Loser sports teams whine about officiating. Loser restaurants boo-hoo the reviews. Loser theatrical shows blame it all on the critics. And in politics, Helen Thomas says, "The Loser Will Always Blame the Media."Cincinnatians for Progress and other streetcar proponents howled long and loud about David Holthaus' Enquirer story on the Chamber of Commerce's opposition to the anti-boondoggle charter amendment and Barry Horstman's Enquirer articles on the success of the petition drive and Riverfront Transit Center boondoggle. Some excerpts:
- "Today's Enquirer article about the Cincinnati Streetcar and the Anti-Progress Amendment did not adequately explain the that the Anti-Progress Charter Amendment being pushed by the NAACP and COAST affects much more than just the Streetcar."
-Cincinnatians For Progress - "Please contact the Enquirer and tell them to accurately report on this issue. Write a letter to the editor, write an email to the reporters who use the term “Streetcar Issue” and carbon copy (cc) their editor, comment on the Enquirer’s website, or write a blog post about this inaccurate reporting. Don’t have a blog? Pass this on to someone who does. Thank you for your time and effort on this critical issue that could affect generations of Cincinnatians to come."
-CincyStreetcar Blog - "If any news outlet is improperly reporting on this issue as a “Streetcar Amendment” instead of an “Anti-Passenger Rail Amendment” please contact them to set the record straight."
-CincyStreetcar Blog - "The Cincinnati Streetcar blog posted this item, calling on readers to request The Enquirer to report facts accurately in regards to the anti-passenger rail story. Though some Streetcar advocates are rude and spiteful little people who like to make statements bordering on defamatory, I still should acknowledge when they are right. And, regardless your position on the streetcar, the Enquirer should do the right thing in regards to accurate reporting."
-Cincinnati Beacon - "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I am so GLAD that we have someone to articulate COAST's talking points!"
-Aricle Comment - "Dear Enquirer: PLEASE STOP CALLING THIS AN ANTI-STREETCAR AMENDMENT. It is irresponsible journalism! ... Show some integrity - report the facts."
-Article Comment
The pro-transit crowd bet all their chips on a city administration which has neither the credibility nor resources to deliver on their promise. So now rail junkies are lashing out at voters. Not for killing their baby, but for having the audacity to demand a vote prior to paying for it. They ridicule the NAACP for behaving like leaders instead of victims. But their unkindest cuts are reserved for the press who reports it all.
Shooting the messenger is always a loser move. Now it's apparently some sick sort of "progress."
We're doing everything possible to minimize discussion of the streetcar plan. People don't want it but we want to push it through anyways. But it'll never pass if the stupid commoners get to vote on it.
ReplyDeleteYP Snob --
ReplyDeleteOh, I finally get it! You're being ironic! You're actually a COAST supporter, making fun of Streetcar supporters!
After weeks and weeks, it's getting old. How about you debate the facts rather than implying that Streetcar supporters are snobs?
What part of the operating budget & capital budget concept do you people not understand? If we are forced to vote on every passenger rail issue this city tries to implement then we will be drawing funds from our operating budget to run the voting process etc. Therefore taking money from the same budget that we use to operate the city. No one is stifling democracy. If you don't want passenger rail, then don't vote for the council men or women who support passenger rail.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to wine and moan about mis-use of public funds then why don't we talk about the highway fund, or the new interchange they put on I/75 for Union Centre before Union Centre was actually there.
COAST is destroying this city.
"COAST is destroying this city."
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's it. It's COAST's fault, not the Democrats who have been in control and have had a majority on Council and the Mayor's seat for the past 25 years.
"...not the Democrats who have been in control and have had a majority on Council and the Mayor's seat..."
ReplyDeleteDear Bris Chortz,
Did the people vote for them? I believe they did.
You going to write some kind of ridiculous charter amendment because you oppose that as well?
"...not the Democrats who have been in control and have had a majority on Council and the Mayor's seat..."
ReplyDeletehaha, this coming from the guy who was just praising Charlie Luken on the same blog the other day!
Dear Anonymous -
ReplyDeleteDid the people vote for them? Yes. Just like they'll have a chance to vote AGAINST this choo choo. HAHA. You lost.
Ronny - Please point me to my blog post praising Charlie Luken. Never happened. Liar.
Too bad COAST isn't giving us the opportunity to vote against the streetcar.
ReplyDeleteTo repeat a question that has been asked over and over but never answered by COAST:
ReplyDeleteHow does COAST plan to redevelop the downtown and OTR area? Is the current approach to redevelopment -- subsidizing every individual new unit -- a good use of taxpayer money? Which is more expensive in the long run: continuing to subsidize each individual unit or building a Streetcar to encourage private investment? If the city can invest the same amount of money in two different approaches, where one results in subsidizing private individuals and the other results in building a publicly-owned asset for the city, which is the more responsible use of taxpayer money?
Anonymous -
ReplyDeleteI don't speak for COAST, but here's my answer. The Government shouldn't be in the development business, especially when they can't even provide the most basic of services. Neither of your examples is a good use of taxpayer funds.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMr. Hasselback -
ReplyDeleteIt's not really COAST's job to redevelop Downtown and OTR, but idea that we have to accept any plan, no matter how bad, just because it's a plan is ludicrous.
As yo your second question, the Federal Government doesn't have a mechanism in place to challenge decisions like Highway widening at the ballot box. The City of Cincinnati DOES, and I for one am glad the people can utilize it. That's the difference. Are you saying that if you can't challenge every single example of bad spending by government then you shouldn't challenge any? Also ludicrous.
"It's not really COAST's job to redevelop Downtown and OTR, but idea that we have to accept any plan, no matter how bad, just because it's a plan is ludicrous. "
ReplyDeleteUrban areas such as OTR should be tax revenue gold mines for the city, I'd say it is in their, and our interest to see the city provide the infrastructure to make these areas viable. It is the very disappearance of public infrastructure that once sustained these neighborhoods, that has turned these neighborhoods into cesspools for crime and concentrated poverty. I'm talking about the closing of the canals and the streetcars, and the construction of highways that intentionally wind through the west end that effectively killed the neighborhood. Look at place like Brighton Corner, a once bustling intersection completely destroyed by the removal the streetcar the isolation resultant from highway construction. We created the problem, I don't see why it isn't our business to fix it.
"The City of Cincinnati DOES"
Are you just flat out lying or do you really believe that we can vote for highway and road construction and maintenance expenditures? The truth is we do not vote for any of that, and COAST hasn't advocated for such a ballot initiative whatsoever.
I can't believe the socialist droans on this thread.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect example of the endoctrination over the years in our corrupt government school system.
We should scale way back on taxation there as well. These people are clueless about liberty and freedom.
The best way to make OTR vibrant is to invest smartly there, not waste $200 million on magic rails that don't do a thing to address the real problems there.
ReplyDeleteUC student - maybe they should be tax gold mines, but they're not. They never will be until people feel safe and secure enough to go and spend money there. That requires PUBLIC SAFETY. The City Manger is talking about LAYING OFF hundreds of city workers, including POLICE OFFICERS. Youn could build 500 miles of streetcars, but unless people feel safe they'l be worthless.
ReplyDeleteThe City needds to focus on providing those basic services that they have an obligation to provide before they go laying off police officers, and firemen so they can build a magic choo choo.
Also, maybe you have some difficulty reading. My prior post say that the City of Cincinnati DOES have a process in place through the ballot initiative process that IS NOT available at the federal level to challenge things like highway expansion. Put down the zinfadel and slowly read it again. It's pretty clear to anyone with even the most basic reading comprehension skills.
Streetcars can, will and have spurred economic development in urban areas. How many city's have to prove this before we finally implement something similar?
ReplyDeleteAlso, solving crime issues in OTR will take police AND more importantly...additional population.
ONCE AGAIN, passenger rail has been proven time and time again to attract additional population.
Socialist drones? The highways, sewer lines/ additional infrastructure built for your overly excessive suburb weren't publicly funded?
Give me a break...you short sighted conservative dolt.
"The best way to make OTR vibrant is to invest smartly there, not waste $200 million on magic rails that don't do a thing to address the real problems there."
ReplyDeleteAs I said earlier (July 17, 2009 3:29 AM), we are currently subsidizing every unit built in OTR. Building a Streetcar would be cheaper than continuing to subsidize each of these units, and would spur more public investment.
How do you suggest we invest smartly? Also, consider the fact that the Streetcar is going to be build using funds from the city's capital budget, not from the operating budget. So don't say "more police patrols" or "expanded recreation center hours." We have to spend this money on capital improvements. So what are your ideas?
Anonymous said - "Streetcars can, will and have spurred economic development in urban areas. How many city's have to prove this before we finally implement something similar?"
ReplyDeleteYeah, they are doing wonders for Detroit (unemployment rate 22.8%):
The Detroit People Mover operates at a high cost per rider. The system was designed to move up to 15 million riders a year, yet in 2008 saw just over 2 million riders. In fiscal year 1999-2000 the city was spending $3.00 for every $0.50 rider fare, according to The Detroit News. The system has also required costly repairs.
As of 2008, the system moves about 7,500 people per day, about 2.5 percent of its capacity of 288,000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_People_Mover
COAST is a bunch of ignorant, uneducated, knee jerk conservatives. We need an end to your failed policies and an end to your stupid ballot initiatives. The New York Times recently had an article in the Travel Section about how Cincinnati has turned a corner and lists the PROGRESS it is experiencing due to CIVIC INVESTMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING. It lists the Freedom Center as a highlight (something COAST wants to kill off) as well as the CREATIVE CLASS neighborhood of Northside. So, yeah, go ahead and blame the DEMOCRATS and their BOONDOGGLES, the party that says INVEST IN PEOPLE and our city rather than on bombs and pie in the sky military adventurism. Our cities looked bombed out because we haven't invested in them, and guess what? Neither have all those rich fat cats that were supposed to 'trickle down' their new found wealth.
ReplyDeleteCOAST should spend their time reading books about urban planning and the demise of
American cities due to suburban sprawl and white flight in the 50s/60s, etc.
What a waste of a good city to ballot initiatives by these clowns.
^Trade yah.
ReplyDeleteWe'll read your urban planning book; you study this.
Yeah, I'll read your anger management website and you go check out some books on Urban Planning and the Death of American Cities due to White Flight and Suburban Sprawl.
ReplyDeleteI could use some anger management, because it is constantly dealing with people who don't read that can make a person a little frustrated.
Here's some reading, if you really care to learn anything:
http://modern-us-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/consequences_of_1950s_white_flight
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121642866373567057.html?mod=yhoofront
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803/subprime
http://setsnservice.wordpress.com/2008/06/28/the-suburbs-could-be-become-the-new-ghetto-energy-consumtion-and-the-trend-toward-inversion/