There is no doubt that Michael White contributed much to Cleveland with his bold and brash decision-making ["Why Mike White Shouldn't Be Forgiven," January 10]. While he was the wizard of "Don't blame me, blame that person" and "I have no comment," technically he accomplished a lot. And quite possibly, if he hadn't been such a complete asshole and just catered to everyone's feelings or opinions, things may not have gotten done. He did not run for Mr. Congeniality; he ran for mayor, which is anything but an easy job.
He has left something of a mess, of course, and his last term sucked. It was very sad and quite pathetic that he did not accept an invitation to Mayor Campbell's swearing-in ceremony, which just shows how juvenile he can be. He totally lacks any sense of duty to the next mayor or to the city and was simply thinking of himself -- which he is highly skilled at. The new mayor is pledging to bring the city together, and instead of supporting this concept, he reneges, which is pretty much how he ran the city in the first place. Ding, dong, Whiteland is dead! Long live Cleveland!
Randy Sindelar Corturillo
Cleveland
Don't worry about the water:
The Carlisle plant property has no village water wells and never has [in response to George Roettger's December 6 letter in response to "While the EPA Slept," November 15]. All of Middlefield's water wells are north of the village and are stringently tested. To set the record straight: Mr. Roettger's comments regarding old wells on Carlisle's property are incorrect.
Second, the village constructed a new 750,000-gallon water storage tank at the village service garage as part of an overall improvement plan -- and nothing more. The site was selected because the village owned the land and enough land was available to accommodate the tank. As a final note, the village administration and elected officials do not operate under a shroud of secrecy. As public servants, it is not our interest, duty, or intention to harbor secrets, as Mr. Roettger suggests.
Daniel A. Weir
Administrator, Village of Middlefield
A hockey fan bares his true colors:
As a longtime hockey fan -- going back to the days of the Crusaders playing at the Cleveland Arena -- I appreciated your article about the Barons ["Baron Landscape," January 10]. Great description of hockey and hockey players. I hope the article inspires Cleveland sports fans to get off their duffs and support this young, exciting team -- a Cleveland team with a legitimate shot at winning the championship in its league.
One point of contention, however: The uniforms are cool. Best uniforms in the AHL and certainly the best among Cleveland teams. You don't like the colors? What the hell, were you raised thinking brown and orange looks good?
Ron Rajecki
Lakewood
The best urban music's on digital cable:
Did I miss summin'? Who doesn't know that payola exists in urban radio [Soundbites, January 3]? The most refreshing thing I found in this article was a radio promoter (Tony Franklin) who refuses to pay. I found the others to be disgruntled, while Tony took a more aggressive stance when he stated that he refuses to pay. I hate urban radio in this city. Try digital cable: It has better music, more variety, no commercials, and no opinionated DJs.
Rham Christian
Warrensville Heights
Good story, but why the cheap shot?
I found your article on Jamie Foxx ["Sly Foxx," January 3] quite interesting, as I have been following his career since his "Wanda the Ugly Girl" days of In Living Color. His performances in Any Given Sunday and Ali have convinced audiences and the author of the article that he is talented and has the discipline to take on challenging roles. However, the author was very negative about Foxx's television series, and I was rather offended by his remarks.
Too often, African American sitcoms on WB and UPN are bashed with stereotypical statements instead of objective analysis. The Jamie Foxx Show had an energy that used outrageous situations to full advantage without going overboard. The show was, admittedly, not highbrow, but was unpretentious and presented the recurring social message of the importance of mentoring without being too heavy-handed.
As to the cheap shot against Garrett Morris: puhleeze! What was that all about? The Jamie Foxx Show was an entertaining little show that made us laugh and forget our troubles for a little while. To bash it on the grounds of being eponymous is a bit pompous.
Don Perry
Cleveland
