Link: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091218/BUSINESS07/912180337

"A broad new public/private partnership plans to put Toledo on the couch next month, find out how it feels, and then develop a Toledo "brand" to sell the region's best attributes to those who might want to come here.

The Toledo Brand Initiative, which involves the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, the Greater Toledo Urban League, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, and others, will begin in January what its leaders call a long-term campaign to boost the area's "low self-esteem"

Honestlty, do we need another committee meeting, another fact finding mission, another report to sit on the shelve?

Haven't there been enough of them and that already?

The problem is self evident, denial of the obvious.

The city leadership, followed the declining industries downward, failed to mobilize and react to the changing business demographics and shifting demographics of the residents.

No, instead we have been distracted with teams of leaders clashing with each other, for thier own self interest, instead we have had signs erected to tell us of our pride, we have contests entered, we have been treated to law suits and there are more of them to come.

We have been treated to mismanagement in departments and all the while, there is nobody to hold accountable, because people in leadership positions refuse to be held or hold others responsible.

We have been treated to not paying attention to what is what in the city, how a leader in this city can walk from One Government Center and head one to two blocks in any direction from the office and not see the plethora of for sale signs, boarded up houses, vacant commercial office space in the city, is either turning a blind eye to the obvious, ignorant or just plain ol' stubborn and is still longing for the hay days of industrial production and Jeeps rolling off the assembly lines.

We have a new team in office, soon, and lets have them lead and not more studies to study the obvious.