Cornell McCleary, Former 610 - WTVN Radio Bad Boy

Columbus Black Mayor, Director of Public Safety and Police Chief should be champions of Civil Rights

State agents illegally abducted a Somali man in Columbus legally on private property and engaged in legal activities and, after a formal complaint was files, Columbus Police did nothing.

Now, before I get all hot and bothered, I am going to put some facts out as they are written in the City of Columbus Charter:

Sec. 62. General powers and duties of mayor.

It shall be the duty of the mayor to act as chief conservator of the peace within the city; to supervise the administration of the affairs of the city including but not limited to purchases and sales on behalf of the city; to see that all ordinances of the city are enforced; to recommend to the council for adoption such measures as the mayor may deem necessary or expedient; to keep the council advised of the financial condition and the needs of the city; to prepare and submit to the council such reports as may be required by that body, and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are conferred or required by this charter or by the laws of the state in so far as they are consistent with this charter or by such laws of the state as it is beyond the competency of this charter to supersede. (Adopted 5-7-74; amended 11-3-98.)

Sec. 63. Mayor's investigation.

The mayor may without notice cause the affairs of any department or the conduct of any officer or employee to be examined. Any person or persons appointed by the mayor to examine the affairs of any department or the conduct of any officer,or employee, shall have the same power to compel the attendance of witnesses, and the production of books and papers and other evidence and to cause witnesses to be punished for contempt, as is conferred upon the council by this charter.

      

        Sec. 101. General powers and duties of director.

Under the direction of the mayor, the director of public safety shall be the executive head of the division of police and fire. The public safety director shall have all powers and duties connected with and incident to the appointment, regulation, and government of the department, except as otherwise provided by this charter. The public safety director shall keep a record of all proceedings. (Amended 11-5-74; 11-3-98.)

Sec. 103. [Control by chief of police.]

Under the direction of the director of public safety, the chief of the division of police shall have control of all police stations and substations, and of the stationing and transfer of all police officers and employees constituting the division of police. (Amended 11-3-98.)

In August of 2004, while I was still a talk show host on 610-WTVN radio station in Columbus, Fuad A. Mahamud was abducted by two Ohio Liquor Control agents while he was working as a parking lot attendant at a downtown parking lot.  Published reports state that the two agents in plain clothes and in  a unmarked vehicle drove onto the private parking lot and refused to pay for being there when legally requested to do so by Mahamud.  Further, according to the reports, Mahamud was handcuffed by the State agents and pushed into the back seat their car, drove off the lot, kept Mahamud for about a half-hour before releasing him behind a gas station a few blocks from the parking lot.

While I was still on the air at WTVN (part of the reason the station management wanted me gone) I raised a lot of hell about this incident.  The two agents, David Pollock and Timothy Gales have personally caught hell over the incident but they have not been criminally charged as they should have and, to date, no public official black or white has called for their heads as would be expected when an incident of obvious police misconduct becomes public.

A recent story published in the Columbus Dispatch and written by Bill Bush, the State is to pay Mahamud for the agent's actions in the incident without an admission of liability.  Because of the length of time of inaction on the part of the City, 2004 to date, it may not be possible to prosecute the State agents but, Mayor Michael Coleman can still have a Mayoral investigation into the actions of the Columbus Division of Police as to why the State agents were not themselves arrested and charged.

The truth of the matter is that if  either the Mayor, Director of Public Safety or Police Chief was white, Columbus would be up in arms.  The media would be hammering whoever that white public official was to compel them to do something.  With Michael Coleman being both black and the darling of the media, he is not going to be pushed to address such things as this incident or other issues that specifically negatively impact blacks and other minorities.

Michael Coleman is like a cepted woman - Looks great in night attire but you can see the makeup lines in daylight

The Columbus Dispatch was quick to try and make Coleman seem invincible after my Blog posting

Headline, February 4, 2007, "GOP looks for cash for city campaign: Handful of candidates challenge Democrats".  The whole thrust of the article to make William Todd, Michael Coleman's opponent, look like a political 90 pound weakling up against heavy weight champion Michael Coleman.  The article also made it very clear Coleman's fund raising ability - like I said in my Blog, Coleman has the Titan's blessing as far as support but, Coleman is not worth as much to them as he was in his first run for mayor.  Now the powers-that-be have the Franklin County Commissioners and the Governor's office - all Democrats and all eager to please.

If the truth be known, Coleman does not have much more to offer them except maybe playing a tactical role in Ohio's big-time business and civic leaders (The Titans) playing a key role in capturing the White house in 08. Thats a reaching a bit.  Most of the major interest of the Titans in Central Ohio is in the works.  A Coleman lost would have minimum impact on their respective plans.  They like the guy but they won't sell the farm to save him.

Back to William Todd.  Todd has to get the public to respond to what they already know when it comes to Coleman - nice package but there's nothing in it.  Coleman has no substance.  Almost every issue he has championed is either someone Else's idea or there will little substance if any, regarding the outcome of the  issue.  Remember when Coleman was the Education Mayor?  Remember when Coleman was going to be the Crime Fighting Mayor - he former a committee made up of the City's brightest minds and they did squat?  I could go on and on.

Anyway, this is getting to be fun to watch the powerful Columbus Dispatch trying to made Coleman look dynamic and effective when the truth is that Columbus's economic strength and vitality is more of a direct result of all the government jobs and educational institutions in the area then anything else.  When you take an honest look at all the intended development plans and projects one would see that these plans caused as many problems as they were solutions.  Its hard to tell if we are behind or ahead because of them.  Think Easton.

Joe Mammana is no joke - Mammana is a real bad boy

Attack on Crime Stoppers Chief a test for the community

On Sunday, November 20, 2006, Kevin Miles, President of Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, after having an early morning breakfast with me and another friend was stalked and assaulted with a baseball bat in his own neighborhood while walking his dog later that same morning.  When Kevin called me and gave me a very very general idea of what happened, without hesitation, I told him that Joe Mammana just sent him a message.  Kevin's response was how do you know that?  I then told Kevin that it is real simple for me to figure that out.  The suspect did not attempt to rob you.  It was a white male.  They attacked you in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood where there is a high probability that someone would observe what was happening.  The suspect attacked you with a bat even though you had that big ass dog of yours with you and, didn't care if you saw what he looked like or the car that he got into and drove away in.  I then said my man this was a hit gone bad because you pulled your gun out and your dog was raising hell.  The suspect is most likely from out of town and the car was most likely stolen.  Kevin then asked me what comes next?  I told him war.

Joe Mammana, a former criminal turned business man, is from my hometown Philadelphia.  When I personally met Mammana when I was on the Crime Stopper's Board of Trustees, I warned Kevin then that Mammana was the real deal and that he had street written all over him.  Being a former Philly gangster myself, power recognizes power.  Mammana and I never said much to each other but we both readily identified with our roots without saying a word.  There was a look and a hand shake.  That is all it took.  We both knew that we were homeboys.

Mammana made some very public commitments to our community using Crime Stopper's as the vehicle of his so-called commitment to fight crime.  It now appears that when the time came to pay up, Mammana, for whatever reason, choose not to deliver.  Kevin, being the fighter that he is, publicly called Mammana out and, using Columbus attorney Kinsley Nyce, on behalf of Crime Stoppers, filed a law suite against  Mammana.  The public dialog leading up to the law suite between Kevin Miles and Joe Mammana got personal and, I strongly believe that Mammana did what comes natural for a street person, hit back personally in a way that comes easy for him.

Central Ohio Crime Stoppers represents one of the most viable anti-crime citizens programs in Ohio.  Kevin Miles without question is it's leader.  All appearances are that Mammana has made street moves against both Miles and attorney Nyce (Nyce has indicated that a suspect fitting the description of Mile's assailant showed up at his office) without thinking things through.  This is not Philly and this is not Mammana's turf.  Experienced should have told Mammana, before yous bust a move, you should know who all you are moving against.  Kevin Miles is a well known and respected member of our community and it is a big mistake on the part of Mammana to convince himself that where Kevin walks he walks alone.

From one homeboy to another, let's call an end to this drama and settle things the right way, in a court of law, while this is still a viable option.

Columbus' Black Mayor, Safety Director and Chief of Police need to send a very clear and public message to black community now

Police shooting of black male clearly justified

An article in the Columbus Dispatch 11/09/06, headlined "Man dies in struggle with police" sent a surge of rage through me when I read the article.  Written beneath the headline was the commentary: He was shot as he fought for gun of female officer, police say, his family is furious.  It is the community who should be furious and outraged.

The article reports that Larry D. Parks, a 33 year old black male was observed by a female Columbus Police officer fighting with another man in the parking lot of a United Dairy Farmer store located on the far East Side of Columbus at Noe-Bixby and Refugee roads.  The police officer properly intervened and Parks began fighting with her and ultimately end up trying to take the officer's weapon.  Other CPD officer's arrived on the scene and observed Park's attempts to take the female officer's weapon and took him out like they were suppose to.

Parks has a criminal history of 3 convictions, drug trafficking, drug possession and receiving stolen property.  He also has a past confections of resisting arrest.  Park's life choices clearly put him on a collision course with the law enforcement community and his family knew it.  To act outraged at Park's logical self-imposed demise on the part of his family is BS.  Park's family could not stop him, influence him or control him so society had to.  In this instance, society is represented by the police.

It is of the utmost importance for the Columbus community in general and the black community in particular, that the City's key black public officials, in a very public way, address this issue because it is both a known fact and a growing problem with blacks in particular aggressively and frequently, challenging the authority of the police in very threatening ways.  This crap has to stop and the police need strong public support when face with situations like this that we all know is going to be turned into a race issue by some so-called community leaders in the black community.

The message that the Mayor, Safety Director and Chief of Police needs to clearly send to the black community is that if you pull a weapon or attempt to use a weapon against a police officer, you are going to die.  If you don't it will be a factor of it just was not your time to go but, the police are trained and will do everything that they can to take you out.  Make no mistake about it.  End of story.

Democratic controlled City Council has betrayed Columbus Residents

For every new person who arrived inside I-270 since 2000, nearly four people settled outside.  The primary reasons for the great escape - to escape screwed up urban schools and progressively more violent urban crimes.

Again, the Columbus Dispatch has openly and publicly gave the public the real deal.  In the May 28, 2006 edition of the Dispatch, front page of the "Insight" section headlined "Belt-busting sprawl", the Dispatch, without ever saying it, outlines the clear evidence and consequences of urban sprawl and, the logical conclusions of the Democratic Controlled Columbus City Council's so-called growth/expansion policy.  Also, the article presents the facts that are clear and convincing evidence of the powerful housing developers dominant influence over Columbus Council and Mayor's, both Republicans and Democrats.

In the next couple of years Columbus will have one last time to save itself from the fates of big cities like New York and Philadelphia.  And I do mean one last time.  The next time that the citizens get the opportunity to select a mayor and city council members and don't vote for such persons based upon a community agenda, Columbus can kiss good times and as excellent quality of life standard goodbye.

Central, Ohio entails 7 counties, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway and Union Counties.  The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)- a major and powerful player regarding development, state that "Of the 60,000 new housing units added to Franklin County during the 1990s, nearly 85 percent of them were built outside of the I-270 Outer belt".  And, this is not just an issue of white flight.  Many blacks and other minorities hitched up their wagons and moved outside of the city too fleeing urban crime and urban schools.

The super problem.  MORPC has also declared that, some time this year, for the first time, more people in the seven counties that make up Central, Ohio live outside the outer-belt than inside.  Politically, what this means is, the Democrats have already sold out the inner-city.  Republicans and Democrats outside of the inner-city will most-certainly start re-directing a significant portion of available public resources to areas outside of I-270, more than they have in the past under circumstances where less public resources are available.

If nothing major changes, especially political leadership, in the next 10 years the inner-city is going to be a mess, followed by suburban Columbus, followed by Fairfield, Licking, Madison and Pickaway Counties.

Unfortunately, Central Ohioans have a history of not acting until a storm is upon them.  My gut feelings and past political experiences strongly suggest to me that I too should be preparing to hitch my wagon.  The only question is where to?