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An Open Letter to the Community
It’s has been a whirlwind
of an adventure since I have taken the oath of office on
January 4, 2010. I am quickly learning the ropes of
governance and prudent decision-making as the newest member
of Toledo City Council. I receive many questions in passing
conversation and I am continually amazed and humbled by the
many strangers who have approached me and tell me they voted
for me. The two most common questions I get are: Is this
everything you thought council would be and, secondly, my
votes regarding the payouts for Duane Moorehead and Perlean
Griffin.
The first question is the
easiest to answer and it’s yes and no. In the affirmative,
yes, being a city councilman is everything I had expected it
be. I am extremely grateful for the assistance of so many
who have helped me to be successful thus far.
To begin, I appreciate my
colleagues on Toledo City council and the Bell
Administration for their generosity of time, resources, and
advice. The many city employees I have had privilege of
working with have been fantastic and supportive. The staff
members at Toledo City Council who are truly the back bone
of our operation and continually go above and beyond to
ensure things are done in a timely and professional manner.
And of course, I would be remiss, if I did not especially
mention my legislative aid Joanne Bell-Car for all of her
assistance, hard-work, and dedication.
The “no” part of this
answer is I am continually amazed at communication barriers
between government and the people we serve. It appears over
the past several years there has been a lack of customer
service from our governmental agencies and, in turn, a
frustration level among citizens who have desperately tried
to navigate the labyrinth of local government. This by far
has been the biggest surprise I have encountered. However, I
stay optimistic in our leadership and remain hopeful that we
will continue to focus on customer service as well as our
transparency efforts within government.
The next question I often
get is regarding the discrimination settlements against the
previous administration and Mr. Moorehead and Ms. Griffin.
Many people were not surprised by my vote when I voted,
along with nine of my colleagues, in favor of Mr.
Moorehead’s settlement. This case was a much simpler case to
vote on having very little to do with racial discrimination.
The second case was not so cut and dry. I agreed with my
colleagues D. Michael Collins and Tom Waniewski that we
should not settle and let the judicial system takes its
course.
First and foremost, I take
diversity very serious. Diversity for the sake of diversity
is not good and often times sets individuals up for failure.
Diversity should be embraced for the sake of enhancing our
community and for the betterment of our society. Diversity
in our government, administration and council brings people
together for the benefit of the collective good.
Additionally, diversity gives us an opportunity to draw on
individual’s experiences, culture and abilities to find
solutions to our common problems versus causing chaos and
polarizing our communities because of visual and cultural
differences.
That being said, I voted
no on Ms. Griffins case because I believe everyone should
have the opportunity of due process and plead his or her
case in front of a jury of their peers. Many times cases
like this get played out in the media and personal
credibility gets tarnished or jeopardized by rumors or loud
mouth-know-nothings. I wanted Ms. Griffin to have the
opportunity to share her side of the story and have a jury
of her peers decided if this was truly racial
discrimination, wrongful termination or if her claim was
unjustified. Therefore, I voted no on principle as I
personally felt she had a very compelling story to tell and
I think a jury would have agreed with me.
That being said, I am not
naive enough to think racial discrimination does not exist
in our world, in our city, or within our governmental
agencies. Many times discrimination is camouflaged in humor,
actions, or potentially sanctioned through our laws,
policies, procedures, or even board appointments. I am also
not naive to think that reverse discrimination does not
exist within our own communities. Unfortunately, this is the
reality we live and both forms of discrimination are
reprehensible and should not be tolerated on any level.
As a community it is up to
us to stand up against discrimination in all of its forms,
even if it is against members of our own community,
government and especially the collective status-quo.
However, we must ensure we are fighting with merit, based on
good sound logic, facts, and evidentiary support instead of
what often times gets turned into personality issues,
personal vendettas, and miscommunication among individuals.
As I progress throughout my legislative career, I want to
ensure we do not drop the banner called civil rights and
continue to fight discrimination in all of its forms and
keep fighting the good fight.
Discrimination is an ugly
thing that unfortunately we still fight today. However,
things are getting better, relationship building is
occurring, wounds are beginning to heal, and new bonds are
being formed. I am very optimistic that our community as a
whole will get through these issues with style and grace and
this will be yet another chapter in our unique history.
Sincerely,
Adam J. Martinez
Toledo City Council – At Large
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