Streetcars: Look to Portland

One of the negatives of the Cincinnati mentality is that "we" don't like to take chances or be the first to do things. On Streetcars we can meet this neurosis by looking to Portland. We can't copy Portland's model, but we can see that it works.

The council member that I believe needs to be pushed hard to support this in the end is John Cranley. He has to run on the Westside and the old school Westside voter isn't going to be keen on Streetcars, unless they see how it can help the whole city, without the line reaching Price Hill or Westwood.

Drop Inn Center: Another Perspective

There's been some discussion here over the last couple weeks regarding the city's problem with "bums" and on the merits of having the Drop Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine. This article provides a somewhat different angle on the Center's work and those who benefit from it. It's well worth reading.

The article is also one more example of why we'll miss the Post next year.

Gateway Quarter Celebration

Come on down to the Gateway Quarter this Thursday for a holiday celebration:

The Gateway Quarter is having a special holiday event on Thursday December 13, and they want all DRCers to know they are welcome to attend. Our neighbors from OTR, Pendleton, West End, etc have also been invited to attend.

Join us December 13 in Over-the-Rhine's Gateway Quarter. The fun kicks off at 6 p.m. with music and refreshments at Enzo's followed by special offers at City Roots, Metronation, MiCA 12/v and Park + Vine. Caroling starts at 7:30 p.m. in the 12th and Vine parking lot. Head to Below Zero Lounge for more holiday cheer at 8 p.m.

Ten percent of all sales go to the School for Creative and Performing Arts.
FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Hat tip to Jacki D.

A New Know | The Conveyor

Check out my article on the resident actors at the Know Theatre.

Choo Choo

My two previous posts are not-so-happy thoughts about downtown. Sorry about that. To balance those out, I thought I'd mention my favorite Cincinnati holiday tradition: the train display at the Cinergy--err, Duke Energy Building at 4th and Main.

300 train cars (0-gauge). 50 engines. 1,000 feet of track. Open 10-6 (except Sundays, when it's 12-5). What more do you need? According to Duke, more than 9,000,000 visitors have stopped by since the trains began running in 1946.

If you're new to the city and haven't seen this, it alone is worth the trip downtown (especially if you have kids). If you're a native who hasn't been to see the trains in a while, then come on down and refresh those childhood memories.

Time To Get Off The Pot

Sorry...that may be an overly-vulgar title for a post, but this article, reporting that Eagle Realty Group (a division of Western & Southern) is seeking yet another extension of time to submit a plan for Fifth and Race, is truly frustrating.

I was excited when, earlier this year, Eagle Realty proposed the construction of a large condo complex on the site. (For those who don't know, the parcel we're discussing is the parking lot adjacent to the Millenium Hotel.) But once again, Eagle Realty has failed to deliver a concrete plan to accomplish anything other than more empty promises.

Don't get me wrong--cutting through that parking lot when walking from my home to my office saves me about half a block of shoe-wear. But Eagle Realty has had the development rights since 1998 (it's been a parking lot since 1999; before that, it was an office building).

Maybe Eagle Realty isn't the right company for the job. Maybe the City needs to deny an extension and open up some sort of bidding/proposal process to determine which company is best-suited to do something with the space. But it's too valuable a location to allow Eagle Realty to hold onto the rights in perpetuity in the absence of any real sign of progress. And if there is progress, then it ought to be shared publicly: for instance, is there any financing in place for the putative condo building? How about feasibility studies? Construction timetables?

When it takes eight years to put together a plan to develop one block of space, it becomes clear why the Banks is taking so long.

Visibility Problems

As I was scurrying down Vine Street yesterday (scurrying because of the cold, not out of any sense of insecurity), I overheard a conversation between two women who were obviously visiting downtown. One asked the other, "Did you find the mall?" The reply: "It's not really a mall; there's just a Macy's." I assured the inquiring woman that there was, in fact, a mall (not "just" a Macy's), helped her locate it, and went back to my errand.

The episode brings up one of my biggest pet peeves about downtown: why is Tower Place Mall so invisibile? Frankly, if you don't know it's there, you could walk past it on Vine, Fourth, or Fifth many, many times without any awareness that you're walking past a mall.

If we're serious about downtown being a destination, then we need to start acting like downtown is someplace where people from outside Cincinnati want to be (rather than just hoping they'll drop in). Visit other (more booming) cities' downtown areas and you'll find strategically placed maps. Why don't we seem to have any of those? Even UC has figured out that permanently-affixed maps help people find their way around campus; why not the same for downtown? Or more signs (geared towards pedestrian traffic) with arrows towards major attractions (Fountain Square, Tower Place, CAC, the Underground Railroad Museum, and Music Hall, just to name a few)?

Downtown needs to be more than merely safe (which, by the way, it is): it also needs to be accessible and accommodating. Let's work on that.

Criminal or hero?

The Enquirer reports that Arthur Graham, a disabled veteran, happened upon a woman being assaulted in the 1100 block of Race. His response? Stab the guy assaulting the woman. The police's response? Arrest him for felonious assault. I know the legal definition of felonious assault, but I'll admit I'm not sure where the line between self defense (or defending another person) and felonious assault is. I can't help but feel that if I were the woman he saved from being assaulted that I'd feel pretty bad that he got arrested for it. The strange thing is that the man assaulting the woman, Jeffrey Lowery, was only arrested when Graham told the police that he had been hit by Lowery with a bottle. What about assaulting the woman?

(Edited location for accuracy.)

What Happened To The Humans? -- Part Deux

"What kind of man hits a kid" (a former council member notwithstanding) or points a sawed off shotgun at kids selling Christmas trees? Yet, that's exactly what happened last night at the corner of Gilbert and West Galbraith, where some Boy Scouts were selling trees and three young thugs came up, pointed a shotgun at the kids and their parent, hit the father and one of the kids, and stole money. Is this what passes for courage in the groups in which these thugs were raised? Is it simply poverty, lack of education, or lack of opportunity that creates these thugs or is something else at work? What do we say to these kids who had a gun shoved in their faces and who were robbed about the state of the world in which they live? "Happy first day of Hanukkah and Merry Christmas, 2007!"

What Happened to the Humans?

Kevin Drum has found an interesting example of Republicans holding horrid beliefs. These are not the candidates, these are the party's base, the average voter.

NPR Misses the Story

Over Thanksgiving weeking, NPR's Morning edition had a news story that parallelled the Washington Park Feeding the Bums story from the week prior. The story was on the surface balanced, but it wasn't long enough and in now way gave enough background. It played upon the basic extremist NGOs out to protect their funding "clashing" with the city and business owners. It gave a nice positive quote to one of the owners of CityRoots (great store by the way, they have Christmas Trees for sale!!!).

The story however just glossed over the issues. It gave no history of the neighborhood, of the effort to make a better neighborhood, and of the foolish choice to move the social services to OTR in the first place. It played into the false stereotype used by the NGOs. When people listened to that story and when they heard the term "homeless" what came to mind is the image of a person down on their luck, living out of their car, who were hurt by the system, not by any of their own actions. In reality, the people in question are "homeless" because of their own actions. They are felons, alcoholics, and drug addicts. The mentally ill are part of this group, but I would say in most cases it is not their "fault" for being there. Unless they refuse to take their meds, the fault lies with the state for eliminating institutions to care for the mentally ill, or families who are unable to find a way to care for their mentally ill kin. If people don't agree that the mentally ill should be put into good facilities, then I think they must be mentally ill themselves.

More Seafood for Downtown

I just noticed the signs in the windows of the first floor of the 580 Building (on the southeast corner of Sixth and Walnut) that the Oceanaire will be opening a restaurant there this spring. A quick web-search leads me to conclude that while this story got some mention last June when the lease was signed, it was relatively under-reported.

The executive chef will be Justin Dumcum, who previously held that position at Palomino and Jeff Ruby's South Beach Grill.

While I'm a little concerned about whether the downtown market can really sustain both the Oceanaire and McCormick and Schmick's, it's great to see another storefront occupied.

Good News for Downtown: Grocery Store Coming!

Wednesday's Post reports that Avril Bleh Meat Market, the fabulous butcher on Court Street, plans to expand into the adjacent storefront and open a grocery store. This is terrific news for downtown. The store will be about 1,300 square feet.

People who have recently moved downtown from the 'burbs need to be cautioned: it's not going to be anything like the Hyde Park Kroger or a Walmart Supercenter. Instead, it sounds like it will be like the grocery stores you'd expect to find in the midst of New York City neighborhoods. Fresh meat, produce, dairy, but not necessarily a ton of dry goods. But that's what should be downtown: a typical, urban grocery store. We don't need no stinkin' supercenters.

The irony, of course, is that the grocery store will sit quite literally in the shadow of the Kroger Building. Kroger has consistently declined to build a grocery store downtown, claiming there's not a sufficient population base to do so. Even more shameful, though, is that company's failure to build a decent-sized grocery store in Over-the-Rhine--which certainly has enough residents to support a larger store than the abomination that sits on Vine Street a few blocks from corporate headquarters.

I just can't wait for summer again....some of the best food I ate this past summer was from Avril Bleh's little grilling stand in front of the store.

Missing Ballots

The Hamilton County Board of Elections screwed up. 100 ballots is not going to change council races, no matter how certain candidates try to alter mathematics.

American Presidential Politics: "Do you believe every word of this book?"

Now admittedly, my view on this issue may be jaundiced, given that I went to public school a long time ago in the South before GOD and prayer were removed from public schools by the Satan inspired Warren Supreme Court (although I have never understood how people could believe in an omniscient, omnipresent, and all powerful deity and then believe he/she/it could be forcibly removed from anywhere). In my school, we had this old blind lady come in on a weekly basis and we would have actual honest-to-god bible study and prayer on a regular basis -- sometimes even glossolalia would occur -- and we would pray for all the non-believers (including Jews, Mormons, Muslims and, sometimes, Catholics). Ahhh, the fifties and early sixties. . . . .

But really, should I care whether my President believes every word of the christian scriptures? Does it matter if Mitt Romney believes every word of the Book of Mormon? Does it matter if Mayor Guiliani believed every word of scripture, except the ones about divorce and infidelity, when he was using taxpayer money to provide security when he met up with his then paramour, while he was married? Does whether a candidate believes every word of christian scripture inform whether they believe waterboarding is torture -- John McCain, who has been tortured, does believe it, while Governor Romney, who avoided military service (like Dick Cheney and W), thinks waterboarding might be alright for really bad dudes (again, like Dick Cheney and W).

I was glad to know that John McCain, the soldier, does not own a gun, that Fred Thompson, the TV star, owns two, but the whereabouts are a secret, and that Mitt Romney's son owns two that are in the governor's house for some reason. Also, it is good to know that Romney thinks asking people with "funny accents" who are working on his lawn for their papers is bad form, but that America's Mayor thinks that would be just fine, while Tom Tancredo thinks we should not ask, but just round them up. Ron Paul, on the other hand, is worried about our national sovereignty and believes that there is a secret conspiracy to merge the US, Canada and Mexico (Given the exchange rate between the US dollar and the loonie, it might not be a bad thing).

So this is what is important in America in the new century! Thank God, I could go to sleep after this debate with images of dreamy Anderson Cooper in my mind to calm the disturbance caused by the thought that this was the best we could do . . . . . . .

Vigilantism Acceptable in Hamilton County

The Enquirer reports that the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney will not file charges against the owner of the N & M Minimart at Ninth and Elm. As you might recall, the owner, Wade Nassar, followed a robber into the street and fired shots at him as the robber fled. As recounted by the Enquirer at the time:

As soon as Nassar gave the man the money, he ran out the door and east on Ninth Street. When the robber took off, Nassar said he reached behind the counter, grabbed the .22-caliber handgun he keeps there and ran to the front door, opened it and started shooting, getting off five shots.
"How I missed him I don't know," Nassar said. "If I (would have) crossed the street, I would have killed him." Police heard the shots and responded. They weren't too thrilled about Nassar shooting his gun on a downtown street in an area across the street from a school.

And Nassar wasn't shy about his intent:

Nassar said he gave the robber $400 – and then grabbed his gun and followed him out the door. That’s when Nassar said he fired his .22-caliber handgun at the fleeing robber. “I meant to kill the dude,” Nassar said minutes after the Nov. 12 robbery.

Why is this OK? Joe Deters says that the robber "forfeit[ his] right not to be shot." But this isn't about the robber's rights; it's about the legality of Nassar's conduct. With gun ownership comes responsibility. Shooting at a fleeing suspect--who's already outside your property--is not self-defense. If Nassar had hit and killed his target (whose name is Sanford O'Neal, and is obviously not a terribly sympathetic figure--a few weeks after the Minimart heist, he was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a homicide victim's house, an act made possible only by breaking through police crime scene tape), would Nassar still be a free man?

I'm not suggesting that Nassar be charged with attempted murder. But there should be consequences for firing your gun on a downtown street at someone who no longer poses a risk of harm to you. I'm not convinced that turning downtown into the Wild, Wild West is such a good idea.

Pay Attention, Suburbanites!

I know the air is a little thinner out there, but the author of the 4th letter to the Enquirer today needs to know that Hamilton County is not planning on building a "Trolley." The City of Cincinnati "approved" a plan to build a Streetcar. They have not really approved building one yet, but they like the plan for it. It is funny how people don't pay attention.

Next thing we'll get is someone writing a letter to the editor bitching about Cincinnati Public Schools for banning a play by Jessica Fletcher.

Method to the Madness?

I often wonder how independently the county administrator (Patrick Thompson) operates from the elected county commissioners. And the recent wrangling over the county's public safety budget makes me wonder even more.

Last week, Thompson made public a series of proposed budget cuts, including one requiring townships to pay for the deputies that patrol their streets. At the time, it seemed to be taken for granted that in the wake of the defeat of Issue 27, the county would discontinue funding for the patrols in Over-the-Rhine.

Yesterday, following a public meeting attended by several HamCo sheriff's deputies, we get this statement from Todd Portune:

"I expect the balanced budget will include Over-the-Rhine patrols. I expect it
will include no changes for township deputies. I don't know what we'll do to get
there, but I believe strongly we will accomplish our goals."

Here's my point: by raising the issue of county-subsidized policing for the townships, Thompson may have made it politically impossible for the OTR patrols to be de-funded. The average City resident, prior to last week's news reports, probably didn't realize the extent to which places like Greene, Colerain, Anderson, and other townships rely on the county for the provision of police services. How could the commissioners (particularly Portune and Pepper) have justified to City residents the expenditure of funds for public safety in the suburbs at the same time county funds for public safety in the City would be cut off entirely? The backlash from City residents would have been enormous (and perhaps rightly so).

So I wonder--was the issue of the township patrol budget floated intentionally, to ensure the commissioners would have political cover when they found money for the OTR patrols, or is that giving our local leaders credit for too much guile and foresight?

Those crazy suburban schools...

I've been doing theater for a long time, and had no idea that Ten Little Indians had an alternative name other than "And Then There Were None". Apparently the NAACP in Butler County has other ideas-- this alternative name (that few knew existed) will incite racism. Who knew? So these kids put in hours of work on a show that has nothing to do with African Americans (or Native Americans, for that matter) and it's all taken away because one group holds so much sway over the Lakota board. Convenient that Gary Hines does "diversity training", isn't it? I'm all into diversity and equality, but we can't rewrite history. Let's clean up To Kill a Mockingbird and Native Son and sanitize the slurs used against African Americans; let's sanitize Night and remove references to violence that surrounded the Holocaust. This cleansing doesn't benefit kids, it merely renders them unable to comprehend reality in which some people are racist and violent. There is indeed life outside of West Chester. Hopefully, Lakota will wise up and let the show go on-- but I won't bet on it.

Hot Air

It appears Greg Flannery and a couple of other activists are doing what ever they can to derail progress in OTR. It isn't good enough that the Washington Plan adds more green space. It has to create something that will cost more money and not be used to its potential. In fact what Greg wants is to keep more concrete in the area instead of helping add more oxygen to the atmosphere! Come on Greg, I thought you were Pro-Earth!

City Council does the right thing (for once)

Well, at least part of it has. The Enquirer reports that the Finance Committee voted unanimously to approve the funding request from 3CDC for improvement in OTR. Hopefully, the rest of Council will support it as well. The only way that improvement will "stick" in OTR is if the City is backing it financially as well as with some lip service.

A Nice Donabedian Profile

After a big opening Winter season I'd bet Bill Donabedian, Fountain Square Manager, is liking the Enquirer's profile. It it actually quite fair to him personally and gets insight from people who have worked with him. The square looked great on Friday during the day. I'd like to know if anyone was there Friday Night and can chime in how the event went?

Plans For Washington Park Look Great

The plans to expand and renovate Washington Park look excellent. Here is a pdf map of the plan.

Something that was mentioned in the article was the Drop-In Center, but the reason for it being mentioned is not obvious to anyone not familiar with the underlying issue: the Bums must go. All of the renovation of the Park will be lost if the bums still camp out in the Park and along 12th Street. That is the big question about Park renovation. If they have no plans there, then it will not matter how nice it is, the bums will do two things: keep people away and they will quickly ruin many of the renovations.

OTR Development Needs to Move Forward

3CDC is getting the job done in OTR. City Council needs to move forward and fund the next stage of development.

It is great seeing the building on the corner of Vine and 13th Streets undergo a massive rehab. In the new plan it is good to see more money for Main Street.

Mmmm, Pie....

When I'm eating lunch at my desk (or in Fountain Square), my favorite place to grab a sandwich is Fred and Gari's on Vine Street. It's one of those Cincinnati gems that have been around for a long time--you know, the kind that you're proud to know about when you mention it to a life-long resident of the City who's never heard of it.

This Thanksgiving, no one in my family was going to have time to do much baking, so I decided to order a couple of pies from Fred and Gari's--one pumpkin and one chocolate. Since Thursday (well, really, since Wednesday, when I first got a whiff of the pumpkin pie), I've been struggling to find words to describe how magnificent these pies are. They're so good they make you feel privileged to eat them, so good that you feel a little sad knowing that sooner or later (depending on your degree of self-control), they'll be gone.

Fred and Gari's: another one of the things that makes downtown Cincinnati a great place in which to live and work.

Turkeys Don't Surf!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!

A Plea to Governor Strickland

Governor Strickland, please send the State Police to Over-the-Rhine. Since I have been living in OTR I've seen 2 State Troopers patrolling, one on Vine St. and one on 12th Street. If the Sheriff can't find the money for it (or find the heart) and history shows that the CPD can't do it, please send in the State Troopers to patrol OTR. We don't need a massive task force, we just need the cars going up and down the streets of OTR to help send street thugs and suburban drug buyers scurrying for cover. If we can get the drug and petty criminals off the streets, then everyday life will improve for all law abiding residents of OTR.

Poverty and Homelessness: Who Cares?

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me.'" (Matthew 25:41-45)

“And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” (The Qur’an 5:32)

“Poverty is the worst form of violence." (Gandhi)

"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." (Woody Allen)

"Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" (Matthew 19:21)

I thought I may as well weigh in on this discussion of homelessness and poverty that Griff and Donald have started. Perhaps I come from a very different place, but it seems that we as a society have decided in this The Second Gilded Age that we just don't care about poor and homeless people at all and see them as just reaping the harvest of their choices. For at least the last twenty-five years -- through the administrations of right wingers who believed in the literal word of scripture and Dick Cheney and left wingers who believed in both the holiness of scripture and blow jobs --, we have embraced social policies that destroyed the social safety net and that manifested a radical social darwinism. Systemically, we have said to poor people, "we are tired of you and your whining --- you are bringing us down --- don't you understand that the reason you don't have all that we have is because you have not worked hard enough, you are lazy and lacking in education, because you dropped out. Sorry that many of you had long long ago ancestors that lived in slavery, but we just don't care. You are on your own now. We have power and will move you where we want to move you and make social policy that is driven by what is convenient for us." So what happens when you to say to desperate people, "you are on your own to make do; you get what you get in this world because you get what you deserve"? A social policy built on the theology of the survival of the fittest means that it is power against power -- who knows who will win -- yet it puts us all in a war zone.

And, how can it be that we have a museum down the road a little ways dedicated to the literal truth of the Hebrew scriptures when it comes to science and creation, yet have a society of literal believers who do not believe Jesus literally meant what he said when he said "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." So contrary to all scientific findings, dinosaurs and humans roamed the earth at the same time, but Jesus was just kidding around when he said this. Hmmm. . . . . .

Give a Bum a Fish

If you need more evidence that many charities servicing the alcoholics and drug addicts in Washington Park are not working towards helping these people live normal lives, then I don't think you read the article.

First you have three churches who bring food down for one day. Sure, that gives the bums something to eat for a day. Does it help them kick drugs or booze? No, it saves them buying food that can then be used for drugs or booze.

Second you have the "homeless" advocates (yes, I put that word in quotes on purpose) who in my opinion admit that they don't really want to help these people and improve the neighborhood, instead they want to force people to see the bums.

Well, how many times has Georgine Getty worked to move the bums away from the drug dealers and the corner stores with cheap booze? She does nothing but really make me want to protest her organization and the Drop Inn Center if they don't take any and every offer to move out of Over-the-Rhine. Her answer is:

"If you have a problem seeing homeless folks, you should end homelessness," Getty said.

If you are a person hanging out around the park there are three possible things wrong you: 1. You are a drug addict 2. You are addicted to alcohol or 3. You are mentally unbalanced and can't afford treatment. If the Georgine doesn't want to find ways to treat those problem, then she doesn't want to help anyone in Washington Park. Giving a man a meal for one day does nothing to help him with why he is in the Park.

Finally, if you have a problem with wanting the bums to live normal lives, then you want the bums to keep on being bums so you can keep the funding for your ineffective programs.

Feed the Homeless, Break the Law

Stories like this one (noting that a consortium of churches that organized a free lunch in Washington Park are acting contrary to Cincinnati ordinances, as the city won't issue a permit for such events) are likely to become more common as OTR development continues. If CityLink is built (and remember, our court of appeals just said that it can be), there no doubt will be an increased effort to shut down the Drop Inn Center.

Ultimately, the problem of providing for our city's homeless is going to be an excrutiatingly difficult issue for Mayor Mallory and City Council. It's true, of course, that many associate "homeless" with either "criminal" or "panhandler," and to the extent that happens (regardless of whether that mental association is based on reality), a visible homeless population hurts development efforts. But it's also true that in America's cities, the homeless have always tended towards the inner-city. CityLink probably won't cause a migration of our homeless population to the West Side (and if it does, what happens to redevelopment efforts there?).

True solutions (e.g., finding ways to eradicate homelessness) are unlikely, as both city and county leaders are likely to slash the few dollars that are presently slated towards social services. How we treat our homeless (who are often some of the most vulnerable among us) will say a lot about what our City will become in these transitional times.

Change

Murder me God down in that basement,

murder my dreams so I stop wantin,

murder my hope of him returnin,

strangle the pride that make me crazy!

Make me forget so I stop grievin.

Scour my skin till I stop feelin.

Take Caroline away cause I cain't be her,

take her away I cain't afford her.

Tear out my heart

Strangle my soul

Turn me to salt

A pillar of salt

a broken stone and then...

"Lot's Wife"

Caroline Or Change

I had the opportunity over the last two weeks to catch three performances of the New Stage Collective's production of this amazing musical collaboration between Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori. New Stage Artistic Director Alan Patrick Kenny is really doing some daring things with this group. As Caroline, Taylore Mahogany Scott gave a heartwrenching performance in an emotionally difficult role. In yesterday's closing performance, she just blew the doors off the song "Lot's Wife" and left the audience gasping. The entire cast was great, so if you missed this show, you missed one of the theatrical highlights of the year. You also missed one of the most racially mixed audiences I have seen for theater in Cincinnati. Check out this theater on Main Street in OTR (http://www.newstagecollective.com). They are doing some challenging and daring things for our little town, including Take Me Out and Jerry Springer, the Opera. (Posted by Jack)

Welcome

Please join me in welcoming three new blog contributors: Julie, Donald, and Jack. I'll still be blogging, so you've not rid yourself of my brilliant typing.

Last In, First Out, Crime Up

Why did Si Leis chose to cut the OTR patrols program? Why not cut the patrols in all of the townships? They don't have any crime at all to worry about, so they shouldn't miss the patrols. If they think they need more, let them incorporate and pay for it themselves.

Yes, I am kidding....on the square. I really am wondering why the sheriff would cut patrols that have been far more effective in catching criminals than worrying about speeders in Columbia Township. Is is using some kind of LIFO crime fighting technique?

Broomball on Fountain Square

Registration is now open for the 2008 Broomball season!!! Read all about it here; the league will have two conferences: one for beginners, and the other for "advanced" players. I watched a couple games last year, and it looked like a lot of fun.

Maybe we should have a Cincinnati Blog team.....[Posted by Donald]

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown

I don't want to join the bandwagon of folks who can't find anything nice to say about Fountain Square. Frankly, I like the new square design; the jumbotron; and the increased number of events taking place there (does anyone know when this year's broomball league starts?).

But when I drive past the Christmas tree, I can't help but wonder: isn't it a little scraggly this year? Maybe it's just that the lights aren't up yet. Or maybe the summer-long drought kept the tree from being all that it could be. But I'm not loving this year's tree just yet. [Posted by Donald]

Yet Another Introduction

"I went on to Cincinnati. I had got a taste of the big cities and them bright lights. I stayed there until I was about 18 or 19 and then I went on to Detroit."


John Lee Hooker


In responding to Brian's gracious invitation for additional contributors to this blog, I told him that if he wanted a grumpy gay curmudgeon's perspective, I was the guy for the job. I am a 51 (almost 52, if anyone wants to get me a birthday present soon) year old attorney, a partner in a large downtown law firm -- so not a YP by any stretch. I am a civil litigator and also coordinate all of the pro bono work done by my firm. I also teach at the law school at the University of Cincinnati in areas related to legal ethics and sexual orientation/identity and the law. For the first 15 years I was in Cincinnati, I lived in Clifton (3 years) and then downtown (12 years). Currently, I live in the vicinity of Mariemont. I was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and have been in Cincinnati for 17 years, having lived on the east coast for a number of years before that. Being an attorney is only one of several careers I have had in my life, having worked in prior incarnations as a political professional and then as a religious professional. I try to be an active contributor to the arts in Cincinnati, and I currently serve on the Board of the Cincinnati Opera. I am also active in a number of local, regional and national GLBT organizations, including serving on the Board of the Point Foundation, which provides financial support, mentoring and hope to meritorious students across the country who are marginalized due to sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love / hate relationship with Cincinnati, having been frustrated by its narrowness and provincialism and elevated by its beauty and its artistic heritage. In my blogging I want to give voice to this tension, recognizing the beauty and potential of this town and calling out those forces that hold us back. And I hope to have some fun in doing this. (Posted by Jack)

Another introduction.

Thanks, Brian, for allowing me the opportunity to guest blog. A little about me: I'm a 27-year-old, life-long resident of Cincinnati. I grew up on the west side, lived on the east side, and call Over the Rhine home these days. I graduated from both UC (BA) and Xavier (MEd) and work in the publishing industry as an editor. I'm very active in the arts here in Cincinnati (theatre in particular), and my blogging with primarily revolve around the Cincinnati arts community, education issues, general politics and an occasional food post for good measure. (Posted by Julie)

Joe Nuxhall: 1928-2007

Beloved Reds radio announcer died last night at the age of 79.

No Room at the Inn

Kimball Perry reports on an exchange that occured in court this morning when a municipal court judge set bond for a man charged with possessing between one and five grams of crack cocaine (a crime that carries up to eighteen months in prison). The judge set bond at $5,000, but the prosecutor apparently thought that was too low. I doubt that the bond was actually influenced by the rejection of the proposed sales tax increase (after all, even if the vote had gone the other way, there'd be no more bed space today than there was two weeks ago). The only thing that's surprising is that Judge Burlew entertained further discussion about the matter after he announced his decision on bond; usually, once a judge announces a bond amount, the defendant is pretty quickly escorted back to the holding cells adjacent to the courtroom and the next case is called. [posted by Donald.]

An Introduction

Brian has graciously decided to permit me to guest-blog here from time-to-time. A little about me: I'm a thirty-three year-old criminal defense and civil rights attorney who has lived in Cincinnati since 2000. I live and work downtown. As you might expect, my blogging proclivities will tend towards legal happenings in town as well as downtown issues (including development, gentrification, or simply fun things going on). [posted by Donald]

MIAMI 59, XU 57

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

Read about it here.

Much Ado?

Jason Haap is frothing at the mouth about something that one of his nutty candidate friends quickly saw in a document from the BOE. I wonder if what Michael Earl Patton saw was the canvass report from the BOE which listed the vote totals from each precinct. The total ballots cast listed there are 50,017. This is different than the total results which included the absentee ballots, which totaled 59,246. The difference in ballots cast are some 9,229. Is this difference Jason refers to when he stated:

It seems about 9,000 less votes were actually cast than originally reported.

The Canvass report did come out after the total results were listed, so it does fit. The Canvass report doesn't include absentee votes and the total number of votes cast in canvass document matches the number cast on the total document. Unless Jason has a different document, then he and Michael Earl Patton appear to have made a very foolish mistake. No, that would not be a surprise.

Teen Club?

Ok, what teen club is near the intersection of Main and 12th Streets? Are we talking about a rented out club? Club Red maybe? Also, when the newspaper says "teens" do they mean over or under age 18 year olds?

Why wasn't the club named? Someone planned a teen night and didn't control things at all. They are lucky no one was hurt, at least no reports on that were made in the paper. If someone was hurt, the paper certainly would have made that known.

The last thing Main Street needs are teenagers. Please, oh please, keep the kids out of an adult entertainment area.

Help Wanted

I'm in need of guest bloggers. If you have the desire to chime in on this blog with a limited form of semi-autonomy, send me an email at cincyblog at aol.com.

The Blue Wisp Plays On

New owners of the Cincinnati Jazz institution plan on carrying on the tradition of the club, with some newness.

"Bloggers?"

Greg Korte of the Enquirer is claiming:

"The issue made it to the ballot when an unusual coalition of bloggers, the NAACP and conservative anti-tax groups collected more than 38,000 valid signatures in order to put the tax to a referendum.

OK, bloggers plural? What blog beyond the Beacon supported, in more than lip service, the anti-jail tax petition? Also, how on earth do "bloggers" get top billing over the NAACP and the nuts in COAST?

I think Greg's bow tie was a little too tight on Tuesday night. I thought about getting a picture of him and post it, but the Less Nessman headline I was thinking of would have been just too snarky.

Voter Turnout Low

The voter turnout in the County was down slightly from 2005, but in the City Voter turnout dropped significantly:

County:
2007 - 34.14%
2005 - 35.87%
Change - 1.73% Decrease

City of Cincinnati:
2007 - 27.91%
2005 - 35.23%
Change - 7.32% Decrease

On Issue 27 this shows that the anti-tax faction got their base out in force. It is difficult to get a motivated electorate to come out in mass in an effort to raise taxes.

Counting Irregularities

The most in your face story from last night was clearly the screw ups with counting the votes. First of all, does anyone wonder why a paper trail is absolutely critical to any voting system?

Secondly, why the hell did it really take this long? Who was unprepared? Were the poll workers not trained correctly? I would surmise that may have only been a small issue. It sounds like to me the real issue was how the counting programming was set up. It was a BOE problem. Someone needs to either get new a new system, or get someone who knows how to operate the system they have. This is not the first election in which they used this new voting system.

While they are at it, could the HC BOE get a new website? Could they put the results online in a form other than a pdf? Why can't they also give real time precinct detail? Also, why can't I find a listing of the Cincinnati precinct locations online? Hell, I'd take a map of the wards to know where they are? I was personally very displeased with the efforts of local election officials. Cincinnati will again be part of the Ohio swing state mess that certainly will fall upon us in 2008.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

I don't believe anyone predicted that all incumbents would keep their jobs. I am very surprised that Ghiz, Berding, and Monzel all stayed on council. Here are the results:

John Cranley 32,663
Roxanne Qualls 32,648
David C. Crowley 30,112
Cecil Thomas 26,206
Chris Bortz 25,677
Leslie Ghiz 24,163
Laketa Cole 23,853
Jeff Berding 22,906
Chris Monzel 22,712
Charlie Winburn 21,267
Minette Cooper 18,141
Sam Malone 16,767
Melanie Bates 14,863
Pat Fischer 14,570
Greg Harris 13,734
John Eby 13,684
Wendell Young 13,432
Brian Garry 12,710
Joan Kaup 8,184
Andre Harper 7,223
Justin Jeffre 7,065
Mitch Painter 4,944
Steve Pavelish 4,058
Michael Earl Patton 3,025
George Zamary 2,112

This election is one where analysis of which Wards/Precincts voted and who voted for which candidate is going to be looked at with intense research.

Coming Down to the End

As of now I am resting my laurels for a while and grabbing dinner before heading over to the BOE. The polls are open for a just over an hour an hour. What's the feeling on turnout today? What issues are going to pass or fail?

Ok, the CCV are Irrelevant, but....

We can learn about at least one councilman's views on evolution. I don't really care what Monzel thinks on social issues, as long as he doesn't make them into law. In the poorly written question he gives a bad answer. Chris is a good guy with just many, many bad and oppressive stances on social issues.

Is the CCV actually losing all of its influence in the city? In the questionnaire referenced in the The Bellwether Daily only two council candidates are listed on the as having responded to the survey. I mean, where is Charlie Winburn and Sam Malone's response? Sam Malone carried the CCV's water in their crusade to oppress gays and lesbians in the City. Sam can't be bothered with the CCV? Or does the CCV not want to associate itself with a guy who allegedly whipped his son with a belt. I think I can take away the allegedly part, but I am going to be on the safe side.

City Link Winning?

Kevin Osborne of CityBeat reports on a court win for the Cit Link group.

Vote Early, And Often

Ah, that saying never gets old! Well the polls are open and will be open in Ohio until 7:30 tonight.

Chime in with your voting experiences. So far it is cold and Sunny out. The forecast via weather.com states:

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. Much cooler. High 48F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph.

So, there is no excuse to not get out there an vote.

Council Predictions 2007 - Final Round

Ok, it is time for the final installment of council predictions. Today, I'm going to make a full prediction, including order of finish. Other than the top few, I have no real way to know who will get on, and the order of finish is nearly always a surprise. I'm making my guesses based most only my gut. I couldn't afford a crack staff of 25 analysts this year. Sorry about that, maybe next year for the big election. Anyway, here is what I say will happen:

John Cranley
Roxanne Qualls
David Crowley
Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
Charlie Winburn
Chris Monzel
Cecil Thomas
Greg Harris
Leslie Ghiz
Jeff Berding
Minette Cooper
John Eby
Joan Kaup
Sam Malone
Melanie Bates
Pat Fischer
Wendell Young
Brian Garry
Andre Harper
Justin Jeffre
George Zamary
Mitch Painter
Michael Earl Patton
Steve Pavelish

Voter turnout will be the key factor this year, with the last few to get on council still up in the air. The two in the top that could really move are Cole and Winburn. Cole will unfortunately likely still win. She could drop like a rock to 7th or 8th place. Winburn could move up, depending on voter turnout and if he is keeping both the Conservative and Black votes he has had before.

I'll be doing more blogging tomorrow during the day. Keep me posted on any voting problems. This is another year where we have to have ID to vote. I just moved, and I have the electric bill as back-up ready to go!

Does First Place Matter This Year?

Other than for ego, will coming in first place for City Council actually do anything for the candidate? For Cranley or Qualls will be number get them anything? I would guess that Crowely will remain Vice Mayor. Will they get better committee chairs? The article makes the point that convention wisdom states that the top vote getter can use the status being number one to get higher office. Would Cranley or Qualls run for Mayor next time around? Will Cranley take on DeWine for the County Commission? Yes, I'm looking ahead, but Cranley and Qualls are going to win, so we can start looking ahead for them.

More on the the Murder on Main

Yes, the alliteration is a bit much, but here's a story on the murder near 12th and Main on Wednesday night. This article reports that police are investigating the possibility that the shooting stemmed from an argument inside Club Red. Was Club Red even open that night?

More on the Brink

Get the lowdown on the Brink music showcase tomorrow night, including a nice background on the bands from the organizer of the fest, Dan McCabe.

Takedown of Winburn and Malone

In case you missed it, here's the website that exposes certain sides of Charlie Winburn and to a degree Sam Malone. Malone is toast anyway, so this really hits more on Winburn and his extreme odd church.

CityBeat Council Endorsements

I am somewhat surprised by some of CityBeat's Endorsements. Here they are:
Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
John Cranley
David Crowley
John Eby
Brian Garry
Greg Harris
Joan Kaup
Roxanne Qualls

I am a little bit surprised, but pleased they support John Eby. I disagree on some issues with John, but he is a good guy, and is the best Republican in the field.

I am very surprised about Laketa Cole. Even without her recent Drama, she's not been a good council member, and how she's been working with the fiscal five should turn her off from the usual CityBeat philosophy.

I am also surprised CityBeat has a very white slate. I think Cecil Thomas is worthy of consideration, even with his conservative social views. With CityBeat's choices as cover, I might be able to avoid some of the White Guilt crowd's anger when I say this year there is a clear lack of good minority candidates. There by comparison an increased number of non-minority quality Urbanist-Progressive candidates attractive to CityBeat. This does not fit the demographics of the city, however. Does this bode well for the future?

More Thugs on Main?

I think I saw a couple of cop cars fly down my street last night racing towards Main, but I didn't notice a crowd at all. They didn't run down 12th Street my way. With another murder on Main two things need to happen. Firstly, the corner of 12th and Main needs to be cleaned up. Station a cop there all the time. Drive out the criminals. The Jordan attracts criminals. The section 8 housing on Main and 12th needs better management to get the problem people out or in jail when they break the law.

Secondly, if the clubs down there are at all to blame for bringing in stupid wannabe gang bangers. It is a rather simple thing, don't cater to the thugs. Do promote gang life, don't glorify it and the thug will stay away.

What is funny, if I hadn't read about this today, I wouldn't have know this happened 2 blocks from where I live. Who would ever have guessed that 12th and Vine is far safer than 12th and Main Street?

Miami #1

You're not going to read about this in the Enquirer, but Miami is #1 in the nation in College Hockey.

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

Get an interesting take here on Miami Hockey from a North Dakota fan, the #2 team.

Sam Malone Owes Son Money

First He was charged with whipping his son with a Belt, but now he was spending his son's money too. This time the courts ruled against him. What is most horrible for this man to have done is the report in the article that alleges Malone used some of the money that belonged to his son to pay his legal fees in his defense on the charges for beating that same son. I guess Malone was going to take it out of his hide in more ways than one.

BRINK: A New Music Showcase

The Southgate House has a great line-up for this Saturday Night (Nov 3rd). If I can get gang to go, I'm going to check out the likes of: The Pomegranates, White Girls, Lions Rampant, Jon Justice, Kinsey Rose, The Read, Eat Sugar, The Delusionals, Eclipse, Cash Flagg and Nathan Holscher.

Council Supports Banks

All Nine voted in a joint subcommittee meeting to support the Banks plan. An assumed formality vote in a full council session is expected later in the week.

It appears like something is going to happen. I'm still foggy on the details. If they are out there, I've not seen them blanketed around for all to read. I'm worried about its success. It still appears to me that all of the political leaders are missing something about development of any area in and around Downtown: you need people to live there. Residency is the key to the Banks, to Fountain Square and to OTR. If you don't make it easy and attractive to live in Downtown, then these new projects will not make it.

I also see the double edge of the Banks. I hope everyone understand what the Banks is going to be: a play ground for the suburbanites. What they want is a place to play before and after the game. That is what is driving the Banks. Sure, it exists now in Downtown or over in Covington/Newport, but people are actually that lazy as to want it within yards of the stadium.

I think the Banks in concept is good idea, what I hope people don't do is see it as anything more than a loss leader. It is the way to give people a taste of the City, but what will make everything work is having thousands of new residents in Downtown and OTR. That will bring the retail everyone clamors for. It takes people to build a city, not an ESPN Zone. When I hear John Cranley joking about drinking beer in a big national chain restaurant, all I can think of is McMain Street.

What the city needs to attract now are two thing: residents and employers who like having residents live near by.

Police Union Assault

Once again Peter Bronson is attacking a union for fighting against the actions of large corporation, one run by a hard right Republican. I am still waiting for Bronson to write a column calling out the FOP for its assault on people of Cincinnati for its 2001 slowdown. Bronson is against every union there is, except for a chapter of the FOP that pushing GOP political views every change they get.

Prediction Monday #2

With media endorsements starting to come in: Enquirer, Downtowner, we can have round two of Prediction Monday. Here is how I see it:

Locks:
Cranley, Qualls, Crowley

Almost locks:
No One

Likely on council:
Bortz, Harris, Winburn

In the running:
Berding, Ghiz, Monzel, Thomas

Long shots:
Kaup, Eby, Fischer

The rest of the field has no shot. The betting man's game will be on who will come in last. The bottom usually has the independents, so look for one of them to take the last sport, but this year there are several endorsed candidates who haven't done campaigning to get the votes. The "honor" of being last should garner some type of award. I may create one, just for such an achievement.

Enquirer Endorsements Are Out

The Enquirer has picked their Nine and there are some interesting picks and non-picks. The list:

Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
John Cranley
David Crowley
John Eby
Leslie Ghiz
Greg Harris
Chris Monzel
Cecil Thomas

The Enquirer did something very honest when it comes to Cole. I would surmise they had picked her prior to the story about the "physical altercation with another woman" came out last night. They didn't revoke the endorsement, at least not yet, but in the article's paragraph she got 2 postive sentences, and then 4 sentences on the scandal, ending with a call for Cole to give a full explanation. I hope that if Cole doesn't hold a press conference with a reasonable explanation by the end of the day Monday, the Enquirer should step up and revoke the endorsement.

The main surprises to me was in who the Enquirer did not endorse: Qualls, Winburn, Berding, and Fischer. All fit the traditional pick of the Enquirer, being more of establishment candidates. Harris and Crowley are two that I am very, very pleased they endorsed, but it goes against type for the Conservative Enquirer to pick two Progressive candidates. I am glad they have a better mix than their 2005 endorsements, which was a very Conservative Slate.

The endorsements from the newspapers in the past have influenced certain voters, but in recent years that influence has wanned. In a year with more than 9 candidates who can make a case as qualified choices, will voters pay more attention to who the Enquirer, the Post, and CityBeat pick for council?

If I were to pick one candidate who may get on council because of this pick it is Greg Harris. Greg has been running a very strong campaign. He has been in the mix in most polls so far, giving him one of the lower half of the 9 slots. This kind of backing I think will solidify his hold on what the polls have been saying. He has reached a great position in the race with about 10 days to go. Some hard charging and as much media buys as possible and I think he gets on.

Ghiz may also back into a seat on council, but she will have to get the Westside Conservative vote. She has lost most of the moderate and progressive votes she had last time. Westside Conservatives read the Enquirer.

Who else is hurt or helped by the Enquirer?

Cole's Drama Outlined

Joe Wessels outlines more of the drama in the Laketa Cole scandal. It appears her boyfriend has a bench warrant for missing a court appearance.

Isn't Sam Malone single???????

Cole Train Derailed?

Council member Laketa Cole allegedly got into a fight with a pregnant 23 year old woman. What is most interesting is that Cole allegedly tried to have police keep her name out of the police report. It was thought that she was both a victim and suspect in the incident, so the confusion is pretty thick at this point.

What will this do for her chances to win back her council seat? Will anyone care she got into a fight and that allegedly resulted in scratches to the face of both the 23 year old as well as to Cole herself? Does this maybe move her from a lock to the bubble? Does this in some minds make her a better candidate? Scandals make the political world jump, but does the public care?

Give Me Fat, Or Give Me Death

Yates is going way too far with a bill to ban "trans fat". I understand we need to be more healthy, but this idea goes way over the edge.

Now, I am sure the smokers bitching about the smoking ban will take glee in saying this is the next slippery slope, but sorry Joe Camel, smoking doesn't equate to a form of food.

Details...Details...Details

Ok, there has been an anouncement of a deal on the Banks, but we don't have the details. We also don't have approval from City Council or the County Commission. This article implies something has happened. The Banks project has many hurdles ahead. I wonder if it will be set up for a pre-election approval vote? I hope the Mayor prevents the council from making a bad decision, just to get a good photo-op.

Prediction Monday?

Anyone want to predict council, yet again? I'm thinking the locks are:

Cranley, Qualls

Almost locks:

Cole, Crowley

Then the rest are just to close to predict, but those in the running:

Bortz, Berding, Ghiz, Monzel, Thomas, Harris, Winburn, Cooper, Fischer

Long shots:

Kaup, Bates, Eby

Who am I missing?

Also, shall we do this weekly until election day? Refine the list down a bit by Nov 5th maybe?

Shame

The local GOP should be ashamed of the candidate they endorsed. This is the candidate who has been accused twice of domestic violence.

Fountain Square Campaigning

Did anyone go to Fountain Square Candidates Meet & Greet? I am more than a little concerned about what TV commercial Sam Malone is going to air that will appeal to women. Does beating your kid with a belt appeal to women? Is that something new in the modern woman that I've just not picked up on?

$102 MillionStreet Car Plan Announced

The Streetcar plan has been outlined to City Council and the 5 member economic committee voted its support for Streetcars.

Details on the financing are here.

E.W. Scripps to Split into Two Companies

By splitting between a newspaper company and a TV/national business company the big question remains unanswered: Will the headquarters of either company leave Cincinnati? I would guess the TV Company will certainly move out of town. It appears to have not been run out of Cincinnati anyway. Will the Newspaper company stay in town is the bigger concern. Without a local paper, will they stay?

Ding Ding: Streetcar Plan's Coming

Today we'll get the plan for streetcars. The streetcar is the cornerstone of what will take the revitalization of Downtown and OTR to the next level.

Cincinnati Crime is Down

Crime is down in the City. There are a few neighborhood pockets were crime is not down, but OTR, Downtown, and West End have had significant reductions.

Will any Council candidates point out this decrease? Likely if you are someone like John Cranley or Cecil Thomas, you might champion this issue that what Cincinnati is doing to fight crime is working.

This also blows holes into last year's murder rate. It appears clear that the murders were narrowly sourced and not part of wide spread crime wave.

I will be interested in how this will be spun by the campaigns.

Ignorant Fools

In the Letters to the Enquirer one exposes the massive ignorance of the public where Gary Taylor of Oakley pines about Al Gore getting the Nobel Peace prize. His main beef is that Ronald Reagan didn't win one. Well, let's review a few facts. First, Nobel create the prize, in part, to make up for the military use of his invention, dynamite. So Reagan builds up the Military by building a ton of new bombs and weapons systems. This goes against the origin of the Nobel Peace Prize, so why would anyone but an ignorant fool think Reagan would have have one or deserved to win the prize?

UrbanCincy: Stop talking...start doing!

UncleRando has it right.

Fountain Square Graeter's Opens Monday

More great news for Fountain Square as one of Cincinnati's most popular establishments opens a new location downtown with a seven day a week schedule:

6:30 AM to 10 PM Monday through Friday,
7 AM to 10 PM Saturdays
11 AM to 7 PM Sundays

It's starting to get cooler, so ice cream isn't going to be the hottest seller this fall, but the full bakery and limited candy selection should offer a nice treat when you are on the Square to watch a Bengals game.

Question for Republicans

Do you care who your Ohio State Rep endorses in the GOP Primary for President? I certainly don't care who Dale Mallory is endorsing in the Democratic Primary.

"Fire the Fiscal Five" Video

Here's another video I was linked to. I think there was a similar video a while about the five. This may be the same video, anyway, an interesting piece of propaganda.

Mythos Mania

Another new self proclaimed "middle-class" restaurant is opening on 4th Street in Downtown.

PSA for Sam Malone

I think Sam Malone needs to read this post in CityBeat to learn about how to be proper parent. If he learned that "Real Men Don't Hit" he might become a respectable human being.

Cranley Care

CityBeat is reporting that Councilman John Cranley is teasing the electorate with a health care plan that would provide a means for low cost health insurance for City Residents.

The plan on the first glance lacks enough detail to determine if it is just way to expensive or if it more of a pea shooter firing on an artillery range.

One of the problems that comes to mind first is what will happen when an employer wants to pull out of the insurance plan or if they can't afford to pay their portion or they just go bankrupt. If having a job is a requirement for the insurance, then it can help the working poor and working class, but if they loose their job, it doesn't help fill in the gaps.

The fact that the plan will not be "officially" brought forth until after the election makes this a massive trial balloon. Cranley is not in danger of losing the election next month. If he has his eyes on running for Mayor in 2009, then this might be a way to build up an accomplishment before a future election that at this point has many viable candidates being mentioned as running.

Bandwagon UC Fans

Ok, I am getting sick of the bandwagon UC fans who all of the sudden get upset about UC football. Hell, as a Miami fan, I bet I've been to as many UC football games over the years then a large portion of UC alumni.

If they were not ranked, few would have cared what was on Fountain Square (I think only a few care now). When UC is no longer ranked, they will go away. I really can't stand fans who jump on the bandwagon only when "their" team is winning. It is yet another thing wrong with sports today.

UDPATE: Paul Daugherty Chimes in.

CAC: Odili Donald Odita

Harris and Eby Cooperation

Something fairly new for Cincinnati, a Democrat and a Republican have come together to promote a plan for the city: Common Sense Cincinnati.

Cincy YP PAC Endorsements

The endorsements are out and the list is very underwhelming. I agree with logic behind Harris, Qualls, and Bortz. Cranley's prior mocking of YP groups does nothing to demonstrate he cares about the efforts of YPs to help the City. Cranley is a YP himself, which makes it more troubling. Berding, Cole, and Fisher all I feel are not championing the 5 issues Cincy YP PAC lists as the most important.

Joan Kaup clearly is one I would say is on the side of YPs, I would be interested in knowing why she did not make the list. I might trough George Zamary into that camp as well, with him being a much better choice to reach out to the Republicans than Pat Fisher.

Bottom line, I was very disappointed in the picks. Politically, if you are trying to spread your eggs into many different baskets, that has some logic to it, but in the long run helping the candidates who are not squarely in your corner will comeback to bite you in butt.

Louisville Dises Ohio

Via the Urban Louisvillian:
If any part of Kentucky really wants to compare cultures with Ohio, I think they are in way over their heads. And yes, we have plenty of women in Ohio with tattoos on their butts. The key difference is that they are not our sisters.

Ghiz' Westside Digs

A Hyde Park Republican, Leslie Ghiz, is having open house at her HQ located in Westwood, the heart of the Westside. Did the Eastsider locate her HQ way over there because she desperately needs to get every Westwood vote she can get, or was the short term office rent cheaper?

Charity for Charity's sake

Joe Wessels has an excellent post on the misguided "do gooders" are trying to do something, instead of doing what is best.

FOP Endorses Man Who Beat His Kid

It is remarkable that the Police Union in Cincinnati is so blind they overlooked Sam Malone's arrest on domestic violence charges (he was acquitted). Malone's son testified in court that his father repeatedly whipped him with a belt.

The Cincinnati FOP has ignored the actions of Malone and endorsed him for City Council.

Never mind that they endorsed nearly all of the Republicans running, which is a given with an organization that has recently be a shill for the Republicans. How can the union representing the law enforcement agency for the City support a man who has never denied he hit his son with a belt. It is disgusting that the representatives of the local police force would let a man who uses violence as tool to control his son represent the City in any capacity, let alone at its highest level.

The sad part, this isn't a surprise.

Roebling Point?

Will a new marketing plan help put the "other" Covington entertainment district on the map?

If He Were a Democrat....

Si Leis would be run out of town on a rail for this kind of crap if he was a Democrat. Talk radio would want his head. Peter Bronson would be calling for him to be put into jail. The Enquirer would be pushing for a recall vote.

What is sad, is that this has been Si Leis's style for years. It surely is not the first time he has done this. The problem now is that the far right wing in Hamilton County are against Leis on the Tax issue. That makes him a target and they have had this kind of dirt on him for years?Wwhy wait until now to bring it out? What people will do to put their political views forward on a tax issue is really remarkable.

Change at CinWeekly

CinWeekly's Kari Wethington is moving over to the Enquirer to cover news in Northern Kentucky. This I believe is a plus for Kari and I hope helps her career. What she should be doing, at least part time, is writing about local music in Cincinnati on a regularly. The way the Enquirer has been assigning reporters, I find it more likely she will only have a geographical beat, not a topical one. This is an Enquirer trend that is not a wise way to build up the skills of reporters. It is instead a way to use them as machines to churn out copy.

Furthermore, I hope CinWeekly does not drop coverage of the local music scene. We didn't have a local blog coverage this year from Cin on Midpoint. I would surmise that Kari's move caused a gap that left open the coverage. Cin needs to step up to the plate and continue the level of music coverage Kari was providing. They could still do more! The Enquirer has no care about local music or much of any local news. Cin has many issues, but one of their highlights has been Kari's music coverage over the last few years. I for one will miss her weekly column. I do wish her well on her new job.

Over Kill?

I think the issue here is that some kids are acting like jerks and not getting out the way of the car. I mean, where did "Car! Game On" come from? As a kid we played whiffle ball and football in the street all the time. We did it on side streets and we got out the way when cars came down.

All you need to do is get a few of the kids parents to drive by and give them crap for not getting out of the way. This is a parenting issue, not one the city should be worry about.

The exception is on busy streets. It should be a rule already that you just can't be out on medium to high volume streets. That is simply a safety issue. Practically, no one is foolish enough anyway to be out playing touch football in the middle of Reading Road.

How?

Winburn has started his campaign of fear. I've not seen the ad, but the article claims he wants to bring down violent crime. Again in the article is states violent crime is down 12.6% from last year. What magic bullet does Charlie Winburn have to get crime down? Is he going to perform a mass exorcism to rid the City of violent demons or something?

Blog Debate

The Enquirer's Editorial Page Blog is holding what can best be described as a blog debate among candidates for Cincinnati City Council. I'm confused how this is going to work efficiently, but it should be interesting.