Newsmaker: Martin L. Flask, Director, Cleveland Department of Public Safety
The city of Cleveland plans to install red light cameras at two dozen more intersections. The cameras catch motorists in the act of running red lights for which the city later sends out $100 tickets. Motorists hate the cameras, but city officials praise them as traffic safety enhancers. It is certain they’re revenue enhancers. Tickets have brought in millions to the cash-strapped city.
Roundtable: Jay Miller, reporter, Crain’s Cleveland Business; Jill Miller Zimon, blogger, Writes Like She Talks; Erick Trickey, senior editor, Cleveland Magazine.
State Torpedoes Internet Cafes
Ohio lawmakers have finished action on legislation that would have the effect of banning a business that some see as legitimate entertainment, but others see as illegal gambling. The cafes sprang up all over the state offering sweepstakes prizes in exchange for time on the internet. Attorney General DeWine saw the cafes as a haven for money-laundering and other criminal activity.
Firefighters Suspended
Cheating on job trade-offs has proven to be expensive for a number of Cleveland firefighters. Thirteen have been suspended without pay following their indictment on charges of theft in office. Firefighters are allowed to swap shifts with their co-workers. The practice becomes illegal when one firefighter pays another to work the shift so he can work another job and still collect a city paycheck.
Plain Dealer Delivery
The paper’s leaders this week outlined their plans for a reduced home delivery schedule and may have coined a new term for a newspaper. Starting in August they’ll home-deliver what’s called their ‘premium print experience’ on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays while delivering a cut down version of the paper on Saturdays. Content published other days will appear on-line and in papers available only at newsstands.
IRS Under Fire
The Internal Revenue Service recently apologized for singling out conservative organizations for harsh scrutiny. Now, the IRS is undergoing a grilling of its own. Congressional hearings this week concentrated on finding out where orders for the special treatment originated. Tea Party groups have complained of intrusive questions and long delays when they applied for tax exempt status.