Emmy Award-winning Feagler & Friends is a lively, weekly half-hour television discussion of local and national issues impacting lives in Northeast Ohio. Hosted by award-winning journalist and former Plain Dealer columnist, Dick Feagler, Feagler & Friends explores the various issues behind today's news. With a changing ensemble of "friends" ranging from journalists to community and political leaders, Feagler & Friends takes on issues from many different perspectives. Always entertaining and never boring, Feagler & Friends is the program for people "in the know" in Northeast Ohio.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Topics: Economy, Politics, Other
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Newsmaker: Jim Rokakis, Cuyahoga County Treasurer: Millions of Americans are at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. An estimated 30,000 of those live in Cuyahoga County. The federal government’s Making Home Affordable program is aimed at helping a large fraction of troubled mortgage holders; there are also local avenues for getting help. Mr. Feagler will discuss them with Treasurer Rokakis and assess the impact on the local foreclosure problem.

Roundtable: Elizabeth Sullivan, foreign affairs writer, The Plain Dealer; Greg Saber, freelance journalist; Brian Tucker, publisher and editorial director, Crain’s Cleveland Business.

Medical Mart--New Questions: Critics of the proposed new convention center and attached Medical Mart raised questions about the need for the facilities in a market that’s stressed by a downturn and a glut of convention space in neighboring cities. A long-time public works critic says the proposal is the product of a “questionable business model.” Forest City Enterprises said it would continue to push at site behind Tower City, a site rejected again this week by the Medical Mart’s operator.

Redistricting: Cleveland City Council is expected to vote Monday evening on a downsizing that will reduce the body from 21 members to 19. Council consultants have spent several months drawing up new ward boundaries to accommodate the city’s shrinking population.

Slippage for Strickland: Governor Strickland’s strong approval ratings are showing a little weakness. A new poll of Ohioans by Quinnipiac University shows 56 per cent of voters approve of the job Strickland is doing, down from 63 per cent in February. A plurality of voters disapprove of the way he’s handled the economy. They’re also happy with his backing of passenger rail service, but fewer than half thought it likely they’d actually buy a ticket on an Ohio train.

Bonuses Assailed: Angry members of Congress say American International Group, which got billions of bailout dollars shouldn’t be using the money to pay millions in bonuses to top execs, some of whom have left the company. The House may impose a 90 per cent tax on such bonuses at A.I.G. and other companies that got bailout money.

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