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Joseph J. Howe: Candidate for Housing Court Judge Offers
Win/Win Idea for Homeowners and Labor Unions
By Fletcher Word
Sojourner’s Truth Editor
After Joe Howe earned his
undergraduate degree in liberal studies from Bowling Green
State University, the Dean’s List student discovered that
his potential in the jobs market was limited. Extremely
limited.
A liberal studies degree
only gained him a job as a repo man for a rent-to-own
appliance/furniture store. In the year of work that
followed, he arrived at two realizations. One, he was
utterly disgusted at having to prey on the misfortunes of
others; such a calling was “a travesty,” he says. And, two,
he needed to return to school to enhance his career
opportunities.
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Joe Howe |
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Off to law school the
Napoleon native went, graduating from the University of
Toledo, College of Law; earning a spot on Law Review and
entering a profession in which he could become extensively
involved in consumer protection matters – first in private
practice, then for the past 11 years, in the City of Toledo
Prosecutor’s Office working in the Housing Court. “The
housing court was a natural fit for me with my civil
background,” says Howe of the transition into his
prosecutor’s duties. “My role is, in large part, a mediator
trying to get [visitors to the housing court] in compliance
with the law.”
As a prosecutor he views
himself as being in a position to “promote the interest of
our neighborhoods,” while trying to ensure that parties are
in compliance with laws that protect consumers,
neighborhoods and the city in general.
Howe is the endorsed
candidate for the Lucas County Democratic Party to succeed
Judge C. Allen McConnell who is age-barred from seeking
another term on the bench. As judge, Howe feels he would be
in a position to continue the work he has undertaken since
his graduation 20 years ago from law school. “As a judge, I
would look for a fair and equal application of the law;
those who are damaging our neighborhoods need to be
punished.” And, as a judge, Howe would propose some ideas
that he believes will make life better for a host of
Toledoans and, thus far, a number of labor unions who have
endorsed him tend to agree. More on that later.
Howe explains that his
reliance on the rule of law determined how he would approach
the now-famous Thomas Jackson matter when it surfaced.
Jackson, an urban farmer, was ultimately fined $3,000 for
his use of wood chip composts on his property that neighbors
said attracted rodents. “It’s about a fair and equal
application of the law,” says Howe. “In our first meeting I
told him ‘I understand what you are trying to do, but as it
stands now, there are no urban agriculture laws that allow
the large scale composting that you are doing now.’”
The Jackson matter dragged
on for over a year and the tragedy of the situation, says
Howe, is that the City of Toledo is without legislation that
would help citizens in such instances. “The City of Toledo
is behind the curve,” he says. “There is no urban farming
legislation such as other cities have, that would provide
guidance to the farmers and would provide reassurance to the
neighbors.”
As for Howe’s ideas, there
are several he mentioned in a chat with The Truth and one is
particularly striking. Noting all the people who come into
the housing court needing help because they have been cited
for deficiencies by inspectors but do not have the
wherewithal or funds to make the necessary repairs, Howe has
proposed to a variety of building trades labor unions that
they form a partnership with the court and provide
apprentices to work voluntarily on such dwellings. The
residents need the help, the apprentices need the work.
“All the unions have
agreed that it’s a wonderful idea,” he says, and have agreed
to the proposal and endorsed his candidacy. It is a win/win
idea for homeowners and the building trades unions, he says,
and will serve the additional goal of “getting rid of
illegal contractors” – those scofflaws who prey on
vulnerable homeowners and provide shoddy service.
To date, Howe has received
endorsements from: Northwest Building and Construction
Trades Council, Roofers Local 134, Sheet Metal Workers
International Association Local 33, International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 8, Carpenters Local
351, Cement Masons and Plasterers Local 886, Iron Workers
Local 55, Plumbers, Steamfitters and Service Mechanics Local
50, Laborers Local 500, AFLCIO, United Food and Commercial
Workers Local 75 and International Association of Heat and
Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 45.
“I care deeply for the
city of Toledo,” says the Democratic candidate. “I have a
vested interest in helping Toledo be the best that it can
be. I have good ideas about how to do that with the insight
and experience that no one else has.” |
