Josh Mandel for State Treasurer

Letter from Representative Josh Mandel

I wanted you to be among the first to know that today, via Web video, I announced my decision to run for State Treasurer in the 2010 election. Please take a moment to watch my announcement video and visit my website for more details on my campaign: www.joshmandel.com.

Click here to watch the announcement video now or paste http://www.joshmandel.com/page/announcement-video into your browser.

I decided to run for Treasurer after spending many months on the road, traveling to all corners of Ohio and accumulating over 30,000 miles on my car. Time and time again, I heard the same message from folks throughout the state: they are frustrated that while our economy is hurting and families are tightening their belts, our government continues to over-spend.

I believe that, to change the direction of our state, we need new leaders who believe in good old-fashioned values like honesty, hard work and fiscal responsibility. I learned these timeless values from my family and they were reinforced in me by the Marine Corps. I have carried them with me throughout my life, and I will work day and night to honor them in my service to you as State Treasurer.

My most important duty as Treasurer will be to protect the hard-earned dollars of every Ohioan. I have a proven record of standing up for Ohio’s taxpayers, including spearheading one of the only municipal tax rollbacks in the State’s history as a City Councilman. As State Representative, I helped reform the investment oversight structure for the scandal-ridden Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

I began my previous campaigns for office by campaigning door-to-door in lake-effect snow storms and by promising my supporters that I will never be outworked. My strategy for this race is no different – I promise to run a high-energy grassroots campaign, utilizing technology and engaging the young and the old alike. I hope you will consider joining our team today by making a contribution, signing up to volunteer, or by forwarding this message to your friends.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,


Josh Mandel

Mayor's Defense Of Laketa Cole Is Irresponsible

In his weekly meeting with the media today, Mayor Mallory defended Laketa Cole's recent interaction with Cincinnati police during a routine traffic stop. The Enquirer reports that the Mayor said that Ms. Cole did "nothing wrong" when she called the city manager and a high ranking Assistant Police Chief in the Cincinnati Police Division when she and her friend were stopped for an alleged traffic violation. A video of the scene shows Ms. Cole making phone calls during this traffic stop and then handing the telephone to the police officer at the scene. To read more on this topic and for our comments on this matter from earlier in the week, click here.

When asked by a reporter if the average citizen can call the city manager during a traffic stop, Mayor Mallory, amazingly, answered that citizens were free to call the city manager "if they had his cell phone number."

Statement of Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou
"I find Mayor Mallory's defense of Ms. Cole's actions disappointing, but not surprising. The Mayor's judgment has been lacking in several key respects and this is just another in a long line of critical mistakes made by his administration."

"Even more disappointing is the Mayor's flippancy on the question of whether citizens can call high ranking city officials in the midst of a traffic stop. I understand that the Mayor was attempting humor, but the abuse of power by a city government official to possibly receive special treatment from law enforcement should not be a source of humor for the chief executive of our great city. It ought to be condemned."

"In this moment, the Mayor had an opportunity to offer sound leadership by condemning a member of his own party for what was obviously improper behavior by Ms. Cole. On this question of leadership and on so many others, he has failed our city."

Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Elections have consequences. President Obama today selected a left-of-center nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States.

This may surprise some readers, but I think the GOP should take a very "wait and see" approach on this nominee until we have more facts.

Just as we expected President Bush to get his choices affirmed, there is an expectation that President Obama should have his affirmed. If we don't like his choices, we should not elect him as our President.

As for his nominee, we should point out why a Republican President would make better choices. We lost that argument in 2008.

More on this in the days ahead...

Memorial Day

Have a great Memorial Day!

Cincinnati City Council Member Laketa Cole

The Channel 9 I-Team has exposed Democratic Cincinnati city council member Laketa Cole for attempting to use her position on the Cincinnati city council to influence the events of a recent traffic stop where her companion was charged with illegally driving under a suspension and she allegedly committed a traffic infraction. Click here to SEE the I-Team story. Click here to READ the I-Team story.

The media reports several disturbing things:

1. Upon being stopped by police, Ms. Cole made phone calls to high-ranking city and police officials from the scene. She called the Cincinnati city manager, Milton Dohoney. She called high-ranking Cincinnati police Assistant Chief Lt. Col. Michael Cureton. Her minor traffic infraction must have been a source of great public concern causing these important city officials to attend to Ms. Cole and her friend's personal escapades rather that to the public's business.

2. Ms. Cole was riding with someone who, according to the charges against him, shouldn't be driving on the streets of the city because his license is suspended.

3. Ms. Cole inserted herself into the work of a police officer by using her position as a member of the city council to "go over the officer's head" to an Assistant Police Chief so as to question and attempt to alter the events of the traffic stop. She succeeded. The police cruiser video clearly shows the police officer perplexed over the orders of an Assistant Police Chief who was called by Ms. Cole. After receiving the telephone from Ms. Cole, P.O. Zucker can be heard saying, "He just told me not to take the motorcycle. Now, what do I do?" Ms. Cole influenced the events of this traffic stop leaving the police officer concerned about his responsibility. The law is clear: he was to seize the motorcycle. He now understood that he had received a different order from his supervisor through Ms. Cole's cell phone. Did Ms. Cole try to influence whether her companion's motorcycle would be seized thereby forcing this police officer to make a choice between not following the law or not following an Assistant Chief's orders? With some clarification, the officer was finally able to do his duty and seize the offender's motorcycle. Although the right thing ultimately happened and the motorcyle was seized, the facts demonstrate that Ms. Cole was trying to use her authority to improperly influence and interfere with police procedure.

4. Ms. Cole stated to the I-team that she "never asked for a favor." Putting word games aside, the facts demonstrate otherwise and the statement defies common sense. Ms. Cole was trying to be a "big shot" and that is obvious to anyone who watches the video.

5. Ms. Cole called Mr. Dohoney to question why three police officers were on the scene. Was she insinuating some inappropriate police behavior? I have watched hundreds of these police videos as a prosecutor, Judge, and now private attorney. There is nothing unusual about police officers gathering at a traffic stop that becomes somewhat out of the ordinary. This is routine and regular police procedure. To the inexperienced viewer, it may seem odd. It simply is not. Officers will sometimes congregate at the scene of a stop for many reasons. Ms. Cole escalated this police stop by using her position as a member of city council.

6. The Enquirer reports that Ms. Cole claims she is innocent of the traffic infraction but will "pay it out" (a way of pleading guilty to a minor traffic infraction). Her statement to the Enquirer: "“Because of all the media, it’s easier just to pay it out, even though I don’t see that I did anything wrong,” she said. “I think it’s gotten bigger than it actually is.” So, Ms. Cole claims she was wrongly charged but will now not exercise her Constitutional rights and stand on her presumption of innocence because of media scrutiny? Incredible.

Laketa Cole chairs the powerful city council Finance Committee. It is fair to say that this committee chairmanship is the most coveted on the council as it can be so influential in how the city spends millions of dollars. Ms. Cole was appointed to this spot by Mayor Mallory. Her role on this committee makes her even more influential to the city manager and to the police division. We can be sure of one thing: When Ms. Cole calls any agency funded with city dollars--she will get an answer and action promptly. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of phone call a responsible public servant should ever make.

This is not Ms. Cole's first time dealing with the police and leaving the public to wonder whether she was using her position to influence events. Today's online Enquirer reports:

"This is not Cole’s first run-in with police. In October 2007, during her re-election campaign, Cole got into a fight with another woman over a boyfriend. Neither was charged. Police said Cole asked that her name be left off the police report, but Cole said it was police who suggested she remain anonymous.

Police officials checked open records laws and later added her name to the report."

To read the entire Enquirer story, click here.

Politically, we've blogged about Ms. Cole's failure to act cooperatively with the county to help alleviate the dangerous lack of jail capacity that our county suffers. In a letter to County Commissioner Hartmann, Ms. Cole rebuffed efforts by the county to buy more ankle monitoring bracelets to keep an eye on offenders who ought to be in non-existent jail space. Read our blog posting here.

The recent events involving Ms. Cole demonstrate a pattern of behavior that voters should strongly consider as they go to the ballot box in November. This most recent episode is unacceptable and wrong. Ms. Cole has demonstrated behavior that is unprofessional and unbecoming of a public official. She is not worthy of re-election.

Her chairmanship of a critical committee responsible for controlling public funds came as a result of her receiving that appointment from the Democratic Mayor. Mayor Mallory made a mistake in that appointment. That mistake should not be repeated.

The city has a chance to elect better leadership at city hall in 2009 and we will urge them to do so, relentlessly, until Election Day.

Thursday, etc.

Is the winner of American Idol a Republican? I watched about 60 minutes of that show all year, but it seems he was certainly the more conservative of the two finalists. The other finalist was very good and maybe more talented, but America voted for the more traditional person. On talent alone, I probably would've voted for the 2nd place finisher. Adam Lambert was very good. But, the winner, Kris Allen, was certainly more traditional and conservative in his approach.

And...

In all the stories in yesterday's news about the serious budget shortfall that has city officials "stunned," did you see a single mention of our Mayor? Where is he? I think Vegas.

And...

This weekend kicks off the traditional summer campaign season of festivals, parades, and other such campaigning. It's a great time of year.

And...

Check out Dr. Wenstrup's website: http://www.bradwenstrup.com/.

And...

We had a conference call with our Judicial Nominating Committee last night. It is not too soon to think about 2010. With Judge Painter resigning, there will be a Democrat on the First District Court of Appeals that we will have to knock-off. We already have great candidates thinking about that race. It should be interesting.

And...

I had lunch with a great Republican yesterday, Mark Quarry. Mark is a member of the Silverton city council where he brings common sense Republican values to the job and he is serving the citizens very well.

And...

The Redlegs play a business day special today at 12:35 p.m.. Do they have Wi-Fi at the ballpark?

And...

As promised, our party will support and endorse candidates for the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. The Board has been dominated by people who get elected with the support and money of the teacher's unions. We need to break this cycle to help the kids of the Cincinnati Public Schools. We'll fight hard to put a few new board members there.

And...

With Commissioner Pepper running for State Auditor, our chances of winning that seat on the County Commission in 2010 should improve. Who should be our candidate? Don't be shy. You know how to contact us.

And...

Speaking of Commissioner Pepper....the voters of Hamilton County ought to ask one question: Is Hamilton County better off now than it was when Pepper was elected and the Democrats took control of the Commissioner's office? The answer is simply "no." We have 800 fewer jail beds, fewer Sheriff's patrols, and a public safety crisis with no plan for how to deal with it. That's not leadership worthy of a promotion. Mary Taylor is the first CPA to hold the office of
Auditor of State and she is supremely qualified to hold the position. She deserves re-election.

And...

Have a great Thursday.

Democratic Big Government Run Amok

Meet Democratic member of the Ohio House of Representatives Peter S. Ujvagi. I didn't know of him until this morning. Rep. Ujvagi and several of his Democratic colleagues in the Ohio House, namely Representatives Phillips, Pryor, Murray, Koziura, Letson, Yuko, Chandler, Winburn, and Bolon, are part of the big government problem in Columbus.

Why?

While Ohio struggles with a budget crisis that threatens the very financial stability of this state, these Democrats have proposed some very important legislation in House Bill No. 45. What critical measures are these Representatives taking during our state's crisis? They want to make it a crime in Ohio if you fail to have your lights on while you have your windshield wipers on. I'm not joking. Check out their bill here. If you fail to have on your lights while you have on your wipers during any precipitation, you are committing a crime and face a fine under this proposed legislation. Unbelievable.

Is it prudent to have on your lights and wipers during a rain storm? Sure. Is it a "best practice?" Of course. Should big government punish you for not doing it? No way.

Our state is in terrible financial health. Non-partisan editorial boards across this state have been highly critical of this Governor and the Democrats in the state legislature for proposing (and the House passing) a budget that is completely irresponsible. The Columbus Dispatch, not a tool or arm of the GOP, chastised the Governor in an editorial on this topic. Read it here.

The state may go broke. We may be releasing more violent felons from our prisons. We can't punish child support offenders. But, we can certainly face a criminal fine for not having our lights on during a rain drizzle.

Democratic big government threatens our freedom every single day with ridiculous legislation like that proposed here by Rep. Ujvagi. The future of the GOP is in protecting freedom.

Ghiz to Oppose Streetcar Project

Cites Economy, City Budget Crisis for ‘Difficult Decision’
___________________________________

New Proposal Would Use $800k for Streetcar Study for Public Safety Plan

Councilmember Leslie Ghiz today announced that she would be rescinding her support for the Cincinnati Streetcar Project. An original supporter of the plan, Ghiz said she was forced to change her position due to economic and financial realities. Just yesterday, City Council’s Finance Committee was notified by the Finance Director of a $40 million deficit for 2010.

As with most cities across the country, Cincinnati is faced with some bleak financial numbers. Income tax revenues are expected to dwindle by $11 million this year alone. The street car project’s initial budget, Ghiz noted, proposed to use $25 million from the City Capital budget, of which 27% is funded through the Income Tax.

“My support for this project came at a much different economic time,” said Ghiz. “I’d love to continue this support but in good conscience cannot considering our financial predicament.”

Ghiz also announced a plan today to re-allocate the $800,000 set aside last year to study potential streetcar routes to fulfill the Ghiz-Harris public safety plan to lease electronic monitoring units for City offenders and hire two City Solicitors to aggressively combat blight and nuisance issues.

“Public safety has to be our top focus right now,” she said. “I promised to bring funds forward each week until we find 5 Councilmembers to recognize the looming public safety crisis and act accordingly. This is just the first step.”

Ghiz said she will introduce the ordinance Wednesday for Committee referral.

George Zamary for Cincinnati City Council

"Z is the Key" Cookout

Please join the Zamary for Council Campaign at Mt. Echo Park

Saturday, May 16th from 12 pm - 3 pm

$10 contribution includes food and drink.
Contact: ZamaryforCityCouncil@yahoo.com

"Call The Question"

With those three words, Democrat Laketa Cole displayed a stunning abdication of the city's most basic responsibility: public safety. With the strong support of the Mayor and the one Charterite on the city council, Ms. Cole shut down any debate on whether the city should spend $471,000 of our tax dollars to buy more ankle bracelet/electronic monitoring units to track those who should be in the jail but can't be because of our county budget mess.

The Democrats who run the city with the help of the only real Charterite have played every trick, used every parliamentary tactic, and maneuvered procedurally to avoid a public vote on whether our federal tax stimulus monies should be used to help the county purchase more of these units. Once forced to deal with it, Ms. Cole shut down debate with virtually no debate at all. This is irresponsible and hurts the city.

The city's argument, "it's not the county's money" is wrong. It demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding on how government ought to function. It ought to function for the people, not for the politicians.

Kudos to Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel for standing for public safety.

We have a chance to make a difference in the city in 2009. Let's embrace it.

Good Guy Loitering

Have you heard of Good Guy Loitering? I hope so. The group is impressive.

A group of Westwood residents have decided to take back their neighborhoods by "loitering" on troubled street corners so as to keep out the criminal element. It is a great idea!

On Facebook, they describe themselves like this:

"Good Guy Loitering is just a group of friends and neighbors getting together - publicly - in a part of our community that is struggling with bad behavior. It is a showing that such behavior is not acceptable. But don't get me wrong, it's a blast! In large part, it is a few hours of fun and fellowship with other Westwood residents. It's a good time, and maybe that's the point. People seeing their neighbors out having a good time at night in Westwood IS A GOOD THING."

Their next event is tomorrow, May 14 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the corner of Harrison and Grasselli in the heart of Westwood. Stop by and greet these great citizens as they fight back against crime and blight!

*This NOT a partisan group. I highlight them today because I support the work they do.

**Media Release on State Auditor Campaign**

The expected announcement by Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper that he will seek the office of Auditor of State in Ohio comes as no surprise to the citizens of Hamilton County. Mr. Pepper has been a career politician who has sought the office of Cincinnati city council, Mayor (unsuccessfully), and county commissioner over just the last few years.

Ohio's Auditor, Mary Taylor, is the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to hold that position. She has done an outstanding job for the citizens of Ohio because she has superior qualifications and is the most well-qualified for the position. Mr. Pepper, a lawyer, has no experience in accounting or auditing and is simply trying to climb the Ohio political ladder. Mary Taylor is a qualified, committed, and intelligent public servant who deserves re-election.

Statement by Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou

"State Auditor Mary Taylor is the best qualified person to serve as Auditor of State in our state's history. The first CPA to hold the position, Mary Taylor received a degree in accounting and a masters degree in taxation. She has served as a state legislator and on the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee. She is uniquely qualifed for this position and she deserves re-election.

"Mr. Pepper's short tenure as a Hamilton County Commissioner provides no basis for voters to promote him to statewide office. Our county faces a fiscal and public safety crisis after Mr. Pepper and his colleagues brazenly raised taxes without a vote of the citizens only to be rebuffed by the voters for the irresponsible size of their tax increase proposal. The failure of the commissioners to successfuly fund public safety has left our county with a dangerous lack of jail capacity. Services have been severely diminished with no end in sight to the fiscal crisis faced by the county. Now, the President of the County Commission will leave Hamilton County and travel the state campaigning during this crisis. Even in politics, this is irresponsible."

If It Were Just Pennies...

Ankle Bracelets II

I was somewhat reluctant to continue posting about the EMU/ankle bracelet controversy today because it really shouldn't be politicized. But, if politics means giving voters a choice for more responsible leadership and a better government, then I'm politicizing this issue.

The spat between the city and the county about the city's refusal to spend its portion of a stimulus grant to protect public safety is unfortunate. The city's leaders refuse to contribute to purchasing more EMU (electronic monitoring units) to help alleviate the crisis that the courts and law enforcement face in this county and city. Yesterday's blog post summarizes the problem.

The city's obstinate posture was reinforced by councilmember Laketa Cole in an exchange of letters with Republican Commissioner Greg Hartmann. Check out the exchange on the Enquirer's blog here.

Essentially, Ms. Cole's answer about this stimulus money can be summarized as follows:

(1) It's ours and we'll spend it as we see fit.

(2) We gave you your half and we're not telling you how to spend it.

(3) If you don't like it, we'll run our own jail with the tax money we generate.

Wow.

My fundamental problem with many Democrats is how they view YOUR tax money. The letter by Ms. Cole is a precise example of the the problem. This is not the city's money or the county's money: it is the taxpayers' money! It should be spent according to the needs of all the citizens and government agencies shouldn't be fighting about who gets to spend the money based on some childish notion of sharing or fairness. They should be working cooperatively to alleviate a public safety nightmare.

Ms. Cole simply doesn't get it. And, neither does our Mayor. This is OUR money, not yours. You need to spend it to protect us.

We have a chance to make a change in 2009.

"Ankle Bracelets"

A controversy has erupted at Cincinnati city hall over council member Leslie Ghiz's proposal that the city spend about $500,000 of federal stimulus money on electronic monitoring units like the one pictured above. These ankle bracelets or "EMU" devices--as they are commonly referred to in the courts--allow a person to be placed on house arrest and assures that offenders or those awaiting trial stay confined to a certain area. Removal of the unit or the failure to stay within the confined space results in a notification to law enforcement that you are in violation of your "EMU" terms and you are then arrested and presumably jailed for violating those terms.

As a Judge, I used EMU as an alternative to jail in certain cases. They are a cost-effective and relatively safe alternative to jail for non-dangerous offenders. They are not a substitute for incarceration when someone is considered dangerous. But, they offer one more alternative for judges to have when deciding how to protect the community and to punish offenders. They can be useful.

There is a serious law enforcement crisis in Hamilton County. We are now beginning to see the signs of the problem. A community our size cannot eliminate 800 jail beds and not experience some drop-off in public safety. Most criminals are repeat offenders. The most serious crimes are usually committed by those with lengthy criminal histories. Incarcerating those who commit less serious offenses has an impact on public safety because those offenders are less apt to commit more serious offenses when they are incarcerated. I offer this opinion based on a career working in the criminal courts as a prosecutor and a judge in both trial courts.

This week, three municipal court judges testified before the city council. The judges went to the council on a bi-partisan basis to explain to the public the problems our community faces with the lack of jail space. This is not a political issue. The lack of jail space is a problem every judge, regardless of political affiliation, grapples with every day. They recognize the crisis.

As a former judge, I regularly hear from my friends and former colleagues in the courts. I hear a constant stream of complaints about how ineffective the courts have become because of the lack of jail space and the inability of the judges to incarcerate offenders. Again, it is a crisis.

The media reports that 75% of criminals incarcerated in the justice center are city offenders. I am surprised it is that low. The crime ridden communities of Hamilton County are largely in the city of Cincinnati with a few exceptions. A majority of murders and most gun crimes occur in the city. The city is most affected by crime.

Leslie Ghiz's proposal that the city use federal stimulus money to purchase these EMU devices is an important step in the right direction. There is nothing threatening the safety of the citizens of Cincinnati more than the inability of judges to incarcerate offenders. These units are one of many alternatives that city and county government should pursue to alleviate this critical problem.

Unfortunately, on Wednesday the Democrats on the city council did not support an effort to allow the full council to consider the Leslie Ghiz's proposal. They effectively killed it before a critical May 18 deadline to apply for federal stimulus dollars. Blocking Ghiz's proposal is irresponsible and reflects a misunderstanding of the real law enforcement crisis being faced by the courts every single day.

Mayor Mallory issued the following statement, "According to state law counties are responsible for jails not cities. If the County wants to spend their portion of the funding on ankle bracelets, then they are free to do so. Mayor Mallory supports the Counties ability to spend their money as they wish." (See my source here.)

Is this the kind of city-county cooperation we expect from our city chief executive during a law enforcement crisis? Essentially, Mayor Mallory says, "not our problem."

First, the federal stimulus monies that are being awarded to be spent here are not "city" funds. They are federal tax monies that ought to be used in a way to best serve the citizens.

Second, the city needs to pitch-in at a time where the county is in crisis and the crisis is one of crime committed largely within city limits.

Yesterday, Dr. Brad Wenstrup, our candidate for Mayor, issued a statement supporting council member Ghiz's proposal and urging its consideration. That is what a responsible leader should do.

Have a great weekend.

Bloggers

I was reading the Cincinnati Reds blog this morning and found the following post by Tim Curtis, the Assistant Editor for Online Sports at the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"OK gang, this blog is spinning out of control again with long posts and personal vendettas. It's creating a poisonous atmosphere that is hurting the entire experience for many readers. If it continues, we will get aggressive with our deletion of posts. We absolutely do not want to do that, but we can't let a couple bad apples spoil the experience for 98 percent of the blog users. So please, be civil. It's just a game. It's supposed to be fun."

What is it about blogs and anonymous posts that just let people be this way? What engenders the kind of hate that people muster so easily? Why do people act this way?

You could answer, but we've shut off comments again on this site because of the hateful, unproductive, and silly comments posted by those with little else to do but be negative.

I'm disappointed by it all because I started this blog a year ago hoping it might yield some productive feedback. We get some of that, but it is mostly hateful and negative. And, cowardly.

Streetcars, etc.

Has the case been made for the streetcar system in Cincinnati? I don't think so. But, readers should understand that most Republicans are not against public transit or even automatically against streetcars. We are concerned about the costs of the current plan and whether it is well designed to spur economic development in a place where that is vital and at a time of economic slowdown. The next Mayor of Cincinnati, Brad Wenstrup, has the right approach.

And...

Leslie Ghiz is a true leader for the GOP at City Hall. Her proposal to use city funds to buy more electronic monitoring units to help with the jail space dilemma in the county is a common sense solution to a real life problem. It shows Councilmember Ghiz's ability and desire to work cooperatively with county government to make the streets safer for the city. This type of common sense governance is exactly what the city needs. Leslie and Chris Monzel need the help of Charlie Winburn, Amy Murray, and George Zamary on that council. With Brad Wenstrup as Mayor, we can make a difference in Cincinnati!

And...

Several school levies failed last night in the primary election. This does not make this Republican automatically gleeful. I haven't studied ANY of the levies to know the merits of ANY of them, so I'm not commenting pro or con on any particular levy. But, I will say this: Government ought to get the message that voters are sick and tired of having their taxes raised and any person tempted to go to the voters for more money ought to be ready to defend why they need more of our money. Republicans need to stand with taxpayers.

And...

Is the media treating Democrat Vice President Joe Biden's gaffes in the same way that they treated conservative former Vice President Dan Quayle's? Not even close.

And...

I had occasion to work with the Cincinnati Police Department on something earlier this week. I am always so impressed with that group. As a prosecutor, a Judge, and now a private attorney, I have great admiration for the work that they do and it is in large part because of the great command staff that runs the department.

And...

George Will has a very fair and very entertaining column in Newsweek about the overexposed presidency of President Barack Obama. Read it here.

And...

I've had enough Cincinnati Reds Kool-Aid to last me all summer. This is the best pitching staff in baseball right now. Phillips is coming out of his slump and they're playing good D. Who can't root for the Reds to succeed? They have ownership that deeply cares about winning and they've been aggressive in trying to get that done with a core group of great young players.

And...

Have a great Wednesday.

Dr. Brad Wenstrup for Mayor

Earlier today, Dr. Brad Wenstrup announced his candidacy for Mayor of the city of Cincinnati. We couldn't be happier about this announcement.

To learn more about Dr. Wenstrup and his impressive background, visit his website at http://www.bradwenstrup.com/.

GOP to Announce Candidate for Mayor

***MEDIA RELEASE***
Hamilton County Republican Party
to Announce Candidate
for
Cincinnati Mayor 2009 _______________________________________________________

The Hamilton County Republican Party will host an important announcement about the future of Cincinnati on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. at historic Findlay Market. The announcement will take place at the north entrance to the market near the corner of Findlay and Elm St. Parking is free in the lot.

Questions, call HQ at 513-381-5454

Gov. Strickland's Budget

The Governor's proposed budget was passed in the Ohio House of Representatives in a party line vote where not a single Republican voted for its passage. Congratulations to the Republicans for standing for fiscal sanity. Before passing it, though, House Democrats added more spending--about $622 Million more than even this big spending governor requested.

The Columbus Dispatch editorialized about this budget mess today and titled their article "Rejecting Reality." The Dispatch wrote, "He [Strickland] and House legislators obviously are suspending fiscal responsibility until after the 2010 election. Why were Strickland and the Democrats so eager to regain the Governor's Mansion and legislative power, only to run from the very responsibilities they fought so hard to win?"

To read the entire editorial, click here.