Porkopolis

Oinker of the Day 4.30

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Why?

— Margo Pierce

tech

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Oinker of the Day 4.27

Some employers are requiring their employees to undergo health screenings and then join a gym or participate in smoking cessation programs. It’s a means to lower insurance costs and help people lead healthier lives, according to the employers. But it reeks of business' attempting to exert control over the lives of individuals to bring about a positive impact for their balance sheets. Is it one or the other or both?

— Margo Pierce

Developers, Not Residents, Get Help

The city of Cincinnati is once again looking out for business owners but not residents. Raise your hand if you're surprised.

In a press release issued yesterday by the city of Cincinnati, developers are once again in line to get special treatment — as long as they pay for it — when it comes to building permits and inspections. There are no provisions outlined for complaints or opportunities for residents to challenge any aspect of the development process that might harm their community.

"Today the city of Cincinnati's Department of Buildings and Inspections (B&I) unveiled its new 'Optional Premium Services' proposal before city council's Economic Development Committee," the release says. "These services, if approved by the full city council, are designed to better accommodate the often changing needs of development while providing customized services and ‘just-in-time’ permit approval and inspections services."

Making development less cumbersome is a great idea, but without considering those who might be impacted by this rush to create a positive for developers and the city's bank account, the balance of concern for everyone involved is once again lost to profitability. Government is supposed to protect all citizens, not just developers; and the forgotten population is once again the residents who are going to have to deal with the consequences of the mistakes created by the city's new streamlined process.

Oinker of the Day 4.25

I've been accused of being a "bleeding heart" and I consider it a compliment because that indicates to me that my heart hasn’t turned to stone. Why is being a “bleeding heart” considered such a bad thing?

— Margo Pierce

Oinker of the Day 4.24

Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person or a religious person? What’s the difference?

— Margo Pierce

Oinker of the Day 4.23

Earth Day has come and gone. What have you done — or continued to do — to show your appreciation for this big blue marble we call Mom?

— Margo Pierce

New Streetcar Route

City leaders have settled on a preferred route for a proposed streetcar system through downtown and Over-the-Rhine. To ensure the system generates the most redevelopment spin-off on surrounding blocks, the chosen route is longer than initially discussed and covers a larger area.

Although three different routes — each about four miles long — originally were mulled, city planners have chosen a slightly altered version that is 4.6 miles in length. Cincinnati City Architect Michael Moore said HDR Engineering Inc. complete an economic feasibility study of the route in mid-May.

The preferred route has three segments. To view the route, click here.

Kill ’em All

While campaigning for his new job, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland questioned the fairness of the application of the death penalty. But he isn’t worried about it enough to put a moratorium on executions until he finds out if the death penalty is “the other lottery,” as it have been dubbed in Indiana. The American Bar Association is due to release its findings about the application of the death penalty in the state of Ohio.

If Strickland is so concerned about this matter, he isn’t showing it. Instead of waiting until the results of the study are released or commissioning his own study and waiting for the results before he orders yet another execution, Strickland released the following statement about the next scheduled execution:

Missing the Point — Again

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and every other politician in the country are thinking and saying the same stuff right about now: Because of Monday’s tragic events at Virginia Tech, we need to beef up security.

Strickland is asking Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut to create a Task Force on Campus Security as a means to “review campus safety plans and ensure that Ohio’s public colleges and universities are using safety best practices.”

“We have a responsibility to Ohio students, their families and our communities to use the tragic events at Virginia Tech as an opportunity to reexamine campus safety issues in Ohio,” Strickland said yesterday. “This task force will begin a discussion across institutions and make sure that state government is offering the maximum amount of support to the schools as well as coordinating with local efforts.”

Well, guess what? This isn’t going to work. This is window dressing, the politics of “get tough on crime” instead of looking at the root cause of this kind of tragedy. Metal detectors and post-tragedy planning aren’t going to address what causes violence of this sort.