Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-08-15
Time for
Plain Talk
By
Tom Burke
Vice,President
Local II, UAW-CIO
Continued from Page l

thing. It is really somewhat
surprising that the legislature
has loosened up enough IN
the time Ohio has been a
state to permit the cities to
own the water system, sewer
systems, public transit sys-
TENS, and, in a limited way
electric power systems.
A bill was introduced early
in this past session of the le-
gislature which would have
permitted the cities of Ohio
to purchase land by negotia-
ton or condemnation and
build thereon off street park
ing facilities and to own and
operate these facilities. AS
was the case with most bills
giving the people of the cities
of Ohio a decent break in
meeting the problems of a
modern age, this bill was
murdered, revived, cut up,
and made unacceptable in
the legislative mill.
AS it was finally passed and
enacted into law we have a
strange monstrosity creature
SO municipal ownership
and $50 private enterprise.
The act now provides that the
city may use the right of emf
nent domain to condemn pro-
perty for off street parking
uses. So far, so good, but
here's where the rub comes
in. The city can hold title to
such property only for a
maximum of two years. Then
it must turn it over to a pri-
vate business operator who
must keep the property in use
in the parking business for
period of not less than five
nor more than twenty-five
years. The city may sell,
give, or exchange" such pro-
perty to the private business
operator. The quote Is from
the new state law.
Now the Chamber of Com
merce and the Blade are
probably perfectly honest in
their drive to get this act in
to operation in Toledo. ! am
in accord with their apparent
motive of trying to solve the
congested area parking prob
lem. However, / can't see why
the City of Toledo should be
required to tie up public
funds and use the right OF
condemnation to put a private
concern in business or to as
sist someone already in busi-
ness to expand.
Had the State Legislature
gone whole hog and also en-
acted a good Urban Redevel-
opment Bill providing ways
and means for slum elimina-
tion and good and effective
City planning, l might feel
kindly disposed. Maybe con-
sistency is the bugaboo OF
small minds but / think a GER
tain amount of consistency is
necessary in forming public
policy. When the legislature
picked out one type of busl-
ness to benefit by the munich
pality's use of the right OF
eminent domain and denied
it to others l can detect a
vague suspicion of effective
lobbying,
If the law had been written
allowing the Cities to use the
land and collect parking fees
to liquidate the investment
and maintain the facility, the
financing could be done by
mortgage revenue finance. To
accomplish the purpose under
the law as written, general
city funds will have to be
tied up even If the best con-
ditions prevail where the city
is fully reimbursed for its
expense.
Public demand is That the
available funds of the city be
used for public purposes ac-
cording to the plan and sched-
ule of capital improvements.
The only flexibility allowed
in our capital improvements
plan is realignment of prior
ity of projects because of ma
terial procurement opportuni-
ties, greater public need, or
substantial cost savings. Many
people are of the opinion that
even this amount of flexibility
is not permitted.
Possibly the public need is
great enough when we consi-
der the enormity of our con-
gested area parking problem.
Certainly a choice must be
made and there is room be-
tween two alternatives for
difference of opinion. On the