WCPO's Kevin Necessary has a cartoon that sums up a big problem with the Mayor of Cincinnati.
Please note that is no the only problem with the Mayor, just one of many.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Did City Manager Black Just Cost the City a Ton of Money?
Chris Wetterich of the Cincinnati Business Courier has an in-depth article that brings up the Cincinnati City Charter and the section of it that deals with how the City Manager is required to provide the Chief written charges and the right to have a hearing on them prior to being fired. Statements reported, and not yet denied by the City Manager or Mayor, indicate that Chief was just fired and not given a written copy of the chargers and not given the chance to have a hearing prior to being fired.
So a key element to a wrongful termination lawsuit has evidence. When you have a prescribed rule on how to fire someone and you don't follow it, you have a problem. This is the type of problem that an employment lawyer would cringe upon hearing. When that rule is a city law, well you have mountain of a problem to overcome.
This situation could not have been more poorly handled. It was an administrative failure. It was a political failure. It was a moral failure. Cranley and Black should be ashamed.
It would be interesting to see how many similar types of documents provided in this case by the City Manager could be produced upon request on any of the prior two police chiefs. I believe there would be no doubt that Streicher or Craig would have some number of similar complaints. I doubt those records would be found if requested, however, or someone might create a special power to keep them private. Some special rule that an elected office might claim doesn't exist, but won't stop invoking.
So a key element to a wrongful termination lawsuit has evidence. When you have a prescribed rule on how to fire someone and you don't follow it, you have a problem. This is the type of problem that an employment lawyer would cringe upon hearing. When that rule is a city law, well you have mountain of a problem to overcome.
This situation could not have been more poorly handled. It was an administrative failure. It was a political failure. It was a moral failure. Cranley and Black should be ashamed.
It would be interesting to see how many similar types of documents provided in this case by the City Manager could be produced upon request on any of the prior two police chiefs. I believe there would be no doubt that Streicher or Craig would have some number of similar complaints. I doubt those records would be found if requested, however, or someone might create a special power to keep them private. Some special rule that an elected office might claim doesn't exist, but won't stop invoking.
Sunday, September 06, 2015
Marian Spencer Opposes Park Levy
The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that political leader Marian Spencer has removed her support for the Charter Amendment for a Parks levy that is being pushed by Mayor John Cranley.
This presents another good reason this effort should be thoroughly reviewed and not supported without careful consideration of the pitfalls and hidden agendas within this scheme.
This presents another good reason this effort should be thoroughly reviewed and not supported without careful consideration of the pitfalls and hidden agendas within this scheme.
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Major Donor to Cranley Campaign Gets Appointment to Historic Board
Shree Kulkarni, a local developer and major campaign donor to Mayor John Cranley's 2013 election, has been appointed to the Cincinnati Historical Conservation Board.
In 2013 the Kulkarni family and 4 of his companies contributed $8,300 to Cranley's campaign. The individual limit is $1,100 for both the primary and general election periods. This week he was appointed tot he board by the City Manager Harry Black who takes no action without approval of Mayor John Cranley. Buying your way onto a public board appears to be acceptable to the Mayor. How man other suburban based developers have gotten their money's worth?
As the Business Courier's article points out, Kulkarni's appointment is being questioned by the the OTR Foundation. Over-the-Rhinre (OTR,) in case you are new, has the most historic buildings for the board to review and is a nationally recognized district of historical buildings. The OTR Foundation's questions, according to the article, appear to rest on Kulkarni's comments on the recent action of the Conservation Board on the Davis Furniture Building. As a suburban developer, Kulkarni's belief in conservation of history seems to not extend beyond the best interests of the developers who don't seek to preserve the history and architecture.
We need urbanists to make decisions about urban areas. We don't need Cranley's strip mall mindset to have more power in our city's government.
In 2013 the Kulkarni family and 4 of his companies contributed $8,300 to Cranley's campaign. The individual limit is $1,100 for both the primary and general election periods. This week he was appointed tot he board by the City Manager Harry Black who takes no action without approval of Mayor John Cranley. Buying your way onto a public board appears to be acceptable to the Mayor. How man other suburban based developers have gotten their money's worth?
As the Business Courier's article points out, Kulkarni's appointment is being questioned by the the OTR Foundation. Over-the-Rhinre (OTR,) in case you are new, has the most historic buildings for the board to review and is a nationally recognized district of historical buildings. The OTR Foundation's questions, according to the article, appear to rest on Kulkarni's comments on the recent action of the Conservation Board on the Davis Furniture Building. As a suburban developer, Kulkarni's belief in conservation of history seems to not extend beyond the best interests of the developers who don't seek to preserve the history and architecture.
We need urbanists to make decisions about urban areas. We don't need Cranley's strip mall mindset to have more power in our city's government.
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