Former Cincinnati Council Member Chris Bortz appears to most political observers to be positioning himself for a political run as a Republican. No, he's not made any type of announcement. He's done two things. First he is openly supporting a Republican candidate in the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional district. That alone indicates he's a Republican, at least on National issues. He's joined forces with anti-city and anti-gay bigot Chris Finney to support that Republican candidate. Linking one's name to Finney on any level is deplorable in my view, but politically it shows who you are willing to court to get what you want. In the case of Finney it indicates you are not courting a moderate city voter, you are instead willing to dive into the conservative sewer.
Where we can see the political posturing more up-close is in the other thing he did. He's taken a blatant political position that is an attempt to align himself with conservative anti-City Republican voters. He has changed his stance on the Streetcar. He'll deny he has, I am sure, but no, you don't support something during the bottom of a recession when Federal Dollars were very available, and then oppose it now, claiming we wait and think about it more. I guess Chris thinks we need more suburbanites to support it before we do it. I didn't know that we had to be subservient to them. I guess when you are thinking about running for a political office that would either include suburbanites or need there money to win, then you care what they think about. Since they don't care about the city, why would those in the city care what they think about us? It sounds like he's bring drinking a cup of what ever Leslie Ghiz was drinking.
Bortz has flip-flopped. He's pulled a Mitt Romney. The Streetcar is now Bortz's RomneyCare. Being for the streetcar was a position that helped him get elected in the city. Positive ideas that benefit the city tend to get most voters support. Anti-city or divisive issues don't get you votes. Negative thinking is more rampant with local Republican voters, so if you are going to get their votes, you have to change your views to fit. Bortz has made a big change and it's not a pretty sight.
I'd like to have his flip-flop graded for political posterity, but it would require diving judges, and none were available.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Is Smitherman Under Investigation?
A complaint has been filed by a Cincinnati resident charging that Cincinnati City Council Member Christopher Smitherman is in violation of Ohio ethics rules. Smiherman is simultaneously holding the positions of city council member and President of the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP, a 501(c)(4) organization.
There is clearly a conflict of interest. Smitherman should either resign from council or more likely resign as President of the local NAACP chapter.
I seem to recall Smitherman recently wanted the city to pay for Ethics classes. Well, Council Member Smitherman appears to not have taken his class yet. Any person with any sense of ethics would see the conflict of being on council and being President of the local NAACP. That leas me to believe that Smitherman lacks ethics. The reasonability test has bee exceeded ten-fold, so this compliant has merit. The city should be investigating Smitherman to make sure he is not in violation of Ohio ethics rules.
There is clearly a conflict of interest. Smitherman should either resign from council or more likely resign as President of the local NAACP chapter.
I seem to recall Smitherman recently wanted the city to pay for Ethics classes. Well, Council Member Smitherman appears to not have taken his class yet. Any person with any sense of ethics would see the conflict of being on council and being President of the local NAACP. That leas me to believe that Smitherman lacks ethics. The reasonability test has bee exceeded ten-fold, so this compliant has merit. The city should be investigating Smitherman to make sure he is not in violation of Ohio ethics rules.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
TweetUp For Luke Brockmeier Wed 6PM at Baba Budan's
For more information on the event, check out the Facebook event here:
To learn more about Luke Brockmeier's campaign, go to www.lukeforohio.com.
Monday, January 16, 2012
In Case You Forgot, Phil Burress is Still a Bigot
Bill Sloat at The Daily Bellwether has an important article detailing the latest bigoted action by the hateful Phil Burress, one of the leading anti-gay bigots in the state of Ohio.
A man who does not even live in the City of Cincinnati is threatening to file a lawsuit because the City Council voted in favor of Domestic Partner insurance coverage. This is clear evidence, as if we need any more, that Burress's anti-gay marriage crusade was never about 'protecting' marriage, but it was all about oppressing gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, and transgendered people. The city isn't marrying anyone, they are trying to provide equal benefits to all of its employees. I wish they were allowing gay marriage, but far too many ignorant bigots voted to oppress people when they baned gay marriage in Ohio, making that against the law. Treating gays and lesbians with equal rights is what Burress is fighting against. Equal rights should be for all, not just the Phil Burress clan.
I feel like a broken record on this subject and I feel that most of readers of this blog think Burress is horrible, but he has an audience. I hope everyone who opposes the bigotry of Burress takes every opportunity to speak out against his type of bigotry. The people who could speak most directly to this are those of you who participate in the large number of religious institutions across the region. Many (not all) of those institutions have terrible stances on gay rights. I encourge those of you who face that bigoty to speak out against it and at least question the faux rationalizations used to justify the type of bigotry Burress pushes.
Preaching to the choir only goes so far, sometimes you have to stand up and speak out, even if you risk your reputation. That's how all civil rights issues should be addressed. It is a shame that religion, in the case of gay rights, is far too often the hurddle to make many silently let that bigotry exist in the places based on the philosphies of peace.
A man who does not even live in the City of Cincinnati is threatening to file a lawsuit because the City Council voted in favor of Domestic Partner insurance coverage. This is clear evidence, as if we need any more, that Burress's anti-gay marriage crusade was never about 'protecting' marriage, but it was all about oppressing gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, and transgendered people. The city isn't marrying anyone, they are trying to provide equal benefits to all of its employees. I wish they were allowing gay marriage, but far too many ignorant bigots voted to oppress people when they baned gay marriage in Ohio, making that against the law. Treating gays and lesbians with equal rights is what Burress is fighting against. Equal rights should be for all, not just the Phil Burress clan.
I feel like a broken record on this subject and I feel that most of readers of this blog think Burress is horrible, but he has an audience. I hope everyone who opposes the bigotry of Burress takes every opportunity to speak out against his type of bigotry. The people who could speak most directly to this are those of you who participate in the large number of religious institutions across the region. Many (not all) of those institutions have terrible stances on gay rights. I encourge those of you who face that bigoty to speak out against it and at least question the faux rationalizations used to justify the type of bigotry Burress pushes.
Preaching to the choir only goes so far, sometimes you have to stand up and speak out, even if you risk your reputation. That's how all civil rights issues should be addressed. It is a shame that religion, in the case of gay rights, is far too often the hurddle to make many silently let that bigotry exist in the places based on the philosphies of peace.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
New CityBeat Print Edition Hit This Week
CityBeat has revamped it's print copy with this week's edition and editor Danny Cross has a column decscribing the changes and some background on himself as the new editor of the Alt-Weekly.
The changes are three fold. First the paper has a fresh new design that I like a lot. The page headings and titles are much appealing and pleasing to the eye. The second element is the order of sections, which move the music to the back and the arts & culture (art,theatre, film, dining) all together. The third element is the most striking: more relevant content. The inclusion of a focused stand along cover story has returned, which is not just a highlight of one section's story. Also the inclusion of a media and sports column along with more than one news story (in addition to Porkopolis)add more meat to the publication.
I like this week's edition and look forward to more. I hope the structure continues.
The changes are three fold. First the paper has a fresh new design that I like a lot. The page headings and titles are much appealing and pleasing to the eye. The second element is the order of sections, which move the music to the back and the arts & culture (art,theatre, film, dining) all together. The third element is the most striking: more relevant content. The inclusion of a focused stand along cover story has returned, which is not just a highlight of one section's story. Also the inclusion of a media and sports column along with more than one news story (in addition to Porkopolis)add more meat to the publication.
I like this week's edition and look forward to more. I hope the structure continues.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Lack of Ethics Starts With Smitherman
Why couldn't COAST pay for an ethics lesson for Chris Smitherman himself? That would do hopefully do the most good, as long as COAST is not conducting the ethics lesson, since they don't have any. This would be a great alternative to Smitherman's motion he submitted to council requiring training sessions for council members and their staff, something the City already does.
Smitherman needs a lesson in ethics. Some of things he should learn:
Hat Tip to Quimbob
- Don't threaten to have your non-city-employee lawyer sue the city because council didn't vote your way.
- Don't even consider frivolous lawsuits that are more about getting legal work for your anti-city lawyer than a valid legal issue.
- Don't go on the Radio and falsely claim a member city council works for the CIA.
- Don't claim that a reason to vote for a position on the waterworks ballot issue would be to prevent the government from lacing the water of black residents with drugs.
- Don't make up numbers about how much the Streetcar plan will cost.
- Don't lie to the public when you claim Streetcar funds could be used to avoid police or fire layoffs.
Hat Tip to Quimbob
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