John Kroll replies
Tuesday, June 21st, 2005John Kroll answered my open email, but it ended up in my spam box. Here it is:
Mr. Nemeth,Clearly you don’t represent the “bland and boring” end of the spectrum that I wrote about.
I’m aware of the dozens of ideas proposed as alternatives for Steelyard. That’s why I wrote what I did, in that one sentence you object to.
We have, on one side, a single, clear idea for what to do with that area — and one guy who owns the property, has tenants lined up, permits signed and politicians nodding.
On the other, a group is fervently united in its opposition — but fervently divided on what we should do instead.
I’m not picking a side, pro or anti Wal-Mart. I am handicapping the outcome. Northeast Ohio history shows that grassroots groups can sometimes defeat even a strongly backed, well-funded proposal. But there’s little evidence any grassroots group can turn such a victory into positive action. Frustrating, but apparently true.
If ever a grassroots group here could coalesce around one clear plan, it would be interesting to see what happened. I would, as I wrote, have some hope. Until that happens, though, we’re trapped in the same cycle.
One side’s playing offense — a slow, boring, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense, and it sometimes gets thrown for a loss. But as long as it holds onto the ball, the other side’s never going to score.
Northeast Ohio needs some touchdowns. Quite a few, I think. As an editor, I’m not picking sides on who should score them. But — with an attempt at humor that at least a few readers got — I’m suggesting that since the current cycle is so frustrating, it might be time to try something different.
We’re in an era of public debate where it seems, on every issue, anyone who does not side with you is automatically assumed to be siding against you. I don’t wish to play that game. What I want is a strong, vibrant region to live in. And what I think that’s going to take is leaders — leaders with more clout than I have, leaders with better development ideas than I have, probably leaders with deeper roots than I have. But definitely, leaders with the power to draw others to their plans and push them forward.
Maybe such leaders will develop out of the battle over the Steelyard. Don’t we all hope so?
In a second email, he said:
I think you’re quite right to take things like the Wal-Mart debate seriously. We at The Plain Dealer have and I trust will continue to do serious reporting on issues, like the story Alison Grant did awhile back exploring the truth behind pro-and-con arguments about Wal-Mart wages and prices, benefits and job gains.But I also think part of encouraging a creative climate in a city includes learning to see the humor in our own struggles. I’m no Mike Royko, but I grew up reading his columns, seeing him bounce between hard-hitting facts about municipal corruption and burlesques of the Daley administration and its opponents, whom he half-affectionately dubbed “googoos.” I decided I preferred to live where every political battle didn’t have to be waged just with frowns and philosophy. I like a good pie fight every now and then. To judge by some of the clowns who get elected around here, so do many Northeast Ohioans. (And that was a joke.)
Thanks for your comments, and thanks for reading The Plain Dealer.
Thank you, John.
Comments?
This post was written by George, source: John Kroll replies