Ohioans have made substantial contributions to mitigating the effects of the Opioid crisis throughout the state. From state initiatives to community support, we have been able to save many lives. In fact, since its inception, 15,000 people have sought help from the RecoveryOhio Crisis Text Line. Despite these significant efforts, there was a disconnect in the education surrounding the life-saving antidote, naloxone.
In Ohio, a 2015 law allowed pharmacists to dispense this medication to customers without a prescription, the only problem was, many pharmacists were unaware of this change. According to a survey completed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer of 275 Northeast Ohio pharmacies, a large number of pharmacies did not know that naloxone can be dispensed without a prescription. In fact, 20 percent of the pharmacies surveyed incorrectly stated that customers would need a prescription for naloxone. Consequently, many pharmacies did not even have naloxone in stock.
That is why I introduced Senate Bill 59, the Naloxone without Prescription Training Bill, to require all pharmacists, technicians and pharmacy interns be trained to become knowledgeable that naloxone can be dispensed without a prescription and would also require those professionals that dispense the drug to maintain an adequate supply of it. This legislation passed unanimously out of the Senate earlier this year. It then moved over to the House where it passed out of the House Health Committee unanimously.
I am proud to announce that in September, during National Recovery Month, Governor DeWine signed House Bill 341 into law, which contained S.B. 59 as an amendment. With this law in effect, we will be able to save more lives and work towards overcoming the opioid epidemic in Ohio. The passage of this legislation is even more significant given the increased loss of life due to opioid usage this year. In August alone, Cuyahoga County witnessed at least 47 fatal cases due to heroin/fentanyl/analogs, and at least 293 victims over the course of this year. We must continue to raise awareness and pass meaningful legislation to better help our families, friends, and neighbors who are silently battling addiction.
PHOTO CAPTION: Senator Antonio provides Sponsor Testimony on S.B. 59 in the Ohio House Health Committee
There are two ways to look at the Nov. 3 presidential election.
1. You do not like either candidate, and would rather vote for “none of the above.” A lot of people feel that way.
2. You are happy, because there is a pretty clear choice here. Many voters made up their minds long ago.
We are blessed. Both major-party candidates have well-known records, and we have had ample opportunity to see them in action. Our goal here is not to endorse a single candidate, but rather raise some issues that deserve your consideration.
“Actions speak louder than words” We urge you to ignore the noise and name-calling on social media platforms, ignore the millions of dollars spent on slick, often false, TV advertising, and even ignore the debates later this month. All those items are deliberately designed to make you feel a certain way, either for or against a certain person.
We also ask you, just for a moment, to ignore your party affiliation. Do not ask yourself, “What’s best for my party?” but rather, “What’s best for my nation?”
You are an American first. Party affiliation comes in a distant second, very distant. Each party would have you believe that they are pure good, and the other party is pure evil. That’s bull turkey, and in the privacy of your own thoughts, you know it. So, how do you decide who to vote for? Look at their actions. We have seen President Trump for more than 3 years, and we watched Joe Biden for eight years as vice-president, and 36 years as senator.
The best predictor of what kind of leader they will be is: “What kind of leader were they in the past?”
Both men are older and set in their ways. If you did not like the way they governed in the past, it is safe to assume that they are not going to change.
Every president takes an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution,” which includes a series of checks and balances to help three branches of government. Has this been done to your satisfaction?
Every President is a world leader, a national role model, and a manager of the largest bureaucracy in the world — the Federal Government. It is imperative that he or she surround themselves with the best possible talent, and then let them do their jobs.
There are huge challenges facing the next president — end the pandemic, rebuild the economy, reduce the disastrous effects of decades of climate change, and fight to bring federal deficit under control. Those issues require congressional cooperation, every step of the way.
The future of our great country is in your hands. Please decide wisely.
In partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, free virtual event celebrates how music and visual artists promote social justice
SUBMITTED
Virtual MIX at CMA returns Friday, Oct. 2, from 8 to 9 p.m. with MIX: Amplify, a celebration of how music and art have promoted social justice and combatted racism through messages of rage, hope and empowerment. The event features a live DJ set from Vikter Duplaix, a showcase of different styles of street dance from hip-hop ambassador and choreographer Samuel McIntosh of 10K Movement, video art by Wil Frierson and appearances from surprise guests.
MIX: Amplify is inspired by and in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, whose physical and digital exhibition It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment highlights Hall of Fame inductees and artists who use music as a platform for protesting injustice and fighting for equality. Amplified through artifacts, artist narratives and intimate images captured by influential African American photographers, the exhibition explores these important issues we face in 2020, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary year.
Get ready for the event with a virtual MIX: Amplify kit featuring curated playlists from the DJ and the Rock Hall, virtual Zoom backgrounds designed by Frierson, restaurant recommendations for ordering takeout, themed cocktails you can make at home, artist bios and information about It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment. The kit also includes resources from community partner Cleveland VOTES to encourage everyone to amplify their voices by voting in this year’s election.
Share your photos of your MIX vibe using #MIXatCMA and #museumfromhome.
The CMA is a leader in the use of technology to enhance the visitor experience both on-site and online.
MIX: Amplify is part of the museum’s free, dynamic digital initiative Home Is Where the Art Is, which showcases the museum’s globally recognized digital resources and offers a variety of newly created fun and engaging programs for people of all ages. With this initiative, the CMA has leveraged technology to bring works of art to people, responding to changing needs in new, enriching and innovative ways. These sustainable digital experiences continue to complement the in-person museum experience now that the CMA has reopened.
How to Join MIX: Amplify:
Zoom (with “dance cam”) Join the party through Zoom for a chance to be featured in a live “dance cam” that will spontaneously occur throughout the hour. A link to join will be posted to cma.org/mix or on the museum’s Facebook page. You can also send an email (subject line: “MIX: Amplify”) to mix@clevelandart.orgto receive a link in your inbox.
Facebook Watch live on the CMA’s Facebook page from your smartphone, iPad or computer.
Make a contribution to the Cleveland Museum of Art through The Eric and Jane Nord Family Challenge. Your gift will be increased fourfold by the Eric and Jane Nord Family who has offered a challenge match for donations received this calendar year. Your support will advance the museum as it creates new programs to engage the community.
Text-to-Give:
Text OURCMA to 44321
Community Partner: Cleveland VOTES, a nonpartisan democracy-building and mobilization entity that aims to strengthen and amplify equitable civic engagement to ensure we have a more informed, participatory and cohesive community.
The Cleveland Museum of Art would like to thank Chase Private Client for their generous support of MIX: Amplify.
Image caption: James Brown, 1966 Courtesy of the Chuck Stewart Estate.
Listen as curators, educators, community leaders, artists and others offer new ways to look at and understand artworks, special exhibitions and museum-specific issues.
Examine a work of art, ask questions and learn how art can frame our understanding of both the past and present.
About the Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 61,000 objects and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The museum is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship and performing arts. One of the top comprehensive art museums in the nation and free of charge to all, the Cleveland Museum of Art is in the University Circle neighborhood.
The Cleveland Museum of Art receives funding from a broad range of individuals, foundations and businesses in Cleveland and northeast Ohio. The museum is supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and made possible in part by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. For more information about the museum and its holdings, programs and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit ClevelandArt.org.
West Park resident Anna Lee Rindskopf, and her mother, Susan Loparo of Beechwood, are featured on the August cover of a prestigious local realtor magazine.
Real Producers, a full-color publication, is marketed to Cleveland agents only, so you won’t find it on the magazine rack of your local store.
“The magazines are for and about real estate’s top performers — the small yet powerful group of agents who dominate their local market.”
The magazine wants to “connect, elevate and inspire,” its web site says.
Being chosen for the cover is an honor — one of many for the mother-daughter duo.
After 10 years in the jewelry business, Loparo switched to real estate to give her the flexibility to raise three children. Now, 23-years later, she is the #1 RE/MAX agent in Northern Ohio and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also been a great role model for her daughter.
After 18-years as a hairdresser, Rindskopf started selling homes two years ago. She won the agency’s “Rookie-of-the-Year” award, and more recently, was named one of the top 20-percent of agents in the nation by Google. She describes herself as “a West Park expert,” even though she often serves nearby areas to the west and the south. “I enjoy keeping active, and communicating with others,” she says. “I am, by nature, a social butterfly, and love meeting my neighbors and friend in all areas of West Park.”
Homes in West Park are selling quickly these days, and the market is very competitive. Whether you want to sell, buy, or just be friendly, Anna Lee wants to meet you. Write to AnnaSellsCleveland@gmail.com, or call 216-389-5389.
Access for all CIFF fall online film events will be delivered via email with a voucher code for streaming on Roku or Apple TV (this will provide the most optimal viewing experience), and a virtual access link for streaming the film event on all other devices.
AGGIE
Streaming dates:
Thursday, September 24th at 11:00 AM ET – Sunday, September 27th at 11:00 PM ET
Cost: $15.00
Streaming restrictions: This film is available to stream in the United States
Cleveland’s own Agnes “Aggie” Gund is the featured subject in the intimate documentary AGGIE, directed by her daughter Catherine Gund. The film not only offers a look at Aggie’s impressive status as an art collector, but also tells the story of her incredible philanthropic work and the lasting impact she has had on so many communities.
Ticket purchasers will also receive access to the live, post-film Q&A with director
Catherine Gund and Aggie Gund, moderated by Jennifer Coleman, Program Director for Creative Culture and Arts at The George Gund Foundation.
CIFF STREAMS + ANISFIELD-WOLF BOOK AWARDS
Streaming Dates:
Tuesday, September 29th – Wednesday, September 30th and
Friday, October 2nd – Sunday, October 4th
Film events released daily at 9:00 AM ET
Cost: Free
Streaming restrictions: Film events are available to stream in the United States
CIFF Streams is proud to partner with the 85th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards to curate online screenings of racial equity-focused films. The screenings will take place during this year’s Anisfield-Wolf Book Week, September 29 – October 4, 2020.
Films will be available on multiple days throughout the week, with feature films offering
post-film, pre-recorded moderated conversations. CIFF Streams + Anisfield-Wolf Book Week film screenings are free and open to the public, but registration is required.
HALFWAY TO CIFF45
Streaming dates:
Wednesday, October 7th at 11:00 AM ET – Saturday, October 10th at 11:00 PM ET
Cost: Tickets are available on a sliding scale, starting at $5.00
Streaming restrictions: Films are available to stream in the United States
CIFF will once again mark the halfway point to the Festival with a celebratory event, Halfway to CIFF45! This year’s event offers more short films, more screening days, and pre-recorded, post-film conversations with filmmakers and special guests.
There will be a Comedy Shorts Program, as well as two Jury Award Winner Programs, allowing viewers four days of streaming time and a pay-what-you-can sliding scale, with tickets starting at $5.00 per program.
FILMSLAM® STREAMS
We are thrilled to announce the second iteration of FilmSlam® Streams is set to launch in the next few weeks! The program will once again offer educators digital access to hundreds of films and accompanying study guides (when available) to use as part of their classroom curriculum. In addition, CIFF will provide opportunities for educators and students to engage with filmmakers through Q&As.
If you are an educator who would like to take part in FilmSlam® Streams, please contact Special Programs Director Beth Steele Radisek atbeth@clevelandfilm.org.
The CIFF looks forward to an exciting fall with film lovers of all ages from across the country. We thank you for your support!
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ohio in early spring, most residents couldn’t have predicted the economic impact it would have. Like many others, maintenance technician Noah Bowler (name changed to protect client privacy) lost work when the state shut down and immediately applied for unemployment benefits.
Noah’s hopes for relief were dashed when Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services denied his application, claiming he did not meet the minimum amount of weeks worked to qualify. Noah knew this was not true, yet he felt helpless on his own up against a complicated administrative system. He contacted Legal Aid and a paralegal helped him file an appeal with all of the appropriate documents. The appeal was approved, and Noah now has the financial support to weather the pandemic.
“The Ohio unemployment compensation system was not set-up for the type of volume we’ve seen in 2020,” explained Tom Mlakar, deputy director at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. “Sadly, so many lives depend today on this safety net. The stability that UC brings helps people remain stable as they anticipate returning to work. UC benefits help pay for rent, food and other basic needs.”
Ohio’s unemployment system, operated by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, has seen unprecedented numbers of applications since the pandemic began. These issues have been further complicated by the complex system of multiple layers of programs being offered right now by both the state and the federal government. Legal Aid is encouraging people who have been waiting for five or more weeks to contact them.
“Our team is poised and ready to stand by the side of people who need help,” Mlakar explained. “Knowledge is power in this uncertain time, and our Legal Aid staff can do important problem-solving work.”
In early April 2020, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland launched a Worker Information Line, for people who were unsure about talking with an attorney and perhaps just needed a question answered. If a caller asks a question that needs legal action, they are immediately referred into Legal Aid’s intake system.
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is also available to help anyone who may have been denied benefits. “The appeals process can be intimidating, and sometimes, people can be wrongly denied,” Mlakar said. “Legal Aid can help people through the process of appeals.”
Think you need help? Contact the Worker Information Line or contact Legal Aid for legal help by visiting: https://lasclev.org/contact/. Online intake is open 24/7 and phone lines are open during most business hours.
Visit www.lasclev.org for more information Legal Aid’s work to extend justice throughout Northeast Ohio.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our daily lives: what we wear, where we go, and who we can visit- but it does not change your vital role in our democracy.
With the 2020 General Election right around the corner, it is important to be aware of upcoming deadlines and processes to make your vote count and your voice heard.
Before heading to the polls on Nov. 3, 2020, you must be registered to vote. The deadline to register to vote for this election is Oct. 5, 2020.
To register, you will need your Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, name, date of birth, address, and the last four digits of your social security number. If you have recently moved, you will need to update your voting address. Last year, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office purged thousands of citizens from voter rolls. Some of these names were removed in error, so even if you have not moved and you have previously voted, you should verify your voter registration out of an abundance of caution.
The unpredictable nature of a global pandemic makes the possibility of in-person voting unclear for many. To be safe, you can vote by mail. To do so, you will need to complete and mail an absentee ballot application to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections at 2925 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44115. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is three days before the election, but it is highly recommended that requests are submitted as soon as possible. Once you receive your ballot in the mail, you will need to return it to the board of elections, which can be done by mail or in person. When mailing the completed ballot, it must be postmarked no later than the day before the election (Nov. 2, 2020) and received no later than 10 days after the election. You can also deliver your ballot in person prior to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Election Day 2020 will look different, but you too can help the process run smoothly by signing up to be a poll worker if you are less vulnerable to the virus. Many of our older Election Day volunteers will be unable to help in November due to COVID-19 related risks, so it is a great time for young people to sign up as paid poll workers through the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
While this election will present new challenges, we must remember that our foremothers and fathers fought for our right to vote and make our voice heard. This is an important time to participate in our democracy.
PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH HALKO
Featured top photo caption: Senator Antonio at the Cuyahoga County BOE drop box at E. 30th and Euclid Avenue.
The COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing yet most of Ohio’s economy has reopened. People are going back to work without proper safety measures in place. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has failed to issue workplace safety mandates. Without federal leadership, state leaders must act to protect working people, their families and communities. Today, Policy Matters Ohio put forward recommendations to keep working people safe during the pandemic.
Gov. DeWine’s mask mandate has slowed the surge of COVID-19 cases, but with more than 5 million Ohioans back at work, more is needed. COVID-19 clusters are popping up at some workplaces. At least 323 cases of COVID-19 were linked to outbreaks in seven meatpacking plants in Columbiana, Holmes, Stark and Wayne counties, leading to 31 hospitalizations and three deaths. Before restarting on-site classes, OSU confirmed nearly 100 positive cases among staff and students, foreshadowing risks to come as schools and universities reopen.
“Everyone deserves a safe workplace, and overcoming the pandemic and recession depends on it,” said report author and Policy Matters Researcher, Michael Shields. “Ohio policymakers have implemented some guidelines, but enforcement is needed along with financial supports to help workers and businesses comply.”
Shields makes a slate of recommendations for state policymakers, including:
Requiring employers protect workers by providing face masks and hand sanitizer; through social distancing and with regular cleaning.
Requiring businesses reduce risk with offsite work, staggered shifts, increased physical space, barriers, or reducing operations.
Creating additional safety guidelines for health care workers and first responders, similar to those in California.
Enforcing existing public health and workplace safety laws.
Certifying workers and unions as workplace safety monitors, as California has done.
Implementing anti-retaliation protocols for workers who report violations.
Proving emergency paid sick leave to high-risk and sick workers.
Shields made several recommendations for local officials, including:
Using county health departments to enforce existing workplace safety laws, prioritizing high-risk industries.
Filing public nuisance lawsuits against employers that endanger public health.
Revoking licenses or government contracts from persistent violators.
“Restoring the health of Ohio’s economy depends on keeping the people who live here safe and healthy,” said Shields. “Ohio leaders must take all possible steps to ensure workers are safe on the job.”
While we do expect our beloved print paper to return to stores in the future, right now, our priorities are keeping residents safe while reducing the spread of COVID, as well as helping our local business owners in any way possible.
A while ago, the West Park Times contacted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to confirm how long the virus can live on surfaces.
We were told it can live on cardboard for 24 hours, but according to this source, the coronavirus is capable of living on paper surfaces for an estimated four days.
According to the CDC’s website: “The primary and most important mode of transmission for COVID-19 is through close contact from person-to-person. Based on data from lab studies on COVID-19 and what we know about similar respiratory diseases, it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this isn’t thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
In short, we don’t want to put our readers at risk – not one bit. And, we don’t want to place stacks in stores and places that might act as another obstacle for store owners to contend with.
But, we’re still here to deliver accurate news to the people of West Park. Sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter online by visiting the westparktimes.com and entering your email address into the pop-up subscribe box. If this isn’t your thing, feel free to visit us at our social media pages, which include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and coming soon, TikTok!
UPDATE 9/1: According to Cleveland Police First District, as of today, no injuries were reported as a result of this incident.
According to an update report, “Police are responding to an unconfirmed report of a man throwing bricks through a window at Taco Bell and assaulting an employee before going to a Family Dollar and throwing fireballs at clothing before fleeing the scene.” The individual who is alleged to have done this is said to have been wearing a bracelet from the hospital.
The Dollar General is located at 14693 Lorain Ave.
There are 17 members on Cleveland City Council, but only one, Charles Slife, has a front-row seat to Cleveland’s future.
Since taking office in November, Slife has served as City Council’s representative on the seven-member City Planning Commission. The other six members are appointed by the Mayor.
The Commission meets at City Hall at 9 a.m. on the first and third Fridays of each month. They review and approve plans for major new buildings. Here is how cleveland.com reported on the Aug. 22 meeting.
“The Cleveland City Planning Commission on Friday approved several apartment projects, including a new 23-story building that would replace a downtown parking lot. The projects come as demand for higher-rent apartments in downtown Cleveland has started to soften, along with the rest of the economy. However, developers think there is enough demand to keep building.”
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The Planning Commission plays a key role in keeping growth projects on track, Slife said.
“As members, we deliberate proposed zoning changes, public art, and large construction projects. We help to ensure that Cleveland neighborhoods benefit from development, and that new buildings enhance quality of life and encourage additional investment.”
Friday meetings can take up to four hours. Members also spend time preparing for agenda items.
“Developers and contractors are often eager to see a new building, or meet a construction timeline,” Sllife said. “What’s most important is that we get the best possible project for the city, and not something that has been rushed through.”
Projects west of West 85th Street are first reviewed by the Far West Design Review Committee. Members send their recommendation to the Planning Commission, Slife said.
“The projects we review create jobs for West Park and the entire city,” Slife said. “Even a project in University Circle affects the tax base for all city residents.”
Background
The Planning Commission prepares plans to guide the development of the city and its neighborhoods. Duties include:
Zoning
Design Review
Historic Preservation
Public Art
Maps and Data
Development Planning
Neighborhood Planning
Special Purpose Plans
Slife’s background made him an ideal candidate for a seat on the Planning Commission. From Cleveland State University, he has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, focusing on Economic Development. He previously worked for Mayor Jackson, as a special assistant for Regional Development.
Slife was formerly a location consultant for corporate clients of The Austin Company. He was also a trustee for West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development, formerly known as KCDC.
Six Cleveland photographers will donate their time for free, providing on-site photoshoots to anyone who brings a new sock donation or cash donation at “The Sock Exchange” event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29.
All proceeds will benefit The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH). The event will take place at Fairhill Partners, a local community nonprofit located at 12200 Fairhill Rd.
The purpose of The Sock Exchange is to raise support for The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. Each year, NEOCH’s street outreach teams provide thousands of needed humanitarian items to people experiencing unsheltered homelesseness in the Cleveland area. Sock and cash donations collected at The Sock Exchange event will support NEOCH’s outreach collaborative work.
Depending on the size of the donation, community members will receive anywhere from a 5 minute to a 20 minute photoshoot, as well as an offsite hour-long photoshoot for anyone donating $50. The six photographers who will be participating include Ernest Hatten, Jef Janis, Shemiah Woods, Julian Harris, Bridget Caswell, and Celena E.H.
The mission of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless is to organize and empower homeless and at-risk men, women and children to break the cycle of poverty through public education, advocacy and the creation of nurturing environments.
Traditional Oktoberfest festivities may be cancelled around the world due to COVID-19, but Clevelanders can still get their festival fix. The historic German restaurant is offering Oktoberfest To-Go packages that include a traditional meal that feeds 4-6 people and beer growlers with glass steins, available to pre-order and pickup just in time for what would have been the Cleveland Oktoberfest weekend. As an added treat, the restaurant has also curated a public Oktoberfest Spotify playlist for guests to enjoy their food or beer with the traditional sounds of the festival.
The food package features a classic protein of your choice (Schnitzel, Schweinshaxe or Roasted Chicken), 5 sausages, over 4 lbs. of sides, Bienenstich (Beesting Cake), Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread cookies) and traditional German candies.
The beer package features 2 (64 oz.) growlers, filled with your choice of 8 exclusive Oktoberfest draft brews along with 2 half liter glass Paulaner steins. Add on an additional bottle/can variety 6 pack of Oktoberfest beer with an additional half liter mug.
“Oktoberfest is what we look forward to every year,” said Der Braumeister owner Jenn Wirtz. “After learning the festivals would be cancelled, we wanted to make sure our customers still got the opportunity to celebrate, even if it’s just from the comfort of their own homes!”
All packages can be pre-ordered, paid and scheduled for pickup online. Pickup dates will be available from September 3 – 5, between 4 – 6 p.m. Additional information, including full food and beer list, and the link to order are available here.
Last May, while the pandemic and recession sapped state revenue, Gov. Mike DeWine cut funding for education and health care. As policymakers prepare for the next budget year, a Policy Matters Ohio report shows how the cuts set a lower baseline for critical programs like education, mental health and public defense attorneys.
“Congress has yet to provide the kind of aid state and local governments need to protect the public,” said report author, Senior Project Director Wendy Patton. “That’s forcing state lawmakers to make cuts they shouldn’t have to make. However, years of cuts at the state level have left Ohio ill-prepared. State lawmakers have underfunded programs that make Ohio communities stronger and healthier in favor of tax cuts and tax breaks that benefit corporations and the wealthy few.”
In May, Gov. DeWine cut $776 million from the current 2020-21 state budget’s General Revenue Fund (GRF). Partly due to the pandemic, GRF spending came in $1.5 billion below appropriations. The cuts have established a lower baseline for 2021 appropriations. The Office of Budget and Management said spending on many public services should be held to 2020 levels. Budget cuts for FY 2021 have not been announced, but Patton confirmed at least $440 million in planned reductions: $309 million from K-12 schools, $89 million from higher education and $46 million to help counties fund public defenders. Also vulnerable are important programs that were scheduled to receive increased funding in 2021, like the programs to lower Ohio’s high infant mortality rate among Black communities.
With Congress unable to come to an agreement about the next COVID-19 aid package, Patton said it’s more important than ever for state leaders to leverage Ohio’s public revenue in ways that will support all communities.
“State policymakers have tools to help Ohioans keep the lights on, the rent paid and food on the table,” Patton said. “They can rebalance the tax code so the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. They can stop unproductive tax giveaways. They can tap the rainy day fund. They can use different buckets of federal funds. During this unprecedented public health crisis and recession, everything must be used to help struggling families.”
By Malcolm Burnley and Rachel Dissell, The Fuller Project
(Pictured: Lynn Rodemann)
Lynn Rodemann walked up the driveway, a mask fixed tightly to her face.
A mother of five welcomed her into the backyard, where she was cleaning up the colorful, damp decorations from a child’s birthday party the evening before.
Rodemann, a community outreach specialist, is part of a pandemic response team traversing Slavic Village to check on residents and offers information on a rent assistance program – and an application to vote by mail in the upcoming November presidential election.
Working the overnight shift as a corrections officer at a women’s prison during a pandemic, coupled with limited child care options is a daily struggle, the woman said.
“You could see how tired she was,” says Rodemann, who broke social distancing protocol to give the woman, who started to cry, a hug. “I was so devastated for her.”
After that encounter, she wondered how a mom like the one she had met could have any energy left to worry about voting. A few days later, Rodemann returned to the home with a care package: masks, alcohol wipes and a thermometer.
“If there’s a possibility that they’re losing their house, they don’t give a shit about voting,” says 39-year-old Rodemann, who has worked for Slavic Village Development in the historic but under-resourced neighborhood for six years.
“They’re worried about keeping a roof over their head and still eating.”
And just as fears of evictions remain in thiscommunity 10 minutes south of downtown Cleveland, it’s a concern facing thousands of Americans nationwide.
Policy experts predict an “avalanche” of evictions to hit low-income renters across the country this fall. Women are expected to be the majority of the30 to 40 million Americans at risk of eviction by year’s end, according to findings from the Aspen Institute. If income-insecure women face losing their homes – and access to a stable address to receive voting registration, ballots, applications, and critical change-of-address forms – this could impact how many of them vote in the upcoming presidential election, experts say, adding this could also have a significant impact on the outcome of the November election.
“These aren’t issues that people look at together, but they should be looking at together,” says Shailly Gupta Barnes, policy director for the Poor People’s Campaign and the Kairos Center.
A recent NPR analysis found neighborhoods with higher evictions had lower voter turnout than the rest of the city, including other low-income neighborhoods. In Slavic Village, the worry is that voter turnout, which hasn’t rebounded from the last housing crisis more than a decade ago, could get worse. In 2016, only 38.5 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, thesecond-lowest among neighborhoods in the city.
Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have allotted $18.1 million in federal CARES Act and Community Development Block Grant money to help renters. As she goes door-to-door, Rodemann and others spread the word about the rental assistance program, administered by CHN Housing Partners, a housing nonprofit, which can cover rent for up to three months.
The neighborhood has followed the pattern of other industrial and urban communities: a booming population at the start of the century, then deindustrialization post World War II, urban flight, and declining populations,empty homes and increases in poverty and crime rates. By the Great Recession, the 5-square-mile neighborhood had more foreclosures in its 44105 zip code during the spring and summer of 2007than any other zip code in the United States. The housing market, then in crisis across the country, was devastated in Slavic Village. As it continues its climb to recovery, the community again staves off another wave of housing displacement wrought by COVID-19.
Now get-out-the-vote efforts are more difficult as coronavirus cases top 5 million in the U.S. and nearly 4,500 in Cleveland. That’s why a vote-by-mail application is included in the same handout packet alongside rent payment assistance information that Rodemann hands out.
Organizers are also helping voters navigate Ohio’s ballot request process through smaller hands-on events at places like Daisy’s Ice Cream on Fleet Avenueand Neighborhood Pets, a local pet food pantry and resource center.
Dozens of volunteers hand-wrote 2,000 postcards to new and infrequent voters in Slavic Village, encouraging them to vote this cycle.
I’ve been helping to coordinate the postcard packets. This is the pile in my living room and it’s still growing.
Women have consistently outpaced men in voter turnout across racial groups and education levelssince the 1980s. And because women, as a voting bloc, have historically leaned toward Democratic party candidates, evictions could mean a partisan impact. In 2016, then -Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton led among women voters by13 percent compared to President Donald Trump. That gap has widened in 2020, putting former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of President Trump by25 percent among women voters, according to recent polling.
For now, the anticipated surge in evictions hasn’t manifested. In July, there were 423 eviction filings in Cleveland,down 55 percent from the same month the year prior. But there’s reason to believe the data doesn’t yet reflect the situation to come.
The national moratorium on evictions — a 120-day freeze that applied to many renters and was part of the CARES Act — was lifted in July. On August 11, President Trump said: “We are stopping evictions. We’re not going to let that happen,” But the president’s top economic policy analyst, Larry Kudlow, walked back those comments days later.
Meanwhile, Congress has been unable to agree on further relief for keeping people in their homes, despite the success of CARES Act protections.
“Eviction and voting don’t go real well together. It becomes a form of voter suppression,” says Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.
In the months leading up to the election, community groups in Cleveland have stepped in to register voters and recruit poll workers, canvassed door-to-door while passing out supplies like masks, bandanas and hand sanitizer.
One of those groups is Cleveland VOTES, a nonpartisan organization founded by two Black women. The group aims to get low-income residents involved in the democratic process in tandem with the board of elections. As of Aug. 17, the county elections board had received more than40,000 vote-by-mail applications.
“I know that people are getting the message, I know that more people are applying for vote-by-mail,” says Jennifer Lumpkin, civic engagement strategist for Cleveland VOTES.
The decline has been attributed to a confluence of factors, including fear of the virus, conflicting information about when and how to vote, slowed mail delivery and primary races that were less competitive than in 2016. Another factor was the two-step process to vote by mail, or absentee, in Ohio. Voters have to fill out and return a paper ballot application to their local board of elections before getting a ballot to cast.
Early and in-person voting will still be offered, though the state is limiting secure ballot drop boxes to one in each of the state’s 88 counties. Given health and safety concerns, particularly in the city’s Black communitydisproportionately hit by COVID-19 infections and deaths, groups like Cleveland VOTES are emphasizing mail-in ballots.
When it works properly, voting by mail can actually help to overcome some of the gendered barriers – like lack of transportation – that interfere with women’s votes, Lumpkin says.
That aligns with Rodemann’s conversations with women in Slavic Village.
“You can talk about voting and say, ‘I also want your voice to be heard. I want you to be counted,” Rodemann said. “Folks who don’t feel like they have a voice or they feel unheard, they feel unseen, then they don’t participate.”
Fuller Project reporter Jessica Washington contributed to this story.
Malcolm Burnley is a journalist withTheFuller Project, a global nonprofit newsroom reporting on issues that affect women. Rachel Dissell is a contributing journalist with TheFuller Project.
Kimberly Rodriguez is an accomplished veteran of Cleveland’s food scene. She has worked as a department manager at a grocery store, a personal chef for professional athletes, an event planner, and an instructor in restaurants, cafes and markets.
Yet, the last two weeks of March were the most stressful of her life. She contracted Covid-19 and lost her job. Like many restaurant workers thrown into financial uncertainty, Rodriguez now deals with federal and state unemployment systems ill-equipped to handle her plight.
She’d been working for nine months as a front-of-house manager at a local chain restaurant in Cleveland Heights when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s shutdown order closed indoor dining rooms in March. The restaurant still provided takeout and delivery and Rodriguez continued to work there more than 40 hours per week as the pandemic spread. “Customers were just extremely demanding and not taking responsibility for their own well-being and care,” she says.
Then, on March 29th, she got a fever and called in sick. She ended up being out for two weeks because her fevers recurred every day or every other day, rising to 104 degrees and once even peaking at 107 degrees. After she’d reached her maximum sick time, she lost her job.
“I received maybe three lines in an email from my boss saying they gave me the maximum amount of paid time off, and that I was going to have to apply for unemployment now,” she says. She received a code to apply through the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) and was given up to a month of paid healthcare.
After being diagnosed with Covid-19, Rodriguez found herself jobless, rejected from federal unemployment aid, and stripped of the employer-sponsored health insurance that provided medical care for both she and her wife, Alexia.
“It threw my life into complete chaos. I lost my job, I lost my healthcare, and I didn’t see my daughter for almost four months because she stayed with her father while I was in isolation; I mean it really just changed everything,” Rodriguez says.
Rodriguez applied for unemployment assistance from the state of Ohio, but her application was rejected. Although she’s now mostly recovered, she still suffers from fatigue. She recently landed her “dream job” as the part-time director of Meals on Wheels in Shaker Heights and works as a private chef on the side, but she is earning half the income that she made before – and she’s not sure when or if she’ll be able to get health care again.
“Now I am basically thrown back into the gig economy, going from gig to gig and supplementing it with my part time job at a nonprofit,” Rodriguez says as she lets out a laugh. “This wasn’t the way I thought this year was going to go.”
Kimberly Rodriguez photo courtesy Karin McKenna
Ironically, as Congress struggles to come to agreement on the next round of coronavirus relief aid, many restaurant workers say they didn’t receive the help they needed the first time. With ODJFS overwhelmed by applications, many are still waiting to receive unemployment. Additionally, the state’s fraud crackdown is harming those needing benefits, social service advocates say.
Bret Crow, a spokesperson for ODJFS, says the number of applications that have inundated the agency since the shutdown is unprecedented, more than the last four years combined. He says that the department has done their best to make adjustments to cope with the influx of claims, including hiring more staff, expanding call center hours, and improving their website. While more than 1.2 million Ohioans have received over $10 billion in unemployment benefits, more than 1.6 million people have applied and there are still thousands of applications pending, he says.
“The system was not designed to handle the historic influx of claims like we’ve experienced since March,” he says. “Before the pandemic hit, we had recognized that it was time to update the technology, and we were already working on that.”
An overwhelmed system
Rodriguez’s story is not uncommon, says Zach Schiller, Research Director at Policy Matters Ohio. Ohio’s unemployment system is “worse” than others around the country because part-time and low-wage workers, including many restaurant workers, often aren’t eligible for aid. Additionally, the massive influx of applications during the pandemic created a backlog. Even though ODJFS added more than 1,000 new workers to answer calls after the pandemic struck, there are still problems with the system.
Ohio’s traditional unemployment aid is regulated by an earnings test that is less generous than most states. It requires applicants to rake in a weekly income of at least $269. For restaurant workers that primarily rely on tips, and for many part-time and minimum wage workers, getting approved was difficult before the pandemic. When the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program expanded eligibility, hundreds of thousands of people applied. Advocacy groups including Policy Matters Ohio, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and Ohio Association of Foodbanks have called on the state legislature to fix the system. They urged the Senate to take up House Bill 614, which recently passed the House, to study and reform the unemployment system.
“Now I am basically thrown back into the gig economy, going from gig to gig and supplementing it with my part time job at a nonprofit. This wasn’t the way I thought this year was going to go.”
— KIMBERLY RODRIGUEZ
“Our unemployment system was ill-prepared for the avalanche of claims that descended when these stay-at-home orders started in march,” Schiller says. “Even now, there are eighty thousand Ohioans who have pending claims for traditional unemployment that have not been getting processed. There are more than two hundred thousand Ohioans who have pending claims for PUA that have not been processed.”
Ohio’s system is confusing because individuals in Ohio must apply for either traditional unemployment aid or the PUA, but applying for one does not make you eligible for the other, adds Mason Pesek, staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. PUA applications are automatically rejected if the applicant has a pending application for regular unemployment aid. As a result, some people have been waiting months on a determination of their aid eligibility, and a technical hiccup could mean they’re on their own.
“The reality of the current situation is that all these systems are so overloaded that people fall between the cracks, mistakes are made, and there are big issues on the backend,” Pesek says.
Rodriguez would have been eligible for payments of $1,000 every week for fourteen weeks if approved. However, after five weeks of receiving no response, she finally received one payment of $1,000. Then ODJFS notified her that her application was rejected and she would have to return the one payment she received. “I was not given a reason,” she says. “I submitted an appeal and I still haven’t heard back.”
Treading water to stay afloat
She’s not alone in facing the difficulties of navigating the state’s unemployment system in a pandemic, and even for those who are back at work, they’ve returned to an industry forever changed by Covid-19. More than 50 percent of restaurants are not expecting to make it nine months if the virus continues unabated, according a recent survey by the Ohio Restaurant Association, and restaurant workers not making as much money due to limited hours and lower tips from decreased business.
Veteran pastry chef Traci Morrison had to wait a month for her unemployment compensation after she was furloughed on March 23rd from her full-time job as a specialty baker with Campbell’s Sweets Factory. Morrison, who baked and decorated all of the cupcakes for Campbell’s and was in charge of cupcake displays at different locations in Northeast Ohio, was eventually called back to work part-time. However, this dissolved all of her employer-sponsored health benefits and unemployment compensation and slashed her hours from over 40 to no more than 18 per week.
“The number of cupcakes I’m baking just keeps getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller,” says Morrison, who is looking for a rare full-time job with benefits in the restaurant scene. “It’s hard. I feel like my depression is just kind of creeping in because my schedule changes day to day and some days I just wake up and think ‘what’s next?’”
Morrison reapplied for part-time unemployment aid, but is still waiting for a determination on her application. “It’s just a waiting game and all of my savings are basically going towards everyday expenses,” she says.
Like Rodriguez, Anthony Gregorio contracted Covid-19 in late March and is still waiting on his unemployment determination from ODJFS.
Gregorio, who has worked in the Cleveland restaurant scene for twenty-two years, quit his job as a server at the beginning of March for personal reasons. Right when he started applying for jobs at the end of the month, he became ill. On March 27th, he tested positive for the coronavirus. Because he has asthma, he ended up having to go to the hospital because he couldn’t breathe. It took him three days of constant oxygen and steroids to finally recover.
Because he had Covid-19, he can apply for PUA benefits, but he didn’t find out about the program until after he’d already applied for regular unemployment benefits. Now he has to wait until after his application comes back to apply for PUA. It has been seven weeks since Gregorio applied for regular unemployment. When he was finally able to get through to someone at ODJFS, they told him that it was unlikely his application would be approved, but he probably wouldn’t get approved for more than $150 a week or barely enough to afford groceries.
“It’s ridiculous,” he says. “The only way I’ve made it through not having unemployment aid during quarantine is through the stimulus check — I don’t have any money.”
Gregorio is now working part-time at Planet Fitness, but is making “peanuts.” Rodriguez is also grateful to be working, but she’s still catching up from her months of being unemployed. “It’s just a really difficult spot to be in,” she says. “If I had just gotten a few weeks of that unemployment money, I would be fine — I would be totally set and not worried about anything.”
However, she still does not have employer-sponsored healthcare. Her wife is working full time as a chef at a restaurant where other full-time workers are offered spousal coverage, but Rodriguez says the employer declined to offer it to them. The couple has yet to talk to a lawyer.
In the meantime, she’s trying to stay healthy until she’s able to access healthcare again.
Rodriguez and Morrison both say they did not consider buying their own healthcare plans because of how expensive the market options are, applying for Medicaid instead. “I need to have some kind of healthcare in place, but without a steady cash flow right now, there is no way that I can search for something more substantial (than Medicaid) on my own,” Morrison says.
Schiller says Ohio’s problems should be a wake-up call for lawmakers, and force the necessary changes that would make the system sustainable in the long run. “We need a permanent system in which workers who work 20 hours a week can qualify for unemployment,” he says. “PUA needs to be institutionalized and made a part of the regular unemployment system. It would require an overhaul of the entire system on a long-term basis, but hopefully the extremely high levels of unemployment that we are seeing now will lead to a rethinking of the system.”
