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...