KJP and John,

You should both write letters to the editor explaining exactly what you did above.  Who knows, maybe one or two people will read and listen to what you have to say.  We need to keep trying to battle all the moronic commentary in the enquirer.

Did you see the letter from Dusty Rhodes today?

 

What's even more ironic/sad is that there was one person who was perhaps the most vocal about the creation of the TRAC to create reform by offering a more fact-based, less politicized transportation project selection process.

 

Who was that person?

 

....then-ODOT Director Jerry Wray.

^ The double-cross is complete.

His campaign promise was to shake things up, and that's not limited to the Cincinnati Streetcar and the 3-C line. 

 

I'm not sure if the Streetcar and 3C rail are examples of classic Ohio complacency that require shaking.  This is more like the Bourbon restoration.  Learned nothing and forgotten nothing.

I'm wondering if this supposed off-the-record discussion with the "local buisness communtiy" alluded to by Kasich has something to do with 3CDC remaining neutral on the streetcar (think this was mentioned upthread).  3CDC's efforts at center city revival would be enhanced by the streetcar, so it was puzzling to me that they would not be a supporter, even if the support is just verbal or a position paper or something. 

 

Especially since one knows that 3CDC is funded by the local movers-and-shakers, the leading corporations in the city.  Presumably the leadership of these entitites are the ones Kasich was talking to or would listen to (assuming the conversation really happened and Kaisch wasnt just blowing smoke).

 

 

 

 

Berding is holding a 4pm press conference today.  Probably will announce who will replace him. 

BTW, part of the TRAC's decision-making is that it has more projects to fund that it has federal funding available. So..... If TRAC follows its legal purpose, it must cut from the bottom-ranked projects, not from the top.

BTW, part of the TRAC's decision-making is that it has more projects to fund that it has federal funding available. So..... If TRAC follows its legal purpose, it must cut from the bottom-ranked projects, not from the top.

 

Laws don't apply when Kasich is in power...If TRAC changes their criteria and rating system to accommodate Kasich's orders, there should be an immediate investigation and consequences.  Kasich isn't even being subtle about it.  We're talking about a project going from a vote of 8-0 and the highest rating to a significantly different result,  with the majority of same members of TRAC in a small time frame.

 

This is no longer about solely the streetcar.  Its now broadened into a much bigger issue

 

 

 

 

Wayne Lippert Jr to replace Berding.

 

http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/political/Wayne-Lippert%2C-Jr.-to-be-named-as-Jeff-Berding%27s-replacement-on-Cincinnati-City-Council

 

Republican Wayne Lippert, Jr., is expected to be named Tuesday afternoon as the replacement for Independent Jeff Berding on Cincinnati City Council.

 

Lippert, a Hyde Park resident and Senior Manager at Financial Advisory Services for Truepath Financial in Blue Ash, has already announced his candidacy for City Council in November.

 

 

I'm wondering if this supposed off-the-record discussion with the "local buisness communtiy" alluded to by Kasich has something to do with 3CDC remaining neutral on the streetcar (think this was mentioned upthread).  3CDC's efforts at center city revival would be enhanced by the streetcar, so it was puzzling to me that they would not be a supporter, even if the support is just verbal or a position paper or something. 

 

Especially since one knows that 3CDC is funded by the local movers-and-shakers, the leading corporations in the city.  Presumably the leadership of these entitites are the ones Kasich was talking to or would listen to (assuming the conversation really happened and Kaisch wasnt just blowing smoke).

You are giving this guy way too much credit.  He is just blowing smoke.  Also, since the rules of allocating these federal funds isn't, "Have informal conversations with some guys you know", and as John Schneider pointed out, that was how it was done back in the day and that the rules in place now exist so that method of decision making isn't used, Kasich is being egregiously douchey about the whole thing.

Wayne Lippert Jr to replace Berding.

From his campaign page:

The city’s proposed investment in the streetcar should be put on hold until a new financing plan is in place and counsel and the public have an opportunity to review the entire package. In addition we cannot move forward on a project that does not have an operating plan. The issue, however, does highlight the need for a comprehensive transportation plan that our region sorely lacks.

 

One important focus of a comprehensive transportation plan needs to the Greater Cincinnati Airport. We must support the revitalization of our airport because it is critical for our ability to retain, grow, and attract jobs to Cincinnati. I will look for opportunities to support outside efforts to strengthen our airport and create jobs.

http://lippertforcouncil.com/the-issues/

sheady, please read the preceding post before posting an identical one.

^ considering they were less than 3 minutes apart, it may not have been posted yet when he started writing it.

sheady, please read the preceding post before posting an identical one.

 

My bad...took me a min to post it...it wasnt on there until after I posted. 

http://allaboardohio.org/2011/03/22/rail-is-under-unprecedented-attack-in-ohio-2/

 

Rail under unprecedented attack in Ohio

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 22, 2011

 

Contact:

Ken Prendergast, All Aboard Ohio, [email protected] (216) 288-4883

 

The Cincinnati Streetcar, the Ohio Department of Transportation’s highest-ranking transportation project pending anywhere in the state, is being singled out by an unprecedented attack by the Ohio General Assembly.

 

In a proposed amendment to ODOT’s biennial budget request, the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee is expected to approve today an omnibus amendment which includes provision SC-0257-1. A summary of that provision says it “prohibits state or federal funds appropriated by the state from being used for the Cincinnati streetcar project.”

 

The proposed amendment will likely be part of the committee’s final ODOT budget bill later today. After today, it will go to the full Senate. Then it will go to the House, which could either accept it as-is, or if it finds the bill substantially different from the version it passed last week, it could assign the bill to a conference committee.

 

The Cincinnati Streetcar was ranked as the state’s top transportation project based on economic development, cost-effectiveness and environmental impact criteria by the Transportation Review Advisory Council, a non-political review board established by state law in 1997. The TRAC was created, urged in part by then-ODOT Director Jerry Wray, to remove politics from the state’s transportation project selection process. Wray returned as Gov. John Kasich’s ODOT director this year.

 

“So if you suddenly don’t like the process established by law and that has worked well for 14 years under Democrats and Republicans, you change the process,” said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. “This is like saying we didn’t like who won the Super Bowl, so we’re going to re-write the record books.”

 

The Cincinnati Streetcar is seeking $36.8 million in federal transportation funds administered by the TRAC, which had already recommended by an 8-0 vote in support of that funding in December. These are not state funds, but state-administered federal transportation funds. If they don’t go to the streetcar, they will go to a lower-ranking road project.

 

“If state officials really want to save taxpayers’ money, they should cut from the bottom-ranked projects, not from the top,” Prendergast added. “I’ve been involved in transportation advocacy for nearly 30 years, and I’ve never seen such a blatant attempt to discriminate against rail projects like this.”

 

Furthermore, affected voters don’t want rail projects singled out by laws either. By a margin of 55% to 45%, Cincinnati voters in November 2009 turned down an opposition proposal to require passenger rail projects seeking city funding to be uniquely subjected to a public vote. Meanwhile, low-ranking taxpayer-funded road projects like State Route 32 in Cincinnati’s Eastern Corridor are left unscathed.

 

By comparison, two studies by the internationally reputable firm HDR estimate that the streetcar will stimulate new Downtown/Over-The-Rhine development worth $1.5 billion, or roughly 15 times the cost of the streetcar.

 

“As young Ohioans flee to vibrant cities that offer transportation choices, as Baby Boomers face a future of house arrest without options to cars, and as all Ohioans face immobility from worsening global petroleum constraints, this amendment by the Ohio General Assembly to punish a very specific transportation project is worse than counter-intuitive. It’s downright mean.”

 

END

Hopefully the full Senate and or House discard this awful amendment.

This is an awful and ill conceived amendment which basically overrides the meaning of the TRAC Board.  Would this type of legislation hold up in the courts?

Hopefully the full Senate and or House discard this awful amendment.

 

Doubtful.  It is republican majority and they clearly have decided public transportation other than roads are evil..

 

 

Yep. This is going to pass the Senate and probably the House too. I want to know who submitted this amendment. And, just last week, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Tom Patton was all friendly to All Aboard Ohio's president after his testimony when Patton said he supported urban rail transit projects. Really? By accepting anti-urban, anti-rail amendments such as this?

 

 

This is ridiculous. KJP, you really think that this nonsense is gonna pass?

This is about extreme partisanship, not sound transportation planning and investment. So yes, I think it will pass. And this will only embolden the extremists to do worse until someone has the balls to stop them.

Sometimes I wish I was a lawyer and filthy rich so I could litigate things like this for fun. Anyone know if anyone has the financial backing and know how to fight these recent and arguably illegal actions against the streetcar project?

Wow, well it looks like the streetcar really might be dead.  Kasich is doing everything in his power to stop it, ammendments are being made at the state level, and the new city councilman is opposed.  This fucking sucks, and demonstrates the reasons why it's increasingly looking like Ohio is a lost cause.

I understand there's a lot of prep work, but it has taken way too long for this project to start.  If there were shovels in the ground, imagine how much harder it would be for this kind of stuff to take place.  Sad.

This is abuse of power.

The dirty deed is done by the Senate Transportation Committee. No debate. No complaint. No roll-call vote. Unanimous 'yes' vote by the committee on the ODOT budget bill as amended with the anti-streetcar language. Now it goes to the Senate floor for a vote.

 

EDIT: The amendment was recommended to the committee by Gov. Kasich himself, and embraced by Senate Transportation Committee Chair Tom Patton. But who influenced Gov. Kasich? Politicians, especially those who want to dictate the lives of others by overruling mayors, intimidating legally established review councils, and negating public votes, don't do lowly things like these without the insistence of a powerful puppetmaster. So who was it?

 

After today, I think this is appropriate commentary about Ohio's state capital.....

 

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

 

William Shakespeare, "Macbeth", Act 5 scene 5

Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

You've got to be kidding me!?!  They can just write a bill to block Cincinnati from having funds for a project with absolutely no input from the public?  This is unbelievable!  This can't possibly be true.

None of the senators on the committee hail from Cincinnati. One from Butler county. If these &%$#@ want to single out Cincinnati, Cincinnati should single out these senator's districts.

BOYCOTT

Unfortunately it's not as easy as that.  They really need to be put on notice that this is an abuse of power that will face litigation.

This is a complete joke.  There's a point at which you just have to roll your eyes and say "fuck it."  Just start building the damn thing without expecting any help from the state.  At the same time, try everything you can to do an end run around the state for federal funds.  Obviously I don't know how to do any of this but there's clearly no point talking to these people.  The only language they understand is power.

So this would be a potential loss of 200 million for the Cincinnati area since the 3cd(100m) was shot down and now this funding(54m) maybe pulled. So they will have to give back the 64 million to the feds as well if this falls through.

 

That's a ton of construction jobs alone lost.

Where's the fish wrap on this story??

EDIT: The amendment was recommended to the committee by Gov. Kasich himself, and embraced by Senate Transportation Committee Chair Tom Patton. But who influenced Gov. Kasich? Politicians, especially those who want to dictate the lives of others by overruling mayors, intimidating legally established review councils, and negating public votes, don't do lowly things like these without the insistence of a powerful puppetmaster. So who was it?

 

 

My guess is he doesn't have the votes in the TRAC to block this project so he introduced this amendment to the general assembly. By bypassing the TRAC, he has to be committing a gross violation of the law that created the TRAC. But I wouldn't be surprised for him to just change that law too.

 

All hail the KING!!!

Again, I wonder what the reaction of the federal government would be? "You want us to give you federal money for an INFERIOR road project instead of the streetcar, the highest rated project in the state? That's not good stewardship of federal funds. It has to go to the streetcar." Kasich would probably then tell the feds that if he can't get his way and spend the money on roads, he'll send it back, just as he did with 3C.

 

I am not going to discuss strategy on this forum because it's open and anyone can read it, but if anyone here is SERIOUS about the streetcar it's all hands on deck. 

The opposition does read this site. So read this: We are the rail cult -- which may well be the largest "cult" in world history. We are part of a worldwide rail renaissance in all of the civilized nations and some wanting to be more civilized. We are investing $1 trillion just on high-speed rail, and likely many times more on light-rail, subways, commuter rail and freight rail in total worldwide.

 

The reasons why have become clear for many nations around the world, and increasingly here in America, too. Maybe someday, here in the wilderness and the rustic frontiers of civilized America, we might figure out that we should be recognizing rail as an economic savior of this state rather something at which scared rustics should throw stones.

 

Even in oil-industry dominated Houston, where then-Congressman Tom DeLay got a law passed to prohibit the use of federal funds on that city's planned light-rail system, progress prevailed. And where is Congressman DeLay now? Where he belongs.....

 

 

 

And how successful was he and his oil-industry puppet-masters at stopping Houston's planned light-rail system? Not very.....

 

 

 

Nor at preventing more electric light-rail lines from seeing construction:

 

 

 

Nor at preventing more rail lines from being built to create an extensive system -- all in the corporate home of America's oil industry!

 

 

 

I suspect similar futures await the players in yet another wasteful fight against an inevitable rail future. It better -- because the oil glass is half empty, our young people are fleeing for urbane cities with low-mileage lifestyles, and our Baby Boomers are getting old and immobile. It's your future, Ohio. How will you get there?

Ohio is a joke and that's the honest truth.  Waiting for this state to change only places the joke on you.

Not even Jerry Jones could get the tax stripped in Dallas

To read the full article, you will have to subscribe:

 

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Senate Transportation Budget Restores Public-Private Partnerships, Bars ODOD Casino Help

 

The Senate Highways and Transportation Committee unanimously sent the transportation budget to the full Senate Tuesday evening after adopting an omnibus amendment that added back in a number of provisions stripped out by the House.

 

....Other provisions in the omnibus include:

 

- Prohibits state or federal funds appropriated by the state from being used for the Cincinnati streetcar project.

 

The last provision raised objections from Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council, who told Hannah News that "it is like revoking the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl title and handing it to the Pittsburg Steelers."

 

Shaner said much of the project's funding comes from federal sources, and said it ranked as one of the top projects by the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC).

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.hannah.com/Login/index.html

Ohio is a joke and that's the honest truth.  Waiting for this state to change only places the joke on you.

 

City Blights, please feel free to keep these sorts of comments to yourself, because they are petty, information-less, and insulting.

 

There are many many people here and elsewhere who have been fighting for change for a long time, and with results.  Why don't you think from their perspective.  Also, at some point in your life, perhaps, you may find a source of happiness in fighting for something you believe in, and contributing to the social fabric -- even though it is very hard with many setbacks.  That sort of happiness can, surprisingly, be more long lasting for some people, than the one which comes from packing up your bags and moving to the next spot of green grass.

 

Well said, Jim.

Follow Jenlkessler on twitter.  She and other streetcar supporters are at the meeting and a lot of shadyness is going on

 

Twitter.com/jenlkessler

 

Our favorite biased reporter Barry Horstman is there as well

 

.  It's not looking good.  Looks like they are taking away $15 mil from the streetcar and adding $14 mil for a bus corridor on Maloney Road in Star City

 

Also said that Wray is requesting public bring in private/public ideas (while ignoring the #1 rated public/private idea)

 

They want to remove the $35 mil for construction as well but they haven't gotten to it yet.

 

They are not getting rid of Tier 2 projects (Streetcar is at the top of tier 1)

TRAC now recommending the $35mil for phase 1 construction be taken away from streetcar and put into Brent Spence Bridge planning project

Funding completely removed from the streetcar, the same streetcar project that was voted 8-0 in favor of less than a year ago by the same people.  The same streetcar project that was rated the #1 transportation project in the state.  It was removed due to "fiscal balance". 

 

Yet the money will go to other road/bus projects (the only money staying in Hamilton county is going to highways).

 

I think the city should take this to court. 

 

Since these are federally allocated funds though devoted to the highest rated transportation projects, I would think the feds will have a say in these decisions

And now they are discussing how they can change the rating system to presumably knock down the streetcar ratings significantly.

 

Incredible.  Simply incredible

These are recommendations by ODOT staff, right? Are the recommendations binding on TRAC?

 

This is insanity. If the Enquirer had an ounce of objectivity, this would infuriate Cincinnatians -- even ones who are somewhat unsupportive of the streetcar.

These are recommendations by ODOT staff, right? Are the recommendations binding on TRAC?

 

This is insanity. If the Enquirer had an ounce of objectivity, this would infuriate Cincinnatians -- even ones who are somewhat unsupportive of the streetcar.

 

Yes sorry for the confusion . This is ODOT's staff that report to Asphalt man Jerry Wray.

If greater emphasis is going to be placed on political patronage and gubernatorial intimidation in selecting projects, then why does the TRAC exist? They just made themselves irrelevant.

Streetcar supporters are there in full force.  They aren't allowed to talk or do anything but listen during the meeting. 

 

So ODOT is recommending that fiscal balancing start with the #1 rated transportation project instead of the #15 one.  Genius

If this kind of crap keeps up, it won't be long before our governmental meetings end up like this:

 

Ohio is a joke and that's the honest truth.  Waiting for this state to change only places the joke on you.

 

City Blights, please feel free to keep these sorts of comments to yourself, because they are petty, information-less, and insulting.

 

There are many many people here and elsewhere who have been fighting for change for a long time, and with results.  Why don't you think from their perspective.  Also, at some point in your life, perhaps, you may find a source of happiness in fighting for something you believe in, and contributing to the social fabric -- even though it is very hard with many setbacks.  That sort of happiness can, surprisingly, be more long lasting for some people, than the one which comes from packing up your bags and moving to the next spot of green grass.

 

 

Who are you to tell me what I've done during my lifetime?

 

Please do not attempt to abstract the truth, which you just confirmed.  Many on this forum alone have went far out of their way to support Cincinnati in various capacities, yet the collective effort was just diminished by one individual.  One might say that the joke was on them, the whole time believing and sweating their way to a defeat that was so sudden and aggressive, yet familiar like your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant. 

 

Most of us have experienced idealist-colored egg on the face at one point or another.  Most of us won't take no for an answer because they are "all in".  Not halfway or partly, but dedicated to the city of Cincinnati.  Dedicated to the point of embarrassment, embarrassed that their contemporaries and elders are so foolish and out of touch, deficient of integrity or cognition of the world outside of their personal space.  Some mock others for taking the time to believe, others are mocked for interpreting the information as it was given, not how they wish it was presented to them.

 

Cincinnati hasn't gained population in six census cycles.  The city rid itself of streetcars in the 50's and has been sliding ever since, yet the idea is far more unpopular on March 23, 2011 than on April 29, 1951, the last day of full service for the Cincinnati Railway. 

 

1950 to 2011, the state has been in a steady decline featuring all but one of its largest cities.  Sixty years is indeed a lifetime, quite a long time, to hope, pine, and convince oneself that events will happen that have not.  People leave Ohio because it proves time and time again to decline change when change is glaringly essential.

City Blights, if you think this is somehow a Cincinnati issue or even an Ohio issue you're seriously mistaken. This assault on reason is hitting the entire country in full force right now.  Hell, I should know...I just moved from Wisconsin to Cincinnati two days ago.  Our governor is even more polarizing (although not as much of a jack@ss) as Gov Kasich. 

 

The point is that Cincinnati has made many great strides in the past few years.  So much so that people, including myself, are beginning to move back to the city.  (It'll take a little bit for the change to show up in the census.)  Don't let one powerful spoiled little brat ruin all that.  Right now, the biggest obstacle Cincinnati (and Ohio) is facing is NOT Governor Kasich...it's the low self-esteem of its people.  Keep your head high.