By Fletcher Word
The Truth Editor
Michael Hood, longtime member of the Spencer Township Board of Trustees, is making another run for Lucas County Commissioner, a post currently held by Gary Byers who is running for re-election. Hood’s other opponent is State Rep Lisa Sobecki. For Hood, he sees the prospects of public service at the county level as continuing the commitment to constituents he has followed in the township since being first elected to that job in 1986.
“I come from amongst the people and I listen to the needs of people,” says Hood of his motivation to once again step up to the challenge of running for the position he failed to capture in 2014 and 2018. “Too many politicians these days want to tell you what they want to do instead asking you what you want.”
Hood has put together a three-point platform to explain what he will be focused on should he win the race this time around. Those priorities, he explains, are what he has gathered from listening to his constituents and those who might someday be his constituents.
Hood’s number one priority is safety. Given the rise in violent crime in recent years, Hood’s sees the need for elected officials to turn their attention to solving an issue that has caused such consternation in this and virtually all parts of the nation.
Second on Hood’s list is economic development.
“The government should play a limited role in economic development,” he explains. A believer in the now-three centuries old economic philosophy of laissez faire policy – an economic philosophy of free-market capitalism that opposes government intervention – the candidate believes that “nobody is going to come save us – we have to learn to do that for ourselves.”
Hood believes that the African-American community must eschew the inadequate help that government purports to provide and take matters into its own hands – supporting and assisting each other.
And third, there are the youth. “There needs to be more resources committed to youth – to programs and activities.”
Hood believes that there is a “sense of hopelessness among the youth in the African-American community. They are not feeling connected to anything. When I was growing up there were lots of things to do but over the last 30-40 years there has been a shift of resources from youth to the elderly. We can’t take all the resources and shift them to the youth but we can [do things] to tell them what they can do and what they can’t do.”
Hood has a record of accomplishment in Spencer Township, he has noted before, that stands as a testament to his ability to accomplish.
“We have the best roads in the county; we’ve cleared up brown fields,” he has said previously. “I’m a public servant and not a politician.” Spencer Township, he adds is a beacon of cooperation with its neighbors, particularly Swanton and Whitehouse, “collaborating on fire protection, road repair projects and equipment purchases. We know how to do more with less through cooperation and dialogue. We treat our citizens as equal neighbors when the needs arise to keep public service levels up to par.”
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Hood has also worked closely with Habitat for Humanity, the Port Authority and in Democratic Party politics for over 20 years and has been engaged with the Lucas County Board of Commissioners for as long as he has been on the board of trustees for Spencer Township.
“My experience engaging with Lucas County and the City of Toledo on hundreds, if not a thousand issues, gives me the insight and expertise in many if not most of the county’s activities,” he once told The Truth. “I think I can be a valuable asset in bringing people together and balancing the needs of citizens with the requirements of governance and large-scale community project management.” |
The Hood campaign is accepting donations via mail at P.O. Box 443, Holland, OH 43528; through First Federal Delta Bank and the Zelle Account; GoFundMe. He can be reached by email at mikehood057@gmail.com.