By George, Who's in Charge?

THE PLAIN DEALER . SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1999 5-G OURCENTURY 1986 ATA GLANCE A shooting, then By George, who’s in charge? reconciliation It was the most serious racial violence in By Fred McGunagle Cleveland since the 1960s. George Voinovich wanted to be Months of harassment of a black resident of senator. George Forbes wanted to be W. 88th St. climaxed the evening of June 10, king. So they made a deal. when neighbors threw firecrackers into the Forbes didn’t quite become king of yard of Marlene Armstrong.A friend of her Cleveland. But by November, a family, 23-year-old Michael Spraggins, pro- Cleveland Magazine cover story duced a shotgun and wounded seven whites. called the City Council president “not Emotions in the neighborhood were fevered. only the most powerful man in the Then something unprecedented happened: Six city today but perhaps the most pow- of those Spraggins had shot asked that the erful man ever to dominate Cleve- charges against him be dropped. They apolo- land.” gized for taunting Armstrong and said they Forbes for years had presided over would welcome new black neighbors. the weekly Finance Committee meet- “In all my years, I’ve never seen anything ing like a talk show host, joking with like this,” marveled Stanley Tolliver, Sprag- members of the audience. He would gins’ lawyer. He, too, urged that both sides for- allow discussion of an ordinance for a give and forget. Apparently in that spirit, a while, then suddenly announce, “It’s grand jury declined to indict Spraggins. approved,” or, “It’s being held,” with- About 350 people came to a service at out asking for a vote. nearby Simpson United Methodist Church to Council members didn’t object. In condemn violence and apologize for their own the evening, they rubber-stamped the actions. They were joined by political and reli- committee action. gious leaders. Forbes had control over federal The Rev. Otis Moss, one of 20 clergymen block-grant funds for their wards. He present, said he had been involved in civil- also had raised a campaign chest rights struggles in Ohio, the South and South from business leaders, which he dis- Africa but had seen nothing like this. “This is tributed to candidates who were in the first time that I’ve been involved in a meet- his favor. ing where the reconciliation process started Past mayors had used their own seven days after the incident took place,” he considerable power to build a bloc of said. council supporters. But Voinovich had defeated the combative Dennis • Kucinich on the slogan, “Together we Bernie Kosar led the 1986 Browns to a team can do it.” He wanted to avoid contro- record 12 victories. That put them in the play- versy — especially racial contro- offs as the calendar turned. In eight days, fans versy, as a clash with the black coun- were to know agony and ecstasy. The ecstasy cil president would have been came first, on Jan 3. With 4:08 to go against the perceived. New York Jets, the Browns trailed 20-10. It was an open secret Voinovich in- tended to challenge Sen. Howard Then, with 78,106 fans roaring, Kosar took Metzenbaum in 1988. That meant he over. needed peace on the home front more Two completions to Reggie Langhorne, two than ever. to Brian Brennan and one to Curtis Dickey put Forbes became even more imperi- PLAIN DEALER FILE PHOTOS the ball on the 1-yard line. Kevin Mack ous. He berated administration offi- The detectives had set up a sting that plunged over. cials and issued orders to them. May- led to the arrest of six suppliers in But the Browns still trailed, 20-17, when ors Carl Stokes and Dennis Kucinich Florida. they took over at their own 33 with 51 seconds had pulled their directors out of coun- On March 1, Voinovich announced left.A penalty and a 37-yard pass to Webster cil meetings when they were at- he would appoint Rudolph police George Slaughter took them to the 5, where Mark Mo- tacked. Voinovich’s people had strict chief, despite reports that federal Voinovich and sely kicked the tying field goal. orders not to argue with Forbes. agents were investigating the narcot- Geroge Forbes, Mosely missed a 23-yard field goal in the An extreme example was on May ics unit. The investigation turned out above, reached a first overtime. With 2:02 gone in the “sixth 12. Forbes didn’t like an ordinance to involve a drug dealer named Ar- working quarter,” he lined up for a 27-yarder. The for new telephones in City Hall. thur Feckner. He told the FBI that Plain Dealer described the result: “Snap. Pointing to administration officials in Cleveland detectives caught him in agreement in Kick. Good. Bedlam.” the hearing room, he declared: “I May 1985, but allowed him to con- City Hall. The Stadium erupted. Cars paraded up and want you and you and you and you tinue in operation. He sold 6.5 kilos Howard down Old River Rd. with horns beeping and and the telephone company in my of- (14 pounds) of cocaine in the Central Rudolph, at drivers exchanging high fives. fice at 10 o’clock tomorrow.” neighborhood during the summer. He right, was sworn The Denver Broncos stood between the Administration official Ceasar said the detectives told him they in as police Browns and the Super Bowl. With 5:32 left in wanted to set up a big bust to help Ru- Moss, a former councilman who owed chief. the fourth quarter, the Browns led, 20-13. The his new job to Forbes, looked dumb- dolph’s chances of becoming chief. Broncos were on their own 2, unable to hear founded. “I’m talkin’ to you,” the Voinovich stuck by his appointment John Elway’s signals over 79,915 screaming black council president told him. of Rudolph, and Forbes blocked calls fans. “You want to be the black boy in in council for an investigation. How- What followed went down in Browns history charge, you gotta talk to me, boy.” In ever, revelations throughout the year alongside “Red Right 88.” It was “the Drive.” the front row, Theo Caviness, the kept the case in the news. It lasted just under five minutes and ended mayor’s liaison with council — and On only one issue did Voinovich re- with Elway’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Mark another black ex-councilman — fuse to knuckle under — expansion of Jackson. roared with laughter. Cleveland Public Power. He seemed Browns stubbed by a toe The Browns got the ball in overtime but had Later in the meeting, Forbes didn’t indignant at the “dirty tricks” the to punt. Elway took over on his 40. After 5:48 get an answer quickly enough from Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. of overtime, Denver’s Rich Karlis kicked a 33- Gary Conley, the economic develop- had used to sabotage the former Muny Light. In 1984, with emotion in yard field goal. The Stadium was as silent as a ment director. Forbes told him, his voice, he had told a reporter: tomb. “Don’t sit there with your thumb up your nose, just answer the question.” “Someday, when somebody writes a • When Conley tried to satisfy him, he book about Cleveland, they will re- member a man named George Voin- The new school superintendent, Ronald shot back, “Oh, [expletive], who do you think you’re kidding?” ovich who did more for public power Boyd, had problems with parents, the media, than any other man but Tom L. John- federal Judge Frank Battisti and the school Forbes became unofficial spokes- man for the administration. At the son.” board. But remembering the firestorm of end of a Finance Committee meeting, Forbes dragged the hearings out, abuse after the suicide of Fred Holliday, no- he would announce, “Jim Conrad, the but he was losing support. With CEI’s body dared criticize him. mayor’s assistant, called me,” or, rates steadily rising, council mem- In March, Boyd gave a speech before local “The mayor came to see me this bers wanted cheaper power for their journalism societies that left public relations morning,” and then tell of a new ad- wards. Forbes said he would go along people in the audience shaking their heads. He ministration plan. with a plan that expanded Cleveland repeatedly volunteered statements about the A Plain Dealer editorial observed Public Power on the East Side first, “massive” pressure he felt and the possibility that “George Forbes, not George but he continued to delay passage. of losing his job. Voinovich, generally runs the city.” At year’s end, Forbes was the sub- Responding to complaints about his infor- Forbes made sure the point wasn’t ject of a chapter in a book called “The mation policy, he said, “I’ve got a whole city lost on developers, investment bank- New Black Politics: The Search for waiting for me to walk on water, and I can’t ers and lawyers. When an ordinance Power.” Professor William Nelson, deal with issues like this.” When a reporter brought them to a committee hearing, chairman of the black studies depart- said the system’s refusal to provide informa- he put the directors and commission- ment at Ohio State University, called Forbes “the acknowledged boss of tion to the media was “paranoid,” Boyd started ers through their paces like a circus Cleveland’s black political machine,” to walk out, but was talked into staying. animal trainer. which had “changed the fundamental In July, the board got up its courage and The Cleveland Magazine article — goal of black politics from community fired Boyd, though with a $300,000 buy-out.

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