Mayor Finkbeiner tells the Marines to leave Toledo - Does not want them to learn the skills to save their lives - updated

of his egomania and his complete lack of common sense and good judgement.

The mayor told the Marines to leave because the training exercise frightened residents.

But residents are frequently frightened about lots of things. Residents are not just frightened about things that are merely simulations, but other things which are indeed real.

Isn’t it ironic that the the mayor sprang into action based on calming residents’ illegitimate fear? It’s fear based on something which is pretend, yet the mayor fails to respond to residents who have legitimate reasons to be afraid based on reality.

1. Carty should have let them stay.

2. The breakdown in communications between the police and the mayor's office on something of this nature is totally inexcuseable and someone's job should be in jeopardy.

3. "Toledo police issued a press release Tuesday to media outlets on behalf of the Marines that asked Toledoans not to be startled by the sight of camouflaged soldiers toting M16 rifles."
Did anyone hear about this on local television, radio or newspaper reports since the press release 72 hours before Marines were to begin exercises?

4. I realize, off topic, but: The Marines who fight bravely and have died fighting the terrorists on our behalf
If we're talking Afghanistan, OK, I'll buy this train of thought. It does not apply to Iraq, where there are indeed Marines fighting, but not terrorists, and certainly not on our behalf.

Hmmm.... Isn't our beloved Brian Schwartz the city's Information Officer?.........

A communication breakdown between the City and Police was no reason to send the Marines home. The Marines had obviously done all that is required of them prior to the begining of the exercise. The Mayor should have taken issue with his Police/Fire Chief (maybe the duel roles are too much for Chief Navarre).

In response to Pete and McCaskey on people being frightened. People being scared is no reason to allow our Armed Forces to become lax in their training. Calming the populace could have been easily done by positioning a police officer at either end of the roadblocks to answer questions. And unlike many of the other times TPD is used as "security" the Marines generally compensate for the added cost as it can be included in their training budget.

Toledo should have been more accomodating to the Marines because as my father told me this morning "Toledo was listed as #3 on the likely terrorism target list last week. Who do they think would respond if it actually happened?"

Also Carty should have been more accomodating for the simple fact that this training was bringing federal non-aid money to the city. Am I the only one who thinks the mayor was stupid for the sheer fact that he turned away a temporary source of money for the city?

MikeyA

We are in red letters on Drudge now. It's going to spread like wildfire from there. (drudgereport.com)

since he had no way to tax the Marines, force them into a union or lock them in a hot SUV. That's why he asked them to leave.

made foxnews

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330197,00.html

http://glasscityjungle.com/wordpress/?p=2520
about the list

we're in for quite a ride here

Good to see Carty's erratic behavior cause something positive for our city this time.

This is a really good chance for Toledo to take a public stand against the US war machine, and a great example for other communities to follow.

How can the Mayor claim "communication breakdown" if, following a press release, the local news carried this information?

While secondary (or maybe not), where were those 200 Marines staying? Were they going to stay in local hotels and eat in local restaurants? Were they going to spend their money at local bars and strip clubs?

Thanks, Carty, you jackass!! I hope Brian Swartz comes back to the board to explain this crap. Think that will happen?!? Me, either!

the election I am in agreement with the Mayor. It is very frightening when you are minding your business and see military people with weapons in your city at night.

I was driving downtown to and from a friends house near the zoo and witnessed a very frightening scene. I had read that the exercise was to take place but I had forgotten it and it scared my children half to death. The least they should have done was block off the area.

Chris Myers, this is a comment about your headline to this article/thread. You state, "[Finkbeiner] does not want them to learn the skills to save their lives." I don't think this is an accurate reflection of what the mayor said or even an honest assessment of his motivation for doing what he did. Whatever one may think about Carty, I doubt that he doesn't want the Marines to learn how to save their lives. Very inflammatory statement! I think he had other reasons.

What the hell neighborhood do you live in purenhate?? There's a shortage of police in this city and yet your neighborhood is over-run? Jesus Christ you're a total idiot.

This from the 13abc website:

The mayor's spokesman, Brian Schwartz, blames it all on a lack of communication that took place more than a year and a half ago. He refused to go on camera today, but explains that back in 2006 Mayor Finkbeiner told former Police Chief Jack Smith that he didn't want the marines training downtown. These scenes caused panic the last time they trained here.

A Toledo Business owner exclaims that's absurd! "We're at war! Is the mayor unaware of that? When you hear that the marines are training in Toledo, Ohio you do not order them to leave; you order every reasonable accommodation to be made"

Two questions--if the mayor claimed he didn't want the marines training downtown, why were they here? Second-- Who's the dipshit "business owner" who said "we're at war! bawk! bawk!"

i lived downtown last time this happened and had zero prior warning. it scared the shit out of me. i think our community should have input on whether or not these things should happen, AND we should be alerted to it weeks or months prior.. not days...

I just checked and this story is the #1 most read on Fox News website. How sad.

Maybe Carty should re-think this.

With so many empty buildings downtown, this could be a way to use the city he ruined for something.

Think about it.
The marines may need to do search and destroy missions in empty Science Museums someday.

How much of CF can Toledo afford? A reasonable amount or a large amount. Some citizens want him to keep running his month and doing stupid stuff.

CHA Ching!!!

Prnhrt, if your children are afraid of the Marine Corps, then why don't you try educating them about the armed forces and introduce them to a few Marines. I bet they'd have fun with that.

More to the point, no one is responsible for the way you feel. If you feel frightened by the US Marines holding training exercises near you, that's your problem. Deal with it.

Carty is such an idiot that I cannot understand why the population of Toledo isn't recalling him, and I mean right now.

Regarding the city's website- I noticed yesterday that a lot of the national blogs I was on had links posted to the city's website so that everybody could send a message to the mayor. Wonder if their servers were just bogged down from this or some pussy removed the links so that the mayor wouldn't receive anymore messages to hurt his feelings.

were told by the Police yesterday that if they were out today that they were either going to juvenile detention or jail, because they had no reason to be out today in the cold.

Seems as though once again carty is an idiot. He is one who likes to abuse power and run his mouth faster than he can back up the words that come out with explanations. There is not a good enough reason to not welcome the marines to the city of Toledo. Why shouldnt we,after all as taxpayers we have to welcome Cartys dog(scout)to the one government building and pay his staff to take scout on a potty break. Breakdown in communication my butt as Jack Smith said Carty does not welcome THE FEW THE PROUD THE MARINES. Why not recall Jack smith he was good for the city, i think Carty used his power to force Smith into retirement .I THINK THERE WAS A SCUFFLE READY TO ERUPT AND SMITH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WINNER. BUT IT TAKES A BIGGER MAN TO WALK AWAY.CONGRATS TO SMITH. wouldnt it be funny to se Carty on american gladiators?

Carty is just an ASS ! We need to get rid of him.

I have no idea who the Prison Planet People are. I thought it was pretty ironic that a friend (totally removed from this blog) sent me the link about troops invading neighborhoods while I was blogging about the Marines being uninvited to Toledo. That is why I posted that link. Sorry if you all were offended but I thought blogging was about discussion and providing information to each other. Sorry if I stepped out of line here. Believe me it won't happen again, so you all who were offended and chose to call names again won't have to worry about me sharing with you any information other than what is taking place right here in TO-LE-DO.

But know that there is a whole big world out there!!

And I say again, Carty spoke for me this time for the first time since he was elected.

"""""It's not the article I that's offensive.""""""

I'll drink to that!

for him to step down. This is far and above what he's done in the past. The only way to get any respect back is for him to leave.

you post a hypothetical. I don't have an answer to things that have not and are not happening. But sticking to and addressing this one situation honestly is what I was after. Not bringing in unanswerable questions which would in no way diminish the validity of this situation.

And I support your having any opinion you want T++. My Dad, my brother, many of the men in my family fought/served for your right to speak your own opinion in safety.

I have a problem with Carty. He's been a lousy Mayor. I had no idea he was a rotten American also.

Have big problem with anybody who sits safe and secure in the U S of A and has a problem with the military that keeps them safe. Who thinks that freedom is a given and isn't willing to make any effort to support those who actually fight to preserve it. It's the 'me' society. Give it all to me - I give nothing, but give to me!!!!

That's my opinion and I am welcome to express it also.

Good for you, Kate! Anybody else hear Carty on the radio this morning totally ripping apart Jack Smith and his service to this country?

This piece of shit running our city has never held a real job in his life and would probably curl up in the fetal position and cry like the little girl he is if he ever had to face what those serving our country have had to.

There is a world of difference in performing badly at your job and having hard feelings toward soldiers.

There is a world of differences between having those feelings - speaking them and weathering the repercussions for it and speaking those opinions and then BACKING OFF and running away because it turned out to be unpopular. One makes a person somewhat less of a person and more of a politician.

This speaks about people's personal beliefs. And when you start bashing the military or people who have served - particularly ignoramuses who have never served themselves - the gloves come off.

Most people will never know the horrors that have been fought for them so they could live a good life and run off at the mouth with a bunch of uninformed drivel.

But anybody who would do anything less then offer everything in their power to offer to get those good men and women ready to go is not a good American. Anybody who would withhold anything to those men and women and then live in safety under the umbrella of their protection is just a lousy American.

I want somebody to tell me WHAT skills the marines were learning? I want to know what they were learning that could save lives in a small town in middle America. Given the slim odds of a terrorist attack in a small town - what else do ya got? Yes, I know that Toledo is, or used to be on the list of places a terrorist may want to hit - but really - what ARE the odds? And what are the odds, that this "Urban Marine Training" is but a ruse - for some other reason than a terrorist hit? Think about Bush passing Marshal Law. Think about some of the reasons the marines would be called in to "control" a town. Take the time & watch the 5 minute news video interviewing the police chief in Baltimore, Maryland.
Research & think hard, before leaping to conclusions about Marine training in this country. Under the training exercises such as "urban-patrol", "bomb disposal", "toxic waste disposal", several counties across the country have been infiltrated by military, often times working hand in hand w/police. To see their urban-patrol exercises done in Swansboro, North Carolina watch this six minute video, also included at the end is a list of the 77 counties in Texas that have been policed by the military while they train for bomb disposal:
video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=71Jux68F_AQ

Well said. This is an issue that has clear lines of demarcation.

Lead, follow or get out of the way. But sitting on the sidelines, the safest sidelines in the world - made so by soldiers, and taking shots at soldiers is a cowardly act.

That's my opinion. Let those who feel convicted by it start their abuse now :-)

And the guilty say??????????? (or do they merely turn purple in front of their pc and start yelling at those about them in impotence?)

December, 2007 - “If Columbia Gas goes to a temporary headquarters and/or permanent headquarters anywhere but Toledo, World War III will erupt in Columbus and Toledo,” - Carty Finkbeiner, Mayor

I wonder, if he plans on this little war, may he feel a tad silly sending the troops home.?
______________________________________________________________________

 -Just the KAT, thinking out loud again. :)

Our city council has responded with a unanimous vote to send an apology to the Marines. I truly appreciate seeing our city leaders address this unacceptable situation with unity and diplomacy.

Well done Toledo City Council.