Unintended Consequences

The Enquirer reports that Westwood Concern is upset about an apartment building in which eight registered sex offenders are residing. From the article, it appears that the building is simply a private apartment building at which several sex offenders have chosen to live. Unfortunately, Westwood Concern is probably complaining about the inevitable consequences of our residency laws.

First, let me clear: I like Westwood Concern. I don't always agree with it or its leader, Mary Kuhl, but I respect them for their commitment to their neighborhood and their activism. So please, don't anyone think this is an I-hate-the-West-Side post.

Having said that, though, concentrations of sex offenders in certain neighborhoods--or even buildings--are the logical result of draconian restrictions on where sex offenders can lawfully live. If 60 percent of the city is off-limits--as the Enquirer reports--then that only leaves the remaining 40 percent available to registered sex offenders. Subtract out the portion of that forty percent that is commercial or high-end residential, and sex offenders have few options for housing.

We're certainly not the only community dealing with this issue. Back in 2007, CNN.com carried a piece regarding a trailer park in Florida that was a safe haven for sex offenders. The answer probably lies in ending the one-size-fits-all approach to monitoring convicted sex offenders. Not all sex offenders are pedophiles. And a sane approach to law enforcement and criminal justice must recognize that. Sadly, Megan's Law and the Adam Walsh Act, while politically satisfying, are ineffective at actually keeping anyone safe.

And finally, people are right to be concerned about the Pogue Center being a collection center for offenders from across the state. According to ODRC's report on the facility, 75% of residents are from Butler, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Warren Counties. That's quite a broad area. (And the remaining 25% may come from anywhere in the state.) But it's also important to know that very few Pogue Center residents who are not Hamilton County residents are permitted to remain here once their treatment program is concluded. ORDC reports that in order for a non-resident placed at the VOA to stay here, an offender has to show that he has full-time employment, stable community support, and adequate savings; since 2006, only 3 out-of-county offenders have been permitted to establish residency here at the conclusion of their treatment.

Ultimately, the continued adherence to strict, Adam Walsh-like regimes will lead to sex offender ghettoes. That's not useful, it doesn't protect the public, and it's not in the interest of the community in which the ghetto is created.

New York Times Reports on Cincinnatian's Love Story

On Friday, the Fashion and Style section of the New York Times contained an article on the upcoming nuptials of Cincinnatian Laurence Meade. Why does the Times care about a wedding in the Midwest? Well, it's the logical result of a love story only possible in the twenty-first century. Here's the short version:

Ann Althouse is a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. But more importantly (at least for our tale), she's a blogger who boasts a significant readership. Mr. Meade began reading the blog and began flirting with Professor Althouse in the comments. Eventually, he asked her out (his first, failed attempt was through email, but his second, successful venture was a comment to a post). And the rest, as they say, is history. Professor Althouse has provided something of a roadmap to the Times's chronology. After a first date on Professor Althouse's home turf and a second date at a neutral site, Professor Althouse came to Cincinnati in February. (Peruse many of her posts from that visit here.) While she was here, she accepted Mr. Meade's proposal. My first thought was that the professor fell in love with Graeter's and Montgomery Inn, and that Mr. Meade was just a nice bonus prize, but the Times reports that the couple will reside in Madison.

It's a fun story, and one that makes me smile. I read Professor Althouse's blog frequently, but I have to admit I was fairly clueless about what was going on until other blogs reported it (and I was wondering what would bring her to Cincinnati when I read that she was having a meet-up, which I did not attend--I assumed that UC Law was having some symposium at which she was speaking). That's probably because I read her posts, but usually not the comments to them. Now I'm thinking of skipping the posts and only reading the comments.

And I certainly understand how the professor would finally be willing to relent and grant Mr. Meade a date. I, too, receive countless romantic overtures in the blog comments (this post in particular really cranked up the Love Machine), but I have Griff delete them as soon as they appear so as to maintain our commenters' privacy and dignity. Some day soon, though, I will probably tire of playing hard-to-get and accept one of my would-be-wooers' earnest advances.

Congratulations to Mr. Meade, and best wishes on his upcoming move to the Badger State.

Thoughtful Discussion On Newsmakers This Morning

The video is not yet available, but Channel 12's Dan Hurley led a typically thoughtful discussion on this morning's Newsmakers.  The topic was the VOA, and what should be done with it in the wake of Anthony Kirkland's alleged crimes.  The guests were Margie Slagle of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center and City Councilmember Chris Monzel.

No one will accuse either Griff or me of being Monzel cheerleaders.  But I'll admit:  I was surprised by the thoughtfulness and candidness with which Monzel addressed the issue of how to deal with convicted sex offenders.  I didn't agree with everything Monzel had to say.  (When asked, for instance, where to move the VOA, his suggestion--Lebanon--is one that's clearly non-workable, as there will always be some need to house individuals trying to re-enter society somewhere in Hamilton County.  And he cited a fairly discredited study regarding recidivism rates for sex offenders.)  But Monzel acknowledged something that many politicians--Democrats or Republicans--won't:  treating all sex offenders the same is probably not good public policy.  I was surprised to hear that assertion from him; it's not the typical knee-jerk law-and-order response calculated to win votes.  And it's clear Monzel has given a lot of thought to the issue.

So check back at Channel 12's website for the video in the next couple days and watch it, once it appears.  And will someone from Channel 12 please tell me:  why can't Dan Hurley have a full 60 minutes?  There's no way to thoroughly explore the issues he raises in the fifteen-minute segments available to him (as long as he's not showing pictures of birds).  Certainly, at least during the eight months when the Bengals aren't playing, Hurley could be given the whole 11:00 hour.  Maybe it's time to start a "Sixty Minutes for Hurley" Facebook petition.....

What's Familiar May Not Be Common

Growing up in Buffalo, I knew that some things were particular to that city.  Everyone knew that Buffalo wings were invented in Buffalo (and weren't really available outside western New York twenty years ago), and that beef on weck was something you could get only in Buffalo.  (If you're ever in Buffalo, by the way, try a kummelweck roll; decades after leaving the city, I still crave the delicacy.)

But there were some things I thought were universal that, it turns out, were only regional favorites.  Until I moved away, I'd assumed you could find sponge candy or loganberry (a fruit drink actually bottled by Pepsi in Buffalo) anywhere.  I'd grown up with them; it just seemed natural that everyone else did, too.  I think just about every city has things like that:  items or events that locals take for granted, but about which the rest of the world is clueless.

Cincinnatians know goetta and a chili-like concoction on top of spaghetti are uniquely Cincinnati, of course.  But as my ninth Opening Day in Cincinnati arrives, I wonder whether native Cincinnatians know how  unique our version of Opening Day is.  Do people who grew up here realize that if they were to drive tomorrow to Pittsburgh or Cleveland or even Chicago, Opening Day would be greeted just as any other Monday?  Do you realize that people in other major league towns haven't been paying attention to spring training games?  And that most cities won't have a parade that closes most of their downtown (unless, perhaps, their team won the World Series last year)?

Since I've become a Cincinnatian, Opening Day has become one of my favorite events.  I don't have tickets to the game this year, but I intentionally refrained from scheduling any work events.  So I'll watch the parade from somewhere near Fountain Square, watch the game on TV, and hoist a few beers (unless one of our beloved readers has an extra GABP ticket they'd like to share).  And I'm not the only lawyer who treats the day as an unofficial holiday:  it will be remarkably quiet in the Hamilton County Courthouse Monday afternoon, save for the sound of fireworks emanating about ten blocks south.

So have fun tomorrow, and do so remembering you're probably having much more fun that folks in other major league cities.

Feel free to use the thread to talk about either Opening Day, or to write about the things you'd miss most about Cincinnati if you moved elsewhere.

It is Still a Joke

Jane Prendergast of the Enquirer is reporting she has confirmed Jason Haap (AKA the Dean of Cincinnati) is not joking when he posted on April Fool's day that he is running for Mayor.

It is still a joke, a waste of time, and a mockery of those who are credible candidates out to do good, instead of to gain attention.

April Fool's Day Is Not The 2nd

Someone needs to tell the Dean that his Joke was a day late. Yeah, if it is not a joke, than it is just sad and a mockery of our political system.

UPDATE: It appears the Enquirer''s political blog is slow on the take and doesn't read the date on blog posts.

I'm Such A Geek

Like City Beat's Stephen Carter-Novotni, I've been excitedly anticipating the May 8 arrival of the new Star Trek movie. (For those keeping track, this is the eleventh Star Trek movie. But since the release of the first movie in 1979, we are currently in the longest gap between Star Trek movie releases; the last movie was Nemesis, released in late 2002. This is also the first summer release since The Final Frontier, which premiered in 1989.)

So how about today's news that Star Trek will be be in AMC at Newport on the Levee's new IMAX theatre? (Way to bury the lede, Enquirer!)

I'm positively giddy.

Let the hurling of ridicules in my general direction begin.

UPDATE: If anyone at AMC, Star Trek, Paramount Pictures, or anyone else is interested, I'd happily blog about the movie here in exchange for preview or premiere tickets....