Wilkowski launches ad touting job creation

7/21/2009
BY IGNAZIO MESSINA
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Toledo mayoral candidate Keith Wilkowski unveiled a television advertisement Monday touting his economic recovery plan and strategies to create jobs.

"The ad addresses the principal issues facing people in Toledo, and that is jobs," he said. "I have a specific plan, which is posted online, to turn our economy around. We have been consistent in talking about the need for jobs and economic turnaround."

The ad says Mr. Wilkowski has produced agreements that have created thousands of jobs and he has a plan to create thousands more, revitalize manufacturing, and put people to work making wind turbine parts, solar panels, and "next-generation cars."

"I'll never lose sight of what's important: jobs," Mr. Wilkowski says in the ad. The 30-second spot will air for four weeks on WTOL-TV Channel 11 and WTVG-TV Channel 13 and some channels on Buckeye CableSystem.

Lucas County commissioner and Toledo mayoral candidate Ben Konop's campaign initiated a TV ad July 10 portraying him as the new-generation mayor and a new beginning for Toledo.

Seven people will battle in September to become the next mayor of Toledo.

Three major-party candidates - Republican Jim Moody and Democrats Mr. Wilkowski and Mr. Konop - and independents Mike Bell, D. Michael Collins, Don Gozdowski, and Opal Covey filed petitions by Friday's deadline to be on the Sept. 15 ballot.

The top two mayoral candidates and top 12 council candidates will advance to the Nov. 3 election.

Mr. Collins, a Toledo councilman, said yesterday he has no plans to buy TV ads and conceded he can't compete financially with his opponents.

Mr. Wilkowski is a Toledo lawyer who has been a member of the Toledo Board of Education and a Lucas County commissioner. He is making his second consecutive run for mayor. He lost in the 2005 primary to fellow Democrats Jack Ford and Carty Finkbeiner.

Mr. Bell, Toledo's fire chief from 1990 to 2007 who most recently was state fire marshal, said he would run television advertisements later in the campaign.

Mr. Moody, a real estate investor and businessman, said he'd wait until later in the campaign to launch his television advertisements.

Mr. Finkbeiner announced last week he would not seek another term.