Some powerful special interest groups know a secret that the average Cincinnati voter doesn’t: If you want to make your votes for City Council truly matter and have the greatest impact, don’t use all nine of them. That’s right: Even though you can cast nine votes in the council race, you really shouldn’t.  

A showdown is looming between the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati and a group that wants to keep two YMCA branches open in Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills. In 21 days the Williams and Melrose branches are scheduled to close despite the opposition of some residents.  

While hopes appeared to dim last week for Cincinnati’s long-planned streetcar system due to a series of legislative setbacks, local leaders say the project is far from dead. “With any large project, I always preface anything by saying that it’s always a very long process and there are always obstacles,” says Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, one of several City Council members supporting the project.  

In an effort to fortify Cincinnati’s ailing retirement system for municipal workers, City Council narrowly approved a package of reforms March 16 aimed at reversing the system’s current course toward a projected $1 billion shortfall. In a 5-4 vote, City Council approved reforms that stiffen eligibility requirements, reduce some benefits and increase the retirement age for current workers.  

Last week's extended soap opera at City Hall about how to fill a $54.7 million deficit in the budget ended anti-climatically, with differing City Council factions temporarily solving the dilemma by resorting to the same sort of tricks they did last year — instead of showing leadership or political courage, the mayor and nine elected council members decided to use $27 million in one-time sources of cash to patch over the immediate problem and approve studies into possible changes that could yield the rest of the savings.  

Mayor Mallory didn't do it. Vice Mayor Qualls didn't do it. It finally was left up to the ex-TV news reporter-turned-city councilwoman — a first-termer — to present hard, cold facts and figures about staffing levels in the Police and Fire departments.  

Cincinnati officials last week approved the city's first “community entertainment district” designation for this neighborhood. The new zoning will make it easier for a nonprofit like the Pleasant Ridge Development Corp. to revitalize its business district and create a “restaurant row” of ethnic-oriented eateries anchored by Emanu, an Ethiopian restaurant.  

Common Cause Ohio is urging its members and other people concerned about the influence of Big Money on elections to call Congress and ask that they support passage of the Fair Elections Now Act. If approved, the act — known as Senate Bill 752 and House Resolution 1826 — would would allow federal candidates to choose to run for office without relying on large contributions, big money bundlers or donations from lobbyists.  

With temperatures in the 90s, even sitting in a car with the windows rolled down and the air conditioning turned off is a sweaty proposition. So whether Cincinnati Police Officer Brian Trotta last week had an alleged "family medical emergency" or not, it would've taken just a few minutes to leave his police dog with a colleague or a few seconds to at least roll down the windows. Trotta did neither, and the dog died.  

With local streetcar funding and support increasing like the value of property along the proposed route, it's no wonder that some East-siders are wondering what's up with a proposed rail project that would link the eastern suburbs to the city.