The 2013 reader picks for the city's and state's best news and political events and the people involved.
  

Whether it's City Council or the Ohio Statehouse, a lot happened in our state last year. Here's a list of the good and not-so-good.
  

Learn about the best do-gooders, troublemakers and politicians in the Cincinnati area. The winners in these categories were chosen by you, our readers, using our online ballot. You've chosen champions in dozens of categories giving us a portrait of the city's more influential members.
  

Cincinnati has a unique political climate — and that's saying it nicely. The following represent the more notable (if frustrating at times) happenings during 2011 and what Cincinnati can look forward to in the coming months in its political world.
  

Learn about the best do-gooders, troublemakers and politicians in the Cincinnati area. The winners in this categories were chosen by you, our readers, using our online ballot. You've chosen champions in dozens categories giving us a portrait of most interesting people in our city.  

Learn about our picks for everything from the best political smackdown to the best clueless ass-kissing. These great Cincinnati policital picks were chosen by our staff of shrewd and unbiased reporters.  

Local attorney Tim Mara always seems ahead of the curve and isn’t afraid to take some guff because of it. It was Mara who, back in the mid-1990s, collected enough signatures to force a half-cent sales tax increase onto the ballot so voters would have the final decision. Mara then campaigned against the tax hike, bucking powerful interests like the business community, politicians and activists like Chris Finney.  

CityBeat staffers go public to share info on the area's best "pot calling the kettle black" moment, best forum for good ideas, best embarrassing video, best silver lining in a bad situation, best display of political backbone and more.   

For the first time ever, more than one in every 100 U.S. citizens is incarcerated, a recent study revealed. And when these offenders get out their employment option are almost non-existent, often sending people back to crime. Stephen JohnsonGrove is working to break that cycle.  

Best local activist (Jim Tarbell), best troublemaker (Bill Cunningham), best police department (Cincinnati District 5), best radio station (WVXU), best TV newscast (Channel 9), best twitter feed (Chad Ochocinco) and much more.