Thank you for your thoughts. Your message will be conveyed to the Mayor. Attached is the Mayor’s Statement to the Media and a statement from Lt. Colonel Piccoli, U.S. Marine Corps on this issue.

Statement from Mayor Carty Finkbeiner -Regarding U.S. Marine Corps.
February 10, 2008

Frank Szollosi can play politics with anything. It is what he does best.

Today, I spoke with Major Jeff Brooks of the United States Marine Corps. I conveyed my sincere regret for the failure to communicate within the administration and any inconvenience that caused the U.S. Marine Corps.

I also conveyed, as my staff did on Friday, that we would make available abandoned buildings for Marine training outside of the CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD).

I concluded by reviewing my belief that the CBD, particularly on a weekday afternoon, was not available for military staging operations. 10,000 – 14,000 men and women would have been departing their offices in downtown Toledo on Friday afternoon with a major military training action unfolding – including the use of weapons being discharged with blanks.

My interest is not only in supporting the U.S. military wherever and whenever such support is sought, but also protecting the health, peace, and tranquility of Toledoans in every way possible.

For those who disagree with my priorities in terms of safeguarding Toledoans, we may disagree, but you have my respect.

Statement from Lt. Colonel Piccoli – U.S. Marine Corps
February 11, 2008

Although our planned training event for Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th
Marine Regiment from Grand Rapids, Mich., did not occur over the weekend in the Central Business District of Toledo, Ohio, we greatly appreciate the commitment of the city leaders and the support of the citizens of Toledo to assist us with future training opportunities in the Toledo area.

As the Marine Corps has done in myriad cities in the past, which includes Columbia, S.C. (2003), New Orleans (2004), Savannah, Ga. (2005), and Hampton Roads, Va. (2006), we’ll continue to work very closely with community leaders, law enforcement personnel, members of the media and private citizens to ensure our training does not adversely impact them. Such training, coupled with governmental and civic support, enables the U.S. Marine Corps to meet the country’s expectations as the nation’s premiere force in readiness.

The U.S. Marine Corps stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Toledo as we move forward together well into the future.

Sounds like the Mayor is stretching the truth a bit in his rendition of events.

Conference is on:

Didn’t know about the drills. Too late to warn citizens. Friday night is not the time.

He offered the troops another time and place. No to downtown toledo. Been here since 2004, and it’s never been a problem before.

City Council is amazed at all this. Once local bozo says its OK to kick Marines out, and he’s willing to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt.

Carty swears that he will find out when the unit notified the city, and will report it when he knows. Everybody hold your breath!

Conference over.

Man, what a crock of crap. Just got off the horn with a pal o’mine who was with Alpha Company’s advance party, who laid the details out for me.

This training rotation had been in the planning stages for something along the lines of 8 months. The Marine’s CO had numerous meetings with both the mayor and the Cheif of Police, with the last one in January, about this training. The Marines had used the same building in the past. For the mayor to say he didn’t know is an outright lie. The same goes for saying that there was no time to notify the local citizens, since last Tuesday the local PD put out an announcement to the public telling them not to be alarmed when they saw big men in green with guns shooting up around the building in question. There was plenty of advance notice, local PD was on board and even had the appropriate roads and buildings blocked off. The citizens of Toledo are behind the Marines on this one, as well. The only hiccup here is the mayor. A mayor who, apparently, lacks the stones it takes to tell the Marines himself about his decision, and instead sends one of his sycophants out to do the dirty work.

Semper Fi, Marines, from the other side of the Big Green Machine.

GSP
To those that serve-Thank you and your family!

Finkbeiner, apparently only speaking for himself, said that Marines are not welcome in Toledo. Well I welcome Marines in Toledo to train and learn skills that will save their lives. Apparently Carty does not think they should practice the skills they n…

You are America, you are a Patriot, you are a hero, at least to me. Again, Semper Fi.

The Marines should have just told him to piss up a rope.

I think it’s better that the Marines used the “moral high ground” against the man.

And in all seriousness, telling the mayor such a thing and going on with the exercises would have been a bad thing.

It seems that some city governments aren’t taking the hint from the pro-military backlash levied against the Liberal nuts in Berkeley and San Francisco. Behold Toldeo, Ohio, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.The 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Mari…