In Order to Live, You Must Jab an Ice Pick into Your Head

A common mentality that runs through many segments of the Cincinnati region is one that posits Cincinnati is so horrible, the only way to do anything to improve the situation is to level it and start over. This mentality comes from both sides of the political spectrum.

One side would like to just like to see the city die and either force all of the poor people to leave the area or take over the jobs that will open up once the illegal immigrants are rounded up.

The other side thinks Cincinnati is so backward that you either have to kick out all of the corporations or all the white people or all the non-smokers until you can have an inbred circle-jerk of merriment before starting an organic freshwater oyster collective so fertile that it will provide income to all of the remaining residents of the City. Since so few would remain, it might work until someone wanted to actually use electricity, take a shower, or flush the toilet.

If you like the City and its see potential to be a great city, you are attacked, as I have been by Larry Gross and the many personalities of his few commenters as well as many others commenters on this site.

This is something I find hysterical. I get called a cheerleader and am accused of having my head in the sand. Me, the guy who lashes out, who trusts few, who is a cynic about nearly everything I read or view. Yes, I do emphasize the positives. I am trying to be a counterweight. I am trying to see the beer stein half full (or in our case 2/3rds full) for a change.

Cincinnati's number one problem is attitude. Too many people think it sucks here. Most in that camp have lived here their entire lives and resent that for various reasons. Someone comes along and counters their preconceived notion of truth and that rubs the wrong way. I challenge their ignorance, their apathy, and I don't hesitate to try and knock the chip off their shoulder. What none have done so far is shown that they have any answers. They whine about this or bitch about that, pivot the blame else where, but don't say much constructive.

I'm going to work on another post detailing where many of my commenters and Larry Gross got my year end post wrong, and I hope to demonstrate how they are seeing what I wrote through a jaded prizm. Not that my words will improve their contextual reasoning skills, but it can't hurt.

Being constructive doesn't hurt. Killing the baby in the bathwater hurts on multiple levels. I'll try to make sure to improve my clarity, but I hope others will want to succeed instead of wallowing in pithy comments.

Lazy R. Hines Fails to Report Blog Attack on Griffin

The haphazard website operator Rick Hines of Cincy Nation as of 2:30PM has failed to link to the outrageous blog attack from the Living out Loud Blog put upon local mild mannered blogger, Brian Griffin. Hines allegedly commented on the aforementioned blog post, but had yet found the time to link to the story itself. It is undetermined how many other of the comments are from Hines using fake names, but "questions remain" alleging that Hines is posting under multiple pseudonyms.

(cough, cough)

For the Inner Civic Wiki in All of Us

Hamilton County has opened Pandora's box. Will other governments follow suit?

[Via the Enquirer]

Happy New Year!

I didn't formulate any resolutions, but before the day is out I may make something up.

Most Important News Stories of the Year

Here we go, my pick of the most important news stories in the Cincinnati Region for 2006. In reverse order:

10. Smoking Ban Passes - No major reports yet on loss of business by bar owners.
9. Entertainment zone moves south to Downtown - Main Street Entertainment District shrivels
8. City of Cincinnati Budget Fiasco - details on cuts still not clear - arts funding impact unknown
7. CCV fails to get Anti-gay issue on ballot - signature effort faced charges of fraud
6. Music Scene in City continues vibrancy with return of WOXY, rise of local music acts on the national stage (Heartless Bastards and half of Racuntours), and the great lineups at the music festivals (however the attendance levels were not stellar).
5. Schmidt and Chabot hold off Wulsin and Cranley
4. Newport Riverfront Development
3. Rebirth of Fountain Square - Ice Rink and Holiday events draw great crowds
2. Dems Gain Statewide Ohio Offices
1. Pepper defeats Heimlich and Dems take control of County Commission

Here are the Enquirer's Top Stories for Ohio and NKY. The bias of Enquirer is most evident in their play up of Butler County and their backhanded praise of Fountain Square.

Most Over reported Stories of the Year:

• Murder rate in Cincinnati
• Bengals Arrests
• Marcus Fiesel tragedy - Yes, it was horrible, but making the case a spectacle is also horrible.
• Every closing of a restaurant in the City.
• Enquirer's obsession with reality TV - Jerry Springer is just not that interesting.
  

Most Under Reported Stories of the Year

• The opening of New restaurants in the City.
• Local politics, especially on local television news.
• Power struggle for WAIF
• Commercial Radio changes - Station swapping - Clear channel layoffs just before announcing huge station sell-off.
  
• Level of bigotry/racism behind illegal immigration crackdown
• Level of irrational fear of the City of Cincinnati (not just Downtown) by outside the I-275 loop suburban residents.
  

Joe's Booster Club

If Joe Wessels has a booster club, then Nate Livingston is likely a member. Nate raises a good point about the Enquirer's website. With the Post on a collision course with oblivion next year, I wonder how much the Enquirer would expend for equitable treatment of all reporters.

Bronson is Not So Bad Today

I can't find much fault with Peter Bronson's column today. The City Council's recent budget process was more like a Budget Showdown between Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton.

On a side note: It's ironic how I bring in a reference to Bill Clinton when comment on a Bronson column where he Did NOT reference Bill Clinton.

Another side note: Why isn't Peter Bronson writing about Butler County's inability to balance their budget? He lives there, doesn't he?