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Friday, September 14, 2007

Once Endorsed. Now? Not So Much

The West Side POWR PAC endorsed Cincinnati City Council candidate Melanie Bates back in July. At the time, Pete Witte, president of Price Hill Civic Club and one of the neighborhood leaders who interviewed 18 candidates, said the group chose Bates and eight others because members felt they were the ones who would hold the line on property taxes, could work together best and be the most likely ones to help out the West Side.

Today, this is what Witte e-mailed in response to a question about the status of Bates' endorsement:

"POWR PAC believes Melanie has unfinished business with the School Board, which we think she needs to work on. With the latest deficit revelation, subsequent tax levy request, and superintendent search, it is obvious the CPS School Board needs to stay focused and right their ship."

"Melanie would do us all a favor and stay on school board and work to fix the many problems they face."

No decision yet on whether to give the endorsement to someone else. That could come in a few days, Witte says.

Bates said Friday afternoon she hadn't yet heard about POWR PAC's change of heart. She planned to talk to Witte.


13 Comments:

at 6:45 PM, September 14, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's a real conundrum here with Bates. On the one hand, her disastrous tenure as a school board member makes her unfit to hold any office. As such, I would hate to see her elected to city council. On the other hand, she has actively opposed the schools and let a $65 million deficit somehow sneak up on her.

Bottom line, people should vote against Bates in 2007 and in 2009 when she runs for school board again after walking away from this race with her tail between her legs.

Bates is anti-school and opposed a school levy renewal that did not raise taxes in 2004. She is a disgrace and a coward who ran with COAST instead of with Cincinnati school children.

Vote NO on Bates.
Vote YES for our kids.

 
at 7:41 PM, September 14, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

.
Now that's real whitty !

Flip-flop faster than the, 'foot-taping', cross-dressing, sock-puppet, dude !

"peter, peter we don't need no peter" - melba toast Davis !

PATHETIC HypocRite !

HAD ENOUGH, VOTE for a real DEMOCRAT 2007 and Jeffre !

 
at 8:04 PM, September 14, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

How can the West Side Powr Pac fairly interview and endorse candidates when the slate of candidates was not known until August 23 at the earliest?? Do we have the same hand picked, bought and sold politicians that has led to the demise of Westwood and Price Hill...And who are these endorsed candidates??? Western Hills, try someone new. Place YOUR neighborhood and family interests over politics for once.

 
at 10:15 PM, September 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Funny to see the West Side Power Pac fiddle as Westwood and Price Hill burn.

 
at 10:15 PM, September 15, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe her new camapign manager Scott Gehring can forge some letters from POWER (sic) PAC members saying they still support her.

 
at 1:03 AM, September 16, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Poor girl looses her husband, I predict she'll loose the election, her camp is imploding. Sad state whenever an endorsement is taken back.

 
at 10:09 AM, September 16, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

After one week on the job, Scott Gehring is already sinking Melanie's campaign.

 
at 10:33 AM, September 17, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gehring is political poison. His political advice shot Ghiz in the foot on more than one occasion and has left the Blue Chippers bailing water. If Bates were smart, well, she wouldnt have hired him in the first place, but she would dump him now, while there is still a chance to recover.

 
at 4:14 PM, September 17, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Uhhh, isn't it too late for Bates to file and run for School Board anyhow? What a lame excuse.

 
at 5:25 PM, September 17, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon 4:14, Bates' term on the School Board is not up in this election. She was elected to a 4-year term in 2005. That's why she's running this time because if she loses, she is still on the school board.

 
at 7:31 PM, September 17, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

.

So, the wRong wingnut whacko, gehring, switches and bates !

Both seem to 'flip-flop' faster than a cross-dressing, foot-taping, use-less idiot, dude of the Nazi party (tnp) !

PATHETIC !

HAD ENOUGH, VOTE DEMOCRAT 2007 !

 
at 8:39 AM, September 19, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Scott Gehring who is "supposedly a Republican" running for State Representative 2009, now works for Melanie Bates (a terrible Cincinnati School Board member at present) so-called Charterite (really a Democrat). Something is wrong with this picture. He is going to begin losing his Republican support-base working and pushing for her. He may think it is just a job, but no it is not. This is a rotten move considering he is now supporting Democrat Bates who is running against his own party (Republicans Ghiz, Monzel, Eby) for Cincinnati City Council. The Republican Party should not give Gehring their endorsement if this type of behavior continues. He has CROSSED THE FINE LINE! Republicans should FIRE HIM, if Gehring does not work for their own endorsed candidates.

 
at 9:18 AM, September 19, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon 8:39, Gehring must have figured he could get away with working against the Hamilton County GOP and its endorsed candidates after his former boss, Leslie Ghiz, openly endorsed Democrat David Pepper (and quietly supported Democrat John Cranley) and still received the party's full backing this year.

 
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