He paraphrased a recent statement from a Cleveland Neighborhood Progress official who said the sole intent of some out-of-state investors is “financial extraction and skirting every loophole possible for profits.”

In contrast to the Citizens United case -- where corporations are considered people with free speech rights expressed through money -- Westbrook noted that predatory investors seek just the opposite, often forming limited liability companies, or “LLCs.

“That way, they are not treated as a person and cannot be held accountable for their investments,” Westbrook said.

In many cases this includes an “LLC” or a “layered corporation” not getting sued for damages -- compensatory or punitive.

Westbrook also commended the Shaker Heights code enforcement and law departments, including Assistant Law Director Lisa Gold Scott, for their efforts in maintaining the local housing stock and protecting tenants.

This included Shaker tenant Rose “Gold” Carter, who made her third appearance, in person or virtual, to speak to council about problems that have included lack of heat and unresponsive management in her former Montlack Realty-owned apartment.

She also gave a victim impact statement at the June 27 Montlack sentencing hearing in Shaker Heights Municipal Court on he thanked Councilwoman Nancy Moore for her earlier assistance.

Larchmere resident Sheila Smith with the League of Women Voters spoke about state redistricting, starting with the most recent contested effort that started in 2020.

“For the next two years, Ohioans were subjected to partisan political games at their worst, from clear efforts to unfairly craft districts and behind-the-scenes map-drawing, to lawmakers running out the clock on their responsibilities,” Smith said.

“It only demonstrated one thing -- that Ohio’s redistricting process is broken.”

When called on it, lawmakers “repeatedly ignored the will of the people” and found their maps ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court seven times."

“That is seven times too many,” Smith added, accusing politicians, lobbyists and special interest groups of manipulating voting districts for their own personal gain.

“That is not democracy,” Smith said. “It is done solely to retain power and keep a supermajority of one party in Columbus. Incumbents rarely lose. We are letting politicians choose their voters, instead of the other way around.”

In the interest of putting an end to business as usual in one of the country’s most gerrymandered states, Smith and the LWV urged support of the “Citizens, Not Politicians Amendment.”

Read more from the Sun Press.