It’s like watching two trains on a collision course and knowing that, with a little effort, a crash could be prevented but always witnessing a horrifying disaster because no one acts.

I’m talking about Cleveland and lead paint poisoning. For 29 years in the Cleveland newsroom, I’ve witnessed over and over how this town has had the chance to correct the greatest hazard imperiling its future, yet the poisoning never ends. And new generations of Cleveland’s children, many born into poverty, are doomed to unfulfilled lives.

Study after study has made clear the damage. Any amount of lead poisoning permanently damages brains. Those who are poisoned perform worse in school and have higher rates of poverty, criminality and mental health issues. Unlike most every other kid in Northeast Ohio, thes

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