As Boss Finney and his gang at COAST start to lose their relevance with the truth being spread that Issue 9 isn't just about the streetcar, it's about all passenger rail, some big names have come out against the ridiculous charter amendment while Finney and friends get desperate trying to smear the other side.On 10/20/2009, COAST treasurer Mark Miller was a guest on Bill Cunningham's 700 WLW show. At around 7 minutes and 30 seconds into the show, they got on the subject of Issue 9. Click here to download and listen.
Mark Miller was caught clearly lying in the interview when he claimed that the train at the Cincinnati Zoo was not "passenger rail transportation." However, as the Enquirer has already shown us, it clearly is. Cunningham struck down Miller and the COAST backed charter amendment when he said:
Mark Miller was caught clearly lying in the interview when he claimed that the train at the Cincinnati Zoo was not "passenger rail transportation." However, as the Enquirer has already shown us, it clearly is. Cunningham struck down Miller and the COAST backed charter amendment when he said:"...it seems to me as of late that referendum and the initiative process is not the way to run a government."
Willie goes on to talk about how elected representatives should be the ones investigating proposals and projects before spending money and not special interest groups who "go out and buy the signatures." Mark Miller agrees with Willie after that, but doesn't realize that Cunningham was criticizing the way special interest groups like COAST operate. Miller continues to stumble over his words throughout the interview before Cunningham declares Issue 9 to be a "stupid idea," and calls Chris Smitherman "a clown."
Meanwhile, other COAST representatives were making up new campaign slogans. Stephan Louis at a debate hosted by the American Association of Architects at the University of Cincinnati compared the referendum process of issue 9 to the act of an "abortion." In the comments section of their blog, COAST supporters have begun adopting this campaign slogan:
Comparing streetcars to abortion and lying about the true effects of Issue 9 is what COAST's campaign has come down to in the final days leading up to the election. Even Bill Cunningham, who "thinks the Over-The-Rhine trolley is a bad idea" has called out Issue 9 for what it really is and stood against it. Let's vote down Issue 9 and do Cincinnati a favor, just as Mark Miller said in his WLW interview: "...then COAST has to shut up and go away."
Comparing streetcars to abortion and lying about the true effects of Issue 9 is what COAST's campaign has come down to in the final days leading up to the election. Even Bill Cunningham, who "thinks the Over-The-Rhine trolley is a bad idea" has called out Issue 9 for what it really is and stood against it. Let's vote down Issue 9 and do Cincinnati a favor, just as Mark Miller said in his WLW interview: "...then COAST has to shut up and go away."
Cartoon by Nicholas Sweeney
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Mark Miller proved in this interview he knows very little about transportation projects, or is blatantly lying to pass Issue 9. He said Issue 9 won't affect Federal and State projects like 3C or the high speed rail. That is false. The State and Feds always require cities to chip in for portions of the bill for projects like those. They might come to the City and say, you build the terminals, or you pay for the intersection lights. Both of those would require a vote with Issue 9.
ReplyDeleteThe State and Feds never do something for a city without a little help from the city. They like to know it's not completely charity for that city.
The other lie was when he said HDR and Parsons Brinckerhoff would rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in profit if Issue 9 fails and they build the streetcar. The entire project for the streetcar is under $200 million. How does a company rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in profit on a $200 million project? HDR only does the design which is very small.
The design of the Eastern Corridor project is probably going to cost $20 million. The construction is predicted to be over $1 billion. Design firms don't get a percent of the construction company's profits. Once the plans are done and in ODOT's hands, the designers never even touch it unless something is wrong.