Stop the Streetcar! - Contact Council Now

Council's third reading of the Ordinances to Stop the Streetcar will begin at 2 pm today. Get to City Hall and show your support for the City.

If you can't make it there in person, click the links below to email or call the Mayor and Council and let them know it's time to stop the Streetcar!

Mayor Cranley	352-3250
Vice Mayor David Mann	352-4610
Yvette Simpson	352-5260
Kevin Flynn	352-4550
Amy Murray	352-3640
Chris Seelbach	352-5210
P.G. Sittenfeld	352-5270
Christopher Smitherman	352-3464
Charlie Winburn	352-5354
Wendell Young	352-3466
Whole Council

Watch the $17.4 Million Vote here

CIty Council's Budget Committee will be voting on an additional $17.4 Million for the Streetcar Boondoggle Project this afternoon. Beginning at 1 pm you can watch the kabuki theatre committee meeting and the vote below.

Contact City Hall Today

As COAST reported here, the proposed Cincinnati Budget relies on income tax increases, property tax increases and increased fees for services. COAST had the story before the Enquirer; Business Courier; television news or talk radio.

These increased taxes include an end to the municipal income tax credit, which would mean double taxation for thousands of Cinciannatians.  Also included is addtional property tax, roughly $46 per $100,000 of value - this is in addition to the Hamilton County Property Tax increase.

Meanwhile, the Streetcar Boondoggle continues.

Contact Council today and let them know you oppose increased taxes and fees and want an end to the Streetcar.

Use the information below to call or email council today:

Call Council at 352-1576

Click on the name or copy and paste the email address

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

Mahogany's owner turns her self in; arrested

We hate to pat ourselves on the back for this one, but when we endorsed Christopher Smitherman for City Council in 2011, we had no idea he would stand quite as he has on this one  -- perceptive, prescient and principled.

It made no sense from Day #1 to loan $1 million of City monies to a couple who have a $49,000 federal tax lien, but this crazy Council voted to do just that.

Then, yesterday, WXIX reported that there was a warrant out for the arrest for one of the owners for non-payment of another judgment.  The warrant was issued by Judge Fanon Rucker.

Here, the Enquirer reports that Liz Rogers has turned herself in to the Butler County Sheriff, and was released on bond.

Council is still standing behind the $1 million loan.

We knew this day would come. Council tries to overturn term limits

It ain't gonna happen

In 1991, Cincinnati voters enacted term limits on members of Cincinnati City Council, and that provision has served us well since that time.  This amended was authored by COAST's esteemed counsel, Chris Finney.

That year, David Mann tried to engineer an anti-term limits amendment, cynically designed to confuse the voters.  It didn't work!  And voters since then have had new blood injected every few years as a result. (Not always good blood, but new blood.)

Various Councils since that time have flirted with attempts to un-do term limits.  They have all floundered, knowing that upwards of 70% of the electorate supports limiting legislative terms.

Well, this year, Laure Quinlivan reports that she has the votes on a Charter Amendment to repeal Term Limits.  These are, of course, the same folks who have brought you the Streetcar, the Freedom Center, the $4.4 million Glass Atrium at City Hall, the Riverfront Transit Center, and on and on and on. 

COAST intends to fight it all the way.

We will keep you informed.