As published in Toledo Business Journal - February 1, 2014
Killing ideas and initiative from the private sector
Leadership and involvement from the private sector are critical requirements for economic development success. Most communities have some level of economic development involvement from private sector professionals. However, previous articles in Toledo Business Journal (TBJ) have documented how a number of cities and regions around the country have transformed their economies and their quality of life as a result of a higher level of leadership and involvement from business professionals in their communities (Economic Development Best Practices and other TBJ articles at www.toledobiz.com).
The level of involvement of private sector professionals in regions that include Indianapolis and St. Louis was the critical factor in the economic and community transformation of each.
Ideas and initiative from private sector professionals were vital to the development process in these communities.
In northwest Ohio, actions by The Blade and its publisher and editor-in-chief, John Robinson Block, have had a major impact.
These actions that employ the daily newspaper in an effort to damage an individual’s name and reputation continue to contribute to many private sector professionals avoiding the use of their time and resources for visible community development efforts.
The actions of the daily newspaper following a proposal from Dock David Treece and the business that includes his father and brother are simply a recent example. The proposal involving Toledo Express Airport has received significant coverage in The Blade. The way that this coverage was conducted has sent a loud and clear message to the private sector. The message: Avoid surfacing ideas and plans that you believe will advance development at Toledo Express Airport or other areas in the community unless you are prepared to deal with an attempt to have your name and reputation publicly smeared in the daily newspaper.
This editorial does not examine the merit of the proposal put forward by members of the Treece family.
This editorial does examine the approach taken by The Blade and Block aimed at discrediting the proposal before ever reviewing the project’s formal business plan, attempting to damage the Treece family name and reputation, and, in essence, sending a strong message to Toledo public sector leaders that they dare not approve this deal.
Why would any community want to discourage ideas, suggestions, and plans put forward by businesses and their professionals aimed at critical development areas for the region?
Whether the idea does or does not have merit is not the issue.
Ideas, including those put forward by private sector professionals with resources, are a source of the fuel needed to spur debate, conversation, networking, meetings, modification and improvement of the ideas, and other interaction that results in the creation of development plans and action-oriented initiatives for their implementation.
How quickly will other private sector professionals in the Toledo area come forward with project proposals for Toledo Express Airport or other community development needs that may subject them to what the Treece family has had to endure?
Killing ideas and initiative
In an column published in The Blade on November 19, 2013, the newspaper’s Keith C. Burris stated: “When I asked former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner what he thought of the proposed private takeover of Toledo Express Airport, he had a good one-word answer: ‘Outrageous…’
“The whole thing is, indeed, outrageous. And it is disturbing that it got this far …
“I think the deal is dead but, just to be safe, let’s drive a stake through its heart.”
Burris did not share with The Blade readers that part of Finkbeiner’s solution for Toledo Express Airport was to move the deaf population in the area to this location. The former mayor’s proposal was successful in obtaining a great deal of attention from across the US and overseas that was highly negative for Toledo and its image.
Why did Burris use Finkbeiner as an expert on airport management and then not disclose this information to readers?
Burris made these statements without having ever examined the formal business plan for the Treece proposal.
On December 10, 2013, The Blade published another column by Burris titled “Treece boys not ready for prime time.” In this column Burris stated, “I am trying to come up with the right comparison for the Treece Boys – Dock, and his sons Dock David and Ben …”
“Mini Madoffs?
“Music men, as in Prof. Harold Hill of The Music Man?”
Burris knows that Dock Treece is 63 years old. Calling him a “Treece Boy” is highly disrespectful and certainly not professional. His use of the word “Boys” to describe Dock David and Ben Treece was also done in a fashion that personally denigrates these individuals. The term “Boys” was used in a negative fashion by The Blade in articles and even in the bold headlines to these stories about the Treece proposal concerning Toledo Express Airport.
As our readers know, Bernie Madoff is a convicted felon who stole hundreds of millions of dollars from investors. Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man was a con artist.
Burris characterized members of the Treece family, who put forward a proposal involving Toledo Express Airport, as comparable to a felon and crook, and a con artist.
Journalistic responsibility
Does Burris have even one piece of evidence or documentation that supports his characterization of the motivations and actions of the Treeces as being comparable to the criminal activity of a convicted felon and crook, and a con artist?
As a responsible citizen, is there information that Burris should share with local or federal prosecutors and the newspaper’s readers that supports any possible allegation of criminal felony activity involving the Treece business proposal for Toledo Express Airport that would make members of this family comparable to Bernie Madoff, as was put forward in The Blade?
Or is it proper that The Blade issue a visible retraction of these statements?
Have any members of the Treece family considered involving a libel attorney in their efforts?
Members of the Treece family have advised that part of their motivation for their airport project is to be able to help the community.
Would such a legal examination of The Blade’s statements made about members of the Treece family and the possible consequences of this examination provide an important service to the community?
Might such a legal examination be initiated by any member of the Treece family, or by the next private sector professional again treated in this manner?
Personal attacks
Putting forward a business proposal for an airport facing a desperate situation and then being compared to a convicted criminal and a con artist and having this appear in a daily newspaper is not something that many private sector professionals want their family, friends, neighbors, relatives, customers, suppliers, associates, and others to see.
How quickly will other business professionals step forward to offer proposals and resources to reduce the large losses that could threaten the survival of the airport if these losses resume?
Burris made these statements about the personal character and motivations of the Treece family members, again without having reviewed their formal business plan.
The Treeces did make a decision not to share the business plan with The Blade or its staff members.
The Blade has devoted significant space to this issue in a clear effort to destroy any possibility of such a deal.
Reader reaction
Some of the published Letters to the Editor of the Blade provide insight into reactions from readers to the newspaper’s treatment of the Treeces. On December 8, 2013, Bob Cowan of Sylvania wrote a letter that was published with the headline: “Bullying of Treeces is hurtful to area.” The letter stated, “Your Dec 1 editorial “Air piracy” is a continuation of the Blade’s bullying style. It is not only old, but also to the point of being quite destructive of the city…
“People and business are not welcome in Toledo because of The Blade’s continued good-old-boy approach to any new ideas or players in northwest Ohio.
“Unfortunately for Toledo, people continue to vote with their feet.”
On January 8, 2014 another published Letter to the Editor of the Blade was written by Edward Popkoski of Toledo. He stated, “Dock Treece’s family deserves credit, not criticism, for aggressive, opportunistic business acumen and profit seeking in its plan to run Toledo Express Airport…
“Ideally, the Treeces should be rewarded with outreach and cooperation in investigating the business model to determine whether their ideas have merit.
“Anything less is a disservice to the creativity, courage, and performance credentials of all area businesses.”
Regional impact
Why are Toledo Blade and its publisher and editor-in-chief, John Block, placing such significant effort into killing this proposed business deal involving Toledo Express Airport without having ever even reviewed the formal business plan for the project?
In the past, Toledo Business Journal investigated other actions undertaken by Block and his newspaper (Personal Vendetta Exposed Series at www.toledobiz.com). Each time, these investigations exposed the real story behind Block and the Blade’s actions.
In each case examined, the information that the Blade provided to its readers did not include Block’s true motivations and certainly did not share that he was using the newspaper to conduct personal vendettas against community leaders who did not follow the direction he gave.
What are the true reasons behind the efforts by Block and the Blade concerning the Treece proposal for Toledo Express Airport?
Of significant importance, what influence does such treatment by Burris, Block and the Blade have on others in the private sector who might provide ideas and resources to assist economic and community development?
Is there a way that community and private sector leaders can come together, at this time, to assist in addressing issues raised that have an impact on the region?