Jack Ford running for city council

Fuuuuuuccccckkk NO.

But he will get elected.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... literally

The supporters of Jafo always bewildered me. It's like supporting a lamp. Sure he didn't do anything wrong, but he sure didn't do anything right.

Sorry, couldn't resist...

Among a likely very weak field, his biggest challenge to winning will be his own health.

I won't be voting for him, but he will win an at-large seat.

Dear lord--just give him the seat. Toledoans are too clueless not to vote for him. I wonder how African Americans view Ford and Bell from the perspective that one of them is married to a white woman and the other one only dates white women. Black women aren't good enough?

Wow. Hard to follow that post.

I was just remembering that Jack was so underwhelming in the role of Mayor that we actually brought Carty back. And we voted Carty out right before to get Jack. When a guy makes Carty look that good, you should think about it some more.

elva, i thought his wife left him a while ago?

I'll have to cite to the Blade here because they covered his fundraising event a month or so ago. Let's take a look at Mr. Ford and his early campaign platform:

Toledo Blade: Ford tells supporters he will focus on youth, housing if elected to city council

1.) First, looking at that picture, the man is still physically sick. He does not have the energy required for this job. It is flippin' obvious.

2.) Ford: "I've never seen housing as bad as it is now. I'm going to raise hell as much as I can from a council perch....I'm stunned by the deterioration I see in the older neighborhoods."

So what? What is he going to raise hell about? People don't keep their houses up? They don't paint every two summers? He doesn't live in those neighborhoods. Unless he's talking about roads and sewers or code enforcement (a.k.a. condemning those "deteriorating" neighborhoods), City Council doesn't have a thing to do with it.

Yes, I know what he's really saying: more "low income" housing and more "programs". As if none exist currently, either federal, state, or local. Paid for by your tax dollars, because there's always plenty to go around.

Let me remind everyone of one of the fabulous housing programs overseen by Mr. Ford's (and Carty's) terms in office:

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Toledo Blade: Taxpayer-aided homes sit vacant, vandalized

During the last 15 years, community development groups in Toledo received $114 million in taxpayer assistance to build more than 800 new houses for low-income residents on vacant lots in Toledo.

A Blade investigation found more than one sixth of those homes are now vacant. Of those, 102 are boarded up, gutted, or burned out, contributing to blight rather than combatting it.

The houses are part of a federal low-income housing tax credit program administered by the state, and they received massive amounts of taxpayer help. The 819 houses in Toledo, most of which were brand new, received more than $100 million in tax credits, which developers sell at steep discounts to big corporations to raise money for their projects. While not a direct subsidy, the tax credits represent money that corporations would have otherwise paid to the IRS.

In addition to the tax credits, the houses received $13 million in other types of government assistance, mostly federally funded state and city loans that are later forgiven.

That translates to an average public subsidy of $140,000 per house which means the boarded-up houses represent a loss of roughly $14 million in taxpayer money.

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But, I'm sure Mr. Ford's solution is more gub'mint money. That's always the solution. More gub'mint money for the neighborhoods, for the kids, for this, for that...crap, don't even get me started on the whole Department of Neighborhoods scandal (which was swept under the radar after about 5 days of sound and fury by the Blade...ho hum, life in the big city)...

3.) Mr. Ford also said he would advocate for youth programming, including a return of the youth entrepreneurship initiative he started when he was mayor, from 2002 to 2006. Under that program, youths who qualified were awarded grants to start a business, such as mowing loans, styling hair, or cutting a rap record.

Seriously, Dems--hell, Toledo...this is the best we can do for an at large seat? We supposedly have no money to fix a number of problems (or invest in all those downtown projects so many of the posters here champion), but the platform for this sack of protoplasm is starting a "youth" initiative so kids can go cut rap records? There was a time when saying shit like this would get you laughed out of the room. Not in today's world.

God help him and I hope he continues to recover, but shit...look at his record and tell me this is someone who is going to be the dynamic pro-business leader this town needs. Tell me he's going to use his at large seat to attract investment and activity to the entire area. Tell me this isn't the same guy who let a nationally-covered race riot get out of control during his watch and now complains about current deterioration of neighborhoods?

A shining example of the leadership that put Toledo in the ditch...from the statehouse, to the mayors office, to the school board...Jack Ford.

Upso for mayor!

ha! no thanks! ;)

There oughta be a state law against using a city council like a recycling bin.

Bring back "Coffee with the Fords"!

^ may as well bring back Carty's old segment too...
NyQuil with the Fords. May as well bring back Carty's "It's Just Not Right" segments too.

on that video clip, i made it to 0:44 before i threw up a little in my mouth... "... i love that show wifeswap..."

i was on coffee with the fords once. talk about a surreal experience.

Jack "Mumbles" Ford...sort of like a Bob Dylan song that you cannot understand the words.

At least Dylan brings good weed.

A typical Jack Ford speech, set to music.

Well former Mayor Marion Barry, yes Marion Barry is still a councilman so stranger things have happened.

What do you suppose it would take to talk WTVG into releasing a BEST-OF DVD?

I believe former mayor Ford is an honorable man. But he is not the leader we need today and his health is very iffy. I would never vote for him.

"I believe former mayor Ford is an honorable man. But he is not the leader we need today and his health is very iffy. I would never vote for him."

While Mr. Ford did not receive my vote(s), nor will he ever, I'd agree with your assessment Jackie.