I waited a few days to post about the news that the population of Toledo had dropped again, as written about in the title linked Toledo Blade article. Today's Toledo Blade carried a correction as to Toledo's ranking, it should be 14 not the 13th place as earlier reported.
I wanted to think about this, especially as I'm actually moving my family in to Toledo in the next week or so to come. I can't help but remember what Jim Nusbaum said to me about people want to feel as if their problems are important, important enough for people to listen. That comment has stuck with me since that day because he is right. It's real popular to focus on blaming Carty right now but these problems go deeper than just him yet he is a part of this. If you read what VB wrote on Toledo Talk you can't help but see the temporary hope that someone was going to help has just increased the frustration. One part of VB's statement:
Carty walked through my neighborhood during his campaign and actually promised to help. He personally gave me his number and told me that what was going on was not acceptable. He hugged me and told me not to give up. Here I sit today with all the issues that we talked about and they have actually compounded.
If it were just VB, it would be one thing, or if it were just related to Carty then that would be one thing, but it's not. Sometimes it's on us, we don't do enough to help others or demand accountability. We listen to the campaign promises and then we don't demand they be followed. Not just locally but on a State and a National level. Then we re-elect them, I guess trying to convince ourselves that "this time they mean it". Some have totally given up on government to the point where they don't even vote, they feel their vote doesn't matter.
Sometimes it's government, in doing this blog I have heard story after story of people who are feeling that no one actually cares or is listening to them. I've experienced that first hand as well, and I've seen friends and family go thru situations where government in this area treated them as if they didn't care. Not just from politicians but from those who work for our government.
What's the solution to this? Do a better job in looking out for each other is one thing, but if we want government to be more effective we have to make it happen. Campaign season is ramping up, we are going to be hit with a deluge of ads and promises. We need to individually take a good look at each candidate, especially those that have been elected officials in the past. While government whether local, state or national can't solve all of the problems that each of us face at times, we can do more to make sure that government does not make going thru these situations harder...
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7 comments:
Brian,
Toledo is a good place to live. It is a good place to do business. It has good people. I love it here.
I agree with, I also agree that the Blade and even myself at times do not focus enough on the good news. Yet, we can do better and we should do better, both government and citizens.
As I stated, not every situation has a government solution but some of them do, and the VB's of Toledo are frustrated and most of them rightfully so.
Brian- your Republican roots are showing. Your party loves to criticize the media for printing the truth. Karl Rove told you and the other young Republicans this in that meeting in DC a few years ago, remember? "Attack the press" was one of his best tactics for 'controling the message.'
Brian - you need to have facts before you post...
The county as a whole lost population - but not as much as Toledo. While some suburbs grew during the same time frame, they didn't grow as much as Toledo lost.
Toledo has to stop blaming the attractiveness of the suburbs for their inability to retain residents.
(good point on the ranking for business investment...but since that information was publicized by the RGP - the Blade didn't give it as much notice...they don't like the RGP because it's private and they have no control over it.)
I had to chuckle over the anonymous post line:
Brian - you need to have facts before you post...
As Brian is Carty's high-paid spokesperson, perhaps he, too, doesn't worry too much what comes out of his mouth, either.
;)
Kate- Maybe I'm wrong but I cannot believe the Toledo PEOPLE suck. Far from it. They have great heart. They love the kids, the city and the history. But the politicians are driving them straight into the ground.
In full agreement here, Kate. Is it too late to change all of this? Have our local politicians [read LCDP] become so obsessed with 'winning' that they would run a blue dog if they thought it would win?
I fear that the Toledo voters have been so accustomed to listening to the Democratic Party for 'advice' on whom to vote for, that they don't bother to know much about whom they are voting for. Clear evidence of that was the landslide for Bob McCloskey in November 2005.
I also fear that nothing much has changed because of that indictment. The local party has, once again, endorsed a person who, first and foremost did not want the Council job, and who does not intend to stay until her term is completed. When a new judgeship opens up, you can be assured that Santiago will 'announce' for that position and we will be back playing that same vacant seat scenario once again.
It's all about getting and holding onto power. It's not about doing the right thing.
Until the electorate becomes aware of this fact, we will have that same old, same old.
"What do you all see them doing with our 11th hour?"
Until they throw away their party loyalties and their party dealing, it will be a long 11th hour.
The way I see it, the City suffers from the same problem that TPS does, Administrative BLOAT.
And, you know, before we had all of these highly paid, highly edumacated folks running things, we just got the job done.
Now, I'm NOT saying that we don't need highly educated people in charge, I'm saying that we don't need so damned many of them, all protecting their own little piece of turf and feathering their own nests on our dime.
The real workers have too little time, when they're not polishing brass and kissing ass, to do the job like they used to.
Why, any more highly educated administrators and we'll be gridlocked...
Brian,
You're right about not getting the credit for the good things that go on around here.
I chalk that up to yet another megalomaniac trying to make things in his own image, remotely.
liberal_dem,
You're spot on about the political infighting and the focus on winning at all costs.
I used to say that my dearly departed mom would vote for Satan, if he were running with a "D" behind his name.
We certainly could use a break from the focus on party for a while, while we get things back in shape around here first...
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