Porkopolis

We’re No Safer But City Council Is

A bulletproof seating platform and velvet ropes that restrict access to Cincinnati City Council members during their meetings are just two of the changes that await the group on its return from summer break next week.

Mallory Snubs Love

A local businessman who heads a task force drafting policies about minority inclusion for the Banks riverfront project recently was slated to take a trip with other local officials to view a similar project in Atlanta, but was abruptly uninvited by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory.

Panel to Give Recommendation on The Banks Next Month

An advisory panel will give its recommendation to Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials in September about which developer should build the multimillion-dollar Banks riverfront project.

The Banks Working Group met today and announced it will be ready to issue its recommendation sometime next month. Reds owner Bob Castellini, who is the working group’s chair, said it had been gathering information on potential developers for the past 90 days and assessing what they’ve seen.

The Finney Invitation

Responding to reader requests, here is the full text of the invitation that attorney Christopher Finney sent out to supporters Aug. 23, seeking sponsors for a “meet and greet” event for Phil Heimlich on Oct. 4.

Heimlich’s Backers Starting to Sound Desperate

Phil Heimlich’s political mentor is looking for a few good conservatives to co-sponsor a “meet and greet” with Heimlich in Anderson Township, and — harkening to the politics of personal destruction era of the 1990s— calls Heimlich’s campaign opponent “pathetic” in the mass e-mail invitation.

Auditor Says County Wrong on Jail Tax Figures

In their rush to pass a sales tax proposal before this week’s deadline to qualify for the November ballot, the Hamilton County Commissioners miscalculated figures and overstated the savings for property owners, according to the county auditor.

ACLU and Leis Reach Agreement on Over-the-Rhine

Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr. and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have reached a settlement that ends a legal dispute about whether deputies are subject to the terms of the Collaborative Agreement when they patrol Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

John Cranley is Full of Gas

For 30 minutes today Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley will offer gasoline at $1.26 per gallon at the Marathon station at West Eight and Trenton streets. The gimmick is meant to highlight the surge in gas prices under the Bush regime.

Genesis Scandal Figure Back at City Hall

A person who headed Cincinnati’s now defunct Neighborhood Services Department before retiring several years ago — after she was transferred and questioned about her role in the Genesis Redevelopment scandal in the West End — is back at City Hall.

Tax Foes Undecided on Jail Plan

With Hamilton County Commissioners settling this morning on a proposal for putting a sales tax increase on the Nov. 7 ballot to pay for building a new jail, the area’s most prominent anti-tax group hasn’t yet decided if it will oppose the plan or remain silent.