A whole lotta gamblers are going to be needed in Ohio...

In reading today's Cleveland Plain Dealer it says:

Ohioans already spend $900 million-plus yearly in West Virginia, Michigan and Indiana casinos, according to gambling-industry consultants.

Then the article says:

With slots parlors at nine sites, Ohio can capture a big chunk of that money and generate up to $853 million yearly for college tuition and scholarships, says the Learn and Earn campaign, comprising Ohio’s seven racetrack owners and two Cleveland developers.

The $835 million is the possible result of the 30% of the profits from these 31,500 slot machines.

So if $900 million is being spent by Ohioans right now that means that not only would all of those Ohioans have to now gamble in Ohio but we would need to have two thirds as many as are currently gambling right now yearly to be able to have that $853 million for scholarships...That's a whole lotta gamblers...

Lourdes Santiago wants more police not signs...

Toledo City Council candidate Lourdes Santiago as stated in this article by Tom Troy of the Toledo Blade, and on local news yesterday points out that rather than spending over $6,000 on Toledo pride type signs she'd rather see spending on adding more police officers be a priority. She made the call for more police officers back on September 13th before the "9 murders in 9 days" that was a large public focus. That press release was covered here and by some of the media but no mention in the Blade.

Lourdes is quoted in the Toledo Blade article:

"I say no more signs. No more rah-rah until our citizens feel safe," she said. "Police presence in our neighborhoods must be increased."


None of the other candidates for the Toledo City Council seat disagree with her on this though both in the Blade and on Fox 36 Dave Schulz suggests there were other items of less priority that also should have not been supported.

The Mayor suggests:

"While I appreciate the desire of councilmen and council candidates to impress the voters with their concern for public safety, I would suggest they walk the streets and encourage more citizens to participate in Block Watch,"

Here's my problem, and it's not directed at just Lourdes, I do agree with her that over $6,000 (when you factor in the cost of the city workers it's well over $7,000) on big Red letters isn't exactly something we need right now. The problem is from what I have been told more than once is that money budgeted to one department can not just be easily transferred to another one and in some cases when it involves certain types of federal or state funds it can only be used for specific purposes.

I agree 100% that each department should be spending their budget money wisely. I agree that public safety should come before signage. I agree that the department of streets, bridges, and harbor could have used that money and the workers time much more wisely. Yet, all of our candidates and our elected officials and our media could do a better job at clearly presenting how the City budget works. I wasn't sent the press release for this so I don't know at this point if that aspect was not mentioned by the media coverage.

I think this issue also points out that we do need to focus on a outcome-based or performance-based budget. It's very troubling to me that given the condition of our Toledo streets that David Welch felt this was a justifiable expense and that the Mayor's office wasn't aware of it. If Mr. Welch is limited to the same $10,000 amount without needing approval, you'd still think something like this would be something that the Mayor should be aware of before it's done.

Cleveland uses water as a way to "encourage" regional cooperation

Recently some of us have discussed NEO's trying to encourage "non-poaching" which in this situation means one area trying to take jobs from another area; we've also recently discussed water here in Lucas County. In reading today's Cleveland Plain Dealer an article entitled, "'No poaching' plan dries up in suburbs" is well worth reading. Some key points:


Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson tried to use water rate increases this year to lead Northeast Ohio into regional cooperation. His goal is stopping the city and suburbs from going into neighboring towns and offering enticements to companies to get them to relocate.

The four-year rate increases will generate an extra $10 million a year for improvements to the suburban waterlines, which many suburbs say are badly needed. Jackson offered to take over responsibility for the suburban lines, but only in suburbs signing "no poaching" agreements.

The suburbs had the discussion break down when it came to agreeing to not raid each other.

So Jackson decided to make agreements that protect Cleveland only. In the deal, generally, if an employer moves from Cleveland to a suburb, the suburb will share the resulting income taxes with Cleveland for five years.

The mayors and managers group won't vote on whether to enter into no-poaching agreements with Cleveland until next month, but at a meeting Thursday, few voiced opposition. After the group votes, each suburb will sign contracts with the city.

Another article that gives more background on the non-poaching issue can be found here for those interested in additional information.

Some local pork headed our way in the Defense Appropriations Bill...

The Toledo Blade has an article about yesterday's Senate vote that contains this:

There is also a stack of pet projects for lawmakers' homes states and districts, including $372 million obtained for Hawaii, home of Daniel Inouye, top Democrat on the defense appropriations panel.

When I took a look at this monster of a bill, this caught my eye:

S.AMDT.4867- AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
To provide that, of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title II for the Army National Guard for operation and maintenance, up to $7,500,000 may be available to renovate and repair existing barracks at Camp Perry, Port Clinton, Ohio.

The Amendment was sponsored by Sen. Byrd and co-sponsored by Sen. DeWine.


S.AMDT.4797- AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
To provide that, of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title IV for the Army for research, development, test and evaluation, up to $1,000,000 may be available for the Portable Battery Operated Solid-State Electrochemical Oxygen Generator project.

Was sponsored by Sen. Voinovich and co-sponsored by Sen. DeWine also

S.AMDT.4801 - AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
To make available from Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy, up to $10,000,000 for the Carrier Replacement Program for advance procurement of nuclear propulsion equipment.

Sen. Dewine was the sponsor, Sen. Voinovich the co-sponsor

Some other "earmarks" of interest in this bill which as quoted in the Washington Post:

"There are 2,000 earmarks in the bill directed by Members of Congress somewhere around $8 billion and a large portion of those don't have anything to do with the mission of the Defense Department," said Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

S.AMDT.4788 - AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
To provide $1,829,000,000 for the Army National Guard for the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing, and 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the southwest border.

S.AMDT.4759 - AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
To make available from Other Procurement, Army, up to $2,600,000 for the Virtual Interactive Combat Environment for the New Jersey National Guard.

It should however be pointed out that when it comes to most of these pork projects? The Senate manages to agree as a good majority of these amendments state:

agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent, which is exactly how this bill passed as well.

Blackwell and Strickland both have new you tube releases...

Ken Blackwell's goes for the negative:



Ted Strickland's goes for the positive:



Next time it could of course reverse but what is interesting is how much you tube and google video have become a part of campaigning.

:-)

Local alternative media round up!

Starting with Sojourner's Truth, there are some interesting articles out there that I recommend reading. First up is an in depth article about Lourdes Santiago. Joe McNamara is also written about by Tamir A. Shaw. Karen Shanahan has her recent media release covered and Jack Ford writes about the recent murders and how it affects a mayor.

Over at the Toledo City Paper, Johnny Hildo would like to see Napoli for Mayor and it's time for some Dining Awards.

Ron Hutcheson and Margaret Talev write a very interesting piece entitled, Iraq war fuels terrorism that is well worth a visit to the Independent Collegian. If you are feeling in the mood for something lighter? Ed Carrol has just what you are looking for with The two-faced Rocky the Rocket.

La Prensa is reporting that local hispanics are not happy with Sherrod Brown in this article entitled, "HB 6061: Sherrod Brown’s flip-flop on immigration disappoints Latino supporters".

Each of these publications has many fine articles, so don't forget to support all of our local alternative media.

:-)

George Sarantou Press Releases...

Recently I received the two press releases from the George Sarantou for Lucas County Commissioner campaign that happened earlier, one in August and one in September. In the interest of providing complete information to the readers of Glass City Jungle I am including them here.

TOLEDO, OH- George Sarantou, Toledo Councilman and candidate for County Commissioner, unveiled his new vision for Lucas County during the first of a series of press conferences Wednesday, August 30, 2006.

He began with a pledge to protect taxpayer dollars by going through the $138,000,000 budget line by line. “With 24 years of professional financial experience, I can eliminate waste and overspending in Lucas County,” he said.


Sarantou then vowed to create more good jobs for Lucas County by creating a hit list and personally contacting 100 top companies that are poised to move out of their current markets and fit the profile of businesses needed in Lucas County.

He promised to continue his vigilant fight to lower residential and commercial utility rates. “Lucas County’s utility rates are nine percent higher at the residential level and a whopping 33.9 percent higher at the commercial level than the state of Ohio’s average,” he noted. “These costs keep much needed businesses out of Lucas County and put and undue strain on our residents.”

Sarantou also promised to champion a sales-tax-free shopping day for the state of Ohio. “A tax-free shopping day will stimulate economic growth and save our citizens money,” he said.

“Scheduling this day in August will also lessen the burden on families buying school supplies, clothing and other merchandise.”

TOLEDO, OH- George Sarantou, Toledo Councilman and candidate for County Commissioner, continued announcing his vision for Lucas County during a press conference Wednesday, September 13, 2006.

Beginning with a guarantee to promote Lucas County as a family-friendly region, Mr. Sarantou said he will work with Toledo Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to create a unified, positive message about Lucas County.

“As a family man, I realize the importance of portraying Lucas County as a fine region to live, work and raise a family,” he said. “I hope to disseminate that message not only in our own community, but also in surrounding metropolitan areas.”

Sarantou then spoke of a plan to increase local job visibility, saying he will promote the listing of all public and private sector jobs with The Source of Northwest Ohio by creating a public service campaign marketed to employers who are not currently participating in the free listing program.

“Having a current, accessible database of available jobs will enable local citizens to find work in the region and prevent the post-graduation exodus of valuable candidates,” he noted.

Sarantou also pledged to help keep Lucas County dollars in Lucas County. Recognizing that the county must award a contract to the lowest and best bid, Sarantou said he will champion efforts for local businesses to work with local government.

“I will encourage Lucas County businesses to bid on Lucas County projects because, without question, money spent locally will have a greater impact on economic development throughout our region,” he said.

He promised to protect citizens and their neighborhoods by working with the Lucas County sheriff’s office and suburban law enforcement to establish and maintain block watch programs throughout Lucas County. Additionally, he proposed working with the Lucas County judicial system, law enforcement agencies and social service agencies to educate citizens about the problem and prevention of domestic violence.

Sarantou closed with his strategy to plan for regional flood control by cooperating with all Lucas County jurisdictions, as well as Monroe County, Michigan, to map out flood prone areas and identify solutions for fixing them.

Announcement from Bob Vasquez for Toledo City Council Campaign...

Bob Vasquez is pleased to announce his website:

www.bobvasquez.info

The site contains quite a bit of information including upcoming events and a lot of pictures, so stop on by and check it out. It has also been added to the sidebar of NW Ohio Candidates.

:-)

Press Release: Dave Schulz On Improving Toledo’s Business Climate

Dave Schulz To Hold Press Conference On Improving Toledo’s Business Climate

Results of business survey will be released

City Council candidate Dave Schulz will hold a press conference in front of Government Center at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday September 28th and discuss the following:

· Results of a business survey the campaign conducted that shows the vast majority of business owners polled view the city government as unfriendly to business

· Concrete plans to improve the business climate in Toledo

· Call for a private – public task force on outsourcing and privatization opportunities

The cornerstone of Schulz’s plan is the reduction of the business income tax rate from 2.25% to 1.75%.

Schulz, when elected to council, will make holding the administration accountable for implementing customer service training for all employees who deal with the public and business owners.

Schulz will also detail plans to pay for the tax cut that includes merging many departments and out sourcing certain functions. Outsourcing certain functions will make government more efficient, provide better services and focus government on its core functions.

Dave Schulz stated, “My plans will make us more competitive in retaining and attracting jobs, while focusing the city’s resources away from administrative functions to the basic city services our citizens and business owners pay taxes for.”

Schulz believes that by improving the business climate it will also provide the needed jobs and tax base to provide hope to the unemployed and help prevent crime by providing jobs to those who need them. Schulz added, “A stable good paying job is the best disincentive to commit crimes”

Results of the survey can be found at:

link

Press Release: McNamara Proposes Democratic Reforms

From the Joe McNamara for Toledo City Council campaign:

McNamara Proposes Democratic Reforms to Strengthen Toledo
Council candidate supports Citizen Based Budgeting, establishment of a Citizens Academy

Toledo, OH – Toledo City Council candidate Joe McNamara will hold a press conference today, Thursday, September 28 at 2 PM in front of One Government Center in downtown Toledo to propose two initiatives aimed at empowering citizens.

McNamara is proposing that the city adopt a Citizen-Based Budgeting process and establish a Citizens Academy to train community leaders in the workings of city government.


“Citizen participation makes a city stronger and more resilient,” asserts McNamara. “We need a budget that reflects the real priorities of citizens rather than the special interests of political insiders.”

Citizen-Based Budgeting (CBB) is a process by which citizens have direct input in how their city develops its annual spending plan. Surveys and community forums are used to evaluate the quality of city services, identify citizens’ priorities, and educate the community about the budgeting process and any financial difficulties faced by the city. Davenport, Iowa has been using Citizen Based Budgeting since 2001.

A Toledo Citizen’s Academy would offer an annual class of approximately thirty citizens the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the city and how to navigate the bureaucracy to improve our community. The course would help to better prepare citizens interested in serving on city boards and commissions and strengthen the volunteer leadership of neighborhood-based organizations such as Block Watch groups and community development corporations. Citizens Academies currently operate in communities such as Bloomington, Indiana and Greensboro, North Carolina.

This is just a test of the emergency Toledo budgeting system...

This is a test of the Emergency Toledo budgeting System. The blogcasters of your area in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual budget emergency, the Attention Signal you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions. This blog serves the Northwestern Ohio area. This concludes this test of the Emergency Toledo Budgeting System.

That's what you might think after reading this Toledo Blade article that states in part:

Insisting it's just an exercise, Toledo's finance director, John Sherburne, has asked all city department directors to submit a proposal for cutting their budgets by 7 percent in 2007.

"This is an exercise to see if they can do it and to see if they can cost out the services they are providing," he said yesterday.


A little further in the article it states:

Mr. Finkbeiner said the city's finance department is trying out a new budget philosophy called "outcome-based budgeting," aimed at requiring departments to focus on what they should be doing, rather than on continuing what they have been doing.

"Outcome-based budgeting" or "zero-based budgeting" has been around for quite some time. It's a different way of developing budgets. Rather than use what has been budgeted in the past and just add for inflation it starts with nothing then only budgets which programs/costs are determined are necessary.

Some interesting articles for those of you who want to read more, Pittsburg discussed this last year:

David Miller, a public policy expert at the University of Pittsburgh and former budget director for Mayor Tom Murphy, said outcome-based budgeting -- also called zero-based budgeting -- has been used with various degrees of success by some governments since the 1980s.

"The idea of starting with a clean piece of paper each year is a good conceptual way of doing budgeting," he said. "It forces budget developers to be much more cognizant of justifying their expenditures."

American City & County Magazine has an article from last year on the increased use of out-come based budgeting:

Hutchinson (Peter Hutchinson, co-author of “The Price of Government: Getting the Results We Need in an Age of Permanent Fiscal Crisis”) says outcome-based budgeting requires a change in mindset — from thinking about paying for costs and funding departments to thinking about purchasing outcomes for residents. “It takes a lot of energy to get people to think differently, and they don't all make it the first time around,” he says. “Most proposals are some version of what they've always submitted. It takes a second round or a second year or iteration for people to really start to get the idea.”

The concept of outcome-based budgeting is one that has been promoted by the DLC and this has also been supported by Republicans as this Michigan GOP press release shows.

If you want to go really deep into this type of budgeting process as opposed to the traditional ones I recommend this pdf from the Center for the Study of Social Policy by Mark Friedman.

I think it is an idea that holds a great deal of potential if City Government can join together to put into this process what is necessary for it to work. So while today might be a "test of the emergency budgeting system", the future could be different...

Water proposal demonstrates why many in Lucas County fear regionalism

Some of the information is reported in the Toledo Blade which subtitles the article, "Townships limit growth, share benefits under plan". Some of the details:

The agreement would allow Toledo to sell water to residents in the townships, but any expansion of water use, such as for new housing or commercial developments, would have to be approved by city council.

The plan also requires the communities to pass a land-use policy and have zoning. Toledo would sell the water with a 75 percent surcharge on the basic rate charged in Toledo.


I don't think anyone would state that Toledo should not make a profit on selling water, even though realistically the water itself is not owned by Toledo it's a natural resource; Toledo is the one who has water delivery and sewage systems in place. It's the control issue that seems to be of the most concern. As quoted in the Blade article:

She (Lourdes Santiago) said by negotiating a deal where the city gets revenue from township developments, the city is not helping another jurisdiction compete with Toledo. Unlike in the past, the city is not looking to annex property, just share in the revenue, she said.

"The growth that takes place could not hurt Toledo because the city will benefit," she said.

As to the issue of annexation, I can't help wondering how many people are aware of the Ohio Supreme Court ruling in March that makes it clear that annexation of property as a condition of providing water and sewage services is allowed and it can be demanded that people can not opt out; from the Court summary:

The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today that a county combined health district has legal authority to require a property owner to connect his household sewer outlet to an available municipal sanitary sewer system, even when the municipality operating the sewer system requires annexation of the property to the municipality as a condition of connection. Justice Alice Robie Resnick authored the Court's 5-2 decision.

The statement as quoted in the Blade article by Pete Gerkin:

"This gives townships flexibility," Mr. Gerken added. "If they don't like it, they don't have to go there."

I disagree, this proposal would give Toledo and Toledo City Council huge power over what happens in the Townships as far as their economic development. Toledo would be in a position to deny water permits, let's say as an example that Toledo wanted another Costco and one of the townships also had a chance to have one. Toledo could deny the water permit. Townships that want water are not only going to pay the 75% surcharged but have to agree to allow Toledo City Council to determine what they can or cannot have as far as water permits. The whole politcal nature of what our City Council is will be thrust upon these townships, while it is supposed to be nonpartisan, it's not. Maggie Thurber has quite a bit of additional information about this on her blog that I recommend if you are interested in this topic.

Those that I have talked to that don't support regionalism typically state as one of their top reasons they are against it is they don't trust Toledo to not put their self interest first before the rest of the County. This also makes people feel that the majority of the Lucas County Commissioners are more interested in what is best for Toledo rather than the county as a whole. It would have been interesting if the Blade had asked both Lucas County Commisioner candidates what their position was on this proposal. I hope to find that out in the near future.

While I am a Toledo resident now, I have lived in townships, I have friends who live in townships and as one friend said to me, "This is almost like blackmail, either we meet their terms or we can't have water". I'd like to disagree with him but some of these communities have limited options as to their water sources so it does place them in a very difficult position and I see this process as one that could create even more distrust of Toledo and our County Government. That to me is not the path to encouraging regional prosperity.

Could we maybe wait before labeling victims as drug related?

This morning's Toledo Blade as well as the majority of the media I saw stated something similar to this:

The murder of a woman found shot in the head yesterday may be connected to the weekend double homicide of two men who met a similar fate and were linked to a federal probe into a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring, Toledo police said.

“It all comes back to Operation Tailgate,” police Chief Mike Navarre said, referring to an investigation into a major Toledo drug ring that was broken up less than two weeks ago.

The family of Ericka Graham disagreed with her death being drug related.


Now it's been updated:

During a news conference this evening, Police Chief Mike Navarre said that, to the best of his knowledge, Ms. Graham appears to be an innocent victim and not involved in the recent drug-related homicides.

"I think it’s important to note that there is no information that Ericka Graham was involved in any illegal drug activity we were investigating," he said.

The murders of Tammy Cappelletty and Juan E. Ybarra have also been suggested as linked to drugs:

Capt. Ray Carroll said police believe two suspects were in the car's back seat at the time of the shootings, but would not elaborate on why he believes drugs were involved.

"A lot of this information is sensitive right now," Captain Carroll said. "I think it was drug-related, but we don't want to let a lot out right now."

I understand the public and the media wants answers when you have a situation where you have that many murders in a short time period but putting the families of the victims thru the additional pain of hearing that their loved ones death was somehow related to drugs isn't necessary, especially if it's not accurate...Sometimes, "We really don't know right now" is the better response...

Sarantou and Konop debate and Sarantou website unveiled

The Toledo Blade reported on this. I didn't attend so I don't know the full context of this:

Mr. Konop did not relent. Pitching himself as the candidate of "detailed, innovative, and new ideas," he accused Mr. Sarantou of undermining minorities and minority issues in Lucas County because of his support for Ken Blackwell, the Ohio secretary of state who is the Republican candidate for governor.

That, Mr. Konop attacked, was an affront to minority voters because Mr. Blackwell was the man in charge of the election in Ohio in 2004. Mr. Konop said many believed Mr. Blackwell was particularly disenfranchising for minority voters.

"I believe I sent Ken Blackwell $25 or $50, but my opponent is behaving in a [Sen. Joseph] McCarthy way," Mr. Sarantou responded, noting that he has spent more than 24 years in public service, "always looking out for all people."

I think to be fair it should be pointed out that during the primary, George Sarantou supported Jim Petro. Pam Haynam stated she supported Ken Blackwell. Nor does it appear that George was a huge supporter of Ken Blackwell prior to the Gubernatorial run. While I'm sure that George like most endorsed party candidates is going to publicly state he supports his party ticket, I have to disagree with Ben Konop on making Ken Blackwell an issue in the Konop V Sarantou campaign. Yes, I understand the whole broad brush thing that happens during campaigns where the actions of a few are used attack all. I just don't happen to agree with that particular method, from anyone who is campaigning, I think we should focus most on the specific issues and what each candidate brings to the table.

I also received word that the George Sarantou for Lucas County Commissioner campaign website is up at running at: www.georgesarantou.com. This site has also been added to the sidebar listing of candidate websites.

:-)

La Prensa has more on Anita Lopez and Larry Kaczala..

While one of the disadvantages of a weekly paper is the news might not be as recent, in some cases the details can be worth waiting for. I posted about this last week, and linked the Toledo Blade article. The earlier linked Blade article stated:

He (Larry Kaczala) acknowledged receiving $4,000 from Noe for his failed 2004 congressional campaign but said that since that account is now closed, he can no longer add or take money from it under federal law.

He initially denied receiving money from the Noes for his auditor's campaign, though records show that Noe contributed $3,500 to Mr. Kaczala's campaign for auditor in 2002.


From the La Prensa article:

“It’s sad that she is so naïve,” he (Larry Kaczala) said of López. “I have never received anything from Tom Noe, only from Bernadette Noe.”

Kaczala also denied that the contributions his campaigns had received from Bernadette Noe, who served as chairman of the Republican Party during Kaczala’s previous two races – for re-election in 2002 and for U.S. Congress in 2004 – were anywhere near $10,000. He estimated the amount to be in the vicinity of $4,000.

A review of the statement of contributions for Kaczala’s campaign for re-election in 2002 showed that he reported contributions in the amount of $1,000 from Tom Noe on 8/28/01, $250 from Tom Noe on 12/20/01, $1,500 from Tom Noe on 03/01/02 and $750 from Tom Noe on 08/12/02 and other services – catering – from Tom Noe in the amount of $653.42.

In 2004, Kaczala reported that he received a total of six donations in the amount of $1,000 from both Tom and Bernadette Noe. The reported checks from Tom Noe were dated 9/25/03, 9/25/03 and 6/22/04. Bernadette Noe’s contributions were dated, 9/25/03, 9/25/03 and 6/30/04. The total amount reported by the Kaczala campaigns of 2002 and 2004 was $10,153.42 from Tom and Bernadette Noe.

One of the major reasons I try to read our alternative news sources is articles like this one, where earlier information can be enhanced and many times you get a different perspective as well as more details. While in the La Prensa article Larry stated that:

“She’s bordering on slander and should be careful. If I’m tainted by Tom Noe, then she’s tainted by Ray Kest, Sandy Isenberg and the roof incident, and Bob McCloskey.”

I'd suggest that had he not made the statement as quoted in La Presna:

“I have never received anything from Tom Noe, only from Bernadette Noe.”

and in the Toledo Blade:

Mr. Kaczala countered by saying that he has never been involved in the Noe investigation and that the funds he received from the Noes were contributions from Mrs. Noe, who was the Lucas County Republican Party chairman at the time.

It'd be less of an issue...

If race doesn't matter...

I was reading this AP article as linked on The Toledo Journal entitled, "Blacks Looking to Represent White Districts Create Mixed Feelings".

I recommend reading the whole article but one at the beginning and one at the end:

Having gained control over most predominantly Black political districts, an increasing number of African-Americans are campaigning to represent majority Whites districts.

“We are hoping that in the 21st Century, we are going to have a significant number of African-Americans; not one or two – that will be elected when the people who voted for them were majority-minority,” he (Harvard law professor and civil rights and political activist Charles Ogletree) says. “We see that with Barack Obama. We hope to see it with Harold Ford. We’ve seen it with Barbara Lee. It is a rarity. But if we’re ever going to have a real democracy, people have to be elected based on their talents and merits and race should not be a prohibitive factor.


It's something I've never understood, if the theory is that blacks are best represented by blacks or whites are best represented by whites, then that is all about race. If the theory is going to be the best candidate regardless of race should be elected then that should apply for all districts, no matter their racial make up.

Back on November 6, 1997, an article by Tom Troy in the Toledo Blade entitled, "WHITES LEAD SCHOOL BOARD" states:

Toledo Public Schools, with a student body that is 52 per cent minority, could be guided by an all-white school board when Wilma Brown resigns her seat to become a city council member.

Too many black candidates for the Toledo board of education and too few black voters contributed to the failure of black school board candidates in Tuesday's voting, according to candidates and local party leaders.

Of course this didn't happen since Larry Sykes was appointed, but that demonstrates the focus on race and suggests the implication that black voters mainly support black candidates.

Even this piece by Southern Poverty Law Center describes how minority votes can be "diluted":

The several white candidates split the white vote. The black candidate receives more votes than any of the white candidates, but she fails to win a majority of the votes, and a run-off election must be held between the black candidate and the second-place white candidate. In the run-off, most of the white voters vote for the white candidate, and the white candidate receives a majority of the vote, even if she receives no black votes. The white candidate wins the runoff election and takes office, even though she had fewer votes than the black candidate in the first election.

Of course this has happened, which again points to there those who make race a primary consideration. Race has been brought up many times in the Ohio Gubernatorial election and in this Toledo Journal link is also mentioned:

In Ohio, Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell and in Pennsylvania, Republican Lynn Swann are running for governor in the general election Nov. 7. Both are trying to duplicate the state-wide success of L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first and only elected African-American governor in 1989.

Lest it appears that it is mainly whites who prevent blacks from being elected, there have also been situations where whites have been not welcome to run in majority black districts. Some even now call this the Yassky Effect.

The first line of the New York Times article:

A group of black and Hispanic elected officials from Brooklyn are scheduled to meet this morning to devise strategies to keep a white candidate from winning a Congressional seat of historical significance in black politics.

No one could say Yassky was not qualified...but he lost:

A black city councilwoman won the racially charged primary for a Congressional seat in central Brooklyn yesterday, beating back a challenge from a white councilman to win a seat created nearly four decades ago to increase minority representation in Congress.

It appears pretty clear that we still have a ways to go before race doesn't matter...

No wrong door policy for Lucas County Social Service System possible...

The Lucas County Family Council may have according to the Toledo Blade come up with a simple idea:

Ensuring that every person calling into a service agency is treated with courtesy seems simple, but it's a value that members of the Lucas County Family Council decided to stand behind Friday.

However it is something that is needed, and I was even more encouraged to read that the "No Wrong Door" policy is being looked at being implimented here.

In Wood County, as even their logo implies:





The mission of the No Wrong Door program is to make information about services and resources available with one call to any of the member agencies. The Wood County Department of Job and Family Services is a member agency. We also participate in every training. The goal of this program is that people would only have to make one call to find the right resource for their need. The name "No Wrong Door" means that you may go to any of the member agencies to find the information and referral you need.

No more hunting for the right agency/resource. No more repeated phone calls only to reach another dead end. There is no wrong door in this system. All member agencies are trained as are many community people who want to be a good place to call for help.

Kudos to the members of the Lucas County Family Council for continuing to do a great job in looking at ways to improve/enhance the Lucas County Social Services network.

:-)

Press Release from Ben Konop on High Tech Incubator in Downtown Toledo

From the Ben Konop for Lucas County Commissioner Campaign:

Konop to Propose High Tech Incubator in Downtown Toledo
Democratic Candidate set to unveil first initiative in his “Jobs Now” plan for Lucas County

( Toledo , OH ) - Democratic candidate for Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop will hold a press conference tomorrow, Sunday, September 24th, to discuss the first prong of his “Jobs Now” plan for Lucas County: the creation of a high tech incubator for small high tech firms in Lucas County. Konop will be unveiling his proposal Sunday at 2pm in front of One Seagate Center, the former, and now virtually empty, headquarters of O-I.


Konop’s proposal for a high tech incubator is modeled after a successful program used in Youngstown to encourage job growth in emerging high tech industries. The incubator, at a minimal cost to taxpayers, provides office space, utilities, and technical support and mentoring to a limited number of selected high tech start ups. The businesses share resources within a previously empty office building. Efficiencies and collaborations are encouraged because of this close proximity of similar companies. In Youngstown, the high tech incubator has created nearly 200 jobs , 16 patents, and 19 software applications.

“If Youngstown can do it,” questioned Konop, “why not Toledo ?”

“Job creation is the number one issue facing our community as we head into the 21st century,” stated Konop. “Because of unfair trade laws, our manufacturing base is diminishing. So it’s key that we look to the future, and supporting a high tech incubator is one way in which county government can help create jobs and get our economy moving again,” added Konop.

“I think it’s time for a change in Lucas County, and the high tech incubator will signal to the rest of the world that our community is ready to do business and create jobs in the 21st century,” said Konop. “As Commissioner, I’ll make sure that the right parties are brought to the table, the project gets moving, and that county government makes a serious, long-term commitment to 21st century jobs.”

More on the Chickens!

Libertarian Jason over at Yearning to Breathe Free sent me a link to a video set to music of what happened at the last Gubernatorial Debate. Well, what happened outside the Gubernatorial Debate, when two Bill Peirce supporters (Howard Kornhauser and Arjen Peirce) dressed up as Chickens to protest both Ken Blackwell and Ted Strickland for refusing to allow third party candidates who are on the ballot to join the debate. One "chicken" wore a Ted name tag with a picture of a donkey on his back and one "chicken" wore a Ken name tag with a picture of an elephant on his back.

Both men were arrested for being in the street, but if you watch the video it's obvious to see they were not the only ones who were in the street and there was the same sort of sign jostling that happened at the UT Strickland event to be infront of the cameras.

Maybe someday we will actually have a democracy where State candidates who earn a place on the ballot are included. After all here in Toledo, even the Opal Covey's of the world are included...

"See you at the flag pole" here locally?

I read this:

“See You at the Pole,” in which students gather at their school flagpoles to pray before the start of their junior and senior high school classes, will be held nationwide Wednesday. The suggested starting time is 7 a.m. but it can vary.

This year’s theme is “Be Still and Know that I Am God,” from Psalm 46:10. The program started in 1990 in Burleson, Texas, and last year, more than 2 million teenagers prayed around flagpoles in all 50 states.


I haven't heard anything about any of our local public schools participating in this, but thought it was interesting enough to do some further research. I don't have a problem with the concept of students praying, the original concept behind "See you at the flag pole" appears to be the idea of students even though Baptist General Convention of Texas owns the trademark for the See You at the Pole™ name and event now. That is a bit bothersome since that takes this out of the realm of the students alone being the reason for this but what is most troubling is concern about the original concept of this being twisted by those who are participating. It's been suggested that a few groups who have chosen to try to use this day of prayer as a way to define who is "with us or against us" when it comes to being Christian. That to me goes against the very creation of this day of prayer.

At Religious Tolerance Org one example that was listed:

Nearly 150 Christian students gathered in the school yard during the 2005 SYATP event. They wrote the names of non-Christian students on pieces of paper. Darrell Haley, a youth pastor at the local E-Church brought a portable wooden cross which was set up next to the school flagpole....

Yet, if you actually look at the pdf the caption next to the photo of the cross states:

Participants brought prayer requests and nailed them to the cross. Rachel wrote, “God truly moved in such a mighty way. I just felt the presence of God and the Holy Spirit at our school today.”

The other source quoted that Religious Tolerance used is the Edmund Sun newspaper which doesn't have archives going back that far to verify. I did find this which states:

They also prayed for non-Christian students in their school and wrote their names down on paper.

In a solemn, symbolic offering, they nailed the pieces of paper to a wooden cross, set up beside the flag pole.

Then I found this article by Jeff Hall that not only confirms this did happen but expresses pretty close to what I feel about these types of events:

To publicly label them as “non-Christian” in a majority Christian community in a majority Christian state is, in my opinion, not a Christian thing to do.

“See You at the Pole” is meant to give Christian students a sense they have a strong community in their schools and a chance to express publicly their desire for God’s grace and blessings on each other, their communities, their nation, their world.

It shouldn’t be public finger-pointing.

Let's hope that if any of our local schools that decide to participate in "See you at the flag pole", the adults remember that this is for the students and that everyone remembers that we do have freedom of religion in this country. Which also includes the freedom to not participate in a religion. May those who participate and those who decide not share what is most important, tolerance and respect of others.

Indians, Clowns, Politicians and more...

Today was the 33rd annual Roche de Boeuf Festival and Parade in Waterville Ohio. This festival was always my father's favorite one to attend, and there were some new events such as members from the Seven Eagles Earth Center. Aubrey bought a few Indian trinkets and gave throwing tomahawks a shot. She actually did pretty good and she posed for a picture with her impromptu tomahawk throwing instructor. They have an upcoming event on October 21st that sounds great that I'll post more information on.

Since I know some of you don't like politics, (Hi Jason!) all of the pictures Miguel took are at the title link but some funny moments to share before I get into which candidates were there. First, a picture for the clown lovers of the bunch:



He definitely earned the name "Happy the Clown".



Interestingly enough this parade had a heckler. Yes, a heckler, not directed at the political candidates though, he appeared to focus most of his attention on his fellow Waterville residents. Especially the Anthony Wayne Generals marching band. He kept repeating, "Show some spirit! No wonder why we are losing you don't have any spirit!". It was obvious from the several times we saw him with a beer bottle in hand that he had "spirit" in him, I didn't realize Miguel got a picture of him, minus a beer bottle until I got home, but he provided a mixture of amusement and disgust from those near our location. Thankfully the fears (and hope expressed by a few others) that he would fall off of the roof did not come to pass. The group who was there to respresent one of the local chiropractors was pretty cute, they made up a spine. The large group of dressed up women who made up the Wa Wa Sisterhood looked like a fun group to hang out with...

Now on to politics! Candidates and/or supporters that were in attendance that I spotted were, James Nusbaum, George Sarantou, Larry Kazcala, Michael Goulding, Linda Jennings, Charles Doneghy, Mark Dansack, Denny Parish, Stacy Cook, Ben Konop, Mark Wagoner, Ted Strickland, Sherrod Brown, The Fallen Timbers Republican Club had quite a few signs of local and state candidates displayed on their decorated truck, and I met a candidate running for City Council in Waterville, Derek Merrin.

If I missed anyone, I'll update. (Like Mayor Peyton who I should have included.) All in all it was a great parade and I am almost sorry that the parade season is pretty much over now until next year. I think a huge thank you should go out to the supporters of our local and state candidates who turn out to participate in all of these parades and festivals as well as all of the local people who participate and work behind the scenes to make all of these parades happen. I applaud them for their time and dedication because without them? There would be no parades.

:-)

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Jeff...

I've been watching this story with interest because while it's not local, I respect Jeff and this is not the first time a blogger has gone thru having a photograph taken from their blog and used without permission by a campaign.

Ted Wendling had a bit of creative fun at the beginning of the article:

Jeff Coryell, a lefty political blogger from Cleveland Heights who uses the moniker Yellow Dog Sammy, is treating Republican state Rep. Earl "Marty" Martin and three Cleveland TV stations like a fire hydrant.

Fed up with Martin's refusal to stop running a TV ad that uses a photograph of his Democratic challenger, Elyria Assistant Safety-Service Director Matt Lundy, that appears to have been lifted from Coryell's Web site, Coryell has sicced his legal beagle on the stations and the production house hired by the Ohio House Republican Campaign Committee.

It appears this might be resolved with the update that's listed. Let's hope so, and let's hope that the next time someone decides to use a photo in a campaign ad that it's one that they've gotten permission to use.

:-)

If you are not as old as dirt like I am and don't know where the title of this post came from? I'm not really crazy..

Let's take a look at local media and their coverage

Yesterday, Bob Vasquez held a community forum . Larry Dillin was his guest.

The Blade had no coverage of the event today but they did write about it yesterday to let readers know it was taking place.

Fox 36 covered the event, and they talked with Bob even though there doesn't appear to be a print version of the report.

NBC24 did not even mention Bob Vasquez at all in their coverage of this forum. If you watched or read the news at 24 you'd think that Larry Dillin did this all on his own. The video is also at the news story link.

Neither 11 or 13 have any information on their websites since I watched 24 I have no idea what type if coverage they gave the forum.

If you watched 11 or 13 at eleven, please post what you saw.

Lucas County Democratic Party is the "Voter Research Bureau"

When your phone rings and you hear "Hello, my name is so and so from Voter Research Bureau, and I'm calling voters about issues facing Toledo and Lucas County." It's the Lucas County Democratic Party phone bank calling you and not some independent polling company.

As you can see for yourself in this scan most of the questions are pretty much the standard ones that any basic poll would ask. Ironically the form that was given to me was printed on the back side of Carty Gets Results stationary, but that's probably more related to not wasting paper than anything nefarious.

Telephone polls happen, I'm not naive enough to think that every one of them is straight forward or even nice. Democrats and Republicans both do this sort of thing, the recent controversy surrounding Republican Mary Taylor's choice of questions when asking about Democrat Barbara Sykes immediately comes to mind.

Question 6 alone is pretty basic at first glance:

(FOR CITY VOTERS ONLY) Four candidates running for Toledo City Council are, Bob Vasquez, Joe McNamara, the endorsed Republican Dave Schulz, and the endorsed Democrat Lourdes Santiago. Who are you most likely to vote for - Vasquez, McNamara, Schulz or Santiago?

Then we come to this: (their emphasis not mine)

If McNamara - Would you be more or less likely to vote for Joe McNamara if you knew that he is taking his marching orders from the Blade?


The only candidate targeted for any additional "what if" question is Joe McNamara. I can't help but wonder how many people that state they are voting for Joe would change their mind based on the additional question. One can assume if numbers of those who state they are voting for Joe express "Less likely" the Blade aspect would continue to be pushed.

Which to me; realistically is not a reason to vote for or against Joe McNamara. While no one can dispute that there have been press conferences/press releases done by other Toledo City Council candidates that did not get coverage, that's not something that can be laid at the door of Joe as far as responsibility. The same basic accusation was directed at Ben Konop during the primary. I also know this is not just related to City Council races, there have been other candidates who have tried to get information out there that the Blade did not deem newsworthy.

I understand other candidates and their supporters feeling as if they are not being treated fairly, and I don't think anyone would dispute the fact that the Toledo Blade like the majority of media does have an editorial agenda, but this to me is a Blade issue not a McNamara issue. I can't speak for the Blade and I can't speak for Joe McNamara, but the concept of Joe taking his "marching orders" from the Blade is pretty out there. I realize one of the questions asked will be who gave this information to me, that I won't divulge, but I will confirm that it was not a Joe McNamara supporter or anyone connected to the Joe McNamara campaign.

I'm not sure how controversial this will be, however, if nothing else when you pick up the phone and you hear the caller identify themselves from "Voter Research Bureau", you'll know who it really is.

Joe McNamara Press Release - Proposed Tax Cuts for Teachers

From the Joe McNamara for Toledo City Council Campaign:

McNamara Proposes Tax Cuts For Toledo Teachers Who Call Toledo Home

Toledo City Council candidate would also extend incentives to Toledo police and fire fighters not bound by residency restrictions

Toledo, OH – Seeking to strengthen the tax base for our city’s public schools and reward the teachers who teach in them, Toledo City Council candidate Joe McNamara wants the city to offer tax cuts as residency incentives for teachers.

McNamara will hold a press conference today, Thursday, September 21, at 2 PM in front of Scott High School, 2400 Collingwood, to outline his proposal to cut taxes for public school educators who teach in Toledo and live in Toledo. McNamara wants to extend the same incentives to Toledo police and fire fighters who are not bound by residency restrictions.

McNamara is proposing a 50% cut in the city’s income tax and a 25% water bill credit for those eligible. Under this plan, a teacher making $48,000 and paying an annual water bill of $280 would receive $610 each year as thanks for living in the community they serve.

UPDATE: 5:19 p.m. - The Dave Schulz for Toledo City Council campaign has sent out a press release that is in direct response to Joe's earlier press release so I've opted to include it here under the "read more". It is titled, "Dave Schulz Responds To McNamara’s Silly Proposal".


City Council candidate Dave Schulz responds to candidate Mcnamara’s proposal to offer tax incentives to Toledo School teachers and fire and police employees.

Schulz asks the following hard questions:

How is he going to pay for it since he wouldn't even propose any cuts under his spending restraint plan he threw out in August? What would he cut?

Has he ever attended a Toledo public school?

Would this plan apply to all city employees who are living here now?

The court ruled recently that residency restrictions are unconstitutional, therefore all city employees can live outside Toledo if they choose. Mcnamara’s plan would have to apply to all 3,000 some city employees, otherwise it would be discriminatory. Then the costs start really adding up. And we know from recent experience that he lacks the political courage to come forward with ways to reduce expenses.

Does he currently pay property taxes to the Toledo Public School District? No, he lives in an area of Toledo that is part of the Sylvania School district. He says the objective is to enhance the tax base for the school and he doesn't contribute to it. Look up 4619 Cranbrook on the auditor’s website for yourself.

Schulz stated, "If he is so interested in TPS, he should be running for school board and not wasting voters' time running for city council."

Bob Vasquez to hold Community Forum with Larry Dillin

A Press Release from the Bob Vasquez for Toledo City Council campaign and also in the Toledo Blade:

Candidate Bob Vasquez to host Town Hall Meeting, featuring special guest developer Larry Dillin, on Southwyck and South Toledo Issues this Thursday

Bob Vasquez, At-Large Toledo City Council candidate, will host a town hall meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the future of Southwyck Mall and other South Toledo issues. His special guest will be developer Larry Dillin.

Mr. Vasquez has canvassed the surrounding neighborhoods to invite the citizens to ask questions, listen, and get an update on the progress of the mall.

The town hall meeting, which will be held at a South Toledo restaurant, is expected to draw neighbors and members of the community who are interested in Southwyck and the revitalization of Toledo.

This is being held tonight at 6:00 p.m. at Dave’s Home-Cooked Foods which is located at 1855 South Reynolds Road.

UPDATE: Karen Shanahan was able to attend the Community Forum tonight and she has a blog post about it

UPDATE 2: Liberal Dem was there as well and has more information too.

Strickland and Blackwell second debate...

Since it was not live in this area, if you want to watch it for yourself?

link

Then you can decide for yourself who you think "won".

:-)

Toledo Blade coverage of the debate and more information on the "Chicken arrests".

Good reasons for me to get up early...

Nookular Option is now on every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. You can tune in live on 88.3 on your FM dial or thru WXUT's webcast and if you are like me and once in a while 6 a.m. feels a bit too early? There is always the podcast of the show.

Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Toledo City Council candidate Joe McNamara will be on and next Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. JR the creator of Toledo Talk will be in studio.

:-)

Teetering for Tots - University of Toledo Theta Tau fundraiser

An informational release via my oldest daughter, Emily:

On October 6th and 7th, 2006, Theta Tau, the Professional Engineering Fraternity at the University of Toledo, will once again be hosting “Teetering for Tots.” This event is a very exciting way that Theta Tau chooses to support an important local charity called the Sunshine Foundation. The Sunshine Foundation, located in Maumee, Ohio is a Mennonite-affiliated, non-profit organization serving people with mental retardation and other development disabilities and their families. Sunshine was founded in 1950 by Roy and Georgette Engler of Maumee, Ohio. The Englers had five children who were mentally retarded due to a condition of blood incompatibility that is treatable today. The Englers decided to use their tragedy and experience as caregivers to help others, opening Sunshine Children’s Home in 1951. By the next year, the Englers, their four adult children and three employees were caring for 23 infants and toddlers.


Today Sunshine serves more than 900 individuals and families in a variety of settings. Sunshine’s Children’s Home now cares for 75 medically fragile children and young adults on a sprawling 25-acre wooded campus on Maumee Western Road in Maumee, Ohio. An additional 100 adults are cared for in 16 Family Care Homes spread across three counties and another 125 adults received supported living services in their own homes. Sunshine’s Family Support Department coordinates several programs providing family resource dollars, crisis intervention, weekly recreational programming and overnight respite care. Sunshine also offers supported employment opportunities, therapeutic animal activities, clinical services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy and many other support services. The organization continues to be guided by the vision of Roy and Georgette Engler and the values of the Mennonite Church to provide loving care to persons in need.

Although Sunshine is supported by state and federal sources, these funds do not provide the extras needed by the more than 900 people that are served. From special communication devices to wheelchair-accessible play equipment to major construction projects, the Foundation and its supporters are there to provide needed programs, projects and personnel. Through the support and donations of people like you, the Sunshine Foundation can continue to provide exceptional care to those in need. Teetering for Tots is a 24 hour teeter-totter marathon which takes place in the day leading up to the Homecoming Football game at the University of Toledo. With the generosity of our sponsors last year, Theta Tau was able to raise over $2000 for this important cause. This year, with your generous donations, we hope to raise much more money to assist this very important organization. Please pledge, not to support this event, but to support all the individuals and families that are served by the Sunshine Foundation.

As a personal addition to the above:

If you'd like to help Theta Tau and the Sunshine Foundation by making a donation you can mail a check or money order to Theta Tau at:

Theta Tau
ATT: Emily
1045 Nitschke Hall
University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606

If you need more information or would prefer another method to make a donation, drop me an email at glasscityjungle@gmail.com and I'll do what I can to help.

Thanks for reading this and thank you to all of you who can help. Yes, I plan to have pictures of this event, thankfully I will not be on any teeter totters...

:-)

Toledo City Council being nonpartisan...if only this was true...

Liberal Dem over at Politics in Mudville highlights some of the Toledo City Council action that the Toledo Blade didn't cover. Yes, some people are not interested in the Betty tries to take a jab at Frank proposal, yet...this part of the article to me was extremely newsworthy:

Ms. Shultz said she was concerned that one councilman could manage a campaign against one of his or her colleagues. She said council is supposed to be a nonpartisan body.

Let's turn to Miriam-Webster for just a moment...nonpartisan - not partisan; free from party affiliation, bias, or designation...


Granted Ms. Schultz is now a Republican, but there was a time when she was a Democrat and on Toledo City Council. Many situations can be found where it would be seriously questioned as to Toledo City Council being "nonpartisan, however, one that I think is especially worth a walk down memory lane was reported on my birthday, March 20th in 1997 in the Toledo Blade by Roberta de Boer:

It involves Toledo City Council denying a special use permit for an assited living center against the advice of the law department.

But council plunged ahead anyway, denying the permit 9-3. The vote split straight down party lines; all the Democrats voted against it.

There are those who say the tally came about because one of the Family Tree's more vocal neighborhood opponents is a well-known Democratic operative, Domenic Montalto. A veteran party strategic heavyweight, Mr. Montalto was once described in a Blade editorial as the Democrats' ``dirty tricks'' man.

As for his role in the protest, says Mr. Montalto:

``Hey, I'm always doing this kind of stuff for other people. I figure I can do it for myself. Did I go to city council? Heck yes. Why not? I have a perfect right to.''

Mr. Montalto's name crops up more than any other in city council transcripts of committee meetings where opponents spoke.

``It was the most blatant example of politics rearing its ugly head. If you take politics out as a justification, I can't fathom any other explanation as to why all the Democrats unanimously denied the permit,'' says Councilman Zmuda.

But Democratic councilmen who were contacted dismiss Mr. Montalto's involvement. Instead, they point to the larger issues of group homes in residential settings.

``Why is no one accountable for how many of these [homes] there are, where they are, and how they affect the value of the properties surrounding them?'' says Councilman Betty Shultz.


This vote came knowing that Gary Taylor,the law department's real estate expert, told Council:

``I think it would be difficult to [legally] defend a denial of the special-use permit in this case. I feel that the Federal Fair Housing Act - the law that I have researched and reviewed in this matter - would find a denial of a special-use permit would be a violation.''

Another moment of irony comes just a short time after that, in April of 1997 as reported in the Toledo Blade by Jeffrey Cohan:

Toledo council voted along party lines last night to transfer member Betty Shultz from her District 5 seat to a vacant at-large spot.

But the switch, approved on an 8-2 vote of the Democratic-controlled council, could trigger changes in how vacant council seats are filled.

Council's lone Republicans, Gene Zmuda and Rob Ludeman, voted against the switch and called for a review of the city charter provision that gives the council discretion to make appointments to vacant positions.

The two Republicans argued that in filling vacant council seats, the city should have to refer to the results of the most recent election. The highest vote-getter among the losers should get first crack at the vacancy. If that person doesn't want or can't take the job, the next highest vote-getter should get the opportunity, and so on, they say.

Ironic how almost ten years later some of the same problems arise again, however one really does wonder how much could be accomplished if Toledo City Council was truly non-partisan...

As something else to ponder...part of a Blade Editorial written in response to Betty Shultz being appointed to the at large seat on April 22, 1997:

Ours is officially a nonpartisan council, so technically it shouldn't matter whether a Democrat replaces a Republican or vice versa, but it does.

The public, which elected a member of one or another party, should get what it voted for.

What the charter commission should look into is not permitting appointments to local offices without an election. And if that means leaving a post vacant until the next primary, or the next general election, so be it. No one should be able to enact laws or spend the people's tax dollars without having been chosen by the people.

Appointing people to elective office is antithetical to democracy.

NAFTA...a flashback...

As I was reading Cleveland Openers this caught my attention:

Sherrod Brown put up a new commercial on Saturday that blames the loss of thousands of Ohio jobs on trade agreements that Mike DeWine supported. Specifically, he cites the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement as well as unspecified trade policy on China.

"I voted against all of these deals," Brown says, "and my opponent voted for them."


As Opener's points out, DeWine did not vote for the original NAFTA back in 1993.

So let's flash back to 1993, a Washington Post article:

Clinton stepped up the effort to more directly lay out what the administration describes as "the real costs" of passing up the trade pact. "If we walk away from this," Clinton said, Mexico will likely "make the same deal with Europe or Japan" to eliminate all tariffs between their nations.

"If Congress votes this down on the 17th of November, I would, if I were the prime minister of Japan, have the finance minister of my country in to see the president of Mexico on the 18th of November," Clinton said.

I realize now NAFTA has become something that many Democrats don't support and some did not support even at the time but when the Sherrod Brown campaign is making NAFTA an issue, it's hard for some of us who actually remember 1993 to view it the way it is being presented.

Here is the roll call of Senators who voted for and against NAFTA

Here is the roll call from the House of Representatives for and against NAFTA

One hundred and two Democrats in the House and twenty-five Democrats in the Senate voted to support President Clinton on NAFTA. John Kerry was one of those who voted for NAFTA and while in 2003 he said he would not have voted for NAFTA if it was in front of him then. I also clearly remember Ross Perot in 1992 claiming that passage would cause a "giant sucking sound" of jobs leaving the United States for Mexico.

I understand that Sherrod Brown is trying to point out that DeWine still supports the concept of NAFTA today, but I do think it's important to point out that NAFTA was supported by some in the Democratic Party beyond just President Clinton.

This post is included in the Carnival of Ohio Politics brought to you by the most wonderful Paul Miller of Northwest Ohio.net

The Us versus Them mindset in Party Politics...

We've seen this locally when it comes to simple things such as petition signing, we've also seen it when it comes to within the Lucas County Democratic Party as to being told you can't support either one of the unendorsed Democrats running for the Toledo City Council spot. We've heard our own President and his administration state the whole you are either with us or against us in varying formats.

For me one of the major issues I have with the concept of party politics can be demonstrated by what happened to Charles Saxbe. Saxbe could not do what many Republicans are doing, saying off the record they can't support Ken Blackwell, he openly came out in support of Ted Strickland. (Curtsy to Modern Esquire for the news link.)

Saxbe stated:

"I don't think any right-thinking Republican believes that people who are supporting choice are murderers, or that people who support gay rights or who are gay are somehow ill-equipped to enjoy the privileges of citizenry in this state," Saxbe told reporters after the event.

According to Ken Blackwell's spokesman:

He said Blackwell and the party aren't upset because Saxbe disagrees with them, they're upset that he endorsed a Democrat.

"As far as we're concerned, he's no longer a member of this party. He decided that yesterday," LoParo said the day after Saxbe's event.

I know there are many schools of thought on this. So, I'm interested in what you think. Not just related to Saxbe deciding he wanted to openly support Ted Strickland, but in general does it have more of an impact for you as a voter if a person from another party endorses a candidate? How do you feel about this whole "traitor" to the party type scenario that some are presenting?

Some blog posts you don't want to miss...

Karen Shanahan over at Shanahan Select has a very interesting media release that outlines concerns and some possible solutions on the topic of development policies.

There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but Jill over at Writes Like she talks is posting the many reasons why she believes you should vote no on Issue 3 (Yes, that's the gambling dressed up as college scholarship amendment). Today she's on Reason 51 .

Pondering on is selling the turnpike such a great idea? Hooda Thunkit has some excellent thoughts on this topic.

Jason over at Yearning to Breathe Free has a post on a court ruling that I missed last week where the Libertarian Party won.

I've been negligent in my blog reading and sharing lately but there are some excellent posts out there by our Ohio bloggers every day.

:-)

Some kudos for a local program, Dental Center of Northwestern Ohio

Health care costs are rising and there are many of us who either don't have dental insurance or have dental insurance that is extremely limited in what it covers. Proper dental care for children is especially important but it's also most times very costly. However there is an excellent program right here in Toledo that can help not only adults but children get dental care.

For families who meet their income requirements:

A resident of the Dental Center of Northwest Ohio service area living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level OR a resident of the service area receiving health benefits from Medicaid or a Medicaid HMO is eligible for dental services.

There is a fee scale for adults but children under the age of 18 are charged $20.00 per visit no matter the amount of dental work done. For a family of four that would mean those making under $40,000 would qualify from an income standpoint.


Maggie Thurber mentioned the program on WSPD when she was filling in for Brian Wilson a few weeks ago. Then my 17 year old started complaining she had a tooth that was bothering her, and since my ex-husband's employer closed up shop several months ago the girls no longer have dental insurance. So, I called and made an appointment for both girls since my youngest was due for a dental check up as well.

The staff was professional and the services the girls received were excellent. It was no different than the care they had recieved at our family dentist, the only difference was the cost. As an example the last time one of my daughters had a dental visit the cost under their dental insurance for a similar visit as today was $100.00, today was as the Dental Center stated, $20.00 per child.

In chatting with some of the parents who were there today, all of us would have had a much more difficult time trying to provide dental services for our children if this center did not exist. Many of them had been coming to the Dental Center for quite some time, some had been recommended by friends or family.

What is also noteworthy about the Dental Center of Northwestern Ohio is that they are a private non-profit corporation and they have been in existance since 1910. If you'd like more information, they have a website at www.dentalcenternwo.org.

Their motto is "Giving back smiles all over Northwest Ohio - since 1910" and from what I saw today? They mean it...

:-)

Joe McNamara campaign launches fourth ad...

From the Joe McNamara for Toledo City Council campaign their fourth ad has been released. This one will appear starting this week on television, it is entitled "Toledo's Next Generation".

Click on the "read more" button to watch it online.

Good news on October's gas bills...

Both the Toledo Free Press and Toledo Blade report some great news for those of us who use natural gas to heat our homes. Directly from the Columbia Gas of Ohio press release:

COLUMBUS, Ohio - As the winter heating season gets closer, Columbia Gas of Ohio residential customers are expected to pay considerably less than they did last year at this time.

The company today filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio an October Gas Cost Recovery (GCR) charge of 91 cents per Ccf (100 cubic feet), down 41 cents from the October 2005 GCR of $1.32.

As a result, the average residential bill is projected at $36.82, down $16.41 from the average October 2005 bill.


That doesn't mean that we should crank up the thermostats when we do have those colder days hit, it's always smart to be energy minded and as the press release also states:

"This is certainly good news for our customers as we move closer to the winter heating season," said Columbia Gas of Ohio President Jack Partridge. "Natural gas markets remain volatile and there is no guarantee that these prices will last through the winter, but we're off to a good start."

If you want to learn more about the various factors that are involved in your gas bill? A really great article from last February in the Toledo Free Press. Another Toledo Free Press article also written by Stacy Kess in January of 2006 covers some of the myths such as "Toledoans have the highest gas rates in Ohio". While I know all of us would love to pay lower utility bills, I also know that Columbia Gas got more "heat" than they deserved at times. (No, I don't get a discount on my bill for writing this, however I am open to negotiations - lol).

I'm also a big fan of the Apples to Apples website that the PUCO has. Especially their section on "Understanding Residential Natural Gas Prices".

I'd also point out that if you have kids, especially kids who like cats, Cozy's Corner is a cute place on the web that Columbia Gas of Ohio has created. Okay, I admit it, I had fun there too.

Part of the problem we can resolve as consumers by being as informed as possible as to what is on our gas bills and what the charges mean, we can also continue to conserve energy whenever possible. I remember some great advice by President Jimmy Carter that I know some people mock but it made sense at the time and still makes sense now. Put a sweater on and turn down the thermostat...Granted I reach for a hoodie sweatshirt rather than a sweater but we shouldn't have to face an energy crisis to be smart about conserving resources.

Ohio's Economy, what won't fix it and what might...

There is a really interesting series of articles that began today and is going to be featured in the Toledo Blade for the next two Sundays. Today was the first.

If you are like me and you were curious to read the actual report from the Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland, one report is entitled, Altered States: A Perspective on 75 Years of State Income Growth", another one of interest is Employment Growth, Job Creation, and Job Destruction in Ohio.


:-)

Toledo Neighborhoods Vs the Planning Commission

Recently we've had a neighborhood organization who want to shut down a carryout; a moratorium placed on new convenience stores; a Councilman who wants to make a whole neighborhood "dry" when it comes to alcohol sales; neighbors who don't want a charter school moved near them and today we have two more.

The Toledo Plan Commission approved LMHA's waiver on density restrictions so they can build more rental units. A special-use permit to expand its student Interfaith Center meditation chapel and add a coffeehouse and activity space for Toledo Campus Ministry Fellowship will also move on to be placed before Toledo City Council.


Some in the Indian Hills Neighborhood oppose this stating that:

"We see this influx of people into our neighborhood as lowering our property values and quality of life," he said. (Jim Sworden, resident)

Neighbors also claimed the expanded building would attract noisy students, generate foot and vehicle traffic, negatively alter neighborhood aesthetics, and possibly trigger future high-density student housing.

Prior to 2001 the property that is now the Interfaith Center was listed under the name of Bishop James Hoffman, it has belonged to the Diocese since 1968. On December 14, 2001 almost all of the property on Brookdale was sold to the Interfaith Center. Why this is important to this particular issue is the majority of the neighbors purchased their property well after the Diocese bought this property in 1968, and a few even purchased their property after the Interfaith Center went into existence. In 2003 properties in that area did see an increase in their property values.

The Interfaith Center has a website for those interested in more information. The YMCA is also listed as having an address of 2086 Brookdale which is adjacent to 2080 where the expansion would take place.

Given the location of the other programs and the fact that the University of Toledo has been there for quite some time I have to say I find some of the neighborhood attitudes against UT to be troubling. Especially when the University and these facilities on Brookdale existed prior to some of the current home owner's presence in that neighborhood.

Neighborhoods of course have the right to protest decisions of the Toledo Plan Commission, and to go before Toledo City Council as well, but when it is said that Toledo isn't friendly to new businesses or to making our university students feel welcome enough I think we also have to look to see what kind of a message we are sending.

Bob Vasquez releases plan to give citizens of Toledo a raise.

This just in from the Bob Vasquez for Toledo City Council campaign from a press conference that was held earlier:

Bob Vasquez comments in press conference regarding top administrators’ pay raises. Held in front of Dave’s Home-Cooked Foods. 9-14-06

We have heard a lot in the last couple of days about giving raises to the city’s top administrators. Today I want to talk about how we can give the citizens a raise.

When commenting about the proposed exorbitant pay hike interim Council Woman Lourdes Santiago said "I'm sensitive to what the community is saying, but I also need to be sensitive to my employees."

Bob Vasquez states that is not good enough. I want to represent the citizens of Toledo not the top administrators in the city.

At a time of high unemployment in Toledo combined with the fact that the salary for the average Toledoan is below what the top city administrators are making, we need to look at how we can put more money in the pockets of our citizens. To that end I propose a 3 point plan.



1. That we reduce by 1% the sales tax for Toledo owned businesses. This means that people who shop at Toledo owned business will pay 5.75%. and not 6.75%. This helps promote Toledo’s economy and put more money back in the pockets of our citizens. I will work with the county commissioners and our state representatives to make this proposal a reality.

2. That we give a tax credit to small businesses that provide health care for their employees. Toledo should make it easier for businesses to provide health care to its employees by creating tax incentives that lower utility costs and infrastructure improvements.

3. That the citizens of Toledo be allowed to vote on all special assessments. This gives the citizens a voice. The interim Council Woman Lourdes Santiago voted to impose a 25 million dollar tax levy without allowing the citizens to have their say. That amount of money will have a real impact on families. Let’s give the citizens an opportunity to say how they want their tax money spent.

I believe these are 3 common sense approaches to putting more money back in the hands of citizens.

In closing, I am also requesting from the City’s payroll Department, as a matter of public record, the amount of severance pay that was received by those administrators who retired and now hold positions with the current Administration.

Kind of an interesting twist on cleaning up government...

I read the Press Release and had a hard time visualizing this:

The Pryce for Congress “Kilroy Tax Vacuum Drill Team” will make its debut performance at the Franklin County Court House, from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 14, 2006.

“Our 14 person Kilroy Tax Vacuum Drill Team will make its debut performance in front of the Court House tomorrow to illustrate how, through precision maneuvers, Mary Jo Kilroy has vacuumed millions of dollars out of the pockets of the hardworking taxpayers of Franklin County,” said George Rasley, spokesman for Pryce for Congress. “Kilroy has raised taxes in every elective office she has held. When you see Mary Jo Kilroy on the ballot you know the tax vacuum isn’t far behind.”

Pryce supporters will rally in front of the Franklin County Court House, 373 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m. Thursday, September 14, 2006. In the event of rain the drill team will perform from approximately Noon until 1:00 p.m.



Thanks to Lefty Blogs, I found out that Buckeye State Blog had a link to video...Granted the video was made by Kilroy supporters but? Take a look...



As we at times wonder about politics here in Lucas County...thankfully no one has tried something like this...let's hope it stays that way.

:-)

Let's talk about Noe campaign money...

Yesterday as the Toledo Blade wrote about this morning, Anita Lopez who is the Democratic Candidate for the Lucas County Treasurer's Office called on Larry Kaczala to:

"do the right thing" and return the campaign funds given to him by Noe, who was convicted of violating federal campaign contribution laws and is accused of stealing from a $50 million rare-coin investment financed by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

Down a bit further in the article:

Mr. Kaczala then responded to Ms. Lopez's demand that he return Noe contributions, adding that a lesson learned during the statewide scandal is to avoid one-party rule, which would be in place in Lucas County if he is not returned to office.

He acknowledged receiving $4,000 from Noe for his failed 2004 congressional campaign but said that since that account is now closed, he can no longer add or take money from it under federal law.

He initially denied receiving money from the Noes for his auditor's campaign, though records show that Noe contributed $3,500 to Mr. Kaczala's campaign for auditor in 2002.


This issue isn't just related to Larry Kaczala, it's been something that has been brought up with almost every Republican candidate who took money from Tom Noe.

Republicans have used the same tactic, as this morning's article demonstrates, Mr. Kaczala brought up Bob McCloskey and Sandy Isenberg. Anyone who has followed the race between Betty Montgomery and Marc Dann knows acrimony might be too mild of a word to describe some of this.

Some candidates/elected officials have donated questionable money to a charity but there doesn't seem to be a systemmatic process in place. The question has been raised before and again now as to what should be done with this campaign money? Who should it go to? Does merely donating it a charity really help? Should there be a direct process to return as an example the Noe funds in question to the State? Could we actually get some public information from our local prosecutor or the prosecutor involved with the Federal case as to this?

The Columbus Dispatch wrote about a poll that was released today that states:

"In comparison to their neighbors in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Ohioans have the least amount of trust in their state government," the report said.

It's going to take more than just replacing one party with the other for people to regain trust in our government. It's going to take hard work from both parties to show that they both believe in ethics and doing the right thing. Pointing out people who have been caught doing wrong from either party doesn't solve the larger issue of how the system allowed this to happen in the first place.

Not that I'm sure anyone will heed this advice, but I would caution over using the Noe stick to beat other candidates with as we approach election day the same I would caution not to pretend as if this was just one bad man Tom Noe and now that he is coming to trial all will be magically better. The average person you talk to on the street, on the bus or anywhere wants solutions, they are worried about their job, especially with the news today that the Maumee Stamping Plant is closing. They are worried about healthcare, they are are worried about how they can surivive in our economy. We run the risk of having more of them tune out and that is something I don't think any of us want.

So let's talk about Tom Noe, and let's never forget that some of the problems we face could have been avoided, but let's also remember the biggest issue of all should be how to we stop repeating the mistakes of the past to have a better future...