News & Views — Vote No on Issue 9 |
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Anti-Progress Charter Amendment on BallotCincinnati Enquirer6/30/09 Story Hoping to blunt the opponents' news that they have crossed the signature threshold, groups seeking to defeat the charter amendment unveiled a long list of endorsements from elected officials and candidates who argue that the measure would slow down government and leave Cincinnati at a competitive disadvantage on major transit projects. Cincinnatians for Progress, which dismissively terms the ballot measure "the anti-progress charter amendment," said that Mayor Mark Mallory, eight of nine Cincinnati City Council members (all but Republican Chris Monzel) and 16 of 18 endorsed council candidates overall from the Democratic, Republican and Charter parties oppose the ballot question. "This charter amendment would threaten our economic development opportunities and likely cause our federal tax dollars to be invested in other communities," said Democratic council candidate Wendell Young of North Avondale. Delays in awaiting a public vote on transit issues, Young and others warn, could result in federal or state dollars available to Cincinnati being allocated to cities ready to immediately spend them. Streetcar supporters and others complain the charter amendment would establish a cumbersome, costly and time-consuming way to handle not only the streetcar project, but also other transit programs such as proposals to develop high-speed rail passenger service from Cincinnati to other Ohio and Midwestern cities. "You're building extra months and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars for an election into the system," said Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Bortz, a leading streetcar proponent. |
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