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Early voting began Tuesday, October 7 for the November 4
election. “It is of importance,” one community flyer reads,
“that we … vote for change.” Pursuers of tangible positive
change, at least in Toledo, Ohio, have found it to be
adeptly evasive. Motivating African-American voters to show
up at the polls in sizable numbers for a mid-term election
has also been an elusive chase in recent years.
How do we regain the sense of obligation to exercise the
right bequeathed to us by ancestors through the shedding of
blood and sacrifice of their lives? What action,
particularly in the black community, represents responsible
use of the ballot in the aftermath of a widespread assault
on the voting rights of blacks and the poor not seen since
the Jim Crow segregation of the 1950s?
I
took to the streets, churches, barbershops and cafes to
explore the community’s thinking about the upcoming election
and to learn how our latent power to achieve real change can
best be exercised. The following represents part II of this
community dialog.
Perryman:
What do you think of the upcoming election?
We the Peeps:
Same old, same old. Pretty sad. Business as
usual and the same old politics.
Perryman: Are you saying
that the African-American community should stay home and
continue to boycott midterm elections as we usually do?
We the Peeps:
No. No. No. The only reason things can possibly change is if
we come out. That’s why we have to show up. Low voter
turnout ensures that the politicians will keep playing the
same old games. They will keep putting their own agenda
ahead of the community’s agenda. Therefore we will lose once
again. So it’s important that we come out to vote, get to
the polls.
Perryman:
What have those whom the black community helped to get
elected in the past, done for the community?
We the Peeps:
We always talk about holding politicians and public servants
accountable. At the end of the day, what are we implementing
to hold them accountable? I, for one, give my vote and hold
their feet to the fire by saying to them “This is what you
said you were going to do and if you dont’t, I will let my
community – those who look like me and pay taxes like me –
know what you promised and failed to deliver.”
Perryman:
Let’s get right down to it. I am looking for reasons to get
out to vote. What are some of the issues and who are some of
the candidates on the ballot that stick out in your mind?
We the Peeps:
Well, I’m good with the Mental Health levy. It’s not a new
levy. It’s a renewal. It will cost a homeowner with a home
that’s valued at $100,000, only $15.87 a year. A majority of
the homes in Toledo aren’t valued at $100,000, so the cost
will be quite a bit less.
Perryman:
It’s 10 years though, right?
We the Peeps:
All of the Mental Health tax levies have been 10 years. This
is a straight renewal. A request for fewer years would
require a new levy and we would lose the 12 ½ percent
rollback. As a renewal, however, the first 12½ percent is
subsidized by the state of Ohio and is therefore cheaper for
the taxpayer. We would lose that subsidy if we didn’t do a
10 year renewal and thus be required to fund the entire levy
with 100 percent local support.
Perryman:
What are your thoughts on the Children Services levy?
We the Peeps:
I don’t know where I’m at with CSB. We need
some new leadership there. The double dipping, for me, is a
problem. Let them go, get some new blood there.
Perryman:
What has Anita Lopez done for the community?
We the Peeps:
A consummate politician, very task oriented
and demanding of staff. One thing that I know definitely is,
she’s serious about customer service. She cares about our
seniors. She’s out front on veterans issues, trying to make
sure that disabled veterans are aware of their rights. She
pushed legislation, and the City Council approved, that
those folks who would have been eligible for the homestead
exemption would still receive discounts for their water,
sewer, and trash. She also, very effectively, handled a
racist and derogatory email targeted at Michelle Obama,
which had been circulated in the Auditor’s office a while
back.
Perryman:
Who else do we need to think about?
We the Peeps:
Jay Feldstein needs support. He’s got the toughest race in
town.
Perryman:
We are focusing on results, so why should we help Mr.
Feldstein?
We the Peeps:
I think that he will be the right judge for that court. He’s
an attorney who has done a lot of labor work for working
folks. He also does a lot of divorce work. He’s rich and
made a lot of money. So, becoming a judge isn’t going to
increase his paycheck; it’s going to lower his paycheck.
Perryman:
How about Marcy Kaptur?
We the Peeps:
How can you not endorse Marcy?
Perryman:
Please give me a succinct picture of Marcy’s service to the
community.
We the Peeps:
She’s a minority. I think she fights. The thing about Marcy
is she hasn’t taken the big bucks. She’s always just fought
for the little guy. She fights the banks. She, right now,
seems to really be out there working hard to get folks back
into the workforce. Workforce training and getting people
trained. I think she just needs to work on bringing more
money back to the community.
Perryman:
She has recently brought back Head Start and Early Head
Start funds to the community. She was heavily involved with
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make
that happen. How about TPS?
We the Peeps:
Yes! I support the TPS levy because I think that there’s
good change there. I think there’s leadership. I like the
leadership. The teachers we know all believe that it’s no
longer business as usual there and that they can see change.
But it’s going to take time. Some people are scrutinizing
TPS’ engagement with the community and others are watching
union/administration relations and how
[Toledo
Federation of Teachers President]
Kevin Dalton and
[TPS
Superintendent]
Romulus Durant interact.
Perryman:
Connie Pillich is a
veteran Air Force officer who grew up in humble
surroundings. She has worked as a public defender and later
opened her own small law practice where she fought for
middle class families and communities. She is running for
State Treasurer of Ohio. Nina Turner, running for Ohio
Secretary of State, is an extremely important race.
We the Peeps:
Absolutely! The Republican party has changed the voting
rules and made it so hard now for people to vote that it has
become ridiculous. We need someone that will eliminate these
oppressive voting restrictions and make sure that our
ballots are all counted and that the poor, seniors, students
and people of color have every opportunity to cast their
vote in a process that is fair and nondiscriminatory.
Perryman:
As a final word, what proactive strategies are being
implemented in Toledo to deal with voter suppression and in
getting out the vote?
We the Peeps:
It’s all about the ground game. Organizations like the
African American Leadership Caucus have been involved in
GOTV activities and encouraging citizens to utilize the
Early Vote Center at 1946 13th Street. It’s a matter of
knocking on doors and finding registered voters, pulling
them out and getting them to the polls. The Ohio Democratic
Party has an operation that’s looking for the people that
are truly registered and getting them to show up.
We need your help also, Pastor. There’s still
a unique connection between the pulpit, and the community.
We have to target the black community and will need the
assistance of the faith community on the ground. We need to
get all pastors on board. We need a few vans and clergy
leaders out front in getting the community to the polls.
We can’t afford anything less than our best
effort. Too much is at stake.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org |
