The two public officials who were among the most vocal opponents of the Todd Portune-David Pepper Super-Sized Jail Tax in 2007, Commissioner Pat DeWine and Treasurer Rob Goering , excelled at the polls Tuesday, leading Republicans in vote totals, while those who stayed on the sidelines struggled.
Of all the contested judicial races, jail tax opponent hero Pat DeWine led, pulling 58% of the vote. Similarly, Treasurer Rob Goering won re-election with 54% of the vote. Both performances were well ahead of contested races for Clerk of Courts and Recorder in which the Republican candidates garnered 50.4 and 51.3% of the vote respectively.
“Standing tall against the outrageous and Super-Sized Jail Tax was not only the right thing to do,” said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd, “it was also recognized and ultimately rewarded by the voters.”
COAST had strongly endorsed and campaigned for DeWine and Goering in appreciation of their principled stands against the Super-Sized Jail Tax. In contrast, Commissioner Todd Portune took his own campaign funds to air commercials opposing both DeWine and Goering. Thus, the voters' verdict was further repudiation of the ruinous Portune agenda for Hamilton County.
In an historically ignoble act, on May 30, 2007, Todd Portune and David Pepper imposed on Hamilton County citizens a ½ cent sales tax without a vote of the people only six months after a much smaller tax had been rejected by the voters. At that time, Portune acknowledged he had done so because the voters would likely reject the gluttony if placed before them.
The now-legendary WeDemandAVote.Com alliance, headed by NAACP, COAST, Cincinnati Progressive Action, the Libertarian Party and the Green Party, mobilized 435 volunteers to collect 56,000 signatures in 40 days to place the issue before the voters. In November of 2007, the Super-Sized Jail Tax was rejected by 56% of Hamilton County voters, thus completely snubbing the failed Pepper-Portune plan.
"Despite the cynical actions of Portune attempting to undermine these courageous leaders," said Gloyd, "they instead thrived under voter scrutiny precisely due to their honest leadership on this issue critical to our community's future."
Of all the contested judicial races, jail tax opponent hero Pat DeWine led, pulling 58% of the vote. Similarly, Treasurer Rob Goering won re-election with 54% of the vote. Both performances were well ahead of contested races for Clerk of Courts and Recorder in which the Republican candidates garnered 50.4 and 51.3% of the vote respectively.
“Standing tall against the outrageous and Super-Sized Jail Tax was not only the right thing to do,” said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd, “it was also recognized and ultimately rewarded by the voters.”
COAST had strongly endorsed and campaigned for DeWine and Goering in appreciation of their principled stands against the Super-Sized Jail Tax. In contrast, Commissioner Todd Portune took his own campaign funds to air commercials opposing both DeWine and Goering. Thus, the voters' verdict was further repudiation of the ruinous Portune agenda for Hamilton County.
In an historically ignoble act, on May 30, 2007, Todd Portune and David Pepper imposed on Hamilton County citizens a ½ cent sales tax without a vote of the people only six months after a much smaller tax had been rejected by the voters. At that time, Portune acknowledged he had done so because the voters would likely reject the gluttony if placed before them.
The now-legendary WeDemandAVote.Com alliance, headed by NAACP, COAST, Cincinnati Progressive Action, the Libertarian Party and the Green Party, mobilized 435 volunteers to collect 56,000 signatures in 40 days to place the issue before the voters. In November of 2007, the Super-Sized Jail Tax was rejected by 56% of Hamilton County voters, thus completely snubbing the failed Pepper-Portune plan.
"Despite the cynical actions of Portune attempting to undermine these courageous leaders," said Gloyd, "they instead thrived under voter scrutiny precisely due to their honest leadership on this issue critical to our community's future."
Issue 5? Proportional Representation? Steve Chabot?
ReplyDeleteThese were actually the campaigns you led on, right?