Mayor responds to Harpen
Written by Carty Finkbeiner | | letters@toledofreepress.comTO THE EDITOR,
Last week in his column, “Carty fiddled while …” Jim Harpen referred to the All-America City Awards as a “little-known award of little-recognized value from organizations little-known outside the world of career politicians and award plaque makers.” Many would beg to differ, and presumably, so would the National Civic League, which sponsors this annual civic competition.
All-America City is the oldest community recognition competition in the United States, launched in 1949 by The National Civic League, which was founded in 1894, by Theodore Roosevelt, Louis Brandeis, and Marshall Field. For more than a century, this organization has worked to increase civic activism, and promote recognition of America’s cities.
The NCL abides by four core values: 1) Empower people to participate and act. 2) Celebrate and embrace diversity and inclusiveness. 3) Support democratic processes that create high-performance governments. 4) Nurture hope and contribute to success in communities.
My question to Mr. Harpen is simply this: What’s your problem?
Why do I believe Toledo has an excellent chance at being named an All-America City? Because we are populated with citizens who don’t sit around and bemoan our problems, but rather, work to create innovative solutions to them. We are a community that pulls together to conquer our challenges—the main criteria that All-America City judges look for when choosing their winners.
No taxpayer money is being spent on our efforts to win this prestigious title. We are raising the necessary capital via a series of independent events. And, our entry into the competition is not distracting anyone’s attention away from the important budget challenges facing us.
When I told reporters to “Get a life” at our April 3 announcement, I was directing that towards those media members who insist on solely adding negativity to our newspapers, airwaves, and television screens. It is true there is 12 percent unemployment locally. But, that leaves 88 percent working. There are plenty of good news stories to tell, but some in the media just yearn for the negative slant.
We have been nominated for the Oscar of civic awards, after many cities did not make the final cut. This is an honor for Toledo, particularly in light of the financial difficulties we are facing. The NCL recognizes that Toledoans are fighters, who never back down from a challenge … while Mr. Harpen simply wants to ignore a challenge, dwell on negativity, and miss a chance for Toledo to show what a great city we are!
CARLETON S. FINKBEINER, Mayor, Toledo
Hey Carty – thanks for wasting 30 seconds of my life with your boring, rambling diatribe.
Better start cleaning out your desk, you clown.
The voters are going to toss your worthless hide out of office in a matter of months.
I propose we have the U.S. Marines – who you previously kicked out of town – “escort” you out of the government office building on November 4th, 2009.
This comment was posted on April 17th, 2009 at 11:14 amYou would think that with all the budget issues that Carty has to face, that he would not have time to respond to an opinion article.
This comment was posted on April 17th, 2009 at 3:06 pmThis left me speechless. That our Mayor would seem to admire and quote these values:
1) Empower people to participate and act, this man who verbally and physically berates people in a continuous fashion – to the embarassment of an entire city
2) Celebrate and embrace diversity and inclusiveness, our Mayor who’s incited Civil Rights violation law suits on a number of occasions – did away with our City’s Affirmative Action office? Seriously? He had the sheer AUDACITY to even write these words?
3) Support democratic processes that create high-performance governments. Is he for real? Is he not a major part of the Democratic machine that’s run Toledo for more than 30 years….straight into the ground?
4) Nurture hope and contribute to success in communities. Have you ever been so honked off that your eyes teared up? I’m that honked of that he said this. The hope of Toledo is the people that live here. And on the backs of these people is the burden of bad government. High taxes, loss of manufacturing (one thing you can guarantee is Carty goes to ‘talk’ to a business is that they will leave Toledo), and a tough decision whether to follow the exodus out of Toledo or hope for a Mayor and Council that will start to make decisions on their behalf?
This comment was posted on April 17th, 2009 at 5:11 pmMight as well call the Marines now and request an escort detail for hizzoner on Nov. 4th.
Ol’ Carty’s days are numbered. Our long nightmare is almost over!
Thanks to Take Back Toledo and the over 20,000 people who signed the recall petition.
This comment was posted on April 17th, 2009 at 5:12 pmDon’t let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya, Finky
This comment was posted on April 17th, 2009 at 5:13 pmTwo words…..ASS CLOWN!!!
Another piece of mind f-ing by our Mayor.
This comment was posted on April 17th, 2009 at 5:50 pmDear Mr. Carty,
You really, really need “to get a life!” Yours is a running joke that is anything but funny.
DEWFUS! You be it.
This comment was posted on April 18th, 2009 at 4:31 pmI did my part – I e-mailed the NCL and told them just what kind of man Fink is and referred them to different media articles detailing the police lay-offs and the “get a life” comment.
This comment was posted on April 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am“3) Support democratic processes that create high-performance governments.”
That would explain the High Performance exit of businesses and citizens from the city, then, I guess.
A high performance government would have seen the storm clouds on the horizon and took action, instead of flower planters and pride signs.
“It is true there is 12 percent unemployment locally. But, that leaves 88 percent working. ”
Simple, easy to state, but disiengenious.
12% not working well sure.
How about the other uncounted people who are underemployed?
And what of the soon to be laid off auto workers?
“while Mr. Harpen simply wants to ignore a challenge, dwell on negativity”
“dwell on negativity” or refuse acknowledge the failure to govern in light of the crisis that we face, and then take the columns to decry the stating the of the failures. Where are the results as promised in the last campaign?
“high-performance governments”, a ya sure, right.
This comment was posted on April 19th, 2009 at 6:20 pmMr. Mayor,
Thank you for reading my Toledo Free Press column.
My sincere hope is that you will also read – and consider and take to heart – the comments of your constituents on this webpage. These are not the ramblings of some collective conspiracy. They are the sentiments of an independent public which is increasingly well-informed and disappointed with your stewardship of the Office of Mayor of the City of Toledo.
My question to you, Mr. Finkbeiner, is simply this: Are these writers, the 40-thousand people who signed the recall petition, and your many other detractors all wrong?
Sincerely,
Jim Harpen
This comment was posted on April 19th, 2009 at 9:54 pmFall on your sword Finkwhiner,it will assist in your legacy of idiocy, incompetence,criminality,and complete derangement.
This comment was posted on April 20th, 2009 at 10:24 amWell said, Jim Harpen! Not surprisingly, not one person has bothered to anonymously defend the current mayor. Our current mayor doesn’t listen to anyone – his constituents, city council, you name it.
That’s one of reasons why he will be voted out of office one way or another in November.
This is directed to the unpaid intern who was told to monitor this website and the comments:
This comment was posted on April 20th, 2009 at 7:47 pm[because the current mayor doesn't use a computer]
start looking for another internship, as your current boss will be out of a job himself very soon.
At least you don’t have to use taxpayer money on this! In Rowlett,TX we are probably going to have to fund 40K in taxpayer money w/ a 1.3 Million deficit!
This comment was posted on April 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 pm???
This comment was posted on April 23rd, 2009 at 2:27 pmIs their life after Carty? TBT seems to think they have all the answers that all Toledo’s problems are of one mans making. If this nitpicking naysaying witch hunt is successful I can’t wait to see what white night comes to the rescue of Toledo.
This comment was posted on April 23rd, 2009 at 5:30 pm“Wolfman” – you sound like you have ‘Patty Hearst syndrome’ – or perhaps a version of battered wife syndrome.
After everything that Carty has done to chase businesses out of Toledo, after all of the times he has embarrassed our city in the national media…you manage to ask one of the dumbest questions I’ve seen in a long time.
The recall is specifically designed to recall the mayor, you moron. If there was a way to recall the majority of city council, I’d support it. But there isn’t. Take Back Toledo can only operate within the framework of existing law.
Go back to doing whatever unpaid interns do for the mayor these days and leave this discussion to your betters. Your public high school debating skills won’t do you any good on this blog.
This comment was posted on April 29th, 2009 at 4:08 pm