Buckeye State Blog - Big City Mayors In LaLaLand - Comments

Events today

AmberCat — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 06:23:21 -0700

News from the campaign:

Media Advisory

For Immediate Release: Contact: Keith Dailey Thursday, June 1, 2006 614 857-0700/614 506-4949

dailey@tedstrickland.com

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Mayor Michael Coleman, Mayor Frank Jackson, Mayor Rhine McLin & Mayor Marcia Fudge to Endorse Strickland for Governor Today

Columbus, Ohio - Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland today will receive the endorsements of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin and Warrensville Heights Mayor Marcia Fudge during a series of events throughout Ohio.

Following are the scheduled endorsement events for today, Thursday, June 1, 2006.

WHO: Mayor Michael Coleman, Congressman Ted Strickland & Lee Fisher

WHEN: 11:00 AM

WHERE: Ohio Democratic Party Headquarters 271 E. State St. Columbus, Ohio 43215

WHO: Mayor Rhine McLin, Congressman Ted Strickland & Lee Fisher

WHEN: 1:30 PM

WHERE: Dayton Cultural Center 40 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd. Dayton, Ohio 45402

WHO: Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Mayor Frank Jackson, Mayor Marcia Fudge and Congressman Ted Strickland

WHEN: 4:30 PM

WHERE: Arbor Park Village 3750 Fleming Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115

--30------

yeah

staff — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:01:29 -0700

you're probably right. Though i think its going to be hard to reconcile the gun issue between the cities and not cities to be honest.

"Treat old friends like gold and new ones like silver"

Hurley Badcock — Wed, 31 May 2006 19:58:15 -0700

"Treat old friends like gold and new ones like silver"

This is what my late mama always used to say to me. Most of the time, common sense stuff is the best answer.

So, I'll disagree with staff's "you have to cast aside a few" ... no ... we just have to do a better job of helping everybody to get to know each other better. We need to be open and nice to new people with slightly different lifestyles and political ideas. We need to mix but respect that there's a place for grassroots and a place for fancy pants as well as a place for progressives and a place for middle-of-the-roaders.

But no matter what anybody says, the only way we can quickly change the direction of this state and nation is to come together ... even if it means I have to keep my big mouth shut about the quirky little habits of suburban house party socialites and rural country folks.

I promise ya one thing. I don't believe I'll ever be comfortable standin' in a circle and holdin' hands to sing Kumbaya ...nope... I just ain't gonna do it.

I have to question this

Mister Gloom2 — Wed, 31 May 2006 18:53:05 -0700

>>are largely an expensive draw on state taxes. cities are where people work, increasingly live, etc.<<

Actually, outside of Columbus it is really questionable re: increasingly live/work as Cleveland, Youngstown (whichi isn't really part of the Big 8 anymore as Canton has moved past it), and Cincinnati have all had fairly large population decreases between 2000 and 2003 when the census did it's estimate (3.4% in Youngstown and Cleveland's case, 4.2% in Cincy's). Toledo and Dayton have suffered smaller declines in that period (2.7% for Dayton and 1.5% for Toledo). Heck, some sururbs actually have more business activity, in terms of percentage used, than cities (I see plenty more filled offices and open factories, as a percentage, in the suburb of Maumee than in Toledo).

Meanwhile, many suburban counties have experienced a great deal of growth as Butler county, for instance, grew over 4% between 2000 and 2003 which is over 4X the Ohio growth rate.

>>to see what the neglect of a city can do to a region, visit lima or youngstown. <<

Not arguing this, though Youngstown had some self-inflicted problems (unless Traficant used fraud, or something, to get re-elected).

Uncle Fester

Hurley Badcock — Wed, 31 May 2006 16:35:15 -0700

I have something festering ...

Stephanie's not jumping any aisle

AmberCat — Wed, 31 May 2006 16:03:00 -0700

When she was asked at her last 11th district caucus meeting about the situation between her and Strickland, she added emphatically that she did not want to hear about anyone voting for Blackwell. My take on her answer was that she wants reassurances that her agenda will be taken into account and that she wants a little ego-stroking. I'm fine with that. From her response, I don't see any long-term problem here. Frank Jackson strikes me as extremely pragmatic and he's got to know that a Blackwell governorship will be disastrous for the city. He's no dummy. In fact, the endorsements may mean more coming later rather than sooner because frankly, most people �� and especially those who haven't figured out the candidates yet - aren't paying attention.

Hell yes they'll jump...

Jeff Hess — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:34:11 -0700

Shalom Russell,

Yes, they will jump the aisle. We only have to look back to 1990 and how then Cleveland Mayor Mike White screwed the Tony Celebrezze campaign.

Not only can it happen again, but I think it will happen unless the ODP gets its shit together.

B'shalom,

Jeff

Endorsements tomorrow

Jill — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:04:28 -0700

News from OPEN

suburbs

bryan — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:01:06 -0700

are largely an expensive draw on state taxes. cities are where people work, increasingly live, etc. to see what the neglect of a city can do to a region, visit lima or youngstown.

besides, these mayors are elected by a particular constituency and have to meet their needs. while i'm not saying that it will, the possibility of a strickland administration that largely continues the anti-city policies of taft is obviously enough to make them want assurances. seems reasonable enough to me.

If we sacrifice any spoke we lose

Ohio2nd — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:00:49 -0700

We need to do better in the cities, we need to do better in the suburbs, we need to do better in the rural areas.

This isn't an either or proposition.

I disagree

staff — Wed, 31 May 2006 13:35:16 -0700

the majority of our current voting base is in the cities, but not the majority of voters. But clearly we must expand or continue to lose. Sometimes to expand you have to cast aside a few too. If we do not do this we will continue to lose. I also disagree that the cities are the engines of the state. The suburbs are - that is where the people live who get the work done. they just commute to the cities or larger towns.

but

bryan — Wed, 31 May 2006 12:50:18 -0700

the majority of voters are in the cities. the cities are the engines of this state. granted, dems definitely need to open up to the needs of exurban and rural voters. but we're definitely not going to win by seeking those votes to the detriment of our base.

exactly right

staff — Wed, 31 May 2006 10:41:28 -0700

city vs not city is what kills Democrats in Ohio and these bozo mayors dont get it - like Sherrod Brown doesnt get it. They really need to get out of the cities a little and taste the rest of the state. It's really starting to piss me off how disconnected these folks are from many ohioans.

they are genuine

bryan — Wed, 31 May 2006 10:13:08 -0700

in their concerns. i share them. and they're not the end all, be all of ohio politics, but they're still extremely important issues and politicians.

i also think this is falling into the city vs. country meme that is so destructive to dem interests.

Well

staff — Wed, 31 May 2006 09:42:37 -0700

Coleman gave up his agenda when he got out of the race. Strickland is running to govern the entire state not just 3 or 4 cities. If he wanted to just have a big city agenda he wold have run for Mayor. These mayors need to wake up to election reality in Ohio. Big cities cannot alone deliver the election - we need a message that resonates with people outside the cities too. I am not saying get on board. I am saying that if they are genuine about this issue why keep running to the press and issuing veiled threats instead of collaborating to find the best possible solutiuons for everyone ? I posit that the reason this isnt happeneing is because they are not being genuine at all.

Big City Mayors In LaLaLand

staff — Wed, 31 May 2006 07:03:09 -0700

The ABJ have an article titled "Urban mayors on hold in Ohio", which talks of some big city mayors currently withholding their endorsement or support of Strickland. There's a lot of issues all getting conflated together in this article.

Big-city mayors across Ohio are withholding their endorsements of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland until they see a platform that addresses the issues of cities.

Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic said he wants to know specifically what a Strickland administration would do for cities on issues such as economic development, transportation and jobs before he throws his weight behind the campaign.

``Some of the other (mayors), including myself -- we have been talking about what's the plan for cities and communities? If this is just a continuation of the anti-city movement we've seen out of the Republicans for the last 14 years, how does that impact us?''

Mayors of Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Youngstown -- all African-American Democrats -- have not yet come forward to endorse Strickland, taking a similar wait-and-see attitude about his urban agenda before they pledge support.

I don't know how naive these folks are but it appears very. Strickland can give them all the platitudes they want, but if he is facing a hostile GOP general assembly he isn't going to be able to deliver anything substantial. Democrats must reach beyond the cities in Ohio to be successful.

But Coleman said Strickland has reason to take note of the mayor's concerns. They can help sway millions of voters, he said.

Coleman acknowledged it was unlikely that he or the other Democratic mayors would turn to Blackwell, but having urban mayors ``disengage'' from Strickland's campaign would be harmful.

Coleman is off his rocker. Millions of voters ? In your dreams. The total Dem vote in November will be around 2 million. Coleman's pissing around is perhaps the most annoying of the bunch. If he is truly concerned about city issues he should have stayed in the race for Governor. He didn't, he bailed.

The idiotic mayors need to ask themselves a simple question. When was the last time the big cities delivered a statewide victory for a Democrat in Ohio ? The route to winning statewide in Ohio is no longer through the cities, it's through suburban and rural Ohio. If these mayors think a big tax and spend city platform is going to help deliver suburban and rural Ohio they need more medication.

We aren't going to win general assembly seats in the legislature with a big city platform. We already have those seats. We need policies that work for the rest of Ohioans too. These Mayors are either too blind or too self serving to realize this.

Their threats are empty. Do they honestly think Democrats, black or white are going to cross the isle for someone as radical as Blackwell because Strickland hasn't kissed enough ass ? Not kissing their asses is probably worth more rural and suburban votes than these jokers can deliver in the cities.

If they were genuine they would be working with Strickland constructively instead of running to the papers whining and bitching and issuing veiled threats. Typical loser Democrat mentality.

And if any do cross over to support Blackwell they could kiss their careers goodbye.