THE PLAIN DEALER . SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 1999 5-H OURCENTURY 1978

ATA GLANCE Schools a study in disarray ‘Boy Mayor’ leads The schools were, if possible, in worse financial difficulty and disarray than the city. Voters soundly defeated a 9.9-mill levy in February and again in June. The school board feuded with Charles Leftwich, whom battle into default federal Judge Frank Battisti had named de- segregation administrator. ocratic parties, the AFL-CIO and 24 In April, Battisti in effect turned over con- By Fred McGunagle of the 33 council members urged Ku- trol of the system to Leftwich. Paul Briggs, cinich’s recall. The mayor fought who had been superintendent for 14 years, re- “I personally do not want to go back with television commercials signed. “It is difficult to understand how to ad- through a period of confrontation the showing business bosses cutting up a minister a school system if major departments next two years,” said Council Presi- cake shaped like City Hall. are no longer responsible to you,” he said. dent George L. Forbes while, at his The board laid off 300 teachers; enrollment elbow, mayor-elect The vote was Aug. 13, the first Sun- had dropped 12 percent in two years, and Bat- beamed his agreement. day election in local history. The re- tisti ordered the closing of 25 schools. Arnold sult, after a recount: for recall, Pinkney resigned as board president and was The honeymoon was short. Kuci- 60,014; against 60,250. By a margin of replaced by 24-year-old John M. Gallagher. nich rejected a $41 million federal less than 0.2 percent, Kucinich hung A federal appeals court overturned Battisti grant for the People Mover downtown on to his job. and returned control of the system to the su- and vetoed eight ordinances, mostly perintendent, but the feud continued. Battisti for abatements and subsidies. Coun- A chastened Kucinich greeted the found the board in contempt of court. Gal- cil overrode the vetoes by over- outcome with Lincoln-like “malice to- lagher faced a date in another court for whelming votes. ward none and charity toward all.” “mooning” a passing motorist from the back But he made an exception: “I don’t seat of a car. Kucinich’s radical young Cabinet feel I have to be a hostage of the Busing was still scheduled to start Sept. 7, a alarmed business leaders. The fi- banks.” year after it was first expected, but the bicker- nance director, 24-year-old Joseph ing continued. On Aug. 26, Battisti, blasting Tegreene, had no finance experience. • the board for its lack of cooperation, post- One appointee, though, was an imme- Tegreene was inexperienced, but poned action again, until February. diate hit. by March he figured out that the A teacher strike delayed the opening of As sheriff of , 41- school for a month. In November, the board Ralph Perk administration had been year-old Richard Hongisto had been dipping into bond funds for city oper- submitted a 3.7-mill stopgap levy. The voters a defender of gays and the poor. Now, thrashed it. ations. He told Kucinich, but — so Te- in Cleveland, he sought advice from greene said years later — the mayor • neighborhood groups and patrol offi- refused to believe there was a crisis. cers. He traveled the streets at night, The arctic cold that ended 1977 refused to rescuing motorists from snowdrifts Bills were piling up. The Illuminat- go away. Then, on Thursday, Jan. 26, came the ing Co. demanded payment for power “storm of the century.” The temperature fell and taking part in arrests. He cut po- lice response time by 23 percent. it had been supplying to Muny Light from 44 degrees at 3:40 a.m. to 5 degrees at (later to become Cleveland Public 10:20 a.m. The barometer at Cleveland Hop- So it was a shock on March 23 when Power). The city’s credit rating was kins International Airport dropped to 28.28 word leaked that Kucinich had told lowered, then lowered again. Council inches, the lowest reading ever recorded in Hongisto to resign. Kucinich said refused to accept Kucinich’s plan to PLAIN DEALER FILE PHOTOS . Seven Hongisto had refused to accept civil- inches of snow sell unused land and insisted that he ian control. Kucinich’s critics said his sell Muny to CEI. fell atop the 13 problem was that Hongisto had be- George Forbes inches on the come more popular than the mayor. Cleveland’s “boy mayor” was now a ground. national figure. In September, he was and Dennis Winds Hongisto now said Kucinich had invited to address the National Press Kucinich reached 100 pressured him to “punish” his oppo- Club on “urban populism.” He told promised to be mph, creating a nents on City Council and give vice how he had battled the “business friends, above, “white hurri- squad appointments to “people of elite” on behalf of “the poor and but the political cane” that questionable ethics.” He accused working people.” Business leaders honeymoon blinded drivers, Sherwood “Bob” Weissman, the may- steamed, especially Brock Weir, didn’t last. At knocked down or’s executive assistant, of “manage- chairman of Cleveland Trust Co., the right, the council pedestrians and ment practices of abuse, abrasive- city’s largest bank. blew out win- ness, riding roughshod over other president dows. The wind- people.” Back in Cleveland, the situation expressed his chill factor was was growing desperate. A confiden- disgust during a 100 below. Fall- At a joint press conference tele- tial report to Kucinich showed $52 discussion of the vised live on Good Friday, Kucinich ing trees million missing from bond funds, in- city’s financial blocked streets gave Hongisto 24 hours to back up his cluding $17 million taken during the and knocked charges. Then, apparently on the Kucinich administration. The city situation in down wires; spur of the moment, he fired him. would be broke by February. December, after 100,000 Cleve- the slide into It was a winter that Calls to The Plain Dealer ran 25-1 CEI began seizing Muny Light and land customers against Kucinich. Opponents started default. sacked these were without Water Department trucks to satisfy a recall petition drive, but struggled Clevelanders on power. About its debt. Weir demanded payment of a to get signatures. Then, on April 10, $5 million Cleveland Trust note due Public Square. 1,000 people were housed in City Council voted to investigate a Dec. 15. Five other banks, which had 50 hastily opened shelters. “midnight raid” by administration of- previously routinely “rolled over” Drifts were 7 feet high in Kirtland Hills. ficials on the office of Economic Di- each year’s debt, called $9 million Cars were stranded everywhere. The Ohio rector Joseph Furber. also due Dec. 15. The Plain Dealer re- Turnpike closed from end to end for the first Kucinich exploded. He called coun- vealed that seven of CEI’s 11 direc- time. Mail delivery was halted for the first cil “a group of lunatics” and “a bunch tors were also on the boards of the time since the Big Snow of 1950. of buffoons. It’s hard to believe that banks. Five days after the storm, Clevelander so many people can be so stupid,” he Kucinich proposed saving money James Truly was found in his truck under a said. “If they’re not stupid then they by laying off 600 employees, includ- 20-foot drift near Mansfield — cold and thirsty are crooked, or maybe both.” but unhurt. For the winter, Cleveland had a re- ing 400 police officers and firefight- cord 90.2 inches of snow. Cleveland had had Infuriated council members joined ers, if the banks held off. He proposed its two coldest winters back to back. the recall drive. Realizing his mis- a $50 million bond issue to pay the take, Kucinich issued a rare apology. Muny debt to CEI. He even agreed to • But Weissman didn’t get the word. On seek an increase in the city income As if Cleveland didn’t have enough turmoil, the same day, he assailed council and tax, something he had steadfastly re- in October a grand jury indicted Council Pres- business leaders in a speech to the fused to do previously. ident George L. Forbes, five other council Harvard Business Club. The recall City Council was adamant. Forbes members, two former members and 10 others, leaders soon reached the required said, “I spoke to the chairman of including Forbes’ driver-bodyguard, Curtis 37,000 signatures. Cleveland Trust and he indicated he Watkins. They were charged with 498 counts could go with the sale of the Munici- Meanwhile, Kucinich attempted to of bribery, theft in office, extortion and other pal Light Plant.” crimes. block subsidies for a Republic Steel All but one of the elected officials was black. Corp. ore dock.At a July 10 council Weir said later he had not specifi- Dennis Kucinich pins a badge on his new police chief, Richard Blacks, charging racism, rallied to their de- debate on the issue, Forbes declared cally demanded the sale of Muny, Hongisto. fense. Business leaders raised a defense fund; Kucinich out of order. “I’m the merely a plan acceptable to council. they looked on Forbes as their champion mayor. You can’t censor me,” Kuci- As the clock above Forbes’ head against Mayor Dennis Kucinich. Squire Sand- nich protested. “I’m the council pres- There were dire predictions: De- fault would mean mass layoffs, a halt ticked down to midnight, he called for ers & Dempsey, the Illuminating Co.’s law ident and I run these meetings,” a vote on Kucinich’s income tax in- firm, volunteered Charles Clarke, one of its to capital improvement, a state take- Forbes answered. He ordered Kuci- crease. The motion to bring it to the top lawyers, as lead defense attorney. nich’s microphone turned off. over. Out-of-town reporters flocked to Cleveland to cover what promised floor failed 17-16. Cleveland was in • With the mike off, Kucinich stood to be the first default of an American default. The FBI got Raymond Ferritto and Jimmy shouting, “I will not be silenced! This city since the Depression. (New York “the Weasel” Fratianno to testify against other is a crooked contract! This is a had been unable to pay more than $4 • defendants in the Danny Greene murder trial. crooked contract!” He stormed out of billion in 1975, but called it a “mora- On Dec. 22, Kucinich and council They were among 129 witnesses in the 79-day the meeting with his Cabinet behind torium.”) agreed to submit both the Muny Light him. trial, longest in local history. The jury con- sale and the 0.5 percent income tax victed four defendants, but not James “Jack With the climactic council meeting increase to voters at a special election White” Licavoli or John Calandra, two of the Kucinich sued to block the recall scheduled for Dec. 15, Forbes again FBI’s top targets. However, both were sent to vote. Then, when he lost, he declared, said he believed “Cleveland Trust Feb. 27, 1979. The banks agreed not prison in 1982 on racketeering charges grow- “Bring on the recall!” Meanwhile, could change its mind if Muny Light to press for payment in the meantime, ing out of the Greene murder. Tony Libera- Republic Steel decided to build its were sold.” forestalling city layoffs. tore, another mob figure, was convicted of dock in Lorain. Sohio canceled plans for a new headquarters behind the Again Kucinich refused. He chal- Had they reached the same agree- bribing a secretary to steal the FBI file on Li- lenged council to put a 0.5 percent in- ment seven days earlier, there would cavoli. The mob had lost its leaders. Terminal Tower. Kucinich touched off a two-day police strike when he come tax increase on the ballot “and have been no default. • fired officers who refused to patrol in then see if Cleveland Trust is willing public housing projects. to destroy this city in the interest of Cleveland had had a professional hockey CEI.” Weir said Cleveland Trust’s McGunagle is a Cleveland free- team since 1929 and a National Hockey With default nearing, Dennis The Plain Dealer, the Press, the main office would stay open until lance writer. League franchise for two years. But after an- Kucinich withdraws his money other losing season on the ice and at the box Call & Post, the Republican and Dem- midnight in case he relented. E-mail: [email protected] from Cleveland Trust. office, owners George and Gordon Gund threw in the towel. They got league permission to buy the Minnesota North Stars and merged the teams in Minnesota. Walt Frazier, the former New York Knicks’ all-star, helped the Cavaliers to a 43-39 record, LOOKINGATAYEAR but they lost to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. Feb. 15: Leon Spinks upsets Mu- July 25: The world’s first “test-tube Oct. 23: Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Dec. 31: Ohio State University foot- F.J. O’Neill bought the Indians and brought hammad Ali to win the world heavy- baby,” Louise Brown, is born in a archbishop of Krakow, becomes the ball coach Woody Hayes is fired after back as president Gabe Paul, who proceeded weight boxing championship. to trade Dennis Eckersley to Boston. Ecker- British hospital. first non-Italian pope in more than punching a Clemson University June 6: voters approve sley would pitch another 20 years in the ma- four centuries. player during the Gator Bowl, played Proposition 13, mandating a huge de- Sept. 18: President Jimmy Carter two days earlier. jors. announces a peace agreement be- Nov. 29: A mass suicide by mem- The Browns drafted linebacker Clay Math- crease in the state’s property taxes. ews in the first round. The team improved to June 10: Affirmed captures the Tri- tween Israel and Egypt at what be- bers of the People’s Temple in Died: Hubert Humphrey, Gold 8-8, just missing the playoffs. ple Crown of horse racing with a vic- comes known as the Camp David Guyana claims the life of 909 follow- Meir, Margaret Mead, Norman Rock- tory in the Belmont Stakes. summit. ers of the Rev. Jim Jones. well, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I.