I'm not opposed to exploring new ideas for bringing new business into the county but I have a bad feeling about this one. I'm getting the feeling that the the promise of more jobs is merely the "dangling carrot" in this proposition.
I keep hearing Mayor Ford talk about services. I'm an Oregon resident and from what I see every day, there is no comparison between our services and Toledo's. Road conditions, snow removal, police/fire... All are drastically better in comparison to Toledo. (especially snow removal and road condition) I suspect the situation is the same in most other surrounding suburbs too.
Before we go much farther with these talks, can anyone guarantee that our services won't be brought down to the level of Toledo's?
-Dan
posted by photodan at 06:11 P.M. EST on Thu Mar 04, 2004 #
That's the problem right now, there are no specifics. It's all high-level, vague discussion. We're just suppose to "look" at how wonderful things are in Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Ottumwa, and say, "Yep, we need that." When there's a detailed plan, of what is and isn't under the control of Toledo, then unigov will be something to discuss. I'm curious to know if legislation passed by Toledo, such as the smoking ban and the new housing law, would apply to the entire county or just Toledo? I'm guessing some people move to the burbs to escape some of the rediculous laws in Toledo.
Unigov proponents believe taxes will be lowered, because of shared services. Proponents believe Lucas County brain-drain will be diminshed, and the phony increase in the so-called population of Toledo will carry more clout in Columbus and attract more business.
Having an open discussion on the topic is fine. But I wonder if unigov is already a done-deal, and these discussions are just a formality, like the fictitious task force of a year ago that was suppose to investigate what effects on business a smoking ban would have. Will unigov simply be forced on all of Lucas County no matter what? Is that possible? Are there cities that tried unigov and it failed?
posted by jr at 07:03 P.M. EST on Thu Mar 04, 2004 #
1. An opinion in Indianapolis about the Indiana Supreme Court and voting. "So the court, it could be argued, is enforcing a statute — Unigov — that already has been found to be racially discriminatory."
2. An open letter last November to the Indy mayor. "During the early days of your first term, it was common to attribute this perception to the fact that you were our first Democrat mayor in a generation. Indianapolis was thought of as a Republican stronghold with, thanks to Unigov, a powerful political machine." I wonder how the political landscape would change with unigov in Lucas County?
3. "Mostly because UniGov includes suburban voters in city elections, Indianapolis is one of the most conservative big cities in the country."
4. "When Unigov comes to Indianapolis, Harrison senses "something rotten in the State of Denmark" and blows the journalistic whistle. He spotlights the fact that there isn"t much "uni" in Unigov but, instead, there is an enormous amount of old fashioned gerrymandering. Sadly, though, he is blowing that whistle against an impregnable mother lode. His brainy breath tilts at the windmill. So the designers smile at the Ullmann alarm, saying, "Nobody will believe him."
Harrison correctly tells us that, while the political architects are big, they still aren't about to offend suburbanites by imposing real metropolitan government that will unify the schools, fire and police services and will step on the toes of other suburban fiefdom feet. Neither, however, are those "powers that be" willing to forego the extraterritorial suburban votes necessary to win Indianapolis mayoral elections."
5. "At the same time, the formation of Unigov, the linked city-county government, sapped African Americans of the political power that they had worked for so long to obtain. Unigov added nearly 250,000 new white voters, which grossly outnumbered the number of new black voters that came into the community. Blacks felt misrepresented and uncared for as the white-run city government focused on issues that did not address the immediate concerns of the black community."
6. "The benefits from UniGov included the creation of a city large enough to attract and retain talented political leadership, the physical rebuilding of a downtown core area, and the stabilization of job levels in the downtown area. An unintended consequence was a regressive system to finance redevelopment. The extensive use of abatements and tax increment financing plans for development has increased tax burdens for residents and businesses located in the old city of Indianapolis, but substantial image and economic benefits have accrued to the region." Full report.
This next piece is from the late 90's, during the glorious economic times.
7. "Indianapolis is America's twelfth most populous city, anchoring America's thirty-first most populous metropolitan area. If that sounds like a discrepancy, well, it is. Indianapolis statistics are distorted by Unigov, a 1969 annexation deal in which Indianapolis quadrupled in size to include all of Marion County, swallowing 12 of its inner-ring suburbs. Unigov, brokered by then Mayor Richard Lugar, has been renowned ever since as a groundbreaking example of metropolitan government in action, "a national poster child for progressive reform." In fact, however, it's more of a numbers game. Understanding that numbers game goes a long way toward explaining the myth of Indianapolis."
"It can help unify a region. It can connect the overflowing wealth of the suburbs to the desperate needs of the city. It can create efficiencies in government through economies of scale. It can encourage local politicians to take a regional approach to issues like transportation, environmental protection, and economic development. So why didn't this happen under Unigov?"
"The problem is that Unigov was never a real metropolitan government. The dozen suburban communities that agreed to join the enlarged entity known as Indianapolis all insisted on maintaining control of their own schools, fire departments, police departments, and poor relief. They also levy property taxes on their own residents to pay for those functions, forcing the original city (where a whopping one-third of the property is tax-exempt) to do the same. Four of those suburbs -- Southport, Beech Grove, Lawrence, and Speedway (the home of the Indianapolis 500) -- even retained their own mayors; they essentially "opted out" of Unigov, yet they are still represented on its council and still vote for its mayor. In other words, the suburbs have been tied to the city politically, but except for a small countywide downtown-improvement tax, they have not been tied to the city economically. Today, for example, taxes for poor relief are ten times higher in Center Township, as the original city is known, than in any other area of Indianapolis -- its residents have the greatest need for relief, and, consequently, the least ability to supply it."
"So what has Unigov accomplished? For one thing, by including upscale suburban voters in city elections, it has assured 30 years of white Republican rule in Indianapolis, even though the original city limits are now predominantly Democratic and almost half minority. But the most important legacy of Unigov is its assurance that when middle-class city dwellers escape to the suburbs, they still count as Indianapolis residents. The result is an array of impressive numbers for the entire "city" (a population that has almost doubled since 1950, low crime rates, above-average public school test scores, 2.5 percent unemployment) that mask serious deterioration within the original city limits (a population that has dropped by half since 1950, soaring crime rates, abysmal test scores, census tracts with double-digit unemployment)."
" "The out-of-town press sees the Indianapolis numbers and goes wild," says Harrison Ullmann, a veteran Indianapolis Star reporter who is now editor of the alternative weekly NUVO. "But under the shadow of Unigov, we've got all the same problems in the urban areas as everyone else. Believe me, when the bottom drops out of this economy, this city could really go to hell." "
"In fairness, Unigov has probably contributed somewhat to a revival of downtown Indianapolis, although the booming national economy has been a far more important force. (After all, downtowns are enjoying similar comebacks in Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, and even Detroit without any Unigov-style arrangements.)"
"The only difference in Indianapolis is that, thanks to Unigov, when the moneyed classes fled for the suburbs, they officially stayed in the city. In fact, in elegant suburban Washington Township -- just inside the border separating Indianapolis from Carmel, one of America's richest towns -- sits the home of the mayor of Indianapolis, pleasantly isolated from the city he cannot save."
8. "Louisville has become somewhat of a national laboratory for government reorganization, drawing inquiries and site visits from more than a dozen U.S. cities since voters approved city-county merger in 2000."
More funny unigov numbering, but for the good?
9. "A new city is about to join the ranks of the country’s 20 largest municipalities. Louisville, Kentucky, will catapult from its midsize-city ranking of 66 to become the nation’s 16th most populous city. The demographic explosion will occur when the city mergers with the surrounding county."
"To be on the top of mind for decision makers in this country, to be a community they think about where they might want to open up a branch or move their company to, they’ve got to think about you. They’ve got to see you on a list."
"Advocates of city-county mergers say there are several advantages: less duplication of government services, for one; creating a richer tax base, for another; and creating a sense of family. People in the suburbs and the city typically vote for the metro mayor and new city council members."
"One of the last cities to take the merger leap was Indianapolis, which consolidated with Marion County in 1970. Former mayor, Bill Hudnut, says because “Unigov” existed, Indianapolis was better able to negotiate deals."
10. A lengthy report from 2000 on regionalism, the fancy term for unigov, I think.
Routes toward New Regionalism:
Consolidation - Jacksonvile, Nashville, Indianapolis, Athens, Augusta.
Multitiered - Minneapolis, Portland.
Linked Functions - Charlotte, Louisville.
Complex Networks - Pittsburgh, Macon.
Public Choice - Los Angeles (1960s), Brunswick.
I think I'm getting more confused.
"Unigov is credited with promoting economic development and attracting higher quality leadership. Nevertheless, although Unigov did restrain the urge to sprawl, suburban growth continues outside the city's boundaries. Unigov was intrumental in redeveloping the downtown, but the cost has been disproportionately borne by the redidents of Center Township [old Indianapolis]. Further, Center Township residents and African Americans saw a diminution in their political influence. Rosentraub suggests that downtown redevelopment may have had less to do with Unigov and more to do with the presence of large foundations that have provided substantial financial support and contributed to the civic leadership that led to much of the redevelopment."
11. "In the 10 months since consolidating their governments, officials in Louisville, Ky., say theirs has become a city to be reckoned with on the national business scene."
"Jacksonville, Fla., officials, 35 years into unification, see their city as a regional financial-services center with new potential for professional sports teams."
"And Indianapolis officials, after 33 years of consolidated city-county government, proclaim themselves an enterprise success story."
"One critic said that, despite claims to the contrary, "study after study" shows consolidated governments are no more cost-efficient, effective or attractive for jobs than any other jurisdiction."
"Among others, Savitch cites a 1999 study by Florida State University researchers Jered B. Carr and Richard C. Feiock, who concluded there is "no evidence of a link between consolidation and economic development." "
"The population jump changed Louisville's ability to market itself. It attracted new businesses, including a startup airliner, creating 400 high-paying jobs."
"The city of Jacksonville merged with Duval County in 1968. It allowed the city to rebuild its infrastructure downtown and end flight to the suburbs. It also increased the city's tax base, allowing the consolidated government to reduce property taxes for nine straight years. The budget increase has come not from property taxes but sales taxes."
This could go on for gigs of disk space. Simple searching at Google on 'unigov' would tie up a consultant for weeks. Unigov supporters could find the good points of unigov, and opponents could find the bad, but we need both sides.
posted by jr at 08:52 P.M. EST on Thu Mar 04, 2004 #
I agree with photodan ... this type of idea always means a race to the bottom, meaning lowest common denominator. Ford inherited this mess - and frankly he has what used to be called "the Block bunch" to thank for it. They ran Toledo into the ground with the help of some of the city's big-company CEO's. I recall the big layoffs of the mid-80's and they were brutal, the corporations were arrogant, and there wasn't really any planning for the future on the part of Toledo's leaders. There's a good ole boy's network in Toledo that has squandered time and money over the past 40 years. It's an ingrown attitude and provincial and selfish way of doing business that stymies original ideas, and rewards a small clique over and over, that leaves the ordinary working person out in the cold.
So after 40 or 50 years of this baloney, now we are going to pool our resources?? to solve the serious problems caused by this?? I don't think so - not if it means giving up our local community governments... no way jose.
And by the by - Toledo is not Minneapolis. We are unique in that lots of workers from here work in the Detroit area - in a lot of ways Toledo survives because of Detroit. And some of them work down here. Frankly, it's too bad Michigan can't annex Toledo - now THAT would make sense.
posted by edie at 06:11 A.M. EST on Fri Mar 05, 2004 #
Michigan annex Toledo? Michigan's economy is no more of a joke than Ohio's. If they're better off at all, it'd be because they use no money to fix that joke of a highway system.
posted by lprmesia at 12:09 A.M. EST on Fri Mar 12, 2004 #
The Blade headline reads:
"Expert touts advantages of regional teamwork"
Beware when the word "expert" is used to describe someone.
"Regionalism guru Michael Gallis gave a geography, history, and economics lesson for his Toledo debut yesterday, but left it to his listeners to decide whether Toledo should become a "center" city."
Guru. Expert. Yeah, be very aware.
"His business, Michael Gallis & Associates, helps regions determine their economic strengths and form "frameworks" for economic growth."
I think that's a lot of babble to say, "I'm a high-priced consultant that says things nobody can understand."
"Peter Gozza, president of Downtown Toledo, Inc., said it is possible that DTI and other local organizations would contract with Mr. Gallis. He took Mr. Gallis on a tour of Toledo yesterday. A dinner meeting with Mayor Jack Ford was planned at the Toledo Club."
"Among his previous clients is the West Michigan Strategic Alliance centering on Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Holland. He said the framework took two years to establish and was funded by the public sector, private business, and nonprofit institutions."
"Commenting on Toledo, Mr. Gallis cited the city's location on the I-80/I-90 and I-75 corridors as a natural asset."
And being located on Lake Erie, but do we need to pay someone to tell us that? Thanks for stating the obvious. Pick up your payment from the petty cash basket. How much will this "framework" cost taxpayers?
posted by jr at 11:49 A.M. EST on Thu Apr 01, 2004 #
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