Here we go - no one can demolish a building in downtown Toledo

When the United Way announced it was going to build a new office structure and tear down it's current one, I knew it was only a matter of time before our local newspaper weighed in on the issue. I even warned of this in my original post, 'Building preservation vs. cost of maintenance.'

Their editorial yesterday called it a 'Waste of a good building.' But it's not just the destruction they lament, creating a modern, affordable building is somehow counter to downtown revitalization. Yes, you see, if the United Way gets rid of an inefficient and costly structure and builds a new one instead, that's going to hurt downtown development. (I know - I don't get it either.)

They suggest that the University of Toledo Law School would be a good match for the existing structure - and The Blade has long been a proponent of moving the Law School downtown. However, that idea has previously been met with significant objection by UT officials, law school faculty and students. UT President Dr. Jacobs, according to the editorial, is amenable to 'looking' at the building - which means he gave a non-commital but unobjectionable response when asked. But even if he'd 'look' at the option, that's a far cry from making a commitment to this particular building, not to mention that a decision to move the Law School off-campus has not even been made.

Our local editorial board has a long history of telling people what to do with buildings in the downtown area. I suppose that's part of being an editorial board - sharing your opinions about issues. However, it's very easy to tell other people to incur costs and make decisions which are not in their best financial interests.

As I said originally, "...anyone who wants to preserve the current United Way building is welcome to purchase it, maintain it, renovate it, preserve it, or do whatever they want with it. But I do not believe they should tell the United Way that simply because they like the building, the U.W. needs to incur unsustainable costs in order to keep the existing structure."

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.

Olympic Opening Ceremony was impressive

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics!

I was impressed by the graphics, the storyline, the performers and the way it all came together. I loved how the participants, when viewed from on high, presented the most amazing visual spectacles.

I also liked the culmination, with their former gold medalist 'running' along an unfolding electronic red carpet on the screens above the stadium as he carried the Olympic flame to the modern torch.

Being a particular fan of fireworks, I thought the Chinese did a great job of coordinating the fireworks around the city and in conjunction with the events in the stadium.

I've watched opening ceremonies for quite a few of the Olympics, and I have to say that this was the most impressive. Of course, a nation as big as China - with its current government and population - had the advantage of significant 'people power' in what they did. But it was the combination of people and technology and the visual impact of the two together that so amazed me.

If you didn't get to see it, you really missed a terrific show!

Building preservation vs. cost of maintenance

The United Way has voted to tear down their existing building and build a new one with plans to save significant amounts of money that their board believes would be better spent helping people in the community.

Their current facility was built in 1969 by The Stranahan Foundation, which supports the plan to demolish and build new.

However, I heard a caller on NewsTalk 1370 WSPD this morning bemoaning the fact that this 'unique' building would be torn down. I expect there will be more comments like this.

I'm all for preservation of historical or architecturally significant buildings - but I believe that such preservation is the responsibility of individuals, not governments. In that vein, anyone who wants to preserve the current United Way building is welcome to purchase it, maintain it, renovate it, preserve it, or do whatever they want with it. But I do not believe they should tell the United Way that simply because they like the building, the U.W. needs to incur unsustainable costs in order to keep the existing structure.

I see such 'instructions' as part of bigger problem: people thinking they can dictate to others what should be done with money that isn't their own - and often employing the legal power and force of the government to do so.

The financial arguments for the decision are irrefutable, so it comes down to this: what's more important? Keeping an architecturally interesting structure, or helping the needy in our community?

I wish the United Way much success in their efforts.

Friday FOIA - August 8, 2008

In my Friday FOIA posts, I've talked about how important it is to know your state's laws regarding public records and I've encouraged you to make your public records requests accordingly.

But sometimes, no matter how prepared you think you are, you're just not comfortable with going through the process or with wording your request in a way to ensure you get the records and information you're seeking.

I came across the Student Press Law Center which has a Fully Automated, Fill-in-the-Blanks State Open Records Law Request Letter Generator, available for anyone.

After filling out a form detailing the specifics of your request, it will generate a letter for you to copy&paste or print out. It will include (1) the specific citation for your state's open records law, (2) how much time the law allows for an agency to respond and (3) any specific penalties provided for by the law should government officials fail to comply with your request. You have the ability to modify the letter to your own style.

They also have a form for the federal government, and both are free, though they do include links to make donations.

So, if you're even remotely concerned that your request isn't worded in such a way to ensure a quick response, try these tools to help you get started. You'll soon be a pro!

Submariners come home - to clean brush???

A press release from the city of Toledo:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 7, 2008

MAYOR FINKBEINER WELCOMES U.S.S. TOLEDO SUBMARINERS

Today, Toledo welcomes eight (8) USS Toledo Submariners for a hometown visit. These Navy men are generously volunteering to help our Parks division clear brush in downtown Toledo from Swan Creek. This is part of the City of Toledo’s efforts to clean up the Creek.

Visiting town are ET1 (ss) Robert P Smalley - Toledo native, as well as MM1 (ss, Shane R. Whitford, STS2 (ss), Aron M. Schwarts, EM2 (ss) Kurt M. Soucy, MM2 (ss) Brett R. Conklin, ET3 (ss) Mathew A. Vonburg, MMFN (ss) Johnathan L. Nguyen, and MMFN (ss) Robert D. Lathrop.

ET1 Smalley has aggressively worked to build a better relationship between the U.S.S. Toledo and the City of Toledo. They will be visiting Toledo until Sunday, August 10th.

The group will be working at Boeschenstein Park, located off Summit Street facing Owens Corning, along the Swan Creek.

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Somehow, this seems so wrong to me. Considering my own familial connections to the Navy (Dad and brother both served) I'm so very proud of these men who have volunteered to help out our parks. Their offer is certainly indicative of the character embodied within our sailors.

At the same time, I'm appalled that the city accepted! When our military come home for visits, we should be celebrating them. We should be honoring them and paying tribute to the good work they're doing, and the sacrifices they and their families are making while they serve.

We should be thanking them in every possible way for keeping us safe - not putting them to work clearing brush along one of our creeks.

I'm also disturbed by the press release which focuses on what the city's getting from these fine young men while they're on break, without even a hint of appreciation for what they're giving the rest of the time.

If doing some sort of work is really what they wanted to do, I think I would have suggested contacting our local military support groups to see if any of our military families had needs they could address. Our military families need support year round for even minor things and we could have used their visit to highlight that fact and remind Toledoans that there are always ways we can support those who are keeping us safe.

Instead, U.S.S. Toledo sailors are doing work that our tax dollars should be paying for...

I'd sure love to hear your thoughts on this.

Quote of the Day

"Some mistakenly identify the falling home prices as the disease instead of merely a symptom - which they plan to fix with more easy credit and more liquidity to push more unqualified buyers back into the market for homes they still cannot afford. This is akin to the drug addict identifying withdrawal symptoms as his problem and searching for another fix as his solution. The cycle continues and the problems compound themselves. The addiction deepens."

~ Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Straight Talk, 8/4/08

Two initiatives submit signatures for November ballot

According to Ballotpedia, the so-called Healthy Families Act (better known as Sick Days Ohio) and the Casino Act ('myOhionow' from the commercials) both submitted enough signatures by the filing deadline of August 6.

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has until September 25 to certify the ballot signatures. If supporters have fallen short, they have 10 more days to gather additional signatures. It is expected that the initiatives will have enough valid signatures to put them on the fall ballot.

If certified, they will join three other state-wide issues: Water Compact which creates a constitutional amendment protecting property rights along the with passage of the Great Lakes Water Compact; Clean Ohio Fund, which authorizes the state to borrow $400 million for environmental conservation, preservation and revitalization purposes; and the Initiatives Deadline Act which changes the deadline for submitting signatures on initiatives from 90 days pre-election to 125 days pre-election.

The Payday Loan veto referendum, to stop the legislation that put a cap on Payday Loan interest rates, is still awaiting ballot language approval.

For more information on the initiatives, I highly recommend Ballotpedia's balanced descriptions:

Healthy Families Act
Casino Act - My Ohio Now
Ohio Water Compact Amendment
Clean Ohio Fund Act
Initiatives Deadline Act
Ohio Payday Loan Referendum

Solution to vacant homes? Form a task force, of course!

According to today's paper, Toledo is coping with all the vacant houses, but we're at a tipping point. To emphasize the fact, they've named their study, to be released later this week,"Toledo at the Tipping Point."

And what good would any study be without a dire prediction? This one says Toledo has moderate levels of abandonment and vacancy when compared with other cities, but warns "powerful market forces could bring on a vacant property crisis."

It also says, "without aggressive action and political commitment, the number of vacant properties could quickly increase beyond the reach of local programs."

So what is the solution to this horrible problem that is decimating our neighborhoods? Why, a task force, of course!

(We have no idea what to do, nothing we want to try will work, but let's for a group that will make it look like we're doing something. Task force is just easier to say.)

The paper says "the study's main recommendation is the creation of a task force of high-level city, county, community, and business leaders meeting regularly to deal specifically with the vacancy issue."

Unlike our daily newspaper, I didn't get an advance copy of the study, but as soon as it's released, I will see if it offers a solution to the symptoms or actually addresses the cause of the disease.

Foreclosures and abandoned homes are just the symptom of the bigger economic conditions in Toledo. They are not the problem. The problem is that the area is not business-friendly, has high taxes and regulations, has high government spending despite declining revenues, discourages economic growth, spends limited resources on amenities while letting the necessities go without, and has elected officials who'd rather have their name in the paper than actually do something that's in the best interest of the city as a whole.

Add in union contracts that have the public paying both the employer and employee portion of pensions, union contracts that routinely get higher wage increases than the public paying the wages, and no - or very little - payroll deductions for health insurance and you begin to understand why government costs are so high.

We cannot forget the reputation (deserved or not, perception or not) of being a strong union town that makes it difficult for business owners to make a profit - not to mention the reputation of the local daily paper for dictating the will of their publisher. When you take all these things together, it's no wonder that businesses and people are leaving the area, leading to fewer jobs for those left and vacant homes that can't be sold.

The solution to this problem is to change our ways - not create a task force to better deal with one of the symptoms. All the task force will be able to accomplish is a reaction to the symptom. The real solution is much more complicated - but that's probably why everyone will get so excited over a task force. It's much easier to sound like you're doing something - than to actually address the underlying causes.

Quote of the Day

From The Patriot Post's Founders' Quote Daily

"Is the relinquishment of the trial by jury and the liberty of the press necessary for your liberty? Will the abandonment of your most sacred rights tend to the security of your liberty? Liberty, the greatest of all earthly blessings - give us that precious jewel, and you may take every things else! Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel."

~ Patrick Henry (Speech to the Virginia Convention, 5 June 1788)

Guerilla Congress convenes

No - I didn't give them the name...

House Republicans are back on the floor, despite the House being adjourned for their summer vacation. They are speaking and discussing drilling and an 'all of the above' option when it comes to energy sources.

The Dems, fearful of a vote total that would be in favor of drilling, refused to allow any vote on the issue.

You can read regular updates on what's going on in the House at Twitter. But interestingly, none of the main stream media (CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC) have even mentioned this in their 'top' news stories, despite headlines on everything from 'Clinton says he's not racist' to 'new breed of dolphins.'

I wonder why, especially when you consider that an overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of drilling and even a majority of Ohioan (according to Rasmussen) say that drilling is more important than the environment.

Boehner as leader of GOP minority?

The Next Right has an interesting take on the Republicans storming the House floor Friday after Nancy Pelosi turned out the lights and went home.

There has been plenty of attention given to the House Republicans storming the floor and protesting the refusal of House Democrats to vote on legislation increasing the domestic supply of oil.

Aside from the great theatrics of it, something struck me: for the first time, I really saw John Boehner as a solid minority leader, not just of the House Republicans, but of the GOP overall.
...
I have heard a lot of chatter about the leadership races after the elections, especially if John McCain were to lose. Who would be the symbol or the leader of the GOP?

After Friday, and continuing this week, one could actually imagine John Boehner in that role.

I must admit that I hadn't seen Boehner in such a role, but this column - and his actions over the drilling issue - are making me think twice about it.

How much profit is too much?

The news was awash with the reports of the profits of oil companies. Most headlines read something like: "Exxon posts record $11.68 billion profit."

What's missing is the whole picture, including the fact that, for Exxon, prior to making $11.68 billion in profit, the government took $32.36 billion in taxes. The rest of the picture is that the profit is only 8.5% of their earnings. They're making under 10% in profit, but the government is getting 23% of their earnings.

Yes, Exxon mobile paid three times as much in taxes to the government, yet it is the government officials who are saying that their profit is 'too much' and should be taxed even more as a 'windfall.'

Did you know that one of the most widely held stocks in America is Exxon? Did you know that most retirement funds invest heavily in not only Exxon but other oil companies? Those profits are what's driving UP the value of your retirement portfolio, and providing you with the earnings you plan to live on when you're older.

Of course, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama immediately issued a plan for those profits - he wants to take those profits and give you a check for $1,000. How magnanimous of him...to steal money from one entity in order to give it to another. And you cannot think of this as taking from some nebulous 'big oil' company - you must think of this as it will work: he wants to take earnings from every stockholder in order to give those dollars to someone else - someone who didn't purchase stock and make an investment in that company.

“Obama simply asks that big oil companies contribute a reasonable share of the windfall profits they receive from high oil prices over the next five years to pay for emergency assistance for families right now,” the campaign says.

Since those oil companies have already 'contributed' $3 for every $1 in profit, wouldn't it be logical to think they've already given a 'reasonable share' of their profits? Well, not if you're pandering to an ignorant voter base who only hears that they'll get something for nothing from that nanny-state government who's going to 'take care of us.'

Always remember - government has nothing that it doesn't first take from someone else. And companies don't pay taxes - they pass along the costs of taxes and fees to the consumer in the price of their product. And anything more that government takes from 'big oil' may end up reducing the income you plan to live on when you retire.

UPDATED: Today's Wall Street Journal asks a similar question: What is a windfall profit? (I came across this article after posting mine...and they make some similar points - but with better statistics.)

At 'green' event, mayor leaves car running for 45 minutes

Apparently, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner is taking lessons from Al Gore.

Saturday, during the Frogtown Fair - an event to teach people how to be 'green,' Carty not only parked illegally, he left the car running for the 45 minutes he was at the event. Can you say 'hypocrisy?'

Of course, our mayor has the usual excuses for parking illegally - he's the mayor and he's got 'permission' from the police and a special sticker that says so. But Carty has an even better reason for leaving the car running in violation of the city's no-idling policy and the state's traffic laws.

Earlier this year, Carty instituted a no-idling policy for city vehicles, including police cars, because they were over budget in the gasoline line item and were trying to save money and gas. And it's a minor misdemeanor in Ohio to leave your car unattended and idling.

So what would be the reason? You see, he left his dog in the car - again.

And since he got caught doing this before - he's still leaving his dog in the car, but now he's leaving the car and the air conditioning running.

"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." ~ George Orwell (1903–1950), British author. Animal Farm, ch. 10 (1945).

Tell Congress to get back to work!

Our GOP congressmen decided it wasn't right to go home without voting on an energy bill, so when Nancy Pelosi turned off the microphones, the cameras and the lights, they stayed in the House, calling for Congress to address the issue of gas prices.

Yes, it was a political stunt, but it's the first time in a long time that our Republican reps have shown a spine and insisted upon what the public wants.

If you believe Congress should be working instead of taking the next five weeks off, you can sign a petition telling them to 'don't go.'

Remember, they work for us and it's irresponsible of them to refuse to hold a vote simply because they think the vote will not go as they want. This is not democracy, nor is it a representative republic and they need to be shown that we expect better from our employees.

Does ESM's Civic Theater violate the Toledo Charter?

Here's the language of Section 79 of the City Charter:

Section 79. Compulsory referendum of certain measures - franchises.
No ordinance or resolution for a public improvement requiring or authorizing the expenditure of more than fifteen percent (15%) of the average gross annual current operating expenditures by the City for the five (5) fiscal years immediately preceding, or for the granting of a general public utility franchise, shall be effective until the same shall be approved by a majority vote of the electors voting thereon; provided, however, no convention center, exhibit hall, sports arena, or municipal theater, other than a sports arena located in the City's Marina District, being the area bounded by the Maumee River, Interstate Highway 280, Front Street and Main Street, shall be constructed, acquired, or leased unless the ordinance or resolution authorizing construction bidding, acquisition, or leasing shall have been approved by a majority vote of the electors voting thereon, whether or not such ordinance or resolution requires or authorizes the expenditure of more or less than fifteen percent (15%) of the average gross annual current operating expenditures by the City for the five (5) fiscal years immediately preceding. A general public utility is one in which all the people of the City may have an interest.

(Amended by electors 9-11-01)

Note the provision that "no convention center, exhibit hall, sports arena, or municipal theater, ... shall be constructed, acquired, or leased unless the ordinance or resolution authorizing construction bidding, acquisition, or leasing shall have been approved by a majority vote of the electors voting thereon..."

I've requested the details of the city's arrangement with Rob Croak for the new Civic Theater in order to see if the space is being 'leased' or 'rented.' Regardless, there is a question of the construction that has taken place to turn the Erie Street Market's Bay 4 into a 'theater.' It's been the location of the various stalls of individual vendors - food and retail outlets in the past and, more recently, the antique vendors.

Councilman Frank Szollosi has asked for a legal opinion about this issue - and I'm very glad he has. Other council members should join him by supporting his request. And the answer should be made public so we can see if we have a law department that is going to fairly and objectively interpret the law - or protect the mayor.

Kudos to Rep. John Mica (R., Fla.)

The U.S. House of Representatives, with nothing better to do, is considering banning cell phones on planes. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bill that would make the current Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communication Commission ban on cell phone use during flight permanent.

Why?

Because members of the House are 'offended' by their usage - with one member complaining that his wife had to listen to another women's cell phone discussion of her sex life.

Of course, the excuse given to the public will be 'safety' as someone saw a person take a picture of the plane with a cell phone.

All this when European Union is considering allowing cell phone usage during flight.

The other concern is that airlines might make more money by charging people extra to sit in a no-cell-phone section.

But then along comes Rep. John Mica with a huge dose of common sense - thankfully! He pointed out that there are many annoyances on planes, but we don't ban them. I don't like screaming babies, dirty diapers, kids who kick the back of your seat, people who have their iPods so loud I can hear it two seats away, individuals with bad breath, and snoring ... but I don't see Congress considering bans on those items.

Mica hits the nail on the head - and his colleagues need to pay attention:

"You are trying to legislate courtesy, folks, and that just doesn't work," he said.

FOIA Friday - August 1, 2008

Several items for today's FOIA Friday:

This past week I saw a couple of unusual items on the Toledo City Council agenda, so I made a request for the particular ordinance and got the documents the next business day. It's a pleasure making public records requests of the Clerk of Council and I appreciate his prompt responses.

Here's what I found out: the city of Toledo is going to request donations from individuals seeking approval of their work from the Building Inspections Department and permit offices to help fund a 'It Pays To Hire a Licensed Contractor' ad campaign. The ordinance passed by council on Tuesday allows them to create a fund to receive the donations and then expend money from the fund. I spoke to the staff member in charge of the program and he insisted that the only money to be spent will be the donations received - no money from the city will be used for the program.

I've got a problem with a regulatory office asking for donations from individuals/businesses seeking approval of their work from that same office. It seems to me to be the appearance of an impropriety, if not an outright impropriety. Would there be any concern from people seeking inspection approvals that a lack of a donation might put them at risk of not being approved - or of going to the bottom of the schedule for the inspection?

I don't think the employees in this office would do such things, but I wouldn't put it past the mayor to suggest such a tactic. Regardless, it's not whether or not the 'retaliation' would actually occur - it's whether or not the people doing business with the office would perceive that such retaliation is possible.

And why does the city need to do this in the first place? Is it really the role of city government to collect donations to run an advertising campaign telling the public that hiring a licensed contractor to do work on their homes is a good idea????

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We've been following the public records requests from Mayor Carty Finkbeiner to the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and the subsequent letter from District 2 Councilman D. Michael Collins - and the frustration these individuals have over not getting their documents in a short period of time.

We've also been following GraphicsGuy's request from two months ago - and his righteous indignation that his public records request seems to be ignored while the mayor and the city law department go about their own personal vendettas.

As of today (less than weeks from the first request), Collins has received a paper with some information on the Erie Street Market financials, but it was far from a complete accounting. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has received over 1,000 pages of documents in response to his request, though it appears more is still to come.

But GraphicsGuy hasn't even gotten a response to his letter to the law director.

Guess we know the priorities of the elected officials - and it isn't in following the state law or in what concerns the citizens.

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As a result of some new information about the Erie Street Market, I made another public records request to obtain any documents/contracts/agreements which detail the relationship between Rob Croak and the City of Toledo and/or the Erie Street Market. Croak was selected by Carty to run concerts in the newly renovated (at a cost of $80,000 without council approval) Civic Theater. Apparently, Croak is also the general contractor for the renovations and is reported to be getting 40% of the profits from liquor sales, although today's paper says he's getting 100% of the gate receipts and no proceeds from the alcohol. We'll see...

As the mayor said in his records request, these documents should be readily available so I'll expect them today. Again, we'll see....

Ohio commits bucks to broadband

If you get a chance, cruise over to The Heartland Institute article "Connect Ohio Commits Bucks to Broadband" by Marc Kilmer.

It's a good article, and not just because I'm quoted in it.

Turns out, Erie Street Market did NOT make a profit

You knew this was coming....

According to today's paper, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has spent $79,879 to do work at the Erie Street Market - and that amount was NOT included in the financial statement presented earlier this week.

When these expenditures are added in, there is a loss of $53,611 for the first six months of the year.

Carty issued a press release yesterday saying, "Last year at this time, the building was running a deficit of approximately $50,000." At least that $50,000 deficit reflected accurate accounting and all expenses. Carty's estimate of a profit at ESM doesn't. And now that we know the cost of the renovations, it appears we're at a deficit of at least $53,611 - just like last year.

The mayor's public information officer told WSPD News that the costs would be covered by the profits from the concerts in that particular bay in the market. If the costs are supposed to be reimbursed by the profits, they should definitely be listed in the expenses. Whether or not there will be enough profit from the events is another question entirely. We'll see...

In the meantime, city council is angry that the work was broken down into 13 different contracts in order to avoid requiring approval by them. Toledo's city charter allows expenditures under $10,000 to be made without a separate ordinance by council, so long as the money is budgeted. There is, of course, the potential for abuse as we can clearly see in the way Carty set up the renovations at ESM. Obviously, Carty was afraid that council, which balked at funding ESM but eventually gave in, might not give its approval - especially if the financials were accurate.

So, he broke the work down into small contracts in order to avoid the legal requirement of going before city council.

"We are on the verge of making a huge breakthrough with the Erie Street Market," Mr. Finkbeiner said. "I would assume any smart person would expect that it would take some expenditures to do what we said was going to be done there."

So now anyone who challenges his expenditures is dumb?

The work is supposed to be finished this week, in time for the first events in that bay. What's not mentioned is that the first concert planned for Saturday evening was previously scheduled to be at a local club, Headliners. It's now going to be in a city-sponsored venue, taking the money and work away from an existing private business. And Carty thinks this city is 'business-friendly.'

"So now we are 48 hours before an opening and all of a sudden everyone wants to go negative, and I think that's unfair," Mr. Finkbeiner said.
...
"We are going to concede the defeat of Toledo if people don't begin to see there is a lot of good strong positive things being done and all we are hearing about is the negative," Mr. Finkbeiner said.

Um...mayor...we're not being negative - you're making bad decisions and we're pointing it out. It isn't US being negative - it's your detrimental decisions that are the problem. If you don't want people to point out the problems with your decisions, stop making bad decisions!

This story will continue to evolve ... and I'll keep you informed.

Is the ESM making a profit?

The issue of dueling public records requests seems to be resolved, with Councilman D. Michael Collins getting some financial information for the Erie Street Market.

But the information definitely seems lacking - and is in the same format as the last financial report received March 7, 2008, which detailed the data for the last weeks of 2007.


As I said in March, it's not what's in the financial statement, it's what's missing from the expenses column.

Unless 'contractual administration' includes the wages, etc...of the ESM manager, there are no wages, benefits, payroll taxes for her. There is no charge for insurance.

All city departments get charged for various 'services' other departments perform for them. There are no charges on this spreadsheet for legal, accounting, auditing or other such fees.

Since the city is paying utilities and and other overhead costs, they should be listed as expenses for the facility. There are no telephone expenses...and what about the previously detailed line item for the piped-in music, which is not listed on the city's spreadsheet? Maybe they are including telephones as 'other overhead costs?' Regardless of their classification, they need to be listed as expenses for the facility in order to obtain a true picture of whether or not the Erie Street Market is making money.

This spreadsheet shows that there is a 'profit' of $26,268. But if these other expenses are included, is there really a profit?

Clearly, this is not an accurate accounting of the costs of the facility. City Council should demand that ALL expenses attributable to the facility be included as part of the financial statement - and they should make any decisions about the Market only upon complete data.