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! 

Escaping the ball pit

Dear fellow tax hikers, this has been a great week for our movement.  On Wednesday we hosted another awesome pizza party at GOP headquarters where we solved every last problem in the Hamilton County Republican Party.  No longer will we lose seats to Democrats every single year, and we will not let bad Republicans like Jonathan Dever defeat our great tax-hiking candidates in primaries. 

And last night our party held its annual fundraiser at the very special Music Hall.  The location's selection was no accident.  The Puppet Chairman Alex Clouseau and his boss George Vincent wanted to show the arts community that the GOP leadership stands behind Music Hall and is very upset that our county taxes were not increased for 14 years to renovate this great facility.  It was a great event, and we are especially proud to have served the tastiest $75 chicken ever.

With this great week out of the way, we spend today doing what we do best - sitting on the couch while watching tv and surfing the internet.  We have selected a great entertainment video for everyone to watch.  This features a woman who goes to play in one of those recreational ball pits.......and can't get out. 

Sadly, the video did not last long enough to show the industrial crane lifting her out.

Post-primary roundup

Dear fellow tax hikers, one year after the catastrophic defeat of Tax Hikin' Rick Bryan, Tuesday's primary election was another tough day for those of us in the tax hiking movement.

Our endorsed candidate for Norwood Mayor Chuck Russ took it on the chin, achieving only 28% of the vote in a landslide defeat to that awful Ken Crawford.  This represents another setback to our efforts to rebuild the ranks of the mighty tax-and-spend Republicans. 

Sadly, the citizens of the Lockland School District will not have to give more of their money to the government.  Their 11.2 mill levy went down in defeat despite our backing.  These property owners will have no idea how to handle the excess money that they should not be allowed to keep. 

It's pretty bad for us when the only bright spot of the night was a levy defeat.  We urged Northwest Schools residents to defeat their levy because the School Board wanted to cut the millage being collected.  By voting for this levy those residents would be consenting to having their taxes lowered and we would not stand for that.  Thankfully this levy narrowly failed.  Now we will have to get a bigger one on the ballot in November to give Northwesters the tax hike they richly deserve. 

Support the Lockland Schools tax hike

Dear fellow tax hikers, we strongly support the 11.2 mill Lockland Schools Levy.  This tax increase would cost an additional $392 per year on a $100,000 property and it is worth every penny.

There could be dire consequences if this tax hike doesn't pass. 

And somewhere down the line, it might mean the Ohio Department of Education steps in and decides Lockland – with its district-wide enrollment of 585 – is no longer viable.

This is serious stuff.  If Lockland taxpayers don't gift themselves a significant tax increase, their community might have to join a school district with more than 585 kids!!!

We can't have that.  Lockland must pass an 11.2 mill tax hike so they can keep their own school district and provide lots of dollars for the administrators. Vote yes.  You need to have less so the school administrators can have more.

Chuck Russ for Norwood Mayor

Dear fellow tax hikers, a battle is brewing in the Republican Primary for Norwood Mayor. We proudly endorse Charles "Chuck" Russ for Mayor. 

When we were advocating for a big 14-year Hamilton County Sales Tax hike to renovate two Cincinnati-owned buildings, including Music Hall, Chuck Russ stood with us.  He backed the plan pushed by the arts advocates, urban hipsters, and us to make Hamilton County pay Cincinnati's bills. 

When we needed him, Russ stood for higher taxes and now we stand for him.

By contrast, his opponent Ken Crawford is an ally of our enemy Chris Monzel and applauded Monzel for his museum compromise.  Monzel has viciously opposed our tax-and-spend agenda for years, opposing our priorities such as the streetcar, jail tax, music hall tax, and freedom center subsidies.  We can't afford someone like Crawford taking a fiscally conservative approach to Norwood when higher taxes is what Norwood citizens deserve to close the city's annual budget gap.

We tax hikers have suffered significant defeats over the past few years.  The ranks of viable tax-and-spend Republican have dimmed precipitously.  We need to build a new generation of good, tax hiking Republicans.  Charles Russ can be one of them - one of us.  We strongly endorse Chuck Russ for Norwood Mayor. 

Cooking Councilman Seelbach's dinner

Dear fellow tax hikers, boy oh boy do we have a challenge for you!  Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach - a City Councilman on Cincinnati City Council, in case you didn't know - is hosting a dinner party and he needs our help to prepare an acceptable meal.  Here are the restrictions:

 

 It gets even better:

 

 

No meat, no fish, no dairy, no carbs, no alcohol, no beans, no sugar, no quinoa, and even tofu is no-fu.  Now we love City Councilman Chris Seelbach - we love his tax hikes, his streetcar, his gay and incest marriage advocacy, his preferences to labor unions, his car....we love the guy.  But even we can't go along with this.

 

What bet did these people lose to have to attend this dinner?  The only way you could get us there is if we pigged out at Chick-fil-A on the way. 

 

We will not be attending, but we would still like to help City Councilman Seelbach decide what to prepare for the dinner party.  Tell us tax hikers, what would YOU serve? 

 

We at Republicans for Higher Taxes will offer our suggestion - a pitcher of water with a can of salt.  Dinner's served!

 



Northwest Schools levy

Dear fellow tax hikers, endorsement season for the all-important May 2015 primaries begins now.  First up is the Northwest School District levy.  We are urging a NO vote on this issue.

This combined operating and bond issue will actually REDUCE the tax millage that you pay, and that is completely unacceptable to us.  Northwest residents are currently lucky enough to pay for a 4.52 mill levy that will expire later this year.  The issue on the ballot proposes that these same residents will only have to pay 4.33 mills going forward.  That is a reduction and we are not ok with that. 

We warned you about the bad things that could happen if people like Dan Unger, Chris Heather, and Michael Harlow were elected to the school board.  It hasn't taken long for them to prove us right.

This proposal replaces several aging (aged) elementary schools with new ones, and will make all the elementary schools K-5 instead of K-whatever.  All other schools will be renovated.  Some money will also go to technology improvements.

And all of this is being done with a lower millage than before!  By voting for this levy, you are consenting to a lower tax rate.  Please do not give the politicians permission to lower your taxes.  If it can happen here, who knows where it can happen next.  Vote against this levy and demand that your Northwest School Board give you the higher taxes that you deserve. 

April 15th - the best day of the year

Dear fellow tax hikers, today is Tax Day - our favorite day of the year!  We will be up for all 24 hours because we don't want to miss a moment of this year's greatest day.

To help celebrate this most blessed day, tell us: what are your favorite taxes?  We encourage you to set aside some time and think about all the great taxes you are charged - income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, gas taxes, cell phone taxes, the Spanish-American War Tax, capital gains taxes, death taxes, real estate transfer taxes.  Spend some time today to honor them all.

Blue Ash's $1 million bike park?

Dear fellow tax hikers, our fine friends on Blue Ash Council are moving towards building a $1 million bike park.  This is not an April Fools joke.  They are looking to spend $1 million to bring a big new bike park to Blue Ash. 

Even better - this would be IN ADDITION to the $75 million Blue Ash Council is already spending on their park.  We believe the higher taxes necessary to pay for this park is a good idea.  $75 million doesn't go as far as it used to.

We have heard that first event at this bike park will be called The Mustache Clash.  It will feature premier mustaches Rick Bryan and Jim Sumner racing each other on their little red tricycles. 

We fully endorse this park and the tax increases necessary to fund it.  A $75 million park isn't enough.  They need a $1 million bike park to make it great.

Sales Tax increases today

Dear fellow tax hikers, today is April Fools' Day!  Otherwise known as Alex Triantafilou and PG Sittenfeld Day. 

We also celebrate a very important Hamilton County Sales Tax increase.  Starting today, you will pay higher taxes every time you purchase something here and we think that's fantastic.

We do not believe these two events are related. 

We saved this icon

Dear fellow tax hikers, our movement has come together to save one of Cincinnati's most beautiful buildings. It was scheduled for imminent demolition if we didn't put a stop to it. 

This building is a historical landmark.
It is an architectural gem.
And of course, it is a..............wait for it..............ICON!

Here is your beautiful icon which will live to see another day:

Enquirer photo of OTR's stunning icon

Our hearts would have been broken if anyone destroyed this beautiful building.  It makes so much sense to save it.  As one OTR hipster said, "What's exciting is that we have a business case to save these buildings at any cost."  When he says "any cost", he means ANY cost, and especially if it's a taxpayer cost.

We were so close to losing our favorite historical landmark.  But thanks to the work of us and our allies, this is one more icon that we (and your tax dollars) have saved.