The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Join us for the chance to hear from congressional candidates vying for seats in Ohio\'s 9th, 11th, 14th, and 16th districts. Incumbents in these races have declined to participate.\r\nThe forum will be divided into four 20 minute segments. Each candidate will speak for up to 10 minutes and then answer audience questions for the remaining time.\r\nRob Weber, Republican Candidate, District 9\r\nLaverne Gore, Republican Candidate, District 11 \r\nHillary O\'Connor Mueri, Democratic Candidate, District 14\r\nAaron Godfrey, Democratic Candidate, District 16

In October 2020, the world will mark the 20th anniversary of the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which addressed the importance of women's political participation for sustainable peace, among other issues.\r\n\r\nThis anniversary comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend lives around the globe. For women, these affects are especially acute. In countries both industrialized and developed, women are facing multiple threats - physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological - and even worse in situations of conflict and humanitarian crises; and job loss and economic instability. Complicating matters is the fact that women often have little to no advocates when it comes to making crucial decisions that affect their lives -- women make up only 10 percent of national leaders.\r\n\r\nWhat is the situation for women globally? And how has it impacted women's political leadership? What will women\'s political demands be worldwide as we cautiously move into a "new normal?\" Will anything change?

Dr. Eric Foner, educator, historian, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, is often regarded as the "dean of Reconstruction historians." Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, Dr. Foner has used his career as a scholar to construct a more truthful narrative of the Civil War and Reconstruction. This year Dr. Foner was named the 2020 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award honoree for Lifetime Achievement for most recent book, The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution. Join us at the City Club as he discusses his book.

The November ballot will contain two proposed levy measures: Issue 68, a 15-mill levy renewal with a 5-mill increase for Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), and Issue 70, a permanent 1-mill tax increase to support the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL).\r\n\r\nThe CMSD levy will cover operating expenses for 10 years. Supporters say that approval would help CMSD continue progress made under The Cleveland Plan and pay for needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters first passed the levy in 2012 and renewed it four years ago, both times by comfortable margins. If the levy is not renewed, the current one will expire in December and result in cuts to staff and programs.\r\n\r\nCCPL\'s tax increase would add to the continuing 2.5 mill levy that funds 70 percent of the library's operations. Supporters point to CCPL\'s ranking as America's top-rated library system for the last 10 years by Library Journal. Additionally, they note that CCPL has the lowest millage of any of the nine county libraries. If the levy fails, CCPL plans to reduce hours, defer maintenance, and eliminate other services.\r\n\r\nWhile there is no organized opposition to either levy, it should be noted that the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) chose not to support the current CCPL levy request because it is permanent. It does support the CMSD levy.\r\n\r\nJoin us as leaders from both organizations explain the respective levies and what their passage or failure would mean for staff, constituents, and the community.

Sandra Williams is a Democratic member of the Ohio Senate, serving the 21st district--which includes the eastern two-thirds of Cleveland, as well as the east-side suburbs of Bratenahl, Cleveland Heights, Garfield Heights, Newburgh Heights, Shaker Heights, and University Heights--since 2015.\r\n\r\nSenator Williams has spent more than two decades in public service--as a corrections officer, probation and parole officer, mediator for the State of Ohio, legislative aide, and State Representative for District 11. Previously, she was the Vice Chairwoman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and adjunct professor at Cleveland State University. Senator Williams also served our country as a member of the United States Army Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1995.

A hotbed of technological innovation, the very term "Silicon Valley" was born out of a need to describe the quickly growing tech industry out in California. Author Margaret O'Mara's book, The Code, is the result of years' worth of research into the history of Silicon Valley. She investigates how the history of tech and America's political history are deliberately intertwined. Join us at the City Club for a virtual City Club forum as O'Mara shares the forces behind the rise of Silicon Valley.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, public spaces, especially outdoor green spaces, have become increasingly vital not only to communities, but also to individuals' physical, mental, and social well-being. In an era where public spaces are not only essential to the health of our democracy, but also to the physical health of our residents, how do we ensure equal access to these spaces? How can they becoming welcoming and lovable? How will COVID-19 change the nature of our public spaces and how we utilize them? A panel explains.

The term \"back-to-school\" took on an entirely new meaning this year as individual school districts grappled with the safest way to welcome students, teachers, and staff back amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Join us for the annual tradition of hearing from Eric S. Gordon as he discusses the current challenges facing the district, the work being done to confront those challenges, and his plans for the future.

In June, The George Gund Foundation released What We Believe, articulating the Foundation's top priorities. Catherine Gund, the daughter of American philanthropist Agnes Gund and the granddaughter of George Gund II, is the current President of the Foundation. She is an Emmy-nominated producer, director, writer, and activist, and the Founder and Director of Aubin Pictures. Join us at the City Club as she talks about the Foundation\'s statement and how their work is challenging the traditional narrative of philanthropy.

An unprecedented global pandemic that knows no borders has brought into sharp focus the intersection of U.S. immigration and public health policy, and the unique challenges that immigrants and refugees face in the United States today. Join us as we discuss the issues facing Ohio\'s immigrants in 2020, and what lies ahead.