Saturday, December 22, 2012

The year ahead for COAST

COASTers are embarking on ambitious plans for the new year, working tirelessly to help create an environment of growth and opportunity for greater Cincinnatians.  This would be accomplished by a fiscally stable City and County, lower tax rates, and well-considered policies to foster economic growth in the region.



Towards this end:
  1. We intend to continue to push for modernization in the bureaucracies of the City and the County to save money and deliver improved services to our populace.
  2. We believe that starts with fundamental reform of Ohio public-sector and private sector labor laws, and encourage our elected and civic leaders to continue to advance that agenda.
  3. We are opposed to wasteful boondoggle programs such as the Streetcar that threaten to further destabilize our region's finances.  This will be pursued on several fronts, including: (a) the Blue Ash Airport litigation, (b) opposing the PUCO rate hike on City residents, and (c) continuing to speak out about the waste of money by the City.
  4. We oppose the use of tax dollars for campaign purposes.  Thus, we will continue to pursue the third round of litigation against Cincinnati Public Schools in this regard, this time to finally have such illegal conduct enjoined permanantly.    
  5. We intend to be active in the upcoming Mayoral and City Council elections, pointing out that the currently-crazy Council is bankrupting the City.
  6. We will be developing strategies, with our varied coalition partners, to oppose the pernicious privatization of the parking function by the City Council. 
  7. We want to hold the County Commissioners' feet to the fire to solve the continuing stadium funding crisis without a further burden on Cincinnati taxpayers.
So, please join COAST, and plan on getting involved in our activities.  Your voice will make a difference.




5 comments:

  1. So in other words Coast will be tweeting and Finney will be trying to fleece the taxpayers with frivolous lawsuits in 2013. That strategy has lead to defeat after defeat for Coast at the ballot box, so please do stick to that strategy boys. Here's wishing all the best of the worst to you.

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  2. Of course we have helped stopped a $777 million jail tax, Red Light Cameras, the trash tax, and the sale of the Water Works. We have helped finally rid the Congress of the corrupt Jean Schmidt, and our two endorsed candidates won election to City Council.

    It seems like we have a fighting chance on the sale of the City's parking assets.

    On the litigation front, we have won almost every single case we initiated, including two suits against Cincinnati Public Schools for campaigning with tax dollars, we nailed Laure Quinlvan and Si Leis for the same, ... we could go on, but this notion that we lose everything we undertake is a bit of fantasy on your part.

    It's really kind of funny to read comments like this from folks who are either terribly uninformed (but act as if they are informed) or are intentionally slanting the truth on our own blog where readers know better.

    You are very amusing.

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  3. Oh yeah, in 2007, we won the Sam Adams Alliance's top national award (with a $10,000 prize) for having the most effective grass roots organization in the nation.

    But, yah, all we do is tweet and lose lawsuits. Sure.

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  4. And remind us, ummmm, what have you done lately?

    And just how is that Streetcar coming along?

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  5. I understand and expect most of your agenda for 2013, but I'm confused about the opposition to the privatized parking. Current government run parking is horrible at helping small businesses. I own a restaurant downtown and after 5 every single space becomes full for the rest of the night. My costumers coming at 6-9PM have no where to go other than big old garages. I have to pay for valet (which costs my customers $8 a night) because there are no meters available. Even if the meters continued to 8 or 9PM at $2 an hour, that would be cheaper for most of my costumers than valet, and I wouldn't have to subsidize part of the valet cost. It might mean that parking options would grow, meaning rather than driving for blocks my costumers could find a spot right outside.

    Finally, the Chicago deal is HORRIBLE, agreed! But Indianapolis is phenomenal. They've had privatized parking for almost 2 years, the rate downtown is $1.50 and they have technology like a text 5 minutes before your meter ends, and you can see open parking spots on an iphone app like google maps.

    If the Cincinnati deal looks like Indianpolis's I'd think COAST would support it as it gets a non-government function into the private sector and out of bureaucratic hands. If it looks like Chicago's, sure I'll oppose it, but I've heard that there is no deal because they are still negotiating it. Once we see it I'll make up my mind on how it would help my business.

    ReplyDelete

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