Photo: Airam Dato-on, Pexels
Binksi's weekly Meat Raffle starts at 7:30 p.m. every Friday.
In an effort to stoke 'No' votes for Issue 22, the proposed sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway (CSR) to Norfolk Southern, Derail the Sale and Save our Rails have teamed up with Binksi's Bar in Camp Washington to raise campaign funds during the bar's weekly "Meat Raffle" on Oct. 20.
Kiel Erdelac, the owner of Binski's, said he doesn't trust the rail giant or future city leaders to handle the sale should Issue 22 pass on Nov. 7.
“I believe that as one of the cities oldest owned assets, it's incredibly short-sighted to sell," Erdelac said. "Especially to a company with such a terrible track record, in terms of labor relationships and safety standards. I also don't have faith in local politicians to stay honest with the allocation of funds received from the sale. Norfolk Southern wouldn't fight for it this hard if it weren't advantageous for Cincinnati to keep its rail."
Binksi's weekly Meat Raffle starts at 7:30 p.m. every Friday. Patrons can buy an unlimited number of $1 raffle tickets throughout the evening for a chance to win premium cuts of wagyu beef, chicken wings, sword fish and more from Wyoming Meat Market. Proceeds go to a different local charity or organization every week.
Binksi's weekly Meat Raffle starts at 7:30 p.m. every Friday. Patrons can buy an unlimited number of $1 raffle tickets throughout the evening for a chance to win premium cuts of wagyu beef, chicken wings, sword fish and more from Wyoming Meat Market. Proceeds go to a different local charity or organization every week.
"The city doesn’t want to give you the info, so let’s get to the meat of the issue," said Dylan Bauer of Derail The Sale.
The second fundraiser is on Oct. 24, from 6-8 p.m. at Sinners and Saints Tavern, located at 2062 Riverside Dr., East End.
But the proposed sale of the CSR comes at a time of heightened public awareness of the sins of its buyer, Norfolk Southern. A train belonging to a the rail behemoth derailed in East Palestine, a small Eastern Ohio village near the Pennsylvania border, on Feb. 3. The derailment ignited a chain of events that ended in a controlled burn of the train’s toxic load of chemicals. More than half of the small town is afraid to drink its own tap water to this day.
Cincinnati voters will decide on Issue 22 on Nov. 7.
Issue 22 in a nutshell
This November, Cincinnati voters will decide whether or not to sell the CSR to Norfolk Southern in exchange for a $1.6 billion trust fund to shore up basic services for the city. The city estimates it would have an annual return on the investment ranging from $50 million to $75 million, up to three times what the city earns from owning the railroad now. Legally, earnings from the sale could only be spent on maintaining existing city facilities like roads, rec centers and fire stations, which city leaders say is crucial given the city's $300 million deficit.
But the proposed sale of the CSR comes at a time of heightened public awareness of the sins of its buyer, Norfolk Southern. A train belonging to a the rail behemoth derailed in East Palestine, a small Eastern Ohio village near the Pennsylvania border, on Feb. 3. The derailment ignited a chain of events that ended in a controlled burn of the train’s toxic load of chemicals. More than half of the small town is afraid to drink its own tap water to this day.
Cincinnati voters will decide on Issue 22 on Nov. 7.
Watch Save Our Rail's press conference announcing their campaign against Issue 22 from Sept. 12 below:
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