Tt post aug 10, 2017

Aug 9, 2017 Blade editorial Toledo government needs more competence, not patronage

The Hicks-Hudson administration gets a failing grade on competence and a failing grade, also, on effort.

At the same time, the mayor and her administration seem not at all embarrassed by a cronyism that has failed them as well as the people of the city.

In fact, they flaunt their cronyism, which occasionally slips into good, old-fashioned political corruption.

Got a pal or loyalist you need to unload? Ship him (or her) to the water department. What’s the problem?

Speaking of corruption, what's the latest on Toledo's illegal ticketing of drivers who did nothing wrong? At last count, 444 motorists were wrongly ticketed. And who else knew about this criminal activity besides police chief Kral and city clowncilman Ludeman? Did mayor Hicks-Hudson know? As a finance guy, did Sarantou know? What about mayoral candidate Tom Waniewski? Clearly, the city had no intention of returning the stolen money until the Blade stumbled upon the scam. A July 2017 Blade editorial asked a simple question:

Did the ticket revenue exceed expectations because officers have been directed to nab drivers who are not actually speeding?

More from the Aug 9, 2017 editorial:

Last year, Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson hired Dorothy Spurlock — a former University of Toledo employee who was fired twice by the school. And she hired Ms. Spurlock despite being about six months into a hiring freeze the mayor ordered after announcing that the city was $2 million over budget at the time.

This from the administration that offered a $45-an-hour economic development consulting contract to the man who cast the lone plan commission vote in favor of the controversial West Toledo Kroger project. He withdrew his request to continue this work after it was revealed that city officials hired him without knowing he had a criminal record, which included misdemeanor convictions for assault, disorderly conduct, and sales to intoxicated people.

This from the administration that responded to a scathing 2015 consultant’s report alleging that the utilities department was riddled with inefficiencies, bloated management, and low cash reserves caused by granting raises and some promotions to officials running that department.