From the Todd for Mayor Campaign:

Where will you be four years from now?

Mayor Michael Coleman: A Record of Economic Denial, Poverty, Unemployment & Home Foreclosures Climb Under his Watch
(Columbus) Whenever a professional politician asks for yet another term, citizens have to ask themselves: Are you better off now then when the politician originally took office? Unfortunately, since Mayor Coleman took office in 1999 the answer is a resounding NO!

Take a look at the Coleman Economic Record:

* The Columbus Dispatch reported that Columbus saw its poverty rate increase from 18.5% in 2005 to 20.7% in 2006.
* Business First recently reported that the unemployment rate for Columbus hit its highest point in two years. Statistics released showed Columbus had a 5.4% unemployment rate.
* Columbus Ranked 20th in the nation for home foreclosures. In the first half of 2007, Columbus had 10,706 foreclosures; an increase of 85% over the first half of 2006
* Median price of houses in Columbus fell 1.2%
* Columbus Ranks 63 out of 75 top markets for small business growth. Cleveland and Grand Rapids, Michigan are ranked better.

Sadly, Mike Coleman has ignored all of these economic warning signs. While Coleman was busy running around Ohio campaigning for Governor and getting state jobs for family and political friends, he ignored our local economy and our local school system. Mike Coleman and his “sounds of silence” have produced the statistics above.

This is not a plan for success. Calling himself the “Ribbon-Cutting Mayor” does not create jobs or economic development, and it certainly does not make Columbus a better place than it was in 1999.

Business as usual at City Hall must end. Otherwise, Columbus will be treated with the same sad downward slide that has already happened in Cleveland, Akron, Dayton, and Toledo.

Will street trolleys, lighted Short North arches and downtown luxury condos create new jobs for the average voter? Will these short-term gimmicks improve our school system and create the high-skilled workforce the future will demand of a 21st Century City?

Again, if you are not happy with where the City of Columbus is today compared to where it was in 1999, ask yourself:

Where will our city be if Michael Coleman gets four more years to ignore our problems?