SOBer Thoughts (081507)

Matt at Weapons of Mass Discussion agrees with COAST (as do I) that spending $75,000 of hotel-tax money on the Cincinnati Film Commission is not what was intended when that particular tax was increased.

This paragraph from the Enquirer story is soooooo illustrative of the government mindset (bolds are mine):

In 2002 the city and county raised the hotel-motel tax to 6.5 percent to generate money for the expansion of the Duke Energy Center downtown. The county’s portion of the tax exceeded expectations last year, generating $5.65 million – $1.67 million of which was surplus. In February the county amended the agreement to allow some of the surplus to go to the Northern Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau for the expansion of the Sharonville Convention Center. The agreement noted that the CVB could allot up to $75,000 of that to the Film Commission.

County Commissioner Pat DeWine, the lone Republican on the three-member board, thinks the surplus – which could top $84 million over the life of the tax – should go toward construction of the new jail. He has long advocated for the county to seek a law change allowing that to happen.

Apparently it has never entered anyone’s mind, even alleged GOP member DeWine’s, to reduce the tax. It never does.

___________________________________

RAB has a confirmed Matt Dole sighting. I wish Mr. Dole all the best in his endeavors.

___________________________________

Bearing Drift Ohio couldn’t resist. Can’t say I blame him.

___________________________________

Brian at One Oar caught this Ralph Peters column via the MVCA group. It has stats about soldier conduct no one should ignore, but which Old Media naturally has.

___________________________________

Porkopolis calls out GOP half-heartedness.

___________________________________

Other findings:

• The Toledo Blade notes the struggles of the Toledo Club in an editorial. It doesn’t seem to register to the sharpies at The Blade that 40 years or so of failed urban social engineering might have convinced the area’s executive class that the club, and the city itself, isn’t worth the bother.
• Cleveland Equanimous Philosopher is deeply involved in the Cuyahoga County sales tax-increase repeal effort, which of course makes him a loon (HT Jill at WLST). Actually, not at all — the loons are the ones allowing outrageous double-digit increases in city department budgets while laying off cops. The city and the county are imploding while their leaders fiddle.
• I’m just about out of words in describing just how out of control the Cincinnati Public School system is. CPS apparently “just” discovered a $79 million budget hole that requires a 16% or so property tax hike to fix, even though “The district’s annual operating budget is about $428 million. Projected enrollment for the upcoming school year is 33,809, down by more than 20 percent since 2000.” That works out to almost $12,700 per pupil, and will be at least $14,500 if CPS gets a levy passed. Enough is enough — One of the most prestigious private high schools in Cincinnati “only” charges $9,450 — and gets results.