Monday, September 30, 2013

Connecting the dots on the Cincinnati Streetcar and voter fraud

Let's connect the dots:
1) The prime contractor for Cincinnati's Streetcar project is Parsons Brinckerhoff.  
2) Coincidentally, they are the same engineering contractor that designed the $40 million Riverfront Transit Center that has -- basically -- never been used.
3) Parsons personnel spring up all over the campaign finance reports of Council members and candidates who support their pet projects.  You may remember when Parsons hosted a meeting in their offices for the Secretary of Transportation and Congressman Steve Driehaus.  It's pay to play for this urban contractor.
4) Well it turns out that they employ one Randy Simes.  Presently, he is on assignment for them in South Korea.  Prior to that, he worked for Parsons in Chicago, the epicenter of pay-to-play in America.
5) Simes is the host and prime author of the UrbanCincy.Com blog, which coincidentally is the top cheerleader for the Streetcar project.  Yes, you fools, for years you have been manipulated by a multinational corporation shilling for the Streetcar using a young urban hipster blogger on its payroll.
6) And now this.  From Chicago, and now South Korea, Randy Simes decided to register to vote in Cincinnati at a friend's address so he could vote for -- Streetcar supporter Roxanne Qualls and the batshit crazy Council majority.
Monday, COAST attorney Curt Hartman, representing the Ohio Voter Integrity Project, is challenging Simes right to vote in the November election.  Read that here.  We encourage you to read the entire Complaint at that site (WCPO.COM).

Perhaps more interesting is the inexorable conclusion that derives from that hearing.  If he is ineligible to vote in November, then when he voted in the September Mayoral Primary election, he would have committed a felony.

This Qualls supporter was willing to risk a felony conviction and prison term to cast his vote for her and for his employer trying to buy yet another election.

This is how the game is played.


Amy Murray's TV Ad - Council Needs to Stop Kicking the Can!

Is Streetcar Promoter Voting Illegally in Cincinnati?


Randy Simes, outspoken supporter of Roxanne Qualls and the Streetcar Project - and coincidentally an employee of Streetcar Contractor Parsons Brinkerhoff - is the subject of a Voter Challenge filed by the Voter Integrity Project.

Simes has been living and voting in Chicago until July, when he registered to vote using a friends Cincinnati address so that he could vote for Roxanne Qualls who promises to keep the gravy train rolling to Simes' employer.  Just two weeks before claiming a Cincinnati voting residence, Simes contributed to Qualls' campaign claiming an address in Chicago.

Kevin Osborne as the story here.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Willie Cunningham Welcomes COAST attorney Chris Finney

COAST attorney Chris Finney spoke with Bill Cunningham Thursday afternoon; discussing the Cincinnati Mayoral and City Council races, Governor Kasich and more. Chris' segment begins at 13:20 Listen below

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Cincinnati Pension Deficit - Relax, it's WORSE than you think!

A recent study by the Buckeye Institute and Andrew Briggs of the American Enterprise Institute, highlights the dangers of Cincinnati's Pension system and how the proposed Charter Amendment, Issue 4, could undo much of the damage done to the City's finances by the pension liabilities.

Read the report here.

Then donate to Cincinnati for Pension Reform here.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Guest Post Green Party takes Council to task on "Budget Surplus"

Below is a letter sent to members of Council by Gwen Marshall of the Cincinnati Green Party discussing the City Manager's suggestion that they use "additional tax receipts" to fund car allowances and salaries for Council.

To all members of Cincinnati City Council,

You do NOT have a budget surplus, you have an underfunded pension fund.  Back in 2003 the $55 million from Athem should have been paid into the Cincinnati Pension Fund, instead this money was put into a variety of pet projects which no one even seems to know where it went.  As a result of the mismanagement of the Cincinnati Pension fund, in terms of Cincinnati not paying into the pension fund at the level it should be, there is now a proposed Charter amendment on the ballot in November which would basically leave City employees without a secure retirement.

IF THERE IS ANY 'SURPLUS,' THIS MONEY MUST GO TOWARDS THE PENSION FUND NOW!  If the City were a homeowner this would be like putting the extra money towards the mortgage.  For an Individual, adding money to a retirement account is called paying yourself first.  I am glad that the City Council is planning to say no to the car allowances and such, but it would be even better to have the Council make a vocal point of putting money towards the Pension fund and to start paying down the $860 million pension deficit.  The taxpayers need to see that City Council understands its financial obligations and is taking seriously the concept that Cincinnati could go bankrupt if it can't live up to its financial obligations.


Gwen Marshall
co-chair Hamilton County Green Party

Monday, September 23, 2013

Here's a first; COAST agrees with Chris Seelbach!

Chris Seelbach takes the tone deaf City administration to task for proposing restoration of car allowances.  The arrogance and out-of-touchedness of the Mallory/Qualls administration is ... astounding.  Read it here.

First "monthly" streetcar report still avoids issue of operating budget

The "third rail" politically for the Cincinnati Streetcar is the massive annual operating deficit that will accompany the project.




And to date, the City has gingerly avoided the topic and the media has joined them in ignoring the the 800-pound gorilla in the room.

The reality is that every million dollars of operating deficit of the Streeetcar is ten fewer police officers on the street, ten fewer firefighters to keep us safe, and fifteen fewer trash collectors and snowplow operators to keep our City clean.

The Streetcar is estimated (by COASTers as the City refuses to estimate the operating deficit) to be $5 million to $10 million per year.  Yes, this does not include the massive $150 to $225 million construction cost.  The net cost to run the line from the Banks to Findlay Market will put Cincinnati $5 to $10 million further in the hole per year, each and every year.

Read the City's update here.  Read at page 19 how they discuss, and then avoid, projecting operating costs.  It's kind of funny when you read how they dance around the issue.

Someday soon, probably after the election when a new Mayor and Council are safely ensconced in Council for four year terms, the administration will come clean on the annual operating deficit. Until then, the voters are in the dark, and the Cincinnati media is willing to whistle right past the City's fiscal graveyard.

Enquirer exposes origins of IRS harassment of Tea Party

Today's Enquirer has a great background piece on the origins of the IRS' harassment of the Tea Party, which was right here with Tea Party hero Chris Littleton and his group, American Junta.

Read it here.  Weep for our nation.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Bad Trash Fee for Small Businesses Starts Oct. 1st

From Christopher Smitherman:

Effective October 1, all Cincinnati businesses will pay a fee to have their trash collected. Cincinnati City Council voted 7-2 in December to stop providing trash collection to small businesses. The two Council members who voted no, were Charlie Winburn and Christopher Smitherman. 
If you live in a township, you don't pay a 2.1% tax; you pay as you go for services, like trash collection. Living in the City, you pay a flat 2.1% tax for services which is supposed to cover trash pick up. The trash fee vote by Council reduced services to small business. For example, a barber/beauty shop will pay a monthly fee to have a private company pick up their trash as well as continue to pay the 2.1% tax. Now that Council has opened the door to this monthly fee, the fee WILL increase year after year. It will not stay at $14.

When driving by barber shops and beauty salons that have yard signs in their businesses supporting Democratic candidates, you must wonder if they know those same candidates are the ones who voted to stop trash services to small businesses and charge a trash fee.

This is another reason why I continue to support John Cranley for Mayor. Roxanne Qualls was 1 of the 7 who voted for the trash fee for small businesses. All of these will be passed on to the costumers.

I strongly encourage you NOT to use a Democratic sample ballot when you vote because you will be voting for candidates who continue to charge you higher fees and raise your taxes, making it more difficult for you to live. My democratic colleagues will spend more time throwing around labels trying to divide and distract you from their voting record.

I am NOT a Democrat; I am NOT a Republican; I AM an Independent. You don't have to vote for 9 candidates for Council. You can vote for 1 and up to 9. Once you vote for more than 5 or 6 candidates, your ballot is not as powerful. Keep this in mind when you enter the ballot box.
To learn more or contribute to  Christopher Smitherman's Campaign click here.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Congressional Budget Office Predicts Unsustainable Debt

These are not right wing lunatics warning of the dire consequences of unsustainable debt, not at all.


Read it int he NYT here.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

OK, this is hilarious

On Saturday, COAST posted the following tweet blasting Chris Seelbach for supporting the $4.4 million glass atrium atop City Hall, perhaps the single most foolish expenditure by a profligately wasteful, totally batshit crazy Council.




In response, Chris Seelbach and his supporters protested confidently that he consistently voted against the Atrium project.







Since that was contrary to our distinct memory, and COAST insists upon being scrupulously honest in all of its communications, we thought we'd check.  And sure enough, Seelbach voted against the $4.4 million City Hall Atrium.  But...it gets better.

He didn't vote for the Atrium, he SPONSORED the wasteful $4.4 million glass atrium atop City Hall.  Yes, he signed the motion that brought the matter to the floor.  See it below with your own eyes.



You might say "he was for it before he was against it."  (Did we ever properly thank John Kerry for adding that to the political lexicon?)  But the boldness of the lies coming from our politicians is amazing.  This is the same fellow who claims to have been opposed to the Parking Plot, yet cast the deciding vote to prevent a referendum vote on the issue.

This is hilarious!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Democrats, unions try to rig election against Pension Reform; Reformers sue over ballot language

You have to hand it to the democrats and labor unions.  They are utterly shameless when it comes to rigging elections on issues that matter to them, to hell with fundamental fairness that is supposed to infuse our electoral system.

Stunned by the speedy success of pension reformers to collect signatures on their pension reform charter amendment and the ascension of the issue to the ballot, they scrambled to press their advantage of incumbency to deny the voters a fair up-or-down vote on the issue.  Instead, they had Council add to the ballot language words ("tax increases" and "cuts in programs") that simply are not in the petition language.

Tim Burke, democrat party chairman and Board of Elections Chairman, dutifully serving the labor unions instead of fulfilling his duties under the Ohio Revised Code, added words to the Charter Amendment that simply are not in there, and rubber-stamped the Council proposal.

The idea is to twist the proposal on the ballot to be unrecognizable as compared to the petition language, so as to maximize the "no" votes on the initiative.  In the words of the attorney for the pension reformers, it is a "hatchet job."

Fortunately, attorneys for the petitioners, including COAST's Chris Finney, filed suit today at the Ohio Supreme Court to place neutral and honest language on the ballot. Read about that here.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the new era of politics in Hamilton County and Ohio, where fair and open elections are no longer the norm, and democrats will rig the system to their advantage if they possibly can.
  

IRS' Lois Lerner directly targeted Tea Party

Despite her denials, new emails make it clear that the IRS' Lois Lerner directly singled out the Tea Party for extra scrutiny by the IRS tax exempt section.

No, Tea Partiers are not paranoid.  They really were "out to get them."

Read more here.

Christopher Smitherman weighs in on Cranley Primary Victory


From Cincinnati City Councilman Christopher Smitherman:
The mayoral primary victory on Tuesday by John Cranley was very significant. Political insiders predicted that Cranley and Qualls would be the top two vote-getters. However, it was not expected that Cranley would get more votes than Qualls. And no one expected him to win by a 19% gap.

In general campaigns often spend money ($20,000 or so) to poll a sample (500) of voters before voting day. Most likely, Qualls did a poll prior to the Sept. 10 primary, probably learned she was losing, then released her dishonest TV ad.

Qualls and her team are attempting to diminish the significance of the primary results. I want to share that John Cranley performed well in most communities. The ballots of 11,000 voters is a greater poll than calling 500 citizens. Because of the magnitude of her loss, the only commentary Qualls and her supporters could make is, "The primary is insignificant."

The reality is that voters understand that Qualls led the effort on a parking deal which undermines the business districts of all 52 neighborhoods. They also understand that Qualls led the effort by defining the parking deal as an emergency as a strategy to block all 52 neighborhoods from voting on the parking deal. This vote, compounded with the streetcar, has citizens rejecting her as a candidate for mayor.

The primary results are showing that citizens do not like the direction in which the City is going.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Judge Stitch: Secret document in Duke/Streetcar litigation stays secret

We have come to expect that our elected and appointed officials to lie to us regularly.  Candor and transparency is what has become unusual.  And they lie to us because disclosing the truth would mean rejection of their tax-and-spend policies, and their waste, fraud and corruption.

But to have a very public fight over the City's zeal to destroy a key document -- what appears to be a legal opinion undermining the City's very case in a piece of litigation involving what is certainly the public interest -- is still extraordinary.

The Enquirer here has the latest, and we hope not the final chapter, in the City fighting tooth and nail in the Courts to hide from its own citizens a "smoking gun" memo in the fight over who must pay the costs of electric and gas line relocation to accommodate the Cincinnati Streetcar construction.  The article provides information about the contents of the secret memo.  Both scenarios would explain why City Solicitor John Curp is bound and determined to destroy this key document.

City Councilman Christopher Smitherman said his request for the memo has been denied by City Solicitor John Curp. Smitherman said he thinks the memo “most likely” discloses the cost of utility relocation will be higher than $15 million.

Other streetcar critics have suggested the memo revealed a city lawyer did not expect the city could win the case.
If COAST's assessment of the content of that document is correct, then it forecasts the outcome of the litigation over who must pay the $15 million cost for the utility line relocation.  And if the party who has to bear that cost is the City, then it blows another $15 million hole in the Streetcar budget.

City Council's pro-streetcar majority, of course, wants nothing more than to hide the contents of that memo until after the fall election, when they start serving four-year terms, and they don't have to face the music from their foolish decision to fund the bottomless pit of a streetcar.

Tell us, Ms. Qualls, exactly how the public is served by keeping the "embarrassing" memo secret?

Qualls blames everyone but herself for electoral drubbing

It is classic Roxanne Qualls, the ice woman who knows what's best for us.
“I do think complacency is the enemy of every campaign,” she said. “I hope that my volunteers and those that support me will wake up tomorrow and we will get to work and we will win on Nov. 5.”
Read this incredible, condescending, Qualls classic here.

So, in assessing why she lost the Mayoral primary election, Qualls did not blame her drubbing on the votes in the Cincinnati Parking Plot, the Cincinnati Streetcar, or the $4.4 million glass atrium atop City Hall.  She didn't point to the attempted grab for a trash tax, the attempt to sell the Water Works to ourselves, the stab at Red Light cameras.  There was no mea culpa on the $863 million pension debt, or mea culpa on anything.

Rather in one statement she confirmed that it was the voters who were not smart enough to anoint her as Mayor, and her volunteers who did not work hard enough in the Mayoral primary to push her over the top.

Yes, Queen Roxanne did nothing wrong, but it was those foolish voters who could not see the light and those lazy campaign volunteers who just did not pound the pavement hard enough spread the gospel of her tax-and-spend salvation of the City.

We suggest a little humble pie, and an acknowledgement that the voters maybe have some wisdom to offer on public policy.

On second thought, naaah, that would require a concession that she made a mistake somewhere along the way, and we all know that could not be true.  We need to coronate Roxanne in November, and stop raising all those pesky policy questions!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Did Kasich reject subsidy for dildo distributor?

Does everything in our society have to be subsidized?

If your friendly neighborhood dildo manufacturer is making enough money to hire employees and expand, are they really entitled to our hard-earned tax dollars to further promote their business? Why, as opposed to the corner bakery, the neighborhood dry cleaner, the friendly nearby dentist, or the corner acupuncturist?

Or we could "subsidize" everyone with generally lower tax rates.  There's an idea!

The reality is that successful businesses try to leverage their economic power, and success, into convincing governments to pay them to locate there, costing businesses and individuals with less economic power.  It is, definitionally, unfair.

We say everyone ought to pay their fair share of taxes, without one taxpayer subsidizing the other. We know it's a radial concept.

The Enquirer has it here that Governor Kasich finally said "no" to at least one of these subsidies.  We say: It's a good start.

Mayoral Primary Map

Cranley in Green, Qualls in Blue


The final tally for the Mayoral Primary:

Cranley: 55.86%
Qualls: 37.15%
Berns: 4.87%
Noble: 2.12%

As the map shows, Cranley enjoyed support from the East, West and North; while Qualls' support concentrated in the city center and particularly along the proposed Streetcar Route.

So the people who hope to profit off of all the "goodies" (Streetcar, Parking Plot) Roxanne Qualls is pushing through Council are voting for her; while all the people who realize that they will be on the hook for paying for all these things are voting for Cranley.

Qualls' supporters are known as rent-seekers. People who hope to profit from government granted monopolies or through windfalls due to governmental zoning or regulation. For instance the people gobbling up property along the proposed Streetcar Route hoping to simply sit on the properties until the streetcar starts running by and sell the properties at a huge gain.

To paraphrase Margaret Thatcher: the problem with Qualls' policies is that eventually you run out of other peoples' money.

Plain Dealer features idiotic Ohio Elections Commission

You would think that if an organization is charged with regulating First Amendment activities, it would be carefully trained about and cognizant of First Amendment liberties and jurisprudence.  And if you thought that, you would be wrong, at least in Ohio.

The Ohio Elections Commission, in multifarious ways charged with regulating Ohio's elections and the speech associated therewith, is incredibly ignorant of the protections the First Amendment provides and willful in its repeated transgressions of the Constitution, knowing with confidence that neither Ohio Courts nor the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will stop them.  As a result, Ohio has become the killing fields of free speech.

Read an analysis of the important Corsi case from the Cleveland Plain Dealer here.

Roxanne Qualls - No Class


 Cincinnati's voters get to exercise their God-given right to have their voice heard on issues of public importance. Specifically, today is the special primary in Cincinnati's Mayoral race.

If you haven't voted yet, get to the polls immediately! Turnout is expected to be low, so your voice will be even louder! Make your voice heard.

Before you vote, consider that only one candidate in this race pushed through the horrible, anti-democratic, disenfranchising, budget buster Parking Plot Deal. And more importantly, only one candidate took away your right to vote on that important issue.

Roxanne Qualls is the boondoggling, Disenfranchising, Queen of Bad Ideas. She is undeserving of your vote.

What's worse, her ads attacking John Cranley are beneath the dignity of the office. We're reminded of JFK's comment about Nixon: "No Class." 

Sadly, the words were never more appropriate than today.

Let Roxanne Qualls know that you're tired of the backroom deals, the underhandedness, the sleazy attack ads. 

Today, Vote NO on Qualls.

Monday, September 9, 2013

COAST Candidate Questionnaire

Local candidates in Southwest Ohio are invited to download the 2013 COAST local candidate survey.

COAST endorsements will be based in part on your responses to this survey and no candidate will be considered without completing our questionnaire.

We believe in the value of questionnaires as an accountability tool. We find politicians are more likely to stick to a position when you have it in writing.

Note to Cincinnati City Council and mayoral candidates.  We will be sending you a Cincinnati specific questionnaire to the address you have on file with the Board of Elections.



September 10 is a good day to Dump Qualls


Cincinnati's next four years starts tomorrow. Voters will decide who the final two candidates to serve as mayor through 2017 will be.

Everyone expects it to come down to John Cranley and Roxanne Qualls.

While COAST endorsed neither of those two candidates, we remind you that Roxanne Qualls supports the Streetcar and orchestrated the Dastardly Parking Plot - which disenfranchised every Cincinnatian!

The choice is clear on September 10 (and every day really) ANYONE BUT QUALLS!

If you didn't vote early, click here to find your polling place.

Because Roxanne Qualls took away your right to vote on the Parking Plot, the only way to voice your opinion on that horrible deal is to vote against the people who stole your vote!

Make your voice Heard. Vote No on Qualls!

John Cranley didn't steal your vote
Jim Berns didn't steal your vote
Sandra Queen Nobel steal your vote

The only candidate on tomorrow's ballot who stole your right to vote against the Parking Plot is Roxanne Qualls!

Make her pay for her actions - Vote NO ON QUALLS

Sunday, September 8, 2013

The evil Ohio Elections Commission featured in WSJ editorial

Prominent Constitutional scholar, and former Federal Elections Commission Chairman Bradley Smith wrote this editorial in Friday's Wall Street Journal on the case Corsi v. Ohio Elections Commission that is pending on a petition for a writ of certiorari before the United States Supreme Court.

Not only is the Ohio Elections Commission obnoxious and overbearing in their intrusion on First Amendment liberties, but Ohio's Courts -- up to the Ohio Supreme Court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals -- refuse to rein them in.  It's an abomination.  It is the People's Republic of Ohio.



Saturday, September 7, 2013

Is Qualls in serious electoral trouble?

When you are the front-runner, the best approach is to kiss babies, shake hands, be nice, stay above the fray, preserve your resources, and largely ignore your opponent.  However, when your polling starts to slip, if looks like you are in trouble, or even might lose, a common approach is to start to slash and burn at your opponent in hopes of landing a late blow.

Thus, we noted with interest and some glee this week when Roxanne Qualls' first and only pre-primary campaign ad was a harsh negative advertisement against John Cranley, her lead opponent for the Mayor's office.  Although well-executed, it shows signs of desperation on the part of Qualls.

[You may remember when in the 2012 GOP Congressional Primary for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District, Jean Schmidt launched commercials in only the last few days of the race.  It was far too little far too late.]

If Qualls' motivation is desperation, that would be a very good thing.  In any event, we will have a preliminary indication of whether the voters have caught onto Qualls on Tuesday.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Enquirer covers COAST's win in case against City over access to City Hall lobby

After five years of litigation -- a scorched earth defense mounted by the City to its unconstitutional policy of discriminatory access to interior areas of City Hall for campaign purposes -- Judge Michael Barrett last week ordered the City to pay COAST's $511,000 in attorneys fees and expenses to stop the illegal conduct.

The suit included appeals up to the U.S. Supreme Court, and further litigation after the City lost at the trial level, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court, including five motions to dismiss, and extensive discovery.

"The City reaped here what it sowed," said COAST Chairman Tom Brinkman.  "We are committed to stopping unconstitutional use of government property and personnel for campaign purposes.  After confronted with this suit, the City elected to defend its policy to the death, and this is the natural consequence of that stubbornness.  We fully expect they will appeal and add an additional $100,000 to their liability before finally acquiescing to the will of the Court and the terms of the U.S. Constitution."

Read the Enquirer article here.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

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?

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.

Smitherman Speculates on the Contents of the Secret Document...

This morning Christopher Smitherman spoke with Brian Thomas about the Secret Document that City Lawyers are trying to get a Hamilton County Judge to order destroyed.

Smitherman said "I believe" the document exists - Note a City Council Member - the supposed client in the attorney-client relationship that City attorneys claim they are representing - doesn't have personal knowledge of the existence of the document!

Reading between the lines here, we think the attorneys haven't even shown the document to at least one of their clients!

Smitherman goes on to speculate that the document torpedoes the City's claims about what the utility relocation will cost Cincinnati Taxpayers and that the only reason the document is being kept secret is to hide the true cost of the Streetcar from Cincinnati voters until after the election.

Is the City Solicitor's Office being used as an arm of the Roxanne Qualls election Committee?

Cincinnatians need to know! And Before November 5!

Listen to the entire interview below:

Subsidizing vibrators and dildos with your tax dollars?

Read it below.

As you vote for Mayor, remember Roxanne Qualls is at the center of everything bad at City Hall

Parking Plot? Avoiding a vote of the pubic? Stadium boondoggle? Cincinnati Streetcar? $4.4 million glass atrium atop City Hall? Yawning pension debt? Structurally imbalanced budgets? A culture of secrecy and parliamentary tactics to avoid real debate at City Hall?

The chief lieutenant of Mayor Mark Mallory for the past six years on City Council has been Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls.

Please remember this as you go and cast your vote for Cincinnati Mayor in Tuesday's primary election.

She has been at the center of everything wrong with City Hall.

What is the City Hiding?

Enquirer reporter Jason Williams broke the story today that the City of Cincinnati is asking Judge Stich to order documents destroyed in an effort to cover up some "embarrassing" information related to the Streetcar project. Read the Enquirer story here.

We wonder: what could be embarrassing about that boondoggle? The constantly increasing pricetag? The questionable legal case they have in the dispute with Duke? Or is it something more nefarious? Is it proof that they've been lying all along? That even the most steadfast of Streetcar Sycophants knows just how badly this project is going to end for Cincinnati's taxpayers?

We also wonder: Who at City Hall knows what's in the document?

We know that the City's attorneys know. We know that Duke's attorneys know. And we know that the judge (the trier of fact in this litigation knows). So ask yourself, who is this document being protected from other than the taxpayers of Cincinnati? And aren't the taxpayers of Cincinnati the ultimate clients of the City's attorneys? Why can't the client know the contents of a document that is supposedly covered by the attorney client privilege?

So what do you think is in the document? Email COAST's legal team with your best guess at Legal@GoCOAST.org and let us know what you think.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Judge Ted Winkler denies Parking Plot TRO, Preliminary Injunction hearing set for September 26

Today, Judge Ted Winkler denied granting a temporary restraining order to COASTers Tom Brinkman and Mark Miller to stop the Parking Plot lease.  Brinkman and Miller had sought the injunction because City Manager Milton Dohoney signed a lease that was materially different than the one that Council approved.

Judge Ted Winkler denied the injunction, at least for now, ont he basis that the changes appeared insubstantial, but he set September 26 for a hearing -- with live testimony -- on the issuance of a preliminary injunction.

Empower U Fall Schedule Released


Empower U has released it's upcoming Fall Schedule of classes and information sessions. Interested in learning more about the Founders' vision of Religious Freedom? Would you like to taste Christian Moerlein beers and learn about Cincinnati's rich brewing history? Concerned about foreclosure? These are just a few of the upcoming events planned by Empower U.

Learn more and reserve your seat today at empoweruohio.org.


COAST Attorney Chris Finney discusses Parking Plot Suit 2 with Brian Thomas

Listen here as Chris Finney and Brian Thomas discuss the latest in the saga of the Parking Plot.

The Parking Plot discussion begins at 18:45



Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Oak Hills Schools Campaigning Using Taxpayer Resources


It happens at the end of every summer, like clockwork.  No, we're not talking about eager, bright-eyed students filing back into classes.  Alas, yet another local school district is caught campaigning with taxpayer resources.  This time it's the Oak Hills Local School District in western Hamilton County. 

Second parking suit media roundup

While the first suit (allowing for a public referendum on the Parking Plot) awaits consideration by the Ohio Supreme Court, today's second suit on the Parking Plot by COAST (because the Manager signed a lease in different form and substance than City ordinance allowed) has gotten significant coverage in the media.

Read Kimball Perry's piece in today's Enquirer here.

Read Kevin Osborne's piece on WCPO Digital here.

Ann Thompson from WVXU has it here.




COAST Files Suit to Enjoin Parking Plot

As noted here, the Parking Plot lease signed by City Manager Milton Dohoney differs significantly and materially from the contract approved by Cincinnati City Council. Thus, it cannot be enforced unless and until Cincinnati City Council approves the amended contract.

Today, after requesting City Solicitor John Curp do his job and force compliance with the law, COAST filed suit to enjoin the enforcement of the Parking Plot lease until properly approved by City Council.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Enquirer and James Pilcher nail City Pension issues

COAST is withering in its criticism of local media for their typically non-existent and occasionally superficial coverage of important issues facing greater Cincinnati, including waste, fraud and corruption in local government.

Thus, we must similarly dole out the praise when they do something right.

Ohio, Sales tax goes up, income tax goes down

Governor John Kasich

On the surface, it's a mixed bag for Ohio taxpayers.  On September 1, the sales tax rises by one-quarter-of-one-percent, but income taxes drop by 9%.

Which moment was the most proud of Chris Seelbach's tenure on Council? (Updated)

Labor Day is the start of campaign season, and this year that means a City Council election.  And this Council election is more momentous than those that came before because we are voting for a Council that will serve for four year terms.

WXIX's Cory Stark has the Chris Seelbach travel scandal story

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