Best and Worst U.S. Mayors: Johnson and Kucinich
As many Clevelanders would probably concur,
a poll reported in the book America's Big City Mayors: the Experts Name the Best and the Worst has concluded that Tom L. Johnson was the second-best big-city mayor in U.S. history (1820 to 1980), while Dennis Kucinich was ranked the seventh worst. The poll considered 679 candidates.
Labels: Cleveland history, Cleveland OH, Dennis Kucinich, mayors, Tom L. Johnson
Lincoln Steffens' quote about Tom L. Johnson
The oft-quoted comment by Lincoln Steffens - "It seems to me that Tom Johnson is the best Mayor of the best-governed city in the United States." -- is found in his book,
The Struggle for Self-Government. (New York: McClure Phillips & Co.). 1906. p.183. I see this quoted a lot, but not always accurately and not usually cited.
Labels: Lincoln Steffens, Tom L. Johnson
The more things seem to change...
Seems familiar somehow:"The System in Cleveland at that time [1880s] was simple and imperfect. Business men supported it. There was no boss, and such leading politicians as the city boasted were nothing but business men's political agents. They depended largely upon the campaign funds contributed by the business men. In return the business men could get what they wanted out of the city, and they let the politicians do about as they pleased with the rest."
"They didn't always use cash bribery. Mulhern, who picked the the president and organized councils, came to control more and more departments, and he had the patronage of these to dispense to the friends and followers of pliable councilmen. But this was making the city pay for its own corruption..."
-- from "OHIO: A Tale of Two Cities," [Cincinnati and Cleveland]
The Struggle for Self-Government, Lincoln Steffens. 1906.
I love that phrase about "... making the city pay for its own corruption...."
Labels: Cleveland Ohio, corruption, Mark Hanna, politics, Tom L. Johnson
Henry George and Tom L. Johnson this summer
Early this August, the
Council of Georgist Organizations will be convening in Cleveland to continue studying the life and philosophy of nineteenth century reformer,
Henry George and to see Cleveland, the hometown of George's most effective political disciple,
Mayor Tom L. Johnson. I knew that Johnson was suddenly converted to George's single tax theories, strove to implement them in Cleveland and is buried near George in Brooklyn, NY, but I didn't know that our statue of TLJ, on Public Square, portrays him holding a copy of George's book,
Progress and Poverty. [Disclosure: I'm presenting at that conference]
Labels: Cleveland Ohio, conference, Henry George, Tom L. Johnson
