Political Football: The TBT Bowl

You’ll never see a Monday Morning Quarterback on a box of Wheaties because, after all, it’s still “the Breakfast of Champions”. But most anyone can be a Varsity Commentator here. With the bar perpetually set at “Mediocre”, too many have no trouble finding a springboard to belly-flop into the Toledo wading pool of Uninformed Opinion. At this point, from what I’ve seen during the Take Back Toledo initiative, that’s max’s out citizen “talent”: second guessing, grand blatherings based largely on aggressive ignorance, contagious apathy and arrogant incompetence. Taken together, it adds up to the same content of a peeled balloon.

Fortunately, Michael Miller’s Feb. 15 column, “A Recall to Arms,” raises issues, worthy questions for reasonable analysis. Without publicity, most of Miller’s questions and suggestions have already been considered by the Take Back Toledo Committee of which I am a member.

Let’s look at some of the “plays” Michael called and see if any “yardage” has been lost or gained.

Will Finkbeiner “jump in the race” circa July as a result of the “audacious challenge” raised by the TBT effort? Quien sabe? Rumors abound. One thing is certain: Only a preening megalomaniac with such a track record of utter failure and toxic fraud would do so. But Carl’s questionable mental stability has been on public display for much longer than the 3 years I’ve lived here. The real issue would be the nationally embarrassing picture it would paint of Toledo voters if he was re-elected. The Marines would rejoice they were thrown out lest they became infected with the same brain-eating disease that has already destroyed much of what passes for Reason among the majority required to vote him back in. Miller’s grander statement that a Finkbeiner candidacy would be “…tantamount to an act of political and economic terrorism against Toledo, its residents and the region” is more eloquent and accurate. We’re on the same page.

The bulk of the other Miller “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda “can be explained -but it is a sad and tragic story.

When it comes to Toledo governance, indeed “The Emperor” has no clothes – but, alas, the citizens have no guts. When Miller says “But the nature of its approach, especially through Wilson, is colored by a coarseness that is antithetical to the business intellect Take Back Toledo most needs to reach” the giant Oxy Moron lights up the scoreboard! That isn’t mid-western gentility being offended by a “colorful and accurate” wordsmith. That’s a smoke-screen used to hide the bright yellow racing stripe that runs up the backs and colors the bellies of way too many Toledo business owners who don’t have the guts to take a stand against the political killing machine decimating their market and their ability to be successful in it. They’re going to keep their distance because of some creative “name calling”? That’s not an explanation – that’s an excuse. And a damn poor one at that. The mayor and his minions are gang- raping your business, your job, your income! What are you going to defend them with – a copy of “Miss Manners”? If Finess and Panache, Diplomacy and Tact, Reason and Intellect had any traction here, Finkbeiner would still be peddling his dismal resume to Amway or Burpee Seed, not stifling Toledo’s economic development with his petty politics, ego masturbation and legendary fiscal irresponsibility.

“Here in the mid-west, we’re honest but polite.” Bulletin News: The “polite” part ain’t workin’ for ya. Your “political leaders” gave up “Polite” for Lent years ago. Better to cozy up to the new reality: “Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth will make you mad”. At least, it should.

Right again, Miller suggests this isn’t so much a political movement. This is the last desperate attempt at economic survival using the awesome gold-plated resources held hostage by Finkbeiner & Co. If the Black and Latino voters give a damn, if they’ve had enough of a mayor with no less than 3 pending civil rights suits against him, get up. Get involved. Takebacktoledo.com hasn’t been hiding somewhere – unless you have your eyes wide shut or your brain is “Out to lunch”. If Councilman Ashford gave a principled damn about his constituents, he wouldn’t need special “outreach” or posture himself as some Deal Maker. The welfare and future of the entire community is at stake here, not just one race, gender or income bracket. Regardless of whatever someone’s future political dreams may be, everyone should be working to scrub the Finkbeiner stain from Toledo. Individually and collectively, the Black and Latino communities have every reason to be involved with Take back Toledo right now. Do you really need a Special Invitation? There’s an opportunity for”Hope and Change” right here, right now. Call your neighbors! Tell your friends! So far, it has fallen to a tiny group of businessmen who have already “invested” close to 5 figures along with the guts to “stand tall for all of Toledo” while the majority hobble themselves with apathy, ignorance or fear.

And I can’t emphasize Fear enough. Miller wants “supporters to reveal themselves…a steady stream of prominent voices… past and present public servants and private businesspeople would go a long way toward further legitimizing the cause and keeping it in the public spotlight.” The Committee has been supremely aware of this. Why, do you suppose that hasn’t happened? Simple: The palpable Fear of government reprisals. The Finkbeiner administration’s demonstrated willingness to practice their art form of political extortion is so well known, so pervasive, so ubiquitous, it can’t even be called a “dirty little secret” anymore. No one reading this will be shocked – SHOCKED – to see it in print. “I love what you’re doing but…but…but I can’t get involved” is the whispered response to 90% of our requests. With that mindset, Toledo is about to become Kitty Genovese lying on its own sidewalk, repeatedly knifed and hacked by a serial killer duly elected (again) by the same people who fear and loath him. And you know who just started dancing for joy with that last sentence? Carlton “S For Brains” Finkbeiner and his Publisher Puppeteer, the media-government cabal with distinctly out-of-town membership. Miller is correct: “That argument collapses once a dozen voices become a score, then a hundred.” And I would add to that: “There is safety in numbers.”

Well?

Where are you? Have you found that intestinal fortitude yet? Are those lumps up your back the “spine” you’ve been hiding? Rather than bitch about the “lack of leadership”, how about becoming a Leader – a Leader of One: yourself? This is a Tough Love situation: Is the love and passion for your future, your family, community, neighbors, business, job, career finally going to jump-start the engine of personal pride to get you off your glutials and DO SOMETHING – like Take Back Toledo? (www.takebacktoledo.com).

Or will you settle for the Heisman trophy for “Monday Morning Quarterback”?

Brian Wilson is host of “Brian Wilson and the Afternoon Drive,” weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. on WSPD.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 15th, 2009 at 8:33 pm and is filed under Breaking News, Guest Column, Opinion.
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