Question for John Swierz

[Towntalk]

I'm in the 3rd Ward, but thanks for the offer.

[Towntalk]

That's all I ask John, because you know better than anyone else what the problem is doing to our community, and what that means when it comes to bringing new businesses into the city as well as its impact on the South Side.

I'm sure its not pleasant to read about businesses moving out of the city because of crime, and you more than anyone else knows what it means when you sit down and try to work out a budget for the city.

[john r. swierz]

       Towntalk,
       If you live in the 7th Ward we have 1 citizens coalition and 9 block watches that meet monthly.
       Call me and I will let you know where they meet and how you can help

[john r. swierz]

      towntalk,
      If you have a question for a state or federal legislator and they don't have the answer, their   
      response will be that they will get back to you after they research it.  I will talk to the chief.
      You stated that the DEA stated that  a certain Mexican cartel was operating in our area.  If that is
      the  case then you can be assured that our local law enforcement agencies know that also.

[Towntalk]

Tell you what. The next time there is a meeting would you be willing to swing around and take me to it?

[iwasthere]

towntalk, i am tired of hearing excuses from people like you! you knew about the town hall meeting last week sponsored by the  swierz and hosted by the 7th wcc at the OCCHA on Sheridan Ave. if you needed transportation you could have put that concern on the board and one of the board members from this forum could have assisted you on this nature. williams is on the dan rivers show every first monday of every month from 10am till 1130am for questions and answers. can you attend a block watch meeting in your area if possible? i say to naysayers stop complaining and start being pro active.

[Towntalk]

With health problems, and the lack of transportation, and advanced age I can't get out to events like I would like to Jay.

The question was quite reasonable.

When the Mayor or Police Chief go on the Dan Rivers show, I certainly will pose the question.

And Councilman Swierz, I certainly hope that this problem will be addressed.

[jay]

Last Thursday, March 19, the Seventh Ward Citizens' Coalition held a Town Hall meeting featuring the city administration.  Police Chief Jimmy Hughes was there.  He answered any and all questions directed to him from the audience.  After the formal program, the police chief mingled with the audience and answered questions on a one to one basis. 

[Towntalk]

When we have questions relating to the state we don't ask the Governor, we go through our state legislator or Senator. Ditto Federal issues we go through our Representative or U.S. Senator.

That's why I addressed you Councilman.

The DEA said that the Sinaloa Drug Cartel is operating in this area, not me, and if this is the case, we have a major problem.

[john r. swierz]

    Jay is correct in stating that the question should be addressed to Youngstown Police Chief Jimmy
    Hughes.  My response can only be that I have no knowledge as to any Mexican drug cartels operating
    in our area.  As to the remark about  giving "lip service", that not my style!  I am very open to 
    answering questions straight up. I have been on radio and T.V. representing organizations  ,The 
    Greater Youngstown Soap Box Derby and First Night Youngstown, many times.  I am not really a big
    fan of morning radio talk shows.  To get on a talk show and not have  knowledge or  a large
    amount of facts and data would be disastrous.   As a member of city council I would only be able to
    talk about generalities and my experience.  I have been stating since I  got elected that my ward and
    the city is experiencing a large amount of juvenile crime and violence that includes robberies, acts of
    violence and a host of "quality of life" crimes that are causing business' and residents to leave our
    city.  I have recently been appointed as a member of city councils Safety Committee, we will be
    holding monthly meetings and I am sure the police chief will be on the agenda many times.  I hope I
    have answered all the questions.

[jay]

Shouldn't this question be addressed to the police chief or even the mayor?

[Towntalk]

Thank you Janko for the links. I did have the article up on my web site, but didn't look at the maps, as I was trying to do too many things at one time.

Now I will ask John what is the city doing, and please no lip service John. Why aren't our city officials going on such programs as the Dan Rivers Show about this?

And what is YPD doing about it?

We wonder why businesses are leaving Youngstown (especially South Side businesses) but I don't blame them.

DEA Press Conference 2/25/2009

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/speeches/xcellerator.pdf

According to Michele M. Leonhart (DEA) the Sinaloa Drug Cartel is running dozens of kilos of cocaine on a regular basis to Stow, Ohio where it is distributed to cities throughout Northeast Ohio.

The Mayor has talked about cutting back on the number of police officers when in point of fact he should be talking about beefing them up before the city slides back to 50 - 60 or 70 murders a year.

[Janko]

image at nytimes this week:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/22/us/BORDER.html

2nd tab has U.S. map with sources, of which our fair city is included.

another map: http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/regional.htm#Central

[Towntalk]

We know that drugs are a major problem in Youngstown and tonight CNN's Anderson Cooper gave this report:

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, certainly you know, we've been working on this now for a couple weeks. You know, the Justice Department says that Mexican drug cartels are operating in some 230 cities in the United States, all the way up to Anchorage, Alaska; Atlanta, Georgia; all across the map. They now say it's now the largest organized crime threat in the United States.

My question to you is: Are Mexican drug cartels operating in our area?

I went to several government sources to get a list of the 230 cities but couldn't find it (Department of Justice, FBI; DEA).