The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Right now, the United States is experiencing a period of unprecedented social upheaval and a racial reckoning - partially caused by the coronavirus pandemic - that is forcing us to confront vulnerabilities in the economic system. The economic chaos created by the pandemic illuminated the deep economic and occupational inequities that have persisted for decades, resulting in a hollowed-out middle class and an insurmountable chasm between wealth and poverty.\r\n\r\nIn the workplace, racial bias affects negotiations over starting pay, future wages, and upward mobility. Employees of color start off making less money and receive less promotions than their white colleagues, a disparity that compounds over time. White workers are about 50 percent more likely than workers of color to hold \"good\" jobs, and much less likely to be displaced from their jobs by automation. Eliminating these racial inequities in income could boost the U.S. economy by $2.3 trillion a year.\r\n\r\nThe only way to provide economic security for all Americans is to dismantle systemic racism in all our economic structures, including the workplace. A recent report from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions found that, while these problems are national in scope, the solutions need to be local. How are the root causes of racial inequities in the workforce being addressed? What efforts are underway locally to advance workforce equity? Are they working? And how much impact can they have if the other inequities in American society - in housing, transportation, childcare, and education - aren\'t also addressed and eliminated?

In 2021, Cleveland faces a mayoral election. Leading up to the primary, the City Club will be speaking with candidates seeking the city\'s highest office.\r\n\r\nWith more than 35 years of experience as a nationally recognized attorney, Dick Knoth has developed expertise in governance, complex business matters, and intellectual property.\r\n\r\nBeyond his experience as trusted counsel, Knoth has made a significant commitment to community engagement. For more than three decades, he has worked and volunteered with many clubs, groups, and organizations throughout greater Cleveland. Those organizations range from large community healthcare enterprises, to educational institutions, to at-risk youth support and engagement groups, along with diverse arts associations.\r\n\r\nKnoth believes we are at an existential juncture for our city. Public safety, the needs of city neighborhoods, the importance of creative thought in bringing economic solutions to the community, and the future of our youth are the central issues influencing his campaign.

9to5: The Story of Movement is the latest film from Academy Award-winning documentary filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar. The film chronicles the previously untold story of the founding of 9to5, an organization started by a group of secretaries in Boston in 1972 in response to rampant discrimination, unfair pay, lack of upward mobility, and sexual harassment in the workplace.\r\n\r\nTheir ideas spread rapidly

In March, the Urban Land Institute Cleveland and the City of Cleveland will present a virtual symposium, Building a 21st Century City: The Future is Now!. The Symposium will focus on how Cleveland can embrace advances in technology, mobility, and economic inclusiveness to result in a more competitive and smarter city, ready for the changing technology of the 21st century.\r\n\r\nNew Jersey has emerged as one of the most innovative and technologically engaged states in the nation. In 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy appointed Beth S. Noveck as the state's first Chief Innovation Officer, responsible for making government services more responsive and jumpstarting its innovation economy.\r\n\r\nNoveck directs the Governance Lab (The GovLab) and its MacArthur Research Network on Opening Governance. At the GovLab, she directs better governance programs, including work with public institutions on public engagement in lawmaking (CrowdLaw), expert-sourcing innovative solutions to hard problems (Smarter Crowdsourcing), and co-creation between cities and citizens (City Challenges). She also coaches \"public entrepreneurs,\" working with passionate individuals to take their public interest projects from idea to implementation.\r\n\r\nPreviously, Noveck served in the White House as the first United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer and director of the White House Open Government Initiative under President Obama. UK Prime Minister David Cameron appointed her senior advisor for Open Government.\r\n\r\nJoin us as Noveck shares her experiences at the intersection of technology, academia, and state and local governments, and offers insights on what Cleveland needs in order to succeed in the 21st century.

In 2016, the United Nations declared internet access a human right. Making the internet as a public utility has been discussed for decades, and the call to finally make the move to provide access to all was felt like never before at the onset of the COVID-19 shutdowns.\r\n\r\nNearly 15 percent of American homes have no internet access. Advocates of the push for internet as a public utility say lack of access creates lasting socioeconomic effects, as well as carrying the potential to impede the practice of other rights, such as free speech. Also without it, thousands of school children have been left behind due to lack of access. Now a year into the pandemic, this equates to a full grade loss for some of our poorest and most disadvantaged students. Public school enrollment has significantly decreased nationwide, with a 16 percent average drop in kindergarten enrollment. While using technology to continue classroom sessions was the obvious alternative to in-person schooling, for many parents and guardians internet access continues to be a luxury difficult to afford even prior to the massive job losses prior to the pandemic.\r\n\r\nSeveral key issues, such as net neutrality and the shortage of affordable laptops, have also resulted in internet inequality for those with less economic access to the internet and funds to purchase technology.\r\n\r\nWhat are local, state and the federal government doing to ensure citizens have sufficient access to the internet? How does the concept of net neutrality impact the push to address income internet inequality?\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club for a joint City Club Youth x EYEJ forum to discuss internet inequality.

\"The opposite of poverty is not wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice," Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative.\r\n\r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has proved devastating for many across the country, but due to disinvestment and systemic policies, African Americans and communities of color have been disproportionately affected.\r\n\r\nAs Cleveland Public Library (CPL) celebrates 152 years of service to the community, it continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of residents. The system\'s new strategic plan focuses on equity and prioritizes a vision aimed at creating a city where opportunity is available to all.\r\n\r\nJoin us as CPL, together with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP, discuss the historical and racial inequities in Cleveland and how their respective institutions are working to usher in a new era of justice.

Over the past four years, former President Donald J. Trump elicited unprecedented loyalty from his base and also managed to maintain a tight grip on many Republican lawmakers. Many Republicans stood by Trump throughout his presidency and if they rebuked him, they did so in private. In many cases, voters demanded loyalty to Trump, and lawmakers stood by him for four years to ensure their own reelection and keep the party intact. Yet, the last few weeks of the Trump administration proved to be catastrophic for democracy, and further complicated how the former president's party will move forward - with or without him.\r\n\r\nSome Republicans hope that with Trump out of office, his grip on Republican voters will loosen. Others would prefer a clean break, and are urging the Republican Party to convict and denounce Trump entirely. After the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th, 33 percent of Republicans indicated that the party should stop following Trump and take a new direction. How will Republicans- now the minority party- respond to the Biden Administration's calls for unity? What role will Trump and his family take in the party going forward? Will they attempt to create a third political party? Is it possible that Trump has sown a rift in the Republican party deep enough that the party itself may fracture?\r\n\r\nJoin us as Sarah Longwell, Republican strategist and former Board Chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, and Tim Miller, former spokesperson for Jeb Bush\'s presidential campaign, share their thoughts on the past, present, and future of the Republican party post-Trump.

In 2021, Cleveland faces a mayoral election. Leading up to the primary, the City Club will be speaking with candidates seeking the city\'s highest office.\r\n\r\nJustin Bibb is a Cleveland native who grew up in Mt. Pleasant on the southeast side of the city. He currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of Urbanova, a start-up focused on solving the unique challenges faced by midsized cities.\r\n\r\nOver the last 15 years, Bibb has worked at the intersection of government, business, and the nonprofit sector as an executive and nonprofit leader. He interned for President Barack Obama when he was in the U.S. Senate and has served as Special Assistant for Cuyahoga County, Head of the Global Cities Practice at Gallup, and most recently, Vice President for KeyBank. He also co-founded Hack Cleveland in 2014 following the death of Tamir Rice and launched Cleveland Can't Wait in 2019, a nonprofit focused on advancing racial equity and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods across the city.\r\n\r\nOn January 11, Bibb formally announced his candidacy for Mayor of Cleveland. As mayor, Bibb plans to champion a new generation of leadership to solve Cleveland's oldest problems and prioritize solutions to modernize city government, make our neighborhoods safer, communities healthier, and economy stronger.

We all benefit when everyone has the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams, and education is often called the great equalizer. However, it can be argued that the current system stacks the deck in favor of advantaged students. At the same time, government funding for public colleges and universities is flat or falling, and public funding for need-based aid in states like Ohio remains inadequate. Anthony P. Carnevale, of Georgetown University and Victoria Jackson, of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, explain how to create equitable access to higher education, especially through the COVID-19 crisis.\r\nThis forum is part of our Authors in Conversation Series sponsored by the John P. Murphy Foundation and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Support for City Club Virtual Forums is provided by Bank of America, KeyBank, PNC and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Production and distribution of City Club forums in partnership with ideastream is generously provided by PNC and the United Black Fund. \r\n

With both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations approved and ready for distribution, it would appear that the United States is finally reaching the beginning of the end of the pandemic. However, decisions regarding the COVID-19 vaccination distribution process