Some lessons not learned just yet

More weeding needed in garden of government

As conservatives and Tea Partiers were feeling their oats following the November election, we have quickly learned that the lessons of the 2010 election have not yet been properly impressed on many elected officials.

But it’s OK.  We had so much getting rid of bad apples in 2010, we are happy to help remove another round of big-spending Democrats and traitorous Republicans in 2012.  It’s entirely their choice depending on their performance in office.   

Here, we give you a rundown of the attempts by our representatives to immediately revert to “business as usual” as quickly as they could following loud and clear demand of the electorate of fiscal responsibility.

Hamilton County

David Pepper lost his race for State Auditor thanks to David Yost’s courageous campaign that exposed Pepper’s record as a profligate taxer and spender.  Thus, imagine our surprise that David Pepper immediately after the election voted to eliminate the stadium property tax rollback, a rollback that had been solemnly promised to the taxpayers as part of the stadium sales tax deal in 1998.  Pepper himself had called a repeal of the property tax rollback a “deeply illegitimate act,” and promised never to vote for it.  Well, so much for fiscal restraint and campaign promises.  By the way, Republican Commissioner Greg Hartmann voted for the higher property taxes as well, promising to make up for the increase with reductions in the County’s 10 special levies.  COAST will be watching and holding him to that promise.

City of Cincinnati

In a breathtaking budget process that ran through Christmas and almost to New Year’s eve, Cincinnati City Council repeated the mistakes made in past years and in the Ohio Statehouse and Washington by using debt as a means of “solving” the City’s yawning $60 million budget gap.  Unprincipled politicians used City reserves, invented savings that don’t exist, and borrowed from funds dedicated to other purposes.  The supporters of the ill-conceived budget: Roxanne Qualls, Laure Quinlivan, Cecil Thomas, Charlie Winburn (yes, he was COAST-endorsed in 2009), and Wendell Young. 

One bright spot in the midst of City budget votes was a repeal of a ordinance that the manager was apparently claiming gave him authority to impose a trash tax without a new vote of the Council. This was sponsored by Councilmember Bortz and, on this one, Council member Winburn supported the important motion.

Washington D.C.

The Obama Administration and congressional democrats tried one last time before the Republicans take over the House and their majority is diluted in the Senate to push through an astounding $______ Billion spending bill.  Shockingly, several Republican Senators were in active conspiracy with the Democrat majority in trying to rush through this bill in the closing days of the administration.  Only public outrage, including motivated Tea Partiers, killed the bi-partisan abomination.

Also concerning was the horse-trading needed to get the Bush tax cuts, scheduled to expire at year end, extended.  Democrat negotiators crammed into the bill yet another extension of unemployment benefits and an extension of EITC (read: welfare) benefits.  Congressman Schmidt was alone in the local Congressional delegation in opposing the bill.