Saturday, February 16, 2008

Carty - you're in a hole. Stop digging!

Yesterday the Mayor issued the following press release:

"During the past seven days the issue of the Marines being denied the opportunity to practice Urban Patrolling Exercises in Toledo’s Central Business District, has had quite a run.

Today it is a week old and I have these comments:

1. I stated in 2006 I did not wish such “patrolling exercises” to take place in the Central Business District. That was communicated, in writing, to the Marine Corps. I stand by that position today.

2. How the Marine exercises scheduled for last weekend came about, remains unanswered. Suffice it to say, communication among all parties involved was lacking.

3. I have great respect for the U.S. Marine Corps and the military, and my belief that the practice of “urban war exercises” in central cities does not conflict with my genuine respect for the military. The Marines will be welcome to Toledo, by myself, in the future and together we’ll work to find places appropriate for their training.

4. Deputy Chief Ron Spann, who met with the Marines in mid-January, was an excellent police officer, and a Deputy Chief of great distinction. His death was a great loss to his wife, Claudia, their three daughters and this City. We mourn his loss. Ron had met with the Marines, and when he was hospitalized shortly thereafter, Toledo lost its point of contact with the Marine Corps.

5. Some Toledoans disagree with my priority to protect Toledoans first and foremost. That is the Mayor’s job. I respect their right to disagree, regret that we differ on this issue, and wish that we now move forward.

6. Today I signed the Council legislation apologizing to the Marines. That apology is genuine and sincerely extended by all of us. We will learn from this experience and put procedures in place to ensure that this will not happen again."


Obviously, the Mayor just doesn't know when to stop digging an even deeper hole. This issue not going away just because you say so.

Let's take the most onerous problem first: an apology is needed. Even if Carty doesn't apologize for his decision, he can apologize for how he implemented it. Don't misunderstand; I think he needs to apologize for a lot of things in this incident, from the decision to the refusal to meet with the Marines on the day of, to the arrogance and delusional statements that this has no effect on Toledo's reputation. But...knowing Carty, he won't.

And signing the City Council resolution apologizing on behalf of the city doesn't get the Mayor off the hook for his responsibility to apologize for himself!

To blame a dead cop for the miscommunication? Outrageous! Even if the sudden death is somehow involved in the communication problems, you don't create another PR nightmare by making a point of it.

And then there is the admission that the Mayor doesn't know what's going on in his city. This leads to the speculation by many who know Carty and his personality that this incident has more to do with him 'not knowing' and his penchant of retaliation for defiance of his wishes than his actual concern about the issue in the first place.

And how ridiculous to expect that urban training can be conducted elsewhere in the city than an empty - yes, Carty, EMPTY - central business district over a weekend. We should be proud that we have the ability and support necessary for our U.S. Marine Corps to conduct such training - and that they choose to come here because of the way we've worked with them in the past. That's a compliment to us!

Lastly, Carty can talk about how much respect he has for the Marines, but actions speak louder than words. When an officer wanted to meet with him last Friday afternoon after learning of the sudden cancellation of the exercises, Carty refused. Yes, refused. The officer waited 45 minutes in the lobby of One Government Center because Carty didn't even want him on the 22nd floor. It is this specific action by the Mayor that belies all his protestations of respect and support for the U.S. Marine Corps.

I continue to be disgusted by all of this. If Carty really wants to 'move forward,' then he can apologize. However, given the circumstances, I don't think an apology will work at this point ... for if it were offered, it would appear as if it were only being done to try and put an end to the issue - and not out of sincerity for actually having made a mistake.

As I say in my Toledo Free Press column this week, perhaps the only way to truly send a message Carty would understand is to vote down the .75% 'temporary' payroll tax, making this Carty's $57.5 million mistake.

17 comments:

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

Maggie,

Very well put, even though it is disagreement with some of your former party officials.

But then, czarty has them running scared with his capricious threats of massive police and Fire (and garbage) layoffs.

Maybe it's time for some leadership from the business sector, in the form of a business friendly candidate, to oppose "His dishonor" in the next election cycle.

Greybeard said...

Read and enjoyed your article at TFP... thanks to Insty for bringing attention to your (via Tanksoldier's) thoughts.

I'm retired Army, and I'm mad as Hell at the way Democrats are treating our troops. At what point do lifelong Democrats finally step back and take a look at how their voting habits have affected their,(and our) lives? As Dr. Phil would say... "How's that workin' for ya?"

Vote NO, Toledo!

Don Quixote said...

A .75% 'temporary' payroll tax?! In the name of all that is holy--how is it even possible for Toledo citizens to even logically contend such an outrageous amount? But, then I do not comprehend how Toledo could reelect the same mayor. This alone is beyond comprehension, for me, let alone his beyond the pale behavior toward our Marines in a time of war. Many good lucks. You live there. Perhaps, you will be able to explain in a future post.

jrs said...

So far Roberta DeBoer is the only one able to solicit anything close to an honest explanation from the Mayor on this. It's simple, really. For the Marines to conduct that type of urban excercise requires a minimum of downtown area activity. Grand Rapids, even Detroit (Winter Blast was that weekend) doesn't fit that criteria.

But Toledo does.

I think city council inadvertently gave Carty an out (actually Sobczak may have known exactly how this would play out). By signing the cc apology resolution he apologizes without taking the hit !

Is he a mad genious or just mad ?

King said...

Maggie - is this guy for real?!?! i'd say after blaming a dead police officer - Farty Finkweiner should jump in the hole he is digging!

toledo1 said...

You saying that we should vote down the 3/4% tax to teach Carty a lesson is completely irresponsible. Just because the mayor is an idiot and people want to "stick it to him" does not mean that it should come at the expense of the entire city. What is your plan to make up for the jobs that will be lost? Who should respond to the 15-20 runs per station, per day at TFD and the ridiculous volume of calls that TPD get each day? On top of that, what is your plan for all the employees and their families once they get laid off? Do you have a plan for them? Teaching Carty a lesson by voting down the 3/4% tax will have devistating effects for our city. If you were to campaign to only allowing the 3/4% to be used for it's original intention, I'd be right behind you. But what you are asking is for us to ruin the lives of many to teach one (moron) a lesson - that is not okay.

Maggie said...

Don Q - the scarier part is that the .75% is only a portion of the total payroll tax in Toledo. The total amount is 2.25%...

As for Carty ending up being Mayor again - it was a choice many considered the lesser of two evils between "lazy" (the former incumbent) and "crazy" (our current mayor)...

Both were democrats and in a town like this, those were the choices we ended up with...

Maggie said...

Greybeard - "Insty"????

And thanks!

Maggie said...

Hooda - don't forget that many in the business community supported Carty in the first place because he is known to be more business-friendly than the socialistic tendencies of his predecessor...go figure!

Maggie said...

jrs - perceived or not, Carty is not excused just because he signed the resolution. He has not apologized - and that fact will stay with him forever...because I won't let him forget.

Maggie said...

toledo1 - there's a difference between saying "perhaps" and saying "do" ...

Carty has already admitted that the .75% is in jeopardy as a result of what he's done.

As for the safety of the city - I know that the first thing elected officials will try to do when faced with reduced income is cut where they think it can produce the most harm to citizens because that is the way to 'scare' them into voting yes the next time the issue is on the ballot.

As for those who will lose their jobs, I can feel sympathy for them at the same time that I realize so many others in this city are without jobs because the cost of our government is too large and requires too much in taxation, resulting in a poor business climate in this city. To keep government jobs at the expense of private sector jobs just compounds the poor business climate and makes it even worse.

I'm opposed to the .75% tax because of the detrimental impact it has on the city. I think Toledo government spends too much money on frivolous things while necessities suffer. I think the only way to force government to be smaller and to focus on necessities is to deny it the funds to spend on un-mandated items. If a no vote on this issue also sends a message to Carty, then that's okay with me, too.

Remember, this, though, as Reagan said: "...my own compassion goes beyond that to the millions of unsung men and women who get up every morning, send the kids to school, go to work, try and keep up the payments on their house, pay exorbitant taxes to make possible compassion for the less fortunate, and as a result have to sacrifice many of their own desires and dreams and hopes. Government owes them something better than always finding a new way to make them share the fruit of their toils with others.”

jrs said...

I agree with you about holding Carty accountable for a real apology but unfortunately I think for those who are tired of trying to think this thru and those who want to find a way to forgive him anyway the cc resolution is sufficient enough to move on (nevermind that he's now blaming the deceased).

I keep thinking of that famous quote by Edmund Burke: "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." I know it's a little dramatic & that Carty is not evil but I do believe if enough political "peer pressure" is put on he may reign it in or could be forced to resign or at least come up with explanations that are less ridiculous.

So where are the big guns on this ?

Maggie said...

good point, jrs...as to the big guns? do we even have any left in Toledo?

-Sepp said...

The most interesting thing I've noticed in this entire debacle is that Toledoans are acting surprised that Carty did this! We all know from Carty's history that ignorant crap is the norm and should by now be an expectation rather than a surprise.

Broadsword said...

It seems to me that the size of the Mayor's head has greatly increased the size of his ass, such that nothing he says or does cna succesfully cover it.

Timothy W Higgins said...

Maggie,

It appears that the Mayor is continuing to fail in his attempt to make the Olympic backpedaling team. Perhaps instead he should try out for the team depicted in the old Monty Python episode, "The one hundred yard dash for people with no sense of direction". His abilities, as shown in handling the recent Marine situation, seem to lie here.

As for the toledo1 comment on the city jobs that would be lost. I don't pay taxes to guarantee jobs for people working for the city. I pay them for services that the city is chartered to perform for those taxes. It is outrageous to suggest that some feeling of guilt should be attached to a citizen attempting to retain some portion of their hard-earned wages instead of using them to pay someone working for the city.

toledo1 said...

reply to tim higgins...

"I don't pay taxes to guarantee jobs for people working for the city. I pay them for services that the city is chartered to perform for those taxes."

In terms of safety services, you are contradicting youself. If you don't pay to guarantee jobs for safety services, then you will not not receive the services that they perform as there will be no one there to perform them!

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