Issue Endorsements for the Cincinnati 2011 Elections

2011 is an off year election but it is very important. City Council is up for re election and there as many important issues you can have a voice on by voting. Exercise that right on Tuesday November 8th. These are my Issue endorsements:

Issue 2 - No because 2 keeps Ohio's anti-labor Senate bill 5 in place. SB 5 restricts public workers rights to collective bargaining. This limits the rights of our Teachers, Nurses, Police Officers and Firefighters.

Issue 3 - No because this under minds the core of the Healthcare proposals savings in federal deficit reduction as well as minimizing consumer savings. This law is largely not in place and will not be until 2014. We currently pay for hospital visits for the uninsured as taxpayers already. This could jeopardize our States access to federal Medicaid funds causing more citizens to lose their insurance coverage.This means that we would have to continue the practice of locally subsidizing indigent care through tax levies on a local level. No matter how much the Tea Party drapes this issue in the flag of personal freedom what they don't tell you is undermining the mandate will lead to less people insured, less deficit reduction, higher property tax levies and higher health premiums. That is fiscally irresponsible.

Issue 32 - Yes supports general improvements for the Cincinnati School district.

Issue 37 - Yes supports Health and Hospital Services.

Issue 38 - Yes supports Child Services.

Issue 44 and 45 - Yes on Electric and Gas Aggregation because these are green proposals that  can save you money on your monthly bill.

Issue 46 - No because 46 will loosen local campaign finance laws in a time when we need more transparency and accountability.

Issue 47 - No because 47 is another charter amendment referendum to kill a tax proposal when the city has a $33 Million shortfall.

Issue 48 - No because 48 will amend the city charter to limit public and private rail investment for the next 10 years. We need jobs and investments in public transportation. Rail investments spur population and economic growth in cities across this country. Mark Twain said he wants to be in Cincinnati when the world ends because we are 10 years behind the rest of the world. Lets not leave ourselves 20 years behind.