Toledo's “Horrrific Economic Storm...”

If you've read my last rant and are still interested, then, please read on...

In this Sunday, November 16th article aptly entitled “'HORRIFIC ECONOMIC STORM'; 2009 proposed Toledo budget will deliver deep cuts, job losses” (Story by Ignazio Messina, Blade Staff Writer)


The 2009 “Fudge-It” will mean deep cuts across the city in order to deal with what he called a "horrific economic storm" that has battered nearly every American city.

Comment: Sure blame the economic condition on the rest of the nation.

Question: mayor, have ever considered that it's much worse in Toledo than in the rest of the nation, *despite your stalwart leadership, shining example of competency and your own internal self control?*


“Under the proposed spending plan, the city next year would hire no firefighters or police, layoff about 40 employees, and close all but one of its public pools.”

Comment:
This is after many of the now non-recruits had given up their previous employment, bought some of their required gear, and, in some cases, taken up residence in Toledo to meet all of their requirements...


”Mr. Finkbeiner acknowledged that the city's residents and employees will have to make sacrifices next year.
He even promised to reach into his own pocket and cut his $136,000 salary by 15 percent.”

Comment:
Wow! “duh mayor” gives up $20,400 (A pittance, to regurgitate “his Dishonor's” own words), while others have given up their jobs and moved to Toledo and yet others are under threat of losing their jobs. Excuse me if I'm not impressed...

”"For five years now, we have been under siege in terms of having to shear from the budget, but up to this day, Toledoans have not found themselves inconvenienced," Mr. Finkbeiner said.
That is going to change.“

Comment:
The correct length/term of Toledo's suffering, to date, is currently 11 years, 11-½ months, coincidentally the exact length of your reign (of terror).

It will only begin to end once you sir, are out of office. And then, we can begin to recover...

Even the term of “Sleeping Jack” paled in comparison to the malaise that you have inflicted on this community...

And, your mention of change means what? Even more impending misery/doom?

I look forward to speaking/writing of you historically. . .



And, as for your wish list of:


•Making 40 layoffs across all departments except police and fire to save $2.54 million.

•Eliminating 36 vacant jobs to save $2.6 million.

•Canceling planned police cadet and new firefighter classes to save $5.3 million.

•Granting no pay raises for any city employee, except for Teamsters Local 20, the union representing trash collectors. Those employees will get a 3 percent pay increase as a result of arbitration for 2009.

•Requiring, through contract negotiations, health insurance co-payments from all city employees.

•Closing all city pools except Detwiler Pool and the splash pad at Savage Park, both of which will be paid through the Toledo CityParks Fund trust.

•Making changes to refuse collection to cut overtime and by deploying more automated garbage trucks in September.

•Shutting down all nonessential business for four days.

•Reducing funding for the city's criminal justice program and Toledo Municipal Court by $2.3 million.


It is a wish list and nothing more, which means that City Council will get stuck doing the heavy lifting (Your Heavy Lifting) once again, so that can go off on your merry way attending to your own special priorities, unfettered by any allegiance to budgetary constraints...

Others will surely do the (YOUR) heavy lifting while are out/off glad-handing those easily fooled, shucking and jiving whomever, for whatever, which includes:

Your Staff, including Herr Reinbolt, the unions (whom you've already promised cuts, extra out of pocket expenses, and forced days off to.) and, of course, us, the unwitting taxpayers, the payers of YOUR bills, the cleaners of YOUR messes...

It must be nice to ReadyFireAim and then go and hide in your own ”special” place where it's always sunny and warm and the living is easy; easy for you, that is, while we bear the brunt of YOUR foolishness...

Yeah, there's more in the article, but nothing else of consequence, once you realize that “duh mayor” doesn't seem to be bothered with those unnecessary details. He's more of a big picture (and special/pet projects) kind of guy...


And for those of your minions left to deal with YOUR messes in these trying times I salute them. Not for covering “duh mayor's” butt, but for trying to work together despite “duh mayor's” intermittent but intentional meddling in their work and you taking credit for it.


And the dirty little secret that seems to have escaped you, that people are fleeing Toledo in droves, because it is over-taxed and anything business unfriendly, lives on in reality, a place to which YOU seem to be a very infrequent visitor.


Note: these “*” marks denote heavy sarcasm is enclosed within them.