The makeup of a new economic development planning group is raising questions about who鈥檚 getting invited to the table.
The new group met for the first time Thursday in Cleveland while a dozen local activists from Cuyahoga County Progressives, Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Socialists rallied outside.
The include Jon Pinney, a lawyer who gave a this summer about Cleveland鈥檚 stagnant economy; Chris Quinn, the editor of Cleveland.com and host of the meeting; Akram Boutros, CEO of MetroHealth; Julie Boland, an executive at Ernst & Young; and David Gilbert, CEO of Destination Cleveland.
Activists including Marvetta Rutherford questioned who those already-successful community members were representing.
鈥淪ee I shouldn鈥檛 have to go to 44 th and Lorain to see a $700,000 home and nowhere on 55 th do you see a $700,000 anything,鈥� said Rutherford. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not being spread out fairly.鈥�
Two meetings this week include the organizers plus about 80 invitation-only community members. Executives at ideastream were invited.
The purpose was to lay the foundation for an economic development summit sometime next year. They haven鈥檛 named their group or the initiative.
The activists outside are looking to crash the party. They will begin recruiting community members and campaign to have them added to the select group organizing next year鈥檚 summit.
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