Freedom Center goes back to the teat

The gyrations of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center to grab more and more of our tax monies have become more desperate and more dramatic as the finances of the institution spiral downward.  Just in the past two weeks, City Council gave the NURFC yet another $300,000 taxpayer bailout and the NURFC’s renewed drive to become a full-time federal project was revealed.

First, a visit to its 2009 Federal 990 form, a document filed by non-profits and available to the public.  You can get your copy here.  A few highlights from that document:

·         The NURFC (page 9, Part VIII, line 2(a)) had revenue from admissions of only $525,690.  At the $12 adult admission price, that’s a mere 43,807 paying attendees for an entire year.   That’s 120 persons per day.  That’s less than the daily attendance at the basement-dwelling Cincinnati Bengals and fewer persons than the Reds attract to two average homes games.

·         The NURFC saw contributions in 2009 drop by more than half, from $6.1 million in 2008 to $2.3 million in 2009 (page 1, line 8).

·         The NURFC’s investment income dropped in from $1.2 million in 2008 to a loss of $4.3 million in 2009 (page 1, line 10).

·         The NURFC sustained a loss of $12.3 million in 2009 (page 1, line 19).

·         Of its contributions and grants, more than half ($1.182 million came from government grants).

·         The NURFC sustained a net loss on the sale of securities of $4.8 million last year (page 9, Part VIII, line 7(d)).

·         Its cash from the beginning of the year to the end of the year deterioriated from $2.8 million to $700,000 (Page 11, Part X, line 1).

·         The NURFC spent $348,953 on lobbying expenses in 2009 (page 3, Part II-B, line 1(f)).

·         NURFC Executive Director Donald Murphy is taking home a cool $259,419 in salary and benefits for running the place so nicely. 

To date, the total infusion of government cash into the NURFC exceeds $65,000,000.  If you amortize that investment out over 30 years, the useable life of the building, the subsidy per year is $2.167 million per year.  Divided by the estimated 43,800 annual paying attendees, equals a government subsidy of $49.47 for every single man, woman and child that enters the facility.

In late December, astonishingly, Cincinnati City Council voted to give the NURFC another $300,000 from the coffers of a flat-broke City.

And then Friday, the Enquirer reported that, once again, the cash-hemmoraging NURFC is pinning longevity homes on the National Park Service adopting the institution as a federal institution, thus forever freeing the losing proposition from market forces and any semblance of common sense in its operations.

Republican Presidential Primary beauty contest comes to Hamilton County

MN Governor Tim Pawlenty comes to town

COASTer John Rabenold announces that the Northeast Hamilton County Republican Club is hosting its 12th Annual Pancake Breakfast featuring Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty with an introduction by US Sen. Rob Portman on January 29, 2011 from 9AM to  11AM at the Sharonville Convention Center.   Cost is $15 per person and $35 per family.  You may e-mail your RSVP to NEHCRC@yahoo.com.  Suppers are available on-site for young kids.  Also, e-mail the same address for sponsorship opportunities.  

Higher Taxes Won't Reduce the Deficit

From yesterday's Wall Street Journal:
History shows that when Congress gets more revenue, the pols spend it.

The draft recommendations of the president's commission on deficit reduction call for closing popular tax deductions, higher gas taxes and other revenue raisers to drive tax collections up to 21% of GDP from the historical norm of about 18.5%. Another plan, proposed last week by commission member and former Congressional Budget Office director Alice Rivlin, would impose a 6.5% national sales tax on consumers.

The claim here, echoed by endless purveyors of conventional wisdom in Washington, is that these added revenues—potentially a half-trillion dollars a year—will be used to reduce the $8 trillion to $10 trillion deficits in the coming decade. If history is any guide, however, that won't happen. Instead, Congress will simply spend the money.

In the late 1980s, one of us, Richard Vedder, and Lowell Gallaway of Ohio University co-authored a often-cited research paper for the congressional Joint Economic Committee (known as the $1.58 study) that found that every new dollar of new taxes led to more than one dollar of new spending by Congress. Subsequent revisions of the study over the next decade found similar results.

We've updated the research. Using standard statistical analyses that introduce variables to control for business-cycle fluctuations, wars and inflation, we found that over the entire post World War II era through 2009 each dollar of new tax revenue was associated with $1.17 of new spending. Politicians spend the money as fast as it comes in—and a little bit more.

"Quantitative Easing" = Govt printing its way out of debt

Driehaus' Pay to Play

 No more unanswered questions.  Just follow the money trail.

You may remember COAST's reporting of the closed door fundraiser with Congressman James Oberstar and Nancy Pelosi waterboy Steve Driehaus.  In August, Steve Driehaus met with Congressman James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a closed door meeting at the local offices of Parsons Brinkerhoff.  Liberal apologists defended the secret meeting, ensuring all that there was no quid pro quo.

As you may know, Parsons Brinkerhoff is a planning, engineering and construction management firm connected to many local boondoggles that either already have received government funding, or are poised to do so.  They are a member of the Cincinnati Streetcar Development Team, Project Manager for Governor Strickland's pet 3-C Rail project, as well as the Project Manager for the failed Riverfront Transit Center. 

It appears that COAST's reporting of top secret fundraiser for the Driehaus campaign following the closed meeting appears to be correct.  Was this meeting used as leverage by Driehaus to raise money from a contractor that stands to benefit from federal funding for local transportation projects?  You be the judge.  The Parsons Brinkerhoff PAC and Parsons Brinkerhoff President Fred Craig each contributed $500 to the Driehaus campaign.  Those contributions were deposited the very next day after the meeting.  Smell Fishy? 

Not coincidentally, Parsons Brinkerhoff's PAC also contributed $1000 to the campaign of Congressman Oberstar. 

"Steve Driehaus reminds us once again why we strongly oppose returning him to Congress," said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd.  "Driehaus is clearly a willing participant in the big-money culture of corruption in politics."  Gloyd continued, "The shameful pay to play atmosphere that Driehaus has gladly wallowed in is exactly what's wrong with our representatives in Washington."

Portman makes COAST "Hometown Proud"

Southwest Ohio should come through for Cincinnati talent

Rob Portman has won over Ohio as he did Ohio's 2nd Congressional District

COAST was lucky to have had Congressman Rob Portman as its featured speaker for its 2010 fundraiser, because it seems that he is going to be mighty busy from here out.

Sunday, Washington Post columnist David Broder named Rob Portman "a man to watch" and "conceivably ... the Republican presidential nominee in 2016. "

Eastern Hamilton County, and Warren and Clermont Counties were fortunate to have a Representative such as Portman for 12 years, before that seat was assumed by the disgraceful Jean Schmidt.

COAST wrote earlier this year about Portman's conservative bona fides, especialy on the tax and spending front. Suffice it to say that he distinguished himself at a time when Congress and the White House were doing precisely the opposite.

Thus, COAST has enthusiastically endorsed Portman in his Senate race against Democrat Lee Fischer, a conspirator of the failed vangard of old-line labor-democrat leaders in Ohio. It's not even a close call.

Fortunately, it looks like the voters share that perspective, with the latest polls giving Portman a 14- to 19-point advantage. Now, we just need to bring that win home on November 2.

The COAST endorsement is made with the greatest hope that Portman will go to Washington committed to fundamental change America needs -- and employ his impressive skills of persuasion to win over his recalictrant Republicans to that cause.

Best wishes, Rob!

Read all of COAST's fall 2010 endorsements here.

HuffPo chooses bus over rail

Liberals love to spend YOUR money on trains, but when it comes time to spend their own money, they invariably choose buses instead.

Liberal columnist Arianna Huffington didn't want Jon Stewart to embarass himself with an empty "Rally to Restore Sanity." So she offered to transport participants from New York City to Washington, DC.

So far she has arranged 100 motor coaches at a cost of about $250,000. Each bus seats an average of 50 people, making the complimentary round trip fare worth about $50 a head.

Rail service is plentiful between NYC and DC. The northeast corridor carries 1/3 of all rail passengers in the whole country. Why not take the train? For a round trip bewtween Penn Station & Union Station departing 10/29/10 and retunring 10/31/10, Amtrak's cheapest fare is about $100. That's regular snail rail, which takes about 3-1/2 hours each way, not the 80MPH (average speed) Acela, which is $270 round trip.

But the important thing to remember is that, at those fares, the bus company is MAKING money, while Amtrak is LOSING money.

When planning your travel, make the the fiscally responsible choice, like Arianna did. Ditch the rail and look for a bus. Or if you're fortunate enough to still have a job, and can't spare the time away for a travel day, drive.

Government Trains Cripple France & Britain

Millions of people across the pond received a lesson in the American value of Emersonian self-reliance today as government rail left them stranded. Commuters in Paris packed into cars during the reduced service, and London buses were overflowing. City sidewalks were full of walkers and thousands of bikers took to the streets in both capitals.

Strikes hobbled public transit across France and in London on Tuesday, forcing tourists and commuters to alter their plans as they bore the brunt of a wave of discontent over government cost-cutting measures — a wave expected to soon prompt walkouts elsewhere on the continent.
French unions staged a nationwide walkout over plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, cutting service on trains, planes, buses and subways. London Underground workers unhappy about job cuts closed much of the city's subway system — the first in a series of 24-hour strikes planned for the fall.

The French strike coincides with the start of debate in parliament over a plan to overhaul the money-losing pension system so it will break even in 2018. The government insists the reform is essential as people are living longer, and it has urged everyone to show "courage" as it tries to chip away at the huge national debt.

The French retirement age of 60 is already among the lowest in Europe. In contrast, neighboring Germany has decided to bump the retirement age from 65 to 67 and the U.S. Social Security system is gradually raising the retirement age to 67.

Meanwhile the Obama administration yesterday announced their intention to throw another $50 billion down the porkulus rat hole, including 4,000 more miles of rail transit, road repairs, and more trolleys. Just what we need, more dependence on an increasingly bankrupt federal government, and less self reliance.

It's not working for the Europeans, and it won't work for us either. The United States acheived her greatness through individuals taking responsibility for their own transportation. We won't regain our honor by shirking that responsibility onto the public.

More Homage to Our Favorite Word...

Driehaus' Big Dig?

Closed Door Meetings. Swanky Fundraisers. Unanswered Questions...

Steve Driehaus met with Congressman James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a closed door meeting at the local offices of Parsons Brinkerhoff earlier this month.  But many questions surrounding the true nature of this meeting, and visit, have been left unanswered.

Parsons Brinkerhoff is a planning, engineering and construction management firm connected to many local projects.  They are a member of the Cincinnati Streetcar Development Team, Project Manager for Governor Strickland's pet 3-C Rail project, as well as the Project Manager for the failed Riverfront Transit Center.  Parsons Brinkerhoff is most well known for the most expensive highway project in U.S. history, the "Big Dig."  This Massachusetts transit project ended up well over budget at $12 billion, was finished nine years late, and was the cause of a tragic death.

Apparently, Oberstar appeared at a fundraiser for the Driehaus campaign following the closed meeting.  So the question remains, was this meeting used as leverage by Driehaus to raise money from a contractor that stands to benefit from federal funding for local transportation projects, and who from Parsons Brinkerhoff contributed to his campaign in conjunction with this event.  COAST is calling on Driehaus to disclose what was discussed.

"Driehaus tries to make Oberstar's visit appear to be beneficial to the community," said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd.  "But if it were so beneficial, I'm a little confused as to why Oberstar's entire visit was closed to the public."  Gloyd continued, "This is exactly what is wrong with Washington.  You have an influential member of Congress visit, you hold private meetings where government contracts could be discussed with the very contractor that may benefit from these government contracts, and then you turn around and possibly raise money from these contractors?"

"This entire visit reeks of pay to play.  Steve Driehaus should disclose what was discussed and who was involved with the fundraiser," Gloyd said.  "If the Driehaus campaign is using local transportation projects as leverage for fundraising, then they need to be held accountable for their actions."

Hook, Line and Sinker

Guest article by Edmund Adams.

Sometimes he who takes the bait also gets the hook. That could happen to First District Congressman Steve Driehaus.

Representative Driehaus signed off on the health care bill when President Obama issued an executive order that purported to prohibit the federal funding of abortions. Whether the executive order did so is a matter of intense debate. If it did not, Driehaus has armed his challenger, Republican Steve Chabot, with a campaign issue potentially more decisive than Driehaus’s vote for Obamacare generally.

Both Driehaus and Steve Chabot are avowedly pro-life. Both are Catholics who attended Catholic high schools, Driehaus Elder and Chabot LaSalle. The First Congressional District remains heavily Catholic, although gerrymandering and changing demographics have whittled down that predominance.

While the polls show the country somewhat evenly divided on the pro-life, pro-choice issue, that’s not so with respect to abortion funding. Ohio Right to Life’s polls show that a surprising 72% of Ohioans oppose taxpayer funding of elective abortions. That’s what makes the question whether Obamacare funds abortions so critical in this year’s First District race.

Having been bounced from office by Driehaus in the 2008 Democrat landslide, Chabot had no vote on the health care bill. No one doubts, though, how the conservative Republican would have voted.

Driehaus, on the other hand, held out, along with Congressman Stupak and other pro-life House members, until the 11th hour, when President Obama rode to their rescue with an executive order that purportedly nullified any abortion funding in the health care bill. As explained in Driehaus’s website:

“I worked with my Congressional colleagues and the Administration to ensure that no federal funding will be used for abortion. The President’s executive order clarifies existing law and ensures that federal subsidies will not pay for abortion services.”

The Congressman’s website statement presents two critical issues: Did the health care bill provide for abortion funding and, if so, did the President’s executive order negate that? One relevant view is what the candidates’ own bishops have to say about that. The General Counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a scholarly legal analysis concluded that:

• The health care bill appropriates $9.5 billion for services at Community Health Centers that may be required to be used for elective abortions.

• The bill also provides tax credits for, and therefore subsidizes, health care plans covering elective abortions.

• Because an executive order cannot amend or contradict Congressional legislation, the President did not have the power to prevent the federal funding of abortions.

With his fingers controlling the temperature knob as this campaign progresses, Chabot will have the opportunity to ratchet up the heat on Driehaus’s Congressional seat. Chabot can do so by advising a public overwhelmingly opposed to taxpayer funding of abortions that according to the candidates’ own bishops that’s precisely what Driehaus voted for when he took the President’s bait, hook, line and sinker.

Edmund Adams is a retired attorney living in Columbia-Tusculum.

A short civics lesson

    The Washington Post babbled again today about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush.  Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this nonsense.  So once more, a short civics lesson.

    Budgets do not come from the White House.  They come from Congress, and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party.  They controlled the budget process for FY 2008 and FY 2009, as well as FY 2010 and FY 2011.  In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.

    For FY 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office.  At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.

    And where was Barack Obama during this time?  He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009.  Let's remember what the deficits looked like during that period:    (below)



    If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets.  That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending.  After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.  If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.

    In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is, “I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.” 

Pork no longer kosher

This month a Republican senator from Utah, a Democratic congressman from West Virginia and a Republican-turned-Democrat senator from Pennsylvania have been beaten in their bids for re-election . They all have one thing in common: They are members of an Appropriations Committee.

There is an old saying on Capitol Hill that there are three parties -- Democrats, Republicans and appropriators. One reason that it has been hard to hold down government spending is that appropriators of both parties have an institutional and political interest in spending.

Their defeats are an indication that spending is not popular this year. So is the decision, shocking to many Democrats, of House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey to retire after a career of 41 years. Obey maintains that the vigorous campaign of a young Republican in his district didn't prompt his decision. But his retirement is evidence that, suddenly this year, pork is not kosher.

It has long been a maxim of political scientists that American voters are ideologically conservative and operationally liberal. That is another way of saying that they tend to oppose government spending in the abstract but tend to favor spending on particular programs.
In the past rebellions against fiscal policy have concentrated on taxes rather than spending. In the 1970s, when inflation was pushing voters into higher tax brackets, tax revolts broke out in California and spread east. Ronald Reagan's tax cuts were popular, but spending cuts did not follow. Bill Clinton's tax increases led to the Republican takeover and to tax cuts at both the federal and state levels but spending boomed under George W. Bush.

The rebellion against the fiscal policies of the Obama Democrats, in contrast, is concentrated on spending. The Tea Party movement began with Rick Santelli's rant in February 2009, long before the scheduled expiration of the Bush tax cuts in January 2011.

What we are seeing is a spontaneous rush of previously inactive citizens into political activity, a movement symbolized but not limited to the Tea Party movement, in response to the vast increases in federal spending that began with the Troubled Asset Relief Program legislation in fall 2008 and accelerated with the Obama Democrats' stimulus package, budget and health care bills.

The Tea Party folk are focusing on something real. Federal spending is rising from about 21 percent to about 25 percent of gross domestic product -- a huge increase in historic terms -- and the national debt is on a trajectory to double as a percentage of GDP within a decade. That is a bigger increase than anything since World War II.

Now the political scientists' maxim seems out of date. The Democrat who won the Pennsylvania 12th Congressional District special election opposed the Democrats' health care law and cap-and-trade bills. The Tea Party-loving Republican who won the Senate nomination in Kentucky jumped out to a big lead. The defeat of the three appropriators, who among them have served 76 years in Congress (and whose fathers served another 42), is the canary that stopped singing in the coal mine.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/The-gathering-revolt-against-government-spending-94603774.html#ixzz0ovqWTIEw

America's Hard Right Turn

COAST congratulates member Rand Paul on his well deserved victory over establishment golden boy Trey Grayson in yesterday's Kentucky Republican senatorial primary race.

"I have a message from the tea party," said Paul at his victory speech. "We've come to take our government back." He added: "this tea party movement is a message to Washington that we are unhappy and we want things done differently.".

Former PA senator Arlen "RINO" Specter was never a real Republican, but his record finally caught up with him. Realizing he could not be reelected as a Republican, he switched to the Democratic party to try for a sixth term. They rejected him too, electing Joe Sestak to face Pat Toomey in the general election.

President Obama campaigned for Specter and three others, all of whom were defeated. Fiscal conservatives who ran or governed as such did very well.

More Winter Rail Fails

Local rail junkies continue to perpetuate the fiction that rail travel is somehow immune from snow and ice. They imply that travel delays will magically disappear if we will only open our wallets (and those of our children and grandchildren) to rework our entire transportation infrastructure around passenger rail.

Another winter storm battering the eastern United States foreshadows our tragic losses if we do. Amtrak operates most of its routes, and its most highly traveled routes in the affected region. They have also been selected to operate the 3C Snail Rail Boondoggle here in Ohio. Amtrak operates the only high speed rail line (Acela) in the USA from Boston to DC. Here's what's happening in that neck of the woods:

Amtrak Service Adjustments Due to Severe Winter Weather
February 6, 2010
9:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON, DC – Due to severe winter weather conditions, which has resulted in downed trees and power lines on portions of tracks in Virginia, the Carolinas and across the mid-Atlantic region, Amtrak has canceled several trains for February 6.
The following operating plan is in effect for Saturday, February 6:
Carolinian trains 79 and 80 will operate only between Raleigh and Charlotte with no alternate transportation between New York and Raleigh. Palmetto trains 89 and 90 are canceled in their entirety between New York and Savannah.

Northbound Northeast Regionals:
• Train 82 is canceled in its entirety between Richmond and Boston
• Train 88 is canceled Richmond to Washington
• Train 194 is canceled Newport News to Washington
• Train 66 is canceled in its entirety. (Washington to Boston)
• Train 156 is canceled Lynchburg to New York.
• Train 152 is canceled Washington to New York.
• Train 160 is canceled Washington to New York but will operate between New York and Boston.
• Train 192 is canceled Washington to New York.
• Train 182 is canceled Washington to New York.

Southbound Northeast Regionals:
• Train 195 is canceled Washington to Richmond with no alternate transportation.
• Train 67 is canceled in its entirety. (Boston to Washington)
• Train 99 is canceled New York to Washington.
• Train 147 is canceled Washington to Lynchburg.
• Train 165 is canceled Boston to Washington.
• Train 199 is canceled New York to Washington
• Train 159 is canceled New York to Washington
• Train 121 is canceled New York to Washington Acela Express Service: Acela Express trains 2207 and 2251 between New York and Washington and train 2220 between Washington and New York are canceled. Silver Service trains 97 and 98, operating between New York and Miami are canceled with no alternate transportation. Trains 91 and 92 will operate between Miami and Savannah only. Crescent trains 19 and 20, which operates between New York and New Orleans, are canceled with no alternate transportation. The Auto Train is canceled in its entirety between Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL. Capitol Limited trains 29 and 30, operating between Washington and Chicago is canceled with no alternate transportation.

All other Amtrak service, including the Piedmont (Raleigh - Charlotte) is expected to operate normally.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.

DC Metrorail also cancelled all above-ground train service starting at 9PM last night, which continues through today until who knows when. In Philadelphia, SEPTA cancelled all trolley and regional rail service for the day.

With rail service at a virtual standstill, one might wonder how all those poor automobile travellers are faring. These cities all have real time traffic info available online from a system similar to our Artimis.

There are a few splotches of red here and there, and quite a lot of yellow, as you would expect during the height of a snowpocalypse, but look at all that green! Looks like the people who choose to be responsible for their own transportation are getting through, while those who depend on government-operated transit will be left out in the cold.

2010-02-09 Update: Unsuck DC Metro has a good followup post here.

Marcia Coakley Loses in MA WTF?-ROTFLMFAO

"Let me see if I have this straight. You need to replace perhaps the most beloved liberal in the history of the Senate with a candidate that believes Curt Schilling is a Yankee fan. Because if this lady loses, the health care reform bill that the beloved late senator considered his legacy will die," Stewart said. "And the reason it will die is because if Coakley loses, Democrats will only then have an 18-vote majority in the Senate. Which is more than George W. Bush ever had in the Senate when he did whatever the f**k he wanted to do."

Streetcars Prove Economically Unjustifiable, So Feds Revise Rules

To receive federal funding for a rail project, cities previously had to prove that it was the lowest cost way to reduce pollution or commute times. The Obama administration wants to funnel more money to streetcars, which do neither, and are most often the highest cost alternative, so they've changed the rules to reward "livability" instead. (Who on earth would want to live in a trolley?)

The new policy announced Wednesday, is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to use transportation and housing programs to keep people from driving and living where they want to, and to invent government make-work jobs related to transit. It might breathe new life into makers of light-rail and other transit equipment who could never survive in the free market.

Among more than 80 cities that could now qualify for funding are Seattle; Cincinnati; Boise, Idaho; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.), who led the push for a federal program designed to promote transit projects whether they make sense or not.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the administration would immediately rescind the "budget restrictions" enacted by the Bush administration and focus on evaluating projects based on the environmental, community and economic-development benefits, as well as on congestion relief. The decision will now also be based on whether or not they're "pretty".

It is arbitrary and capricious to use a nebulous standard like "livability" when awarding public money, especially when there is evidence to show it doesn't matter. Today The Urbanophile critiqued the allegedly legendary livability of Portland, OR, and found their statistics weren't appreciably different from those of Indianapolis, IN, which has no rail transit at all, and barely has a bus system.

Public money should only be invested in public projects that create a measureable public benefit.

Driehaus aide convicted of election fraud

Media again hides dirty democrat secret

Local Enquirer readers in October and November learned about a paid campaign worker for the pro-casino, Issue 3 campaign’s conviction for election fraud.  What the local media failed to report was that this felon was instrumental in the 2008 election of Steve Driehaus to the United States Congress.  COAST wonders if the remainder of his campaign is as dirty.

Walter Sullivan, a worker for a vendor promoting State Issue 3 legalizing four casinos in Ohio, was caught in October of falsifying multiple absentee ballot applications as a first step toward stuffing the ballot box.  In December, he pled guilty to five  felony charges and was placed on two years of probation by Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Pat DeWine.

What the media refuses to report, however, is that Sullivan was part of the democrat machine that helped elect democrat Steve Driehaus to Congress.  Read his resume here where Sullivan lists his employment with the Driehaus campaign.

On his myspace page, Sullivan calls himself “’Nati Thug” and brags of association with the Obama campaign, ACORN  and the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (http://www.myspace.com/nati_thug ).  One listed group, Grassroots Campaigns, who hired him starting in August of 2008, lists both the DCCC and ACORN as clients (http://grassrootscampaigns.com/clients.php ).

Pepper Seeks New Government Teat To Suckle

Freedom Center in talks to lean on Federal Government

Too many pigs suckling on state and local government
Forces Freedom Center to look to Washington

After sucking more than $70 million from the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and the State of Ohio with over-hyped attendance projections and financial performance (read: lies), the National Underground Freedom Center appears to have run out of luck getting more state and local funding. 

Thus, it has now turned to the Federal government as a new teat to suckle for its endless operating losses and capital budget needs.  The Federal Government, as everyone knows, is the source of endless largess and unlimited funds, and will hold no one accountable to  silly standards like attendance and fiscal performance goals.  The failed Freedom Center is brought to you courtesy of former Procter & Gamble Chairman and Current Walt Disney Corporation Chairman John Pepper, who of course could affored to endow the institution against the losses he created if he so chose. 

Amtrak Strands Holiday Travelers

An electrical malfunction outside New York City brought train service to a standstill Wednesday throughout the northeastern United States. Some trains are stranded just outside Penn Station. Others are stuck between Newark and New York City. The trains have enough electricity to power the lights and heat but not the engines.

Spokesman Cliff Cole said Amtrak was investigating Wednesday's malfunction and there was no indication human error caused it, but that extreme weather can affect the electrical system. Weather across the region Wednesday morning was seasonally cold but mostly clear. At Washington's Union Station, at least one train was announced as canceled and some passengers said they were told by Amtrak personnel that the problems were related to cold weather. Nicole West-Burns, who was getting off a southbound train, said Amtrak told her and other passengers getting on in Philadelphia on Wednesday morning that the doors were frozen shut.
 
Electrical problems are nothing new on the Northeast Corridor, by far Amtrak's most heavily traveled route. Three disruptions occurred within a month in 2006. The worst, on the Thursday of Memorial Day weekend, stranded tens of thousands of passengers for up to four hours, some in sweltering tunnels. That was blamed on problems at power stations and substations built in the 1920s near Philadelphia. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2007, damage to overhead wires near New York disrupted service for about 2 1/2 hours.

Cincinnati streetcar supporters maintain that rail travel is far less susceptible to weather trouble than other transportation options. But they continue to ignore the "all or nothing" nature of rail travel. Cars, buses, taxis, and airplanes have the ability to detour around bad weather, closed facilities and other snafus, whether they're weather-related or not. Rail is inherently limited to a single possible path, and when that path is blocked, nothing can pass the blockage, so travelers have no choice but to wait. And all the other travelers simply stack-up behind them.

Amtrak has earned a nationwide reputation for poor service and low reliability. And now Ohio has named Amtrak to be the operator of it's speculative 3C rail starter project. The Urbanophile says, "this would be a big mistake. Amtrak’s brand in most places is terrible and the politics around it have been poisoned. Why would we want to saddle our brand new state of the art high speed rail system with Amtrak’s old school operating practices, antiquated work rules, and legacy costs like retiree pensions? Let’s start de novo on this one. We don’t need to just change technology. We need to change the whole culture around rail operations."

Several thousand holiday travelers in New England probably couldn't agree with him more.