CincyPAC

Issue Education - Presentation to Council - Form Based Code

2008-12-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

A motion to adopt form based codes in Cincinnati, sponsored by Councilmembers Qualls and Cole, will be presented in a joint hearing of the Economic Development and Vibrant Neighborhoods Committees on Tuesday, December 16 at 11 a.m. in Council Chambers, Room 300 City Hall, 801 Plum Street. The hearing will include a presentation by City Planning Director Charles Graves. This hearing is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

CincyPAC Issue: Environmental Sustainability

Our Stance: Cincinnati is and should be even more aggressively pursuing a position as a leader in the area of environmental sustainability. We need to be serious about ensuring that our gateways and major roads should be bordered by beautiful, clean, green. As population gets more dense, the importance of well manicured, inviting parks and greenspace increases.

Soapbox Media article on Form Based Codes from September 9, 2008:
http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/30formbasedcodes.aspx

Issue Education - City Council Budget Proposals - Streetcar Funding

2008-12-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

CincyPAC members and supporters,

As we gear up for 2009 and prepare to educate ourselves and our council members on the issues and initiatives most related to attracting and retaining young talent in Cincinnati, it is important that we stay tied into the issues we said were important in 2007 and 2008. As you come across articles of importance to this goal, please forward them to csk@gdm.com or add them to this blog. The more educated we are, the better we can serve our community.

CincyPAC Issue: The Streetcar
Our Stance: Adequate Public Transportation: Cincinnati needs a street car and it should connect downtown and uptown in the first phase. We also need to revamp Metro Bus routes, clearly label routes and schedules at major stops, and ensure that SORTA and TANK work together seamlessly.

Today's Business Courier posted the following article related to the Streetcar:

Cincinnati council submits budget proposals
Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter

Cincinnati’s streetcar initiative could get a haircut under new budget proposals submitted by two members of City Council.

Finance Committee Chairman John Cranley proposed eliminating $60 million in streetcar funding so the money can be “reprogrammed for other purposes,” including $25 million for the Central Riverfront Park that’s being built in conjunction with the Banks project and $25 million for repaving of city streets. Councilman Chris Monzel proposed eliminating $11 million in funding for streetcars in 2009. He offered no alternate plans for the money.

The proposals come as council works to pass a two-year budget for 2009 and 2010. Both Monzel and Cranley previously voted in favor of a streetcar system, authorizing the city manager to begin raising money for the project in April. They were the only members of council to identify streetcar cuts in budget proposals submitted late last week.

The Finance Committee is slated to debate various budget proposals Monday afternoon, with the goal of finalizing a budget in the next week or two. A hiring freeze and the delay of police and fire recruit classes are among the operating cuts proposed in recent weeks. The streetcar cuts were among several changes in capital spending outlined by various members of council in advance of the finance hearing.

In other budget proposals:

• Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls wants to eliminate $850,000 in planned spending for the Kennedy Connector, a road project that was aimed at stimulating new development in Oakley. Instead, she would spend $750,000 over two years on the Clifton Cultural Arts Center and commit $350,000 to “eco improvements” at Pleasant Ridge Park.

• Vice Mayor David Crowley proposed shifting $350,000 from the Kennedy Connector to the Clifton center.

• Councilman Cecil Thomas proposed a $3.6 million commitment to the Glencoe hotel and condominiums project in Mount Auburn, shifting funds from city capital accounts earmarked for housing initiatives.

• Thomas and Cranley proposed a $392,000 commitment to the $2.9 million renovation of the Cincinnati Business Incubator facility. “The building, which has historic designation, is crumbling,” said Thomas’ motion.

• Cranley proposed spending $2 million on a streetscape project in Mount Lookout and $500,000 on a “senior housing development” planned by the neighborhood group Price Hill Will.

The city’s operating budget was also targeted for adjustments as three members of council – Cranley, Monzel and Laketa Cole – proposed reductions in car allowances for city employees and excised Mayor Mark Mallory’s request to expand his staff. The mayor proposed adding a sixth full-time equivalent employee, at a two-year cost of $100,000. Cole, Cranley and Qualls all proposed increasing fines for parking violators, with proposals they estimate would raise an extra $269,000.

The city manager’s budget proposals involving garbage collection remain under attack. City Manager Milton Dohoney wanted to impose a fee for residential trash service, but that idea was rejected by Mallory.

Now, some members of council are opposing Dohoney’s efforts to modernize the city’s curbside collection program by studying the use of automatic lifts on garbage trucks. Councilmembers Cole and Monzel proposed eliminating Dohoney’s request for a $300,000 solid waste study to explore the idea.

First Organizational Meeting Minutes are Posted

2008-11-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

Organizational Planning Meeting
11.19.2008
MEETING MINUTES

1. In Attendance (based on sign-in sheet): Candace Klein, Clara Rice, Tom Hodges, Joe Levi, Chris Seelbach, Shawn Baker, Darren Tolliver, Andy Holzhauser, Amy Goodwin, Aryl Hait-Todd, Jacquelyn Sommer, Kris Sommer, Tammy Riddle, Jessica Baron, Clifford Charles, Laurence Jones, Mose Cartier, Fleumingue Jean-Mary

2. Mission: Candace first explained that the mission of CincyPAC for 2009 is to provide a voice for those Greater Cincinnati residents who want to attract new talent and keep young talent in the City of Cincinnati. She explained that CincyPAC will not only make endorsements of candidates this year, as we have done in the past, but we will also plan to endorse issues and advocate those issues actively with all candidates elected to city council in 2009. At this point, she reviewed what CincyPAC accomplished in 2007 (attachment), and highlighted that all CincyPAC members were polled, and that those results were used to form the CincyPAC agenda in 2007 (survey attached).

3. Goals for 2009: Candace, along with the Executive Team (consisting of Darren Tolliver and Elizabeth Edwards), then outlined the goals of CincyPAC for the 2009 year. These goals will likely form the basis for committees that board members will lead in the coming year: 1) Marketing/Online Presence (survey, social networks); 2) Issue Advocacy; 3) Events; 4) Membership/Fundraising; 5) Endorsements; 6) Campaigns; 7)Voter Registration. This list is not exhaustive, and Candace has asked each board member to help in forming what committees should be formed to meet these goals.

4. Our Legacy: The Executive Team has been putting together a set of draft Bylaws, in an effort to provide the CincyPAC organization with structure for sustainability. Incoming board members will be provided with a copy of these bylaws for approval/amendment at the December organizational meeting. In addition to structure, effective outreach will be critical to the ongoing success of CincyPAC and our agenda. Anyone interested in a board position should address how they are able to reach diverse segments of the Greater Cincinnati market for effective outreach purposes.

5. Footprint: Many members have asked what the footprint of CincyPAC will be in 2009. In terms of geography, CincyPAC will only make endorsements on City of Cincinnati specific races and issues, but will use issue forums to educate members on state and federal issues where appropriate. Marketing efforts, however, will focus on the Greater Cincinnati region, in hopes that other communities at some point will also form similar organizations for their young citizens. Who are members? While our target issues will focus on attracting young professionals, we have no particular age cut-off, and welcome any forward thinking citizen who is also interested in retaining and attracting young talent.

6. Technology: Andy Holzhauser explained that CincyPAC is undergoing a change to our website in order to become more user friendly and technologically sound. The updated website should be available for review at the December organizational meeting. In addition, we currently use Constant Contact as our email list-serve, and will assess its effectiveness in December. We have surveyed our members in the past, and will do so again this year to help determine our agenda, and we will add action alerts to inform our members of when important issues are being discussed in council, in order to increase participation in the advocacy of our issues. Finally, CincyPAC is considering putting together a report card to balance candidate promises against actual votes, and will discuss this further at the December meeting.

7. Finances: Darren Tolliver reported that we will continue to use Pledge Connect when fundraising, and offered http://www.cincypac.com/ for any members who would like to set up automatic withdrawal from paychecks. He did state that all board members will be asked to contribute whatever amount is feasible to CincyPAC, in order to set the standard for all other existing and incoming members. He also reported that CincyPAC is pursuing tax-exempt status, and will update the board at the December organizational meeting.

8. 2009 Timeline: Candace reported that CincyPAC will likely host a number (not less than four) of events focused on candidates and issues this year, and also stated that the Board will meet monthly, in addition to monthly committee meetings. She asked each person in attendance to consider whether they are willing to commit this time to CincyPAC in 2009 and to take this into consideration when communicating interest in a leadership role.

9. 2009 Board of Directors: Finally, the Executive Team reported that the incoming Board of Directors will be limited to eight (8) members, and asked attendees to express whether they are interested in being considered for a board position. Please see the accompanying email from Candace if you are interested and would like more information.

10. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:04 pm.

Organizational Meeting November 19th

2008-11-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

This week has certainly been eventful in the political arena, as our state and federal policy makers have undergone significant change. Now that these elections have passed, it is more important than ever for CincyPAC members to get up to speed on local issues so that we can prepare ourselves and our community for the local policies that are sure to follow any change in an administration. We also have 2009 to look forward to, and want to hit the ground running!

Please join us for our first organizational meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 6:00 pm at the Greenebaum Doll & McDonald offices, 255 E. 5th Street, 29th floor, if you have any interest in taking a leadership role by taking a seat on the Steering Committee for the 2009 calendar year. Please let me know if you are planning to attend by sending me an email at csk@gdm.com.

We are looking forward to an opportunity for significant policy creation and changes in Cincinnati in 2009, and hope you will join us in making our voices heard!

New Year for CincyPAC

2008-08-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in one year. CincyPAC was created by forward thinking urban focused Cincinnatians, a new city council was elected in Cincinnati, and important issues have arisen in our region, including the streetcar, the Banks, a census challenge, and more. You have made your voices heard by contributing to the campaigns of our local elected officials, and we have created a voice together to support the interests of young professionals and progressive thinkers.

As we look to the upcoming year, CincyPAC will remain true to our mission and values, but will undergo some exciting changes, including the following:

-We will now begin to seek accountability from the officials who have received endorsements from us in the past year and
-We now have new leadership within the organization.

Candace Klein has recently taken over as President of CincyPAC, Darren Tolliver has now become Vice President, and Kreg Allison has joined the Executive Team. We now seek your involvement, participation and leadership. If you have interest in joining the Steering Committee for CincyPAC for the 2008/2009 year, please contact Candace (csk@gdm.com) and let her know.

The first Steering Committee meeting of the year has been scheduled for Thursday, September 11th at 6:00 pm (location TBD). We want to continue to offer a voice for you and your peers, and need your help in doing so.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the leader of a group of proven leaders last year. We are proud of what we've created and look forward to our untapped potential. Thanks to contributors and participants like yourselves, Cincinnati will become a city unmatched in political participation and strong policy.

Sincerely,

Candace Klein
Incoming President

Sean Parker
Former President

District 1 Boundaries

2008-04-21T06:44:00.001-07:00

In addition to the much of the city of Cincinnati, First District neighborhoods include all or part of:

Addyston, Amberley Village, Arlington Heights, Bridgetown, Cheviot, Cleves, Colerain Township, College Hill, Covedale, Crosby Township, Delhi Township, Dent, Elmwood Place, Evendale, Finneytown, Forest Park, Glendale, Golf Manor, Greenhills, Green Township, Groesbeck, Hanover Township, Harrison, Harrison Township, Lincoln Heights, Lockland, Mack, Miami Township, Monfort Heights, Morgan Township, Mount Healthy, Mount Healthy Heights, North Bend, North College Hill, Northbrook, Northgate, Norwood, Pleasant Run, Pleasant Run Farm, Reading, Reily Township, Ross Township, Springdale, Springfield Township, St. Bernard, White Oak, Whitewater Township, Woodlawn, and Wyoming.

Come Meet Your Congressional Candidates

2008-04-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars, CincyPAC will be having its rescheduled Congressional Candidate event on May 1, 2008 at Mixx Lounge on Main St. We've invited the District 1 and District 2 Congressional Candidates to attend the event.

What: Congressional Candidate Meet & Greet with Greater Cincinnati Young Professionals
When: Thursday, May 1, 2008 from 6pm-8pm
Where: Mixx Lounge at 1203 Main St.

Candidates Invited
Steve Chabot
Steve Driehaus *
Jean Schmidt
Vic Wulsin *

*denotes confirmed attendee

For Questions or to RSVP: Email Sean@cincypac.com

Please mark your calendars, RSVP and pass it on.

Sincerely,

Sean Parker
CincyPAC

Is too much Parking a bad thing?

2008-03-10T07:14:00.001-07:00

Interesting article in today's Cincinnati Enquirer regarding the number of parking spaces downtown and how that effects businesses and the perception of safety.

I agree that Cincinnati should be more walkable for all the reasons mentioned, but I also think that is only going to be acheived through the implementation of a more efficient mass transit system.

Here's the link to the story.

Thoughts?

Other Cities Considering Streetcar

2008-03-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Some see streetcars in Ann Arbor's future

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Streetcars are ingrained into the cool, urban images of such cites as Portland, Seattle and New Orleans.

Those who support the romantic notion of bringing streetcars to Ann Arbor envision a town like San Francisco, where the trams have run on famed Market Street for nearly 150 years.

"It gives a much hipper, urban feel to the city," said City Council Member Chris Easthope.

Ann Arbor officials are considering paying a consultant to study whether a streetcar system could work here, and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board voted Feb. 20 to participate in such a study.

link to article

One city struggles with the impact of changing plans and consultants mid stream. For this reason, we believe that the city should proceed with Phase I to OTR and focus on funding sources and plans to connect to Phase II Uptown.

Millions later, Lauderdale left with unlikely plan for light rail

Local taxpayers maybe didn't realize it, but seven years ago they started paying for a light rail system that would loop main streets downtown. By the fall, the public will have spent $4.1 million on a project whose future is hazy.

The streetcar project started with the simple idea of reducing car traffic downtown and making the experience better for pedestrians. But it grew more costly over the years. Consultants were shed for new ones; plans were redrawn, then enlarged. Lobbyists were put to work. Now a proposed $150 million system called "The Wave" — more than $50 million a mile for the 2.7-mile system — is ready for unveiling.

But only on paper and on computers. The Downtown Development Authority, or DDA — a board of businessmen and women, landowners and company presidents — took a long, public journey to get the streetcar project this far. But it still lacks the most important ingredient: money.

Over the seven years of consulting contracts, memos and meetings, downtown power brokers on the development authority have been reassured by consultants that the thousands of hours of work and millions of dollars spent would yield fruit — though there could be challenges in getting federal money.

"I believe you can get this done and in operation by 2006," a consultant told them in 2003. "You all are very well positioned right now," the board was told by a lobbyist in 2004.

But at their latest meeting in February, officials at the authority struggled with what they heard: It might be impossible to get federal funds.

link to article

Vote for President and Yes on Issue 10 and 17

2008-03-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

First of all CincyPAC encourages you to get out and vote today. We are not endorsing a Presidential Candidate, but we are endorsing issues 10 and 17.

We encourage you to vote yes on Issues 10 and 17.

Presidential Panel Discussion

2008-02-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

Ohio is set to host a historic primary in which voters could push the first African-American or woman Democratic nominee for president over the top. Race has played a big role in the race thus far; come out and hear how top journalists are playing the story.

Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists & UC Journalism Program
Location:University of Cincinnati, Tangeman University Center, Room 4002
600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
When: Wednesday, February 27, 7:00pm
Phone: 513-686-0742

On the Panel
Lincoln Ware, host, The Lincoln Ware Show, WDBZ-AM
Kathy Y. Wlison, senior editor, Cincinnati Magazine & author of "Your Negro Tour Guide: Truths in Black and White"
Greg Korte, reporter, The Cincinnati Enquirer
Tom McKee, reporter, WCPO-TV
Mike Sheehy, associate journalism professor, University of Cincinnati
Moderator: Keith T. Reed, reporter, The Cincinnati Enquirer and blogger, BET.com
Host: Jenell Walton, WCPO-TV and president, Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists

Mayor Mallory's State of the City Address

2008-02-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

I attended yesterdays address and I must say that I was very much impressed. I always try to stay away from the statistics and the numbers, because they can be manipulated to make a point.

BUT, I very much so align with Mayor Mallory on his priorities for 2008 with Streetcars being very high on the list. Over the coming weeks, CincyPAC will unveil a plan to show member support for this initiative.

Other important mentions: Increased use of solar panels and wind turbines, an ex offender job program, increased youth employment options, among others.

To read Enquirer story, click here
To read 14 page speech, click here

Can't decide on a Presidential Nominee?

2008-01-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

Try this out

www.votechooser.com

Who did it choose for you?

Cash-Strapped States Resort to Odd Taxes

2008-01-29T06:50:00.000-08:00

I thought this article from the Associated Press was interesting. Often times, people look at increasing taxes as a bad thing or a necessary evil. How do you all feel about increasing taxes on things such as cigarettes to pay for arts programs or small business capital.

Read it and let me know what you think? What other things could we tax? Keep it PG-13:)

Full Story

The 100 Most Powerful (Influential) People in Cincinnati

2008-01-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

According to Cincy Magazine (link), these people are ranked in the top 100. The list is defined as "those who wield clout effectively, in public or behind the scenes."

Top 10
1. Robert Castellini, Chairman, Castellini Co
2. A.J. Lafley, CEO, Procter & Gamble
3. Nancy Zimpher, President, University of Cincinnati
4. James Anderson, CEO, Children’s Hospital Medical Center
5. Lindner Family, American Financial Group
6. Mark Mallory, Mayor, City of Cincinnati
7. Bill Butler, Chairman, Corporex Cos
8. James Votruba, President, Northern Kentucky University
9. John Barrett, CEO, Western & Southern Financial Group
10. John Pepper, Co-Chair, National Underground Freedom

To see the rest of list, click here

Do you think the list is accurate? Who's missing?

It's Official: February 21 Congressional Candidate Meet and Greet

2008-01-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

We will be having our first event of 2008 on February 21 at Mixx Lounge on Main St. We are inviting all of the District 1 and District 2 Congressional Candidates to attend the event. Please check back for updates on who will be attending. Hope to see you there.

What: Congressional Candidate Meet & Greet with Greater Cincinnati Young Professionals
When: Thursday, February 21, 2008 from 6pm-8pm
Where: Mixx Lounge on Main St.

To RSVP: Email Sean@cincypac.com

District 1 Candidates
Chabot (Pending)
Driehaus (Confirmed)
Stevenson (Pending)

District 2 Candidates
Bailey (Pending)
Black (Confirmed)
Brinkman (Confirmed)
Schmidt (Pending)
Wulsin (Pending)

What do you make of this study from Cincinnati Studies?

2008-01-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

If nothing else, it provides a good description of Cincinnati Political History.

From their Press Release:

SEVEN CORPORATIONS DOMINATE CINCINNATI’S ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND POLITICS LEADING TO “DISTORTED DEVELOPMENT,” POVERTY

“Who Rules Cincinnati?” argues that seven corporations have dominated the City of Cincinnati’s economy, society and politics leading to “distorted development” and “grotesque contrasts between rich and poor” with “a particularly damaging impact on the African American population.”

The study, a compendium of information on Cincinnati-based corporations, their revenues, profits and the salaries of their officers, and their political contributions, also describes the role of corporate coalitions such as Cincinnati Business Committee (CBC), Downtown Cincinnati Incorporated (DCI), and Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC).

. . . . . . .

The principal findings of the study are are:
Seven corporations, by virtue of their enormous wealth and power, dominate the economic and social life of Cincinnati – 1) Procter & Gamble; 2) Kroger, 3) Macy’s/Federated Department Stores/; 4) Fifth Third Bancorp, 5) Western and Southern Financial, 6) American Financial Corp, and, 7) E.W. Scripps. They can be said to rule Cincinnati and among them, Procter & Gamble plays the predominant role.

In Cincinnati the seven dominant corporations and some other companies guide all the important civic, cultural, and social organizations of the city. They influence or control the boards of directors of foundations, universities, museums, and social welfare organizations. They sit on boards while community members and working people are virtually excluded from participation. Middle class and working class people have almost no role in these organizations or at best have token representation.

To read the full report, click here

Interesting stories in today's Enquirer

2008-01-23T07:08:00.001-08:00

Today's Cincinnati Enquirer was packed with news relevant to our group. Here are a few of the links.

Apparently the financing plan for the development of the Banks is still in the works. This is a huge development and the expectation should be that this is going to be complicated. I put a call into Councilmember John Cranley's office to get a better explanation of whether or not we are still on track for groundbreaking before Reds Opening Day and for Phase I to get underway. I'll post his response as soon as I get.
Update Here's another story from the Business Courier, with a bit more perspective

An article, in reference to Chris Bortz's Go Cincinnati Initiative, describes how "Cincinnati should focus its redevelopment efforts and investment on three new areas - along Madison Road from Ridge to Red Bank roads, around Seymour Avenue and Reading Road north of the Norwood Lateral, and in Queensgate. We're trying to locate the full report and will add it here once we find it.

Cincinnati Public School going green

Heimlich has dropped out of District 2 Congressional Race

2008-01-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

As you all know, CincyPAC is a locally registered non-partisan political action committee. But more important than that, our mission is to increase the numbers of politically active and informed young professionals in the Greater Cincinnati area. For that reason we are planning a congressional candidate Meet & Greet towards the end of February.

As of today, former Cincinnati Councilman and Hamilton County Commissioner, Phil Heimlich dropped his bid to unseat current District 2 Congresswoman Jean Schmidt.

His statement is below:

Ever since the endorsement decision was made by the Hamilton County Republican Executive Committee on Friday, I have been discussing the future of my campaign with my wife, my family, my advisors and many of my supporters.

In light of the outcome of the Hamilton County endorsement, and with the late entry of Tom Brinkman into the race, I am announcing today the end of my candidacy for Congress.

Mr. Brinkman’s candidacy serves no purpose other than to assure Representative Schmidt’s renomination. There is no reason to put the Republican Party through a tough primary battle when victory isn't possible. To do so would only lead to the ultimate benefit of the Democratic Party and its liberal agenda.

I offer my heartfelt thanks to all the donors, volunteers and grassroots activists who supported our effort to keep this district in Republican hands. Their generosity and commitment will always be deeply appreciated.

Finally, I am requesting the various Boards of Elections within the district remove my name from the primary ballot if possible

In Case You Missed Yesterday's Email Blast

2008-01-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

If you did not receive this email yesterday, please click the link above that says 'Join CincyPAC' and add or update your information in our distribution list. Thanks

News from CincyPAC
CincyPAC had a very successful 2007, and we would like to thank those who made a contribution or came to an event. We were able to support 7 fantastic city council candidates, 5 of whom were elected; the other 2 first-time candidates ran very respectable campaigns and we hope they continue to stay involved in the community and run again.

Going forward, over the next year, we will focus on 3 key areas: transportation (streetcar and bike trails), technology (City-Wide WiFi), and local environmental issues (advocating recycling programs and alternative sources of energy). If you would like to be apart of one of these committees, please email me your contact information and committee preference. We need your help!!!

I would also like to point out that we will be having monthly events to discuss topics relevant to the committees mentioned above, as well as YP community-inspired content. Our first event will take place in mid-February and will invite all of the District 1 and 2 Congressional Candidates. Feel free to recommend other topics and venues. These can be sent to us via email at sean@cincypac.com . Topics for the next 3 months will be forthcoming soon.

Please continue to view our blog at www.cincypac.com for event updates, local news, and commentary. If you have any posts that you would like to publish, please feel free to send those to us as well.

We are looking for a few new people to serve on our steering committee. Interested parties should contact me and we'll take it from there.

Lastly, although CincyPAC is non-partisan, we would like to encourage people interested in working to help organize a congressional or presidential campaign, please email me your information and preference and I will forward your information to the local organization.

Stay tuned for more updates at www.cincypac.com

What are you looking for in a Presidential Candidate

2008-01-22T05:36:00.001-08:00

Since I am a fan of all things political and my friends know this, I have almost daily debates regarding this years Presidential election. Its interesting how some people would vote or not vote for someone based on one singular issue. Now I agree we should have principles, but this is an important election and I'd be interested to know what qualities or issues are most important to you.

Also, if you're disappointed that your candidate has already dropped out, tell us why in the comments section.

Happy Holidays from CincyPAC

2007-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a happy holidays and new year. Be safe and get ready to continue working to move Cincinnati forward in 2008.

Sean

Vote Tomorrow for These Candidates

2007-11-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Pat Fischer was perhaps the most polished and innovative non-incumbent candidate that we interviewed. He has an incredible record as a community leader and former community council president and has demonstrated follow through on extremely innovative ideas - including lower cost crime prevention strategies like pinpoint policing. He supports the implementation of a streetcar and would like to see phase one include Uptown.

Chris Bortz was unanimously supported for his polished and proactive style as well as the fact that he leads most of our initiatives already, including the streetcar initiative and GO Cincinnati. Chris has some very creative green ideas like free parking for hybrid vehicles, the green streets pilot project, and green rooftops. In the last budget cycle, Chris worked to triple the funding for the arts. He was referenced by several other candidates as someone they enjoy working with.

Jeff Berding is a huge supporter for the YP voice and has dug into the trenches for local community councils. We like the fact that he's a councilman that gets the job done. Jeff has some very creative ideas for funding options for the streetcar and the arts. We'd like to see more support for environmental issues from Jeff in the future.

John Cranley has played a key role in making the city more developer-friendly by leading the effort for One Stop and establishing the economic development department at the city. John would like to see downtown become a 24/7 destination. He supports the streetcar and offered several creative funding options. He also offered an innovative health care solution to lower health care costs for small businesses in the city.

Laketa Cole wrote the LEED incentive legislation to promote green building practices in the city. As the person who has been at City Hall the longest (she was an aide to a couple of council members before being appointed and becoming elected as a city council member herself) we were pleasantly surprised by her collaborative and approachable demeanor. Laketa is in touch with the local neighborhoods and holds community meetings once a month. She supports the smaller arts programs as well as local entrepreneurs. Laketa was positively referenced by other candidates as well.

Roxanne Qualls impressed us with her deep knowledge of current issues and was strongly recommended by other candidates as someone who knows council and can get things done. She's a student of policy and is well versed in the best practices used in other cities. Roxanne is a strong supporter of the streetcar and would like to see Phase I include Uptown.

Greg Harris was very well-informed on city statistics and had innovative ideas to tackle many of the items on our agenda. Some of his more creative ideas included spurring compact development - starting with the 95 acres of parking lots in the CBD. He proposed a culture tax to help build an endowment for the local arts and a national African American theater festival to leverage existing heritage programs. Greg also informed us of a $30 million dollar TANF surplus that could be used to create a 6-9 week career pathway program. He proposed a performance audit to make the city more approachable and supports vegetative rooftops.

Jeff Berding Fundraiser tonight at Via Vite DOWNTOWN

2007-10-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Friends~It's time for a happy hour & we've much to celebrate ~ beginning with downtown's economic development! Please join me at newly opened Via Vite Restaurant for reduce priced drinks & appetizers. Experience this beautiful new business on Fountain Square and meet an integral leader driving Cincinnati's rebirth: my dear friend & your Cincinnati councilmember Jeff Berding. Jeff is up for re-election in November, and I want you to experience first-hand Jeff's passion, vision and dedication to serving our city. Please join me for drinks & conversations with Jeff. Determine why you too should support Jeff with your vote in November, just as many other organizations have already endorsed Jeff: CincyPac, The Fraternal Order of Police, Cincinnati International Association of Fire Fighters Local 48, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati Democratic Committee.

*Jeff will also lead 1 mini-talk at 6:00 PM, so you can learn of his accomplishments thus far & his vision for Cincinnati as we move forward.Your support of Jeff's campaign is appreciated. Once you get to know Jeff better at Via Vite, I am certain you too will want to see him re-elected in November & support his efforts. The suggested contribution is only $25.00. You may bring a check or cash to Via Vite.

My email to Councilmembers Bortz and Cranley

2007-10-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Councilmembers Bortz and Cranley: I am a young professional who spends a large majority of my time downtown. I live and work downtown and I frequently attend restaurants, bars, clubs, and arts venues downtown as well. I am often the person recommended by my company, Procter & Gamble, to speak about the wonderful things going on in Cincinnati to new hires and recruits. I’ve committed to living in Cincinnati and making this my home.

Although, I’m originally from Cincinnati, I went to college in Washington, DC. At first I, like many of my friends wanted to get as far away from Cincinnati as possible. After spending four years in DC, I realized that Cincinnati had a lot of potential. I moved back to Cincinnati with the intent to help move it forward in whatever way possible. I've seen unbelievable progress over the last year or so. We’re just now beginning to live up to that potential and we need to continue in the right direction.

I’m counting on you and the rest of council to show leadership and ensure that there is no longer any delay on building the Banks.

I speak on behalf of the hundreds of young professionals in the Greater Cincinnati area and those who want our city to live up to its potential, ask that you vote in favor of breaking ground and making the Banks a reality and I humbly ask that you make it happen soon.

If there is anything that I can do to help this cause, don't hesitate to contact me. I stand ready to help.

Sean Parker
CincyPAC Founder
513-410-0796

October 30 is the date of our Candidate's Night

2007-10-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

In case you did not receive the second email sent in reference to our Candidate's Night at McFadden's, the date is OCTOBER 30, 2007 from 6-8pm.

Hope to see you there and sorry for any inconvience or confusion.

Campaigns NEED volunteers

2007-10-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in helping out one or more of our endorsed candidates between now and election day, please email us at staff@cincypac.com. If you have a campaign in particular, let us know, if you're open, let us know that too. If you have an hour or 10 hours between now and then, they need you.

2007-10-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Candidates Fundraiser

Jeff Berding

Chris Bortz

Laketa Cole

Greg Harris

John Cranley

Pat Fischer

Roxanne Qualls

Tuesday, October 30th

MCFADDENS

19 East 7th St.

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

6-8pm

$25 Individual

$50 Sponsor

$100 Host

Please make checks payable to: CincyPAC

or contribute online by clicking here

Email staff@cincypac.com to RSVP

Pat Fischer's Commercial

2007-10-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Check out Pat Fischer's new campaign commercial. Let us know what you think.

Come to Andy's!

2007-10-10T08:09:00.001-07:00

CincyPAC will be at Andy's Mediterranean Grill on Nassau Ave. tomorrow (October 11) from 6-8pm. We're inviting our endorsed candidates and encourage to come out and congratulate them on their edndorsement, ask them some tough questions and volunteer for their campaigns if you're interested.

On October 30th, We're going to have a big Candidate Fundraiser at McFaddens from 6-8pm. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending, it'll mark the last few days before the election. More to come on that.

If you haven't been receiving the emails from CincyPAC, send us an email at staff@cincypac.com and we'll add you to the distribution.

Our Endorsements

2007-09-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

We have decided to endorse 7 candidates for Cincinnati City Council. We feel that these 7 candidates, if elected, will move our city forward. It is a comfortable mix of incumbents and non-incumbents. We're happy that it is a group made up of men and women, black and white and a good mix of republicans, democrats and charterites. Both our board and our members spoke loud and clear and these were the candidates that emerged on top.

The candidates are:
Jeff Berding
Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
John Cranley
Pat Fischer
Greg Harris
Roxanne Qualls

To support these candidates we are going to contribute financially to their campaigns. We are going to offer volunteers. We are going to purchase ads in community newspapers and online. We are going to register voters. We are going to ensure that our endorsed candidates have an open line to young professionals and that they are visible in our community.

Stay tuned, there's much more to come.

Top Issues to address in upcoming election and beyond

2007-09-23T01:01:00.000-07:00

CincyPAC has conducted a lot of research through polling and talking to our peers who live in Cincinnati. We've also spoken with friends, former classmates and family members that live in bigger, more commonly desireable cities for young professionals and there are distinct resources that are common in all.

1. Adequate Public Transportation: Cincinnati needs a street car and it should connect downtown and uptown in the first phase. We also need to revamp Metro Bus routes, clearly label routes and schedules at major stops, and ensure that SORTA and TANK work together seamlessly.

2. Quality Programming and Marketing of the Arts: Cincinnati has great arts and has no shortage of major arts institutions. There needs to be some type of sustainable model to support the smaller arts groups in the city, as well as a fund and group dedicated to ensuring diverse and top notch programming that will expand the arts institution patron base. There also needs to be a better model for marketing the arts and getting "butts in seats."

3. Great Parks, Greenspace, and Environmental Sustainability: Cincinnati is and should be even more aggressively pursuing a position as a leader in the area of environmental sustainability. We need more solar panels and we need to ensure that everyone is doing their part to save our environment. We also need to be serious about ensuring that our gateways and major roads should be bordered by beautiful, clean, green. As population gets more dense, the importance of well manicured, inviting parks and greenspace increases.

4. Quality entertainment options and venues: There should be no shortage of opportunities to see popular entertainers in a variety of venues. There should be no shortage of venues that are fresh and thriving. There should be places to go in Cincinnati that represent all genres of music and entertainment -- public transportation and cabs should be readily available to take people to and from. Its vital that the Banks include a variety of restaurants and social facilities, as well as the creation and upkeep of multiple entertainment districts.

5. Access to economic prosperity: Cincinnati should be synonymous for access to economic uplift and opportunity. Cincinnati should be a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, small businesses and job training opportunities. There should be training programs and tax incentives for people to set up small businesses in Cincinnati. We should also look into replicating the LilyPad initiative throughout the city. We have the model, we need not look to reinvent the wheel, we need to support what's already there.

We'll be busy with this list. Over the next few months, we'll organize into research groups for each, monitor council's movement with them and offer solutions of our own. Now is the time for us to get involved and take a proactive approach.

It starts today!!

CincyPAC.com is now en espanol

2007-09-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

Click here. Of course we'll build on it going forward, but its an example of how CincyPAC is looking to represent all people.

Candidates Show up to meet with Young Professionals

2007-09-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

CincyPAC invited the candidates out last night. About 14 candidates stopped by to discuss the issues. We'll have a few more of these before the election. Click on the picture to see the rest from the event.

Voting deadline discrepancy

2007-09-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

Sorry guys and girls but there was a typo in the email that just went out. The deadline to vote on endorsements is Friday, September 21. In the email it says Friday, September 14. I didn't want to send out too many emails, but I wanted you to know the corrected date. If you didn't notice it, great:) You have until Friday (the 21st) to cast your votes.

we're adding one more to our list

2007-09-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Leslie Ghiz wasn't included originally as a result of mutual scheduling issues. She is very much in line with YP priorities in the city. She impressed us with her support of many of our initiatives including streetcar, funding for the arts, wireless hotspots and entrepreneurship. As a business owner, she sees promoting entrepreneurship in the city with programs like office space assistance as a way to attract and retain YPs. As a YP herself, Leslie's awareness and support of YP issues is clear, therefore we hope she will apply her leadership in pushing these agenda items forward in the future.

We think that Leslie is not only a YP, but a YP who holds YP issues near and dear to her heart.

I do want to reiterate that the list that sent out was not our endorsements. It is simply a list of candidates out of the 26 that we think should be endorsed. If there is overwhelming support for one of the candidates not listed, we have no choice but to further examine our choices. Also, the list we published, was our top 10 list. We're not set on endorsing 9 candidates, we will endorse at least 5.

Join our Mailing List

2007-09-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

CincyPAC will be busy over the next couple of months. Please sign up to receive email updates so that we can keep you informed.

Get Email Updates

Those that didn't quite make the cut

2007-09-16T19:53:00.001-07:00

The toughest thing about endorsing candidates for City Council is making the decision not to endorse someone. When a person decides to dedicate a portion of their life to public service, they are taking a huge selfless step to be the change that they would like to see in the community. We recognize that and we would love to work closely with all candidates interested in a seat on council and to include them into our group to affect real change in our city. These are the candidates that sent in questionnaires and that we surveyed.

Mitch Painter is a YP himself and running for Council for the first time. He started a real estate business with his brother and lives in Clifton. Mitch’s #1 priority would be to ensure that Council is spurring the growth of business and home ownership in the city, with the idea that this would expand the economic base of the city and generate funding for other key initiatives to reduce crime and develop a more robust public transportation system. In our conversation with Mitch, it’s clear he has a passion for the city and his goals are well-aligned with CincyPAC; however, he was limited in providing details as to how to accomplish some of these goals. Mitch may well be a candidate CincyPAC supports in the future and we'd like to keep him on our radar.

George Zamary is a downtown resident and sees great potential for the center city. He shares many of the same values as CincyPAC and had some unique proposals for funding the public transportation initiatives. However, George was limited in providing details for executing some of his ideas. CincyPAC looks forward to the development of his ideas in the future and hopes that he can lend his knowledge of the arts community to help improve on the marketing and funding.

Melanie Bates has a long record of public service to Cincinnati, which includes several years on the Cincinnati Public School Board. While her responses to the CincyPAC questionnaire appeared to align with the goals of our membership in some ways, she was not able to sell those ideas during the interview as well as other candidates. Her experience is an asset, but her ability to push key YP issues through Council would be a concern. We also feel as though she has some unfinished business with the school board.

Charlie Winburn has a great deal of experience in public service and as a past member of Council, it’s clear that Charlie possesses the “electability” factor. Though we felt he would be able to get some things done on council, we feel as though he lacked innovative ideas, particularly with his level of experience. Quite honestly we were also a little alarmed when it appeared that Mr. Winburn agreed to everything we asked for. It was hard to gauge whether or not he took us seriously.

Andre Harper is a YP himself and running for Council for the first time. His time in the military and current role as District Representative for Senator Voinovich proves at a young age Andre’s passion for serving the public. From reading Andre's questionnaire and his interview, we felt like he would be a little slow to react to makig decisions that would progressively move our city in the right direction. We're looking for bold leadership and unconventional ways of getting us what we need to attract and retain young professionals. Like Mitch, he is someone that we want to bring into our organization and potentially support Andre in the future.

John Eby's interview and questionnaire response indicates he would bring a keen business sense to City Hall that may not already exist. While John indicated support for many CincyPAC priorities, he also indicated being somewhat out-of-touch with the YP constituency. CincyPAC looks forward to endorsing candidates, and continuing frequent contact to hold them accountable, and feels as though there are other candidates that can better facilitate this long-term working relationship.

Wendell Young is also a long-term public servant to the city, with much of his experience coming in the police department. He ran a strong council campaign in 2005 but fell a little short. He had some unique ideas as to how to attract and retain young professionals in the city, such as building stronger bonds with local universities and each councilmember having a YP committee to ensure that voice is heard. However, Wendell’s opinions differed with our membership around some key issues related to public transportation and the environment.

Steve Pavelish is recently retired from the property rental business and believes strongly that a councilmember position should be full-time. His “pro-business” approach wants the city to take a hands-off approach to the private sector as much as possible. He indicated that he’s not a “green” guy and that light rail is not a priority, which is in conflict to some of CincyPAC’s key initiatives. Steve also indicated that he doesn’t care about a CincyPAC endorsement, which was interesting nonetheless.

Justin Jeffre has traveled the world and feels as though he has a lot to bring to shaping the future of Cincinnati. He’s a strong supporter of the Arts but sees the Street Cars and city-wide wireless initiatives going in a different direction than many CincyPAC members. During the interview with Justin, he mentioned some ideas unique to other candidates, but we didn't feel that he was a strong enough candidate to get things done.

Although we didn't identify the candidates listed above as those that we would endorse, they did make themselves available for interview and paid members of CincyPAC still have a chance of voting for their candidates and potentially changing the outcome of our picks. You have until Friday to fill out this ballot and vote. Remember you must be a paid member and you can do so by clicking here and contributing at least $25.

After interviewing over 15 candidates in 7 days we have our favorites

2007-09-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

If we had a pick nine candidates to endorse based on survey response and interviews, the following nine would be our candidates. BUT, we are not an organization that is run solely by our board. We will use a weighted scale to determine who is endorsed by CincyPAC. And there is no guarantee that we are going to endorse nine, we'll endorse at least 5.

Pat Fischer was perhaps the most polished and innovative non-incumbent candidate that we interviewed. He has an incredible record as a community leader and former community council president and has demonstrated follow through on extremely innovative ideas - including lower cost crime prevention strategies like pinpoint policing. He supports the implementation of a streetcar and would like to see phase one include Uptown.

Chris Bortz was unanimously supported for his polished and proactive style as well as the fact that he leads most of our initiatives already, including the streetcar initiative and GO Cincinnati. Chris has some very creative green ideas like free parking for hybrid vehicles, the green streets pilot project, and green rooftops. In the last budget cycle, Chris worked to triple the funding for the arts. He was referenced by several other candidates as someone they enjoy working with.

Jeff Berding is a huge supporter for the YP voice and has dug into the trenches for local community councils, including Columbia Tusculum. We like the fact that he's a councilman that gets the job done. Jeff has some very creative ideas for funding options for the streetcar and the arts. We'd like to see more support for environmental issues from Jeff in the future.

John Cranley has played a key role in making the city more developer-friendly by leading the effort for One Stop and establishing the economic development department at the city. John would like to see downtown become a 24/7 destination. He supports the streetcar and offered several creative funding options. He also offered an innovative health care solution to lower health care costs for small businesses in the city.

Laketa Cole wrote the LEED incentive legislation to promote green building practices in the city. As the person who has been at City Hall the longest (she was an aide to a couple of council members before being appointed and becoming elected as a city council member herself) we were pleasantly surprised by her collaborative and approachable demeanor. Laketa is in touch with the local neighborhoods and holds community meetings once a month. She supports the smaller arts programs as well as local entrepreneurs. Laketa was positively referenced by other candidates as well.

Roxanne Qualls impressed us with her deep knowledge of current issues and was strongly recommended by other candidates as someone who knows council and can get things done. She's a student of policy and is well versed in the best practices used in other cities. Roxanne is a strong supporter of the streetcar and would like to see Phase I include Uptown.

David Crowley was one of the most professional candidates we interviewed and followed through on all of our information requests. He was extremely approachable and receptive to our agenda and impressed us with his practical style and his focus on inclusion. He was positively referenced by other candidates. While many of his priorities were not aimed at YP's, we hope to inform him of more YP agenda items in this upcoming term and feel that he would be receptive in supporting issues important to us.

Greg Harris was very well-informed on city statistics and had innovative ideas to tackle many of the items on our agenda. Some of his more creative ideas included spurring compact development - starting with the 95 acres of parking lots in the CBD. He proposed a culture tax to help build an endowment for the local arts and a national African American theater festival to leverage existing heritage programs. Greg also informed us of a $30 million dollar TANF surplus that could be used to create a 6-9 week career pathway program. He proposed a performance audit to make the city more approachable and supports vegetative rooftops.

Chris Monzel impressed us with his forward thinking solutions to greening the city, including innovative energy technologies like gasification. He believes the city should be a trend-setter in technology, including projects like Lily Pad wireless hot spots and the streetcar. In his interview, Chris discussed the importance of connecting east to west when contemplating new transportation initiatives. He also sees an opportunity to build a better brand for the city - like he's been able to do with his own neighborhood. Chris seemed to be a strong advocate for neighborhoods and we hope he will apply just as much focus on the downtown neighborhood in this upcoming term.

Let us know in our comments section, your opinion of the candidates and issues that are important to you, that have been supported by the candidates listed above.

We're Interviewing Candidates

2007-09-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

If any of you are wondering what CincyPAC has been up too lately, click here, then click on browse responses in the top right hand corner and read candidate responses to the recent survey that we sent to out.

We're getting an overwhelming response of support, we just need to take it to the next level. The only way to do that is to get full participation from all young professionals and those interested in living in a progressive city to support our organization.

We'll be reaching out to you, but in the meantime, let us know what ideas you may have.

Today the PAC interviewed Mitch Painter, a 27 year old candidate for city council. Mitch had some very interesting ideas around ensuring that our city truly becomes a green city. He also supports some of the things that we at CincyPAC really feel is vital to attract and retain young professionals in the city. Mitch is going to be someone to watch in the very near future, he's had a lot of experiences and our city is lucky to have people like him willing to step up and serve.

We also interviewed Laketa Cole. Wow! Laketa was very impressive, sharp and poised to win a re-election bid for council. You can tell that she's a seasoned veteran as a result of her tenure on council as both a staffer and a council member. I must admit, she was very impressive during the interview. We'll post our notes from the interviews at http://www.cincypac.com/ soon. She's got a long record and its one that she is very proud of. I hear from Darren Tolliver our treasurer, that she has an impressive binder that she carries around, one of the big ones with her entire voting record inside. I think that's impressive and I'd definitely like to see that sometime. It proves that she never forgets her record and that she holds herself accountable to her record. We appreciate. Now let's make sure everyone does that.

Let us know what you think about some of the candidate responses to their questionnaire in either the comments section or in an email to me at sean@cincypac.com.