Toledo's xenophobic attitude

Surprisingly, or maybe not, anti-foreign thinking is too prevalent in Toledo, especially in 2013.

Mayoral candidate Anita Lopez played the xenophobic card hard ahead of the September 2013 primary. She did not finish among the top-two, most likely because she and another democrat split the vote, leaving the so-called independents to finish one and two.

Lopez's xenophobic attitude was embarrassing, but the stunning part was the number of Toledoans who agreed with her.

Lopez attacked current mayor Mike Bell because the city sold most of the Marina District land to Chinese investors. The same or different Chinese investors also purchased other land and businesses in downtown Toledo over the past couple years.

As to the Marina District land, it had been for sale for over 10 years before the Chinese bought it. Lopez complained about Bell selling out to foreigners, but nobody stopped local people from buying that land in the previous 10 years.

And now the Chinese is paying taxes on that land. Obviously, prior to the sale, the city received no tax revenue from that land. The Asians are known for taking their time, a long-term view, on development and business, so they are not rushing to building something on that land. It could be a few more years or longer before development occurs.

But that land sat unused, undeveloped, and un-taxed for over 10 years.

Ahead of the November 2013 mayoral general election, Collins or some group support Collins has also played the xenophobic card, regarding the Marina District land and the Chinese in an attack on Bell.

Embarrassing.

Toledo won't be taken seriously until it drops its anti-foreign thinking. It's not progressive. It's parochial, infantile, archaic, and knuckle-dragging.

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