Who We Are
We are a grassroots group of citizens
working to protect and support
our local democracy
We are a non-partisan citizen group working together to make sure that the values of democracy are embodied in our elected officials and drive our city’s policies and actions.
We are committed to reporting only incidents and practices corroborated by evidence, as well as understanding the significance of these incidents and practices through the lens of our values of democracy and conditions necessary for its health.
We are dedicated to supporting Cleveland Heights’ current form of local government and to working diligently to ensure its success.
We hope that, through our work, we will reach a point in which no one in our city holds legitimate fears of reprisal for disagreeing, speaking their mind, or voicing concerns.
Our Contributors
Michael Bennett
Josie Moore
Eric Yarham
At this time, some of our contributors wish to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. Some are concerned for themselves or family members, and some are concerned about the standing of community groups, organizations, and businesses they associate with. We respect everyone’s wishes and prioritize the well-being of themselves, loved ones, and associations.
We acknowledge that this may be viewed as a lack of transparency, which is one of our core values of democracy. However, some in our group have experienced or know people who have experienced retaliation for disagreement with some current elected officials, which is a violation of one of the conditions for democracy, civil discourse.
Continue below to read statements from individual contributors.
Statement from Josie Moore
My decision to take part in an effort to make visible what is unknown to most Cleveland Heights citizens was not an easy one. But as I watch as democratic institutions crumble on a larger scale, I looked around and knew that perhaps, on a more local level, I could help protect something that is so critical for us all.
Democracies need the people to participate, at the minimum, through voting. But people cannot make informed choices without information. I knew, through my own experience and through conversation with people who experience City Hall regularly, that the values of democracy were not alive and well there. And for people to vote responsibly, then someone needs to shine a light on what has been happening at the Cleveland Heights City Hall.
I strongly believe that a diversity of perspectives—disagreement—is not only good but needed. When we have many people sharing how they view an issue or program, we are better able to develop solutions and policies that are widely beneficial and sustainable. Conversely, when people work to silence disagreement and cultivate an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, the result in a governmental institution is a breakdown of quality public services and policies that harm more than they help.
Information is power. And one thing that surprised me during my brief tenure as an elected official was seeing people withhold and guard information as a means to increase power, as well as using access to information as a currency for favor and to further alternate agendas. Seeking transparency and wanting information to be shared widely invited retribution.
I was afraid to be public about my involvement in Heights Citizens for Democracy. I know that seeking to inform people about actions and behaviors that negatively impact our city will result in being targeted. People will mischaracterize me, misrepresent my intentions, and seek to discredit me. And all I can do is let them. Nonetheless, voters have a right to know what is happening in City Hall that is resulting in the decline of municipal services, infrastructure, and city facilities.
Join us!
If you would like to add your name as a supporter of Heights Citizens for Democracy, let us know.
“Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.”
Reinhold Niebuhr
