Edwards and America's Poortest City


MarkJablonski - Posted on 17 July 2007

Awesome report from BSB's roving correspondent in Cleveland. Way to go Mark!!!! -Jerid

Sen. John Edwards brought his RFK-style Poverty Tour to America's poorest city today. Edwards spoke with residents of Cleveland's Mt. Pleasant neighborhood today about sub prime mortgage lenders and home foreclosures that are ravaging Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and many other areas of the U.S.

Edwards was an hour late to todays event, leaving a few dozen members of the press and local residents to wait to mill around for a while. During this time, a kid on a bike rolled up next to me on the sidewalk and asked "where's John?" This kid couldn't of been more than 9 years old. I told him Edwards was running late, and asked him if he was a fan. "That's the reason I came over here," he said. "I can't wait 'till he's president. If I could vote, I would vote for him." This astute young man also observed that Mayor Jackson was nowhere to be seen. (Jackson never did appear).

About 12:30, Edwards made his way down the street surrounded by press. His first stop was the corner of E. 114th and Benham, where he met with a 32 year resident of the neighborhood who has worked for the local school system for 25 years and is on the verge of losing his home over a mere $3,200 shortage.

"This is a couple that doesn't know anything but work, and they're about to lose what they've spent their lives trying to accumulate over $3,200," Edwards said.

Edwards talked about capping the interest rates that so-called pay day lenders charge their victims customers at 32% (he said most of these rates are in the triple digits now).

"[I was just told that] there are 38 houses on a one block radius that are foreclosing. This is wrong. This is not complicated, it's wrong, and these people are being taken advantage of, " Edwards told the crowd. "What's happened is the very thing that they've worked for -- their homes -- and those children we just passed back there are going to be kicked out of their homes, all because these predators have come into this neighborhood and taken advantage of them."

As president, Edwards plans to create a national predatory lending law in order to regulate the practices of lenders. He also advocates what he called a national home rescue fund to "make sure that when people who are responsible and working hard get in trouble, they can in fact save their homes."

Edwards then spoke with another resident a block away who is in a similar situation and is in fear of losing her home.

Sen. Edwards is to continue his tour later today in Youngstown and Pittsburgh PA, and will end the tour in Kentucky tomorrow.

"I am absolutely convinced that America wants to do something about these predators. I think America wants to do something to give opportunity to people to take care of themselves," Edwards said. "They just haven't been asked to do anything, and we're gonna ask them."

 

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Woulda had this up hours ago, but ran into a slew of WiFi problems.
-Mark Jablonski
Who's that big, bald, beautiful bastard there in the middle?
PD political reporter, of course. Just noticed the typo in the headline (I was in a hurry). Can't edit it myself, or it willl automatically demote from the front page. There were videos when I posted this. Any idea where those went?
-Mark Jablonski
the PD's Mark Naymik, of course. And there were two short You Tube videos here when I posted this initially. Did they get lost in promotion or did you yank 'em out? Fine if you did, but I know they were here.
approve of this post. Well done Mark!! Good work. Naymik will approve too as long as you spelled his name right. ;-)
would have made much more sense if I'd have logged in first.

Well isn't that just like our missing DEMOCRAT mayor of Cleveland to come up missing.

Missing as much as the residents have been from the minds of the democrats who for the second year in a row have delivered us the title of Poorest City in America!!

Great Job guys!  Did Edwards ask how in the hell did the corrupt, incompetent democrats in Cuyahoga County win this title two years in a row.

Mark nice story... I do agree that the predatory lenders are a big problem.  But missing in this equation is not so  much as the people who get financed when they shouldn't but more of....

Loans being bought and sold like candy between lending institutions.  Example, my loan was bought and sold through 4 companies in the matter of 3 months.

I am fighting with Wells Fargo right now.  They have refused to send me a payment history.  Have refused to account for $2400.00 in extra payments and routinely add in charges which cannot be disputed and are not located in the contract.

A large problem is, many of these places start charging extra fees (Appraising fee), over and above late charge, when a house is 45 days late.  Plus, most lenders are now moving to begin forclosure proceedings in 45 days also.

This encumbers the debtor with house payment, late charges, appraising fee and any legal costs incurred.  Once they start this action it is very difficult to overcome the extra fees added on. They put many people in a predicament they cannot climb out of.

Problem I have with this is, they financed or bought secondary "paper."  These loans should be expected to perform as such.  They are institutiing "A" type paper restrictions on people with marginal credit.

To be honest I believe it is done purposely.  Why?  Homes are sold at a loss, debtor is unable to pay deficient balance and lenders write this off at a loss.

Anyway, I though your post was an attack on the  local non existent republicans in Cuyahoga County.  The hacks over at Progress Ohio actually tried blaming the woes of Cuyahoga County on the republicans.

We all know the republicans in Cuy. Co. can only win a race if they buy it... E.G. Roger Synenberg paying off Kucinich and Tubbs-Jones to buy his wifes seat over Christine Russo.

We could have ran an ashtray against her and still won.

If Edwards is sincere with his wanting to battle these companies - tell him you got a republican to help him.

King
King, there are plenty of GOP judges in Cuyahoga County and as one who supported Joan Synenberg strictly on merit, I don't get and resent your depiction of how she won her race. How on earth did Kucinich help her? And Stephanie gave lip service and expposure to her opponent Christine Russo as she had to do. But Christine Russo was her own worst enemy. She was unqualified, many Democrats resented her running because of that, she was the only candidate ranked totally unqualified by all five of the bar associations functioning in the region as per judge4yourself.com while Synenberg was given a perfect score, her campaigning was late and half-hearted and she didn't come across well, plus Synenberg was campaigning hard in traditionally Democratic bailiwicks including Democratic ward functions and Stephanie's 11th district Labor Day picnic, NOT because Stephanie invited her but because she took the initiative to be there, as did a couple of other Republicans such as David Lynch who was running for stage lege. Say what you want about our county politicians of both parties, but I don't think the extremely well-regarded, hard-working, qualified and poised as Joan Synenberg had to BUY a judgeship over someone like Christine Russo who seemed swamped, disheveled, distracted and on the verge of tears at most events where I saw her and whose liabilities were very well-known.

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