The Daily Bellwether

Cincinnati's William Howard Taft is Back From the Dead: Campaign Website Promotes 2012 Presidential Campaign

2012-01-27T15:19:00.001-05:00

The Fat Man Returns

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- He's back after 100 years and he wants to move into the White House again. Or squeeze into the executive mansion. After all, he was a man of enormous girth. A campaign website has popped up promoting Cincinnati's William Howard Taft, a Republican who served a single term. His enduring feat as president: He was the first chief executive to throw out the opening pitch at a Major League Baseball game. Taft's got a Facebook page, too. It all seems tied into the silly season (or maybe somebody is promoting a new book). Meanwhile, his rotundency has already fired a zinger about the current crop of GOP candidates: "Newt Gingrich crusades to mkae the moon the 51st state! I fear he fails to grasp the gravity of the issues here on Earth."

Taft says he's no longer a Republican, news which may gladden the hearts of Republicans everywhere. The official White House bio is available by clicking here. The announcement of the 2012 run is below:

Fellow Americans,

As you may have heard, the reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. For one hundred years, to be exact. But I have returned to you, my dear constituency, and it is with renewed vigor in the face of adversity that I throw my top hat back into the campaign ring.

True, as the 27th President of the United States, I served my term from 1909 to 1913 before my untimely, ah, disappearance. (Don’t ask.) However, it wasn’t enough. I may have been a reluctant Chief Executive the first time around, but it was only because I despised and still despise power, fame, and its trappings. As you do, I’m quite sure.

So I implore you, as you begin to wade through this wasteful and corrupt and electoral landscape of 2012, to consider the alternative: me. I am not a celebrity. I am no longer a Republican. I am not a Democrat nor a liberal nor a conservative. I am, simply, William Howard Taft—servant to this nation and shepherd of her greatness.

All I ask in return is your kind attention, your thoughtful consideration, and perhaps a light, healthy snack. And, of course—humbly—your vote.

Sincerely,

William Howard Taft

The attached YouTUBE recordings has the real Taft making a speech in the early part of the 20th Century. It was from his first campaign.

City Prosecutors Prepping to Dismiss Hundreds of Cases vs. 'Occupy Cincinnati' Protestors: Dowtown Arrests Lacked Legal Authority?

2012-01-27T13:53:00.003-05:00

Occupy Cincinnati Cases To Be Dropped

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- "Occupy and City have reached a verbal agreement. Lawyers are contacting clients. Next court date, cases will be dismissed if agreement is satisfactory."

That's the tip -- via e-mail -- which arrived just moments ago from a well-placed source who said City Hall and courthouse officials are getting the word today. The Daily Bellwether has been able to confirm that more than 200 tickets for violating a 10 p.m. park closure rule will be dropped under the deal. Also reportedly slated for dismissal are 23 tresspassing charges filed against the anti-Wall Street protestors who were arrested last October 21. The arrests occurred when Cincinnati police raided the Occupy Cincinnati camp at Piatt Park and closed it down. The camp had been in operation for about two weeks. All the arrests were peaceful. A lawyer familiar with the "verbal agreement" that ends the prosecutions said Cincinnati appeared to lack legal authority to file charges for remaining in a park past 10 p.m. The rule apparently dates back to the mid-1960s when a serial killer called the Cincinnati Strangler terrified the city. There were fears the killer was stalking parks for victims at night. Posteal Laskey, the accused strangler, died in prison in 2007. A key part of the deal is that protestors who were charged must sign papers promising not to sue Cincinnati for violating their rights. Currently, the the city cases against the protestors are pending in Hamilton County Municipal Court, where they will be dropped when called up on dockets in the days and weeks ahead.

After the Piatt Park raid removed the Occupy Cincinnati protestors, City Solicitor John Curp said the downtown greenspace, the city's oldest. could not handle large groups. He said there was a lack of sanitation and restroom facilities. On the day of the raid, police and city workers filled two dumpsters with remains from the camp, including mattresses, tents and trash that was left behind. Protestors said the city exaggerated the state of disrepair

'Cincinnati, the City that Sings' Strikes Sour Note With World Choir Games: Official Slogan Shall Remain 'Share Song. Create Magic'

2012-01-26T17:07:00.000-05:00

World Choir Games Picks Boring Slogan

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. is breaking the news that Cincinnati may want to proclaim itself "the city that sings" in time for the World Choir Games next July, but the organizers already have a slogan written. And they aren't going to change a word. Get out the violins if you want to cry.

In a memo distributed to City Council, Dohoney says the selected brandmark includes a tagline, "Share Song. Create Magic.'' That's cringeworthy. Since we're talking music, the tagline is right up there with with Kevin Federline's debut album. Dohoney reported the organizers -- a non-profit organization called INTERKULTUR in Pohlheim, Germany -- own the rights to the World Choir Game brand and logo, and must approve any material that uses them. Contracts have already been signed. You can see the branding material by clicking here. Dohoney didn't say whether he likes "the city that sings" better than "Share Song. Create Magic." He did say that the World Choir Games brand guidelines allow for a short phrase that is supposed to capture the essence of the event in a few memorable words. And he said they are sticking with their tagline:

"Any use of the logo, tagline, or brand mark must follow the established brand guidelines. It would be outside the established and approved branding guidelines to add or otherwise alter the approved brand and logo for the 2012 WCG. Also, any event, materials or promotion in connection with the WCG must follow the approved branding guidelines, which is ultimately owned by INTERKULTUR. While the "Cincinnati, the City that Sings" could not be used in addition or in proximity to the established WCG logo, it could be used as a separate application and with some distance from the WCG brand."

He did say that diplomacy may open a crack for the city that sings:

"At this time, the City team is still working with the Cincinnati Organizing Committee to establish the needs for the games. Should the City produce materials in connection with the World Choir Games, the slogan could be used. In order to compliment the materials that have been produced for the past two years . . . the administration will work . . . to establish how this slogan could be used without comprising the contractual agreement with INTERKULTUR."

Of course, the poets from Mozart on down knew all this, that every writer, every rhymer thinks himself super-excellent. Or that all men are poets and sloganeers at heart. As Spenser, master of verse once said,

"I was promised on a time,
To have a reason for my rhyme;
From that time until this season,
I received not rhyme nor reason."

Let's face it, the city that sings has a special ring. Share Song, Create Magic is boring.

School for Creative & Performing Arts Mom Urges City Crackdown On Area Streetcrime: 'We Need To Feel Safe Around Our School'

2012-01-26T12:51:00.001-05:00

Suburban Troublemaker Threatens SCPA Family?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A 22-year-old Loveland resident is accused of threatening to kill a first grader and her mother outside The School for Creative and Performing Arts last month. Police reports make it look like a random incident of unprovoked white suburban thuggery.   That the attack took place outside a school makes it worse.  There is no question the $72 million SCPA is a gem with a 96% graduation rate. Its home on Central Parkway is a glittering palace for the arts, a dream child of the late Cincinnati Pops conductor Erich Kunzel. The place oozes class and refinement and embodies that old saying, "art is the stored honey of the human soul."

Yes, the school is in a rough part of downtown, an area that tiptoes into Over-the-Rhine. But nobody who lives in Over-the-Rhine is remotely at fault.  The terrifying incident near the school last month involved a suburban woman who seems to have come from 20 miles away to cause trouble. The accused appears to have mental health issues.  The SCPA mother, Stacey Calkins, has written to Mayor Mark Mallory pointing out that she and her 6-year-old daughter were walking to their car after school when targeted. Her letter raises a question: Does Cincinnati's crime rate suffer because out-of-town troublemakers cluster in a few pockets near downtown where they harass the city's law-abiding populace? Why should Cincinnati be ground zero for those who are unstable or socially unfit?

In her letter,Calkins spoke of her terror when confronted. And she wondered if it is wise for a school to have the Drop Inn Center, a homeless shelter, as a neighbor.
She does not consider it a compatible arrangement.  The police report says woman who was arrested lived in an apartment complex on Park Avenue in Loveland, a suburb about 20 miles away. The police report does not explain what the 22-year-old Loveland woman was doing outside SCPA. It does say she was "arrested, threatened to kill both victims. Also resisted arrest by fighting the police.'' The accused is white and her defense lawyer, an assistant public defender, has filed notice that she is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity.

Calkins said she believes the attacker was visiting the Drop Inn Center. From the letter:

"I believe Ms XXX may have been visiting the Drop Inn Center before she targeted my daughter and me and we walked to our car after school . . .

"I clearly understand the case does not involved the Drop Inn Center [directly]. I also understand the Drop Inn Center and the 1132 Bar existed in their current location before the new SCPA was built. However, I have serious concerns regarding the fact that both are located right beside the school. During the last 1.5 years that my daughter has attended the new SCPA, I have witnesses individuals smoking marijuana and crack, drinking alcohol from open containers, and a man assaulting a woman in Washington Park.

"The incident with Ms. XXX was absolutely terrifying. I feared she would injure me and take my daughter. I do not want something to happen again to my daughter, myself or anyone else. We need to feel safe around our school.

"What can I do to protect my child, myself, other children, parents and teachers at SCPA? I want to work cooperatively to advocate a safe school environment as as soon as possible. What positive things can I do to pull our community together to address these issues? I care about the homeless by my child is my number 1 priority."

UPDATE 2:12 p.m. -- Kudos should go out to two Cincinnati police officers, Sgts. Joe Priestle and Steve Saunders. The mom reports they have been responsive and "helpful in addressing my questions and concerns." It is also disturbing is that the 170-pound suspect apparently tried to fight with Patrolman John Taulbee at the time of her arrest.

Hamilton County's Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit Ripped By Police Auditors: Report RENU Cops Strayed Over State Lines

2012-01-24T10:16:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati Audit Questions RENU Tactics

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- After years of staffing a countywide drug task force called RENU, the Cincinnati Police Department abruptly ended its participation last week. Now the reason for removal of the nine city cops is becoming clear. An audit of Cincinnati's law-enforcement operations discovered evidence that RENU officers appear to have operated out-of-state where they lack legal jurisdiction. The audit did not offer any details, nor did it pinpoint any geographic locations. But it raised the specter of a rogue agency exceeding its authority. RENU has been under command of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, where it is seen as highly effective. But Strategic Policy Partnership -- the national consulting firm that conducted the audit -- recommended that the city quit the county task force and reassign its officers to the police department's vice squad. The full text of the 114-page audit is available by clicking here. RENU is discussed on page 78:

"The Department has had a long-standing involvement with a County Drug Task Force called RENU. A substantial number of departmental police officers are assigned to the task force, addressing vice problems in Cincinnati and the surrounding area. Some of the activity is within Cincinnati and thus leads to conflicts between the Cincinnati Police Department's Vice Unit and the operations of RENU, as those operations are not always coordinate.

"There have also been indications that members of the RENU team have acted out of state without clear authority.

"As the Vice Unit is being restructured under the interim reorganization, and numerous officers are being moved to Districts, it is wise for the Department to consolidate drug investigations that remain centralized with those of the task force. Thus, we suggest that the Department no longer participate in the task force, allowing some of those officers to be reassigned to the reconstituted Vice Unit. The Unit should seek federal standing, partnering with ATF and/or DEA, permitting them to legally follow leads across the state border."

What is disturbing to some, The Daily Bellwether has been told, is the implication is that RENU somehow engaged in activities that could be illegal. The audit report could open the door to litigation or investigations. Or fishing expeditions by defense lawyers. At this point, nobody is sure what, if anything, is coming over the suggestion RENU appears to "have acted out of state without clear authority."

City officials have not talked about any of that in their public utterances about the police audit. In fact, the topic hasn't been mentioned, nor have the Cincinnati newspapers and TV stations caught on. (You can be sure they will be following up The Daily Bellwether's report today.) Instead, the city's leaders have said the reforms recommended in the report will lead to improvements such as putting more cops on the streets. From the press release about the audit:

"We are focusing on initiatives that support our commitment to community-oriented policing and to being more efficient and more responsive," said City Manager Dohoney. He and the Chief announced the audit would be a key first initiative when [James] Craig was hired to lead the department in July 2011.
The recommendations are inter-related and work together to emphasize neighborhood policing efforts, improve the quality and effectiveness of investigations, change the work environment for department staff, redesign the organizational structure, and invest in technology for efficiency."

Here's the link to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office description of RENU's law enforcement responsibilities

Hamilton County Officials Ignore Judge's Order Sealing Xavier University Rape Case Records: Court Clerk Snafu Allows Details To Emerge

2012-01-23T11:48:00.002-05:00

Rape Records Were Ordered Sealed

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Because Hamilton County Court Clerk Tracy Winkler's office neglected to follow a judicial order sealing documents in a criminal case involving two alleged rapes at Xavier University, The Daily Bellwether now has details about the incidents. The details are excerpted below. The suspect, Sean Marron, was acquitted last fall after a non-jury trial. Federal education officials are investigating whether Xavier mishandled campus disciplinary proceedings after two female students reported they had been sexually assaulted. But the court files obtained by The Daily Bellwether make clear there was no coverup by campus authorities or police in Norwood. Both cases received prompt attention as criminal matters when reported by the female students. Neither incident took place on campus. And one of the female students gave differing versions to Xavier and Norwood police.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman entered an order sealing the criminal records on Dec. 1. Somehow, his order feel through the cracks and the documents remain accessible online. The female students won't be identified by name, but by their initials, C.P. and K.B. The most detailed info about the alleged rapes are from legal motions submitted by defense counsel in advance of the trial.

C.P. events:

"Based upon discovery provided to date, which primarily consists of reports from the City of Norwood Police Department and the Xavier University Office of Students, the alleged incident occurred on November 22, 2008. On that date, C.P. attended a party at the residence belonging to defendant and his roommates located at . . . Cleneay Ave. Prior to arriving at the party. C.P. consumed 'three to four shots of vodka' (City of Norwood Offense/Incident Report No. 08-2919). While at the party, C.P. 'drank between four and six cups of beer.' C.P. has indicated that she and Defendant were not in a relationship but that they had known each other for a few weeks.

"The facts as to what specifically occurred between Defendant and C.P. are contested. However, as it relates to this Motion, the relevant analysis requires consideration of those facts the State will likely offer as proof of Defendant's alleged guilt, not necessarily those disputed facts. With this in mind, the evidence will establish that Defendant and C.P. were talking at the party. At some point, C.P. and defendant went to his bedroom. C.P. alleges that Defendant removed both his and her clothing and the two began having intercourse. C.P. will presumably testify that during the sexual encounter, C.P. told Defendant that she did not want to have sex. C.P. did not know whether Defendant ejaculated. When the sexual conduct stopped, C.P. began crying, retrieved her clothes and walked back to her dorm room.

"The following morning, C.P. called a friend who was the victim of a prior sexual assault to tell her about the encounter. At the friend's suggestion, C.P. went to the University Hospital to be examined. C.P reported the incident to the Xavier University police department, who referred her to the Norwood police since the apartment was located off campus. After interviewing C.P. and Defendant, the police report notes that on 12-19-08 the case was closed as the 'complainant does not wish to prosecute.'

"In statements given by Defendant to the Norwood police, and during the course of a hearing before the Xavier University Office of Students, Defendant does not dispute the fact that he engaged in sexual conduct with C.P. However, the entire encounter was completely consensual, C.P. mutually participated, and that the conduct was limited to digital penetration. Hence, not unexpectedly, the University Hospital exam report noted minimal findings of redness and an abrasion as the posterior forchette. C.P. had not showered prior to the examination and no semen was found.

"As previously mentioned, criminal charges were not initially pursued. Not until such time as C.P. learned of the allegations contained in Count Four of the Indictment (the other accuser), did she seek to have law enforcement pursue charges for the incident occurring 2 years prior."

K.B. events:

"Defendant and K.B. knew each other well. While it may be disputed as to whether the two were in a 'dating' relationship, K.B. often came over to Defendant's apartment. Although they had not engaged in sexual conduct, they had kissed and been minimally intimate.

"Despite the alleged incident with K.B. occurring on 'an unknown date between March 20th and 30th 2009, the report to police was not mate until October 6, 2010 (Norwood City Police Uniform Incident Report No. 10-2397). According to her report, K.B. indicated that she went to Defendant's apartment to watch a movie. She purports to have been wearing a shirt, sweatshirt and pajama bottoms. The two were lying on Defendant's bed watching the movie Emily Rose. After K.B. fell asleep, she awoke to Defendant kissing her neck and cheek. K.B. 'ignored' Defendant and continued to act like she was still asleep. She then claims that Defendant turned her over on her back and continued kissing her. The report further indicates that her shirt and bra were removed, but that she didn't know how Defendant did it. From this point, it is anticipated that K.B. would testify that Defendant removed her pajama pants and underwear and that Defendant began biting her neck, chest, stomach and thighs. K.B. stated that she told Defendant to stop but her persisted. Defendant then purportedly parted her legs with his knees and inserted his penis into her vagina against her will. K.B. was then able to push Defendant away and she gathered her clothes and left the apartment.

"It is important to mention that K.B. gave a different account of events to the Xavier University police department. The report states, '[Defendant] proceeded to force himself on her by removing her clothes and attempting to have sex with her. [K.B.] stated that [Defendant] was very close to making penetration, but with her struggling to get off of him, he did not.' (Xavier University Off-Campus Incident Report, No. 10-00608). Hence, K.B.'s own account raises a material issue of whether Defendant committed the alleged offense of rape. Defendant vehemently denies engaging in sexual conduct, and specifically denies penetrating her vagina in any manner."

Prosecutor's Response (excerpt):

"Here, the victims of both crimes were known to the defendant. The defendant had pursued both women prior to the rapes but they had rebuffed his advances. When the rapes occurred, each woman was in a particularly vulnerable state. C.P. was intoxicated and her friends left her at a party where the defendant raped her. K.B. had lost most of her friends after she took some time off from school and had found herself without a social network or support. Most significantly, the defendant exhibited the specific behavior of biting the women's nipples very hard, making K.B. bleed and repeatedly shocking C.P. into consciousness. He also bit K.B. on other areas of her body."

Ohio Democratic Party Quickly Endorses Denise Driehaus: Local Dem Organization Stays Neutral In 3-Person Primary Contest

2012-01-22T19:39:00.000-05:00

Columbus Democrats Favor Driehaus

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Ohio Democratic Party has intervened in a local primary battle that pits incumbent State Rep. Denise Driehaus against two rivals for a seat in the Ohio House. Meanwhile, the Hamilton County Democratic Party has charted a neutral course ahead of the March 6 nominating election. Now, some Cincinnati area Dems say the ODP is throwing its weight around and running an incumbent protection racket. Mailers supporting Driehaus landed in East Side mailboxes late last week. They were paid for by the state party under the signature of Chris Redfern, the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party in Columbus. Officials said no serious attempt was made to interview any of the challengers. In e-mails to The Daily Bellwether since Friday, some critics went to so far as to describe the state endorsement as resembling an edict rather than a recommendation.

Driehaus, a longtime West Sider from Price Hill, hopes to hang onto the Oh-31 seat in the Ohio House, which was moved to the East Side by redistricting. Her brother, Steve, a former Congressman, had held the seat for four terms until was term-limited out. Denise Driehaus kept the seat in the family by becoming his successor in the Ohio House.

Luke Brockmeier, a Planned Parenthood official, and Terry Tranter, a lawyer and former local office representative of ex-Atty. Gen. Richard Cordray, are also in the contest this year. Brockmeier has criticized Driehaus for supporting GOP-sponsored bills that limit abortion rights in Ohio. Brockmeier contends he is the "true" Democrat in the race, and has portrayed Driehaus as actively joining the Kasich Administration's campaign to curtail women's rights. Some Democrats say Kasich is running a war on women. Tranter is endorsed by Ohio Right to Life. He is a former state representative seeking a comeback.

Local Democratic officials say there could be a move to endorse Driehaus at the Hamilton County Democratic Party's executive committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 23. Up to now, there has been a consensus among the leadership the local Dem organization should stay neutral.

The state party mailer lists 26 Driehaus supporters, including former Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. It says Driehaus in 2010 -- when she first ran for the seat -- was backed by the AFL-CIO, Equality Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. It says she is active in supporting women's and gay rights:

"Denise Driehaus is a vocal proponent of gay rights. She has twice sponsored the Fair Housing and Employment Act which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation."

The new district is far more progressive and Democratic than her old district on the West Side. It includes Amberley Village, Silverton, Hyde Park, Clifton, Columbia Township, Oakley, Evanston, St. Bernard and Walnut Hills. You can read more about Driehaus's support of pro-life bills by clicking here. Last week, the state Democratic Party issued the attached press release saying in was it was endorsing all its incumbents in the state legislature

Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee Endorses Candidates for 2012 Election

COLUMBUS – At a meeting last evening, the Ohio Democratic Party’s Executive Committee endorsed the following candidates:
Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senate
Yvette McGee Brown, Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme CourtFanon Rucker, Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
Robert Price, Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
All Democratic incumbent members of the State House and Senate seeking re-election.

Driehaus has been active on environmental issues. She is sponsoring a measure to place a moratorium on fracking. She also is getting a boost from former Amberley Village Mayor Chuch Kamine, who is hosting a reception at his home on Feb. 9 to introduce Driehaus to East Side Democrats. Kamine says it's not a fundraiser but an effort to drum up votes:

"This is a new district and the first Democratic primary race for this seat . . . Denise has been a tremendously effective, devoted and energetric representative . . . We need to keep Denie in the Ohio State House working on behalf of all of us."

[UPDATE -- 8:44 p.m. -- Driehaus did not vote to pass the Heartbeat bill. I checked the House Journal and she was not in the group that adopted the measure in that chamber. She did vote against some amendments to the bill. I have changed the post above to eliminate any suggestion she voted for the Heartbeat bill.]

Romney's Bain Capital Behind Economic Pain In Norwood, Ohio: When Buy-Out Firm Arrived, Plant Closed And 130 Jobs Were Axed

2012-01-22T13:30:00.000-05:00

Questions Coming About Lost Jobs in Norwood?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Mitt Romney's route to the Republican presidential nomination -- a path that has grown more slippery with his loss in South Carolina's primary -- is sure to brush up against economic questions about the demise of an American Laundry Machinery plant on Section Road in Norwood. There were 130 jobs eliminated in June 2000.

The Norwood workers were axed about two years after Romney's Bain Capital Inc., created Alliance Laundry Systems LLC in a $358 million buyout of Raytheon's commercial laundry business. The work in Norwood was shifted to a plant in Marianna, Florida where state officials offered a $600,000 economic development grant.
The Daily Bellwether has tracked down an 11-year-old Cincinnati Enquirer story by then business writer Cliff Peale that notes the elimination of the jobs by Bain Capital. The headline said "Alliance Laundry Shrinking Work Force" and mentioned that Norwood officials had not been told about the decision to fire the workers. In other words, Norwood and state economic development officials were kept in the dark and could not attempt to match Florida's incentive package. They had no opportunity to counter Florida's incentives, nor could they bid to keep the 130 jobs in Ohio. Romney has portrayed himself as a job creator throughtout his business career. But plant closings and lost jobs won't play well in Ohio, an industrial state that has suffered mightily as factories have shut down, moved South or shifted production to Asia. As the state's March 6 primary nears, there is going to be increasing discussion about private equity capitalism -- whether it creates huge financial benefits for a few at the top, or whether it gutpunches hourly workers and pushes them into unemployment lines.

There is no doubt that Bain Capital -- the venture capital firm Romney founded in 1984 -- owned Alliance Laundry LLC. Here's the company's 13-year-old news release announcing the purchase:

RIPON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1998--Alliance Laundry Systems LLC announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Raytheon Commercial Laundry (RCL), the commercial laundry equipment manufacturing business of Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTNA)(NYSE:RTNB), for approximately $358 million.

Alliance Laundry Systems, headquartered in Ripon, Wisconsin, was founded by the senior management team of RCL and Bain Capital, Inc. of Boston, one of the nation's leading private equity firms, for the purpose of this acquisition. The new, privately held Company will be led by Tom L'Esperance, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and formerly President of RCL.
"We are pleased to complete this transaction and to join in partnership with Bain Capital," L'Esperance stated. "As our new name suggests, this is a continuing alliance of three of the premier brand names in our industry, Speed Queen(R), UniMac(R) and Huebsch(R). The new independent company is committed to maintaining its position of market leadership by offering superior quality products and innovative services and solutions."

Alliance Laundry Systems is the largest commercial laundry equipment manufacturer in North America, with plants in Ripon, Wisconsin; Marianna, Florida and Madisonville, Kentucky. Its products are marketed to coin stores, multi-family housing locations, and on-premise laundries and dry cleaners throughout the world. "This acquisition represents the next chapter in the success story of this business," said Jeff Brothers, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing. "We have no plans to alter the strategies that have made the business successful." The Company does not anticipate any changes in employment levels as a result of this transaction.

Bain Capital's Managing Director, Edward Conard, added, "We are excited by the prospect of investing in Alliance Laundry Systems. This is a unique opportunity to partner with a strong management team, operating a well-established enterprise in a stable industry, with solid brand equity in its products."

Bain Capital, founded in 1984, is a private equity firm, which focuses on identifying companies where it can add value by committing the firm's capital, managerial expertise, and strategic planning capabilities. The firm manages over $2.0 billion in capital and to date has made over 100 equity investments. Bain Capital's portfolio currently consists of companies that generate revenues of approximately $10 billion.

CONTACT: Nicolazzo & Associates

Richard E. Nicolazzo, (617) 951-0000

Romney was in charge at Bain when Alliance Laundry was created. He left active management in 1999 to take over the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Romney remains a Bain shareholder and has a $250 million personal forture with Bain largely the source of his wealth. There seems to be little doubt that the Norwood plant was targeted for elimination quickly after the takeover. Alliance signed a one-year lease for the plant in early 2000 when it bought the operation from George Strike, then a partner in the Cincinnati Reds (Strike sold his Reds stake to Lindner in 2005). About three months after Alliance acquired the Norwood facility, the closing was announced in order to achieve "significant efficiencies."

Within five years, Alliance said it would shutter the Marianna, Florida plant -- the site where the Norwood jobs were sent. In October 2005, the company said it was taking those jobs to Wisconsin. More pain in a small town. The press release is available here. This time, 400 jobs were eliminated so that "efficiencies will be gained . . ."

While blue collar workers took in on the chin, Bain seems to have profited handsomely from the plant closings and job cuts. In January 2005, it sold its majority shares in Alliance Laundry for about $450 million to the pension fund for Ontario, Canada's teachers. That's a $92 million gain. Taxpayers helped the profits roll in in. And what is ironic is that Romney's venture capital firm leveraged government economic development aid to consolidate and move plans around the U.S. Alliance Laundry got $1.25 million in loans and grands from Wisconsin when it shifted the Florida work north. The aid package included $1 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money. When Romney complains about citizens getting government assistance, it might be prudent to remember his investment portfolio has benefited from taxpayer subsidies.

Platinum Parachutes: Two Cincinnati Area CEOs Land On a Very Exclusive List

2012-01-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

Floating Beyond Golden Parachutists

Special to The Daily Bellwether

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Two names with Cincinnati-area ties have turned up on a new list casting the spotlight on 21 CEOs whose combined severance pay of $4 billion exceeded the economic output of 35 countries. One of the names ran a bank, the other a healthcare sector corporation. The list consists of CEOs (you can click here to download full text of the the pdf document) who received platinum (gold doesn’t cut it here) parachutes worth more than $100 million apiece since 2000. The payouts were ranked by GMI Ratings and ranged from $101 million to $417 million. The CEOS raked in their cash from companies among tje usual Fortune 500 envelope-passers like General Electric, Exxon Mobil, IBM, Merck, Pfizer, Merrill Lynch and UnitedHealth.

“Too many golden parachutes and too many retirement packages are of a size that clearly seems only in the interest of the departing executive,” wrote GMI authors Paul Hodgson and Greg Ruel. “In the case of some of the packages in this report, they have been paid to an executive who has not even departed. In the cases discussed in this report, it would seem that compensation committees have lost sight of the original principles, resulting in little or no value for shareholders despite excessive compensation.”

Except for ex-GE CEO Jack Welch, who topped the list with $417 million in walkaway pay in 2001, most of the names in the GMI Ratings report would be known only to diehard students of business history, like Lee Raymond of Exxon Mobil ($321 million) and William McGuire of UnitedHealth ($286 million). Two, though, should ring a bell in Cincinnati for many years to come.

Holding down the No. 14 spot on the list is Jerry Grundhofer, whose severance package was worth $159 million when he retired as CEO of US Bancorp in 2006. Grundhofer landed in Cincinnati in 1993 as CEO of Star Banc Corp. He led Star to mergers with Firstar and U.S. Bancorp before retiring in 2006 and reaping $159 million in spending money. But shareholders did well under Grundhofer, as U.S. Bancorp shares more than quadrupled in value during his tenure. By contrast, the S&P 500 merely tripled. And U.S. Bancorp employees are today part of the fifth biggest commercial bank in the nation.

The other local name, ranked 15th, is Joel Gemunder. His nine-year run as CEO of Omnicare Inc. is one that shareholders have put behind them. He “retired” in 2010 (along with his investor relations sidekick, Cheryl Hodges) and raked in $146 million, mostly in pension and deferred earnings.

“His (July) 2010 retirement was abrupt and came just prior to an unfavorable second-quarter earnings report,” the GMI report says. “Omnicare had no succession plan in place to address the departure, eventually naming a successor in December 2010.”

And how did Omnicare shareholders do under Gemunder? The stock traded in the low 20s when he was named CEO in 2001. Quite a few acquisitions – and several Medicare and Medicaid fraud settlements and whistleblower suits – later, the stock sold for $24.50 as Gemunder closed the door behind him.

Clark Montessori's New Home Dedicated In Hyde Park: Students, Parents, Teachers Thank 'Citizens of Cincinnati' for $18 Million Structure

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Maria Montessori's Original School in Italy

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Surprise. The people who put up the money -- the taxpayers -- were honored during dedication ceremonies for the gleaming new school that is a treasure house of wit and wisdom, a spot dedicated to knowledge, inclusion and formation of character. And of course, in true Montessori fashion, some students, parents and faculty members sat on the floor last evening during speeches and ceremonies. The new building cost $18 million (there is a park-like greenzone on the roof) and gives America's first public Montessori high school its first permanent home. Retired principal Tom Rothwell, who was among the education pioneers who started the school in 1994, seemed genuinely impressed that things had come so far. It was an experiment in education that took root and blossomed. Said Rothwell: "Clark Montessori, we're 18 years old. Which is unbelievable. We did it, we all did it. Anybody who has ever been involved in education knows it all starts at home, it's the parents. We had great parents. And they still have great parents."

Cincinnati Clark Montessori's Steel Drum Band

The faculty bought in, too. Every teacher, every staffer, donated to a $50,000 capital campaign. There are 600 senior and junior high school students enrolled. There is a waiting list to get in. Some people from the suburbs pay tuition to send their kids to this urban public school. In 2010 Clark Montessori was a top 3 finalist in the White House top commencement challenge. It just got a $50,000 check from the "Glee" Give a Note Contest, which was a movement to preserve school music programs across the nation during an era of budget cuts. Clark has an unconventional steel drum band rather than a typical horn, drum and stringed instrument marching band. From the start, all of Clark's seniors have graduated. And all get accepted to college. Urban public schools are a tough environment. So Mark Twain's words from the 19th Century still might be apt. He said "a peach was once a bitter almond." And Clark is a peach in a sea of bitter almonds. The fruits of any school are its graduates -- these are turning out to be exceptional. They have gone on to become artists, Peace Corps volunteers, aerospace engineers, a political operative who is running the campaign for governor of Washington State, an Air Force pilot, a marketing manager for an athletic apparel company that is a superstar on Wall Street, lawyers, and a musician touring with Mannheim Steamroller. There are too many to list -- a soon-to-be lieutenant will be leading an Army infantry platoon. Another Clark grad started and runs a day care center for autistic children.

There are two great public high schools in Cincinnati, Walnut Hills and Clark. Walnut Hills is rated among the nation's Top 100 by U.S. News and World Report. Students must pass an entrance exam for Walnut Hills, a college prep powerhouse whose alums include a Nobel Laureate. Clark is open to anyone (most students are eligible for Walnut Hills but choose Montessori over traditional college prep classes). While both schools are successful, they are hardly alike. Walnut Hills would be Yale compared to Clark's University of California, Berkeley. Walnut would be Plato writing down his great thoughts for the ages compared to Socrates, wandering and engaging everyone on the streets of Athens in conversation and making them think. Walnut Hills is Apple, Clark is Google. Or put it like this, a Walnut Hills grad may someday discover how to eliminate malaria, one of the great scourges afflicting mankind A Clark grad would head off into the bush distributing that cure and saving lives. In these two schools, the citizens of Cincinnati surely have gotten their money's worth. At the Clark dedication, speakers reflected on a school's responsibility to society -- "investment in the future," and "shared responsibility" and "passing down knowledge" and "hard work" were some of the phrarses. Rothwell said it was "magical," when kids bought in. He said their accomplishments could be magical for the universe. Julie Stark, who heads the Clark Foundation, said they group planned for 75 people at the dedication. It was standing room only: "We never expected to have hundreds of people attending. You are making this homecoming very special" U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Oh2, sent a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol. Here is a list of volunteers who worked on designing the 102,000 square foot building:

Charles Alexander, Steph Bradford, Robin Brandon, Ann and Marty Bruce, Chris Collier, Linda Dalton, Marta Donahoe, Paul Duffy, Heather Duncan, Burt and Terry Evans, Kate Fischer, Steffanie Gentile, Don Gunderson, Jo Guido, Vincent Hammerstein, Christy Holland, Ina Loftspring, Jean Marquard-Wisniewski.

Seat McGrory, Cathy McNair, Corey Parker, Josh Roderer, Ann Rundle, Mary Jo Schmidt, Barb Scholz, Peg Schorsch, Brandt C.P. Smith, Holly Taylor, Rupa Townsend, Bruce Weil, Melissa Wilkerson, Lynn Wyrick.

Romney's Bain Capital Created Jobs In Chinese Umbrella Factory: Cincinnati's Totes Are Made By Contractor In Asia

2012-01-17T10:25:00.003-05:00

Link is here

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This three-minute YouTube clip has been around since mid-2009. The title says it is a Totes Isotoner (you can access corporate website 'about us' link here) executive addressing a trade show in Taiwan. The trade show was sponsored by Enson International Ltd., (click to access the company's website), a Taiwan company that built a plant in China's Guang Dong Province to make umbrellas for Totes. Mitt Romney's venture capital firm was in control when contract manufacturing began in China. Enson says it has 500 workers in the Chinese factory.

The exec in the video is said to run international procurement for Totes and he is speaking Chinese. Totes Isotoner, based in suburban Cincinnati, was purchased in 1994 by Bain Capital Inc., the buy-out firm founded by Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Totes is a successful company. Manufacturing was moved offshore and contracted out . Umbrellas have been made in China since shortly after Bain Capital acquired its majority stake in Totes. Bain sold its interest in Totes in 2001. As he campaigns for president, Romney describes himself as a jobs creator. But he hasn't been talking about creating new jobs in China. Do American workers lack the abilities to make umbrellas? Or do the Chinese offer cheap labor?

Reprinted below is a 1994 Wall Street Journal article about Bain Capital's acquisition of Totes:

Totes Majority Stake Bought by Bain Capital

208 words

28 June 1994

The Wall Street Journal

English

BOSTON -- Bain Capital Inc., an investment concern, expanded its interests in the apparel industry by buying a majority interest in Totes Inc., a maker of umbrellas and rain gear.

Both companies declined to comment on the value of the transaction and on the number of shares sold. Closely held Totes, based in Loveland, Ohio, reportedly has annual sales of about $175 million.

Totes had been seeking "outside equity participation" in the wake of a previously announced restructuring plan, said Totes spokesman David Eden. The company has been engaged in a "right-sizing" plan since March 1992, which has included a refocusing on its core rain-gear business and has resulted in layoffs.

In 1993, Totes retained Wasserstein Perella & Co., a New York investment banking firm, to seek a potential investment partner. Totes considered several financing options, but decided to negotiate with Bain Capital as it was "looking to do something long-term," said Mr. Eden.

"The bank knew that Totes fit our profile," said Robert F. White, a Bain spokesman. "We're always looking for good consumer-product companies to invest in."

Bain Capital, which manages equity investments totaling more than $500 million, has invested in several retailers and manufacturers.

Hamilton County Judicial Candidate Bruce Whitman Displays Some Steel: Dem Calls Pat DeWine Undistinguised Except for Surname

2012-01-16T12:25:00.000-05:00

Judicial Candidate Bruce Whitman Puts Cap on Lawyer Contributions

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Lawyer Bruce Whitman is already running an aggressive campaign for Ohio's 1st District Court of Appeals in Cincinnatii, where he hopes to break a Republican monopoly. He says his opponent is a name but not a quality judge. And Whitman has imposed a limit on campaign donations from the legal profession. The implication is that he is trying to prune the money tree while Pat DeWine's family connections will try to shake it. The appeals court has six judges and there are no Democrats among them -- an anomaly in an urban county. In November, Whitman will face the GOP's Pat DeWine, heir to one of Ohio's most prominent political names. DeWine is the son of current Ohio Atty Gen. Mike DeWine, who also has served as a U.S. Senator and lieutenant governor. Pat DeWine, who plans a Jan. 18 fundraiser at the posh Queen City Club downtown, currently serves as a Common Pleas Judge and says he is "looking forward to a spirited campaign over the coming months." His website is up and running as you can see by clicking here.

Whitman is portraying Pat DeWine as a serial candidate who will have gobs of money thanks to his daddy's influence. In a letter to supporters, Whitman said he won't take more than a $625 contribution from individual lawyers -- which is half the legally ($1,150) allowed contribution amount -- in order to "protect against any possible inference of a conflict of interest in the future."
In other words, Democrat Whitman has voluntarily set a fundraising cap in a self-imposed effort to remove the influence of money from judicial campaigns. Pat DeWine hasn't put any limits on money. There are those who say Whitman has unilaterally disarmed -- he sees his move as an overdue attempt to try a new path. Whitman told his supporters:

"I do intend to finance a good part of my campaign, but I cannot do it alone against a well financed incumbent. Although Pat DeWine may not have distinguished himself as a lawyer or trial judge, he has inherited a well known political name and has run for office many times. I expect that a successful campaign will require me to raise and spend at least $100,000."

By the way, Pat DeWine's is in the middle of a six-year term on the Common Pleas Court. So he is trying leave early to jump into another elected position. Not exactly the deal voters expected in 2008 when they put him on the bench -- but not exactly unusual in the courthouse where such shuffling is accepted practice. And if he loses to Whitman, Pat DeWine will still be a judge, because he isn't resigning to run for the appeals court seat. Politicians have an expression for that conduct -- they call it "running safe" because there is no risk you will lose your government paycheck and benefits.

As for the serial candidacies: Pat DeWine started his political career on Cincinnati City Council but left early. He tried to jump into Congress in 2005 by running for the Ohio 2nd District seat, but finished fourth in the 11-person primary to Jean Schmidt. His father, then a Senator, helped him raise more than $1 million. But it didn't work out. Later, DeWine resigned from City Council to take a seat on the Hamilton County Commission, his first early departure from an elected term. He then left the commission after one term and moved to the Common Pleas Court. He has served three years and one month of his six year term as a judge.

Whitman, who has been a trial lawyer, is a Walnut Hills High School and University of Cincinnati Law School grad. He has been a Cincinnati Human Relations Commission member. He said he has a four-point plan for the court of appeals:

1. Encourage plain English Jury Instructions in the Trial Courts.
2. Enforcement of the New Criminal Sentencing Law: I will work hard to make sure that such sentencing protects the safety of the community and rights of the defendant.
3. Timely and clear decision-making: I will write opinions that clearly and plainly explain the basis for the decision.
4. Proper oversight. The Republicans currently hold all 6 seats on the Court of Appeals, As a Democrat, I will provide effective oversight and a diverse point of view.

Muny Court Case vs. Leslie Ghiz's Spouse Results in Plea Bargain: Original Drunk Driving Charge Amended To 'Reckless Operation'

2012-01-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

Click here for The Daily Bellwether's first report last month on this topic. Ghiz, a Republican, is a former Cincinnati City Council who is now running for a seat on the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.

Romney's Bain Capital Buy-Out Shut Sealy Corp. Cleveland Headquarters: Sent Nation's Biggest Bedding Maker To North Carolina

2012-01-11T14:35:00.001-05:00

Romney's Burning Bed Problem?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Mitt Romney's private equity firm, Bain Capital, owned Sealy Inc. on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland when the company shut its corporate headquarters and shifted the white-collar jobs from Ohio to North Carolina in 1998. Sealy was the nation's largest mattress maker and packed up in exchange for tax breaks and incentives offered by officials near High Point. Romney is the Republican presidential frontrunner. He has been under attack for business tactics that either destroyed jobs or stripped them away from communities. Romney has argued his business deals revived underperforming companies. Sealy's departure from Cleveland -- the move cost the city about 200 corporate and research jobs -- is likely to come under increased scrutiny as the March 6 Ohio presidential primary nears. So far, none of the state's media, including The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, have dug into the Bain-Sealy story. Ohio voters are sensitive to the loss of jobs -- the state's once mighty manufacturing economy has been battered over the past two decades.

In an attempt to find some details about what happened, The Daily Bellwether has tried to contact former U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, who was Ohio's governor when Sealy left Cleveland. Voinovich might be able to shed light on the move -- he was trying to hold onto jobs at the time and may recall what incentives the state offered the bedding maker to stay. But Voinovich could not be reached for comment.

Sealy -- which operated as the Ohio Mattress Company for more than 80 years -- had been a strong and profitable corporation until it was gobbled up by leveraged buy-out operators during the junk bond era of the 1980s. A string of deals over the next 9 years eventually landed the company in Bain Capital's hands. On the day Ohio Mattress Company's sale was announced in 1989 to the first private equity owner, the New York Times reported it had dominated "the nation's bedding business for much of the last three decades . . ." Financial records and analyst reports show the publicly traded company was healthy -- it had an 18% annual growth rate between 1984 and the first private equity sale. But the junk bond sale went south because costs to repay the debt were high. Ohio Mattress went through a "flurry of changes" in corporate ownership, according to Case Western Reserve University's encyclopedia of Cleveland History. The online encyclopedia is available by clicking here.

In 1990 Ohio Mattress, which also owned the Stearns and Foster mattress company that started in Lockland near Cincinnati, changed its name to Sealy. Bain Capital acquired its [controlling] stake in the firm in 1997. The bedding business had about $800 million in annual sales. By March 1998, Sealy's top executive, Ron Jones, said Cleveland was out of the picture, and the company was moving to a 68-acre site in North Carolina. Jones had a home near the new headquarters and had been commuting to Cleveland, according to a report in the Greensboro News & Record Sealy's announcement said the corporation wanted to be closer to the furniture retailers who populated the High Point region -- the area is known as the center of the U.S. home furnishings industry. So Ohio lost. North Carolina gained. And it looks like Romney has some explaining to do

-- Research by Bellwether Contributor James McNair

UPDATE 1/12/2012 8:30 a.m. -- The Plain Dealer's Steve Koff adds more detail to Bain Capital's operations in Ohio, including a list of firms in which it held stakes. Koff makes it clear that Romney's buy-out firm will be an issue aired in the presidential campaign. As for Sealy Inc., Koff confirmed The Daily Bellwether's report that the firm had moved from Cleveland to North Carolina. His reporting fleshed it out with this:

"The connection includes Bain's purchase and subsequent move of Sealy Corp., the mattress maker that had been based in Cleveland. Bain and other investors bought Sealy in December, 1997.Within months of its acquisition, Sealy was reporting a loss of $32.2 million compared with $1.2 million in net income in the same period a year earlier. It attributed the loss to the restructuring of debt and equity in connection with the Bain purchase, and to expenses for accelerated vesting of stock options and other employee compensation, according to Plain Dealer reports at the time.By March 1998, Sealy, under its new ownership, announced it was moving its headquarters to North Carolina so it could be near the nation's furniture manufacturing center. State and local North Carolina officials offered $600,000 in incentives to make the move attractive.This affected the jobs of about 130 employees who worked in the Halle Building on Euclid Avenue. Another 15 were affected at a Sealy research and development center in Middleburg Heights.The company said it offered all the workers the right to relocate or take severance packages. A North Carolina newspaper subsequently reported that 45 Ohio workers made the move."

Burress, Citizens For Community Values Vow Lawsuit To Derail Cincinnati Domestic Partner Benefits: Sees Marriage Amendment Violation

2012-01-10T23:08:00.001-05:00

Is Burress Blustering Or Will He Fight?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Phil Burress tells supporters the City Council's move to grant benefits to Cincinnati employees in same-sex relationships will be met with litigation. He is seeking contributions to back up his tough talk. It could be a real threat, or a bluff to grab attention. Burress and Citizens for Community Values wrote the 2004 Marriage Amendment, which passed statewide and gave a boost to former President George W. Bush's reelection campaign that year. Burress says, "We will head to court, if necessary, and we ask for your continued prayers and support as we protect the definition of marriage throughout the state."

Democratic Councilman Chris Seelbach, the city’s first openly gay council member, has circulated a motion that would require city administrators to study granting domestic partner benefits. Seelbach had promised to introduce the measure within 100 days of his Nov. 8 election. Eight council members have signed on to support his push.
Seelbach says providing healthcare and other benefits isn't solely about doing the right thing for couples in long term same-sex relationships. Seelbach says the move could help the city attract residents because lesbians and gays won't feel unwelcome or discriminated against.The Daily Bellwether has the complete text of the e-mail Burress sent to CCV members today:

"There is a new push from within Cincinnati City Council to offer special rights benefits to city employees' domestic partners. Councilman Chris Seelbach plans to introduce a motion tomorrow, January 11, and has the support of all council members except for Charlie Winburn. In addition to the devastating moral implications, these benefits contain legal and financial flaws. The benefits in consideration violate the 2004 Marriage Amendment, which passed in Ohio with almost 62 percent of the vote:

Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.

"The benefits also add strain to Cincinnati's already out-of-control budget. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Columbus estimated a similar legislation would cost about $650,000 last year. Please read the complete article here."

Hamilton County Democrats Slam GOP's Voter Fraud Clampdown As Openly Racist: Mocking Republicans for 'Protecting America's Whites'

2012-01-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

This Cartoon Was E-Mailed To Cincinnati-area Democrats

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- At least it didn't portray Republicans in a Klan suit. But the Hamilton Democratic Party has e-mailed its Cincinnati-area members a cartoon that depicts the Ohio
GOP's support of tightened voting laws as racist. The cartoon is savage. And it shows how Democratic Chairman Tim Burke views the other side behaving as Jim Crow bigots. The Daily Bellwether has good information that Burke gave the word to distribute the cartoon this week -- a gutsy decision because he sits on the local board of elections with Republican Chairman Alex Triantafilou. It speaks volumes about the breach between Democrats -- who favor a more wide-open voting process -- and Republicans, who are determined to restrict access to the polls by requiring voter ID's and red tape. The cartoon makes a straight out declaration: The real intent of Republicans like Triantafilou is protecting "America's Voting Whites."

The frustration has been simmering for more than a year since the Tracie Hunter v. John Williams judicial contest, which has turned into an as-yet unresolved legal battle where the racial makeup of precincts and uncounted ballots remains at issue. Now there is the cartoon, Overtly projecting race into the debate about ballot access is a provocative move, perhaps fighting words. Saying or implying that your neighbors are acting to protect the white race is not often heard in political debate or discussion where less inflammatory phrases like "voter suppression" are used. But the cartoon clearly reflects sentiment at large among Democrats. They see the GOP as fighting efforts to regulate banks, Wall Street and polluters (some GOP'ers favor abolishing the Environmental Protection Agency) while erecting barriers aimed at frustrating citizens of color who want to go to the polls. The Republicans claim they oppose excessive regulation on business. Yet they make citizens jump through increasing numbers of hoops to vote.

Perhaps things boiled over when Democrats -- including the state party and President Obama's reelection campaign -- collected petitions statewide to overturn by referendum in November HB 194. That measures original sponsors included Hamilton County GOP lawmakers Bob Mecklenborg and Louis Blessing. (Mecklenborg resigned last year after a drunk driving incident in Indiana). The Democrats gathered 307,358 valid signatures for the repeal effort. Democrats oppose several provisions in the bill, particularly cutting the early voting time frame to three weeks from five weeks The law also eliminates most weekend voting hours and it removes a requirement that poll workers tell voters when they are in the wrong precinct in a multi-precinct voting location. Republican supporting HB 194 -- which was adopted last June -- contend the measure is needed to prevent fraud. They say it will create uniform election rules to all 88 counties. The law does not include a photo identification requirement. Secretary of State Jon Husted certified the referendum on December 9, 2011. This means H.B. 194 will not be in effect through the November 2012 election, where voters will decide if it should be rejected.

But there is more than the state issues driving the local Dems to frustration. In November 2010 -- fifteen months ago -- Tracie Hunter and John Williams -- finished 23 votes apart in a race for Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge. Williams, a Republican, was ahead of Hunter, an African American Democrat. The case has been tied up in federal court over how provisional ballots should be counted. No winner has ever been declared. (During those 15 months, Moammar Qaddafi was overthrown in Libya, Mubarak was kicked out in Egypt, the Bengals completed two NFL seasons, U.S. troops packed up everything and left Iraq, John Boehner presided over a full year of House tea partying after being elected Speaker, Herman Cain came and went, U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords has largely recovered from a gunshot wound to the head). The case is moving at a pace that make glaciers look like bullet trains. Meanwhile, Triantafilou has gone so far as to lump Cincinnati City Councilman Cecil Thomas, an African American, in with those he considers too "ignorant" to understand what is happening in the Hunter-Williams litigation. Being called ignorant can get under one's skin. Here's what Triantafilou wrote on his blog:

I've been largely quiet in the face of some of the misinformation flowing from those ignorant of what is actually happening at the Board of Elections. The worst offender? Council member Cecil Thomas. As a citizen of this city, I'm disappointed with his fundamental misunderstanding of what is happening at our Board of Elections. I understand why the average citizen might misunderstand the complicated legal proceedings. I have tried to explain it to him, but he is incapable of understanding. I also understand why some use these proceedings to further their own agenda. But Cecil Thomas ought to know better. He should conduct himself as a reasonable public servant. He has hardly done that. He is terribly emotionally invested in this race in a way that is surprising. There is a legal process now playing-out and Mr. Thomas seems incapable or unwilling to understand it.

[UPDATE 3:06 p.m. -- Now have link to the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, where you can click to see more work by Steve Greenberg, a freelancer in Los Angeles. Greenberg created the drawing that was circulated by the Cincy area Democratic party.]

Gas Well 'Fracking' Suspected of Tainting Ohio River Drinking Water Supplies: Clueless Enquirer Focuses on Youngstown Quakes

2012-01-09T10:37:00.002-05:00

Pennsylvania Researcher Testing Steam for Bromide

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- For at least a year, officials in communities that draw their drinking water supplies from the Ohio River have been concerned about a sharp spike in bromide, a chemical that is adversely impacting the region's most important waterway. Bromide is a byproduct of oil and gas drilling. It can cause a chemical reaction with drinking water purification chemicals that makes tapwater unsafe for humans. There are dozens of recent reports of bromide spikes along the Ohio River -- as anyone can easily learn by clicking here.

Surprisingly, this recent deterioration of Ohio River water quality -- so important as the source of the Cincinnati area's lifegiving water supplies -- seems to have completely escaped the notice of the city's largest news gathering organization. Potential pollution problems somehow do not appear to be newsworthy to the Cincinnati Enquirer. A major league whiff?

One cannot say the Cincinnati Enquirer missed the story because there is no local organization paying attention and worrying about bromide contamination. The Daily Bellwether reported last month that ORSANCO, a multi-state agency that monitors Ohio River water quality has discovered unusually "high concentrations" of bromide in the river. ORSANCO is the acronym for Ohio River Sanitary Commission, and its headquarters are just a few miles east of the Enquirer's downtown Cincinnati newsroom. Perhaps that distance puts it out of range of the newspaper's reporting staff.

Meanwhile, today's Enquirer front page has a lengthy story about the hazards of 'fracking' in YOUNGSTOWN, a city more than 200 miles away at the opposite end of Ohio. The story is about earthquakes that have been linked to the subsurface injection of gas well drilling byproducts. These injection wells are suspected of cracking geological strata and causing temblors. Credit the Enquirer for noticing Youngstown has the shakes. But the story isn't the Enquirer's. It was written by Spencer Hunt, a Columbus Dispatch reporter. Yes, a Columbus-based journalist did the work for his newspaper. Then the Enquirer recycled the report; no enterprise or reporting effort at all, just a journalistic hitchiking job. Hunt reported:

"The fracking process injects millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals to shatter shale and release the trapped oil and gas. The fluid that comes back up with the oil and gas -- it's called brine -- is being disposed of in these injection wells. While opponents of fracking have complained about environmental threats the chemicals pose, earthquakes add a new wrinkle."

What is most disconcerting is that a good chunk of this "fracking" story actually is in the Enquirer's front yard, and it has failed to notice. Insiders say the Enquirer's staff has been stripped so clean by the newspaper's out-of-town corporate parent, Gannett Co. Inc., that it can barely fill its pages. The insiders report there is a growing dependence on news releases, and less legwork by staff reporters. Thus, short-shrift of complex or complicated issues. Or nothing at all.

Public Radio in Pennsylvania has been on top of the bromide story, and has published the reports from recent scientific conferences on its Website (PDF). The U.S. EPA has a major laboratory in Cincinnati adjacent to the University of Cincinnati campus. Much of that lab's work is about drinking water safety. This Ohio River story is easily in reach if only the local media would take notice. Maybe that's too much to ask in an era of downsized newsrooms and absentee owners who overwhelmingly focus on the bottom line rather than content and community service.

Denise Driehaus Support Of GOP Bills Limiting Abortion Rights Comes Under Fire: Challenger Brockmeier Says He'll Stay 'True' Dem In House

2012-01-08T12:25:00.000-05:00

Brockmeier Mailer Tells East Side Democrats He's Pro-Choice

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The three-candidate contest for the Democratic nomination for Ohio's 31st District House seat -- the post now held by Denise Driehaus -- is heating up dramatically. Over the weekend, newcomer Luke Brockmeier flooded mailboxes with a slick, postcard-sized flier that proclaims himself the only "true" Democrat running. There's a lot of blue ink on the card, a sure symbol that he's putting plenty of space between himself and those red Republicans who now control the legislature in Columbus. Driehaus didn't put any distance between herself and House Republicans earlier this year when she signed on as the only Democrat to co-sponsor HB 78, which became a law sharply restricting late-term abortions in Ohio. There were 49 GOP cosponsors. Republican Gov. John Kasich signed the bill into law last July and Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Mike Gonidakis said:

"The passing of our legislation is a defining moment in Ohio history for the pro-life movement. Our late term abortion ban is part of a national strategy to overturn Roe v. Wade and today Ohio is one step closer to joining other states such as Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma who are currently saving these babies lives."

Brockmeier's maildrop clearly declares he's embracing the pro-choice label, a label that is usually shunned by officeseekers in Hamilton County. SW Ohio politicians are often Catholics, (the bishops supports the bill that Driehaus co-sponsored) and tend to agree with the church that Roe vs. Wade went too far by striking down legal barriers against abortion. Brockmeier's pro-choice stand looks to remind everyone that Brockmeier is more in tune with the national party than either Driehaus or Terry Tranter on a key women's rights issue -- that his two opponents are far more conservative on matters involving abortion rights.

And Brockmeier, who works for Planned Parenthood as the public affairs coordinator in Southwest Ohio, already has a website, Facebook page and a YouTube channel -- he is using social media to a degree far beyond his rivals. He's likely to be able to raise money using the Planned Parent connection. Brockmeier's website also points out that he was active in the effort to pass the Affordable Health Care Act, which is President Obama's signature healthcare reform law. Brockmeier isn't running away from the president and calls himself a "community organizer" just like you know who. Brockmeier says: "We don't need a politicians to tell us who we are and what we want. We need a community organizer to make sure Columbus is working for us."

The 31st District is solidly Democratic, and the test is going to be if it is open to a really, really progressive campaign in a county that has traditionally been less like Chicago and more like Louisville. The 31st District used to cover the West Side, but was moved to the East Side by redistricting. Driehaus switched her residence from Price Hill to Clifton Heights to campaign for the seat. Tranter -- a former state rep who has been a longtime resident of Amberley Village -- tried to knock Driehaus off the ballot by challenging both her residency and nominating petitions. The board of elections rejected the challenge last week. (Just so everyone know: the district touches Amberley, Clifton, Clifton Heights, Madisonville, Evanston, Hyde Park, Silverson, Northside, Norwood, St. Bernard and Walnut Hills). Brockmeier say he lives in Madisonville and has had a home in the 31st for years -- another suggestion that Driehaus's West Side values are not in sync with East Side Democrats.

[UPDATE 4:26 p.m. -- Denise Driehaus also voted for HB 79, 1 of 6 Democrats to do so. All state Senate Dems voted against HB 79. Here's what pro-choice NARAL had to say about it:

H.B. 79 will outlaw non-therapeutic abortion coverage in the to-be-created health insurance exchanges as laid out in the Affordable Care Act. This will even apply to Ohioans who are paying for their health insurance with their own private dollars. By banning coverage for abortion, H.B. 79 is in direct conflict with the Ohio Constitution under the recently passed Issue 3, which states that the Ohio cannot prohibit the sale of health care or health insurance. The ACLU has announced that they will challenge H.B. 79 in court.

Anastasia Pantsios at Ohio Daily Blog says the Ohio Legislature is at war with women, which makes Driehaus an ally of the GOP. Anastasia says the time and tax dollars could be better spent on "some useful purpose like feeding BORN children or providing maternity care to women who WANT children."]

[UPDATE 9:10 p.m. -- From Cincinnati Blog, which notes that Tranter and Driehaus are now being required to run in a progressive district and that Tranter tilted at windmills trying to kick her off the ballot:

He should not focus on being bitter that he has to face off against two other candidates. He should face the fact that along with Denise Driehaus, he's not living in a conservative Democratic district. He's living in a really progressive House district. He might want to ponder how to climb that Mt. Everest before playing political games. ]

[UPDATE 8:44 a.m. -- A reader passed along this info about a third abortion restriction measure that Kasich signed into law with a vote from Denise Driehaus:

"Very interesting indeed! Thanks for the write-up (and research). You missed HB 63, though, which makes it harder for abused minors to access abortion without parental consent: http://ppao.org/Legislation/129th/HB63.html And she voted for that one after she knew she'd be moving to this district.
It's been a busy session for stripping women's rights."]

Heiress Phyllis Fine Feuding With Daughter Susan Rollman: Lawsuit Alleges Six-Year Reign Of 'Greed and Egregious Self-Dealing'

2012-01-06T09:46:00.000-05:00

Will Celeb Journalists Cover Case?

By James McNair
Bellwether contributor
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Of all the legal battles over money spilling into courtrooms, none have the grave-rumbling effects as those between family heirs. Such a conflict is playing out before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Steve Martin. On one side is Phyllis Fine, the 83-year-old heiress and co-owner of Food Specialties Co. in Reading, along with her husband Ramond Fine and two of her adult daughters, Mindy Hastie and Tamara Fine. On the other side are Fine’s other daughter, Susan Rollman, and her husband Henry Rollman III, who in addition to being co-owners of Food Specialties are its principal officers.

At issue in the case filed in June 2011 (Case # A1104509) is, as Mrs. Fine puts it, “a more than six-year reign of fiduciary manipulation, greed and egregious self-dealing by (the Rollmans) in connection with a classic majority/control shareholder ‘squeeze-out’ of the (Fines), using techniques of excessive compensation and bonuses, vanishing dividends and other self-dealing.” The Rollmans say Mrs. Fine, as one of the company’s three directors (the Rollmans are the other two), approved all of the pay raises, bonuses and dividends and even initiated some. “At no time did Mrs. Fine vote against the motions,” they contend.

Food Specialties, known for its sauces, spreads and dressings, was founded more than 90 years ago by Mrs. Fine’s father, the late Louis Schulman. When he died in 1972, he divided the company’s shares between Mrs. Fine and her brother Mel. And after Mel died in 2003, his widow sold his half of the company to the Rollmans for $1 million, $400,000 of which, the suit claims, was “financed” with company money.

Subsequent increases in compensation, perks and dividends led to “substantial losses” at Food Specialties from 2006 through 2010, the suit says. Moreover, Mrs. Fine claims that the Rollmans “cornered” her alone and pressured her to agree to give Susan Rollman another 25 percent stake upon the matriarch’s death. “I was deceived into doing whatever my daughter and her husband suggested,” she said in an affidavit. But after the other two daughters learned that Mrs. Fine had also signed away her posthumous voting rights to Susan Rollman last February, they demanded a look at the company’s financial records.

To Mrs. Fine, the last straw fell June 1 when the Rollmans voted to issue 4 more shares of stock, tipping the scales in their favor. That prompted Mrs. Fine to tell her lawyer, William Flynn of Strauss & Troy, to file suit nine days later. The Fines are asking that several of the stock deals be voided, that all excessive compensation be repaid, and that the Rollmans be banned from removing any company assets. They also want an injunction, a receiver to take control of the company, a full accounting and payment of punitive damages.

The Rollmans, who are represented by Eric Holzapfel of the Drew Law Firm, argue that Mrs. Fine “lacks standing” because she approved the actions she is now contesting. They say the other Fine family members lack standing because they don’t own stock. And they contend that any actions more than four years old can’t be challenged because of the statute of limitations.

If Judge Martin doesn’t dismiss the suit, it’s scheduled for trial this August.

[Ed. Note: The Rollman name might be considered legendary in Amberley Village, where the late Justin and Josephine Rollman helped found the village in 1940. Josephine Rollman said she was a granddaughter of Archduke Ferdinand whose assassination in Sarajevo set off World War I in 1914. She also was a niece of Sigmund Freud. The history of Amberley Village contains this passage from a November 1987 interview with Josephine when she was in her 90's:

"I come from royalty. My grandparents, the Archduke and the Duchess of Hapsburg in Austria, were shot and killed, and that was the beginning of World War I. My mother was brought to this country as a little girl. I was born in Detroit. My father was a brother of Dr. Sigmund Freud's. My full name is Josephine Freud Rollman. . .
My cousin was a Lord Montbatten, who was shot and killed on his yacht. And I'm distantly related to the Queen. Well, all royalty is distantly related."]

Consumer Bureau Watchdog Richard Cordray Comes Out Fighting vs. Republican Critics: 'The Appointment Is Valid, I'm Now Director'

2012-01-05T17:38:00.003-05:00

Cordray Says He Has "Full Authorities" As Consumer Chief

[UPDATE -- 1/6/2012 10:11 A.M: From Cady Short-Thomspon in New Hampshire for the Enquirer, Gingrich attacks the Cordray appointment " referring to it as a 'constitutional fight,' one that signifies the norm of Obama’s 'imperial presidency.' Gingrich labels Obama 'the food stamp president.'" ]
CINCINNATI (TDB) --Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, who is President Obama's pick to run the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, today brushed off GOP critics who contend his appointment is an illegal expansion of presidential powers. During a a wide-ranging Q-and-A session at the Brookings Institution, Cordray said unregulated financial firms such as payday lenders "led a race to the bottom that pushed aside responsible businesses including community banks and credit unions, and greatly harmed consumers." The Daily Bellwether has the complete 35-page text of Cordray's session available by clicking here.
Cordray, a Democrat, served as the county treasurer in Columbus, then state treasurer, then attorney general until 2010 when he lost to Mike DeWine. He said federal supervision of student lenders, mortgage originators and payday lenders is moving with full authority. He said financial markets need to become more fair, transparent and competitive.

The Senate has not confirmed Cordray. Although it has not been holding formal sessions, the Senate is not technically in recess. The White House said Wednesday the Senate was stalling the and called the refusal to recess a "gimmick." Obama made a "recess appointmen," announced his decision in Cleveland yesterday, and set the stage for a Constitutional clash over executive powers. Here's an excerpt of Cordray refusing to flinch about his right to hold the job:

"MR. CORDRAY: Okay. As I said, the appointment is valid.
I’m now the director of the bureau. The important thing for us, without me
trying to delve into details of that, is that we now have the ability to protect
consumers across this country on both bank and non-bank issues and we
are going to be 100 percent focused, I personally, on doing so.

"In the run up to the financial crisis, many unsupervised
firms led a race to the bottom that pushed aside responsible businesses,
including community banks and credit unions, and greatly harmed
consumers.
Now, for the first time, we can exercise the full authorities
granted to us under the new law. That is the specific difference that
having a director makes. Today we are launching the bureau’s program
for supervising non-banks. We will begin dealing face-to-face with payday
lenders, mortgage servicers, mortgage originators, private student
lenders, and other firms that often compete with banks, but have largely
escaped any meaningful federal oversight.
These are important markets. Many provide valuable
services to customers who lack access to other forms of credit. And they
are big markets. Nearly 20 million American households use payday
lenders, and they pay roughly $7.4 billion in fees every year.
Many subprime loans during the housing bubble were made
by non-bank mortgage brokers. Since most of these businesses are not
used to any federal oversight, our new supervision program may be a
challenge for them. But we must establish clear standards of conduct so
that all financial providers play by the rules.
With our full authorities in hand, we now have a variety of
tools to address the problems facing consumers. We will succeed in our efforts."

The Dayton Daily News reported Cordray warned financial institutions there will be consequences for violating the law. He showed some teeth. But it appears to be an open question about whether his appointment stands and if he can back up his bark with a bite. Ohio Daily Blog notes that Cordray's agency will even fight for members of the Tea Party, among the agency's harshest critics, who have been cheated during the financial crisis.

Canadian Bank Setting Up Shop In Cuba Borrowed $165 Million From Ohio Treasurer: U.S. Trade Sanctions Exempt Scotiabank

2012-01-05T11:34:00.001-05:00

Ohio Loans To Bank Opening Office In Havana

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- State Treasurer Josh Mandel's office has loaned $165 million to the Bank of Nova Scotia, a Canadian financial institution now moving to set up an office in Havana. The 4 short-term promissory notes Mandel accepted from Scotiabank appear to pre-date its efforts to open operations on the island. Yet the loans clearly could be a hot potato because U.S. citizens and companies are prohibited from doing business in Cuba under a strict trade embargo imposed after the communist revolution led by Fidel Castro. Foreign corporations and businesses generally are exempt from the Cuban Assets Control Regulations. Mandel, elected to the Ohio treasurer's office in 2010, is a Republican who is gearing up to run for the U.S. Senate against Democrat Sherrod Brown. Mandel's decision to invest millions in Scotiabank looks embarrassing because he has been aggressive in supporting trade sanctions. As a state representative in 2007, Mandel promoted legislation to force Ohio's government pension funds to sell off assets in non-U.S companies that did business in Iran, which is covered by the Trading With the Enemy Act. Information about his legislation is available here. Mandel's measure did not apply to Cuba. The Trading With the Enemy Act does apply to Cuba. And this latest development -- trading with a company that trades with an enemy -- opens Mandel to characterizations as a politician who says one thing for a headline but does another when nobody seems to be looking.

Trade sanctions are an important issue in Washington because American firms can be put at a competitive disadvantage by embargoes. The Cuban exile community in Florida generally supports U.S. policy that make the island off limits, and there have been tensions between the exiles and business interests who want to lift the sanctions.

The loans to Scotiabank are from STAR Ohio, a massive investment fund managed by the treasurer's office. It pools money from local governments -- counties, cities, and school districts -- and tries to get the best available return from financial markets. STAR Ohio began operation in 1995, long before Mandel became treasurer. There is no suggestion the assets in the fund are at risk -- only that money is going to a company doing business in a country under U.S. sanctions. Mandel has loaned funds in the past to European and Eurozone banks. He has unwound those deals. Financial markets are extremely skittish about the safety of investments of banks in the Eurozone where a sovereign debt crisis could overwhelm economies and trigger economic recession or worse.

Scotiabank's efforts to expand into Cuba became public this week, including a report from the Brazil- Canada Chamber of Commerce that said the news first broke in London from the Financial Times: London-based Financial Times on Sunday night.

Amid economic reforms on the island, Bank of Nova Scotia has reportedly applied to Cuban authorities to set up a representative office in the capital. Royal Bank is also considering opening an office in Havana, the report said. Scotiabank, which has extensive operations across South America and the Caribbean, and RBC, Canada’s largest bank, both had branches in the country before the 1959 Cuban Revolution ushered in Communism, and a subsequent U.S. embargo, which slowed foreign investment . . .
The Cuba Trade and Economic Council lists more than 80 companies in Canada with business ties to Cuba, including Bell Canada, Bombardier, and dozens of oil and gas companies.

The Federal Reserve definition of commercial paper -- the type of loan Mandel has made to the Canadian bank -- is as follows:

Commercial paper (CP) consists of short-term, promissory notes issued primarily by corporations. Maturities range up to 270 days but average about 30 days. Many companies use CP to raise cash needed for current transactions, and many find it to be a lower-cost alternative to bank loans.

Crowell & Moring, a Washington law firm active in the trade arena, has published a background paper about the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Some pertinent excerpts:

The statutory basis for the U.S. embargo on Cuba is the Trading With the Enemy Act ("TWEA"), which confers broad authority on the President to impose restrictions in furtherance of U.S. policy. The embargo is administered by the OFAC and is implemented through the Cuban Assets Control Regulations ("CACR"). The restrictions imposed by the CACR apply to:

any U.S. citizen or resident of the United States;

any person within the United States;

any business entity organized under U.S. law; and

any "corporation, partnership, or association, wherever organized or doing business, that is owned or controlled" by a U.S. person or persons.

Accordingly - and this is important - the restrictions of the U.S. embargo on Cuba apply not only to U.S. businesses but also to foreign businesses that are "owned or controlled" by a U.S. person(s). This is in contrast to other U.S. embargo programs, such as those applicable to Iran or Libya, which are authorized by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"), and which do not permit direct U.S. jurisdiction over foreign corporations.

Companies with activities in the United States - be they U.S. or foreign companies - can find themselves entangled in the Cuban embargo. The CACR's expansive jurisdiction reaches a wide range of offshore activities, including the activities of U.S. persons wherever they may be, and even applies to non-U.S. persons who are employees of or acting on behalf of U.S. persons. It applies as well to non-U.S. parent corporations that are owned or controlled by U.S. interests

Cincinnati Public Library Likes Sister Souljah: Activist Famous For "Kill White People' Line Lands On Reading List For Dr. King's Holiday

2012-01-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

Library Booklist Includes Sister Souljah for Dr. King's Birthday

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Sister Souljah was a rap singer when she said a week ought to be set aside to kill white people. It was hate speech and drew a rebuke from former President Bill Clinton, who likened Sister Souljah's words to the vile and violent language that KKK grand dragons used about African Americans. For the record, here's what she said: "I mean, if black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?" Hardly compatible with Dr. King's dream of a colorblind America.

Nearly 20 years have passed. Today's Sister Souljah is a best-selling author of fiction novels in a genre called "street lit," which is hip hop literature set in an urban landscape. Guns and gangsters are part of the cast. Now the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County -- perhaps forgetting that she once advocated racial slaughter -- recommends Cincinnatians should read Sister Souljah's latest work to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It could be argued that years have passed and everybody should move on and forget what she said. But years have passed since King spoke to us about non-violence. And nobody wants to forget what he said. Words have power. Sister Souljah's seem directly opposed to the entire mission of King's life built on a philosophy of non-violent social and economic change. King was a victim of racism when he was murdered in Memphis. He knew the risks and never flinched. The official legal proclamation that makes his birthday a holiday in Ohio declares a commemoration of Dr. King calls for "inter-racial cooperation, youth anti-violence, community service and other principles of non-violent social change and racial equality . . ."

Souljah's novel n the library reading list is "Midnight and the Meaning of Love." It is about a teenage boy and his teenage wife. He is black and 16, she is Japanese. Yes, they are underage minors. There is sex, violence, polygamy and a showdown with Asians -- who some might feel are stereotyped in Sister Souljah's tale. Fans believe she has mellowed since she became the Queen of urban lit. Still, it's hard to square her gritty novel with the humanitarian works that Ohio's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission wants celebrated in his memory this year. The commission's idea of a humanitarian is someone who pours their heart into making life better for others -- someone who promotes the betterment of all people and the elimination of pain and suffering through their own selfless service. Pretty tall order.

Obviously, Sister Souljah books should not be banned nor censored. The library is absolutely within its responsibilities to own and circulate titles under her authorship. But it might want to weigh whether her newst novel is consistent with Dr. King's standards, teachings and the spirit of his dreams for our nation. He knew that hate was hate, whether preached by white, black, Christian, Muslim or anybody in any culture or religion. He stood up to it.

Here's the link to the library's entire Martin Luther King Day booklist. And you can read below to see where Sister Souljah appears:

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

January 16th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Celebrate his birthday with one of these African American staff picks from the Library's collection.

ADULT FICTION: GENERAL

Capital Wives

Rochelle Alers

Twelve Gates to the City

Daniel Black

Money Can't Buy Love

Connie Briscoe

Just Wanna Testify

Pearl Cleage

The Resurrection of Nat Turner. Part 1, The Witnesses

Sharon Ewell Foster

Silver Sparrow

Tayari Jones

Getting to Happy

Terry McMillan

Mama Ruby

Mary Monroe

When the Thrill Is Gone

Walter Mosley

Hurricane

Jewell Parker Rhodes

Love, Honor, and Betray

Kimberla Lawson Roby

Midnight and the Meaning of Love

Sister Souljah

The Taste of Salt

Martha Southgate

Salvage the Bones

Jesmyn Ward

The Choir Director

Carl Weber

Zone One

Colson Whitehead

Cincinnati's YP CincyPAC In Public Records Showdown: COASTERS Use Courts To Snoop For E-Mails From Sharonville City Official

2012-01-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

Political Feuding Seemingly Spills Into Courts

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Lawyer Chris Finney, a power in the local anti-tax and small government group known as COAST, has filed a lawsuit demanding access to e-mails Sharonville's Economic Development Specialist Tammy Riddle supposedly sent to 28 people in the run-up to last fall's Cincinnati city elections. Riddle is on the board of

CincyPAC, which openly supports construction of a streetcar system in downtown Cincinnati. Streetcars are anathema to COAST, which sees the rail project as a multi-million boondoggle. The YP's have tended to see the streetcars as potential economic drivers that can revive the urban core. They have prevailed over COAST in two citywide referendums. CincyPAC is a political action committee of young professional founded in 2007. Members tend to be progressives, but the group is not tied to any political party. So far, the group has not emerged as a powerbroker in the city, although it is somewhat influential and has potential if it sticks together. Clearly, it has gotten under COAST's skin.

So whose e-mails are being sought? This is what the demand letter attached to the lawsuit says,

"All electronic communications between Tammy Riddle and the following persons/e-mail addresses from January 1, 2010 to the present: Shawn Baker, Michael Green, Doug Brandt, Katy Crossen, Patrick Quinn, Aja Roberto, Jameson Muth, Darren Tolliver, Evan Nolan, Myron Rivers, Tamaya Dennard, Tara Bonistall, Amber Burke Sprengard, Lori Adams, Beth Race, Trisa Wilkens, Catherine Smith Mills, Ashley Mills, Sean Butler, Rusdyn Lindsey, Chris Ostoich, Bobby Maly, David Dawson, Mark Schmidt, Rob Richardson, Margaret McGurk, Candace Klein." (The Daily Bellwether is going to omit the e-mail addresses on commonsense grounds.)

Of course, there is more to the clash than streetcars, although the names make clear that is a key issue. Margaret McGurk, whose name appears on the list, is a former Cincinnati Enquirer reporter who probably no longer qualifies for the description young professional (sorry Margaret). McGurk, however, was a major player in the pro-streetcar campaign that so torqued off COAST. CincyPac was ripped earlier this year by Aja Roberto (who name is on the e-mail list), a former board member who quit claiming the CincyPAC endorsement process was rigged. She compared the YP group to a Soviet-style politburo. Then came a review of the strife in Ben Sherman's Cincy Voices, who took the view that Roberto seemed "likely just as “guilty” of being biased and partisan as any member of the Board of Directors currently sitting. At the very least, it draws into question any accusations of extreme bias coming from her corner." Sherman also went on to note that the YP's endorsed just one Republican in the November Cincinnati City Council race, probably because the GOP candidates were out of touch with the group's core values:

"Yes, they did go from three Republicans out of seven down to one, but that could simply be due to the current composition of the group as opposed to what it was 2009, or the fact that, frankly, most of this years Republican candidates seem to have gone out of their way to oppose many of CincyPAC’s stated values. At any rate, it certainly doesn’t prove 'bias' on the part of the Board."

As for Tammy Riddle, she seems to be a solid public employee who has been sucked into a COAST lawsuit that, at this point, appears to have little public purpose except to try to dig up material that might (or might not) embarrass people who disagree with its ideology. Riddle probably can send e-mails on the Sharonville computers about economic development matters (read streetcar) because her job involves economic development. This is her Linked In profile:

"Working in economic development is rewarding because it is a hybrid of real estate development, finance, and business development. It fosters entreprenural spirit and provides opportunities to provide real value to businesses in a constantly evolving marketplace. I began my career in economic development working with communities and developers at Property Advisors, analyzing data and planning development projects, matching market-based demand with sustainable planning. Now, as economic development specialist for Sharonville, I've initiated the City's business attraction/retention strategies, manage City JV development projects, and lead business expansion and relocation projects; including structuring public financing, incentive negotiations, and public/private partnerships. Despite the lull in the market, Sharonville has seen much activity in business expansion, relocation, and new development. I am intrigued to work with more businesses as they embark on growth, in what is the ‘new reality’ of the business world."

The lawsuit is Case No. C1100734 in Hamilton County's 1st District Court of Appeals. The hearing is set for May 29. For now, the court says it won't put the case on a rocket docket for quick decision-making. That looks like a bit of a setback for the COASTERs. But lawyer Finney is a fighter with a reputation for holding his ground and not quitting.

200 Companies Fail To Meet Jobs Or Growth Goals Promised For State Financial $$$$: Corporate Welfare Soaking Ohio Taxpayers?

2012-01-02T14:16:00.002-05:00

Are Businesses Milking Ohio Incentive Programs?

By James McNair

Bellwether contributor

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- In Ohio, corporations receive more than $1 billion a year in state grants, loans, tax credits and job training money with pledges to create or retain jobs. State economic development incentives are supposed to demonstrate that Ohio has a welcoming business climate and will invest public dollars to help private companies grow. The whole idea behind the tax breaks and giveways is that the economy will fatten up. Some critics call it corporate welfare. Yet the practice is engrained and has wide support. But a new audit (see complete text attached by clicking link for PDF document) from Attorney General Mike DeWine could make you wonder what kind of payoff you get for all that money.

The 44-page report, released Dec. 29, has one central finding: Of all the assistance awards that expired Dec. 31, 2010, the state can vouch for only 52.4 percent of recipients that lived up to their promise of creating or retaining a specific number of jobs. DeWine doesn’t say how many jobs were created – or how much money was received – by the class of 2010. His report only says that the Ohio Department of Development gave out $1.3 billion in new grants, loans and tax credits in fiscal 2010.

So what happened to the other 47.6 percent of ODOD trough-feeders? The outcomes were a mixed bag. Some companies simply blew it, failed to produce the jobs and never took the money. In other cases, ODOD sought “clawbacks” of some of the money or changed the terms of the award. And in quite a few cases, the state never received the required “closeout report” from the company and thus has no clue whether it met or reneged on its obligations.

For whatever reason, noncompliance was most prevalent among companies that received grants (65 percent) and loans (62 percent). Companies that received workforce training grants had noncompliance rates of 31 percent, while those receiving tax credits were noncompliant 42 percent of the time.

The four counties making up Greater Cincinnati did better than the state average in living up to their job-creation promises, as 60 percent hit the mark. DeWine’s report doesn’t name those companies, but it ID’s those that fell short. Among them:

Hobson’s Inc. received a $270,214 grant, but failed to deliver the jobs it promised. ODOD recommended no course of action.
Midland Co. received a $217,662 grant, but disappointed on the job front. ODOD recommended that the Ohio Tax Credit Authority reduce its rate. Ditto for Wornick Co., which received $121,830.
Formica Corp. received a $138,689 grant, but didn’t create enough jobs. ODOD recommended that OTCA shorten the term of its award.
An unnamed company that received a $400,000 grant to do roadwork for Union Township in Clermont County failed to create or retain jobs as promised. ODOD forgave the company and didn’t seek a refund.

Meanwhile, The Canton Repository says taxpayers were supposed to get something for their money:

"The incentives were not intended only to plump up corporate profits. The incentives, usually funded directly or indirectly by taxpayers, were given on the condition that the recipients meet performance targets. There was to be a return to taxpayers in the form of new jobs and, thus, increased tax revenue. We applaud the Ohio legislature for enacting the law requiring a transparency report on state business incentives and DeWine’s office for completing it. Now let’s hope the Department of Development and Gov. John Kasich, who has made creating jobs and running government smartly the twin pillars of his administration, will press noncompliant companies to fulfill their promises — or pay up."

Ohio News Network Gives You Opportunity To Vote On Gov. Kasich's Performance

2011-12-31T13:54:00.000-05:00

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The sharp folks at Ohio Daily Blog have spotted a statewide straw poll now under way that lets Ohioans rate how Republican Gov. John Kasich's first year in office has worked out. Read on, click away and cast your vote:

Submitted by Anastasia Pantsios on Sat, 12/31/2011 - 9:50am.

In my last post, I mentioned that our gov. is sending out emails patting himself on the back for the great first year he had in office and asking you to send money to help him continue his outstanding work. Do you agree with his assessment of his accomplishments? The Ohio News Network gives you a chance to vote!
http://www.onntv.com/content/stories/2011/12/19/story-kasich-yearend-rev...You can read more blah blah blah about what a fine job HE thinks he's doing, then vote whether YOU think he's done an "excellent," "good," "fair" or "poor" job. One choice is swamping the others right now. Hint: "excellent" and "good" combined barely crack single digits.