Seventeen questions Roxanne Qualls really does not want to answer

One of the fortunate developments emerging out of the great 2013 City Hall budget debate has been the loss of credibility of Mayor Mark Mallory and Finance Committee Chairman Roxanne Qualls, who is running to succeed the term-limited and failed mayor.

Over the past seven years, the media has largely been an embarrassing lapdog for the powers at City Hall, Mallory and Qualls lead among them, and indeed the editorial page at the Enquirer has been a predictable cheerleader for every Qualls candidate and idea during her most recent time on Council.

But through all the lies on the Parking Plot and the City budget, we have noticed an ever so subtle shift that we hope is indicative of a more objective viewpoint from Cincinnati Fourth Estate as we head into the summer and fall Mayoral election campaign.

And as we approach that important decision for the future of our fair City, we note that there are ten important questions to be asked of Roxanne Qualls that she really does not want to answer.  Perhaps the newly independent media will press her for some candor in these areas:

• If the new "responsible bidder" rules are so good for MSD, then why aren't they good enough for all City contracting, including the Streetcar project?

• When will you bring $17.4 million of new money for the Streetcar to a vote

• When will the Streetcar start to run?

• Why is the Streetcar taking so long?

• How much will the Streetcar operating deficit be & how did you come up with that number?

• What has suffered in City budget as result of spending $50 million to date on Streetcar?

• When the Streetcar is abandoned, how will you then justify your foolish votes to fund it?

• As to the Parking Plot, why did you help peddle the notion that we cannot use parking meter revenues for the general fund, knowing was not true?

• As to the Parking Plot, why did you lie about police & fire layoffs as we circulated the referendum petition?

• As to the Parking Plot, why did you lie about need for those new dollars to do 4th St. condo deal, when we now know that also was not true?

• As to the City budget, next year will you try to raise earnings tax to 2.5 or 2.8% to fund your budget over-spending?

• As to the City budget, how will you balance hopelessly structurally imbalanced Budget just 12 months from today?

• As to the City budget, why do you threaten police and fire jobs each and every year only to "save" them at last minute?

• As to the CIty budget, do you think we are well-served by the structurally-imbalanced budgets you pass annually?

• Why did you vote to put $4 million glass roof on City Hall courtyard?

• Will you keep Milton Dohoney as City Manager if you are elected Mayor?

• Do you approve of serial lies City Manager Milton Dohoney told to Cincinnati voters in attempt save the Parking Plot from a referendum? 

It's time for some hardball, ladies and gentlemen of the press! And don't accept her artful dodges as "answers" to these and other tough questions, as is de rigueur in this town!