HOME Media Kit Advertising Contact Us About Us

 

Web The Truth


Community Calendar

Dear Ryan

Classifieds

Online Issues

Send a Letter to the Editor


 

 
 

Brutha … Can You Spare a Dolla?

By Lafe Tolliver, Esq
Guest Column 

     Well, it goes without stating that soon, around the city and county,  the various politicos of all hues and persuasions, will be gearing up for their bi-annual binge of dishing out TV and radio ads about how you need to give them money so they can campaign to continue in office.

    The ads will portray them smiling and grinning and touting their stellar records of accomplishments and they will glibly inform you that it is only through your charitable acts of financial support can they continue to fight the good fight.
 


Lafe Tolliver, Esq

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

 
   
   


Copyright © 2017 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/16/18 14:12:34 -0700.


More Articles....

A Game of Chicken

Who Should Be Afraid of Black Lives Matter?

Gabriel Seeks Second Term on Toledo City Council to Help Seniors and Fix Budget

Special Guest Speaker Toni Epperson, Hosted by Singer/Songwriter Monique TaChae

Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper


 


   

Back to Home Page