tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140267852008-05-11T20:18:08.741-04:00Brian Buttshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15738624681383335534noreply@blogger.comBlogger3122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-50241460140405500942008-05-10T21:35:00.003-04:002008-05-11T08:18:12.195-04:00

Marc Dann was excommunicated, as much as Democrats can do that. Read Howard Wilkinson's story on that here Even Hillary Clinton's own delegates want her to get out of the race. Read Howard Wilkinson's full story here

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-9138907519769557792008-05-09T16:46:00.000-04:002008-05-09T16:47:17.032-04:00

It's true, Scott Gehring's getting out of the state rep race. He said he told the county Republican Party about a month ago that this likely would be coming so party officials could start talking to other people who might face Denise Driehaus in November. He said he knows they've talked to some people. The party has until Aug. 20 to come up with someone. He plans to stay on as a board member of

Jane Prendergasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01496773597025657835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-66850345767275419632008-05-09T12:13:00.000-04:002008-05-09T12:14:00.351-04:00

In a weird procedural move this week, House Republicans, including several Cincinnati lawmakers, seemingly voted for motherhood before sort of voting against it. The whole strategy is a bit confusing, but essentially, everyone in the House voted (412-0) to pass the seemingly uncontroversial H. Res. 113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of

Malia Rulonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15769248241518776201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-22092211800033072122008-05-09T11:55:00.000-04:002008-05-09T11:55:55.852-04:00

Republicans have renewed their call for Democrat Steve Driehaus to return money raised at a fundraiser hosted by tainted Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann. Read the Ohio GOP's original news release on this topic HERE. Driehaus told The Enquirer earlier this week that he had the fundraiser, not Dann, and that Dann was just an invited guest. And on top of that, Dann didn't even end up attending

Malia Rulonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15769248241518776201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-19495389764079386382008-05-08T16:48:00.004-04:002008-05-09T10:25:12.568-04:00

Hamilton County's Department of Family Services recently got some praise for its work involving food stamps. Specifically: food stamp accuracy. It may not seem too exciting, but it's actually a lot harder then it sounds, said JFS officials. Put simply, food stamp accuracy is the process of making sure the person is getting the amount of food stamps they're supposed to be getting. The

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111887248667448494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-71727623275813972202008-05-08T16:15:00.003-04:002008-05-08T16:46:19.970-04:00

Harold Dates, CEO of SPCA Cincinnati, talked today about the proposed changes to Cincinnati's pit bull ordinance. He doesn't mind the part about training 10 officers (five in each district) in how to identify a pit bull. The SPCA, he said, is happy to do that training. But what he can't do, he said, is "be compelled to remove pit bulls." The private, non-profit agency enforces only the Ohio

Jane Prendergasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01496773597025657835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-91116343180778170822008-05-08T14:24:00.004-04:002008-05-08T15:50:54.442-04:00

Charlie Winburn's been popping up here and there lately. Three weeks ago, he and Judge Nadine Allen pitched their plan to Hamilton County Commissioners that would erase old warrants. Then, Monday, he took to the steps of City Hall with representatives of the NAACP, COAST and other groups to announce that they'll try to gather 6,000 more signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot

Jane Prendergasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01496773597025657835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-6977212989850914472008-05-08T14:15:00.004-04:002008-05-08T15:08:58.453-04:00

The invitation doesn't say how much it'll cost you, but Brian Garry's inviting people to a fund-raiser tonight in Clifton for Steve Driehaus, who's running for Congress. It's at the home of Beverly Thomas and Michael Ramundo and lists former Gov. John Gilligan and former Congressman and Mayor David Mann as among the hosts. It's 6-8 p.m. tonight. Call 513-221-5807 or e-mail mike@mcr-marketing.com

Jane Prendergasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01496773597025657835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-41277048005509323072008-05-08T13:29:00.007-04:002008-05-08T14:59:16.275-04:00

Several blog commenters (thanks) pointed out this story, headlined "Meet Caspar the friendly Swiss intern," in The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper. It's about Caspar Oertli, a Swiss 18-year-old, who briefly interned on the Steve Driehaus campaign. Oertli did not much like Cincinnati, it turns out. Oertli is friendly and shy with shaggy brown hair that hangs in his eyes and a big smile he

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-74781111266663832712008-05-08T13:06:00.004-04:002008-05-08T13:49:26.726-04:00

Mayor Mark Mallory recounted today: “I stopped at a car wash out in Colerain Township and a woman out there told me that maybe she would come downtown if there weren’t so many bodies piled up in the streets. And I thought she was joking, but she was absolutely serious,” Mallory said. The woman later told him she hadn’t been downtown in 17 years. Read Keith Reed's full story here

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-84876583106992462972008-05-08T12:16:00.004-04:002008-05-08T12:42:45.837-04:00

Last week, state auditors published the annual financial audit of Cincinnati Public Schools. Here's an accompanying management letter. The district routinely makes news for its money problems, but auditors found only limited problems with how CPS complies with state budget law and accounting protocol, and how it controls its own spending. Four shortcomings outlined in pages 7-9 of the report

Ben Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229642113545538064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-84027633657363159252008-05-08T10:25:00.002-04:002008-05-08T10:31:01.969-04:00

Here's an AP story, followed by the press release announcing the 2 p.m. press conference: From AP: Thursday is the deadline for state lawmakers to act on a proposed bill that would require most Ohio companies to provide workers with at least seven paid sick days each year. The bill’s supporters say that, without action by legislators, they plan to collect enough signatures to put the issue on

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-47748440564343018302008-05-07T19:46:00.005-04:002008-05-08T10:25:34.903-04:00

Cincinnati City Council talked for more than half an hour Wednesday about vicious dogs and pit bulls. On the table for a vote was an ordinance from Cecil Thomas that would train 10 police officers to learn to identify pit bulls and order any officer or dog warden to remove from premises any improperly confined vicious dog or "any dog identified as a pit bull terrier." It wasn't just the

Jane Prendergasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01496773597025657835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-8861346875675023152008-05-07T17:31:00.004-04:002008-05-07T18:32:37.674-04:00

A Danish journalist visiting the Enquirer today stopped by City Council - and shot this video. Brother Steven Gerard Sidlovski of Cincinnati was was singing on behalf of anti-abortion event "40 days for life." The song is "Most High Powerful God," according to Brother Steven's fellow activisit JoElla Manella, who also spoke at council. Video by Tue Bladel of Danish National Radio

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-18600279161450335272008-05-07T16:52:00.000-04:002008-05-07T16:53:13.819-04:00

AP reports: Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted says lawmakers determining whether Attorney General Marc Dann should be impeached over a sex scandal need help from an unlikely source: the attorney general himself. Husted said Wednesday the House isn’t equipped to investigate whether Dann has committed any impeachable offenses. He says it would be helpful if Dann appointed an independent investigator

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-60487960337043528632008-05-07T15:36:00.007-04:002008-05-09T11:26:58.936-04:00

The Ohio Republican Party today called on state Rep. Steve Driehaus to return money raised at a fundraiser at the Aronoff Center last year with tainted Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann. Driehaus, the Democrat running against Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot in the 1st Congressional District, has called for Dann to resign. "If Driehaus truly believes Dann should go, he would reject Dann's

Malia Rulonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15769248241518776201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-24905018972346252412008-05-07T13:31:00.007-04:002008-05-07T16:49:23.533-04:00

A committee working to solve jail overcrowding in Hamilton County has come across a simple way to empty more beds without letting inmates out early. It changed the procedure relating to "holds" by other counties. A hold means the inmate is wanted by a police agency in another state or a non-adjoining Ohio county. In 2006, Hamilton County held roughly 1,000 inmates a total of 19,480 days for

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111887248667448494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-9051955063925747282008-05-07T13:14:00.002-04:002008-05-07T14:26:27.909-04:00

Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls joins Sheriff Simon Leis, Lincoln Ware and others as the celebrities Saturday in a Dancing With The Stars-type event to raise money for the Cincinnati Arts Association. Read more here.

Jane Prendergasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01496773597025657835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-82085295420444119122008-05-07T13:03:00.010-04:002008-05-07T17:36:24.275-04:00

Update: Turns out Hamilton County already levies a convenience fee for credit card property tax payments. Check it out here. If you get a traffic ticket in Hamilton County, it might soon cost you a little more to pay it--at least if you're planning to do it with a credit card. County Commissioners voted 2-1 Wednesday voted to explore charging "convenience" fees for credit card transactions. The

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111887248667448494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-44951437806883427572008-05-07T12:48:00.007-04:002008-05-07T14:07:49.403-04:00

The morning after Sen. Barack Obama won a decisive victory in the North Carolina primary and Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Obama in Indiana's primary, Sen. Sherrod Brown is still undecided about who he'll support. Brown, a Democrat from Lorain in northern Ohio, is among the last remaining super delegates who have not endorsed a candidate. He's the highest ranking super delegate in Ohio

Malia Rulonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15769248241518776201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-73699935058192534412008-05-07T09:06:00.002-04:002008-05-07T09:08:35.680-04:00

Patrick Crowley gives Washington readers and political junkies the lowdown: If there is any House race in the nation that is primed for a compelling rematch, it is in Ohio’s 2nd District. In 1996, Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt held off Democrat Victoria Wulsin, 50-49 percent to retain a seat that was once held by Rep. Rob Portman — a vice presidential short-lister — and has been in GOP hands for

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-74531014864798867832008-05-06T14:33:00.002-04:002008-05-06T14:34:22.440-04:00

An estimated 2,500 supporters of the payday-lending industry held a rally today at the Statehouse to urge the Ohio Senate to reject new legislation to regulate the industry. Read the Dispatch's story here

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-55190030450305011172008-05-06T10:17:00.003-04:002008-05-06T13:28:48.978-04:00

Kathleen Akin of Wyoming was featured in The Enquirer April 24 for her decision to be a single mother. But it was her dog that got the attention of the Hamilton County Auditor's Office. After a photo showed Akin, 45, and her children walking with Sophie, the family's King Charles spaniel, Akin got a letter from the Auditor's Office. "We saw a picture from Thursday's Cincinnati Enquirer of you

Carl Weiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14278548866892063538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-38343446919138537222008-05-05T17:56:00.007-04:002008-05-06T11:29:37.067-04:00

UPDATED. Here's the Plain Dealer's list of possible replacements. Portune is not listed. Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune said he was approached over the weekend asking if he would be interested in Marc Dann's job. He wouldn't specify who the phone calls came from - whether they were state officials or local officials. He did say though, that some were from people in positions of

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111887248667448494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14026785.post-35826124507606820782008-05-05T15:25:00.004-04:002008-05-05T17:24:27.385-04:00

Hamilton County Commissioners David Pepper and Pat DeWine ran for the "Finish Swine" in separate relay races for the the Flying Pig Marathon Sunday. Pepper was invited to be the last leg of the "SWOFCA" team's relay (Southwest Ohio Family Care Affiliate.) He said he was asked to participate several weeks before the race and practiced by running 5K or 10K runs every weekend leading up to it. The

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111887248667448494noreply@blogger.com