Aug 12, 2012 tt comment

An alleged crisis is followed by alleged concern from politicians and then real increases in taxes, fees, and assessments with the new-found money allegedly going to the alleged problem.

Aug 12, 2014 - Toledo Blade - "Mayor pleads for U.S., state help":http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2014/08/12/Mayor-pleads-for-U-S-state-help-Collins-calls-water-response-good-admits-communication-gaffes.html

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Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins sent a letter on Monday to President Obama, Gov. John Kasich, 18 members of the Great Lakes congressional delegation, and 10 members of the Ohio General Assembly that implores them to do whatever it takes financially to get Toledo through the 2014 algae season and to pass tougher laws that ensure the area‘s 500,000 residents aren’t left scurrying for bottled water again.
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I thought Collins was adamant about not getting help from the feds.

Unless they have a magic wand, what can the federal and state governments do for 2014? Collins should know governments don't operate that fast.

Besides, we don't need any help from the state nor the feds. We have access to good water, located next door in the suburb of Oregon, even though they also get their water from Lake Erie.

More from the Blade story:

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Mr. Collins announced his intent to send the letter *during a meeting with The Blade’s editorial board* and other top editors on Monday that lasted more than two hours. The mayor’s chief of staff, Bob Reinbolt, was also present.
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Collins and Reinbolt got called into the principal's office.

!http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2014/08/11/670x_b1_a4-3_cCM_z/12n3collins.jpg!


br. Aug 11, 2014 shoddy "column":http://www.toledoblade.com/Tom-Walton/2014/08/11/Turns-out-this-water-expert-was-no-Chicken-Little.html by Tom Walton who should know better.

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Mr. Kovacik has been warning us all of an ecological catastrophe for the past few years.

“This is exactly what I would have predicted,” he says. “The toxic algae is being fed by nutrients and phosphorus, but pathogens are dangerously contributing to the toxicity.” 

The *pathogens,* he is convinced, are *coming from Facility 3, the man-made landfill that juts into Maumee Bay.*

Agricultural runoff into the Maumee River is a major source of the phosphorus. But the *City of Bowling Green draws its water from the river and was not affected by the crisis* in Toledo and its suburbs. 
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But Walton never mentioned that one Toledo suburb, Oregon, was also unaffected by the water crisis, and he never mentioned that Oregon gets its water from Lake Erie.

http://www.oregonohio.org/Water/water-plant.html

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Located in Lake Erie about 16 feet deep and 1.5 miles from shore is Oregon's intake crib. The Crib is totally submerged and connected to the City's Low Pressure Pumping Station located near Anchor Point Marina. 
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I'm unsure what point Walton attempted to make, but I think that Oregon having good Lake Erie water two weekends ago blew it apart.


Bowling Green unaffected.
Oregon unaffected.
Toledo effed-up.

Maybe the explanation for Toledo's problem is good ole fashioned incompetence and malfeasance.  Let's not over-complicate this.

More from the Aug 12 Blade story:

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Mayor Collins said the recent crisis at the water plant has also caused him to *realign part of his leadership team.*

Tim Murphy, the city’s environmental services commissioner, will replace David Leffler as the water plant’s commissioner, with Mr. Leffler announcing his resignation. 

*Mr. Reinboilt, as chief of staff, will now directly oversee public utilities,* and the city's assistant chief of staff, Joel Mazur, will oversee public service and safety, including oversight of the city's police and fire departments, with Mr. Mazur continuing to report to Mr. Reinbolt.
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I wonder if the other communities that receive Toledo water feel better.