WTOL Vice President and General Manager Bob Chirdon(Toledo News Now) -
Apparently
there are politicos and media types who are upset with Toledo Mayor Mike Bell's
State of the City address.
They
believe it was inappropriate to use this speech to announce his intention to
run for re-election. I disagree. It's Mayor Bell's speech, and he can
say what he wants.
He
does so, knowing that his words will be scrutinized, his promises will be
recorded, and his follow-through will be analyzed and used against him if
possible.
Mayor
Bell has clearly enjoyed the toils of his mayoral tenure. Often he seems to be
tugging a reluctant town into an uncertain future. He has courted global
investment, created a regional all-in-this-together mentality, and, in spite of
his background, at times, infuriated unions.
He
has refused to accept the puppet strings that for decades have made political
leaders dance and jerk and even bow. His administration has also
experienced scandal and blatant mismanagement. In truth, his international
sorties remain more about promise than production and investment.
But
he revels in his iconoclastic style. He unapologetically offered more of
the same should he be re-elected. And in keeping with his larger-than-life
persona he said something like "if you don't want to vote for me, I'm cool with
that."
Clearly,
this was his speech and he was cool with it.
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