Gambling Effort Falling Short

The ballot initiative that excluding Cincinnati from opening a casino has fallen short of the number of signatures needed to be placed on the November Ballot. They have 10 days to get more.

I didn't sign it, and advise you not to sign it. If it had included Cincinnati, I would have signed it.

'Some of Our Best Candidates Are Black'

Race in politics is a thorny, but not a complicated issue to figure out:

"'Our candidates would not engage and have not engaged in race-baiting, and it is disingenuous for Democrats to suggest otherwise,' said party spokesman John McClelland, who pointed out that the GOP's candidate for governor, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, is black."

I am sure that party spokesman John McCelland has lots of black friends too.

What John and the GOP are lacking is in telling the truth. Yes, the GOP is race-baiting black voters in trying to vote for Ken Blackwell because he is black. They are playing the same game they accuse Democrats of doing when the Dems run minority votes, which happens with much, much greater frequency.

Lawdog Loves Tasers

Local Lawyer Ken Lawson seems to have found a way to try and buy himself a new boat.

Strickland Still Up Big In the Polls

Another month of polls like this showing Ted Strickland up by 20 plus points and Ken Blackwell maybe in a hole beyond help.

The knives are going to have to come now. Blackwell has to attack and hit with big money. If he can't get his face on TV over the next month and turn the polls around, then he is going to lose the faith of his backers. No matter how many conservative preachers exploit their religious role by endorsing him for office, he still can't win without big money.

Sad and Sickening

Why do these types of missing child situations turn into twisted movie of the week?

It sounds like other people may be charged in the attempted cover-up.

It's Not News

No, it is not news that Peter Bronson wants you to know that it is likely that the Pakistanis used torture to gain information from alleged terrorists. It is not news that to Bronson and those like him the "ends justify the means." It is not news that honor and principle don't matter if a white person's life is in the balance.

If a 100,000 civilian Iraqis die, that is justified because it was in revenge for 3,000 9/11 murders (which were totally unrelated) and helped make the 336 billion dollars of profit for oil companies, not to mention big profits for war industries. Honor and principle matters when the Bronsons of the world are thumping their bible in church. They matter when it comes to protecting their own or their own purse. It's not news when the Bronsons of the world talk out of the both sides of their moralists mouths. Beating a man is fine with Bronson. It isn't news that torture is wrong.

Forbes: America's Drunkest Cities

I don't know how you actually rate cities on their level of drunkenness, but somehow Forbes Magazine has done it. Cincinnati ranks 16th. Columbus and Cleveland were 3rd and 7th respectively. Ohio can drink.

Anti-Truth Group

It shouldn't shock anyone that an Anti-Abortion and Anti-Women group is out to fly a banner with a misreprentation of reality when they just make stuff up:

Harrington said his group turned to the skies to air its views because some stationary billboard companies refuse to post the images. Mainstream TV, radio and newspapers also won't use the ads because of their graphic content, he said.

"They often censor the grim reality of abortion while permitting horrifying images of dead Americans in Iraq to be broadcast and printed," Harrington said.

Mark Harrington, I don't think you are watching or reading the U.S. media much. They DON NOT show bodies of dead Americans! The war has been censored from the broadcast and print media. The GOP Government is preventing the media from filming or photograhing the coffins of dead soilders returning to the country in an honorable manner. He will be lucky to find a single image of a dead American body from the Iraq war to be shown on TV. That has rarely happened and is not shown close up. If the guy can't tell a basic truth about something like this, he can't be trusted otherwise.

Flying this sign is wrong, but it is legal. It shows how fanatical these groups are. They can't communicate their point in a sane manner, instead they have to create this confrontational myth. Ultimately they may not actually go through with it, instead just be happy about getting the press about saying they are going to do it.

Beatty Gets Manslaughter

It is a surprise that Howard Beatty was only found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, which means no more than 13 years in prison for killing Kabaka Oba.

GetLocal!???

A new attempt to to try and localize news from the Enquirer. I have not looked at it much at all. Is it just a filter of the paper based on community or is there additional new content? Is this were they are putting their news/postings from the public, the lazy journalism effort (Real Life, Real News, Real Crap?)?

Crap on a page!

How lazy is a journalist to write an article based solely on tying a B Movie to Sports?

Smoke Filled Musical Chairs

The Hamilton County Republican Party has decided for the Republican Party Voters who will represent the GOP on the November ballot in two location statehouse district.

Bait and switch.

Neither candidate in the 31st or 32nd district stands a great chance of Beating the Democrat so the impact here is minimal, but if I were a Democrat I would be really pissed off if let's say the Ohio Dems choose to take off Ted Strickland at this point and put up someone else for Governor. They are not going to do it, but Ted won the primary and unless he breaks a law or is unfit for office, he should stay on the ballot. The principle of it should be that the voters voices, even in the primary systems, are heard and respected.

Yes, the 32nd the view is that Mike Poast doesn't currently live in the district. He could still have moved in time for the election.

"Law Dog" Taking on Water

Infamous Lawyer Ken Lawson has a $660,000 back tax bill hanging over him. Instead of walking the plank, he is forced to sell his boat, the "Law Dog," to help offset some of the back taxes.

According to the article Lawson is claiming an illness caused him to miss work and in part caused him financial issues. These unpaid taxes go back as long as 5 years ago. I don't know what his cut of the Timothy Thomas and Roger Owensby Jr. cases were, but it went somewhere other than paying off what he owed to the Government.

More Bad Press!

More of this type of thing and you know what will happen? People will wake up and understand that Cincinnati has a lot to offer. The best part about this article are the hundreds of great things to do not mentioned in it. Sorry to say folks, we don't live in a ghost town. We just have a bunch of dead weight trying to bring down this great place.

Praise Zeus! Ponch is Coming to Town!

Buried in this article we learn Erik Estrada is signing autographs at Tri-County Mall. Ladies, better get in line now!

Molly Malone's Reviewed

I don't know if they have replaced the "ER" on the front, but the food gets a test from the Enquirer. It passes. Molly's is not going to get four or five starts, but when I went early after they reopened, it was ok. I hope to return for a second go around soon.

Is trivia night as fun as it was?

Alchemize to Reopen Sept. 6

Great news for live music in Cincinnati.

Wasting Money

This Township knows how to waste money.

COAST Backs Poor Tax

It is very strange that an Anti-tax group backed pro-tax calls. I guess taxes that affect rich people is their focus.

Phil Heimlich's Tax Hike on the Poor

I knew it, you knew it, but now everyone can know that it was all about getting Phil Heimlich elected, not about doing the business of government.

A Victory

Great news for civil rights in Cincinnati. Lets hope the forces of darkness fold up shop and move on to something void of the hate.

Trashin' the Larry

I was hesitant to respond to Larry Gross's Column in last week's City Beat, but in the end I am going to put out the basic problems with Larry's points and what I believe he is missing:

1. Criticize Cincinnati all you want! - The problem Larry misses is that when you are gloating with "I-told-you-so" blog posts and articles, you are not criticizing, you are bashing the city.
2. Larry's basis for attack was flawed! - Larry missed the points I was making that soon after restaurants and bars close something reopened in its place, something he failed to note. Granted that doesn't always happen, but the vast majority of the locations Larry cited had something similar reopen within a year.
3. Larry missed how he's stuck in stasis! - Larry, get over not have a movie theater downtown. We have many more theatres showing live people on stage downtown and in OTR than existed in the 1970's, no???
4. Playing the NKY vs. Cincinnati game is more bashing! - When you pit Newport and Covington as the bizzaro Cincinnati, then you are attacking, not criticizing. What is the basis to say that Newport, Cincinnati, and Covington shouldn't be thought of as the unified central urban core of the Metro area? Why aren't they thought of as complementary, not competitors?
5. What gives with the rest of the column? - Ok I don't know how mentioning me or Nick Spencer does much for the point of column, and I know even less how including references to my blog post titles and background on Rick Hines adds anything. I guess that is just adding some of the backstory to the non-blog readers out there, but I don't know that it helps much.

I hope that Larry wants the downtown and the city to thrive, as he stated in his column, but claims don't supersede acts. When you add to the negative perception of downtown using flawed comments and you fail to put into perspective the fears people have of downtown and OTR, you feed the beast. When you provide no suggestions for improvement, you look like you are enjoying the perceived decline.

I am embarrassed that people who have lived here longer than I have refuse to maintain a positive attitude and look at change not as a negative, but instead as what we need. You can't go home again Larry. Your old Cincinnati died 30 years ago. Join us in building a new Cincinnati.

Real or Fake, Certainly Irrelevant

I don't know if this email is real or fake, but it should be ignored by the powers that be, or what ever "movers and shakers" received it in the first place. One person is pissed off, big fucking deal. One person has a bad experience in any city and you don't go and change everything you are doing as a government or as a community.

If you assume for moment she is real, then she has a huge preconceived notion of Cincinnati or of the United States in general. She reads like she got a handout from a boycott activist.

Her ignorance is clear in her original email.

We decided to watch the local news each day. From doing so, one might never know that Cincinnati's population is 47% Black, as we learned on the internet before choosing to visit. We saw one Black reporter on each of two stations, but watched many reports on Black people being arrested for drugs in a place called OTR.

She obviously doesn't know the difference between the racial breakdown of the City proper and the Metro Area of Cincinnati. Sure, 47% is a possible number for the City, but not one I could find on the Internet, but the TV market reaches an area where blacks are less than 12% of the population. If she is going to play a quota game, then play it fairly. Also, how many folks from Canada are quick to pick up on the "OTR" abbreviation? I would be surprised if a anchor on local news is calling Over-the-Rhine "OTR," but you never know.

As a sidenote, if she is indeed an activist trying to stir up a little trouble, I wonder if she thought about following the boycott? Oh, wait, that's been over for a while now, and last week Al Sharpton appeared at the new Convention Center just to make it official.

The Cincinnati Metro Area still has a great many racial problems, but this lady's observations are trivial/anecdotal at best, and faked at worst.

What Happened to Democracy?

Do Republicans even care about holding primaries anymore? If they are going to enact the smoke filled room form of picking candidates, then they might make with a little more smoke and a lot less of the jockeying candidates around when circumstances change. It is great how they stick with their candidates until they have no more use for them. What made them stick with Bush? Is Hero worship that strong in the GOP?

Add a Crate and Barrel

More Retail is coming to Cincinnati and this time it's in Kenwood.

Can Kenwood get more congested? We'll be finding out soon.

IKEA Picks Cincinnati

Great news for Cincinnati, furniture retailer IKEA has picked an Ohio location in West Chester. A suburban location is a common thread for choice for IKEA, so it not being closer to the city center is not a surprise.

Overall this is a good sign for the Metro Area.

Schmidt Misleading Public

How stupid is Jean Schmidt or how stupid does she think the voters are? Promoting the use of ethanol is not striking a blow against Terrorism. It is especially not going to reduce the money going to terror groups.

If I am not mistaken the only way Schmidt's stupid ploy makes any sense is that if all of the Oil companies and oil producing county's governments in the world are funding terrorism.

The reason for reducing foreign oil use is not so we don't buy from "them," instead it is so we don't have to go to war to secure the oil supply, like both of our wars Iraq.

What a dunce.

Chabot In Panic Mode?

Bringing in the big gun Dick Cheney for a fundraiser is as big a sign as you can get that you are in need of help.

News that Chabot's opponent John Cranley is running even with him in the Democrat's internal polls must be a cause for fear in the GOP camp. The Cranley Camp reports the following poll results:

In just five months, John Cranley has gained 9 points on his opponent -- making it a dead heat.

July 2006 Poll
Cranley 45%
Chabot 45%
Undecided 10%

March 2006 Poll
Cranley 40%
Chabot 49%
Undecided 11%

Both the July and March polls were conducted by Anzalone-Liszt Research and paid for by Cranley for Congress. In March, Cranley for Congress released its results. Attached is a memo provided by Anzalone-Liszt comparing the two polls.

Note: Neither Chabot, nor the National Republican Congressional Committee has ever released the results of their extensive polling. (Roll Call, 7/31/06)

The reason you know it's bad for the GOP occurred when Chabot is pictured on a walking tour of Over-the-Rhine with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in both the Enquirer and the Post. I wonder when the last time Chabot has been in OTR? He was no where to be found when the riots were going on, so unless there's a photo op or someway to gain some vote, then Steve hasn't had much reason to do anything for or even visit OTR, until now.

I will be waiting for Chabot to make crime his big issue and attack Cranley for the City's crime issues. At the same time he'll try and make the people of Ross and Harrison fear a violent crime problem that doesn't affect them at all.

It's politics 101, but it's still disgusting.

"The Heimlich Remover"

David Pepper's poll has him leading Phil Heimlich in the race for County Commissioner. According to the Post's article Pepper is showing an increase is his numbers from a prior internal poll to now. Moving from a 33% to 33% dead heat to a 42% to 37% slight lead is a positive step for Pepper.

Heimlich is currently hanging his hopes on a plan that most likely makes him the only Republican up for reelection in Ohio who is advocating raising taxes. That is likely to piss off the Conservatives more than any of his other stances would turn of liberals.

Clark Street Blog Best of Cincinnati

Westender over at Clark Street Blog picks the Best of Cincinnati. Food and Drink are the topics of choice. The only topic missing is the bar with the best beer selection. The Beer Cellar and Mulligan’s have some of the biggest selections out there, and Nicholson's downtown has a very unique selection. Allyn's and the Comet need a mention for their selection of bottles.

Lack of Trust

The GOP is scrambling to find any loophole to prevent state Sen. Joy Padgett from being disqualified to run for the House seat Bob Ney vacated. Trust in the system drops to a rock bottom floor when you read this:

"But Bob Bennett, the state party chairman, said he didn't believe the law applied to her, and said he would seek a formal ruling from the secretary of state."

Ken Blackwell's record on voting laws and how he interprets them are not known as impartial by anyone not a Republican.

Is Larry Gross Really Rick Hines in Drag?

The negativism Larry Gross is putting out rivals that of Rick Hines, whose anti-Cincinnati diatribes are well known. Yes, Redfish closed. It was never a great place, but restaurants close.

When a new restaurant opens up there, which Arn Bortz of Towne Properties stated, later this fall, will Larry champion it?

Heartless Bastards New Album

The Enquirer - Bastards pen mellow follow-up

Sucking Up To Si Leis

In what pretends to be a column this week, Peter Bronson profiles the Queensgate county jail. It is almost on cue that Peter whips out a column that seeks to provide support for the efforts of Si Leis to get a new jail built. The fact that it will be built on the backs of the poor under Phil Heimlich's poor tax efforts don't play into anything that Bronson or Leis care about.

What is strange is that the Hell-hole Bronson describes is what I thought conservatives wanted jails to be, places that sucked and you never wanted to go back to.

Jazz Fest Problems?

I caught only a few minutes of Ken Lawson's radio show this morning on 1230 the Buzz, but if I heard him correctly he seemed to be fishing for callers to tell of any discrimination at hotels during the Macy's Music Festival last weekend. I believe Ken Lawson stated their may be lawsuits in the works claiming such.

Can anyone confirm what I heard or that there were indeed any problems of discrimination with hotels or restaurants during the festival?

I don't trust much of anything Ken Lawson says, so he may very well be fishing for a nice juicy cut of a settlement.

Country Music Festival Cancelled

In what will be leaving fans with the taste of burnt rubber in their mouths, the Kentucky Speedway announcedcancellation of the Summer Night Jam country music concert. The announced reason was because of "routing and production issues," which could mean the truck hauling the stage equipment broke down, but you would think that if it were that simple another truck could be found giving them enough time before the event (24 plus hours) to get their stuff here.

Speculation in the article, as well on radio reports, indicate that slow ticket sales could have been a factor in the cancellation.

In most instances I remember if a performer can't go on because of health or equipment problems, they come right out and say so directly. Here they are tight liped, which leads to the speculation on why.

Is country music losing appeal either in this region or nationally in general? Or do these acts just not have a big enough fan base?

MidPoint Venue Background

Rick Bird gives a of the background into the venue planning for the Midpoint music festival.

Alchemize Moves to Northside

I am very pleased with the news about Alchemize.

Jailhouse Blues

City Beat's Kevin Osborne sings us the blues about the myths being put forth by the those trying to spin Hamilton County Voters into thinking their plans for a new jail will benefit the masses. The main spinner is Commissioner Phil Heimlich and his plan for a "Poor Tax" where he raises the sales tax, and lowers some of the property taxes, hurts the poor more than any other group. Kevin wisely reports that the tax plan does help the middle class much either, with how the property tax cut is structured.

One of Kevin's myth busting efforts must be repeated:

Fact No. 1: Although some offenders are being released early, including 266 inmates last year alone, all are non-violent offenders, statistics show. No murderer, rapist or even anyone convicted of assault has been let go early due to a lack of space.

If you listened to the cries of some, you would think every criminal picked up is just turned away after they get fingerprinted. A new jail is needed, but why is not what some are trying to spin.

In St. Louis

I am in St. Louis on business this week, so, couple that with my long recovery from Blues Fest, and my lite blogging becomes more explainable.

Downtown St. Louis is nice. There was a Baseball game last night and things were hopping pretty well. The Arch gets a good crowd, but when it is 100 degrees outside, you feel it on your way up to the top of the Arch in the tiny little elevator/Tram cars.

The Sheriff's in Town

Street cleaning is taking place in OTR, both with a broom and with the patrol car.

No Locals at Jazz Fest?

I was working the Cincy Blues Fest this weekend, so I did not at the Jazz Fest, now called the Macy's Music Festival, but were locals missing from the event?

We had a ton of stuff going on along the river, so that may have kept people away from the concert at PBS, but is that was is keeping people away?

The Cincy Blues Fest did great, and was filled with mostly local people, so I don't know why Macy's didn't get the locals in.

I must say that if anyone is upset that 20,000 people came to town and were the majority at the concert, then I think they need to rethink their priorities. The region, and the City, did great. Music Fusion demonstrated that we are a vibrant city with a rich cultural, largely musical, tradition.

Help WAIF

On Monday July 31st from 5:30 -8:00 p.m. at Simone’s in Walnut Hills, the Urbanists will host a discussion about the future of WAIF (88.3) community radio. WAIF could be a huge asset to everyone in Cincinnati’s urban core, connecting us to each other and the key issues of the day. Your input is critical to maximizing the possibilities of WAIF, so please come out and get connected to others committed to building inclusive relationships in Cincinnati through community radio..

Simone’s will offer free appetizers, with a cash bar. The program will start at 6 pm.

FBI: Aggressively Fighting Terrorism!

Well, not so much.

The Death of Covington

I will be the first to JOKE about "the death of Covington." The closing of Jillian's doesn't make or break Covington, nor MainStrass, since Jillian's wasn't even really part of that part of town anyway. It is a surprise to most, I would guess. It is newsworthy.

This will not inspire anyone else to start writing or venting about the death of Covington, and that is funny. If this was in Downtown Cincinnati, we would read and hear about the troubles of the area, not the troubles of the business itself.

Gutter Republicans

Sleazy ultra conservatives never cease to amaze me. This guy was willing to make stuff up about his political opponent. That is called a lie, where I come from. That would a violation of one of 10 Commandments. Funny, this guy represents a group who wants the 10 Commandments put in our schools. Ironic?

Eminent Domain Loses in Norwood

Huge news on the property rights front, but bad news for Norwood. Will the green field with three houses remain empty?

Will the City survive this financially? Will Norwood consider being annexed by the City of Cincinnati?

Snark is Unbecoming for a Newspaper

Gee, based on this tiny article, you would think they were reporting bad news!

Mayor's YP Kitchen Cabinet Announcement

Mayor Mallory is going to hold a news conference this morning to announce his YP Kitchen Cabinet. He is holding the news conference from in front of the P&G. Without saying a word, Mallory's choice of location signals to me that this is going to be all talk and no action. The image of P&G as your center piece for YPs is not going to broaden your reach of getting professionals to the city. P&G doesn't represent a vibrant city, instead they represent the old guard, who are keeping the city treading water.

I will be interested in hearing about this news conference. Who was there, who did the mayor trout out as the show piece? Will this get any press?

Enough of Ignorant Old Men, Already

What Mr. Bob Stuhlreyer needs to do before he bashes works of art is to SEE THEM!

His ignorance is quite apparent:

As one example, recently The Enquirer promoted a stage production at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival called "The Catholic Girl's Guide to Losing Your Virginity." Catholic girl. I suppose a "Baptist Girl's Guide" or a "Muslim Girl's Guide" would not have been so catchy - or so appealing to foes of Catholicism.

I saw this play, and to call it "anti-catholic" is not only wrong it is insulting. I don't know how much time he has on his hands, but he might do more than labeling a play something because it has "Catholic" in its title.

The funniest thing about his attach is looking back as I watched each sold out audience line up to see the Fringe Show. It was filled with Catholics. Every female Catholic who I talked after seeing the show LOVED IT! Guess what, Bob, a Catholic wrote it! Hell, I didn't get half of the references in the play because it was filled with a witty satire of Catholic dogma, put forth in an fair and positive manner.

Maybe Mr. Stuhlreyer should stop complaining and get to real issue, he is pissed that there's not a Catholic Guy's Guide to Losing Your Virginity. Well, Bob, start writing.

Poll: Lucas 50 to Davis 41

Ken Lucas is smiling at this poll, while Geoff Davis is dismissing it.

This is yet another sign of a weakness for Republicans. It is going to take a whole lot of money for the GOP to hold on to the House. They can do it, but it sure as hell going to cost a bunch at it will be the sleaziest attack campaign, top to bottom, we have seen in a while. I don't mean just this district, I am thinking nationally.

There She Is, Ms. Grandstanding?

Is councilwoman Leslie Ghiz seeking the crown as the top Grandstander? The crown was previously held by former councilmembers Chris Smitherman and Alicia Reece.

With a murder happening right outside City Hall, I think that the Mayor having a high profile body guard is not much of an issue. Where the money comes to pay for that bodyguard is as minor an issue as which work center gets charged with copy expenses.

Lets get a Banks deal, reduce crime, orientate the new City Manager, and get the City's Economic Development arm back.

Looking for logic in all the wrong places

In an amazing show of small mindedness, Larry Gross returns to defend his judgment that Downtown sucks because businesses sometimes close, his lumping of everything into a blender, and his ignorance of the huge development going in downtown—even bringing up a bakery that has been closed for going on 2 years. Somehow he thinks that this all ties into a nice bow to fit what I think is his disdain for change and success in the city.
Larry is living in the past, as he laments for the old institutions from his younger days. If you want things to be consistent, that is why people go to places like Camp Washington Chile. But, wait, does Larry boycott the "new" Camp Washington Chile? It just isn't the same for purists. For some reason, I think Larry sees the turnover of businesses as a sign of the apocalypse. Where was Larry when Fat Fish Blue, the I-Max, Empire, the Bamboo Club, the Bear Factory, and UpStarCrow closed in Newport? Oh, right in his original 2004 article he was writing this:

"Fuck it!" Roger says, yelling into the receiver. "Let's just go to Newport on the Levee."

"Now you're talking."

, but I am sure he thanks Zeus that most of those locations opened up again as something else, but his laments of those changes were lost in cyberspace. It just can't be the case that he didn't pay attention to the change in Newport. It is not like he paid attention to the changes of locations he complained where now gone: The Cavern closed to become alchemize and will rise again for Midpoint, Moose is now Cooper's, Have a Nice Day is Exchange, Manna's is Gondola Pizza, and oh yea, Nick & Tony's is now McFadden's, probably the most successful of all. Sorry that Busken's can't get its act together, but I don't fret that, when I instead can look forward to the new restaurants going in on Fountain Square. Is this a trend? Who knows? As long as you think its going to sucks, then to you, its going to suck, no matter what. If you want same thing over and over again, I think you may want to move out to the suburbs, where consistency is not only the norm, it is the desired above everything but the mundane.

This is how capitalism works, Larry. I don't know if you cried your eyes out when Pogue's closed down or if you cried more when Lazarus went bye-bye and moved a couple of blocks over, but thus is life. In your attempt to give us an "I told you so," you have instead provided the rest of us with an example of not doing your research.

A Pot, a Kettle, and a Can of Black Paint Walk Into an Editor's Office

It appears that the editorial page of the Enquirer is thinking that if they point the fingers at all of the other media outlets and include themselves in the finger pointing ever so slightly, they can retain the high ground of ethics in the modern world of media.

I shall point out them that their newspaper does plenty of harm to the intellectual discourse in the Cincinnati area. As a commenter pointed out, to which I agree, that with this editorial I would expect to see Peter Bronson looking for work.

I might also expect to see far fewer anti-city diatribes, and more fair news articles.

I mean we get a great a tiny story about Midpoint in today's paper, but when we get bad news about the city (as opposed to the Suburbs), its front page news.

3 Man Cage Match

What better way to get a plan for a new jail settled, than to lock the three county commissioners into a jail cell for a few weeks.

Make Si Leis be their jailer 24/7, including having to cook for them, and we could sell tickets and actually pay for the jail that way.

TV Movie?

Is this article a pitch for a TV movie of the week? The plot points and the drama is there. The only thing that sucked was that the writer had to drag in blogs into a talk radio discussion. Sure, Oba had a blog for a while, but didn't dive into blogging like his talk radio obsession.

Election Mess

How do you trust an election process with Ken Blackwell monitoring his own election for the top Ohio job?

More on Cincy's YPs

Brendan at spacetropic discusses the Mayor's YP Cabinet and how YP groups could improve.

Will the RNC Bail Out Ken Blackwell?

The Columbus Dispatch has a poll out today on the governor's race that has Ted Strickland leading Ken Blackwell 47% to 27%. 20 points is not impossible to overcome, but it will take money. Lots of money. More money then Ken Blackwell can raise on his own. He is going to need the help of the national party. He may get it, but he may not.

Also in the article is a second poll where Mike Dewine is trailing Sherrod Brown 45% to 37%. Mike is going to need quite a bit of money as well. The RNC is going to value keeping a sitting Republican in the Senate, over trying to hold on to a governor's seat they could still loose even if they give Blackwell a billion dollars.

It is still early, mistakes can be made, circumstances can change, but if Blackwell hasn't cut Strickland's lead significantly by mid September, then its going to be very difficult for him to win. Look for Blackwell to go negative soon, ala DeWine.

Enquirer Business Section Clarifies

In a story today about the moving of Chad Munitz from the City's Economic Development Director to EVP at 3CDC, we get the truth about the Fountain Square Delay:

It announced last week that a planned early-September reopening of Fountain Square, in the midst of a $43 million renovation, had been pushed back five weeks until mid-October. Roughly $50 million of additional private development is already under way in buildings around the square.

Good reporting!

On Chad Munitz, I know nothing about him, but his new position indicates he is going to be a key person at 3CDC. If there are development deals already in the works, lets hope he can land them, especially ones for Vine Street.

MidPoint Schedule Out

Via Citybeat's updated blog we get the word that Midpoint's Schedule is out. I say great! The list of bands has been out for a while, but now we'll get to know where to go. Small problem: Alchemize, J Hall, and Jekyll & Hyde's are listed as venues. Am I missing something, or didn't we just go through a little thing on this blog about these clubs all closing? Granted, Jefferson Hall moved to Newport, and Alchemize is moving most likely to Covington with a new name. Does this mean that the former locations of the three will be opened up as venues for the event by the festival or other private groups? Or will new bars be opening in those spots under new management?

Logically I would guess that each of the three locations will be open as temporary as bars, and each former operator may even have leeway to open them as a full bars just for that weekend. Anyway, the locations work great. Only thing missing is more food on Main Street. The line at Lucy Blue is going to be a mile long.

Crappy Story

Can someone at WLWT do a little reporting before you post a story like this? The story doesn't say anything about how the poll was conducted and the allegations made by the Schmidt campaign are slanderous as quoted. Granted, those quotes are surely cherry picked for effect.

I personally want Wulsin to win, and I have a totally disgust for Jean Schmidt, who is all the extremist she is painted to be, however the demographics of this district are clearly fertile ground for GOP candidates. On the other hand, Jean has not won a ton of friends in the local party team, and had a bloody primary.

Mallory's 'YP Kitchen Cabinet'

I am interested in the Mayor's idea of a 'YP Kitchen Cabinet', but I am very concerned about who is included on the Cabinet. Lumping this into Bold Fusion is the wrong approach. The Mayor should not limit this to the Chamber's corporate crowd. He should expand its reach and break out of the YP mold that is incasing the Cincinnati scene like a dish of bad jell-o.

Yes, I say this as the President of a group, Cincinnati Advance, that is considered a YP group. What I think the Mayor needs to be sure to do is include a wide variety of YP organizations, not just the usual suspects, and not just the corporate/upper income 28 to 35 year olds. A start would be to change Bold Fusion to a weekend event that doesn't cost more than going to a Reds Game.

Why be more inclusive/diverse? Well, frankly because most of the YP groups are lead by the same people. There is a very obvious insulation problem in the YP scene in town and Bold Fusion leads, in part, to that insulation.

I hope this concept leads to something more than just talking about what needs to be done to make this city a better place. Instead I look for this group to be a place to gain help for ACTION from the Mayor and the City.

Losing Kentucky?

Is the GOP losing steam in the Blue Grass State?

Tent Jail

Where did they pull this plan from? It sounds like it was thrown together a bit quickly, and few are behind it either at the county or the city. Where is the City going to get the 6 million bucks from and why should the city put up any of the money anyway, the county is responsible for jailing people, not the city.

The idea may be a good one, if we need more space now, and Si Leis should be building one if he is dumping criminals on the street, but the county should pay for all of it.

The Enqurier At Least Tried

In general I think this Enquirer article tried to be fair to the atheist and agnostic kids at Camp Quest, but they fail intellectually in the second paragraph:

This week, 31 atheist and agnostic youths from Ohio, Kentucky, New York and other states have gathered in Butler County for Camp Quest, one of a handful of summer camps nationwide where children are taught there is no God.

I added the bold to illustrate the intellectual problem, agnostics do not hold the belief there is no "God." Agnostics lack the knowledge that there is or isn't a "God" or gods or other supernatural entity. To the uneducated or the belligerent, there is not a difference, but the difference is quite clear. To make it even simpler, agnostics just don't know.

The second problem is that I really, really doubt that Camp Quest teaches the children there is no "God" and when that was written it was intended to be the Christian "God." The kids are more likely taught, as the article does suggest later on, to seek rational ideas and concepts based on critical thinking and empirical reasoning. They likely are taught to not to hold equivocal beliefs based on emotional rationalization alone, but instead use science, logic, and objectivity to guide their choices in life.

If everyone used this way of thinking, at least a little bit, we would have a society and a world with far less strife than we have now.

Changes at Ink Tank - Big Rummage Sale

At InkTank Everything Must Go!

Final Friday (July 28th) Blow Out Sale as Rubbish Kicks The Can

It's been a part of InkTank from the day we opened our doors here at 1311 Main Street, but we're on the grow, and therefore it's time to bid a fond adieu to Rubbish, the perpetual yard sale. So help us out, won't you? This Final Friday marks the beginning of a giant blow out sale which continues for the rest of the month of August. EVERYTHING MUST GO. Can't make it this Final Friday? Come on down to Second Sundays On Main. You don't want to miss this sale. Some of the treasures we have available include desks, dressers, picture frames (lots of them), microwaves, a George Foreman Rotisserie (you have to see it), bar stools, books, lamps, space heaters, a brand new espresso machine, vcrs, foot baths, wine racks, luggage, copper fence posts and art. We have crap you never knew you needed! August is coming up. Don't be caught without an August gift for that special someone.

Why this sudden change you ask? Although Rubbish has served us valiantly, providing some income and part time work to some of our Drop Inn Graduates and attracting people into the arms of InkTank, it's a a lot of hard work to run a retail business and change a city at the same time. After debating the issue for a few months we decided it was best to rethink the space and create something more in lne with our mission. The new space will reopen on August's Final Friday. Stay tuned for details, but for now I can tell you the new space will feature a brand new look with more room for community based writing projects, performances and meeting opportunities, AND an entire section dedicated to local authors' publications. In fact, if you are a local author and would like to see your work made available for sale, please contact Emily Buddendeck.

For all InkTank Info, check out their website at: www.inktank.org.

Cranley Doing Well

John Cranley is doing well in the fund raising race for the 1st Congressional District. Can he turn the corner and gain the votes too? I haven't seen any polls, but Cranley stands a fair chance to win, in this conservative district.

Man Killed Outside of Bar

Horrible news, which will surely drive the press and the city-haters into a frenzy.

More on Alchemize's Move

This time we gain a perspective from Covington officials.

Honestly, it is surprising to gain this much press for something that isn't even final yet. What attracts the Press to a situation like this?

Now, I am going to ask the anti-Nick crowd to play nice, and keep your venom to yourself. You look like Children. I know who most of you are anyway, so please, don't be an ass.

Andy Gets Out Safe

Andy Hajjar owner of Andy's Mediterranean Grill had to get out of Lebanon via Syria. Glad he got out safely.

Great News, IF!

Great news for downtown with word that Prosecutor Joe Deters is working to close down the Metropole Apartments on Walnut St. across from the Aronoff Center.

Now, there is one big IF to this, it depends on the City/County to find homes for those displaced by the shutdown, which is supposed to happen. It is not going to be easy, and hopefully the cost will be nil to the law abiding people, mostly elderly, who will feel some short term discomfort with this move. In the long run, if the City/County pull through, everyone will be better off.

Question: Why doesn't this happen more often? Why isn't this happening with the crack houses in OTR?

Bottled BarrelHouse Beer

Great news for beer lovers. This also gives Cincinnati something we've not had for a while, a local bottled brewery. Cleveland might be drinking Barrellhouse as well as Great Lakes beers soon.

More Hate

Some nut is again targeting a local Mosque with death threats. Little is done to try and root out the anti-muslim sentiments in certain sectors in the area. Why is that? Why do people continue to let this type of nutcase hate to fester?

Hate Starts With Our Leaders

When Bigots like KY Sen. Dick Roeding (R) are allowed to speak out hate without feeling pressure from within his own party, you know something is wrong.

When are the Log Cabin Republicans going to bolt the party?

When Did Religion Start To Matter?

When did it start to matter, again, what religion a candidate practices? It is sickening watching candidates pander. It is positive that Strickland can at least pay lip service to governing people no matter what their religion (or lack there of). Blackwell is pushing his religion like he's on a crusade, not running for political office. His bigoted stances and his political alliance with openly bigoted groups show how religion has become a weapon. Doesn't matter if you practice what you preach, you just put the fear in masses and the votes of the sheep will follow, lambs to the slaughter.

Disappointed

This entire situation could have been handled without burning so many bridges.

Fountain Square Delayed

What this article alludes to, but fails to come out and say is that Fountain Square will open over a month late.

What is so strange is that just a week ago the Business Courier reported this:

Fountain Square parkers take heart: The renovation remains on schedule and on budget, and planners expect to reopen the plaza and garage Sept. 9.

How is this going to hurt Oktoberfest? Where will the events normally held on Fountain Square during Oktoberfest take place?

Being a month behind is not that bad for any type of project for this side, but in this case the appearance hurts and it looks like someone at 3CDC is either not in touch with the rebuilding efforts, or someone is spinning things. Yea, the latter.

The lead of today's story should have been that the Fountain Square Project is now behind schedule. That fact is not mentioned until after the jump to a later page, and it is not actually stated in a direct manner. The rest of the article is mostly old news rehashed into a massive front page story used to mask the bad news that Oktoberfest may be getting the shaft.

I am very optimistic about Fountain Square in general, but I don't see this as a positive sign. Nice job at manipulating the media, though. Not that they weren't willing, however.

Final Fridays in Oakley?

I like Oakley, but what gives with the moochin'?

Would someone maybe think to check around for what else is happening in the arts world on every Final Friday?

Not very nice.

Alchemize is Closed

Well, news of Alchemize closing was rather abrupt.

Oakley Bombing Solved:

A 34-year-old Oakley man was charged with two counts of aggravated arson and possession of a dangerous ordnance. He allegedly set off two pipe bombs near his residence, behind the Crossroads Community Church on Madison Road.

I don't see a connect with the other local pipe bomb incidents, but are they looking at that angle?

Drop a Dime

I have no major problem with TipCincinnati, but in high crime areas, which are generally the poorer areas of town, what percentage of people actually have handy Internet access?

Also, is this website going to get a bunch of spam? Or worse yet, a bunch of local crime reports outside the city?

The form doesn't limit addresses, so this could be for anyone in the world to submit.

The cool part is that you can upload a picture with the report. If you have drug dealers in your neighborhood, take their picture, fill out the form, upload the picture, and wait for them to be arrested.

Hell, its not that much harder than ordering a pizza online. (cough, cough)

High Speed Train in Ohio

Great ideas are hard to come by, but the Plan for a high speed train in Ohio is one of them.

This concept will reduce traffic on highways and make traveling easier. Additionally, if the stations are located in the downtown area of each major city, it will make for a great way to connect the major cities in Ohio. That connection can be on a business and social level.

3CDC in OTR

Interesting interview in the Business Courier with former 3CDC OTR lead, Des Bracey.

He has left town, but the most interesting take on OTR is his contention that the Drop Inn Center could/should stay in OTR, just in a different place:

Q: Where is there work still to be done?

A: The Drop Inn Center. We've tried real hard to work with them and be open and transparent and find ways where their mission and our mission would co-exist and be achieved. I don't think we're there yet.

The problem of homelessness is much more than an Over-the-Rhine problem. The solution there probably necessitates a citywide response.

Q: Do you mean moving the Drop Inn Center, which is located near Music Hall and Washington Park?

A: I think the solution will be in a new facility for the Drop Inn Center. A 200- or 300-space on-site shelter is not the best way to provide homeless services. But that new facility should be in Over-the-Rhine and could be right there in Over-the-Rhine. It will need more staff and more resources and will require the Drop Inn Center to change the way they do business as well.

The Drop Inn Center needs to move out of OTR, and most certainly away from Music Hall and pending new SCPA. It contributes far too much to the crime problems in OTR, and is the source of most of the pandhandling problem.

City Link may have been a start, but failed with the Nimby effect. Why not build the new jail, with the Drop Inn Center near by? Sounds cruel? Well, it is, but those who will not play along with the basic society shouldn't be afford with as much consideration as those who make an honest attempt to get along with the society at large.

The con to the Jail next to the Drop Inn Center idea is likely that the homeless who would go to the Drop Inn Center want to stay clear of the jail at all costs. They likely wouldn't face any more police attention then they do now, but they would likely percieve they would, keeping them away.

A large part of the perception game of safety in Downtown and OTR is getting the bums out. When I say bums, please understand that I literally mean the bums. Moving the Drop Inn Center would have the biggest impact on changing the perception of living/working/playing downtown as well as the reality of it.

Making News!

I wasn't there, and I don't think I know anyone who was there but this Enquirer story is a classic example of how to gain free media!

It sounds like someone complained and someone over reacted.

Alchemize to Move to Covington?

Nick's been talking about this for a while, but now is starting to get specific.

I've asked this before: Where is Midpoint going to be?

Save WAIF!

Joe Wessels is helping spearhead an effort to save WAIF-FM from its demise. Current leadership there are driving the station into the ground in what appears to be a few nutcases running the organization with mostly insane methods.

How can you help? Become a member and earn a vote! Then help vote out the board leadership!

Act now! you need to register before August 1st. Then vote on September 17th.

In all likelihood the current WAIF board is going to try to block this take over attempt, so we need tons of people!

Why do you care? Well, community radio is a way to keep culture alive in Cincinnati. The commercial radio stations are not out to preserve music and provoke ideas, they are out to make you listen to commercials surrounded by the popular music that often just sucks more than silence.

Its $15 to be a member. It ain't cheap, but it won't break anyone.

Join Online!

Anecdotal Suburban Ignorance

So I am eating lunch today at Panera in Mason. I overhear the conversation of a couple of women at the table behind me. One relays a story to the other about one time when she was driving on I-71. It was around Halloween and she got off at Dana Avenue Exit. She was so scared of driving in the area that she gunned it off the exit, running the red light. She said something about seeing a man walking along the road with a mask. It was, you know, Halloween and all.

This woman is in her early 30s and appears to me to be the poster child for the ignorance of the City. To think she was scared at exiting the Dana Avenue exit is laughable. She is but one person, who came across as an ex-sorority girl, but is her knee jerk unfounded fear of being on Dana Avenue indicative of people in Mason or West Chester? Are they foolish enough to equate Dana Avenue, which turns into Observatory about couple blocks from I-71, with a bad section of town? I would laugh my ass off if this woman was dropped off at 12th and Vine and told to walk to Fountain Square. She would likely just start screaming at the first sight of someone 'scary' looking, likely not even wearing a mask.

Ok, What's With This?

I am guessing it is a coincidence that pipe bombs were set off near Crossroads, but I hope people are looking at treats the church may have gotten.

This is latest in a rash of local pipe bomb reports: here, here and here.

UPDATE: WCPO is reporting that the pipe bombs went off in the parking lot, while the Enquirer says in the woods behind the church.

Address the Motives

Why did Taft sign and why did the Ohio legislature pass a bill requiring religious sayings in schools? Yes, In God We Trust" and "With God, All Things Are Possible" are religious, lets not pretend they are not, no matter what the rulings by religiously biased judges.

What is the motivation for this? What is the big deal? The article ends with this:

Moms for Ohio, a small political action committee that mostly promotes conservative causes, pushed the bill as instilling the right values in children.

What are "the right values." Why don't people come out and say what they are trying to do with these tactics? They are either trying to gin up the right wing with votes or they are pushing Christianity (or both). There is no other value, purpose, or motivation in existence. This is yet another brick laid for the theocratic foundation.

Nice Looking Site: Underneath Cincinnati

If you haven't already, check out the look of Underneath Cincinnati's site. Very sharp.

You Won't See an Outcry

You reap what you sow, and Christopher Allen Tull was out in the weeds with Crack Cocaine. Few will say much about how he died, which will have as much to do with his skin color than his circumstances.

Personal Grudge or Hate Crime?

The Enquirer sums up the incidents at a Jordanian family owned business:

"May 20-21: Someone threw a beer bottle containing a flammable liquid at the side window, burning the outside of the window and cracking it.

June 11-12: Someone threw a piece of concrete through a side door, then tossed in a Molotov cocktail, igniting a fire inside the restaurant.

July 5-6: Someone broke in through a window and set the store on fire."

The article states that police have no suspects. If there were a personal grudge, it logically follows that the victims might have an idea of who they may have pissed off. That then points to a hate crime.

What is amazing is that this has been going on for some time, and didn't get the attention of the media. That might have been the family's choice, but it is funny how things can go under the radar for so long and not get any notice.

Three Cheers for the CFD!

34 Rescued From Three-Alarm Apartment Building Fire

Enquirer Editorial Page is Clueless

This editorial from the Enquirer:"Levee's appeal offers clues for Banks" demonstrates with little doubt that they are not qualified to have any say in the development of the Banks. If their answer is to look to Newport on the Levee, then they must be lazy, ignorant, and foolish.

The Levee's broad-based appeal with its mix of aquarium, cinema, restaurants and retail says a lot for the entertainment formula of trying to offer something for everyone and packaging multiple attractions in a relatively compact space. The planned Banks on Cincinnati's riverfront already equipped with the Freedom Center, Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium could assemble a similar winning combination.

Firstly: Newport on the Levee is not exactly a success. Last time I was there it had lots of empty space. So looking to it as a model for anything is suspect. I like the levee, so I don't mean to disparage it, but it is no way a panacea.

Secondly: Survey's like the one they are referring to and the bulk of attractions at the Levee are volatile and can change like the wind, not something one would normally use as the basis for a marquee project.

Finally: Why would you want to copy something that exists right across the river that would then compete with the thing it is copying? Why not be unique? Why isn't the Banks something that would bring people to the river because you can't get it anywhere else? Yes, the idea of having a mix of attractions is a very good idea, but the Levee doesn't really have that.

Philosophically speaking, the Banks needs to be its own community that is parlty based on bringing people together. It should have wide appeal to all demographics. That means, painful as it may be, that it really targets the suburbanites with kids, but doesn't make it a Mickey Mouse Land. It needs residents open to suburbanite tourists visiting a few times a year. It needs linked major attractions (Freedom Center, Reds, Bengals, US Bank Area, City Parks). It needs some retail, office space, restaurants. It needs to be a 7 day a week spot for people to live, work, play, and visit. The Levee model doesn't do that.

What must happen to really complement this type of mass market attraction is to then target Fountain Square to be an entertainment district 7 days of the week. That means targeting it to adults. Fun/unique retail, office space, restaurants and bars are what will make the Fountain Square area work. Busy during the day with downtown workers, busy at night with downtown residents and adults from all around the area wanting a place to go out on the town. The Square needs to feed off the banks as the place to go after the game for the adults, keeping the bars off the river.

What loses out with this approach is Main Street. We can't sustain entertainment districts every five feet in the city, unless again the targets are narrow, and then how long can they really be sustained? I don't know if any this does anything to attract new young people to the city, which is what should be a primary goal of new development. That may be where Main Street, Uptown (UC), Covington's art district and Northside fill in the gaps, but not by being the entertainment zone for the masses, and instead retain a character they can create on their own. That unique character is what would attract the creative class, while Fountain Square would attract you more buttoned-down YPs.

Now, I'm sure that no one is going to want me to be planning the Banks or anything at all, but Enquirer seems to be using blinders when thinking about the future of the various areas in the city, without considering what happens there when your put money/resources here.

NuTone Closing Local Plant

Over 400 jobs will be leaving the region up word of NuTone Co. closing its doors. This closure has some earmarks of a plateauing company, where contraction is the only means of survival.

More from the Business Courier.

Reds' Shackelford Arrested For Sexual Assault

Ok, what I don't get is that the article says he was arrested but not yet charged with a crime? Is someone jumping the gun? If this guy is a slime ball, then lock him up, but the situation has to have more to it. Throwing in the Match.com profile makes it look like a plant. What is a professional baseball playing doing using an online dating service?

Hate Crime?

This sounds like it is being taken lightly by local officials, but the signs of a hate crime are there. If not a hate crime, then some really nasty feud is raging.

Black Police Convention

I am hoping that all of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives enjoy their stay in Cincinnati, but lets hope none of them get profiled by the CPD or even worse, arrested.

Stickland and Blackwell to Duel in Cincinnati

We don't know when or where but the campaigns for Ohio Governor have agreed to hold one of their four debates in Cincinnati, with the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce as the main host.

I hope this is not a homer event for Blackwell, and is instead run like a classy debate with a quiet audience. I wonder who will get tickets? Also, what's the format, and who is moderating this? Getting the candidates to agree on journalists to moderate will be as much of a struggle as picking the time and place and number of debates.