Enquirer 2011 Endorsements For Council Are Published

The Enquirer has published it's endorsements for Cincinnati City Council and I will be the first to admit I am surprised and actually fairly pleased with the group they picked.  While, this not the group I would pick, the list is far less conservative than in years past.  Their list:

Roxanne Qualls
Amy Murray
Kevin Flynn
Chris Bortz
Laure Quinlivan
Wendell Young
Catherine Smith Mills
Chris Seelbach
Yvette Simpson

Three Dems, two Republicans, four Charterites (including two cross-endorsed as Dems.)  That is a whole sale change of government, leaning back to the left from the current council.  That's impressive for the traditionally Mainstream Republican editorial board on the Enquirer.  I think they changed the process a bit this year, creating a more objective measurement of candidates.  With that measurement they did not endorse four of the nine sitting council members, including three of the Republican incumbents.

The biggest surprise was the additional editorial the paper included saying which three incumbent candidates should "move on." Leslie Ghiz, Charlie Winburn, and Cecil Thomas all were called out as being "distractions." All three were candidates the Enquirer previously endorsed in 2009, something they allude to in the article.  Calling out candidates in that manner is new and we'll see how effective it is in changing voter's views.

This year I don't see this (or any) endorsement as a game changer, but it will help add some critical votes to those either hoping to sneak into the number 9 spot or want to climb as high as they can in the vote count to help them make a case for a possible appointment to council when someone steps down.

It Gets Better: Cincinnati

Complaint Filed With OEC Charging COAST With Misleading Voters

Cincinnatians For Progress has filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission charging that COAST has knowingly made false statements to affect the outcome of the Issue 48 election vote.  20 instances are cited as violations of Ohio Revised Code Section 3517.22.  These false statements have included claims that the city has taken funds away from fire services to fund the streetcar project, which is a blatantly obvious lie.

I am curious if the compliant can be amended to include Chris Smitherman who is also misleading voters about Issue 48 on his Facebook page, as documented by CityBeat.

FOP Endorsements Officially Announced

The Enquirer was finally provided with an official list of candidates for Cincinnati City Council getting endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police of Cincinnati (Local Police Union). Another short list has been issued and it is filled with surprises. The List:

Mike Allen
Kevin Flynn
Leslie Ghiz
Amy Murray
Jason Riveiro
Christopher Smitherman
Charlie Winburn

The big shock is the inclusion of Chris Smitherman, which I wrote about before. The other surprises include the absence of Wayne Lippert and Chris Bortz. I am guessing the lack of support against Issue 2 led to Lippert's Snub. Bortz likely wouldn't take a pledge not to lay off police. He's not made any statements stating he supports cuts, but pledges for Republican leading organizations seems to be the norm.

Flynn and Riverio are surprises to me, but good ones.  It is good seeing some variation from just Republicans getting support from the FOP.

Mike Allen isn't a surprise, but as I wrote before is a disappointment.  Allen settled a sexual harrassment suit from a former staffer who worked for him while he was the Hamilton County Prosecutor.  Yes, the man responsible for prosecuting criminal charges in the county settled a law suit which as its basis argued that he abused his power while in public office.  This goes against what the purpose of the police.  It is so very disappointing that the FOP will look past this egregious fact because Allen will do what ever they want.  A Faustian bargain, but in this case I don't know who is playing the role of the devil.

CityBeat Council Endorsements Announced

CityBeat has announced it's picks for Cincinnati City council this year and is doing something differing, only picking seven candidates.  The list is:

Kevin Flynn
Nicholas Hollan
Roxanne Qualls
Laure Quinlivan
Jason Riveiro
Chris Seelbach
Wendell Young

This list, one might argue, is short on African-Americans. Two other candidates that could have filled that role would have been Cecil Thomas and Yvette Simpson. Thomas is not a surprise, but skipping Simpson in favor of Young or Flynn is surprising for CityBeat.

I'm not a fan of short ticket voting, which many groups, including CityBeat, are advocating. It might be a valid 'strategy,' but for all of the increase in the value of a single vote for a candidate it makes, short ticket voting takes away from the voters overall power to pick the nine they want.

Lippert Pulls a Romney

Cincinnati council member Wayne Lippert appears to be channeling the tone and actions of Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney with his flip-flop yesterday reversing his vote after being told to change for political reasons.

Romney was busy yesterday flip-flopping on Issue 2 (SB5) where was now for it, but previously he would take a stand on the issue when appearing at a political office of the Anti-Union Issue 2 campaign on Tuesday in the Cincinnati area.

Enquirer Rips Jeffre With Snark

Journalists do not often get the chance to add analysis or a little opinion in news stories. Well this article including reference to Justin Jeffre's, former boy band singer, arrest as part of the Occupy Cincinnati protests gave this gem of a quote

Going to jail could be a good career move for Jeffre. Spending time behind bars inspired many blues and country artists to write some of their best material.

Coffee nearly shot out of my nose after I read that. Snark is a joyous thing, especially about this topic.