What the Ohio Democrat heard ranged from important concerns about issues such as education, health, economic development, and immigration reform down through one local business owner’s complaints about crime and street prostitution in the South End of Toledo.
Toledo councilman Mike Craig sat in on the community meeting, saying he was there to hear their concerns.
Participating in the informal meeting at FLOC headquarters on Broadway were David Ibarra, chairman of Toledo’s Hispanic Affairs Commission; Bob Salazar of Prudential Insurance; Celso Rodríguez , publisher of El Tiempo and president of Viva South; Lourdes Santiago, acting commissioner of purchasing for the City of Toledo; Rico Neller of La Prensa; Diana Ortega of the Aurora L. González Community Center; community activist Robert Torres of the Toledo School Board; Joe Balderas, executive director of the Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center; Bob Vásquez, executive director of the 12, Inc; Sonia Troche, executive director of Adelante, Inc.; community activist Margarita DeLeón; bank executive John Escobar; Roberto González of the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office; business leaders Hernan Vásquez and María Rodríguez Winter; Cesario Durán of FLOC; Stephen Vásquez of the United Way; and Dennis Wisebaker, executive director of Viva South.
Brown began the meeting by asking everyone to list their areas of concern. When he got to Torres, he was told that the area’s only Latino representation in Ohio’s General Assembly was the late John García, a Republican member of the state House of Representatives. It was Garcia who helped secure the initial crucial funding for Adelante, which was created by Jack Ford previously.
Santiago, a former Toledo Council member, told Brown she was concerned about “racial profiling because of the immigration issue.” She would later expand her comments to include the State of Ohio’s requirement that driver’s license applicants present a Social Security card. The Social Security number is printed on the license unless the applicant objects.
After hearing the concerns of the attendees, Brown focused upon the issue of education, and the controversial federal No Child Left Behind Act found both supporters and detractors.
Troche lamented the lack of bilingual programs and services in the schools, while Ibarra, a principal in the Washington Local Schools system, told Brown “schools are struggling” with the No Child Left Behind provisions.
“There has to be other aspects of accountability other than just testing,” said Ibarra. He also stressed the need for a “community-based effort” to improve the schools
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