Of
course, the fight is for them to remain ensconced in their
political chairs.
Some
of those fat cat politicos will be scheduling visits to your
local place of worship where they will grace you with humble
hearts and bowed heads to appear pious enough to earn your
trust.
Some
impressionable pastors will even give them a few minutes to
commandeer the microphone to try to rouse you with a few
words and remind you of what they have done and why they
should be elected or re-elected.
Most
will leave before the worship service is over so they can
scamper off to their next already-late appointment at
another worship facility to repeat the same mantra.
You
may wonder out loud why any pastor would give them the time
of day but then you gotta realize that some pastors are
still under the deep sleep illusion or fantasy that if they
associate with a fat-cat politico, they can possibly reap
some political goodies if their guy or gal wins the
election.
Such
misguided pastors and shepherds of the sheep! They try, ever
so often, to be politically relevant and hip while grabbing
at any hastily-called photo-op with the grinning politico.
They think that when it is time for the politico to dole out
any goodies from his grab bag, they will be fondly
remembered for their church time support.
Wouldn't you love to have a scientific survey, going back
about 25 years to discover whether there is any direct
correlation between being obliging pastors and getting any
real life goodies for their support from the mayor's office
or from City Council?
Aren't you curious to find out if the loyal black voting
bloc, which seemingly marches in step to the commands from
the political headquarters, gets any appreciable return for
their compliant votes?
Now,
more than ever, those above musings are in play because a
white majority city has both a black mayor and five, count 'em...five!
minority city council members.
According
to anybody's counting, that is Black Power! baby.
But. Are
those, "Super Six", are they flexing their political muscles
for the black community in any measurable manner? Are they
being creative or inventive to steer monies or resources to
the "central' city?
Are
they collectively strategizing for a common purpose of
economic and political power or are they just in the
dogfight simply to keep the city streets clean and the
garbage picked up on time?
Who
are you going to believe? Me...or your lying eyes! Look
around and discern the chronic status of the "inner" city
and especially so in regards to economic under development,
the chronic and dismal quality of the public school
educational system and any meaningful criminal justice
reform.
Do
you see any verifiable results of the "Super Six"
accomplishing any set goals or priorities or is it just the
case of warming a City Council bench seat or a mayor's chair
and getting a paycheck to boot!
I
mean...come on! What good is political power or having
strong political numbers if you are so timid and/or ignorant
(lacking knowledge) to exercise it because you do not want
to alienate your political handlers or any of the local
media outlets?
IMHO....you are a bench warmer who will never get into the
real game. And. You.
Are. OK.
With It?
Is
it your thinking that if you keep your head down and your
nose clean and make sure that the snow plows run on time and
the weeds are tamed in the city parks, that you have done a
great job and that you should be re-elected?
Am I
right?
You
know. Money is the mother's milk of politics. With it, you
campaign to win and without it, you are in deep trouble to
lose.
So,
what can you do as a voter to make your fat cat politico
move off of the dime and compel them to utter a peep that
has any meaning?
Simple. Cut off their life line...the campaign donation.
Tell them that unless they grow a backbone, don't come
around 'grinning and skinning' for your $50 bill.
Tell
them that unless the Super Six collectively jettison their
seemingly morbid fear of standing up and speaking truth to
power, your financial womb will be sewed up.
To
me, it is an acute embarrassment to have minority politicos
scared of their own shadows when they do not collectively
and aggressively promote a political agenda that benefits
their constituents in a deliberate and visible manner.
Politics should be defined as the concerted acts of
collecting economic benefits and distributing them in a
manner that benefits the least amongst us. The well to do,
do not need a doctor...the sick do; and if minority
politicos are so blind to the glaring need of economic
uplift that is needed in the "core" city, they need to get
their heads out of the public trough and seek other means of
prestige and income.
To
have to even raise this topic repeatedly evidences a woeful
lack of political sophistication and savvy among "our"
elected officials.
Even
sample writings of "confessions" and suggesting 11 "low
hanging fruit" projects that they could undertake and come
out smelling like roses have, to date, been met with total
silence.
And
yet. These politicos will wring their hands and lament the
fact that Toledo is practically stillborn as it relates to
keeping the young, gift and brightest of "us" to stay in
Toledo or return to Toledo and be part of making Toledo a
renaissance city.
How
sad and tragic it is to have the levers of power literally
in front of you...at your beck and call: and yet, by your
inactions, you are confessing to having severe crippling
arthritis in both hands!
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@Juno.com
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