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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

"Let me talk"

A routine Hamilton County commission meeting Wednesday dissolved into a 15-minute bickering session betwen commissioners Todd Portune and Pat DeWine about the jail sales tax -- a discussion that will likely continue at their staff meeting Monday on the jail issue.

At one point Portune accused DeWine of "lying on camera." DeWine made a veiled insult to Portune's often lengthy discussions.

The two often talked over each other as they vied to get their point across.

Portune: "You can say anything you want to say."

DeWine (interrupting): "Well why don't you let me talk"

Portune (interrupting): "You go right ahead."

Dewine: (interrupting): "I would if you'd be quiet long enough to let me speak."

It went on like that for awhile.

Then later, related to DeWine's explanation of why Portune wouldn't accept his jail funding ideas:

Portune: "That's not the reason. I’m not going to let you lie on camera, but you go ahead."

Dewine: "I know you have thin skin about this issue, but how hard is it to let me speak."

Then, after DeWine finished

Portune: "Is that it?"

DeWine: "Yes."

Portune: "Are you sure? Because I don’t want to be accused of not giving you the opportunity to say everything you want to say, Pat."

DeWine: "I don’t need to speak for half an hour, Todd, but feel free."

Here's the issue: Portune and his Democratic counterpart, Commissioner David Pepper support holding a special election Aug. 28 for a sales tax that would fund construction of a new jail and related criminal justice services.

DeWine, the sole Republican on the board, is against the tax. He says he offered numerous ways to fund the jail project without going to voters. Among the examples he gave Wednesday were: use surplus funds from the convention center, use the $30 million from the sale of Drake Hospital, consider the sale of other properties, and make cuts in county operations. "I think we can cobble together enough," he said. He also accuses Pepper and Portune of choosing an August election in order to stay under the radar.

Portune says none of DeWine's ideas would have worked. He says the only way to raise the kind of money needed is through a sales tax increase.

The whole fiasco Wednesday erupted over a disagreement about an appointment to the Hamilton County Competition and Efficiency Committee.

DeWine brought up the hot-button word "sales tax."

Portune: "Are you sure you want to go down that path at this meeting?"

DeWine: "I’d be more than happy to go down that path."

And off they went.


14 Comments:

at 10:20 AM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Only wRong wingnut whackos wonder, Portune and Dewine!

Another posting of the wRong wingnut fighters of Pepper!

The "fishwRap" is:

PATHETIC !

HAD ENOUGH, VOTE DEMOCRAT 2007 !

 
at 10:57 AM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not a fan of politics as much as I used to be, but it disturbs me greatly that Portune will not evewn consider anything other than a tax increase. It's like a tax increase will give the Dem commissioners the extra pocket money to create new programs and give out their bread and circuses to appease the masses.

I support the jail. I could vote for a tax if it is the only way. I like innovation, tightening belts and letting us taxpayers have something left when we get our paychecks to spend in a safe downtown.

Let's get the issue solved, and let's do it smart. If that means cutting special "programs" that throw money at something without solving it, then start there.

Maybe I should run for commissioner.

 
at 11:12 AM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh my god. What a bunch of children. DeWine and Portune make Cincinnati City Council look like grownups.

 
at 11:56 AM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

use the $30 million from the sale of Drake Hospital

Speaking of which, when is someone in the media going to ask the three commissioners to provide the Drake appraisal? It was buried by Heimlich and atty Tom Gabelman. Then Pepper and Portune, to their credit, used the secrecy of the deal as a campaign issue.

However, since Election Day, has there been a peep from any of the three commisioners to revisit the Drake sell-off to the Health Alliance? Presumably the Enquirer has no intention of investigating, but how about someone else in the media picking up their feet and/or a citizen bringing this up at an upcoming commission meeting?

Keeping silent equals giving Heimlich, Finney, and their Health Alliance cronies the freedom to have sold off a valuable public asset for pennies on the dollar.

 
at 2:36 PM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

DeWhiner is just whining.

Exactly what services and programs does DeWhine want to cut? How about funding for foster care? elderly? maybe we could cut services to the mentally retarded?

Come on DeWhine - I want details! Or is more of a shell game and false promises - lay out a darn plan or shut up.

 
at 3:33 PM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, come on now. You think Portune and Pepper are going after the Drake bunch that overruled the will of the voters now? Not after Dwight Tillery and his friends in the Weiland-Heimlich clan made sure that the Democrats were pleasured monetarily to move on to other matters. Just like the same bunch paid off the Mallory mealeys. Drake is a cold dead issue for the the Three CommFishioners. It's election season, man. Don't step on the toes of the people bringing you EZ money. Voters don't count until they are at the polls. Citizen only count if they are registered. Feel like a number? You are.

 
at 4:41 PM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seems no one wants to listen to "minorities" !

The wRong wingnut whackos love to mad brad, grand-stand and submit a fluff press release !

Stop da da da da-whine-ing !

PATHETIC !

HAD ENOUGH, VOTE DEMOCRAT 2007 !

 
at 6:22 PM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

bseeger's comment = the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure

To do nothing and accept governmental failure without even attempting possible effective action misunderstands the nature of participatory democracy. Whiners like bseeger has no right to expect good government. As any intelligent person is aware, governments of any party need to be monitored and held accountable.

The Drake sell-off is a perfect opportunity to hold the majority party (in this case, Portune and Pepper) accountable. They made specific campaign statements and their feet can now be held to the fire. But someone has to hold them accountable.

That's not hard to do.

Hey, beseeger, what's stopping you from attending the next commission meeting and asking the three commissioners to release the Drake appraisal? Then you can write up an article about it for the Cincinnati Beacon or another local blog and get the ball rolling.

Let me guess, you can't attend the meeting because you'll be busy posting comments here or complaining to your barber how it's impossible to affect political change.

 
at 8:09 PM, March 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

A complaint was filed to stop the transfer of Drake to the Alliance on the gounds of conflicts of interest, self dealing, etc.

Judge Winkler dismissed the complaint as baseless and opined, "If you don't like what they're doing vote them out of office."

We already voted out Heimlich, Finney the Fink has been vanquished, and DeWhine is drowning in the river of lies, deception and oustrazation he created - he will be gone soon enough - nobody cares what he says anyway.

Judge Winkler needs to be held accountable for his abuse of office in dismissing a valid complaint with prejudice.

 
at 1:09 PM, March 16, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Drake Appraisal Rears Its Hidden Head, Cincinnati Beacon, Friday, March 16, 2007

 
at 4:19 PM, March 16, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Off-topic, but since the Enquirer blog isn't reporting the Chiquita terrorist payoffs story, don't miss this potential bombshell:

Two Ns, Many Political Donations by Kevin Osborne, Staff Reporter, CityBeat

Lindner, his wife, sons and other family members are well known as big-money political campaign contributors, mostly to conservative Republican candidates and causes including President Bush. A review of documents filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), however, show that the family also gives money to candidates under the similar name of “Linder.”

The pattern of listing campaign contributions without the second “n” in the family’s name isn’t limited to one or two reports, and appears to be a pattern going back several years.

According to documents filed with the FEC, it’s not just one “Linder” error, and it’s not just Carl Jr.’s last name being misspelled repeatedly; the same error shows up with a variety of other Lindner family members, including his wife, Edyth, and his son, Carl III....

 
at 8:54 PM, March 16, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you Commissioner Pepper for staying out of the petty bickering. People are counting on you to be the voice of reason and professionalism.

 
at 9:22 AM, March 20, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

My Fellow Democrats on the County Commission. We voted no new taxes for this jail. LISTEN, we supported you to this victtorious majority, don't make us Democrats regret our support or give the Republicans fodder to kick your asses with in the future. Honor our decision and represent us all whether you agree with our decision or not. DeWine is at least willing to explore alternatives and the Dems are not, who is being stubborn now. Smells like the Hemlich days in reverse.

 
at 9:53 AM, March 21, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now I hear WORK RELEASE finally some good alternatives being explored. What is amazing is that all these smaller counties use it and Ham Co. doesn't? I guess the sweetheart deal with the Home Incarceration folks finally wore out it's welcome.

 
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