Berding lies about Fire Dept. contract expense

Following up Monday's story, COAST again wonders, "are we paying our safety personnel too much?"

What we found is that Cincinnati is already getting amazing “bang for our bucks” when compared to other cities.

The top chart shows our fire service offers the second highest ratio of first responders to population. We are very well protected indeed.

Some other cities elect not to maintain such a high staffing ratio. Those cities use overtime instead to compensate for lack of permanent staff. Unfortunately, this skews their budgets higher.

The bottom chart shows that Cincinnati is 4th lowest in terms of the amount of money we spend per firefighter. These figures are total budget divided by firefighters, including taxes, benefits, training, and department issued gear. Take home pay is much less.

Berding & Council spent the last 2 years buying new windows for City Hall for $5 million, radio recycle bins for $6 million, and “streetcar preparations” for $2.8 million.

Jeff Berding likes to spend your tax money. And he thinks your safety is more frivolous than those things. Tell Jeff to slither back to “the real world.”

Berding bashes union agreement he approved

In reality, both unions have no bonus structure. Their pay, benefits and working conditions are governed by contracts negotiated through a lengthy bargaining process; contracts which Berding himself approved.

The Enquirer reports that “A majority of Cincinnati City Council members say they’ll stop the layoffs of 275 police officers and firefighters if both unions agree to a total of $20 million in concessions.

$20,000,000 in concessions divided by approximately 1700 people means each and every cop and firefighter would give back about $12,000 a year or $1,000 a month. That's an awfully steep price to pay for a streetcar. Would you take that large a pay cut to keep your current job? Or would you move away for a better job?

The same Enquirer article said Council members “talked about it being time for unions to understand their contracts are too lucrative…” Councilmember Bortz said it was time for the unions “to join the real world.”

Is this true? Are we paying our safety personnel too much?

COAST decided to find out.

Using data from The Enquirer, it’s easy to see that Cincinnati’s cost per officer is the lowest of comparable cities. The lowest by far. More than $10,000 lower per officer. We’re already getting a bargain, and if the layoffs stand, our loss is liable to be these other cities’ gain.

Berding & Council have known about the current budget situation for the better part of a year, and maybe two. Yet they spent $5 million on new windows for City Hall, $6 million on radio recycle bins, and $2.8 million on streetcar preparations.

Jeff Berding likes to spend your tax money. And he thinks your safety is more frivolous than those things. Let’s send Jeff back to “the real world.”

Berding auctions off his principles

The overriding message in Jeff Berding's campaign materials and video appearances (like the one above) is that citizen safety comes first. And for a while he actually voted that way.

So what changed? Why is he now selling-out public safety and the same police and firefighters who fought for his election in favor of a streetcar that nobody needs and only a few people want?

FOP President Kathy Harrell asked him during a recent closed-door meeting specifically why he became the fifth vote for the streetcar after promising in his endorsement interview not to unless the project was completely funded by federal grants. He answered that Mayor Mallory strong-armed him into committing local dollars to the streetcar in exchange for bringing Berding's Port Authority give-away to a vote.

There you have it. Berding agreed to support Mallory's boondoggle, if Mallory would agree to support Berding's boondoggle. Berding auctioned of his principles, and financed the sale with your tax money.

Let Councilmember Berding know your safety isn't worth trading for a streetcar. Write him at Jeff.Berding@Cincinnati-OH.gov or call his office at 352-3283 or his city-paid cell phone at 378-0245.

Every City elected official has, at some point in their career, sought a higher office outside the city. Therefore it is important for all you county and suburban residents to weigh-in on this matter too. You can't vote against Jeff now, but you will have to someday. You might as well inform him of his future prospects while he can still rectify his mistakes.

Berding threatens suit to silence streetcar critics

Jeff Berding threatens to sue COAST and eight other groups to stop them from speaking out on streetcar

Broad coalition courageously continues

The events of this week in fighting the trolley have moved very quickly, so let us bring you up-to-date.  COAST asks for your immediate calls to Council member Berding.

COAST was invited last week to join a broad, unique and re-vigorated coalition to stop the wasteful Cincinnati Trolley.  Coalition members are the NAACP, the Baptist Ministers Conference, the Homeless Coalition of Greater Cincinnati, Westwood Concern, and three municipal labor unions: The FOP Local 69, the Fire Fighters Local 48, and CODE.  The umbrella organization for the group is called C.A.S.S - Citizens Against Streetcar Swindle, whose chairman is County Auditor Dusty Rhodes and whose treasurer is former Congressman Tom Luken.

At the first meeting of the alliance, the leaders of several groups reported that Jeff Berding promised to them during the 2009 Council election that he would oppose streetcar funding.  This year, with his vote for a $64 million bond issue for the trolley, Berding broke those promises.

As a result, the group decided to target Berding -- the needed 5th vote for wasteful trolley funding -- and to disclose his treachery in flip-flopping on the issue.  As a result, Tuesday, we launched this tabloid-sized brochure:

That circulation included the City budget hearings Tuesday night at which the Council and administration discussed layiong off some 500 City employees.  There, Berding lashed out angrily at FOP, CODE and Fire personnel for their speaking out on the trolley issue.

Wednesday evening, representatives of the nine organizaitons received this threatening letter from Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, the attorneys for Jeff Berding, threatening them with legal action for what they claimed were the allied organizations "unlawful behavior."  (Incidently the Taft firm is also the law firm for the Cincinnati Bengals, and negotiated the boondoggle stadium lease.  One might suggest they are "official legal counsel for Cincinnati boondoggles.")

Soon, one by one, the coalition members courageously told Berding and his attorney, politely, to "shove" their threat.

COAST's counsel rejected Berding's demands and told Berding's attorney:  

When one gets in between rapacious politicians and greedy contractors, legal threats usually follow shortly behind.  This is nothing unusual. 

Within minutes, the NAACP, CODE and Westwood Concern chimed in and rejected Berdings' threats.  CODE's response was the most amusing.  They said: "CODE repeats with major emphassis ....DITTO. We intend to kick some major ass."

So, COAST asks for you to help with this effort to hold Council member Berding accountable to his 2009 promise to oppose funding for the trolley.  Please call him at Jeff.Berding@Cincinnati-OH.gov or call his office at 352-3283 or his city-paid cell phone at 378-0245. 

Council member Berding was the campaign manager for the Stadium Sales Tax that has almost bankrupted our County.  Now, he has become the swing fifth vote for the trolley project that promises to bankrupt our City.  Budget-busting boondoggles appear to have become his signature career accomplishments. 

Our allied groups want to make everyone aware of Council member Berding's wasteful spending and treachery on the trolley issue.

Please join with COAST in this important thrust to stop this horribly wasteful project.

Berding targeted in groundswell against trolley

Groundswell against trolley grows as coalition expands

First thrust: Asking Berding to keep his 2009 campaign promise

 

COAST today joined an expanding coalition designed to stop further streetcar spending in Cincinnati in a postcard campaign aimed at the fifth Council vote for the boondoggle, Council member Jeff Berding.  Berding in 2009 promised repeatedly to oppose spending on the wasteful project. 

The expanded coalition members now include the NAACP, COAST, Westwood Concern, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, the Baptist Ministers Conference, and three municipal labor unions: the FOP, the Fire Fighters Union and CODE.  The umbrella group against the Trolley spending is C.A.S.S. - the Coalition Against the Streetcar Swindle, Chaired by County Auditor Dusty Rhodes.

"We will not sit by idly while the City spends on misplaced priorities and increases the burdens on Cincinnati taxpayers," said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd.  "Yes, the big-spenders currently have five votes on the Council, but we have truth and a vast majority of Cincinnati voters in our corner.  We intend to press that advantage."

The coalition today released a tabloid-sized flyer with the headline: "Not One More Cent of Tax Money for the Streetcar, Please encourage Council Member Jeff Berding to Keep his Promise to stop this foolish waste of money" with return postcards aimed towards Berding.

In that flyer, FOP President Kathy Harrell states: "Berding broke his 2009 promise to oppose streetcar spending.  This flip-flop will cost Cincinnati public safety jobs."

"Not only was Berding the fifth vote for this spending monstrosity," said Gloyd, "but he made express promises against this foolishness in 2009.  We aim to either keep him to his word, or let every voter in Cincinnati know of his fundamental dishonesty.  It is entirely his choice."
COAST and the NAACP pursued a ballot initiative in 2009 that would have stopped the trolley dead in its tracks by requiring a public vote on it.  Voters rejected that initiative, but the fight against wasteful spending continues.

Copies of the "Not ONE MORE CENT" brochure are available here (front) and here (back).

See also a letter written by a broad spectrum of community leaders imploring City Hall to stop their wastfull streetcar spending here.

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.

Lame Duck Commission tries for yet another sales tax hike

Your urgent action needed
-- Lame duck County Commission --
~ COASTers need to call TODAY
to stop yet another sales tax hike ~

 

            COAST has just learned that one last attempt is underway raise the County sales tax, and to do it before the term of liberal democrat David Pepper's term expires at the end of December.

            The urgent action of COASTers is needed NOW to stop Portune and Pepper from advancing this tax increase during the lame duck session between now and year's end.  Please call or write your Commissioner immediately indicating your opposition to this tax rip-off that already has been rejected twice by the voters:

Todd Portune              (513) 946-4401

David Pepper              (513) 946-4409

Greg Hartmann           (513) 946-4405

Please ask them not to raise the sales tax before year's end!

            In 2006, Todd Portune joined a unanimous Commission seeking to raise $333 million from a 1/4¢ sales tax increase that was put to a vote of the people that same year.  The voters rejected that increase by a 57% margin.

           In 2007, the democrats took over control of the Commission with the election of liberal democrat David Pepper and their first major act was to impose a 1/2¢ sales tax increase without a vote of the people.  This plan was designed to raise $777 million for a new jail and social services -- a Super-sized sales tax!  The legendary WeDemand coalition was formed to oppose that tax, and in 45 days, the NAACP, COAST, the Libertarian party, the Green Party, Cincinnati Progressive Action and others gathered 56,000 signatures using more than 350 volunteers to place the issue before the voters.  That fall, tax proponents spent more than $1 million (including $100,000 from David Pepper's mother) and still the tax lost by 56% of the vote.

             Now, some 30 months later, they are at it again.  Todd Portune is advancing yet another plan to secure an unvoted 1/2¢ sales tax increase, this time to pay the stadium fund deficit.  Yes, that's right, Todd Portune wants yet another tax increase for Mike Brown's pleasure palace on the riverfront.

             Apparently the Todd Portune did not get the message about voter rejection of tax-and-spend policies from the fall election.  Please call all three Commissioners explain it to them one more time.

            (We do not at this time have any indication of which way David Pepper is leaning on the issue, we just know how he has voted int he past.  Commissioner Hartmann has already stated his firm opposition.)

Holiday Celebration

Please join Center-Right, Cincinnati Tea Party, Ohio Liberty Council, Americans For Prosperity and COAST for a "Celebratory Affair." We will kick off the event with lite appetizers.

We appreciate your efforts, so come and enjoy yourselves! There is no charge for this event, but it's buy your own food and beverages.

When: Thursday, December 16th at 6:30 PM

Where: The Great American Sports Cafe
8740 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
(513) 891-2204

Thank you for all that you do to help fight for limited government and lower taxes. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Holiday Season!

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

COAST 2010 Sample Poll Ballot

COAST hereby issues its 2010 candidates and issue endorsements. Please remember that early voting is over. You can vote at your County's Board of Elections only if you have moved and not changed your address with the Board of Elections. Otherwise, voting must be done at your local polling location between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm. We encourage you to vote and bring photo ID.

************************************************************************
WIN-US Senator - Rob Portman
WIN-US Congress, 1st District - Steve Chabot (New ad linked here)
LOSS-US Congress, 2nd District - Marc Johnston
WIN-Ohio Governor - John Kasich
WIN-Ohio Attorney General - Mike DeWine (New ad linked here)
WIN-Ohio Auditor - Dave Yost
LOSS-Ohio Secretary of State - Charlie Earl
WIN-Ohio Treasurer - Josh Mandel
WIN-Ohio 7th Senate District - Shannon Jones
???-Ohio 28th House District - Mike Wilson
WIN-Ohio 30th House District - Bob Mecklenborg
LOSS-Ohio 31st House District - Mike Robison
LOSS-Ohio 32nd House District - Erik Nebergall
LOSS-Ohio 33rd House District - Jim Stith
WIN-Ohio 35th House District - Ron Maag
LOSS-Ohio 54th House District - Arnold Engel
LOSS-Ohio Board of Education, District 3 - Mark Haverkos
WIN-Ohio Board of Education, District 4 - Debe Terhar
WIN-Hamilton County Commissioner - Chris Monzel
LOSS-Hamilton County Auditor - Tom Brinkman
LOSS-Oppose Sycamore School Tax

Help restore fiscal responsibility to government!

2010-11-03 1:15AM Win/Loss update. Now the real work begins.

Vote Kasich; he'll kill "high speed" pork

Who was it that said insanity is expecting a different outcome from identical inputs?

Ohio is facing a $9 billion deficit which will result in deep cuts to education and safety. We got into this hole by overspending on frivolous things. Now Governor Strickland wants to waste even more money to revive a 39 MPH train that died from lack of use in 1976, one which voters have rejected at the polls four times.

Spending your way out of a deficit is like eating yourself out of obesity. Kasich gets this and wants to cut the pork. If elected, he promises to kill the 3C Snail Rail Boondoggle.

Robert Samuelson says:

"Somehow, it's become fashionable to think that high-speed trains connecting major cities will help "save the planet." They won't. They're a perfect example of wasteful spending masquerading as a respectable social cause. They would further burden already overburdened governments and drain dollars from worthier programs -- schools, defense, research."

"President Obama calls high-speed rail essential "infrastructure" when it's actually old-fashioned "pork barrel." The interesting question is why it retains its intellectual respectability. The answer, it seems, is willful ignorance. People prefer fashionable make-believe to distasteful realities. They imagine public benefits that don't exist and ignore costs that do."

"The absurdity is apparent. High-speed rail would subsidize a tiny group of travelers and do little else. If states want these projects, they should pay all costs because there are no meaningful national gains. The administration's championing and subsidies -- with money that worsens long-term budget deficits -- represent shortsighted, thoughtless government at its worst. It's a triumph of politically expedient fiction over logic and evidence. With governments everywhere pressed for funds, how can anyone justify a program whose main effect will simply be to make matters worse?"

How indeed. It's time to make matters better. To change the outcome, we need to change the governor. Elect John Kasich and Mary Taylor.

Enquirer calls CPS voting indoctrination an "Outrage" and "Orwellian"

We were delighted Friday to welcome the Cincinnati Enquirer aboard our campaign to challenge the outrageous conduct of the Cincinnati Public Schools and its Hughes High School civics teacher Dennis McFadden.

We encourage you to read the Enquirer editorial on the topic here.  In that most excellent opinion piece, the Enquirer decried the conduct of CPS, calling it an "outrage."

What CPS did is an absolute outrage and a violation of the trust the public places in the district to educate children, not indoctrinate them.

The Enquirer went on to say:

What then happened is inexcusable - and, as the candidate who blew the whistle on it said, "Orwellian."

The Enquirer even rejected the ultra-lame excuses of CPS that this was an isolated incident and one that they had no idea would happen with the activists they chose to escort the children to the polls:

This truly stretches credulity. It's hardly a secret that CPS is about as close to a one-party operation as you can get, with union domination and an all-Democrat school board.

COAST and its founder Tom Brinkman have been featured on WLWT, WXIX, WKRC, the Daily Caller, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, the Savage Nation, Fox News. www.DrudgeReport.Com,  www.Lucianne.Com, and National Review on this topic.  On Saturday, COAST attorney Chris Finney appeared live on the Fox News Channel to discuss the scandal.

The lawsuit will be pursued to its conclusion to expose the schools depth of collusion with democrat party activists and to force the schools to stop this conduct once and for all.

Read all of COAST's fall 2010 endorsements here.

---

Hey, Teacher, leave them kids alone

 All in all, it's just another brick in the wall of the liberal, big-government establishment

File this under the category "life imitates art."  The 1979 Pink Floyd song decrying thought programming and abuse of children while under control of their teachers was brought to life last week as Hughes High School teacher Dennis McFadden took three van loads of children to the Hamilton County Board of Elections during school hours with three Democrat Party Activists and provided them with "sample ballots" containing the names of only democrat candidates.  Afterwards, COAST's new candidate for "creep of the year," CPS civics teacher Dennis McFadden bought the children ice cream for their good deeds in voting the democrat ticket. 

We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

COAST and its founder Tom Brinkman, Jr. on Monday sued Cincinnati Public Schools for violating a 2002 Agreement with COAST in which Cincinnati Public Schools promised to stop using school property and personnel to advance one-sided political agendas.  That agreement had arisen from 2002 mis-deeds in which CPS used school property and personnel to campaign in favor of a $1 billion bond issue for the schools.

"The forced political indoctrination of school children exposed by COAST in this instance is downright creepy," said COAST Chairman Jason Gloyd.  "We have exposed only the tip of the iceberg of the abuse of our CPS tax dollars to advance the ends of the Democrats and Labor Unions."

The COAST suit brought to a halt the collusion of CPS High Schools and paid personnel from the Democrat National Committee to turn out CPS students to prop up the democrat ticket in November.  Steve Johnson, a COASTer working daily in front of the Board of Elections met the Church vans carting Hughes High School Students last Wednesday and learned theirs was the first of five high schools the democrats intended to bring en masse to vote during school hours.

The COAST action brought immediate national attention to the democrat-labor brainwashing and abuse of tax dollars to try to reverse the revolution that is sweeping America to stop their tax-and-spending agenda, with appearances on The Drudge Report, Fox News, mentions on Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity the Savage Nation and links on a host of other blogs and web sites.  Read the Enquirer stories linked here, here and here.

COAST intends to pursue the litigation in front of Judge Beth Myers to expose the culture of abuse of children for political purposes ingrained in the CPS administration and to put a stop to it once and for all.

"If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding.
How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"
"You! Yes, you behind the bikesheds, stand still laddy!"

Read all of COAST's fall 2010 endorsements here.

2010-10-21 13:31 Update: COAST thanks WCPO 9 News for their excellent coverage of this story.

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."

David Yost will be great State Auditor

Seven reasons to vote for Yost

David Yost is COAST-endorsed candidate for State Auditor

COAST provides you with these seven reasons to support David Yost for State Auditor:

1. Yost is COAST-endorsed, the seal of approval for advocates for limited government.  Read all the COAST endorsements here.
2. Yost also has been endorsed by the Ohio Society of Certified Professional Accountants for this important role "in large part due to his past experience and future priorities."
3. Yost is a former County Auditor and County prosecutor, with real experience in rooting out corruption and inefficency in government.  He has exposed corruption by a coronor, a sheriff and a clerk of courts. 
4. Yost has taken the ATR pledge against raising taxes.  His opponent refuses to take the pledge.
5. The State Auditor seat is one of the State's "Apportionment Board" seats, meaning that the winner of this contest will play an important role in re-drawing legislative districts.  That's why labor unions have poured more than $500,000 into the campaign of his liberal democrat opponent -- they want to control that process!
6. Yost won the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting four times from the Government Finance Officers Association.
7. And, most importantly, Yost is running for State Auditor against big-spending democrat David Pepper who recklessly has tried to raise taxes and fees repeatedly on Hamilton County residents. 

Help us to restore integrity to Ohio government.  Please vote David Yost for State Auditor. 

Read all of COAST's fall 2010 endorsements here.

Sunday Voting Effort Needs Your Help!

Stop Liberal Democrats From Stealing the Election
 

COASTers should be afraid.  Very afraid.  Liberal Democrat Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has pushed through a plan by big-city Democrats to expand Ohio's voting hours at the Boards of Elections in select Democrat controlled Counties.  Hamilton County is one of those locations. 

Beginning this week, the Hamilton County Board of Elections will be open for early voting on Sunday, thanks to an unprecedented partisan ruling by Jennifer Brunner.  The Democrats in Ohio are obviously trying to recreate the havoc of the 2008 elections, where accusations of voter fraud due to early voting ran rampant.

To counter this bald-faced attempt to influence our elections, Hamilton County Republicans are holding a Sunday voting rally downtown.  Conservative voters from across the County are being asked to join Steve Chabot at 11:00 am on Sunday morning for a rally and a march to the Board of Elections.  Those interested in protecting the integrity of our election system and promoting Conservative values can join together at the Verdin Bell Center (444 Reading Road) at 11:00 am Sunday morning.  Please rsvp by contacting the Chabot for Congress office at (513)481-9998. 

Read all of COAST's fall 2010 endorsements here.

2010-10-14 10:11am UPDATE:
One COASTER wrote in with a very good question that bears repeating.
Q. Please tell me how expanding voting hours influences the election? How does it hijack the election?  I don't sense many Democrats will be coming out to vote this cycle.
A. The answer is that this is not being done evenly in every county. Only counties with high concentrations of Democrat voters are expanding voting hours. More opportunities for Democrats to vote than for Republicans can sway the election.

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.

Mike Wilson - A Taxpayer Hero

Mike Wilson is a taxpayer hero

Founder of Tea Party in Cincinnati and Ohio, spurred national movement

Mike Wilson -- founder of the movement

COAST has endorsed Mike Wilson for State Representative, but this is no ordinary endorsement and Wilson is no ordinary candidate.

Roll the clock back to March of 2009.  The Obama agenda of the Stimulus bill, TARP II, Cap and Trade, and ObamaCare were marching forward with almost no opposition in Washington.

Mike Wilson and a band of ragtag local activists noted a smattering of grass-roots protests in western states have attracted more support than expected.  He makes the decision to take personal action against the socialization of America. 

And the Cincinnati Tea Party was born with more than 5,000 persons at a March 15 rally on Fountain Square.  That was followed by an even bigger rally and march to City Hall on April 15.  We all knew something very important was happening.

Ummm, conservatives were not supposed to hold protest rallies.  What was this?  A slow and skeptical media took a while to catch on, but a national movement had been born.

Then, and since that time, Mike Wilson has proven to be an articulate and principled spokesperson for the Tea Party movement that has become the target of Obama, Pelosi and Reed, the national media, labor unions and other constituents of the national socialist power structure.  Enemies have laid traps of claimed racism, extremism and naivety, all of which Wilson skillfully avoided, confronted and rebutted.

This year, Wilson steped down from head of the local and State Tea Parties to run for State Representative against lock-step liberal democrat Connie Pillich and we are better for his sacifice.

There are thousands of reasons why Wilson is the COAST-endorsed candidate for this job.  Suffice it to say that he is a transcendent figure that COAST hopes has an important role in shaping government policy for many, many years to come.  Read of his many endorsements here.

Please vote for Mike Wilson if you are in the 28th Ohio House District, which includes Reading, Evendale, Sharonville, Glendale, Wyoming, Forest Park, Lincoln Heights, Lockland, Blue Ash, Montgomery, Arlington Heights, and parts of Symmes and Springfield Townships and Springdale.

Read all of COAST's fall 2010 endorsements here.

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...

Trouble in Transit Paradise

Residents of Lake Oswego, a wealthy suburb of Portland (genuflect when you say that), have organized a non-profit group to oppose a proposed streetcar extension to their neighborhood. Calling it a "flawed project" that they "don't need" and "can't afford," the group hired high-powered lawyers and lobbyists to fight Portland's (bow when you say that) transit agency. One of the organizers is the wife of disgraced former RINO senator Bob Packwood.

"It just doesn’t make sense to buy a $360 million transit project that puts Lake Oswego taxpayers at risk.  Not when our schools and other priorities are suffering from continuous budget cuts. Because of budget constraints, we are cutting real services that we need right now.  Schools all around us are cutting days because they are running out of funding.

Our town has other priorities:

• Water and sewer projects.
• Paying for the West End Building.
• Library and public safety needs.
• Finding funds for road repair and parks maintenance.

We can’t allow our schools and community to suffer further to buy a $360 million dollar transit project we don’t need."

Sound familiar?

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."