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Kucinich-Feighan Duel Heats up City

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Kucinich-Feighan Duel Heats up City THE PLAIN DEALER . SUNDAY, JULY 25, 1999 5-H OURCENTURY 1977 ATA GLANCE A winter in the deep freeze Kucinich-Feighan duel The National Weather Service called it the coldest weather “since the founding of the re- public.” Record lows chilled the Midwest and heats up city Northeast. Cleveland had no temperature above freezing for 38 days. On Jan. 17, the thermometer dropped to minus-17 — 10 de- grees below the old record — and stayed be- By Fred McGunagle low zero for 55 hours. Gas companies shut off Not since Tom L. Johnson’s tent supplies to industries. meetings had Clevelanders been so Cincinnati hit 25 below. Dayton was with- involved in a political campaign. out electricity. Schools closed. Gov. James Three major mayoral candidates Rhodes urged homeowners to reduce thermo- criss-crossed the city nightly, cam- stats to 65 degrees in daytime and 55 at night paigning in bingo halls, bowling al- to conserve gas. Retail stores were to be no leys and back yards. Fewer than more than 60 degrees. 4,000 votes separated the three in the On Jan. 28, 60-mph winds swept Northeast Ohio. The weather service called it a blizzard, primary. The two survivors chal- though only 2 inches of new snow fell; the 13 lenged each other to debate. They de- inches already on the ground were whipping bated in libraries. They debated in around, blinding drivers and closing Cleve- television studios. They debated in land Hopkins International Airport and the churches. They would have debated Shoreway. in a used-car lot if asked. By Jan. 31, 2 million workers across the na- This time, the margin was less than tion were idled by fuel shortages. The aver- 3,000. What followed were the most age Cleveland temperature for the winter tumultuous two years in Cleveland was 19.8 degrees, the lowest ever. Eventu- history. ally, 29 Ohio counties, including Lorain and Medina, were declared federal disaster • areas. Three times, Republican Ralph Perk, aided by the blunders of his op- • ponents, had won election in Demo- A devastating report by the Atomic Safety cratic Cleveland. For six years, he and Licensing Board accused the Illuminat- had staggered from financial crisis to ing Co. of a series of antitrust violations de- financial crisis by selling city assets, signed to force Muny Light out of business. inveigling federal funds and robbing Among them: CEI had rigged its Muny inter- Peter to pay Paul. connection to cause power failures, then tried Perk’s “average Clevelander” to get the affected Muny customers to switch didn’t hold that against him. Nor was to CEI. there great concern that the mayor The board ordered CEI and four other pri- had set his hair on fire at a welding vate electric companies to stop blocking Mu- show, proposed old ships as “floating ny’s access to cheaper out-of-state power. hotels” or ordered garbage collectors The companies appealed. The city filed an to distribute what was intended to be antitrust suit against CEI and CEI sued the a scientific pornography survey. city to collect $17 million it was owed for past But now Perk had touched nerves. PLAIN DEALER FILE PHOTOS power purchases. He backed a $51 million “People Mayor Ralph Perk and City Council agreed Dennis Kucinich, the “Boy Mayor,” celebrates his victory over Edward Feighan in the hottest mayoral to sell Muny to CEI for $158 million over 30 Mover” with unmanned cars carrying race the city had known since the days of Tom L. Johnson. years. Municipal Court Clerk Dennis Kuci- passengers above downtown side- nich filed 28,000 signatures to force a refer- walks. He proposed selling Muny Light (later called Cleveland Public endum, but a court ruled the issue off the bal- ries of eight debates. “I’ll accept a Power) to satisfy the city’s debt to the lot. That left the issue up to council and the hundred debates,” Feighan an- Illuminating Co. He backed incoming mayor — Dennis J. Kucinich. swered. multimillion-dollar tax abatements In a seemingly unrelated event, six local They were off. It was the “Ed and for the new National City Bank Build- banks routinely “rolled over” the city’s one- Dennis Show,” East Side, West Side, ing, a proposed Standard Oil Co. year notes. That meant they gave the city new sometimes twice a night. They de- headquarters near the Terminal loans to pay off the old loans. lighted crowds by standing toe to toe, Tower and the remodeling of the challenging each other’s answers and • Sheraton Cleveland as Stouffer’s Inn bringing to mind Johnson’s descrip- on the Square. The new council would have 10 new mem- tion of a campaign as a school for citi- bers. Eight incumbents were thrown out by Dennis Kucinich, clerk of Munici- zens. voters; all had voted for the National City pal Court, opposed all of them. As a It was soon clear there were no sig- Bank tax abatement. James Boyd lost his young councilman, Kucinich had nificant differences on issues. Both Ward 18 seat when he was convicted of seek- been instrumental in Perk’s first elec- opposed selling Muny Light. Both op- ing a bribe to support rezoning for the Cleve- tion when he told Clevelanders, “It’s posed the National City and Sohio tax land Clinic. all right to vote for a Republican.” abatements, though Feighan said he The defeated members included the last Now he announced he would run for might back abatements “used wisely” two Republicans — the mayor’s son, Ralph mayor. He campaigned citywide, fir- — to create jobs or aid homeowners. Jr., and Albert Ballew. Republicans had con- ing off proposals like a firecracker It became a question of style: trolled council as recently as 1941. Among shooting off sparks. “Steady Eddie” vs. “Dynamic Den- the newcomers were James Rokakis, at 22 ADemocratic convention endorsed nis.” On the Near West Side, Kucinich the youngest councilman ever elected (Kuci- State Rep. Edward Feighan, a former nich had been 23), and 26-year-old Mike promised to protect low-income resi- seminarian and English teacher. Few White of Glenville. dents from being forced out by high Clevelanders knew who he was; rents, then repeated his promise in fewer could pronounce his name. But • Spanish. In a black church, he quoted council members introduced him It was a boom year for the underworld. In Scripture: “For the sake of Zion, I around their wards and he handshook May, John Nardi, known as the “caretaker shall not keep still!” his way through Cleveland on rapid capo,” was blown to smithereens outside his “Amen,” shouted the congregation. cars every morning. Council Presi- Teamsters union office by a car bomb. In Oc- When neighborhood groups made dent George Forbes unleashed a se- tober, Danny Greene was blown up as he left demands, he told them “You want it? ries of attacks on Kucinich. The election was the end of the public service road for Ralph Perk, his dentist’s office. Greene was believed to You got it!” Meanwhile, a confident Perk sang right, shown here preparing for a debate with Dennis Kucinich. have planted the bomb that killed Shondor Feighan declared: “I refuse to go “Melody of Love” in Polish to sup- Birns in 1975. around from neighborhood to neigh- porters and, at 63, stressed his expe- In December, federal officials indicted borhood making easy promises to rience and maturity; Kucinich was nine crime figures for Greene’s murder. lure votes, promises I know cannot 31, Feighan, 30. Perk’s attitude sud- They included James T. Licavoli, reputed realistically be delivered.” head of the local Cosa Nostra. denly changed when polls showed Perk endorsed Feighan. So did Sen. Kucinich ahead. He redoubled his John Glenn. Kucinich won backing • pace. “He’s lying about everything,” from Rep. Louis Stokes and Sen. It was 80 miles away, in a Youngstown Perk said of Kucinich. Howard Metzenbaum. He added suburb, but Cleveland felt it like an earth- The City Club debate was typical of County Commissioner George Voin- quake. On Sept. 19, Youngstown Sheet & the campaign. Perk told Kucinich, “If ovich, who said: “Of the two guys Tube Division of the Lykes Corp. announced you’re willing to stand there and lie available, he can get the job done.” it was shutting its Campbell works and put- about my administration and look The shocker came on Oct. 30 — a ting 5,000 employees out of work. into the camera,I don’t appreciate it Page One Plain Dealer editorial How could it happen? Northeast Ohio had and I don’t think the people appreci- headlined “Kucinich for Mayor.” It always believed its economy was strong — as ate it.” conceded that the paper had backed strong as steel. Clevelanders reassured them- Kucinich replied, “There are expla- Perk and Feighan in the primary, but selves that it couldn’t happen here. nations that are due the people of said it had promised to keep an open Cleveland that can’t be satisfied by • mind and “Kucinich has shown a attacking me.” The gentlemanly Feig- greater awareness of the problems in The Cavaliers had picked the wrong year han tsk-tsked, “This is pretty much to have their 1975-76 “miracle” season. the city and how to address them.” what we’ve been seeing and hearing. Drafting late, they were unable to pick up any Kucinich crowed, “This is defi- top stars from the defunct American Basket- The people want to hear about the is- nitely the turning point.” Feighan ball Association.
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