Developers, whether they want it or not, get Cincinnati mayoral candidates’ attention in debate

 

 

Before Tuesday night’s mayoral debate began, Cincinnati NAACP vice president Joe Mallory noted to the crowd that elections are important because if “you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

 

When it came to the menu at the second meeting between Mayor John Cranley, Councilwoman Yvette Simpson and former University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees chairman Rob Richardson Jr., real estate developers found themselves on it.

 

The three candidates, all Democrats, cited growing inequality as they pledged to implement plans to ensure developers, who have been awarded tens millions of dollars in tax breaks by the City Council as they have rebuilt Cincinnati’s urban core and Uptown, construct more affordable housing.

 

Some developers, such as the nonprofit Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) and the Model Group, have included affordable or low-income housing in their projects’ mix, but they typically have needed federal subsidies to make the financial terms work.

 

Richardson stood to the left politically of Simpson and Cranley, promising to mandate affordable housing construction through inclusionary zoning. Such zoning generally is understood to either require or encourage voluntary compliance with a certain percentage of new housing set aside for low- and moderate-income earners. Richardson indicated that his plan would be mandatory.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/03/29/developers-whether-they-want-it-or-not-get.html

Progressive group that helped Bernie Sanders endorses Simpson in Cincinnati mayor’s race

 

 

A liberal group that helped raise nearly $2 million for Bernie Sanders' Democratic presidential campaign has endorsed Cincinnati Councilwoman Yvette Simpson in this year’s mayor’s race and will help her raise money and organize volunteers.

 

Simpson faces Mayor John Cranley and former University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees chairman Rob Richardson Jr. in the May 2 mayoral primary. All are Democrats. The top two candidates in the primary will advance to the Nov. 7 general election.

 

Democracy for America was the grassroots group created after the failed 2004 presidential campaign of Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.

 

“Yvette Simpson knows firsthand the challenges that Cincinnati's most underprivileged residents face, and she is committed to a vision of equitable growth for the city that doesn’t leave anyone behind,” said Jim Dean, chairman of the group and Howard Dean’s brother. “Simpson is a tireless fighter who has proven that she’s not afraid to tackle tough problems like violence prevention, human trafficking and homelessness.”

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/03/31/exclusive-progressive-group-that-helped-bernie.html

FYI -- early voting has started for the mayoral primary. Unfortunately, since the BOE moved to Norwood, you now have to leave the City of Cincinnati to early vote for our mayoral primary.

FYI -- early voting has started for the mayoral primary. Unfortunately, since the BOE moved to Norwood, you now have to leave the City of Cincinnati to early vote for our mayoral primary.

 

Don't forget you can also vote by mail! http://boe.hamilton-co.org/voting-before-election-day/voting-by-mail.aspx

FYI -- early voting has started for the mayoral primary. Unfortunately, since the BOE moved to Norwood, you now have to leave the City of Cincinnati to early vote for our mayoral primary.

 

I was going to vote at lunch later in the week, but remembered this morning that they moved locations.  I really miss how convenient things were :-(.

Cranley seeks to revive 2013 playbook, lasso Simpson to streetcar

 

John Cranley won the 2013 mayor’s race in part because of his ability to define his opponent, Roxanne Qualls, as champion of the Cincinnati streetcar project, which voters who cast ballots in that race strongly disapproved of.

 

It is happening again.

 

Or at least the mayor’s trying to make it happen again. In politics, if a tactic works the first time and still polls well, you keep using it.

 

Cranley brought up the $148 million project, which has seen more than $160 million in development directly on its 3.6-mile path since 2012 but falling ridership amidst operational problems, repeatedly at Monday night’s third mayoral debate and the first one to be televised to a city-wide audience. Cranley’s campaign also released a new TV advertisement criticizing one of his two opponents, Councilwoman Yvette Simpson, for voting to study how to build a second phase of the streetcar route.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/11/cranley-seeks-to-revive-2013-playbook-lasso.html

It's failing because it doesn't go anywhere besides otr and the cbd...and the wait times can be quite ridiculous.

I don't think it is failing at least on the weekends.  I don't work downtown so I don't use it during the week, but my girlfriend and I rode it the other day after walking downtown and it was fabulous.  Wait times were short (6 minutes when we got to the stop at the banks) and it got us up to Washington Park very quickly, and it was packed.

I think people underestimate how small the cbd and otr is. When the weather is nice it's much more pleasant to simply go for a walk imo.

 

This needed to be implemented to uptown and link the medical centers and uc students. It's current state is just irrelevant sadly.

If you have time to casually stroll for 30 minutes, then yeah, you can skip the streetcar. Ideally you should be able to cut that time in more than half. Wait 5 minutes for a streetcar, then spend 5-10 minutes getting to your destination. You aren't going to walk from The Banks to Washington Park for a lunch break. Or if you are eating dinner at Taft's, but it's taking longer than anticipated and you don't want to miss the start of the Reds game.

^Sorry Troy, I respect your opinion, but I don't think you are correct in saying that.  There is a tremendous amount of growth in OTR along the streetcar line.  I don't think much of any independent construction would be happening in OTR besides 3CDC if not for the Streetcar.  Look at all the growth around Findlay Market, up and down Elm and to a lesser extent Race Street by smaller players in the market than 3CDC.

 

Now if the politicians can get out of their own way for the betterment of the city in making the Streetcar run as efficiently as possible, then it would be even better.

 

I agree linking it to Uptown would be most beneficial but make no mistake, Cranley and his administration has done everything possible to make the streetcar look bad by blatently ignoring issues with efficiency which have been talked about ad naseum here.  This short starter line can be more efficient and work better if they enforced fines on people blocking the streetcar, introduced signal timing, and blocked off some areas from vehicular traffic.  But since this is a re-election campaign, as seen above Cranley is using this again as his main talking point.  If he gets elected we can probably look at 4 more years of inneffiency, and it would be on the administration.

 

*I will also add that the national publications have picked up on many of this, which they seem to point out better than us locals.  Things such as having a higher fine for not having a ticket on the streetcar than for blocking it, etc.

I think it's multiple reasons honestly. I'd say our population in the cbd and otr is still too weak to support a "successful" street car sadly as well.

 

It really is a booze cruise when it's at it's highest demand. Banks to the reds game and back to otr to finish up drinking.

 

 

I think people underestimate how small the cbd and otr is. When the weather is nice it's much more pleasant to simply go for a walk imo.

 

Not everyone is physically able to walk that far, whether handicapped or elderly, not to mention how many families want to spend time downtown and need to lug around diaper bags, strollers, children etc. Not everyone is a physically fit 20-something capable of walking 3 miles round trip. This is both a self centered view of the world and one that ignores other outside factors that inhibit walking like extreme cold, extreme heat and inclement weather.

 

While I agree we need to connect to uptown, to try and say that the loop as it currently exists is irrelevant is incorrect.

Don't forget those of us who live downtown, have a stroller, do shopping at Findlay, and really don't want to walk home carrying grocery bags and pushing a stroller.

I think it's multiple reasons honestly. I'd say our population in the cbd and otr is still too weak to support a "successful" street car sadly as well.

 

It really is a booze cruise when it's at it's highest demand. Banks to the reds game and back to otr to finish up drinking.

 

 

 

The Kansas City line is a similar length but has a lot more ridership because it was built through a mostly built-out area.  Much of Over-the-Rhine is still completely vacant.

 

 

It's failing because it doesn't go anywhere besides otr and the cbd...and the wait times can be quite ridiculous.

 

It is not failing.

Former City Council Member Greg Harris slaughters Cranley in this op-ed:

 

 

Voters don't have to settle for more of the same in Cincinnati mayor's race

 

Also frustrating is the mayor's divide-and-conquer style of leadership. At a time when Cincinnati is making tremendous progress across many indicators and the urban core is revitalizing, he has made a passionate and emergent group of urbanists his foil.  Furthermore, on issues that should have been unifying such as the parks levy, he squandered a long-term revenue source by resorting to an old-boys, behind-closed-door style of politics that was exposed and defeated at the ballot.

 

 

This sums up Cranley perfectly. At a time when many of our core neighborhoods are going through incredible booms, Cranley should be using a "rising tide lifts all boats" strategy to help the entire city. But instead he pits neighborhoods against eachother, and tries to convince outer neighborhoods that a thriving urban core hurts them, for his own political benefit.

^The problem with criticizing Cranley in print is that his perfidies are so shocking and numerous (like Trump) that to focus on two or three of them leaves 15 on the table, untouched. 

I didn't realize that the enquirer supported Yvette Simpson.

 

I'm still worried about Richardson, I don't know enough about him to understand how he'll split the vote.

The Enquirer endorsed both Cranley and Simpson for the primary. I'm giving it 99% odds that they endorse Cranley for the general.

Unlike 2013 there are polls in this election!

 

Looks good for Yvette:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_mayoral_election,_2017

^ I'd take that poll with a grain of salt as it came from Simpson's campaign and was conducted before her Bockfestgate scandal - not to mention the "pale male" debacle.

 

 

^I don't think those stories are going to be remembered or relevant in November.

I can't imagine that many of the people who are glued to local media and freaked out about the "pale male" comment were going to vote for Simpson anyway. The Bockfest comments are more relevant since they potentially isolated members of her base.

It really is a booze cruise when it's at it's highest demand. Banks to the reds game and back to otr to finish up drinking.

 

I don't think that's true at all. From what i observe the most ridership is from families and older people on Saturdays and Sundays. It seems to follow the pattern of crowds out on a beach: building up until peaking late afternoon, then people start going in to get ready for dinner.

 

Its enormously valuable to cycle 1000's of tourists through our downtown, even if it's not the "everyday use" that people imagined before it started running.

 

^-its not like there is like the most historic neighborhood in the midwest that it runs through...  no sirree nothing to see here but old buildings ;)

It's failing because it doesn't go anywhere besides otr and the cbd...and the wait times can be quite ridiculous.

 

It is not failing.

 

Agreed, if running in the black is failing, then Charlie Sheen really is "winning"!

John Cranley is doing another telephone poll. Of course, in one of the questions he is claiming that Yvette Simpson supports extending the streetcar to Uptown, and also claiming that the cost of that extension would be $150 million. He's a one trick pony and this is the only thing he can think of to fire up Cincinnatians to vote for him. (That $150 million figure is pulled out of thin air, because several routes have been proposed to go Uptown, and the costs of those options has not been studied. Also, no one is currently pushing for an Uptown extension; only Cranley keeps talking about it.)

​Simpson’s neighborhoods plan: 20 minutes to the vital things you need

 

 

If elected mayor, Councilwoman Yvette Simpson said she plans to build a fund earmarked for neighborhoods totaling $10 million to $15 million a year of private and public investment that would be used to ensure communities have the services they need within a 20-minute walk.

 

Simpson would divert part of the city’s $91 million annual general capital budget to start the fund, which she hopes would leverage private investment to make each of the city’s neighborhoods more complete.

 

She also would seek to expand the city’s voluntary tax incentive contribution agreement model that is funding the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar’s operations to fund neighborhood initiatives. The VTICA program requires developers who receive property tax breaks to agree to contribute part of the money they save to Downtown Cincinnati Inc., which then returns it back to the city for streetcar operations. The model could be replicated in other neighborhoods with nonprofit community groups.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/19/simpson-s-neighborhoods-plan-20-minutes-to-the.html

If elected, would Simpson or Richardson keep Cincinnati's city manager?

 

One of the most important duties Cincinnati’s mayor has is selecting the city manager.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/20/if-elected-would-simpson-or-richardson-keep.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqRlFwN2pc

​Richardson challenges Cranley in mayoral money race; here's who contributed

 

Challenger Rob Richardson Jr. beat Mayor John Cranley when it came to raking in bucks for the 2017 Cincinnati mayor’s race.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/21/richardson-challenges-cranley-in-mayoral-money.html

In another ad, they refer to the streetcar as a trolley.

Cranley tries to fend off aggressor Richardson in final prime time debate

 

Fresh off of the news that he bested Mayor John Cranley in fundraising for the first three months of 2017, Rob Richardson went on the attack against the incumbent with mixed results at Monday night’s final prime-time mayoral primary campaign debate.

 

With seven days before a primary that will narrow the three-candidate field to two, Richardson went after Cranley’s temperament, accusing the mayor of making promises he couldn’t keep, doing an end-run around the city’s charter and yelling at a local civil rights icon. But Cranley used third-party sources to refute the criticisms as he defended his stewardship of the city.

 

The third candidate, Yvette Simpson, leveled a few of her own critiques of the mayor at the debate, which was sponsored and televised by WKRC-TV Local 12 and held at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Over-the-Rhine. All three of the candidates are Democrats.

 

For the second debate in a row, Cranley blasted away at Simpson and Richardson, saying they want to extend the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar beyond Over-the-Rhine and downtown, a misallocation of resources, according to the mayor.

 

Richardson was ready.

 

“We have a streetcar,” Richardson told Cranley. “I think you’ve ridden it a few times. It’s another example of a politician making a promise they can’t fulfill.”

 

Cranley protested that a City Council majority had overruled his wishes.

 

“We have checks and balances in our system,” he said.

 

Full article below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/25/cranley-tries-to-fend-off-aggressor-richardson-in.html

How great would it be if we could get Richardson/Yyvette as the top two in the primary. Let Cranley sit there for months on end knowing he's a lame duck.

How great would it be if we could get Richardson/Yyvette as the top two in the primary. Let Cranley sit there for months on end knowing he's a lame duck.

 

I've been predicting it for months.  The fact that Richardson has raised a ton of money for TV ads makes it a bit more likely.  If that happens, I predict a Richardson victory in November since he's able to raise much more money than Simpson. 

 

Also, there is a conspiracy theory floating around that Cranley paid Richardson to run.  I don't buy it for a minute.  I've had about three 5-minute conversations with Richardson dating back to 2009 and let there be no doubt that he is as appalled by Cranley as is any Simpson supporter. 

 

So, there are 3 Democrats running, and no Republicans, right? And this upcoming election is to choose 2 out of 3? The general election will then choose 1 of 2? Is this correct?

 

If it is, well that's strange.

Yes, we have a nonpartisan primary. So if there were 3 Democrats and 3 Republicans and 3 independents running against eachother in the primary, they would all be on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters would advance and face off in the general election, regardless of what their political affiliations were.

 

In 2013, we had two Democrats, a Libertarian, and a Whackadoodle running in the primary, and the two Democrats (Cranley and Qualls) made it to the general.

 

In 2009, a Democrat and a Republican (Mallory and Wenstrup) made it to the general.

Yes, but you only get to vote for one candidate in May. Top two candidates advance to November. Last election (2013) the mayoral primary was held all on its lonesome in September. At least there are other county elections going on at the same time, so it won't cost as much to host an election in May.

 

To run for mayor you don't register as Republican, Democrat, etc. You just get enough signatures and your name is on the ballot. I believe city council election are similar. The party name doesn't appear next to the council candidate names.

“We have checks and balances in our system,” he said.

 

That's not a good excuse for failing to accomplish the things you set out to do. As a Mayor (or Governor or President), you are supposed to work across the aisle and make the case for your priorities and sell the public on what you are trying to do. A good example of this is the Parks Levy. Who doesn't like parks?! If Cranley would have put forward a well vetted plan to improve our parks, it would have easily passed. Instead he put forward a plan that would have given him the ability to spend money on anything he wanted. If the list of projects would have been set in stone--"this money may only be used for maintenance of existing city parks and for new parks that are explicitly listed below"--then it probably would have passed. But Cranley blamed the loss on "those darn urbanists who oppose everything I try to do because I tried to cancel the streetcar."

 

I keep going back to this quote from the op-ed by Greg Harris (a few posts up): "Also frustrating is the mayor's divide-and-conquer style of leadership. At a time when Cincinnati is making tremendous progress across many indicators and the urban core is revitalizing, he has made a passionate and emergent group of urbanists his foil."

How great would it be if we could get Richardson/Yyvette as the top two in the primary. Let Cranley sit there for months on end knowing he's a lame duck.

 

I've been predicting it for months.  The fact that Richardson has raised a ton of money for TV ads makes it a bit more likely.

 

Please don't kid yourselves. Richardson will be lucky to break double digits.

Under 12,000 turned out for the 2013 primary. Turnout is key. Since this primary is seen as competitive, I expect a higher turnout, but would be surprised if it goes over 20,000.

Under 12,000 turned out for the 2013 primary. Turnout is key. Since this primary is seen as competitive, I expect a higher turnout, but would be surprised if it goes over 20,000.

 

Elections in the United States are completely about turnout since we don't require people to vote like Australia and some other countries.  Turnout has been drifting steadily lower in Cincinnati since the 1990s. 

 

So who always shows up to elections?  Old people and angry people.  That's why COAST, Smitherman, and Cranley keep being effective.  They swarm the retirement/nursing homes (they are often polling places!) and get white males angry at something.  There aren't many progressives out there and half of them never show up. 

 

So who are the angry white males going to vote for this time?  I don't think they're angry enough to actually show up to vote for the fake Democrat John Cranley.  That leaves him with his union endorsements -- but does anyone really think that even half of black union members are going to vote for him? 

 

Cincinnati tax breaks for new jobs would be tightened under mayoral candidate’s plan

 

When it located its global operations center in Cincinnati, General Electric was awarded one of the most-generous tax incentive packages in the region’s history. If Councilwoman Yvette Simpson is elected Cincinnati mayor, she said the standards for awarding a certain type of tax credit that went to GE in 2014 will be different.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/26/cincinnati-tax-breaks-for-new-jobs-would-be.html

​Subway, light rail, buses, streetcar? Cincinnati mayoral candidates have widely different ideas on how to build a better transit system

 

 

When it comes to Cincinnati’s lagging public transit system, the candidates for Cincinnati mayor have starkly different ideas for how to bolster it, including Rob Richardson Jr.’s proposal to start operating the never-used Cincinnati subway beneath Central Parkway.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/27/subway-light-rail-buses-streetcar-cincinnati.html

What Cincinnati voters need to know about the mayoral primary

 

On May 2, Cincinnati voters take their first step in deciding who will be the city's next mayor.

 

There are three candidates in the primary, which is the largest field of serious contenders since 2005, and they're all Democrats: Incumbent John Cranley, Councilwoman Yvette Simpson and labor leader and former University of Cincinnati trustee Rob Richardson Jr.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/28/what-cincinnati-voters-need-to-know-about-the.html

I vote in every election and have volunteered for/donated to groups/politicians from both parties so I usually get nonstop mailers and door knocks leading up every election. So far, Rob Richardson's people have knocked on my door twice, but I haven't seen anyone from the Cranley nor Simpson campaigns. The only ads I've seen are for Cranley on Instagram (fairly often) - granted I block pretty much every online ad and don't watch much TV. I haven't gotten anything at all in the mail.

 

Today on WVXU Howard Wilkinson emphasized that anything can happenin a super-low turnout primary like what is about to take place.  Actually, they were predicting about 15,000 to turn up, or double the number who voted in the 2013 primary.  Who are these people?  I don't know, but we will likely see fewer than 1,000 republicans cast a vote.  That's really bad news for Cranley. 

 

They can't determine who "likely voters" are in a primary, so polling means virtually nothing.  I have not had anybody come to my door so I guess I wasn't home when Richardson's people came around. 

 

Also, Howard Wilkinson noted that in two previous primaries, the second-place person ended up winning.  Luken was second to Curtis Fuller in 2001 and Mallory was second to David Pepper in 2005. 

Over 11,000 voted in the primary in 2013.

I have seen far more Cranley signs out in the wild than the other two candidates. Not sure how that overlaps with likely primary voters.