Some see red over Cleveland mayor's light bulb plan

CLEVELAND - Cleveland's electric bill is $15 million a year, but some call Mayor Frank Jackson's plan to save money and create jobs an unfair short-cut, a slap in the face to the city charter.

On Tuesday, the mayor didn't pull any punches. Jackson wants to award an exclusive no bid contract for 10 years to a lighting company from China because the company promises to make the LED lights in Cleveland and hire 350 workers.

Longtime local company GE called not letting local companies bid "shocking.” The mayor shot back at GE for closing buildings in East Cleveland and sending jobs out of the country in recent years.

"This is bringing jobs to Cleveland and those complaining shipped jobs to China and Mexico,” Jackson told NewsChannel5’s Paul Kiska.

Jackson said the company, Sunpu-Opto, has the best street lights and office bulb technology, and will save Cleveland millions of dollars on its electric bill, up to 20 percent.

But GE bought an ad in the Plain Dealer touting the Department of Energy awarding GE street lights "the best in class.”

"Winning best in class is nice, but that hasn't produced any jobs, no those jobs were sent to China and Mexico" Jackson said.

Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek supports the mayor’s effort to create jobs, but called a 10 year city contract “unheard of,” and said it's not fair to all other lighting companies in Northeast Ohio.

In fact, 30 local companies that work in the lighting business signed a petition with GE urging the city to open the bidding process to local companies.

Polensek also said GE has invested in local schools.

"We want to make sure everybody has a fair shot at city business and if GE isn't the lowest bidder, then let the chips fall where they may, but we want a playing field that is fair," Polensek said.

Polensek said many on city council are not in favor of approving a no bid contract by bypassing the city charter, which calls for all products purchased by the city worth more than $50,000 to go out for bids unlike specialized services like attorneys or architects.

A GE spokesperson said the reason they don't make the same office lights as the company from China, is because those lights are quote "sub par" and "not" as energy efficient.