Vote for Joe

Met with Meegan Kresge who is involved with Cleveland’s new “City Fresh” project. Sponsored by Ohio State University’s Agricultural Extension (and a number of other organizations), City Fresh is about inspiring “small scale agriculture” in the city. Ms. Kresge has just completed a 10-week City Fresh course that trains potential “city farmers” in such areas as: growing, composting, selling to area restaurants and other markets… Ms. Kresge said she is working to get a grant, and other financing, to turn part of an old, abandoned parking lot on Cleveland’s near Westside into a pretty substantial garden/farm. Ms. Kresge said Cleveland’s “Forest Service” will drop off free wood chips that will be laid 12 inches thick over the asphalt. This will then be layered with a good amount of topsoil made from composting. Then the plot will be ready for planting… Ms. Kresge said we will start seeing more of this local urban growing across the country as oil prices continue to climb. And with this, peoples’ understanding of how “freshness” adds to a food’s nutritional value will increase as well. Note: During her City Fresh course work, Ms. Kresge said a concept which really fascinated her was the: “Mobile Market.” That is, people were encouraged to consider pulling “veggie carts” around the neighborhoods. I mean, why not. The ice cream guy does it. And what’s better for you anyway, huh?

I went to a meeting on “affordable housing” last night on Cleveland’s near Westside. Attended by some 60 people, the meeting was sponsored by Neighborhood Voices, a dynamic group that has been proactively advocating for affodable housing in this area since 2003. The issue, in a nutshell, is this: The near Westside of Cleveland (like the near West and Eastsides of so many metropolitan areas these days) is caught in the juggernaut of ‘upscaling.’ That is, with gas prices continually rising, young urban professionals — and others from the suburbs — have been moving into the near Westside and rennovating on a grand scale. It is becoming wholesale “gentrification,” which in turn displaces the poor who have been in these neighborhoods for generations… Neighborhood Voices is shooting for a “mix” of socio-economic and racially diversified groups. “We are about inclusiveness, not exclusiveness,” said Neighborhood’s George Herbek, who facilitated the meeting. Herbek stressed the group was working for the “common good” in an area that has an ethnically rich Westside Market, vibrant churches, and all types of outreach help within walking distance… Neighborhood’s Jim Misak said the group was working with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority in lobbying for affordable housing in a series of new “Hope 6” projects in the neighborhood. And Marge Misak, Jim’s wife, said the group had met with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson who is now philosophically on board about, not just offering one-time affordable housing, but “permanent affordable housing.” Note: Several years ago, St. Patrick’s Church, also on Cleveland’s near Westside, spearheaded a “Project Afford Drive.” Money was raised to purchase and rennovate several homes, which were in turn offered at affordable prices to low income people.

Memorial Day… We went on a family picnic in the “Metro Park” in Rocky River, Ohio, today. While eating lunch, we talked to our children about their grandfather (on my side) flying jets off aircraft carriers for the Navy. (He got his wings just a few weeks after the Korean Conflict had ended.) We also told them about their great grandfather (also on my side) who fought during the World War I, road an Army motorcylce with a side car, and the fear for him and his Army buddies at the time was, among other things, being exposed to: “mustard gas.” We then prayed. We prayed for the soldiers in Iraq — on both sides. And we prayed that not only would the Iraq War end soon, but that all war would end soon. [Our administration would propose a U.S. Dept. of Peace — see “what joe stands for” (home page) to help bring some of that about.]… There were a lot of people in the Metro Park today. And after setting up our picnic spot, I strategically drove the “average Joe” Mobile (complete with a whole lot of signage) to a high traffic area about a quarter mile away. Well, when you don’t have the millions for advertising… Anyway, while heading back, I walked by a picnic table with an extended family of about 12 from the Medina, Ohio, area who were discussing, of all things, presidential elections. And just as I got a bit closer, one of the family members said (Are you ready for this?): “You watch, the next thing they’ll come up with is a reality show where anyone can run for president.” My cue… I walked right up to the table and told them I was that anyone. They laughed, thinking I was kidding. I showed them my “average Joe Schriner for president” button. They still thought I was kidding. Then, for kicks I guess, they asked me my platform. I smiled and said: “With Social Security, for instance, we’d like to see a paradigm shift. I believe(based on an interview I did with a former teacher of economics at North Carolina State Univeristy) that the American populace should look at the Social Security Fund as merely another form of ‘insurance,’ and not an ‘automatic’ after retirment. If someone is making, say, $70,000 or more on pensions, stocks, etc., annually, they shouldn’t be in need of Social Security as well. This would not only help keep the Fund solvent in the face of the current demographic shift of baby boomers entering retirement in way more numbers than those entering the work force; but it would also free up a lot more capital for those less fortunate.” At this point, the people from Medina didn’t think I was kidding anymore. And how I knew, was the partiarch of the family (he had on a blue apron and a grill fork in his hand) said: “If you get to D.C., are you going to remember us?”

While in Holmes County, Ohio, last week, I interviewed Jonas Miller who is quite a historian when it comes to the Amish in these parts. He, in fact, is a narrator during “Country Coach Adventure Bus Tours” through the heart of Amish country here. He explained to me, for instance, that the Amish have their own form of “health insurance.” That is, many of the Amish churches have collective insurance funds. And what’s more, they often find their hospital and doctor rates low because they believe the Bible “teaches against” suing people. He also said the Amish dress plainly and conservatively because there are premiums placed on modesty and not standing out in community. In fact, the Amish place tremendously emphasis on the importance of community. Mr. Miller explained that recently lightenning had struck an Amish barn, burning it to the ground. In the next few days, the debris had been cleared, a foundation laid and the barn was rebuilt, for free, by 1,200 Amish, from eight different states. Yet another form of “Amish insurance.” If you’re Amish, you’re apparently “…in good hands.” Note: I wrote a letter to the editor of The Daily Record in Wooster, Ohio, saying we as a society would do well to learn much more about Amish ways.

A Mansfield News Journal article today noted that I thought I could be a factor in the next presidential election — if I look like I’m going to have a showing in Ohio. I will explain more about this strategy in a later entry, but for now: we are asking supporters (both in Ohio and outside) to write endorsement letters to the editor about our campaign to Ohio newspapers across the state. Just google “Ohio newspapers” and a list of those on-line (and off line) will come up. Your help with this would be greatly appreciated.