Save Our City

Save Our City Field Trip: Protectionists Invited

2005-05-27T15:05:00.000-04:00

Save Our City will be out of town until June 11th visiting the rapidly developing economies and democracies of Eastern Europe. The new democracies of Eastern Europe are developing at more than twice the rate of stagnant Western Europe, thanks to pro-growth, low-tax policies. They are a witness to the power of freedom and the potency of free enterprise. It is no surprise that the countries of Eastern Europe are allies of the United States because they are succeeding by modeling their economies on laissez faire capitalism and they are succeeding. Through free trade their economies are booming and the people thriving. It is also no surprise that countries like France and Germany are antagonistic toward the United States, because their socialist based economies are ruining the morale of the people and they must project their feelings toward the United States, rather than look inward. The question for them is not why do they hate us, but why do they hate themselves? The answer as usual lies in free trade, low taxes and economice opportunity for all.

What has happened in Eastern Europe can also happen in the CAFTA area. Democracies and people can flourish that support the United States, if we allow them to compete in the global market place. When free-trade is in place everyone benefits: workers, investors, consumers, government revenues. The world economy is always transforming and those that accept this and embrace it will be the one's that benefit from the transitions. Free-trade is not something to be feared, but embraced.

It will be an exciting time when Save Our City returns the special election will be days away and the council and mayors race will be heating up. It should be an exciting summer, and we look forward to it. The comment boards will remain open and hopefully we won't lose too many readers during the short hiatus. Thanks for reading and participating. Save Our City looks forward to continuing the dialogue in two weeks.

Who's left to choose from? Can Dewine's sins be forgiven?

2005-05-27T12:52:00.000-04:00

In light of my recent discovery of Brinkman's anti-trade agenda I can no longer support him as the Dewine alternative. Lower taxes is not enough, trade is necessary to grow the economy and bring efficiency to the market so taxes can stay low and quality of life high. I can not support Schmidt for her failure to repeal the sales tax increase. I now need to look closer at McEwen's ethical problem from his first time in DC. On the issues Dewine's the man, but I'm republican and believe in values, especially after the allegations against Malone. Can Dewine's sins be forgiven?

Brinkman: Depression Wanting Protectionist

2005-05-27T12:39:00.000-04:00

I just posted on my desire to see anyone but Dewine. In perhaps the quickest turn about in Cincinnati Blog history, I've changed my mind. Look at the transcript about CAFTA from the first forum:

"I think perhaps you could just narrow it down, do you support CAFTA?”

A: SCHMIDT: CAFTA in principle sounds nice but we have to make sure that our jobs at home are protected. My mother, God rest her soul, was very very brilliant about NAFTA. She said, in the short run it will help the businesses in the United States; in the long run it will open up other environments to compete with us. We must make sure CAFTA is a level playing field for all. The second part of that question had to do with basically what we call in Ohio, food banks. When I was in the legislature I supported food banks because we must protect our most vulnerable, at all levels of live from the beginning to the end. And I will seek to do that as your next person in Congress.

A: DeWINE: Thank you. I do support CAFTA. I think the President and Rob Portman are right. We all know free trade creates jobs; it creates jobs in Ohio; it creates jobs in the second congressional district. What CAFTA will do is, it will force some of these Central American economies to open up their economies so that we have a fair chance to compete. It will do things like prevent bribery and other anti-competitive procedures that harm American industry when they try to compete. I think that former Congressman Portman, now Ambassador Portman, is right, and I look forward to working with him on CAFTA.

A: McEWEN: The United States is the world’s largest free trade zone. People can come and compete here with virtually no prohibitions. Therefore, we have embarked upon a program of encouraging our representatives to negotiate equal treatment elsewhere. And the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, is established for the purpose of giving American producers the opportunity to market in those areas just as they are free to operate here now. Once they’re able to do that, there’s things that we need to do in this country such as infrastructure; route 32 needs to be expanded, route 125 needs long term improvement, the eastern corridor, I see Bill Brayshaw here, there are things that we can do to allow jobs to locate in southern Ohio and that’s our next step as well.

A: BRINKMAN: When I first heard that question I thought that the person who wrote it didn’t understand they were in a Republican debate. I don’t think NAFTA’s been the greatest deal for our country. Ohio lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs in the last four years. Where have they gone? To countries where they pay their workers sixty cents an hour. And I don’t see that CAFTA’s that great a deal either. I know some people who are engineers at General Electric. They’re shipping out design work to India. Now how’s that a fair deal for us? Again, sure, I like free trade. It all sounds great. But you know the same thing why we need to take care of our boarders and make sure that we don’t have our boarders out of control and immigrants coming here, it’s the same reason we got to take care of our jobs and make sure we’re not shipping all our jobs down to other countries where they pay sixty cents an hour, don’t take care of all the regulations, those things."

Here at Save Our City we believe in the power of free markets. Ohio's markets are already open, it's time to open up Central America's economies as well. The Cold War is over, it's time to put capital back into capitalism.

Anyone but Dewine

2005-05-27T11:54:00.000-04:00

I think Pat Dewine is definitely still the front runner for the 2nd District seat. However, I sense that their is a growing sense amongs the right, that we would like to see anyone but Dewine. He doesn't represent our values and if his dad is any model he's going to be awful once he gets to Washington. Unfortunately, anyone but attitudes don't work very often. It didn't even work against Bush when he only had one opponent. Dewine is lucky enough that those that don't like him may split their vote amongst 3 other candidates, Mcewen, Schmidt, and Brinkman. It would be great if two of these would drop out and Dewine would be forced to go head to head with one real Republican. I would personally like to see him take on Brinkman or McEwen, Schmidt really disappointed me as a state representative. I would love to see conservative groups come out in favor of one of his opponents that we could rally around. I don't think that's going to happen though, and I think Dewine will win.

Ooops... The Enquirer Does it again

2005-05-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

A great typo in the editorials today:

"City Manager Valerie Lemmie and Mayor Charlie Luken warned council to be conservative on spending, because the city faces a projected $13.7 budget deficit in 2006. Cranley, who is head of council's Finance Committee, said he is convinced that placing more police on the street is a prudent way to spend the taxpayers' dollars."

- a frightening, 13 dollar and seventy cent deficit

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050527/EDIT01/505270343/1020/EDIT

The Misleading downtown housing market

2005-05-27T08:59:00.000-04:00

I think the Enquirer misrepresents the "hot" housing market in central city of Cincinnati. Since 2002 there has been 864 new units of which now in 2005 483 have been sold, or 56%, in other words, almost 45% are vacant. Not exactly a boom if you ask me. Does anyone know the occupancy rate of Mason? There are plans for a total of 1727 units in Central City, meaning we're at about 25% occupancy of potential units. Not the biggest boom I've seen.

Another Look at the Flawed Creative Class Theory

2005-05-27T02:51:00.000-04:00

"Florida uses the terms “city” and “region” interchangeably, so that when he talks about the healthy economies and demographics of creative “San Francisco” and “New York,” he’s actually referring to the huge super-regions surrounding these cities, encompassing vastly more people and jobs (and job growth) than the economically sluggish cities themselves.

Florida’s “San Francisco,” for example, stretches across the bay through the suburbs of Oakland in one direction, and down Route 101 some 40 miles to San Jose and its suburbs in the other, creating an economy more than three times the size of the city’s real one. The real San Francisco, hip and cool as it might be, has not added a single new job for 30 years; boring, suburbanized San Jose, a city with virtually no downtown, has tripled in size over the same period, creating 600,000 jobs. Florida’s “New York City” extends from the farthest reaches of northern and central New Jersey to the tip of Long Island. Like San Francisco, New York City proper has not contributed a single net new job to the regional economy in decades, even as un-hip Long Island and Jersey have increased their job count 170 percent and 75 percent, respectively.

Florida assumes that the regional economic growth has blossomed from the bohemian cultures of the central cities. That’s dubious, to say the least. Indeed, Florida’s own research shows that the fastest-growing areas of his supersize “New York City” are actually the least “creative.” In a study he conducted after September 11, Florida found that economically thriving areas like Nassau-Suffolk and Monmouth-Ocean ranked way down on his bohemian and gay indexes, while stagnant New York City ranked near the top. If anything, Gotham’s bohemian culture has encouraged the city’s left-wing politics, whose legacy of high taxes, dysfunctional schools, and—until Rudy Giuliani came along in the nineties—scary crime rates has driven residents and businesses out of the city to the suburbs. We can say much the same about San Fran.

In fact, most of the growth in many big metropolitan regions nationwide is taking place far from the central cities and their hip urban culture. Respected Harvard economist Edward Glaeser, a longtime student of regional economic growth, observes that car-centered communities and sprawl are increasingly attractive to the American public. New York Times columnist David Brooks has vividly described the “booming exurban sprawls that have broken free of the gravitational pull of the cities and now float in a new space far beyond them.”"

An Actual Solution to Malone's Honduran Problem

2005-05-27T02:06:00.000-04:00

"North American Transnational Youth Gangs:
Breaking the Chain of Violence
Stephen Johnson and David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D.
Youth gangs have been a familiar part of American
urban life since the American Revolution.
Today, because of their growing size and globalization,
they also pose a serious threat to public security.
Groups that began in Los Angeles during the
1960s and 1980s now have fraternal links to an
estimated 130,000 to 300,000 members in Mexico
and Central America and have spread to cities and
small towns across the United States.
Their activities range from fighting rivals to
armed robbery, extortion, alien smuggling, and
arms and drug trafficking. Domestic anti-gang policies
should seek to stabilize gang neighborhoods
through migration reforms, to deny time and space
to delinquent activities, and to improve coordination
among law enforcement agencies. In Mexico
and Central America, U.S. engagement should promote
family cohesiveness, the rule of law, economic
reforms to boost employment, and cooperative
security links to track gang member migration.
Gangs Everywhere. Youth gangs are a growing
phenomenon in the United States, Mexico, and
Central America. The number of U.S. cities reporting
gang activity went from 270 in 1970 to more
than 2,500 in 1998—an increase of more than 800
percent. In 2002, a national survey of law enforcement
agencies revealed that there were some
731,500 active gang members in the United States,
mostly in large cities.
Unstable neighborhoods, broken homes, learning
problems, violent role models, and access to
drugs feed gang growth. A long-term study conducted
in Seattle found that children affected by
these factors are two to four times more likely to
join gangs. Historically, poor migrants—whether
from another city or overseas—often settle first in
marginal neighborhoods. For children with no
parents, a single parent, or both parents working,
gangs may offer stability and identity where integration
and acceptance are unlikely.
International Links. As a consequence of a
large Hispanic influx that began in the 1970s, Latino
gangs now predominate. The Calle 18 and
Mara Salvatrucha, gangs that originated in Los
Angeles, are the most notorious and widespread.
After the Salvadoran government and rebels
signed a peace accord in 1992 and after the conclusion
of the Guatemalan peace process in 1996,
the United States began deporting undocumented
Central Americans, especially those convicted of
crimes in the United States. The newly organized
civilian police forces in El Salvador and Guatemala
were barely able to deal with the rampant delinquency
caused by demobilized combatants, much
less the deported criminals. Honduras faced a simNo.
1834 March 21, 2005
ilar problem even though it did not have a war:
Many Honduran youth left in the 1980s to seek
jobs in the United States. Those who ran afoul of
the law were likewise deported.
In the mid-1990s, Colombian drug traffickers
arrived to expand smuggling routes in Central
America. Yet U.S. lawmakers cut support for
regional justice reforms and police training, believing
that peace and democracy had been achieved.
Growing Tentacles. Increasing flows of undocumented
migrants across porous borders, deportations,
and improved transportation and
communication systems have helped to fuel the
international expansion of Calle 18 and Salvatrucha.
Los Angeles remains their major hub of
activity, and they have members in almost every
state, contributing to a rise in violent assaults.
In Mexico, Salvatruchas ambush, rob, and kill
Central American migrants on their way to the U.S.
border. In El Salvador, Calle 18 and Salvatrucha sell
drugs, traffic in arms, and fence cars stolen in the
United States. In Honduras, the murder rate has
jumped by 50 percent in the past two years, with
many of the killings attributable to gangs.
Operating from Nicaragua to the United States,
gangs are sought by transnational drug and arms
traffickers for their expertise in crossing the U.S.
border. Last year, there were unsubstantiated
rumors that an al-Qaeda cell leader met with Salvatruchas
in Mexico and Honduras, supposedly
to seek help in smuggling terrorists into the
United States.
The Need for a Comprehensive, Sustained
Effort. Some communities have attempted to
reform entire gangs, but in doing so have
increased their cohesiveness. Others have conducted
massive roundups that cleaned up the
streets only temporarily. Research shows that sustained
efforts work best when police partner with
other local agencies. However, the larger process
that fuels gang growth requires both national and
international coordination. U.S. policymakers at
all levels should:
• Promote stable neighborhoods through collaboration
among federal and local law
enforcement agencies to minimize characteristics
that induce delinquency;
• Reduce illegal immigration through stronger
border zone controls to filter out undocumented
migrants more effectively and through
policies that simplify entry and exit for documented
legal workers and visitors;
• Deny time and space for gang activities
through private–public partnerships to expand
youth activities that promote integration, competition,
and self-fulfillment; and
• Employ multi-agency, multi-strategy policing
to rein in gang violence by partnering
police, probation officers, social workers, and
community leaders in the same quest.
Internationally, to curb transnational gang mayhem,
U.S. policy should:
• Help to open market economies by supporting
foreign projects that foster economic
reform, property rights, and the growth of new
industry;
• Strengthen the rule of law by bolstering support
for judicial reform in Mexico and Central
America;
• Promote family-friendly policies to improve
education and keep families together; and
• Cooperate with partner countries by sharing
intelligence on gangs, in processing deportees,
and by helping them to strengthen their own
borders through database sharing and training
immigration and customs personnel.
Conclusion. Like crime, youth gang activity
can be reduced but never eliminated. However, its
potency can be reduced at home and abroad by
focusing efforts on the systems and factors that
feed gang activity."

http://www.heritage.org/Research/UrbanIssues/bg1834es.cfm

Why Ohio Needs A TEL

2005-05-27T01:42:00.000-04:00

"Ohio's state government spending increased by three times the inflation rate between 1994 and 2002. At this clip, the state government budget would double every 14 years. More importantly, this rate of growth outstrips income growth and exceeds our ability to pay for it. The result? Government spending as a share of Ohio's economy has increased rapidly since 1980. Ohio left the ranks of low-tax states in 1994 and has been one of the highest tax states in the nation since 2000.

"For many, the only practical and realistic solution is to try what other states have already pioneered: adopt a binding constitutional limit on how much state and local governments can spend. These initiatives are also called Tax and Expenditure Limitations, or TELs."
What would a TEL have accomplished for Ohio over the last decade?

State government spending in Ohio would have been $8.5 billion lower (23.2 percent) in 2002 if a TEL had restricted revenue growth to the inflation rate plus population growth since 1994;"

Cumulative savings between 1994 and 2002 would have been about $24 billion; and

Adopting a TEL now that limits state government spending to inflation plus population growth would save $86.9 billion over the next ten years."

http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/article.php?id=119

Taft and Spend and Blackwell's TEL From the WSJ

2005-05-27T01:15:00.000-04:00

Taft and Spend
May 12, 2005; Page A16
Tax reform is in the political air, but not all reforms are created
equal. Consider the current effort in Ohio, where the Republicans
who dominate state government are using the cause of reform to
compensate for their lack of any spending control.
At Republican Governor Bob Taft's urging, Ohio's state House has
passed a two-year, $51 billion budget that now awaits Senate
approval. Its centerpiece is a tax reform that includes nearly $2
billion in tax cuts, most usefully a 21% reduction in the personal income tax rate over five years.
The problem is that these cuts are more than offset by a $4 billion increase in other taxes and fees,
plus a troubling new general consumption tax.
Mr. Taft's budget includes a real-estate transfer tax, doubles the levies on alcohol and tobacco,
raises commercial property taxes by 10% and increases the kilowatt-hour tax on electricity
consumption by 30%. Earlier plans to index the personal income tax to inflation would be
scrapped, and part or all of two taxes that had been sold to Ohioans as "temporary" -- a tax on
trusts and a 20% sales tax increase -- would become permanent.
And there's more. Mr. Taft wants to replace the state franchise tax, which taxes profits, with a new
"commercial activity tax" (CAT) on gross receipts. Taxing gross receipts is a politician's dream,
hitting virtually all commercial activity in Ohio and assessed at multiple stages of production.
Unlike a regular sales tax, no one will know who's paying for the CAT (which would apply to
both goods and services) and most people won't even be aware of its existence.
Mr. Taft is highlighting the CAT's proposed low rate of 0.26%, but it's not likely that the rate will
stay low, particularly since there will be no political price paid for raising it. Much worse for
political accountability, the House version of the budget would allow Ohio's tax commissioner to
raise the CAT rate; this means that an official appointed by the governor, not an elected
Legislature, could raise rates by diktat.
A spokesman for Mr. Taft assures us that this arrangement, too, will be "temporary" and "gives
the governor flexibility in administering the new tax." But we think economist Richard Vedder of
Ohio University has more credibility when he points out that the CAT "opens the door to a
humongous new tax that's a money machine in a state where there's been no constraint on the
expenditure side." Broad-based consumption taxes can be economically beneficial in lieu of
income taxes, but not in addition to them.
And that's the real rub: Spending restraint has been a problem in Columbus for the better part of

30 years, no matter which party has been in control, and the problem's getting worse. Since 1994,
Ohio's expenditures have risen faster than any state in the nation. A Buckeye Institute study
released in December noted that "state spending increased by 63.4 percent between Fiscal Year
1994 and FY 2002, almost three times the rate of inflation."
This in turn has had to be financed by a gradually rising tax burden that is now one of the worst in
the nation. According to the Tax Foundation, in 1970 Ohio's state and local tax burden was the
4th-lowest in the country; today, it's the 7th-highest. When liberal Democrat Richard Celeste
became Governor in 1983, the state's top marginal income tax rate was 3.5%. By the time he left
in 1991 it was 7.5%, where it remains today. Mr. Taft's reform would at least reduce it to just
under 6%, but only over five long years and only with his offsetting tax increases.
Republicans run for office as the party of smaller government, but Ohio's GOP has ingratiated
itself with special interest groups and forgotten why it was elected. A recent Columbus Dispatch
story detailed how the Ohio Healthcare Association has been successfully blocking Medicaid
reform -- which would reduce reimbursements to nursing homes, among other things -- with
generous donations to Republican legislators. What the state needs is reform that will increase
private incentives to invest and hire while limiting what politicians can spend.
The Republican who is putting that on the agenda is Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who is
making the centerpiece of his expected run for governor next year a ballot initiative that would
add a spending limit to the state's constitution. The measure is modeled on Colorado's taxpayer
bill of rights, which holds state expenditures to inflation and population growth. Mr. Blackwell
would build in more flexibility than the Colorado model, but the basic goal is to restrain
politicia

A Conservative Nate Livingston?

2005-05-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

Has anyone heard of this guy? Why is he not a more prominent person? Where's Mike Barrett courting him?

"How can anyone in their right mind accept reparations?” asks Rapheal Adams incredulously. “I would never accept them,” he says, pressing his hands to his chest. “I don’t have shackles.” Suddenly solemn, Adams intones melodramatically: “ ‘Four hundred years ago, they brought us here!’ ” He squints skeptically: “Yeah? You’re lookin’ pretty good for 400 years old. Guess what? The slaves have been dead a long time. Show me where the ‘Colored Only–Whites Only’ signs are in this country . . . anywhere. Everyone agrees slavery was horrific, but you have to look at what people did to end it. I’m sorry, you’re not owed one damn dime.”

Rapheal Adams is a dissenter in Cincinnati, seat of the country’s most vicious race politics. Until recently, the ebullient 43-year-old fought the city’s racial arsonists as a host on black talk radio, working the night shift at a General Electric jet-engine plant in order to promote his views during the day. When race riots erupted in 2001, Adams, as the sole pro-police counter-demonstrator at an anti-cop rally, barely escaped assault.

The hatred directed at him by Cincinnati’s race-baiters has had no effect on his high spirits. Over bacon and pancakes in an outlying Cincinnati shopping plaza, he parodied black victocrat dogma and countered it with his own exasperated common sense. Despite his hip exterior—shaved head, tiny retro glasses, and sleek black turtleneck over a slender frame—Adams is remarkably old-fashioned. When a classmate handed him a joint in the seventh grade, he handed it back, because his mother had never mentioned such things to him. His filial respect remains unwavering today. “My parents are the most important people in my life,” the air force vet explained in a heartfelt letter he sent before we met. “They instilled in me a very important lesson about the value of right vs. wrong.” As for his grandparents, “They’re deceased, but I carry them with me every second of my life. My grandfather grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at a time when black men were not allowed onto the sidewalks. He gave me this lesson: ‘You can’t condemn someone for his skin color. If you can’t be nice to people, there’s something wrong with you,’ ” Adams urges emphatically, pointing for emphasis. “My grandfather never gave me hand-me-down misery.”

By contrast, the anointed civil rights leaders, Adams says, constantly manufacture racial resentment to stay in power. “Conyers, Mfume, Sharpton, Jackson—these people can’t go before a camera, they can’t go to sleep, without pushing the ‘get-whitey’ syndrome. There was Jackson down in Florida in 2000, talking about ‘dis-en-franchise-ment,’ ” Adams rolls out the syllables portentously. “Oh, really? Go to Dade County and check out the educational level of the population. The Democrats were taking U-Hauls and vans to cart anyone they could find to the polls. ‘But I’ve never voted in my life!’ their captives said. ‘Don’t worry, you just get in there and press the lever for Gore.’ But these people couldn’t read, they didn’t know what the hell was going on. Why doesn’t anyone talk about voter irresponsibility?”

The “get-whitey” syndrome now permeates black culture, Adams observes, destroying the spirit of self-help. “It’s so disheartening for black people to try to pin blame on every white person.” Adams recalls Jesse Jackson’s 1999 lawsuit against the Decatur, Illinois, school district for having expelled six ninth-graders for a vicious football-stadium brawl. “Now we call school discipline ‘disciplinary profiling.’ See how twisted that is!” He shakes his head incredulously. “People say: ‘We’re more boisterous; that’s our culture.’ No. You can’t just stand up and shout at your teacher; you’re embracing behavior that others see as wrong.”

The flip side of the “get-whitey” syndrome is the “acting-white” syndrome. “Anything of value, that’s ‘white,’ ” observes Adams. “Standing with your pregnant girlfriend, that’s ‘white.’ Staying away from gangs, ‘white.’ Wearing pants where they’re supposed to be—on your waist—‘white.’ ‘We wear our pants below our butt line.’ It is so sick. If you’re not acting out in school, you’re an Uncle Tom, you’re ‘white.’ ”

Adams’s parents watched the romanticization of underclass culture in the 1970s with alarm and predicted that it would spell the black community’s downfall. “In 1970, 1972, you had the start of the Superfly period,” Adams recalls. “Do you know the things that we celebrated? Pimping, drugs—they all showed up in Blaxploitation movies. It destroyed the advances of the civil rights movement. Medgar Evers, in his suit, tie, and white shirt—it all got stripped out. People said: ‘Man, we’re done with that; it’s time to let our hair down,’ ” Adams says in a lilting, super-cool glide. “We glorified street life, the projects. The Superfly period morphed into the gangsta culture of the mid-eighties, and now we’re glorifying violent criminals.”

Today’s self-designated “civil rights” leaders are cowards, Adams charges, because they refuse to challenge dysfunctional black behavior. “The battle that really should be going on is against the enemy that looks like you—the father who abandons his children or rapes women or sells drugs. Those are the people you need to fight, but you’re scared. Because they look like you, you don’t want to get your hands bloody.”

Adams shares no such reluctance for the necessary fight."

http://www.city-journal.org/html/15_2_heralds.html

Does the new domestic violence bill cover Malone?

2005-05-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260354/1056

Taft signed a new bill today making it harder for those charged with domestic violence to be released from jail. I'm pretty sure Malone was released on his own recognizance, but at least there's a restraing order against him.

The Dems Can Do It, Why Can't We?

2005-05-26T16:38:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260340/1056

In a tough race to win, the democrats are uniting their support behind one candidate. I understand why the Republicans aren't doing that for 2nd district race, because we should win this one, and we should let the party faithful decided who it's going to be, but why can't we make these kinds of decisions quickly for things like the mayor, the resignation of Mike Allen and Sam Malone?

Why Do We Need Police Overtime?

2005-05-26T16:34:00.000-04:00

"Cincinnati streets this summer will be filled with more police on foot and bike, part of a $1.2 million program that City Council unanimously approved Wednesday - despite warnings from the city manager and the mayor that the city doesn't have the money.

The funds, more than triple what is now spent on a program called "police visibility overtime," would go toward walking and bicycle patrols in neighborhood business districts with crime hot spots."

Why just put police at hot spots in the summer? Why not just higher more police officers to cover these spots? That way we'd have more police officers and wouldn't be paying them overtime, just regular time. More police + more efficient spending= bad idea?

If Dewine is an opportunist, what would Brinkman be?

2005-05-26T16:14:00.000-04:00

I was thinking about comments people have made on this blog and elsewhere that Dewine is a shameless opportunist for going from one office to another and advancing himself. I was wondering what Brinkman would be if he failed in his run for Congress and ran for Mayor?

Sam Malone: Failure by Enquirer, Post, and Republican Party?

2005-05-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

When Sam Malone was 20 he beat his mom and was arrested. Did anyone know this before his recent spat? Do the newspapers check to see if prominent politicians or candidates have a criminal record? If so when do they publish what they know? Do we have a right to know, even if it was from several years ago? I would guess the papers had not checked into the criminal record of city councilman, I hope they do now, and we'll let us know of any other criminals on council (insert pun about them all being criminals here).

more importantly the republican party, under the steady leadership of Mike Barrett, seems to have failed to do its home work and endorsed a candidate that beat his mom: not exactly family values. When did the RP know what it knows? Don't they ask candidates if they have anything in their past that could embarrass them or the party? Did Barrett think Motherbeating is acceptable? If Malone lied to the party, why not say so now, and urge him to resign?

Sam Malone: Why we need districts

2005-05-25T13:02:00.000-04:00

I have posted before that I think our neighborhoods would be better served with district representation, largely because it would make councilman more accountable for their actions that effect neighborhoods. Now Sam Malone is a perfect exmple of the need for districts. I really fear that because of the field race tat is the council race, he will be re-elected. If we had districts it would be much more difficult for Malone to get away with beating his kid. Districts would do a better job of holding him accountable.

Tom Brinkman: A Conservative John McCain?

2005-05-25T12:49:00.000-04:00

I was reading this letter http://www.deanofcincinnati.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=422&mode=flat&order=0&thold=-1

from Tom Brinkman and got to thinking that he has many similarities to McCain. Pro-life, smaller taxes etc, and both speak their mind. This has angered me sometimes with McCain, when the party needs to stick together and he goes and does his thing i.e. filibusters, Brinkman used to give me a bad impression as well. He seemed narrow minded and a know it all. I realize now that perhaps this could be interpreted as focused and consistent in his beliefs. This I think is what the HCRP needs and what we need in Washington. In a time when no one will criticize Malone or Barrett we need someone who is willing to speak his mind.

Why Don't Politicians Have Common Sense?

2005-05-25T12:35:00.000-04:00

The following was recently posted by anonymous, and it made me wonder why politicians are unable to enact solutions that seem so obvious to the rest of us:

"Tell Sam not to worry about foreign-born gang members. It's the Cincinnati-born 16 to 20 year old thugs who are committing most of the violent crime. These gun-toting animals have a total disdain for the lives and property of others.

A few suggestions for our illustrious city leaders:

1. Stop merely paying lip service to a "zero tolerance" stance on crime and start doing something about it (of course, we'll have to start within the court system by voting out judges who refuse to impose maximum sentences). I'm sick of hearing about prison overcrowding as a reason for light sentences. These thugs should be packed into cells like sardines if need be.

2. Get tough on absentee landlords who allow their properties to remain vacant or fall into disrepair. Levy fines on a monthly basis. Enact legislation that allows liens to be placed on properties or properties to be seized when fines reach a certain point.

3. Give seized properties to developers who have a proven gentrification track record for blighted inner city neighborhoods. We need law-abiding, gainfully employed citizens to take back these neighborhoods from the thugs."

Is Brinkman the Conservative Choice?

2005-05-25T11:54:00.000-04:00

I was thinking about the options for the 2nd district today:

Dewine: Adulterer- bad choice
Mcewen- old unethical scandal- bad choice
Schmidt- didn't vote to repeal the one cent sales tax and actually lost her seat in columbus- bad choice

Brinkman: Pro-family, for smaller government and lower taxes.

What are reasons not to vote for Tom Brinkman? I think I'm falling into his camp via process of elimination.

What's up with Sam Malone? Mother-beater, Child-beater, racist?

2005-05-25T10:34:00.000-04:00

"TEGUCIGALPA SAM: Even if not for the timing - coming as it did four days after his arrest for domestic violence - Councilman Sam Malone's plea for a police gang unit seemed unusually urgent.

After all, what made last week different from the dozens of other times City Council has debated the gang unit in this session?

Malone's answer: The imminent scourge of Honduran street gangs.

"Cincinnati better wake up," Malone said, calling on City Council to suspend the rules and allow an immediate vote. "Either we get ready now, or Cincinnati becomes a haven for this spreading Honduran threat."

Malone concedes that there are no reported Honduran gangs in Cincinnati, but there have been arrests in Columbus and Indianapolis, he said.

At first blush, Cincinnati would not seem to be fertile ground for such gangs. There were just 125 Honduran-born people living in Cincinnati at the 2000 census - just 1 percent of the total foreign-born population.

Hondurans rank behind Indians, Chinese, Germans, Britons, Mexicans, Russians, Canadians, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Jamaicans, French, Koreans, Guatemalans, Italians, Taiwanese, Ukrainians, Yugoslavians, Greeks, Nigerians, Romanians, Cambodians and Poles."

Beware of the 125 Hondurans in Cincinnati...

Proof Our Taxes are Too High

2005-05-24T13:21:00.000-04:00

"Cincinnati Public Schools has slashed $41 million from its budget - nearly double the district's target goal of $25 million." That puts them back to the 2001 level, just think how much other waste there is in the governments budgets.

Blackwell's Latest Poll Numbers

2005-05-24T12:58:00.000-04:00

"National campaign pollster, Fred Steeper, consultant to the last five Republican presidents, released an analysis of the 2006 Ohio gubernatorial primary based on three statewide polls of Ohio Republican voters.

The results of Steeper’s two years of research show that I have a clear and convincing lead among Ohio Republicans over my opponents Betty Montgomery and Jim Petro and it is likely this lead will grow. According to Steeper’s most recent poll, I received 36% of Republican support, while Montgomery only received 21% and Petro received 18%. "

What's Really Holding Black Kids Back

2005-05-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

In January, almost 2,000 people jammed the auditorium at Wayne County Community College in Detroit in order to hear Bill Cosby yell at them—there’s really no other way to put it—for being bad parents. That was after a crowd had already filled a hall in Newark. And another in Springfield, Massachusetts. And another in Milwaukee. And yet another in Atlanta.

Had Cosby not gone into quarantine as the result of sexual-abuse charges that prosecutors say they are no longer pursuing, there’s no question that thousands more poor black parents would have come to town-hall meetings, asking the comedian-activist to harangue them, too. They would have waited in line to hear Cosby say the same sort of thing he said in front of the NAACP on the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Brown decision last May when he started his crusade: “The lower economic people are not holding up their end of the deal. These people are not parenting!” Or the litany he presented in a Paula Zahn interview: “You got to straighten up your house! Straighten up your apartment! Straighten up your child!” Wearing a sweatshirt with the motto “Parent Power!” he doubtless would have blasted the “poverty pimps and victim pimps” who blame their children’s plight on racial injustice. “Proper education has to begin at home. . . . We don’t need another federal commission to study the problem. . . . What we need now is parents sitting down with children, overseeing homework, sending children off to school in the morning, well fed, rested, and ready to learn.”....

continue reading here: http://www.city-journal.org/html/15_2_holding.html

Keep Cop Killers In Jail

2005-05-23T11:46:00.000-04:00

http://blackcincinnati.blogspot.com/2005/05/message-from-black-fist.html

I noticed this post from the "Black Fist" on the Cincinnati Black Blog. They encourage everyone to write to the parole board to get cop killer, Roland Reaves, paroled. Cop killers should be imprisoned for life with out parole. I encourage everyone to write to the parole board urging them to not release Mr. Reaves now or ever.

Ohio Parole Board, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Victims Section, 1050 Freeway Drive North, Columbus, Ohio 43229. You can also fax the letter to (614) 728-1980

New Momentum For Casinos?

2005-05-23T09:35:00.000-04:00

"Ohioans rejected casino ballot issues in 1990 and 1996 but might allow gambling to expand if given the chance to vote again, a recent poll suggests.

Fifty-five percent of the people responding to a telephone poll backed Mayor Jane Campbell's effort to change the Ohio Constitution and let big cities decide if they want Las Vegas-style gambling.

The poll of 1,500 Ohioans was commissioned by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer and was conducted May 12-17 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Washington, D.C. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Three competing interests hope voters will approve casino-type gambling - Campbell's campaign; American Indian tribes hoping to build gambling resorts; and a coalition that includes horse track owners and casino developers.

The Plain Dealer poll showed 52 percent of likely voters back legalized casinos, with 41 percent opposed and the rest undecided.

Among supporters, eight in 10 said casinos would help boost development and tax revenue, and capture dollars being wagered outside Ohio"

- I fully support Casinos on the condition that when Casinos are instituted taxes are cut across the board to reflect the new income and government does not spend more as a result. To enforce this I think Ohio is in desperate of a TEL amendment which limits state spending growth to population plus inflation. I know Brinkman, Taft, and Blackwell all support a TEL so I am disappointed little headway has been made on the issue.

Well Cincinnati Certainly Isn't Boston

2005-05-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

I returned from a weekend in Boston last night. One of the most interesting sites I encountered was not on the Freedom Trail, but perhaps on the trail to freedom. At CITY HALL in Boston they were having an LGBTQ prom. Gay, lesbian, transgendered and questioning. I could never imagine this happening in Cincinnati, it seemed hardly anyone took notice. Quite interesting.

Can The Dean or You Fill The Void?

2005-05-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

This is from a new blog reported on by Brian Griffin, http://blog.oh02.com/2005/05/19/welcome/

"Welcome to the Ohio 2nd Congressional Blog, Special Election Edition.

The Ohio 2nd Blog was created by members of the Ohio Progressive Alliance, a group of bloggers devoted to using technology to promote positive change for Ohio. The goal of this blog is to provide a resource of information about issues related to the 2nd Congressional District.

Our goal in setting up blogs such as OH02.com is to provide a community portal focused on bringing progressive energies to Congress. The Presidential races have become lightening rods drawing energy away from those most vulnerable: Congressmen. By having a permanent blog devoted to each Ohio district we will have a common body of knowledge that grows no matter what candidate is running for office.

We are still working on the site, so expect new things as the days and weeks go on."

It seems that the website is perhaps a praiseworthy idea, but I think we can recognize the real race is the Republican primary. I am reaching out to the Dean, and hoping he or someone can launch a similar blog to attract attention to the different attentions of the conservatives, who will be deciding the new Congressman from the 2nd District.

Ohio Needs Income Tax Reform

2005-05-21T22:53:00.000-04:00

This paragraph from the previous post speaks for itself:

"The personal income tax system isn’t much better. It affects many small businesses as well as all individuals and is one of the nation’s most complex, composed of nine separate tax brackets (only Missouri and Montana have more). Along with this complexity comes a fairly high top rate of 7.5 percent — only 9 states have a higher rate."

Tax Reform Is Needed

2005-05-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

In "Battleground" Ohio, Tax Politics Are Local

by Scott A. Hodge

Among President Bush’s domestic policies, none are more controversial than his tax cuts. Senator Kerry assails them in every speech, claiming that they have hurt the country, promising to repeal any that benefit taxpayers with high incomes.

As the economy has grown throughout the spring, adding about a million jobs nationally in February, March and April, the tax argument is becoming easier and easier for President Bush to win. In some states, though, the local debate over tax policy overwhelms the debate over national tax policy, and Ohio might be one of those states.

A fiscal mess caused by years of overspending has trapped Ohio in a vicious cycle of tax hikes and deficits. A recent poll conducted for the Buckeye Institute found that 78 percent of Ohioans would favor a proposal to limit state spending to no more than the rate of inflation. An even more overwhelming majority (86% to 9%) favored spending cuts over tax increases if the state confronts another budget deficit, as it is now predicted to do.

If not for the recent federal tax cuts, Ohio taxpayers would be even more hard-pressed to finance their burgeoning state and local governments. In 2004, Ohio ’s federal tax burden of 16.2 percent of income is 37th highest in the nation. As recently as 2000, Uncle Sam was taking 21.1 percent of Ohioans’ income. That’s approximately $12.3 billion that the Bush tax cuts have spared Ohioans in federal tax payments over the last four years.

But the story at the state-local level is quite different. In the Tax Foundation’s recently released ranking of combined state-local tax burdens in the 50 states, Ohio ranked third highest, taking 11.3 percent of its citizens’ income compared to a national average of 10.0 percent (see here for more on Ohio's tax burden). Only the state and local governments of New York and Maine will be taking a larger fraction this year.

Ohio’s neighboring states’ tax burdens in 2004 were all lower: Indiana – 10.1% (16th highest), Pennsylvania – 9.4% (35th highest), West Virginia – 10.6% (8th highest), Kentucky – 10.0% (17th highest) and Michigan – 10.2% (13th highest).

This high-tax environment in Ohio is fairly new. In 1990 Ohio’s state-local tax burden ranked not 3rd but 30th, well below average (9.8% of income compared to a national average of 10.3%). By 1997 Ohio ranked 20th, and in 2000, 13th. State rankings rarely change this rapidly, but over the course of the last 14 years, Ohio’s state-local tax burden has risen significantly faster than individual income.

Sometimes a state can prosper with a heavy tax burden if its tax system is arranged in a way that’s unusually favorable for business. That’s certainly not the case in Ohio. On the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index, Ohio ranked 4th worst. Only Mississippi , California and Arkansas had tax systems more inimical to economic development.

The State Business Tax Climate Index measures the impact of each state’s tax system by comparing it to the other states on five issues: sales tax rates, personal income tax rates, corporate income tax rates, the balance over time between tax growth and spending growth, and the complexity of the state tax system.

Ohio scores poorly on every component of the index, but it was the state’s corporate income tax that really stood out, with only 4 states tally a lower score. Ohio’s corporate income tax rate is 8.5 percent on all income above $50,000.

The personal income tax system isn’t much better. It affects many small businesses as well as all individuals and is one of the nation’s most complex, composed of nine separate tax brackets (only Missouri and Montana have more). Along with this complexity comes a fairly high top rate of 7.5 percent — only 9 states have a higher rate.

However, Ohio’s sales tax rate has gotten most of the attention lately. It stands at 6 percent, compared to national median of 5 percent. Ohio was at the median until the summer of 2003, when a tax hike passed, raising it from 5 percent to 6 percent. (Local sales taxes are additional, with 77 of Ohio ’s 88 counties adding on between 1 and 2 cents.)

The state-level increase is currently scheduled to expire after two years, with the rate reverting to 5 percent. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is campaigning to repeal it earlier by referendum, but forces in favor of making the tax permanent have created legal obstacles that may derail the referendum. This referendum issue is keeping the tax issue before the public’s attention, which is exactly where it should be. No state is more clearly in need of tax reform than Ohio.

Mike "Clinton" Barrett Disgusts

2005-05-20T09:49:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050520/EDIT02/505200353/1021/EDIT

In his column, Mike Barrett disgusts reasonable people of all political persuasions. He calls for letting the criminal justice system do its work. This is fine... if he's found innocent... but what if he's not? Then Barrett will have been supporting and endorsing a child-beater, who we already know has beat his own mother in the past as well. As much as Barrett wants to frame the debate as a matter of discipline Malone's past behavior makes it increasingly likely that he went over the line. Some may agree that we can not find someone guilty before a trial, that this goes against all things American, but I believe that some people can and should be held to higher standard, and those are our elected leaders. He does not have to be found criminally guilty today because he is already guilty of failing to live up to the standards that we as citizens and as a party should hold him to. He has failed us.

I don't think a politician should be thrown out of office for cheating on his wife or not giving enough to charity, but they should be for violent behavior against their children. Sam Malone having lead the life he has and believing the things he does, should know better. He should know better than to beat his child. And both he and Mike Barrett should know better than to try and rationalize such disgusting behavior. In my mind the excuses and rationalization is growing worse than the act. An act can be forgiven, treachery and deceit can not. Sam Malone and Mike Barrett should stand up like men and say they were wrong. Once more Barrett fails to lead and this time he could be alienating thousands of voters. The HCRP is acting Clintonian in its actions and I find it almost unbearable.

Is anyone at UC sober?

2005-05-20T09:45:00.000-04:00

"Another senior member of the University of Cincinnati's Athletic Department has been arrested on drunken driving charges.

Greenhills police confirmed today that Bruce Ivory, associate athletic director for academics and compliance, was arrested on a DUI charge Thursday night.

Officers on duty early this morning said Police Chief Thomas E. Doyle would provide more details later today."

The PC Police Entering Firehouses

2005-05-20T09:34:00.000-04:00

"Three of Cincinnati's 26 firehouses are all-white. Six are almost all-black. And only about a third might be considered racially balanced, according to an Enquirer analysis of personnel records obtained under the Ohio Public Records Act."

- and what does the Enquirer analysis of Cincinnati neighborhoods reveal? Perhaps that firefighters are trying to work in their own neighborhoods? and save their neighbors and friends lives?

"A third of our lives are going to be here at the firehouse," said Lonnie Jones II, who is black. "I think people should have the right of choice of where they want to go as long as it doesn't affect how they do their job."
"My question is: Where is this issue coming from?" said Jones. "Did someone say this was affecting our firefighting?"

-Great question, I think I know the answer, the issue is coming from a misguided liberal ideology that promotes diversity for diversities sake, while want the Val Lemmie should be doing is promoting safety for safety's sake. We're all better off when firefighters are working where they want. As usual the City will do anything to antagonize the two most important and basic parts of local government, the police and the fire department.

-It seems though that this issue is drawing the races together, both white and black firefighters don't want forced segragation they want to work with their friends and in their neighborhoods. It's time for the city to let them do their jobs.

New Revenue Source for the City

2005-05-20T00:31:00.000-04:00

A city desperate for Money now wants to tax your cell phone. Aren't those charges already high enough?

"Portland residents could soon be paying a city tax on their wireless phones, under a proposal backed by Commissioner Randy Leonard that could raise $6 million. "

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2005/05/15/news/oregon/state05.txt

Let's hope no Councilmember in Cincinnati finds out about this new tax ability.

No more hockey

2005-05-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/05/16/daily34.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Although most Cincinnatians probably didn't miss the NHL very much this year, it is still disappointing that next year we will have no minor league hockey teams in Cincinnati. In this case, Cincinnati seemed entirely not at all fault and just seemed to be plain unlucky.

I wonder though, will this mean the end of the Cincinnati Gardens? With three other arenas in Cincinnati how can the Gardens survive?

The True Tom Brinkman: Taxkiller

2005-05-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

Although Publius is accurate when he quotes Tom Brinkman in the Cincinnati Post

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050519/NEWS01/505190358

as saying he is against Bob Taft's income tax, Publius does mislead the public by offering any context for Brinkman's opposition. The 21 percent cut in income taxes isn't going to take place for 5 years. Many, such as Tom Brinkman, believe that what this really means is that the cut will never take place.

Secondly, I believe Brinkman would argue that tax cut isn't really a tax cut if the government will simply impose a new tax to make up for the old one.

Lastly, Tom Brinkman has always been one of the staunchest fiscal conservatives in Columbus. He realizes that the only way to make a tax cut absolute is to pass a TEL or TABOR amendment so the costs of government can not simply be shifted.

The key to Brinkman's position is his statement, ""In reality, it's going to result in more taxes at the local level."

Flip-Flop For Republican Monzel

2005-05-19T15:01:00.000-04:00

Some Great Leadership once again:

Council voted 7-2 to send the proposal to the law committee for more review and debate. Only fellow Republican Chris Monzel voted with Malone on the issue.

Council has rejected the proposal at least twice before. Last month, Monzel was the swing vote in a 5-4 decision against reviving the gang unit and creating a homicide task force in the Police Department.

Some Council Democrats alleged Monzel changed his stance in an attempt to boost Malone, who is facing a criminal charge that he abused his 14-year-old son.

"I was very skeptical of the gang unit before, but with the recent activity we need to do something," Monzel said. "If this provokes a conversation that prompts us to do something, that will be a good thing."

Tom Brinkman... For Taxes?

2005-05-19T13:43:00.000-04:00

"Brinkman, considered a possible GOP candidate for Cincinnati mayor, said he also opposes Taft's plan to cut personal income tax rates. "In reality, it's going to result in more taxes at the local level.""

The Republican Party Needs a Coup

2005-05-19T13:23:00.000-04:00

Over recent months I've come to the conlusion that the HCRP needs a revolution. The current leadership needs to be ousted. The republican party is the party of cheaters and beaters, with leadership without enough vision or courage to stand up and lead. Sadly this is the exact opposite of the Republican Party on the national level. Nationally, Republicans stick to their values and stand strong through adversity. It is almost like in Cincinnati the roles have reversed, (though Tim Burke, really doesn't impress me too much). Mike Barrett has no political instincts or general strategy and is hardly ever at hq's working. This leaves the party in the hands of buzz deters, the consummate and unethical hack. he advised both the party and leslie ghiz during the last council races but gave contradictory advice to each. he clearly is looking out for himself and not his party and needs to be gone. the party's entire strategy was awful from fielding a full slate and giving them all the same amount of money, to focusing on the Empire Theater Scandal, when it was the first elections since the Riots! Malone was smart enough to focus on the riots, and he was the only non-incumbent to win! All they needed was a simple R stands for Reform type campaign, and things could've been really interesting. Meanwhile here we are today, Allen gone, Dewine with his mistress, and Malone beating his kid. Pete Witte alienated and no mayoral strategy, And no one saying hmmm maybe it's time for some new leadership. I first started thinking about this idea a few months ago, when I was reading about Mike Allen in Cincinnati Magazine, it talked about when he and Bob Bedinghaus, and Deters were all upset with the direction the party was going, so they worked outside the party and created their own pac. They wound up being so successful they took over the party and two of them became chairmen. The have fallen from grace since them, but I think it is time for another shake up. And I hope young politicians in Cincinnati feel the same way. I'm confident that several of them with ties to big donors could pull this off, and the party could be on the right track again. until then it's sad to be a republican in cincinnati.

thank god Bush brought in his own people to do the campaign in Cincinnati, or we'd probably be watching a President Kerry right now.

Sam Malone: Fall Out For Dewine?

2005-05-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

I am wondering if the Sam Malone incident will have any repercussions for the 2nd District Congressional race. Might it focus voters attention on family values? Part of Dowlin's problem in the primary was he went negative on Pat Dewine about these issues, (plus he was old, tired and out of ideas). Now there is an opportunity for a family man like Tom Brinkman to step up and condemn Sam Malone's violent behavior, and in doing so he would draw a distinction between himself and philandering Pat Dewine. So I wonder why Brinkman has not been condemning the actions of Sam Malone. I think it would be a great political play.

Not the First Time for Malone

2005-05-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050518/NEWS01/505180362

In case anyone missed it, Sam Malone beat on his mother 14 years ago. If this isn't evidence that he has to go, I don't know what is. Who beats their mom?

More On Monzel and Malone

2005-05-18T10:04:00.000-04:00

From the Cincinnati Post:

"But Chris Monzel, a fellow Republican appointed to City Council earlier this year to fill a vacancy, said he wanted to offer Malone his support.

"Sam Malone has been very supportive of me, and I'm very supportive of Sam," Monzel said. "There is a process and we need to let it run its course."

Monzel said he gave Malone a hug in Council chambers Monday because "it's a tough time for him and his family.""

Chris Monzel is beholden to Sam Malone and Carl Lindner for his seat on council. Obviously Monzel has to support his party and support the man that got him his seat back. But sometimes an act goes too far and you have to wash your hands of a situation. Malone has not even apologized that perhaps he hit his kid too hard, no apology what so ever. The best way to support Sam Malone is to tell him to leave council and get help. Perhaps Monzel has done this behind closed doors and is too much of gentleman to say it publicly, but this is a PR disaster for the Republican Party and someone besides Pete Witte has to say something, we know barrett won't, he's the one that took months to appoint the councilman. As the only other politician on Council, Monzel is the voice of the party in the city. He needs to say I support Sam Malone because I believe at heart he is a good man, but his actions were out of line, and I do not support them, and he needs to take time off, to pray, reflect and put his life in order.

Cranley a Republican?

2005-05-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

Can anyone see John Cranley becoming a Republican? I for one would love to see it. He was against the Lynch nomination, is pro-police, pro-life, for managed competition, from the West Side, and votes for tax cuts. His entire family is made up of Republicans, he only left the party because he believes strongly in "social justice" and believes the best party on this is the Democratic one. I believe there is room in the Republcan party for social justice, it is after all the epitome of fair and equal opportunity for all. Not only that but I believe the party could benefit from a voice like Cranley's especially given the moral failings of late. Lastly Cranley would benefit. He got his start running for Congress becoming a Republican would make him the heir apparent to Chabot, hands down. If he wants to run for Mayor, and he must just look at how close he came to running this year, his best shot is as a Republican. As long as Pepper and Reece are around, Cranley won't be the Democratic nominee for Mayor. So should Cranley be a Republican?

Sadly, Malone May Win Re-election

2005-05-17T15:58:00.000-04:00

I will be very disappointed and saddened if Malone wins re-election, but I think he can definitely do it. One he's tough on crime and Republican, some folks who don't follow the news, or who instead follow the Charlie Winburn talking points will vote for him. Two he's black and will receive votes for this reason only. Third because it is a field race, all the attention will not be on him, especially with the Mayor's race drawing so much attention. By November voters could easily forget yesterday. I hope it doesn't happen, but it may all be water under the bridge by November. (ala Ted Kennedy)

Republicans Staying Silent, Time for Monzel to Step Up

2005-05-17T11:29:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050517/NEWS

The picture with that story got my attention. There you have Sam Malone with his Republican counterpart Chris Monzel, aka Mr. Family Man. The story reports that Monzel hugged Malone in City Hall yesterday. I would hope Monzel would step up and say these are not the kind of values that our City or our Party recognize as good. Monzel can support Malone as a human and urge him to seek counseling and prayers, but he should avise Malone to resign his seat for the sake of the party and the city. Monzel has now served on Council with an adulteress and a child-beater. This can not play well in Hyde Park or the family oriented WestSide. It is time for him to step up and show the City what family values are, or we will be left wondering what we, Cincinnati Republicans, have become.

Sean Hannity, Nate Livingston, and Sam Malone

2005-05-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

I was driving through Pennsylvania yesterday and I happened to be listening to the Sean Hannity show when a caller from Cincinnati called in. Hannity said to him, what's this I hear about a father in Cincinnati getting in trouble for spanking his child? Nate Livingston emailed me and told me about it. I got belted by my father when I was a kid and I deserved it. The caller informed him that the man was a city councilman and the child was hospitalized. Sean said that that kind of discipline was not discipline but a beating and was not acceptable. He vowed he would learn more about it for today's show, so Cincinnatians might want to call in to the Sean Heanity show and tell him that Malone's actions are not acceptable especially for a Republican and he needs to resign.

Arrested Development

2005-05-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

Wow, the news about Sam Malone was unbelievable to put it mildly. While I don't want to convict an innocent many before hearing the entire story (which in cases like this only two people will ever really know) for the good of Cincinnati and the Republican Party I believe Malone should resign.

This is another embarrassing moment for the Republican Party. Now we have an alleged child abuser on Council, an unfaithful Commissioner who is running for congress, and a disgraced former prosecutor. As a voter I see ZERO reason to remain faithful to the party's candidates. People like to talk about values and in the endorsed candidates of the HCRP I see none of my values being reflected. This goes beyond the value debate of cutting taxes or even abortion. This is just about being a decent human being, and the Republican Party has not promoted this.

Taft Ranked At the Bottom 19% Approval

2005-05-13T19:48:00.000-04:00

From the Washington Times:

At the bottom

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft received the worst approval rating —19 percent — in the first national poll covering the chief executives of all 50 U.S. states. New York-based SurveyUSA polled 600 adults in every state in the union Friday to Sunday and found the most popular governor to be Republican John Hoeven of North Dakota, with a 71 percent approval rating, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Judge Barrett?

2005-05-11T14:06:00.000-04:00

I admittedly know little about Mike Barrett's, chairman of the HCRP, legal mind. But does his political work deserve a slap on the back from President Bush and a federal judgeship? I think not. Yes, Hamilton County and Ohio went for Bush, but it was by less votes than in 2000. We've lost a seat on the Commission, spent millions on two stadiums (though that's how Bush made his small fortune), had a prosecutor resign, had an embarrassment in the coroners office, and failed to capitalize on the riots to pick up any seats on council. The best thing that could come from giving Barrett a judgeship is someone new would run the HCRP, Rove's smart but I don't know if he was that smart.

AMEN

2005-05-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050511/NEWS01/505110357

Cranley noted that managed competition spurred the city workers to suggest improvements, adding that his colleagues' comments were "testy and defensive."
"I don't know why people are afraid to compete," he said. "If there's a way to get a 200 percent productivity increase without managed competition, where's the idea?"

I wonder the same thing myself.

Award for Senator Voinovich

2005-05-11T12:48:00.000-04:00

Although many Republicans and Democrats may not like the job Senator Voinovich has done, he recently was awarded the Partnership for Public Service's Leadership Award.

From the Washington Times:

Former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, TV talkmeister John McLaughlin, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder and legendary football coach Joe Gibbs were all pressing the flesh Monday night at the Partnership for Public Service's 20th annual Leadership Awards Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. Honored this year for improving the way government works were a business leader, Home Depot Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli, and a government leader, Ohio Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich.

Cinergy-Duke Merger

2005-05-10T18:33:00.000-04:00

After two significant gains for the Cincinati business community, we are finally on the "losing" end of a merger. The interesting part of all three acquisitions are the cities in which the companies are headquartered. For example, Boston, home of Gillette was recently named the costliest place to do business.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/05/06/business_costs_found_highest_in_hub?mode=PF

Interestingly, in Boston's case the high cost of business was not actually due to taxes but to cost of living factors.

In considering the Cinergy merger cost of business should again be considered. According to economy.com North Carolina ranks 11 points below (on a 100 point scale) the average cost of doing business in the United State. When this is coupled with the South's surging population growth it should be no surprise that many Southern businesses are thriving and other Corporations are relocating to the South.

Cincinnati can learn valuable lessons from their Southern neighbors, particularly Charlotte. Specifically, Charlotte has Metro-County government, .8 lower millage on their property taxes, and no income tax. Further, despite having a population 200,000 greater than Cincinnati, the Operating Budget of Charlotte is almost identical.

The result? According to the most recent Census numbers, non-farm employment grew by 8 percent in Mecklenburg County while decreasing more than 2 percent in Hamilton County.

The lesson? Charlotte's growth began when Mayor Richard Vinroot was elected in 1991 and governed under a Taxpayer Protection Act that limited government spending to the inflation rate plus population growth. Cincinnati should do the same. Last year, Cincinnati's budget grew by 4.2 percent, which doesn't sound too bad until you realize inflation was only 3 percent and the population growth was negative. Cincinnati will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage until we get city spending under control.

A Functional Council

2005-05-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

The Business Courier with a great article on a Cincinnati Council that actually helps the city.

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/05/09/story2.html

A new program by the Inventor's Council of Cincinnati could make life easier for people like Diaz. The plan -- called "Cincinnati Invents!" -- links the group's roughly 72 local inventors to independent downtown retailers. Culinique is the program's kickoff invention, launched April 30 at Metronation on Elm Street.

This a great PRIVATE initiative to help the real CREATIVE class. Thank God, city council didn't involve themselves.

Fountain Square Overkill

2005-05-08T20:52:00.000-04:00

There has been much hoopla lately about the proposed changes to Fountain Square. Couldn't the city use the 3.25 million dollars in much more effective ways? I think the people in North College Hill would appreciate that money.

I know everytime I am at the Square during lunch time on a summer day it is packed with people. Redesigning it will not bring in a larger lunch crowd, its full already. The reason people do not go down there for dinner is simple. Cincinnati is a commuter town, its time people realize that. The best idea would be to get 5/3 to give up all their bottom floors and open more restaurants there. I also agree with eliminating the skywalks.

Lowering the Square won't change anything, just make the Fountain more difficult to see. Adding more trees will do the same thing, plus make it a more claustraphobic space. The design of Fountain Square is not the reason for Downtown's woes. Changing it may make it look nicer, but it will not draw more people to it. Let's spend the money on areas that really need it.

Soft Judge Stan

2005-05-08T20:37:00.000-04:00

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050507/NEWS01/505070361

Judge Stan Billingsley thought serving 9 months of a 13 year sentence for killing two people for driving drunk.
This isn't the first time Judge Billingsley has acted against the well-being of the Commonwealth. In 2003 he accepted a plea, against the wishes of the Commonwealth's Attorney, from former Florence Finance Director Ronald Epling for stealing 2.8 million dollars from Florence.
http://www.cincypost.com/2003/02/25/oepl022503.html

Just who is Judge Billingsley trying to protect?

Tax-cutting too the extreme?

2005-05-08T12:12:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050508/NEWS01/505080409

The Enquirer today with a nice piece on groups like COAST who fight school levy increases. While I am generally against taxes, and believe the teachers' union has more power then it is due, I question COASTS opposition to virtually any school levy without careful review. Many who are tired of paying high property taxes also tend to forget that having a good, well-funded school system increases their property values. There is no doubt that the tax money going to schools should be scrutinized, but my point is that property taxes to help a well-run school system may be the only tax that can actually increase your ultimate bottom line.

Cincy in the national news

2005-05-07T12:43:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati gets a nice mention in this article from CNN.com :

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/ADVISOR/05/06/bi.tourism.cards.ap/index.html

Over-the-Rhine: On the Comeback?

2005-05-06T19:34:00.000-04:00

Interesting article by Matt Hirsch at the Buckeye Institute:

http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/article.php?id=208

Best excerpt:

City planners began to view Over-the-Rhine as a problem in 1924. Plan after plan came and went — suburbanization was either encouraged or discouraged, and the creation of a unified metropolis was either promoted or sidelined in favor of isolated and autonomous neighborhoods. Taxpayer dollars left taxpayer pockets with each new proposal for strategic planning, research, demolition and construction. And after each round of jockeying for redistributed taxpayer funds, there were winners and losers, infighting and “civic alienation.”
In more recent years, as tax dollars to fund such schemes began to dry up (suburbanization surprisingly fell out of favor), the planners have sought ways to bring taxpayers back into the city. A quick look at tax rates for surrounding communities may provide a much simpler solution to the issues of urban population drain. From 1983 to 1998, Cincinnati had one of the highest city income tax rates in the region, and the property tax rate for the Over-the-Rhine district is listed in the highest residential property tax bracket.
Lessons from decades of intervention in Over-the-Rhine testify to the damaging influence such practices can have on a city’s economy and its people. Creating false incentives and redirecting resources to less than optimal ends leads not to viable redevelopment but rather calls for greater levels of intervention after these distortions take root. In contrast, establishing an atmosphere that welcomes residents and businesses can be boiled down to an easily understood formula for all levels of government: step aside. Government is not the agent of development and innovation.

Station Segregation? So what

2005-05-06T13:02:00.000-04:00

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050506/NEWS01/505060337

Valerie Lemmie and Chris Smitherman want to "bus" firefighters to stations in an effort to promote racial balance in individual stations.

City Council Member Christopher Smitherman said most fire stations in predominantly black neighborhoods are staffed by all-black crews, and the reverse holds true in white neighborhoods, a trend that he finds disturbing.
"This is completely unacceptable," Smitherman said.
Allowing the situation to continue will hamper attempts to improve the city's strained race relations, which boiled over into three days of rioting in April 2001, he said

So if we had had "diverse" firestations before 2001 the riots never would have happened? HAHAHA

Currently, the fireman get to choose their own assignments. As long as they are doing their job, they should be allowed to continue choosing their station. Their job is to put out fires, not be used by some on Council to fan a fire that really isn't there.

The fire department used to not be diverse, but that problem has been eleviated. Forcing assignments will not make firefighting any better or more efficient. It will only create disgruntled firefighters working farther from home. Smitherman is race-baiting again, just in time to run another inflammatory campaign

Strickland for Governor

2005-05-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

Rep. Ted Strickland looks ready to anounce he is running for Governor. Obviously a good thing for the Republicans to have a Democratic Primary. It is a little surprising to some that he is running for Governor instead of Senate. To me know this is a no brainer for three reasons. If he wins the Primary he is facing an open seat instead of an incumbant. Second, scores of opportunity in the campaign to highlight the disaster that has been the Republican hold on the Corner Office. Lastly, as far as personal impact on the citizenry, a Governor has much greater impact. As a Senator you are just one of a hundred legislators debating and voting on policy (and as a Dem, he'll likely be in the minority meaning little substantive policy could come from him). As Governor though, he is literally the CEO of Ohio. Even with Republican control of both Houses his influence would be considerable.

I am hoping that some knowledgeable Dems could post who they think will/want to win the Democratic Primary; Strickland or Coleman?

Neighborhood Fiasco

2005-05-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

WOW! Just when you thought the City couldn't do any worse:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050506/NEWS01/505060412/1056

Highlights include:

The Rockford Woods fiasco is just the latest for the city's neighborhood development efforts in recent years.
And, because it's an election year, it has catapulted from a neighborhood headache to an issue in the mayoral campaign.
"This all started with a failure at the city level ... to make sure all the steps were followed before building permits were issued," said state Sen. Mark L. Mallory, a Democratic candidate for mayor who met with residents Thursday. "I think it's symptomatic of a much larger problem with the city of Cincinnati. It's in disarray. The departments are chaotic."

Hmm, maybe if we had Neighborhood Representation someone would be looking out for these residents.

Cure for Council

2005-05-05T16:27:00.000-04:00

With electoral politics consuming city council more than policy, perhaps it is time to revisit the idea of district representation.

The major reason why a do-nothing council continues to be re-elected (with the exception of Chris Monzel who by all accounts could have ran a better campaign), is because a slate of candidates creates an even greater "incumbant advantage".

It is difficult for a challenger to foster name recognition in every ward of the city. If we had district representation people would be able to hold their councilmember responsible. Moreover, the challenger can run an effective campaign against a Councilmember's record. Under the current system it is impossible to run against an individual's record. (Although, one could run against council as whole.)

District Representation would create more intimate and engaging campaigns, allowing voters to really know who they are voting for.

What's the point?

2005-05-05T16:17:00.000-04:00

An article in today's Post (almost always a better source of local news than the Enquirer) http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050505/NEWS01/505050339
detailed the Hamilton County Commissioners passing a resolution to "declare average daily noise levels of more than 55 decibels incompatible with residential land uses in western Hamilton County." Nice gesture to us living on the Westside, but that's all it is. The airport spokesman is quick to remind that, "It doesn't have any weight of law. We're a federal airport."

Even more inane, the federal guideline is for residential property to experience news levels of 65 decibels. Why didn't the commission pass the resolution for it to be at the 65 level? Or is it there already?

All this in response to a survey that 18 percent of residents are "annoyed" with the noise level. I wish the County would pay more attention to issues that "annoy" more than 18 percent of us.

Spending Spree

2005-05-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

Excerpt from the Washington Times: "Don't look now, but that's red ink pouring into the blue states. The National Taxpayers Union Foundation is preparing to release its 108th Congress BillTally study, which computes a "net annual agenda" for each member based on his or her individual sponsorship or co-sponsorship of pending legislation. Except this year, the tax-watchdog group compared legislative sponsorships to the results of the 2004 presidential election, finding that representatives from blue states, whose electoral votes went for Democrat Sen. John Kerry, advocated more than twice as much spending ($368 billion) as those representing red states ($173 billion), which favored President Bush. Senators from blue states sought nearly three times as much spending as those from red states -- $158 billion to $55 billion. "
Although I have been greatly disappointed by Bush's lack of restraint towards discretionary domestic spending, it appears Republican congressman are much more fiscally restrained then their counterparts. Imagine the deficits if the Democrats were in charge. On the local level, there have been few better advocates of the taxpayer than Steve Chabot. Also, the two frontrunners to replace Portman, Dewine and Brinkman, are proven fiscal conservatives.

Republicans helping unionized employs

2005-05-04T21:13:00.000-04:00

Courageous move by Monzel and Smitherman today. Unsurprising response by the Democrats who are more intersted in electoral politics (even according to Luken). "Let's wait to see if the market recovers before we do something that dramatic," said City Council Member John Cranley, who sits on the retirement board. "Let's see how the market performs in 2005."
I say lets not wait until the situation gets worse. If people think we have a tight budget now, just wait until this turns into the fiasco that occured in Pittsburgh. Do something now.

Special Election

2005-05-04T21:05:00.001-04:00

Bob Taft set the date for the election. Does anyone really think Dewine is beatable? I like to think so, as recent events continue to point to the deteriation of the HCRP. Can a Brinkman who is a true social conservative and proven tax cutter organize the grassroots for one of the bigger upsets in Cincinnati history?

Special Election

2005-05-04T21:05:00.000-04:00

Drake Drivels

2005-05-04T20:58:00.000-04:00

Civil Servant Roberta Bradford continues her clash with Phil Heimlich as outlined in todays Post. Very technical issue being played out, but my bigger question is why do people continue to support the Drake Center? No other county in the state (and likely the country) supports a similar type hospital. Moreover, if we are subsidizing shouldn't at least the patients from outside the county be forced to pay more? Lastly, why not make the drake levy truly the drake levy and not tie other funding in with it?

Spencer Gets This One Right

2005-05-04T13:28:00.000-04:00

http://www.spencer2005.com/blog/

I think I agree with everything he wrote:

Its not like we needed those jobs, anyway!
Argh.
Let's give it up for tax and spend politics, which still manages to win out everytime in Council Chambers. Latest example: the rejection of the Cincinnati Job Creation act, which would've taken economic development out of the hands of grandstanding politicians, and placed it where it belongs-- with the city's economic development team.
This entire city is built on the earnings tax, meaning if we ever want more money for basic services like police and improving quality of life, we have to create more jobs.
Job creation tax credits work like this: for every new job created, the city gives a tax credit to the employer for half the total earnings tax collected from that job for five years. After that five year period, the city keeps ALL of the earnings tax. So essentially, it doesn't COST the city anything, it just means we collect LESS in taxes from NEW jobs for a SHORT duration.
But its never that simple...
Northlich Inc. dropped the request after questions were raised publicly by two members, Alicia Reece and Christopher Smitherman.
If Luken's plan is approved, City Council would no longer review or vote on those types of tax credits.
Providing a standard policy for granting the credits would simplify the process for businesses while preventing the firms from "being beaten up by Council," the mayor said.
I'm not sure what questions they asked Northlich, other than "How dare you come here and ask for an incentive that we've got listed on our website that you qualify for? Have you no sense of decency?"
And, while I really do hate to pick on the guy, this has to be the best example of the tax and spend philosophy I've ever heard:
Also, opponents noted that the proposal - if approved - likely could involve City Hall giving cash rebates to companies that pay no corporate earnings taxes to the city because of a lack of profits or other loopholes.
"If we give a credit to a lot of companies that were going to provide those jobs anyway, we're going to take a big hit on the budget," said Council Member David Pepper.
"It's so broad, we'd end up giving a break to far more people than are looking for one or need one," Pepper said.
God forbid we actually AUTOMATICALLY encourage the growth of jobs without forcing a business to come down to Plum Street and jump through your hoops. Note to all members of Council-- everyone is looking for a tax break, and most of us NEED one. Hell, I'd say given the shoddy performance of the folks in Chambers, we DESERVE one.
There is NO way our budget takes a hit, since its ALL money we wouldn't have gotten if the jobs hadn't been created. To claim that is just dishonest. What this is really about is trying to grab as much money as possible off the earnings tax, so we can just waste more taxpayer dollars.
But that's not gonna work in reality. Because without this incentive, we're going to miss out on a lot of potential new jobs. Meaning, in my opinion, that we're going to collect less in taxes because of the latest grandstand.
And that cash rebate thing is such a lame excuse. Someone please explain HOW tax credits work to these members of Council-- under no circumstance are we paying out money that we would have if those companies hadn't created those jobs. Whether they had corporate profits or not, we're still just giving back HALF of the earnings tax, while we pocket the other half.
I really don't understand why our two Republican members of Council abstained from this vote. So much for making the city more "business-friendly," I suppose.
I was happy to see Jim Tarbell support this, since its good, Charter-friendly legislation that keeps Council from micromanaging job creation.
And finally, I'd just note that some of these Council members who are suddenly so concerned about big giveaways were among the first to sign on to that terrible Convergys deal, which gave away a lot more than this would, both in terms of tax credits AND cash.
This is just the latest example of why the suburbs continue to kick our tails when it comes to economic development. Who, in their right mind, would ever want to locate a major company in this city and deal with this bunch? From the smallest business to the largest employer, no one is getting what they deserve from our City Hall.

Democrats Run Roughshod over their own members

2005-05-02T16:07:00.000-04:00

According to an article in Today's Post the nominating committee was allowed to select between two different slates and we're not allowed to vote on individual candidates. I wonder what the two slates were and if any democrats are upset that this is how they endorse candidates. It seems to be a bit more by fiat and not by the members. I'm not a member of the party, but this is the kind of thing that would irk me, though it seems similar to the Monzel Ghiz fiasco. I guess Dean's effort to return the party to the grassroots is only for national level, and ironically not for the local lever. I would love to now what local dems think about the issue

Is Downtown Doomed?

2005-04-22T09:56:00.000-04:00

The Maisonnette is gone, we have new stadiums, the Aronoff,, the CAC, the Undergroud Railroad center, people still won't go downtown. Was there a failure of planning? Should all of our recent construction have been more centered on each other creating magnificent 1/2 mile? By trying to save each section of downtown, did we diminish the chances of saving any of it? I've been wondering the last few days if we couldn't have done a better job planning our projects. I think we could have.

Another question is how much a downtown is necessary today. I have read theories that cities are not very necessary in the techonology age, and so it is natural for people to live and establish businesses in the suburbs or wherever they please. Thus we see almost every city shrinking while exurbs boom. If this theory is true are wasting time trying to rehab downtown, it's been many years since it boomed, is there ever a point where we accept it for what it is?

Cincinnati Better than Boston: Finally a Story to Make Us Proud

2005-04-21T18:50:00.000-04:00

A must read story by all:

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/03/20/were_the_hub_of_the_universe_but_cincinnati_is_eating_our_lunch/

Reece is Right on this One

2005-04-14T00:40:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati needs to set goals and then work in any way possible to reach them. It's that simple. Reece is right.

"Prompted by public outcry about a rash of shootings and homicides in Cincinnati, City Council is poised for the first time to give the police department a specific, numeric goal for reducing crime in some neighborhoods.
A Council majority Tuesday recommended approving a proposal that would set a benchmark for reducing violent crime, after the idea had languished in legislative limbo before City Council's law committee since November. The proposal calls for the police department to draft a plan for lowering violent crime by 20 percent in the city's 10 most violent neighborhoods within a year.
Council Member Laketa Cole introduced the proposal last winter. Joining her in supporting it this week were John Cranley, Christopher Smitherman and Jim Tarbell.
Although she wasn't present for the vote, Vice Mayor Alicia Reece also supports the proposal, giving it enough votes for passage when the full Council meets today.
"We cannot continue to do the same thing and hope for different results," Cole said. "We have to have plans with target goals. I'm disappointed by the continued reluctance of the administration to try something new.""

Council Meetings

2005-04-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

This article prompted this post: http://www.deanofcincinnati.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=350&mode=flat&order=0&thold=-1

General Council Meetings that include public comment are generally on Wednesday's at 1:30 pm. I believe once a month they will have an evening session. I believe every meeting should be an evening session. As it now stands the only people who show up are those with enough time on their hands to wile away an afternoon at the council circus. These meetings aren't even during the lunch hour 11-1. I once told a council aide of my thoughts and he just laughed and said, we don't want more people seeing this. What we need is more regular folks to be able to make their voices heard in front of council. There's been some talk of censorship on the blogosphere and this seems like a quiet cencorship of the working class. Furthermore isn't council supposed to be a part time jobz? Council meetings in the evening would make more sense then too.

Taft Can't Get It Right

2005-04-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

Bob Taft's tax plan elimnates many forms of income tax in favor of a consumption tax. Generally favored by Republicans bob Taft still can't win them over with this plan. Too many analysts say it is an over-all tax increase. So while we need to encourage investment and businesses, we also need to encourage people to spend their money in state. This is especially true when one of your state's largest cities borders two other states. There are plenty of options for Cincinnatians to save on the tax. Of course Dems won't like his plan he replaces an income tax with a very regressive tax. Dems aren't going to like Taft what would make Republican's like him is a true tax cut combined with a real drop in spending.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050413/NEWS01/504130414/1056
"Gov. Bob Taft's tax proposal passed the Ohio House largely intact Tuesday night, a package Statehouse Republicans hope will jump-start the state's economy.
"We are fundamentally changing, in this budget, taxes away from penalizing being productive, away from taxes that penalize earning a living, away from taxes on business (that penalize) for investing in the state," House Speaker Jon Husted said Tuesday. "We can't compete with China as long as we have a tax code that punishes people for investing in the very equipment they need to compete."
The tax plan, as part of the state's $51 billion budget, passed the GOP-controlled House on a 53-46 vote, with eight Republicans voting against it, and one Democrat voting in favor. The budget moves on to the Ohio Senate.
It is either the largest income tax cut in state history, or the second-largest tax increase, depending on your point of view.
Taft's plan would lower income tax rates by 21 percent over five years, set the state sales tax rate at 5.5 percent, eliminate corporation franchise tax on profits, and kill most of the tangible personal property taxes on machinery, equipment and inventory. House changes would kill the rest of that tax, ending taxation of furniture and fixtures.
Replacing those business taxes would be a new "commercial activity tax," or CAT, a tax of 0.26 percent on sales in Ohio to Ohioans."

Senator Bayh Holding Up Portman and is Own Agenda

2005-04-13T09:20:00.000-04:00

Portman's confirmation hearing is on hold for a while until Evan Bayh gets a vote on his Stopping Overseas Subsidies Act. This is political grandstanding of its finest. Perhaps Bayh doesn't realize the irony of his action. His bill is exactly the kind of thing the Trade Representative would be working on, but I guess Bayh doesn't want a more effective Trade Rep.

"U.S. Rep. Rob Portman's nomination as U.S. trade representative hit a snag Tuesday when U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh said he would block a floor vote on Portman until one of his own bills is voted on.
"This is not about Rob Portman; everything I've heard about him says he is a good man," the Indiana Democrat - and possible 2008 presidential candidate - said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon. "He deserves a vote. So does my bill."
Bayh's legislation is called the Stopping Overseas Subsidies Act and would prevent "non-market" economies such as China from offering subsidies to U.S. companies to move jobs overseas."

Library Fees

2005-04-09T23:07:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050408/NEWS01/504080407/1056

Legislation is being considered that would allow libraries to charge more for DVD's, CDs and other materials. Now I love that libraries are free. I love it because they are such a good deal. Too good of a deal. Libraries are basically a subsidized book store and video rental agency. There is no reason not to charge a nominal fee for their services, it could even be less than Blockbuster. Libraries are great but they shouldn't compete with commercial businesses. Patrons can afford to support their libraries if they truly value them.

Drake Getting What it Deserves

2005-04-09T22:57:00.000-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big fan of Drake. I don't think they spend their money wisely and I don't think the county needs to support it in the way it does. That being said I also admit that the "Drake Levy" passed with 53% of the vote. Not a huge margin especially given some of the misunderstandings voters have about the hospital, nonetheless they won and deserve some of that levy money. But in the propaganda surrounding Drake, people forget that the Drake levy supported more programs than just Drake. Perhaps they did too good of a job spinning the levy. Now Drake was wondering where there money is even though they've gotten money to run this quarter. People question how Drake sends their money and why their private nursing unit loses money, these are fair questions that should be addressed before given Drake a lump sum of money. The commissioners are stewards of our tax dollars and should act in every way possible to make sure that we get the best deal possible. If well-paid hospital administrators resist cost-effective measures they should be questioned. Someone has to watch out for our money so that when we say it is okay to take some, it is spent in the best way possible.

Crime

2005-04-09T00:54:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've mentioned anything about crime, but there seems to be a bit of a shooting spree going on recently and I haven't seen much outrage over it. I hope politicians aren't seeing it as part of the status quo. Or maybe it's an election year and the incumbents who dominate the news think it wiser not to mention how we can't police the city. I again say we need more police and we need to make the police leaders, leaders not protected by civil service rules.

"Cincinnati police are investigating an apparent homicide and at least three other shootings that occurred Wednesday afternoon and evening.
In one incident, someone fired a shot at police officers."

- I hope they fired their tasers back.

The Enquirer's A Professional Paper?

2005-04-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

After reading this article it seems hard to believe about Blackwell being appointed to school superintendant

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/

"During the session at which the public and the news media were excluded, board member Rick Williams left twice and did not return."
- how does one leave twice and not return?

"the largest school system in the region"
- you think?

"she did not object to Ms. Blackwell being considered for superintendent, but she objected to the closed-door meetings at which her candidacy was discussed.
She also said she objected to the special board meeting and vote taking place this morning, with little public notice and when the public was less likely to attend."
- how about a syn. for object?
- and not using at which more than three times in an article

"She believed it should have occurred the school board's customary Monday night meetings."
- how about AT the meeting

"which can cost $00,000 to $200,000 "
- that makes sense

"We've got to much work to do," board member Catherine Ingram said, referring to the school district."
- think they have TOO much work

just an unimpressive article, i realize we all make mistakes, but it seems a bit much for a newspaper

Sour Grapes

2005-04-07T10:44:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050407/COL05/504070331/1004

It seems that Peter Bronson, Sei Leis, and John Dowlin might be suffering a bit from a case of sour grapes. Peter Bronson writes that Pat Dewine is too ambitious. Then he uses a former opponent and an opponent's supporter to back up his claim. Where's the Dean Logical Fallacy control when you need it? It could be that people like Pat Dewine's politics and respond to it. If he keeps moving up so quickly maybe people should note the role of gov't he espouses. What is wrong with ambition? I wouldn't want someone working for me that wasnt ambitious. And I think Dewine is right, when's the next time the 2nd district seat is going to be up for grabs. It's a once in a lifetime chance, and I think you have to take it.

Shocking News

2005-04-05T16:17:00.000-04:00

"Cincinnati Public Schools is expected to exceed its budget by $33 million for the first segment of its almost $1 billion, four-segment construction project"

anyone else surprised?

Jeffre Covered by the AP

2005-04-04T20:07:00.000-04:00

Boyband member Jeffre's run for mayor has garnered media attention. I don't take it seriously and I think it's noteworthy that the story is filed under music and entertainment, not news or politics. I think all he wants is a tv deal.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=495&ncid=762&e=4&u=/ap/20050404/ap_en_mu/people_justin_jeffre

Vouchers Making A Move

2005-04-03T13:57:00.000-04:00

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050403/NEWS01/504030453/1056

A good article in today's enquirer about a possible state voucher program for students at the worst schools and about the popularity of Cleveland's program.

"since they debuted in 1996, vouchers have become entrenched in Cleveland. Initially designed to support 1,500 students, the program now includes more than three times that many."

This part I find intriguing

"Parents and faculty at the targeted schools say they find the governor's proposal insulting, in part because they feel it discounts their attempts to address areas that state education officials find lacking.
At Franklin Montessori, teacher Gloria Taylor said she and her colleagues have taken additional training aimed at bringing test scores up. Staff and parent volunteers have started tutoring at-risk students after school.
"It's not like we're standing around saying, 'Oh gosh, there's nothing we can do,' " said Taylor."

- Fine, but doesn't accountability and choice have a part in why teachers are suddenly working harder?

Taser Deaths

2005-04-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

According to a recent Amnesty International Report:

"There were 103 Taser stun gun-related deaths in the United States and Canada between June 2001 and March 2005, according to an Amnesty International report released Friday.

In the first three months of this year, there were 13 Taser-related deaths — compared with six during the same period last year, the report said...

The report challenged Taser's claims that the stun guns have saved more than 6,000 lives.
"Taser International wildly exaggerates the number of incidents in which the use of a Taser resulted in a life saved," the report says.
Smith contended that the company's statistics are conservative and based on fact. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=25&u=/ap/20050401/ap_on_re_us/tasers_deaths

Kudos to Robert Wilson

2005-04-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

I posted a question about firing the police chief and much to my surprise a gentleman named Robert Wilson replied and informed that the manager could fire him, but clearly has no intention to do so. I clicked on his link and I must say I am impressed by his knowledge of the issues and the professionalism of his website. He seems to have some good ideas, and is a bit of everything. I think he focuses a bit too much on the creative class theory, but one can hardly blame him he is one himself I suppose. I encourage everyone to visit his site and consider him.

http://www.wilsonforcincy.com/

As for the manager firing the chief, I wonder why the council or mayor does not have control over this? that would seem like a good idea. opinions?

Will Blackwell's Past Haunt Him?

2005-04-02T13:59:00.000-05:00

I think there is little doubt that rhetorically Blackwell is the most conservative person in the gubernatorial primary. But how much of what he says does he believe and how much is politically expedient? Blackwell after all was once a Democrat on City Council, then had a change of heart when seeking higher office. Of course we all know it's relatively easy to be elected to council as a Black Democrat, and relatively easy to be elected to a state wide position as a Republican. Further Blackwell has a propensity to start programs and not finish them. And then of course there is the oft forgotten fact that his wife, is the interim superintendent of CPS. At least I am told that Rosa Blackwell is his wife. How many conservatives are aware of this link and his marriage to an official of an institution that is the bane of many conservatives philosophy? At least perhaps it gives Pepper fans hope that he to can make the turn to a Republican.

Instead of Mayor Mallory reforming the schools, what about State Control and Vouchers

2005-04-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if any of these are really the answer but it's good discussion. And of course it pains me to take away control from the local level to the state. Further Cleveland Schools still only graduate 50% of their students, but that is up but in 2000 it was only 34%. I think the dispatch article also fails to discuss what effect No Child Left Behind may have had on the district. Encouraging news but still not enough

From the Cleveland Dispatch:

"First, Cleveland began at such a low point that rapid improvement might have been somewhat easier. In 1998, Cleveland had the lowest graduation rate by far among large school districts nationwide. Making any effort on graduation rates may have made a big difference.
Second, Cleveland is home to a significant voucher program that may have placed pressure on the district to improve its quality. Any gain in educational quality, even in earlier grades, should translate into higher graduation rates over time. When students are given higher skills they have the ability to benefit more by staying in high school, while a high school student entirely lacking in skills gets little out of sticking around in a school that does not help him.
Third, the state takeover of Cleveland's schools may have been exactly the shock the district needed to turn itself around. Breaking up old, dysfunctional routines may be a pre-requisite for other serious reform."

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/othercolumns/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1112092352119350.xml

Could Reece be Right?

2005-03-31T09:41:00.000-05:00

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050330/NEWS01/503300350

Reece wants to bring Streicher before council for some serious questioning. I wonder if maybe she's not even going far enough. I believe our police department needs some new leadership. They need a jolt of energy and fresh ideas. Is the city allowed to fire Streicher and should they?

Heimlich- Money in the Bank for Petro?

2005-03-30T13:23:00.000-05:00

We've all heard stories about Blackwell's campaign being broke. So I wonder what effect Heimlich's fundraising ability had for Petro besides his conservative credentials. Heimlich has $400,000 in the bank already and in 2002 raised nearly one million dollars. It is also interesting just to see how Petro plays up Heimlich.

http://www.jimpetro.com/pdfs/philheimlich.pdf

Philaanthropy State Rankings

2005-03-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org/cfp/db/generosity.php?year=2004

State Having Rank Giving Rank Rank Relation Generosity Index
Mississippi 50 5 45 1
Arkansas 47 6 41 2
Oklahoma 43 8 35 3
Louisiana 42 10 32 4
Alabama 38 7 31 5
Tennessee 34 3 31 6
South Dakota
44
14
30
7
Utah
31
2
29
8
South Carolina
40
12
28
9
Idaho
41
20
21
10
Wyoming
21
1
20
11
Texas
23
4
19
12
West Virginia
48
31
17
13
Nebraska
35
19
16
14
North Dakota
46
30
16
15
North Carolina
27
15
12
16
Kansas
25
18
7
17
Florida
20
13
7
18
Georgia
17
11
6
19
Kentucky
39
33
6
20
Montana
49
43
6
21
Missouri
29
24
5
22
New Mexico
45
40
5
23
Alaska
24
21
3
24
Indiana
28
29
-1
25
New York
5
9
-4
26
Iowa
36
44
-8
27
Ohio
32
42
-10
28
California
6
17
-11
29
Maryland
4
16
-12
30
Illinois
10
22
-12
31
Maine
37
50
-13
32
Delaware
13
27
-14
33
Washington
11
25
-14
34
Vermont
33
47
-14
35
Oregon
26
41
-15
36
Hawaii
30
45
-15
37
Virginia
7
23
-16
38
Arizona
22
38
-16
39
Nevada
14
32
-18
40
Pennsylvania
18
36
-18
41
Michigan
16
35
-19
42
Colorado
8
28
-20
43
Connecticut
1
26
-25
44
Minnesota
12
37
-25
45
Wisconsin
19
46
-27
46
New Jersey
2
34
-32
47
Rhode Island
15
49
-34
48
Massachusetts
3
39
-36
49
New Hampshire
9
48
-39
50

For those wondering about the book I mentioned, you can look at it here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1595550011/qid=1111986482/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-3743951-0633659?v=glance&s=books

Red States and Charity

2005-03-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

The book I'm reading about the Tn Tax Revolt also discussed a bit the difference in giving between red states and blue states. Blue states undeniably are wealthier, but the top twenty, twenty! giving states were red. In fact our poorest state Mississippi gave on average one thousand dollar more to charity, than California, who on average makes $20,000 more per year. It seems that people in red states do practice what they say, that if you let people care for others and not force them to they will. Blue states it seems only do so at the barrel of the governments gun.

Quite A Week

2005-03-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

Looks like I missed out on quite a week while I was away visiting family for Easter. The most entertaining happening being the dispute between two bloggers, Nick Spencer and The Dean. I almost don't know what to make of it. The event at alchemize seemed like a who's who of the local blogosphere. It would have been fun to be there, and to witness what actually happened between the Dean and Spencer. I noticed that Spencer hasn't written anything about it yet, which I must admit is probably wise. Nonetheless I would have to say that news was easily the most exciting in the blogs this year.

I also missed the continued fog around Portman's seat. Heimlich is not running, so who's the front runner? And what's up with Brinkman's email messages? Was he completely out of the loop? I find that hard to believe, but if not what was his motivation for those? I think the Dean is close with Brinkman, perhaps he can fill us in.

Lastly I started reading a great book about the folks at Tennessee Tax Revolt, some of whom I've had the opportunity to meet. These guys are hard core about their beliefs, but show what measly citizens can do. Tennessee was going to pass a state income tax under a secret session, short story, word got out and protests were launched outside the capitol starting the saturday of the secret session and continuing until the idea of an income tax was discarded. Amazing stuff.

Brinkman Endorses Hemlich

2005-03-19T15:53:00.000-05:00

In the new battle for Portman's seat, I receive a mass email today to all Brinkman supporters, saying he supports Heimlich for Congress. Could this be an early play for a HCC seat? I do believe Brinkman is term-limited out soon.

Tasers Not Good For Homeland Security

2005-03-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

I read in the USA TODAY today, that the Homeland Security Department has declined to use tasers citing safety concerns. I don't have a link at the moment but it was in Friday's paper. Also a federal officer is suing TASER for being hurt during a training exercise with Tasers.

Urban Bias

2005-03-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

I obviously should a bit of my own bias toward Hamilton County in the 2nd Congressional District as the Enquirer points out this morning, it encompasses a lot of land not in HC, and there are many candidates we are not as familiar with:

"Phil Heimlich of Symmes Township, a former Cincinnati councilman in his first term as Hamilton County commissioner.
Pat DeWine of Pleasant Ridge, a former Cincinnati councilman elected a Hamilton County commissioner just four months ago. He is the son of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, a Republican.
Bob Proud of Batavia Township, a 17-year Clermont County commissioner. He is chairman of the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, a planning and economic development agency that includes most of the 2nd District.
Tom Raga of Deerfield Township, in his third term in the Ohio House. He is vice chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee.
Jean Schmidt of Miami Township in Clermont County. She is a township trustee and former state representative"

Still I think a Hamilton County Commissioner has to be the front runner because 40% of the electorate is already aware of them. My prediction, and probably totally wrong: Heimlich to Congress and Brinkman to the Commission. I have to say though, wouldn't it be interesting to see a strong moderate D like Pepper run? I wonder if right now he's regretting declaring himself a democrat.

Portman's New Job

2005-03-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

It seems Cincinnati politics just gets more and more interesting. With Portman being named Trade Representative, who will take his place in Congress? And if it's a county commissioner who will serve on the commission? All speculation is welcome. Brinkman, Dewine, Hemleich, someone else?

Portman On Way to New Job

2005-03-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=703&e=6&u=/ap/20050317/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_trade_representative

Looks like Cincinnati politics just got a little more interesting. It looks like Rob Portman is going to be the new U.S. Trade Representitive, who will be his replacement in Congress?

Federal Money Coming to Cincinnati

2005-03-16T23:36:00.000-05:00

Citizen's Against Government Waste issued their little pink book of pork recently, and I took the opportunity to see how much money was coming to Cincinnati. Many of the projects are commendable, but it is interesting to see how much we are getting and what for. I encourage you to visit their website and learn about some of the biggest pork projects in the nation.

$500,000
Cincinnati Police Department for a records management system (Safe Schools Initiative - Community Oriented Policing Services)
NBR, C
COM
04
OH
$350,000
Ohio Riverfront, Cincinnati (Corps of Engineers - General Investigations)
NBR, H
ENERGY
04
OH
$500,000
University of Cincinnati, College of Education, Center for Prevention Studies (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention - Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$300,000
University of Cincinnati, for the Ohio Partnership for Accountability - the impact of Teacher Education (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education - Department of Education)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$1,875,000
University of Cincinnati Medical Center (Health Resources & Services Administration - Health & Human Services)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$100,000
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for fiber optic data transmission system equipment (Fund for the Improvement of Education - Department of Education)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$640,000
Cincinnati Children's Hospital for equipment (Health Resources & Services Administration - Health & Human Services)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$200,000
Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, for educational programming and exhibits (Institute of Museum and Library Services - Department of Education)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$1,000,000
Knowledge Works, Cincinnati, for the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative (Fund for the Improvement of Education - Department of Education)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$400,000
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal to develop and implement an integrated curriculum (Institute of Museum and Library Services - Department of Education)
NBR, C
LABHHS
04
OH
$1,500,000
Cincinnati/N. Kentucky International - unspecified (Approach Lighting System Improvement - Federal Aviation Administration)
NBR
TRANS
04
OH
$2,000,000
Cincinnati International Airport - Navaids for new north-south runway, 17/35 (Approach Lighting System Improvement - Federal Aviation Administration)
NBR, H
TRANS
04
OH
$3,500,000
The Banks Intermodal Facility, Cincinnati (Bus and Bus Facilities - Federal Transit Administration)
NBR, S
TRANS
04
OH
$800,000
Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati for sanitary sewer overflow infrastructure improvements (State and Tribal Assistance Grants - EPA)
NBR, H
VAHUD
04
OH
$350,000
Cincinnati Museum Center for restoration and expansion of facilities (Economic Development Initiative)
NBR, H
VAHUD
04
--->

Pro-Tax Leslie Ghiz?

2005-03-15T00:15:00.000-05:00

I was looking at Leslie Ghiz's campaign website(http://www.leslieghiz.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=71C6DC43-B09F-2CEF-4B7B5BCAF2F04A4D)the other day and noticed that she used to work forthe Ohio Public School Boards Association, so Idecided to check out what they stood forhttp://www.osba-ohio.org/legplatform.htm.Some of the interesting parts of the platform: "VOUCHERS—The Association believes that no publicfunds should be devoted to expanding programs innonpublic schools. Vouchers, scholarships, tuition taxcredits and similar programs will be opposed at thestate and federal levels."They are for increasing the income tax" Provide anincrease in state revenues either through theenactment of an increase in the state sales tax and/orthe state personal income tax. The increase should beearmarked for education and be deposited along withthe earmarked state revenue funds into a “State PublicPrimary and Secondary Education Trust Fund.”"But they think they should be exempt from the fueltax.10. STATE FUEL TAX EXEMPTION—Fuel purchased by aboard of education should be exempt from the statefuel tax.""IMPACT FEES—Provide for local boards of education topropose to the voters an impact fee assessed on newhousing to provide the additional revenues needed forcapital expenses incurred in rapidly developing schooldistricts. "