7/28/2019 Ken Lanci is a hit with the black community...Frank Jackson has lost touch with the people

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Ken Lanci, Cleveland mayoral candidate, is hit with

black community, criticizes traffic enforcement

cameras

Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer ByPat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer

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on May 30, 2013 at 8:57 PM, updated May 30, 2013 at 8:58 PM

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland mayoral candidate Ken Lanci criticized the new traffic enforcement

cameras to be established in predominantly black neighborhoods and vowed Thursday night

to have an office that's accountable and transparent.

Lanci spoke to about 80 at the Lil Africa Village Party Center on East 68th Street and

Superior Avenue who repeatedly clapped their approval of his speech and answers to

questions.

"It's important for people to know I am a native Clevelander and a self-made

businessman...not a politician," said Lanci, 63. "My job as mayor will be to work for the

greater good of the community."

Lanci received applause when he held up a red and white that read "Stop Targeting East

Siders on Red-Light Cameras."

"I am for programs that increase the safety of our neighborhoods," he said. "I won't support

programs that unfairly target residents who can least afford these punitive measures. These

cameras and resulting fines are nothing more than a money grab from the people least able

to pay."

Lanci, who will run for mayor as a Democrat, said several times throughout the evening that

when incumbent Mayor Frank Jackson took office in 2006, the city had a poverty rate of 27

percent. In the 2011 census report, the city's poverty rate had risen to 34 percent.

"The red-light cameras are yet another example of just how out of touch Mayor Jackson is

with the overwhelmingly difficult conditions facing the residents of Cleveland."

Before he spoke, Lanci marched with members of the Imperial Women and other

organizations for 30 minutes while leaders Kathy Wray Coleman and Black on Black Crimefounder Art McCoy protested the handling of the Nov. 29, 2012 shooting in which police

fired 137 shots in East Cleveland at the end of a nearly 30-minute chase that killed

apparently unarmed Timothy Russell, 43, and Malissa Williams, 30.

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7/28/2019 Ken Lanci is a hit with the black community...Frank Jackson has lost touch with the people

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"I don't fault the police or the police chief," Lanci said. "The problem starts at the top...the

chief executive officer of any company gets the glory, but also gets the grief. These people

don't see the mayor as a leader who is solving the city's problems.

"Do I have the vaccine to cure the problem? No, but I have plans and ideas which will help

solve it."

Lanci is CEO and chairman of Consolidated Graphics Group, Inc. of Cleveland, a marketing

company.

He also told the crowd later that he was shocked that Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and

Michelle Knight could be locked up in a Cleveland home for a decade and not have anybody

notice.

"It's beyond comprehension that nobody knew these girls were in that home for so long," he

said. "We need to have all homes that are partially boarded checked out. I plan to be going

in neighborhoods to bring people together so there is trust and interaction between city

officials and its citizens.

"My job will be if you elect me and give me the chance to do it -- to make sure you are

protected," he said. "You can't cut budgets and the number of police on your police force

and make the streets safe."

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