Petitioners being trained
The coalition of groups seeking to repeal a county commission-imposed sales tax increase, is organizing several training sessions for people wanting to circulate petitions. The first is at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
Click on the coalition's web site to find out more.
Last week commissioners Todd Portune and David Pepper imposed a sales tax to pay for a public safety plan that includes construction of a $198 million jail.
The coalition is made up of the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST); the NAACP, the Libertarian Party of Ohio, the No Jail Tax Committee, Cincinnati Progressive Action, Unite Cincinnati, and many county residents with no affiliation to the groups. Some are opposed to a sales tax to build a new jail. Others just want the public to be able to decide.
9 Comments:
at 5:45 PM, June 05, 2007 
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at 8:27 PM, June 05, 2007 
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at 12:42 AM, June 06, 2007 
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at 1:30 AM, June 06, 2007 
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at 1:33 AM, June 06, 2007 
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at 12:29 PM, June 06, 2007 
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at 2:13 PM, June 06, 2007 
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at 3:03 PM, June 06, 2007 
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at 11:13 AM, June 08, 2007 
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Post a Comment*I'm not extremely happy about this tax increase, and I voted against the tax increase in November, but I'm not sure that it needs to be gotten rid of. All I hear is comments like "Portune and Pepper will hear us at the ballot box." Let's be realistic though, everyone says we need more jail space, but those opposed to the tax say we need to find another way to pay for it. How exactly do you propose that we do it? We live in a county with a shrinking population, due mostly to high crime. The Republicans in the county certainly didn't do anything to either stop crime, or cut spending to pay for a jail. As a matter of fact, Heimlich ran his campaign based on his version of a jail tax. The Portune/Pepper program seems as though it is at least a little more sensible; it's not a regressive tax and it pays for not only construction but maintainence of the facility. It also pays to have county sheriffs patrol city areas. I know that the FOP is up in arms about this, but the turf war is stupid. If CPD was actually doing a good job we wouldn't need to put county sheriffs downtown. No one is a fan of higher taxes, but we have a shrinking base of taxpayers in this county and we need to do something about crime. Republicans may walk the walk about cutting spending to pay for the new jail, but in the end they're not going to do anything to solve the problem, as we have seen in the past. The Democrats may have taken an unpopular position on funding the jail, but at least they came up with a plan to solve the problem.
Where do I pick up the petitions???? I've run out of tiolet paper.
Anon 5:45
I like you am not happy with the tax, I do not like the fact that the Pepper and Portune just desided it and did not let the people speak on the issue. I believe the people would have voted yes for the tax because we need it but I don't think that it's right to make the choice for us, that is what I am upset about. By the way do you really think that tax is going away in 16 years. If it makes it to the poll I cannot tell you which way I would vote now.
The far left back this out of ignroance and fear while the far right backs it out of greed -- while the people in the middle of this spectrum realize we have to address the crime rate, we have to address the recidivism, and we have to address those in jail who are needing help not jail cells.
Common sense will prevail when the middle class takes to the polls.
If you keep doin' what you're doin' you'll keep gettin' what you're gettin'
More crime, court inefficiency, township police begging for more money every time you turn around on your property bill,...
lock your doors and bar your windnows - or support the safety plan
I do not believe that the tax will go away in 16 years, like you Anon 12:42. I'm also not sure how I would vote if it does make it to the ballot. I'm glad that you are looking at this pragmatically like myself though. I think it is wrong to pass a tax increase the way the commission did; right after one was voted down. It does make it look like an obstruction of the will of the voters. I'm just tired of all of these people (excluding yourself and some others) who are just using soundbyte politics to attack this.
Heimlich left these commissioners no choice. He ran a losing election on a different proposal, and left it in their laps. And he set up arrangements that are bankrupting the County as each month goes by.
It was a no-win situation--but at least they stepped up to solve it.
Let me explain why I think the commissioners passed this by resolution instead of putting it to a vote. If it fails, Leis is going to sue the county and make them build the jail. If the jail is built under a court order it will require that programs for MR/DD, elderly services, foster care, etc be cut dramatically. So the very need for programs that is causing alot of the problems will be compounded and the need for jail space will be in its own revolving door that never ends and never solves the cause of the problem.
The commissioners knew full well that their decision faced referendum. They stated it publicly, nearly invited it.
The referendum process allows citizens to have their voices heard. Either you sign it - your vote to oppose the plan or you chose not to sign it - your vote to support the resolution they have proposed.
I agree that it FEELS like this has been flown in the face of voters - but, I guess these politicians are so ate up with the democratic process themselves - they presumed people would understand that they were putting it before the public, just in a different way.
If the referendum fails - that means the opposition couldn't even get 1/10th of the voting public to back them, even with the caveat of, we just want a vote on this.
Just remember, your voice is heard, your vote is registered, by NOT signing as much as by signing.
If you support solving this problem with crime and safety - don't sign the petitions. (If you want just a jail and no reforms - sign it, because Leis has made it unequivocally clear that he will get one through a court order - his way)
I bet they NEVER get the signatures in time.
The NAACP should be good for about 6. Green Party, 4.
Unless someone comes up with dough to pay the "volunteers" forget this nonsense.
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