diaspora

I'm not much of a 'the ends justify the means' type person...especially if the 'means' remove the constitutionally granted power of the legislature. I also don't like the monopoly that it is granting. Didn't we just vote down casinos last year and now we're supposed to pass it? I don't have anything against Casinos...but, i really don't think they'll be nearly as successful as proponents say. If we really want to get those jobs going why not fix our infrastructure some more?

yeah, it's always a good idea to vote on things that you don't know anything about. I think if people didn't vote on issues or candidates when they were woefully uninformed we'd all be better off.

I will be voting against issue 3...not because i dislike the casinos or think they're necessarily a bad thing, but this is not the right way of putting them in. I'm really annoyed with the ads we're seeing down here. I haven't seen the "devil in the details" ad, but the one that slams Dan Gilbert and says he was arrested for running an illegal gambling operation is pretty petty (it happened in college or something...a long time ago) and talking about Dennis Archer as a political insider and all this. It's just a s***ty campaign and i really don't like it.

I just hope she's not the vice mayor or something after this run...i can see her coming in first or second in the voting...sadly. I'm not a big fan of Ghiz or Cole...i wouldn't mind seeing both of them removed. Maybe then we could have more civilized conversations and actually get something done in this city.

I think i am against it. It seems like an unnecessary change to the constitution. I don't like referendums to amend that don't originate in the legislature. I feel like there really isn't time or information enough to fully discuss this before the vote. Constitutions and charters shouldn't be changed on a whim but through the vehicles of government that we already have. They aren't sacred, but i'm not a fan of governing through referendum.

I'm fairly certain it is.

This is what passes for political discourse? No wonder we can't get anything done around here. Council Spat: "you never shut up" By Jane Prendergast • [email protected] • October 26, 2009 City residents don't know what their property taxes will be next year, but they're clear on one thing: Councilwomen Leslie Ghiz and Laketa Cole do not get along.

I'm fairly sure that the Democrats don't want to be the minority party for years to come. Unfortunately, i don't see this country electing people that are far left. maybe to smaller posts, but not in any sizable amount that would give them the ability to really move government. I think most of the Democrats are actually very progressive in their ideas...but tend to be more realistic in their actions. I'd also suggest that they tend to use less exaggeration and smears than the Republicans.

i hear it's good for the heart.

Phone numbers, addresses and employer information is not something that i'll put out on the web if i can help it. i know it's out there anyway in some form...but i don't want to make it easier for people. I think that libel suits are good if they're used to cut back on the incivility and lawlessness of the internet...but they will probably be used maliciously instead of only going after people that are actually causing harm. I find the lack of morals to be rather entertaining at times...if it is not really causing any real harm, of course.

I had no idea that the Green Party had come out in favor of Issue 9. Wow...that's really disappointing. As a pretty progressive person that tends to vote democratic on national issues and green on local...this is really upsetting. I may pull my support from that party.

Radiohead's concerts are an absolute must see...my wife and i have two bands that we will see whenever they tour...Radiohead (my favorite) and Depeche Mode (her favorite)...of course, with Dave Gahan having cancer and Radiohead not releasing any more albums...we might not see them again.

My 1920 plaster walls keep out most sound. Gotta love old construction.

I disagree with that one (though like some of the new work). It's interesting that Radiohead fans always divide along these lines. I meet very few people who like both eras equally. Hell, I actually might like Pablo Honey the most. :wink: yeah, i know Radiohead fans do always disagree on this stuff...and because i like electronic music a lot i enjoy the later stuff a little more...but, still...i think that it's hard to argue that the band itself could be defined by The Bends when they've been progressively growing and changing through Kid A and Amnesiac to In Rainbows. I seem to remember reading that a lot of fans of The Bends pretty much hated OK Computer because of how much it had changed. You suggest that the trough of music was the early 00's...i'd have to disagree...not because nu metal doesn't suck (it does) but because this emo crap that has come out is just so much worse. It takes the worst parts of great genres and blends them together to make a s***storm of suck. I love Depeche Mode and Joy Division and New Order and that stuff is depressing as hell...but it doesn't suck like emo does.

I doubt anyone will steal mine...i mean, it's a pretty quiet residential street...but if they do, i'll just make one for the window.

^^i didn't know Dan Gilbert was involved...Go MSU grad! ^when they say that schools will get X% of the money...that just means that they'll use that money to give it to the schools, not that the schools will actually get anything extra...the State just won't pay out as much from the general fund. It likely won't even shield the schools from future cuts. They'll just become dependent on that revenue stream. I get sort of annoyed with all the "lotto/casino money goes to schools" stuff...while it's sort of true, it certainly doesn't tell the whole story.

Got my "No on 9" sign today. Thanks to whomever dropped it off.

as of right now those buildings are better than what exists. I think that depending on the overall design of the rest of the area they could look just fine. It's not like they're plunking that down in the middle of OTR...those buildings are between two stadiums and disconnected entirely from the rest of downtown. There's nothing around it. I'll reserve judgment until i see the completed work.

I just think that if you're trying to slow the brain drain giving people loan forgiveness towards student loans instead of mortgages is the way to go...only because a lot of grads aren't looking to buy a house in the first 18 months...and certainly those that are already will. I think student loan forgiveness or grants or something like that (provided you stay for 5 years...blah-blah-blah) would be a better way to stop brain drain. Until i moved to Cincinnati i didn't know a single person that bought a house right out of college...now i know 1. I would have qualified as i bought a house within 12 months of my graduate degree...but i'm from Michigan...so, i can't.

As far as Radiohead goes (yes, they're my favorite band) i think it depends on how you define the decades...if you say that 2000 is this decade, then as far as i'm concerned they've put out the best music in this decade. I think that Kid A is the tipping point and it was released in 2000. 90's = Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer 00's = Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, In Rainbows Yeah, i'm going to give it to the 00's...while OK Computer is a fantastic album...and the Bends is good too...i think that the 4 albums from the 00's are better...

While i think the old building was pretty cool looking...and i liked the mural that was originally on the wall...i'm not a fan of the "new" murals that are going up...the ones that are just big Vinyl ads hung on the building. The building didn't look to be in good shape...i drive past it every day as i'm coming in off of 71 onto Gilbert. As far as the PG facility...i don't think it's nearly as ugly as the Cincinnati Cooks building near Music Hall, nor as out of place.

While the intent to keep Ohio graduates here is a good one...why not expand that to all college graduates from anywhere? i mean, why not offer people from out of state the option of getting these loans... why not have more incentives for people from out of state to move here?

OHFA TO ADMINISTER INCENTIVE PROGRAM AIMED AT KEEPING GRADUATES IN OHIO COLUMBUS — Over the next several months, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) will implement a program introduced by Senator Stephen Buehrer to encourage homeownership among Ohio's graduates. Through the Grants for Grads program, graduates who purchase a home and remain in the state for at least five years may qualify to receive down payment and closing cost assistance. The program was approved by the Senate and merged into the biennial budget bill, which was signed by Governor Ted Strickland on July 17. This is an interesting program, but it seems sort of weird. Does it only apply to graduates of Ohio schools? or can a graduate of a school in a different state qualify? It's for first time home buyers in an attempt to stop brain drain...but that would put the target group at about 23-24 years old. How many people are buying houses at the age of 23 or 24? Especially if you have to keep it for 5 years...i mean, who planned 5 years into the future?

I once almost moved into an apartment complex near Ault Park in Cincinnati...the complex manager took us around and showed us the apartment...nice place. Then he took us over to the neighbor's place where they had a weekly cocktail hour on Fridays. The place was trashed and there were still joints in the ashtrays. He told us that everyone was really nice and got along well. yeah, it seemed like a nice place...but, we liked the idea of having a landlord that wasn't going to be high when something broke in our place (he basically told us that when something went wrong he'd "get around to it").

that thread is probably being cleaned if you can't find it...at least that's the BS that the Man is shoveling at us.