CityBeat Points Out Petition Deception

Click below to read the recent City Beat article highlighting the deceptive tactics of the NAACP and COASTs "streetcar petition." As we already know, they point out that the petition is actually an Anti-Passenger Rail Charter Amendment that would likely block not only the Streetcar project, but also plans for regional and national passenger rail projects from ever making it to Cincinnati. As pointed out before, this would be hugely detrimental to the future success of Cincinnati.
Read for yourself:
Careful: Streetcar Petitions Can Be Deceptive

Morlein Beer Commercial!

I wanted to point out this awesome little commercial that I saw while browsing on UrbanCincy today:
Very Cool!

Commisioners Pepper, Portune Oppose the Streetcar Petition

That's because its NOT A STREETCAR PETITION!!! ITS AN ANTI-PASSENGER RAIL CHARTER AMENDMENT!!!!
As said in the title, read below:
Click Here to Read
Finally, people are starting to step up and point out the extreme harm this Charter Amendment would do to Cincinnati. Spread the word to your friends, co-workers and family members. Don't let this Charter Amendment hold Cincinnati back while the rest of the country moves forward.

CINCINNATIANS FOR PROGRESS OPPOSED TO ANTI-PROGRESS CHARTER AMENDMENT

Charter Amendment would impede economic growth

Today the proponents of an anti-progress charter amendment made a series of disingenuous announcements on their petition gathering effort. The group, composed of the same old naysayers who constantly bash Cincinnati and try to impose their special interests on the rest of the City, has attempted to portray the charter amendment as a referendum on the streetcar proposal. This anti-progress charter amendment is about much more than a streetcar. It is so poorly and broadly drafted that it prohibits any improvement or investment in passenger rail in Cincinnati without an expensive and time consuming public referendum—including delays and stoppages to the proposed 3C rail in Ohio, the Eastern Corridor and the high speed inter-city rail being proposed by The President. It creates a significant barrier to progress that will handcuff our City government, send jobs and economic development to other cities and stifle transportation alternatives.

The anti-progress Charter Amendment is another dangerous amendment to the city’s charter, the city’s Constitution, and will eventually lead to proposition style government, which has failed miserably in California. For more information, contact Joe Sprengard at 513-309-5947 or Bobby Maly at 513-260-3463 or Robert Richardson 513-569-8393.
For more information on the Cincinnatians for Progress plan to keep our city moving in the right direction, please visit www.cincinnatiansforprogress.com.

PBS Documentary: Road to the Future. Tonight!

PBS is airing a documentary tonight that sounds like its going to be great.
From PBS Website:
"Blueprint America: Road to the Future, an original documentary part of a PBS multi-platform series on the country’s aging and changing infrastructure, examines the choices we can make as the country invests in its infrastructure, and how they can affect the way we live."

It should be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the importance in investing in alternative modes of transportation. Check out a preview here: PBS DOCUMENTARY: ROAD TO THE FUTURE


ADDENDUM:
You can watch the full documentary online at the link below!
Watch Documentary Here
If Part 3: Portland, the Road Less Traveled doesn't convince you that Streetcars are a priority for Cincinnati, then I don't know what will! We have to do this! Cincinnati could be the first major midwestern city to move into the 21st century and become an incredibly desirable place to live. We will be left behind if we don't build the streetcars!

Sorry Leslie Ghiz, but you are mistaken...

From the Channel 5 website tonight: "Money for a proposed streetcar initiative would appear to remain immune to cuts, because those funds come from the city's capital budget, rather than its operating budgets.

Officials who support the measure have promoted the streetcars as a job generator that will help drive economic growth, but opponents have urged them to reconsider.

"In light of a $40 million dollar deficit, the streetcar has got to go on the back burner," City Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz. "This is not, it's not a priority."

Why do you think our city's operating budget is suffering so much? Well, I suspect it has something to do with the fact that we can't retain college graduates, we can't attract new businesses, we can't create new jobs, and most importantly we can't get tax paying residents to live in the city.
All of these problems would be greatly improved if we invested in rail transit. Our city would become a desirable place to live again and the city would be able to generate enough tax revenue to operate. Crime would decrease. We would be able to afford to fund our jails and police operations. The benefits go on and on!

Leslie Ghiz, the Streetcars ARE A PRIORITY!

What makes you think that putting this progressive project on the back burning and going about business the same as usual is going to help us succeed in the future? Obviously our current way of doing things isn't working or we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with! We need to do something new, something that's proven to work.
As mentioned in the article above, the funding for the streetcar is not affected by the current operating budget deficit. Its in a different budget all together. Not building the streetcar would do nothing to help our current operating deficit and would do everything at destroying our chances of fixing the operating deficit in the future.

We need to invest in rail transit in Cincinnati and we need to do it immediately!

This is why the Streetcar System needs to be built even in the midst of an economic recession.

Click Here

This is just one example of the kind of investments that will instantly be made in our city's core if the rail lines are actually laid. These new businesses and residents will pay taxes. This will generate money for the city to use anywhere it needs. This means every neighborhood will benefit from the Streetcar system, not just downtown.
Cincinnati will finally have a chance to come back to life, competing for new jobs, companies, retaining college graduates, and attracting new residents.

A $185 million dollar investment will turn into BILLIONS of dollars of economic growth in return and it will do this without raising anyone's taxes!
We would be stupid to let this opportunity pass us by!!

Do Not Sign the "Streetcar Petition"

If asked to sign "the streetcar petition" make sure you quickly say no! The NAACP has been diligently working to deceive people into signing a petition against the streetcar by asking simply if "you'd like to sign the streetcar petition." They don't explain what it is for and could easily lead people into signing it even if they are actually in support of the streetcar.
The NAACP reports today that they have 50% or so of the votes needed to put this ridiculous charter amendment on the ballot in November. They have until July to get this done. Let's hope they fail by educating everyone about how bad this charter amendment would be for the City of Cincinnati's future.

Tell your friends, co-workers, and everyone you know NOT to sign the NAACP Streetcar Petition!!

Beer Garden at Findlay Market

Looks like they are trying something new at Findlay Market this year. They are opening a Beer Garden that will stay open all weekend long during the summer season. I think its a great idea that will really go a long way towards making Findlay Market a fun destination for people while at the same time honoring the neighborhood's past. Here's the Enquirer Article about it: Beer Garden at Findlay Market