>who is unlikely to even have a realistic challenger in 4 years

He is vulnerable to an assertive black candidate.  Cranley will be doing corrupt things from day 1 so there's some possibility that he could be forced to resign.  Also, David Mann is old enough that he might have medical problems and have to leave. 

 

>Let's just hope the parking lease money won't make up for it.

The Cranley slam dunk here would be using the parking lease revenue to pay the expenses for canceling the streetcar.

 

Eric Kearney might beat him, if he wanted the job and campaigned hard.  Unfortunately Cranley doesn't need two terms to kill this project.  He probably needs less than a year.

Cranley says he will propose "Hop on Cincinnati", a trackless trolley system after killing the streetcar.

 

He's giving a press conference at 2:30 to discuss why he'll make Cincinnati "the best place to live in America"

Maybe someone should hold Winburn and PG accountable (I know, accountability and politics don't go together).  I know there is a quote from Winburn saying he will stop opposing the streetcar - that was after, I believe, the vote to provide additional funding.  And PG said many times he will listen to the voters who basically approved the streetcar.

 

Then again, they are politicians so they will twist their own words to make them look better.

Cranley says he will propose "Hop on Cincinnati", a trackless trolley system after killing the streetcar.

 

He's giving a press conference at 2:30 to discuss why he'll make Cincinnati "the best place to live in America"

 

Can we start putting together a ballot initiative to stop any moneys being spent on "Hop on Cincinnati" or any form of "trackless trolley" systems until 2024?

Maybe someone should hold Winburn and PG accountable (I know, accountability and politics don't go together).  I know there is a quote from Winburn saying he will stop opposing the streetcar - that was after, I believe, the vote to provide additional funding.  And PG said many times he will listen to the voters who basically approved the streetcar.

 

Then again, they are politicians so they will twist their own words to make them look better.

That  &^$# sid he'd support Qualls for mayor, too

Who wants to make a bet that Chris Finney of COAST will be the first to sue the city of Cincinnati if Cranley does kill the streetcar?  Anyone?

-I know, accountability and politics don't go together.

-Then again, they are politicians so they will twist their own words to make them look better.

 

It's this kind of cheap cynicism you always hear about politician that got us this present council which we're stuck with for four years.  These elections are important, what politicians campaign is important and changing the system so that the people judge it less frequently has made it worse.  If it wasn't for the non-mayoral year election in 2011, the streetcar would have been dead two years ago.

So let me get this straight, and correct me if i'm wrong....A killing streetcar scenario:

 

Cincinnati was at a $35mil deficit to the operating budget last year.  So would it be safe to assume that would be the deficit this year?

 

So lets say $35mil deficit this year.  Travis says cancelling the contracts would result in 10's of million deficit to the operating budget.  So we could be at, approximately, a $45-55 mil deficit for next year?  Wow

no

Cranley wants to spend $20M more on police & borrow $100M to put into the pension fund as well.

So, it would be a bit more.

And even more if he expands trash collection.

This is the face of TEA.

I guess I need this explained to me.  How is it that the people of Cincinnati voted for the street car (twice) and won, and now Cranley, along with the new city council is talking about killing it.  How can they kill it when it's already been voted for by the people of Cincinnati to have it put in?  Do these things we vote for me nothing?  The whole reason that this went to a vote (twice) was because the anti streetcar people wanted to overturn what city council was doing.  So it tells me, that when this went up for a vote, what the people voted for now has to happen regardless of what council wanted, even though the two where in agreement.  Tell me where I'm not following the logic here.  Again, how could the new mayor and new city council kill the project?

>to spend $20M more on police & borrow $100M to put into the pension fund as well.

 

...to partially replace the $55 million he took out in 2003, yeah the same 2003 when the market had 28% returns. 

I just want to express my sincerest sympathy for my urbanist friends in Cincinnati and this entire forum for the unfortunate election results last night.  I hope the streetcar is built in spite of the backwards leadership that won the election.  Keep fighting the good fight, your city is worth it.  Sorry guys.

I guess I need this explained to me.  How is it that the people of Cincinnati voted for the street car (twice) and won, and now Cranley, along with the new city council is talking about killing it.  How can they kill it when it's already been voted for by the people of Cincinnati to have it put in?  Do these things we vote for me nothing?  The whole reason that this went to a vote (twice) was because the anti streetcar people wanted to overturn what city council was doing.  So it tells me, that when this went up for a vote, what the people voted for now has to happen regardless of what council wanted, even though the two where in agreement.  Tell me where I'm not following the logic here.  Again, how could the new mayor and new city council kill the project?

 

Being an out of towner I am not up on the details of either election but I would guess it would depend on the ballot language.  In any event these two referendums might be the basis of a lawsuit it the project is killed.

I think it's time to take a step back and stop panicking. Last night, I kept telling myself: "This is it, Cincinnati shot itself in the foot. There's no way they'll cancel this though... but then again I've walked through two miles of abandoned subway tunnel." I was pretty upset about the results and today I woke up disappointed, but there's no use - what's done is done.

 

This morning I walked down to Music Hall, stood at the construction fence and watched the workers continue. As I was snapping photos a man walked up to me carrying a bag form Holtman's Donuts. He quipped: "This is why I voted for Cranley and those other people, this streetcar goes nowhere but through a slum." The slum he was referring to is the same "slum" that he was walking through with food bought at a local shop set up in that same "slum." I wanted to lash out with every bit of rhetoric I had, but I just politely said "I think it'll get finished and end up being a good thing." I smiled, he walked away.

 

My point is: This council and this new mayor just finished campaigning. Soon they'll have to sit in the chairs and realize the full weight of that decision. In the meantime, those workers are still out there installing the progress we fought so hard for. There's going to be council meetings and the citizens who support this thing need to be there in force just like they always have.

 

Yesterday the opponents won a battle, but the war goes on.

 

Keep your heads up folks.

^^The two ballot initiatives were to prevent the streetcar from being built. The ballot language required a "YES" vote to bar spending on rail in Cincinnati. A "NO" vote simply didn't change our charter and the city coucil and mayor were allowed to pursue it if they wished. No lawsuits would be able to be filed because of these votes.

So, Cranley is supposedly holding a press conference at 2:30 today.  If anyone has the intestinal fortitude to listen to whatever spews out of his mouth, could you post a summary on here?

Mike Moroski is collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to keep the streetcar going

 

He just announced it via twitter. 

 

If we want the streetcar, we're going to have to fight for every inch.

 

 

Construction to continue as scheduled for the time being:

 

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-5228-streetcars_fate_still_unknown.html

Give it up, Cranley has a mandate.  There's video of his campaign manager saying they polled it and 75% of people oppose the streetcar.  I think it was a news record video.  If that's true we're only going to further embarass the city. 

^personally, I don't want my councilmembers to all be lawyers and politicians. And don't be an asshole

 

You're right.  Sorry, just a very frustrating day.  I edited out the offensive portion.

I noticed you edited it, so I deleted my comment. Cheers to civil discussions then!

Give it up, Cranley has a mandate.  There's video of his campaign manager saying they polled it and 75% of people oppose the streetcar.

 

Nobody has a mandate when they win an election with 16% of the eligible voters.  Unfortunately, he has a working majority, which is much more important in politics.

My point is: This council and this new mayor just finished campaigning. Soon they'll have to sit in the chairs and realize the full weight of that decision. In the meantime, those workers are still out there installing the progress we fought so hard for. There's going to be council meetings and the citizens who support this thing need to be there in force just like they always have.

 

Yesterday the opponents won a battle, but the war goes on.

 

Fully agree, in principal. In thinking about these election results, I'm most angry because, over a long period of time -- and admittedly through a real slog of opposition -- 'we' allowed this project and our arguments for it to be slandered. What started out as positive cost/benefit ratios, a vision of expansion, and the beginnings of a vision of efficient regional transportation options for everyone, got changed into a small 'us' versus a big THEM. As a civil engineer, I really hate that a beneficial civic infrastructure project can be so usefully subverted for political purposes. And afterward, the same person who exploited the already deep divisions, steps us to 'heal' us.

 

The most important thing for the future of the streetcar (and everything that derives from it) is to take our own steps to heal these divisions, so we can get back to communicating a broader vision of economic growth and regional transportation options, and rob the naysayers of the conflict that they thrive on. And we should take those first steps, individually, whatever they should and can be. Honestly, I'm still trying to think about what those steps could be. It seems so much easier just to go to war. I think that folks like John Schneider and John Dietrich can play instrumental roles in setting the tone, even if it's unfair of me to say that.

^It's a nice thought, but when your opponents oppose a policy not because of it's inherent value but because it gives them access to a tiny but militant group of supporters (who, incidently oppose the policy ONLY because it is supported by THEM), it's hard to implement what you suggest.  The naysayers are starting the conflict almost for the sake of the conflict itself; that's why they don't care about the reams of facts that have been presented to them about this over the years.

Reminds me of the 3C debate several years ago. There was a lobbyist for the Ohio Petroleum Marketers and various highway-related companies who got my e-mail address and kept sending me e-mails to provoke me into an argument. I took the bait at first, but soon realized he didn't really care about the issue. He was in it for the fight and that's all. So I stopped responding. In turn, he kept e-mailing me with greater frequency and more childish wording to provoke me. So I had to block his e-mails.

So, any intel on the press conference?

From Politics Extra Blog:

 

In his first press conference as Cincinnati ‘s new mayor, John Cranley said he’s already talking to federal and local officials about using streetcar money for something else.

 

He said his opposition to the $133 million project is practical not ideological. He said he’d instead expand bus routes in neighborhoods and start a bike sharing program.

 

He said White House aide Valerie Jarrett is scheduled to call him today about working with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and others about taking the federal streetcar grants and using them for something else.

 

He ‘ll have to get a council majority to agree, but he doesn’t think that will be difficult. “I think it’s dead.”

 

He hasn’t decided yet about a city manager, vice mayor or committee chairs, he said.

He did say Smitherman wants to be the head of the pension reform. Which means that Chris Finney will be the head of the pension reform.

You know who really needs to get all up Cranley's ass about this and has been way too quiet all throughout the project?  P&G, Macy's, Kroger, 5/3.  Seriously, they're always crying about not being able to attract good talent.  I know I've brought this up before from time to time, but honestly, where have they been in all this?  Any one of those companies could bankroll the whole project if they wanted to.  What good is having a bunch of Fortune 500 companies in town if they don't do squat for it? 

From Politics Extra Blog:

In his first press conference as Cincinnati ‘s new mayor, John Cranley said he’s already talking to federal and local officials about using streetcar money for something else.

 

He said his opposition to the $133 million project is practical not ideological. He said he’d instead expand bus routes in neighborhoods and start a bike sharing program.

He ‘ll have to get a council majority to agree, but he doesn’t think that will be difficult. “I think it’s dead.”

 

Any mention of cancelling the parking lease that he ran against but is obviously not going to do anything about because he's potentially got a ton of cash coming in to play with?

You know who really needs to get all up Cranley's ass about this and has been way too quiet all throughout the project?  P&G, Macy's, Kroger, 5/3.  Seriously, they're always crying about not being able to attract good talent.  I know I've brought this up before from time to time, but honestly, where have they been in all this?  Any one of those companies could bankroll the whole project if they wanted to.  What good is having a bunch of Fortune 500 companies in town if they don't do squat for it? 

 

THIS- a thousand times over.  There has been no support from local execs.

You know who really needs to get all up Cranley's ass about this and has been way too quiet all throughout the project?  P&G, Macy's, Kroger, 5/3.  Seriously, they're always crying about not being able to attract good talent.  I know I've brought this up before from time to time, but honestly, where have they been in all this?  Any one of those companies could bankroll the whole project if they wanted to.  What good is having a bunch of Fortune 500 companies in town if they don't do squat for it? 

 

Good point. Look at the private sector leadership in the Detroit Streetcar project. http://m-1rail.com/about-m-1-rail/m-1-funders-partners/

KJP: let's deliver a crap-load of signatures to David Pepper :)

He said White House aide Valerie Jarrett is scheduled to call him today about working with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and others about taking the federal streetcar grants and using them for something else.

 

Time to email Senator Brown. Hopefully the Mallory administration is also talking with Valerie Jarrett as well as Anthony Foxx's aides.

You know who really needs to get all up Cranley's ass about this and has been way too quiet all throughout the project?  P&G, Macy's, Kroger, 5/3.  Seriously, they're always crying about not being able to attract good talent.  I know I've brought this up before from time to time, but honestly, where have they been in all this?  Any one of those companies could bankroll the whole project if they wanted to.  What good is having a bunch of Fortune 500 companies in town if they don't do squat for it? 

 

And folks that serve at those companies also serve on the Board at 3CDC - which has been very quiet about the streetcar that goes through much of their new developments.

http://www.3cdc.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/

KJP: let's deliver a crap-load of signatures to David Pepper :)

 

What's the ask?

David Pepper has connections in P&G (his dad was a CEO)...maybe they can sponsor it. And then Kroger, 5/3, Convergys, etc. They REALLY need to step up. This would be a great investment for them.

1,062 signatures for the streetcar. SIGN HERE if you have not already. Share with lots of friends: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/cincinnati-streetcar.fb40?source=s.icn.fb&r_by=9427372. Also look for Moroski's referendum and write to Sherrod Brown to keep streetcar funding going.

The city could probably transfer contracts through mutual consent, but it cannot unilaterally cancel contracts before making all payments.

November 6th, 2013 By German Lopez | News | Posted In: News, Mayor, Streetcar

Mayor-Elect Explains Vision for First Term

Cranley promises to cancel streetcar project and shift city’s priorities

 

One of Cranley’s top priorities is to cancel the $133 million streetcar project, which Cranley and six council member-elects oppose. He also argues that the city should stop spending on ongoing construction for the project.

 

....But in response to recent reports that canceling the streetcar project could carry its own set of unknown costs, he says he will weigh the costs and benefits before making a final decision.

 

If the cost of cancellation is too high, Cranley acknowledges he would pull back his opposition to the project.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-5230-mayor_elect_explains_vision_for_first_term.html

So the walkback has begun...

What's next for the Cincinnati streetcar project?

Mayor-elect ran on anti-streetcar platform

 

A day after mayor-elect John Cranley reiterated his biggest election promise, to stop the streetcar project, received a possible offer that might save it.

 

Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama invited Cranley to Washingon DC to discuss reprogramming $44M in streetcar grants, according WCPO's Kevin Osborne.

 

Those grants were originally turned down by Ohio Gov. John Kasich in 2011.

 

The city was able to recoup some of that grant money when it brokered a deal with the Obama administration.

 

Cont

I like what was said above about soliciting P&G, Kroger and Macy's for their involvement and support with building and promoting the streetcar. This from the get-go would have marginalized COAST and much of the anti-rail crowd since fewer people are willing to put up a fight against the interests of the key companies in town.

 

As it is, Cranley is dealing a major blow to their recruitment efforts. Young, top-notch would be employees of Cincy's Fortune 500 companies are today observing a bunch of folks celebrating the rollback of the streetcar like its some sort of accomplishment, and it reaffirms for them all the negative and backwards images they may have previously heard and seen of Cincinnati as a city and region. While Cranley and COAST revel in utter bufoonery and ignorance, Cincinnati just lost a major PR asset that could have given it a major leg up on its future and remaking itself for the 21st century. Sad.

Many of these recent stories really highlight how jackass Kasich really screwed us on the project.  Not only from a dollar standpoint, but the subsequently associated delays, and waivering support of the local politicians.  There is also that lackey from Springboro or something - Shannon Jones?  I need to send some thank you cards.

Those who want to complain about the Fortune 500 companies not being solidly behind the streetcar should get another life. Those not behind the streetcar are plain and simply the voters of Cincinnati who did not see enough in their pockets for being supporters. Too large a percentage of the Cincinnati electorate have become takers rather than makers. I they do not see something in it directly for them they simply walk away.

^Kasich is really the central figure, perhaps more so than COAST.  The $50 million grant yank was obviously a major blow, but the continual harassment of the Local Government Fund (Kasich eliminated the state estate tax and replaced that income with a state sales tax that does not feed the local government fund) led to the annual deficits that were huge distractions.  The parking lease was advanced in an attempt to balance the 2013 budget, but all the business over the emergency ordinance delayed the vote on additional funding for the streetcar project, which delayed commencement of actual construction, which led to our current situation.  With three more months of construction, the amount of rail in the ground and money would be much more substantial, making it somewhat more difficult to pull the project. 

"Less than 24 hours after voters chose him as Cincinnati’s next mayor, John Cranley was already talking to White House officials about using streetcar money for other projects. "

 

 

Really???

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20131106/NEWS/311060056/Wasting-no-time-Cranley-moves-kill-streetcar?gcheck=1

I like what was said above about soliciting P&G, Kroger and Macy's for their involvement and support with building and promoting the streetcar. This from the get-go would have marginalized COAST and much of the anti-rail crowd since fewer people are willing to put up a fight against the interests of the key companies in town.

 

As it is, Cranley is dealing a major blow to their recruitment efforts. Young, top-notch would be employees of Cincy's Fortune 500 companies are today observing a bunch of folks celebrating the rollback of the streetcar like its some sort of accomplishment, and it reaffirms for them all the negative and backwards images they may have previously heard and seen of Cincinnati as a city and region. While Cranley and COAST revel in utter bufoonery and ignorance, Cincinnati just lost a major PR asset that could have given it a major leg up on its future and remaking itself for the 21st century. Sad.

 

Bingo! I recently left Cincinnati to take a new job in a larger city, and while it was very hard to leave with all the great momentum going on, I'm starting to see why it was a smart choice to leave the city. FWIW, I worked for one of the major Fortune 500's in Cincinnati and I don't think they could give a flying fck about if/when the streetcar happens. In fact, I was very surprised by how many people in my office did not understand the significance of the urban renewal and change that has been happening in Cincinnati. All our upper management and execs lived in the northern suburbs or NKY.

Good points on Kasich.  I am a little confused about the article that Cygnus posted from Channel 9 - in the Enquirer article on the subject they seem to be talking about the $45 M that the streetcar has already won and the new Mayor will simply ask Valerie Jarret to repurpose the money.  The Channel 9 article seems to imply that the $44 M is part of the money turned down by Kasich in 2011 (the $50 M), and they could have discussions to save the project.    Thoughts?

Those who want to complain about the Fortune 500 companies not being solidly behind the streetcar should get another life. Those not behind the streetcar are plain and simply the voters of Cincinnati who did not see enough in their pockets for being supporters.

 

Yes. We talk on here a lot about people bolting Cincinnati for better transit options, but bolting isn't near the problem in Cincinnati that it is in Columbus for example. Or the problem it is in NEO, but up there it's more due to the lack of job opportunities rather than Columbus' problem of people thinking the city is too dull.

 

In Cincinnati, it's really tough for people to give up the good-paying white collar jobs that people find though their personal networks or their co-ops at UC. For many in Cincy, there are simply too many good jobs available through family, a friend or acquaintance from high school, "Uncle Procter" or other solid channels. Bolting for a city with good rail transit is often a serious gamble for a Cincinnatian. Meanwhile, if you are really from the Columbus area, there's about a 40% chance that you are from south of I-70 or someplace like Newark where your personal network consists of nearly 100% blue-collar workers. If you're taking the gamble of seeking white-collar work, you might as well shoot for a city with rail transit since you are already shooting in the dark.

 

And that's why the Fortune 1000 companies are apathetic about the streetcar -- they've already got an army of smart Cincinnatians available who one or even several trusted people internally can go to bat for saying, "I know this person. They will do a good job." Or they already know the candidate can do a good job because they've co-opted there 3 times already! Meanwhile, in Columbus it's like "Well, we'll see if this total stranger from a city with no jobs will work out." when they hire someone young and new.