While much attention has been paid to the convictions of former Councilman Kenneth Johnson and his aide, Garnell Jamison; little attention has been paid to John Hopkins’ theft indictment and conviction as the former director of Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corporation.  The Hopkins conviction should be eye opening to the “CDC” boards and directors; and they should consider “who’s next?”  With their involvement in the $37 million Shaker Square drama both Menesse and Johnson may have drawn the federal investigation short straws.  So will Bibb if he doesn’t stop tweeting about matters beyond his level of knowledge.

-Eric J. Brewer  

https://ejbnews.com/30724/

PLEASE SEE: http://realneo.us/content/rob-curry-michael-cosgrove-new-charlatans-making#comment-36169

The CITY of Cleveland land Bank properties are brokered to DEVELOPERS via CDCs through Rokakis/now MATT Zone who is GETTING paid to do it by Cleveland City Council through the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.  Cleveland City Council members control the spending of HUD Community Development funds directed to "Community Development Corporations."  Cleveland City Council members also control general funds specific to projects and casino monies. 

Cuyahoga COUNTY Land Bank properties (East Cleveland, Maple Heights) are brokered to DEVELOPERS through Frangos/Brancatelli through the Cuyahoga County Land Bank, which is funded through Cuyahoga County Council to be a doped up "Community Development Corporation" and to do demolitions throughout Cuyahoga County with MONIES they suck up through delinquent tax fees. 

Properties end up in the land bank because of tax FORECLOSURE (oh- and CONDEMNATION through Housing Court). 

OF COURSE,  Cuyahoga County only goes after the small potato families with small liens - sold through tax lien sales - a moneymaker cooked up by Rokakis and Frangos while they ran the Treasurer/Deputy Treasurer's office and Board of Revision.  A practice which the NAACP-Legal Defense Fund found discriminatory and predatory on African American families. 

For more on the history of the Leadership FUND: http://realneo.us/content/open-government

REALNEO Reporter Lily Miller uncovered this practice and her stories were picked up by the Washington Post's Michael Sallah.