Strickland Has Big Lead

Ted Strickland currently has a solid lead over both Blackwell and Petro. With the fight going to heat up between Blackwell and Petro over the next month, neither fairs a good chance of going into the Summer within 10 to 15 points of Strickland. It will take money to beat Ted Strickland. The GOP has it and will use it, only to a point. The GOP candidate has to have traction. By Summer the GOP will start cutting its losses based on the national party trends, and Ohio may be sick of the GOP enough to keep national money out of the state. DeWine will get the money to win. Blackwell/Petro won't get the same kind of push from the National GOP leaders.

Courting the Bigot Vote

Malia Rulon of the Enquirer reports on Sen. Mike DeWine's choice to sign onto the same-sex marriage ban amendment in the Senate. Sen. Frist the Boss Bigot in the Senate who is doing all he can to the the mind numbing moron bigot vote. That's the voting block out there that actually would be influenced by someone who seeks to oppress gays and lesbians.

DeWine sounds as if he fears the base will leave him. He is playing all nice with Bush when the President visits Cincinnati on Monday, making for a mess of an opening day.

DeWine is in trouble and he knows it. This kind of crap is going to send the moderates to Brown in truck loads. When you think you can only win by pulling out your base, then you are not doing well, and you are marginalized.

Hackett on Springer?

Word on the street is that Paul Hackett is filling in for Jerry Springer on his radio show today? Check it out and report in on how it goes!

CityBeat: Best of Cincinnati 2006

The New Issue issue is out. Were there any surprises in your mind? It was great for Cincinnati Advance getting two mentions.

The reader's pick for best blog was "myspace.com"????? WTF? I didn't lead people to the water this year, so I guess that hurts, but to lose to a generic service and not a local blog? The kids are not all right if they pick that for best local blog. Hint: It's not even local!

The whole thing is over at www.bestofcincinnati.com.

Promise Not Kept

The Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church has voted to proceed on expansion.

A Scoop on Bridge Closure

The Cincinnati Post has the story about the Suspension Bridge closing for a year's worth of repairs in yesterday's paper.

The Enquirer makes it a lead story today.

Competition in reporting makes both papers better. It will be bad when he Post closes.

It will be a pain when the bridge closes after Tall Stacks later on the this year, but what a great excuse for a party when it reopens in 2007!

Theocracy On The March #34423

It's been a while since I mentioned this, but the extremists are starting to define their theocracy. These extremists are not just crack pots in strip mall churches, they are mainstream extremists (yea, an oxymoron), who get air time on TV and Radio. The question out there for Ohio is has Ken Blackwell accepted this document as his political bible?


[Via Kevin Drum]

Welcome to Yugoslavia

In an effort to improve on a hodgepodge of left over plots of land, Columbia Township is trying to brand itself as "something." They should first off consolidate their gerrymander looking map and push the City of Cincinnati (or other contiguous municipalities)to annex the related parts of the entity. If you look at the map (pdf) of the township you have to just burst out laughing at the thought that anyone could think of this mess as anything but leftover space.

The Township leaders appear to be clueless:

"Mariemont has an identity and people know where it is," he said. "We'd like to be able to achieve that with our branding project."

In order for your people to know where something is, it has to be Somewhere! In one place. Not just that gap space where for some unknown reason no one wanted it part of their city 100 years ago.

A Game of Chicken

Where would CSO go if they left Music Hall? The answer is they wouldn't go anywhere. There is no place to go. Cleaning up Washington Park and moving the Drop-in Center are the simple solution to what bugs the folks at the CSO and Music Hall. It should happen and happen this year.

AOL City Guide: Cincinnati - City's Best , Restaurants, Nightlife

AOL's City Guide has issued their Best of Cincinnati 2006 List.

Interesting highlights:
Best Bar - Cock & Bull
Best Music Club - Bogart's (Yea, someone's smoking crack)
Best Singles Scene: Jeff Ruby's Tropicana (Who the Hell voted on this stuff?)

Note: CityBeat's Best of Cincy issue comes out this week. I trust CityBeat readers/editors much more than AOL users/editors.

Thor Jacobs Picks Up Endorsements

The Jacobs for Congress campaigned has issued a press release stating that Cincinnati City Councilmen John Cranley and Cecil Thomas have both endorsed Thor Jacobs in the Democratic Primary for 2nd Congressional District.

Since the Hamilton County Democratic Party was unwilling or unable to endorse anyone in the primary, it is interesting to read about individual office holders making endorsements.

Will we see other endorsements from more liberal council Democrats, like Cole and Crowley?

Great News for Fountain Square, Great for MPMF?

Bill Donabedian, co-founder of the Midpoint Music Festival, will run Fountain Square. It is a great for someone with the vision to help found a great event like Midpoint to focus his efforts on the new Fountain Square. Let help his leadership will open up the square to new ideas, not just appeasement programming for the 4th Street Money Men.

What does this do for Midpoint? Will Bill continue his involvement and pave the way for something different with the festival? Or will he have to leave Midpoint planning totally to others? I have no clue, but I see this as an opportunity for Midpoint to capitalize on a new Fountain Square. This year's Midpoint could have a signature presence on the Square and showcase the new improvements while attracting a vibrant audience to the City's center.

Jerry Lyon is an Ignorant Fool

Someone needs to educate Mr. Jerry Lynon of SHARONVILLE about the anti-discrimination ordinance in the City of Cincinnati. In his foolishly ignorant column today he sticks his foot in his mouth with this little gem:

As a nation, we have said that certain classes of people, due to a history of discrimination in areas such as employment and housing, do need special rights and protections.

Our courts have said that in order to qualify as a protected class, though, groups must meet three criteria. First, members must be identified by an immutable, non-behavior-based characteristic such as skin color, ethnicity or gender. Second, they must have experienced a history of economic deprivation as a result of discrimination. Third, they must lack political representation. Those who identify themselves by their sexual orientation or transgendered status do not meet any of these criteria.

Those who so identify themselves deserve equal protection under the law, and they have it. Those who so identify themselves deserve respect as individuals, and from the overwhelming majority of us in Greater Cincinnati, they have it.

But those who so identify themselves do not qualify as a protected class with special rights under our human rights ordinances, and we make a mockery of such laws when we grant them. (bold added)

I therefore demand to know when the CCV (Mr. Lyon is a member) is going to call for an amendment to remove the behavior based characteristic of religion from the anti-discrimination ordinance:

(J) For any employer, employment agency or labor organization to:
(1) Elicit or attempt to elicit any information concerning the race, gender, age, color, religion, disability status, marital status, or ethnic, national or Appalachian regional origin of an applicant for employment or membership, except as may otherwise be required by or for compliance with state, federal, or local laws, rules and regulations. (bold Added)

This copy of the ordinance has not yet been updated to include the changes:

ORDINANCE, dated 3/7/2006, submitted by Vice Mayor Tarbell, Councilmembers Crowley, Bortz, Cole and Cranley, MODIFYING the provisions of the City Municipal Code, Chapter 914 by adding Section 914-1-S, Sexual Orientation, and Section 914-1-T, Transgendered, and amending Section 914-1-D1, Discriminate, Section 914-I-R, Restrictive Covenant, Section 914-3, Housing Discrimination Prohibited, and Section 914-5, Employment Discrimination Prohibited to prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their sexual orientation or transgendered status

Religion is a behavior, plain and simple. If he believes a company should be allowed to refuse to higher a Christian (which logic dictates he should), then he better start gaining signatures for that amendment. (If he doesn't live in the city, what business is it of his anyways?)

The bottom line problem with ignorant fools like Jerry Lyon is that he lives in the homophobic world that still believes that sexual orientation is learned behavior.

Side note: The "special rights" crap is the biggest lie I have heard in a long time. Heterosexuals are protected under the ordinance as well. You can't be discriminated against for being straight any more than you can for being gay. That is where the outright LIES of the CCV are most egregious.

Barrett Out of Race for Ohio Senate

State Rep. Catherine Barrett quiet the race for the Democratic Nomination for Ohio Senate, avoid a primary challenge against Sen. Eric Kearney. Good news for Democrats.

The HCDP avoid other conflicts by not endorsing for the 32 House District or 2nd Congressional District.

David Pepper was endorsed for County Commissioner over Stephanie Dumas. Pepper can win.

Going Forward

I honestly hope with the settlement of the Owensby case our city can move forward and can work to improve the community instead of dealing with past injustices.

Drinking Liberally Gets Out Thor and Gaby

If you want to meet a couple of the local Democratic candidates for the 2nd district, then head over to the Comet Tonight at 7:30 to join the folks at Drinking Liberally.

Jeffre Quits Commissioner Race

OK, did anyone know Justin Jeffre was even running for County commissioner?

Pour on the Blather!

Open Thread!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Drink well and be safe!

CiNWeekly has a very good summary of events and particulars of the local Irish Pubs on St. Patrick's Day.

White Flight?

I don't base the loss of population to the Suburbs as a race issue, others would disagree. I feel it is more of a class issue. I guess once we 'rid' Hamilton County of poor people, we'll see an influx.