CityBeat Council Endorsements

I am somewhat surprised by some of CityBeat's Endorsements. Here they are:
Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
John Cranley
David Crowley
John Eby
Brian Garry
Greg Harris
Joan Kaup
Roxanne Qualls

I am a little bit surprised, but pleased they support John Eby. I disagree on some issues with John, but he is a good guy, and is the best Republican in the field.

I am very surprised about Laketa Cole. Even without her recent Drama, she's not been a good council member, and how she's been working with the fiscal five should turn her off from the usual CityBeat philosophy.

I am also surprised CityBeat has a very white slate. I think Cecil Thomas is worthy of consideration, even with his conservative social views. With CityBeat's choices as cover, I might be able to avoid some of the White Guilt crowd's anger when I say this year there is a clear lack of good minority candidates. There by comparison an increased number of non-minority quality Urbanist-Progressive candidates attractive to CityBeat. This does not fit the demographics of the city, however. Does this bode well for the future?

More Thugs on Main?

I think I saw a couple of cop cars fly down my street last night racing towards Main, but I didn't notice a crowd at all. They didn't run down 12th Street my way. With another murder on Main two things need to happen. Firstly, the corner of 12th and Main needs to be cleaned up. Station a cop there all the time. Drive out the criminals. The Jordan attracts criminals. The section 8 housing on Main and 12th needs better management to get the problem people out or in jail when they break the law.

Secondly, if the clubs down there are at all to blame for bringing in stupid wannabe gang bangers. It is a rather simple thing, don't cater to the thugs. Do promote gang life, don't glorify it and the thug will stay away.

What is funny, if I hadn't read about this today, I wouldn't have know this happened 2 blocks from where I live. Who would ever have guessed that 12th and Vine is far safer than 12th and Main Street?

Miami #1

You're not going to read about this in the Enquirer, but Miami is #1 in the nation in College Hockey.

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

Get an interesting take here on Miami Hockey from a North Dakota fan, the #2 team.

Sam Malone Owes Son Money

First He was charged with whipping his son with a Belt, but now he was spending his son's money too. This time the courts ruled against him. What is most horrible for this man to have done is the report in the article that alleges Malone used some of the money that belonged to his son to pay his legal fees in his defense on the charges for beating that same son. I guess Malone was going to take it out of his hide in more ways than one.

BRINK: A New Music Showcase

The Southgate House has a great line-up for this Saturday Night (Nov 3rd). If I can get gang to go, I'm going to check out the likes of: The Pomegranates, White Girls, Lions Rampant, Jon Justice, Kinsey Rose, The Read, Eat Sugar, The Delusionals, Eclipse, Cash Flagg and Nathan Holscher.

Council Supports Banks

All Nine voted in a joint subcommittee meeting to support the Banks plan. An assumed formality vote in a full council session is expected later in the week.

It appears like something is going to happen. I'm still foggy on the details. If they are out there, I've not seen them blanketed around for all to read. I'm worried about its success. It still appears to me that all of the political leaders are missing something about development of any area in and around Downtown: you need people to live there. Residency is the key to the Banks, to Fountain Square and to OTR. If you don't make it easy and attractive to live in Downtown, then these new projects will not make it.

I also see the double edge of the Banks. I hope everyone understand what the Banks is going to be: a play ground for the suburbanites. What they want is a place to play before and after the game. That is what is driving the Banks. Sure, it exists now in Downtown or over in Covington/Newport, but people are actually that lazy as to want it within yards of the stadium.

I think the Banks in concept is good idea, what I hope people don't do is see it as anything more than a loss leader. It is the way to give people a taste of the City, but what will make everything work is having thousands of new residents in Downtown and OTR. That will bring the retail everyone clamors for. It takes people to build a city, not an ESPN Zone. When I hear John Cranley joking about drinking beer in a big national chain restaurant, all I can think of is McMain Street.

What the city needs to attract now are two thing: residents and employers who like having residents live near by.

Police Union Assault

Once again Peter Bronson is attacking a union for fighting against the actions of large corporation, one run by a hard right Republican. I am still waiting for Bronson to write a column calling out the FOP for its assault on people of Cincinnati for its 2001 slowdown. Bronson is against every union there is, except for a chapter of the FOP that pushing GOP political views every change they get.