College Hill Condos Coming

Al. Neyer is set to start selling condos for its $10 million condo development at the corner of Hamilton and North Bend Road, the Enquirer reports. Once the company sells nine, it will commence ground-breaking. This is a great news for the intersection, the development of which has long been a central focus for the College Hill community.

I'm fascinated by the people who buy condos site-unseen. It's a fairly common practice, as most of the new condo developments in the area are 80 to 100 percent sold out by the time they're completed. If you're one of these eager-beaver buyers, weren't you nervous about buying something you haven't seen yet? Do these people typically buy for an investment opportunity with an eye towards flipping the condo in a few years, or are the early buyers long-term residents?

I'd love to buy a condo at a new development in either downtown or OTR, but I can't get past my need to walk through a place before I plunk down a chunk of change.

On The Docket: Smiling Bob Meets Uncle Sam

Back on January 8, a jury was selected to hear the case of United States v. Berkeley Premium Netraceuticals (and several of its corporate officers). Earlier today, closing arguments were completed and the jury was given final instructions. Deliberations are set to commence tomorrow morning. (The Enquirer's most recent article on closing arguments, which began last week, is here.) I've never been involved in a trial of this length, and have often wondered how one finds a jury of twelve (plus a couple alternates) who can give up their employment for a month or longer.

Berkeley is the company that manufactures and markets Enzyte, a product which Berekeley claimed (often through ads featuring "Smiling Bob") could enhance a certain part of the male anatomy.

In 2004, the Enquirer reported that Berekeley was a $250 million per year company, employing 1,000 people locally.

Another Restaurant Closes; Let's Panic

Yet another downtown restaurant has closed. It's a clear sign that downtown is in trouble, and isn't drawing enough people to support the dining and entertainment venues there. So don't buy or rent living space there, and certainly don't think about going there to spend your money. In all likelihood, the restaurant closed because people are so afraid they'll become crime victims when they come to the area.

Oh, wait!!! I misread the linked article! It's not a downtown restaurant at all--it's Moe's Southwest Grill in Newport on the Levee. So everytime you see the word "downtown" in the previous paragraph, replace it with "Newport."

Sorry. Of course the closing of Moe's doesn't mean that Newport--or even the Levee--is in trouble. But that's how certain people would be spinning the story if it were a downtown restaurant. So next time a downtown establishment closes up, can we refrain from taking the "the sky is falling approach" to reporting news? (For "certain people," you can fill in the name of your favorite Enquirer reporter or City Beat blogger.)

I'm sorry, by the way, to see Moe's go, as I am anytime a business closes and employees inevitably lose jobs and have their lives disrupted. I don't mean to make light of a bad situation for those adversely affected.

But Where's The Big Hair?

Did anyone else feel like they were trapped in some strange time warp last night? NBC's primetime lineup consisted entirely of American Gladiators and Knight Rider. (Who agrees with me that if you put the women's winner, Monica, up on a joust platform with the men's winner, Evan, that Monica would win in about 6 seconds?)

Don't get me wrong--I watched every minute of both. (As a male of a certain age, watching a new installment of Knight Rider was some sort of preordained, primordial duty.) I'm just sayin'....

Detour Ahead

I'm sure that it's absolutely necessary, but the closing of the Eighth Street viaduct isn't going to make getting to the West Side (or back Downtown from the West Side) much fun at all.

Portman for McCain's VP?

On Meet the Press this morning, Rob Portman (former 2nd District Congressman from Ohio and Cincinnati Resident) was mentioned as a possible VP running mate for John McCain.

From a local angle, how much attention would that put on Cincinnati if a local person were on the national ticket? Would that be good for us, no matter what? We are looking to be a big stop on the campaign trail again, with the nation NAACP convention being a stop for the Presidential nominees. I don't look forward to those who seek to bash the city at all cost (say Chris Smitherman or Joe Deters for example) getting the opportunity to frame the discussion when ever Cincinnati is referenced.

Portman is not considered on the A list for the VP slot, but logically he has the economic background McCain lacks. From a GOP perspective, one

Would Portman, a fairly well liked former Ohio Congressman, give McCain Ohio?

Advantage Democrat?

I've been a little post-happy the last two days. I promise, this is the last one for the weekend (unless something really interesting comes up tomorrow).

The conventional wisdom is that the Democrats' prolonged primary season will benefit John McCain. Supposedly, McCain can now begin "uniting" the Republican Party behind him and begin a national general election campaign, while Barack and Hillary are left to squabble over who the nominee will be. I've begun to wonder if the opposite is true.

As you may recall, the Florida legislature moved the date of its primary to be ahead of Super Tuesday. The Democratic National Committee had told it not to do so, and threatened to refuse to seat Florida's delegates at the convention. Well, Florida stuck to its guns (and according to the current DNC rules, Florida will have no voice in choosing the Democratic nominee). The major Democratic candidates all agreed not to campaign in Florida before its primary.

The Republicans took a more laid-back approach, though, and just stripped Florida of half of its delegates to the Republican convention. The Florida Republican party was thrilled. It believes that as a result, the Republican candidate will have a head start in Florida for the general election, since he's already campaigned and built an organization there, whereas the Democrats didn't bother. (The DNC is still weighing whether to hold caucuses in Florida and Michigan, which also jumped the gun, and seat delegates based on those results.)

Does the same hold true for the Democrats? Three states that are sure to be pivotal in November--Wisconsin, Texas, and Ohio--are going to see a whole lot of love from Clinton and Obama. We already know about the intense organization-building taking place in Cincinnati, and I can only assume the same is happeneing in Madison, Milwaukee, Houston, Dallas, and so on. So this supposed disadvantage (that the Dems will actually elect a nominee rather than simply coronate one) might work out in the Democrats' favor. Well in advance of the conventions, the Democratic nominee will have GOTV organizations in place. The still-to-be-contested primary states will have a lot of opportunity to see the eventual nominee. And John McCain will have to start from scratch.

Any thoughts?

Cincinnati: More Progressive Than You Think?

I'm a little reluctant to post this for fear of starting a religious flame war in the comment thread. But as a born-and-raised Presbyterian (the son, in fact, of a Presbyterian pastor), I can't pass up this story.

Tuesday night, the Presbytery of Cincinnati (roughly the equivalent of a diocese, but governed democratically rather than by a bishop) voted to send an overture to the General Assembly (the Presbyterian Church's national governing body, which meets once every two years) to permit the ordination of openly gay and lesbian pastors, elders, and deacons. The Enquirer's coverage is here.

It's certainly not surprising that a presbytery is sending such an overture to the General Assembly. This is a battle that the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been fighting for years. Many believe the issue will ultimately force some sort of formal schism in the church. Some, in fact, are openly working towards such a schism. (It's not easy for a congregation to separate itself from the Presbyterian Church, though; each individual church's property is held in trust by the presbytery in which it sits, so any congregation that "left" would also leave behind its building. If there's a schism, expect lots of nasty battles in secular courts on this issue--the Methodists are already fighting them.)

Is is surprising, however, that the overture is coming from the Presbytery of Cincinnati. This is a city that hasn't always been gay-friendly (think about the now-repealed Article XII). Just a few years ago, the Presbytery of Cincinnati defrocked Steven Van Kuiken for performing same-sex wedding ceremonies. (You can read City Beat's article on the resulting aftermath at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, where Rev. Van Kuiken had been pastor, here.)

I really like it when Cincinnati surprises me like this.

Big Question Left Unanswered

Howard Wilkinson summarizes the Clinton and Obama events in Cincinnati yesterday. But he leaves unanswered the single most important question on the minds of Cincinnati voters:

Does Hillary Clinton like Cincinnati chili?

(In Howard's defense, he does note that the campaign staff and Clinton's press flotilla took with them a rather large to-go order. But there's no word on Senator Clinton's own preference. How can we choose our nominee if we don't know where the candidates stand on Cincinnati chili? Hopefully, Howard will do better next time one of the candidates is in town.)

Why I Was At Music Hall Tonight

I turned 18 in 1992. In August, in fact--after the primaries. So the first time I ever cast a ballot, it was in the George H.W. Bush-Bill Clinton presidential race. I had been excited for months by Bill Clinton. I had been enraptured by the Democratic National Convention that year. Watching (on TV) Bill Clinton walk towards and enter Madison Square Garden once enough delegates had cast votes to secure the nomination, I felt chills. When he accepted the nomination, I was spell-bound and thrilled with his speech. Here's how it ended:

Somewhere at this very moment, another child is born in America. Let it be our cause to give that child a happy home, a healthy family, a hopeful future. Let it be our cause to see that child reach the fullest of her God-given abilities. Let it be our cause that she grow up strong and secure, braced by her challenges, but never, never struggling alone; with family and friends and a faith that in America, no one is left out; no one is left behind. Let it be our cause that when she is able, she gives something back to her children, her community, and her country. And let it be our cause to give her a country that's coming together, and moving ahead -- a country of boundless hopes and endless dreams; a country that once again lifts up its people, and inspires the world.
Let that be our cause and our commitment and our New Covenant.
I end tonight where it all began for me: I still believe in a place called Hope.

I remember being a first-year college student at the University of Chicago, and gathering in a dormitory lounge with fellow students to watch the general election results come in on the TV. We all jumped up and down, slapped high-fives, and hugged each other when the networks declared Clinton the winner.

I haven't been that excited about a candidate since then. Until Barack Obama.

I was at the Obama breakfast at the Westin about a year ago. It marked the first time I'd ever given money to a political candidate. Hearing him speak (even at that event, where he didn't give a fire-and-brimstone stump speech) leaves me with goosebumps. It's clear to me that he's the new torchbearer of Bill Clinton's 1992 message of hope.

The point of this post has not been to convince you to vote for Barack Obama. (If it were, I'm a miserable failure, as this isn't the kind of argument that persuades anyone to favor a candidate.) Instead, my message is this: no matter who you're supporting--Obama, Clinton, McCain, or Huckabee--I hope you're as excited by your candidate as I am by mine.

On the Docket

As one of the two resident attorney-bloggers, I thought I'd highlight two stories that made news today that might be of interest. (They're completely unrelated, but I'm keeping them in one post for those of you who wish lawyers would just crawl back under the rocks from whence we came.)

First, the Warren County grand jury indicted Michel Veillette, the French Canadian accused of killing his family in Mason, on murder charges that include death specifications. If the prosecution's theory is proven correct, and Mr. Veillette killed his wife and then set fire to his house--thus killing his children--in order to cover up the crime, then his conduct could warrant the death penalty under Ohio law. (Remember, though: an indictment is not proof of a crime. Mr. Veillette remains innocent until 12 Warren County residents unanimously agree otherwise.)

Cincinnati attorney Tim McKenna was appointed to represent Michel Veillette. I'm not sure, but I believe Mr. McKenna is qualified to handle death penalty cases (the Ohio Supreme Court has fairly strict standards governing the requisite qualifications to defend a death penalty case). But I believe the death specifications mean that there will be another attorney joining him at counsel table. Based on the stakes (life and death) and the complex analysis of the physical evidence that will be required for both sides, the trial will likely be one of the most expensive Warren County has seen in some time.

Second (and on a much lighter note), say what you will about Eric Deters (and people have said just about everything about him), he's a fearless, ingenious litigator. With Hugh Campbell (of Villa Hills, KY) and a New Orleans attorney, Mr. Deters has filed suit against the New England Patriots, asserting that they cheated during the 2002 Super Bowl. The lawyers want to represent two groups of people: the defeated St. Louis Rams, who each would have earned an additional $25,000 (plus a really nifty ring) had they won; and the nearly 73,000 fans who attended the game and who each paid $400 for a ticket.

The suit raises a number of interesting questions. First, for the players: don't they need to prove that they would have won if the Patriots hadn't cheated? If they can't prove that, then they can't prove they were "damaged" by the Pats' alleged misconduct. One of the player-plaintiffs now plays in the Arena Football League; can't he argue that if he were a Super Bowl winner, his NFL career would have been longer and his earnings higher?

Second, for the fans: assuming they're entitled to refunds because they thought they were paying to see a fair contest and instead saw a less-than-fair one (which also assumes Deters and friends can prove the cheating), are they entitled only to the face value of the ticket, or can people who bought in the secondary market (or "scalpers") recover what they actually paid? How about a class of fans who watched on TV, who wish to be compensated for the four hours they devoted to watching an unfair game? What about a class of St. Louis fans who suffered emotional distress when their beloved Rams lost?

If the Deters team survives a motion to dismiss, we should put them in the Lawyers Hall of Fame.

Michelle Obama in Over-the-Rhine

I'm just back from Music Hall. There are two lines from Ms. Obama's speech that stayed with me all the way home.

On the success (once unexpected) of the Obama campaign:

I'm proud of America, because we have exceeded our own limited expectations
of ourselves. . . Hope is making an important comeback.

On public education:

When people look at me, I don't want them to see "the next First Lady of the
United States." I want them to see what an investment in public education
looks like.

For any of you there, what were your thoughts on the speech and the assembled crowd?

Could anyone tell: was there a teleprompter at the back of the room? I couldn't see one from my vantage point. If not, then Ms. Obama spoke for an hour from what looked like about a half-page of notes.

Also: if anyone was at Senator Clinton's invitation-only event today, please share your experience here.

Cincy Clear Channel Radio to be Sold?

Regulators have ruled that Clear Channel must sell all of its Cincinnati area radio stations in order for CC's sale to Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners.

What does this mean for local radio? Will a different media giant come in and start to rule the local airwaves? Will the set of stations that include heavy weights WLW, WEBN, the FOX, and 55KRC, be split up?

Is it possible that we might actually get more local radio programming, instead of the national tripe that rules most of our radio air waves?

For some insider radio debate, check here.

It's Just Us. Be Honest.

Now that the Ohio primary contest is in full gear (at least for the Democrats), are you:

a. thrilled that you will finally get to cast a meaningful vote in a presidential primary;
b. secretly annoyed that the longest presidential campaign ever just won't end, but pretending otherwise; or
c. openly indifferent to the election, since all politicians are liars anyhow?

Invaders at the Gate

Yesterday, Howard Wilkinson posted on the alleged support Hillary Clinton has among Republicans, on the theory that she'll be easier to beat in the general election than Barack Obama.

Assuming that's true and Republicans want Senator Clinton to be the Democratic nominee, has anyone thought about the impact that Republican voters might have in Ohio's "open" primary on the Democratic contest? In some parts of Ohio, of course, Republicans will have strong incentive to vote a Republican ballot (the Second Congressional District comes to mind, where there's a primary fight between Jean Schmidt and Tom Brinkman). In some places, though, there really won't be much going on in the way of local primaries (is the DeWine-King judicial primary really enough to keep Republican Hamilton County residents from crossing over to vote a Democratic ballot?). So what's to stop Republicans from voting a Democratic ballot in an effort to nominate Senator Clinton?

Any thoughts?

Full disclosure: I've previously noted my support--both figurative and financial--for the Obama campaign. I do not, believe, however, that "The Republicans hate Hillary" or "The Republicans think they'll beat Hillary" are reasons to vote for Obama.

Goodbye Chelsea, Hello Michelle

Michelle Obama will attending a campaign rally on Friday, February 15, at 6:00 PM at Music Hall. Doors will open at 5:15.

The event is free.

Update: Howard Wilkinson has now posted this information on the Enquirer's Politics Extra Blog.

Forgetfulness About History

Ricky Santorum today on the history of the Republican party and why John McCain is apparently a problem:

"The Republican Party was founded as the antislavery party. It was, thus, a regional party. After the Civil War, the North and Upper Midwest were Republican, the South and Southwest Democratic. With the exception of the solidly Democratic Catholic vote in the Northeast, the North was virtually a one-party region right up to the Great Depression.

All that changed after the 1960s. The Democratic Party embraced the '60s Cultural Revolution, with its hostility to the military and traditional values. The GOP pursued Richard Nixon's Southern Strategy to court Southern conservatives away from the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party became the party of George McGovern and Ted Kennedy. After some stiff resistance, the Republican Party became the party of Ronald Reagan. The upshot today: If you are a conservative, you are a Republican; if you're a liberal, you're a Democrat."

Now, what exactly was that Southern Strategy and isn't there something missing in Ricky's history lesson? I think I have found it. The Democratic Party's embrace of the "60s Cultural Revolution" included an embrace of the civil rights movement and led the GOP to pursue a racist strategy to to court white Southern conservatives away from the Democratic Party. A query for 2008 --- Will the current incarnation of the GOP employ a Southern Strategy against Barak Obama, if the Democratic Party (and this seems likely at the moment) nominates a multiracial (not that all of us are not multiracial) person of color -- a person of African descent -- to be its Presidential candidate? Will such a Southern Strategy be successful in 2008?

I don't want to go to Chelsea

Anyone make it out and meet Chelsea Clinton?

Get On Your Soapbox

Starting today there is another website, beyond this one, that will be telling the story of Cincinnati. Hop up on your own Soapbox and find out the latest about why Cincinnati is a vibrant place to live, work, play, and create.

Contrast and Compare

The Hamilton County Democrats provide information to local party members about events going on for both Presidential Candidates. Here is today's email:

Dear Supporter,

To All Southwest Obama Supporters,

Obama for America is proud to announce the opening of its Cincinnati, Ohio office and an organizational meeting to kick off the final three weeks of the Ohio campaign. Volunteers have been working hard here to spread Barack Obama's message of change to FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS in Cincinnati. Now, following a series of victories across the country, the Obama campaign is happy to welcome everyone to an organizational meeting here in Hamilton County. The details are:

What: Obama for America Organizational Meeting
When: Wednesday, Februrary 13th, 6p.m.-8p.m.
Where: New Friendship Baptist Church, 3212 Reading Road, near the intersection of Martin Luther King and Reading Rd.

This is an important opportunity. It's a chance to meet the staff you'll be working with, hear about what we plan to do here in Hamilton County, and learn about how YOU can help deliver Ohio for Barack Obama. If you haven't been involved, the time is now.

NEW CINCINNATI OFFICE
We are also excited to announce the opening of our new Cincinnati office. It's located at:
1524 Madison Rd., in DeSales Plaza, (just across the street from the former Kerry HQ).
The office will be open from 9a.m.-9p.m., everyday, beginning this Thursday, February 14th. We would love to have everyone stop by and check us out. Watch for more events, meetings, and opportunities to get involved over the next week. Phone numbers will be available soon.

There are 20 days until the Ohio Primary.
_____________________________________________________________________

Hillary in Columbus
Hillary Clinton will be appearing at a Rally in Columbus on Thursday Febrauray 14, at the French Field House, 410 Woody Hayes Dr. Doors will open at 4:30 and the event is open to the public at large.

Rally for Hillary

Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 3:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where: Adonis, 4601 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226

General Area: east side of town near near Old Coney, Riverbend, Lunkin airport

This Rally will be held on Sunday, March 2nd, to accommodate some special guests. This is just two days before the Ohio primary!

Doors open at 3:00 PM. $7.00 each person requested. EVERYONE is welcomed to join us in our big HILLARY rally just before the Ohio primary! This event is at an upscale night club, casual dress is OK! Everyone knows that Ohio will be a crucial battleground state, and Hillary needs your support for Ohio! If you're not in Ohio we still want you here, the more the merrier!

This will not be a boring political event, there will be FUN for everyone! We will have keynote democratic speakers, food, fun, dancing and lots of Hillary stuff for everyone! We are having this event in the mid to later afternoon so people from all over the state of Ohio can attend. If you would like to stay the night in Cincinnati please let us know if you need hotel information and we will forward it to you. More info at www.myspace.com/hillaryohio $7.00 each person requested donation. Camera's are welcomed!

Host
Jeff Harney
PS.
We'll pass along information a bout the local Clinton Campaign office as soon as we have it, at this wrting that information is not available.

Both campaigns are represented in the mailing, which isn't the issue. What I believe is illustrated is the failure of the Clinton ground game. The Obama camp is ready to open their Cincinnati headquarters. The writer of the email apologetically tells the reader that they'll let you know as soon as the Hillary camp has a local office. Hillary may win Ohio, but they are not doing by being a little slow on the pick-up. Will a good ground game in in Ohio be enough for Obama win in Ohio?

Do We Have Presidential Nominees Yet?

This is all just too much fun --- even more fun because it captures the very essence of the man and his campaign.

OK, how does McCain make the Huckster go away? And what gives with only counting two-thirds of the caucus sites in Washington State and then declaring McCain the winner?

Can Clinton survive to the March 4 primaries, if Obama has won Kansas, Washington, Louisiana, Maine, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii and Wisconsin between Super Tuesday and March 4 and she has won none? What does Obama have to do to begin to capture lower educated and lower income non-African American voters? Who gets Latino voters in Texas? Union workers in Ohio? Why are those white Democratic voters who are most secure and comfortable in their financial position in society ("Starbucks Democrats") overwhelmingly supporting Obama thus far, while those white Democratic voters who are least financially secure and comfortable ("Dunkin Donut Democrats") overwhelmingly sticking with Clinton thus far? Does Clinton withdraw if she does not win Ohio AND Texas on March 4? Should she withdraw at that point or should she fight on through Pennsylvania? What if Clinton and Obama remain virtually tied in delegates through the end of all primaries and the super delegates have to make the decision? How should they decide? What do Obama supporters do if the super delegates swing to Clinton? What do Clinton supporters do if the super delegates swing to Obama? Either way they swing, hasn't the process been run according to the rules and neither side has grounds for bitching? Aren't super delegates fundamentally anti-democratic? How will all this end?

Maybe everyone will just get together and decide that the country deserves another Bush term to keep us all safe from terror through torture ----- Mission Accomplished!

Best Of Cincinnati 2008

CityBeat has opened up voting for its Best Of Cincinnati issue. Please be sure to make your choice for Best Blog. With the addition of our new writers, I think Cincinnati Blog has improved. 2007 did see the advent of many great new local blogs, so the competition I think will be tough this year.

The hardest thing about the survey is trying to remember the names of all of the places. I'm having a hard time remembering the actual name of some of the restaurants I like, especially in the more obscure categories.

Sorry, It's Not a Blue Pony

In all seriousness a big welcome to A Lucky Step, a new furniture store that just opened in the Gateway area.

Know Theatre : Red Light Winter

Tonight opens up the rep production of Red Light Winter at the Know Theatre. I'm attending tonight, but I think it is sold out! Get your tickets for an upcoming show now. You might email the Enquirer and make them aware that there is something to do Downtown after you eat dinner at one of the many new restaurants. I guess they don't read their own websites much.

CincyPAC - Meet and Greet Congressional Candidates

Sean Parker of CincyPAC has announced an event for Cincinnati YPs to a meet and greet candidates from the 1st and 2nd districts:

Mark your calendars, CincyPAC will be having its first event of 2008 on February 21 at Mixx Lounge on Main St. We are inviting all of the District 1 and District 2 Congressional Candidates to attend the event. Please check the blog at www.cincypac.com for updates on who is running and who will be attending.

What: Congressional Candidate Meet & Greet with Greater Cincinnati Young Professionals
When: Thursday, February 21, 2008 from 6pm-8pm
Where: Mixx Lounge on Main St.

For Questions or to RSVP: Email Sean@cincypac.com

A great chance to meet the candidates and check out a new OTR venue.

Ohio Will Matter

Ohio is going to see a lot of Hillary and Barack over the next month.

CiN Weekly's New Look

Any thoughts on CiN Weekly's website redo? They have conformed with the formating of Cincinnati.com, so it looks much like the Enquirer's portal, which makes sense since the site now resolves to cinweekly.cincinnati.com.

More Streetcar Obstacles Ahead

This week's City Beat has an article by the always-excellent Kevin Osborne suggesting that Mayor Mallory will have to overcome some significant obstacles to see his streetcar proposal to fruition. Most notably, 3CDC seems to have some concerns about whether they'll continue to get their share of the funding pie once the City starting spending on the streetcar infrastructure:

"We are concerned (that streetcars are) funded with a dedicated revenue stream and a sustainable revenue stream," says Steven Leeper, 3CDC's president. Any financing plan shouldn't rely on funds "presently being used effectively in the neighborhood. We don't want to stop that momentum. We want something that will complement that."
Due to 3CDC's concerns, city officials are tweaking the plan to use less TIF money and likely will borrow more cash. Other ideas also being considered include imposing a special assessment fee on surface parking lots for their "wasted development potential," sources say. There are more than 100 such lots in downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

Many will remember that I wrote a post that was somewhat critical of the streetcar plans a few weeks ago; subsequently, I announced that I've come around--tentatively--to the pro-streetcar side of the issue (not that anyone cares what I think).

3CDC may have a valid concern: the streetcar ought to proceed alongside current development efforts, not in place of them. But assuming that concern can be mollified, there should be no reason for 3CDC to "derail" the streetcar efforts.

It'll be interesting to see what tone the hearing on the 25th takes. If Cranley wants to obstruct what seems like a positive step forward for downtown and OTR, he'll certainly have the opportunity to do so. Hopefully, he take the opportunity to see beyond what he sees as his fairly narrow base of support (which falls squarely outside of downtown) and do the right thing.

State of the City

Mayor Mallory gave his State of the City speech last night at Playhouse in the Park. How was it received? How does his vision gel with where we are headed? I was very pleased to see a Streetcar Plan from Downtown to Uptown was high on his list.


Read the speech here(doc).

Reader Survey: Fifth and Race

There's currently no proposal at all for the large lot at Fifth and Race (for those of you not sure, we're speaking of the parking lot adjacent to the Millennium Hotel that stretches along Race between Fifth and Sixth). That gives us the opportunity to do our own creative thinking about what should be there. As Grif correctly points out, there's plenty "to do" downtown (I'd add Music Hall and the CAC to his list), but there's always room for more. In no particular order, what would you build at Fifth and Race if the decision were yours?

• Condos
• A grocery store
• A movie theatre (the kind that would show Rambo)
• An "indie" movie theatre like the Esquire
• A bowling alley/nightclub like the former Jillian's
• A really big Chipotle (sorry, that's just me fighting my own substance abuse issues)
• A gym or health club

Of those, the condos are my least favorite. My thought is that the space should be either (a) something that the neighborhood residents need/want; (b) something that will draw people downtown; or (c) some combination of the two.

Some Monday CinTV Fluff

Queen City Survey ponders TV ideas set in Cincinnati. The 6 given are actually pretty good. I was thinking of a period drama set in the 19th or early 20th Century, call it Pork Journalism and set it is as a drama through the eyes of a Cincinnati Post reporter.

New Blog: OhioFirstPolitics

OhioFirstPolitics will be covering the Ohio 1st Congressional district race. Give it a read.

I Wanted a RED Pony!

There is no pleasing the Enquirer, especially the headline writer for this article Too many restaurants?. What the article lacks is a comparison of how many restaurants used to be downtown and how many are there now. It also incorrectly lumps in dinner restaurants and lunch restaurants in its "analysis." Lunch places like Potbelly and Ingredients are not anything for Jeff Ruby to worry about. I wonder how much of this story stems from talking to Ruby. In the article Ruby sounds like he has no clue what is happen downtown. He tries to be cute with the "San Quentin theory", which fails to recognize that Downtown is growing and more people are eating dinner every night of the week.

Also either Menelaos Triantafillou's is talking about making Downtown a full "neighborhood" where you can get the dry cleaning after dinner or he has never been downtown:

“The number of restaurants is one question, but more important, what else is there? If people go to dinner, and they want to do something else afterward – which is what humans do – there needs to be something else to see: shops or theater. There needs to be synergism,” said Triantafillou. “You see it now around the Aronoff, with Nicholson’s, Nada, the Contemporary Art Center. Think of other cities or, for example, Clifton, where there are all the amenities you need to enjoy a nice night out. That’s what downtown needs.”

Has Menelaos been downtown before? You have over 4 very popular nightclubs, the poison rooms, 4 live theatre companies (and Playhouse up the hill), Arnoff, Taft, Fountain Square, the Blue Wisp. You could drive to Mt. Adams or NKY if you prefer. There are tons of things to do after dinner downtown. That is clearly not an issue. If the guy means there is not a movie theater, than I am going laugh my ass off. Seriously, people don't go to Nada and then want to see Rambo.

Fifth and Race: Back to the Drawing Board

Once again, Eagle Realty has failed to deliver on promises for the Fifth and Race site. This time, it appears that the City is unwilling to grant it another extension, and Eagle will no longer retain the development rights.

Eagle looks to blame the City for its failure to come up with $3.8 million in funding. I'm curious about the nature of that money. Surely it isn't the case that Eagle had secured $96 million in funding, and the City wouldn't close the remaining gap to get to $100 million, is it? Or is this one of those situations where an initial $5 or $6 million was needed at the outset, Eagle wanted the City to foot half or more, and there was no guaranteed source for the balance of the $100 million? Anyone have the details?

Cranley Doesn't Get It

john Cranley has never understood urban transportation. If it doesn't get him votes on the Westside, then he's going to "question it". If the Streetcar plan included rebuilding the Price Hill incline, John likely would vote twice to approve that.

If you want to know about the streetcar, how it will help the city, how it will work, check out www.cincystreetcar.com.

Art or Exploitation?

I know I'm having a strange day when I think something, and then read almost the exact thought printed in Peter Bronson's column. So today is a strange day.

Bronson was at the media preview of "Bodies . . . The Exhibition" at the Museum Center. He discusses it today. Included in his column was this:

I looked at another corpse throwing a baseball and wondered how it was so
different from the so-called "artist" photographer who was caught posing corpses
with keys and dolls in the lurid Hamilton County morgue case. They called that
desecration of a corpse. We call this educational.

How is the Museum Center exhibit any different? Diplaying posed bodies in the absence of the consent of the deceased (pre-death) or a family member (post-death) should not be cause for celebration in a civilized society.

If that creepy photographer Thomas Condon had put an exhibit of his morgue photographs together, I wouldn't have gone to see it. I doubt I'll be heading to the Museum Center to see "Bodies," either.

[Post edited by author to remove language suggesting the exhibition shouldn't be "tolerated" by our society.]

Waterboarding Would "Feel" Like Torture If You Did It To Me

So says the Attorney General of the United States today in response to a question by Senator Kennedy. But the Attorney General of the United States cannot admit that an "enhanced interrogation technique" that has been deemed "torture" by this country for most of its history and by almost all of the civilized world is, in fact, torture. Why is that? Because to admit this will be to admit a very dark truth ---- that over the past six year, despite its Constitutions, despite its rich anti-torture history, despite its laws, and despite its historic acceptance of the Geneva Conventions and other treaties banning torture, the United States has become a nation engaged in torture. Perhaps President Bush should have explained that to us in his final (Thank God!) State of the Union address as he weakly attempted to articulate a legacy out of an utterly failed presidency.

Perhaps someone should ask the Attorney General or the President whether we should any longer find torture shameful. As John McCain, the now presumptive Republican nominee for President, said back in October, "They should know what it (waterboarding) is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture. . . . . All I can say is that it was used in the Spanish Inquisition, it was used in Pol Pot's genocide in Cambodia, and there are reports that it is being used against Buddhist monks today."

Patricia Corbett, arts patron, dies.

Patricia Corbett, who together with her husband J. Ralph Corbett, supported arts organizations from CCM, to the Cincinnati Ballet, Music Hall, and countless others, died today in her sleep. She will be missed, but I'm sure her influence will be felt for years to come.

Archbishop Divides 'Bodies' In Half

The Cincinnati Archbishop deemed the 'Bodies' exhibit at the Museum Center "unseemly and inappropriate" and has decreed that local Catholic Schools should not organize field trips to the exhibit. What makes no sense is that the Archbishop instead leaves it up to the parents:

If parents, as the primary educators of their children, believe that it has educational value, they should be the ones to take their children to see it.”

So on one hand the local Catholic Church has condemned the exhibit as unseemly, but then they defer ultimate moral judgment to the parents. This is just not logical. If it is OK for Catholic school kids to go the exhibit with their parents permission, why does it matter that the Catholic school doesn't organize the trip? If it is not good to go through school, why would it be OK to go with your parents?

If nothing else, hopefully this will help the exhibit gain more attendance. If they church condemns it, more people are likely to want to go to it.

OK Cincinnati Go

UncleRando breaks down the GoCincinnati into a great summation, one that even a suburbanite could comprehend! Now, if they just understood it.....

New Coffeehouse Near UC

Options for coffee in the Clifton area has increased by one, with the addition of Taza. Has anyone been yet? What's the atmosphere like?

Mush!

There are times in a man's life when he must demonstrate to the world that he is indeed a man. Braving the harsh elements, maintaining self discipline under intense pressure, battling downtown traffic, and dressing up in a humorous (yet tasteful) costume are just a few of the demand tests that lie ahead in the Cinciditarod.

March 1st is the race. Are you man enough to organize your own team? Can you make it to the end of a grueling trek through the streets of Cincinnati? Can you legally obtain your own shopping cart?

If so, sign up by February 21st for the challenge of a life time, or at least for the Month of March.

Heimlich Out of 2nd District Race

Phil Heimlich has quit the GOP Primacy race of the Ohio 2nd Congressional Race. Phil's political career is done, or he has to go into hibernation for a decade or two before the GOP will touch him with a 30 foot pole.

YouTube Campaigning Comes To Southwest Ohio

Apparently every legitimate candidate now needs someone to sing about them on Youtube. Meet "Wulsin Girl."

It turns out that Wulsin Girl is actually Ann Driscoll, a 20 year-old first-year student at Berklee College of Music. If I ever run for office (unlikely!), I hope she likes me.....I can only imagine the really bad things she'd manage to rhyme with "Caster."

[Links via Malia Runyon at the Enquirer's Politics Extra Blog.]

WOXY's Rock 'n' Skate At Fountain Square

Indie Rock, ice Skates, and beer make for a fun evening on Fountain Square. $0.97 to skate and $2.00 skate rental. A nice deal for a fun event. It takes place this Friday Night (January 25) 7PM to 11 PM.

For more on skating at Fountain Square, hit www.myfountainsquare.com.

Are Streetcars The Answer? I'm Not Convinced.

I realize that I can openly disagree with Brian only so many times before I wear out my welcome, but I have to admit, I'm not sure that streetcars are the panacea that will revitalize downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

It seems that everyone who has jumped onto the streetcar bandwagon wants to remind us what a great boon they've been in Portland, Oregon. Well, bully for Portland! I grew up in Buffalo, NY. And the streetcar fervor in Cincinnati sounds much like what we were told about a new subway in Buffalo when I was growing up. It'll spur economic development, people said. It will attract new businesses downtown and everywhere along the subway line, people said.

Guess what? Buffalo's subway system has been open since 1984. Does anybody think Buffalo represents a model of economic development? And quite frankly, from a demographic and cultural standpoint, which city does Cincinnati more closely resemble: Buffalo or Portland?

Why do people think that what was good for Portland of the Pacific Northwest will be good for Cincinnati, in the heart of the Midwest? Here are some statistics to show the differences:
Population: Cincinnati--332,252; Portland--537,081
Median income: Cincinnati--$29,554; Portland--$42,287
Racial composition: Cincinnati--52% white, 49% black; Portland--75% white, 6% hispanic, 6% black
Average number of days with high temparature above 90: Cincinnati--28; Portland--10.
Average number of days with low temperature below 32: Cincinnati--98; Portland--44.
Average snowfall: Cincinnati--23 inches; Portland--3.1 inches.
Average price for a gallon of gasoline: Cincinnati--$2.87; Portland--$2.97.

Streetcars may be a good idea. But lately, some have suggested that they're the most important piece of the puzzle to development in Cincinnati. That's going too far. The City's most impressive piece of real estate--the Banks--has sat empty for years because our local leaders can't get their acts together. And OTR residents are still in need of more places to work, shop, and play.

Without strong, competent leadership, streetcars won't do the city a bit of good. And we seem to have leaders who are great at talking about things, but not so good at seeing them through. Doing the homework to get things done seems to be more than many of our politicians want to do. Does anyone else remember that when the street car plan was rolled out at a Council meeting (a committee meeting, I think), Chris Bortz went so far as to say that the City wouldn't even have to pay to have the electrical lines (that would power the streetcars) to be installed, as the utility companies would no doubt do it free of charge, realizing how much money the streetcars would bring in from revenues from new businesses? And does anyone else remember the Enquirer reporting the next day that a spokesperson from Duke Energy indicated that they hadn't been approached about that, and that it would cost so much the company would be unwilling to absorb the cost on its own?

Urban planning and economic development is tough stuff. We need people in our leadership who want to roll up their sleeves, not just be on television as often as possible. Streetcars might be one piece in a very complex puzzle that will help Cincinnati be prosperous. But a solution in and of themselves? Color me decidedly undecided.

Deters Simplified

Justin Stenger wrote a good guest column in the Enquirer this week, rebutting the idiotic comments of Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters. A Simplified Deters is strong exhibited with this "if" statement from Justin:

"If Deters really wanted the streets of Cincinnati to be safer, he would encourage visits to the city's core, not discourage them."

Deters cares about getting elected again, that would be about it.

[Via Wes]

It's Streetcars!

UrbanCincy's readers say Streetcars should be the #1 priority for Cincinnati . In terms of Development, they are totally correct! Two other issues that should be constant priorities are fighting crime and centralizing social services outside of area being redeveloped. If you think I am talking about moving the Drop Inn Center, then you would be correct. It will move. The question for DIC management is do they get a good deal or are they forced to move?

The Caton Mess

Since learning of the impending promotion of now-Sergeant Patrick Caton, I've really been struggling to sort through my views on the matter. That, no doubt, will suprise many of you. "Donald," you'll say, "Your civil practice includes civil rights law. You've got to be horrified that Caton is still a police officer, much less a sergeant."

And I am. But it's not that simple. This is a situation in which several deeply-held beliefs are in conflict. Maybe our faithful readers can help me sort them through in the comments.

• I grew up in a union household. I believe that working men and women have the right to organize, and to bargain collectively for the terms and conditions of their employment. And I believe that employers must be required to abide by the agreements they enter into with the unions that represent their workers.*
• I'm a criminal defense attorney. I believe--I have to believe--that an acquittal means something.
• I'm a criminal defense attorney. I believe that the power of the police has grown stronger than the Framers of our Constitution (particularly with respect to the Fourth Amendment) had ever envisioned or ever would have approved.
• I'm a civil rights attorney. I believe that citizens should not be subject to excessive force at the hands of the police who are sworn to protect us--all of us. And I believe that an officer whose use of excessive force causes serious injury or death should never get the opportunity to do it again. I also believe officers shouldn't use racial epithets while on duty. (They shouldn't ever use them, but I can't imagine them being subject to discipline for non-criminal, off-duty conduct.)

So where should that bring me with respect to Caton's promotion? Our criminal justice system found that he wasn't criminally liable for his conduct. His own department found that he used excessive force and shouldn't carry a badge and a gun any more. But a collective bargaining agreement-mandated arbitration found that the police department got it wrong.

I'm sure there are others out there who have sorted through this dilemna. How do you balance the values involved here?

* I also believe the City should require (through a CBA, where appropriate) most--if not all--of its employees (particularly our police) to live in the City. But that's a whole new discussion.

Dream Team? Freking and Chesley, Together At Last

Two of the most prominent members of Cincinnati's plaintiffs' bar, Randy Freking (of Freking and Betz) and Stan Chesley (of Waite, Schneider, Bayless and Chesley) have teamed up to take on the ultimate Goliath: Duke Energy. They've filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Ohio energy consumers, alleging that Duke has been offering rebates of recently-approved rate hikes to large consumers (so that those consumers wouldn't oppose those hikes, which are subject to approval by the Public Utilities Commission), and that those rebates have, of course, been subsidized by every other energy consumer (in other words, you and me).

It appears that that the allegations are to be supported by John Deeds. Deeds claims he was fired last year when he raised questions about Duke's payouts to corporate customers; he has filed a whistleblower action which is still pending (he's represented by Freking in that case).

From the complaint, it appears that there are at least eight attorneys who will represent that plaintiff class (assuming U.S. District Judge Weber certifies a class).

But if you're going to take on an energy company, I suppose you have to hope you've got an Erin Brokovich somewhere on your support staff. (Not really--I hated that movie!)