Thread by @RosiePalfy

Reports show ‘epic failure’ at Cuyahoga County children services office, but officials say hands are tied

According to this August story by Kaitlin Durbin, several staff said the agency is an “epic failure” on all fronts.
cleveland.com/news/2022/08/r…

Chris Ronayne said the county government is “not navigable” for residents. “People don't know what it is, where it is & who's doing what over there.” The system has been “gummed up.” He asked “Are we in a tower downtown? Are we in our communities?”

He reiterated the importance of supporting local council members, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), nonprofits & mayors with neighborhood family service centers. Chris Ronayne said they're serving in communities on “main street. They're early watchers.”

They see the early indicators of “breakdown in family households.” Chris Ronayne said there’s a need to create immediate housing opportunities for children “who've been literally dropped off” at the Jane Edna Hunter Social Services Center.

Chris Ronayne added, “We are in a place now where we've failed our community.” Having onsite social workers in the community at area nonprofits will make a difference. When somebody comes to a food pantry, they’re food insecure, which means they're likely also #housing insecure.

He said the county has not fully utilized nonprofit campuses with temporary shelter beds for children. Chris Ronayne concluded by praising the work of @LMMCleveland.

@chrisronayne’s website addresses these issues.👇
chrisronayne.com/issues

Lee Weingart agreed this is a community problem. “The government cannot be everywhere & thank God for that,” he said. Neighbors & community members should be relied upon to identify potential harm & threats to children before it occurs.

@weingart2022 talked about a meeting he had with a group of foster care parents.

“There is a culture in DCFS that is bitter. If you speak up, if you don't fall in line with the rules that they set — you are excluded from having a foster care or an adoptive placement,” he said.

DCFS is the Division of Children & Family Services. Lee Weingart called for a “radical overhaul” in Cuyahoga County’s health & human services system. “I will fire the top echelon at county HHS — very clear about that,” he said. Both candidates said more social workers are needed.

This is Lee Weingart’s social services plan.👇@weingart2022
weingart2022.com/housing-and-so…

#Q5 Residents who need reproductive services & those who identify as part of the #LGBTQIA+ community face “grave threats” to their bodily autonomy, rights & access to medical care. How will you create & implement protections locally & stop state lawmakers from taking more rights?

Lee Weingart said they are running for county office, not state or federal office — which have an impact reproductive rights. “I take the law as I find it in Ohio right now,” he said. The law has changed & may change again. If it does, “I'll react to it.”

“Most Americans don't subscribe to the absolutes on the abortion question — abortion on demand or banning all abortions. I, like most Americans, find myself somewhere in the middle,” said Lee Weingart.

He pledged to find out what can be done at the county level to “deal with the law as it stands” & protect the health & lives of pregnant mothers. Lee Weingart said “everything” needs to be done to ensure healthy babies are born in Cuyahoga County.

The county needs “a fully-enforced” child support enforcement agency, so resources are available for mothers & children, said Lee Weingart. If a mother cannot keep her child, foster care & adoptive care services & families need to be “waiting at the ready” for that child.

Moderator Rachel Dissell told Lee Weingart that he did not address the part of the question about those who identify as part of the #LGBTQIA+ community. She said he could have a little more time if he wanted to address what’s happening locally & what can be done.

Lee Weingart said “I don't believe in discrimination against anybody, for any reason, at any time. If someone is “harmed” due to race, gender or sexual orientation, he’ll work with the county prosecutor to ensure alleged perpetrators are “punished to the full extent of the law.”

Chris Ronayne said there are higher proportions of LGBTQIA individuals in the county’s foster care system & juvenile detention system. “We have to double down” to make sure “appropriate” hate crime legislation is in place.

He will work with area schools to make sure #LGBTQIA+ students feel safe in their educational environment & neighborhoods. Chris Ronayne said he’s “happy” to be the pro-choice candidate endorsed by Pro-Choice Ohio.

In June, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, “we went into action,” said Chris Ronayne. His campaign wrote a “Reproductive Freedom” plan. He said his administration would assure county residents have access to abortion care & access. cleveland.com/news/2022/07/c…

He pledged to work with community foundations & area governments to ensure residents who are not employed by Cuyahoga County have the same access to abortion care.

“I will advocate that abortion protection is enshrined in the state constitution of Ohio,” said Chris Ronayne.

Question #6 — Cuyahoga County was allocated $240 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Moderator Rachel Dissell asked: If you chose 3 key areas related to #health, human services & critical needs, how would you direct the remaining money & why? #ARPA

Chris Ronayne’s 3️⃣ #ARPA picks were workforce, housing & transportation. “We need to have complete communities,” said. People need access to “everyday needs in life. He doesn’t think anything can be done about the money that’s already allocated.

Chris Ronayne said so far Cuyahoga County has distributed it’s #ARPA funding in ways that haven’t been “catalytic” or “really focused.” They’ve been distributed in a way that is “just piece meal.” He said, “We need to reset & we need to focus.”

@weingart2022 said, $66 million of $240 million was allocated through “an illegal spending program — slush funds. I'm the only candidate in this race who called it for what it was — slush funds.” I asked the prosecutor to “restrain the illegal spending.”
cleveland.com/news/2022/06/l…

“We had $66 million spread out peanut butter-style throughout Cuyahoga County on projects that shouldn't have been funded — projects in some cities that they declined to fund themselves. They used county #ARPA dollars instead,” said Lee Weingart.

The Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office responded to Lee Weingart’s concerns with a 2-page letter. It said Cuyahoga County Council’s proposed resolutions to spend #ARPA funding did not violate the county’s charter.

This is the letter sent to Lee Weingart 👇

This story by Kaitlin Durbin includes the 2-page letter sent to Lee Weingart by the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office.

Prosecutor OKs Cuyahoga County Council’s #ARPA spending, but critics still concerned
cleveland.com/news/2022/07/p…

Lee Weingart only has 1️⃣ priority for the remaining #ARPA funds — 10,000 Homes🏠 for Cuyahoga County.

“I'm not going to play the peanut butter game anymore. I'm going to focus like a laser on private housing for those who've been denied that opportunity for 90 years,” he said.

“That is how we create wealth in the urban core. That is how we end the disparity between Black & white in Cuyahoga County,” said Lee Weingart, adding that’s how you get equality.

The 10,000 Homes🏠 initiative will cost $100 million.

Even with $54 million in #ARPA funds, he said he will still need an additional $46 million. He will “leverage $500 million” from banks, so 10,000 families can move into a home they own.

“That is transformative. That is how you move Cuyahoga County forward,” said Lee Weingart.

FUNNY STORY🤣 — Earlier I looked for an image to include in a tweet. I did a search for “slush fund.” There weren’t many good options. So I searched for “arpa slush fund.”

The 1st image is a group photo of Cuyahoga County Council members.👇 You can’t make this is!

The 1st image is linked to an editorial from our local not-so-daily newspaper. The photo is from county council’s website.

“County Council’s ARPA slush funds violate Sunshine law, undermine public trust: editorial”
cleveland.com/opinion/2022/0…

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