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Carty Finkbeiner's statement to anyone who will listen that "Toledo is an All America City" is more a statement about his own fears and insecurities than it is about Toledo.
Who goes to great lengths to win the "Employee of the Month"? The person who is confidant that they are doing a good job or, the person who is insecure about their job performance?
Who goes out of their way to take an IQ test? The person who is comfortable with his/her intellect, or the person who fears that he/she is not as smart as others?
Who announces he is "Man of the Year" - when he isn't? The person who has confidence in his ..um..er.. in himself, or the person who doesn't?
Is it the person who knows that Toledo is an "All America City" or is it the person who fears that Toledo is not - that goes to great lengths to win the "All America City" designation then go around telling anyone who will listen that Toledo is an All America City?
Would the Politician who truly has confidence in the "Team Toledo" citizens who elected him, doubt that Toledo would "step up to the plate" and do what is is necessary to save the city's largest employer? Would the Politician who truly has confidence in the "Team Toledo" citizens fear putting the Jeep subsidy to a vote? Even violate the City Charter in order to deny voters their rightful say?
Which brings us to the truly important question...
Can a person in charge of negotiating a deal with the city's largest employer get the best deal possible when he is operating from a position of fear and insecurity? Or might he "give away the farm"?
Corporate negotiators are a savvy bunch and would have certainly picked up on his insecurities early on. At that point it was simply a matter of zeroing in on those insecurities. Talk about how the work force will have to be retrained anyway..., Bring up how Toledo isn't the best location for the new facility, labor costs, etc...
And the cost now approaches $100,000,000.00 dollars. $330.00 from every man, woman and child in Toledo. $18,500.00 for each current Jeep employee. One has to wonder... Was this the best deal that could be made? Or just the best deal that a person operating from a position of fear and insecurity thought he could make?
What The Future Holds...
As city services are curtailed, cut back or gutted over the next several years, citizens will begin to complain. This will undoubtedly be followed by a variety of tax increases to expand city services back to previous levels.
Toledoans suffering under the increased burden would be unwilling to pay for new "big ticket" items. This is why the new stadium is being pushed now. They need to fund the new stadium before Toledoans realize what hit them.
Fritz Wenzel - May 3rd 1999
RecallCarty.com explores various civic questions
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