John Eby on Starting our Future Today

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 Queen City 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.

Eby: Arts Entertainment Builds Community and Supports Schools

On Oct. 17th and 18th the Greater Cincinnati Performing Arts Society (GCPAS) held its initial concert event. Featured artist Tommy Emmanuel rocked the St. Xavier Theatre with his Grammy award nominated music. Each evening was sold out. Both St William School in Price Hill and St. Catharine in Westwood will benefit from the proceeds of this concert. Community building, arts entertainment, and financial support for quality neighborhood schools were all achieved in one evening.

GCPAS is the brain child of Pete Ellerhorst and a dedicated group of volunteer board members. I am proud to serve as an advisor to this group offering organizational and event planning skills. As a graduate of St. William and as a parent of two St. Catharine students my time is well spent with this group.

Concert goers were thrilled by Tommy Emmanuel's performance. Tommy covered bluegrass, rock, smooth jazz, country, and aboriginal music from his native land, Australia. "Who needs a band when you have a guitar," was his rallying cry to wildly enthusiastic fans. His song of homage to Chet Atkins (the Chief) was a poignant reminder of how music binds us together and soothes the soul. For two hours he raised us up to places far beyond Cincinnati. The GCPAS will offer nine more concerts over the course of the next year.

This is exactly the type of neighborhood organization and type of event that City Council must support. We must attract quality entertainers at affordable prices so that families throughout our city may come together to build a greater Cincinnati. Thanks Pete and GCPAS for making the arts come alive while supporting neighborhood schools and quality education.

John Eby on Streetcars

Sometimes, when you are planning for the future you have to reach into the past. My late father used to tell stories of riding the streetcars and inclines in Cincinnati when he was a boy. He loved the streetcar and was passionate about them. When the decision was made to turn away from streetcars and they tore down the inclines my father was heart broken. He never rode public transportation again.

I'm really not supposed to do this, but I think that Chris Bortz really hit the nail on the head with proposing streetcars in Cincinnati. I love the idea. It is bold, exciting and "do-able". It is so "Cincinnati". Streetcars are a great investment in our future as a city. The slow moving cars will spur economic and housing development. They will help redefine our city.

When I am elected to city council I look forward to working with Mr. Bortz to develop a multi-generational vision that focuses on Building Bridges across the three “rivers” that divide our city, I-75/I-71/ and Ft. Washington Way.

John Eby on The Big Picture

Anonymous asked:

A general question about the human condition: Why do we tend to think linearly about issues? One day we think about jobs, the next day we think about too many cars and emission controls, the next day about which schools to close. Why can't we manage them as a big picture. I think it's TV - we think in daily news flare-ups rather than absorbing in depth reporting with follow-ups. If it bleeds, it leads.

My Response:

Anon,” why DO we tend to think linearly about issues?" The answer is that in a two year election cycle members of council have one year to make an impact or risk being perceived as ineffective. They have to concentrate all of their energy into making headway (and headlines) on the hot issue of the moment. Does that sound like anyway to run our government and plan for our future? As my good friend Greg Harris has pointed out, there hasn't been a strategic plan in the city of Cincinnati since Truman was in office. How can we budget our resources and marshal our energy if we have no idea where they are needed the most?

I’m a true believer in organizational efficiency and strategic planning. ”PLAN YOUR WORK. WORK YOUR PLAN." The mission statement of Project for Public Spaces (a non -profit organization) contains key components of how to unlock Cincinnati’s potential. We must be “dedicated to creating and sustaining public spaces that build communities.” Business development, quality education, clean safe streets will sustain our public spaces, build our economic base and create a Greater Cincinnati.

Visit www.commonsensecincinnati.com for the Harris-Eby Bipartisan plan for Cincinnati and please visit my website www.johneby.com for more information about me.

John Eby on Litter

Dorothy Weil, East Walnut Hills asked:

Do you plan to engage the voters in the process of clearing litter? This involves appealing to their pride, not just doing for them.

My Response:

Dorothy thanks for volunteering to help me pick up my yard signs after the election. Your help is certainly appreciated. Do you have access to a truck? I'll bring the coffee and doughnuts.

One way to engage people to help clean up litter is through a fine, non-profit organization called Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. This organization has been encouraging city residents to help keep our neighborhoods clean since 1978. I hope that you participated in this years "Great American Clean Up" Event. Volunteers worked in all 52 neighborhoods. Sweat equity in cleaning up our communities was the order of the day all over Cincinnati. I volunteered to help refurbish a playground in Mount Washington, hauled away old tires in Price Hill, and helped build a new shelter house in Westwood at Ryan Park.

John Eby on Defining Community

Jenny Edwards, West End asked:
We have 52 recognized communities in Cincinnati. How do you define community?

My response:
I have been walking door-to-door in almost every neighborhood in the city since May. It has been a life changing experience and has altered my definition of community. What I have come to realize is that all too often we define ourselves (or we let others define us) by the boundaries of the community we choose to within. My pilgrimage through some of our nicest and some of our roughest neighborhoods has changed me. Now when I think of community I like to think in terms of a larger, more inclusive and tolerant Cincinnati.

I believe that we need to think of ourselves as Cincinnatians; as people who embrace the ideas of the citizen soldier Cincinnatus. We are people who embrace common sense, urban community living, and accountability (a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work). We strive for a peace of mind that allows a comfortable night of sleep. We seek “real life” solutions to problems like crime, affordable housing, and lack of opportunity. We are a spiritual community that includes many faith denominations. We are hopeful for a better tomorrow. We all basically want “the same thing"- An honest commitment to solving the problems that keep us from completely enjoying the American Dream.