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Downtown’s Christ Church is famous for its political forums, which happen throughout the year and not just during election season.  Recently, they invited the non-incumbents to speak for about five minutes each.  We’ve got the exclusive content, giving you a chance to see these politicians speaking in their natural habitat—in a room full of voters—and not directly to the camera in a commercial.  Check the link below to see all the non-incumbents who showed up do their thing!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Why does Portland keep entering into discussions about the super-sized price tag of a small streetcar line for Cincinnati?  As has already been indicated by Michael Earl Patton, Portland has restrictions on sprawl.  Given an article in today’s Enquirer, I thought this point worth repeating—as we are already starting to see repetition of illogical points used as a strategy for bolstering this concept.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Guest article by “funnelcake”

Would you like to comment on the proposed Street Car system for the City of Cincinnati?  According to the head tag line for the comment section “Cincinnati officials announced a financial plan Tuesday for a proposed $102 million streetcar system connecting downtown to Over-the-Rhine. The city would contribute $36 million, with the rest from other sources.”
source

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Says He Can’t Figure Out How The Commissioners Will Spend The Money

Hamilton County Treasurer, Robert Goering, who endorsed Mark Mallory for Mayor, is endorsing No on 27.

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Posted by Media Release
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The 2005 race does not come close to comparing to this year’s run for City Council in terms of opportunities for voter education.  In 2005, the old “Dean of Cincinnati” website was easily the number one spot for detailed information about candidates.  And it was easy - hardly anyone was giving the candidates any play.  Sure, there were the community forums, and that was about it.  Things have changed in these past two years, but the real question will be the degree to which this change will affect how voters cast ballots.  Will it really be a matter of yard signs and television advertisements anymore?  Is Cincinnati waking up to the issues that lurk beneath the endorsements and ad campaigns?

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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A concerned reader recently dropped me an email, saying that this year’s council race was a bit trickier in terms of picking good candidates.  He wanted me to find out what readers of The Beacon thought were the biggest issues facing the City.  So if you have an opinion on the matter, drop a line in the comments section!

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Wal-Mart is the #1 importer of Chinese goods. So, after the spree of high-profile recalls and outright bans on dangerous Chinese products, wouldn’t it be logical for Wal-Mart to take the offensive against unsafe imported goods? Shouldn’t Wal-Mart stand up for the safety of American consumers?

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Posted by Media Release
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I know… You have been wondering what happened to me these past few days, as I fell off the face of the Cincinnati blogosphere.  I was busy moving.  And though I have always fancied myself an “Eastsider”—complete with all the prejudices affiliated with the same—I have found myself plopped onto Cincinnati’s Westside, and it looks like I’ll be living here for the long haul.  So as I find my phone services reconnected and my computers back online, I thought I’d take some time to reflect on the differences I’ve already found after crossing this mythical Cincinnati chasm!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Having been to many candidate forums and political events, I can tell you that it is extremely rare to see a candidate for City Council or any other elected position for public office get a standing ovation. Perhaps he had an advantage with the audience because he owns rental property in Walnut Hills.  He has had many different experiences renting to Section 8 and he has also worked with non-profits that deal with housing issues for fifteen years. 

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Posted by Justin Jeffre
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Catching up on the print editions editorial cartoons from July-October

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Posted by Bearman
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A few days ago I took the opportunity to see the presentation at City Hall for the proposed new streetcar line from Fountain Square to Findlay Market and back.  The line was hyped as being a catalyst for growth, and the backers estimated strong growth here based on five other cities.  The projected cost was $84 million to $102 million, depending upon if construction were to start now or in a couple years. Examination of the data showed that the hyperbole was like that of a circus barker and the cost was extreme.

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Posted by Michael Earl Patton
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Twenty-Four Total TV, Radio Ads in 20 Key GOP Congressional Districts Unveiled Today for First Time, Including Previously Unannounced Targets, as Part of “Campaign to Save Children’s Healthcare”

AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU, MoveOn.org, Americans United for Change, USAction, and True Majority Action Expand Effort to Convince Enough Members of Congress to Vote to Override Bush’s Veto of Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act.

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Posted by Media Release
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Each election year, campaign rhetoric reaches a frenzied pitch about the “property tax rollback.” The issue allows politicians to stump about whether Cincinnatians deserve a tax break, or whether we need to do what it takes to keep things like swimming pools open.  However, the concept that any of these politicians—or the corporate media outlets in town—really care to inform voters about Cincinnati taxes is absurd, as soon as we remember that the entire City council voted to raise taxes so Corporex could have a $30,000,000 parking garage, and that The Enquirer didn’t bother to inform anyone about this.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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I have always thought that City Hall should have better communication with leaders of area community councils.  (That’s why I’m eager for Justin Jeffre to release his “Comprehensive Neighborhood Rescue Plan,” which includes concrete strategies for accomplishing that need.) Turns out that some recent discussions at the Clifton Heights Improvement Association underscore why such a need might be significant.  Bill Landeck has been attending CHIA meetings, suggesting that Clifton Heights develop an armed militia! 

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Guest article by Steve Garner, Canadian

Five guys from Canada, one tightly-packed rental Dodge Caravan (affectionately named “The Silver Bullet” ), and a 3,000 mile roundtrip – all this and much more just to see the Cincinnati Bengals’ season home opener? Perhaps we need to explain ourselves, eh?…

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Justin and I realized the other day that we have now been in the newspaper publishing business for half a year!  And we have enjoyed ourselves publishing The Print Edition.  However, it has been really hard—just the two of us are doing almost everything.  So far, we have managed to handle it, but there is one thing that just seems a bit too much.  We have been able to get content, produce the paper, and deliver 10,000 copies all across the City—but we just can’t seem to do all that and stay on top of trying to sell ads.  And as everyone knows, without ads to offset the cost of printing, there is no newspaper.  So we’re coming to you.  Would you be interested in helping The Beacon stay alive by selling a small number of ads?  We can even let you keep a commission.  Let us know if you are interested! 

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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The Cincinnati Beacon has obtained a copy of the transcripts for the hearing and decision for a temporary restraining order against Sheriff Leis to prevent him from further campaigning using county funds and equipment.  As seen in the transcript for the hearing, Judge Nadel states that he is a friend of Sheriff Leis, but he said that he could decide the case in an unbiased manner.  Unsurprisingly, he ultimately decided in favor of the sheriff, comparing his campaign for the jail to a United Way campaign.

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Posted by Michael Earl Patton
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This Saturday 83 protesters were arrested after demonstrators blocked the city’s annual Columbus Day parade. Prior to their arrests, protesters poured fake blood on the streets to represent the genocide of indigenous people that began after Columbus sailed to the Americas.

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Posted by Justin Jeffre
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In a recent interview with Justin Jeffre, Hamilton County Commission President Todd Portune accused people opposed to the jail plan of willfully misrepresenting the facts. His implication seems clear:  the anti-jail side spreads lies, while the pro-jail side sticks with the truth.  One must wonder, however, when Todd Portune purports to be speaking the truth whether he presents “the whole truth,” or just those portions that suit his issue du jour.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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The story of how these documents have been made available for public download really encapsulates the power of the digital revolution.  First, we have Michael Earl Patton’s original story—based off the information he was given, which suggested the County accepted the gift of an industrial site without conducting an Environmental Site Assessment.  This prompted Assistant County Administrator Jeff Aluotto to write a response, asking The Beacon to post it.  After a review of this letter revealed several unanswered questions, someone filed a records request for the actual copy of the ESA.  The large file was put on a CD, which Michael Earl Patton acquired, and gave to me so I could make it available to anyone who wishes to review it!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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It may initially sound like the set-up for a crude joke, but the truth of the matter is that the Metropolitcan Sewer District—as a by-product of processing our region’s excrement—spews forth tons of gas that it just flares into oblivion.  MSD should process this into natural gas for energy, like Rumpke does at its landfill.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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So what’s in the water at the Metropolitan Sewer District?  Cincinnatians seem to be taking an increased interest in the environment, but does that also extend to the water?  Recently, Michael Earl Patton posted this item about how some people may actually be paying for water they do not use.  But it turns out that might not be the only thing strange at the Metropolitan Sewer District.  Upstream chemical companies frequently pollute the water!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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This weekend, we have begun distribution of the NAACP voter guide collaboration with The Cincinnati Beacon Print Edition.  It is available at several downtown locations, locations in OTR, as well as several streetboxes in Oakley, Hyde Park, O’Bryonville, and more.  A full location list is coming soon.  To compliment this, we are rolling out side-by-side answers to individual questions by the candidates who responded.  Today’s question:

What specific steps should the city take to improve environmental conditions in the areas with the most serious environmental problems, and citywide?

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Dear Commissioner Portune:

A recent Enquirer article mentions the press conference where you and Republican Si Leis displayed lots of scary weapons to promote the new jail proposal.  That same article refers to the elevator lobby as “public space,” and it also mentions that you wanted to go “overboard” by requesting a bill for space rental.  These two bits of information beg two important questions.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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One of the items in the so-called “Comprehensive Safety Plan” is video visitation.  As explained earlier in The Cincinnati Beacon, this would prevent in-person visits to the inmates, even from family members.  The Beacon has recently learned that video visitation is already being used in the Butler County jail, and not only family members but also members of the clergy are restricted from meeting the inmates.

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Posted by Michael Earl Patton
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It seems obvious, but people generally use less of something if they have to pay for it.  Most people would assume that the more they use, the more they pay.  The more you drive, the more gasoline you have to buy, and the more you pay for that gasoline.  The more you run your air conditioner, the more you pay in electricity.  No one would ever imagine a system where one paid for running the air conditioner 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter if it were turned on or off.  Yet something similar happens to many customers when they pay their water bills.

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Posted by Michael Earl Patton
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This weekend, The Cincinnati Beacon’s Print Edition of the NAACP Voter Education Guide will hit newsstands.  (And yes, we will post an updated list of locations.) I encourage everyone to get a hard-copy of the guide to get a nice profile of several candidates based on the NAACP questionnaire.  We decided to compliment this with a web version that compares candidates by question.  So for today, we begin with the following inquiry and all responses gathered:

Do you believe that the city should tax stock-options of companies for the purpose of generating revenue for the City? Please explain.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Cincinnati Six Years After the Killing and the Riots

Guest article by Dan LaBotz

Why six years after police killed an unarmed black man and the city was rocked by riots, has everything in Cincinnati come down to the building of a jail? How did the liberals’ darling Todd Portune end up joining hands with conservative moral crusader Sheriff Simon Leis? Why has the Democratic Party placed all of its chips on 800 more jail beds in a city and a county with a declining population? Why have not only Democrats and Republicans, but also the corporations and the labor unions joined together to build a jail that is opposed by the NAACP and most black Cincinnatians? How did what began as a search for racial reconciliation lead to a jail that is to many here the emblem, that is, both the symbol and the reality of racial discrimination?

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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