Due to a postal mix-up, I have been receiving letters originally directed to another overweight guy with a white beard. Unlike “Miracle of 34th Street,” these deliveries do not, however, constitute irrefutable proof that I’m the one, the only … well, you know. I did receive a pleasant note from the real big guy though, after forwarding these efforts on to him. (We often visit near year’s end to compare diet goals and white beard grooming tricks). He said that if any of them seemed amusing, I had permission to use them.

I have been looking at a stack of letters I purposely set aside — Santa letters sent by and on behalf of members of Toledo’s government.

A membership to Toastmasters was on a list for Councilman Phil Copeland. Evidently an improvement in public speaking skills is seen not only as a gift to Mr. Copeland’s future in politics as Lucas County Recorder, where he will have to speak for an entire agency, but also a gift in time and translation for the local media and his co-workers, no matter what capacity he serves in.

Speaking of enhancements, there were requests for Santa to bring Councilman Steve Steel a gift certificate for self-defense lessons. I guess many still feel that if he’s going to insist on fighting outside of his weight class, giving him the gift of some martial arts techniques (maybe even ninja skills) might come in handy. There was likewise no shock over requests for adding the book “Basic Debate, Student Edition” to his stocking.

Speaking of books and stockings, there were letters to put a special copy of the Toledo City Charter in Councilman Tyrone Riley’s fireplace-hung footwear. It would be special because Santa would ensure that areas regarding conflict of interest and abstaining in a vote of council were highlighted.

Tom Waniewski

There were a number of requests for a gift for Tom Waniewski as well. Santa has been asked to deliver a few more people with math skills and common sense to join him on Council. Apparently the hope in such a gift is to slow down the juggernaut of regulation, taxation and funding allocation that seems to be running rampant through Council these days. Mr. Waniewski is a Republican, however, and has therefore been on the Naughty List for some time. Despite putting a good word in for him in my North Pole missive, it’s likely he’ll see little beyond a lump of coal.

Many thought that D. Michael Collins had received his present from Santa early, when media nemesis Brian Wilson left the airwaves at 1370 WSPD. Apparently, this was not the only item on his list. My favorites were a Junior Detective Kit for his investigations and a spotlight that could be mounted in council chambers to shine on him whenever he speaks.

Speaking of multiple requests and multiple gifts, there is evidently a groundswell effort using missives to Santa to get Lindsay Webb a whole park. Evidently the thought is that if she had a park of her own, named after her, and with night basketball and swimming programs going on there year-round, she’d leave the rest of the city alone. The word I heard from the North Pole is that you have to be really nice to get such a special gift, and that Councilwoman Webb has been, at best, substantially compliant.

Young Councilman Adam Martinez is also someone who has multiple item requests to Santa. The first is for a really good day planner under his tree. Having missed several Council meetings in 2012 after missing 19 in 2011, I guess he or someone on his behalf figured a better way of tracking his schedule might be of benefit.

George Sarantou

Councilman George Sarantou is asking for one of those Charles Atlas kits that you used to see in the comic books. A longtime member of City Council who is about to be term-limited out, Mr. Sarantou has run for higher office more than once, and each time had a bit of sand kicked in his face. Considered a 97-pound weakling, mostly because of his affiliation with a county Republican Party that weighs even less, this latest soul-sucking loss to a far less qualified candidate in Councilman Phil Copeland for the County Recorder’s office was apparently the last straw in sending off the request. Expect Councilman Sarantou to do a lot of heavy lifting before announcing another effort for higher office.

The most interesting of the letters that I saw was from Councilwoman Paula Hicks-Hudson. It seems that she was sent Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak and has had a heck of a time getting anyone to notice her ever since. She was writing to the North Pole to ask why she had been sent the cloak in the first place, and if it might be possible for Santa to take it back without holding it against her. There are rumors (and I’m not saying about who) that certain members of Council sent letters to Santa on her behalf, as they were unwilling to share the limited limelight of Council meetings with her.

The letters for Councilman Rob Ludeman were rather unique. He has been on City Council for a long time and was even president for a while, but Mr. Ludeman has seemed inconsistent over the years, sometimes seeming like a Republican and sometimes like a Democrat. This voting record seems to have left the Councilman (much like the local Republican Party that endorses him) stuck on the political Island of Misfit Toys from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Unlike “Survivor,” this made-for-TV island is one he wouldn’t mind some help from Santa in being voted off.

Mike Craig

I looked for a letter to Santa mentioning Councilman Mike Craig, but couldn’t find one. Apparently when you are a former civil servant and now a public servant who has a strong family and union background, including service as a UAW union steward, there’s nothing that Santa can bring you that unions and the Lucas County Democratic Party can’t. There were rumors that Mr. Craig writes no letters because he found out that the elves refused to organize, but I haven’t been able to confirm that locally or at the North Pole.

Santa seems to have found only one request for City Council’s President Joe McNamara in the letters he’s received. While Mr. McNamara’s young political career seems as well-favored as anyone’s, he may be suffering from comparisons to another local Democratic politician of youthful appearance and legal training who once put his political stamp on Toledo.  By now most of you realize that Mr. McNamara might in fact be suffering from “Konop Regional Antipathy Problems.” As it did for the original victim and long-time carrier, this condition can doom even the best political efforts of a candidate, no matter how well-intentioned the ideas or well-connected the family. Santa tells me that regardless of being on the Nice list (after all, he’s not an evil Republican), there may be problems even Santa can’t fix with a box and a bow.

Last, but not least, Mayor Mike Bell didn’t have a lot on his list this year, but there have been a couple of requests on his behalf to get the Ghostbusters in town to service One Government Center. Like Ebenezer in “A Christmas Carol,” the mayor may have been recently haunted by the spirits of former mayors Jack Ford and Carty Finkbeiner (both now asking Santa to put Mr. Ford in Phil Copeland’s soon-to-be-vacant Council seat).

These efforts are not so much hauntings, as attempted demonic possessions. There’s now concern that the fiscally conservative practices from early in Mr. Bell’s term have been taken over by the spendthrift “three-card monte” spending that his predecessors were famous for. I’m told that such things may be beyond even the ability of Santa, but that he’s at least trying to arrange a visit by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Harold Ramis for the pilot for their new reality show, “Celebrity Exorcism.”

Tim Higgins blogs at justblowingsmoke.blogspot.com.

Tags: Adam Martinez, Brian Wilson, Carty Finkbeiner, D. Michael Collins, George Sarantou, Jack Ford, Joe McNamara, Just Blowing Smoke, Lindsay Webb, Mike Bell, Paula Hicks-Hudson, Phil Copeland, Rob Ludeman, Steve Steel, Tim Higgins, Toledo City Council, Tom Waniewski, Tyrone Riley

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2012 at 4:03 pm and is filed under Featured, Just Blowing Smoke, Opinion.
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President Barack Obama supporters gathered Oct. 3 to watch the first presidential debate between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the commander-in-chief.

The Obama for America campaign event occurred at 119 N. Ontario St. in Downtown.

The debate was set at the University of Denver and hosted by journalist Jim Lehrer. The format consisted of three different segments on the economy and one each on health care, the role of government and governing.

At the watch party, City Council President Joe McNamara said, “President Obama had an inherent advantage coming into the debate because he was able to point to four years’ worth of policies that have benefited the middle class. In contrast, Romney has been reluctant to discuss the specific details of his plans and proposals. This is alarming for voters who are simply left wondering.”

The day after the debate, Republican Councilman Rob Ludeman disagreed. He said, “I have never seen a debate that was so clearly one sided in the favor of Gov. Romney.  Romney showed confidence and great stage presence while Obama looked uninterested and at times dull. When Gov. Romney was cut off by Moderator Jim Lehrer, his aggressiveness was evident and in a way, that almost allowed him to take control of the debate. Romney really hit a homerun last night; helping to re-energize the GOP base and persuade complacent voters.”

“Romney needs to continue to focus on jobs as he successfully did during the debate and continue to push the idea that Obama’s ideas have failed to take the country down the right track,” Ludeman said.

Like Ludeman, many critics have deemed Romney the “winner” of last night’s debate because he appeared better prepared and spoke passionately, while Obama mumbled his ideas at times.

At the Oct. 3 event, former GST Steel Negotiator David Foster provided an example of Romney contributing to job losses. Foster was the GST Steel Negotiator for more than 16 years and was responsible for securing the benefits for the union steelworkers in District 11.When Bain Capital bought GST Steel in 1993, Foster was the man responsible for overseeing the transition. Bain Capital was founded in 1984 by Mitt Romney.

“Despite Romney’s claim in the debate that he was all about creating jobs, my experiences with his ambitions proved to be quite the opposite,” Foster said.

“By 2001, GST Steel was more than $500 million in debt, factories were shut down, and more than 1,000 hardworking Americans lost their jobs,” Foster said. “Bain Capital and Mitt Romney walked away with millions of dollars at the expense of middle class Americans and their jobs. One factory that was shut down supported jobs in the Kansas City community for more than five generations and just like that it was gone.”

During the campaign, Obama has been critical of Romney’s private sector work. But, Obama did not mention Bain Capital or criticize Romney for his past work with the investment firm.

Romney did not miss the opportunity to talk about how President Obama’s proposals could lead to the loss of American jobs.

“Your plan is to take the tax rate on successful small businesses from 35 percent to 40 percent,” Romney said. “The National Federation of Independent Businesses has said that will cost 700,000 jobs. I don’t want to cost jobs. My priority is jobs.”

Obama did discuss his plans for job creation and some of the progress the country has made under his tutelage.

“Over the last 30 months, we’ve seen 5 million jobs in the private sector created. The auto industry has come roaring back. And housing has begun to rise. But we all know that we’ve still got a lot of work to do. And so the question here tonight is not where we’ve been, but where we’re going. Gov. Romney has a perspective that says if we cut taxes, skewed towards the wealthy, and roll back regulations, that we’ll be better off. I’ve got a different view. I think we’ve got to invest in education and training,” Obama said.

The next debate between the presidential contenders will be Oct. 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Tags: Barack Obama, Joe McNamara, Mitt Romney, Rob Ludeman

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2012 at 4:37 pm and is filed under Community, Election 2012.
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Politics is a tough business; that’s not a new lesson for Tom Crothers, but the speed at which things can develop must stun even a veteran like him.

On Aug. 16, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell stood with Crothers, then deputy mayor, Toledo City Councilman Rob Ludeman and other officials to announce a development at the site of the former Southwyck Mall.

It was announced that MJW, Inc. was looking to transform the area into “somewhat of a sports village,” with each venue employing its own management. As reported by Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Caitlin McGlade, “The 58 acres might host indoor basketball, volleyball and hockey courts as well as outdoor stadiums and fields. The development firm is looking to fill the space with hotels and restaurants as well, to attract traveling teams not only to play, but to stay in Toledo for a few days.”

The Bell administration was planning to ask Toledo City Council to approve a $50,000 loan for MJW, Inc. to conduct marketing, engineering and architectural research to develop the concept.

But as first brought to the public’s attention by WSPD morning host Fred LeFebvre, proposed lead developer Cliff Gaston apparently has a history of financial and legal issues that would have precluded him from partnering with the city had he been properly vetted.

By Aug. 19, Bell had scuttled the deal. By Aug. 20, Crothers was relieved of his duties as deputy mayor and reassigned to the Department of Public Utilities, to, according to Bell’s office, “spearhead special projects, including the work to study a regional water system, implementation of the SAP computer system upgrade and focusing on customer service.”

Paul Syring has been named acting deputy mayor of external relations.

It is unfortunate that such a positive announcement went sour, and it is doubly unfortunate that a lack of simple vetting led to such a radical shuffling. But a lack of communication — Councilman D. Michael Collins had met with the same developers a year ago but let the matter lie because of the financial issues; he was not involved in the Aug. 16 announcement — led to an embarrassing situation for all involved.

Bell’s administration started with a flurry of activity and development, with international travels and a deal, still unrealized in terms of construction, to sell the Marina District.

Bell has shown two clear trends during his time as mayor. One is a tendency to trust the people he put in place, in terms of cooperation and development. Another is a willingness to make personnel changes when they need to be made, for the betterment of the city. Bell, to use a casino analogy, knows when to hold ’em and knows when to fold ’em.

That’s called leadership, and while Bell would be the first to say his administration has not been perfect, it is fair to say he has demonstrated a fluidity and willingness to adapt that had been missing from the mayor’s office.

Chalk this one up as a lesson learned, and godspeed to Syring in his new role in moving our city forward.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Cliff Gaston, D. Michael Collins, Fred LeFebvre, Marina District, Mike Bell, Paul Syring, Rob Ludeman, Southwyck Mall, Tom Crothers, Tom Pounds, WSPD

This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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Toledo City Council reversed its decision to deny the Nexus Academy of Toledo a special use permit to locate Downtown.

Council voted 10-2 in favor of the school during a special meeting Aug. 7.

The college preparatory program, which will blend classroom and online work, will be on the fourth floor of One Lake Erie Center at 600 Jefferson St.

Last week, Council members Lindsay Webb, Phil Copeland, Steve Steel and Adam Martinez voted against issuing the permit, with Steel citing concerns about the proximity of the school to convenience stores.

But County Plan Commission Director Tom Lemon told Council members that typical spacing requirements regarding schools and convenience stores do not apply in the Downtown entertainment district, where Nexus Academy of Toledo seeks to locate.

Council reconsidered last week’s vote because Councilman Tyrone Riley abstained, which violated a Council rule that prohibits abstentions unless the Council member has a conflict of interest. Riley originally told Toledo Free Press  he thought he had a conflict of interest because he had prior business arrangements with a client in an adjacent building.

He later called back to say he had made a mistake and that he had not understood the Council rule. He said he thought at the time of the vote that both sides had compelling arguments.

After this realization, he wanted the chance to vote on the subject.

His vote in favor helped to turn the decision around, along with votes of approval from Paula Hicks-Hudson, Phil Copeland and Adam Martinez. Martinez said he approved the permit this time after meeting with school officials and learning that they decided to appoint supervisors in the student parking lot, as well as to and from the TARTA station. Originally, there was no supervision plan, Martinez said. Hicks-Hudson was not present during last week’s vote.

Steel again voted no and addressed comments that Councilman Tom Waniewski made last week about Council “vilifying” carryouts.

“This isn’t Steve Steel vilifying convenience stores and saying schools shouldn’t be by them,” Steel said. “This is municipal code saying that.”

Steel cited a portion of municipal code that states: “In reviewing and making decisions on proposed special uses, review and decision making bodies must consider at least the following factors:  whether the proposed use is compatible with adjacent uses in terms of scale, site design and operating characteristics (hours of operation, traffic generation, lighting, noise, odor, dust and other impacts associated with the uses operation).”

“In considering that, it isn’t Steve Steel that says that there’s an incompatibility between convenience stores and schools… it’s Toledo Municipal Code and the spacing requirements that Council put into code that would indicate that there is incompatibility,” Steel said.

Typical spacing requirements prohibit convenience stores from locating within 1,000 feet of “schools, parks, libraries, licensed day cares or children oriented uses.” In 2009, Council made an exception for community entertainment districts, which includes the area where Nexus Academy of Toledo plans to open.

Addressing the exemption, Steel said the rule was intended to concentrate some of the “adult-oriented venues.”

Steel, a former Toledo Public Schools Board of Education president, also dismissed any assumptions that his decision had anything to do with opinions about charter schools. Councilman Rob Ludeman told Toledo Free Press last week that, “Some Council members used their vote to express their disdain for charter schools in general and to me that’s just wrong.”

Steel has voted in favor of special use permits for other charter schools.

The school, which is slated to open in the fall, will take between 250 and 300 students and employ a school leader, four full-time teachers, three full-time “success coaches,” a part-time special education teacher, a guidance counselor, a secretary and a personal trainer.

Tags: Caitlin McGlade, Nexus Academy of Toledo, Rob Ludeman, Steve Steel, Toledo City Council, Tom Waniewski

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 at 5:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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One week after a report described Toledo as one of “America’s Emptiest Cities,” Toledo City Council showed the world why there is more motivation to leave the city than there is to invest here. In a stunning and arrogant vote July 31, Council failed to approve the Nexus Academy of Toledo’s request to open a charter school Downtown.

Council voted 6-4 to deny permission to Nexus, owned by the national company Connections Education, to open a charter school on the fourth floor of One Lake Erie Center, 600 Jefferson Ave.

The decision bolsters every impression that Toledo is not business friendly and will undoubtedly discourage untold other enterprises from considering investing in Downtown.

Led by Toledo Public Schools loyalist Steve Steel, fellow shortsighted and insensate Council members Lindsay Webb, Phil Copeland and Adam Martinez voted against the special-use permit that would have allowed Nexus to open. Paula Hicks-Hudson was on vacation. Tyrone Riley chose to abstain, which sealed the charter school’s fate.

Council rules state that “A member abstaining at a regularly scheduled Council Meeting shall do so only in the event of a conflict of interest.” Riley gave no such reason, and in fact, on July 3, voted in favor of waiving the minimum 30-day period for the special-use permit Nexus was seeking. If Riley had a conflict, why did he vote for that ordinance on July 3?

Riley told Toledo Free Press on Aug. 1 he had a “prior business arrangement with a business adjacent to that property (the restaurant Our Brothers Place) and I wanted to avoid any type of impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. If I voted one way or the other, it may give someone the impression that I was trying to protect one of the local establishments.”

Riley said he voted for the 30-day waiver July 3 because, “I was still in this prior business arrangement with one of the adjacent properties at the time and I just didn’t realize that may be a conflict.”

But he later added, “I made a mistake in not completely understanding this rule of Council. My vote was inconsistent. I didn’t have a complete handle on the rule of Council. Both sides had compelling arguments and I was thinking, ‘OK,’ they’re both compelling,’ and I just abstained and that was a mistake on my part.”

Steel claimed the special-use permit should be denied because the Nexus Academy location would be within 1,000 feet of convenience stores. But before the vote, Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commission Director Tom Lemon told Council that because the building Nexus wanted to locate is within an entertainment district, the spacing requirements regarding convenience stores would not apply.

Ignoring that simple fact, Steel, Webb, Copeland, Martinez — and passively, Riley — voted against jobs, education and development.

“Some of [the charter schools] that are in that core Downtown area have been there since longer than I was voting, certainly. We should be very cautious about it whenever you have kids that are walking around a bunch of adult-oriented establishments,” Steel told Toledo Free Press on Aug. 1. “I have voted yes on special-use permits for charter schools. I would have the same objection if TPS wanted to go in. It has to do with children, a lot of kids going to and from school are unsupervised. That’s why we have coding in the law about adult-oriented establishments.”

“The spacing requirement for carryouts is bogus to begin with. We’ve vilified carryouts and now, by association, we’ve vilified schools that want to go near carryouts,” Councilman Tom Waniewski told Toledo Free Press on Aug. 1. “Here’s a charter school that wants to do business and we’re saying, ‘Mmm, you can’t because there are carryouts around.’ If you just came here from another planet and you didn’t know my colleagues on Council, you might be scratching your head saying, ‘What are you talking about?’

“We’ve got people on City Council who have no concept of business and are merely voting for stupid reasons. The other stupid reason is some of them on Council have a bias against charter schools so they are too intricately tied to TPS and are afraid of the competition.

“A recent study showed we are one of the poorest cities to do business with. This adds to that. Why are we telling businesses how to run their business? Selling [cigarettes and alcohol] to minors is illegal, so let’s enforce those laws that we have rather than create these artificial pieces of duct tape. We’re not the morals police.”

These four Council members also sent the message that they believe Downtown Toledo is not a safe place for students attending school. This despite the healthy attendance at Toledo School for the Arts and other Downtown charter schools, not to mention the thousands of students bused Downtown each season to Fifth Third Field and Imagination Station.

If they believe that, perhaps they should spend more time improving that situation than blocking viable business development.

“Some Council members used their vote to express their disdain for charter schools in general and to me that’s just wrong,” Councilman Rob Ludeman told Toledo Free Press on Aug. 1. “Charter schools are allowed by Ohio law and as long as they meet all the zoning requirements we should allow them to go in. It’s a huge component of the economic development of Downtown.

“It’s a slap in the face to them and the business community Downtown. They apparently just didn’t listen to the planning commissioner director. There are other charter schools in the Downtown entertainment district already; how do you pick and choose? That’s just not right.

“When it came time for the vote, Tyrone Riley abstained. We have a Council rule that you can’t abstain unless you have a direct association with that entity and he has no connection to this charter school so the least he should have done is voted. They all just looked at me with blank faces when I read the rule. I was on Council when we put that in place because it was getting ridiculous how many people didn’t want to make a decision on things. You are elected to make a decision,” Ludeman said.

It’s almost as if these myopic Council members want to see Downtown fail; certainly, nothing in this decision shows any understanding of the facts or ramifications surrounding this vote.

Voters are right to ask, “What are these people thinking?”

Rebecca Booth, a spokesperson for Nexus, which has advertised in these pages, was gracious after the vote.

“We believe that this is just one step in a series of steps toward opening a charter school. We believe in our blended learning environment and we still think that we’ve got a great location to help out our students, so we’re moving forward hoping that we can still open in the fall,” she told Toledo Free Press on Aug. 1. “Everything is all up in the air but we’re exploring all possibilities. We were surprised [by the vote]. We go back to this just being part of the process. Sometimes you’re going to hit a hurdle and sometimes you’re not.”

At the same session, Council approved special-use permits for three other schools outside Downtown — all of which are reportedly located near convenience stores or bars. Ironically, as construction on the school had already started, Steel, Webb, Copeland, Martinez — and passively, Riley — have, for now, put union construction workers out of a job.

They have also potentially opened Council and the city to legal action. Even if the case never sees a day in court, a different kind of jury is watching this dysfunction and will return its own verdict, one that will continue to stymie efforts of growth and development in our hurting, increasingly troubled city.

Riley said he will change his vote to “yes” if Council reconsiders the vote, which it will apparently do on Aug. 7. That can only be proposed by Steel, Webb, Copeland or Martinez. There is an opportunity for redemption in the midst of this mess. But if any these Council members choose to let the vote stand and deny Riley his opportunity to revote, they should be painted as the aspiring statists they are — and the business community should rally to make sure they are voted out of office at the earliest opportunity.

Tags: Adam Martinez, Lindsay Webb, Nexus Academy, Paula Hicks-Hudson, Phil Copeland, Publisher's Statement, Rob Ludeman, Steve Steel, Toledo City Council, Tom Lemon, Tom Pounds, Tom Waniewski, Tyrone Riley

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 at 6:35 pm and is filed under Featured, Opinion, Publisher's Statement.
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With relatively few exceptions, we have supported the legislative efforts of Toledo City Council President Joe McNamara and Councilman Tom Waniewski. So when an issue such as extending domestic partner benefits to City of Toledo employees sharply divides the two public servants, it merits a close look.

As Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Sarah Marie Thompson reported April 27, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell has announced the introduction of legislation that will provide benefits to domestic partners of city employees.

If Council approves it, “the legislation will offer the same health, dental and vision benefits to domestic partners of city employees that are offered to married couples and their children. Eligibility will be granted to same-sex and heterosexual couples who meet the criteria for domestic partnership as outlined in the Toledo Municipal Code. Employees will be required to obtain a certificate recognizing their partnership through the city’s Domestic Partner Registry.”

McNamara, with Councilman Steve Steel and David Mann, President of EqualityToledo Community Action, spoke in support of the legislation. But at a meeting May 1, councilmen Waniewski, Rob Ludeman and D. Michael Collins opposed the legislation, citing reasons ranging from muddy financial estimates to recently completed union negotiations.

While the councilmen are correct in raising questions about the specifics of the proposal, they are focusing on short-term concerns at the expense of a long-term benefit. From a purely business and pragmatic point of view, offering domestic partner benefits makes sense. It is a recruitment tool and undoubtedly an inevitable element of retaining quality employees. As the legislation states, “Currently, 21 states and over 200 local governments, at least 98 Fortune 100 companies, 442 Fortune 500 companies, and approximately 9,000 other private companies, non-profit organizations and unions provide health insurance and other benefits to their employees’ domestic partners. In Toledo, these employers include the University of Toledo, Lucas County, Owens Corning and the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, the cities of Cleveland, Columbus, and Franklin County offer their employees domestic partner benefits and at least 14 Ohio public and private universities and colleges offer these benefits.”

Yes, there are questions that should be raised and nothing should be approved without scrutiny. But extending domestic partner benefits makes sense and we urge Council to approve the mayor’s proposal.

However, it is distressing to see men as learned as McNamara and Waniewski become entangled in personal rhetoric that stems more from emotion than intellect. McNamara did not use the word “homophobia” to describe the opposition but he implied it, and Waniewski and Collins were correct in objecting to that implication.

Bell’s proposal should be considered as a business incentive, not a social issue, and on those merits, it should be implemented.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: D. Michael Collins, domestic partner benefits, Joe McNamara, Mike Bell, Publisher's Statement, Rob Ludeman, Steve Steel, Tom Pounds, Tom Waniewski

This entry was posted on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Opinion, Publisher's Statement.
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“I’m Jerry Anderson.”

“And I’m Lee Conklin. Welcome to WTOLWTVGWUPWNWO’s coverage of the 2015 Glass City Hunger Games!”

Anderson: “Indeed, Lee, and this is the third annual contest, which was initiated in 2012 by Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael Miller, just before his tragic death in that incident at the Tim Hortons drive-thru.”

Conklin: “That was a glaze-covered tragedy, but his legacy lives on in this adaptation of the Hunger Games, in which Toledo’s leaders face off in a battle to the death, all for our entertainment.”

Anderson: “Now, we should stress that the competitors are actually using avatars, so there will be no true harm or injury to the actual people involved.”

Conklin: “That’s right, Jerry. To remind viewers of our premise, we have 24 participants from districts in Northwest Ohio. They will compete in an atmosphere-controlled dome with weapons supplied by sponsors,

in a battle to the death. The sole winner in this live, televised tournament will receive a Tony Packo’s gift basket, stock in First Solar, an autographed Crystal Bowersox CD and absolute ruling power over the enslaved citizens of our region until the 2016 Glass City Hunger Games.”

Anderson: “Minor problems in the dome today as the solar panels that power the lighting are flickering, but everything seems to be working now. We’ve already seen the parade and interviewed our combatants, so we’re just seconds away from the battle. Let’s go down to the field and hear from Chrys Peterson and Diane Larson, who were genetically fused into one anchor after our recent media merger.”

Conklin: “Great story of corporate synergy there, Jerry, especially when you remember that they used elements of Shaun Hegarty to give Chrys and Diane that ginger glow.”

Chrys/Diane: “We’re here before the big battle begins, with Councilman Tom Waniewski and 2014 Hunger Games champion, State Rep. Michael Ashford. Michael, how do you rate the competition this year?”

Ashford: “I respect the competition, especially Vice President Joe the Plumber, who knows how to use so many of these tools of destruction. I am hoping he exits early but he’s been underestimated before.”

Chrys/Diane: “Tom, there was a great deal of criticism of the violence in last year’s games, and you were at the heart of that when you decapitated former mayor Carty Finkbeiner with that Imagination Station bookmark.”

Waniewski: “As you know, Chrys/Diane, I am opposed to this travesty of an event, but I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty to win it for the people of this city.”

(Cannon booms)

Anderson: “And this just in, before the games even begin we have an early exit, as Councilman Phil Copeland has been disqualified for not showing up to compete.”

Conklin: “Not really a surprise, Jerry, but there may be more news as Councilman George Sarantou just stole Copeland’s supply of nightlock berries to make baklava. If he eats those berries, he’ll be out before the games begin!”

Anderson: “Ah, but look, Lee, George is offering those nightlock baklava desserts to Lucas County Commissioners Carol Contrada and Pete Gerken. They may see it as a sign of alliance, but, oh, oh, there it is, both commissioners took a bite and are now writhing in agony on the ground, foaming at the mouth.”

Conklin: “Let’s get a close-up shot of that for the viewers at home.”

Anderson: “Three contestants gone and we haven’t heard the opening bell yet!”

Conklin: “Speaking of Bell, the mayor looks ready for combat in his Chinese brigandine, practicing his wushu moves. (Trumpets blare) And the 2015 Glass City Hunger games have officially begun!”

Anderson: “The 21 remaining combatants are racing toward the cornucopia, which contains weapons, water and food items … Oh! Councilman D. Michael Collins just impaled Lindsay Webb with the sharp edge of a metal ‘tornado shelter’ sign!”

Conklin: “Yes, Jerry, it looks like Webb’s avatar is going to bleed to death on the field, which is ironic when you think about the depleted blood supply in Northwest Ohio as the Red Cross union strike enters its fourth year.”

Anderson: “On the other side of the field, Councilman Joe McNamara and Sen. Edna Brown are going at it, punching and kicking and throwing down in a ballot box rematch!”

Conklin: “It’s the kind of bloody battle that makes these games draw the big ratings, Jerry, and look at that! Brown just knocked McNamara to the ground, but he is still taking swings and trying to get the best of her.”

Anderson: “He’s a scrapper, no question. Brown is moving in for the kill, but she better watch out, because sneaking up behind her is Rep. Marcy Kaptur.”

Conklin: “Oh! Kaptur was just about to plant a knitting needle in Edna Brown’s back when Edna ducked, and McNamara ninja-tossed 200 American flag pins right toward Kaptur’s avatar’s jugular!”

Anderson: “Amazing, Lee, but as Kaptur hit the ground, a wig and mask fell off to reveal former County Commissioner Ben Konop! Sneaky way to get into these games!”

Conklin: “And look, more than 50 of McNamara’s ninja pins have flown across the field, mowing down politicians like a tornado cutting through a trailer park! Down goes Teresa Fedor! Tyrone Riley falls! Down goes Steve Steel! Sherrod Brown is out!”

Anderson: “A stunning development! Mike Craig is down! Bob Latta falls! Paula Hicks-Hudson is down! Waniewski staggers near Sarantou, but as they head for shelter for weapons — it looks like Sarantou was reaching for a rhino horn — Rob Ludeman takes them both out with a Danberry Realty sign! It’s a GOP meltdown! What a mess — it’s too bad avatars don’t qualify for domestic partner benefits and health care.”

Conklin: “And the Gamekeeper has released a wild card! There’s a lanky towheaded Tracker Jacker wildly dancing and brandishing a blade, but no one seems to be paying attention to him. His blade just doesn’t seem to be intimidating anyone. Oh — the Tracker Jacker just fell and impaled himself.”

Anderson: “Lee, I see an alliance of Adam Martinez, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Rob Portman and Anita Lopez trying to make a break for the woods, but Ashford was waiting in a tree with a crossbow and he’s picking them off one by one!”

Conklin: “Let’s go to Chrys/Diane, reporting from the field.”

Chrys/Diane: “It’s a bloodbath down here, as a camouflaged Clerk of Courts Bernie Quilter just rose out of the woods and started racing through the field, cracking heads with his bare hands! He took Ashford’s crossbow and pushed him out of the tree! Now he’s shooting arrows like a demented Cupid! McNamara is out! Edna Brown is out! He’s taken out all the survivors! Bernie Quilter may be our winner!”

Conklin: “But wait, we only count 22 avatar bodies on the field. Someone is missing … Look! As Quilter steps around the bodies, Mike Bell rides into the arena on a motorcycle and runs Quilter through with chopsticks! It looks like Bell will win the 2015 Glass City Hunger Games!”

(Solar panel lights flicker and go out, plunging the arena into darkness)

Conklin: “We’ll have to wait for the lights to come back on to interview the 2015 champion.”

(Lights flicker and turn on)

Anderson: “That’s better! Now we can talk to Bell about his stunning victory! But wait! D. Michael Collins has pulled himself from the carnage and is challenging Bell!”

Conklin: “It’s a life-and-death battle for a Tony Packo’s gift basket, stock in First Solar, an autographed Crystal Bowersox CD and absolute control over us all! Collins is swinging and lunging with his tornado shelter sign, but Bell’s Changquan practice is paying off.”

Anderson: “Collins just won’t go away, he’s making his Marine legacy proud, but Bell is brandishing a qiang. He must have ice water in his veins, because he is approaching Collins like Clint Eastwood in an old Western movie!”

Conklin: “Bell is just brushing aside Collins’ strikes! He’s taken the qiang and … oh!”

Bell (facing Collins): “Ask not for whom the Bell tolls, *****! I toll for thee.”

Anderson: “Oh my! Collins is down! Bell is the 2015 Hunger Games champion! Let’s cut to Chrys/Diane.”

Chrys/Diane: “Mike, congratulations! That was a great strategy, staying above the fray until the last minute!”

Bell: “Thanks, Chrys/Diane! I credit my Harley and the teachings of Wushu Master Liu Xiao Ling. As my first act, I’m going to free all the citizens of Northwest Ohio and restore respect and cooperation into our political process. Hey, you two don’t look comfortable sewn together like that. Want me to put you out of your misery?”

Chrys/Diane: “Would you, please?”

(Bell raises the qiang)

Chrys/Diane: “This is Chrys Petersen … and Diane Larson … signing off.”

Conklin: “Well, Jerry, it looks like the 2015 Glass City Hunger Games are going to bring long-awaited freedom to Northwest Ohio.”

Anderson: “At least for one year, Lee. At least for one year.”

(Solar panel lights flicker)

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Cover illustration by Don Lee.

Tags: Ben Konop, Bernie Quilter, Bob Latta, Carol Contrada, Chrys Peterson, Crystal Bowersox, D. Michael Collins, Diane Larson, Edna Brown, First Solar, George Sarantou, Hunger Games, Jerry Anderson, Joe McNamara, Joe the Plumber, Lee Conklin, Lighting The Fuse, Lindsay Webb, Marcy Kaptur, Michael Ashford, Michael S. Miller, Mike Bell, Paula Hicks-Hudson, Pete Gerken, Phil Copeland, Rob Ludeman, Shaun Hegarty, Sherrod Brown, Tim Hortons, Tom Waniewski, Tony Packo's

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Featured, Lighting The Fuse, Opinion, Uncategorized.
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There is always interesting news to be found in the weekly flow of life in Downtown Toledo. Two developments worth discussing this week are the exciting plans announced for the Steam Plant and City Council’s dubious vote on the Red Cross union negotiations.

For far too long, the Steam Plant has stood as a symbol of our city’s inability to capitalize on its magnificent waterfront. But the news — first reported April 20 by Toledo Free Press — that the YMCA and University of Toledo Medical Center have plans for the facility is a cause for cautious celebration.

As reported by Caitlin McGlade, “The $16 million investment is a money saver for the YMCA, part of University of Toledo Medical Center’s expansion plans and the answer to developers David and Dean Ball’s goal to build downtown apartments. The building, dubbed the Water Street Station, will house 67 apartments from the third to sixth floors. The university’s medical center will lease space from the YMCA. The deal marks the third installment of plans to spread clinics across Northwest Ohio.”

Coupled with Mayor Mike Bell’s plans to renovate Promenade Park and the development of the Marina District, Toledo could finally see some progress on its long-underutilized riverfront.

Progressive Councilwoman Lindsay Webb led the charge for City Council (like the Lucas County commissioners) to stick its collective nose into the labor negotiations between United Food and Commercial Workers Local 75 and the blood collection branch of the American Red Cross. At this point, Webb’s quixotic pursuits are an unsurprising facet of her approach to public service, but Councilmen Tom Waniewski and Rob Ludeman were correct in opposing the nonbinding resolution — not from disrespect to the union negotiation process but from respect for Council’s time and attention.

“We stand with our Toledo workers, that’s what the resolution said and that’s what we’re asking them to do. We are supporting Toledo taxpayers in a dispute in which their employer was found to not have good cause and participated in unfair labor practices,” Webb said. “That is not something we tolerate in this city.”

That’s one or two too many applications of the word “we.”

As Waniewski said, “Figuring out somebody else’s contract talks is not something we should be doing. The Red Cross is a great organization and they’ve already shown that they’ve settled everywhere but Cleveland and Toledo. It was a waste of a resolution, it was a waste of our time here at City Council.”

Webb may not quite be fiddling while parts of Toledo burn, but she certainly has rosin on her hands. It is possible to respect her determination and consistency, but question her priorities in asserting her more tenacious qualities.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Lindsay Webb, Red Cross, Rob Ludeman, Steam plant, Tom Pounds, Tom Waniewski, University of Toledo Medical Center, YMCA

This entry was posted on Friday, April 27th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Opinion, Publisher's Statement.
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S&L Fertilizer, the company that handles all of the city’s sludge, must hire a consultant to determine the impact the company’s Maumee Bay site might have on the Maumee River and Lake Erie.

As first reported at www.toledofreepress.com on March 12, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has mandated “meaningful water and soil sampling data” through computerized models and sampling plans as a result of numerous complaints surrounding the facility. The company’s consultant would have to hand in results within two years of the contract’s start.

“It’s a legitimate concern; there are good questions being asked,” said Dina Pierce, spokesperson for the Ohio EPA. “Obviously the western basin is a very sensitive area from an ecological standpoint.”

Most complaints have flooded in from N-Viro, the company with which the city contracted prior to switching entirely to S&L.

Councilman D. Michael Collins, who has hammered the agency with records requests for months regarding S&L, shared similar concerns with N-Viro, Pierce said.

S&L has operated under the city’s permit for years but new regulations require that the company apply for its own. The permit is still in the draft stages, and the agency is amending pieces of it based on concerns that emerged during the public comment period, Pierce said. The particular sampling that the EPA will now require of S&L is not standard for all permits of this type, she said.

“The question keeps getting asked over and over and this is an attempt for us to say, ‘Let’s just do it,’” she said.

She pointed out that S&L’s facility takes up only a small portion of the entire island on which it sits. Sampling could also help determine to what extent environmental impact is attributed to the company compared to the entire area, which the Lucas County Port Authority operates. The island has been filled with dredging material for decades, so it is unlikely that any potential problems would be the sole responsibility of the sludge facility, Pierce said.

“We’ve done inspections out there and we see no evidence that there is any run-off getting into the lake from S&L operations,” she said. S&L Fertilizer has leased property on the island for decades, accepting a portion of the city’s waste, mixing it with other materials and sending some remains to the Hoffman Road Landfill. The result is called “Nu Soil.”

Until recently, N-Viro handled Toledo’s bio-waste. The company would take about 50 percent of the waste and mix it with high alkaline products, which raises the temperature and kills E. coli, worms and fecal coliform. The company sent its product to farmers across Northwest Ohio for its fertilizer-like qualities, said Robert Bohmer, vice president of N-Viro.

Terry Perry, the head of S&L, did not return phone calls for comment.

N-Viro produces what is considered a Class A biosolid, while S&L produces a Class B. This means that 98-99 percent of the pathogens have been removed and it is unlikely to spread disease. The city can use Class B material at landfills, but needs an EPA permit to spread it elsewhere.

Once approved, farmers can use it in fields, depending on the crop, as long as the area is restricted from human contact for a designated number of days. Cities can also use the product at places like public parks as long as they fence off the area for a year.

Collins has been researching the stipulations of this rule and trying to verify that all Class B biosolids have been accurately accounted for. A letter from the Department of Public Utilities raised alarm for Collins months ago. It stated that no Class B material from N-Viro or S&L had been delivered anywhere but the landfill. But according to city records, the company made deliveries to Ravine Park in 2007 and 2010.

Pierce said the city filed the appropriate paperwork for the reclamation project to be approved. Other nonlandfill places the mud has gone include the Retirees Golf Course, a private residence and a cemetery.

The city made the deal with S&L on the condition that the company produce at least $200,000 worth of topsoil annually. Collins and council members Lindsay Webb and Rob Ludeman voted against the contract. The city had completed its own testing of the surrounding environment and results came up clean.

Collins insisted that the city ought to employ an independent consultant to test the soil at the facility, but most Council members declined. Council president Joe McNamara, who has called Collins’ investigation into the sludge facility a “crusade,” said he thinks the EPA’s mandate is a relief.  Council had asked an EPA representative to attend council meetings during the decision-making process in the fall, but the agency declined, McNamara said.

McNamara solidly stood by the city’s positive test results and denounced the idea that “testing the mud” for bacteria and phosphorous, as Collins suggested, would prove anything.

“I think that it’s great the EPA has come up with a scientifically sound measure to test if there’s a problem,” McNamara said. “If it discovers something that we didn’t think was happening, we’ll stop. This puts the debate to bed.”

Not for Collins.

“It was in bed and this is now the awakening of the issue. We will now find out what we were afraid to find out if in fact the practice is not safe,” Collins said. “I feel this amplifies a response that council was not willing to do and that was to protect the environment by insisting that a study be done.”

Tags: Caitlin McGlade, D. Michael Collins, Department of Public Utilities, Dina Pierce, Joe McNamara, Lake Erie, Lindsay Webb, Lucas County Port Authority, Maumee River, N-Viro, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ravine Park, Retirees Golf Course, Rob Ludeman, S&L Fertilizer, sludge

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 15th, 2012 at 9:36 pm and is filed under City of Toledo, Community, Environment, Utilities.
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S&L Fertilizer, the company that handles all of the city’s sludge, will have to hire a consultant to determine the impact that the company’s Maumee Bay site might have on the river and Lake Erie.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has mandated “meaningful water and soil sampling data” through computerized models and sampling plans as a result of numerous complaints surrounding the facility.

“It’s a legitimate concern; there are good questions being asked,” said Dina Pierce, spokesperson for the Ohio EPA. “Obviously the western basin is a very sensitive area from an ecological standpoint.”

Most complaints have flooded in from N-VIRO, the company with which the city contracted prior to switching entirely to S&L. Councilman D. Michael Collins, who has hammered the agency with records requests for months regarding S&L, shared similar concerns with N-VIRO, Pierce said.

S&L has operated under the city’s permit for years but new regulations require that the company apply for its own. The permit is still in the draft stages, and the agency is amending pieces of it based on concerns that arrived during the public comment period, Pierce said.

The particular sampling that the EPA will now require of S&L is not protocol for all permits of this type, she said.

“The question keeps getting asked over and over and this is an attempt for us to say, ‘let’s just do it,” she said.

She pointed out that S&L’s facility takes up only a small portion of the entire island on which it sits. Sampling could also help answer the question as to what extent environmental impact is attributed to the company compared to the entire area, which the Lucas County Port Authority operates. The island has been filled with dredging material for decades so it is unlikely that any potential problems would be the sole responsibility of the sludge facility, Pierce said.

“We’ve done inspections out there and we see no evidence that there is any run off getting into the lake from S&L operations,” she said.

S&L Fertilizer has leased property on the island for decades, accepting a portion of the city’s waste, mixing it with other materials and sending some remains to the Hoffman Road Landfill. The result is called “Nu Soil.”

Until recently, N-VIRO handled Toledo’s bio-waste. The company would take about 50 percent of the waste and mix it with high alkaline products, which raises the temperature and kills E. coli, worms and fecal coliform. The company sent its product to farmers across Northwest Ohio for its fertilizer-like qualities, said Robert Bohmer, vice president of N-VIRO.

N-VIRO produces what is considered a Class A biosolids. S&L produces a Class B. This means that 98-99 percent of the pathogens have been removed and it is unlikely to spread disease. The city can use Class B material at landfills, but needs an EPA permit to spread the muck elsewhere. Once approved, farmers can use it in fields, depending on the crop, as long as the area is restricted from human contact for a designated numbers of days.

Cities can also use the product at places like public parks as long as they fence off the area for a year.

The city made the deal with S&L on the condition that the company produce at least $200,000 worth of top soil annually. Collins, Council members Lindsay Webb and Rob Ludeman voted against the contract.

The city had completed its own testing of the surrounding environment and results came up clean. Collins insisted that the city ought to employ an independent consultant to test the soil at the facility, but most council members declined.

Check toledofreepress.com for more information as the story develops.

Tags: City of Toledo, D. Michael Collins, Environmental Protection Agency, Lake Erie, Lindsay Webb, Maumee River, N-Viro, Rob Ludeman, S&L Fertilizer

This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2012 at 4:29 pm and is filed under City of Toledo, Community.
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