Follow the Money from Opposition
Doug Trapp's column on those trying to overturn the people's will on Issue 6 was interesting (Is Campaign Finance Reform Too Complex for Voters? issue of Feb. 21-27). There's more to the story, however.
An axiom in politics is "follow the money" -- do that, and you never fail to get to the heart of the matter.
In mid-October when the final pre-election report on campaign finances was due, the people opposed to Issue 6 reported they had no money. Shortly thereafter, 12 checks for a total of $68,500 poured in, but voters could not know who sent them because the next filing deadline was in mid-December. Issue 6, by the way, now corrects this enormous loophole.
Somehow, the list of donors has slipped by all the media, even though it's public record and can be picked up at the Board of Elections for a small copying fee.
Here are the "fat cats" who opposed giving control of campaign finances to the people: Hamilton County Republican Party, $20,000 (are you surprised?); Fifth Third Bank, $10,000; West Ad Inc., $10,000; Convergys, $5,000; Procter & Gamble, $5,000; Comair Inc., $3,000; Frisch's Restaurants Inc, $2,500; U.S. Bancorp Political Participation Program (Federal PAC), Minneapolis, $5,000 (how can a federal PAC give to a local campaign?); Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST), $5,500; Robert J. Kohlhepp, $1,000; R.H. Castellini, $1,000; and John J. Schiff Jr., $500.
By contrast, our coalition of 18 grassroots groups collected hundreds of small checks that totaled roughly $13,000. We collected 11,000 signatures to get the more than 6,000 needed to be on the ballot.
Sometimes, the Davids of this world really can topple the Goliaths!
-- Kathy Helmbock, Oakley
'Person of Year' Story a Blessing
Congratulations to CityBeat for establishing a new "concentric circle" to your comfort zone by naming Angela Leisure your 2001 Person of the Year (issue of Feb. 14-20). While you've never shied away from what might not be the popular view, you really did it this time!
Now it's confession time. I saw the photo on the front page and I passed the paper by. In fact, I thought, "Ughh, what a bad photo of whoever." What I really said was, "Damn, can't they ever put a good picture of us in the news?" But after I read the words "Person of the Year" surrounding the photo, I was intrigued enough to read the whole story. I am very glad I did.
On first glance, I had no idea who the woman on the front cover was. Clearly, it didn't take long to identify her -- or, rather, recognize her by her infamous son and the circumstances surrounding his death. When I finished the article, I felt deservedly chastised and yet encouraged. I learned a few pointers from the mother of the young man who was senselessly killed by our law enforcement.
Mrs. Leisure may or may not have even read your story. She clearly would not be concerned or even care about the photo you picked and published. In that, I am duly chastised for my vanity.
Lots of people "ought" to read your well-written story about Mrs. Leisure, but I fear they will not. And in doing so, they will miss out on a "blessing" she often refers to. Instead, most upwardly mobile urban dwellers like myself and county dwellers who work 9-to-5 will make a snap judgment regarding the cover photo and miss the "blessing."
I remembered that most white colleagues, friends and passersby who voiced their opinion thought Mrs. Leisure's son was deserving of his death. He was black, young, wearing baggy pants, had multiple traffic citations, had fathered a child out of wedlock and displayed the proverbial No. 1 physical manifestation of guilt by all blacks when confronted by law enforcement -- he ran scared. Most of these people truly believed in their heart of hearts that Timothy Thomas' actions warranted the actions taken by law enforcement. They felt that the taking of his life was his own fault.
After hearing this point of view a couple of times, I was numbed by the desensitization of our society and our people. In short, Officer Stephen Roach's verdict came out before his trial began. The verdict was that blacks -- especially males -- who have any interaction with law enforcement take their lives into their own hands.
I remembered hearing and reading about Mrs. Leisure's plea for peace in the streets in the immediate melee after the fated council meeting right after her son's death. I though then that at least she sounded like a voice of reason. I applauded her efforts without knowing what I know now. Living downtown during the violence, lawlessness and subsequent martial law, I rooted for anyone who urged calm in the neighborhood and streets I chose to live in.
Mrs. Leisure, as your article accurately describes, did more for our city through her actions and inaction than she did through her words -- not unlike those of Rosa Parks during the civil rights movement. Truly she has set an example of historical proportions. I didn't realize that until now.
I hope that others take a moment to reap the "blessing" that Mrs. Leisure freely discusses -- the blessing that protects you when you're attacked, carries you when you cannot walk, gives you words when you cannot talk and allows you to forgive your enemies even in the face of the death of your first-born child. That's truly a blessing not to be missed.
Choice of Leisure Is an Insult
Angela Leisure the "mother of the city" (issue of Feb. 14-20)? Please stop insulting this city.
Where was the mother of the city when her son was running a rap sheet a mile long? What kind of mother allows her son to continuously have a run-in with the law? Maybe, if she would have taken control of her role as a "mother," her son would still be alive today. Like it or not, her son should have been taught respect and decency toward others and himself.
What she has taught this city is not to allow your children to run the streets with no direction or purpose in life.
-- T. Mathis, Sedamsville
Leisure Our Spiritual Leader
Thank you for honoring Angela Leisure as your 2001 Person of the Year (issue of Feb. 14-20). In September, I wrote an essay called "No Justice, No Peace" in which I said:
"And who can serve as our spiritual leader? I submit it is Angela Leisure. Through this entire ordeal, Mrs. Leisure has been the personification of truth, endurance and human dignity. Hers has been the strongest voice for non-violent opposition to the status quo. Hers has been the brightest beacon shining through the dark hours of injustice and unrest. Hers has been a loving response to a hateful turn of fate. Even as I praise her, I do not envy her. She, by no deed of her own, finds herself at the center of a storm that threatens to engulf us all. I believe she can lead us out of the storm into the light of day, if we will follow."
I now praise CityBeat for your wisdom in encouraging us to follow Mrs. Leisure. God knows none of our official city leaders have stepped up to the task.
-- Penelope Welz,Winton Place
Still Hoping for Peace and Justice
I just wanted to take a second to thank you for the cover story on Angela Leisure (issue of Feb. 14-20). For the first time I was forced to really think about Timothy Thomas as a person and not as just another tragic news story. It would be hard to read this article without coming away with a great deal of respect for Mrs. Leisure.
One can still hope that the peace and justice Mrs. Leisure seems so passionate about can one day be the foundation of our city.
Leisure Not My Mother
April Fool's Day came early this year for CityBeat editors. How else to explain the comical and laughable statements "Angela Leisure leads Cincinnati by example," "Mother of the City" and "CityBeat's 2001 Person of the Year" (issue of Feb. 14-20)?
Well, there's one explanation -- the whole CityBeat staff was ingesting cocaine and alcohol when discussing how great Angela Leisure is. She's so great a mother that she allowed her son to have multiple warrants for arrest and apparently approved of his running from the police.
She is not my mother, and I really take offense at you describing her as "Mother of the City." I know my mother would have not help get me killed.
-- Albert Zellhuber, Mount Washington
Mine Neither!
You cannot be serious: "Angela Leisure leads Cincinnati by example" (issue of Feb. 14-20)? How? How to be a posture mother who aids in her son's death?
"Mother of Cincinnati"? How irresponsible on your part! You don't speak for or represent Cincinnati! I live in Cincinnati, and she sure as hell is not my mother!
You speak of greatness, and I presume you must think Angela Leisure is great. My God, by what standards?
"2001 Person of the Year"? How absurd, stupid and uninformed. Who else did you consider? Other mothers who didn't supervise their children and indirectly caused their death?
Gregory Flannery, who wrote the article, is an idiot.
-- Jeff Smith, Cincinnati
Cheapening Your Cause
We are appalled! Angela Leisure might be an example of how a mother might react to a very tragic event, but she should not be compared to the mother of Jesus (issue of Feb. 14-20).
Placing her image in a medallion on your cover surrounded by the words "Stabat Mater Dolorosa" is, at the very least, in very poor taste. As Roman Catholics, we have a very deep reverence for Our Blessed Mother. Therefore, a hymn written to pay homage to her and her grief, we feel, should not be juxtaposed with any other person, even a "Person of the Year."
Political correctness is an expression of our times, but we feel that religious sensitivity is appropriate at all times. We realize that your newspaper is trying to gain legitimacy by presenting issues differently than our two dailies. However, "shock" images can only cheapen your cause, dragging you down to the level of The National Enquirer, et al.
We believe that an apology is in order to the Roman Catholic community and all who revere the mother of Jesus.
-- Richard and Marie Jones, Cincinnati
City Council the Real Economic Terrorists
I completely agree with Mayor Charlie Luken that there is economic terrorism going on in the community (Porkopolis, issue of Feb. 14-20). Luken and I, however, disagree who the real economic terrorists are.
I have been trying to keep up how Cincinnati City Council spent hundreds of millions of hard-earned Cincinnati tax dollars for the last 13 years. I remember when council loaned $6 million of Federal Community Block Grants to help Hyatt Corp. built the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. When time came for Hyatt to repay the money, they told the city they couldn't afford to pay it and council let them get away with it.
Council drove Pogues out of downtown and tried for years to develop that lot right off Fountain Square. After spending tens of millions to develop the site, council finally built Lazarus and Tiffany a brand-new $27 million building at taxpayer expense.
Council ripped the Milner Hotel away from hundreds of individuals and families who used it when they had no other place to go. Council improved the vacant Milner lot and then gave it to former Mayor Arn Bortz so he could develop luxury housing.
The Aronoff Center got $40 million in tax dollars, yet few working people can afford to attend the performances. Let's not forget Saks Fifth Avenue, which got millions to come to Cincinnati and then recently got a whopping $6 million of hard-earned tax dollars just to stay downtown. The list goes on and on, and I'm sure you'll be able to add to the shame list yourself.
The real panhandlers are not in the streets of Cincinnati but line up outside of city council offices. Let's not even talk about the new Bengals or Reds stadiums -- they're just too painful to even think about.
If 10 percent of the hard-earned tax dollars city council has each year were used to support the community, Cincinnati we would not have 25,000 white and black people going homeless and begging in the streets for services every year. Homeless Cincinnati children black and white would have safe places to live and play because there would be enough safe affordable housing in Cincinnati. And it would be safe for white and black people to come downtown again.
You tell me who the real economic terrorists are in this city.
-- Ed Ritchy, Homeless Hotline of Greater Cincinnati
Stonewall Should Stick to Its Core Mission
After reading Roy Ford's Letter to the Editor ("True Mission," issue of Feb. 14-20), I've got to comment. I, too, witnessed the Aug. 26, 2001 Stonewall membership meeting --not board meeting -- which was unorganized because of the unruly and rude individuals (about 10 people) there with Ford. They were disruptive, foul-mouthed and inconsiderate to the entire group of over 60 attendees. Ford, who wasn't even a paid member of Stonewall Cincinnati at the time, was most disruptive because he didn't get his name on the election ballot for the 2002 board of directors. He, as usual, didn't follow the guidelines by getting his "complete" application submitted in time. Ford is a troublemaker who is only out to get his name in print.
For the record, I have been a paid member of Stonewall for years. I was very interested in the decent article by Kathy Y. Wilson, Under the Rainbow (issue of Jan. 31-Feb. 6). Yes, there are problems within the gay and lesbian community. There are divisions in the gay community. There are divisions between the men and women, blacks and whites and young and the old within the gay community. There are the "girl" bars and the "guy" bars.
All the bars are "gay bars" and not exclusive to the black or white community. I have sat in bars and watched the person at the door card everyone who comes in, but often people leave a bar for whatever reason and get their hand stamped so they can come back in without getting carded again. I have also witnessed bartenders pouring stronger drinks for some customers and weaker drinks for others, but that's because some people tip and others don't tip at all. These are businesses with employees who want to make money. Bartenders, like waiters, are paid little because they rely on their tips to make up the difference.
The original mission of Stonewall was about equality for "all gay and lesbian" people, not bisexual or transgender people. Now Stonewall wants to jump on the black boycott bandwagon in Cincinnati against police brutality. Stonewall Cincinnati needs to get its own house in order to address the social ills in the "gay and lesbian" community and stop trying to be all-inclusive.
The problems Wilson wrote about could be addressed by Stonewall Cincinnati if it did not have a self-serving board.
-- Victor P. Fabro, Cincinnati
Flood of Budget Cuts
I just finished reading "Political Fundraising Will Be Exempt" in the Porkopolis column (issue of Feb. 7-13), and you failed to mention that the city also cut just over $2 million from Job and Family Services -- something I discovered as a participant in the city's WorkNet program. As a result, they're releasing staff members, they've had to get rid of child care programs and they've reduced WorkNet services by a huge degree. Also, the FreeStore has had to cut their rent assistance program and are now restricted on personnel and time.
Why was this funding cut? To help out Saks, of course! The mayor would rather help an affluent store that caters to upper-crust members of the city elite -- a.k.a. those with the money to support his campaigns -- than assist people struggling to make something better of their lives. Many of us are just months away from getting back on our feet.
Perhaps we're housewives finally having to leave the home and earn a living. Maybe we're recovering addicts or alcoholics. In my case, I'm a military veteran who's discovered that nine years of experience doesn't make up for not having a degree or a formal education and have to get some help while I go back to college.
This budget cut not only hurts the homeless, welfare recipients and vagabonds, it also creates more of them. Mayor Luken, in trying to damn the river, has instead started a flood that he'll feel soon enough.
Skeptical Reporting Is Welcomed
I'm often grateful for the skeptical reporting of Greg Flannery, Maria Rogers and Steve Ramos -- too often to write thank you letters for individual articles. So hopefully this will serve as a catch-all appreciation of them. Your paper's continuing efforts to function under the appalling Esquire Theatre ban are also appreciated.
But the immediate reason I'm writing is to say a belated thanks for Doug Trapp's snappy interview with James Howard Kunstler (Why Are American Cities and Suburbs So Mediocre? issue of Dec. 6-12, 2001). Unlike most newspaper articles where we're already well acquainted with the arguments to be made and are reading primarily to find out which side is currently winning, Trapp's piece presented readers with some nice little surprises.
The truculent, Brooklynish Kunstler's ideas were fresh and enlightening, not to mention entertaining -- for this reader, at least, a new window onto the all-too-familiar suburbs. Since this article lacked the superficial sexiness and acute topicality normally de rigueur for newspapers, I want to congratulate Trapp on his probity in writing it and yours in running it. This kind of revisioning of the ordinary furniture of our lives will always be welcomed by me.
-- Sean McDonald, Covington
