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For some background, The Rich Man wants City Council to
give him a "winkie-winkie" financial bonanza and write off
of their accounting books an approximately half million
dollar loan so that he can sell the low-income apartment
complex.
Why the money grabbing request? Simple. The Rich Man
wants to either ease a tax bite or he simply wants to see
how gullible City Council and whether they will give him a
fat tax cut write off (maybe as a farewell gift to The Rich
Man for his prior acts of goodness to Toledo?) so he can
sell the complex to another waiting buyer.
But wait! There is more!
At or around the same time that this preposterous
request on the city coffers was being made, albeit with a
straight face, the Grace Community Center and Big Brothers &
Sisters of Northwestern Ohio were both seeking a paltry
$75,000 so that they could continue their admirable work
with youths in the "central" city.
The two non-profit community centers were asking for a
financial life line to continue to do their good works but
certain members of City Council suddenly had their ears
filled with wax when the community centers sought help from
the city in helping Toledo revitalize some of its
neighborhoods.
It is without question that both centers have a strong
and admirable history of service and support for their
constituents but, at times, they need a financial dollop to
help them through certain dry financial patches.
Despite the two centers pitches to the city for a
financial life line, they were denied by a majority of the
council on specious grounds that the city could not do what
was being requested.
But yet, to date, the request from The Rich Man is
still on the back burner and the Poor Boy was sent to the
back of the line with a lot of garrulous guff.
Is this how we want to treat two community agencies who
are doing commendable community service work? Is this how we
want to further the work of revitalizing neighborhoods? You
know, it is not as if such community centers are constantly
in City Council chambers with a tin cup asking for hand
outs.
Things happen with community centers that may require
them to humble themselves and seek help from the very city
in which their efforts are advancing the agenda of the
mayor who was/is keen on neighborhood revitalization.
As for The Rich Man, do we really want to bend over
backwards and give out financial plums to those who least
need it and only need it in order to make more attractive a
sale to another fatcat buyer?
This all leads to the question: Why can't City Council
support the works of the two community centers and tell The
Rich Man that he has dined sufficiently at the public trough
and it is time for The Rich Man to take off his bib and let
someone else take his place at the dinner table?
I am sure that The Rich Man is a nice guy and all
that...but surely in the allocation of scarce city
resources, should we not place the money with agencies or
groups that are working to improve the lives of its
citizenry and not fatten the bottom line of The Rich Man?
Would it not be fair or equitable to have both the Rich
Man and The Poor Boy meet with the financial heads of City
Council and show them their income and expense records and
then weigh in on who is the best candidate to receive any
breaks or goodies from the city?
I would expect City Council members to aggressively
approve the request from The Poor Boy (Grace Community
Center and Big Brothers & Big Sisters) but apparently that
was not the case and even The Rich Man was willing to reduce
his request from a half million to that of one hundred and
seventy five thousand dollars!
My last check of what government is to do, among
other things, is to improve the lives of its populace.
Granting The Poor Boy a chance to continue to start on the
starting line and not ten steps behind is a commendable goal
that City Council should encourage.
My solution: The City Council allows The Rich Man
his tax break of paying one hundred and seventy five
thousand dollars to rid of the loan balance due of five
hundred thousand dollars; but those funds are to be
earmarked for The Poor Boy.
And. at the closing of the sale of the complex, the
city shares in the some of the profits that The Rich Man is
anxiously rubbing his hands to receive.
A win-win for all. The Rich Man gets richer and The
Poor Boy is able to live another day.
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com
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