ZELLER CANNED BY CEOGC: George Zeller, the widely quoted and respected research director for the embattled Council of Economic Opportunities of Greater Cleveland, has been let go by CEOGC director Jacqueline Middleton.

The Plain Dealer and other media will report tomorrow that CEOGC notified Zeller and several other staff of their terminations on Friday as a result of the anti-poverty agency's continuing financial meltdown.

Recent scandals around Middleton and the CEOGC board's travel spending have led to calls by Mayor Campbell and others for Middleton's resignation, and to the appointment of George Forbes as a "reform" board chairman for the group.

In an email to me this afternoon, Zeller wrote:

Read the Plain Dealer tomorrow. CEOGC is rife with nepotism and cronyism. They have a lot of fiscal mismanagement, and the organization is teetering right now. I had nothing to do with that, but they unwisely decided to pick on me first.

Zeller, who worked for CEOGC for twenty years, is a recognized expert and main source of statistics on unemployment and poverty in the Cleveland area for reporters, city officials and others. See the CEOGC website's research page for a sample of his work, including the most recent State of Poverty in Ohio report.