Why the City Should Stick to its Job (Cincinnati, Hamilton: sale, real estate)

[Wilson513]

Instead of fixing the streets and policing the bad guys, City Council wants more sexy stuff to work on like the stupid street car and venture capital.

Here is the result of millions of dollars wasted by these toads apppointed by the City in an area which they obviously know nothing about. Why do I suspect that if we drilled down into these scam investments a little we would find some connections with past and current City Councilpersons?

Failed ventures owe city $2M



Most loans from Cincinnati Empowerment Corp. go unpaid | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

[kjbrill]

The list of the loans and their status is dismal, 4 out of 19 loans current or 20%. In addition, how much of the original federal grant money was paid out in salaries of the Empowerment Corp. employees?

As you say, another good example of why the City needs to keep its nose out of business.

[Sarah Perry]

This kind of thing is one of the problems that makes large projects like the streetcar so problematic. I don't know how to sort out what part of this malfeasance involves deliberate fraudulent payments and what part is due to incompetence and ignorance. I'm convinced there are people in City Hall with a vested interest in making sure I don't know. But I don't want these people with their hands on one dollar of my tax money I can keep them from.

[wolden]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Instead of fixing the streets and policing the bad guys, City Council wants more sexy stuff to work on like the stupid street car and venture capital.

Here is the result of millions of dollars wasted by these toads apppointed by the City in an area which they obviously know nothing about. Why do I suspect that if we drilled down into these scam investments a little we would find some connections with past and current City Councilpersons?

Failed ventures owe city $2M



Most loans from Cincinnati Empowerment Corp. go unpaid | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

I agree. I think it should be drilled down. I am so sick of these money wasting scams and small town corruption. So how does something like this actually get investigated in this city?

[wolden]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

The list of the loans and their status is dismal, 4 out of 19 loans current or 20%. In addition, how much of the original federal grant money was paid out in salaries of the Empowerment Corp. employees?

The article says nationwide 40% went to salaries and quotes someone here saying in Cincinnati 30%.

"The corporation gave out nearly $25 million in grant money to many agencies, including the Urban League, Queen City Boxing Club and other social programs."

The loans:
"Many of the loans were given to companies that went out of business shortly after getting the money.Among those: Simone's, a Walnut Hills restaurant that closed in 2006; My Three Chefs, a restaurant in Longworth Hall, Queensgate; and Mr. Pig, a barbeque restaurant at Findlay Market that went out of business after the owner died in 2007."


My comment: no wonder they went out of business. They took the "free" money and ran?

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by wolden

I agree. I think it should be drilled down. I am so sick of these money wasting scams and small town corruption. So how does something like this actually get investigated in this city?

I'm genuinely sorry to be negative, but it just doesn't. There are several prevailing, interlocking cultural sets at work--political, religious and racial--that have fed this kind of thing probably to some extent since the city was first established. I'm not going to be more specific because (a) it's only my opinion and (b) it would only offend a bunch of people and accomplish nothing. I truly do view this as one of those "if you can't tolerate it, pick up and move someplace else" situations. And I'm pretty sure there someplaces else that are better.

[progmac]

loaning money to risky business startups is very different from public transportation. one is clearly the government's role, the other, less so.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by progmac

loaning money to risky business startups is very different from public transportation. one is clearly the government's role, the other, less so.

Oh, yeah. I totally get that. The point is that I have no confidence or trust in an entrenched system that loans money to risky business startups. For one thing, it's hardly a stretch to think money wouldn't be funnelled to OTHER risky business startups (and worse, like totally unqualified or sham contractors) for a large pubic transportation project. See the reasoning?

[Wilson513]

City Council members fashion themselves as experts on everything, pontificating on everything from the environment to public transportation to real estate development. Actually, the current crop is the least qualified bunch I have seen in the decades I have been following this (former councilwomen Laketa Cole and Alecia Reese excepted).

And, the staff persons they employ are no more than campaign aides.

The bureaucracy does an OK job at picking up the trash and getting the fire trucks repaired, etc., but there is no one qualified to be meddling in these business areas. I have met the economic development people and while they are well meaning bureaucrats, none of them are people I would trust with tens of millions of dollars of my money. Just like the Hamilton county people, every time they interact with self interested persons like the streetcar folks or the stadium promoters, they will come away with their pants down and pockets empty. Will they never learn?

[restorationconsultant]

Wilson, Wow we agree on something! Right now I am trying to stop MSD from demolishing 100 properties in Fairmount between Queen City and Westwood Blvd, placing all that in a landfill. Digging out on average 20 feet of "brownfield soil" over a 40 acre tract and trucking in clean fill, to build/recreate a open drainage ditch that the city covered over in 1910 due to the fact it flooded the Fairmount basin regularly. They are calling this a 'green project' as part of the sewer overflow project.

Of course in 'typical Cincinnati fashion" MSD has already bought 20 plus properties and was planning to demo a bunch before they realized they are historic eligible and must undergo a lengthy Federal section 106 review process. They also acquired 84 properties at the city forfeiture sale in Fairmount for this project removing them from the county tax roles. Mind you there is no guarantee that EPA will even approve this plan, or it will meet with the federal consent decree. They may still have to build the 'deep tunnel'. OH did I mention MSD already received a 850,000 earmark?

The whole reason for 'being green"? The city was told by Moody's that they would lower the MSD city Bond rating BECAUSE they didnt have sufficient property tax base to pay for it. This 'plan' is supposedly cheaper though MSD will not release any hard figures. This explains why the city code enforcement had targeted Fairmount for 3 years as they were trying to drive property values down so MSD could buy cheaply during eminent domain (guess they didnt learn anything from Norwood's eminent domain lawsuit/fiasco?) So the city writes order and condemns and bulldozes property driving down values on everything around it and the tax base and our bond rating is in jeapordy.

The scheme is to attract developers to build higher end 2-350K infill overlooking what will be a glorified drainage ditch.

So the "big plan" is to demo a viable restorable historic business/residential district , displacing operating buisness and homeowners. Remove millions of dollars of property from the property tax roles permanently, to put in ditch and "magically" developers will come and build facing two streets with a 50,000 car a day traffic count? FYI, they have no developer comittments.

One word..........BOONDOGGLE!