Updated: 11:33 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021
The seven candidates vying to succeed Frank Jackson as mayor of Cleveland spent Tuesday night's debate differentiating themselves on topics including public education and economic development.
On the topic of public education, there was widespread consensus that more investment is needed into job preparedness and wraparound services to make the system more effective.
Council President Kevin Kelley and State Sen. Sandra Williams sought to establish themselves as the most prepared candidates and defend against ongoing issues like the Cleveland Metropolitan School District鈥檚 low grades on the state report card system.
鈥淭he grade card system that we have in place on the state level is not a direct and accurate reflection of what is happening within the Cleveland Municipal School District,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淲e have people coming from outside the city of Cleveland, putting their children in our schools.鈥�
Kelley, who recently received the endorsement of four-term Mayor Frank Jackson, also defended the progress made at the school district during the Jackson years.
鈥淲e need to make sure we have outreach coordinators, that we have family coordinators that are reaching directly out to families to bring them in and show them all the great opportunities that CMSD provides,鈥� Kelley said.
The other candidates focused on improvements needed at CMSD.
Nonprofit executive and political newcomer Justin Bibb called for more investments in teachers and in nonprofit groups like the Boys & Girls Club.
鈥淭hose types of programs go a long way to meet the whole needs of our child, and without that comprehensive approach we can鈥檛 have a thriving public education system that works for all of our families,鈥� Bibb said.
Other candidates said there should be more focus on job training than CMSD currently offers.
Councilman Basheer Jones, who鈥檚 pitched himself as the new generation of political leadership, answered questions about public education, saying he鈥檇 start by listening to residents.
鈥淲e have to have teachers that are culturally competent, that understand the children they are educating,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淭his is not just words. I have been in the classrooms. No one here has been in more classrooms than I have.鈥�
Economic development was the second major topic of the debate hosted by 91福利 and the City Club of Cleveland.
Lawyer and political newcomer Ross DiBello pitched himself as the most progressive candidate on the stage, calling for an end to the automatic 15-year tax abatements for new home construction and to subsidies for 鈥渕illionaires and billionaires,鈥� presumably referring to public dollars going toward sports stadiums.
鈥淟et me be clear, Cleveland 鈥� we need significant change. Let me be clear 鈥� we鈥檙e not going to get it with any one of these six,鈥� DiBello said during his closing statement, referring to the other candidates sharing the stage.
In one exchange in response to a question from a resident about ensuring a living wage in Cleveland, former Councilman Zack Reed and former Mayor and Congressman Dennis Kucinich attacked Kelley for his opposition as council president to a 2016 citywide $15 minimum wage initiative.
鈥淚 will remind you that you weren鈥檛 here during that debate,鈥� Kelley said to Kucinich. 鈥淚 was talking to the owners of grocery stores. I was talking to owners of small businesses. I was talking to those who would be affected. You were talking to Fox News.鈥�
鈥淎nd you were not to increase the minimum wage. Let鈥檚 get real,鈥� Kucinich responded.
That initiative failed after the state legislature passed a bill preventing cities from raising their minimum wage. A court subsequently overturned that law, but no candidates said they would restart a campaign for a $15 minimum wage as mayor.
The debate, moderated by Nick Castele of 91福利, used pre-recorded questions from residents and did not allow for follow-up questions.
There was, however, space for exchanges between candidates.
The other heated exchange during the debate involved Reed again, this time with Councilman Basheer Jones, over whether there鈥檚 a pathway for new political talent in Cleveland.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no succession planning in our city. There鈥檚 no pathway for young people to even sit at the table,鈥� Jones said, repeating a frequent theme of his campaign.
鈥淔irst of all, I鈥檓 young,鈥� responded Reed, which got a laugh from Jones. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e saying you don鈥檛 have opportunities, it鈥檚 because you haven鈥檛 gone out there and got the opportunities, sir.鈥�
Later in the debate, the city鈥檚 halted recycling program came up. Mayor Jackson鈥檚 administration recently announced plans to restart recycling, giving residents until October 22 to sign up.
Kucinich sought to hang the year-and-a-half loss of recycling on Kelley, who said the restarted recycling program would work more effectively once residents were better educated on the program鈥檚 rules.
鈥淵ou cannot blame the people of Cleveland for the failures of waste management. You have to blame City Hall,鈥� Kucinich said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to recycle failed leadership.鈥�
Kucinich punctuated his last line with a long look directly into the camera.
Reposting the Dennis! zinger and stare for posterity 鈥� Robin Goist (@robingoist)
Early voting for the Sept. 14 primary is under way. The top two vote getters will appear on the general election ballot on Nov. 2.
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