19 Action News and The War On Crime

Here in Cleveland we have the usual big four television stations. It is the local CBS post that has turned itself into a news story in itself. 19 Action news, honest, fair and everywhere is their tag line. The ratings were low and two or three years ago they did a complete overhaul. They have new fast paced action themed graphics, and a crazy hyper traffic reporter up in the sky. They have weather people that hype a little rain and make a sunny day seem like a boring proposition. The anchors use words like punk, thug, gang bangers, creep, and loser when describing the people in the news. They also insert their own opinions way to often.

They do outlandish investigative reports with a team of so called reporters now headed up by the Cleveland legend Carl Monday. That would be the same Carl Monday seen on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for his series on a teenager jerking it on a local library computer. The most well known anchor is the outspoken diva herself Sharon Reed. She is famous for her report on a local artist in town to do a nude picture of over a thousand people. She became part of this story and did her report naked on the late local news. While her dream of a regional Emmy was dashed, she was a guest on David Letterman and sassed him up when he flirted with her.

The station has been responsible for the last mayor Jane Campbell being voted out of office and they do not like the current mayor any more. They have represented everything that is wrong with todays journalism. Their current cause is however a much needed one. They have started a war on crime called taking back our streets. Sharon Reed was in Boston last week and Chicago this week. She talks to reformed gang leaders and black priests about what they did to slow violent crime in those cities. She does this in her trademark borderline ghetto fab style. They blast the city of Cleveland and the mayor for three hours a day. They are hosting a town hall meeting next week they know the mayor will not attend because of their reputation. The drive to impeach Frank Jackson has begun.

From Cleveland to Chicago

I have been in the city of Cleveland for a little over a year now. I moved here to have more to do and find better work. My partner and myself have decided to abandon the sinking ship while we can still breathe. This city has wonderful things about it including a great theater district and my favorite pro sports teams. It also has huge issues and no ideas on how to fix them. The crime and poverty rates are sky high and the mayor is a disgrace with no clue. We no longer feel safe in this once great city that I still love.

We have decided to move to the midwest mecca of Chicago. This is not a shot in the dark move by any means. Frankie has a long history with the city as he lived and thrived there in the nineties. We were recently able to take a day trip there on my birthday and I got my first taste of this cultural and entertainment haven. Needless to say that I have fallen in love with the idea of living on the north side area of the city known as Boystown. We have some loose ends to tie up here in Cleveland as well as some more money to save. The move is scheduled for the beginning of next summer.

This is what I have always wanted for myself and I am thrilled to be doing it with someone I know and love so much. I feel that once I get there my life will finally take off in the direction that I always dreamed of. I know there will be more obtacles in the journey west, but I also know we will be much better off in the long term. I was born and raised here and will always be an Ohio boy at heart. I can't wait until this time next year, when I am sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley Field in my Cleveland Indians cap.

Life has a way of moving up a level once you reach for what you want.