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The application of the old folk saying that we “shout on
style and get quiet on substance” is not limited to the
institutional black church. Other than a proliferation of
crickets at One Government Center, we also have heard
nothing from Toledo City Council when it comes to
substantive issues that affect the black community.
Mayor D. Michael Collins’ decision ordering the police
department to charge suspected criminals under the Ohio
Revised Code rather than the Toledo Municipal Code has sent
shockwaves throughout the criminal justice system and the
community. Framed by Collins as a “City of Toledo” $4
million savings to taxpayers, the move is much more than a
budget line item. The sudden change in policing reflects a
policy decision that is myopic at best. Possibly, however,
the move could also be a self-centered strategy designed to
partially pay for $41 million in impossible-to-keep campaign
promises made a year ago.
What we do know is, running Lucas County’s criminal justice
system comes with a price tag of approximately $37 million.
This includes costs for running the Corrections Center of
Northwest Ohio, electric monitoring, work release, pretrials,
probation, etc.
While Toledo’s usage of the system is approximately 70
percent of the total, the City has been paying only about $9
million or just under 25 percent for its share of the
operations.
The injustice is that Collins, with a mere 10 days notice,
now wants to shift the cost to the other partners rather
than pay for the City’s use. While the mayor often makes the
point that other large Ohio municipalities charge offending
citizens under the state code, he neglects to mention that
these cities also have cost-sharing arrangements or, like
Columbus, have raised the city income tax rate to cover
expenses.
While many municipalities view criminal justice from a
systems perspective, Collins has refused to come to the
table for negotiations saying, “Toledo is out of the jail
business” and that criminal justice is “the county’s
responsibility.”
Yet, the cost of criminal justice doesn’t go away because
one of the entities quits paying for it. With a dilapidated
county jail under a court order to relieve overcrowding,
other agencies with their already cash-strapped budgets,
such as judges and prosecutors, will have to make decisions
that can potentially have a negative impact on public safety
by releasing criminals back on the streets.
The sad thing is that no one on City Council is saying
anything despite Emperor Collins, described by a political
adversary, as being “only able to see what’s in front of him
rather than the whole show,” appears to “have no clothes.”
Privately, insiders also say that Collins’ chainsaw rather
than scalpel approach to problem solving causes collateral
damage and problems for a lot of innocent others.
Here are a few questions that Council should have
anticipated and provided answers.
Q: What about the mayor refusing to pay Toledo’s fair share
for the criminal justice system in the midst of a heroin and
opiate epidemic with the possibility that many persons
released due to jail overcrowding will populate the black
community?
City Council Response: Silenceness.
Q: Former Toledo Mayor Bell left a $5 million dollar surplus
just 11 months ago. Where is it?
Response: Silenceness
Q: The mayor says that the City is broke and cannot afford
to pay its criminal justice fair share but is buying up
property all over town. How do account for the discrepancy?
Answer: Silenceness.
Q: Council, the previous mayor SOLD property, bringing in
revenues of $3.7 million for the marina property and $2.6
million for the sale of the Docks. You criticized him. The
present mayor is BUYING property all over town “without a
plan,” taking money FROM the City’s coffers. Why the
contradiction?
Answer: Silenceness
There are, however, times when silence is appropriate. As a
faith leader and contributor to The Truth, criticism of my
opinions and editorials comes with the territory. I
understand that. And, although I am a grown a$$ man, its
always been my policy not to respond to the noise of empty
discarded tin cans rolling down trash-strewn alleys. Bern
Williams, perhaps, said it better: “Unsolicited advice is
the junk mail of life.”
However, I am going to break my own rule just this once to
comment briefly on the criticism of my November 5, 2014
article Small Minds and Big Progress, which discussed the
Toledo City Council’s “silenceness” in supporting the Toledo
Public Schools Issue One levy request.
My response?
·
I
have been accused of being negative, yet I made nothing but
positive comments about the progress being made at Toledo
Public Schools
·
If people care about our children (“the best commodities in
life”) then they should be prepared to put aside their own
grievances when the children’s welfare is at stake, as with
Issue 1. That is the action for which I was critical of City
Council.
·
No one gets a free pass merely because they are black in
today’s era, which calls for black excellence and results as
opposed to noise. Political officials, of whatever race or
gender, can and SHOULD be held accountable for their actions
– or lack of action – on the issues before them. They are
open to criticism from private citizens, even if someone is
in disbelief when it happens.
·
The COMMUNITY rallied around TPS and supported a new tax
levy that will help Romules Durant, Ed.D, continue to
transform the Toledo school district, a vital action for all
the children (and adults) in this City.
·
I
greatly admire and respect Councilpersons Sykes, Webb and
Gabriel. However, noticeably absent from this important
issue was their timely support and that of the Toledo City
Council, and people have a right to ask why.
At
the end of the day, Small Minds and Big Progress was a
discussion of the need for Toledo City Council, the
representatives of our city, not doing justice in providing
support for TPS, the school system responsible for educating
the majority of the youth that live in the city of Toledo.
In
the face of injustice, our silence amounts to what James
Washington described as “overt complicity in maintaining the
status quo” in the struggle of oppression. Our community
cannot afford to be divided, for we have already endured
injustice too much for too long.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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