Glass City Jungle

This in via e-mail from the Moody for Mayor campaign:

Last Night, Jim Moody, along with Keith Wilkowski, spoke on Channel 36. The topic was the Lucas County Commissioner’s intent to pass a resolution asking the Ohio Legislature to pass a bill postponing all foreclosures for 6 months.

The format only allowed a 3 minute discussion, which Jim Moody felt was an inadequate time to discuss such an important issue. Following is an elaboration of Jim Moody’s position.

Foreclosures Are Unfortunate

Jim stated that he felt bad for the families that face foreclosure. For more than 2 years his company has helped people find alternatives to foreclosure. Those alternatives included soliciting help from Toledo’s Fair Housing Agencies, working solutions out with lenders and helping families get out from under mortgages that were unsustainable considering the home owner’s circumstances.

The Resolution Is Dangerous.

IT COULD HURT FAMILIES EVEN MORE

1st. It will give troubled families a false sense of security. No state or local government can dictate to federally chartered banks how they will conduct their business. 2nd. Many families only get their news/knowledge from the media.

There is a great risk that families who are facing foreclosure might ‘learn’ that our local government passed a non-binding resolution granting them an extra six months to live in their house. Hearing such, they may be tempted not to take the immediate AND appropriate measures that could solve their problems. Consequently, there is a very real and dangerous risk that these victims would have all their worldly possessions set out on the street exposed to the elements and vandals. Passage of this type of resolution, could in fact, inflict more trauma on these families than they are already experiencing.

IT COULD CHILL BUSINESSES’ DESIRE TO LOCATE INTO TOLEDO

Before any business locates to a community, it does research on the community. Passage of a tepid resolution like this, only further enhances the suspicion a company has about locating into an area where the local government dictates how a company can operate.

A perfect example can be found right here in the Toledo area. Several years ago, the City government debated and passed a resolution dictating how mortgage companies and banks could operate in our area. As a direct result of the City’s actions, more than 30 underwriters left the area and with them more than $30 million dollars of investment capital. Imagine the number of families whose dreams were unrealized as a result of these actions. Imagine the number of jobs that left our region as a result of this resolution. Imagine the amount of urban blight that was perpetuated as a result of this meddling.

All of this damage occurred because politicians wanted to create ‘feel good’ legislation that protected no one.

THIS RESOLUTION IS HURTING OUR AREA

As a direct result of our elected leaders considering this ‘worthless’ resolution, real problems are not being addressed. Instead of addressing the blight our neighborhoods are experiencing, the politicians are debating ‘feel good’ legislation. Instead of finding solutions for families without jobs, these ‘leaders’ are wasting valuable time and resources. Finally, instead of implementing measures that could reduce our taxes, tax payer money is being wasted on measures that will not matter.

Toledo deserves better.

Jim Moody, candidate for Mayor of the City of Toledo, is a local businessman who publishes a magazine, has a real estate company and provides continuing education for adult career advancement.