Source: toledoblade.com
After a year and a half of being unable to unify, Democrats on Toledo City Council this afternoon came together enough to vote Councilman Michael Ashford as their new president, replacing Republican Rob Ludeman.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070821/NEWS09/70821022
Comments ... #
From the Glass City Jungle:
Redfern reportedly met with all 8 Democrats in Council this morning.
The statewide Democrat party is calling the shots for the local Democrat party just like Redfern said he might do.
In a Jul 14, 2007 Blade story, Redfern said about Lucas County Democrats:
"Maybe they need someone to start issuing ultimatums to get them moving in the right direction, and I’m willing to do that."
Im still waiting for the answer to one simple question. I'll now add the caveat, a GOOD answer to this question:
What will this do for the city of Toledo?
Frank Solousy's answer is 'Now we can proceed in a bipartizan manner...'
That doesnt even make sense.
"What will this do for the city of Toledo?"
It makes Toledo look even more rediculous. The clowns in charge actually believe this change will somehow help the city. Talk about living in an alternate universe. The private sector needs to lead the way in improving Toledo and the region, but what kind of support can they expect from local government with the mindset of those "in charge?"
Feb 2006 posting that pointed to a Blade story titled Metro Toledo ranks near last for job growth.
That's how Toledo ranked in the latest national study of job growth among the 200 major metropolitan areas. The No. 196 ranking was worse than the previous report more than a year ago by the Milken Institute, a California think tank. Nine of the bottom spots in the report are from Ohio and Michigan. Metro Toledo, which includes Lucas, Wood, Fulton, and Ottawa counties, ranked ahead of only Youngstown, Canton, Lansing, and Flint, Mich.The report considers a number of factors, including the type of jobs being lost and gained as well as wage and salary growth for one and five-year periods, and the concentration of high-tech jobs. From those measures, the institute calculates an index. Metro Toledo lagged national figures in all nine measures.
For example, Toledo was 7 percentage points below the national average on wage and salary growth from 1998 to 2003 and had the lowest reading, a 1, for high-tech industry, compared with 20 for Cambridge, Mass. Toledo's ranking has slipped almost every year since the institute first published the report in 1999. It was No. 143 that year, No. 148 the next, then No. 166, and then No. 174. It ranked No. 195 in 2003 and 2004.
"There is constant erosion in the economy that is occurring," Ms. Wallace [a research fellow at the institute] said.
"Often when you have slower growth industries that experience negative growth, service jobs will kick in or high-tech jobs will kick in," Ms. Wallace said. "But the jobs that have been created in the Toledo area have not been the kind of high-tech, high-paying, high-talent jobs being created elsewhere."
Lucas County lost 11 percent of its engineering, advertising, and other high-paying professional positions from 1998 to 2003, the Census Bureau found. Such workers were paid an average of $42,300 a year in 2003. Ms. Wallace said the Toledo area should not dwell on what it does not have, but instead should emphasize what it does have, such as affordable housing.
But hey, a new Costco is opening in Toledo soon.
Finally Carty gets it right. He supported Rob Ludeman. He acknowledged that he only has four months left on council and that replacing him now only demonstrates the Democrats pettiness. I never thought I'd hear myself says this, but way to go Carty. Maybe you're not a complete idiot.
Rob Ludeman is probably the the most honest and trustworthy person on the City Council. Looks like Toledo's going to remain a lunch bucket town forever. This is just nuts. What a group of unprofessional twerps. I never thought we would have this many dimwits trying to run our City. I think a panel of 8th graders would have made a better decision.
posted by AmericanPie on Aug 22, 2007 at 11:35:21 am #
"I think a panel of 8th graders would have made a better decision."
Not if they're TPS 8th graders.
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Reading Achievement Test (2006-07) 59.2
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Reading Achievement Test (2005-06) 53.2
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Reading Achievement Test (2004-05) 55.8Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Math Achievement Test (2006-07) 41.1
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Math Achievement Test (2005-06) 36.0
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Math Achievement Test (2004-05) 25.8Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Social Studies Achievement Test (2006-07) 21.8
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the 8th Grade Science Achievement Test (2006-07) 30.9
At least they're showing signs of improvement. On second thought, I doubt Toledo City Council could score much better.
Ms. Wallace, I think you're putting the cart before the horse. Unless people believe they have the possibility of employment in Toledo they aren't going to buy a house in Toledo (unless they're fools). No matter how "affordable" housing is where is the market for their skills? Once people begin to be employed in this city (or we turn Toledo into a retirement community for the wealthy) then we'll be able to sell our "affordable" housing.
Any town that is in the position of Toledo I would assume would have "affordable" housing. If you've lost your job you're going to sell your house. That might be the source of a lot of this "affordable" housing.
posted by oldsendbrdy on Aug 22, 2007 at 12:13:31 pm #
Saying that Ludeman is the most honest and trustworthy person on the Council is a bit of a joke given the other candidates. And, speaking from personal experience, he is no straight-shooter. A few years ago he had the nerve to tell me and other neighbors that WalMart would have no effect on property values along Schneider Rd. Riiiiight. He and WalMart also promised that the building would be shielded from view to our properties. Again, riiiight.
While I recognize Carty's suggestion to reduce the size of council as a power grab, it is a good idea. There are too many people drawing a paycheck for accomplishing nothing. They spend most of their time arguing about petty BS, all while campaigning for the next election. In the mean time, the people of Toledo are begging to have streets, sidewalks, drainage, and a myriad of other problems fixed without results.
The most host and trustworthy - it's sad that I have to agree with you.
posted by MoreThanRhetoric on Aug 22, 2007 at 03:13:47 pm #
Ludeman has always seemed to me to be the least involved in partisan politics compared to the other council members. That's exactly what we need. I agree with Navy on this one too - Carty is on the right side of the issue here. Good job Carty!
I can think of absolutely no reason why involving Chris Redfern in this ordeal will benefit the city of Toledo one iota. While I'm sure Redfern would like to see Toledo improve, it's a distant second to the primary concern of seeing the Ohio Democratic Party succeed.
If anyone is interested, I've written two posts about this on my blog:
http://thurbersthoughts.blogspot.com/
I'm really disappointed that the change in leadership was all about appearances of unity and 2008 elections than it was about what is good for Toledo.
Interestingly, there are several boards of county commissioners who actually take turns being the president - regardless of party affiliation. I just don't see something like that happening here...
posted by MaggieThurber on Aug 23, 2007 at 08:49:49 am #
Who ever said the problem with politics in Toledo is it still is a lunch bucket community that time and technology has passed on by.
Redfern showed who controls the city and now the puppets think they have unity and have created a sense of creditability among the citizens.
"One should question Betty Shultz's credibility every time she opens her mouth," Mr. Redfern said. "When Tom Noe asked Betty Shultz to jump, she asked how high."
Maybe Maggie Thurber would agree... or maybe NOT?
Thomas W. Noe
Noe was accused of illegally funneling $45,400 to President Bush's re-election campaign, using "two dozen people as "conduits" to make illegal campaign contributions at a $2,000-a-seat fund-raiser in Columbus. Conduits named in a federal affidavit include Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber, Toledo City Councilwoman Betty Shultz, former Toledo Mayor Donna Owens and former State Representative Sally Perz
"The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet."
- Mark Twain in Eruption
And this applies to all sides in this debate.
"We live in a political world
Turning and a'thrashing about,
As soon as you're awake, you're trained to take
What looks like the easy way out." - Bob Dylan
Indeed as Maggie posted on her blog....
"Anyway...I'm sure when the 'finalized plans' are presented, there will be the same political posturing about lack of involvement in the decision. But I'll remember who passed up the opportunity for early involvement in favor of a partisan 'unity' event. Will you?"
Indeed ..."when you are in politics you are in a wasp's nest with a short shirt-tail, as the saying is." - Mark Twain
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current date: 22-Nov-2008 1:52 A.M.
And the laughter elsewhere continues.
posted by jr on Aug 21, 2007 at 04:42:42 pm #