Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the military's ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' (DADT) policy officially ended.

Yesterday, J.D. Smith, a 25 year-old Air Force officer and gay rights advocate could drop his pseudonym and come out as who he is--1st Lieutenant Josh Seefried.

Yesterday, Maj. Darrel Choat, a gay Marine officer wrote in The Washington Post: ``I am a patriotic American. I am an officer who loves country and Corps. I am doing my best to serve honorably and proudly. And I happen to be gay.''

Yesterday, a policy that since 1993 has led to over 14,000 servicemembers being fired simply for being open about their sexual orientation officially ended, allowing Major Choat, 1st Lt. Seefried and thousands of other servicemembers to continue their service in the U.S. military without having to hide who they are.

Policies like ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'', which created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust among colleagues serving side-by-side, have no place in the military.

I applaud the official end of ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' and the significance of its repeal in ensuring equality in our military and in securing rights for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.

When Will Marine Leadership Stand Up for Gay Service Members?

(By Darrel Choat)

If President Obama could have ended ``don't ask, don't

tell'' by announcing a policy change, rather than his intent

to work with Congress to repeal the law, in his 2010 State of

the Union address, I might have served in the Marines openly

but quietly. But the repeal debate turned ugly, and as gay

veterans and gay soldiers and Marines serving in Iraq and

Afghanistan were disrespected by military and civilian

leaders, I realized that a quiet transition was not an

honorable course of action.

Remarks by senior Marine leaders made clear that their

conception of ``Marine'' did not include those who were gay.

During and following his confirmation hearings in fall 2010,

Commandant Gen. James F. Amos said that he did not want his

Marines dying because of a ``distraction.'' He probably meant

that managing the repeal would be a distraction, but many gay

Marines, myself included, felt that Amos was saying that we

were the distraction that would get our fellow Marines

killed. Given the number of gay Marines in combat, this

comment was deeply hurtful.

I am a patriotic American. I am an officer who loves

country and Corps. I am doing my best to serve honorably and

proudly. And I happen to be gay.

My challenge is not to simply acknowledge my sexuality as a

Marine officer but for my actions to reflect the legacy of

the Declaration of Independence--that all Americans are

created equal and deserve equal consideration from their

government. My task is to demand no less from my country and

Corps. I understand that my statements will prompt anger and

disgust among some active-duty and retired Marines. History

demonstrates, however, that deliberate steps are necessary to

overcome the legacy of dishonor and prejudice such as that

inspired by ``don't ask, don't tell.'' I have confidence that

my Corps will take those steps.

While working in the Senate in the 1990s, I remember Sen.

Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) taking to the floor and disparaging the

``agenda'' of gays and their ``sinful'' and ``deviant''

behavior. I felt helpless. One day Helms stepped into an

elevator in which I alone was riding. Slowly, I realized no

words could be adequate to confront him. His hate and

ignorance could not be rationally discussed. The only

effective course, it seemed to me, would be to disprove him

by example, by personifying a proud, honorable and gay

American who--simply by existing--refuted Helms's

demagoguery.

I came out to my family years earlier, and I had long been

in the habit of letting co-workers become aware of my sexual

orientation. Often I made no pronouncements. Engaging in

honest discussions about weekend activities or personal

relationships was all that was necessary. My guiding

principle was simple: If I felt I had to say something or

compromise out of fear or shame because I was gay, I had to

stop and take the honest course. If I got fired, I got fired.

No job was worth the sacrifice of my honor and courage.

In 1981, I had been awarded a four-year Marine Corps

Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. I was aware that

I was different--I hated being different--and I was self-

conscious. I found it difficult to interact with other

midshipmen and Marines, so I left the program. In 1997,

however, I knew that ``don't ask, don't tell'' did not

preclude my service; it simply required that I shut up about

being gay. So I applied and was accepted to attend Officer

Candidate School in Quantico in October 1997. I greatly

underestimated the personal cost of this compromise.

After the Battle of Saipan in 1944, Marine Commandant Gen.

Alexander Vandegrift said, ``The Negro Marines are no longer

on trial. They are Marines, period.'' His predecessor, Gen.

Thomas Holcomb, had said that ``Negroes did not have the

right to demand a place in the corps'' and that ``If it were

a question of having a Marine Corps of 5,000 whites or

250,000 Negroes, I would rather have the whites.'' It took

leadership for Vandegrift to recognize the heroic service of

African American Marines and end officially sanctioned

segregation in the Corps.

While Sgt. Maj. Micheal Barrett, the service's senior

enlisted official, clearly stated in June that a Marine is a

Marine, regardless of sexual orientation, I am aware of no

senior Marine officer who has followed Vandegrift's lead and

set a leadership tone that will turn the page on the

prejudice of the past. A January video by Amos and Barrett's

predecessor, Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, sent the message simply

that the don't-ask law has changed and that Marines follow

the law. Action to overcome the legacy of ``don't ask, don't

tell'' is still necessary.

Vandegrift is an example of the possible. With the formal

repeal today of ``don't ask, don't tell,'' it is time for the

Marine Corps to end the bigotry and prejudice regarding

sexual orientation and to give Marines, combat veterans and

Purple Heart recipients the respect and consideration they

have earned. Marine Maj. Darrel Choat, a student at the

Marine Corps University in Quantico, is the author of a

report and personal essay in ``The End of Don't Ask, Don't

Tell,'' a forthcoming book from Marine Corps University

Press. The views expressed here are his own.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2608, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution for FY 2012.

This legislation implements a 1.5%, nearly across the board reduction to current spending levels and pays for it by cutting the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program (ATVM). This program is essential to keeping our auto manufacturing industry competitive.

I support the cuts to the Overseas Contingency Operations fund, which is used to fund our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other counterterrorism operations. But the rhetoric on cuts to war spending does not match the reality and cost of our policies abroad.

Last week, The New York Times highlighted the legal battle currently occurring in the White House over the use of lethal force, of targeted killings against militants abroad by ``drone strikes, cruise missiles or commando raids.'' We talk about ending the wars while planning to expand the use of lethal force--or committing acts of war--in other countries with little to no oversight from Congress. We impose faux deadlines to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and attach cost- savings estimates to them, while at the time same, continuing to push the deadline for withdrawal back. According to the Congressional Research Service, the cost of keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan is $694,000 per soldier per year.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the United States trillions of dollars and have played a major role in our economic insecurity. The war in Iraq was the first time in American history that the government cut taxes as it went to war, resulting in a war completely funded by borrowing. Soaring oil prices, the ballooning federal debt and the global economic crisis are all intimately linked to our policies of endless war. These are policies we are continuing today.

Any serious debate on scaling back spending must include not only cuts to defense spending, but also to the wars the U.S. is currently waging or attempting to expand in other countries such as Somalia, Yemen and Pakistan through our drone campaigns. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of David John Donafee, upon the official naming of the Midpark Post Office, the David J. Donafee Building, and in recognition of his service to our community.

Mr. Donafee had longstanding ties within the Cleveland community. The youngest of four siblings, he was born on April 29, 1965, and raised in Brook Park, Ohio. He graduated from Berea High School and Polaris Career Center and went to work as a steelworker prior to his employment with the U.S. Postal Service. Mr. Donafee was tragically killed while delivering mail on his route in Parma Heights, Ohio, on February 14, 2008.

Mr. Donafee's legacy in the Greater Cleveland community, and with his colleagues at the postal service, is that of a genial and positive spirit. In addition to his fourteen years of service to the community through the U.S. Postal service, he was well-known in the local hockey community for his support of and involvement in his children's youth hockey league.

David Donafee was the kind of employee that anyone would have wanted to have as a colleague. He was always on the lookout for ways to help his customers. In the office, he was conscientious and willing to go above and beyond to help fellow employees. With customers and coworkers alike, he was always courteous. He was dedicated to family and friends. What made him unique and set him apart was that, regardless with whom he interacted, he would add a little bit of humor that would make the day a little easier.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and memory of David John Donafee, upon the official naming of the Midpark Post Office, the David J. Donafee Building on September 18, 2011. Mr. Donafee's service to his

family, friends, and the community greatly influenced the lives of everyone he has known. He will forever be remembered along the streets of Parma Heights and throughout the Greater Cleveland community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 2011 Interdependence Day, celebrated annually on September 12th. Interdependence Day is a global celebration targeted at raising awareness of the interdependent character of global society.

Interdependence Day began in 2000, when a small group of international artists, political activists and scholars came together and began a dialogue about the possibilities of interdependence between nations. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2011, this small group's idea began an international movement, the Interdependence Movement. Today, the Interdependence Movement is comprised of a global group of citizens known as Citizens without Borders. This group is focused on ``creating a constructive interdependent consciousness that facilitates global cooperation and global governance.''

Every year since the 2003 Interdependence Day celebration in Philadelphia, the world's citizens have come together in Rome, Paris, Morocco, Mexico City, Brussels, Istanbul, Berlin and most recently, New York City. The 2011 Interdependence Day celebration coincided with the 10th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001 and was especially important to the kick-off of the Interdependence Movement as a year long project.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the 2011 Interdependence Day, which was celebrated on September 12th in New York City. I wish the Citizens without Borders my best as they strive towards an international community that comes together for global peace and understanding.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) will seek recognition of a Palestinian state on 1967 borders at the United Nations (U.N.) The United States has reportedly given the P.A. private assurances over opposing future Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and has urged the P.A. to return to the negotiating table. Yet the threats by this Congress to cut off aid to the P.A. for making such a move fail to recognize that the efforts of the P.A. to seek recognition from the U.N. and from other states are born directly of the failure of the so-called ``peace process'' that has allowed settlement construction in the West Bank to continue and that threatens to destroy any hope of the very two-state solution we advocate for.

In July, I opposed a one-sided resolution that condemned any attempt by the P.A. to seek recognition from the U.N., but made no mention of the continued settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that led to the breakdown in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. By only holding one side accountable for such unilateral actions, we undermine the very negotiations we claim to support. A just solution and good faith negotiations will not succeed as long as the United States allows settlement building to continue. We cannot be an honest broker or claim to act in Israel's best interests while turning a blind eye to actions that undermine its security.

True, long-term stability and security for Israel is dependent on peace with its Palestinian neighbors. I unequivocally support a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But a just, negotiated solution can only be achieved when both sides are held accountable for actions that undermine the reality of a two-state solution on the ground.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Mrs. Helen W. Soggs, a longtime, active member of the Greater Cleveland community.

Helen was born on March 4, 1921, as a first generation American, in Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of four, her family moved to Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood. She attended Oak Park School, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School and James Ford Rhodes High School. Following her high school graduation, in 1939, Helen enrolled in typing and shorthand classes at the Dyke School of Commerce.

On May 4, 1941, Helen married Kenneth Soggs. Because of Kenneth's job as a construction equipment operator, the young couple frequently relocated throughout the onset of World War II before returning to Old Brooklyn. During the War, in 1942, Helen became the first woman to be hired by Republic Steel; she worked as a ``scale girl'' for three years.

Following the War, Helen and Kenneth started their family and had two sons. The Soggs family would eventually settle in Seven Hills, Ohio. Kenneth and Helen became involved in family-owned furniture stores, including Parma Home Appliance and Pleasant Valley Furniture. Helen would later work for Higbee's on their furniture customer service team. She retired in 1986.

Helen was an involved member of the Greater Cleveland community. She was a parishioner of St. Columbkille Catholic Church and an active member of her ladies mission circle. She was involved with the Seven Hills Golden Agers, St. Columbkille Golden Agers, Justo Lane Club and was a longtime volunteer as an election day poll worker.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembrance of Mrs. Helen W. Soggs. I offer my condolences to her sons, Loree and Jim, her eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Jay Williams, who has recently been appointed as the Department of Labor's Executive Director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers by President Obama.

Mr. Williams was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He attended Youngstown State University and studied finance. After graduating, he began working with banks around the Youngstown area. He continued working in the banking industry as an examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Upon leaving the financial industry, Mr. Williams became the director of Youngstown's Community Development Agency. He served as the leader of Youngstown 2010. This ongoing initiative plans for a Youngstown that is ``smaller, greener, cleaner, makes efficient use of its available resources, and capitalizes on its many cultural amenities and business advantages.''

In 2005, Mr. Williams was elected as the Mayor of Youngstown. He was the first African American elected as Youngstown's mayor and was also the first independent candidate elected since 1922. Mr. Williams was re-elected in 2009. On July 6, 2011, President Obama announced Mr. Williams as the Executive Director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers; he began on August 8, 2011.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Mr. Jay Williams as he begins his tenure as the Executive Director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers. I extend my congratulations and well wishes as he embarks on this new endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 2011 Hispanic Heritage Month, as we celebrate the members of this community and their invaluable contributions to the Greater Cleveland Area and to our country.

In 1968, Hispanic Heritage Week began; the week was expanded to a month in 1988. Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, a day that is celebrated in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua as the anniversary of their independence. Mexico and Chile's independence days also fall within the month. This year's theme is ``Many Backgrounds, Many Stories . . . One American Spirit.''

Hispanic Heritage month celebrates and illuminates the significant contributions that Americans of Hispanic heritage have had on American culture. Hispanic Americans have contributed immeasurably toward efforts to elevate the human condition. Americans of Hispanic descent have served our country in numerous ways--as elected officials, teachers, musicians, physicians, veterans, community activists, and dedicated employees in virtually every sector of the economy. Their rich and diverse culture has touched the life of every American and has been an invaluable addition to Cleveland's diverse social fabric.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and celebration of Hispanic Heritage month of 2011, as we recognize the great contributions made by Hispanic Americans in my district and around the country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Mr. Joseph Lecznar, Sr., a dedicated leader of Greater Cleveland's Polish community.

Joe was born to Anthony and Mary Lecznar on July 25, 1921 in the southern province of Lancut, Poland. After attending elementary and junior high school, Joe began working on his family's farm. He served in the Polish Armed Forces, 2nd Corps during World War II and was wounded in action. He fought in many battles throughout the War and was honored with many medals and commendations for his bravery. He transferred to England and was honorably discharged in 1947.

Following the War, Joe immigrated to Toronto, Canada and later Cleveland, Ohio to join his siblings. He attended the Westside Technical Center to study to become a tool and die maker. He worked for the Chrysler Corporation for 30 years, where he was awarded with a citation and plaque for excellence.

Joe was an active member of his community; in particular the Greater Cleveland Polish community. He was a member of the Polish Army Veterans Association of America, Alliance of Poles, Polish National Alliance, Polish Legion of American veterans, Association of Polish Women, Polish American Congress, Parma Polish American League, Foundations and Center of the 2nd Polish Corps and the Chopin Singing Society.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembrance of Mr. Joseph Lecznar, Sr. I offer my condolences to his wife, Irene; four children, Joseph, Barbara, Daniel and Nancy; and nine grandchildren, Joseph III, Julie, Jessica, Nicholas, Lindsey, LeAnn, MacKenzie, Morgan and Macy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Leverett Johnson Historical Marker being dedicated in Westlake, Ohio's Evergreen Cemetery on September 15, 2011.

Leverett Johnson became the City of Westlake's first settler in 1811 at the age of sixteen. On August 15, 1814, he married Abigail Cahoon, marking the first marriage in the City of Westlake. Leverett and Abigail raised nine children together in a cabin that he built.

Leverett was an active and dedicated member of his community. He served as the township trustee and treasurer for Westlake from 1815 through 1847. Additionally, he was Westlake's Justice of the Peace from 1822 through 1833. He continued his political career and served as the Cuyahoga County Commissioner in 1829 and was elected to serve in the Ohio State legislature five times between 1837 and 1856.

In 1820, Leverett generously donated a piece of his land to the City of Westlake for the purpose of creating a cemetery, the Evergreen Cemetery. The Cemetery now serves as the final resting place for many of Westlake's early settlers, including the Johnson family. It is one of Westlake's most historic locations. Now, 200 years later, the Ohio Historical Society is honoring the City of Westlake's founder, Leverett Johnson, and his legacy, with an Ohio Historical Marker.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the dedication of the Leverett Johnson Historical Marker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Cogswell Hall, a permanent housing residence for low income adults facing critical life challenges.

Founded by Mrs. Benjamin Cogswell in 1889, Cogswell Hall evolved from her earlier advocacy work as leader of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). In 1878 Mrs. Cogswell formed the Missionary Committee of the Open Door to provide young

women temporary shelter, training, employment services, and spiritual guidance. However, she soon realized that these women needed a permanent residence and the Home of Friendless Girls was established.

The Training Home for Girls continued to operate. After several moves, it settled at its current location on Franklin Boulevard in 1914. In 1952, the Training Home for Girls was renamed Cogswell Hall in honor of its founder. Cogswell Hall has also adapted its mission several times, expanding its clientele from adolescent girls to women of all ages with limited incomes and disabilities.

Today, Cogswell Home's mission is to ``provide safe, affordable housing and supportive services to adults of limited income facing critical life challenges who may otherwise be homeless.'' They serve as a permanent home for adult men and women facing life struggles ranging from developmental and physical disabilities to mental illness and addiction to abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the Cogswell Hall, as they continue to serve as a safe haven for Greater Cleveland's disadvantaged.

The National Labor Relations Act was a New Deal initiative which helped save American capitalism by creating a process which would protect the rights of employees and employers. This was before NAFTA, GATT, and the WTO, which tore legal rights for workers apart, moved millions of jobs out of the U.S.

Yes, we stand for the workers at Boeing in Washington State, but we also stand for the workers at Boeing in South Carolina, because they will have no recourse if Boeing wants to move jobs to China.

You can't say you want to create jobs here at home while destroying the rights of workers to organize, the right to collective bargaining. These are basic rights in a democratic society.

You can't say you want to protect American jobs and not protect American workers. Take away workers' rights to free speech, take away workers' right to due process and you create a new class of slave laborers here in the United States who are helpless to stop the movement of jobs out of America.

This bill not only sacrifices the rights of Boeing workers in Washington State, it also sacrifices laws that are designed to protect workers' rights. It's an attack on all American workers.

It's one thing to take the side of the boss or the owners; it's another thing to take the side of the boss or the owners when they want to move jobs out of America.

Stand up for the American workers, stand up for workers' rights, stand up for American jobs, and stand up for employers who want to keep jobs in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2587. H.R. 2587 would severely undermine the intent of the National Labor Relations Act, which is to give workers and their employers a fair and level playing field, and it is another flagrant attack on the fundamental rights of the American worker. If this bill becomes law, the National Labor Relations Board will be unable to impose a meaningful penalty on an employer who violates the law by moving work elsewhere solely to avoid employees who exercise their rights. This bill sends a signal to American workers that the rights of multinational corporations to outsource their jobs are more important than their fundamental right to organize.

Mr. Speaker, the American Middle Class made this country great, but predictions for its future are dire. We have had forty years of wage stagnation for Americans, coupled with record corporate profits. Yet, over 5 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the past decade, and since the start of the Recession alone, we have lost more than 7 million jobs. American workers today are already more vulnerable to being fired without cause, more vulnerable to not getting severance, and more vulnerable to being part of a mass layoff with little notice than any worker in any other comparable western country--countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, France and Germany.

This legislation will make the situation worse. This goal of this bill is to snuff out the right of the American worker to seek justice when their fundamental rights are trampled upon.

Do not be fooled. This bill is not about some lofty economic principle of ``free movement of capital to invest where it sees fit.'' This is not about ``big government interfering with job creation.'' No, this bill is about destroying unions and about interfering with an ongoing legal proceeding brought by an independent agency tasked by the United States Congress with protecting both employees and employers against violations of our nation's labor laws. If you care about the future of the American middle class and American workers, I urge you to reject this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the City of Parma Fire Department's 9/11 Memorial dedication ceremony. The Parma Fire Department will also be revealing an I-beam from the World Trade Center that will serve as a memorial to the victims of the events on September 11, 2001.

The Parma Fire Department is one of fifteen Northeast Ohio fire departments that have received portions of steel from the fallen World Trade Center. Parma firefighters will dedicate and unveil the beam at the Parma Fire Department training center at Parmatown Mall on Saturday, September 10, 2011. Parma firefighter, Doug Turner says, ``This artifact will serve as a memorial to the innocent victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.''

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring and remembering some of the country's bravest heroes, the fallen firefighters and all those who sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001 at the City of Parma Fire Department's 9/11 Memorial dedication ceremony.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Saint Theodosius Cathedral, the oldest Orthodox parish in the State of Ohio.

The St. Theodosius parish was founded in 1896 and is the oldest Orthodox parish in the State of Ohio. The Cathedral was built by Russian immigrants in 1911 and has been a landmark in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood ever since. St. Theodosius was the first Orthodox Church in the State of Ohio and for years was the only Orthodox Church in the City of Cleveland. It has had a rich history and attracted a multitude of parishioners from many of Cleveland's cultural groups.

St. Theodosius Cathedral is on the National Registry of Sacred Landmarks and is a Cleveland Sacred Landmark. The Cathedral also joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The St. Theodosius Parish will be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Cathedral September 9th through 11th with a series of liturgical and social events.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the 100th anniversary of St. Theodosius Cathedral. I hope their celebration this weekend will be joyous and reflective of the rich, spiritual history of the parish.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Councilman Joe Cimperman for his significant contribution to the Cleveland community and to acknowledge his receipt of the 2011 Pan Award. Cleveland Public Theater's annual Pan Award recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the community.

Councilman Cimperman, a member of the Cleveland City Council since 1997, was born and raised in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood where his family was active in the Slovenian community. Councilman Cimperman graduated from St. Ignatius High School and John Carroll University where he was Student Council President. During his time at John Carroll, Councilman Cimperman founded Project GOLD, a service organization dedicated to helping underprivileged families.

After graduating college, Councilman Cimperman worked in an AIDS Hospice in Baltimore, helped developmentally challenged adults in Portland, Maine, and worked at the Cleveland West Side Catholic Center. In 1997, Mr. Cimperman became a City Councilman for Cleveland's Third Ward. As a City Councilman, Mr. Cimperman works to foster economic development in his ward by promoting the growth of culture and the arts. He works to foster the arts by creating new green areas in the Third Ward, establishing live-work spaces for artists, and improving the retail environment along Euclid Avenue.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Councilman Cimperman for his service to the Cleveland community and his reception of the 2011 Pan Award. His dedication to improving the community is awe-inspiring. I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors.