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Together We Thrive
Jan 13th
Like many people last night, I sat down to watch the Memorial Service in Tuscon. I thought the entire program was beautiful, heartfelt, and went a long way toward healing that community, and the country.
The part that hit home the most to me however, was when Emily Fritze, Student Body President at the University of Arizona, spoke (while standing next to Daniel Hernandez, the college student and intern who is credited with helping to save Rep. Giffords life).
Emily’s words resonated with me, and I wanted to share them with you. There is also a link below to watch video of the remarks.
Emily Fritze & Daniel Hernandez At Arizona Shooting Victims Memorial Services
“I believe that one of the things Gaby would like us to take away from Saturday is that we need to continue to be devoted public servants and citizens. On Saturday, violence reared its ugly head to silence our voice in government – but we know our community will not be silenced, and our representative will not be silenced…
Daniel is only a representation of many that stepped up and took action. Those individuals are a symbol of the character found throughout this community, that in all of us is the potential to act with kindness and to rise up when we have been called to do so.”
While I understand that, for the most part, Ms. Fritze’s comments were directed toward her community in particular, these are words we can all take with us, and use to build a better future for our country.
Special Event
Dec 28th
Tuesday, January 4th, 6-8pm, Hungarian Club of Toledo (224 Paine Ave., 43605)
The Center for Progressive Leadership will be hosting an “info mixer”, hoping to connect with Alumni and any prospective program participants for both the Political Leaders Fellowship and the New Leaders Program. Invite your progressive friends!
This is a great program and network of people to know, learn from, and teach. Betsy Ujvagi, Vice-President and Carrie Russell, Treasurer, took part in the Political Leaders Fellowship and New Leaders Training, respectively, in 2010.
Call Betsy Ujvagi (419-205-1448) with any questions and RSVP on Facebook.
Issues that Matter – Part 2
Aug 9th
ONE
Local rights group rallies support for non-discrimination ordinance to be on ballot this fall
At the corner of Main and Wooster streets, members of ONE Bowling Green have begun working on a campaign to preserve two nondiscrimination ordinances at the polls this fall.
One month after the city council originally passed the nondiscrimination ordinances in August 2009, petitions began circulating to put the ordinances on the November ballot.
Now, almost a year later, volunteers like Chris Frey are campaigning for ONE Bowling Green in support of these ordinances by canvassing around town and helping out with phone banks on Wednesday evenings.
“We are trying to get Bowling Green in line with other cities like Ann Arbor, Toledo and Kalamazoo,” Frey said, “We are catching Bowling Green up with these protections.”
The nondiscrimination ordinances appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot aim to prevent discrimination through the service industry, general employment and educational institutions on the basis of 21 factors including race, disability and military status.
However, there will be some general exceptions concerning seniority, job qualifications, religious organizations or selections of fraternal organizations, according to 2009 city council legislation.
“It’s important that students at BG are given protection,” said ONE volunteer Sharon Chittock. “Right now someone could discriminate against not hiring them because they might get called up for duty soon.”
The nondiscrimination ordinances will be the seventeenth of its kind to be enacted in Ohio, and will be one of the first to consider discrimination of a person’s genetics.
“The ordinance will even cover genetic makeup,” said John Zanfardino, city council president. “Because of scientific possibilities, we are providing very up-to-the-minute protection.”
Due to the upcoming vote on the two ordinances, city council meetings have seen increased attendance from around 25 people to upwards of 250 people.
According to Zanfardino, some of the opposition believes this sort of legislation will bring about litigation against landlords and employers. City council has countered opposition by using Toledo as an example of a community that implemented similar equality legislation 12 years ago, with only one formal discrimination complaint so far.
“A slew of complaints was expected,” Zanfardino said. “But, in a lot of ways, the passing of the ordinances would be symbolic, or a recognition of the same, shared protections.”
ONE Bowling Green volunteers are currently going door-to-door in the community trying to educate people on the ordinances and encourage people to vote.
And this fall, ONE Bowling Green members will meet with student organizations on campus to get more students involved with the effort. Undergraduate Student Government will likely hold a voting drive by attempting to get voting booths on campus and bringing the issue closer to students, said Cassy Collier, USG Student Welfare Chairman.
“I hope to create awareness on campus,” Collier said. “Unless it’s a presidential election, students don’t really know. At least they won’t have to go far if we can get some voting booths on campus.”
ONE Bowling Green will also be participating in this year’s campus fest, where they will be handing out information as well as buttons and T-shirts.
“Our motto is Bowling Green: fair and welcoming,” Frey said. “We just want everyone to see that Bowling Green is a loving community and encourage them to vote on November 2.”
Students and members of the community are welcome to volunteer for the ONE Bowling Green campaign by visiting the campaign offices located on the corner of Main and Wooster streets, or by visiting www.onebowlinggreen.org.
Issues That Matter
Aug 9th
At our LCYD meeting last week, we took some time to talk about issues that are important to us. Conversation turned to the Toledo-Lucas County Housing Trust Fund. Here’s the latest:
City, advocates reach deal on trust fund for low-income housing
Bell agrees to restore some money after outcry on payments’ end
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Hugh Grefe, Waverley Hawkins, center and Kim Cutcher stress the importance of the Toledo-Lucas County Housing Trust Fund in front of Ms. Hawkins’ home in a North Toledo neighborhood. |
By IGNAZIO MESSINA
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Consternation over Mayor Mike Bell’s decision to stop funding a trust fund that distributes grants for construction and renovation of low-income housing galvanized opposition against the move and appears to have sparked a compromise. Late last week, the mayor offered the Toledo-Lucas County Housing Trust Fund $90,000 this year and $50,000 annually through 2013. The about-face comes after Mr. Bell said the city owed the trust fund nothing, while trust fund leaders insisted the city is obligated in perpetuity to a $50,000 annual payment. “This is a good-faith gesture from the mayor,” said Mr. Bell’s spokesman, Jen Sorgenfrei. “It provides them a stopgap in order to replace this going forward, but going forward, the city has to make sure there is accountability with it and that we are not duplicating services.” Ms. Sorgenfrei said the city disburses millions in federal money for housing needs throughout the city. The trust fund, which is controlled by a volunteer board of directors that distributes the grants, was told last month that there would be no more city money.
“It would be a shame for Toledo if our city would not put a single local dollar into the work of supporting housing,” said Hugh Grefe, president of the board.
During a news conference yesterday afternoon, Mr. Grefe introduced Waverley Hawkins, a mother of two who became a first-time homeowner with the trust fund’s help when she bought a house on Clay Avenue in a North Toledo neighborhood. Ms. Hawkins spoke gratefully of the fund’s support. “That opportunity should definitely be given to others so that they can accomplish their dreams as well,” she said. “Programs like this need to be around.” Toledo City Council nearly weighed in on the debate last week when on Tuesday Councilman Joe McNamara – who supports funding the trust fund – tried to push through an ordinance authorizing $178,000. That is the amount some members of the housing trust fund say is owed by the city for nonpayments.
Council President Wilma Brown, who could have been the seventh needed vote to approve the ordinance, instead asked for a meeting this Wednesday to discuss the trust fund further. Mr. McNamara says the city owes the trust fund $2 million out of a $3 million grant that should have been used for neighborhood revitalization purposes but was used by the city to build the Superior I parking garage. “So I think the city of Toledo has an obligation to the housing fund until that $3 million is paid back,” he said. “There is tremendous debate and heartburn figuring out what the net revenue for the garage is,” he said. Mr. McNamara said his plan would take money from the parking-garage fund and not the city’s strapped general fund. Councilman D. Michael Collins went a step further and took the unusual step of subpoenaing Mr. Grefe to appear before the committee of the whole meeting. “It’s not a matter if Hugh Grefe was going to show or not,” Mr. Collins said.
“There are too many unanswered questions and I am not saying we don’t have a legitimate obligation nor am I suggesting it’s not worthwhile.”
Mr. Collins said he has questions stemming from a December, 2009, hearing during which a Finkbeiner administration official agreed that the fund was owed thousands of dollars. “Wednesday at the committee of the whole, I want to hear a fiscal accounting, how much is spent on administration, and I want an accounting on the parking authority and I want to question whether there is merit that they have entitlement for the net profit in perpetuity,” Mr. Collins said. “The bottom line for me is, I am looking at a city that has fewer than 570 police officers, we have a daily experience in violent crimes and arsons … so I want to see safety for all neighborhoods.” Mr. Grefe said the subpoena was unnecessary. “I’m not sure why anyone would choose to subpoena me, since the only reason is to make sure I would show up at their committee meeting. And of course I would be there, since it is meant for us to make our case,” he said. Mr. Collins said the trust fund has hired an attorney to review the mayor’s offer, which would also need council approval. “We would take seriously the mayor’s proposal, but I also told [Deputy Mayor] Steve Herwat that this thing has caught fire with a lot of people who care about housing in our community,” Mr. Grefe said.
He added that the city is given an annual report that already details trust-fund expenditures. “We had an annual report we present, so for them to act in any way uninformed is because they are not reading their mail,” Mr. Grefe said. Councilmen Michael Ashford, Mike Craig, and Phillip Copeland all said last week they agreed the trust fund should be paid by the city. Council in 1990 adopted a resolution promising to devote the garage’s profits to the cause of neighborhood revitalization, but city officials had not followed through on the commitment until a push in 1998.
In 1998, Toledo City Council approved a long-awaited settlement with low-income housing advocates who had pressed the city to spend profits from the Superior Street parking garage, on the east side of Superior between Adams Street and Madison Avenue, on neighborhood projects. Under the terms of the settlement, the city transferred $268,000 in past profits to the then-depleted Toledo-Lucas County Housing Trust Fund, which was originally an account set up in 1991 with $280,000 in taxes from the estate of the late Paul Block, Jr., co-publisher of The Blade, who died in 1987. Under the 1998 ordinance, in addition to the $268,000 infusion, the trust fund would receive at least $50,000 a year, in perpetuity, in parking-garage profits. Blade staff writer Dennis Howe contributed to this report. Contact Ignazio Messina at:
imessina@theblade.com
or 419-724-6171.