"Sobczak gets council presidency after Finkbeiner breaks 6-6 tie
Democrat Mark Sobczak is the new president of
Toledo City Council tonight after Mayor Carty Finkbeiner broke a 6-6
tie to give him the post.
The election of president was the
first order of business at council’s organizational meeting tonight.
Council members split evenly between Democrats Michael Ashford and Mr.
Sobczak.
The surprise vote was cast by newly sworn-in Councilman
Lindsay Webb, a Democrat, who cast her vote for Mr. Sobczak. Ms. Webb
acknowledged that she promised her vote to Mr. Ashford during the
afternoon, but then changed her mind by the time of council’s 5:30 p.m.
meeting."
Council President Sobczak has been very poor at communications as an at large member of council and one could hope that he will now find the communication skills to respond to inquires from citizens, at least when I have asked questions of him or made requests for help or assistance.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/NEWS16/428950...
So the first thing Ms. Webb does is to stab somebody in the back? Makes me feel real confident about the character of Ms. Webb.One week on the job and CF has managed to brainwash her. We'll have to make sure that when her re-election comes up we make sure she doesn't get re-elected..
Yes, it does seem that Ms. Webb had a Benedict Arnold moment of betrayal, but we can only speculate as to her reasons and whether or not Ms. Webb was offered any OBC-backroom-deal or that she feared some sort of retaliation in order to get her to change her vote.
...she voted for Sobczak, but is against Carty's Erie Street Market ordinance and opposed to continuing the garbage tax which Carty included for all of this year in his budget.
Her vote on who is going to be president of council is not, imho, indicative of her future performance when it comes to 'carty issues.'
Perhaps it had nothing to do with Carty at all but with committee assignments? That is just as likely as CF brainwashing her....
Perhaps someone should ask her?
Ms. Webb
acknowledged that she promised her vote to Mr. Ashford during the
afternoon, but then changed her mind by the time of council’s 5:30 p.m.
meeting."
Totally inappropriate cheap shot here, and mainly just going for the chuckles, but Mark is a teamster official as well, is he not, LOL?
What are we makiing here, Godfather IV?
Ah Mark, just kidding...
If it is true that she promised Ashford her vote and back stabbed him, anything she says she supports or doesn't support is questionable until we see her vote. In other words, trust not the words from her lips. Lie once, I never trust you again. Telling a lie is a form of stealing. A thief is lower than whale poop.
...your point on switching her vote. Just wanted to raise the possibility that someone/thing other than Carty could be a factor.
I thought I was the only one who felt that way!
I have mixed feelings about this really. On the 1 hand, I'm not un-happy that Ashford is no longer Prez. On the other, Maggie is right; there is always much more than the obvious here. My experience w/ Councilwoman Webb is She's always "On game". She doesn't make rash decisions from what I've seen. She is 1 smart cookie and while this may appear a betrayal, it's more likely the rooster coming home to roost.
If I were Michael Ashford, I would have seen this coming. HIs actions towards her after a Dem. party where she introduced Ronelle Traynum to a few people were deplorable. He's been 1/2 and half w/ me over the last couple of years, but as for the district...I've not seen much. He did get some $ after the OWE flood for some folks, but it wasn't what could have and should have been done. As for the warehouse area and the rest of it...nothing of note. The 1 thing I like about him is that he makes sense when it comes to a lot of the Anti administration cash cowing. He did some effort on my behalf durring a demo request, but so much more should be getting done. He just doesn't seem to get as much for his district as he should be. I'm sure much of this is because he butt's heads with Fink so much. it takes 2 hands to scratch eachother's back. Isn't gonna happen here.
Now, Sobzack is an oddity to me. While he is often in the "Union Mode", he doesn't always agree w/ the administration. With enough citizen pressure he will strike the deal for the majority. We, the people, can manipulate the agenda by participation. Be in the know and be involved. Talk to your friends and family, coworkers and whoever about your thoughts on things and get everyone to voice it to the Council and the Administration. The only way they will ever get it is if we show them the way. And that may take a hard spanking for the dolts that continue to ignore the population.
We, the Citizens of Toledo must stand unified in a single goal of bringing prosperity and rejuvination back to a Wonderful City with plenty of heart an no direction. It takes consistant, performance based, technology driven forward thought, reason, commmon sense and swift action. If any of us thinks these 13 people we selected by apathy voting are going to get there on their own...we really are "Sheeple". Clearly, the senior majority of this group hasn't fixed much of anything and are currently presiding over the slow, greying death of a once vibrant city. They say a lot and get absolutely nothing of serious value acomplished. It's a national embarasement. Yet..we recieve "Awards" from other countries that have never been here, at least no long enough to see the reality before us. All that glitters is not gold.
So, our choices are to sit by and watch, move, like so many already have, or Do Something! Anything is better than nothing. Make a call, write an email or letter. Stop in for a chat..if you can find one. I garantee you'll get to know the Office Gals real well long before you ever talk to your desired contact. I know what I have done and will continue to do..how about you?
I have always found Mark to be rather prompt in returning phone calls. I can tell you that he is much more refreshing than Ashford.
The question was not who everyone thought was the better choice, the question is, did she do the right thing?The answer is no. She did not do the right thing. If she promised Ashford her vote and changed her mind, she should have told him prior to the voting. This is backstabbing at its finest. Webb's credibility is extremely damaged. We may not like what the other councilmen stand for, but we know. Again I say, how is anyone going to believe anything she says and we can also question her intelligence. Her first time across the political minefield and she steps on a mine. The tragedy is she could have avoided the minefield altogether.
If she promised Ashford her vote and changed her mind, she should have told him prior to the voting."
agreed - or explained it as part of her vote. She could have said "I know I promised you, Michael, that you'd have my support, but now that I have to vote, I realize I can't, in good conscience, keep that promise. I'm sorry. I vote for Sobczak."
Imagine the difference such a statement might have made?
When did any of them for that matter?
Since I wasn't present at the conversation between Ashford and Webb, I don't know what her intentions were. Based on the way it has been reported it appears that Ms. Webb may have wanted to embarrass Mr. Ashford for what ever reason. Whatever her motives were, she has stripped off her disguise and now we all know what she really looks like. I've been among political debaters the last few days where her technique and style has been discussed. There are people who don't live in her district as well as people who do live in her district who will work very hard to make sure this is the only term she will ever get. It appears that she is being declared a honor graduate of the CF Institute of Political BS. I do wish that the rest of her very short political career goes well.
Seems to me the only vote that matters is the one at the meeting. Also, what is all this scheming going on behind the scenes. What really happened and how did it happen. Aren't there sunshine laws and where do they come into effect here? Is this a standard of practice? I am distrubed at all of the talk about wondering about support for Ashford.