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Hildo looks to unigov to solve Toledo's problems

The Toledo City Paper opinion conglomerate Hildo writes an interesting Jun 27, 2007 column titled Rethinking local government structure that should scare the jeeves out of non-Toledo residents in Lucas County.

First, definitions:

Toledoans are the ones that keep pushing for unigov because they see the other communities as a pile of money that can be spent on Toledo-centric projects. Of course, these unigov supporters will rationalize their thievery thinking by trotting out that worn out phrase, "How goes Toledo, so goes the region." Which means the other communities should be willing to give money to Toledo and expect nothing in return.

As I've said before:

I believe that Toledo-based public officials view unigov or regionalism as how can other communities serve Toledo, instead of how all communities together can help the region.

County-wide school system

Okay, from the Hildo column:

Combine school districts into a county-wide school system. The redundancy inherent in every little township having its own schools, with its own transportation, cafeteria, and administrative systems boggles the mind. Lots of other states have streamlined their systems county by county.

Yeah, right. I'm sure the property owners in other Lucas County communities love this idea. Not only would they be supporting their schools in Maumee and Sylvania, but they would be supporting the buffoonery known as TPS. Look at how TPS handled the process of finding a new superintendent.

They could have hired a qualified individual from another part of the country who could bring new ideas to TPS. Instead, that whole process was a sham, and they gave the super job to a 30-year veteran of TPS. Someone who is part of the problem is now at the helm. And then "they" put Jack Ford on the school board. It's a tragic comedy. So why would other communities wand to pay for the boneheads in charge of failing TPS? One of the main reasons why residents move out of Toledo to the burbs is for better schools in the burbs.

How about this for starters: combine Washington Local and TPS. See if "they" can make that work. Why are there two school districts in Toledo?

The report cards for the school districts are released in August. Here's the report card for the 2005-2006 school year:

Lucas County - number of standards met out of 25

Anthony Wayne - 25
Maumee - 24
Oregon - 20
Ottawa Hills - 25
Springfield - 22
Sylvania - 25
Toledo - 6
Washington Local Schools - 18

For TPS:

You can see why a hard core Toledo supporter would support a county-wide school district.

More from the Jun 27, 2007 Hildo group opinion:

Cost savings would be automatic, as would a leveling of educational options for kids. Turf protection is the only reason we can fathom for not supporting this idea.

Duh. Turf protection as in services received for taxes paid. First of all, the public schools should not be supported by property taxes. But since that's the case, I would want my taxes supporting a district that does well and doesn't fail and doesn't make asinine school board decisions that guarantees no positive change but does guarantee more failing. Damn right it's about "turf protection." Again, ask the people with kids why they moved out of Toledo.

County-wide government

More from Hildo:

While we’re at it, let’s reorganize city and county offices. Why are so many city and county offices redundant? Why not pool resources and combine our efforts? Are the townships and ‘burbs that worried about their little fiefdoms? Is the city that protective of its autonomy? Can we continue to bicker and fritter away opportunities?

This Hildo writing group is a collective idiot. Of course the burbs are worried and protective. Hildo answers its own questions. The burbs are worried about the Toledo regime stealing money from the burbs in order to support future failed Toledo projects. Look at the assclowns in Toledo and Lucas County government. Why would the other communities want to submit to those fools?

What has Toledo done that the other communities would say, "Yes, we should work together."?

Look at funding for the sports arena. County Commissioner Gerken, a former Toledo City Councilman, got a new hotel tax applied to all hotels in the county and not just applied to the hotels in Toledo when you know that some or many of these hotels will not see positive impact from a new arena.

Some of the contents comprising Lucas County government :

Even if a candidate from another community wins the non-Toledo vote, that person will probably still lose, since the Toledo population and the Toledo political machines, especially for the Democrats, overpowers the burbs. About 67% of Lucas County's population resides in Toledo. So yeah, the burbs are really excited about being ruled by the Toledo-based incompetents.

Recycling ineptitude

The June 2007 Hildo column inadvertently explains why the problematic orgs in Toledo need saved by the other communities via unigov.

As Jack Ford settles into his new gig as short-term appointee, rumblings abound that he is being encouraged from all sides to actually run for the seat. He has swatted back accusations that he doesn’t live in his Shenandoah Road residence. And he has artfully dodged questions about his long-term ambitions for the position. If he does decide to run, and our sources indicate it’s a done deal, he’s a shoe-in.

Then there’s the other endorsed D, Lisa Sobecki. Her signs tout her as a “mom on a mission.” Doesn’t the school board already have one of those? And how’s that working out so far? We got bad news, Lisa. Carty wasn’t just whistling in the dark when he touted Ford and Peter Silverman as his candidates. We hear Pete’s mulling a run, too. Another shoo-in.

If this all pans out, Chris Myers can take down his multiple redundant Web sites and his mentor Steve Flaggs can stay off the radio. The “Urban” “Coalition” can move on to the next axes they have to grind. Other lesser-known candidates can crawl back into the woodwork. The election’s already over.

See how the math adds up in this Hildo column? Retreads are being re-elected to old positions, like Carty, and other retreads are getting appointed to or will win election to other positions. And you wonder why Toledo and TPS has problems. And you can see why the Hildo group is promoting unigov to save Toledo and TPS. Again, based upon all of this, why would the other communities commit cultural suicide by supporting unigov? Maybe if people like Ford, Carty, and Silverman weren't being recycled, that might help convince the other communities that it's possible to work with Toledo.

The re-election of Carty to a third term, the Toledo dominance of county government positions, Jack Ford given the Toledo school board position, and so on, makes the unigov idea even more unlikely. This is why Toledoans flee the city: to get away from these career political screwballs. But the safest thing to do is to move out of Lucas County.

Ford running for school board

Jul 10, 2007 Toledo Journal story

Mr. Ford, reacting to an off-the-cuff comment from Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, said Monday, July 9, said he is seriously considering running for the school board seat he was apppointed to June 5.

Mr. Ford’s comments were sought after the mayor, earlier on July 9, volunteered to reporters that he hopes “the rumors I have heard” are true. The mayor brought up Mr. Ford while introducing Juanita Greene, the city’s Board of Community Relations director, as his office’s liaison to TPS. “Jack Ford has helped bring stability and settled things down, and hopefully the rumors I have heard that he might be seriously thinking of seeking to be elected in his own right in November come about,” the mayor said.

[Ford] wants to help TPS get a new general operating levy passed, take a lead role in an initiative to reduce the dropout rate among African American boys and help make TPS “the top district around” in developing effective Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for students with mental or physical disabilities. Also of concern, he said, is a very real prospect that the TPS board might not have an African American member after the November election in a school district that is composed mostly of black students and other minorities.

Carty's view of the region

Jul 27, 2007 opinion by Thomas F. Pounds, President and Publisher of the Toledo Free Press.

It seems that if Toledo lands a major company, it benefits the entire region, but if a major company chooses the region, it's not necessarily a boon for Toledo, according to [Toledo] mayoral logic.

Bingo.

created by jr on Jul 09, 2007 at 07:29:01 pm
updated by jr on Jul 31, 2007 at 02:52:15 pm     Comments: 0

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tags: politics   education   unigov