http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/default.aspennoreply@blogger.com (Brian Butts)Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:35:06 -0500Blogger http://www.blogger.com3168125http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/politics-extra-blog-has-new-home.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Thu, 22 May 2008 10:30:46 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8910605861930789162The Politics Extra blog has moved. Check out the new one here http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/no-visible-ink-allowed-for-sis-folk.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jessica)Wed, 21 May 2008 16:36:10 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8830031453557265625UPDATED Jessica Brown reports: Union leaders met with Sheriff Leis today to voice their objections to the new tattoo policy. They offered some unspecified suggestions that would "make the policy acceptable to union members," said David Stanley, staff representative for the union. He said the sheriff will get back to the union on the suggestions. No timeline was given. Hamilton County Sheriff http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/gasp-banks-records-could-soon-be-online.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jessica)Wed, 21 May 2008 14:44:31 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-545717967497435220Records of contracts and money spent on The Banks riverfront project could soon be online under a program proposed by Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine last week. The Government Accountability in Spending Program (G.A.S.P.) is a county-take on a federal and state program to give taxpayers access to records showing how their money was spent. DeWine said he hopes The Banks records will be http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/note-to-readers.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Wed, 21 May 2008 13:05:04 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6611131261748398612We apologize, but as you might have noticed, we've had problems uploading photos to blogger.http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/lunch-and-crowleys-ej-proposal.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jane Prendergast)Thu, 22 May 2008 09:24:20 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6945387005690332244UPDATE: Altman and Crowley are unable to make it today, but Merz will be there to answer questions. If you're interested in Vice Mayor David Crowley's proposed environmental justice ordinance, there's a Thursday lunchtime forum on it. Crowley, lawyer David Altman and Crowley's chief of staff, Rocky Merz, will be at the Christ Church Cathedral undercroft, 318 E. Fourth St., at noon to talk abouthttp://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/commissioners-where-are-our-projects.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jessica)Wed, 21 May 2008 13:01:13 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-4469288537921812140So the county spent a ton of time this spring holding public hearings, gathering input, forming committees and debating the merits of dozens of projects that were vying for State Capital Bill funding. Well, it appears that was all for nothing. The State Capital list came out this week from Columbus and none of the three projects that the county had specifically deemed priorities (stadium debt http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/and-now-they-have-t-shirts-to-prove-it.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jessica)Wed, 21 May 2008 12:29:15 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8285700166783519497As we noted in this earlier blog, the county commissioners are Cincinnati Cyclones fans (they passed a resolution commending the team for a great season). Well, now they have the t-shirts to prove it. Ray Harris, CEO of the Nederlander Group which operates U.S. Bank Arena (the Cyclones' venue) came to Wednesday's commission meeting to thank the commissioners for their support -- And to bring http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/about-that-girls-gone-wild-rumor.aspCity of CincinnatiColumbuscongressnoreply@blogger.com (Jon Craig)Wed, 21 May 2008 13:10:02 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6589270748697466070We're not the first to report about a Statehouse videotape in which former state Rep. Geoff Smith, a Republican from Upper Arlington, teases state Democratic Reps. Steve Driehaus of Price Hill and Todd Book of Portsmouth. The Whistleblower newswire published an item on the alleged "Girls Gone Wild" episode in March here: But to put persistent rumormongering to bed, readers can listen to Smith'shttp://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/one-for-barack-one-for-hillary.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Howard Wilkinson)Wed, 21 May 2008 14:46:43 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-1047007845968320311When Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern announced his picks for the two open Ohio super-delegate slots, it was pretty well a lock that he would pick a Barack Obama supporter and a Hillary Clinton partisan. That expectation has become reality. It didn't take long after the May 10 Ohio Democratic Party convention, when the two superdelegates were approved, for Dave Regan, president http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/livingston-under-review.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Ben Fischer)Wed, 21 May 2008 07:56:04 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-7341863263853907036We just noticed that Nate Livingston's blog, Cincinnati Black Blog, is "under review" by its host, Blogger, for possible violations of its terms of service. The blog is no longer accessible from its usual address. No word what exactly triggered the review, but it comes amid "Operation Heightened Contradiction." We're sure you have your theories.http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/senators-react-to-kennedy-news.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Malia Rulon)Tue, 20 May 2008 16:21:27 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6959645498411447073Doctors today said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., has brain tumor, a condition discovered after he had seizure and was hospitalized this week. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, released this statement this afternoon: "Senator Kennedy is an inspiration for millions of Americans and a courageous fighter for working families across the country. I am honored to call him a colleague, a mentor, and a friendhttp://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/boehners-post-in-danger.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Wed, 21 May 2008 08:20:10 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-867935652013613426Politico reports: House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) has put to rest questions about the future of NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), but he hasn’t quelled concerns of Republican members, aides and lobbyists who say Boehner lacks the “killer instinct” necessary to fend off an electoral disaster in November. As usual in stories like this, no one is speaking on the record. Read the http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/sheriff-bans-tattoos.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Tue, 20 May 2008 14:25:44 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-7700760732538096191Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis is banning tattoos on his deputies — at least visible ones. Jessica Brown has the story herehttp://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/pepper-for-ag.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Tue, 20 May 2008 13:02:32 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-2013293931451843937UPDATE: Tim Burke told the Enquirer today that the other name he gave the governor’s office was that of Commission President Todd Portune. "What I have said consistently is there are two people down here who could do this job and do it well and that’s Todd Portune and David Pepper." He didn’t know whether Portune is being considered by the governor or not. "The AP said Pepper was one of them. http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/changes-coming-to-politics-extra.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Mon, 19 May 2008 11:58:34 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-9070274987347320653A note from the blog administrator: Starting later this week, this blog will be published in a new blog tool on a brand-new Cincinnati.Com website. It will be the same Politics Extra you love and curse, but with some improvements. And don't worry - we'll still link back to this one. Eventually, any bookmarks and links to this blog will take you to the new one. Once we start posting to the http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/singing-moms-for-obama.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Mon, 19 May 2008 14:33:06 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-5196621088547509618 We don't make this stuff up.Here's the release:Cincinnati native, Dawnyell Reese, inspired by The Life Of Senator Barack Obama and his race to become the President of the United States has created a new website.She began this site hoping to showcase moms who want to sing and show their support for the candidate. Dawnyell was classically trained at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/city-officials-kidnappers-get-prison.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Mon, 19 May 2008 11:57:34 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8675033452074079940Kimball Perry reports: A Mount Washington man who robbed a man who turned out to be the city of Cincinnati’s director of community development was sent to prison Monday. Reginald Rice, 36, was sent to prison for two years by Visiting Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Gorman after being fund guilty last month of robbery and kidnapping. Rice and Nicholas Donnerberg, 24, of Mount http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/mallory-send-me-best-educators.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jane Prendergast)Sat, 17 May 2008 14:45:53 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6589300497309272239Mayor Mark Mallory announces that he's starting something new to honor people who contribute the most to Cincinnati Public Schools. There'll be one winner a month of the Mayor's Recognition of Educational Excellence Award for six months and each will be honored at a City Council meeting as well as featured on the mayor's Web site. Anyone working in a field that directly affects the life of CPS http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/boehner-named-worst-person.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Fri, 16 May 2008 15:16:12 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-4800878083941424450http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/would-you-buy-dish-from-this-man.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Fri, 16 May 2008 13:21:40 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-2527935681195950711The Associated Press reports: Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann spent his first day after resigning helping his wife with her business selling dishes online. Dann’s attorney Mike Harshman says Dann helped his wife, Alyssa Lenhoff Dann, with her side job selling Fiestaware on the Internet. Dann walked two miles from his suburban Youngstown home Thursday to the office where he took orders http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/eby-for-state-rep-he-says-no.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jane Prendergast)Fri, 16 May 2008 13:13:19 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8835879454226655967Westwood Republican John Eby, who twice ran for City Council, will be at the St. Catharine's church festival tonight. Check in or around the beer booth. Where he won't be, he says, is in the race for state representative against Denise Driehaus. Somewhere on this blog or another, someone suggested he might replace Scott Gehring, who got out of the race last week, citing a family issue. Today athttp://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/hamilton-county-gop-opposed-red-light.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Fri, 16 May 2008 09:44:44 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-2670714489152923267 The Hamilton County Republican party this morning announced they opposed Cincinnati's plan to add red light cameras at intersections - a move the city hopes will add $1 million to city coffers. From the Hamilton County Republican party this morning: On May 15, 2008, the Hamilton County Republican Party Policy Committee met at Party Headquarters to discuss the issue of Red Light Cameras. The http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-rob.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Carl Weiser)Fri, 16 May 2008 16:48:41 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6753479151984440344 UPDATE: For what it's worth, Portman is in the "final four" of CQ's veepstakes bracket: US News reported Tuesday: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Rob Portman By Bobbie Kyle Sauer Sen. John McCain disclosed that he is in the "embryonic stages" of selecting a running mate, whom he hopes to introduce at the Republican National Convention. While he refused to disclose any names, McCain http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/if-cps-spends-money-and-no-one-notices.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Ben Fischer)Fri, 16 May 2008 16:05:36 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8347472821544462590At last night's Cincinnati school board public hearing called to discuss Superintendent Rosa Blackwell's proposed $445 million budget for next year, just two people who aren't on the CPS payroll or the board came. One of them was me, a reporter who routinely attends as part of my job. The other was Jim Berry, an Over-the-Rhine resident who's a frequent schools volunteer and member of the joint http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/2008/05/raise-taxes-we-didnt-mean-that.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Jessica)Fri, 16 May 2008 07:44:14 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-5799131507771971812 It wouldn't have been a total shock had Hamilton County's credit rating slipped after it spent $12 million of its reserve money on inmate housing fees, lawsuit settlements and elections equipment since 2006. However, the county made a ton of changes in the past 16 months and made a strong case to Moody's Investors Service and ended up salvaging its financial rating (read the Moody's report here)