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, February 15, 2008

Topics: Education, Politics, Economy
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Newsmaker: Marc A. Stefanski, Chairman and CEO, Third Federal Savings and Loan. At a time when other banks are reeling from the effects of the sub prime mortgage meltdown, Cleveland’s Third Federal Savings and Loan is doing just fine, thank you, despite being one of the area’s leading mortgage lenders. Third Federal posted profit gains of 19 per cent in the quarter ended December 30th. The company paid out its first shareholder dividend since going public last spring. Stefanski credits the positive earnings to the bank’s cautious lending practices.

Roundtable: Connie Schultz, columnist, The Plain Dealer; Brent Larkin, editorial page director, The Plain Dealer; Bob Dyer, columnist, Akron Beacon Journal.

Ohio is Next: The electoral spotlight falls on Ohio and the Democratic candidates have begun to make campaign appearances here after emerging from this week’s Potomac primaries locked in a race that’s tighter than ever. Barack Obama has a slight lead in the delegate count, but primary victories in Ohio and Texas on March 4th could give Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton an insurmountable lead. The Clinton campaign this week green-lighted a televised debate at Cleveland State University next Tuesday.

Manholes to Mortarboards: Akron’s mayor pipes up with a unique plan to help Akronites pay for a college education. Mayor Don Plusquellic proposes putting the city’s sewer system up for sale to a private investor. He’d use the proceeds, estimated as high as $250-million, to help high school grads with college tuition. The plan is modeled after deals like the recent multi-billion dollar lease of the Indiana Toll Road.

Semper Fie on You: Toledo mayor Carty Finkbeiner has been the target of nationwide criticism after refusing to allow the Marine Corps to conduct a training exercise in the city’s downtown business district. The Mayor said the exercise, complete with simulated gunfire, would have distressed thousands of downtown workers. Finkbeiner took heavy criticism in the wake of the decision, but has refused to apologize. City Council took care of the apology with a vote of unanimous regret. The Mayor says the Marines are welcome anytime, just not downtown.

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