Friday, March 7, 2008

The Aftermath

After waiting until the end of the week, it is time to weigh in on the idiocy of Toledoians. Apparently, according to Toledo's own dog training aide:

Voters saw through the overblown charges against the mayor, which were all the more regrettable because they were racially tinged and largely fomented by someone who lives 750 miles from here.

Silly me, I didn't realize that all of the sudden the Rev. Rose's ideas were "racially tinged." As I remember, the Blade and city leaders have looked on his ideas as the truth from above. At least, unitl he spoke out on their pet projects.

To the editors of the Blade, I'm going to seek to enlighten you - something you won't receive from TPS. Using the ballot box to "express your displeasure" is the way our founding fathers set up this country. I'm sure that the newspaper would rather the taxes, mandates, and city life be mandated by their selected few - without public input or protest. After all:

Well-funded schools and a reasonable array of city services are vital to the quality of life in this urban environment and, perhaps more importantly, to the ongoing quest to lure new businesses and families to the city.

Here's the big secret - it's not well funded schools that attract businesses and individuals to the city, it's the quality of the schools. And, as I'm sure you'll all be surprised to learn, there is no positive corrolation between funding and excellence - if there was, how do private schools (with far less funding per student) continue to stand heads and shoulders above public schools? But wait, there's more - the "reasonable array" of city seriveces don't include $10k showers for the mayor, bike paths near the mayor's house, a city funded vacant shopping center, or

No, a business looks for a location with low taxes, a minimal array of fees (let's talk trash), and minimal governmental red tape. Toledo has just the opposite - a mayor and city council that meddles in what businesses should locate to the city, and then regulates their every move. Fees in every area from building erection to trash removal have been rising faster than inflation, and the tax structure in this city makes it unprofitable to run a business here. I expect more business to leave this area, along with many of those who make the city run - what's left of the middle class.

I listen to people complain about the health of others. This city is sick, from years of feasting on the tax dollars and passing it out the other end to the residents. What this city needs is an enforced diet, and the citizens of the city just voted to take another trip to the all-you-can-eat buffet. Someone call a plumber, the turd that you'll get back is going to be mammoth.

Right Wing Toledo