Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce terrible on tax issues (once again)

Endorses two tax hikes

and takes a dive on limited government

So often, we hear about how business interests are "conservative" and back a limited government agenda. In greater Cincinnati, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

This year, as just one example, the Chamber released its ballot issue endorsements, and once again they entirely favor a bigger government and higher tax agenda. Indeed, COAST cannot remember the last time the Chamber actually opposed a tax hike. Not once in recent memory.

 

This year, the Chamber has endorsed higher property taxes for the hospitalization levy, including millions annually to Children's Hospital that has a $2 billion endowment (that's with a "B"), and the Children's Services levy.

 

The Chamber then opposed Issues 47 and 48, which would, respectively, prevent the City from creating a brand new tax -- a trash tax -- and from building the $135 million streetcar that threatens to bankrupt the City.

 

COAST fully expects the Chamber to back the massive earnings tax increase that Mayor Mallory and Council members Qualls and Thomas are plotting for just after the November elections.

 

Remember, this is the same Chamber that endorsed the Super-Sized Jail Tax, the Light Rail Tax, using tax dollars to bring the Olympics to Cincinnati, the sales tax for the Stadiums and the abominable Bengals Lease, the new tax for the Convention Center Expansion, and the Drake Levy.

 

This is the same Chamber of Commerce that earlier this year, wrote to Governor Kasich and asked that he waste $52 million in state funds on the Streetcar project.

 

Some COASTers have quit the Chamber, others have never joined and still others stay on board to try to temper the Chamber's lunge in the direction of bigger government.