Amy Murray Leading in the City Council Endorsement Race

According to a review of endorsements over at the enjoyment and contemplation blog, Amy Murray leads city council candidates and John Cranley leads in the mayors race for most endorsements.

Murray is supported by eight groups: Republican Party, Charter Committee, Green Party, Chamber of Commerce, the Homebuilders Association, Board of Realtors, Fraternal Order of Police and Save Cincinnati.

Cranley enjoys the support of the Green Party, Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Fire Fighters and Save Cincinnati. While Qualls has only one endorsement listed.

Also, though not noted by the blog, Murray and Cranley were both endorsed by the Enquirer.

The seven candidates with the most endorsements all oppose the streetcar, and the top eight all oppose the Parking Plot. Makes you think the reason all those incumbents are avoiding talking about their records is because they know the voters hate those records.

We look forward to comparing the endorsement rankings to to final results tomorrow night.

Amy Murray - Parking Lease is "Band-Aid"

From Amy Murray: Statement of Cincinnati City Council Candidate Amy Murray on Parking Issue

Cincinnati City Council candidate Amy Murray is concerned that Council is promoting a parking deal that is bad for residents, bad for businesses, and bad for our city.    Statement of Amy Murray:    "Once again, Council is making short-term, band-aid fixes to avoid addressing the real problem of a structurally imbalanced budget. I applaud the City for coordinating with the Port Authority in trying to manage parking lease issues. However, as I read this plan, I feel that we have gotten very far off track.

Cincinnati Budget Punishes Workers While Ignoring Reality

Special Guest Column by Amy Murray

Cincinnati’s proposed budget has generated a great deal of heat, particularly the proposal to privatize street parking meters – which from experience in other cities will mean higher costs and aggressive ticketing enforcement by a private company seeking maximum revenue. This move will make downtown and neighborhood business districts less desirable and drive away customers and visitors.

What seems to have been lost in the shuffle is the proposal to eliminate the municipal income tax reciprocity credit.  This credit allows Cincinnati residents to work outside the city without being hit by double municipal taxation. 

For example, my neighbor across the street works in Blue Ash.  Currently, she pays 2.1% in municipal income taxes: 1.5% to Blue Ash, and .6% to Cincinnati.  Under the Proposed Budget, my neighbor will pay 3.6% in municipal taxes: 1.5% to Blue Ash and 2.1% to Cincinnati.  That’s an increase of 71%! It’s even worse for my neighbor who works in Norwood.  She will be paying 4.1% in municipal income taxes!  That’s a 95% tax increase! This tax increase is expected to generate $6.5 Million from 15,000 Cincinnatians.  That’s over $430 per person in 2013.  Do you know anyone with an extra $430 in their pocket?  I sure don’t.

Of course, this new tax arrangement won’t work in reverse.  Live in Blue Ash and work in Cincinnati?  You currently pay a maximum of 2.1% municipal income tax rate.  If Cincinnati ends its reciprocity agreement, you’ll still pay a maximum 2.1% tax.  The City Manager’s budget plan only works to punish Cincinnati residents who find work outside the city limits. I guess they want to stop encouraging people to live in the City.

Does anyone believe that increasing taxes won’t harm efforts to attract and retain businesses in Cincinnati and surrounding communities?  Increasing taxes will only lead to a greater exodus of working families from Cincinnati. Simply put, eliminating the municipal income tax reciprocity credit is not the solution to Cincinnati’s budget woes – it will only make it worse through the loss of residents who work outside the city taking their tax dollars with them.

But there is more. This budget is being balanced on the back of the residents and businesses of Cincinnati including all these cost increases to work and/or live in the city

• Increasing rates for all city parking meters and garages
•  Raising property taxes to the maximum level allowed by law
• Eliminate reciprocity between jurisdictions on the earning tax
• Eliminating trash collection for all commercial properties

And even with all of these higher taxes, the City’s budget will still, yet again, be structurally unbalanced. The City continues to spend each year more than it takes in. This has caught the attention of S&P who has attached a negative outlook to its debt rating for the city of Cincinnati.

I encourage you to write to your City Council members and remind them that it is a tough economic time for everyone and the City should limit their spending and balance the budget without causing a greater burden to the families and businesses in the city!

ROXANNE QUALLS	roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov
CHRIS SEELBACH	Chris.Seelbach@cincinnati-oh.gov
YVETTE SIMPSON	Yvette.Simpson@cincinnati-oh.gov
LAURE QUINLIVAN	laure.quinlivan@cincinnati-oh.gov
WENDELL YOUNG	wendell.young@cincinnati-oh.gov
CECIL THOMAS	cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov
P.G. SITTENFELD	PG.Sittenfeld@cincinnati-oh.gov
CHRISTOPHER SMITHERMAN	Christopher.Smitherman@cincinnati-oh.gov
CHARLIE WINBURN	charlie.winburn@cincinnati-oh.gov
ENTIRE COUNCIL AT ONCE	citycouncil@cincinnati-oh.gov

Issue 4 -- extending Council terms -- is a disaster for Cincinnati

Power grab by Council must be defeated

Last year, COAST's crack legal team nailed Laure Quinlivan for using her office, office equipment and office staff to run her reelection campaign.  She now holds the distinction of being the only member of City Council permanently enjoined by Court order from that illegal activity.

Thus, it is a bit more than slightly ironic that it is Quinlivan who is the prime sponsor of Issue 4, a power grab by members of City Council to extend their terms for four years, and even extend term limits for some.

This Council has nefarious business planned over the coming few years -- extending the Streetcar, increasing taxes, laying off police and firemen, and continuing their refusal to address the City's acute and chronic pension problems.  But the only way they can continue their odious conduct unchecked is if they eliminate the ability of the voters to remove them from office.  That is the cynical and megalomaniacal plot behind Issue 4.

Fortunately, a broad coalition of community leadershas joined in opposition to Issue 4, including COAST and its Chairman Tom Brinkman, former members of Council Amy Murray (Republican), Jeff Berding (Democrat), former Council member Chris Bortz (Charterite/Republican), and former Mayor Charlie Luken (Democrat).  In almost unprecedented unity, the Republican Party and Charter Committee oppose Issue 4.  Former Council candidate Kevin Flynn (who serves as Charter Committee Chair) has shown impressive leadership on the issue.  The amendment is opposed by the NAACP and the Black Baptist Ministers, and African American leaders Christopher Smitherman, Dock Foster and Charlie Winburn.

Indeed, COAST sees in the Issue 4 opposition a potential coalition to bring sanity to City hall, black and white, east, central and west, and Republican, Democrat and Charterite.

Very simply, COAST believes that Cincinnati's voters rightly should reject this power grab by incumbent Council members on election day.  They should preserve the voters' veto of the policies of this or any Council.

Vote NO on Issue 4.  Request a Yard Sign Here.