A campaign finance filing has identified a donor behind the nonprofit that ran a TV ad pushing the Cleveland Metropolitan School District consolidation plan last fall.
The donor was Mayor Justin Bibb. He also narrated the ad, making his argument for closing buildings and merging schools.
“Too many of our schools are half empty,” he said in the ad, “and too many of our kids miss out on the basics, like algebra, computer tech, band, sports and college and career prep.”
In December, Bibb gave $100,000 from his campaign funds to the newly created nonprofit It’s the Right Thing to Do, which paid for the ad time. The mayor’s campaign committee disclosed the donation in his post-election campaign finance filing.
It’s The Right Thing To Do is a 501(c)4 nonprofit. Such groups typically do not have to publicize their donors. So it remains to be seen if anyone else chipped in.
Level 1 trash talk
In the world of Level 1 trauma centers — hospitals that treat the most severe injuries — the MetroHealth System has come up with a subtle way to stand out from the competition.
On Facebook, the county hospital system has been calling itself the region’s “most experienced Level I trauma center.”
Close readers will recognize the dig at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. This month, the Clinic announced it plans to open the city’s third Level 1 trauma center. UH opened one in 2015. In both cases, MetroHealth warned against opening more trauma centers.
MetroHealth has been using the “most experienced” tag for years, but the label takes on a new salience now that the Clinic has joined the scene.
Here’s one post from Metro that came amid the January chill: “As Northeast Ohio’s most experienced Level I trauma center, we’re prepared and ready to treat frostbite on days like today.”
Ice cold.
