CityBeat recently covered Cincinnati Public School’s (CPS) financial problems and what makes the levy renewal a necessity for the school (“Battered But Not Broken,” issue of Oct. 3). Under the broken state funding system for schools, CPS has to rely on levies to sustain and improve its education program. If CPS doesn’t get this levy renewed, it will be down $51.5 million — or approximately 11 percent of its budget — in 2015. That’s a hard hit to take after a decade of budget cuts at CPS. The school district has already cut about 22 percent of its total staff in the last 10 years and closed down 17 buildings. It shouldn’t have to do more.   

We like how Democratic Commissioner Todd Portune tried to keep funding for mental health and elderly services the same with a very minor tax hike that would have made up for property values dropping. We like his support for the streetcar. We like how he can rein in the two Republicans on the Board of Commissioners.   

Ohio is a swing state, but there is very little in our state government that reflects that right now. Republicans dominate the General Assembly. Republicans dominate the governorship and other executive positions. The Ohio Supreme Court is no different. It is currently dominated by Republican justices in a striking 6-1 margin.   

One of the most striking developments in the past two years is the rising extremism of the Republican party. From privatization to social issues to Senate Bill 5, Republicans have taken Ohio in a hard turn to the right. Here at CityBeat, we’ll take the alternative. We support the Democratic takeover of the Ohio General Assembly.   

Judges play an understated role in the U.S. While legislators write and pass the laws and mayors, governors and presidents enforce the laws, judges interpret the laws. In a sense, this can be just as important as writing the law. Sentencing in particular can decide the weight of a law.   

When CityBeat set out to research this year’s slate of candidates and issues, we did so aware of the guiding principles behind our weekly news coverage. We are proud to openly advocate for reform that produces equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental protection and sustainable development.    

Representatives for Western & Southern and the Anna Louise Inn will be in court Oct. 30 arguing in front of the First District Court of Appeals, which could overturn a May 4 ruling and allow the Inn to move forward with a planned $13 million renovation.
  

I don’t believe in curses.
I don’t believe in voodoo, hexes, sorcery or jinxes.  I don’t believe in any of those things in regular life and I certainly don’t believe in them in sports.  

A Cincinnati outdoor advertising company announced Oct. 23 that it will take down controversial billboards that opponents claim are aimed at intimidating voters.   

A group of eight former employees from The Cincinnati Enquirer filed an amended lawsuit Oct. 19 accusing the Gannett-owned newspaper of age discrimination. The lawsuit, which was originally filed by Joseph Fenton and Catherine Reutter in 2011, was amended on Oct. 19 to include six more plaintiffs.   

After two years of racking up an excellent rating on its state report card, Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School appears headed for a lower grade.   

We at CityBeat take election endorsements seriously, and you should too! Our writers spent considerable time researching 2012’s candidates and issues and what each means to the future of Cincinnati and America. (We also figured out what the Hamilton County coroner does besides chopping up bodies...) This is the first half of our endorsements — the entire collection will be available in our Election Issue Oct. 31. Read ’em and weep, voter suppressionists!  

Were it not for the giant touring bus emblazoned with the words, “Nuns on the Bus,” it would be hard to assume that the collection of about 10 white-haired women were members of Catholic religious orders.   

If this presidential campaign hasn’t been sufficiently enervating, here’s more dispiriting news. Gallup reports that “Americans’ distrust in the media hit a new high this year, with 60 percent saying they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.”   

Many people were unhappy that the Reds signed Dusty Baker to a two-year extension shortly after the end of the team’s 2012 season, but the people happiest with the news are the Reds players themselves.