Standard email going out on the Marine issue

This press release was just received. It appears that the below letter will be issued to all emails the Mayor has received regarding the Marine issue:

-----Original Message-----
From: Sperr, Barbara
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 4:45 PM
To: Schwartz, Brian
Subject: FW: Marines

-----Original Message-----
From: James, Lesa
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 4:40 PM
To: Adler, Nicole; Mitchell, Claudia; Knight, Pam; Sperr, Barbara; Watkins, Carmen
Subject: Marines

Please send the attached to all e-mails received from citizens, etc... regarding the Marines Issue.

Thank You

Lesa

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Thank you for your thoughts. Your message will be conveyed to the Mayor. Attached is the Mayor's Statement to the Media and a statement from Lt. Colonel Piccoli, U.S. Marine Corps on this issue.

Statement from Mayor Carty Finkbeiner -Regarding U.S. Marine Corp.
February 10, 2008

Frank Szollosi can play politics with anything. It is what he does best.

Today, I spoke with Major Jeff Brooks of the United States Marine Corp. I conveyed my sincere regret for the failure to communicate within the administration and any inconvenience that caused the U.S. Marine Corp.

I also conveyed, as my staff did on Friday, that we would make available abandoned buildings for Marine training outside of the CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD).

I concluded by reviewing my belief that the CBD, particularly on a weekday afternoon, was not available for military staging operations. 10,000 - 14,000 men and women would have been departing their offices in downtown Toledo on Friday afternoon with a major military training action unfolding - including the use of weapons being discharged with blanks.

My interest is not only in supporting the U.S. military wherever and whenever such support is sought, but also protecting the health, peace, and tranquility of Toledoans in every way possible.

For those who disagree with my priorities in terms of safeguarding Toledoans, we may disagree, but you have my respect.

Statement from Lt. Colonel Piccoli - U.S. Marine Corps
February 11, 2008

Although our planned training event for Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th
Marine Regiment from Grand Rapids, Mich., did not occur over the weekend in the Central Business District of Toledo, Ohio, we greatly appreciate the commitment of the city leaders and the support of the citizens of Toledo to assist us with future training opportunities in the Toledo area.

As the Marine Corps has done in myriad cities in the past, which includes Columbia, S.C. (2003), New Orleans (2004), Savannah, Ga. (2005), and Hampton Roads, Va. (2006), we'll continue to work very closely with community leaders, law enforcement personnel, members of the media and private citizens to ensure our training does not adversely impact them. Such training, coupled with governmental and civic support, enables the U.S. Marine Corps to meet the country's expectations as the nation's premiere force in readiness.

The U.S. Marine Corps stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Toledo as we move forward together well into the future.

*************************************

In case you're wondering, Carty Finkbeiner doesn't have a computer on his desk, so his staff reads all his emails for him. I don't know if they print them out for the mayor, or what ... but, this is the response everyone will get.

Aside: The U.S. Marine Corps have much to be proud of in the way they have responded to this fiasco. Carty could learn a lot from them.