Glass City Jungle

I’m not going to try to embed the video since the site is still far from where it should be, but I had fun with today’s Rant & Rave on Fox Toledo, so I hope you head over and watch.

The issue related to the nameserver that gave some of you a landscaping website or Bluehost appears to be resolved, the blog started to come back last night but some of you on different internet providers were still having problems until tonight, now it seems as if that part is fixed. The original lagging [...]

Democratic Party And Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur Back Keith Wilkowski for Mayor
Kaptur says “Toledo needs bold leadership” as party’s Executive Committee votes unanimously to make economic development leader their endorsed candidate
Toledo, OH – Democrat Keith Wilkowski is moving forward confidently in his campaign to be Toledo’s next Mayor. Wilkowski received the endorsement today of Congresswoman [...]

This in via e-mail from the Bell for Mayor campaign:
Mike Bell announces community-driven plan as basis for end to politics as usual
Mike Bell today released the results of a community-driven plan that identifies what is and is not working in Toledo – data that is helping create his platform of strategic ideas to move [...]

This in via e-mail from the office of the Mayor:
Mayor releases statement regarding Directors moving back to 40 hour work week.
The City Administration has focused almost exclusively on cutting the 2009 budget through the spring and summer months, thereby falling behind in the preparation of the 2010 budget, which is due November 15th to [...]

It’s getting harder for the average voter to decipher what is fact versus fiction related to Issue 3. Today two releases came out, the first one from Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee on the complaint being filed that includes a pdf of the actual complaint that I recommend reading. Then TruthPAC sent out [...]

This in via e-mail yesterday from Ohio House Representative Barbara Sears, it’s her “Short Notes” to share with readers of GCJ:
Today is the first day back to session in Columbus. Two bills were voted on in the House.
HB 176 (Stewart – McGregor) To prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or [...]

The following media releases were sent out yesterday on Ohio Sub House Bill 176, they are in the order in which they are received:
Rep. Matt Szollosi Votes to Protect Ohioans from Discrimination
Bill Prohibits Discrimination in Employment and Housing Practices
COLUMBUS – Speaker Pro Tempore Matt Szollosi (D-Toledo) and the Ohio House of Representatives [...]

Live blogging did not work out quite as well as I would have liked, the blog traffic spiked creating some outages/lagging, but my laptop was popular at Michael’s Bar & Grill since the wireless internet there enabled us to access the Lucas County Voter results (when they finally started being updated) and I was [...]

Michael’s has wireless internet, so I am here waiting for returns to come in with a packed house full of Wilkowski supporters all three rooms of Michael’s are open and are already filling up. So far no results with the polls having closed at 7:30 p.m. Michael Friedman is peering over my shoulder [...]

I just returned from voting – there are 1009 registered voters in my precinct – I was told that our turnout for our precinct was at about 15% – which appears to be higher than other parts of the City are reporting. The only volunteers at our location was two for the Collins Mayoral [...]

Fox Toledo reporting, Frederick suspended over sign removal
The suspension is immediate – Frederick was suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
Updated from the office of the Mayor:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sue Frederick has been suspended with pay pending the conclusion of our investigation.
Updated as of Thursday September 17th:
Acting Commissioner [...]

At times I shake my head and I wonder about the residents of my state and my city. As many of us preach about the importance of information and transparency and argue about how best to insure that qualified people are elected, let’s face it, some of those who vote demonstrate they are not [...]

It’s being reported in the local media, including the Blade that Jemison has admitted his actions resulted in creating the death of Robert Brundage. This means that there will be no trial and that sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2009. Since Jemison is being tried as a juvenile, it’s expected that his [...]

Here’s what the Blade says:
The candidates for Toledo City Council include:
• Incumbents Phillip Copeland, Joe McNamara, and Steven Steel, who are Democrats, and Republican George Sarantou.
The following challengers, with their political registrations, are:
• Democrats Terry Biel, Joseph Carter, Adam Martinez, Terry Shankland, and Polly Taylor-Gerken;
• Republicans Mark Clark, Jeff Cromwell, Ty Daniels, Rob Ludeman, Tricia [...]

Earlier when I read this article by Tom Troy, Toledo’s Mayoral Contest: Candidates race toward primary, I noticed that Tom did a great job in trying to get the name of one “voter” for each one of the candidates. The only problem is some of those listed are not even registered to vote and [...]

While we aren’t in Kansas anymore though I do have a dog that looks a bit like Toto…the Anti-Issue 3 group, TruthPAC has sent out a release that the pro-Issue 3 group, Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan takes issue with. In the order they were received:

From TruthPAC:
PENN MAY NEVER BUILD A CASINO IN [...]

The discussion has centered on this municipal election being predicted to have a light turnout. Some of you may wonder what the lowest turnout for a municipal mayoral primary was. Which makes this article from the archives of the Toledo Blade courtesy of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library an interesting read, it’s also [...]

This in via e-mail from the office of Governor Ted Strickland:
Governor Asks Lottery Commission to Increase Minimum Age Limit for VLTs
Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today requested that the Ohio Lottery Commission change the age limit to 21 to play video lottery terminals or enter the VLT-designated playing area.
“After careful consideration of articulated [...]

When City Council decided to change the formulation for the trash fee to create an even larger incentive for those who recycle things were different. There were not a large number of people recycling and the City was generating some money from selling the recycled items, though still not covering the complete recycling program. [...]

The following was sent to me via e-mail to share with readers of GCJ, the 80-20 NW Ohio Chapter was founded earlier this year. They have a recent newsletter that some of the information included is listed below:
80-20 NW Ohio Chapter and its Mission
The 80-20 Northwest Ohio Chapter was founded in the beginning of [...]

Both the Stephen Ward for Toledo City Council and the Kevin Milliken for City Council sent out e-mails this morning sharing YouTube videos created as a message to voters.
To watch Ward’s – visit here.
To watch Milliken’s – visit here.
Ward also sent out an e-mail yesterday stating that Midwest Urban newspaper is only [...]

Many of you believed the Blade would endorse Ben Konop, some of us (myself included) thought that the Blade may not endorse at all this primary season. The Blade editorial recommendation:
Because this has been such a close horse race, we won’t try to pick the “exacta.”
The stakes are high, every ballot counts, [...]

What was interesting was that there was not a great deal of media coverage on the meeting that took place last Thursday on the Kroger store on Manhattan closing. There was some television coverage, WTVG as one example, though Fox Toledo’s coverage had a bit more specific detail, part of which:
The expected closure in [...]

Blade reports on the last debate before the primary but you can watch it online, I’ve shared the embed code below, so far only 62 people have watched it, I know we can make that number higher.
Despite Jack Lessenberry saying “all of the five men and women on my right” there were six…
It [...]

This in via e-mail from the Collins for Mayor campaign:
Bell And Collins Call Joint Press Conference On Issue One
(Toledo, OH) – Two Toledo mayoral candidates, who were also involved in protecting the safety of citizens, have called a Sunday press conference to underscore the importance of passing Issue One on Tuesday’s primary ballot.

As I read the Blade article on Mayoral candidate Jim Moody’s proposal that he says would enable the City of Toledo to eliminate it’s income tax, Moody proposes to eliminate city income tax I came across this part:
Mr. Moody said he would replace it with a combination of higher property taxes, a “consumption” tax, and [...]

This in via e-mail from the Collins Mayoral campaign:
Collins Among Political Analyst Pick To Make It Through Tuesday’s Primary
(Toledo, OH) – Political Analyst Fritz Wenzel has picked D. Michael Collins to be one of the top-two finishers in the Toledo mayoral primary to be held on September 15th.

This in via e-mail from the Husted for Ohio campaign:
HUSTED ENDORSED BY OHIO REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERSHIP
Columbus, OH—State Senator Jon Husted (R-Kettering), candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, today received the endorsement of the Ohio Republican State Central and Executive Committee. The committee is comprised of 66 members; one male and one female from each [...]

The Mayor’s office sent out two memo’s today to members of Council, one on the Convenience Store Licensing Legislation and one on the Text Messaging Legislation.
I recommend reading them both, the Text Messaging one where he specifically references District 2 Councilman D. Michael Collins mayoral run, since Collins is the chair of [...]