Some of our predictions for the mayoral race. I also predicted a 20% voter turnout. Unless there's an afterwork push, that will be way off. I heard on the radio that turnout by mid-day was running 9%.
posted by jr at 02:38 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
"At last check around 5:00pm, voter turnout in Lucas County was thought to be around 14%."
Lucas County? What else was going on outside of Toledo? I know P-burg had a mayoral primary, but that's Wood County.
WSPD update:
"With results still coming in former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner appears to be a shoe-in for the right to seek his old job in November. Mayor Jack Ford and challenger Keith Wilkowski are just a few votes apart, virtually neck and neck."
Perrysburg update:
"With all of the precincts in for the Perrysburg Mayors race, Nelson Evans and Thomas Mackin are the top two. Evans had 1,479 votes, while Mackin polled 876. Kim Klewer had 469, while Jonathan Orser had 191. Evans and Mackin will square off for the Mayors job in November."
posted by jr at 08:55 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Toledo elections results online.
As of 9:53 p.m., 222 of 324 precincts reporting.
City of Toledo - Mayor (2 to be elected)
Don Gozdowski 51 0.23%
Carty Finkbeiner 7844 35.85%
Martin Okonski 37 0.17%
Jack Ford 6049 27.64%
Keith Wilkowski 5793 26.47%
Opal Covey 65 0.3%
Rob Ludeman 2043 9.34%
City of Toledo - Council At Large (12 to be elected)
Mitch Balonek 2848 3.09%
Betty Shultz 9077 9.86%
Phil Copeland 10164 11.04%
Bob Vasquez 6543 7.1%
Frank Szollosi 8315 9.03%
Ernie Berry 2970 3.23%
Thomas Meinecke 1863 2.02%
Karen Shanahan 6172 6.7%
Robert L. Tilton 1359 1.48%
Karyn M. Hancock 6525 7.09%
Dave Schulz 5155 5.6%
George Sarantou 7532 8.18%
Bob McCloskey 10653 11.57%
Jason M. Schreiner 2448 2.66%
Terry Shankland 3734 4.05%
Mark Sobczak 6734 7.31
189454 registered voters.
posted by jr at 09:03 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
At 10:10 p.m., 298 of 324 precincts reporting:
Jack Ford : 8510 27.62%
Keith Wilkowski : 7781 25.25%
posted by jr at 09:16 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Unless those last 26 precincts go heavy Keith looks like it will be Jack versus Carty.
posted by psyche777 at 09:20 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
I'd also point out that wtol's online election result thing has been a very huge disappointment, all I see is an "Image Error cannot continue".
However the Lucas County site that jr listed above? Awesomely done.
posted by psyche777 at 09:32 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Final numbers for the Perrysburg mayoral race from the Wood County BOE site.
PRECINCTS COUNTED - COUNTY WIDE 15 14.15%
PRECINCTS COUNTED - This Election 15 100.00%
PRECINCTS COUNTED - PERRYSBURG CITY 15 100.00%
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL 15,055
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL 3,129 20.78%
MAYOR - PERRYSBURG CITY
NELSON D. EVANS 1,479 49.05%
THOMAS MACKIN 876 29.05%
KIM T. KLEWER 469 15.56%
JONATHAN F. ORSER 191 6.33%
posted by jr at 09:41 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
At 9:53 p.m., 222 precincts reporting.
At 10:10, 298 precincts.
At 10:50, still at 298. Maybe those final precincts are bigger.
posted by jr at 09:52 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Not sure jr, 11 is announcing different numbers than are showing up on the website.
posted by psyche777 at 10:00 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Apparently, at least 4000 absentee ballots need to be counted.
posted by jr at 10:12 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
I heard it was 8000 but I could be wrong
posted by psyche777 at 10:13 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
WTOL's counter is now working. Here is what they are reporting:
Precincts Reporting: 314 of 324 Percent of Total = 97%
Don Gozdowski....66........0%
Martin Okonski...47.........0%
Keith Wilkowski..8,300.....25%
Rob Ludeman......4,048....12%
Carty Finkbeiner 11,250...34%
Jack Ford........9,018......27%
Opal Covey.......82.........0%
James Baldwin....23.........0%
posted by historymike at 10:20 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Finally, the Lucas County BOE has a new update, although it's not much different than WTOL's.
At 11:34 p.m., 317 of 324 reporting:
Jack Ford ... 9228 ... 27.19%
Keith Wilkowski ... 8593 ... 25.32%
posted by jr at 10:39 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Hey, jr, your buddy The Bulldog was top vote-getter for council!! (Foolkiller ducks quickly) :D I was dead on in my mayoral predictions. Lived here too damned long not to have it figured out, I guess.
posted by Foolkiller at 10:47 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
Maybe I'm not looking at these numbers correctly, but the number of registered voters in Toledo and Perrysburg looks interesting compared to their respective populations in 2000.
Toledo pop : 313,619
Toledo reg voters : 189,454
P-burg pop : 16,945
P-burg reg voters : 15,055
Seems like everyone age 18 and over in Perrysburg is registered to vote, or there's a ton of people in Toledo who aren't registered. I'd like to know the population of those age 18+ in Toledo. How many people eligible to vote in Toledo aren't even registered?
posted by jr at 10:52 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
McCloskey the top vote-getter on council, that's by far the most disturbing news of the night. Tuesday was a huge victory for Apathy who wasn't listed on my ballot. Must have been a write-in candidate. I think I'm going to try to get on the campaign staff of this Apathy dude. He or she seems to come out on top all the time.
posted by jr at 11:04 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
I'd say McCloskey as the top vote getter was as disturbing as the numbers Karyn McConnell Hancock got. It says to me Toledo voters don't seem to care about ethics with those two getting the nod.
Yet we hear so many talk about how that's important, guess they were hanging out with the Apathay dude too.
posted by psyche777 at 11:10 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
At 12:15 a.m.. 324 of 324 reporting
Jack Ford ... 10910 ... 26.23%
Keith Wilkowski ... 9750 ... 23.44%
posted by jr at 11:16 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
231,488 over the age of 18 from the 2000 census
http://www.hellotoledo.com/Census.Cfm
posted by psyche777 at 11:21 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 13, 2005 #
xx Carty Finkbeiner ... 15283 ... 36.74%
x Jack Ford ... 10910 ... 26.23%
Keith Wilkowski ... 9750 ... 23.44%
Rob Ludeman ... 5386 ... 12.95%
Opal Covey ... 110 ... 0.26%
Don Gozdowski ... 91 ... 0.22%
Martin Okonski ... 64 ... 0.15%
* Bob McCloskey ... 20083 ... 11.43%
* Phil Copeland ... 18454 ... 10.5%
* Betty Shultz ... 17580 ... 10%
* Frank Szollosi ... 16279 ... 9.26%
* George Sarantou ... 15351 ... 8.74%
Mark Sobczak ... 13225 ... 7.53%
Karen Shanahan ... 12660 ... 7.2%
* Karyn M. Hancock ... 12597 ... 7.17%
Bob Vasquez ... 12283 ... 6.99%
Dave Schulz ... 9943 ... 5.66%
Terry Shankland ... 6531 ... 3.72%
Ernie Berry ... 5373 .. 3.06%
Mitch Balonek ... 4928 ... 2.8%
Jason M. Schreiner ... 4338 ... 2.47%
Thomas Meinecke ... 3428 ... 1.95%
Robert L. Tilton ... 2678 ... 1.52%
xx = former two-term mayor
x = current mayor
* = currently on council
That sweet taste of stagnation.
Damn strong showing, however, by Wilkowski. And a pretty good peformance by Ford too. Jack finished closer to Carty than what the polls had showed, but then again, that's why we shouldn't trust polls.
I wonder what kind of deals the Ford people are making with Wilkowski to get Keith's endorsement? Could be trouble for Carty if Keith's supporters go to Jack. And what about the Ludeman voters? Where will they go? Voter turnout "should" be a little higher in November. What that means for Carty and Jack I have no idea. Anyway, good job Keith.
In the mayor's race, 86% Democrat and 13% Republican. Ouch. Look up "non-factor" in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of the Lucas County GOP headquarters.
Checking my prediction, I had Carty 35% and Ford 25%.
Nice going Ernie. I'm pinning my hopes on him.
Late night Blade breaking news story about the election indicates Carty and Jack are already stoked for November.
"With a second-place finish secured, [Mayor Ford] paused in a union parking lot early this morning to implicitly attack Mr. Finkbeiner’s ethics — and tie him to embattled Republican fund-raised Tom Noe."
Carty and Noe, what's that about?
"Previewing what will likely be a nasty battle with Mr. Finkbeiner, the mayor said he’ll also focus this campaign on ethics. “That’s going to be a big issue in this campaign,” he said. “With what’s going on in Columbus, what Tom Noe has been involved in, I think it’s going to be on the minds of the voters and we need to have an ethical government. We’re going to talk about that.” "
"Mr. Finkbeiner, meanwhile, was preparing late last night to court former supporters of Mr. Wilkowski and City Councilman Rob Ludeman."
posted by jr at 12:07 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
LucasCountyDemocrats.org is a PAC that supports Ford and other A-team Dems. Wilkowski used to be a board member for LCD. So in a way, the LCD got 49% to Carty's 37%. Carty supposedly had some Republicans supporting him. So give all of Ludeman's 13% to Carty, and it's basically an even race between Carty and Jack.
I don't know about Ford's strategy of Noeizing Carty. That seems bizarre. It's one thing to discuss Carty's ethics in the context of Carty, but to somehow bring Noe into it could backfire for Jack.
It's well known that Ohio Democrats will connect any Republican to Noe, but I didn't think one Dem would do the same to another Dem. The local Dems should be called the cannibalistic party. It's a power struggle that's for sure. A-team versus B-team. The two knocking heads could be like matter-antimatter. Maybe that's the destruction Opal was talking about.
It's obvious that one political party overwhelmingly dominates the area when the party splits into two or three pieces and fights among themselves.
posted by jr at 12:53 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
Voter turnout "should" be a little higher in November. What that means for Carty and Jack I have no idea.-Jr
---------------------------------------
I do. It means that we'll be stuck with the fat, mumbling half-awake b&$^%#d for 4 more years. Thank you, toledo's loyal bloc of black voters! Don't get me wrong, I hate Carty. But I DESPISE Ford. By the way....has anyone noticed his goofy artsy-fartsy wife has disappeared off the radar for about the last month? Before that, from the day he took office, you couldn't get away from her. She was everywhere. Wonder what that's about? I voted for Opal, by the way. I feared if I didn't, I would be turned into a pillar of salt.
posted by Foolkiller at 02:55 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
Why is Ford's strategy of Noeizing Carty "bizarre"? Ludeman had already cried like a slapped-around stepchild that his campaign suffered from the Noe and other Republican financial scams.
Thanks, Rob, you unbelievable DORK.
This website isn't the ONLY thing funded by rare coins. It seems that rare coins are a good investment in discrediting non-Democrats in Toledo. After all, this process already comes with a Republican endorsement (a la Ludeman).
I always contended that Ludeman never seriously ran for the office of mayor. I still think that that is the case.
At any rate, I wrote in "RICK GRAFING" instead of pencilling in any of these crazies (Carty, Opal, etc.), corrupters (Ford, Wilkowski), or incompetents (Ludeman, Ford, etc.) for mayor. Let the LCBOE chew on THAT for a while.
It's good to see that Schulz will get his day at the ballot, though. He made it onto 1 of the 12 spots for the November. (So did Shankland, although I'm pretty sure he won't make it again. Is it that damned hat thing?)
P.S. Hancock, McCloskey, Ford, Carty: The Four Hosemen of the Toledo Apocalypse!
posted by GuestZero at 05:03 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
Interesting night.
I keep listening to, and re-reading, Jack Ford's response to the outcome of the primary. It seems to me that he is immediately on the defense if his first comments refer to a mud-slinging fest.
While I am totally aware that Carty is not without sin, I also know that Jack is not a sterling example of humanity either.
People consistently refer to Carty's past - his performance, his personal life, etc. and Carty continues to plod along. When Jack's escapades on the High Level bridge come forward, or his lack of child support for the children of a previous marriage, etc. come to light Jack's response (if there is one!) is that that was all in the past.
Well, if we (as the public) are expected to dissect Carty due to 'history' then Jack should expect nothing less.
I maintain, and will continue to maintain, that of the offerings available to us Carty is the one that has the verve to lead Toledo. For those concerned about where we are led, make yourself visible at Government Center, attend every meeting that is open to the public if you can. You have a voice on the numerous message boards, use it where it counts. Call for accountability, be heard.
I spend quite a bit of time trying to stay up on what's happening around me so that I don't get surprised when something happens. Some at the Ivory Tower refer to me as a pain, as a witch, as a complainer. I don't care. I help pay those people and they should be accountable. All of them.
Step up, stand up, be heard. Work within the system if you want change. Be part of the solution - the long-term solution.
And Foolkiller - now that you mention it....where the heck has Miss Cynthia been? She was always in the limelight. Hmmmmmmmm...
posted by DoknowDocare at 07:08 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
Hmm, Carty vs. Ford, I think I am going to have to be an apathetic voter in November. After all, it doesn’t matter who wins; they are both big spenders. I will be preparing my house for sale in the spring of 2006, so I won’t have time to vote in November. When I, and many people who feel the way I do move out of Toledo, don’t call it sprawl. After all we were taxed out of the city limits.
posted by mike2004 at 07:50 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
"Why is Ford's strategy of Noeizing Carty "bizarre"? Ludeman had already cried like a slapped-around stepchild that his campaign suffered from the Noe and other Republican financial scams."
If I understand you correctly, GZ, Ford Noeizing Carty has to do with the fact that Carty used to be a Republican many years ago, and that some believe Carty is a Republican in Democrat clothing. Is that correct?
My support continues to be NOT with politicians but with the business owners, developers, and community leaders who believe in Toledo and fight through the barriers built by politicians.
A building owner told me that business owners have to put up with more regulations and obstacles in Toledo than in other communities, but I didn't pin him down for details. I'd like to know if what he said is true and what these obstructions are. Did any of the mayoral candidates in any of the forums say anything about making the business environment in Toledo competitive with surrounding communities? I'm not talking about tax incentives, just fewer hoops to jump through.
During the campaign, I heard about soundbyte issues like an arena, Southwyck, Westgate, and the Erie Street Market, but the mayor would probably have little to do with improving those areas. Get out of the way, seems to be the wish business owners have for the mayor.
posted by jr at 08:12 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
"22 percent of registered Toledo voters cast ballots."
22%, that seems like a respectable turnout for a Sep election in today's world. It was higher than P-burg's turnout.
22% of 189,454 registered Toledo voters = 41,680 Toledoans voted on Tuesday.
BTW, thanks for the census info link, psyche777.
According to the 2000 census, Toledo has 231,488 people age 18 and over. Now maybe all wouldn't be eligible to vote for whatever reason, I don't know. Let's say 220,000 people in Toledo are eligible to vote. That means the real voter turnout was at most 19%, which isn't much different than the reported number.
But it's a glaring stat that at least 80% of Toledoans don't care very much about politics, which may not be a bad thing. Maybe politics is severly overrated in today's world. Maybe politics is a leftover relic from a bygone era. Maybe the problem isn't with the 80% who didn't vote but with the 20% who put too much emphasis on politics. Maybe the 80% think the 20% are wasting their time and would be more productive by ignoring politics.
posted by jr at 09:36 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
22% sounds better than the original number of 14.5% that was stated last night.
However...I feel very strongly that voter turnout for a primary should be even more important of an issue. If you care enough to go out and vote in November shouldn't you care more who it will end up being?
So many times people bitch and moan about the candidates offered for election yet if they don't participate in the primaries? Who is really to blame?
posted by psyche777 at 10:01 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
Be sure to read analysis of the primary election at Toledo Tales.
posted by Subcomandante_bob at 10:55 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
Bob......once again I feel your stellar "reporting" should earn you a Pulitzer! Thanks for the unbiased, truthful articles.
posted by unknowncomment at 12:20 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
And, jrb deserves a Putzlitzer...
posted by Hooda_Thunkit at 01:20 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
And Foolkiller - now that you mention it....where the heck has Miss Cynthia been? She was always in the limelight. Hmmmmmmmm...
posted by DoknowDocare at 08:08 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
------------------------------------------
Actually, Do, I already know the answer to that question, as I'm sure you do as well. I was merely playing devil's advocate. I'll bet you also noticed that Finkey's wife, Amy, who was totally off the radar for her husband's entire eight years in office, is now suddenly seen everywhere, including commercials. Not merely a coincidence, as you also know. ;)
posted by Foolkiller at 03:58 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
I have had it with Toledo Voters, What a bunch of loosers, to vote for the same old people the same old thing the same...same....same....same !!!!!!!! Now I am sure people will be complaining about the lack of choices, because they were to apathetic to get off thier butts and vote on a wonderfull September day for someone , anyone different.
Why do Toledoens continue to shoot themselves in the foot by voting in people who know as much about leading a City as I know about brain surgery ! Carty tries but is a slave to his ill temper and anger. Jack is a good man but lacks the communication and social skills to bring a community togather. So now here we are with but 2 choices ,we have made our bed and now we must all lay in it. May God help us all.....let's go back to a City Manager, at least then the critical city services were run by professionals.
posted by ttsp4827 at 09:56 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
I sure as hell never supported the 'strong mayor' crap. Block was (once again) the one who pushed it year after year until it happened.
posted by Foolkiller at 10:35 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 14, 2005 #
ttsp4827,
"let's go back to a City Manager, at least then the critical city services were run by professionals."
Amen! (especially the professionals part.
I've had my fill of the amateur politico approach. They NEVER let facts get in the way of an un/ill-informed decision ;-)
posted by Hooda_Thunkit at 07:15 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 15, 2005 #
Kind of a sidenote. In the classifieds section of the latest Toledo City Paper was this announcement:
----
Carty's Fair City Contracts:
3 1/2 cents of every dollar to minorities
96 1/2 cents of every dollar to caucasians
(Source: Black Chamber of Commerce)
Roz Marovitz
Affirmative Action Afficionado
----
No break in the action between the primary election and the start of campaigning for November.
posted by jr at 08:39 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 15, 2005 #
How many signatures to get the City Manager issue back on the ballot. You know that at one time in the 40's I think the City had a strong Mayor. There was a scandle that the mayor was selling vegetables farmed at the work house for personnel profit. The electoriat decided they needed a professional city manager who was hired by the council and could be fired if he messed up. The problem now is once a strong Mayor is in , he is in for 4 years, to do as he see's fit. Niether of these guys were ever swayed by public sentimant once they were sworn in. They have a free ticket for 3 1/2 years until it is time to run again. And the wimps we have on council have never fulfilled thier commitment to balance the strong Mayor by holding the purse strings of the city. They just follow along and do as they are told. Enough complaining , I should just move. Colorado sounds nice.
posted by ttsp4827 at 07:35 P.M. EST on Thu Sep 15, 2005 #
Blade story about how the vote was distributed in Toledo.
"Mr. Ford, the incumbent mayor, rode overwhelming support in the central-city neighborhoods that are his political base to second place in the Toledo mayoral primary and a slot in the Nov. 8 runoff."
"Attorney Keith Wilkowski beat Mr. Ford throughout much of the rest of the city, but his inability to dominate any ward - and the timing of his late television advertising charge - confined him to third."
"Mr. Ford's advisers, led by campaign manager Megan Vahey, employed an elaborate effort to meet a simple goal: boost turnout in his base neighborhoods to the same level as the rest of the city."
"Mr. Ford is the city's first African-American mayor. His base includes the city's most heavily black wards, which Mr. Ruvolo said historically see lower turnout than city averages."
"The Ford campaign phoned homes in those areas for days before the election, deployed volunteers door-to-door to search for voters, and sent vans to drive people to poll locations."
Vans? How about Jeeps?
posted by jr at 11:13 P.M. EST on Thu Sep 15, 2005 #
***********************************************
***********************************************
BRING ON NOVEMBER EIGHTH; LETS GET THIS PITIFUL EXCUSE FOR AN ELECTION OVER WITH.
THIS IS ENOUGH TO GAG A MAGOT OFF A GUT WAGON!
posted by toledoan at 01:10 A.M. EST on Fri Sep 16, 2005 #
Sep 15 Blade op-ed:
"Both candidates signed a clean-campaign pledge last week promising not to engage in personal attacks; we expect them both to stay good to their word."
"A freshly reconstituted Clean Campaign Committee will provide oversight and examine allegations of abuse, which at this point, given the stakes, seem almost certain to arise. The committee should plan to meet daily and respond at once - a five-day lag allows a political dirty trick to fester and accomplish its mission."
Also from the op-ed:
"Mr. Wilkowski's close third-place finish is surely a disappointment, but he has only himself to blame. He should have launched his campaign much sooner than mid-June and raised the money necessary to get his name and message out."
Yeah, I always wondered what was so different about the first five months of 2005 that made Keith want to suddenly enter the race in June. Why not announce in March or January or even last fall? One possible answer why Keith waited so late: the May Stan Odesky poll that showed Carty ahead of Jack.
It smacked of politics as usual. Keith works for Ford's PAC. Poll comes out showing Ford getting trounced by Carty. Keith sees an opening and quits the PAC and enters the mayoral race. To me, if he was really serious about bring change to Toledo, he would have entered the race months earlier.
With only a three-month campaign and not a lot of name recognition compared to the others, Keith did amazingly well. By far he had the most impressive peformance.
I heard Keith say on the radio the other day that he would not endorse a candidate. That would be impressive if he didn't.
posted by jr at 11:31 A.M. EST on Fri Sep 16, 2005 #
I had the distinction of seeing Lud the Dud and his wife in the Kroger store I go to while grocery shopping last night. They were talking to another couple , and he (Ludeman) was complaining about the rag refusing to print something-or-other before the election. Kept on going, as I'm stll pissed at him for helping to give us 4 more years of Jack Block-er, Ford , which in effect he did by refusing to take the race seriously, but I got the impression that he was blaming Block for his poor showing.
posted by Foolkiller at 04:50 A.M. EST on Sat Sep 17, 2005 #
Sep 17 Lemmon column:
"[The November mayoral election] has the potential to turn into a mean-spirited campaign, rivaling the rancor of the past two presidential elections. And these are two Democrats going at it. Egos are going to get bruised over the next 51 days. Here's hoping they resist the temptation to make it personal."
Like I said, the cannibalistic party.
We're told both Carty and Jack signed a clean-campaign pledge. Seems to me Jack may have already violated the pledge, and he is already making it a mean-spirited campaign with his comments late last Tuesday night.
Sep 18 Blade story
"There's a basic script in politics, as applicable to a presidential campaign as it is to the Toledo mayor's race: Those who trail, attack. Those who lead, ignore. Jack Ford and Carty Finkbeiner are playing their parts already."
"Mr. Ford, the incumbent and the underdog in the eight-week mayoral runoff, began gunning at Mr. Finkbeiner literally moments after final results late Tuesday showed he'd survived the primary. Friends and advisers say the mayor must continue to draw "sharp contrasts" with his opponent, who was mayor from 1994 to 2002, to win the Nov. 8 vote."
"That includes questioning Mr. Finkbeiner's record and apparently linking him - however tangentially - to as many scandal-plagued politicians as possible, including Gov. Bob Taft, Republican fund-raiser Tom Noe, and former Lucas County Treasurer Ray Kest."
It shows the extreme desparate state Ford finds himself in. I don't see how Noe and Taft relate to Carty. This seems like a horrible campaign strategy doomed to a miserable failure. If Ford's strategy is to relate Carty to Noe and Taft and not promote his first-term accomplishments, then Ford is a bigger mayoral failure than I thought.
I certainly didn't vote for Carty or Jack in the primary, and I don't plan to vote for either one in November. But if Ford does use this Noeizing strategy on Carty, I'd vote for Carty just to spite Ford. "Anybody But Ford" would be the reason.
posted by jr at 10:17 A.M. EST on Sun Sep 18, 2005 #
I found it interesting that Ford wanted to link Carty to Taft as Ford has been very active in joint efforts with Taft and his wife...drug issues, primarily. Taft even appointed Ford to the Governor's Workforce Investment Board (though rumor has it he rarely attends). Even Ford's wife has said she voted for Taft because she likes Hope Taft - calls Hope her role model.
Ford's got many more connections to Taft than Carty does!
posted by intrepid at 10:29 A.M. EST on Sun Sep 18, 2005 #
ABF! ABF! ABF!
The businesses and citizens of Toledo can't survive another 4 years of this Block-backed reign of terror.
It's typical that the losers in a primary election address those who voted for them and encourage them to vote for one of the winners. Usually the voters will be encouraged to vote for a successful candidate from the same party. However, this is a unique situation for Wilkowski. For the past 4 months Wilko preached about JFo being inept, misguided and innefective. So disgusted with JFo was he that he ran against and damn near beat JFo. He can hardly ask his suppporters to vote for the inept, misguided and ineffective JFo now.
With or without formal direction from Wilko, I think his voters will continue to vote against JFo.
Carty! Carty! Carty!
posted by jimavolt at 04:21 P.M. EST on Sun Sep 18, 2005 #
I concur. I would like to go on record here and now-and tell you all I voted for the Fink ONCE....it was years ago, when he ran against Lud 'the Dud' Ashley (another worthless B&^$#d who held his job until retirement). I was actively involved in his campaign. I said something he didn't like once, (fortunately, we were in a room full of people) and he was laughing before I said it. Suddenly, he stopped grinning, and for one brief moment, I saw the sheer hatred flare up in his eyes. It left quickly, but it bothered me. I still voted for him, but then, on election night, I also saw him cry like a baby when he lost (again, in a room full of supporters). I knew then this guy had a serious problem. I never voted for him again. And, since he's never, to my knowledge, sought treatment or help, as evidenced by his outbursts throughout the years, he still does to this day. Having said all that....I'm going to hold my nose in the booth in November & vote for him a second time. I agree 100% with Jim on this one. In spite of how I feel about the Finkenmeister, I truly believe that ,under that massive troubled ego, he really does love the town & care about citizen's wishes. I cannot in all good conscience allow Jack Block to remain in power for another term. I honestly believe that if the mumbler/Block gets in again, this town is doomed forever to become a smaller version of Detroit. I also believe I'm going to be, once again, fighting a losing battle. J.R's editorials haven't even begun yet, and The Lemonhead, Roberta The Bore, and all the other minions 'columns' lie in waiting. And so does his automatic locked-in 25% in the 'inner city'(a polite pc term for ghetto/the hood). It's going to be an uphill battle, Jim.
posted by Foolkiller at 08:32 P.M. EST on Sun Sep 18, 2005 #
By the way, Jim-I disagree with you on The Polish Prince. I say he endorses the Mumbler. Or don't you remember the bitter name-calling between Reagan and Bush, Sr.-in the primarys. Reagan then turned around and selected him for the V.P. slot. Same can be said on Kerry & the Clairol boy (Edwards). Ludeman's supporters, mostly Repubs & independents, will either vote for Carty...OR...they'll stay home. Or-not vote for mayor. But...the Invisible Man )actually, Invisible RHINO ) came in FOURTH, remember. Wilky's will either go for the Mumbler, or-stay home, or not vote for mayor. SOME will be so anti-JFo/Blade that they'll go for Carty. Probably not too many. I don't know if it'll be enough, though. Because that 25% of the towns' population will support anybody that's black-even if they're an ax-murderer (see: O.J. Simpson for details), which is why Copeland & McConnell/Hancock (or whatever her name is)are locks also. . Hope to hell I'm wrong on all this-but.....
posted by Foolkiller at 08:48 P.M. EST on Sun Sep 18, 2005 #
FK, Carty is too astute a politician to let Wilky get away with morphing back to a JFo supporter. What's Wilky going to say - "He beat me so I guess he's not inept and ineffective after all - - - vote for JFo."
Carty! Carty! Carty!
BTW, how'd ya like the shots Lemon took at Carty yesterday. Assumedly some folks think that the mayor gets to decide what buildings are built where and when and by whom. They think government gets to decide everything for everybody.
Carty! Carty! Carty!
McConnell's not a shoe-in. I think her father does a great job and is an asset to this town, but that apple fell far from the tree.
posted by jimavolt at 06:16 A.M. EST on Mon Sep 19, 2005 #
Toledo hit the skids back in the late '80s, and it's been down hill like a runaway locomotive since. But, I will admit that "The Finkmeister" did take care of the city's infrastructure, and MADE the city's employees actually DO SOME WORK! In the mean time, we have "The Mumbler" to thank for the horrid conditions of our streets.
FOOLKILLER : Toledo -IS- a smaller version of Detroit ever since Michigan was first to change welfare into WORKfare........we've had shade on a moonless night.
posted by toledoan at 11:34 P.M. EST on Mon Sep 19, 2005 #
So in trying to keep score, I was wondering if the Lucas County Democratic Party had endorsed any dems for city council... I was able to find the ones endorsed by the lucascountydemocrats.org PAC - there are five (Szollosi, Karen McConnell-Hancock, Bob Vasquez, Karen Shanahan, Phil Copeland).
Have they endorsed yet? I know there were supposed to do interviews for mayoral endorsement last night...
posted by intrepid at 03:25 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 21, 2005 #
Nope - they have only made judicial endorsements and school board so far:
Francis Xavier Gorman - Judge Toledo Municipal Court
C. Allen McConnell - Judge Toledo Municipal Court
Daniel Pilrose Judge Toledo Municipal Court
Lourdes Santiago - Judge Toledo Municipal Court
Paula Hicks Hudson - Judge Toledo Municipal Court
James Nusbaum - Judge Sylvania Municipal Court
Robert Torres - Toledo Board of Education
Darlene K. Fisher - Toledo Board of Education
posted by historymike at 07:21 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 21, 2005 #
Protect your groins. Ford and his foot soilders plan to dish out a lot of low blow punches and you could get in the one way of one.
Sep 23 Blade story:
"Supporters of Mayor Jack Ford continued to pound former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on ethics, claiming Mr. Finkbeiner made "lies and deception" a policy when dealing with City Council while in office. Mr. Finkbeiner rejected the charges and whistled for the refs."
"The Finkbeiner campaign plans to complain about the comments to the Clean Campaign Committee, which is working to enforce a clean-campaign pledge both candidates for mayor signed this month. Mr. Finkbeiner said yesterday he filed another complaint with the committee earlier this week, after a Ford supporter linked him to embattled Republican fund-raiser Tom Noe in comments published in The Blade."
Carty said:
"It doesn't speak very highly of the individuals involved."
Well, look who is involved with these Clean Campaign violations: Mayor Ford, Wade Kapszukiewicz, Pete Gerken, Frank Szollosi, and Tina Skeldon Wozniak. Those names speak for themselves. No surprise here.
More from the story:
"Frank Szollosi, a city councilman up for re-election this fall, told The Blade that Mr. Finkbeiner was open to attack over connections to Mr. Noe."
You know, when Toledo City Councilslugs make statements like that, it's hard not to root for businesses and people to leave Toledo and Lucas County. If you must leave Toledo, don't forget to make sure you get out of Lucas County, since the county is more and more coming under the rule of Toledo. Gerken and Skippy are former Toledo councilpunks that now occupy county roles. Is Wozniak also a former member of the Toledo city empire?
Remember, while Lucas County lost 11% of private-sector professional, scientific, and technical services jobs from 1998-2003, Wood County gained 23.5% of these types of jobs.
At the press conference, Skippy lead the way in attacking Carty. When Skippy was pressed for details, you know, examples of whatever it was Skippy was talking about, Skippy said:
"Maybe you had to be there."
And these people are running the city and county. "You had to be there." On the subject of Carty's ethics, Skippy spoke in mass generalizations and gave no specific examples except, "You had to be there."
More from the story:
"The Rev. Gary Blaine, senior minister of First Unitarian Church of Toledo and spokesman for the Clean Campaign Committee, said Mr. Kapszukiewicz's comments were "certainly an issue we'll take to the committee." The clean-campaign pledge includes a ban on "personal attacks, innuendo, or stereotyping," either by a candidate or his supporters."
That means Frank will have to watch what he spews on his blog. You think these hacks will play by the clean campaign rules? Of course not, and I hope they get exposed for it. It shows how desparate they are.
posted by jr at 12:08 P.M. EST on Fri Sep 23, 2005 #
Yes, jr, Wozniak is, in your words, a former member of the Toledo city empire.
Prior to being appointed commissioner the last week of December 2002 (just so she could have a week seniority on Thurber who was taking office on 1-1-03, BTW), she was a district council rep from Toledo District 5 - position now held by Helen Gracheck.
posted by intrepid at 02:57 P.M. EST on Fri Sep 23, 2005 #
And another thing...
Since when is it news for a bunch of a-team democrats to endorse another a-teamer???
posted by intrepid at 04:25 P.M. EST on Fri Sep 23, 2005 #
It's only news because Wade is making what could be considered slanderous statements about Carty, unless Wade serves up some actual proof to back up his claims. From the Blade story:
"... county Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz declared that Mr. Finkbeiner had 'made it policy to lie [to] and deceive City Council.' "
Those are strong statements especially when Wade's only proof is, "Maybe you had to be there."
If the Clean Campaign Committee doesn't slam Wade and Frank and anyone else to the mat, then the committee is a fraud. Wade and the other clowns better provide specific details.
It's really comforting to know that someone with the character of Wade is our county's money purse man.
posted by jr at 04:53 P.M. EST on Fri Sep 23, 2005 #
but, jr, Wade's comment was the last item in the story, if I remember correctly. The first half or so was of the other elected officials.
I'd understand if the entire story was about Wade's comment, Carty's response and the Clean Campaign Committee reaction...but those items almost seemed to be an afterthought.
or maybe I'm just conditioned to think negatively of the Blade.
posted by intrepid at 02:05 P.M. EST on Sat Sep 24, 2005 #
In the Sunday, Sep 25 Toledo Blade Letters to the Editor, mayoral candidate and best friend of the African-American community, Don Gozdowski, congratulated Jack and Carty, challenged anyone to a pissing match, and I think made an Opal-like threat to Toledo.
The G-man said:
"With the abundance of political pundits and shock-jock radio-personalities who could easily run the world from their bar stool, logic would dictate finding a qualified man or woman to run our city would be a cinch. Unfortunately civilization has digressed to the point that having a caustic and abrasive tongue and being rude, crude, and obnoxious of mind and mouth is often confused with being witty, clever, and insightful."
"For obvious reasons I thought it prudent to stay low-key concerning spiritual matters during my campaign, so let me spell it out for my friends in the media. If you want to come after me, bring it on; I'm no frail old woman. But if you come after me, you better come after me with a Bible in your hand. I find it curious as well that men and women who make their living with words, whether the spoken word or in print, are not better at reading between the lines."
"Remember when I donned the funny glasses in the last televised mayoral debate and did my little song and dance? Interpret that as my assurance of, and declaration that, judgment is coming. Let's see who's laughing then."
I'm patiently waiting for the English translation so I can know what in the hell Don is talking about.
In the same Letters to the Editor was this about our good friend Bob "The Fraud" McCloskey:
"In terms of Bob McCloskey's first-place finish in the City Council primary, Tom Noe aside, it's yet another classic example of how Toledo continues to vote for Democrats no matter what. His temerity and audacity in claiming that an at-large seat on council is different than that of a district seat is simply breathtaking."
"I guess if you are Bob McCloskey, you simply can choose what parts of the city charter to follow and what parts to ignore. This is precisely the kind of gross hypocrisy that most people hate about politicians. And it is exactly why we voted in term limits."
"It's a good thing I'm still not living in Toledo. I would be leading the charge to file a taxpayer lawsuit."
PAULA PENNYPACKER
Scottsdale, Ariz.
posted by jr at 10:47 P.M. EST on Sun Sep 25, 2005 #
Rober de Boer says Jack and Carty should publish their own blogs.
"In a city recently determined to rank highly among the nation's most-wired municipalities, why aren't more local politicians taking advantage of the opportunity? Specifically, why aren't the mayoral candidates putting themselves out there, controlling their own message in their very own blogs?"
"So far, the steadiest local blogger-pol going is Toledo Councilman Frank Szollosi and, with all due respect, his blog (http://szollositoledo.blogspot.com/) ought to be called Deep Thoughts From a Good Democrat Who Always Toes the A-Team Party Line."
"As blogs go, [Szollosi's is] not exactly an eye-opener; it brings to mind companies trying to market their products (in this case, a particular brand of politics) through guerilla Internet postings that are meant to appear spontaneous and unscripted. Still, let's give credit where it's due. At least Frank is at the keyboard, tippety-tapping away - presenting an image of himself and his issues that he and he alone controls."
"In a city where being called "cerebral" constitutes something of an accusation, yes, Jack Ford is the sort of candidate who might gain a lot by offering himself up in a format that lets him interact with voters from the solitude of his computer, whenever and however he prefers."
"Carty, on the other hand, could actually club himself upside the head with his own blog. The candidate previously known as "hot-headed" has yet to lose control over his temper in this campaign. But in the give-and-take environment of the blogosphere, where readers are free to post a comment, Carty's a guy who might actually wind up doing himself more harm than good."
Not to nitpick too much, but Roberta said Toledo ranked high among the nation's most-wired municipalities. The truth is Toledo ranked high among the nation's most-unwired cities where, in this case, unwired is a good thing when talking about wireless networks.
posted by jr at 11:02 P.M. EST on Sun Sep 25, 2005 #
Sep 24 Blade story about Bob "The Fraud" McCloskey wanting to be Toledo City Council president.
"Some councilmen are quietly dismayed by the $10 million lawsuit now pending against the city and Mr. McCloskey as a result of his involvement in an East Toledo rezoning case. A Michigan developer has accused Councilman McCloskey in a civil suit in U.S. District Court of scuttling his firm's rezoning application because he refused to contribute to a drug prescriptions fund Mr. McCloskey was allegedly trying to set up for Pilkington retirees. Mr. McCloskey has denied the charge. The case is set for trial in February. A former employee of Pilkington PLC, Mr. McCloskey has toiled as an East and South Toledo district representative since 1994."
"If Councilman Bob McCloskey is able to stay the top vote-getter for Toledo City Council at the Nov. 8 general election, he may then begin a new campaign: to be elected City Council president. There is a tradition on City Council that the top Democratic vote-getter gets first crack at the top job on council. If he does finish with the most votes, "as the No. 1 vote-getter and the senior Democrat on council, I certainly should be considered for that position," he said."
posted by jr at 08:44 A.M. EST on Mon Sep 26, 2005 #
Sep 26 Blade story titled "Panel says Ford's campaign tactic could be problem."
"Jack Ford's case for linking Carty Finkbeiner to two of the state's most troubled political figures rests on a breakfast, 15 minutes of televised niceties, alleged guilt by association, and a seven-year-old misdemeanor. It includes no direct financial or political connections between Mr. Finkbeiner and former GOP power broker Tom Noe or Gov. Bob Taft, though Mr. Ford and his allies repeatedly attempted to group Mr. Finkbeiner with both men and their high-profile difficulties last week."
"The spokesman for Toledo's Clean Campaign Committee says the strength of the evidence could pose "a problem" for Mr. Ford in the context of his pledge to avoid innuendo and personal attacks in his race against Mr. Finkbeiner for mayor. "If, in fact, we had a paper trail or some other evidence that the campaign took money from Tom Noe," said the Rev. Gary Blaine, the committee spokesman, "that he was somehow on their payroll, that there was any kind of contractual relationship between Noe and the Finkbeiner campaign, then OK, I guess that's open for question. I don't think anybody has that." "
"Mr. Ford and his allies repeatedly questioned Mr. Finkbeiner's ethics last week and associated him with Mr. Noe. One of the mayor's top advisers, Jim Ruvolo, said Friday that "there's a connection" between Mr. Finkbeiner and Mr. Noe, which fits into a larger charge that Mr. Finkbeiner is "politically amoral." "
"In public and in interviews, Mr. Ford's supporters offer four exhibits of Mr. Finkbeiner's connections to Mr. Noe, and one they say links him to Mr. Taft:"
1. - "Mr. Noe appeared on Mr. Finkbeiner's talk show on WTVG-TV, Channel 13, in April, less than a week after The Blade first reported the state's multimillion-dollar investment in his rare-coin funds. On his talk show, Mr. Finkbeiner called Mr. Noe "my friend." "
2. - "In late April, Mr. Noe joined more than 100 other "business leaders" at a breakfast meeting with Mr. Finkbeiner, who had not yet officially declared his candidacy. Mr. Finkbeiner paid for the meal with campaign funds."
3. - "Two key members of Mr. Finkbeiner's campaign team have been associated closely with Mr. Noe or his wife, Bernadette, in the past, Mr. Ford's allies charge."
4. - "The best-documented allegation involves Mr. Finkbeiner's guilty plea in 1998 to a misdemeanor ethics charge, as part of a deal with the Ohio Ethics Commission. Mr. Finkbeiner led a city effort in the early 1990s to persuade Owens Corning to build its headquarters downtown. The project included moving the Commodore Island condominiums, one of which Mr. Finkbeiner owned. The city bought the 15 condominiums, including Mr. Finkbeiner's. The development company involved paid Mr. Finkbeiner $10,000 to move out of his condo early. The then-mayor never reported the payment on state ethics forms."
Carty helped keep Owens Corning in Toledo while Ford failed to keep OI in Toledo.
posted by jr at 09:24 A.M. EST on Mon Sep 26, 2005 #
Okay - so someone explain to me: If McCloskey is prohibited from running for another term and he's technically not violating this rule because he's running for a different seat (at-large versus district) WHY CAN HE GET AWAY WITH USING THE TERM RE-ELECT??????
posted by intrepid at 01:26 P.M. EST on Mon Sep 26, 2005 #
Exclusive interview with McCloskey in Friday's Toledo Tales.
Miss a day of Toledo Tales, you miss...well...not much really, but don't miss it anyways.
posted by Subcomandante_bob at 01:45 P.M. EST on Mon Sep 26, 2005 #
"A Michigan developer has accused Councilman McCloskey in a civil suit in U.S. District Court of scuttling his firm's rezoning application because he refused to contribute to a drug prescriptions fund Mr. McCloskey was allegedly trying to set up for Pilkington retirees." (posted by jr)
Itrepid, the answer to your question is in jr's post. The keyword is accused. Until there is an indictment, a trial and a verdict, accused is all McCloskey is.
It would behoove all of us to allow the justice system to complete its' task before we take to labeling folks as criminal.
And, for the record, this pertains to anyone that is 'accused' of something, but not convicted.
Vigilance is admirable. Vigilantism is dangerous.
posted by DoknowDocare at 08:31 P.M. EST on Mon Sep 26, 2005 #
Via historymike:
"... note the olive-green paint covering his old district info, and his false claim to party endorsement"
"I am disgusted, however, with sending people like Bob McCloskey back. The man faces an extortion trial in early 2006 for his taped quid pro quo "donation" request. He also shamelessly switched from a district council seat to an at-large seat to get around the term limits law."
"Bob McCloskey is a microcosm of everything that is wrong with Toledo politics, and yet he is somehow the top vote-getter in the primary."
posted by jr at 12:02 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 27, 2005 #
Actually, doknowdocare, this DOESN'T answer the question. Either he's running for a different seat - which he claims because he then gets around the term limits - or not. If he's running for a different seat, he can't legally use the term "re-elect."
If he can legally use the term "re-elect," then it's a term past the term-limit provision.
Maybe I should just file a campaign complaint with the BOE and let them figure it out.
posted by intrepid at 12:22 P.M. EST on Tue Sep 27, 2005 #
Intrepid - I apologize - that response was meant for jr.
But to attempt to address your statement - Barb Herring (law director for the city) rendered an official interpretation of the city charter stating that McCloskey is not in violation of any election laws.
As for the term 're-elect' I think it all boils down to semantics. To RE-elect someone would translate into voting for that person again. That being said, then technically the term is not incorrect.
BUT - I have to agree with you that it's a little confusing on all the signage.
posted by DoknowDocare at 07:04 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
From the Blade article above about McCloskey:
"City Law Director Barb Herring has advised Mr. McCloskey that he may run for an at-large council seat even though he has been elected to three four-year terms because he has not yet completed his third four-year term."
"The same interpretation is allowing Republican Betty Shultz to seek a new term this year. Mrs. Shultz was elected in 1993 as the District 5 representative, the same year as Mr. McCloskey, and was appointed in the last year of that term to an at-large vacancy."
posted by jr at 08:53 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
Roberta de Boer's suggestion that Jack and Carty take up blogging got mentioned at a Cleveland blog.
"Something I have never come across before. A newspaper columnist actually asking her local politicians to take up blogging. Actually, I don't think it's a particularly good idea for most politicians and candidates to just start blogging -- especially in a campaign. Good blogging is open, honest, straightforward, and with a clear opinion/bias. It goes against most politicians' nature and interests to do that -- that caution is magnified even further when running for an office and trying to appeal to the broadest number of voters."
"Too often it is the type of blogging cited in the column, which is close to useless. A politician would be better served learning the ropes when not actually running for office."
"Don't publicize it at first, just write. Take some time to find out if he or she is capable of blogging on a close to regular basis. Learn to express a thought, opinion or concept without making it read like a press release or as if it's been vetted by handlers before posting."
Szollosi's blog is "close to useless." I wouldn't go that far.
posted by jr at 09:53 A.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
Actually, doknowdocare, the use of the term "re-elect" is governed by Ohio Revised Code.
ORC Section 3517.21 says:
(B) No person, during the course of any campaign for nomination or election to public
office or office of a political party, by means of campaign materials, including sample
ballots, an advertisement on radio or television or in a newspaper or periodical, a public speech, press release, or otherwise, shall knowingly and with intent to affect the outcome of such campaign do any of the following:
(1) Use the title of an office not currently held by a candidate in a manner that implies
that the candidate does currently hold that office or use the term "re-elect" when the
candidate has never been elected at a primary, general, or special election to the office
for which he or she is a candidate;
So the question still is - is an at-large seat to city council the same "office" as a district seat? And who can give us the answer?
posted by intrepid at 12:40 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
Intrepid - thanks for the info. I appreciate it.
As for who to ask.....questions of legality would, in my opinion, be addressed to the law department. Possibly ask for a formal opinion? All I can suggest at this point.
posted by DoknowDocare at 04:02 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
Citizens have no right to request legal opinions from the City's law department. They are the lawyers for the city - not the citizens.
I think I'll see if I can get an answer from the staff at the Board of Elections...maybe they can tell me who can answer the question if they can't.
I'll keep you posted on what I find out.
posted by intrepid at 06:00 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
I honestly don't know why you're hashing this topic over, because you all know the bulldog is going to win in a landslide, and sadly-although he will NOT get MY vote, or yours, there's really nothing we can do to stop it. About the ONLY thing that could be done would be to get on the news somehow (maybe hold a public protest), bring it to public light, and cause the scumbag some embarrassment. That won't stop him, though. Oh...by the way...my sister attended a meeting where Herr Finkenbeiner spoke, and she told me that he (Carty) said, when asked about his opinions on people running for council-that 'about the only one running that I really have any use for is Bob McCloskey'. Just thought you'd like to know that. Sadly, I still have to hold my nose & vote for Herr Finkenbeiner just to try to stop the Mumbler (Jack Block)from a second term.
posted by Foolkiller at 09:46 P.M. EST on Wed Sep 28, 2005 #
I spent the day at St. V's yesterday with my mom (nothing serious - just some testing) and struck up a conversation with a family in the waiting room. One of the ladies mentioned that there's a campaign going on to write-in Wilkowski's name. Anyone heard anything about it? (The woman I talked to lives in Oregon, so this was something she's heard - not something she's planning to do.)
posted by valbee at 07:31 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 29, 2005 #
From what I understand, the November ballot doesn't allow for a write-in candidate like the primary election did. That's according to Wilkowski who was asked about being a write-in candidate. I don't know if it's a city charter thing or what that prohibits a write-in option for mayor in the general election. I believe the thinking is, if you allow for a write-in candidate in November, what's the point of the primary election? The primary election's purpose was to whittle the candidate list down to two people. I guess you'll have to bring your own ballot if you want to write-in someone else.
This November, we'll use the touch-screen voting machines, which we used at my voting place two years ago.
posted by jr at 07:59 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 29, 2005 #
Today's Blade had an article dealing with the term limits issue.
Mr. McCloskey said the voters don't care about term limits, and he accused Mr. Schulz of running for his office by running down his name.
Ok, McCloskey... since you think you know what I don't care about, now try telling me what I do care about! I'm waiting with anticipation...
posted by valbee at 08:06 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 29, 2005 #
My favorite quote from the Toledo Troglodyte about Dave Schulz:
"This guy has no credentials to even think about running for office."
This coming from a guy - McCloskey - who worked in a glass factory before finding greener pastures in politics.
What were your credentials before Council, Bob? Couple of union hierarchy gigs? Sergeant-at-Arms in the Masonic lodge?
We need to remove this tumor from city council. He is corrupt, arrogant, and an embarrassment to the region.
My favorite dealing with McCloskey:
I do a regular feature with a local paper on abandoned buildings. In front of one building was a hand-painted sign from a frustrated constituent that said "Bob McCloskey – Fix this or tear it down!"
A neighbor I interviewed said that the city was out cutting grass and cleaning up the abandoned property 2 days after the sign was posted, so he thought it was a good strategy (it was in McCloskey's district).
McCloskey was pissed that it was included in the story, and wanted equal time. Sorry Bob, politicians wanting to complain about being the subject of negative attention is not news, and you are not unique.
Most politicians understand that they have to take their share of constituent ire, but McCloskey apparently feels that people are not allowed to criticize him. Being arrogant and thin-skinned must be a tough combination of personality traits.
Bob McCloskey, the prima donna Troglodyte.
posted by historymike at 09:34 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 29, 2005 #
As historymike indicated, McCloskey's own words about Dave Schulz:
"He has no campaign, no platform, and he's using somebody else's name to try to get recognition of the news media. This guy has no credentials to even think about running for office."
Looks like a personal attack by McCloskey on another candidate. Obviously, council candidates didn't sign a clean campaign form. I thought we lived in a sort of democracy where the only credentials needed to run for office were being alive, being a citizen, maybe an age requirement, and possibly a couple of other minor things. Basically, running for office is open to anyone with the desire. What in the hell are these "credentials" that McCloskey refers to? Sounds kind of dark.
I only voted for three council candidates in the primary, and Dave Schulz was one of them. The fact that Dave has got two incumbants in a tizzy reaffirms my belief that Dave is a good choice for that overused word "change."
What provoked McCloskey's attack on Dave besides Bob being ignorant? The only full quote in the Blade article by Dave was this:
"I believe the intent of the voters was to limit councilman to 12 consecutive years."
What's so bad about that statement?
A partial quote by Dave was also in the Blade story:
"City Law Director Barb Herring has ruled that council members can run again if they served partial terms. Mr. Schulz yesterday called Ms. Herring's interpretation of the law "legalistic weaselry." "
Spot on.
And in the same Blade article, other council people have similar thoughts to Dave's. Ludeman said:
"Three terms is what the voters expected and if it can be clarified so there is not an inconsistency down the road then that is a good thing to do."
And about Escobar:
"Council President Louis Escobar said he wanted to put the issue on the ballot in 2004 to close the loopholes but was discouraged because of the number of issues already on the ballot. He said he thinks the charter intended no more than the three four-year terms Ms. Shultz and Mr. McCloskey have served. "It was very clear what the people intended," Mr. Escobar said."
Betty Shultz and Bob McCloskey are scamming the public, and yet they were two of the top three voter getters in the council primary.
Bob McCloskey ... 20083 ... 11.43%
Phil Copeland ... 18454 ... 10.5%
Betty Shultz ... 17580 ... 10%
posted by jr at 10:14 A.M. EST on Thu Sep 29, 2005 #
jr - please clarify...I'd heard that the opinions issued for Bob and Betty were different because they are not in the same situation (even if the answer was the same).
But if they are in different situations, then we need to know and not lump them both together.
posted by intrepid at 02:38 P.M. EST on Thu Sep 29, 2005 #
"[Escobar] thinks the charter intended no more than the three four-year terms."
If my math is correct, that's 12 years.
The loophole seems to be is it 12 years in total or 12 consecutive years? And how does the 12-year number apply to someone who switches from a district seat to an at-large-position? Can a person serve 10 years in one and then 12 more years in the other? Sounds like that's possible.
Since Bob is in the middle of his third four-year term, technically, he hasn't served 12 consecutive years, although that's what he was elected for. He's trying to get elected for the fourth time when the limit should have been clearly stated as three times.
From the Blade article:
"If elected, Mr. McCloskey and Ms. Shultz, each will have served 16 years when their terms end."
Again, if my math is correct, 16 is greater than 12.
"In 1997, Ms. Shultz left her District 5 seat before the term was up to fill an at-large vacancy. Mr. McCloskey is planning to resign from his District 3 seat in the middle of his current four-year term if he is elected to an at-large council seat."
If Bob is in the middle of his third term, doesn't that mean he's served 10 years? And if elected for the at-large position, that's for four more years, right? Wouldn't that be 14 years and not 16? Doesn't matter. Bob is making a mockery of the system and serving longer than what the charter had intended. Ditto for Betty.
"Councilman Rob Ludeman, who has served as long as Ms. Shultz and Mr. McCloskey ..."
And Rob has been on Council since 1993, correct? 12 years.
posted by jr at 09:11 A.M. EST on Fri Sep 30, 2005 #
except that Rob is a district councilman and because they went to staggered terms a couple of years back, there was a 2-year period of time that was not to be held against the district reps when counting the number of terms/years they'd served. Basically all the district people got a 2-year pass in order to go to the staggered terms.
posted by intrepid at 10:35 A.M. EST on Fri Sep 30, 2005 #
Blade story about council candidate Ernest Berry.
"Ernest Berry isn't your typical city hall hopeful. The 21-year-old East Toledo man just earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Toledo, in political science and history, but he has never run for public office, much less held it. He sandwiches campaigning for City Council between the classes he's taking for a master's degree in public administration."
"His guide dog, a boxer named Calypso, accompanies him everywhere."
"Mr. Berry was born blind and developed spastic paraplegic neuropathy as a child, which put him a wheelchair for several years. With intense therapy, he relearned to walk, but has an unusual gait and must use a cane and Calypso."
Berry talks about trying to do door-to-door campaigning:
"I was going door to door in Point Place … when the police stopped me and asked for my ID. They had gotten a call of someone who was visibly intoxicated, with a pit bull. That was depressing."
About Toledo:
"The biggest issues facing the city, he says, are interrelated, and include jobs, education, public safety, and lack of technology. "We're in the information age, and Toledo's not operating in the information age," he said of the last item on the list. "We need to stop the brain drain. For anybody to say Toledo can't rebound from its economic decline, they are deceived," he said. "Look at Cleveland and Columbus." "
"Spots in the city already show promise, he added, citing as one example the first block of South St. Clair Street. The block is home to a coffee shop, salon and day spa, market, ice cream and sandwich shop, and bar and restaurant, all of which opened in the last few years."
posted by jr at 08:47 A.M. EST on Tue Oct 04, 2005 #
Ernie is on to something (and, more than he knows too).
The local politicos have no clue and can't think past the end of their own noses.
The level of duplicated efforts, all being pursued independently of each other is... embarrassing, to say the least.
There are projects that can pay for themselves in just a few years, saving taxpayer $$$ thereafter, that haven't even been started...
But, why save money for the taxpayers when there's nothing in it for me?
Politicos and Burrocrats!
They say we can't live without them, but I'd sure like to try ;-)
posted by Hooda_Thunkit at 11:50 A.M. EST on Tue Oct 04, 2005 #
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