Posted by Michael Earl Patton

This is a newsletter from C.O.A.S.T. about the efforts of Commissioners Portune and Pepper to block the voter referendum on their recent attempt to raise the sales tax.  Per the newsletter, Cincinnati City Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz is also deeply involved in the on-going attempt to frustrate the will of the voters.

The title to the C.O.A.S.T. newsletter states that Portune, Pepper, and Ghiz are “liberal.” While it is true that Portune and Pepper often talk the talk, many true liberals and progressives would say that they don’t “walk the walk,” especially when it comes to criminal justice issues.  Virtually all of the liberals and progressives that I asked to sign the petition for a voter referendum opposed their plan.  Further, Pepper and Ghiz strongly back Cincinnati’s criminalization of small amounts of marijuana which causes thousands to be arrested and incarcerated, overwhelmingly African-Americans.  Cincinnati then uses the convictions as the basis for trying to deny them apartments in the city.  I don’t know of any liberal who supports such a draconian and racist practice.  I respectfully suggest to C.O.A.S.T. that they use another term when describing Portune, Pepper, and Ghiz.

Thank you for reading (and printing from) The Cincinnati Beacon.