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Friday, September 21, 2007
Todd Portune’s Politics of Headlines
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Photo courtesy of here.
In today’s Enquirer, Todd Portune gets the final word in a story about Simon Leis getting sued for allegedly using public dollars to engage in political campaigning. According to the story, “It’s all politics,” Portune said. “The politics gets the headlines. Do we really need to tie this up in court?” Give me a break, Todd. Are you really trying to play politics by pretending to make some kind of righteous commentary on politics? Todd, you know as well I as do, that if Phil Heimlich had done the same thing last year, you would have been right there with me, and probably David Pepper, too, complaining about his illegal campaigning. How dense do you think we are?
To answer your question, Todd, yes, we do need to tie this up in court. If we don’t, then politicians like you will get the wrong message. You’ll think we either don’t care or are too stupid to recognize when you break the law. But we are watching. And you need to understand that, Todd. We are watching, and it is even easier for us now to share information and get the word out.
Things have changed since the days you turned back the clock at City Hall, and read into the record in 1998 your concerns about the Bengals being involved in an anti-trust game—which effectively set the stopwatch to put a four-year statue of limitations on any lawsuit against them, which you did not bother to mount until two years too late. Did you really need to tie up the courts with that one?
Or, is this instead about what is politically convenient for your position at the time? I bet if getting Heimlich out of office and David Pepper into office involved a lawsuit, you would have loved it. But now that the tables are turned, you have decided that you are going to complain, like a sniveling child.
All of your supporters wanted to use innuendo to suggest that the NAACP is filled with ignorant people being used by groups like COAST to advance an anti-black agenda. Why are you exempt from these sins of association? Why are you so bent on supporting and advancing the agenda of Sheriff Leis? Why do you wish to bolster the image of someone who has become the icon of a Republican stronghold in Hamilton County? Do you really wonder why an increasing number of progressives are turning away from the Democrats?
And David, don’t think you’re free-and-clear on this one, either. You’re in that Enquirer article, too, saying “While we desperately need to do something to reduce crime, the groups that oppose (the sales tax) are more interested in filing suits and complaints than making our community safer.”
I have never met anyone who actually supports danger. I know nobody who wants to have more crime. Who are these mysterious people you are talking about? They don’t exist, because you are playing the exact kind of political games that Portune pretends that both of you are avoiding. This is gross hypocrisy.
We want an open and transparent and comprehensive safety plan to examine. Not a billion dollar outline of obscurity. We do not trust politicians just because they say we should. And we don’t trust you because you carry one party label as opposed to another.
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21 Sep 2007 at 08:19 am | #
I literally got sick in my stomach when I read Todd Portune’s quote this morning. I have been a huge supporter of his, but I’ve had serious questions about him since this jail tax drama/fiasco/travesty he started. Frankly, he was one of the few politicians I was ever comfortable saying I admired. No more. The very idea that he would criticize a citizen for trying stop government from using our tax dollars to promote a ballot issue is revolting to me. If this practice isn’t nipped in the bud right now with Leis, Lord help us. Yes, Todd, this most definitely needs to be tied up in court, and the sooner the better. And that citizen filing the suit has just taken your spot on my short very list of heroes.
21 Sep 2007 at 08:24 am | #
JH: “I have never met anyone who actually supports danger. I know nobody who wants to have more crime. Who are these mysterious people you are talking about?.”
That would be you, and anyone else, who continues to support the Coercive Agreement in spite of it’s effect on the City.
JH: “They don’t exist, because you are playing the exact kind of political games that Portune pretends that both of you are avoiding. This is gross hypocrisy.”
When it comes to someone else’s hypocrisy, there is nobody better at recognizing it than you. If only, you could recognize it in your self, as easily as you do in others.
21 Sep 2007 at 10:45 am | #
When Dan Regenold spoke at the commisioners meeting a month or so ago, he asked that we please raise the level of discourse on this issue. Mr. Portune agreed wholeheartedly. Of course, just a few weeks later, when the board agreed to keep housing federal prisoners Mssrs. Portune and Pepper put out a press release claiming Pat Dewine wants to let out convicted felons and replace them with bad chack writing women. These are nothing but scare tactics and do nothing to educate the community on the real issues.
I’ve met some wonderful, passionate people who care deeply about our community, and we are all working hard to see this levy fail. Not because we like crime, we don’t, we just feel this is a bad plan and a bad tax. Can’t we strive to learn the facts and make up our minds if we will support or reject something without being accused of being some terrible people.
Finally, the idea that Coast or any other organization has tricked the NAACP into following along and furthering an agenda, should be downright offensive to you. The NAACP is made up of, and led by, very competant, compassionate people, to say that they are being tricked by “the white man” is absolutely racist.
21 Sep 2007 at 01:31 pm | #
Wow !
We support Portune and Pepper 150%, but, your right on this one.
GREAT WORK !
We will still vote for the levey because we trust their decision !
21 Sep 2007 at 04:39 pm | #
Funny, JFD, because David Pepper supports the Collaborative Agreement.
21 Sep 2007 at 07:19 pm | #
Haven’t heard much from Smitherman on this. He must have been busy organizing a group to go down to Jena, La. Right?
21 Sep 2007 at 10:27 pm | #
The Sheriff’s just doesn’t get it that the community isn’t falling for this good ole boys stuff anymore --- my guess is, Portune and Pepper wish Leis would just get off the stage - I bet their madder than hell at him for creating cause for opposition to an otherwise good plan
21 Sep 2007 at 10:36 pm | #
Dean - why aren’t you lobbying against the mental health and other levies if a pre-requisite is detailed plans on how the money is to be spent and on what services?
Giving a detailed account for a levy is nearly unheard of, you only have a problem with it when it fronts you --- talk about hypocrisy - you’re the poster child for hypocri$y with an emphasis on the $$$$$$$
(Everyone knows you’ve been bought and sold ....cheap)
Your stump speech may have felt good - but when broken down into smaller pieces, it’s so full of air it just melts away to the educated reader.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
22 Sep 2007 at 02:28 am | #
#6: “Funny, JFD, because David Pepper supports the Collaborative Agreement.”
The key word you ignored was “continues”. If he still does then maybe you can get him to say so; I’m certainly not going to take your word for it.
22 Sep 2007 at 10:04 am | #
While the court might tell Leis to cease his activities immediately, the lawsuit is silly since the issue is more than the money spent. If he is breaking the law then it is a law enforcement issue and belongs with the office of the county prosecutor (not likely), the Ohio Elections and Ohio Ethics Commissions, and the state attorney general’s office.
23 Sep 2007 at 01:19 pm | #
Peter Bronson today finally got something right - so expect a cold front equivalent to hell freezing over for most of us.
Bronson pegs Pepper against a person on the mental health board who disagrees with a new jail on the premise that criminalization of mental health problems is inherently unfair.
Here’s the problem. Sometimes the mentally ills’ conduct breaching the rights of others and that is also inherently unfair also.
The number of mentally ill people entering the jail is indicative of a bigger problem - out failure to serve the basic needs of those most severely impaired.
The jail (via violation of others’ rights) is serving an ad hoc and unwanted role in identifying those who are not being adequately served by our existing systems outside criminal justice. Largely due to client noncompliance with the assistance being offered due to substance abuse.
If a mentally ill person is delusional and homicidal, do we just accept those conditions as an accommodation? No. We have an obligation to address the behavior and the cause. Noone wants mentally ill persons in jail because they need services, but if they won’t comply with the wonderful range of assistance being offered and they are violating the rights of others ---- what are we to do? Allow them to live in squalor? Force them to beg for food?
Jail is the last resort catch all to identify those who are suffering and imposing their situations on others - this new program seems to take those in this situation and address their needs through the expansion of services to them in the only forum that will demand their compliance.
Is this really a bad thing for those advocating on behalf of the mentally ill and homeless?
Eh?
25 Sep 2007 at 12:30 am | #
Todd Portune would sue over the time of day. This is the same guy who filed 20 lawsuits over the stadium deal, now he wants us to believe it’s a waste of the court’s time to force a law enforcement organization to obey the law?
Portune claims he has all the answers to our crime problem, and says we just need to trust him with another $864 million of our money. But he can’t even bring himself to address the crime problem in the Sheriff’s office. He won’t as much as condemn them for their legal violations. If Portune can’t clean up his own county government, or even try, why should we all pay higher taxes thinking he’ll clean up the entire county?