Summer Assignments for Murray and Winburn

To no one's surprise, council members Amy Murray and Charlie Winburn are complaining about council's summer recess schedule, while facing a $33 million budget deficit. If Murray and Winburn think council should use that time to work on a detailed plan of revenue increase or service cuts needed to balance the budget, then they are free to do so on their own. No one is going to stop them from getting a copy of the budget drafted by the City Manager and then running the numbers so the $33 Million can be reduced to zero. They will be paid the same, no matter if council is in session or not.

So, whether council stays in session, or not, Murray and Winburn I believe have volunteered themselves to produce a written document that provides a full solution on how to balance the budget. Nothing would then stop them from publishing the details that get them to a zero deficit?

Nothing would stop them.

They have plenty of time to get it done. They both most remember that getting the deficit to zero means that the cuts or revenues they list out are real, not relying on delinquencies to pay up money owed.

I'll be waiting for a document....

That should take maybe a couple of days, and that is being generous. The rest of the time they could spend doing the audits they want to pay someone else to do. Instead of paying $150,000 to the State, Winburn and Murray could each do one and they could get another one of the Conservatives will to spend $150,000 on three audits. That $150,000 is money that could instead go to pay the salaries of at least two entry level police officers (plus benefits).

So, two more police officers, or the Conservatives do some work this summer, what will it be?

If I were Murray or Winburn, I wouldn't ask Council member Leslie Ghiz for help. Doing the work of the City, isn't her job, so other than pontificating and grandstanding, I don't expect her to do much this summer for Council.

Adweek Remembers Enquirer-Chiquita V-Mail Scandal

In light of the News Corp scandal brewing in Britian where reporters allegedy hacked into crime victim's voice-mail accounts, an Adweek reporter took a quick look back to the 'similar' Cincinnati Enquirer Scandal back in 1998 when an Enquirer Reporter allegedly hacked into a Chiquita employee's voice-mail for story.

Old Time Radio Totally Gone From 91.7 WVXU

A review of 91.7 WVXU schedule shows that both the nightly and weekly shows of old time radio programs have been replaced. This is a disappointing occurrence. I understand how some people don't like history, but these radio programs are a window to what it was like to live in the 1940's and 1950's, before television. The value to knowing the past, first hand, is the core of understanding history.

I hope WVXU will have some special events, where it plays some old radio, especially the re-aring of some of the big news events, like the end of WWII or D-Day.

The shows they have added as replacements sound good, especially the LA Theatre Works, which has modern day radio theatre. If you are going to replace old time radio drama with something, this sounds like the a positive way to do it. It keeps the art form alive.

Shorter Verion of Green Twp. Anti-Public Housing Column

Not In My Back Yard

Or NIMBY if you want it even shorter.

Bunbury Music Festival Kickoff Event July 9th at Sawyer Point

The Bunbury Music Festival is having a special preview event this year on July 9th at Sawyer Point. Music starts at 7PM and runs to 11PM.  The stellar line-up:

The Seedy Seeds
Lions Rampant
The Minor Leagues

Tickets for year one of the festival (July 13-15, 2012) will go on sale on July 9, 2011.  Also, the first 1,000 attendees to the kickoff event can pick up a special discount code that will give them 50% off a one-day OR three-day pass to the 2012 festival.  Get out and support Cincinnati's music scene.

Rhinestone Cowboy Charlie Winburn

In yesterday's Northside Fourth of July Parade, City Councilman Charlie Winburn was on a horse.  Yes, it was a spectacle like few I've ever seen in Cincinnati Politics.  Here's a glimpse:

Winburn was lead by a marching band full of kids from some school not prominently indicated.  It didn't appear to be a public school, but I hope it wasn't a charter school, since all of the kids were wearing Winburn T-Shirts. I'm sure the Republicans who care so much about how schools influence kids will be sure to find out if all of the kid's parents gave written permission for their children be props for Winburn's political campaign.  I think Tom Brinkman should get right on that.

I guess for everyone who likes political circuses, this is your Christmas.

CincyMusic.com to Return

Cincinnati music fans and bands, take note! CincyMusic.com will be returning to the Internet soon. You can sign up for their email list to get the notice of when they relaunch.  I don't see any type of estimate of when they will be, so you'll just have to stay tuned.

Otherwise check out their Facebook page or Twitter account for limited cincymusic information.