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, September 2, 2005

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Newsmaker: John Ryan, Executive Secretary, Cleveland AFL-CIO. With Labor Day approaching, we take a look at the state of organized labor. In Cleveland and around the country, labor has a strong and proud tradition. As John Ryan likes to point out, unions are the folks who brought you the weekend. But unions face increasing challenge from foreign competition and from disagreements within their own ranks. Over the summer, two major unions have left the AFL-CIO in a dispute over the mission of labor.

Roundtable panelists: Sam Fulwood III, Plain Dealer columnist; Larry Klayman, attorney; Mike Roberts, freelance journalist.

We’re Number 12! Cleveland has lost a distinction it never wanted. It’s no longer the poorest city in the country. Now, that distinction belongs to Detroit. 23 per cent of the city’s population is living below the poverty line, compared to 31 per cent a year ago.

Bond Accountability Commission: Years ago when Cleveland voters approved a school construction levy, a Bond Accountability Commission was set up to make sure the money was spent as the voters intended. Earlier this year, the BAC dissolved because of a lack of funding. Now there’s a effort underway to revive the Commission with foundation money. With stewardship a major issue leading to the defeat of a recent operating levy, revival of the BAC may be a crucial step toward regaining voter confidence.

Hurricane Effects: Hurricane Katrina devastated wide areas of the Gulf Coast earlier this week, bringing billions of dollars in damage and killing an undetermined number of people. We’re all feeling the damage. The storm shut down a percentage of the nation’s oil refining capacity and the result has been a sharp spike in gas prices. They’ve topped three dollars-a-gallon in most places. The storm has also brought out the worst in some people. While we’re hearing stories of courage of selflessness, there’s been widespread looting.

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