When you can't field more than 5 candidates for Cincinnati City Council it is clear your party either just doesn't care about the city or just down right hates it and cares only about the burbs. There are months ahead before candidates have to collect enough signatures and the local GOP is done endorsing. Sure, if you want to actually be a winning candidate, you need to be raising money now to have a reasonable chance, but not everyone has a chance anyway. Major political parties that are serious about a political race actually play to win it. The GOP I contend, at least those I'll label "the powers that be," would like to see the city fail, much like many want to see President Obama fail. Those living in the suburbs, the money base for most things GOP in the area, are not inclined to fund anything in the City, even a GOP candidate. Sure a few might, but most don't care to fund their own local township races, so the city is like a foreign political county.
No, I am not saying all Republicans want the city to fail, just those with the power. Those with the power would rather see the city slide into the river so attention and power and federal funding for the area could be reentered in the burbs. That would build up their power more, which yeah, is the goal of nearly every person ever labeled as part of the "powers that be."
I will applaud all 5 of the GOP endorsed candidates for City Council: Leslie Ghiz, Chris Monzel, George Zamary, Charlie Winburn, and Amy Murry. All I believe care about the city and in ways I may not agree with, want the city to succeed. Yes, that even goes for Charlie Winburn!
All of that said, sure there is a method to a short slate. When you want to try and gain a seat or two, then a short slate is logical plan to get you there. That hurts in the long run. You don't build up a big enough bench, which is a massive GOP problem right now that shows no signs of changing.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
CincyFringe 2009 Line Up Announced
The 6th annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival has announced it's line up.
The festival runs May 26th through June 6th. More details are here from the Enquirer.
For the 3rd year in a row, TheConveyor.com is planning on wall to wall, beer to beer, and play to play coverage of festival. We'll have reviews and more here. The Fringe Blog will be back again and so will the overabundance of cheeky commentary from Fringe participants.
Visual and Film Fringe are still accepting applications until March 27th, so get full details at www.cincyfringe.com.
The festival runs May 26th through June 6th. More details are here from the Enquirer.
For the 3rd year in a row, TheConveyor.com is planning on wall to wall, beer to beer, and play to play coverage of festival. We'll have reviews and more here. The Fringe Blog will be back again and so will the overabundance of cheeky commentary from Fringe participants.
Visual and Film Fringe are still accepting applications until March 27th, so get full details at www.cincyfringe.com.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Bigotry in Butler County
Yes, the headline is a broken record, but adoption policy in Butler County discriminates against Gays. Guess who the bigot is: Mike Fox, former Butler County Commissioner. I guess he needs more bad press to counter the bad press his scandals got him. What better way to rally support than to tap into a subtle bigotry.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
'Round The Cinciblogosphere: End of an Era
Well, Jean-Robert at Pigall's is no more. I'm fortunate to have eaten there once, for a three-course lunch a few years ago. I remember distinctly two things: the best scallops I've ever had, and my only experience with purple potatoes (mmm....potatoes and purple, together).
I kept waiting for Griff to invite Jack, Julie, and me out to Pigall's to mark the closing but alas, the perks of blogging aren't what they used to be.....so I've had to settle for reading about other bloggers' last meals there.
Kate's random thoughts on a final four-star meal are here. Graham ate at Jean Robert's this week (okay...it was a couple weeks ago, but I'm trying to get his blog's name into the sentence). And go read which of Jean Robert's morsels got into Liz's belly here (yes, Liz blew it in her review of Adriatico's, but her terrific recounting of her Pigall's meal--as well as her great story on a foray into a sort of extreme-cuisine-meets-fine-dining-purgatory--has caused me to stop frothing at the mouth.
I'm sorry to see the restaurant go. I'm not sure how such restaurants fit into markets outside of New York and Los Angeles, particularly in the present economy. But such restaurants remind us why the phrase "culinary art" exists. Jean Robert, when he's at his finest, isn't just dishing up sustenance; he's creating art and memories. And I hope that downtown restaurant gets another opportunity to support a four-star dining experience).
I kept waiting for Griff to invite Jack, Julie, and me out to Pigall's to mark the closing but alas, the perks of blogging aren't what they used to be.....so I've had to settle for reading about other bloggers' last meals there.
Kate's random thoughts on a final four-star meal are here. Graham ate at Jean Robert's this week (okay...it was a couple weeks ago, but I'm trying to get his blog's name into the sentence). And go read which of Jean Robert's morsels got into Liz's belly here (yes, Liz blew it in her review of Adriatico's, but her terrific recounting of her Pigall's meal--as well as her great story on a foray into a sort of extreme-cuisine-meets-fine-dining-purgatory--has caused me to stop frothing at the mouth.
I'm sorry to see the restaurant go. I'm not sure how such restaurants fit into markets outside of New York and Los Angeles, particularly in the present economy. But such restaurants remind us why the phrase "culinary art" exists. Jean Robert, when he's at his finest, isn't just dishing up sustenance; he's creating art and memories. And I hope that downtown restaurant gets another opportunity to support a four-star dining experience).
CPS School Board: Not At The Head Of The Class
Dumb, dumb, dumb. That's the only way to describe the continued failure of the Cincinnati school board to respect the spirit, intent, and (frankly) the text of the Public Records Act. As we noted last month, CPS hatched a scheme to shield the names of applicants for the vacant superintendent position from public scrutiny: the board rented a post office box for the reception of applications, and won't open them until March 16, at which time it will attempt to hire someone as quickly as possible.
CPS has held its ground. And so has the Enquirer, which today filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Appeals to force the board to release the applications in response to Public Records Act requests.
I recognize that there is at least one good reason to permit applicants' names to be immune from public disclosure: good candidates might be discouraged from applying given that there's a guarantee that their present employers will learn they're seeking work elsewhere. But the only way to fix that is for the General Assembly to change the statute.
Besides being fairly illegal, the board's decision is also bad practice. Trying to compress the consideration of applications for its top job into as little time as possible leaves them with a wide margin for error. Moving into a time period in which (a) money will be tight and (b) the state's educational system may undergo fundamental changes, the board needs a strong, competent leader. But its process is making it less likely that one will be hired.
The Enquirer is represented by Jack Greiner, a partner at Graydon Head & Ritchey. It looks like Mr. Greiner has been practicing for about 25 years. My guess is that he bills at a rate of $350 or $400 per hour (perhaps more). Assuming I'm correct and the Enquirer wins its suit, CPS will be on the hook for his fees (the Public Records Act contains a "fee-shifting" provision, permitting a successful litigant to collect attorney's fees and costs).
HamCo GOP Chair Alex Triantafilou says his party will field "qualified" candidates in the next school board race. Given the current board's short-sightedness on this rather easy issue, I'll be leaning heavily towards casting my ballot for some "R's" in those races.
Finally, for those of you who were wondering why the lawsuit was filed in the appeals court, rather than in the Common Pleas court (our trial level courts): it's because of the nature of the suit. The Enquirer is seeking a writ of mandamus--essentially, an order compelling a government official to obey the law. Ohio law says that such suits, unlike ordinary suits for damages, may originate in any court--the applicable Common Pleas Court, a Court of Appeals, or even the Ohio Supreme Court.
CPS has held its ground. And so has the Enquirer, which today filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Appeals to force the board to release the applications in response to Public Records Act requests.
I recognize that there is at least one good reason to permit applicants' names to be immune from public disclosure: good candidates might be discouraged from applying given that there's a guarantee that their present employers will learn they're seeking work elsewhere. But the only way to fix that is for the General Assembly to change the statute.
Besides being fairly illegal, the board's decision is also bad practice. Trying to compress the consideration of applications for its top job into as little time as possible leaves them with a wide margin for error. Moving into a time period in which (a) money will be tight and (b) the state's educational system may undergo fundamental changes, the board needs a strong, competent leader. But its process is making it less likely that one will be hired.
The Enquirer is represented by Jack Greiner, a partner at Graydon Head & Ritchey. It looks like Mr. Greiner has been practicing for about 25 years. My guess is that he bills at a rate of $350 or $400 per hour (perhaps more). Assuming I'm correct and the Enquirer wins its suit, CPS will be on the hook for his fees (the Public Records Act contains a "fee-shifting" provision, permitting a successful litigant to collect attorney's fees and costs).
HamCo GOP Chair Alex Triantafilou says his party will field "qualified" candidates in the next school board race. Given the current board's short-sightedness on this rather easy issue, I'll be leaning heavily towards casting my ballot for some "R's" in those races.
Finally, for those of you who were wondering why the lawsuit was filed in the appeals court, rather than in the Common Pleas court (our trial level courts): it's because of the nature of the suit. The Enquirer is seeking a writ of mandamus--essentially, an order compelling a government official to obey the law. Ohio law says that such suits, unlike ordinary suits for damages, may originate in any court--the applicable Common Pleas Court, a Court of Appeals, or even the Ohio Supreme Court.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Imports At It Again
At cincinnati imports (someday soon I'll find out why "liz" is so opposed to capitalization), Liz announces a couple of upcoming events. On March 21, the plan is to head out to Cincinnati Gardens to cheer as Lauren (known by her rabid fans as Miss Print) and the Cincinnati Rollergirls as they take on the Hard Knox Rollergirls in the season opener.
Plans are also in the works for a Happy Hour on April 1st. No location has been announced.
I'm somewhat embarassed that I never posted on the imports' first Happy Hour. It was a great event! I was thrilled to meet some of the best bloggers in town. Liz and Lauren have pictures here. This last one is important: it memorializes the historic first meeting between Griff, on the right, and myself (note the somewhat awed look in my eyes). That's right, Griff and I had never met before that night. Anyhow, the event was fun enough that I'm looking forward to the April Fool's Day event. And it's so fun to hang with that crowd that I just might have to figure out what a twitter is and crash the next tweet-up....
Oh---for those of you who are concerned by the picture: the pornstache was a very, very, very, short-lived experiment in facial hair, and ended shortly after that night.
Plans are also in the works for a Happy Hour on April 1st. No location has been announced.
I'm somewhat embarassed that I never posted on the imports' first Happy Hour. It was a great event! I was thrilled to meet some of the best bloggers in town. Liz and Lauren have pictures here. This last one is important: it memorializes the historic first meeting between Griff, on the right, and myself (note the somewhat awed look in my eyes). That's right, Griff and I had never met before that night. Anyhow, the event was fun enough that I'm looking forward to the April Fool's Day event. And it's so fun to hang with that crowd that I just might have to figure out what a twitter is and crash the next tweet-up....
Oh---for those of you who are concerned by the picture: the pornstache was a very, very, very, short-lived experiment in facial hair, and ended shortly after that night.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Bockfest Starts This Friday!
It is that time of year again. Bockfest starts Friday March 6th and runs through Sunday the 8th. Friday is the big night with events starting at 6 PM with the Parade at Arnold's up to Main Street. Best viewing will likley be around 12th and Main, where the blessing of the beer takes place after the parade. Get your holy water burns at no extra cost!
Jake Speed takes the stage at 9PM at Bockfest Hall (Formerly Jefferson Hall).
Other places you may find me will be Arnold's and Grammer's, which are easy to get to via the free Bockfest shuttle!
Admission is free, so come on down!
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