Well, the election results are in, and while once again not all that many of the electorate cast their ballots, it appears that the voters may have lost once more. This seems counter intuitive I know, since it is the voters that are supposed to decide in elections; but there it is.

Mike Bell will be the new mayor in Toledo and he seems a decent guy who may do a decent job. Before anyone begins bragging that Toledo is finally throwing out the Democratic politics that have ruined its reputation and economy for the last 30 years however, let’s remember that Mike was a life-long Democrat that ran as an Independent. Before we start celebrating that happy days are here again and that change has finally come to this city, let’s see what he actually does in his newly won job.

Mr. Bell will have his work cut out for him, getting his hands on the wheel of theTitannic on the Maumee after it struck the iceberg. He may need patience in attempting to right this sinking craft over the next four years. He gets a city budget that deficit that looks like the local side of the scoreboard of a Detroit Lions or Cleveland Browns football game. He likewise gets a City Council that is a glowing example of “more of the same” to fix it with. McNamara, Sarantou, Ludeman, and Copeland will all either be staying in or returning to Council, and the only debate (I’m assuming that a recount of such a close vote will be called for) is which two of the three all but tied candidates Steel, Martinez, and Gerken (excuse me, Taylor-Gerken) they will be joined by. If you will pardon me, it often appears that City Council in Toledo is some kind of extended family, and to my mind one that just might have been doing just a bit too much inbreeding.

Having thus insulted Council, I will give them credit for recently standing up to the nonsense of outgoing Mayor Finkbeiner in recent months. While I would like to leave it at that, I must also point out that they spent millions of dollars to buy more of the trash cans that appear to be falling apart far more quickly as expected, in a solid waste policy that appears to do little more than protect the contracts of city solid waste workers; but hey, the only alternative was to privatize the entire trash system and save taxpayers some real money.

On a state level however, Ohio stepped up to the plate in almost typical fashion, and against its own best interests. Issues 1, 2, and 3 all passed with significant margins of victory. My interpretation of events is:

• Voters know that the state is broke but wants to borrow money to do a good thing. OK, I know that we all want to honor the people who put their lives on the line for this country, but one could ask whether this is good fiscal policy or good timing. If this is a good idea (something open for serious debate) perhaps it would have been better left for a better economy.
• Voters are concerned that a whack-job animal rights group is about to attack our farms, so they execute of the brilliant strategy of … surrendering before the battle. We know nothing about what this new government bureaucracy is going to do, who will be in it, or what real power they will have over us; but we now feel safe from a enemy that is saying that it will attack anyway.
• Voters have approved a constitutional monopoly to build casinos in four cities in the second worst economy (subject to debate) in the 20th century. Setting aside the lack of disposable income that has already had a huge impact on casinos across the country, voters still have to live with notion that they have placed their principles up for sale, and perhaps far too cheaply.

Woody Allen (of all people) once said, “More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.” I don’t know which path the electorate has placed us upon with these recent choices, but I hope that we have shown better wisdom than is readily apparent. Democracy has won once again in this country, but voters unfortunately may have lost.

Tim Higgins blogs at http://justblowingsmoke.blogspot.com/.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 3:42 pm and is filed under Just Blowing SMoke, Opinion.
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