So what would really happen if Ralph Nader were allowed to debate?  What would it look like, to see Nader’s talking points on a television screen right next to the kinds of talking points promoted by the corporate party candidates?  Would it be anything like the clip below?  And if so, how would the American people respond to such a radical redefinition of the political conversation?

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Last night, I was called to fill in for someone at a community forum, speaking about Proportional Representation.  I was happy to do my part for the campaign, but I think the most rewarding aspect of the experience was meeting an older gentleman who has lived in Cincinnati long enough to remember PR.  He asked me, during the question session, why the City ever got rid of PR in the first place.  I told him that the Republicans who then controlled Cincinnati did not want minorities and Democrats earning so much control—and that they got rid of it to maintain Republican rule.  The older guy shook his head “yes,” and said my comments matched his recollection.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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A few months ago, Hamilton County Public Health sent shocking informational flyers to some, but not all, Hamilton County residents.  These flyers asked for volunteers should our region suffer some kind of catastrophic event—and it promised that volunteers (and their families) would be the first to receive, for example, inoculations against disease should we become the target of bioterrorism.  It kind of sounds like Hamilton County is already assembling the list of who gets to live, and who gets to fend for themselves in the crazed throngs, should we face a society-ending or -changing event sometime soon.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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The moment has finally arrived.  This moment, that of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, has been brewing for some time and was predicted by those who had the long-term vision to look beyond the rhetoric of deregulation.  This is the same concept of deregulation that has its roots in Reaganomics and manifested itself in the form of the legislative efforts of Phil Gramm.  Gramm worked to pass the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 ; both of which attributed to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 and ushered in the deregulatory practices which have contributed to the crisis that the U.S. finds itself in today.

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Posted by Chris Johnson
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This past week, Councilmember David Crowley attended a community forum at Christ Church Cathedral to defend red-light cameras.  He actually said the red-light cameras were a public safety issue.  I guess City Council hopes we forget this whole concept was initially introduced in Finance Committee—a pretty strange place to talk about safety issues.  The reality, of course, is that Cincinnati has already included potential revenues from these cameras in their budget planning processes.  That’s why they are so frantic right now:  the successful NAACP petition drive has delayed the installation of the cameras, screwing up a backwards budget process that has put profit before people, with red-light cameras and their representatives pretending the issue is something else.  But we will not forget!  We are not as dumb as you may think, Councilmember Crowley!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Now I’m not saying that Democrats are racist, but I think Tim Burke is.  In this article, chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, Tim Burke, said “I know there is a real concern out there that some people who normally would be voting Democratic might not vote for an African-American.” Adding, “Gov. [Ted] Strickland has spoken openly about this.” Democrat’s make backroom deals that limit voter choice, don’t support black candidates much, they fail to make sure black votes are counted, they slash human services and reject funding that would help alleviate the scandalous infant mortality rate, they continue the failed Drug War and introduce other draconian drug laws that disproportionately lock up blacks.

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Posted by Justin Jeffre
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By now you’ve heard of the lawsuit filed against the City of Cincinnati by area social service agencies.  If you haven’t yet had a chance to see a copy of the suit itself, we’ve got one uploaded for your convenience!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Guest article by David Krikorian – Candidate for US Representative. Ohio Second District

Poverty is affecting more Americans every day and the second congressional district unfortunately exemplifies this alarming trend.  There is growing division in our country as the middle class shrinks and our population separates into the haves and the have-nots. Good jobs are hard to find while wages are not keeping up with living costs as the price of food and gasoline have risen sharply and health care costs are driving people into bankruptcy.  Unfortunately these trends are getting worse and there seems to be little in the way of effective national leadership on these issues. 

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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At the end of my last article in which I summarized the police reaction to dissent during the DNC, I mentioned how there were already indications that we would see more of the same in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention. This observation, unfortunately turned out to be accurate and now that the RNC has concluded, there is an opportunity to look back and examine how police dealt with dissent and with the independent media.

Posted by Chris Johnson
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Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar were arrested yesterday by St. Paul police outside the Republican National Convention. Kouddous and Salazar were covering the protests and filming when they were arrested and detained. Both Kouddous and Salazar had proper press identification but were manhandled by police. Salazar was dragged by her leg and received scrapes and a bloody nose. Kouddous was slammed against a wall which has resulted in chest and back pain. Amy Goodman was arrested after she approached police and asked to speak to a commanding officer regarding her producers. Police then yanked her by the arm and arrested her. Video is below…

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Posted by Chris Johnson
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Recently, we ran this item about rumors speculating the City might move to privatize Cincinnati’s water supply.  In that item, we shared a records request, and we just received our first round of documents—which, in some ways, raise more questions than they answer.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Local NAACP President, Christopher Smitherman, is outraged by the lack of charges in the recent death of a child.  He proposes that the Criminal Justice System in Hamilton County is not just broken, it is racist. The Cincinnati NAACP continues to illuminate why so many African Americans in Hamilton County have no confidence or trust in Hamilton County Prosecutor, Joe Deters, or the criminal justice system. “The African American community is just tired of the double standards,” Smitherman announced.

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Posted by Media Release
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Very quietly in late June, buried in a flurry of pre-vacation business, Cincinnati City Council adopted a plan devised by a closed door committee of Cincinnati’s richest philanthropies, that essentially wipes out City funding for volunteer-driven, neighborhood-based, grassroots-style nonprofits.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Mac’s Pizza Pub has been recognized by a PETA website called VegCooking as one of the top 10 restaurants in the country for Vegan Pizza.  I’ve had the pleasure of eating vegan pizza at Mac’s, and I daresay that anyone presented with a piece, without being told what it was, would never know the difference!

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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“The Cincinnati NAACP does not support a 400 percent interest rate for any American citizen.”
- Christopher Smitherman, Cincinnati NAACP President

The recent explosion of home foreclosures has cast a spotlight on the dubious practice of granting subprime mortgages to people who could not afford them. In addition to the subprime crisis, a greater light is being cast upon the entire industry that often seeks to make money off of people who are poor. This industry was the recent focus of a report on the Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. Moyers and his colleagues, with the help of Business Week, examined the practices of the used car company, JD Byrider. Used cars are often sold to lower income buyers at interest rates that make it impossible for the buyer to keep the car. In fact, JD Byrider has it down to a formula. 

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Posted by Chris Johnson
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Community Partners Kick Off “Connect2Success”

Cincinnati (August 11, 2008) Hamilton County’s Department of Job and Family Services is teaming with Cincinnati State and other community partners to target 700 area dropouts for wraparound services that will help them gain an education and much more. 

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Posted by Media Release
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This Saturday, I’ll be heading to Graeter’s to purchase “Elena’s Blueberry Pie,” a new flavor dedicated to the life of Elena Desserich, a little girl who died last year from a brain stem glioma.  I went to high school with her father, Keith Desserich—and I remember seeing Elena one afternoon, a few years ago, at the Cincinnati Children’s Museum, when Keith and I ran into each other and talked while our kids played.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, Fifth Third is suing American Hydrotech Inc., the company who installed the waterproofing under Fountain Square.  Apparently, for the past two years, after $42 million in renovations, 3CDC’s Fountain Square still isn’t waterproof. 

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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The Southwest Ohio Green Party has announced that it is endorsing the Cincinnati NAACP’s campaign to use Proportional Representation for Cincinnati City Council elections.  “The Green Party believes in grassroots democracy,” explained Josh Krekeler, the group’s Convener.  “A government that reflects all people’s political priorities as accurately as possible is the most democratic government, and that’s the kind of government PR will guarantee that we elect.  PR will give groups that have been historically under-represented in government – such as women, Hispanics, the working class, and political independents – a chance to compete more equally in Council elections.  We hope this will inspire such groups’ supporters to identify capable leaders within their communities and elect them to office.”

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Posted by Media Release
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Two emails, one each from Cole and Smitherman, in the recent debate about grant dollars for minority health.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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I’m pleased to report that Sen. McCain although, you know, all of our party isn’t always with him all the time, he’s consistent and we kind of know where he stands - Alex Triantafilou (Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman), interviewed on “Hard Truths with Phil Heimlich,” July 19, 2008

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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In a recent blog posted entitled ”Reducing Jail Costs, Reducing Recidivism, Part II,” David Pepper highlighted a letter signed by him, Todd Portune, and Si Leis.  The letter was sent to Ohio lawmakers, urging support for H.R. 5698--Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act.  Missing from the signature list:  Commissioner Pat DeWine.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Last week the Green Party made history when it nominated the first all-women-of-color presidential ticket in US history. As reported here, former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who was the first African American woman elected to Congress in Georgia, won the Green Party’s nomination last Monday. She named longtime community organizer, journalist and former director of the Hip Hop Caucus, Rosa Clemente, as her running mate earlier this month.

Posted by Justin Jeffre
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When Jose Guzman purchased a building about a year ago, the plan was to renovate it and convert it to living space for low income Seniors, aged 62 and older.  Additionally, Guzman planned on including in his rehab—at no additional cost to the City—a facility suitable to house a police substation.  Unfortunately, when the Westwood Civic Association voted down the project, they didn’t even speak with Guzman to learn the details of the project. 

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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Numerous Straight, Inc. and Kids Helping Kids survivors, along with other concerned activists, traveled from 5 different states and the Greater Cincinnati area to participate in the July 11, 2008 protest in Milford, Ohio. The group protested Kids Helping Kids, a Pathway Family Center (aka Pathway Family Center, PFC and/or KHK), a behavior modification teen treatment facility which is not only the current renamed version of Straight, Inc, it also still uses the STRAIGHT, Inc. treatment modality. 

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Posted by Media Release
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What do the following organizations and individuals - which include the Hamilton County sheriff, the Cincinnati police chief, a Cincinnati councilman, some county attorneys, religious leaders including an Episcopal Bishop, anti-porn crusaders, anti-choice activists, and more - have in common?

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Posted by Justin Jeffre
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COAST has claimed responsibility for improving Drake by privatizing it, but how accurate are their claims?  The COAST blog states, “In 2005 and 2006, Commissioner Phil Heimlich and COAST founder Chris Finney fought a valiant and successful battle to remove Drake Center from the public dole. Now, the Cincinnati Enquirer has documented a dramatic turnaround at Drake, vindicating their free-market position. Read the Enquirer story here." But is that really the whole story?

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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At the June meeting, the General Membership voted to support Proportional Representation and take action by engaging in a petition drive to place the issue on the November 4, 2008 ballot. The Cincinnati NAACP hired an attorney to create the petition based on the membership’s decision last Thursday. Today, one week later, the petition form is complete. The first printing should be available by 5:00p.m. this afternoon.

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Posted by Media Release
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Recently, I wrote about one of the activist-oriented emails that crows my inbox daily.  But the ColorOfChange.org message was, in many ways, very normal compared to some of the other things I receive.  (How do I end up on these lists, anyway?) In the past day or so, I have gotten weird emails from some Ron Paul supporters who keep freaking out about an upcoming “quorum,” and some from an account called “Hillary for President,” urging Clinton supporters to either stay home on election day, or to vote for John McCain.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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I’m on an email list for ColorofChange.org.  Sometimes, they send emails asking for people to send letters as part of some initiative.  I actually get tons of these kinds of emails, and I barely pay attention to them anymore.  But I decided to read this latest one, entitled ”100,000 fighting Fox: real “baby mama” drama.” The whole thing reminds me of the absurd circus that is the American political landscape.  I must wonder if the major parties are both complicit in the propagation of the circus.

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Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
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