Sunday, June 23, 2013

$17 million more for streetcar

Dear fellow tax hikers, we have great news to share.  This week Cincinnati City Council will be approving another $17 million for our beloved Cincinnati Streetcar!  This vote will occur tomorrow and Wednesday. 

We can exclusively report that it has already passed - likely on a 6-3 vote.  We strongly endorse its passage.

The three no votes will be streetcar opponents Christopher Smitherman and Charlie Winburn, along with Presidential candidate P.G. Sittenfeld.  P.G. says he's for the streetcar when speaking to certain streetcar supporters, but he feels he can't have the streetcar on his record when he runs for County Commissioner next year and for President in 2040.

Automatic yes votes include Mallory yes-men Roxanne Qualls and Laure Quinlivan, along with the ultra-obedient Councilmen Wendell Young and Yvette Simpson.  The latter two, in particular, would not dare question the Mallory administration and will gladly cast their yes vote as ordered. 

That leaves Pamula Thomas and Chris Seelbach.  As we have already covered, Pam Thomas is voting yes.  She knows she is not allowed to make up her own mind.  That was a condition for being appointed to Council.  She has been ordered to vote yes and that is what she will do.

That leaves City Councilman Chris Seelbach, a City Councilman on Cincinnati City Council.  City Councilman Seelbach has been lobbied heavily by the downtown urban hipsters, and he knows he can't get re-elected without their 45 votes.  City Councilman Seelbach will do the same thing he usually does - pretend to show concern about the costs to appease one side, while still making sure it passes so he doesn't risk upsetting Mallory and Qualls. 

This is what City Councilman Seelbach did on the Parking Plan.  He voted Yes to make it a 6-3 vote in favor of making it Emergency legislation, which made it referendum-proof.  Then after he saw the legislation had 5 votes for passage, he voted against it on the final vote.  City Councilman Seelbach voted for it before he voted against it.  He made sure it passed and was referendum-proof. 

Expect City Councilman Seelbach to take a similar approach to the streetcar vote.  Under no circumstances will he be a vote that kills this important streetcar funding.  We applaud City Councilman Seelbach and the rest of Council for the blank check they have provided for this important streetcar.

22 comments:

Seelbach's predictable double-talk said...

Chris Seelbach's biggest concern is his next elected office. That's why he aches and moans about unpopular ideas that he ultimately supports. He thinks if he talks out of both sides of his mouth he'll appeal to both sides of the issue.

Does anyone doubt that Seelbach will whine about these additional streetcar costs, and then turn around and vote for them? He's too much of a wimp to disappoint his urban hipster friends.

City Councilmember Chris Seelbach said...

This blog is so unfair. Craig and I blame John Kasich. It's his fault our streetcar isn't funded. Kasich and the Republicans are against the streetcar because they hate gay people.

Because of right-wing hate speech, I was attacked downtown in a completely and totally unprovoked incident last summer even though I am a city councilmember in Cincinnati, the city I represent as a City Councilmember. We need the streetcar because we need to send a message of tolerance and love and unconditional acceptance of gay people.

Being a city councilmember in the city of Cincinnati, the city I represent as a council member, I know that anyone who hates the streetcar also hates gay people.

The streetcar opponenents and Republican wannabes like John Cranley and his evil campaign manager have joined forced with the Tea Party to stop the streetcar and hate gay people.

Did anyone see where a Cranley opponent confronted me for no reason and nearly beat me up just for my courageous political beliefs? Good think I called the Eqnuirer and took to Twitter immediately so that everyone would know that once again I was maliciously attacked for no reason by a hateful, intolerant redneck reactionary.

It's tough being so principled and idealistic and caring. Spending other peoeple's money on other people is a very courageous thing to do because evil people hate you for doing it.

Sexy Kevy said...

Kevin Osbourne has been reading your blog. Just in from Sexy Kevy:


Kevin Osborne ‏@kevinwcpo

Prediction: There will be little suspense as City Council votes either 6-3 or 5-4 to approve extra $ for streetcar #cincystreetcar

Goofball Greg Insco said...

What can I say, what can I do this week to get my name out there for my Colerain Township Trustee race?

I've already had two puff pieces written about me by Jennie Key (thanks, Jennie, for leaving out key details) but I still crave more publicity. Maybe I can try out for another one of those reality TV shows or something. Another trip to the Playboy mansion?

It's too bad I can't be reliving my childhood at summer camp this summer. Oh, who am I kidding, I never really grew up.

It's too bad I am not running for Cincinnati city council. A much bigger platform, to be sure. Far easier to get on TV. I bet that Seelbach fellow and I would get along real well, too. And that PJ guy and I could really have some fun passing out chili dogs to the homeless.

All I'd need to do is come up with some really offbeat publicity stunt relating to the streetcar and I could get on TV any time I wanted to. Living the Dream!!!

Racist Pig CincyCapell (Craig Hochscheid) said...

ONE MORE comment about my fat wife and I'm filing criminal charges against you!!!

Sid Cynic said...

It's too bad the Tea Party would rather spread myths about the Common Core and forward emails about restaurants in other states who allegedly don't support our troops than do something constructive in Cincinnati to stop the spending madness that's turning us into South Detroit

Court Street Carry said...

It's pronounced pa-MOO-la bi-hatches. Get it right.

State Legislative Trainee Billy Blessing said...

What a waste. They should be putting that money into something far more useful, like maybe more parks.

Former State Rep Bob Mecklenborg said...

Pamula voted against more money for the streetcar? She must be drunk or something.

Britt Born said...

did everyone see me on my Facebook telling Alex Triantafilou he needs to condemn all the Republicans for their vote on this? It would only be fair if he did that. Of course, I'd never ask Tim Burke to condemn any Democrats. I only believe in fairness when it means other people have to do exactly what benefits me to the most.

Princess Margaret said...

Just make sure that no fat, smelly, disgusting, inbred west siders are allowed on this streetcar, OK?

Alex T said...

Boy these Reds games out on the Coast have me really dragging in the morning.

This outrageous waste of taxpayer dollars demands a clean sweep of all these city councilmembers who voted for it. All 5 of them.

Too bad I only found 4 candidates and one of them is already on Council and the rest don't have a snowball's chance in Rome to get on.

What to do, what to do? I know: have Ashwin and Mamma Mags plan a party in the park for the GOP in OTR and then I can talk about that while playing on Facebook at the same time. Win-win.

Bad At Math said...

Britt didn't notice there is only one Republican on council. Apparently, she was absent the day they taught counting in law school.

Courthouse Confidential said...

An unemployed garbageman has more sense than the people behind this blog.

Progressive Democrats said...

On Monday, the streetcar got funded.

Today, the Supreme Court will enshrine marriage equality for all.

The Republican Party and its right-wing hate squad get two more shovels poured on their graves.

The racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-choice, anti-health care, anti-public transportation right wing bigots are getting wiped out again and again.

We had a hearty laugh when delusional right-wingers, totally under the influence of the detached from reality spin of FauxNews, actually thought they had a chance to win a Senate seat in Massachusetts. It was funny to see those right-wing haters from the 1% waste all of that time and money on their campaign of total delusion.

Democrat Activists Everywhere said...

DOMA is UNconstitutional!

Time to put a "Going Out of Business" sign on Republican Headquarters.

Your hatred of gays has just been ruled as illegitimate and incompatible with our democracy.


Adam & Steve said...

Let's wrap giant rainbow flags on all the streetcars to show how PROUD we are of Cincinnati! OK girls?

Time to Face Reality said...

The successful filibuster in Texas (TEXAS!) defending women's rights goes to show just how unpopular right-wingers are these days.

The far right's hatred of everything that doesn't benefit their wealthy patrons or somehow deprive others of rights that they keep for themselves is being consigned to the ash heap of history. Each and every day.

Anonymous said...

I view streetcars as my personal ride into the abyss. I cannot think of any better use of taxpayer dollars. Hello darkness my old friend...

Green Township Republican Bigwigs said...

You never see these kinds of wasteful overspending on transportaion projects out here in beautiful Green Township.

That kind of garbage only happens elsewhere. Hey speaking of garbage, while Colerain holds town hall meetings to plot budget cuts and to create JEDDs with cities so as to raise taxes on some of their residents, we just don't have these problems in 80% Republican Green Township.

Baby killing Democrat hypocrite said...

That "successful filibuster" in TEXAS will put off the new laws making it harder to murder babies for a whole 2 weeks. Rick Perry already called a special legislative session to pass the laws.

Phenomenal "success" from the baby-killers. By the way, these hypocrites that are lauding the filibuster in TEXAS are the same people who want Harry Reid to invoke the nuclear option to end the use of filibusters by Republicans in the Senate. They were against the filibuster before they were for it, and then against it again.

ex-Catholic Mike Moronski said...

I like killing babies. The more the better. It's the Christian thing to do.