The following editorial appeared in the August 2003 issue of Toledo Business Journal. Permission to reproduce this editorial can be obtained by contacting the Editorial Department of Toledo Business Journal at (419) 865-0972.

 

 

 

A “hero” speaks out

Calls for Chabler’s resignation intensify

He is a member of the board of directors of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. He is a highly respected labor leader in the area. Daniel Smith, national vice president, Great Lakes, American Maritime Officers organization has served on the Port Authority board for the past five years.

During Smith’s term at the Port Authority, he has been in a position to witness, firsthand, the repeated “schemes” and “dirty tricks” that have been initiated by board member Jerry Chabler (see www.toledobiz.com). Chabler’s actions have been designed to support John Robinson Block’s personal vendetta against the Port Authority. Chabler and Block have been successful at diverting scarce economic development resources and damaging leadership in the region. Since Chabler, Block, and the Toledo Blade began their efforts, results-oriented leaders have left the Port Authority board and almost all of the area’s most talented business leaders have refused to accept appointment (see www.toledobiz.com - Leadership Damaged: Part II).

Chabler’s latest “dirty trick” drew the fury and apparent disgust of Smith in late June. There has been a great deal of media attention on Smith’s scolding of Chabler’s actions and his call for Chabler’s resignation.

Smith’s efforts have been described as those of a “hero.” Business and community leaders are aware of Block’s and the Toledo Blade’s personal vendetta against the Port Authority and the role that Chabler plays. Smith had to know that when he publicly expressed his disgust for Chabler’s “despicable conduct,“ the Toledo Blade would be used – as it has in the past – to exact revenge. In spite of this, Smith did not hesitate to speak his conscience.

What caused Smith to call for Chabler’s resignation?

In May of this year, Port Authority management discovered that it had been paying the taxes for property that it subleases to Express Avionics, Inc. During a full review of all property tax records for the 411 real estate parcels that it owns and controls, the Port Authority discovered that a clerical accounting error had been made. The clerical error had occurred over 7 years ago and resulted in the Port Authority erroneously paying these property taxes.

A Toledo Blade article on June 4th quoted Chabler concerning the clerical error: “If we can’t handle the operation out there, maybe it’s time we start thinking about turning the airport back to the city of Toledo.”

A number of Port Authority board members have advised that Chabler’s negative comments were only aimed at “demeaning” Port Authority personnel. They further advise that his statement that a clerical error indicated that management of the agency could not “handle the operation out there” was targeted directly at James Hartung, president of the Port Authority and other staff and board members. According to board members, his “demeaning” statement indicated that Port Authority personnel are not even capable of fixing a clerical error and therefore not capable of running the airport.

Chabler made no mention in the June 4th Toledo Blade article that the airport should be returned to the City of Toledo in order for the City to obtain payroll tax dollars from workers at the airport. In fact, seven days after Chabler made his comments to a Toledo Blade reporter, it was Councilman Peter Gerken who suggested that control of the airport and annexation of surrounding Swanton Township property might provide payroll tax dollars to the City of Toledo.

Following the Toledo Blade’s publication of Chabler’s comments, Smith issued a letter to Chabler and had it placed into the public record at the Port Authority’s June 26th board meeting. “I find this unconscionable,” stated Smith in his letter. “Your remarks were demeaning to Port Authority personnel and entirely unnecessary,” Smith stated. “Your despicable conduct is an insult to your fellow board members and this community,” concluded Smith in his letter.

Media reaction in support of Smith’s comments followed in the form of editorials on Clear Channel stations calling for Chabler’s resignation.

At this point, the Toledo Blade began to “circle-the-wagons” in an apparent effort to protect Chabler. On June 27th, the Toledo Blade published an article which stated: “...no board members offered their agreement with Mr. Smith. Even Mr. Schlachter, while labeling Mr. Chabler’s remarks as ‘inappropriate,’ didn’t agree Mr. Chabler should resign.”

We contacted Port Authority board member Tom Schlachter for an interview. Schlachter advised that the Toledo Blade did not accurately quote his statements in its June 27th article and in fact modified his statements to change their meaning and intent. Schlachter advised that he only agreed to provide comments to a Toledo Blade reporter if his comments would be quoted exactly as he provided and if the reporter agreed to contact him and read these comments word for word prior to publication. The reporter did as requested, according to Schlachter. In spite of these requirements, Schlachter advised that the Toledo Blade published an account of his comments that was modified to change its meaning and intent.

When asked by the Toledo Business Journal if he believed Chabler should resign, Schlachter stated:

“Jerry Chabler has every right to make the comment he did. He is a member of the board and chairman of the Airport Committee and is duty bound to make his opinion known.

“That said, if he really believes that the Port Authority management and board are not capable of running the airport and that for this reason the airport should be returned to the City of Toledo, there is no question he should step down as chairman of the Airport Committee. If there is a problem, a chairman should be appointed who is interested in solving the problem rather than walking away from it. It should not be the Airport Committee chairman’s job to preside over a give back of the facility unless that is the stated goal of the majority of the board.

“On the other hand, if Jerry was just trying, as he often does, to make a statement that would cause a little sensation but really didn’t mean it, I have no problem with him continuing as Airport Committee chairman so long as he sees his role as one of leadership and problem solving rather than chief critic with a hidden agenda other than aiding the Port Authority in its mission. Anybody can sit and take potshots. It takes some skill, expertise, and above all, effort, to make things right.

“We really need to know if Jerry was sincere when he made that statement.”

Board member Mark Zyndorf was also contacted for an interview. He expressed an opinion similar to those of Smith and Schlachter. Zyndorf also feels strongly that if Chabler believed the comments he made to the Toledo Blade – that the Port Authority management and board are not capable of running the airport – he should submit his resignation. Zyndorf believes that Chabler should let someone else step in who is interested in providing positive leadership direction. Zyndorf also believes that Chabler has a “hidden agenda” that is not in the interest of the Port Authority.

The Toledo Blade’s June 27th article stated, “...and no board member offered their agreement with Mr. Smith.” According to board member Tom Schlachter, the Toledo Blade did not accurately represent his statements given in an interview with one of the newspaper’s reporters. Board members Schlachter and Zyndorf have both voiced their support for Dan Smith’s actions.

Did the Toledo Blade modify Schlachter’s quote in an apparent attempt to protect Chabler? Did the Toledo Blade change the meaning and intent of Schlachter’s words so that the newspaper could claim that no other board member supported Dan Smith’s call for Chabler’s resignation?

In a similar situation, U.S. Senator George Voinovich reprimanded the Toledo Blade for changing the meaning and intent of comments he made in a recent interview. In a Letter to the Editor published in the July 13th issue of the Toledo Blade, Senator Voinovich stated his frustration, “With such a selective policy toward the facts, how are people in the Toledo community supposed to learn the truth and be able to make informed decisions?”

Disregarding the facts involving Chabler’s attempt to “demean” Port Authority personnel, the Toledo Blade published a scathing editorial on June 30th. This editorial included a personal attack on Port Authority board member Dan Smith. The Toledo Blade’s June 30th editorial also attempted to distract attention from Chabler’s actual comments. This editorial attempted to leave the impression that Chabler was primarily raising an issue about potential payroll tax dollars for Toledo if the airport was returned to the City. Chabler’s June 4th attack on Port Authority personnel did not mention the payroll tax issue. The Toledo Blade’s June 30th editorial appears to have been an attempt to attack Dan Smith personally and divert attention from Chabler’s efforts to “demean” Port Authority management and staff.

Why did Chabler use a clerical error concerning the property tax issue to raise such a charge of mismanagement against Port Authority senior personnel? It is surprising that after over five years of intensive investigation, the Toledo Blade and Chabler have not been able to find management mistakes at an agency as large as the Port Authority.

Port Authority management has been recognized by leaders in northwest Ohio and around the country as talented, creative, and successful at achieving results. It is primarily for this reason that after waging an intensive personal vendetta campaign for over five years, Block has not succeeded in getting community leaders to remove Port Authority senior management.

Block and Chabler have resorted to placing increased pressure on community leaders. This has been done in an effort to get individuals on the Port Authority’s board of directors to support Block’s personal vendetta. Chabler’s “schemes” and “dirty tricks” and the Toledo Blade’s regular attacks are part of an effort to get dedicated leaders off of the Port Authority board.

Past chairman Jim White resigned earlier in the year. Past chairman Ray Medlin also resigned earlier this year. Board member Mark Zyndorf has refused reappointment.

What were Block and Chabler doing during this period?

In the May 1 issue of the Toledo Business Journal, Chabler’s efforts to get an individual appointed to the Port Authority board who would support Block’s personal vendetta was exposed: “We learned that Chabler spoke to key community leaders concerning Finkbeiner’s appointment. Allegations have been made that Chabler threatened a number of these individuals with attacks by the Toledo Blade if they did not cooperate in support of Finkbeiner. These allegations further state that Chabler claimed he was speaking for Toledo Blade publisher and editor-in-chief John Robinson Block.”

The Toledo Blade claims that Chabler is willing to ask the “tough questions.” In this case, Chabler’s “tough question” to a number of community leaders was apparently: Do you want to cooperate with John Robinson Block and support Carty Finkbeiner for a position on the Port Authority board of directors or would you and your organization prefer to be attacked and harmed in future Toledo Blade articles?

Was the timing of Chabler’s latest attack against the Port Authority a coincidence? Why are Port Authority board members making public statements about Chabler’s “hidden agenda” and explaining that his actions are not being done in the interest of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority?

As a result of a public records request, Toledo Business Journal learned of specific details of additional activities involving Chabler. Following Smith’s letter of reprimand, Chabler contacted Port Authority management. He requested a copy of the lease agreement for the office space that the agency leases at One Maritime Plaza. This large office building is owned by a pension trust fund related to Dan Smith’s union.

Following Chabler’s request, Port Authority board member David Boston issued a letter suggesting the agency move out of this building to space it owns at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza. Boston is a close ally of Chabler and Block and he used the Toledo Blade to make his suggested move public.

Smith claims that Chabler and Boston are attempting to publicly punish him for his call for Chabler’s resignation. Other board members confirm that the office space move was already under review and the timing of Chabler’s request for lease information and Boston’s public suggestion is suspicious.

Will other individuals join Port Authority board members Dan Smith, Tom Schlachter, and Mark Zyndorf and speak out against wrongful actions that are wasting economic development resources and harming leadership in the community?

(For permission to reprint this editorial in other newspapers, newsletters, or direct mailings, or to use in radio and TV broadcasts, please contact the Toledo Business Journal at (419) 865-0972.)