Arrogance and disrespect
Mr. Pounds,
I read your Publisher’s Statement in the Oct. 19 issue of Toledo Free Press, and the last sentence made me shake my head: “The company owes us that much at least.” You were referring to the Chrysler Corporation and, sir, you could not be more wrong.
A company does not owe any community anything. They are in business to make a profit while producing a product or service. Why do you think a huge company the size of Chrysler owes Toledo, Ohio, anything? That is a very arrogant statement to make. Do you really think that Toledo, Ohio, is so special that Chrysler would never consider moving their business somewhere else?
I was born, raised, educated and lived in Toledo for 25 years. When I married and moved to the suburbs and then eventually away from Lucas County altogether I was given a real eye-opening view of how ridiculous Toledo is. (I actually think all of Lucas County is, but that’s another letter!)
Since I left Toledo, the idiot leaders have torn down my high school (Bowsher); demolished a beautiful, historical gem of a school that was built to honor the founder of industry in Toledo, Edmund Drummond Libbey; allowed the Southwyck and Woodville malls to fall into ruin and demolished them too. The Old South End, where I bought my first home, is unsafe, lined with boarded-up homes. Because of this, I seldom go back to visit Toledo because it is not the place I remember.
Regarding the number of jobs in Toledo, this is Toledo’s biggest problem: The two biggest employers in Toledo are Jeep and ProMedica. And unfortunately, Toledo has put all its eggs in those two baskets. City leaders don’t care about moving any new industry into Toledo or creating anywhere else to work because they think Jeep and ProMedica will be there forever. Have they ever heard of Flint, Michigan? Flint never thought GM would ever leave either. They were wrong. When GM left a few years ago, Flint never recovered. I don’t know many doctors who can build cars and I don’t know any auto workers who can perform surgery, but if Toledo doesn’t diversify itself it’s going to be in the same mess if the Chrysler Corporation decides to move on.
Toledo leaders need to have some self respect for the Glass City and open up their minds to new industry. Stop depending on what was and look at the future of what is to come. Chrysler doesn’t owe Toledo anything. It is free to move on and demolish the Jeep plant when it’s done with it. Actually, that would fit right in with what Toledo is used to doing: Use it up, disrespect it and then demolish it! O
MARI GILBERT, Bowling Green
Publisher’s Response: Toledo Free Press shares your belief in the importance of supporting and encouraging new businesses, but I think you misunderstood my meaning in the column you mention. I didn’t intend to imply Chrysler owes Toledo to stay in Toledo. Chrysler is of course obligated to make decisions based only on what’s best for Chrysler. No number of years in Toledo or devotion from Toledoans toward the product will, or should, sway Chrysler’s decision. But I do maintain local leadership and union officials deserve to be part of the conversation. The full statement from my column reads: “Businesses can’t survive on legacy or devotion alone, but Toledo deserves to be part of the conversation. Given Jeep’s history in Toledo, the company owes us that much at least.” Jeep has been made in Toledo for 70 years. No one, besides Chrysler itself, knows the product better. Perhaps there is a solution that would keep Jeep, or another product, in Toledo while also satisfying Chrysler’s needs. Losing Jeep would be a huge blow to Toledo both economically and morally. But at the end of the day, of course the decision is Chrysler’s and Chrysler’s alone.
