Wednesday, February 17, 2010

OPM - Other people's money

In some ways, the local daily paper is soooo predictable.

Last week, the United Way filed the paperwork to demolish their old building. When they first announced their plans to build a new structure and tear down the old one, The Blade went ballistic - followed shortly by a cadre of politicians.

I had a countdown going for when they'd take another shot at the plans, which they did today, calling their editorial "Another throwaway."

They suggest that the United Way keep the building, regardless of cost, until they sell it. That's just moronic, especially considering that no one - repeat: no one - has made an offer in the last two years. The market has spoken, but The Blade isn't listening.

United Way executives say no would-be buyer has made an offer for the building in the past two years. That’s hardly surprising, since a deep recession has gripped Toledo for about that long. Many businesses and other institutions have been more focused on survival than on relocation or expansion during that period.

When the city’s economy recovers, as it will, potential tenants could find the building more appealing.

Potential tenants could find the building more appealing? Could???? And what happens if the economy doesn't recover or, if it does, there is still no one interested in the building? What then? Will The Blade step up and cover the costs? They won't now, so what makes us think they will if the Toledo economy recovers?

In the mean time, the United Way will have wasted significant dollars that could - and should - be used to help those in need, as their mission dictates.

When The Blade wrote their first editorial on the subject, I had this to say:

If The Blade thinks this building needs to be preserved, let them purchase it for a price that makes it worthwhile to the United Way. They can then do whatever they want with it.

But don't hold your breath waiting for that decision - like many liberals, they're much better at telling you what should be done with your own money than they are at risking their own.

Two years later, the sentiment is still the same and the truth of a leftist philosophy is clearly evident.

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