Paranoia Grips City Hall

There’s a mole (or moles) in City Hall, and the Parking Plotters are on the hunt.

In a July email, Councilmember Seelbach’s staffer Jon Harmon sets out the frustrations of Mayor Mallory, Roxanne Qualls and Chris Seelbach.

“additionally, it's another sign that the Administration has a huge leak and it's getting annoying that they don't even try to find out who it is.” Wrote Harmon to Qualls staffer Jennifer O’Donnell who then forwarded it to Qualls.

We find it interesting that Seelbach and Qualls’ staffs were more upset about the leak than the document. We also find it interesting that these communications were made using non-public email addresses. It’s almost like their trying to cover their tracks and hide the fact of these emails?

  Paranoia Sets In

The New Rules of the Game

Conservatives are used to being a punching bag, especially in the past fifteen years. When Hillary Clinton ran for Senate in 2000, her opponents treaded softly to avoid being labeled "sexist." In 2008 and 2012 the debates were like an exercise in eggshell walking as no one wanted to be labeled a racist. Remember even Bill Clinton was tagged a racist for supporting his wife in the campaign against Barrack Obama. 

So it should come as no surprise when politicians of whatever favored group, female, minority, homosexual, cry wolf every time their political opponents disagree with them and challenge their official actions.

We understand just such an attack is coming from German Lopez shortly over our desire to see Chris Seelbach defeated after he stabbed Cincinnatians in the back on the Parking Plot. 

We thoroughly disagree with Seelbach's actions on that and many other votes. 

We don't base our policy disagreements on Seelbach's sexuality, his skin color or his hair color. 

We disagree with his positions on the issues. 

Likewise, we have agreed and disagreed with other politicians who are or are rumored to be homosexual. Neither despite of nor because of their sexuality; but based solely the merits of the policies they supported.

It cheapens our society and it does real damage to people who face real discrimination when such cheap political stunts are pulled.

We really hoped we could expect better from the Councilman and his supporters in the media.  Clearly we were wrong to hold out such hope.

Why Can't Chris Seelbach Keep His Hands Out of Cincinnati's Cookie Jar

Once again, Chris Seelbach proves the rule that Cincinnati's Democrat establishment is, by and large, self-serving and corrupt.

Pam Thomas Pulls a Seelbach!

In the vote on an additional $17.4 Million (by no means the last "additional" funding this project will require), Cincinnati's newest Councilmember, Pamula Thomas voted "no" on the ordinance and "Yes" on the emergency.

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.

And the Winner(?) Is...

All of Cincinnati waits with bated breath as the votes were counted. And now we know that the most despicable of the Parking Plotters is...

CHRIS SEELBACH

Let's remember that it was Chris Seelbach's treachery that got us into this situation in the first place. For weeks he claimed he would oppose the Parking Plot, but then in a last minute switch, he voted for the emergency ordinance to disenfranchise the voters of Cincinnati.

City Voters File Motion to Stay Parking Plot Ruling

Citing, among other things, Mayor Mallory's bluffs and lies in the press and to the Court regarding police and fire layoffs (in essence proving the lie of the City's claim of "emergency"), the Cincinnati Voters who initiated the litigation and hence the Parking Plot Referendum have asked the Court of Appeals to stay their ruling until the Ohio Supreme Court can rule on an appeal.

All sorts of Development going on without Parking Plot or Emergency Ordinances

As if we needed any more proof that City Manager Dohoney, Mayor Mallory and their Gang of Six (Qualls, Quinlivan, Seelbach, Simpson, Thomas and Young) were bluffing, a quick rundown of some of the developments happening in Cincinnati without either the Parking Plot money or Emergency Ordinances.

Most Bizarre Part of Plotter Presser

The Parking Plotter Presser was billed as a press conference featuring the Mayor and council members along with community leaders. Noticeably absent were the community leaders.

Not a single community council president, not one CEO, not even a representative from the Port Authority, was willing to stand next to Mallory and Qualls. Maybe that is what Qualls should be worried about!

But, fear not, because just as the presser was about to end, David Meredith spoke up to announce that he had changed his mind on the Parking Plot and now regrets having signed the petition.

We certainly hope no one takes this guy seriously. Clearly he was there to make up for the missing Seelbach, filling the weirdo OTR resident role. He did so most admirably.

Watch the Mayor's Presser Here

Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the Parking Plotters' Presser is, as Mayor Mallory himself noted several times, the longest press conference of Mallory's public life.

Huh, in seven years of structurally unbalanced budgets, year after year of crisis to crisis management, and only today does he find it necessary to spend half an hour with the press.

Mallory, surrounded by five of the gang of six members (Seelbach was there in spirit though), engaged in the same old tired scare tactics and bullying, hectoring, strategy. Proving that they are afraid.

Let us clarify a point for the Mayor and his sycophants. Judge Winkler ruled that the people of Cincinnati, speaking through the City Charter, retain the right to referendum on all actions of City Council. Judge Winkler did not give any power or take away any power. That is not the role of a judge. He read the Charter and he applied it.

Watch the full press conference below

John Cranley and Brian Thomas Discuss Streetcar, Mayor's Race

Cincinnati Mayoral Candidate, John Cranley, spoke with Brian Thomas this morning on 55KRC. Cranley discussed the Cincinnati Streetcar Boondoggle (he is opposed to this wasteful program), the Mayor's race and the latest fetish of our crazy council - Portland Loos - $130,000 public toilets that Chris Seelbach wants to install throughout downtown.

Listen Below:

Read the Standard & Poor’s Report on Cincinnati

At the end of November Standard & Poor’s provided the below report on Cincinnati’s creditworthiness.  Note this line:

The outlook revision reflects our view of the city's revenue losses, which are contributing to a forecasted structurally-imbalanced budget for 2013

The budget Council is passing today does nothing to address the issues raised by S&P and only serves to hasten the city's decline.

In short, Cincinnati is screwed. Mallory and Qualls have proven themselves unserious and the rubber stamp crew: Quinlivan; Seelbach; Young; Thomas; and Simpson allow them to destroy a once great city with impunity.

SP Report - Cincinnati OH - Nov 2012

Chris Seelbach is a funny guy

Politicians surprise us in their stupidity, or perhaps into fooling themselves into how stupid the voters are.  And it's funny to watch them prevaricate to squirm out of a tough spot.

Yesterday the Finance Committee of Cincinnati City Council moved the budget proposal of City Manager Milton Dohoney on to Council for a vote by approving the same, with some not insignificant modifications.  However, the most controversial of the Dohoney proposals, the long-term lease of the right to regulate parking spaces (and collect revenue therefrom) along Cincinnati streets, received approved of a 5-4 approval of the Committee. And Councilman Chris Seelbach was one of the majority approving the budget proposal.

Now, the parking proposal has been widely panned by COAST, the normally silent Enquirer editorial board, the Hyde Park Community Council and the Clifton Town Meeting.  Thus, timid and cowardly Council members are naturally shying from the idea.

Thus, notwithstanding this fairly straightforward parliamentary process to approve the budget that included Seelbach's affirmative vote, Seelbach shortly thereafter tweeted and maintains that he does not support ceding parking sovereignty on public streets to a private company.

Thus, Seelbach wants it both ways.  He voted to "balance" the City's budget on the back of the ill-conceived parking idea, yet he maintains publicly that he oppses the idea.  Huh?

Yeah, Seelbach claims he is against the privitization even though he voted for it.

Chris Seelbach is a funny guy.

Chris Seelbach 911 Call

Councilman Chris Seelbach was allegedly assaulted Sunday Monday night outside Mainstay Rock Bar.

We have received further reports that Mr. Seelbach started drinking on Sunday at about 7 pm and was actually cut off at one establishment before making his way to Mainstay.  So when he tells the 911 operator, "I have been drinking, for sure."  We believe him!  For Sure!

In his 911 call he identifies himself as a City Councilman four times in less than one minute.  You don't think he was expecting special treatment do you?

Smitherman, Qualls and Seelbach oppose Mahogany's Funding

Mahogany's Restaurant, whose owners owe more than $49,000 in federal tax delinquencies, today received a nearly $1 million grant and loan package from the City to build out their restaurant improvements at the Banks on a 6-3 vote from the Batshit Crazy Council.  Read the Enquirer's report of the funding here.

Only Council members Smitherman, Qualls and Seelbach opposed the deal.

Smitherman reports that the City administration refused to share the details of the loan application with the members of Council before they voted on the loan proposal.

A tip of our cap to those Council members who appear to think like businessmen in this matter.  We are not quite sure what the other six were thinking.