Queen City Forum Site Redesign

Great site renovation from the gang over at Queen City Forum Magazine.

Also note that Walk in Brain, Wes Flinn's blog, is the official blog of QCF, a good match.

Excuse for a Slowdown?

Harry Roberts, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, is advising his members to oppose the City's current contract proposal. A police slowdown (could we call it a brownout?) has been an on again off again element that the Cincinnati Police have been unofficially engaged in since not long after the April 2001 riots. Denials were always made, but their actions, or rather inactions, provided all of the evidence needed to illustrate a concerted effort to influence public opinion.

With this contract dispute, which seems to be an endless act of brinkmanship every year, will Roberts organize (by a wink and nod of course) yet another police slowdown to help twist the arm of city council? We are heading into campaign season, and crime will be a central issue for council, and especially the mayor's race. The PR minefield for the perceived anti-crime Democrats (Cranley and Pepper) who tend to get good conservative support might get tarnished if they are forced to battle the FOP and be seen as anti-police. That logically might make them more attractive to the liberals, but both crossed over the bridge of centrists and will have to pay a big toll to come back into the liberal camp.

The Cincinnati Post editorial page had similar concerns last month:

City officials, who have been trying to come up with a labor contract that avoids a confrontation with the police, filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the state over a published report that some officers are talking openly about launching a work slowdown if they don't like the deal. A slowdown would not be unprecedented, of course. After the 2001 riots some officers pretty much sat on their hands, particularly in Over-the-Rhine, which to this day remains the preferred shooting range for drug dealers.

Are we not talking about a form of extortion?

Pancake Vegas

What ever happens in OTR, stays in OTR. In his post on Leslie Ghiz Nate Livingston brought up his flirtation with the Hamilton County GOP and his possible candidacy for Cincinnati City Council.

Leslie's entry into the race makes me want to run. Last Saturday I attended the Northeast Hamilton County Republican Club's annual pancake breakfast out at the Sharonville Convention Center. What goes on at the pancake breakfast, stays at the pancake breakfast. But I can say it was quite interesting and I learned a lot through my conversations with some of Hamilton County's top Republicans, including Congressman Rob Portman, Sheriff Simon Leis, numerous judges, and other elected officials and Party workers.

I really wanted to avoid laughing out loud at this or even commenting on it, but I just could not let it go by. Does Nate really think that his former jailer would stand by and let him get endorsed as a Republican? No, Nate is not that foolish. I hope these conversations were at least civil, but I would bet money that any and all of the GOP officer holders who actually knew who Nate is, gritted their teeth and poured him a cup of coffee. They would have likely preferred to hurl a few four letter words at him, but they are also smart enough to not make a scene.

I wonder what really happened at the breakfast to make Nate tight lipped? Did he drip maple syrup on his tie or something?

Save Our City has comments as well.

Ghiz is Running

Much to my surprise, Leslie Ghiz has announced she is again running for City Council. She is still running as a Republican, even though she was slighted by Councilman and anti-homosexual bigot Sam Malone.

She is positioned fairly well to contend. She has gain significant support on the Eastside and will likely gain some liberal/moderate support. She had a significant amount of that last time, but this time she might get some of their money too. She should have either run as an independent or as a Charterite.

I really hope that she just gets thousands of more votes than Monzel and Malone. Monzel will be lucky to return in the 9th spot. He will need big money and big TV airtime.

Bad Editors

Where in this article Pension-reform idea a tough sell does it say anything about pensions? It doesn't say a damn thing about pensions, it is talking about reforming Social Security. An ignorant or politically biased editor wrote that headline and totally messed up its meaning. I read the headline, and then saw Rep. Portman's picture and believed I was going to read an article about how Portman was going to introduce new legislation about reforming Pension and 401(k) Plans. He has done that in the past and I actually like several elements of the law, especially the improvement to the vesting schedule requirements the legislation placed on corporations.

No, this is about Portman shilling for Bush's phase out plan for Social Security. SS is not a pension plan. Now, if were in England, the term "pension" has different meanings and here in America professionals like myself use the term pension plan to refer to traditional defined benefit plans, not 401(K) or profit sharing defined contribution plans. We most certainly do not consider Social Security to be a pension plan.

I fear the editor at fault here is most likely ignorant about the interworkings of Social Security and Pensions and how the terminologies differ. Where a bias claim can have an appearance is that use of the term "pension" is one of Bush's phase out Plan points. He is trying to make people think Social Security is just like their 401(k) Plans, when it is not. No matter what you may think about Bush's plan, you must understand that he wants to transform Social Security into something vastly different than it is today. SSA is closer to a defined benefit plan in its structure; it is more of an annuity plan, than a pension plan. Those plans put little risk on the participant/beneficiary. Bush wants a defined contribution plan, where the participant/beneficiary bears all of the risk. When he does not say this up front, he is being dishonest, something akin to a snake oil salesman.

Sick and Tired

I am sick and tired. No, really, I am sick and tired. I have a cold and I am ready to sleep.

I failed to mention the death of Hunter S. Thompson, what I can point you to is the movie Where the Buffalo Roam a semi-biographical movie about Thompson. It stars Bill Murray who was born to play Hunter S. Thompson. Murray should reprise the role in any future bio-pic.

Make that Two From UC

Andrew Warner, a 3rd Year UC student, has announced his candidacy for Cincinnati City Council. Warner is a Green Pary member and has a website. He has little chance, but at least can pay his political dues.

No More E-Check in Hamilton Co. ?

What are the odds of E-Check going bye-bye?

SCOTUS Hearing Eminent Domain Case

How will the Supreme Court rule on Eminent Domain, where it enacted for private development, not public projects? This likely has lawyers for those pending displacement in Norwood and in Clifton Heights. It may also impact the new Stewart Landing Plan.

Iraqi Voter Turnout

Well, I wonder how many people still believe the vote turnout in the Iraqi election was "overwhelming" or huge would be shocked to know that only 58% of registered voters came out to vote:

The election commission said 8.55 million votes were cast; about 14.66 million people were registered to take part in the election. The 58 percent turnout fell short of the 60 percent that officials had predicted soon after the vote.

I would guess those who think it was at 72% will just say that holding an election was the panacea to fix everything in Iraq, even though at the same time they said it was going to be a tough road ahead. You know, hedging your media spin is the only way one can survive in the world of Wurlitzer.

Best Seller Coming

I don't think Mike or Pat DeWine will enjoy the upcoming book release:

Due out in June: the book by Washingtonienne, the blogger who got fired from DeWine's staff for writing about her sexual exploits in Washington.

The book by Jessica Cutler - Washingtonienne's real name - is billed as a novel now, titled 'The Washingtonienne.' Amazon raves: 'Deliciously gossipy and impossible to put down, 'The Washingtonienne' is destined to be the book in everyone's summer beach bag.'

I have not checked, but the Wonkette was the place for the full scoop on Jessica Cutler, so she likely had this story awhile ago.

Enquirer Women of the Year

The Cincinnati Enquirer has named 10 Women of Year. A hat tip to this year's honorees, who will be fully profiled in the March 13th issue of the newspaper.

More Springer Bashing

A short quip bashing Jerry Springer and fueling speculation that he is running for Governor, which is sometimes a off again, on again venture in the press.

Pepper vs. Raussen

This morning on 'Newsmakers,' Dan Hurley hosted a hot and tense debate between Councilman, and Mayoral Candidate, David Pepper and State House Member James Raussen on the use of cameras at stoplights to issue traffic tickets by mail. The debate centered on whether or not House Bill 56 is valid and why it is being enacted. Both guys were going at it tooth and nail, more like a Crossfire episode, rather than a community affairs program.

The Bill bans the use of cameras as a means to enforce traffic laws. I am not one keen on traffic light cameras. Traffic laws are the "crimes" we should be putting resources into; instead we should be attacking violent crime. I don't know if I like big state government taking over cities either though. What happened to local control, Tom Brinkman?

East End Development Plan

This plan is huge. The question is will the plan become reality? The best part of the whole thing:

"We're not asking for any public financing," Stewart said.

The bad news is that some families will likely either have their leases terminated, or if they are owners, they might face the eminent domain issue. The only thing different about this area, compared to the Norwood ED mess, is that makes in the East End ED more likely and more palatable because the area is in a flood zone, and those who lived in the area back in 1997 were displaced because of flooding, and likely suffered significant damage. This might be a good chance from them to make a good profit on their property.

I am skeptical that this plan will go beyond the proposal stage. I also worry about traffic. That part of the city is jam packed with two roads, Eastern/Kellogg Ave and Columbia Parkway. The Delta Interchange would become a parking lot if more money, or better yet a rail station, is not put into improving the roads in the area. That would require public funds that are not anywhere to found right now.

SOC and the Nati have more.

One for All, and All for Themself

The GOP trio who are running for Ohio Governor, are beginning to quarrel just a bit. Things should get nasty as the campaign rolls on. Let he who draws first blood be granted a seat at the high alter of electioneering.

Fake Blogger Profiled in Enquirer

Shocking as it may be, but fake blogger, Cincinnati Harold, not be confused with the Cincinnati Phil, was profiled in today's Enquirer. In other news, Mars has been selected as the sight of the 2020 Olympic Games, Nick Vehr said to be upset Cincinnati lost out, again.

Thanks For Nothin, Danny

Customs has seen the light and will release art items seized from an Austrian bound for Cincinnati's CAC. The items were meant for a performance piece to coincide with the opening of the exhibit. It opened last week. A little late there Customs flunkies.

Funny

I shouldn't have even guessed these guys would not have jumped on the blog banned wagon.

Nick Clooney Back at The Post

Former NKY Congressional candidate is back at his old post as columnist for The Cincinnati Post. I must admit I did not read his work before. I enjoyed his work on AMC, before AMC became a TBS clone, back when they showed classics, not just movies with low airing fee. I will try and catch his column more often. The revolving media-political door is common in Washington; it is less common here, unless you ignore Charlie Luken, Jerry Springer, and Curtis Fuller.