Issue Six, in direct competition with Issue 5, is the one of the many proposals to be decided in the upcoming election. The one thing both issues have in common is the promise of reform. Issue Six plans to take immediate action to reform the Cuyahoga County government. It will create eleven council districts and help give a voice to minority voters. Issue Five would delay reform for a year so the county can “research” the most effective plan of reform. This delay would most likely put an end to any more talk of reform that Cuyahoga County so desperately needs.

It seems lawmakers are more concerned with staying in power than doing what is best for the citizens of their district. Critics say the reform will be too costly and Republicans are only using this bill to gain power. The fact is that four million dollars will be used to hold elections for new positions that will be added to make the government more efficient. A more efficient government means less wasted money and the four million used to achieve this would be made up easily. To suggest this is a plan to benefit Republicans only is simply untrue because most lawmakers that drafted the bill were Democrats. Only a few members of the Republican Party were present. It is true that the Cuyahoga County GOP has endorsed the bill, but there is no chance that the Republicans can take control of a liberal county like Cuyahoga.

Some critics of the bill claim it will help big business at the expense of the poor. This is the same attitude that drove the big businesses out of Cleveland and made the poor even more helpless. The county has made assisting the poor its top priority, but it has failed to provide the underprivileged with decent jobs so they can help themselves. The return of business to Cuyahoga County could mean the restoration of the community. Issue six was put into the ballot by petition and is a better representation of the people than Issue Five, which was drafted by politicians behind closed doors. Issue Six is a step towards real change