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.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Topics: Economy, Politics, Other
Short URL  Share Leave a Comment

Newsmaker: James Rokakis, Cuyahoga County Treasurer

Cuyahoga County Treasurer James Rokakis has earned a national reputation for fighting foreclosures and battling predatory lenders. This past week, his attention shifted to charges of corruption just down the hall from his office. An employee of the County Auditor has been charged by the Feds with bribery, and Rokakis suspects that some local property tax appraisals have been rigged in exchange for cash. Ohio’s Attorney-General is launching an investigation.

Roundtable: Tim McCormack, attorney & former County official; Harry Boomer, 19 Action News; Stan Bullard, Crain’s Cleveland Business.

Tales of Bribes, Double-Dipping Lawyers and Property Price Fixing: The federal charges of bribery in the Auditors office raise fundamental concerns about property appraisals in Cuyahoga County. If the numbers have been cooked, funding for schools and libraries may be in jeopardy. A growing number of public officials are asking Auditor Frank Russo to resign.

Can the Governor Hedge His Bets? Governor Ted Strickland shocked many of his admirers, this past summer, when he embraced one-armed bandits as a partial solution to the state’s economic woes. Just as final plans were underway, this week, to bring slot machines to Ohio’s race tracks, the Supreme court threw up it’s arm and said, “Wait a minute, any expansion of gambling needs voter approval.” Which means the governor may have a long wait for funds he was hoping would help balance what’s already a very lean budget.

Afghanistan: As the U.S. military shifts its focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, support for the mission is waning here at home. The Taliban insurgency has returned with a vengeance since we defeated it eight years ago, and a recent, hotly contested election hasn’t exactly proven to be a ringing triumph of democracy. President Obama and his top military brass are calling for an American troop build-up, but some Americans worry that we’re marching into a quagmire.

Flats East Bank on the Rebound? A pot of local, state and federal funds may shake the dust off of a much ballyhooed construction project that stalled out a year ago. After a parade of public officials praised the Flats East Bank project as the Second Coming of Cleveland’s fabled entertainment district, developer Scott Wolstein put the bulldozers in park when his financing fell apart, last fall. Some construction activity is resuming along Euclid Avenue, as well. Is it possible that we’re seeing the faint glimmerings of an economic recovery?

Leave a Comment

Please note that all comments must adhere to ideastream's discussion rules and terms of use. Name:

Email:

Comment:

Please enter the word you see in the image below:

Send questions and comments to feagler@wviz.org.