speaker
They don't actually share. Okay. Okay. Most of the Yankees, Dodgers, ah Red Sox, those people. It all comes down to the dollar, man. Yeah. i don't know. Yeah. yeah and And I guess my evidence would be everybody keeps going to the games, even though all – Most of my family is they're still diehard fans.
00:20:47
Speaker
They hate the name. They think it's stupid. And I've even said the name isn't in my problem. It's why they changed their name. Right, right. I think i think everyone. Yeah, everyone's. this air it's It's not like, ooh, I don't like their name. No, they could pick any name, even if they went back to the spiders, which is what I thought would have been a cool thing. that was They were named the spiders before the Indians.
00:21:06
Speaker
Oh, by the way, name the Indians to honor a former player who was a Native American. Right. Anyway, enough of that. We can rant on that for days and days.
00:21:17
Speaker
Done and done on that. Speaking of ranting for days and days. I don't know where going with that. But the ah the senate ah Senate Republicans, they are so virtuous, Tom.
00:21:32
Speaker
So virtuous. they're doing us such a favor. they they did they They are so good. They rolled back part. No, they didn't roll anything back. The House voted to roll back one 67 vetoes.
00:21:49
Speaker
of Governor DeWine. That was, it's still got to, it's still got to go to the Senate, right? The Senate still has to pass and it doesn't sound like they're in any rush. One of the reasons is because they only did one. And why should we rush back?
00:22:02
Speaker
And they're on break. And they're on break. So I have a little clip we could list to a couple minutes from um the Windsor report I have. He he he backed goes through a little bit of it and what what the frustrating part is and what the Senate is saying this clip.
00:22:20
Speaker
This override starts in the House since that's where HB 96, actually it's called sub-HB 96, originated. And they mustered enough support to send a clear rebuke on that one issue to the governor.
00:22:36
Speaker
But here's the frustration. House leadership announced plans to tackle two more, if not maybe another, so three more, four total, on property taxes, ah but only went for this one.
00:22:51
Speaker
So we talked about people not showing up, other people voting no, looking at you, Scott Oldslager. And so now all eyes are on the Senate and whether President Rob McCauley, a Republican from Napoleon,
00:23:05
Speaker
will convene the upper chamber before they're scheduled to come back. And he says there's no decision yet on when they'll reconvene.
00:23:17
Speaker
Could be summer. We could wait until September. and Senator Andy Brenner actually is on record saying that he's not sure that there's an urgency now to come back. If they had overridden perhaps three or four, maybe, but this is just one.
00:23:40
Speaker
So, Alan, if you had to bet, do you think the state Senate is going to come back and take action on this one veto override? Well, based on what the House did, tell him no. I mean, tell him I didn't get to say this the other day. I'm going to get in more trouble if I'm not already in trouble with those people.
00:23:59
Speaker
Gutless wonders. What are we paying you for? This is one of your employers talking here. What are we paying you for? You guys did all that work.
00:24:10
Speaker
You did all this stuff. And you spent hours and years putting these things together, whatever, negotiating and all that stuff. And now you don't have the guts To override Mike DeRino's video of vetoes.
00:24:26
Speaker
I'm still a little mad about that. Well, you know, what's really intriguing to me, I've got to make this observation again. 59 Republicans voted for the budget that found its way to Governor DeWine's desk. And then, of course, ah he marked it up with his little red pen.
00:24:44
Speaker
Crayon. You said it and I second it. But one lawmaker, Diane Mullins, was in ill health. She had a stroke and she couldn't make it, would have voted for it.
00:24:57
Speaker
So they would have had 60 votes. Right. ah And then you go, well, you only need 60 to override. So you voted for the budget to begin with. Right.
Ohio Legislative Actions and Property Taxes
00:25:07
Speaker
And now that there's a desire to veto override.
00:25:12
Speaker
You don't have the votes to do it. And oh, by the way, property tax reform is probably the most popular issue right now in Ohio.
00:25:23
Speaker
Yeah, because everybody got their bills this year and it was sticker shock on steroids. Right. Exactly. What about the children?
00:25:34
Speaker
But Tom. No, stop. Think of the children. So what did he, what did they veto? One of the 67 vetoes, which was the, they they restricted um political subdivisions or cities and counties or school districts from and ah putting in place or putting up for vote emergency levies, replacement levies, continuation levies.
00:26:04
Speaker
That's what they voted on just now, right? Yeah, concurred. um yeah but No longer will be allowed to levy replacement property tax levies. School districts will no longer be able to ah to levy fixed sum emergency, substitute emergency, combined tax and fixed sub property tax levies.
00:26:27
Speaker
Like, good Lord. Yeah. I mean, there's like four or five things they could, oh, we just throw this out there. If we need more money, we throw this out there. It's like, no. the other So now they're not allowed to just throw these out and use the words emergency and replacement. Because like we talked in last week, one of the one of the complaints was they had a ah school district who had an increase in enrollment, so they needed extra money.
00:26:59
Speaker
So they had 20-year emergency levy. They passed the emergency levy, and they had been they've been collecting on it for 20 years. No, no more.
00:27:12
Speaker
yeah It misleads people. Absolutely. It's fear porn. yeah It's fear porn. It's fear porn. Remember, like Barney says, Think of the children. Won't somebody please think of the children? Come on, think of the children.
00:27:26
Speaker
You know, something that ah Windsor didn't bring up, or who was the other dude? Alan, aen that's his producer. Oh, okay. um They didn't, you know, he should have mentioned that the ah bill only passed with 59 votes.
00:27:39
Speaker
I mean, that's that's a huge amount of votes, but it, you know. He touched on it. that he would He mentioned that the the woman, had she had a stroke. That's why they only had 59. Oh, I see. She wasn't there for the budget vote either. Okay.
00:27:50
Speaker
Which brings up a whole nother topic, like, how long does that like How long can you take a leave of absence as a ah the senator or House ah representative in that situation?
00:28:02
Speaker
So the other ones that they're looking at possibly coming back to veto or know they want to do two or three other ones. And the other one is they wanted to combine all the levies to – so we had talked about the bill – from 1976 where they can adjust the property taxes as inc as spikes go up in property value, they can bring that millage down, but they have a 20 mil floor.
00:28:28
Speaker
They can only go as low as 20 millage on any levy that they adjust. One of the other vetoes that they want to override is including all these. if the If you do an extra levy or if you do emergencies or anything like else like that, they will be combined into that 20-mile floor.
00:28:47
Speaker
I'm sure I'm botching the explanation somewhat, but... they want They don't want the 20 mil floor for the ah levy, and then you have all these additional levies that don't count towards that. they want They want that to all be as one, be counted as together.
00:29:03
Speaker
And that was the other one that he vetoed. But there's a quote from um DeWine after they the the Senate passes veto, and DeWine said, Twap by his own twacks.
00:29:15
Speaker
a was his quote. ah But you know he said, well, I made my point. Oh, that's good. Glad you vetoed just to make your point instead of instead of you know protecting the people who pay your salary.
00:29:31
Speaker
So that still has to hit the senate or the House or the Senate. And as at this point, the Senate's not coming back. It doesn't sound like it. No, I don't think they come back till next month, right? Or not next month, the month after.
00:29:42
Speaker
I think the month after, I mean, they they can still veto it. It seems like as long as they're still in this session. Yeah. Which is quite a while. It's all through next year, I believe. Right. I think the third one they were talking about was giving the ability for the county budget commission to give them the authorization to lower some of these levies as they see fit.
00:30:04
Speaker
If they see that they're not necessary. or too high or this and that, they're able lower it, which in some of these clips that I was watching, they're literally saying, and one of the vetoed pieces of legislation in the budget was taking money away from schools.
00:30:26
Speaker
That was their explanation. And I think that was this ah that was this property tax given a county budget commission authority to lower it.
00:30:39
Speaker
They're literally going into the school, Tom, and taking money out of the pockets of teachers.
00:30:47
Speaker
Yeah. So again, it's it's a third of our budget, people. It is a third out of our budget. The state is $30 billion dollars a year and $10 billion of that goes to schools. So it's a huge, huge item.
00:31:00
Speaker
I think next week we need to do an update on the... the the petition to end property tax. Yes. Yeah. We should do an update on to see where it's at.
00:31:12
Speaker
Yes. They did touch on that in some of the Windsor, while I was listening to the podcast. Right. And, uh, he brought up, just wait until it gets on the ballot. Yeah. Just wait for their fear porn.
00:31:23
Speaker
It's going to be great, right? It's coming. Yeah. and it's kind of coming from both sides because people, the, the, the Republicans don't want this either. Oh, hell no It's going to make him work.
00:31:35
Speaker
Yeah, that's why they're doing what they're doing now with these little these little, you know, nibbles. helped you. I helped you. Look what we did for you. and actually those, I think Massey and Blackmar are the two so people we've been listening to on this show, at least for this property tax reform. They were they were there and saying, no, it's that's not enough anyway.
00:32:00
Speaker
This isn't enough. What's ah worse? A virtue signaling, purple haired, middle aged liberal woman or a virtue signaling congressman?
00:32:18
Speaker
Congressman. Yeah, I think so. Politician. Yeah, because they actually they actually make and can do things that are harmful. Right. Or not good. You know i mean? Yeah. Well,
00:32:31
Speaker
We'll get into the blue hair and actually in a second. Oh, really? Oh, yeah. yeah it it may you I may take those words back.
00:32:39
Speaker
Because the blue hairs scare me more. Yeah, and we'll see it in and and a couple. and Yeah, we'll see. You'll you'll see what I'm talking about. They may be more harmful here, right? And we'll see why in a second. ah So there's that. It still has to go to the Senate, and it doesn't sound like it's going to it's not moving anywhere. So so keep the pressure on Figure out.
00:32:57
Speaker
We'll we'll put the um put it in the show notes again, tax reform, to find out where the petition at. Get out and sign the petition, people. Yeah. It's not like we're we're not going to defund the schools. we still Everybody still wants to pay for the schools. We just want to make it fair. We want to spread out the pain.
00:33:14
Speaker
And we're done renting our homes from the state. Yep. Next on the list is what I forgot to put in the show notes.
00:33:26
Speaker
What? CrookedRiverCast.com. Go to our website, check it out. Tells you where we're at. Tells you, you know, once we get it up and going, we're going to have show notes there and all that kind of stuff. and we're It's under construction, but you can go there now and least get to see where we're at on X. We're on YouTube now. where the podcast is all over the place. So crookedrivercast.com.
00:33:54
Speaker
Next on the list, Ohio renters. this is ah Tell me about this story, Tom. um I'm reading it, and I'm thinking there's some BS. and b s Oh, what do you think? Because I know part it. Is this the story?
00:34:08
Speaker
This is your story, right? I had it last week, kind This yours. I pulled it from you last week. Oh, crap. No, well, here's here's the thing. Here's an article telling you um Ohioans need to make at least $22.51 an hour yes ah working a full-time job to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
Ohio's Housing Affordability Concerns
00:34:29
Speaker
Yes.
00:34:32
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Okay. So, ah saying okay. So, I guess what upset, not upset me, but just kind of made me raise up my eyebrow to it is they're kind of, they're twisting it.
00:34:48
Speaker
they They talk out of the side of their mouth half of the time here. Because then they go into a household needs to make, twenty you know, 2251. So, would a single person need a two-bedroom apartment?
00:35:02
Speaker
No, not really. I mean, that would be nice, but probably not really. So would two people making $22 an hour need to, ah would two people need to make that kind of money to get an apartment?
00:35:16
Speaker
No, that would, they would be pretty, they would be doing pretty well. So I guess it was the way the, um, they were trying to make,
00:35:27
Speaker
I think they're trying to make a mountain out a molehill. Yeah, they're trying. it was a It was like you see the headline and then you go, really? You need to make $2,251 to get in a ah modest two-bedroom apartment.
00:35:39
Speaker
I'm like, all right, if I was single, I wouldn't be getting a two-bedroom apartment. If I had a kid and was trying to raise a family... and needed a two-bedroom apartment, yeah, maybe, but maybe for a little while you'd be living in a one-bedroom apartment until you got your crap together and your wife can get back to work.
00:35:59
Speaker
Yeah, I saw the way they're portraying, well, the minimum wage is only X, you know, it's $10.75 an hour whatever it is, $10.70 an hour. means you have to work 84 hours per week. No, this is a great argument. Always, the minimum wage is not meant for somebody...
00:36:15
Speaker
for a 42 year old, right? Or 38 or 25. It's not even a 25 year old. No, not even minimum wage. No. Right. So they're saying, well, you can't work minimum wage and get that minimum wage. Isn't for that. It's for the teenager.
00:36:27
Speaker
Okay. Here, here's the paragraph that really made me like kind of probably where I'm at too. So go ahead. Ohio's fair market rent for two-bedroom apartment is $11.71, meaning a household must earn $46.825, according to the report.
00:36:44
Speaker
The state's fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $9.37. Okay. okay
00:36:51
Speaker
That they went from household to, from from single person making $2,251 to, which is which comes out to about, I would assume, are right around $46,000, right?
00:37:03
Speaker
Yeah, usually. Yeah, it's right around there. Yeah, my math is always take your hourly rate and double it, and that's usually yearly, yeah, that's about right you year yes forty so Yeah, about $45,000, $46,000. You're going make $22,51 an hour working full time. So they went from ah person making $22,51 an hour to a household needs to make $46,825 annually.
00:37:28
Speaker
And I'm like, well, that doesn't make any sense. More than one person. Right. So if you and your wife are working, and you don't need, I mean, you both need to make um a combined income of $22.51 an hour to get a two-bedroom apartment. But, you know.
00:37:48
Speaker
Of the 15 most common jobs in Ohio, only general operations manager, registered nurse, truck driver, and maintenance workers earn more than $22.51 an hour, according to the reports.
00:38:01
Speaker
ah Fast food workers, stockers, retail salesperson, cashier, laborer, home health aides, janitors, and ah and waiters all earn less than $20 an hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2024 data.
00:38:19
Speaker
So fast food workers, first of all, they they bring up the minimum wage, and if you drive past any fast food place, they're offering $15 hour.
00:38:30
Speaker
So nobody nobody's making minimum wage, virtually nobody. So that should be taken out of of the loop there. But yeah, they're they're they're convoluting a lot of this data Yeah, the the fact our fact the matter is rent has gone up.
00:38:44
Speaker
But have you seen the price of homes lately?
00:38:49
Speaker
ah ah You know, the same homes that we're selling for, let's say, just throw out a random number of like 300,000 in 2020 are now selling for about 425. Yeah. of course, we all know whose fault it is.
00:39:08
Speaker
It's Trump's fault. It's Trump's fault. Because he's proposed cutting 44% of HUD's overall funding and getting rid of rental assistance programs. Oh, I'm sorry. This article, the the person that wrote this should be ashamed. Yeah, it's really it's really the article they were talking about.
00:39:26
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I... Hey... Everything's more expensive and I get it, but the way they wrote this article is what kind of drives me nuts. Yeah, there's a lot of numbers they throw around here. and it's It's from ah Channel 5, news5cleveland.com, Megan Henry. Megan Henry, you're a ho.
00:39:46
Speaker
I, you know, I enjoy News Channel 5's website. They have one of the better websites out there. Yeah, actually, you're right. And I get a lot of clips and articles because their website's set up so, I don't know. The other ones are, they're so ADD. I don't, I just can't. There's ads so many places and half the time i'm clicking on something like, wait, no, this is, this is an ad.
00:40:06
Speaker
I can't, I can barely tell it's an ad. so Fox has a terrible website. Channel 3 is horrible. Yeah. Yeah, they do have the better website, but Megan's a hoe. i A dishonest hoe. I mean, um i don't know. Is there any, do you have any evidence?
00:40:22
Speaker
Well, besides this article. Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry.
00:40:26
Speaker
Speaking of blue hairs, speaking of blue hairs, last week or but a week or a half ago, we had we had some we had some protests come across the
Cincinnati to Covington Protest and Tensions
00:40:35
Speaker
news. And I really, i brought this up for last week's show and we kind of pushed it off. We had other things, but had to bring it back because once I saw the clip,
00:40:43
Speaker
And once I heard the clip, I had to bring it back. So there there is some protest. This is in, on the bridge from Cincinnati to Covington, Kentucky on the, uh, What was it? The Roebling Bridge?
00:40:58
Speaker
Yeah, I saw. Yeah, Roebling Bridge. i saw I saw the headlines. I didn't get a chance to check it out. So they were protesting because there's a chaplain. What's a chaplain? Chaplain. So that was my question because he's he's a. Is that like a hospital? or Yeah. Children in hospitals? Yeah.
00:41:16
Speaker
This guy. I'm in Somali. What was that? Yeah, some put him on the bus, deport him, take him out of here. So the man, so the man is his name.
00:41:33
Speaker
He he came here in 2014 and his citizen, his legal ah status. What is it? um Asylum, so asylum seeker. And they gave him asylum for a while. But I think that was that was a revoked.
00:41:49
Speaker
Yeah, that was revoked. because Oh, because he's part of ah ah Muslim Brotherhood, right? Well, alleged allegedly he has he has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. um let's ah so So they were protesting that he's still under arrest and he's going through he's actually in Cleveland because the um the court is here in Cleveland.
00:42:15
Speaker
So they did have protest. Here's a short little clip, maybe explain some of it um and and and some words. So there's some ties with him in the Muslim Brotherhood and they revoked his asylum status. So they they picked him up, detained him, and he's now going through his due process.
00:42:32
Speaker
And let's just see what the his lawyer had to say. Now, an attorney for Eamon Solomon says federal officials are not taking into account information from leaders in Egypt who say that a group that Solomon once worked for was charitable in nature and is not connected to a terrorist organization with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
00:42:53
Speaker
We're now reporting live here in Hamilton. Todd Dykes, WNWT News 5. Who? There are leaders from, like, just, can you name one? Hmm. Because the government of Egypt considers ah the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
00:43:09
Speaker
Right. They didn't say Egyptian leaders. He just said leaders from the area. Seems a little misleading to me. So protests happen. And really, this story to me is about the difference between what happens in Cincinnati and what happens in Covington.
00:43:31
Speaker
So what happens is they get this protest going and they're blocking the bridge eventually. There's some people come by with cars, probably want to, you know, drive on the road, you know, things like that. Get to work, get to work, get back to the house, go to, you know, to a movie, something.
00:43:49
Speaker
And what stuck up stuck out to me was the difference between Cincinnati and Kentucky. and where's the quote? So they had...
00:44:01
Speaker
a couple This is from the Lieutenant Patrick Katton ah of the Cincinnati Police Department. He says, we wanted to make we want to make sure everyone can exercise their First Amendment rights, but it all has to but it has to be done in a safe and responsible manner.
00:44:18
Speaker
So we had to move them out of the street. Three of them are going to receive citations today and be turned loose. Well, that's normal though, isn't it? I mean, it's so it's civil disobedience. You, you, you, you ah detain them or arrest them. And later on, they just.
00:44:34
Speaker
Sure. Depending on what happens. Yes, that, that is kind of normal. But in comparison, According to Covington police, 13 people were arrested in an array of charges. Some of these charges include right in the first degree on lawful assembly, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
00:44:55
Speaker
Go Covington. They're not leaving and bring sent turned to loose there. Okay. They actually came the next day and protested again um to to get them out. They're like, oh and but no, the Covington is like, they came out and talk to the people. I know they're, they're,
00:45:10
Speaker
but they're They're doing this and that, and they're blocking the road. They were pro set pro set is protesting the next day at the police station? Yeah, because of these people were still, they hadn't turned them loose yet.
00:45:24
Speaker
So they figured they would just get arrested and and like like in Cincinnati and just turned loose. Not in Covington. So they they threw the book at them at in Covington. That's what it sounds like. Yeah, good.
00:45:34
Speaker
Good for them. Remember you asked me that question on what's worse, a virtue signaling blue hair or virtue signaling politician? What are you going to play here? Well, I'm warning everybody. I warned you.
00:45:45
Speaker
So this is little streaky, but it's it's worth it. So here's a little clip I pulled off of X. ah so there was some reporter and I believe why the reporter got arrested and I heard DeWine was getting involved with all this other stuff about a week or so ago. So here's, here's from, um,
00:46:05
Speaker
This is our country. Why are we being beat up Because we're doing a peaceful march. It was to be a symbolic walk across the bridge. There were some passerbyers that ah were not happy about what but was going on here and began to antagonize the the crowd. The story I'm getting is they were peacefully protesting and then somebody came down here in a car and antagonized them.
00:46:29
Speaker
And there was a confrontation between that driver and the protesters. And those protesters took it upon themselves to block the bridge. And I said, I'm American. And he just threw me down on the ground and he bloodied me up.
00:46:42
Speaker
And I am 70 years old. This is my country. am American. I told him that. i said oh you did I said, I don't know what you're doing. I said, you're crazy. He came over beat his He's crazy. So her bloodied me She has a spot her wrist about the size quarter with of blood on it. He bloodied me up.
00:46:58
Speaker
Yes. your question, not sure because that was awful.
00:47:04
Speaker
so her bloodied me up she has a spot on her wrist about the size of a quarter with a dot of blood on it
00:47:15
Speaker
but blood yes so so to answer your question i'm not sure because that was awful That's pretty bad. Definitely a blue hair. i Yeah, definitely a blue hair, but she's 70.
00:47:30
Speaker
If she was like, I think I would hate it more if she was like in her or 50s. The video ah yeah of the Covington police, I think I'm pretty sure I read that, yeah, the Covington has, Covington had authority, ah judiciary, that's their jurisdiction, is the bridge.
00:47:46
Speaker
jurisdiction is the bridge So they when they once they got on the bridge, they became the Covington's problem. And when they were blocking, so now mind you, they're throwing people to the ground. This is not a normal bridge. This was one of those bridges that had the steel grates.
00:48:01
Speaker
Right, right. And there's, it I mean, the Covington police, they were out there with beanbag shotguns and tasers and just taking these people out. Nice. And you could tell who the antagonizers were.
00:48:12
Speaker
The people blocking the roads all had high-vis vests on. Yeah, i see that picture, yeah. and And that is a telltale sign of agitators. They are professional protesters.
00:48:24
Speaker
Yeah, they're all wearing the same thing. They're all wearing the same thing. They are the organizers. They are the ones trying to usually, from what I've seen and ah in these videos, a man on the street videos, is they're the ones trying to antagonize the cops. observe Do I see a Palestine flag? Yes.
00:48:38
Speaker
What the hell's up with that? Yes. nothing Nothing says peace and love like a Palestinian flag. Wow. um Yep. So there is that. And and I know, this guy, he's got his due process. He's got, you know, he's going to have to answer to whatever they're saying he was doing or involved with. And, you know, but I still think, I still think if you're in the road in this day and age and you're trying to be a protester blocking the road, not a good idea anymore.
00:49:13
Speaker
It's not a good idea. People are done with it. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I i think think if you're going to be doing that nowadays, you're going to get run over. Very good possibility. People are kind of sick and tired of Well, people are scared too.
00:49:27
Speaker
Yeah. i don't know I'm scared of what what I may do in that situation. ah I'm not scared about that.
00:49:39
Speaker
I know what I'm going to do. But if if if they if there if I feel threatened, I know what I'm going to do. That's that's what I mean. I mean, I know. what yeah um' i mean i I don't want to do these things. like I don't want to run people over.
00:49:50
Speaker
Right, right. But yeah, they're going to have some road rash on them. Tiger marks on their head. Got those KO3s, Tom. There's extra traction on them.
00:50:04
Speaker
Extra traction on them. Next might be the story of the week for me. East Cleveland. East Cleveland mayor, me let me get the quote here.
00:50:17
Speaker
East Cleveland mayor is demanding help from the state. He's examining the city's books and asking for millions of dollars, citing what he called fiscal collapse.
00:50:29
Speaker
i You may remember um Mayor... newly elected, newly appointed mayor. Yeah, he he wasn't elected, right? Yes. Mayor, but we had a story about Cleveland Heights not too long ago because they they had two mayors.
00:50:44
Speaker
No, no, not Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland. East Cleveland, not Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, East Cleveland. Sorry, there's a problem with Cleveland Heights mayor too, so I get confused. ah they They had two mayors because East Cleveland's mayor was indicted for, you remember he indicted for, Tom?
00:51:06
Speaker
embezzling right yes yeah yes and now this now the new mayor mayor latik shabazz what are these names names come from what the i mean latik you know he's saying it's the state's fault he's saying the state gave him bad advice this the the state bears direct responsibility for allowing this condition to worsen
00:51:32
Speaker
but I'll give him a little bit of a pass because it seems like he's walked into some ah huge issues here. Like he wasn't part of it, was he? I mean, I don't know. Was he on console on city council or anything like that?
00:51:48
Speaker
Yes, I believe he is. i believe he is yeah because so I'm trying to remember back to the story. and I just realized there was a clip. I had a clip that I did not pull in, um which just actually kind of makes me mad because it was a good clip.
00:52:03
Speaker
um Yes, I believe he was on council because that was the whole like the there was one mayor that was appointed and then by the city charter, if the mayor is indicted or goes to jail, then it falls on said person who's already in government at some point.
00:52:17
Speaker
Right. and For a while, there was like two mayors or something like that. Yeah. They were arguing over who, who had authority, who has jurisdiction and yeah. So it, I, he was in city council and he wants, so they've got, I mean, they're, they're a mess that there is literally a street project, a, a ongoing improved street improvement project that is water
East Cleveland's Financial and Corruption Crisis
00:52:43
Speaker
mains. Yes. but Yes. That's what it was. Water mains.
00:52:46
Speaker
Because they're $2 million dollars behind paying the company. Yeah, they stopped working. Yep. They owe $300,000 to garbage collection. And, and. And he want now he wants he wants the state to help him audit so he can figure out where the money went because for some reason you're in the office and you don't know where it went.
00:53:06
Speaker
And he says, where's the quote? They want $5 million dollars to satisfy unpaid vendor obligations as well as emergency funding to pay court-ordered judgments against the city, including police officer misconduct claims.
00:53:22
Speaker
um He says, and I quote, East Cleveland pays a lot of taxes, and that's what we pay taxes for, the state. Oh,
00:53:33
Speaker
okay. ah No, I'm sorry. and don't think so.
00:53:41
Speaker
What do you think, Tom? Well, like I think he's just trying to lay blame on something, on somebody else. Yeah. but he They've got a problem.
00:53:53
Speaker
so but they They spent all their money and went somewhere, and they don't know where. Well, I ah would probably look at the last mayor, that he guy who went to prison probably for... where some of the money went.
00:54:06
Speaker
So for example, he had all kinds of crazy stuff going on. He was, let's see, authorized a public contract and payments through the city of East Cleveland to businesses owned by King and his family members, authorizing lease leasing office space in a building on Euclid Avenue owned by King Management Group.
00:54:27
Speaker
ah The city of East Cleveland's domestic violence department, ah the lease was four or yeah at least two, the Cleveland, East Cleveland domestic violence department. ah The lease was $14,000 annually.
00:54:42
Speaker
Paid in quarterly installments. Actually $14,000. That doesn't seem like that much. Come on. You do better than that. I mean, there's a a list of things. I'm on the county. um This is the office of the prosecuting attorney for Cuyahoga County.
00:54:56
Speaker
ah Okay. ah East Cleveland purchases purchased $5,813 of cleaning supplies from American Merchandising Service, King Management Group, LTD.
00:55:08
Speaker
He had a whole racket going on. Oh, he had a whole racket going on. So I imagine if this is what they found, i can only imagine what but he actually found. were what they were actually doing that they don't know about.
00:55:22
Speaker
Yeah. You know, the thing is, I think this whole, this whole city council and the the whole, ah you know, whoever's in charge in East Cleveland, I think you just got a lot of people that don't know what they're doing and crooks.
00:55:37
Speaker
Yes. You know, the Shabazz guy. i mean, you you can't appoint a guy named Shabazz and expect not Tom Fuller to happen. Yeah. Yeah.
00:55:49
Speaker
Lateek Shabazz. You know, yeah. First of all, no to your $5 million. dollars Figure it out yourself. So basically, the the sitt state put the city on some kind of emergency financial help.
00:56:06
Speaker
Fiscal emergency. Fiscal emergency. So he's blaming the city or the state for not helping them. And he said their advice was bad. Did he take the advice or did he just steal all the money?
00:56:18
Speaker
And how much of it did you get? Those are some of the questions we'd like to answer. Yeah.
00:56:26
Speaker
Hmm. Okay. Well, it's East Cleveland. but What do you expect? Sounds to me we could have done this while we're playing this. Yeah, kind of. Have you ever driven through East Cleveland?
00:56:39
Speaker
But speaking of a circus, speaking of Cleveland in a circus,
00:56:46
Speaker
How bad was the city of Cleveland cyber
Cleveland's Cyber Security Struggles
00:56:49
Speaker
hack? Remember the cyber? It was one of our first recording recordings. Yeah, that's one of our first ah shows. don't even know if it was one that we released.
00:56:57
Speaker
um and Maybe not. Yeah, because we we did a couple of ah you know tests. yeah Tests, you know. um yeah had the i When I saw you pulled this up, I was like, oh, I need to know.
00:57:10
Speaker
Because we couldn't figure it out. And all of a sudden, everything went quiet. Yeah. I remember Channel 5 was knocking on doors at the city hall, and they were sending her everywhere. They sent her like three or four different offices, and they literally filmed her going, hello? hello Anybody here?
00:57:26
Speaker
So it happened with last year, I think it was. did They have a date near it. They got hit with two cyber attacks within a year. Right. And the last one shut the court down for like three weeks.
00:57:38
Speaker
but Shut it down for three weeks. And then the story went silent. I mean, like just nothing. And we, there was a, um there was a little bit that they they had touched on a month or so after it. And where they pointed out that it's been, it's been six weeks or something like that. And they still don't have full access to all their computers.
00:57:55
Speaker
They still don't? this was This was a couple months after the hack. They were still rebuilding I think we did a show and we we ah we said they didn't have access to all their information. They still didn't. They're still doing stuff on paper.
00:58:08
Speaker
That's hilarious. So then then we had a story about the attack the hackers who called, who reached out to Channel 5, I believe it was, and and told them, you know, yeah that's right.
00:58:19
Speaker
We did it. We were demanding $4 million. dollars And from what I can see is I don't think they paid it. but That's good, though. Yeah, at least that's good. but what Probably because they don't have it.
00:58:31
Speaker
the only way they got back anything... ah the only way they got back anything got going again as fast as they did was because they asked the state, DeWine sent in some cyber like security experts from the state to help them get back on their feet.
00:58:48
Speaker
So when that happened, they they decided to do an audit. So Ohio auditor issued a scathing assessment of Cleveland cyber practices.
00:58:58
Speaker
I'm guessing most of their passwords were password. um So they, let's see, a letter stated the city had failed to implement basic security controls to prevent cyber attacks. A cyber, ah yes, a cyber attack shut down Cleveland Municipal Court and the Cleveland Housing Court earlier earlier this year.
00:59:16
Speaker
uh, uh, shut down city hall last year. there another one. And and they, they shut, I guess the second time they shut it down is it says here, another cyber attack, cyber attack, shut down city hall last year. Um, the, uh, the city had a formal cyber, cyber security policy.
00:59:30
Speaker
However, the enforcement of the policy was not consistent across city departments. Huh? They weren't using any of the normal practices. Um, ah To reduce risk of further cyber attacks, the auditor wrote, the city should establish a cybersecurity awareness training program for all network users.
00:59:49
Speaker
So you're saying they don't already have one?
00:59:53
Speaker
ah The letter also said that the city was not reviewing security reports on a regular basis. So if they were doing any reports, nobody was looking at them. um The Cleveland Municipal Court and Department of Public Utilities did not have any multi-factor authentication policies policies in place.
01:00:15
Speaker
it really It was a quote here. It really looks like some some very basic foundational things that are not in place. like Alex Hammerstone, advisory solutions director of trusted SEC.
01:00:31
Speaker
guess that's the the audit. People did the audit. So it's as bad as we thought it was. you as They said you would think that you would think to, you would never think to not have multi-factor authentication in place, says Hammerstone. It's basic security control.
01:00:53
Speaker
ba Basically called them dumb. Duh. Hello. low That was quite not surprising at all.
01:01:06
Speaker
um That's Cleveland. And they also declined requests for on-camera interviews at city of Cleveland. According to the article.
01:01:16
Speaker
Oh, here's their statement. that The Cleveland Municipal Court acknowledges the recent state auditor's report. we We've significantly boosted our security, including full multi-factor authentication, implement and implementation for all court employees.
01:01:29
Speaker
The court is committed to continuously improving its technology and ensuring security operations, secure operations for our community.
01:01:39
Speaker
Okay. After three hacks. Yay for you. You're doing such a good job.
01:01:46
Speaker
Yeah, wait till they start adding like a hacker text somewhere.
01:01:53
Speaker
So yeah, like I said, it was as bad as we thought. It was as bad as we thought. And for a our next story, was something that we've again have popped up. all sort of and I got to say, who's in charge of that? Because I would think i would think any ah um question, i i any amateur it person would have that taken care of.
01:02:19
Speaker
Like, I don't, I don't get it.
01:02:23
Speaker
um I have more security yeah my ah on my little network here that we're, I don't have anything that's really all that important, you know? Yes.
01:02:33
Speaker
ah In comparison at the corporate level, my gosh, the passwords and multi-factor this and sign I got to sign in four times a day and all this other stuff.
01:02:46
Speaker
and And I'm um'm just um just selling junk, people. I ain't doing anything really that important. I mean, all they're trying to protect is espionage or anything like that. This is a lot of people being forced to put their name in the system and they're not securing it.
01:03:02
Speaker
like You don't have a choice a lot of the time that your name gets put in the system. You know, you get you get a ticket, you get a write you get ah a citation or something, you got to go to court.
01:03:12
Speaker
So it's actually, it should be even more important. Yeah. It's crazy. So like we said, we thought it would be bad and it's about as bad as we thought. It's probably worse than we thought.
01:03:27
Speaker
It probably is. i yeah Yeah. But to them credit, they probably use password one, two, three. So they just password. Maybe three, two, one. Maybe. Whoa. How the hell are you supposed to remember that? Count backwards. Come on.
01:03:38
Speaker
City employees here. All right. Next, we're going wrap it up, ah wrap our story at least up with this one. This is a good one, I think, because we saw these billboards.
01:03:50
Speaker
I think I saw this first on X. And I can't remember, was it the mayor bib or somebody? was commenting on Mayor Bibb's comment on on X, and they had said, ah so at the time, was about a month ago, this investor had put up billboards around Cleveland saying, I buy crack houses.
01:04:09
Speaker
And it's his phone number and stuff. I saw it first on X2, and then I do see one driving home now. It doesn't have the the crack house thing but ah it has top ninja now he changed them because people complained and that was kind of the what draw my attention to it is i like click on the story on x and look at some of the comments and people are saying because i think the mayor bibb was commented quoted in the story or something maybe like that and he's like well yeah but what about the crack houses like you're complaining about this billboard but are you doing anything about the crack houses yeah
01:04:45
Speaker
No, no, they don't care. So I guess he pulled his, he changed his ad campaign. Now he's got top ninja. And it's the same, it's the same picture. It's this guy, you know, five o'clock shadow, big smile on his big head, ah head is fills up the whole thing. And then they put, I'm pretty sure they Photoshopped it, a a ah Japanese or whatever that would be, like a head headdress, like a Friday a kid, but in black it says, yeah, it says top ninja. And it there's a samurai sword behind Samurai sword behind him.
01:05:16
Speaker
And ah yeah, people still didn't like that. And um some are saying, well, i got I got a clip here from, well, I think it's a city official, a matter of fact.
01:05:30
Speaker
Let's hear what is Channel 5 again. Well, wait, before the clip, hold on, I don't want to go too fast. So John Williams calls himself an investor who buys homes and refurbishes them.
01:05:45
Speaker
He moved here about six months ago specifically for the housing market in Cleveland. And he's put up some billboards that spark claims of this discrimination. And um there's some people in the state Cleveland don't like it. And let's see what what they had to say in this report from News Channel 5.
Controversial Cleveland Billboards
01:06:07
Speaker
Cleveland. A home buyer replaced with another one, one people say is equally offensive. News 5's Kaylee spoke with the man behind the billboard. ah home buyer replaced it with another one one people say is equally offensive news five's kayle alius spoke with the man behind the billboard John Williams calls himself an investor looking to buy and flip homes.
01:06:28
Speaker
But the communities he's advertising in say his messaging is all wrong. What's the issue with the snowboard? The messages are derogatory towards the community, such as this top ninja, um then I purchased crack houses, and it's just very demeaning to a community which doesn't have those. Councilman.
01:06:48
Speaker
Wait, doesn't have what? Ninjas or crack houses? I was confused when he said that. I'm not sure. They got plenty of crack houses. This is a councilman. He says they don't have any. Continuing. Richard Astar is talking about billboards like these, which we've blurred the contact information Racist to who?
01:07:06
Speaker
These gigantic posters have been popping up all over Cleveland this last month, and it's certainly gaining a lot of attention, but most of it seems to be negative. They are putting the messaging to target neighborhoods, African-American neighborhoods. but When you talk about Top Ninja, that is another way of using the N-word, which is something that we've fought for over for decades not to be able to allow somebody to just call you that word.
01:07:31
Speaker
but i Sorry, I have to break in here again. yeah Yeah, you fought for decades and for people not to call you that except for your friends and every song that you listen to and in the hip hop community.
01:07:43
Speaker
And so so you can say it. It just depends on who you are. can say it, right? And when when was... Not Ninja. Yeah. no ah ninja i know I never heard that before. I've never heard Ninja used as an alternative to the N word. Nope.
01:08:01
Speaker
Apparently, apparently it's a thing for him, I guess.
01:08:06
Speaker
Continue. To allow somebody to just call you that word. We asked the man behind the billboard for answers, who says he moved here six months ago specifically for the housing market. This reason. When people bring that to your attention, do you not see anything wrong with it?
01:08:19
Speaker
We saw the Karate Kid movie two weeks ago. My kid's been obsessed with it. I thought it was cool. i thought it was catchy. And we put them up. Why'd you choose that area? So interestingly enough, there were some billboards on the west side that had those very slogans.
01:08:31
Speaker
They just didn't get anyone's attention. So on the east side, everyone thought that it was just focused there. But there were... so There were billboards over on that side as well that said the same thing.
01:08:42
Speaker
Okay. can do you know which streets the ones were in Westside? I'm not sure. We have so many. Driving through West Cleveland, though, the messaging looks to be different. Sell while you can.
01:08:53
Speaker
Ugly house? I'll buy it. Racist. I buy homes. Cash. Just to name a few. Called my house ugly. The signs referencing crack houses have since been removed from the area, but... Would you still use that type of language moving forward?
01:09:07
Speaker
The crack house. I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it's true. I think it's a real problem. I think it needs to be solved. At least two top ninja signs remain posted. Councilman Starr says if these ads continue to be a problem, he will write legislation that addresses it.
01:09:23
Speaker
I want people to understand is you got have respect and you have to understand the code of ethics. This is America. What? We have freedom of speech. Respect my crack options. We've reached out to Lamar Advertising for more information, and we're waiting to hear back.
01:09:35
Speaker
For News 5 here in Cleveland, I'm Kelly Olivas. Oh, brother. Code of ethics? but I never heard of code of ethics when it comes to um billboards. I mean, is that...
01:09:47
Speaker
Well, you wouldn't have those billboards if you didn't have crack houses. Yes. How about straightening that out? Here's a guy who's who's buying up houses, cleaning them up, and renting them out.
01:10:00
Speaker
Yes. So you would rather have a house abandoned, boarded up, with crackheads going in there at night and doing their thing.
01:10:13
Speaker
That's what you would rather have, rather than somebody buying a house... fixing it up and selling it or renting it. Sounds that way because ninja is racist.
01:10:26
Speaker
Top ninja. Pying crack houses is racist. And like he said, he, I had these everywhere and I would, I don't, I believe when he doesn't say, I don't know. I think you hire a company, you give them the billboards and then they go out and they put, they say, we're going to put them in, you know, in, in these general areas. I don't think that you know exactly where every billboard is at, but according to him,
01:10:47
Speaker
Yeah, i put them up everywhere, but nobody cared about them on the other side.
01:10:51
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. But I mean, like, they got they got attention. Yes. That's for sure. Yeah. So, I don't, this guy's doing, her you know, I don't know. I saw a thing on YouTube. but he's He's got like a 15-minute recording.
01:11:09
Speaker
ah you know um YouTube, I don't know what you would call it, but just a 15-minute info thing. It's not an ad. it's he's He's being interviewed, but I think it's on his channel.
01:11:21
Speaker
I didn't see it, like a news channel or anything like that. It just randomly popped up on my YouTube channel. But on YouTube, I mean. And I watched him. seems he's pretty smart. He knows what he's doing.
01:11:34
Speaker
Maybe it's a little silly, but yeah he knows what he's doing. Speaking of YouTube, we're on YouTube. CricketRiverCast.com. he He basically said there's like 9,000 houses in Cleveland and there's like 2,500 houses that are abandoned.
01:11:51
Speaker
Wow. Is that many? Yeah. It's crazy. Nothing to see here. No. Nothing to see here. Just racism. Just racism. All right. So that, that should be fun. a yeah hope to see more.
01:12:04
Speaker
I'm sure he'll get more creative because it seems to be working because he's getting ah attention. Now they did blur out his phone number. Channel five did, which is awfully not naughty of them, but on to the next one that we haven't, we haven't gone to this, into the critter corner in a while.
01:12:23
Speaker
But today we've got a little story you brought up
01:12:29
Speaker
on pesticides. um This, this, yeah, actually a listener sent me some info on this and said, maybe we should bring
House Appropriations Bill and Pesticide Safety
01:12:38
Speaker
this up. Yes, this is So I got an email. I didn't go through the whole article, but I just i just wanted to let people know maybe they can contact their state senator, Marino in Houston.
01:12:51
Speaker
But ah in the House Appropriation Bill, which just passed... This is national. This is Washington. Yeah, this is this is federal. Yeah, this is national.
01:13:02
Speaker
In the House Appropriations Bill, which just passed the House, it's going to go in... um It's in committee in the Senate, so now's the time to contact your senator. Yes.
01:13:13
Speaker
But it's ah Section 453 in the House Appropriations Bill, and What it does is it shield it shields pesticide companies from reliability. So they can't get sued if so you know if people get sick from their stuff.
01:13:29
Speaker
And the other thing is it removes warning label requirements from dangerous products. And it blocks restrictions on PFAS, a class of toxis toxic forever chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, immune system damage, and more.
01:13:49
Speaker
It's Section 453. It's basically a pass for all the, you know, but for the for the chemical companies to poison. I'm not sure what your problem with this is because we we did this with pharmaceutical companies and vaccines. And, I mean, what could go wrong?
01:14:06
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. This dates back to, like, 2010, actually, when when they were able um yeah ah You know what it is. It's basically there's too much money from coming from ah pharmaceutical and chemical companies that are lobbying Congress.
01:14:24
Speaker
yeah And the the the slimy part of this was, i think the slimy part of this was the House voted on this with a voice vote. Voice vote? So there's no record?
01:14:37
Speaker
There's no record of who voted yes. and They probably all voted yes. Just... Well, definitely anybody who gets a check from yeah Big Chemical, I guess you can call them. Yeah. um That's all this is. What else could this be?
01:14:51
Speaker
nothing good that could come. I mean, there's nothing good in this. i i tried i I did try looking up but i to see what was good. The only good thing I saw was that it remove it would basically remove that sticker that you see on and basically every product you buy that says this product can cause cancer. And it's because of California, you get that. Yeah. so um Which I think is ridiculous, too, because it's on.
01:15:17
Speaker
I bought a guitar stand, and there was a sticker on it that says this product can cause cancer. And I was just like, what? Yeah, that's that Prop 25 or something. See that? Yeah, because if they sell into California, it has to be on the box somewhere.
01:15:31
Speaker
it's It's just ridiculous. But this this is ah this ah basically you'll never be able to sue a company if it gets you sick from from one of their chemicals. Oh, and the other thing is it's for farmers and stuff, too, that um farmers wouldn't be able to go after a chemical chemical company if it caused any problems with their crops also oh okay so that that's the that's probably even a bigger worry to me then because that could put a farmer out of business really if you think about it if you have the government backing the large corporations that prevent you from suing them what recourse do you have
01:16:11
Speaker
Yeah. So right I just wanted ah in in the show notes, I want to put a link to Bernie Marino's email and John Houston. and It's just a just fill it out.
01:16:23
Speaker
Put your name in there and just tell me you're concerned about Section 453 in the yeah House Appropriations Bill. Yep. This is where, uh, by the people for the people.
01:16:37
Speaker
Yeah. Into play here. So, uh, we are responsible for what are, but what would the people we put in office do? So this is how they sneak things in. They're just hoping nobody sees us. Yes.
01:16:49
Speaker
Yes, exactly. A freaking voice vote. So you don't, you can't go back a year later to see who voted. Yes. That's dead. It's just bull. Yeah.
01:17:00
Speaker
Yeah. Get on record. like And that's, that's a, uh,
01:17:05
Speaker
point That's a good point right there because that's exactly why they're doing a voice vote. So nobody can come back and say, you did this and that. Now, don't know if they can get away with that if it becomes an actual... Because they still have to go through the General Assembly, would imagine.
01:17:18
Speaker
It does. some amendment on some bill somewhere, probably. Yeah, but... Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they're trying to sneak it in. in but I mean, they they are trying to sneak it in. Maybe later on, you can, once they go through Senate, we just need Senate to remove that section, at least. I mean, you know, who I don't, i think there are good, you know what, I just watched a ah Mr. Gunner, I think his name is, a YouTube channel.
01:17:42
Speaker
And there's some really good Second Amendment stuff in the House Appropriations bill. But yeah, this is this is bad. Yeah, it's also why we always rail against iowa these these humongous, massive bills with thousands of pages. There's so much crap in there. That's usually how they sneak this stuff in.
01:17:58
Speaker
and yeah We're never going to have single bills in but just because exactly what we just saw here. They don't want to see. They don't want to They don't want constituents to know how they voted, whether it was yes or no, because.
01:18:13
Speaker
Frankly, things are so 50-50 now, they they'll just get a problem from either side. It doesn't matter. They just want to get reelected. And the way it is now, the way they have these big, they could say, it well, I had to because if I voted no, I would have voted no against all this other good stuff.
01:18:27
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So that's how they get away with it. All right. um It's all baloney. Got to keep an eye on them. On those critters, man. no They'll get away and all of a sudden they'll take a whole town and just burn it down.
01:18:39
Speaker
Just like in Gremlins. Just like the documentary Gremlins. Yep. Next, our final ah final segment here, of course, because but at the Crooked Rivercast, you know what we do.
Cleveland's History and Community Events
01:18:58
Speaker
We do. We bring good things to life, Tom. So last week we had Great Lakes Christmas in July. This week we have a different Christmas in July. This is the Cuyahoga County Valley Rail System who's having a eight Christmas in July Scenic Railroad celebration.
01:19:19
Speaker
I believe this is going on dates in here. Yeah. Okay. They have, they normally have it, um, uh, November 14th through the 21st. Um, but today or this year they're going,
01:19:35
Speaker
That's actually not correct. Yeah, so tickets go unsealed for that in September. But right now, July 25th marks the unofficial holiday of Christmas in July. And Chicago Valley Scenic Railway is hosting its very own.
01:19:49
Speaker
I don't think they're going to have any Christmas sale. So just for the kids, people. Just for the kids. I've been on this. What are the parents going to do? Yeah. Um, hot chocolate.
01:20:01
Speaker
Um, I've been on this in the, in the winter time for, and it's, it's pretty cool for the kids. They, they really, they really, uh, they really whip it up for the kids. It's kind of fun. That's cool. Um, but I don't remember, no, this isn't the one we had the wine on. That's a different one.
01:20:15
Speaker
No, that's a different one. This is just hot chocolate, but a different kind of Christmas in July. One for the kids, one for the kids. And lastly, but definitely not least, is on July 22nd was Cleveland's birthday.
01:20:32
Speaker
They were founded, ah Cleveland was founded in 1796. Yeah. And pulled my stories up and they're not, there is. There's some reason they're not staying. There it is. Okay.
01:20:46
Speaker
Cleveland was founded in 1796, the result of a Connecticut land company survey of 3.3 million acres on the shores of Lake Erie that was originally called the Western Reserve.
01:20:57
Speaker
We do see that a lot around here. but Yeah, i never I never knew where that came from. That's cool. yeah ah Named after General Moses Cleveland, the city of Cleveland was incorporated in came back. And aided by, says here, aided by approximately proximity to rail and water routes and natural resources like iron and oil, the city of Cleveland served as a central hub for industrial growth, commerce, and trade through the nineteenth and 20th centuries.
01:21:28
Speaker
Yeah, it was ah it had a big deal to do with the that whole industrial age. Very much the the rust belt, as they called it. So the city is, you know, whatever, 230 some years old, whatever that math comes out to be.
01:21:42
Speaker
Cool. So I remember going to the 200th birthday. That just depressed me. Yeah, they had had some really good fireworks. they had ah Yeah, it was do remember it was fireworks on both sides of Cog or River.
01:21:53
Speaker
Yeah. And it was that was actually um was pretty cool. Yeah. That was one of the cool things that Cleveland did for celebrating. Generally not the greatest. Yeah. and Always kind of, eh.
01:22:04
Speaker
That wasn't all out. That was pretty good. So happy birthday, Cleveland. um You know, hopefully... Hopefully you get a better mayor soon. Well, hopefully I'll be here for the two 50th.
01:22:16
Speaker
I'll make it a big one. Yes. That's actually, yeah, I'll be, uh, that would be a big one.
Conclusion and Audience Gratitude
01:22:24
Speaker
And as of, uh, and with that, we will end our show on that happy, happy birthday note. We can't sing the birthday cause we'll probably get copyright striked if we do. I think that's the whole thing. And I didn't, I was going to play some Ozzy today, but I couldn't play Ozzy cause I know I was thinking of, uh, there was a couple of things I wanted to point out about some of his music and I, and I was like, I, It's YouTube. i I'm not even concerned about the podcast, but YouTube would probably knock it right out.
01:22:50
Speaker
It's just a just a hassle. is it really you know I kind of look it, is it worth it? You can sometimes get away with it for a two or three second clip, but really at that it doesn't really matter. You barely even know anything. So, oh well, we'll get through it. um But i appreciate everybody for listening today and we'll ah we'll see you next week.
01:23:10
Speaker
Peace.