The city is in dire straits, due to simple mismanagement. It is really not that difficult to comprehend, but very difficult for those in charge to accept and admit.

One does not enter into labor agreements without considering the future implications.

Does the world stay the same, ever expanding and ever growing, economically speaking? The administrations did not see the dependency on almost one industry as a problem, especially given the fact, that the auto industry has been shrinking since the days of when Honda, Toyota and Datsun first came here and started to offer a product to the American consumer that took market share away from U.S. businesses.

The same can be said about the glass industry, sure Toledo, is named the Glass City, but that was then, and this is now.

History does not pay the tab.

So, we fast forward to 2008 and it is time for more posturing and proclamations that there will be a review of city finances and there will be action.

The end result will be more of the same, cuts in services or increases in fees to make up, possibly, for the exodus of people and businesses from Toledo.

The shear number of homes and businesses boarded up and vacant are testimony to the short sighted nature of the administrations in the city.

The loss of property tax income is evident in the budget.

The administration proudly proclaims that the 300th. house has been torn down. This is an accomplishment worthy of a proclamation? This is merely evidence that there is no plan to revitalize the city in which we all live.

Tearing down houses and leaving empty lots, that are too small to build on by today's standards is not leadership, it is adding to the problem.

Listening to the radio, I heard city council members in Detroit, decrying the Detroit administration steps to demolish houses. The councilors commented that there should revitalization not demolition.

How about it, instead of tearing the city down one building at a time, we seek ways to revitalize the city with new ideas, especially given that the same old ideas are not working.

The brain drain in the city, was a hot topic for some time, but the flame of ideas seems to have gone out, maybe the administration could tap the brains that remain for new and exciting ideas, instead of the old tired and not working past ideas.

From the Office of Councilman Tom Waniewski District 5

November 20, 2008

For Immediate Release

RSVP Going Into Northwest District Station

Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre informed me today that the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP) is being moved to the Northwest District Station on Sylvania Avenue, effective Friday, November 21st.

Many residents in my district expressed concern and disappointment that the roll call was being stopped from this location. While I, too, was disappointed, I wanted to assure residents that the station itself remained open and patrols in the district were not affected. In fact if you drive by the station at any given time on any given day, you'll see quite a bit of activity including a number of patrol cars in the parking lot.

RSVP, which was organized in 2000 with the Area Office on Aging, and which serves as a monitoring service for home bound and at-risk senior citizens, uses red patrol cars, so the presence of patrols coming and going from this station has just been elevated a notch.

I am grateful to Chief Navarre, whom I have been working with to bolster the presence at the station, and who has taken time out of his schedule to meet with me and neighbors frequently. I continue to work with the chief, and the entire city administration, to make sure our district has a more-than-adequate police presence.

There will be an open house at the station to welcome RSVP. The open house starts at 10 a.m. Friday. Stop in and let's welcome RSVP and show our men and women in law enforcement what a great community this district is to protect and serve.

Tom Waniewski
Toledo City Council - District 5

Link: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081113/NEWS04/811130343/-1/NEWS

It would seem we have half a chance with the kids and to educate them about reducing and reusing what we consume goes a long way.

Of course, then they come to realize that consumption is what is effecting us now.

We are not consuming enough to keep the economy where some feel it needs to be.

TPS should be applauded for educating the kids about what they can and should do to help preserve the single planet, we all live on.

The next EAST TOLEDO / RAYMER AREA

BLOCK WATCH MEETING

will be held on, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13th, 2008.

It will be held, as always, at the Memorial United Church of Christ, 1301 Starr Avenue @ Plymouth Street, near White St .

Parking is located next to the church.

The time is always from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Our Community Service Officers, upon availability, Come to each BlockWatch meeting

and provide LOCAL crime report information, & results as well as ask for information from YOU –

OUR NEIGHBORS, REGARDING WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND WHAT YOU NEED HELP WITHTO CONTROL CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITY

within our section boundaries of East Broadway to Belt St.

& from Starr Ave. to Navarre Ave. (Also in the Kelsey and Dearborn areas

until a new leader volunteers to start a BlockWatch in those areas..)

For more Information regarding MEETINGS, please notify co-leader Jackie, by calling 419-697-1639, or by leaving a message at 419-697-9975. If you will be bringing children, PLEASE LET US KNOW IN ADVANCE, so that we may bring something for them to do, if you’d like.

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Anyone with a computer can view BlockWatch reminders and messages at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Blockwatch422A-EastToledo/

Or, you can email:

Blockwatch422A-EastToledo@yahoogroups.com

with questions, or to sign up to be a member of our BlockWatch group!.

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OUR CO-LEADER JACKIE, WILL BE OFFICIATING THE WINTER MEETINGS,

and has arranged for a guest speaker for our November meeting:

Amy Woods, from the Toledo City Division of Solid Waste

Let's please show our support with a good turn-out!

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ANYONE from anywhere is always WELCOME to attend our BlockWatch meetings!

LET'S ALL KEEP OUR EYES AND EARS OPEN, WORK TOGETHER

AND HELP EACH OTHER TO STAY SAFE!

A citizen sent an e-mail in July 2008 to me about a wheelchair ramp at a carryout store in the neighborhood where the citizen lives.

The citizens uses the ramp or at least tried to, but because of the condition and the angle of the ramp, he could not.

The city of Toledo was contacted through the Call City Hall department, responsible for collecting and directing complaints to the appropriate department and or agencies.

The first notice was sent July 22, 2008 to Call City Hall with a picture of the ramp.

Which shows the ramp and the condition of it, a large chunk missing and there is no sign of any sort, as in the handicapped parking sign post of or any marking on the parking lot.

There has been no response, no comment back from Call City Hall, and to recently no action of any sort by the city.

The Mayor's office was written about the problem, and usually there is some action taken, but in this case, none was.

So, Councilwoman Webbs' office was contacted.

She contacted varied people at One Government Center and as of October 3, 2008, there has been an inspection and orders have been given to correct the ramp.

The lingering question remains, why was there no movement or action before this date, nearly three months after the problem was first reported.

Perhaps now, there will be some inquiry or look see at the operations of Call City Hall and there will be parties taking responsibility and there will be an improved response and not more of the same.