If
you follow COAST, it would be easy to conclude that Mayor Mallory and
this City Council are recklessly irresponsible with our tax dollars -- a
Streetcar, a glass atrium, and a hopelessly bankrupt pension fund are
but a few examples.
But
the waste does not stop with these projects. Rather, it appears to be
pervasive throughout the Mallory administration, including wasting
millions on the Anna Louise Inn renovation -- far beyond what is needed
to renovate a comparable facility.
Consider this:
In
2008, the non-profit that owns the Anna Louise Inn put the real estate
on the market, after its Board concluded that residential services
were no longer core to their mission. Later, they changed their mind
and sought a $13 million bailout from Cincinnati taxpayers.
But here's the not-so-funny part:
If you compare the cost of the non-profit housing planned at the Anna Louise, to the luxury Phelps Hotel (a brand new Residence Inn) almost right next door, the cost to the taxpayers is two and a half times as expensive.
Yes,
the absolutely crazy Council is spending $429 per square foot to
renovate the non-profit Anna Louise, compared to only $175 per foot
needed to turn the Phelps into a full-service luxury hotel. The Phelps'
room are much larger, averaging 682 square feet, compared to the Anna
Louisa's 357 SF footprints, but the cost per unit is $153,000 for the
Anna Louisa compared to $119,000 for the Phelps -- 30% more for the
taxpayer-supported non-profit.
Western & Southern has put together this chart showing clearly the profligate waste of tax dollars on this project.
So,
we now see how this Council works -- like Chicago-style cronies -- the
payoff comes to their friends, and the taxpayers get left holding the
bag.
___________________
No on 4 !
And
as if we needed another reason to oppose Cincinnati's Issue 4 --
extending Council terms to four years. This Council, more than ever,
needs the accountability that elections provide. Can you imagine this group unchecked by the electorate?
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