Crown Bestows Gifts; Vassels Gleeful

Prince Pepper proclaimed today that King Strickland will bequeath over $45 million in porkulus funds to Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati, including (p12):

$ 5,000,000	The Banks Transit Center
$ 8,000,000	The Banks Street Grid
$ 20,000,000	Eastern Corridor Development
$ 6,100,000	Interstate 75 Rehabilitation
$ 10,200,000	Riverfront Intermodal Center Phase 2

Alas, no tribute is, as yet, forthcoming for the aristocratic streetcar, so the weary gentry of Over-the-Rhine shall be forced to continue circumambulating like peasants.

Prince Portune has spent, all told, over a fortnight currying favour before various royal courts. Perhaps he might be persuaded to continue his supplications and obtain a few more meager scraps for our humble shire.

Of course homage for this patronage must be dutifully rendered to Emperor Obama, for it is his dubious generosity that is so freely dispensing the contents of the treasury. Methinks his approval will not be so high once his subjects discover the gifts are not gold, but debts to be repaid by the subjects themselves, with hefty interest.

April 1 Membership Meeting

COAST Membership Meeting
Wednesday 4/1 at 7 PM at Molly Malone’s
Conservative principles in action
Learn how State Rep. Josh Mandel shook up Cuyahoga County
and then Columbus,
and how you can apply these principles here at home

If you are feeling powerless and frustrated at what is transpiring in Washington and Columbus, and even with the Trolleys and other wasted money right here at home, you are not alone. But there IS something you can do about it. Republican State Representative Josh Mandel has confronted liberalism right in his own backyard, and he has won important battles. Hear his story – and learn how conservatives can win tough fights even in hostile territory and among sell-outs in his own party.

Please join us for our COAST general membership meeting Wednesday, April 1, from 7-9 PM at Molley Malone’s in Pleasant Ridge. There, you and fellow COASTers will hear the message of Josh Mandel will begin to implement our 2009 action agenda to drive the tax-and-spenders crazy.

Your participation is part of our success. Please come and plot our 2009 strategies.

TARPs
bailouts
bloated budgets
trillion dollar deficits
$9.5 trillion in debt
the runaway Congress
red light cameras
$1 billion in fee increases
the runaway statehouse
big brother
trolleys
the runaway Council

Yeah, it’s important. Really important.

Mad Hatter at the Tea Party

A crowd of 5,000 gathered at Fountain Square to protest the radical reconfiguration of our nation from a capitalist republic to a socialist democracy. Notable speakers detailed the folly of this from the podium while families and children listened peacefully.

But in a scene straight out of a looking glass, a mad hatter appeared at this tea party. A lone counter-protester is shown in the slideshow above decked-out in an Obama hat, waving an Obama banner, proclaiming the gospel of Obama in an effort to shout down the throng.

An enterprising bystander quickly wrote "Crazy Lady" with a downward arrow on the blank back of his sign, and hoisted it above her wherever she went. He thought it was funny, and the crowd clearly did too. But she was definitely not amused and got a bit belligerent. Cincinnati police covering the event diffused the situation solely by their presence. No action was required.

Nation's Largest Tea Party

5,000 Gather to Protest Obama Spending Policy

Hover for controls, click any picture for a larger view.

The biggest New American Tea Party protest rally yet took place at Fountain Square in Cincinnati on Sunday. Police estimated the crowd to number about 5000 people, which may make the Tea Party protest the biggest in Cincinnati since the Vietnam War.

Word of the protest was spread via local talk radio and the Internet, proving once again the power of the new media to generate political protest. Coverage of the protest was sent in real time by people with cell phone cameras and text messages to sites like Instapundit which posted photos and updates.

As with previous New American Tea Party protests, the people gathered in Fountain Square were angry at the Obama administrations plans to spend money on stimulus programs and bailouts of failing corporations. People carried signs, hand-made, with messages such as "Just Say No to B.O.", "I'm Only 8 and Already $36000 in Debt", "The Audacity of Socialism", "Hey, Obama, Go Stimulate Yourself", and "You Can't Fix Stupid, but You Can Vote it Out."

There was one rather lonely woman staging her own counter protest carrying and Obama sign and shouting, "Yes We Can!"

The New American Tea Party Movement takes its inspiration from the original Boston Tea Party during which patriot protestors, dressed as American Indians, boarded British merchant ships and dumped tea into Boston Harbor as a way to protest the tax on tea and the monopoly given to tea to the British East Indian Company. Our grievances are a little broader that the original Sons of Liberty in the 1770s. We oppose the Obama administration's spending plans and the huge debt and high taxes that will result.

Reminder – Cincinnati Tea Party

Protest Rally on Fountain Square this coming Sunday, March 15, 3 PM – Be there!


COAST has endorsed the inaugural event of the Cincinnati Tea Party, formed to protest and oppose the stimulus bill and foreclosure bailout in Washington. The rally is on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square this Sunday, March 15, 2009 from 3-5 PM.

So many of us have watched in horror as the new administration and Congress have lived up to the worst nightmares of voters in their first two months in office. Well, these energetic volunteers from this new organization, including Mike Wilson, have given us an outlet for those frustrations and voice to the tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of area residents appalled at the new direction of our nation.

You can read here about the Tea Party movement in other U.S. cities: St. Louis, MO., Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, Green Bay, WI, Harrisburg, PA, Jacksonville, FL, Washington, DC, and Fayetteville, NC.

COAST thanks Mike Wilson and this Tea Party organizers and joins them in this important event. Here’s how you can help:

• Tell your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers about this great opportunity to speak out about the ruination underway in Washington.
• Send e-mails, and use Facebook and Twitter, to drive people to the event.
• Come to the event and bring people with you.
• Bring signs. COAST will be organizing a sign-making party this Thursday night at 6:30 PM at 1550 Magnolia Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45215.

The rally will feature as speakers Congressman Steve Chabot and Councilmember Chris Monzel. For more information, contact Mike Wilson. COAST enthusiastically endorses this event. Please RSVP to their website.

Yeah, it’s pretty important.

Financial Mess Explained

Heidi is the proprietor of a beer garden. In order to increase sales, she decides to allow her loyal customers - most of whom are unemployed alcoholics - to drink now but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans).

Word gets around and as a result increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's place. Taking advantage of her customers' freedom from immediate payment constraints, Heidi increases her prices for wine and beer, the most-consumed beverages. Her sales volume increases massively.

A young and dynamic customer service consultant at the local bank recognizes these customer debts as valuable future assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for undue concern since he has the debts of the alcoholics as collateral.

At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert bankers transform these customer assets into DRINKBONDS, ALKBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then traded on markets worldwide. No one really understands what these abbreviations mean and how the securities are guaranteed. Nevertheless, as their prices continuously climb, the securities become top-selling items.

One day, although the prices are still climbing, a risk manager of the bank (subsequently fired due his negativity) decides that finally the time has come to demand payment of the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's. However they cannot pay back the debts. Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations and claims bankruptcy.

DRINKBOND and ALKBOND drop in price by 95%. PUKEBOND performs better, stabilizing in price after dropping by 80%. The suppliers of Heidi's place, having granted her generous payment due dates and having invested in the securities are faced with a new situation. Her wine supplier claims bankruptcy, her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor.

The bank is saved by the Government following dramatic round-the-clock consultations by leaders from the governing political parties. The funds required for this purpose are obtained by a tax levied on the non-drinkers.

And so it goes...

Uh Oh, Obama Seeks Economic Tweaks From Twitter

From Silicon Alley Insider

Twitter cofounder and CEO Ev Williams is headed to the White House today. The administration invited him to join a “young business leaders" summit to discuss the economic crises.

As Ev himself puts it -- in a Twitter message, of course -- "[this] must mean they're *really* out of ideas."

A reminder: With 6 million members and 700% plus growth, Twitter makes no money in the US. (It sells some ads in Japan).

(See also: Jon Stewart On Twitter: "I Have No Idea How It Works, Or Why It Is")

Still More Abandon Obama

Annette Nazareth, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's top pick to be his deputy, withdrew after several interviews and vetting of her financial history, a person familiar with Nazareth's decision said. Sources said no problems with her taxes or other issues arose, but nobody would talk to the press about it.

Nazareth's withdrawal from consideration comes as critics say Geithner's lacks the senior staff he needs to make critical decisions about the financial crisis. Not one of his top 17 deputies has been named, let alone confirmed. Without senior leadership, lower-level Treasury employees can't make decisions or represent the government in crucial conversations with banks and others.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, has also withdrawn his name from consideration as surgeon general of the United States, an administration official said Thursday.

These are merely the latest in a long line of problematic picks to comprise the Obama Administration. Bad news for a presidency that's only 33 days old. Others include:

Tom Daschle, Former Senate Majority Leader withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services over "mistakes" on his tax records and his lobbying work. Obama had promised his administration "would not be run by lobbyists."

Nancy Killefer withdrew as Obama's chief performance officer, a new post in the administration. Officials said privately the reason for her withdrawal was "unspecified tax issues." The much-touted post was designed to scrub the federal budget.

Bill Richardson, New Mexico Governor, announced he was withdrawing from consideration as commerce secretary after an investigation was launched into a state contract that had been given to his campaign donors.

Judd Gregg, Republican US Senator, withdrew as nominee for commerce secretary over "irresolvable conflicts" on issues including Obama's economic stimulus package and the country's census.

By comparison, 12 of President Ronald Reagan's 14 Cabinet members were confirmed within two days of his first inauguration in 1981, while 13 of President Bill Clinton's 15 Cabinet members were confirmed within one day. President George W. Bush's Cabinet took longer to seat, with seven winning confirmation the first day and the rest approved within 11 days.

Welcome to the 44th most ethical administration in American history.

Pickerington Rethinks Red Light Cameras

"Councilman Brian Wisniewski, who has opposed them from the start, said crash data show there is no need for the cameras. In 2008, there were 102 crashes on Rt. 256 at four intersections -- including the I-70 interchange -- with five of them caused by running a red light, Wisniewski said. All but one of those accidents occurred at I-70, where the Ohio Department of Transportation will not allow the city to install a camera."

After voting to install cameras along their main drag, Pickerington's City Council has now dropped the discussion. See full article in The Columbus Dispatch. It's refreshing to see they're dealing with the issue on the basis of public safety, and not as a band-aid for reckless overspending.

Last year, Cincinnati's WeDemandAVote.com coalition petitioned to put a charter amendment on the ballot to prohibit the city from using them to detect traffic violations unless an officer is present. Voters approved it overwhelmingly.

Similar efforts to remove red-light cameras are underway in Toledo and Chillicothe.

COAST meeting features State Rep. Josh Mandel

Likely Candidate for Ohio Treasurer – 2010
Josh Mandel represents the 17th House District serving the greater Cleveland area.

Josh Mandel will be the featured speaker for COAST’s April General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 7 PM at Molly Malone’s in Pleasant Ridge. This event follows up on the enormously successful COAST fundraiser in February featuring former Congressman John Kasich and State Auditor Mary Taylor.

“Mandel is one of the few carrying the banner of fiscal restraint in the Ohio legislature,” according to former legislator and COAST founder Tom Brinkman, Jr., “He is worthy of our attention and support.”

Biography
Mandel is starting his second term in the Ohio legislature, where he was one of nine conservatives who opposed Speaker Husted on a pork barrel-laden spending program, and the implementation of new hotel-and lodging tax increases for Montgomery County. He supports both the Kasich plan and the John Adams/Buckeye Institute Plan to phase out the Ohio income tax. Before coming to Columbus, Mandel fought for and implemented the first-ever property tax rollback in the history of Cuyahoga County.

• Intelligence Specialist, Marine Corps Reserves
• 1st in class, Marine Corps Boot Camp
• 1st in class, Marine Corps Intelligence School
• Two tours in Iraq throughout Anbar Province
• Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals
• Bachelors Degree from OSU
• Law Degree from Case Western Law School

Molly Malone’s is located near the intersection of Ridge and Montgomery Roads at 6111 Montgomery Road. For more information on the event, contact Jason Gloyd here or via telephone at 513-240-4996. Molly Malone’s number is 513-531-0700.

Trolley Petition Drive Becomes More Urgent

Mayor throws down gauntlet in defense of wasteful rail proposal

Mayor Mallory vows to fight
WeDemandAVote.Com coalition on streetcars
COAST says “bring in on”

The WeDemandAVote.Com coalition, led by Christopher Smitherman and the NAACP, announced in January their first project for 2009: a petition drive that will force any spending for trolleys and streetcars in Cincinnati to a public vote. In February, Mayor Mark Mallory issued his State of the City speech, and said that the $200 million trolley plan was the City’s top priority for 2009, a direct challenge to what he called trolley “naysayers.”

“Mayor Mallory has thrown down the gauntlet on trolleys in Cincinnati, calling out COASTers and their WeDemandAVote.Com partners on this important issue,” said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd. “The City’s $200 million plan is a spending boondoggle, like so many before it, and we think it should be submitted to a public vote before committing these funds to something that just is simply not a priority for our community. So, Mayor Mallory, we accept the challenge. Bring it on.”

COAST has endorsed the WeDemandaVote.Com petition drive, and will be sending out volunteers to hit the streets as soon as the weather warms. COAST needs volunteers to do its part for this petition drive. Contact Jason Gloyd to get involved at Jason.gloyd@cbws.com or 513-240-4996.

This is the third year of concerted political action for the WeDemandAVote.Com coalition. In 2007 it placed on the ballot and defeated the Todd Portune’s and David Pepper’s Super-Sized Jail Tax, and in 2008 it placed on the ballot both a Charter Amendment banning Red Light Cameras, and a new plan for electing City Council called Proportional Representation. The Red Light Camera ban passed, the proportional representation proposal failed.

COAST 2009 Fundraiser a Barn-Burner

Conservatives rally against liberal tax-and-spend policies

The COAST 2009 fundraiser featuring former Congressman John Kasich and State Auditor Mary Taylor drew more than 263 attendees, COAST’s largest event to date. There, they heard a compelling message from Kasich, imploring the Party back to its roots of limited government and lower taxes.

The COAST event drew Republicans and Democrats, black and white, male and female, all appalled at the direction our nation, state and region have taken in advancing policies of unrestrained tax-and-spend socialism.

COAST thanks Congressman Kasich, State Auditor Mary Taylor, other speakers Dr. Brad Wenstrup, Jane Portman, and Sandy O’Brien, its sponsors, and the hundreds of attendees for making this event a financial and political success.

Proceeds will be used for COAST’s 2009 operations, including supporting the Trolley petition drive, the effort to take the red light camera ban throughout Ohio, and the dissolution of Amelia featured in this edition of the newsletter, as well as supporting candidates who faithfully adopt a limited government agenda.

The Story Behind the Latest Courthouse Brawl

Leis’ wasteful policies finally exposed

Spending in Sheriff’s office finally gets scrutiny.

Much has been written about the new feud involving Simon Leis and his rapacious and endless grab for more tax money. COAST highlights a few of the recent developments.

The Cincinnati Enquirer did a more than (and quite uncommonly) respectable job of detailing the skewed spending priorities in the Sheriff’s office in mid-February. Behind the scenes of that detailed critique is a near-revolt from rank-and-file Sheriff’s deputies, who, facing layoffs, have finally developed the insight and gumption to question the wasteful spending decisions by the Sheriff. Most notable among these are the perks and privileges granted to the Sheriff’s inner-circle. Dissenting deputies are finally speaking to COAST and reporters behind the scenes about the practices of this Sheriff who has ruled with an iron fist, until now.

Part of that fight dealt with the use of between $3 and $6 million annually in drug forfeiture monies. For years – including throughout the fight over the Super-Sized Jail Tax – Sheriff Leis firmly insisted that it was absolutely illegal to use the monies to fund patrols or jail construction or operations. However, the conclusion of the recent dust-up was that Leis in fact is now spending those very funds for patrols. COAST wonders why our probing news hounds in the local media have failed to ask Leis how it suddenly became legal to so spend those monies, after years and years of insisting they could not.

Finally, the story behind the dust-up itself: Leis insisted that the County dip into its reserve fund to keep deputies on the streets. Todd Portune dutifully introduced a motion to do just that. Fortunately, Republican Commissioner Greg Hartmann and even big-spender Democrat David Pepper properly demurred, pointing out that it was fiscally irresponsible to spend the reserve fund for that purpose, and that the same would negatively impact the County’s bond rating.

Whether because he really is that foolish (we think he is) or for political posturing (not beyond him either), Portune persisted in pushing for spending the reserve funds over the course of several Commission meetings. Pepper and Hartman held firm. Finally, Leis relented, the reserve funds stayed right where they should be, and the drug forfeiture fund monies get applied to crime prevention, which is what COAST and the WeDemandAVote.Com coalition asked be done two years ago.

The bottom line: Si is losing control of his empire. His deputies have turned on him, the sole Republican Commissioner and one of his patron democrat commissioners cut his legs out from under him, and the media finally is willing to cover how he spends tens of millions of tax dollars (surprise!). Only Todd Portune is left defending the discredited Sheriff, odd bedfellows if there ever were.

COAST thanks the dissident Sheriff’s deputies, and Commissioners Hartmann and Pepper for standing up to the biggest bully in the County. Now, watch your backs.

Cincinnati Tea Party Opposes Obama Spending

Local group organizes to fight headlong plunge into socialism

Tea party rally on Fountain Square March 15

As part of the national backlash against the new policy of utterly unrestrained spending and taxing in Washington, a new local group has formed called the Cincinnati Tea Party designed to protect and oppose the stimulus bill and foreclosure bailout.

They have organized a rally featuring former Congressman Steve Chabot on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square for Sunday, March 15, 2009 from 3-5 PM. For more information, contact Mike Wilson. COAST enthusiastically endorses this event. Please RSVP to their website.

Need a Tax Credit?

How would you like to keep Governor Ted Strickland from misspending up to $100 of your tax money on wasteful programs? Wouldn't you rather give that money to your favorite "Tax Killer" instead? Your Ohio State Income Tax Form allows you to do just that. Here's how it works:

1. Make a contribution of $100 per couple or $50 per person to your favorite candidate for statewide office.
2. Enter the amount on line 55 on your Ohio Income Tax form.
3. Your State Tax refund check will be increase by that amount.

Our favorite state candidate is COAST Founder "Tax killer Tom" Brinkman:

Brinkman for State Representative
P.O. Box 9714
Cincinnati, OH 45209

Feel free to call Tom at 513/321-6591 with any questions on this.

Newsweek declares: “We Are All Socialists Now.”

COAST: “Not without a fight”

Yes, the cover of Newsweek magazine’s February 7 edition matter-of-factly (and somewhat proudly) declared that “We Are All Socialists Now,” in covering the radical and frightening changes underway under the new democrat President and Congress. During the campaign, COAST heard State Senator Kearney campaigning for Barack Obama declaring “he is a capitalist.” COAST thinks not, not without a fight.

Toledo Red Light Drive Gains Momentum

Drive for liberty expands throughout Ohio

The WeDemandAVote.Com coalition and COAST have taken the drive to ban Red Light Cameras to Toledo, and soon Pickerington, Ohio. Of course, that team banned Red Light Cameras forever in Cincinnati in 2008. The Toledo drive will present a Charter Amendment to ban the pernicious devices in their City, with the same verbiage as the Cincinnati amendment. Pickerington’s rebels propose a referendum to repeal a new ordinance that will enact the devices, anticipated for passage this month.

Amelia Dissolution on May Ballot

Locals Believe Township Rule is Better

Thanks to local activists Pam Barker and Debbie Schwey, as well as dozens of other local organizers, residents of the Clermont County Village of Amelia will have the chance to vote on dissolution of the Village on May 5 of this year.

Events of the past two years have led these and other residents to propose dissolution of the Village, which would vest local governance in the hands of Pierce and Batavia Townships. Two years ago, the Village hired its former Mayor as its first full-time administrator, who in turn hired a personal secretary. Then, the Council proposed a new earning tax to fund their over-spending.

“These local patriots have fired a shot heard ‘round Ohio,” said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd. “Rather than play cat-and-mouse political games with a greedy Council intent on increasing spending, they have done the proper thing and proposed the dissolution of this corrupt government.”

These local organizers gathered 509 valid signatures to place the issue before Amelia voters, fully 64% of those who voted in last municipal election.

COAST has made a donation to the cause in Amelia. The City, entirely predictably, has embarked on a campaign of fear and misinformation to dissuade voters from voting “yes” on the dissolution.

“Township government will be superior to this inept City administration,” said Barker. “COAST’s legal, political and financial assistance has been invaluable in this undertaking.”

COASTers may e-mail the campaign at DissolveAmelia@yahoo.com or visit their website here. Donations may be sent to “Dissolve Amelia Now,” c/o Debbie Schwey, 19 Floral Drive, Amelia, Ohio 45102.

Common Sense Ain’t So Common

Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, was published late in the month of January 1776. Common Sense presented arguments to refute the divine birthright of kings. Paine made the case for individual sovereignty, declaring all powers of government are derived from the individuals that created the government.

A new pamphlet called Common Sense Revisited addresses the current spending orgy in Washington, D.C. COAST recommends it for your reading. Access it here.