Back to Texas

Yes it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been busy. Not with work. My wife gave birth to our first child, Austin Edward Billau. He's 15 days old now. That's not the reason I'm posting now.

As you may or may not have read on the right, I traveled to Houston, Texas in 2005 to help our sister station KTRK ABC 13 with their coverage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As you know the gulf coast, especially Texas, has been hit hard again by a very powerful hurricane, Ike. Kevin and I again will be heading south to help out down at KTRK with their coverage on The Road to Recovery. We fly out tonight and we will join fellow 13 ABC employees Jeff Smith and satellite truck operator Jason Klocko, who flew down this morning.

While we're there, I'll try to post to give another perspective of the aftermath.

-Billau

**Yes it's hard to leave my wife and new baby behind. I've got lots of pictures on the digital camera going with me. They'll be in good hands while I'm gone. All of the grandparents live in the Toledo/Southeast Michigan area and they'll take advantage of any opportunity there is to hold the baby.

COSI ON THE BALLOT AGAIN

I interviewed COSI chairman, David Waterman, on July 23, to find out about the levy that will be on the ballot this fall. Basically, they’re putting the exact same levy on the ballot that voters have turned down twice already.

In the interview below you’ll hear:
Why the levy is on the ballot again.
What the COSI board has learned from the previous two attempts.
If there has their been an effort to get private funding for the science museum.
Whether or not the museum will repay the city for picking up the utility and security tab.
Why Mr. Waterman thinks this time around the levy will pass.

Two things from the interview stick out to me. The first is Mr. Waterman’s response to why he thinks the levy will pass this November. “Being a presidential election, we will have about triple the turnout of the voters we’ve had in the previous two attempts. We feel this will give us a much better feel of what the community really wants and whether they’re willing to support this effort.”

The first two elections didn’t give you a feel of how the community felt?

The second thing that stuck out to me is Mr. Waterman’s response as to whether or not the museum would repay the city for picking up the tab for utilities and the security system. “We haven’t talked to them about that, but we could. What they’re (the city) doing is really very modest and on a temporary basis.”

$6900 A MONTH IS MODEST?

Okay, in the grand scheme of things in the city’s millions of dollars in budgeted projects, $6900 is a small percentage. However, riddle me this. How many taxpayers a month does it take to earn the city $6900? Do those taxpayers think what’s taken out of their paychecks and given to the city every two weeks is modest? Probably not.

I do understand the importance of those bills being paid and that it is necessary in order to keep the building under the city’s ownership. Just don’t downplay the city’s generosity. And by city, I mean its taxpayers.



Thanks for watching.
-Billau

Mayor Calls For Outside Investigation Into Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority

Yesterday Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner called for an outside investigation into alleged questionable activities by Port Authority President Jim Hartung. The Mayor did not give specifics, but did say that there have been internal investigations at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in the past but the end reports have never seen the light of day. When asked after the presser if these calls for action were because of a personal rift between the Mayor and Mr. Hartung, the Mayor vehemently denied that idea.

Below is the video from the Mayor's press conference yesterday, regarding Mr. Hartung.

*The break in video is where I had to change disks...about a 10 second gap in time.



Thanks for watching!
-Billau

Konop Blames Politics As Usual

At yesterday's commisioner's meeting, Ben Konop proposed using about $350,000 of economic development funds to create 40, $7.50 an hour jobs, for six months to help the county's unemployed. When his proposal was voted down 2-1, Konop blamed political favors, politics-as-usual and political reasons.

Yesterday, the following email was sent to the media:

MEDIA ALERT

June 17th, 2008

Contact: Gabrielle Seay, Executive Assistant


Politics over Jobs for Gerken and Wozniak Konop's Jobs Corp Proposal Voted Down 2-1

What: Konop's Response to Gerken and Skeldon Wozniak's vote against job creation and dialogue with laid off workers

Where: The Source, 1301 Monroe Street

When: Today, Tuesday, June 17th at 2PM

(Toledo OH-) Continuing the unfortunate tradition in Lucas County of putting politics ahead of progress and job creation, Commissioners Gerken and Skeldon Wozniak this morning voted against creating Lucas County Jobs Corps, a program that would have created 40 jobs and partnered with dozens of non-profits to provide needed services to children, working families, and the elderly.

This vote follows a vote by Skeldon Wozniak and Gerken in March against another job creation proposal by Konop that would have helped create 100-200 jobs at the University of Toledo's high tech incubator.

Commissioner Konop will hold a press conference today, at 2 PM at The Source at 1301 Monroe St. At the press conference Commissioner Konop will explain to laid off workers that his jobs creation program was voted down this morning.

"It's another sad day for working families in Lucas County. As gas prices soar, jobs go overseas, and the foreclosure crises drags on, we had a chance to put people to work serving the community," stated Konop. "My colleagues talk a good game about creating jobs and helping working families, but when push comes to shove they continue to put politics over progress,"

Konop will also discuss today, in detail, over four years of public statements by Commissioners Gerken and Skeldon Wozniak that would indicate their support for programs such as Lucas County Jobs Corps. For example, Commissioner Gerken stated that the economic development funds be used to address immediate needs in the community (See Toledo Blade, 3/19). He also recently stated "we must do everything we can to . . . put our residents back to work." (See Gerken Press Release, 4/15) Likewise, Commissioner Skeldon Wozniak has repeatedly called for the need to strengthen social service agencies (See, e.g., 2008 Skeldon Wozniak State of the County Address). Skeldon Wozniak has also repeatedly highlighted the need for jobs in our community, recently stating there is a "critical need" for jobs in Lucas County (See Blade, 6/6).

"How many more jobs will Lucas County need to lose before we start embracing change and new ideas that would strengthen the economy and give hope to working families?" concluded Konop.


Gabrielle Seay
Executive Assistant
to Commissioner Ben Konop

Here are Mr. Konop's comments from that news conference:



Thanks for watching!
-Billau