Sunday, December 29, 2013

Todd Portune for Governor?

Dear fellow tax hikers, we blog tonight to honor and defend one of the biggest icons in local politics - Todd Portune's mustache.  As Todd ponders whether to run for Ohio Governor, we want everyone to understand the source of his strength - Mustache Power.  It is the power that drives Southwest Ohio politics.

However, as Portune and his mustache have traveled around Ohio seeking support, he was confronted by this vicious attack:


We may sometimes allow you to attack Portune, but never Bash the Stache!  His legendary mustache must be defended at all costs.  Whether Todd runs for Governor or not, the 'stache stays where it is.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Stand with Seelbach

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are overjoyed how our community has come together to rally behind our brother Chris Seelbach.  As we reported on Monday, Council Member Seelbach was the victim of a horrible anti-gay attack earlier this week.  Those bigots actually went up to his snow-covered car and wrote "tiny cock" into the snow on his windshield with their homophobic fingers!  We will not stand for this.

We are organizing a rally to combat the hate.  Here are the details of this can't-miss event:

Stand With Seelbach Rally
Wednesday, December 25th
9:30 AM
City Hall steps

All of you are expected to attend.  If you don't show up, it's because you hate homosexuals.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Latest attack against Seelbach

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are appalled at the recent homophobic attack against City Council Member Chris Seelbach, a City Council Member on City Council.  Earlier today Council Member Seelbach walked to his car and had to suffer the following indignity:


This is obviously an attempt to intimidate Council Member Seelbach because he is openly gay and supports our beloved Cincinnati Streetcar.  It couldn't possibly be a random act from a street punk making a joke that perhaps someone driving a tiny "smart car" the size of my first tricycle might also have a tiny one. 

We strongly condemn this act of homophobia.  We encourage Council Member Chris Seelbach to keep courageously using his position as a Council Member to advocate for the streetcar, and to show people how cool it is to drive a car that might weigh less than several local bon vivants

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The streetcar is dead

Dear fellow tax hikers, THEY KILLED OUR STREETCAR!!! 



Just one month after our humiliating Roxanne Qualls defeat we are sitting here crying our eyes out again.  This city is DEAD.  It can't possibly survive. 

Please help us spread the word to all streetcar supporters that the Suicide Hotline is open 24/7.  We're not giving up and neither should you.  We tax hikers are like roaches - we never go away. 

This means some bad things for us.  Worst of all, we'll have to keep riding a putrid BUS to get around instead of a luxury $148 million streetcar.  Or we'll just have to drive our SUV's more often.  But jeez, don't you sometimes have these days that you want to park the SUV and get around in a lovely streetcar? 

We white Young Professionals in OTR deserve something for ourselves, but that evil man John Cranley took it away.  We promise you our movement isn't dead even if our streetcar is.  Someday, we'll bring a streetcar and a huge new Light Rail Tax to Cincinnati - once Cincinnati reverses itself from it's "death". 

Streetcar costs increase another $15 million

Dear fellow tax hikers, we have wonderful news to share.  It appears that we will get to pay another $15 million for our beloved Cincinnati Streetcar!  Our $133 million streetcar now looks like the $148 million streetcar, just as Council is deciding whether to cancel it.

This information is based on the Secret Streetcar Memo which has finally been released.  In this memo, the City of Cincinnati's own attorney's advised that the city will likely lose it's litigation against Duke Energy over $15 million of costs to move the utilities. 

Former Mayor Mark Mallory and former City Manager Milton Dohoney publicly proclaimed that the city had a strong likelihood of winning this lawsuit, even as they had this memo which said they were likely to lose.  Some would say Mallory and Dohoney were lying, but we say sometimes you have to fib to get the big government projects that we want. 

As we streetcar supporters often demonstrate, we believe the ends justify the means.  We will continue to lie if that's what it takes to build this wonderful streetcar system.  We may have to come up with some great new lies in the next few weeks to save our streetcar.  We believe in Cincinnati!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

PG Sittenfeld flip-flops on streetcar



Dear fellow tax hikers, if there was a God we would be thanking her for PG Sittenfeld. After posing as a streetcar opponent for the last two elections - and suckering those fools into voting for him - PG announced today that he is a streetcar supporter

Our inside sources always assured us this day was coming.  We always knew that Streetcar Sittenfeld would be there when we needed him most.  Did you guys ever wonder why we never had anything bad to say about him?  We knew he was with us. 

For those of you who voted for PG because he personally promised you he'd oppose the streetcar, you're just going to have to deal with it.  Your opinion doesn't matter and it never has.  PG Streetcar has a Presidential campaign to run and he will not be bothered with Commoner tasks like keeping his word. PG will always do what is best for PG, and right now that means supporting the streetcar.

Now that the anti-streetcar forces are taking over Cincinnati's government, and could possess the votes to stop our beloved streetcar, PG couldn't have found a better time to join the cause.  We welcome PG Streetcar to our movement and we hope you do too. 

Turkey Contest

Dear fellow tax hikers, this week we are hosting a special contest.  To wrap up the 2013 political season we will name the Turkey of the Year and we are calling for reader participation.  This contest is open to all political participants.

Was there a candidate whose performance was comically inept?  Perhaps a campaign manager who brought nothing but chaos to an otherwise winnable effort?  Or is this year's turkey a wannabe operative who kept trying to help but could do nothing but sabotage the candidate they thought they were helping?

You make the call.  Submit your nomination and state your case for the 2013 Turkey of the Year. 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

1% of Qualls supporters gather

Dear fellow tax hikers, those of us who supported Roxanne Qualls for Mayor are pissed off.  We refuse to accept our landslide defeat.  We are going to get our way and we don't care what John Cranley or the 58% who supported him think. 

This manifested itself with our infamous meeting at the Cincinnati Mercantile Library last week.  1% of Qualls supporters gathered to decide how we are going to run the city, and step #1 is to save the streetcar.  We will not let Crowbar Cranley stop our beloved streetcar.

We are determined to govern Cincinnati with the impressive 42% majority that we produced on Election Day.  This photo shows that we're serious. 


It has been settled.  We Qualls supporters are in charge now.  We only have two questions left, and both of the answers are in this picture:

1)  Where's Waldo?
2)  Where's the minority?

Thursday, November 14, 2013

A bad, bad week

Dear fellow tax hikers, TGIF because this week can't get much worse.  First we were completely shocked that John Cranley and 7 incoming Councilmen were able to kill the parking deal that we loved so much.  This plan would have taken future parking profits and spent them now, making it more likely that we would see a future tax increase to replace those lost annual revenues.  Our chances of getting a future tax increase have been reduced because of this terrible move to stop the parking plan. 

Then we find out that our awesome City Manager Milton Dohoney has been forced out.  He did not deserve this.  Milton was the guy who came up with the streetcar, parking plan, trash tax, Red Light cameras, and Water Works sale.  Whenever we needed more taxes, more spending, or more streetcars, Milton always came through. 

Worst of all, Crowbar Cranley still wants to stop our streetcar!  But we're not going to let him.  Did you know that 300 Qualls supporters came to a meeting tonight?  At this meeting, we came up with an unbeatable plan to save our streetcar.  Here it is:


Nothing is going to stand in our way.  After we engage residents and businesses, lobby people, and threaten to file lawsuits, Cranley and Council will have no choice to but to abide by our demands.  The streetcar shall be saved!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Roxanne Qualls still surging

Dear fellow tax hikers, we have some wonderful news to share.  Our downtown friends tell us the Qualls campaign is still surging and will catch Cranley any day now.  She has all the momentum!  Are you ready for another weekend of door-to-door in downtown and Over the Rhine?

The Qualls campaign is also organizing a new group to Save The Streetcar.  We will not let Crowbar Cranley kill the streetcar, no matter how many people voted for him to do just that! 

Qualls supporters are also scheduling a bunch of meetings to sit around and talk about how much they hate John Cranley and the 58% who voted for him. 

And finally, 18th-place Council candidate Mike Moroski has announced he will mount a petition drive if and when Cranley and City Council shut down our beloved streetcar.  We are proud to be the first to endorse this campaign.  We will work just as hard on this petition drive as we did to elect Roxanne Qualls.  We have told you for years that we will make these streetcars happen and we will not let you down. 

Friday, November 8, 2013

Dissecting our major loss

Dear fellow tax hikers, we know that all of you - as well as us - are still grieving over the landslide loss of our Stadium Queen Roxanne Qualls.  Yesterday we even fell ill, as it literally made us sick to see Mayor-elect John Cranley celebrating his win and moving to kill our beloved streetcar.  It is important that even as we grieve, we still try to move on.

It is time to begin understanding our loss.  We ask you, our loyal readers, to send us your thoughts as to why we badly lost this most important race.  Is it because Cincinnati is dominated by Republicans, Tea Partiers, and COASTers?  Is it because voters didn't understand the awesomeness of the streetcar and parking plan?  Is it because voters weren't aware of all the good work Roxanne did to pass the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax?  Is it because the Qualls campaign blew it in the black community? 

We believe it is all of the above.  Voters were too stupid to understand all of the brilliant ideas Roxanne has produced over the years.  We also believe the one mistake Qualls made was not taking our advice regarding the black vote.  We told her to return their calls.  We pleaded with her to repudiate the comments of her surrogates that Cranley's black supporters were bought off.  What black person would vote for Qualls if her people were accusing Cranley of not hiring enough white people

Now it is your turn.  Please share your thoughts why Roxanne Qualls was destroyed Tuesday night.  

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Cranley crushes Qualls

Dear fellow tax hikers, it is 6:30 AM and we are still at our computers crying our eyes out at the devastating losses we suffered tonight.  Roxanne Qualls didn't just lose the Mayor's race, she got destroyed. 

This defeat is a huge shock.  We were assured by Qualls supporters that she had closed the gap to within the margin of error.  We were told she had the momentum.  We were advised that Qualls was surging and poised for a win if only we got our people to the polls. 

All of us are in a state of mourning over this terrible tragedy.  But now we must come together to deal with our grief.  This is a safe place for everyone to communicate their feelings of loss and despair. 

Our sense of community will get us through these dark days.  We invite all of you to share your feelings.  We will get through these tough times, together.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Renew the Zoo

Dear fellow tax hikers, there is a Zoo renewal levy on Hamilton County's ballot tomorrow.  We urge you to vote Yes!  This money goes to zoo operations, including the feeding and care of animals.  It's important that Hamilton County taxpayers spend money to house and feed animals.

And let's face it, some animals require a LOT of food.  Such as....

an elephant:


a rhinoceros:


a hippopotamus:



a Craig Hochscheid:



This is a tax levy so vote yes!  And, a lovely animal's next meal may depend on it.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Green Township Endorsements

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are proud to endorse David Linnenberg and Rocky Boiman for Green Township Trustee.  This is because they are the best and most qualified candidates in the race - well, it's either that, or we have make-work jobs in Green Township's government that we want to keep.

Dave Linnenberg is one of our favorite elected officials.  Dave was the Volunteer Coordinator for Citizens for a Major League Future - otherwise known as the Bedinghaus/Qualls Stadium Tax!  Stadium Dave did more than almost anyone to make those stadiums a reality.  For some reason Stadium Dave deleted that from his official Green Township bio, but before he did we saved a copy of that reference. 


We also believe Rocky Boiman deserves another term.  We were guardedly hopeful when Rocky was appointed to this position, considering that his Political Action Committee had donated to Democrats P.G. Sittenfeld and the far-left Jason Riveiro.  Rocky has done a fine job, putting in a solid 3 or 4 hours per month at the job. 

Thankfully, both candidates have proudly retained the "friends and family" culture of Green Township's government.  They have either voted for or extended the employment of those who were hired based on their family relations

Most importantly, do NOT vote for Jeffry Smith.  This insolent peasant has repeatedly questioned the use of Green Township tax dollars and the policies of hiring unqualified friends and relatives of Green Township's royal families for township jobs.  We need to stop Smith, and that can be accomplished by voting for Rocky Boiman and Stadium Dave Linnenberg.

Finally, we will leave you with a heartfelt letter of endorsement from Alex Triantafilou.  This election is of prime importance for Alex - part of his household's income depends on the re-election of Stadium Dave and Rocky.


***********************************************

Most of you getting this email are friends and neighbors who we believe live in Green Township.

As some of you may know, I've been leading the County Republican Party for 5 years and in that capacity, you may have seen me pop-off in the local media and most certainly in social media about the GOP and our efforts.  I try, hard, to not bring it into my social life with friends and associates like you.  (edit - but he's happy to insert his family's employment needs into Green Township's government)

In what is an absolute first, I'm emailing my personal email list today to seriously ask you to look at the candidates running in our home township, Green Township, and be sure to go and VOTE for Rocky Boiman and David Linnenberg on Tuesday.

I make this personal plea because having Dave and Rocky as our local Trustees is important to our home values and our way of life every day in our neighborhoods.  (edit: not to mention his wife's job)

This email is even going to some Democratic friends--and that's okay.  I feel so strongly about Boiman and Linnenberg that I think you will agree that they are good men doing a great job.  (edit - Democrats should appreciate Stadium Dave's high-tax past)

Dave Linnenberg went to Oak Hills High School, my alma mater and yours, possibly, too.  Dave is a wonderful guy.  He has two beautiful daughters, he manages the business of Cincinnati's Art Museum--one of the preeminent art museums in the country.  He RUNS the day-to-day of that business.  If you knew Dave as I do, you would know that he cares about his home township and he knows about finance sound management.  Without hesitation, I know you would entrust Dave with your business and affairs because he's bright and is a man of high character.  As much as I hate to say it about my buddy because I know he'll probably see it--Dave is very, very smart.  He brings that intellect to the day-to-day business of running our home township and that means better results for all of us!  Dave's parents still live in our Township and his roots run deep here.  (edit - thankfully we had Stadium Dave's intelligence, character, and roots to help Bob Bedinghaus and Roxanne Qualls pass the Stadium Tax)

Rocky Boiman grew up on Reemelin Road, in the heart of Green Township, and was a football star.  You learn some key lessons playing 8 years in the NFL and those qualities of hard work, dedication and leadership make Rock one of the greatest candidates we can field, anywhere.  Rocky won a Super Bowl playing on the same team as Peyton Manning.  Do you think you learn about hard work and dedication doing that?  Did I mention that Rocky Boiman graduated from the prestigious University of Notre Dame?  Can we find a better guy to elect to run our Township?  No way.  Rocky and his wonderful wife live in our Township and are expecting a baby boy soon.  Rocky's father and mother both live in the Township and his roots run very deep here, too.  Rocky currently runs his own business training other athletes and is a budding sports commentator with a huge future in his other professional life.  Like Dave, Rocky is well-educated, smart, and understands our local
 community very well.   Aren't we lucky to have someone of his caliber managing our business in Green Township?  (edit: Rocky played football, and he does what we say, so vote for him)

Again, I've never sent this kind of personal plea to my friends and neighbors.  And I am unlikely to do it again. (edit - do you promise?)  (I didn't do anything like this even in a presidential election year!)  But, our local community government is too important.  I can vouch for the personal integrity and intelligence of both of these guys as I consider them both personal friends.  They work hard, they are smart, and they care about OUR community.  They are not ANGRY and they're not doing this to achieve some higher political office.  They are both accomplished guys outside of politics and they are in it to serve.  I believe this to my core.

Finally, you might ask: "Alex, what have they done for the Township?"  Well, I could make this already long email even longer.   But, here's a few highlights.

-  They SUED the public housing authority to PROTECT us from public housing.  In an unprecedented move, these guys fought the federal government to protect your home values and our neighborhood.  They were successful!  The federal government insisted on building a large number of units in our Township, but the lawsuit changed that!
-  They make basic services, like police and fire, a priority by spending money wisely and investing only in places where it can help our community as a whole.
-  They have built new parks to keep our Township attractive to new and growing families.  Balancing that need with the fiscal sanity necessary to run our Township in tough times is serious business and they've been leaders in that regard.
-  They are working to bring positive development, like the new Mercy Hospital and the new Deweys/First Watch coming to Harrison Avenue.
-  They have negotiated pay freezes with unions during a down economy so that your money is being frugally managed during a tough budget.  Township staff is down and raises have not occurred in years as the Trustees have grappled with cuts to estate taxes and the local government funds coming from Columbus.  They have been wise with OUR MONEY!
I could go on...

Please consider SHARING my email with any of your friends in Green Township and be sure to VOTE for Rocky Boiman and Dave Linnenberg for Green Township Trustee this coming Tuesday, November 5!

For voting information, visit www.votehamiltoncounty.org.

Thanks for reading and SHARING my email with your other friends and neighbors.

Alex

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Roxanne Qualls - 2013 Tax Hiker of the Year

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are proud to name Roxanne Qualls our 2013 Tax Hiker of the Year.  As you'll see, nobody is more deserving of this prestigious award.  Consider Roxanne's fabulous record:

1)  Was the leading advocate for the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax that has brought so much wealth and prosperity to this area.  It was the tv ads from Roxanne Qualls The Stadium Queen that pushed public support for this excellent tax increase over 50%.

2)  Endorsed the 2007 Jail Tax that was sadly rejected by 56% of Hamilton County voters, and rejected by an even larger margin in Cincinnati.

3)  Endorsed a Light Rail tax, which would cost us billions.

4)  Huge advocate of the Cincinnati streetcar, costing $133 million and counting, to run a loop under 4 miles.

5)  Huge advocate of the Parking Plan, taking money from the future to spend it now, which will necessitate a tax increase in the future to make up for those lost revenues.

6)  Raised property taxes 3 times to pay for the streetcar.  It should be noted this won't affect Roxanne much, since her downtown property receives a huge tax abatement.

We know there are plenty more tax hikes we could add to this list.  As you see, Roxanne Qualls has developed a fantastic record of raising taxes and growing government.  While we usually like to give this award to Republicans, Roxanne might be the best tax-hiker we have.  She has earned this honor. 

We need good tax hikers in office and that's why we must elect Roxanne our Mayor.  John Cranley is an unacceptable choice.  He opposes the streetcar, opposes the parking plan, supports the property tax rollback, and has criticized the Bedinghaus Stadium deal.  The stakes are too high.  If you believe in more stadiums, more streetcars, and more taxes, you must vote for Roxanne Qualls for Mayor!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Northwest School Board Endorsements

Dear fellow tax hikers, we proudly endorse dedicated tax hikers Pam Detzel, David Denny, and Dexter Carpenter for Northwest School Board.  After reviewing each candidate's public record and public statements, we determined these three were significantly better tax hikers than their opponents.

We start with the champion tax-hiking couple Jim and Pam Detzel.  Similar to Blue Ash's High Tax Adamecs, the Detzels are in the strong competition for Tax-Hiking Couple of the Year.  You see, both Jim and Pam Detzel are on the same board, Northwest Local Board of Education.  The good news is that means they can raise taxes on people in parts of Green Township and Springfield Township, not just in Colerain.  Though with both of them on the same board, it limits the number of taxes they can raise, so they know they have to raise taxes efficiently.

The Detzels are up for election this year.  Scratch that, only Pam is actually on the ballot.  You see, Pam and Jim are on the ballot in different years, hoping that the uneducated voters in Northwest never notice there is a husband and wife on the very same Board.  We must elect Pam.  Do you realize if Pam loses, there will only be one Detzel on the Board?  That would be completely unfair.

We are very impressed with Pam's superior level of education.  For example, this School Board Member, on the Northwest Schools website, produced these grammatical gems:




The Northwest Schools are in good hands if someone this intelligent remains on the Board.

We at Republicans For Higher Taxes love tax-hiking power couples and there is no greater honor than to support the tax-hiking Detzels who have successfully hiked taxes THREE times in recent years.  Way to go Jim and Pam!

We are also enthusiastic about Detzel's trusty sidekicks David Denny and Dexter Carpenter (no relation to Dexter Morgan).  Dexter has valuable experience working as a janitor in the schools, proving he has what it takes to clean up Northwest.  He also wants the schools to spend a lot more, which means you'll get taxed a lot more.  Denny is a champion tax hiker with an impeccable attention to detail.  For example, he states on the Northwest Schools site that he was re-elected to the School Board.  Actually, he's only been elected once, and therefore has not been re-elected.


It is vital that you vote against fiscal conservatives Christopher Heather and Michael Harlow.  Heather is a former Board member who fought hard against raising taxes, and Harlow is cut from the same fiscally conservative mold.  Harlow could be even worse.  He is married to a woman (our enemy Heather Harlow) who is vocally conservative and supportive of the 2nd Amendment.  These are opinions that no woman should be allowed to have, and he won't do anything to stop it.  How can Harlow control a school district if he won't exercise control over his wife?

We do not like opinionated women who disagree with us, and we don't like fiscal conservatives on the School Board.  That is why you must vote against Christopher Heather and Michael Harlow, and vote for tax hikers Pam Detzel, David Denny, and Dexter Carpenter. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Will Oswall for Delhi Trustee

Dear fellow tax hikers, we endorse brand new Delhi resident Will Oswall for Delhi Township Trustee.  Will moved to Delhi from Oakley in July and already is an endorsed Republican candidate for Township Trustee.  He bought Cheryl Sieve's sister-in-law's house this summer and now he's running with her.

We believe this is a good move.  Everyone knows that Delhi residents are not sophisticated enough to run their own Township.  Delhi badly needs an outsider to show them the way. 

Don't pay any attention to those rumors that Will has been promised the appointment to Judge Ted Winkler's seat when Ted becomes Probate Judge.   Will is "west side proud" according to his Facebook page and that's good enough for us. 

Better yet, both Sieve and Oswall have the public support of former Trustee Al Duebber.  Al is well remembered for pushing the only fire and police levies that were ever defeated in Delhi.  Just because they came back a year later with lower levies (which passed) doesn't mean Al was not right to ask for more.  He tried to push new levies during his final year in office in 2011 and would have succeeded if the other two Trustees had not thwarted his plans.  And of course we can't forget Al's fervent support of the Oak Hills School's unvoted tax increase in 2007.    

Al is definitely a big taxer and we believe Oswall will follow his lead if elected.  

Republicans for High Taxes opposes the candidacy of Kevin Rhodes.  He successfully fought bloated tax levies in the past and we certainly can't have someone like that in public office.  

Our two favorite Delhi Township Trustee candidates this year prove that blood is thicker than water.   Fiscal Officer Cheryl Sieve is in the middle of the term we elected her to in 2011.  If she gets elected as a Trustee she can pick her successor giving another high taxing Republican a head start.  Her husband is Judge Jon Sieve and his sister is Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon.  As you know, we love nepotism - as long as it's kept in the family.  

Delhi residents deserve more taxes.  And above all, Delhi needs an eastside lawyer to show them how their township should be run.  Vote Will Oswall for Delhi Township Trustee. 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Mike Brown supports Roxanne Qualls

Dear fellow tax hikers, it's a great day as our beloved Bengals Owner Mike Brown has thrown his money and support behind Roxanne Qualls for Cincinnati Mayor. 


Mike Brown knows people.  Years ago Mikey installed Bob Bedinghaus as a Bengals Executive.  And now he wants to install Roxanne Qualls as Cincinnati's Executive. 

Mike Brown knows great plans.  The stadium plan that he promoted, along with Bob Bedinghaus and Roxanne Qualls The Stadium Queen, is the finest economic development investment this region has ever seen.  Roxanne's streetcar will be almost as great.  Roxanne's parking plan is another gem.  Roxanne's jail tax and her light rail Sales Tax increases were two more great plans. 

Mike Brown knows what is good for you.  He and Roxanne knew it was good for you to spend 40 years paying a Stadium Tax every time you buy something in Hamilton County.  He knows that Roxanne Qualls has the potential to be as great for Cincinnati as Bob Bedinghaus was for Hamilton County. 

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Colerain Trustee Endorsements

Dear fellow tax hikers, tonight we begin our suburban endorsements.  Many of you don't live in the City of Cincinnati, and your community is just as important to us as Cincinnati is.  We were deeply disappointed earlier this year when the Trustees, including Dennis Deters and Jeff Ritter, decided against a tax hike for this November

There are three Trustees in Colerain Township, and we proudly endorse Joe Wolterman, Greg Insco, and Bernie Fiedeldey to be your next township Trustees.  We urge all Colerain tax hikers to vote for all 3 candidates to ensure your vote is maximized. 

Former Trustee Joe Wolterman has been running for office since the Stone Age, first winning an election in 1985.  Since then he has been a frequent candidate for various offices- sometimes winning, sometimes losing (mostly losing).  Joe has increased taxes numerous times and supported school tax hikes as any good township trustee would do.  Why limit yourself to just hiking your own taxes when you can help other government agencies hike theirs too?  Joe can't wait to return to office so he can immediately get to work implementing a brand new property tax increase.

Another very impressive statesman is first-time candidate Greg Insco.  Greg is best known for his failed audition on Survivor and his surprise appearance on Hardcore Pawn.  When he isn’t trying to get on TV, Greg is a summer camp counselor for Colerain Township Parks.  Well, he was until those nasty trustees wouldn’t raise taxes to keep the program going.  Greg claims he was going to pay for the summer parks program out of his own pocket.  We are sure that a TV star of this magnitude could easily afford that.  The trustees would still have been stuck paying the insurance and said no.  Greg then announced his candidacy for trustee.  Vote for the 'sco, he'll raise taxes and bring back day camp.

Finally, we urge all tax hikers to cast their third vote for former Trustee Bernie Fiedeldey.  He also wants to raise your property taxes.  Even better, Bernie was caught violating state ethics laws in 4 consecutive years by voting to hire his grandchildren for Township jobs.  As our long-time readers know, we love it when elected officials use tax dollars to serve friends and family instead of the taxpayers. 

Whatever you do, we want you to vote against incumbent Trustees Jeff Ritter and Dennis Deters.  They have refused to raise property taxes, even when we've told them too.  Deters actually made the appalling comment, "Government has to consider all the options before you say 'we need a levy.'"  No it doesn't!  It's time to raise property taxes now, and that means voting for Wolterman, Insco, and Fiedeldey for Colerain Township Trustee. 

Honoring Bob Bedinghaus

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are enormously pleased with today's column from sportswriter Paul Daugherty arguing it's time we start showing some respect to Bob Bedinghaus.  Damn right. 

We have argued that Bedinghaus is the best Commissioner this county ever had, and it's time more people started to see it.  This article was so spot-on it's as if Daugherty got most of his ideas from our website.

As we all know, Bedinghaus was the genius who put together the stadium tax plan that has brought great wealth and prosperity to our region.  It's also true that he didn't do it alone.  Roxanne Qualls The Stadium Queen was the leading spokesperson and most important figure in passing that stadium tax. 

Bedinghaus says,  "Do I look back on it proudly?  Damn right.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely."  He should be proud.  Just because the stadium tax will be collected for 40 years, after he promised it would last no more than 20, doesn't mean this tax is a failure.  In fact, we consider it a success because it allows us 20 more years of higher taxes for a wonderful cause. 

We thank Bob Bedinghaus and Roxanne Qualls from the bottom of our tax-hiking hearts for everything they did to provide us a 40-year Stadium Tax.  This is the most important economic development plan we've ever had.  Bedinghaus had his run, and now we can't wait for 8 years of Mayor Roxanne Qualls so we can build more stadiums and more streetcars.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Cranley accused of hiring too many black people

Dear fellow tax hikers, in recent days surrogates for Roxanne Qualls have criticized John Cranley for employing too many African-Americans on his campaign.  This shocking allegation was included in a WCPO report that also accused Roxanne Qualls of having a conflict of interest for selling properly along the streetcar line as she was voting to spend more money on the streetcar.

Cranley has piled up an impressive list of endorsements from the black community.  In addition to NAACP President Christopher Smitherman, the following list of black leaders joined to support Cranley:


***Pam and Cecil Thomas have said they support both candidates.***

Even when we exclude Pam and Cecil from this list, Cranley has locked up endorsements from most of the major leaders of the Cincinnati black community.   Dwight Tillery, Alicia Reece, Steve Reece, Laketa Cole, Christopher Smitherman, Doc Foster, Minette Cooper, and more. 

One of these people is employed by the Cranley campaign, and one is a consultant.  The rest don't work for him.  This led to some of Roxanne's white surrogates to accuse Cranley of engaging in "pay to play" and buying his black support.  Apparently they think only white people can make endorsements based on what they think is best for the city.  They really stepped in this one, prompting Steve Reece to lash out:


Steve Reece, Alicia Reece’s father and a longtime Democratic Party activist, called the criticisms from white bloggers offensive.  “I find it insulting and racist to imply we can’t think, and to say money will influence who we will support,” Steve Reece said.


These white Qualls surrogates don't understand what they've done.  Steve Reece is a long-time Democratic activist with deep roots in the black community.  So do many of the others on this list.  Accusing them of pay-to-play not only offends them, but offends their many supporters too.  

As some of Roxy's biggest supporters, we hereby apologize for the borderline-racist actions of a few of our compatriots.  Please forgive Roxanne for their sins, even though she has refused to repudiate them.  We promise to speak with Roxanne tomorrow and implore her to condemn her supporters' offensive behavior.  We expect Roxanne to comment shortly whether she thinks Cranley should hire more white people for his campaign.  We expect Roxanne will soon tell you whether Cincinnati's black leaders are capable of making endorsements without first being paid.  

We are Republicans for Higher Taxes and we approve this message.  And no white person paid us to write it.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Cranley criticizes stadium deal

Dear fellow tax hikers, mayoral candidate John Cranley continues his attack on the Bob Bedinghaus Stadium Tax and all the work Roxanne Qualls did to get it passed.  At the recent WCPO debate, Cranley said the following:

My opponent mentions her judgment. In the ‘90s, she was the lead spokesman for the stadium deal.  She added $100 million in costs by moving the stadium to the west.  She built a $50 million riverfront transit center that's never been used," Cranley said.  "I think we need a new investment advisor in the city, and we need someone who has the experience to know the difference between good ideas and bad ideas.

This time Cranley has gone too far.  How dare he criticize the stadium deal!  How dare he criticize Roxanne Qualls The Stadium Queen for being the leading spokesman for the stadium tax!  How dare he criticize moving the stadium west for another $70-$150 million!  How dare he criticize a majestic $50 million transit center just because it's almost never used!

We all know how successful these stadiums have been for our region, and if Cranley wants to continue attacking the work of Bedinghaus/Qualls it will only hurt him in the end.  If you like the stadiums, you're gonna love Mayor Roxanne Qualls. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Rick Bryan running for two offices at once

 

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are pleased to see our good, good, good friend Blue Ash Councilman Rick Bryan running for yet another re-election this November.  Actually, Rick is so great that running for one office at a time just isn't enough.

Tax Hikin' Rick Bryan also announced that he's running for State Representative in 2014!  One man running for two offices at once.  Isn't that inspiring?

Rick has long been one of our favorites, and was proudly named our 2011 Tax Hiker of the Year.  Rick has worked to raise your Sales Taxes, Earnings Taxes, and more.  He's even helped Cincinnati fund their awesome streetcar

With Rick Bryan's deep experience at raising taxes and growing the size of government, nobody is more fit to run for two offices at the same time.  Rick is perfectly capable of raising taxes in two places at once.  Rick Bryan for Blue Ash City Council!

Oh wait we meant to say, Rick Bryan for State Representative!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Qualls celebrates the stadiums as a success

Dear fellow tax hikers, we hope you enjoyed Tuesday night's Cincinnati Mayoral Debate as much as we did.  Roxanne Qualls wasted no time proving that she is the best choice for Mayor. 

In fact, in her opening statement Roxy cited her role in building the two stadiums as one of her major successes!  We could not agree more.  Please review Ms. Qualls' remarks:

I led the effort that put in place the basic infrastructure and master plan for what we now celebrate as The Banks and Smale Riverfront Park.....And we built two new stadiums.

And thank goodness for that!  Those stadiums have been this region's greatest economic development project in decades.  Just ask Mike Brown and Bob Bedinghaus. 

Roxanne was on a roll, and continued:

But now it is very difficult to find people who oppose those things because we celebrate them as our success.

Indeed, this website has taken a lead in celebrating the success of the work Bob Bedinghaus and Roxanne Qualls did to get us those two stadiums.  Sadly, John Cranley does not agree with us.  Cranley has criticized the stadiums and what they've done for this community.  How dare he!

A candidate's past history can provide excellent guidance as to what they'll do in the future.  Qualls was a major force in getting us those stadiums and rightly brags about it today.  Cranley thinks it was a mistake.  Knowing that, who do you trust to build us the generation of great, high-taxing public projects?  We say Qualls!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Qualls supporter's vote fraud hearing delayed

Dear fellow tax hikers, this evening's story will be based on the various tweets from today's Board of Elections (BOE) meeting. 

The vote fraud hearing for Roxanne Qualls supporter Randy Simes got started today, but the bulk of it has been delayed until next Monday.  We desperately need this to go our way.  If the BOE ruling goes against Simes, it would destroy our special efforts to recruit votes for Qualls from those living outside Cincinnati. 

One facet to today's hearing that surprised many of us is the amount of lawyers involved in this seemingly simple case.  Chicago resident Randy Simes had a lawyer.  Parsons Brinckerhoff, Simes' employer, had a lawyer.  The Voter Integrity Project, the group challenging Simes' Cincinnati voter registration, had a lawyer.

And even Travis Estell, the cute young man who let Simes use his home to establish "residency" and has been charged with no wrongdoing himself, had a lawyer.  That lawyer is none other than Tabitha Hochscheid, the wife of the racist anti-Semite Craig Hochscheid.  Hochscheid frequently blogs under the name "CincyCapell". 

Here is a recent picture of Mrs. CincyCapell/Tabitha Hochscheid:


Hang a few candy canes on Tabitha and she could pass for a Christmas tree.

Tabby was in court to dispute the subpoena that demands emails between Estell and Simes.  Tabby declared that Estell would not provide them.  Well Tabs, you don't get to make that call, and any good attorney would know that.  Tabitha suffered a quick defeat - the BOE lawyers will review the emails privately and pass along the relevant ones. 

Things aren't looking good for Randy - and by extension, us and Qualls campaign.  For example, Randy's September 26th payroll statement lists an Illinois address and shows he paid Illinois taxes - several weeks after he allegedly became a Cincinnati resident.  We urge you to contact the Board of Elections and ask them to let the Simes thing slide, because Roxanne Qualls can't afford to lose any more votes.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Qualls upset at the voters

Dear fellow tax hikers, finally Roxanne Qualls is expressing her frustration with Cincinnati voters who are too stupid to understand all of the big, wonderful projects she has championed.  This was learned after a recent debate where Roxanne unleashed this bomb:

"I realized last night that people want a cage fight, not a policy discussion.” 

We implore you to read the rest of our blog entry while listening to the following embedded violin arrangement.  Due to a recent Youtube glitch you might have to manually unclick the mute button.  Please make sure this is playing:




We fully agree with Roxanne Qualls.  She deserves to be treated better by Cincinnati voters who lack the sophistication to understand her big ideas.

Roxanne has spent lots of time explaining to voters all of the benefits of the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax that she championed.  Those stadiums have brought much wealth and prosperity to Hamilton County.  But too many stupid voters don't understand this, and Roxy is right to be angry about it.

Roxanne has spent a significant amount of time over the past 5 years explaining to people how great the streetcar will be.  She knows it will be almost as great for Cincinnati as the stadiums have been for Hamilton County.  Once those rails go down, prosperity will follow.  But few people outside downtown and Over The Rhine understand this sophisticated argument.  She is right to be angry at all the dumb Cincinnati voters who fail to understand this.

Roxanne has also spent much of the last year explaining to people all the great benefits of the parking plan.  Smart people understand, but all the dumb Cincinnati voters supporting Cranley don't.

Everyone needs to understand this - Roxanne Qualls is smarter than everyone else.  She is too smart for the voters.  Roxy is right to be angry at the voters.  They are too dumb to understand policy discussions and it's unfair she could lose the election because of it.  

The only way Qualls could lose to Cranley is if Cincinnati voters aren't smart enough to understand the brilliance of her stadium, streetcar, and parking plan ideas.  Wouldn't that be tragic?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Bengals demand new $10 million scoreboard

Roxanne Qualls and Mike Brown, very pleased with themselves

Dear fellow tax hikers, the Cincinnati Bengals are demanding a new $10 million scoreboard from the generous taxpayers of Hamilton County.  And they're going to get it, courtesy of the stadium deal that has brought so many benefits to this area.

This is the kind of economic development that Roxanne Qualls promised when she was the leading spokesman for the Bob Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.  This $10 million scoreboard is going to create a ton of jobs. 

We thank Roxanne Qualls The Stadium Queen from the bottom of our hearts for everything she did to pass the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.  It was a great investment, just like the streetcar is a great investment.  This $10 million scoreboard investment will benefit our region for many years to come.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Prominent Qualls supporter accused of vote fraud

Roxanne Qualls supporters getting ready to vote

Dear fellow tax hikers, another prominent streetcar supporter has been accused of fraud.  Two months ago streetcar supporter Candace Klein was accused of financial fraud.  And now Randy Simes, a prominent Roxanne Qualls supporter and streetcar advocate, is being accused of vote fraud.  Mr. Simes, a Chicago resident, voted for Qualls in September's Mayoral Primary. 

Between the legions of urban hipsters supporting Qualls, and the Chicago fraud vote, how DID Roxanne get her ass kicked in last month's vote?

We applaud Randy's enthusiasm for Qualls and the streetcar.  Not to mention the $50 he donated to Roxanne Qualls in June - in which he reported his address as Chicago.


Team Qualls needs all the help it can get.  Even though Simes apparently hasn't lived in Cincinnati in years, he knows Roxy needs his vote.  We would travel the country to round up votes for Roxanne.  We'd even help organize the dead to cast their ballots for Qualls.  Those of us who believe in the streetcar, stadiums, and parking plan must do everything we can to elect Roxanne Qualls as our next Mayor.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Qualls defends supporting the Stadium Tax

Dear fellow tax hikers, all of you are aware of the huge, pivotal role that Roxanne Qualls played in the passage of the Bob Bedinghaus Stadium Tax that we all enjoy today.  We are delighted to learn that Roxanne continues to defend her advocacy of this important tax.

During a recent online chat a user quizzed Roxy about her support for the stadium investment, and asked her if the streetcar investment will be just as successful.  The Queen affirmed her backing for these investments. 









Roxanne Qualls is right to defend her vital role in passing the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.  That tax has done so much good for our community.  And the streetcar will be almost as great.  Roxanne says so, and so do we. 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Cranley criticizes Qualls for supporting stadium tax

Dear fellow tax hikers, how dare John Cranley criticize Roxanne Qualls for her pivotal support of the Bob Bedinghaus Stadium Tax!  Cranley had the nerve to do this earlier today during his public chat on WCPO


This is unfair criticism.  Roxanne Qualls The Stadium Queen deserves nothing but love for her huge role in passing the Stadium Tax.  The Stadium Tax had failed to crack 50% in the polls until Roxanne appeared in the campaign ads - a theme we detailed in an earlier entry

We also object to Cranley criticizing The Queen for her role in moving the Bengals stadium west, thus adding anywhere from $70 million to $150 million depending on who you ask.  Bedinghaus and Qualls had to hide these costs from the public before the vote or else the tax would have been harder to pass.  We tax hikers routinely pull this trick - underestimate the costs to win the vote, then add the costs after the fact when it's too late to go back.

We applaud Roxanne Qualls for everything she did to pass the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.  Because of Roxy we have been paying that tax for 17 years and we'll be paying for over 20 more, not to mention our enjoyment of all the benefits it has brought.  Cranley has no right to criticize Roxanne for her fantastic work on these stadiums which have brought so much good to Hamilton County.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Get motivated

Dear fellow tax hikers, it's time for us to stop whining and get motivated for this huge mayoral election in November!  After everything Roxanne Qualls has done to push the parking plan, streetcar, stadium tax, and jail tax, we owe her nothing but our best over these next 7 weeks.

To help motivate you, we are going to republish a comment left on this website from a Cranley supporter taunting us after his big victory last week.  Read it and GET MAD!

**************************************************************

Great predictions Qualls streetcar nutjobs. I'd like to remind you of your electoral idiocy on tonight, as John Cranley celebrates an ass-whipping victory of Streetcar Roxanne Qualls...


Game Over, GOP said:
"Cranley's endless pandering to Republicans will cost him dearly tomorrow. Republicans simply will not vote in a Democratic party primary.  Qualls will be seen as the front-runner and the Cranley/Right-Wing Smear Machine will never catch up."
- Is Qualls still the frontrunner after losing by 20 points?

Reality Check said:
"Fun times await us tomorrow night when Roxanne wins and the losers behind this blog are crying in their beers."
- How were your fun times? I hope you weren't crying in your beers.

Let Me Get This Straight said:
"Clearly, the Cranley campaign is flailing about in desperation hoping that something, anything will stick."
- I bet all flailing campaigns wish they could pull off a 20 point win.

Best Ad of the Season said:
"After having established her leadership bona fides, Roxanne Qualls does a sterling job of reminding the voters why they can't stand John Cranley."
- If by sterling job you mean hilariously ineffective then I agree.

Time to Face Reality said:
"The only downside to the thorough defeat that will be administered to John Cranley this Tuesday is that he will use the next two months to spew even more right-wing anger and hatred at all of us."
- Still think that's the only downside to tonight's election? Reality check anyone?

Math is Hard said:
"Roxanne does better among women than Cranley does among men. Unless women turn out less than men, which never happens, there is no way Roxanne can lose."
- Math is hard, which is why I suggest you take a class to brush up on your skills.

Anonymous Informed Voter said:
"John Cranley's craven political opportunism and his pandering to Tea Partiers, a minority within a minority, will cost him dearly this Tuesday and on November 5."
- Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Sign Watcher said:
"In the past three days, I've gone across the city and back for various reasons. East side, west side, OTR, Clifton, Hartwell, Mt. Airy, no matter where you go there is far more support shown for Qualls than Cranley."
- I suggest you do a more thorough sign count, or become a better liar.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Discussion: Cincinnati Mayoral Primary

Dear fellow tax hikers, we hope everyone has had a chance to calm down after the stunning defeat of our Roxanne Qualls in Tuesday's Mayoral Primary.  If we have any hope of overcoming this setback to win in November we must quickly learn from our failures and rebuild. 

We are asking for reader participation.  Tell us, why do you think Roxanne Qualls lost this primary?  Is it because people didn't know about all the taxes she raised.  Is it because more people weren't aware of her pivotal role in passing the Bob Bedinghaus Stadium Tax?  Is it because people for some reason didn't think it was appropriate for her to run a campaign ad showing a dog pissing on a Cranley sign?  Is it because her legions of supporters simply forgot to vote that day? 

After you explain Roxanne's loss, we'd also like your advice explaining how we can turn this campaign around.  We need Roxanne Qualls to win in November.  If she loses, the streetcar might be stopped, the parking plan might be stopped, and we might not get any new tax increases for a while.  We must turn this around.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Cranley crushes Qualls and Noble

Dear fellow tax hikers, yesterday was a disastrous night for our high-tax goddess Roxanne Qualls.  Widely expected to win last night - even by people who think John Cranley would ultimately pull through in November - Qualls was outright crushed.   Cranley defeated her by a shocking 56-37 margin, with Jim Berns and Sandra Queen Noble pulling the rest. 

We are partially responsible for this horrendous defeat.  We got complacent.  We assumed Roxanne had this in the bag.  We were so certain of Roxanne's victory that we screwed around and published a silly endorsement of Sandra Queen Noble. We thought we were so funny, but the only ones laughing now are Cranley and his supporters.

The games are over effective immediately.  All of us tax hikers, streetcar fans, and Bedinghaus Stadium Tax supporters better unify at once behind Roxanne.  We need to remind the voters she is 100% behind the streetcar.  We need to remind them she is pushing the popular parking plan.  And we must remind everyone that Roxanne Qualls played a HUGE role in passing the Bob Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.

Before we sign off, we have to give credit to the impressive performance of our endorsed candidate Sandra Queen Noble.  Sandra finished with 2.1% of the vote - a huge improvement from the 0.3% of the vote she received in her last run for Mayor.  With our endorsement, Sandra finished with 7 times the percentage of the vote of her last Mayoral campaign!  That's great progress.

Even though we now wish we had sent all those votes to Roxanne, we still thank all of you who helped either Qualls or Queen in yesterday's election.  On to November we tax hikers roll. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Sandra Queen Noble for Mayor

Dear fellow tax hikers, we endorse the lovely Sandra Queen Noble for Cincinnati Mayor.  We need all of you to vote for her in today's primary so she can advance to November's General Election.

Why are we endorsing Queen Noble?  Ask yo momma bitch!

And don't ever print her muthafuckin' photograph without her permission and shit.

Don't you dare publish her comments without her written consent bitches.  Give her back her kids.  Vote for the Queen, not them racist incumbents and the Nazi fuking reporters who cover for them.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Roxanne Qualls, The Stadium Queen

Roxanne Qualls, with Bob Bedinghaus and Mike Brown

Dear fellow tax hikers, for many years former Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus has received most of the credit for the wildly successful stadium tax that has brought much wealth and prosperity to Hamilton County.  However, he did not do it alone.  As the evidence shows, Roxanne Qualls was more responsible than anyone for winning the Stadium Tax vote.

Roxanne Qualls not only supported the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax, she was a pivotal force in getting it passed.  A detailed analysis of this and more can be found in the June 1996 edition of Cincinnati Magazine, Pages 68-74

Passing this wonderful tax increase took a lot of work.  Roxanne was there from the beginning:


Bedinghaus, Qualls, and Voinovich - a holy trinity of legendary tax hikers. (and some people say it is Cranley who works too closely with Republicans)

But the Bedinghaus tax wasn't polling well early in the campaign and needed a boost to make sure this vitally important tax increase passed.  Enter Roxanne Qualls!


It was Roxanne Qualls who pushed the Bedinghaus tax ahead in the polls.  And it was Roxanne who kept it that way:


Qualls knows a good deal when she sees one, and the Bedinghaus stadium deal was one of the best.  The Roxanne Qualls stadiums were an "investment".  Just like the Roxanne Qualls streetcar is also an "investment".

While we give a ton of credit to Bob Bedinghaus for giving us this fantastic stadium deal, he isn't the one who won it at the polls - that was Roxanne Qualls.  We thank Roxy from the bottom of our hearts for everything she did to pass the 20 Year 40 Year Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.

It was Roxanne Qualls who supported the Bedinghaus Stadium Tax.  It was Roxanne Qualls who worked tirelessly on the Stadium Tax campaign.  It was Roxanne Qualls who went on tv to get the Stadium Tax passed.  If it wasn't for Roxy, we would not be paying that Stadium Tax for the Bedinghaus stadium deals today.  Wouldn't that be awful?  Thanks to Roxanne, we've been paying that Stadium Tax for many years, and we will be for many many more. 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Big Roxanne Qualls story coming soon

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are delighted to announce that a major story about Roxanne Qualls will be posted here later this week.  We have found some delightful information about her past that many people will want to know.  Unless a major breaking story bumps this one, we plan to publish by Wednesday morning. 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Enquirer calls out obnoxious Hochscheid

Dear fellow tax hikers, we were quite amused to see all the Democratic in-fighting taking place in the comments section of a recent Enquirer Politics entry about the Cincinnati Mayoral race.  Naturally, right in the middle of this battle was the infamous bigot Craig Hochscheid (CincyCapell) - it's not like he has anything else to do with his life. 

This time, the Enquirer decided to call him out for his dishonest remarks.  Please click the link if you want you to see the details for yourself.

We can understand where the Enquirer is coming from.  We suspect that they, like us, have had to delete an astounding number of his bigoted and otherwise inappropriate comments and deal with his never-ending personal attacks. 

This reprimand led to Hochscheid #2 entering the fray.  Tabitha Hochscheid, who works as a glorified debt collector, decided to throw her weight around.  According to her it's so unfair that anyone would criticize her beloved Craig.  We're not sure Tabby has been this upset since Hostess shut down. 

One thing is certain - Craig Hochscheid is finding life as a smear artist much more difficult when he can't hide behind someone else's identity. 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Sean Donovan's wife indicted

MJ Donovan, in a very handsome suit

Dear fellow tax hikers, this is a tragic day for all of us as the wife of our dear friend Sean Donovan has been indicted on federal charges.  Mrs. Mary Jill Donovan is facing Obstruction of Justice charges and will appear in front of a Federal Judge soon. 

No word whether Sean Donovan still believes we need more jail space.

This indictment hurts us deeply.  We proudly endorsed Sean Donovan for Sheriff last year, and in fact we made his race our #1 priority of the 2012 election.  His advocacy for higher taxes, the streetcar, double-dipping, and an oversized upper administrative staff would have made him a perfect Sheriff. 

Those close to our heroes Simon Leis and Sean Donovan have kept the justice system busy this year, between the Mickey Esposito crimes and the MJ Donovan indictment.  We miss this kind of drama from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.  Sheriff or no Sheriff, we stand behind Sean Donovan, and his indicted wife. 

Monday, August 19, 2013

You pay Laure Quinlivan's taxes too

Dear fellow tax hikers, three weeks ago we reported that Councilman Roxanne Qualls doesn't pay her fair share of taxes.  Due to property tax abatements, you pay most of her taxes for her.  It turns out she isn't the only Cincinnati City Councilman who you carry. 

Laure Quinlivan doesn't have to pay her taxes either.  She is another lucky recipient of the Property Tax Abatement Sweepstakes that seems to benefit liberal streetcar supporters.  Councilman Quinlivan owns a $415,640 home, yet pays taxes as if it was worth only $296,670.  The rest of you pay her taxes for her. 

When Ms. Quinlivan says WE need to pay higher property taxes to pay for the Cincinnati Streetcar, what she really means is YOU need to pay more.  Since she isn't carrying her own weight, you get to pay Laure's way in addition to your own. 

We continue to thank all of you for generously paying taxes for Roxanne Qualls and Laure Quinlivan.  They raise the taxes - and you pay them.  We think this is a fair tradeoff.  We urge Qualls and Quinlivan to continue raising taxes - taxes that you'll be paying and they won't.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Key streetcar advocate accused of fraud


Dear fellow tax hikers, we have all been rattled by the news that streetcar leader and future Governor Candace Klein has been accused of fraud by the State of Ohio.  Among other things, she and her company have been accused of: falsely reporting their financial information, misrepresenting their relationship with banks, failing to obtain legally required state and federal licenses, and failing to make needed disclosures to investors. 

Ms. Klein has made her mark as a strong advocate for our beloved Cincinnati Streetcar.  She is a former President of the urban hipster group CincyPAC and a former co-Chairman of Cincinnatians for Progress, two groups centered around streetcar love.  

An ambitious one, Candace Klein held a press conference in 2002 to announce that she was running for Governor of Kentucky in 2027.

We know that Governor Klein will fight her way through these accusations.  She certainly has a lot of experience with the judicial system, given her previous arrests in 2002, 2003, and 2007.

Just because she may have broken the law then doesn't mean she has now.  And just because this streetcar supporter has been accused of issuing phony projections doesn't mean that other streetcar supporters have been issuing phony projections for the streetcar.  Governor Candace Klein and the Cincinnati Streetcar are two peas in a pod - two of the best Cincinnati has to offer.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Blue Ash rejects apartment complex

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are still in shock that the normally reliable Blue Ash City Council has rejected efforts to build a huge new apartment complex.  This plan was foiled on a 4-3 vote which denied the zoning change necessary for the complex.

The only three Yes votes were Blue Ash Councilmen Stephanie "Steph" Stoller, Jim Sumner, and Tax Hikin' Rick Bryan - also known as The Three Mustaches.  By rejecting this, Blue Ash rejected the new tax revenues these residents would have brought, which is undoubtedly why our 2011 Tax Hiker of the Year Rick Bryan voted for it.  We applaud Rick for his tireless efforts to bring more apartments to Blue Ash. 

These wouldn't have been just regular apartments - the developer stressed that these would have been LUXURY apartments.  These luxury apartments would have started at $900 per month and included things like appliances, high ceilings, and beautiful counters. 

Councilman Stephanie Stoller, now in her 80th year on Council, highlighted another key reason for this vote.  "The businesses in Blue Ash need more residents - we need more people with money to help restaurants and other businesses."  This is a woman who gets it!  Blue Ash Council's role is to serve the businesses, not the residents.  The only reason residents are needed is to support the local businesses.  We applaud Mrs. Stoller for having her priorities straight. 

We condemn this vote.  These luxury $900/month units would have brought higher taxes and more apartments to Blue Ash, along with providing more revenues to nearby businesses.  And as we stressed in our previous editorial, there is nothing more valuable than apartment rental units to make a suburban community thrive.  This is a tragic decision by a group of tax-and-spend Republicans who almost always get it right.