CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Four decades after serving as the youngest mayor in Cleveland’s history, Dennis Kucinich announced Monday he again wants to lead the city.
Flanked by his wife and supporters, with the city skyline behind him, Kucinich, 74, said he is focused on the needs of the community.
“The message of my career to the young people here is never quit,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. Life has its ups and downs. Never quit. My approach has always been to keep hope alive. My hope is to once again be of service to the people of this community.”
Kucinich said he’ll make crime a top priority.
“All of the people of Cleveland have the right to live in safe neighborhoods, free from the scourge of crime,” Kucinich said. “We can and we will create a safe city, a peaceful city, where people are unafraid to walk the streets, sit on their front porch – where parents do not have to worry about whether their children will be shot.”
To do that, he said he would add 400 officers to Cleveland’s police force, which has about 1600 officers now. He would increase pay and offer benefits such as college tuition to draw high-quality candidates.
Special units, such as those that investigate homicide and gangs, would be staffed up, he said.
“We will work to rescue neighborhoods that are besieged by criminal elements,” Kucinich said. “We will reclaim our streets from the violent gangs.”
One hundred specialized staff also would be added to deal with calls, such as for mental health crises, that don’t require an armed response. And peace and nonviolence would be taught at an early age in Cleveland public schools.
While pledging to bolster the police force and support officers, he also said he would be willing to hold police accountable if their actions are inappropriate.
While dealing with crime is important, Cleveland also must focus on quality-of-life issues like poverty, homelessness, healthcare access and the lead paint crisis, Kucinich said.
“Our administration will take a holistic approach to the economic challenges that face all of Cleveland,” Kucinich said.
I understand what so many Clevelanders are going through today,” Kucinich said, alluding to his childhood years when his family grappled with poverty. “I’ve been there.”
Kucinich’s long-expected announcement brings arguably the most high-profile name to the already crowded list of candidates looking to succeed four-term Mayor Frank Jackson.
Other notable candidates include Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley, City Councilman Basheer Jones, former City Councilman Zack Reed, state Sen. Sandra Williams and nonprofit executive Justin Bibb.
The top two finishers in a nonpartisan primary Sept. 14 will advance to the Nov. 2 general election.
Kucinich previously was mayor from 1977 to 1979 – the youngest mayor of a major American city at the time. If he wins in November, he will be the oldest mayor in Cleveland’s history, taking the oath of office in January at the age of 75.
Those first two turbulent years have since come to define his more than 40 years in public office.
Kucinich, a Cleveland native, was first elected to Cleveland City Council in 1969 and has frequently run for higher offices with varying degrees of success.
As mayor, he engaged in a high-profile battle with banks over Municipal Light – now Cleveland Public Power – and his unwillingness to sell the publicly owned utility to the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company – now part of Akron-based FirstEnergy.
The city defaulted on its debt and, along with other issues during Kucinich’s time in office, led to his defeat by George Voinovich, a Republican who would go on to become governor and, later, U.S. senator.
Kucinich started his political comeback in 1994, winning an Ohio Senate seat. That led to a successful election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. He stayed in Congress for eight terms.
During his tenure, Kucinich was often known as one of the most liberal members of Congress. He was ardently against the Iraq War and authored articles of impeachment against both Republican President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
He twice ran for president in 2004 and 2008, receiving only tepid support each time. In 2018 he finished a distant second in the Democratic primary for governor to former federal consumer watchdog Richard Cordray. Cordray would go on to lose the general election to Republican then-Attorney General Mike DeWine.
Kucinich has been at the edge of the public eye since 2018. He released a memoir this month detailing his perspective on the Muny Light battle during his stint as mayor, an issue he’ll look to capitalize on, given the ongoing scandal in the statehouse over House Bill 6 and FirstEnergy – Kucinich’s onetime foe.
Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four aides were arrested nearly a year ago on federal charges of racketeering for engaging in what the U.S. Justice Department describes as a $60 million bribery scheme to pass HB6 – a ratepayer funded bailout of two nuclear power plants formerly owned by FirstEnergy.
His campaign signs Monday alluded to his battles over Muny Light, calling on him to “Light up Cleveland.”
“People have said, again and again, I was ahead of my time,” Kucinich said. “Well, this is our time. This is the time for bold visionary ideas that can transform our city.”
"again" - Google News
June 15, 2021 at 06:03AM
https://ift.tt/3gqWJs9
‘Never quit:’ Former Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich running for mayor again - cleveland.com
"again" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YsuQr6
https://ift.tt/2KUD1V2
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "‘Never quit:’ Former Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich running for mayor again - cleveland.com"
Post a Comment