Feb 23, 2017 comment that i did not post to tt

i decided not to jump into the fray with this comment in the following thread.

http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/209554/17Feb2017/Steele_attacked

---

I don't have a problem with Steel remaining on city council. The voters can decide whether he should continue as a councilman.

Steel is an at-large councilman. 2017 is the year that the at-large council seats up for election.

I think that in the summer of 2009, Steel was appointed to the at-large council seat to fill a vacancy. Obviously, he won re-election in the fall of 2009 and again in 2013.

But as mentioned above, Steel is the number two person in the city as council president. The fact that he is still the council president is disgusting and disturbing.

Regardless of what one thinks about Paula Hicks-Hudson as mayor of Toledo, I cannot imagine Hicks-Hudson acting like Steel when PH2 was council president.

Toledo's population is about 280,000 people. The 12 council members and the mayor make decisions that impact a fair number of residents. Steel's lack of judgement and possible excuses make him at least unfit to be council president.

From the Feb 22, 2017 Blade op-ed

Either there is a lunatic clubbing customers outside a popular downtown bar or the city council president has been willing to perpetuate the myth that downtown Toledo is unsafe as part of a cover-up for his own bad judgment.

If the former is true, we need more cops downtown. But, generally, Toledo has one of the safest downtown areas in the state.

If the latter is true, it shows that Mr. Steel put himself above the reputation of the city and the good of the community.

... if Mr. Steel intentionally misled the city, he should resign as president of council, as a matter of honor. Actions must have consequences, and we know all too well that the head of council is just a heartbeat away from the mayor’s seat.

---

http://www.wtol.com/story/30882076/steve-steel-re-elected-as-toledo-city-council-president

more about steel who is intellectually accomplished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q62rlBDr79k

Dr. Steven C. Steel was appointed to an At-Large seat on Toledo City Council in July, 2009. He was elected to the Toledo Board of Education in 2005 and served from 2006 until his appointment to City Council. He was elected by fellow Board members to serve as Board President from 2007 through 2009.

As Board President, Dr. Steel had oversight of a budget in excess of $800 million. Under his direction, the general budget was adjusted to meet revenues through tough, award winning fiscal controls. Toledo Public Schools reached a record level of academic achievement under his leadership. For his efforts, he received the prestigious Award of Achievement given by the Ohio School Board Association in 2009.

Since his appointment to Council, Dr. Steel has been focused on balancing the city budget, supporting the growth of small business, and neighborhood safety issues. He is also focused on addressing domestic violence in Toledo and Lucas County, fostering regional collaboration to make services more efficient, and improving the business climate of the city.

Dr. Steel was a high school valedictorian and National Merit Scholar. He graduated with honors from BGSU in 1984 and worked as a science teacher in Toledo Public Schools. He earned a Master's Degree in 1988 and PhD in 1996. He is currently an adjunct Associate Professor in the Honors Program at BGSU.

Dr. Steel is active on many boards at the local and state levels. He serves as a member of the boards of Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful, the Toledo Fair Housing Center, and Northwest Ohio Development Agency, and chairs the Advisory Board of UT's College of Arts & Sciences. He serves on the Lucas County Sustainability Commission and the Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Committee. He also sits on the Economic Development Committee of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce.

#toledo #politics