Our Mayor has 6 things to say…
This in via email:
During the past seven days the issue of the Marines being denied the opportunity to practice Urban Patrolling Exercises in Toledo’s Central Business District, has had quite a run.
Today it is a week old and I have these comments:
1. I stated in 2006 I did not wish such “patrolling exercises” to take place in the Central Business District. That was communicated, in writing, to the Marine Corps. I stand by that position today.
2. How the Marine exercises scheduled for last weekend came about, remains unanswered. Suffice it to say, communication among all parties involved was lacking.
3. I have great respect for the U.S. Marine Corps and the military, and my belief that the practice of “urban war exercises” in central cities does not conflict with my genuine respect for the military. The Marines will be welcome to Toledo, by myself, in the future and together we’ll work to find places appropriate for their training.
4. Deputy Chief Ron Spann, who met with the Marines in mid-January, was an excellent police officer, and a Deputy Chief of great distinction. His death was a great loss to his wife, Claudia, their three daughters and this City. We mourn his loss. Ron had met with the Marines, and when he was hospitalized shortly thereafter, Toledo lost its point of contact with the Marine Corps.
5. Some Toledoans disagree with my priority to protect Toledoans first and foremost. That is the Mayor’s job. I respect their right to disagree, regret that we differ on this issue, and wish that we now move forward.
6. Today I signed the Council legislation apologizing to the Marines. That apology is genuine and sincerely extended by all of us. We will learn from this experience and put procedures in place to ensure that this will not happen again.
Yes, I think this is as close to a formal apology as is going to happen and it doe s not address the point made in the comments that Deputy Chief Spann was planning a trip to Florida before he became ill and died and if this is accurate would not have been in Toledo when the Marines came.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:19 pmOh my dear Carty…Your political ego and ambition has gotten in the way of your brain- only to find itself, once again, in the crosshairs of the public eye eager to shoot the career death bullet. If only you could listen to your compass, that thing we call a moral compass and you could admit that your zest and excitement for the City of Toledo pounced over your common sense and good judgment, assuming you still have some. Oh, how I love the signs around Toledo indicating Toledo Pride…and Oh, how I love the landscaping along the Anthony Wayne Trail…and Oh how I love your passion for and zeal to have our Dear Toledo to be known for more than just an Industrial town, of which we are proud…for those industrial jobs have provided a living for many of us, but yes, we are more than just an industrial town…we are a proud and industrious people who have endured recessions and poor ratings, but who proudly support a baseball team, a hockey team, a world class museum, a nationally known zoo, and a great diversity of people. Oh Carty, please listen to us, we like your zeal, but as quiet proud people, the attention you are bringing to us as proud Toledoans and Americans is embarrassing and truly inappropriate. As we have heard you say many times, we are all entitled to our opinions, but Carty, we elected you, and this is our opinion…
We elected you because we knew you had our interests at heart…but Carty, we must tell you- you are your own worst enemy…and it must stop…
February 15th, 2008 at 10:32 pmCarty, have a heart attack. And I say this with sadness
February 15th, 2008 at 10:36 pmNot Again, you can wish he would step down but wishing for someone to have a heart attack is not something I agree with.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:41 pmacknowledging and signing a resolution presented by his city council does not an apology make.
his needs to come from his heart, in a public forum, and apologize.
this has gone deeper than his initial miscalculation, this has hurt a community.
he really needs to be held to the same, if not a higher, standard than his administration, seeing he created this mess.
and learn that sometimes it’s too late to sweep it under the rug and hope it blows over. Carty’s demonstrated some very bad decision and leadership skills and needs to be held accountable.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:46 pmLisa Renee, I agree; a heart attach is rather rash. Asking him to step-down, I know is out of the question. Carty doesn’t have that much heart and interest in Toledo — Carty first and Carty always. Whatever happened to impeachment?
February 16th, 2008 at 2:04 amNot Again, shame on you for making that statement. You NEVER wish upon any human being with that type of pain or any other pain. Very inhuman of you.
February 16th, 2008 at 8:32 amHow can somebody have a heart attack if they don’t have a heart? Oh wait, that’s his brain that’s missing….
February 16th, 2008 at 8:41 amNA…come on dude…that wasn’t called for. Foot in mouth syndrome is spreading…eeek! Besides, Fink’s mental challenges are sufficent. Wishing harm to him physically is not cool. Especially over somthing political.
My “wish”, if I have one is that he would simply do the right thing and resign. He has proven that 1 day is all that he needs to make a mess of things to the point that it cannot be repaired, not by him anyway. So the opinion that he only has a little over a year to go doesn’t hold water. He makes huge mistakes in very little time and once he’s on a roll, it runs out the elevator doors at 1 Gov. like kool-aid in Jonestown.
February 16th, 2008 at 9:10 amC’mon folks, lighten up on der mayor.
For an old man with diminished mental capacity and a fierce, highly irritable diaper rash, he’s not THAT bad.
Okay, okay, he is that bad, but let’s just wish:
1, that his 3rd term will be over quickly, and that,
2. enough of you programmed voters come to your senses and think before casting your next vote; not that there will be any serious opposition to “His dishonor…”
Look around and I’m sure that you can find a better person to vote for.
February 16th, 2008 at 10:36 amWhy did they have to waste $10,000 to travel all the way down from Grand Rapids. They train in GR or near by and have OHIO reserves train in Ohio. Save money save time save energy
February 16th, 2008 at 12:11 pmHopefully this issue will soon go away because IMHO, it is becoming nauseating. It seems we have more people incensed about not letting the marines train in Toledo than the colossal blunders of the Bush Administration in the whole Iraq fiasco (remember the war which opened up the borders of Iraq to those McCain would call “islamic, fascist, extremists). Before the kneejerk reaction by Dubya to eliminate Saddam, there were few, if any Al Quaeda in Iraq.
Big picture, Big picture! Let’s all agree that Carty is a buffoon and make sure this term is his last. One thing is for sure, that man is NOT going to resign. At least none of you are becoming overly dramatic about this issue irreparably harming this community (that was sarcasm, folks).
On the other hand, given his past experience with lucrative dealings in real estate (floating his condo down the maumee river and making boatloads of money), Carty could be a useful ally. Maybe we should approach Carty to see if any similar real estate deals are available to us.
February 16th, 2008 at 12:46 pmI was just wondering how the political posturing is going for that guy who wants to use his pedalboat floatilla to clog the waterways at Promenade Park?
February 16th, 2008 at 1:41 pmYes, I was wrong to hope he has a heart attack. Sorry Carty. I am one that will admit when I am wrong though. Are you? No, I guess that was a stupid question.
February 16th, 2008 at 2:01 pmIt’s not just about the Marines; it’s about all of the wrong, hateful, racist things he has done. It still baffles me that the voters of this city put him in for a second time — Jack wasn’t near this bad. I repeat, WHAT HAPPENED TO IMPEACHMENT? There is a tool to correct — use it.
February 16th, 2008 at 3:26 pmJack never accomplished anything, but I least he did, make a fool of himself, with the exception of his appearence at the riot, when he tried to calm his brothers down.
February 16th, 2008 at 3:42 pmWhat is past, is past with the exception of what contines to plauge Toledo, Carlton S. Finbeiner
February 16th, 2008 at 11:57 pmNot Again, Jack did accomplish some things; for instance Carenet. Or perhaps little things like that which helps those without good work benefits and sufficient resources may not matter to those of you who don’t have to worry about that stuff. I’m not particularly a Jack Ford fan, but at least he was never mean, hateful or racist. Here again, maybe those things don’t mean anything to some of you. You like to talk a lot and that’s where it ends.
February 17th, 2008 at 3:05 amLee said, “I’m not particularly a Jack Ford fan, but at least he was never mean, hateful or racist”
Many people think Jack is a racist. There is a thread on here that discusses it.
February 17th, 2008 at 6:14 amI’ve been watching this for awhile and hoping the Finkbeiner idiocy story would fade from the news scene – not because of boredom.
Mostly because I cringe while reading posts, news reports, and other comments, from people who have absolutely no knowledge of what it takes to train Marines, or soldiers, or police for that matter.
The disconnect between the populace and the military and paramilitary is so wide that anyone in the services (military and paramilitary) realizes how hopeless it is to ever expect a majority of the civilian population to understand what it takes to maintain a 21st Century fighting force.
Certainly, there have been some postings/comments here and there, and reporting here and there that display some elements of rudimentary understanding of the military – mostly from ex-military people.
Some military experts may find this ignorance a reason to celebrate because the military is doing such a good job that civilians don’t have to really learn about the profession.
I find this ignorance frightening. I fear for our society.
February 17th, 2008 at 11:43 am