I knew he worked for ODOT before, I didn't know that he actually retired and was collecting retirement.  So he might be over 70. 

I saw a piece in the Columbus Dispatch that says Gov. Kasich is to meet with the governor of Kentucky soon. One item of discusion is to be the Brent-Spence bridge, no doubt partly funded with streetcar money rejected by TRAC.

Well the meeting minutes since Jan 1 aren't posted, so I don't know who attended these previous meetings.  Not only did these two not show, Marchbanks was appointed within the last week.  If he had just kept his mouth shut, it wouldn't have been so obvious that he was brought in to guarantee a no vote. 

His vote is perplexing and very disturbing because Jack, as District 6 director in the Taft Administration, was a quiet but reliable voice for transit within ODOT.

 

Agreed.  I know Jack and his position and vote are both disappointing.

Well since the streetcar beat the Brent Spence Bridge in TRAC's process, I think there is the danger (from their perspective), that future streetcar projects in Cincinnati and elsewhere could do the same. 

I saw a piece in the Columbus Dispatch that says Gov. Kasich is to meet with the governor of Kentucky soon. One item of discusion is to be the Brent-Spence bridge, no doubt partly funded with streetcar money rejected by TRAC.

 

That meeting happened yesterday and WCPO has video: Ohio & Kentucky Governors Agree To Discuss Cooperative Ventures

Kentucky pols continuously wonder why the Brent Spence Bridge is not a priority for Cincinnati. As if Cincinnati would support a project that allows more people to bypass the city and go to Kentucky. Ugh!

Not only support it in principle, but support paying, literally, billions for it.

Smitherman on 700WLW right now vowing to put the streetcar on the November ballot. 

I thought the COAST people were already claiming victory?  Why bother with a ballot initiative?

^What better way to seal the coffin on any rail transit than prevent the City from doing anything about it for ten years? While they're at it, why don't they circulate a ballot initiative limiting gas prices to $1.00 a gallon for ten years too!

If John Kasich really understood how to make Ohio "cool" for young people, he wouldn't have canceled the Cincy streetcar funding (or the 3C project):

 

Ohio Gov. Kasich wants state to be ‘cool,’ fails to get what that means

http://www.grist.org/transportation/2011-04-14-ohio-gov.-john-kasich-says-he-wants-state-to-be-cool-fails

Can we all just agree to do a No on Streetcar Ban/Smitherman campaign?  take them both down at once?

So what can we expect to hear from Mallory tomorrow?  A construction timetable? Any further delays could be disastrous

After 10 years of not calling in to 700 WLW, and being the regular subject of Bill Cunningham's taunts, Smitherman is now a regular guest and positioning himself as a "republican".  It's a true Animal Farm moment. 

^Yeah, during the last ballot initiative when Mark Miller of COAST called in, Cunningham referred to Smitherman as a "clown." Now they're best buddies.

I heard that last crop of folks being sent to the fiery depths were issued down parkas - something about hell freezing over. Perhaps these are the last days. >:D

I heard that last crop of folks being sent to the fiery depths were issued down parkas - something about hell freezing over. Perhaps these are the last days. >:D

What kinda cryptic sh!t is this?

After 10 years of not calling in to 700 WLW, and being the regular subject of Bill Cunningham's taunts, Smitherman is now a regular guest and positioning himself as a "republican".  It's a true Animal Farm moment. 

 

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Smitherman's financial offices and 700 are in the same building out there in 'kenwood'.  Maybe theyve been in the same elevator so many times they no other choice but to be friends.

Do you remember when the news used to report the news rather be rip-and-read/stenographers or, worse, the PR arms of various causes? Sounds like that's what Cunningham is doing. He's not the first...

 

Check out the Examiner chain, which is owned by an arch-conservative who is a long-time member of the board of directors at the American Petroleum Institute. BTW: each time you click on an Examiner article, the writer gets paid a commission. Therefore I will never read an Examiner article again unless some sends the text to me.

Do you remember when the news used to report the news rather be rip-and-read/stenographers or, worse, the PR arms of various causes? Sounds like that's what Cunningham is doing. He's not the first...

 

Check out the Examiner chain, which is owned by an arch-conservative who is a long-time member of the board of directors at the American Petroleum Institute. BTW: each time you click on an Examiner article, the writer gets paid a commission. Therefore I will never read an Examiner article again unless some sends the text to me.

 

This is good to know.  Do we know how commission works for the Enquirer, Dispatch, and Plain Dealer?

>Smitherman's financial offices

 

I doubt he's involved in any straight business.  The man is a snake, end of story. 

This is good to know.  Do we know how commission works for the Enquirer, Dispatch, and Plain Dealer?

 

Real newspapers don't operate on a commission basis. Reporters tend to be full-time staff members. There are parameters, but they are rarely told what to write.

Just back from the annual luncheon of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, where the keynote speaker was Jerry Wray. He talked about how the federal Highway Trust Fund is almost broke and the next federal transportation bill will probably smaller than the last, and the feds may fund projects on a 70-30 fed-state match, and that if that happens, ODOT might not be able to make the match and will lose out on federal dollars. But he was very upbeat when he said, "We have to learn to do more with less." And he said that, yes, the Brent Spence Bridge was the topic when Kasich met with the Kentucky governor (and that the bridge project will likely be done as some sort of public-private partnership).

 

Also, I saw Jack Marchbanks there and asked about his streetcar vote. He said he considers the streetcar a local project and for that reason should not get ODOT major projects funding, which he said should be for projects of statewide importance. He said he still supports high-speed and regional rail, but not local projects. Jack is a good man. I disagree with him on this one (I told him that most freeway interchanges are basically local projects, too), but I don't think he is a political hack who voted against his own views to satisfy Kasich. More likely, he was tapped by Kasich for the TRAC because of his view.

This is a must-see, must-share for Cincinnatians considering the future of their city, and the future of the streetcar project!

 

If you missed it, Sprawling From Grace: The Consequences of Suburbanization premiered April 20, 2011 on CNBC as a 60-minute (with commercials) TV program. It was originally produced in 2008 as Sprawing From Grace: Driven to Madness, an 82-minute documentary film.

 

Press release:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42220187/SPRAWLING_FROM_GRACE_THE_CONSEQUENCES_OF_SUBURBANIZATION_WILL_PREMIERE_APRIL_20TH_ON_CNBC

 

Here is the full 82-minute documentary of Sprawing From Grace: Driven to Madness (with Verizon commercials every 10 minutes!)...

 

^ I watched it last night. It's good. Wish they would have shown more recent LRV's.

 

I thought it was remarkable that James Kunstler was on for ten minutes and didn't drop a single F-Bomb.

 

 

I thought the same thing. He actually sounded a bit stiff and stilted, and then it dawned on me that he was trying mightily to watch his language.

Also, I saw Jack Marchbanks there and asked about his streetcar vote. He said he considers the streetcar a local project and for that reason should not get ODOT major projects funding, which he said should be for projects of statewide importance. He said he still supports high-speed and regional rail, but not local projects. Jack is a good man. I disagree with him on this one (I told him that most freeway interchanges are basically local projects, too), but I don't think he is a political hack who voted against his own views to satisfy Kasich. More likely, he was tapped by Kasich for the TRAC because of his view.

 

Well, for what it's worth, that's the first logical anti-streetcar comment I've heard in this entire years-long debate. 

I thought the same thing. He actually sounded a bit stiff and stilted, and then it dawned on me that he was trying mightily to watch his language.

 

Could be. The link I posted above has a whole section on Peak Oil that the CNBC version didn't have.

Mallory had some great quotes tonight.  Standing ovation

 

 

Any announcements made in regards to the streetcar?

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110421/NEWS0108/104220347/Mallory-Now-time-bold?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Even if the plan goes forward, it seems like Wayne Lippert is still opposed, so do we have the votes since Bortz is abstaining?

 

I know Amy Murray won't change, she's a COAST mouth piece.

Wayne Lippert should be ashamed. He is replacing someone who was elected on a platform supporting the streetcar, which was by most accounts the defining issue of that election. For him to take a position against it is a blatant insult to the voters and citizens of Cincinnati.

 

I sincerely hope he fails miserably, come November. There is no justification for his de facto flip-flop.

Berding was/is angry at Mallory and Lippert was the way he could seek some revenge.  At least that's my theory

Even if the plan goes forward, it seems like Wayne Lippert is still opposed, so do we have the votes since Bortz is abstaining?

 

I know Amy Murray won't change, she's a COAST mouth piece.

 

Can anyone with more political knowledge than I answer this question above?  Can the streetcar project move forward without support from Lippert?

Here's the full speech

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2011/04/22/mallorys-full-state-of-the-city-speech/

Even if the plan goes forward, it seems like Wayne Lippert is still opposed, so do we have the votes since Bortz is abstaining?

 

I know Amy Murray won't change, she's a COAST mouth piece.

 

Can anyone with more political knowledge than I answer this question above?  Can the streetcar project move forward without support from Lippert?

 

 

 

I would assume that if it were a lost cause, Mallory wouldn't be wasting political capital on it.  I think someone else mentioned that if the uptown connector were removed from "Phase 1", Bortz would be able to participate impartially again.

God I love the enquirer.  Keith's well written Letter is rejected yet they print this one out right after:

 

"Get Kings Island to Fund Streetcar"

 

With the lack of government financial involvement in the downtown streetcar, I suggest approaching the private sector. The pro street car people should approach Kings Island next to fund the project in their park. It truly is an amusement ride and more befitting at their location. KI could locate the streetcar right along side the current steam train engine. They may have to remove a few trees and move the early American Colonial homes to make room. I know the time periods are nearly a century apart and the inconsistent displays may confuse the little ones, but the conductor could clarify everything during the en-route entertainment discussion. Or should I say enterTRAINment discussion?

 

Barry Allmon

 

Maineville

 

 

Also hilarious that they bury the transcript to Mallory's speech(because it was actually good and reflected the idea in a positive light).

Even if the plan goes forward, it seems like Wayne Lippert is still opposed, so do we have the votes since Bortz is abstaining?

 

I know Amy Murray won't change, she's a COAST mouth piece.

 

As per the rules of council, a tie vote (which is I think what would happen if Bortz abstained) is automatically lost.

 

I guess the outcome would depend on the wording of what was being voted on.

Berding was/is angry at Mallory and Lippert was the way he could seek some revenge.  At least that's my theory

 

Most politicos consider that to be true-  he really really dislikes the mayor- it's hard to emphasize how much they disliked each other by the end.

Enquirer has a balanced article on what's next for the streetcar.

Saw that this morning.  Its more balanced than they typically write, but still comes across as biased towards the opposition in my opinion.  Oh well, at this point its all up to city hall to get their act together and get something started asap. 

John, I think you have read too much negative junk in the Enquirer & it just seems balanced to you now.

Interesting they referred to 3CDC by their less recognizable full name. Perhaps they didn't want that endorsement known?

Anyway, I actually like the idea of a simple basin loop. Maybe stick a hook over near the casino & go with it.

The options of going up the hill, travelling through Clifton or not will confuse people.

KISS!

If anyone has time the enquirer comments section is being taken over by anti-streetcar BS.  I don't know if it matters, but its hard to look at.

If anyone has time the enquirer comments section is being taken over by anti-streetcar BS.  I don't know if it matters, but its hard to look at.

ya know, if you guys don't fight for this thing, it _will_ die.

Shannon Jones might be a fat ugly blubbering idiot but look at what she can do & who her friends are.

Enquirer has a balanced article on what's next for the streetcar.

 

I would say pretty balanced, but it's still full of loaded words. For example, why state that the modern streetcar on display was "trucked in"? I don't see the Enquirer talking about how things are brought in by train, plane or truck in other stories. So I guess I don't see the relevance of including that detail of information.

 

Same thing with Track 3 which is called "Just kill the thing now". Also, they describe opponents description of the project as a "signature economic-development project" and opponents description as a "colossal money-wasting blunder". Maybe I'm nitpicking, but their use of language still seems loaded even in this otherwise relatively balanced series of articles.

 

 

Enquirer has a balanced article on what's next for the streetcar.

 

I would say pretty balanced, but it's still full of loaded words. For example, why state that the modern streetcar on display was "trucked in"? I don't see the Enquirer talking about how things are brought in by train, plane or truck in other stories. So I guess I don't see the relevance of including that detail of information.

 

Same thing with Track 3 which is called "Just kill the thing now". Also, they describe opponents description of the project as a "signature economic-development project" and opponents description as a "colossal money-wasting blunder". Maybe I'm nitpicking, but their use of language still seems loaded even in this otherwise relatively balanced series of articles.

 

 

 

No you're not nit-picking at all, I thought the same thing when I saw the title "Just Kill the Thing Now."  I wish the Enquirer would just stop pretending to be fair and start coming out and saying what it really thinks flat out.  They absolutely want nothing more than to see the streetcar project fail.  I think the only reason they keep publishing these articles is to read the idiot commentary and bask in their own ignorance.  Its a complete joke that this is the kind of newspaper we have in this city. 

I understand why radio stations would be opposed to transit, but I don't get why the Enquirer is. You can't read a newspaper while you're driving, but you can while riding the train or bus. Heck, in Atlanta I have started buying the daily AJC and reading it on the train on my way to work. When I drove this never happened. So as a result of having the ability to take transit, the newspaper in Atlanta has gained.

If anyone has time the enquirer comments section is being taken over by anti-streetcar BS.  I don't know if it matters, but its hard to look at.

 

I agree that this article is pretty balanced compared to most of the streetcar fare served up by The Enquirer.  But I also agree with those who've pointed out the provocative language in it.  IMO the main reason this article appeared is to keep the debate alive (thus the loaded words) because it's in The Enquirer's interest to do so -- its streetcar articles are typically the most-commented upon on their website.  I haven't checked the site and don't intend to -- I'M STILL BOYCOTTING IT.  The naysayers will never be convinced and I'm tired of reading their ignorant and asinine remarks.  That The Enquirer seemingly gives Smitherman and Finney the same status as the Mayor, councilmembers and expert consultants is utterly ridiculous and disingenuous.

The Enquirer doesn't make its money by selling newspapers that people will read while riding the streetcar. The money people pay for a newspaper barely covers the delivery costs. They make their money by selling advertising space to suburban car dealerships and McMansion developers.