January 20, 2008 (LPAC)--Maple Heights, Ohio, which passed the HBPA this week, ranks first in Cuyahoga County in foreclosures per capita, and is in the top 1/2 of 1 percent nationally. In the past two years, 910 houses, nearly 10% of the total, have been seized by the banks. Because of the revenue shortfall due to the real estate and economic collapse, the suburb of Cleveland has closed two of its swimming pools, cut the ranks of police and fire, and eliminated a variety of free services. Garbage collection has fallen and so the city increased collection rates by 50%....and on and on. As the mayor told the New York Times, which ran a feature on the collapsing city in September, "this is a truly cascading effect." [empasis added]