Every Sunday my girls run out to the front yard to retrieve the morning paper. Our routine is to pour over the paper while we prepare and then eat a big Sunday breakfast. My girls read the paper to me while I cook. I read to them from the sports page while we eat. Last Sunday while preparing to make breakfast, my wife and I heard the girls screaming in the front yard. I knew ( and everyone else in the neighborhood knew ) that I had just received the Enquirer endorsement. There are so many quality candidates running for office this year that I wasn't sure if could win the endorsement or not. I thought my initial interview with the editorial board went good, but not great. The opportunity to post to the Forum blog was a welcome surprise. The questions were tough, but fair and it gave every candidate (that chose to participate) the opportunity to expand on their vision for making Cincinnati a great place to live, work and play. All I could do was keep posting and hope that my message was resonating. My father taught me that hard work, a solid plan and persistence pays dividends. My Mother taught me to pray. I believe those lessons carried the day for me last Sunday.
On behalf of myself, my family and my campaign staff I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Enquirer editorial staff for your endorsement. Thank you for this honor. My father passed away last December I think that he would have been proud.
Faced with a new state mandate to hold a daily 'moment of silence,' Illinois schools are left to figure out how to implement the requirement -- and what a 'moment' actually is.
Meanwhile, they're being sued by parents, picketed by students and scrutinized by both religious and legal groups.
The Illinois Legislature has put the schools in a tricky spot. Courts have struck down some state laws requiring a period of silence if they appeared to obviously promote religion, but upheld others if they permitted not only prayer but non-religious meditation.
A co-sponsor of the legislation says the daily pause is just a small break in students' fast-paced lives. A father who's suing one of the first districts to enact it says it's a poorly disguised attempt to bring prayer back to public schools.
Meanwhile, the schools are left to wrestle with a clunky requirement that carries no specific time requirement (the 'moment' is ranging from a full minute in some districts to just 10 or 20 seconds in others)and opens the door for abuse. A teacher who ridicules or blows off the requirement risks insulting students who take it seriously. A teacher who suggests the moment be used for prayer is clearly in violation of constitutional law.
One has to question the real worth of an imposed instant of awkward silence. It surely isn't an opportunity for stress relief and hardly seems like a meaningful opportunity for personal prayer.
This time, the process to select a new Kentucky education commissioner seems more open and likelier to yield an excellent, qualified candidate. Given the priority Kentucky must place on education, this matters a lot.
The first try at this process was pretty much a debacle. The State Board of Education did a bad job of checking candidates. The board hired Illinois educator Barbara Erwin in May, but she resigned before she was supposed to start amid a lot of questions that emerged about her track record.
One of today's candidates is Northern Kentucky's own Jon Draud, a state representative and retired superintendent of the Ludlow schools. Draud certainly is qualified, and no one should question how much he cares about schools. From the parochial perspective of our region, no other candidate would be better positioned to understand how fast-growth districts get penalized badly by the way the state funds schools.
But the other candidates seem pretty impressive, too. For example, Owensboro Superintendent Larry Vickruns a 4,300-student district that is meeting its No Child Left Behind goals, among other accomplishments. Then there's Jim Warford, a native of Shelby County who is director of the Florida Asssociation of School Administrators and a former chancellor for Florida's public schools. "I can't think of a greater personal or professional honor than to return to my home and continue the education reforms under way in Kentucky," he told the Courier-Journal.
There are two other named candidates and one yet to be disclosed. The state board is scheduled to interview the finalists at a meeting in Covington on Nov. 13 and 14. Here's a linkto the board's list of qualities the occupant of this terribly important job should have.
In our story, Draud expressed a hope that the new commissioner would be from Kentucky. That's a plus but not nearly as essential as finding the right combination of skills, background, vision and leadership to get our schools to the next level.
Some of Kentucky's answers might not even be in America when you look at the commitment to education we see in other nations and cultures.
PAVELISH: ARE WE GOING TO RECYCLE POLITICIANS (again)
As the election winds down, will BIG MONEY buy another election?? And will many of the incumbents return to City Hall?? Many of the no - name, new candidates have been working very hard since spring. Pavelish and family have been working very hard. As a new candidate, I was told by many Cincinnati people that it was" time for a change." I was told by countless numbers of Cincinnati voters that the present council was out of touch and only focused on high end development. Many voters mention that they have been discouraged by the lack of investments and focus on Price Hill, Bond Hill, Roselawn, Northside, Walnut Hills, Evanston, etc. Yes, it is time for CHANGE. I heard that for months.
But the political experts tell me that people (no matter how they complain) only vote for candidates that have name recognition. And this name recognition comes from big time advertising such as TV and billboards. The experts tell me that I am wasting my time campaining in Avondale, Bond Hill, Evanston, Walnut Hills , etc. because I am white and those neighborhoods vote black. The experts tell me to "forget " the Westwood vote because I don't live in Westwood and Westwood people only vote for Westwood people. And the experts tell me that "I am not liberal enough for the Clifton Gaslight vote. I should have" acted more liberal when I had my chance there". The political experts tell me that the print media favors some candidates over others so watch out. And the political experts tell me that Independents NEVER WIN.
After November 6 will it be the same old, same old recycled City Hall. Will voters say that it is OK that City Council continue to be a part time , second job?? Will the voters say that it is OK that City Council members continues to be unavailable to the average citizen?? And when do the political favors begin ??(payback for big money campaign donations)
You are what you eat, the saying goes. What may be worse is that we are what we don’t eat. Two stories about food in Ohio were a little hard to digest Monday.
The first reported on an Ohio Hunger Summit taking place in Cincinnati. It noted a survey showing Ohio residents rely on food banks more than the national average and that the FreestoreFoodbank has seen a 50 percent increase in requests for food assistance this year.
The second story, out of Columbus, reported grocery stores, researchers and governments are searching for ways to reduce the “environmental impact” of two million tons of food Ohioans send to landfills every year.
Terrie TerMeer, deputy chief of recycling and litter prevention for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, was quoted saying her department is working to assess whether grocery stores can cut their waste disposal costs by recycling unused edibles into compost. A supermarket apparently throws out as much as 10 tons of food a week.
TerMeer’s department has spent $1 million in the last year helping develop recycling alternatives. That includes $250,000 to help build a “digester” in Columbus to turn food scraps and restaurant waste into methane for energy. Another $250,000 is bought Ohio University a 3-ton composting machine for the school’s main cafeteria.
There is something wrong with this picture. The Hunger Summit reports that 160,000 people line up at soup kitchens and food pantries in the 20 counties around Cincinnati. At the same time we are spending $1 million on more creative ways to throw food away.
Think about that the next time your stomach growls.
If the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are truly committed to getting The Banks built, then we should put in writing now our intent to proceed with the public infrastructure (the streets, the utilities, the park, the garage, the podium) even if the development team chooses or is unable to proceed.
I have great confidence in the Carter/Dawson team but a "proceed anyway provision" in the City-County Cooperative Agreement is a nod to the tremendous amount of work that has been put in over the last 11 years, particularly in the last 18 months. The Banks Working Group has done what most of us considered impossible.
Before the blinding light of victory overtakes us, let's acknowledge the contingencies that exist, including the challenging hurdle Carter/Dawson face of securing private financing. A commitment to proceed signals to the developer, and the public, that despite the real estate market and despite the outcome of the election, the City and the County will be breaking ground.
I have also suggested that we guarantee some affordable parking on The Banks. We must maintain a competitive edge with our suburban neighbors, and affordable parking is that edge. With a public subsidy of this magnitude, I believe citizens deserve a commitment that parking rates are going to remain reasonable for at least some of the spots. We already know the residential components of this first phase will be priced out of range of most folks. But at least we can make it affordable to park at The Banks so people can enjoy the park, the retail, and all the other entertainment amenities we are building.
And finally, let's answer the most important question, "What's next?". The success of The Banks Working Group is a direct result of removing politics from the process. Let's stick with what works. Hand off management to a properly formed and authorized professional Port Authority. That is how it is done, and done successfully, all over the country. The success of this first phase is critical and will determine the development of the remaining blocks.
It is not too late to consider developing the Banks as a LEED neighborhood. Having 12 city blocks of high-value real estate for development into an urban community is an unprecedented opportunity, one unlikely to be found in most major American cities. To develop the Banks as a green, sustainable LEED neighborhood would certainly put Cincinnati on the progressive map. Going green would also access federal funds allocated for LEED-ND. We need a clear and sustained focus rather than random elements of sustainability that the overlay of LEED-ND requirements can provide.
Joan Kaup, Charter Candidate for Cincinnati City Council Thinking Differently
In a year where some candidates are spending a quarter of a million dollars to become a Councilmember -- rolling out big corporate media buys with big corporate campaign contributions -- one must wonder if bigger really is better.
And right here on this blog, in posts like this one by Pat Fischer, or even this one by Chris Bortz, the candidates have started using BIGGER FONTS to try to draw ATTENTION to themselves.
Is this really what things have come to? Is BIGGER really BETTER? Is this message more effective because of MY VERY LARGE font?
During the past few weeks a good deal of discussion about the issues in this contest has occurred on this blog. All 25 council candidates, incumbents and challengers, have been invited to discuss the issues and answer questions as guest bloggers. Most have participated, logging more than 150 separate posts since we opened it to them on Sept. 28. Many of the posts are detailed position statements that have drawn a lot of reader comment. The candidates have touched on everything from streetcars to the marijuana ordinance to development to public safety and more.
Although the Editorial Board has now made its choices, the voters have not, which is why we are letting the discussion continue here. We believe the community is well- served by a vigorous exchange of ideas among candidates and thoughtful questions and comments from the voters.
Thanks to all those who participated -- candidates and regular folks. To those who didn't, well, there is still time to join the conversation.
Every campaign season, voters are led to believe that "safety" is the biggest issue facing our region. But the manner with which the corporate press and the corporate politicians discuss safety is highly limited, and also misleading.
This next week we will experience a red alert as campaign rhetoric hits a frenzied pitch. The imaginary boogeyman of the dangerous criminal getting early released will be used to scare voters into supporting a regressive jail tax. And "safety" will be framed in that context.
But how can we talk about "safety," without talking about Hamilton County's infant mortality rate, which parallels the third world? How can we talk about safety when so many of our children won't make it to morning?
How can we talk about "safety," without talking about those who live day to day with no food security?
How can we talk about "safety," when so many are left without having their basic needs met?
The corporate politicians and the corporate media work together to create more criminals, like through David Pepper and Cecil Thomas' Draconian anti-marijuana ordinanance that is enforced in a racially biased manner.
Our so-called leaders make things like homelessness a crime. The politicians threaten to cut human services, threaten to shut swimming pools, threaten to take away programs to benefit the least among us -- and in doing so, how are they working towards safety?
The real crime is the corporate crime and fraud enacted on the citizens of Cincinnati while no one's looking. It might be great to see a Graeter's on Fountain Square, and to see people hanging out during certain times of the week, but at what cost? The Square is still not complete, which should teach us about 3CDC's management. These are the same people gentrifying Over-The-Rhine, buying properties only if landlords evict tenants first -- displacing the poor while technically not evicting citizens directly. But it's like no one cares about the effect 3CDC has on the poor, or about how they manage their funds, or change the face of OTR -- just so long as someone feels good watching a movie on the big screen over Macy's.
These are dangerous games, and they show our City's inverted priorities. We need to put people first, not things like bus-stop benches and curb appeal.
The politicos talk and talk about crime, but their only solution is more police, more laws, more jail beds, more patrols, and more taxes for the politicians to spend.
It's like no one realizes that building jails is a big business, and someone is going to make a lot of money doing it. Just like no one realizes how the favored few are always getting sweetheart deals from City Hall, at the expense of the average Cincinnatian. And while our dollars get spent lining the pockets of these bigwigs, those who need help the most get left behind.
We need to get real about working towards social justice.
Justin Jeffre: We Will Not Forget. Support the 1.5%
One thing I love about using video content online is how we can create a webroots manner for spreading messages.
Let us not forget that a majority of Cincinnatians support human service funding in the budget!
Here is a video I shot from a press conference where the results of a study were announced, showing Cincinnati's commitment to human services. This is the opposite of the stance taken by the Fiscal Fascist Five.
As we get near the election, politicians will start talking about their "records." Naturally, most people do not have copies of actual voting records, and it can be hard to know what is true and what is spin.
In my work at The Cincinnati Beacon, I have tried to make my stance on issues public. One issue facing the City, that not enough people discuss, is the role of 3CDC as a private urban planning department.
Below is a video I produced with my friend The Dean of Cincinnati, using humor to ask some questions about the Fountain Square garage.
I know many like the new Square, but that issue is separate from how the deal affects our City long-term from a financial perspective.
It must be election time again and every politician comes out of the woodwork with new government controls and programs. And the politicians know what's"" best"" for your child and his education. It all sounds good to the voter. And many voters will vote in that direction. It sounds like we care. But politicians really care about getting elected. After November 6, all the candidates will go silent again untill 2009, and then "here we go again". I have learned in this race that WE are politicians first and thinkers second. And now some believe that City Council should be involved in and/or control public education.
I personally like Cincinnati Public Schools. My experience with teachers, administration, and staff was great. My four children graduated with a fine education and were prepared for the next step. We have good memories of Walnut Hills , School for Creative and Performing Arts, and Hughes. My granddaughter attends Fairview German School in Clifton Heights and that is the finest elementary that I have (perhaps) ever seen... There are other good schools in Cincinnati but I will not include them because I had no experiences there.
But then again there are dozens of underperforming Cincinnati Schools. So many that our public school system get a "black eye". What goes on here??
We have excellent schools and we have troubled schools all in the same district. How can that be?? All schools have the same school board and school administration. All schools have the same regulations. . All schools have transportation. What goes on here??
It is as simple as this: the good schools have students whose families teach the importance of education. The good schools have students who are serious about learning. And the good schools have parents who get involved with PTA, as room mothers, and teachers' aids. The lesser schools lack this parental involvement. Idealistic, maybe, but that is the difference.
So our politicians can call for studies, reforms, and new testing (to score political points) but more of this will make things only worse. More family and less politicians is the tonic...The answer is just that simple. And it is the job of the school board to bring back the parent. To City Council: you can be there to assist, but worry about about your own mess first.
And let's encourage City Council to focus on traditional neighborhood redevelopment. This will create stronger traditional neighborhoods, add to neighborhood population growth, and this growth will bring back the neighborhood school.
P.S. Cincinnati School Board, Please teach more consumer math and develop more tech training (towards the jobs in need) so when our students do graduate they will be skilled and ready for the workforce. And be responsible with the peoples' money.
The results of every political poll I have ever conducted show the citizens of Cincinnati believe that city council members should have strategic influence on the school system. City council provides millions of dollars each year to Cincinnati's public schools system for supplemental services. The money that city council provides each year is a way to hold board members accountable with view toward promoting academic achievement and increasing high school graduation rates.
If elected, I will use my city council office to collaborate and partner with school board leadership. I believe our schools need to shift their goals to teach the basics of reading, writing, math and science. The school system is spending too much time on developing new facilities when it should be focusing on developing our student’s young minds. I am all for providing our children with the best learning facilities possible, but we need to keep in mind that the emphasis is on providing a quality education.
Tax no ‘duty,’ but it’s in officers' best interest
Employees of Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis have no “duty” to support a sales tax increase on the November ballot that will support a new jail and safety programs, but it would obviously be in their self interest to do so.
The “no duty” reminder will be in the mail, courtesy of a lawsuit settlement between the sheriff and tax opponent Jeff Capell. Capell sued after the sheriff, in an excess of zeal, sent his employees a letter saying they did have a duty to support the tax. That was wrong; they have no “duty” to support anything but the law.
But the county does need the new jail and supporting programs. Anyone in law enforcement, particularly those in the sheriff’s office who work in the existing lockups, ought to be able to see how a new facility with better conditions and programs designed to treat prisoners with mental problems and keep others from reoffending should understand the benefits of this proposed tax.
The tax opponents who forced the sheriff into the “no duty” letter settlement had the law on their side. But they suffered their own excess of zeal in pursuing this particular fight. The recipients of these letters should think long and hard about what this tax could mean to their own well-being when it comes to on-the-job safety.
In response to Mr. Schuler’s question: “[a]re you in favor of passing an Ordinance that would guarantee City of Cincinnati Retirees medical benefits for life? That is, the same benefits they had at the time of their retirement.”
I believe that City Council owes a duty to its retirees to maintain their medical benefits at the time of their retirement. To change benefits after they are retired communicates to retirees that their service was not valued. It also shows that, in a pinch, Council finds their benefits an “easy” cost to cut. Retirees of the City of Cincinnati have a right to know that once benefits are set for them, future Councils won’t renegotiate the terms because it is convenient. With that being said, I do think it is Council’s responsibility to make adjustments to current benefit plans, as needed, to continue to find the most affordable and comprehensive plans possible.
There was a time when Cincinnati was audaciously confident, as we were a city of many firsts (professional baseball, night baseball, concrete reinforced skyscrapers, the nation's first contemporary arts museum, etc.). In the mid-1800's we were known as the "Athens of the West" for our considerable arts and culture--institutions that we still enjoy today. No small city in the country can boast of so many big city amenities. We should be cocky about this.
How do we re-capture this Can Do spirit? Do we say "no" to street cars that will generate over $1.5 billion in new wealth--an over 15 to 1 return on investment? Development, jobs and growth cluster around transit. As seen in other cities, the evidence is conclusive.
Do we say "no" to the Banks because it is not want everyone wants it to be? Let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good. A deal is imminent. Let's sign it. In neighboring cities like Indianapolis, we see the effect that new residential development has had on their downtown. Unlike Newport on the Levee, the Banks will include a critical mass of residential properties that will make this economic development sustainable (as opposed to cyclical like the Levee).
Regional and international perception of our city is based largely on our downtown and urban core. We build the Banks and street cars, Cincinnati will become America's comeback city.
It's expensive to build the Banks and a street car system, for sure. But the costs of not building are so much greater. A city with so many incredible assets has no excuse not to leverage them.
There are currently 98 acres of parking lots downtown. Street cars will not only unleash new development on this cement, but embolden developers to rehab properties in downtown and Over-the-Rhine. By building the Banks South of downtown, and propelling redevelopment in O-t-R while reinforcing downtown's current expanding housing market, we we will grow the population of our core and generate the resources needed to combat the most pressing problems in all 52 of Cincinnati's great neighborhoods.
A prosperity agenda anchored in riverfront development, historic renovation, and transit, will grow the city's wealth and allow City Hall to deliver basic services and invest throughout Cincinnati while holding the line on taxes. Let's not have a future defined by cuts, defeatism, and timidity. Cincinnati can and must recapture the confidence, boldness and Can Do spirit of those who built the Queen City.
In his autobiography, “God, Country, Notre Dame”, Fr. Ted Hesburgh wrote:
“One of the great modern heresies that I hear from time to time is that in our modern world one person cannot make a difference. Looking back over the years of my life, I can see clearly what we need most, and need now: faith, vision, courage, imagination and ingenuity. Optimism is often thwarted, hopes dashed and faith threatened, but we will never know what heights we can achieve unless we try. One person can make a difference. And no one knows what he or she is capable of until he or she tries.”
By now, most of you have seen my graduation photo from Saint William elementary school, the infamous “Blue Dot” photo. It is one of my favorite campaign props. That one picture clearly demonstrates how decisions made by past councils have affected our city. Of the 115 kids in my graduating class, only six still live within the city limits. They left for the suburbs for three reasons, clean-safe streets, great school systems and market rate affordable housing. We cannot allow that to happen with this current generation of Cincinnatians. We need "Doers" on city council. People who will do the work that is necessary to overcome the pessimism, the naysayers, the inertia that has caused us to think less of ourselves, less of our abilities to make a differences, and less of our city. I'm a doer. I believe in the greatness that was and can be Cincinnati. This is why I stayed in Cincinnati to raise my children. I will bring my faith, vision, courage, imagination, and ingenuity to Council.
IMAGINE a New Cincinnati. IMAGINE a city that has world class educational opportunities. IMAGINE a city that has clean safe streets where family and friends gather to talk with one another. IMAGINE a riverfront connected to the central city and our neighborhoods, where streetcars and inclines move people to work, movies, plays, concerts, and dinner reservations. IMAGINE Cincinnati living up to its name, “the QueenCity of the West”. I’m running for city council so that we can STOP IMAGINING and START REALIZING our dreams.
Please visit www.johneby.com for information about me and my plans for Cincinnati.
This past Wednesday Council passed a resolution, which I voted for, that asked the city administration to report back to council in four weeks regarding the specifics of the proposed streetcar system. During this time, we need to make sure the financing plan is sound and realistic. My preference would be to utilize State, Federal and private funding. I do not agree with taking funding that could be used for neighborhood development projects.
Q. TO ALL COUNCIL CANDIDATES: Are you in favor of passing an Ordinance that would guarantee City of Cincinnati Retirees medical benefits for life. That is, the same benefits they had at the time of their retirement. --Harold Schuler, College Hill
A. Yes, I am in favor of passing an Ordinance that would guarantee City of Cincinnati Retirees their medical benefits at the time of their retirement. I believe that we should honor the commitment that we made to the people who have served our city.
There has never been a suburb of nowhere. Suburbs and neighborhoods are only as strong as the urban core.
Cincinnati is investing millions in reviving our city center with new residences, restaurants and entertainment. Young professionals and mature couples are moving downtown to take advantage of the arts, sports and parks. Streetcars are the natural connector to move people from home or work to their office, a park or entertainment. They are easy and enjoyable to use and connect people to people as well as people to places. Urban residents and tourists expect easy, affordable mass transit.
The more people who live in the city, the more property taxes that are generated and contributed to our coffers. The more money that people spend in the city, the more sales taxes generated for our city budget. The more money our city has to spend, the more services we can provide to all residents — in all neighborhoods not just downtown. It makes economic sense to focus investment downtown to generate dollars for investment in the inner suburbs and throughout the city.
Joan Kaup Thinking Differently www.KaupforCoubncil.com
Crowley wants you know what you think about the Banks
In anticipation of next weeks' various meetings related to the Banks I will spend the next several days examining the Banks Working Groups' 500 page report.
In addition to the report I’d like to hear what thoughts you have about how I should vote or any other questions or comments you might have about the project. Do you like it? Do you have reservations? Suggestions? Let me hear it!
Crowley for Streetcars--Financials Need to be Examined
I support the streetcar proposal. In fact I am not afraid to admit that I have seen the impact of the streetcar firsthand. When I was a kid I can remember riding the streetcar in Cincinnati. My friends and I would get a day pass and ride around the City all day long.
I supported the vote at Council because it represented the next step—we did not approve a financing plan. It is our duty as elected officials to ask questions about the proposed plan and its implications on the rest of the City’s budget. For example we should understand how the proposed financing plan would effect neighborhood infrastructure projects already in the pipeline. When the City Manager brings his recommendations to the Finance Committee in a few weeks I look forward to taking a hard look at the finances before a final vote is cast.
I have been and will continue to be supportive of Cincinnati Public Schools. I also acknowledge that there are some very serious long-term problems facing our public school system, which need to be addressed. In the short term I support the levy because I don’t believe that the children should be held hostage.
The Facilities Master Plan is a great project but it is only the first step. Now that the buildings are being built we have to address the operations issues effecting CPS. As a Member of Council I am extremely interested in how the levy vote plays out and I stand ready to partner with CPS in any way that will be helpful because our educational system is absolutely critical to our future success as a City.
I'm glad my 10/22 post has prompted debate on the need for school reform, although regret that my suggestions have been so misunderstood by some.
Under No Child Left Behind, if failing schools don't fire teachers and principals and restructure, they must be turned over to the State or different management entity or else risk losing federal dollars. I think CPS can avert this fate with some proactive governance reform that will elevate the performance of CPS’s central office and board.
CPS has some high performing schools and many low performers. We clearly outperform all other urban districts, and have incredibly dedicated teachers and students. But there are also glaring signs of mismanagement of finances, etc.--as evidenced by the recent discovery of a massive projected revenue shortfall. There are just no excuses for this.
We can continue to hope election year pledges for reform come to fruition; we can continue to fight for stop gap levies; we can continue to hope the status quo transforms itself. But I feel much more needs to be done.
While I will vote for the levy, I also fear that the levy’s passage will lessen the scrutiny over CPS. I believe that we should be proactive as a community and empower diverse third party expertise to help reorganize the district, not let the McKinsey & Co report recommendations sit on some shelf, and arm our next superintendent with the tools and capacity to impel much needed change. When it comes to CPS, now is the time for our community to take all-hands-on-deck approach to bold reform. I don’t think our current governance structure is equipped to deliver on this front without third-party help.
Public Transportation Is A Key Component Of A Thriving City
Other cities are significantly ahead of Cincinnati in the use of public transportation. I support a complete streetcar system as proposed from downtown to uptown. It must connect downtown and uptown though to be a worthwhile project. Given the City's budget constraints, it is imperative that the funding for this project be in place before it begins. I support the City administration's continued efforts to work on the financing options.
There is a lot of talk about neighborhood safety and this is adding to much confusion. One candidate for Council states that violent crime is down this year and I think he takes credit for this. God Bless Him. Other candidates take the same credit for this by the hiring of 60 additional police officers even though the police state that they didn't want or need 60 officers. Others credit the Hamilton County Sheriff patrols for the "reduction" in violent crime. Cincinnati police want the Hamiliton County Sheriffs to go away. But the citizens of Over the Rhine want the Sheriffs to stay. Another statistic shows an increase in juvenile violent crime. The rank and file officers claim (secretly) that they don't like present policing policies. Police management says that they will get used to it. District 3 (western side) officers complain (secretly) that District 3 covers too large of an area. They tell me (secretly) that too much time is spent driving from one call to another. And their response time may be poor. Westwood and Price Hill citizens complain that the police response time is slow to none. The Over the Rhine business owners complain about hookers "everywhere." District I police management says that hookers are not top priority. WOW. MY HEAD IS SPINNING.
For the past four months I've been walking the street of all neighborhoods. And I have felt welcomed by most. I walked past large groups of teenagers just "hanging out" and they seemed polite ( but maybe a little loud). I felt no threat. One Sunday I was almost trampled to death by a large group of church ladies quickly leaving the church to attend a picnic. I was scared to death...but soon I felt no threat. Many large dogs were not happy to see me and barked a lot but that's their job. I felt no threat. Some homeowners were tired of the politicians knocking on doors and at times were rude but I felt no threat. I ONLY feared the possibility of tripping over all those illegally placed campaign signs and maybe rehurting my football related poor knee.
I don't know if the City is really safe. No one knows. For the most part it probably is. And I don't know what statistics to believe. . .But the candidates will chime in with their government ideas on how to care for us And we will hear another three year plan, or two.
But many seniors tell me that they fear leaving their homes to go shopping and many children feel uncomfortable walking to the school bus stop. Many people have bars on windows and I see security systems everywhere. All these big dogs must mean something. My neighborhood of Clifton Heights has student mugging problems and that must be addressed.
Whether Cincinnati is safe or not safe is still a puzzle but as long as there is even a perception of unsafe streets, City Council must work for safe streets as PRIORITY ONE.
Bortz on Streetcars: A Cure for the Naysaying Headaches
Is City Council living in reality? Well, not in the old reality. The old reality said that Cincinnati can't accomplish anything or that Cincinnati is moving backwards. And that we are going to continue to cut budgets, cut services, and lose population. The old reality had various jurisdictions working in isolation. CPS didn't work with the City, the City didn't work with the County.
The new reality is that we are beginning to work together to solve our problems. We are starting to realize that we are all in it together as a city and as a region.
The new reality is that we are making good progress on our priorities of public safety and economic development. We have a fully developed and implemented Strategic Public Safety Plan that has resulted in a double digit decrease in violent crime. GO Cincinnati - a strategic economic development plan - is nearing completion.
And now we have a streetcar proposal in front of us that could really tie things together and catapult us to the next level. As much as it is about transportation, it's also a tool that creates economic development and public safety. To not act "until the streets are completely safe" is a recipe for failure. Public safety and economic development go hand in hand.
And I think we do have to admit, when it comes to transportation, Cincinnati is 10 years behind. At least. The conversations that have begun on the streetcar proposal are exciting. Even Peter Bronson's editorial contributes to the conversation. Big ideas, transformational ideas, should be met with an "Are you crazy?" Now we enter the phase of educating people and explaining, "No, it's not crazy and here's how it would work and here's what's in it for you." The questions that have been answered so far, in broad terms, are "Is this feasible?" and "How much of an economic impact will it have?" After nine months of statistical and geotechnical analysis, economic modeling, and research, we know that the answers are "Yes" and "1.4 Billion."
But that isn't the end of the conversation. It's just the beginning. There's no denying that we have serious short-term challenges but we can't continue with short-term fixes.
We will continue the community dialogue and the due diligence including answering, Can we afford it? Can we raise $11 M in private contributions? Can we create $20 M from public-private partnerships?. We have to be open to possibilities and big ideas and envision a new reality for tomorrow's Cincinnati.
Q. Police and officials in other cities recognize the connection and find that cracking down on boom cars reduces crime by getting illegal drugs, guns, and wanted felons off the streets, while in Cincinnati, boom car thugs have free rein to cruise the streets incessantly, day and night, destroying the quality of life, lowering property values, and subjecting residents to the stress of repeated loud thumping acoustic assaults. Will you put some teeth in City Ordinance 910-10 and demand that police stop coddling these audio terrorists and enforce the law with zero-tolerance? Walter Lynge, Northside A. Yesterday, during Law & Public Safety committee, Councilwoman Ghiz introduced an ordinance amending the City's current laws on loud car stereos. The ordinance (based on legislation in Chicago) would both increase fines and authorize the police to confiscate the cars of repeat offenders. I support this ordinance and have suggested that the dollars collected from the increased fines could go toward funding the Safe and Clean Neighborhood Fund. Loud car stereos decrease civility in our neighborhoods, and decreased civility affects everyone’s quality of life.
Every City Council election candidates preach about better schools in the City of Cincinnati. In the past when I have raised concerns about the public school system to City Council members, I have always been told by City Council members that is an issue for the board of education. It seems once candidates are elected to City Council the priority of our public schools is passed off to the board of education. If you are elected, what is your specific plan to have City Council to be more directly involved in the public school system issues?
My Response:
Thanks for the question. It is clearly one that has generated great debate, heated discussions, controversy, and much drama throughout major cities in America. It has yielded significant positive results for the cities that have made a change so that school boards, city council, and the mayor work together.Your question asks what will candidates do if elected to council? To frame the question in a larger context, "Should the mayor take over running the public school system?
My campaign has consistently stated that people living in or moving to Cincinnati want three things.
Clean safe streets.
Quality educational opportunities.
Affordable market-rate housing.
I add a fourth "pillar" to these-economic development that will mean better jobs and better services for all Cincinnatians. I share your concern that our children need world class educational opportunities.
As a good first step I propose that the Cincinnati School Board and City Council continue to meet once each quarter for educational summits to address the problems plaguing our public school system.
A non comprehensive list of agenda items should include:
Improving poor test score performance
Reducing taxpayer frustration with school levies
Ending scandalous financial mismanagement of funds ($79 million dollar shortfall)
Increasing accountability on hiring and firing of teachers and school administrators
Ending bureaucratic red tape
Reduce the growing segregation of our schools
Restoring the faith of our citizens that our schools are properly educating our children for their place in a competitive world wide marketplace.
These issues can and must be addressed by the school board, city council, and the mayor. Otherwise we will find our children and our city being left behind. I believe that these quarterly summits can help the school board, city council, and the mayor to understand each other better. What we really need is to have the school board, city council, and mayor formulating a way for the school to succeed.
We need to have a Vision that leads us to being a world class school system that will not accept the current mediocrity which is driving families away from the city schools. We need an Intentionality that includes long term planning, budgeting, and the best uses of our best human resources. We need Accountability so that a clear chain of command is established and followed. There needs to be real consequences for not achieving the goals/ benchmarks that are set for our school administrators, teachers, and school board. I have already advocated for wellness centers, health recreational facilities, and mentoring /tutoring after school programs in our schools.
We also need to look at ways to improve administrative practices and teaching in the schools. These should include ideas such as:
Better principal training
Differential pay for teachers
Incentive pay for teachers who agree to teach in the toughest schools and raise scores
Closing our lowest performing schools
Rewarding great teaching and terminating bad teaching
Putting the needs of students first.
Ultimately, the people of Cincinnati will have to decide if they want the mayor to take over running the schools and appoint a qualified school chancellor as has been done in Boston, Chicago, New York, and Albuquerque.
There are some concerns such as:
Parents and the public feeling shut out of the process if they can't elect board members
the fear of politicizing schools
Political patronage jobs for those who may not be qualified.
Some argue that there are also advantages in mayoral takeovers that include:
Better financial management
More school choice
More security
More corporate cooperation through in-kind donations, mentoring and funding.
Let me be clear - I do not support a Mayoral take over at this time. However; Economically, Socially and Politically we need to address these issues NOW so that our schools will improve.
This isn't an "isolated" issue. I have asked you to imagine a greater Cincinnati. This issue is part of the fabric, the weaving of many issues that affect the daily quality of life of many of our citizens. Kenneth Wong, education professor at BrownUniversity, emphatically states, "In order to make cities more competitive mayors (I would add city councils) can no longer just revitalize downtown, or build bigger buildings or a museum, or an aquarium." More mayors and city councils are seeing poor performing schools as a hindrance to economic development. Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez put his political career on the line vowing to turn around the city schools. He said, "No city can be successful if its school system isn't fully successful."
As a proud graduate of WesternHillsHigh School I want our public school system to succeed. I will commit myself to the necessary changes that will allow for success to happen. I want the city council, the school board, and the mayor to work toward achieving this goal. We need "Doers" on council. We need council members who will do the work that is necessary to overcome the pessimism, the naysayers, and the inertia that has caused us to lower our expectations, to think less of our city, less of our abilities to make a difference. I'm a doer. I believe in the greatness that was, is, and can be Cincinnati. This is why I stayed in Cincinnati to raise my children. We must elect doers. I will bring my faith, vision, imagination, and ingenuity to Council.
One of the key strategies of Northern Kentucky's Vision 2015 plan to move the region forward is called "effective governance."
Sounds pretty dry -- a topic that would appeal only to policy wonks, politicians and political science professors. But, think of this as a topic called "getting more bang out of your tax dollars and making government work better." That gets my attention.
When Vision 2015 was unfolding, people looked at our patchwork quilt of political entities. That's hardly a problem confined to Northern Kentucky. While people feel an emotional attachment to tiny cities, school districts and police departments that were created to deal with the problems of the 1800s or the 1900s, that's not always the best answer today. Bigger isn't always better either, but a fresh look can reap big dividends.
The best example is Northern Kentucky itself. Few would argue that much of Northern Kentucky's economic success of the past decade ties to the willingness of local officials -- pushed hard by business leaders -- to set narrow agendas aside and find smart ways to work together.
Enquirer reporter Scott Wartman had a story today that illustrates the kind of specific steps that equal progress. County and municipal officials are talking about how to expand on Kenton County's one-stop shopping for business license fees. One business license covers you throughout the county and all 17 cities except Covington. (Covington seems to have the hardest time playing with others.)
The cities don't lose revenue. If anything, making it easy causes revenue to increase. The county splits the dollars based on the number of businesses in each municipality. And it sends a business-friendly signal that can echo outside the region.
Campbell, Boone and Kenton officials now are discussing the possibility of a region-wide business license fee. I'm sure there are a lot of complexities and legalities to unwind, but the idea passes the common-sense test as something that ought to happen.
Justin Jeffre: Cannibal Condos (The Anthropophagi)
I am afraid that The Banks is going to turn into a cannibal in a City already stuck with tons of empty office space and condos. Our current leaders' collective lack of vision is giving us more of the same, and instead of using prime riverfront real estate to make Cincinnati a destination location, we are trying to turn it into cookie-cutter retail with offices and condos we don't need.
Those are the details the politicians don't discuss -- the number of square feet of prime office space currently unused downtown, or the number of empty condos. It's like City Council watched Field of Dreams one afternoon, and they just figure that people will show up if something is built. But solid urban planning is a bit more complicated than Hollywood movie magic.
Sometimes, it seems like certain politicians (as Shakespeare once said) just try to make their entrances, and their exits -- merely players on a stage. My fear is that if we let these players run rampant over our Queen City, then "all which [we] inherit, shall dissolve and, like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind."
Creating A Minority Owned Bank Will Benefit The Entire City
Yesterday I was proud to join with Steve Love, president of the African-American Chamber of Commerce, and a number of business, church and civic leaders from our City to announce the formation of a task force that will explore the creation of Cincinnati’s only minority owned and controlled bank.
While the city of Cincinnati is almost 50% African-American, African-Americans control only about 4% of the businesses but contribute only about 0.4% of the net revenues to the community.
We need more jobs in Cincinnati. This effort would create jobs, increase home ownership and support the tax base in the African-American community and throughout our entire city.
Without new avenues for credit expansion, small businesses and the jobs they create will continue to be limited. The best way to increase the number of jobs, develop more businesses, grow the local economy and expand the tax base is to make sure that credit is available for small businesses, especially minority owned and controlled businesses. Many major cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, and Chicago, have a thriving African-American business community because of the credit available from minority owned and controlled banks.
I am honored the following community leaders have joined our task force: Donna Jones Baker, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati; Tony Brown, President and CEO of the Uptown Consortium; James Clingman, Owner of James Clingman and Associates; James Gudmens, Former President and CEO of Anderson Bank Company; Gail King, Partner at Keating, Meuthing & Klekamp PLL; Nathaniel Lampley, Managing Partner of the Cincinnati Office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease LLP; Steve Love, President and CEO of the Greater Cincinnati African-American Chamber of Commerce; Stephen Schrantz, Retired Executive Vice President of Commercial Banking at Fifth Third Bancorp; Rev. K.Z. Smith, Pastor of the Corinthian Baptist Church; Bishop Dwight Wilkins, President of the Cincinnati Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
Melanie Bates: Being Strategic about Fighting Crime
Before the city invests in the addition of more police officers to the city streets, citizens deserve to know what effect the additional 60 that were added in the last budget are having.
What measurable goals were set by City Council to determine the success of the increase in force?
Who is collecting data on the measures and studying the results?
Is an additional increase in force warranted based on data?
Council members are touting that preliminary raw data from 2007 compared to 2006 indicates that crime is dropping in Cincinnati. Have they been provided with the detail as to why that is occurring? Have career criminals moved out of the area, or are they "taking up shop" elsewhere in the county while the heat is on?
A practical and focused approach to fighting crime is crime mapping, and this is a strategy that Cincinnati needs to examine seriously. Crime mapping is used to fight crime by identifying crime patterns and trends and identify hot spots. A small percentage of people are criminals; crime mapping would enable law enforcement to strategically target those who are engaged in criminal activities and where they offend.
Adding more police officers to the Cincinnat streets seems like a worthy goal. However with the reality of an extremely tight budget, using research-based initiatives such as crime-mapping would be a way to maximize the effectiveness of law enforcement.
I support allocating a portion of the general fund budget for human services.I do so because some services are essential for the citizens of Cincinnati. However, I am not convinced a "set amount" is the way to go. Such a number can be used to set a ceiling, as well as a floor. It also may not relate to the quality of the services provided which is the essential factor of whether a service should even be considered for funding.
In 1993, I ran on cutting Cincinnati City Council salaries in half, but did not receive support from the other council members. When this plan made it on the ballot, the voters were not supportive because they felt that a higher salary meant that council could attract the best and brightest to its seats.
However, if our council is serious about once again considering a salary reduction, they should ultimately consider cutting council salaries by 75 percent and cutting council office staff salaries by 50 percent.
Continuing The Property Tax Rollback Is The Right Thing To Do
City Council should continue the so-called property tax rollback. It is not actually a "rollback" because citizens still pay the same overall amount of tax. The increase in the property's valuation is simply not included in the tax calculation. Increasing the tax burden on our citizens will only drive more families and businesses out of our city.
Cincinnati has lost too many citizens because of high taxes already. To compete with surrounding cities for population growth, our tax rates must be as close to the nearby municipalities as possible.When that parity is reached, I would reconsider the issue.
Every now and then a candidate emerges who seems so unqualified that even members of his own party cringe.
That seems to be the case with David Lynn Williams, the Democratic candidate for Kentucky agriculture commissioner. (He's not to be confused with the "other" David Williams, the Republican leader of the State Senate.) Williams is such an oddball that even his fellow Democrats are running away from him.
For example, liberal blogger Mark Nickolas, whose bluegrassreport.org might be Kentucky's most popular political blog, had a posting in which he called Williams the "Democratic loon on the ballot." Nickolas wrote this: "I do think it's important that Democrats be very careful and not accidentally elect Williams during the expected tsunami that is poised to strike Kentucky Republicans on November 6th."
Williams is a retired cable contractor from Glasgow whose win in the primary shocked party regulars. He has run as both a Republican and Democrat in various primaries. According to the Associated Press, he's facing trial in January in Barren County on charges of menacing, disorderly conduct and harassment when he allegedly couldn't get a public record he was trying to obtain from his niece -- a city official in Glasgow.
Making the Internet rounds is a bizarre interview Williams did with the Adair County Community Voice newspaper. Some excerpts:
"Take all natural gas out of all the houses in the United States and put it in every vehicles, car, truck, tractor, fire equipment, and everything and these people that come up with alcohol and all that is a bunch of damned idiots..
"Also, get rid of all your state senators and your state representatives and replace them with all 120 county judges....
" ... tell everyone to watch the George Patton movie ... because that is the way I am going to run the department. I'm not obligated to nobody but God, I'm not a politician, just call me an SOB."
Williams' opponent is the incumbent Republican, Richie Farmer, the former University of Kentucky basketball great with the perfect name for an ag commissioner. The commissioner's job includes promoting the state's farm products and inspecting gas pumps, amusement rides and price scanners. Farmer has been involved in the "Kentucky Proud" program that has done a lot to promote Kentucky's non-tobacco products -- an important transition for the state.
There's a lesson in this embarrassment for the Dems: Anything can happen in low-turnout contests in which the voters who show up haven't done their homework. Those of us who live in Boone County learned that lesson last fall when Republican Ed Moore nearly won election as county clerk despite admitting he had lied about his military service and withdrawing from the race.
Trey Grayson, the Republican secretary of state candidate, cites the Moore case as a reason to do away with straight-ticket voting. Not a bad idea, though not as good a concept as just having more voters who are better informed. Grayson also faces a similar problem as Richie Farmer -- he could lose to a much less-qualified candidate if it's a huge day for all Democrats on Nov. 6.
Since 1975 I have been involved as both an investor and a home rehabber. I would purchase condemmed homes from individuals who were giving up on living in the City or from other investors who tried to make a rehab work but with no cooperation from the City. Most of my purchases would come a step ahead of demolition. The house I live in today was a comdemmed house that I purchased from Entowne Properties, a successful small developer, who gave up on this project after months and months of difficulties and hurdles with the city. There are times that I had to actually take legal action against the City as they attempted to keep me from developing. Can you imagine that, the City complains about vacant homes and at the same time prevented me from rehabbing (and others). By the way, City Hall is the one of the biggest owners, if not the biggest owner of blighted homes (ask your Council about this). I've battled the City for over a generation on housing and the bringing back of our declining traditional neighborhoods. I've offered ideas to the City on neighborhood development with only limited success. Our "leaders" seem not to care about tradition. Our "leaders" seem to not care that Cincinnati is famous for great neighborhood housing. Our "leaders seem to forget about our traditional neighborhoods. Our "leaders" seem to want to demolish.( Federal funds are used here). Our City has a large stock of vacant, beautiful homes, that investors and rehabbers NOW stay away from because of situations like the story I'm about to tell.
Two years ago I spotted two small houses for sale on Zier Place in Clifton Hgts. Zier Place is a small street that has only three houses and a few empty lots that used to have houses on them years ago. Both houses were owned by the same individual so it was a package deal. The two houses have been vacant for many, many years and needed a lot of work. And boy what a city view...One house had a severe foundation problem created when the road (Zier Pl) collapsed and was leaning against the house. This was not good. I spoke with the building department about status of the houses and that I might purchase them. I was told to just keep the houses safe and secure (locked up). I then called the highway department and met with them on Zier Place. We discussed the collapsed road and they mentioned that the situation was bad and they would correct the problem . That same day a crew of City workers came over, took measurements and took photos and assured me that the problem would be taken care of. I, then feeling good about the situation, PURCHASED the two homes . These soon to be rehabbed homes would be a college graduation gift to two daughters . BOY WHAT A DAD...
Time went by and the City did nothing to the road. I called the supervisors about the delays and again I was assured of road repairs. In the meantime I painted both houses, put in windows (and even blinds), build a new porch on one house and a total new roof on the other. I even planted flowers. The houses were cute and looked livable (for the first time since 1992). Then I get a call from highway people with the message that there are NO FUNDS. and Pavelish would have to do road repair himself. I had no funds for that ( or a bulldozer or a dumptruck)
Shortly after that phone call, my cute houses are declared( by the building department) a PUBLIC NUISANCE (time to tear down) BECAUSE I let a stated amount of time go by and the houses were still vacant. I realized that now I have serious problems... I contacted an attorney.
I attempted ( with no luck) to contact EVERY COUNCILMEMBER about my situation and because Councilmembers have day jobs, NO ONE WAS HOME. I couldn't even get a email response. The next day I was ordered to housing court for" not complying" with the building department orders and later fined $500. I demolished the two houses in December . My daughters are now the "proud" owners of two VACANT lots that can no longer be built on...
This story and stories like this have happened to many, many people involved in old housing. Most of our housing people have left the City. I have chosen to retire. Cincinnati is critically short of investment capital and now you know why. And Cincinnati is lacking in affordable housing. Many of our neighborhoods are dying and you now know why. In defense of the building department there are bad owners. Owners who do not cooperate. And there are owners that are responsible for blight. I hate blight. Blight hurts MY city and affects my family. AND AS LONG AS OUR INVESTORS STAY AWAY, OUR CITY WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THE POOREST and our traditional neighborhoods will continue to underachieve.
In running as an independent for city council I have come to realize many things about the political arena in Cincinnati. I will not go into detail at this point, however my realizations begs several questions that I pose to you as an educated citizen and voter.
Has the current council achieved what you had hoped for? Are you happy with the same people on city council that have been there year after year? Do you examine the individuals you vote for; their track record; their ability to create action oriented teams who work together efficiently?
Becoming more common in our consumeristic society very few of us take the time to examine the life we're leading, the job that barely keeps us content. We are controlled subconsciously by the marketing put front of us, choosing the brands we recognize instead of having the ability to stop and examine our lives and our decisions. Maybe it's time we took the time and thought about the decisions we are making. Maybe if we were all more conscious in the decisions we make the world would be a different place.
The question was from Walter Lynge in Northside regarding "boom car thugs" and why we haven't addressed loud car stereos.
Tomorrow, after a few months of research and with help from College Hill and Westwood residents, I am introducing a loud car stereo ordinance that enhances our current noise ordinance. It allows the police to fine someone and ultimately impound their car if the car has a loud stereo. The first offense is a $250 fine, the second a $350 fine, and the third a $500 fine and impoundment of the car. The law mirrors Cleveland, Chicago and St. Louis. Last year, about 575 citations for noise were issued. 42 of those were second offenses and 12 were thrid offenses.
Citizens deserve to enjoy their homes and neighborhood in a quiet and civil manner. Hopefully adding some teeth to the current noise ordinance will do away with many of the repeat violators.
Cranley Ad Illustrates Motivation for Fighting to Make Cincinnati Safer
I know how important fighting crime is to the success of Cincinnati.That is why I have worked for the last seven years to add officers to the streets and find innovative approaches to combat crime.
In 2001, as Chair of Law and Public Safety Committee, I successfully led the efforts to get the city to commit to adding seventy-five new police officers to the force.
As Finance Chairman, I have fought to keep that commitment and get those officers on the streets by funding the positions in every budget since 2001.
In 2005, I created Operation Take Back Our Streets, which reduced crime in our most impacted neighborhoods by tripling funding for walking patrols and concentrated sweeps.
And in 2006, I led the efforts to get the city to commit to adding sixty new police officers to the force. Additionally, I ensured the city’s financial support of the CIRV initiative, the innovative crime fighting technique modeled on similar, successful programs in Boston and Baltimore.
While these accomplishments are well known, many people of Cincinnati do not know what motivates me to fight so hard to make Cincinnati safer.My campaign ad is designed to inform voters about this motivation.
The ad focuses on the Ohio Innocence Project and my successful work to exonerate Clarence Elkins and identify the actual killer of Judith Johnson.It demonstrates that fighting crime must stem from a desire to redress the wrongs suffered by crime victims and lead to a city that prevents crime.
As the co-founder and Executive Director of the Ohio Innocence Project at the UC College of Law’s Rosenthal Institute for Justice from 2003-2006, I worked to not only exonerate the wrongfully convicted, but to achieve justice for victims of violent crime and their families.
These experiences give me a nuanced view of the complexities of the criminal justice system. Having seen the injustice that occurred to Clarence Elkins, who was wrongfully imprisoned, I am committed to making Cincinnati’s criminal justice system fair.
Because of these experiences, I believe technology, DNA, and smart policing are critical to a fair and effective criminal justice system.
Greg Harris on City Hall and Cincinnati Public Schools
Q. In the past when I have raised concerns about the public school system to council members, I have always been told that is an issue for the board of education. It seems once candidates are elected to City Council, the priority of our public schools is passed off to the board of education. If you are elected, what is your specific plan to have City Council to be more directly involved in the public school system issues? And will you regularly attend the board of education meetings? (Garry Smith, Madisonville)
We may have reached an era when a part-time school board served by members who receive only token pay does not cut it anymore. A recent performance audit of Cincinnati Public Schools by McKinsey & Co revealed a good deal of dysfunction between the central office and the board, including a lack of long-term planning, inefficient budgeting and human resources, lacking role clarity, etc. (Disclaimer: my employer, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, played a role in facilitating this independent performance audit.) Of course, the current school board's "discovery" of a $79 million deficit represents an oversight of such magnitude that it is nearly impossible to comprehend.
We may have to revisit the issue of State or mayoral takeover of Cincinnati Public Schools. Now please know, this does NOT mean CPS would be run by City Council. What it means is that a State appointed local board that is paid real salaries for their time is charged with CPS' overhaul via clear benchmarks and clear chain of command. (Earlier in my campaign I proposed that such a board be formed of corporate and community leaders to conduct a performance audit of City Hall to streamline operations, improve performance, and shine light on a culture of entrenchment that aways seems to outlast reform-seekers.) Now that such an audit has been performed on CPS (the McKinsey report), we might consider empowering an emergency independent board to remake CPS' central office--especially if the levy fails this Nov. (which would put the district in crisis mode).
Of course, there are ways City Hall can work with CPS. Our city-supported community centers house after-school programs (my son is bussed to one such program when school lets out). We can beef up truancy patrols. We can ensure that new school buildings or rehabbed building are consistent with neighborhood land use plans, and engage the communities that house them. It's a cop out to pass the buck when it comes to our public schools. City Council can and must be critical partners in ensuring their success.
Our teachers teach the hardest to teach in a city that is third in the nation in poverty. We must bolster their ability to do their jobs with community centers equipped to provide quality after school offerings, truancy patrols to ensure students aren't cutting class, and school facilities that are designed with neighborhood input and that serve as centers of community.
It just maddens me when I see these new Cincinnati Public schools under construction and knowing that this new construction will cause three dozen old, traditional, historic, beautiful, former schools to be added to the list of vacant Cincinnati buildings. I'm not against the construction of new schools, I just like the old building and its tradition. And Cincinnati will demolish, no doubt, several of these "castles", just like it did to the beautiful school in Pleasant Ridge. But the School Board tells us that "improved" education will come forth with these new buildings and "we need these facilities to compete with the suburban schools. " And the voters continue to fall for that "story."
I am a fan of Cincinnati Public Schools. My four adult children are products of the public school system and their experience was excellent. Public School teachers are dedicated and hard working and some of the finest people that I know. Many have become my friends. But the stories that I hear from these teachers about the waste, the ineficiencies, and the disconnect between the teachers and the administration and the Board troubles me.
Many of our voters want to know if City Council should get involved in the public school meetings and planning. And would this cooperation help? Or would Council members at the School Board meetings begin to micro manage "what they don't know?"
Personally, I feel that our present School Board members are not the best minds on education - they are the best POLITICIANS on education. But I feel the same way about City Council - the best politicians. (and those of us running for Council)
And what is it about City Council that would make you want these "leaders" to direct your child's education.? Don't the public schools have enough problems?? There was a joint committee at City Hall formed not too long ago to address some of the ills of the schools but, in my opinion, nothing was really accomplished.
The best solution to cure some of the ills of public education is to elect a GOOD school board. Getting to know the candidates WELL is important before you vote. (and a solution to the ills of City Council, the same)... Public school parents must get involved as room mothers, field trip monitors, teacher helpers, and most of all, help with homework. Every school has a teacher - parent advisory board and great direction can come from here. And let us all demand the return of neighborhood schools.
But, yes, City Council members should attend school board meetings and offer input. But City Council is a part time and many of our Council members just have NO time. Our children are our best natural resource and our only future and they must be provided the best education possible . But even greater minds need to get involved, and that is YOU...
I, as a FULL TIME City Councilmember believe that good education for our children should be our first goal and I WOULD have the time and desire to attend school board meetings and assist where needed...
Q. Why is nothing down to remove in months all the graffiti on the bridges and overpasses sb and nb on I 71 and I 75 especially within the Cincy city limits? (J.Janus, Jr.)
A. The bridges and overpasses on I-71 and I-75 are the responsibility of the Ohio Department of Transportation. With that being said, developing a better contact between the city and ODOT appears to be needed. When one calls the city’s 591-6000 number regarding graffiti, those concerns are forwarded to ODOT...the city needs to be sure ODOT follows through.
In addition, the larger question is why is everything in the city complaint driven? Why can’t the city be proactive in improving the quality of life by taking care of the little things? We need to change the culture of “it’s not my job” and being blind to issues around that are not in your job description or on your to-do list. We need to empower our city employees to be more proactive and to do the little things that improve the quality of life for all our citizens.
Q. In the past when I have raised concerns about the public school system to council members, I have always been told that is an issue for the board of education. It seems once candidates are elected to City Council, the priority of our public schools is passed off to the board of education. If you are elected, what is your specific plan to have City Council to be more directly involved in the public school system issues? And will you regularly attend the board of education meetings? (Garry Smith, Madisonville)
A. In December of 2005, I was honored when Mayor Mark Mallory appointed me the chairman of City Council’s first ever Education, Health and Recreation committee. One of the main objectives of this committee was to create a real working relationship between City Council and CPS’ Board of Education. With my counterpart Rick Williams, chairman of CPS’ Partnership/Public Engagement committee, we have held several joint committee meetings and 2 joint sessions of both the full City Council and School Board.
With this joint committee, we have been able to address such city-school issues as truancy, school safety, and the school’s facilities master plan’s affect on city neighborhoods. Regarding truancy, we created a truancy hotline number (363-0003) where any citizen can call to report a student being truant. And with the implementation of CPS’ facilities master plan there will be at least 30 former school buildings that will sit empty, like an abandoned big box retail store, in many of our city neighborhoods. This joint committee has begun reviewing ways to work with neighborhood leaders to make sure these sites are utilized for the improvement of the community.
I spent Memorial Day weekend in Portland, Oregon, where I learned first-hand how that city has benefited from electric street cars. The trip opened my eyes to how a streetcar system is great community connectors and catalyst for economic development. Streetcars are the natural connector to move people from home or work to their office, a park or entertainment. They are easy and enjoyable to use and connect people to people as well as people to places.
The first phase of a streetcar project, just a few miles through the city center, will make a huge difference and demonstrate the impact. It is projected that our first phase will return $14 for every $1 invested.
A streetcar system is safe, manageable and easy to install. Tracks and infrastructure the length of a city block can be installed in a few weeks, causing only minimal disturbance to current business and pedestrian activity.
When looking at building the net worth of Cincinnati, streetcars are an essential component of the solution. They attract economic development because their tracks are installed in the streets. Streetcar service will not be rerouted or discontinued like a bus service might. Property along a streetcar route is prime real estate for developing businesses, parks, and homes.
The more people who live in the city, the more property taxes contributed to our coffers. The more money that people spend in the city, the more sales taxes generated for our city budget. The more money our city has to spend, the more services we can provide to all residents — in all neighborhoods.
Support a council that will seize an opportunity for low-risk, proven and responsible investment in making Cincinnati more self-sustainable.
Joan Kaup Thinking Differently www.KaupforCouncil.com
--Vanessa Marino, Oakley, Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 3:36:00 P
Everyone talks about more police on the streets in order to make city neighborhoods safer. However, what would you ask these peace officers to do differently in order to be more effective? Do you think current policing techniques are adequate? Is it truly a matter of numbers?
My Response:
Safety and Security for all Cincinnatians is the over-riding issue affecting Cincinnati. To improve economic development and retain our citizen base, we must guarantee every citizen the right to live free from fear. A safe Cincinnati is key to attracting better jobs for our citizens, improving schools for our children, and creating better housing options for all. To achieve Safety and Security for our citizens we must combine a comprehensive vision with a strategic plan that results in real accountability to reduce crime.
It is my belief that for any public safety plan to be effective:
It must generate collaboration between City government, the Police, and the Citizens of Cincinnati.
It must be proactive rather than reactive
It must take into account officer safety
It must have measurable/reasonable goals
It must take advantage of cutting-edge technology such as data mining and predictive behavior.
It must be based on just enforcement, and accountability.
We must hold our elected leaders, our police, and ourselves accountable for creating a safer Cincinnati. I will continue to work tirelessly to develop clean, safe streets for all Cincinnatians. Please visit my website www.johneby.com and view my comprehensive plan for safety and security.
You hear all the descriptions on what an Independent candidate is for City Council and the confusion continues even now. My buddy Justin is endorsed by the Green Party but the media calls him an"Independent". Michael Earl, my newest friend, is endorsed by the Libertarian Party but the media also calls him an "Independent". The rest of the Independents ( and this is MY category ) are really Independents but the media calls us "unendorsed" candidates. (ARE YOU STILL WITH ME ON THIS?) Unendorsed, what does that mean? Not wanted, maybe not good enough, didn't cut the mustard on the endorsement tryouts, or maybe not from the "right" family. So what does unendorsed mean? I do know that in MY situation I never went to any endorsement interview. I never lobbied a Party or used influence (the little,very little that I have) to get an endorsement. I just chose to run independently. The others "Independents" I can't speak for.
As a true Independent you start off with no cash, no organization, and no help. Independant candidates in the past have done poorly. And the other "endorsed" candidates do not take us seriously. The media favors the "big" names. The media favors the political party. Just check out the print media stories and their content. The Independents are insignificant. Pavelish is insignificant.
But the Independents will continue to try to get a story or two in before the election. And Pavelish will try to get a story or two in also. (somehow)
I must close now and tend to babysitting my granddaughter (on a Saturday night)
