Complete Story
08/08/2018
Readers remind us that watchdogging matters
Cleveland Councilman Ken Johnson, who was elected in 1980, has been around so long that many people have stopped paying attention to him, including his colleagues, City Hall and the media.
But since I started a series of stories about Johnson's conflicts of interest and misstatements related to his ties to a troubled neighborhood group, I've been hearing from his constituents, as well as taxpayers across Northeast Ohio.
"Keep digging," some said.
"Look over here, too," others urged.
In fact, I've been overrun by tips about Johnson, Cleveland and the suburbs.
The feedback is heartening.
Nothing is more important to me in my role as a columnist than watchdog journalism and acting as the reader liaison to government, institutions and the powerful.
