According to what I read over on Toledo Talk, this morning WSPD radio host Fred LeFebvre urged local residents to "grow some" and demand the resignation of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.
While my email spam box is full of offers claiming that they will enhance and lengthen a male penis and perhaps testicles as well, I'm sorry but I think you would have to have something there to grow first before most of us could "grow some". Nor is some surgical sex change on my list of things to do.
While I'm not trying to trivialize the extreme dislike some of you in this area have for the current Mayor, I also can't help think about a past Mayor, who was not liked by WSPD at times either, and was quite frequently discussed in uncomplimentary terms. He was also targeted by a recall campaign that didn't get enough signatures...That Mayor of course was former Mayor Jack Ford. WSPD is doing what WSPD does best, creating controversy. Controversy creates listeners and callers. Blogging at times is the same concept. You can see it worked, because I'm writing about it. :-)
Any person who is Mayor of T-Town is going to get discussed, disagreed with and at times be very disliked. Anyone who has followed the whole A Team B Team disaster knows that here in Toledo some Democrats do a better job of dissing other Democrats than the local Republicans do. Yes, some of you never believed the whole "kinder, gentler nice Carty" would exist long. Waiting for him to become...Carty.
Yet, I can't help wondering, has Carty broken the law? Has he recently even been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor? Has he been the subject of a federal or a local probe related to wrong doing or a scandal? Ironically several local and state officials have but I don't see any major effort happening to recall any of them. Amazing how selective we are in our demands of who should resign and who should be recalled isn't it?
I don't agree with the way the Mayor handles everything, and I really disagree with some of his decisions especially when it comes to local politics; but I also realize that in the Mayoral primary you all had a choice. I was not a Toledo resident at that time and not that my one vote would have changed anything but I would not have voted for Carty or Jack in the primary.
However, if you are going to hold him to this standard and demand he resign, where's the demand for all of the TPS Board members to resign? Where's the demand for a recall of them? Look how many top administrators resigned last night. What about Toledo City Council? Depending on the whole legalities of this demand for resignation/recall, the person that would take over as Mayor could be the very same person that was selected because:
"What we discussed was who would be in the best position to support the new administration," said Mr. Sobczak, who was sworn onto the council yesterday in a ceremony attended by Mr. McCloskey and the four GOP councilmen but no other Democrats. "We had to look to the greater good."
Sure, it may be quieter if Rob Ludeman were to take over as Mayor, but you guys had that under Jack Ford and obviously not enough of you chose to re-elect him. You also had to the chance to pick Rob during the Mayoral Primary. If you really disagree with the direction the City of Toledo is heading in, how is that going to change when those who supported Rob being Toledo City Council president did so because they felt he would support the Finkbeiner administration best?
To be cynical, I predict if a recall movement happens it will not get much farther than what happened when it was done under Mayor Ford. If it were to come to an election? Imagine the confusion as to who would then take over as Mayor since Rob's term is done in 2007; imagine the game playing that would probably happen to try to overthrow Rob from Toledo City Council President; imagine if Carty survived the recall attempt...The only people that are going to benefit from that type of drama are going to be those who thrive on controversy...like WSPD, other local media, local blogs and even me.
:-)
UPDATE: According to History Mike Fred also compared Carty to Hitler several times this morning in addition the call to "grow some".
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8 comments:
Good commentary with excellent analysis.
As an aside, I find LeFebvre's choice of words to be patently offensive and it usually takes a lot for me to be offended. It's a good thing for Fred that I am a strong advocate of free speech, free press, and all those good things or I would be leading the public call for his dismissal at WSPD.
Section 61A. Succession to Mayor - Acting Mayor.
If the Mayor dies, resigns, is removed from office, or becomes permanently disabled from performing the duties of the office of Mayor, the Mayor shall be succeeded in office until an election of a successor as specified herein by the President of Council, who shall thereby cease to be a member of Council, and who shall hold the office of Mayor until a successor is elected and qualified. If the Mayor becomes temporarily disabled from performing the duties of the office for any cause, the President of Council shall become Acting Mayor, with all powers and duties attendant thereto which are conferred or required by this Charter.
This means that Rob's term as a council member ends so his 'term limit' is irrelevant
Actually I think it is relevant. Rob's term as City Council President is done in 2007. If a recall election is held on November 7th, which would be the same election at which the new District 2 Councilperson is elected that could create some legal questions of it's own.
The way I read the Charter is where my question came in. Would Rob (if he were even still City Council President knowing a recall was being attempted) while technically not a City Council person anymore be able to become Mayor even temporarily? It will depend on how the law department analyzes that. Look at the decision that was made concerning term limits.
Therefore, I think it is a small valid part of the questions, if enough signatures would even be collected to demand a recall.
Realistically if a recall were to happen, Toledo City Council would be determining who the next mayor would be. Depending upon who is elected for the at-large in 2006? It could get very interesting as to Rob remaining Toledo City Council President.
I, too, get annoyed by the mindless machismo implied by the phrase "grow some" or "grow a pair," Lisa.
Courage and integrity have nothing to do with possession of a pair of testicles.
This is not an issue of political correctness as much as it is an issue of an ignorant phrase.
What was worse was when he mentioned the names of women - such as Tina Skeldon Wozniak - and admonished them to "grow some."
lisa -- i see...since a recall can't happen until 1 year in office...my bad
anon - no worries, the Charter is confusing enough at times that I've gotten parts of it wrong as well. You could be right if it all happened quickly enough since it sounds like if there is a recall vote it's official as soon as the results are official. Which would mean if Rob was still City Council President even with only a few weeks to go, he would be the next Mayor.
Kevin Milliken was talking about getting signatures already, obviously he needs to read the Charter again. The petition has to be approved before signatures can be collected which cannot happen until one year of office has taken place. Then you only have a limited time (90 days) to collect signatures. So he if is encouraging this person to start now? It's a waste of time. None of the signatures nor the petition would be valid.
:-)
Yeah, Fred got a bit out of hand this morning, more correctly, he's been getting more out of hand of late.
I chalk it up to his youth and inexperience ;-)
As for Carty, and you KNOW my history of ragging about and on Carty, I have only sincere wishes that he quickly gets the appropriate medical/psychiatric care that he needs, and recovers fully from his current difficulties (so that I won't feel guilty picking on him again).
I think Toledo will function better if everyone pretended Carty was invisible and just ignored him, period.
Allow the community to continue to operate and everytime that old fart opens his mouth, just hand him 2 bits and tell him to call someone who cares.
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