When Donald Trump and Elon Musk swung the budget axe through DOGE, it was never really about government efficiency — was it? Even then, it was clear. Now, it’s undeniable: the so-called campaign to “cut waste” was an ideological crusade against federal agencies conservatives have despised for decades.
While MAGA cheered, the rest of the country watched in disbelief as the
damage spread.
Cuts to the National Institutes of Health gutted Ohio’s research funding — Case
Western Reserve University alone lost more than $100 million. Medicaid and SNAP
food assistance were slashed. Veterans at the Stokes VA Medical Center faced
reduced support. Food banks across Northeast Ohio lost funding — and the
ability to feed the hungry.
While University Heights residents protested those destructive cuts, MAGA
Michele took notes.
In her own DOGE-style “First 100 Days” plan, she’s promised to
carve more than $1 million from the city budget. And her octogenarian
hatchet-man — the hand-appointed council member Winifred Weizer — will
be the one swinging the blade.
She won’t say where the cuts will come from. But if history is any guide,
it’s not hard to guess.
Michele and Winifred have both shown open hostility toward the University
Heights Fire and Police Departments. Every year, those departments are
forced to fight just to keep essential staffing, training, and equipment. If
elected, Mayor MAGA Michele will finally let Winifred live out her
fantasy of slashing the police budget — and even deeper cuts will fall on the
fire department.
Winifred has already publicly insulted Fire Chief Robert Perko.
Under their leadership, the department would face reductions in staffing,
training, and gear. Michele would applaud — it’s been her dream to replace a
professional fire service with unqualified and incompetent volunteers.
And when they’re done with public safety, they’ll move on to the Service
Department — the people who keep the city running.
Michele has already tried to cut health benefits for city employees,
only backing down when confronted by outraged residents at a public meeting.
Because bullies — whether in Washington or University Heights — always back
down when someone stands up to them.
