City Services For the Poor to Suffer

The Mayor is proposing budget cuts to programs that will hurt many people. The poor will feel it most. Fire protection Brown-Outs got headlines, but when we cut money to help food banks and women's shelters the news will be muted and the reaction from the public will be nonexistent.

Elections? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Elections

David Broder's column in the Cincinnati Post laments Florida where if you are unopposed and you don't have anyone register as a write-in against you, then you do not appear on the ballot and are automatically made the congressman. I don't know if this applies to all elections in Florida or just Federal Offices. Sounds like someone needs to reform the law. Write-in candidates should not be required to register beforehand, and the public should know who is up for election at least on election day. We have another reason to pity Florida. We in Ohio dodged a bullet this year and would have had total chaos if the vote had been a little bit closer. We still have a very small chance to have that chaos if the provisional ballots go all Kerry's way. Many still hold out hope. I don't and those that do are grasping at straws.

In Case You Missed it

What has been considered one of the most disgusting articles after the election can be read here. It has made the rounds in the blogosphere and if you haven't read it, please do and then understand why I am pissed off.

Now, I am sure that this guy's views are not in the majority among conservatives, but it surely has a significant portion and a growing segment that does feel emboldened by Bush's bare majority win. This write is the type of person I don't trust and for those who silently let him blather on don't make me feel very positive that the country will "heal."

Will the Millworks Kill Downtown?

Will the new mall coming to Oakley in 2006 kill downtown and other retail and entertainment districts around town? This will be more "upscale" so it does appeal to the Mason-Kenwood-Hyde Park crowd, so will that crowd now stay away from Downtown? Are they even going there now?

This seems to make any development for Fountain Square, the Banks, and Main Street back burner efforts.

The only question outstanding: how much will this cost tax payers? In cash, loans, or tax breaks.

UPDATE: Nick Spencer comments in support of the new delvelopment.

Someone is Lying

Warren County Officials are sticking to their guns that the threat on election day was a "10." I think someone might want to mention to someone out in Mason that the Kings Island Eiffel Tower is not real and is a fraction of the actual size.

This is ridiculous. Either the FBI is lying when it says they did not issue a threat against Warren County or that someone in Warren County was looking to make a name for them self and even keep out people from watching the vote counts at the same time.

I says this as I sit in BK, yes BK, blogging during lunch, on the edge of Warren County. This makes me want to laugh, but at the same time cry that people in public office would actually think that a rural county would be a target for terrorism. I know the Bush folks have managed to make a whole lot of people think they, even in their rural home, are targets for international terrorism. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable, NOOOOO!!!!! People are stupid enough, and these officials show they are, to believe that terrorism is going to hit them, when there is no tangible evidence that anyone is a target out side of major cities or facilities that could cause large amounts of damage. Even then, we are still safe here. Simon Leis and Warren County folks need to take a step back and stop helping Bush mislead the country into living a perpetual state of fear and panic. We all know that is the state of society which makes it easiest to govern. If people are afraid, then they are easier to influence, which in part worked like a charm last week.

Choose and Lose

Korte reports the following from Councilman Sam Malone on who should take Pat DeWine Seat: 'The issues that were instrumental in (President Bush) maintaining his seat are critically important,' Malone said. Translation: Only rock-ribbed social conservatives need apply.Gee, I wonder what Malone will do? Malone has illustrated that he is firmly anti-homosexual, which, campers, makes him a bigot.

I for one would play the gender card on Malone if I were Ghiz. If you want the women's vote, you will do well by putting a woman on council. That might open the door for Barb Trauth, who is in Malone's right wing zone of comfort.

Nick's Picks

Nick Spencer has posted his ideal city council:

1. Me (well, come on, what did you expect?)
2. Fanon Rucker (probably not interested, but he would be great)
3. Laketa Cole (exceptional constituent service, great on Neighborhoods)
4. Jim Tarbell (Commitment to the Center City and the Arts)
5. Dave Crowley (Impeccable Character, Strong Record of Service)
6. Leslie Ghiz (smart, likeable, easy to work with)
7. Damon Lynch III (some really good ideas, represents the unheard voices of our city)
8. Pete Witte (not as bad as you might think, though he has his moments. A working class guy who cares about development and safety)
9. John Connelly (a sincere person with interesting ideas, though I certainly don't agree with many of them).

Now who does Nick leave off off the current list: Sam Malone, David Pepper, Alicia Reece, John Cranley, Chris Smitherman, and Pat Dewine.

Now DeWine got elected to the county commission, so I don't know if Nick would have left him off or not. Pepper and Reece are both likely running for Mayor. Cranley has been toying with something similar but, likely will not. The real losers are Smitherman and Malone. Smitherman gets the special knock because he and Nick both ran on the Charter ticket. Nick is a moderate Replublican and Smitherman is a Democrat, which makes the Charter label rather limited in material impact, but Smitherman has lost some significant support amongst moderates for his defense of extremist boycotters (B and some A's). Malone is a Burress Bigot, so no shock there.

I don't think I could fill out a full slate yet, but I know who on Nick's list I would not vote for: Lynch, Witte, and Connelly.