Location
WHO: Teamwork Toledo
WHAT: Pancakes & Petitions
WHEN: Friday, May 22, 2009 - 7-10 a.m.
WHERE: Dave’s Home-Cooked Foods
1855 S. Reynolds (near Glendale)
WHY: $1.99 Pancake Deal & Petition Signing
Teamwork Toledo will be at Dave’s Home-Cooked Foods on Friday morning, May 22, 2009 with their city council candidacy petitions for any registered voter in Toledo who’s interested in signing them to ensure all coalition members make the ballot.
Dave’s Home-Cooked Foods will offer a $1.99 special on four breakfast pancakes for anyone who comes into the establishment between 7 and 10 a.m. Everyone who stops by is eligible for the pancake special, regardless of whether they choose to sign candidate petitions. A similar event occurred in Akron last month for a mayoral recall effort.
Teamwork Toledo consists of six first-time candidates: 30 and 40-something professionals and small business owners, like-minded individuals who want to reclaim city government on behalf of its citizens. Teamwork Toledo is a group of fiscal conservatives with a social conscience.
Teamwork Toledo stands for three basic principles: no new taxes, back-to-basics government, and a business-friendly community. Teamwork Toledo seeks to restore a common-sense approach to city government.
The six candidates who comprise Teamwork Toledo are John Adams, Jr., Ty Daniels, Tricia Lyons, Kevin Milliken, David Washington, and Michael Watson.
and for those who work, another day for this event?
but I understand there are works in progress for both the group and individual websites.
"no new taxes, back-to-basics government"
I'm having a bit of a problem with this one, folks. A government that's "back-to-basics" implies a government that's reduced in size and scope. Back to the chartered minimum, as it were. But THAT means that such a government is overfunded, since it ran on all sorts of NEW taxes imposed along the way.
So, where's the explicit mention of TAX CUTS AND REVOCATIONS here? We need to at least REVOKE that 1980 3/4% income tax hike ... after all, Toledo was perfectly livable before 1980.
Can anyone in that dream team answer my inquiry?
To answer each of your questions...
Websites currently are under construction. Each candidate will have an individual website. Mine will be www.kevinmilliken4council.com. The coalition website address will be www.teamworktoledo.com. I encourage each of you to check them out-- we're shooting to have them up by Friday morning's event.
The pancakes and petitions event is a test run. If successful, we hope to do another one on a Saturday morning when more people may be able to attend. We wanted to get one in before the Memorial Day weekend.
Back-to-basics government means the basic services we as citizens expect: public safety, public service, smooth streets. Our tax dollars pay for police and fire protection, water/sewer and trash service, road repair and maintenance.
Right now the economic conditions and the budget situation don't allow for much more than that. If it's not in the city charter as a mandated service, Teamwork Toledo doesn't advocate spending money on it.
There are other agencies and organizations that could pick up parks, city pools, and other services that are not mandated by the charter-- these are quality of life government offerings and we are exploring alternative ways to maintain them.
I have devoted the better part of a two-week vacation to doing research, setting up meetings, and talking to community leaders to accomplish some of these ideas and goals now. Our strong mayor should not be the only one to drive the agenda of city government; creative solutions and logical legislation can come from city council, too-- as candidates, that's what Teamwork Toledo is trying to accomplish. Time is of the essence here.
You'll be hearing a lot more from us very soon. Other members of the team are studying the budget and putting their collective expertise and experience to work seeking other solutions. If our current council won't do it, we will.
Im liking what I hear - especially the Right now the economic conditions and the budget situation don't allow for much more than that. If it's not in the city charter as a mandated service, Teamwork Toledo doesn't advocate spending money on it.
This is so bare bones basic that you wouldnt think there would be any one but our current regime that could miss it: How many people in Toledo today have to set up their own personal budget in two columns - Wants, and Needs. You NEED to pay your rent/mortgage. You Need to keep electricity and gas to your house... You WANT Cable and Cell phones, but your needs come first...
Anybody who's ever completed high school has seen this model, and it holds true to people, businesses, cities, and nations: http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm
It should be easy for the people running the city to do this because the needs list is already laid out - in the City Charter.
I'd estimate our city is somewhere between level one and two at this point - DEFINATELY not more than two.
My question - you say Our strong mayor should not be the only one to drive the agenda of city government; creative solutions and logical legislation can come from city council, too--
Would you advocate going back to a city manager form of government?
That's an issue to be looked at, but I'm not ready to make a commitment to that idea yet. I have covered local government in other communities with a city manager form of government-- and there can be just as much politics involved in that administrative position.
I'd like to give our coalition idea a try first-- and see where it leads.
Other citizen-led efforts are looking into that end of things. I'm more focused on the immediate, pressing needs of the budget...and how good, creative short-term/long-term solutions can help.
Right now we need leadership from a strong mayor-- not a strong-willed mayor.
thanks for the quick response - looking forward to learning more about Teamwork Toledo thru your website.
on a community. Candidates with this kind of mindset are needed for these slots
There WAS a qualified person by the name of Dr Dumbaya who wanted the position. But it was given to Jackass Ford.
http://www.toledofreepress.com/2007/06/08/politics-trump-education/
Irony - check who wrote that article
Well, spending only on the chartered minimum of government is an encouraging sign for this group. I do believe I'll attend the P&P event.
It's about fucking time a group of small businessmen and professionals dropped their selfish poses and started to get serious about political involvement. We can't leave direct government actions to insane people like Czarty, welfare cases like Ford, or loudmouths like myself. We need a professional class of people who actually have ethics and disciplined minds.
Hope all who show will have time to ask questions before signing petitions.
Also make sure to throw a few bucks into the 'guest waiter' bucket for Chris Myers who will likely be there, bussing tables, as he charges his everpresent ATOM laptop on the wall jack. All proceeds go to the cause so help him / them / WSPD out.
Honestly, as a one time Nader voter, I am all for a third party, but when it looks like a Republican, and it sounds like a Republican, it likely is a Republican, even if it is six unendorsed ones who "wandered" into Wesley's for the Chris Myers run Lucas County Junior Republicans meeting tonight. Glad Moody showed up with his petition, so there was at least one REAL REPUBLICAN in the bar.
Of course I was playing Bocce out back with Paul Tieriney, the Carty lookalike tonight, so was only watching from the rails.
but when it looks like a Republican, and it sounds like a Republican, it likely is a Republican,
Jon Stainbrook SAYS he's a republican, but he's not. If he was, he'd stop sabotaging the LCRP. I think he's a plant.... Or a fungus...