Cleveland Foreclosure Story Captured in 18 Minutes
On July 18, the Bill Moyer's Journal featured Cleveland including interviews with the Mayor, Councilman Brancatelli, Mike Piepsny, a group of homeless families, Jim Rokakis, and me. It is available to watch here and the transcript is available here. I liked how they focused on greed, and the lack of oversight by anyone within government. I liked how they started with the President's push for homeownership, and how that did not really pan out very well. I liked that they included the clip from State Legislator Jon Husted who argued in 2002 against any legislation to protect consumers against predatory and deceptive mortgage practices. Filed under famous last words from Rep. Husted, "I don't think that there is anyone in this body today that can tell me how we should regulate, manage or micromanage how people get loans in this state."
The best quote has to be foreclosure champion Jim Rokakis, "Back in the old days when there was no sheriff in town, people would rob the banks. Well, here we are in modern day era. And there's no sheriff in town. The banks were robbing the people." Check out the show it is a great look at the crisis with good discussion afterward about with The Nation commentator, William Greider.
On a related note with some good news...The County Housing Trust Fund implementation committee meets this week for the first time. Just in time to help us rebuild and preserve existing affordable housing. I believe that Phil Star is organizing this committee, and will recommend the scope, size and the revenue source for a County Trust Fund to the County Commissioners. We need to catch up with Franklin and Montgomery Counties in Ohio, and find some money for housing locally.
Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.
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