Stating the Obvious

It should almost go without saying but Steve Chabot and Jean Schmidt won re-election because of how the Congressional district lines were redrawn by the GOP to favor GOP candidates. This is how politics works. It shouldn't be how it works, but it does, and people are still too apathetic to care.

WAIF News?

Last we heard things were really ugly at the local community radio station. Can anyone chime in on where things stand now? Are the idiots still running the station into the ground? Is the FCC breaking down their neck's? Will we get the nuts out of the station leadership?

Nominate Cincinnati News Stories of 2006

I will open up the floor for nominations for the biggest news stories in the Cincinnati area. These can include statewide stories, NKY, or Southeast Indiana stories. At the end of the year, I'll be posting my top ten stories. For me the stories will be a combination of the most popular stories and the most important stories. If I get the notion too, I may create a list of the most unimportant, yet much covered stories in Cincinnati.

If others want to include the most under covered story, chime in with that as well.

My Truth, Not Yours

I have to wonder how many people will take this seriously: `Truthiness' is named Word of the Year. I also wonder how many people still think Stephen Colbert is a conservative. There have to be a few hundred thousand gullible fools still out there.

Chamber Hops on Creative Class Band Wagon?

It has been said many times in the town that the Creative Class is one of the keys to reinvigorating the Urban Core of Cincinnati, but it appears now that the 'fast moving' Chamber of Commerce has finally caught on to the idea.

Chaz Has It Right

A great guest column from former Mayor Charlie Luken. Furthermore to quell the rumors, I did not ghost write this for Charlie.

A letter to the Enquirer today agrees:

LUKEN NAILED IT IN COLUMN ON CITY

Charlie Luken is right about Cincinnati and about Peter Bronson; the city has the opportunity to rebound and is taking it ("Don't bash city that has so much going for it," Dec. 7). Why do suburbanites like Bronson feel they can bash a city that is doing so much to improve itself and dealing with the problems left by those irresponsible enough to abandon the city for places like West Chester and Blue Ash? You may favor the blander life of the suburbs over continuing the legacy of a great city, but don't stand back and criticize. I'll take downtown over mundane strip malls and chain restaurants any day.

Ben Bedel Covedale

Indeed.

Smoking Still Has Baby Teeth

The State Agreed at the last minute not to enforce the smoking ban until rules are established. That will hopefully happen quickly. This does not give smoker's the freedom to smoke as they please. This does give business owners to do as they please without the state sanctioning them. Businesses would do more in the long run to comply with the law now. Let the diehards at neighborhood dives keep smoking, but large bars should just get used to it.