Streetcar operating costs increase again?

Dear fellow tax hikers, according to Vice Mayor David Mann the costs to operate the beloved Cincinnati Streetcar may have just increased - again.  Recent estimates had placed operating costs between $3.8-$4.2 million/year.  Open up your wallets everyone, that cost appears to have risen.





We have repeatedly stated that we support the streetcar, no matter how much it costs.  This endorsement includes both unlimited capital costs and unlimited operating costs.  The more money we can spend on streetcars, the better.  It's just taxpayer money, and there's always more where that comes from.  

 

Just consider how much these costs have escalated since November 2011:

 

The total amount of the entire streetcar project is estimated at $95 million, and $2.5 million a year to operate.

In reality, the streetcar project is currently projected to cost $148-$149 million with annual operating expenses as high as $4.7 million.  That's expert planning at work.  And we can't wait to do this again with the next streetcar line. 

 

Pass two tax hikes and call me in the morning

Dear fellow tax hikers, last year may have been disastrous for us but now we are gearing up to bring some big new tax increases to Hamilton County.  Today we revealed our plans in an exclusive to the Cincinnati Business Courier.

First, we are going to raise Hamilton County's Sales Tax to ensure the streetcar is properly funded and expand bus service all across the county.  If there is any project that needs more taxpayer funding, it's the Cincinnati Streetcar.

We are also going to pass a tax hike for the Preschool Promise.  Our tax-hiking team still has to decide whether we want this to be a city-only issue or go countywide.  This is going to need a lot of your money. 

For example, two years ago this program was projected to cost no more than $9 million in the city.  Now the estimated cost is up to $18 million.  Who knows where the final number will end!  We promise to endorse this Promise no matter how much it costs. 

One of the leaders of the Preschool Promise is The Greatest Rabbi in Ohio Lewis Kamrass, who happens to be the father of Micah and Jared.  Gee, we wonder which political consulting firm will get the contract to run this tax hike campaign.  This is how politics works.  We raise taxes to make ourselves richer - while all you peasants get poorer.  These two important tax increases will continue this proud tradition.  Tax us more! 

Expand the streetcar

Dear fellow tax hikers, we are finally getting our streetcar in Cincinnati!  But we can't stop there.  As we have editorialized for years, we need a network of streetcars and we need a Streetcar Tax to fund it.

We applaud the Believe in Cincinnati Ryan Messer PAC for pursuing those next steps.  Last week us pro-streetcar forces gathered to tell the City of Cincinnati that we want the streetcar expanded.

And we brought some added firepower as we were joined by some dude named Ozie Davis, AND The University of Cincinnati Student Government President Christina Beer.  You know there are few political forces on this planet more potent than a Student Government President.  Our favorite candidate of 2014 Micah Kamrass would back us 100%. 

We find it fitting that The UC Student Government President's last name is "Beer".  It made for a perfect campaign.  It's impossible to lose an election on UC's campus when all you have to do is tell people to Vote for Beer. 

We're getting a streetcar.  And we're getting drunk.  Let's keep a great thing going.  More Streetcar More Beer! 

Light Rail Tax - Kamrass/Reuszer style

Dear fellow tax hikers, as you know the movement to bring a big Light Rail Sales Tax hike to Hamilton County began many years before our blog launched in 2007.  And one of its long-time supporters is tax hiking expert Walt Reuszer.  From an August 2000 article:

Reuszer has worked hard this election cycle with his former neighbor Micah Kamrass to raise taxes, promote light rail, and kill babies through all 9 months of pregnancy.  The primary reason behind Reuszer's support for Kamrass is because Reuszer is a sore loser (just like us) who can't handle that the voters rejected his friend Rick Bryan.  However, there is more to it than Walt's butt-hurt feelings. 

Kamrass, Reuszer, and other public transit advocates like us are working together to bring concepts like Light Rail and Streetcars to all of Hamilton County.  AND the higher taxes these systems require. 

At the sole debate between Kamrass and his evil opponent Jonathan Dever, Kamrass stated around the 22-23 minute mark that we "need to invest in a regional transportation plan" and he wants "all of it (Hamilton County) connected in a regional transportation mode" - that sounds exactly like a multi-billion dollar Light Rail plan!  He also wants us to "connect different parts of the state" - like the Ted Strickland 3C plan. 

A minute or two later, Kamrass condemned Dever for opposing the Cincinnati Streetcar.

This is the kind of leadership needed to move Ohio forward.  Reuszer knows we have to first elect people like Kamrass before we'll get the higher transit taxes that we deserve.  We need Kamrass and his support for Light Rail and Streetcars.  We know we can't enact light rail now - but by electing great leaders like Roxanne Qualls and Micah Kamrass, we can lay the groundwork to get it soon. 

The Streetcar's $5 million setback

Dear fellow tax hikers, bad news strikes our beloved Cincinnati Streetcar again.  Yesterday we learned that we are certain to lose a $5 million grant we were counting on to help operate the streetcar.  Now the city must replace this money from their operating budget.  We must rebound.

What better way to deal with this setback than to implement a $5 million tax increase?  Barring that, we can always lay off police and fire employees. 

No matter what, nothing can get in the way of our streetcar.  This streetcar is the most important project in Cincinnati.  We must make sure this streetcar line is a success so we can get busy expanding it. 

Just don't ask us about those Special Improvement Districts that our side promised.  This is politics, and in politics promises are made to be broken.  This streetcar will be a success.  That we promise! 

Transit Sales Tax hike

Dear fellow tax hikers, more great news to report as Hamilton County residents have been presented with their second Sales Tax increase in one week!  Just as we were looking forward to paying higher Sales Taxes to renovate two buildings owned by the City of Cincinnati, we may now get the opportunity to pay higher Sales Taxes to our local transit authority. 

Two Sales Tax hikes in one week.  This is one of our best weeks ever. 

This particular tax increase would send our money to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA).  As SORTA continues trying to spend more money to operate the Cincinnati Streetcar, they need a new source of funds to perform their own tasks.  And it is you Hamilton County taxpayers who will be paying. 

This is the common theme for both of these Sales Tax hikes.  Hamilton County residents must pay a new Arts Sales Tax so Cincinnati can spend their money to build a streetcar instead of take care of their own buildings.  Hamilton County residents must also pay a new Transit Sales Tax to SORTA so that they can operate the beloved Cincinnati Streetcar. 

We wholeheartedly endorse both of these Sales Tax increases.  Tax us more!

New Entertainment Tax

Dear fellow tax hikers, some rich people will soon demand that Hamilton County raise the Sales or Property tax to fix two buildings owned by the City of Cincinnati.  Union Terminal and Music Hall want over $250 million in repairs, and it's Hamilton County's job to provide it. 

Cincinnati cannot afford to fix their own buildings.  You see, they are spending all their capital dollars on The Streetcar.  To ensure the streetcar can be built and later expanded, Hamilton County residents need to fix Cincinnati's buildings for them.

No plan for these two projects has been presented.  The costs have not been calculated.  Therefore, we proudly endorse both a Sales Tax hike AND Property Tax hike, and we urge the Commissioners to approve them without delay. 

Cincinnati, the owner of the two buildings, has offered $10 million.  Our special insiders tell us that these rich people will ask Hamilton County to provide around $200 million.  We believe it is a perfectly fair deal for the building owner to contribute $1 for every $20 that will be subsidized by county taxpayers. 

We have to understand that Cincinnati chose a streetcar over their own buildings.  That makes them Hamilton County's responsibility now.  Raise those taxes, no matter how high.

Monzel honored by local GOP

Dear fellow tax hikers, we have been very angry this weekend (as we usually are).  As if this month hasn't been bad enough for our movement, we suffered another indignity Friday night when the Hamilton County Republican Party honored our enemy Chris Monzel as their Elected Official of the Year. 

We tax hikers can't imagine anyone less deserving.  Monzel has consistently opposed higher taxes - even opposing the Democratic/Leis Sales Tax hike that we strongly backed.  He opposed sending more taxpayer money to the Freedom Center, and has always opposed our beloved streetcar. 

Monzel is up for re-election this year, and if he had an opponent we would have already endorsed her. 

We condemn the Hamilton County GOP for honoring such a terrible official.  After we progressive tax hikers had to suffer through the victories of Jonathan Dever and Tom Brinkman earlier this month, the party should have tended to our hurt feelings by giving this award to a great tax-and-spender.  A few conservatives may have rigged this award for their buddy Monzel, but we will continue to oppose his efforts to stop tax increases and our streetcar. 

Crystal Faulkner flip flops with PG Sittenfeld

Dear fellow tax hikers, we welcome you to the 5th Edition of....... The Crystal Faulkner Democratic Donation of the Week.  We've already covered some of her donations to wonderful Democrats like David Pepper, Mark Mallory, and Chris Seelbach. 

This week we add our streetcar hero P.G. Sittenfeld to the list.  When P.G. needed funds, Crystal Faulkner Cooney stepped up to help one of her good Democratic buddies.

By supporting Streetcar Sittenfeld, MS. Faulkner demonstrated her support for:

- more streetcars
- abortion on demand
- Responsible Bidder (which you know is VERY responsible)
- "marriage equality" for incestors, bisexuals, gays, groups, and polygamists
- taxpayer funding for Mahogany's
- lax voter laws so Melowese Richardson can continue to vote as many times as she wants. 

If you share these Democratic values, please make sure you vote for Crystal Faulkner to serve on the Republican State Central Committee.  This is the leadership our party deserves. 

Rick Bryan's $75 million park

Dear fellow tax hikers, one of the many things we love about Blue Ash Councilman Rick Bryan is his dedication to spending gobs of taxpayer money on huge projects that raises taxes and/or debt for many decades.  For example, Rick provided key support to help fund the Cincinnati Streetcar, and praised former Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus for his excellent work on the stadiums.

And now, Tax Hikin' Rick Bryan is leading the way to build a $75 million park in Blue Ash.  That's right - one park, $75 million.

Even we find this cost to be astonishing!  Astonishingly great, of course. 

Blue Ash has approximately 12,000 residents.  This park is costing the equivalent of $6200 per Blue Ash resident.

If our 2011 Tax Hiker of the Year Rick Bryan gets elected State Representative and embarks on a parks program statewide on this scale, it would cost Ohio $71 Billion.  By comparison, Ohio's entire 2-year General Fund budget for FY2014-2015 is $62 Billion.  That would require one huge tax hike!

And if our country started a parks program on the same scale Rick is doing in Blue Ash, it would add $1.9 Trillion to our National Debt!  Raising taxes, spending an Earth-shattering amount on big projects like stadiums, streetcars, and $75 million parks - that's our Tax Hikin' Rick Bryan.

Crystal Faulkner hearts Mark Mallory

Democrats Crystal Faulkner and Roxanne Qualls collaborate

Dear fellow tax hikers, we welcome you to our 2nd Edition of........ The Crystal Faulkner Democratic Donation of the Week.  Back in 2009, MS. Faulkner understood the importance of stopping conservative Brad Wenstrup in his tracks.

To accomplish this important goal, Crystal Faulkner proudly supported and donated to Democratic Mayor Mark Mallory.  With Crystal's support, Mallory defeated Wenstrup to earn a 2nd term as Mayor where he continued to do great things for Cincinnati.

By sticking it to Wenstrup and helping re-elect Mallory, Faulkner reiterated her support for:

- streetcars
- higher taxes
- abortion on demand
- the brilliant Mallory/Qualls parking plan
- responsible bidder
- "marriage equality" for gays, polygamists, and incestors
- the big $4 million atrium

These are the kind of values we Republicans hold dear.  This is why we at Republicans for Higher Taxes have endorsed Crystal Faulkner for Ohio Republican State Central Committee. 

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. 

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!

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. 

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?

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!

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. 

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?

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.