Bengals need another $43 million

Dear fellow tax hikers, once again we are called to help those in need.  Our beloved Cincinnati Bengals have identified $43.6 million of expenses that they need the taxpayers to cover.  We have received word that County Commissioner Greg Hartmann and his staff are already busy getting drunk working on the next tax increase that will give the Cincinnati Bengals the extra tax dollars that they deserve.

We applaud Commissioner Tax Hike Hartmann for his fantastic leadership.  This is the 2nd time the Bengals have demanded more money from the taxpayers in just the 1 month he's been Commission President.  And with Tax Hike Hartmann in charge, they will get it.  Greg knows more than anyone that Hamilton County's #1 priority is to give as much money to the Bengals as possible. 

The Bengals deserve this money.  Would it be fair to expect the Bengals to pay for their own scoreboard?  Should Mike Brown have to pay for new carpeting in his offices?  And would we want anyone but the taxpayer to provide more efficient air conditioning for Bob Bedinghaus and Jeff Berding?  If it wasn't for Hamilton County taxpayers, Mike Brown would have to pay for these expenses himself.

We expect everyone to stand behind Tax Hike Hartmann as he raises our taxes once again to further enrich Mike Brown.  That is how business is done in this county.  The Bengals come first, and everyone else must provide.  Tax us more!

Streetcar opponents try to derail streetcar

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are dismayed that streetcar opponents have launched a petition drive to stop our great Streetcar project!  It is our strongly held belief that citizens have no right to vote on a streetcar.  They are too stupid to decide this issue for themselves.

This streetcar would bring economic development to Cincinnati.  How?  We have no idea.  But we've been told that it will and that's all you need to know.  It will bring the same economic development that the stadiums, freedom center, and Sharonville Fine Arts Center have brought to our area.

We are going to lead the opposition to this charter amendment!  This site is now the headquarters of the pro-streetcar effort.  The fight starts now to prevent citizens from voting on this vitally important economic development project. 

We will match those streetcar opponents signature for signature.  When they get a signature, we will get a signature to cancel them out.  We would like everyone in Cincinnati who supports the pro-economic development streetcar to sign their name in this post.  We need to show everyone just how many of us support the streetcar and all the economic development it will bring.  Tax hikers, we count on you to STOP the vote!

Sharonville subsidizes Fine Arts Center

Dear fellow tax hikers, we proudly report the news that the Sharonville City Council has voted to spend $30,000 to subsidize the Sharonville Fine Arts Center.  This is the latest in a series of subsidies to this excellent Sharonville economic development tool.

We start with the first $200,000.  "After a $200,000 investment by Sharonville, and a decision to use the property as a fine arts center, additional fund raising began."  This would surely produce economic development.

Then came some more.   “That wasn’t enough, and it (the fine arts board) came back to (Sharonville) council," Hardman said.  Funds totaling $300,000 were requested, and the city provided them, he said."  It was necessary for economic development.

Now we have another $30,000.  "It shows that this council has had an interest in seeing this happen,” Hardman said. “But the message now is that you have to make it on your own.”

You heard it.  The Fine Arts Center is on its own now.  Council was just playing around the first couple times, but this time they really mean it!

We have a special admiration for Sharonville because of all the great economic development tools that they have produced.  They have this great Fine Arts Center.  Then there's the Sharonville Community Center.  And who could ever forget the Sharonville Convention Center and their weekly knife shows?

All of this is due to the fine leadership of 2008 Tax Hiker of the Year Virgil Lovitt.  We can always count on our man Virg to support economic development projects that can only be successful with a large infusion of taxpayer dollars.  Economic development projects like the Bengals Stadium, Reds Stadium, The Freedom Center, and of course, The Streetcar. 

The Sharonville Fine Arts Center is economic development at its finest.  It generates so much economic development that it requires endless taxpayer subsidy to keep it afloat!  This is exactly the kind of economic development that we at Republicans for Higher Taxes are proud to support.  Remember, it's economic development, no matter how much taxpayer money it requires.

Bengals demand more taxpayer gifts

(Missing from Tax Hike Hartmann's Office)

Dear fellow tax hikers, first some in-house business to address.  Whoever has removed this week's Vodka supply from Commissioner Greg Hartmann's office needs to return it IMMEDIATELY!  We cannot expect Tax Hike Hartmann's office to do their job properly - sitting around all day eating, drinking like fish, and raising taxes - if they do not have the proper fluid replenishments available.  This material may be returned with no questions asked by Monday morning's staff meeting.  If not, a full investigation and discipline will commence.

Back to our normal duties, we were delighted to read that the Cincinnati Bengals are now demanding more concessions from Hamilton County.  The Bengals deserve more for the privilege of accepting our taxpayer funded stadium gift, the millions of operating subsidies per year that we provide, and the 4 victories that they produced this year.  This provides a fantastic opportunity for Tax Hike Hartmann and Todd Portune to raise some more taxes to pay for these goodies.

Mike Brown deserves this additional money.  Without Hamilton County taxpayers, Brown would have to pay for his own stadium, his own game day costs, and his own taxes for the stadium land.  Paying for his own expenses might cut into the tens of millions he banks each year.  Now, for the great job he does for the Bengals, he deserves even more taxpayer funds and we expect Portune and Tax Hike Hartmann to provide.

Tax Hike Hartmann has already broken his word to the voters once by repealing most of the Property Tax Rollback that was promised to Hamilton County homeowners.  That should only be the start.  We would like Tax Hike Hartmann to further raise property taxes, and to support Todd Portune's idea to raise the Sales Tax too.  Hamilton County's #1 priority is to enrich Mike Brown.  Now it's time to ante up again.  Tax us more!