In the wake of the whole Berkley, California fiasco, what municipality would deny the Marine Corps anything. (Municipality is a really big word for me at this time of night! haha!)
Yesterday, I went to check out Samantha West's blog -- great blog about the Marine Corps and Marine Corps related stuff by the way - - and I was shocked to see a posting about the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio turning the Marines out.
Are you kidding me? (Nothing against Samantha - - just couldn't believe Toledo would do such a stupid thing!)
Today I went surfing through the Toledo Blade's articles to get the hometown version. Hometown version was pretty much, "Carty, you're an idiot."
I really like Kirk's political cartoons (see above). The following editorial Semper Carty - - really kicks butt. Basically said what I would have liked to have said. Here is a summary in quotes:
"ONCE again - it happens way too often - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has managed to embarrass himself and the city he so zealously represents."
"This was a public relations debacle that could have been headed off were it not for inexplicably poor communications inside city government,"
and this 'stinger':
"On one level, we understand Mr. Finkbeiner's decision. If he agreed to allow the Marines to train downtown, he would in effect be admitting that Toledo has a central business district that is so devoid of activity that a bunch of folks in camouflage with guns, storming empty buildings, wouldn't bother a soul."
When I read the Blade's first article on the issue:
Mayor to Marines: Leave downtownHe says urban exercises scare people
I thought, "What people?" Toledo, Ohio is completely dead, we're talking empty, on weekends.
The fallout: The city council voted to apologize and issue free hotel stays, restaurant discounts and free tickets to the Toledo Zoo to the 200 Marines. Oooooh, I'm telling you that sounds like a great get-a-way with the wife or hubby. O.k. I'll cut Toledo some slack - - The Zoo is really awesome.
More fallout: Mayor's spokesman suspended 15 days for remarksSchwartz's vulgarity claimed in Marines flap
If you ask me, I think he should have been fired. What PR guy lets his man flap in the wind and make a fool out of himself and his town. For crying out loud, they let the KKK hold a march last year, and there was actually a small riot. (Um, can you just hear the wheels turning in some political opponent's head - - "Finkbeiner o.k. with the KKK marching in our streets, but not the US Marines." Good grief, Batman!
And my parents wonder why I have no desire to come back and live in Ohio.
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