Cincinnati Jail Tax Boogie

Politicians from both major political parties agree that Cincinnati needs a new jail.

So local officials recently decided to raise taxes by half a percent to help pay for the expenditure. This was done without putting the issue to a vote. And so a motley assemblage of pressure groups is trying to gather signatures for a petition in hopes of having the issue on a referendum in the Fall. It makes for strange bedfellows: On the Left they are against a jail because they are convinced that law enforcement applies justice unequally, along racial lines. On the Right they are against taxes in principle, since government often wastes money.

(All of which creates a funny inversion - because the folks on the Left still quaintly believe that the severe social problems that lead to criminal behavior can be solved by increased government spending on handouts and job training. And folks on on Right think the same conundrum can be eliminated by cracking some criminal over the head with a baton and throwing them ... uh ...in a government jail.)

Predictably, the infighting has set in among these groups. Some people claim that the NAACP is leading the efforts, and therefore any statements that have recently been made in the press by any other parties are foolish, according to activist blogger Nate Livingston. Then "the Dean" chimes in at the Cincinnati Beacon, claiming that our local major newsweekly is deficient in it's coverage - because of "big-money interests behind a prison-industrial complex". None of the activists actually addressing, beyond generalized, non-substantiated statements, the actual news item in question, whether or not the organizers of the petition are having any luck collecting the necessary number of signatures.

Again, the question: How many signatures have been collected so far?

Transparency and accountability from our public officials is always demanded from these quarters in loud and thundering tones. But I suspect that they won't feel the need to lead by example on this issue. There will be arm-waving and obfuscation. The numbers won't be counted yet. Lack of turnout will be the Enquirer's fault. And inevitably, if they can't gather enough signatures, some kind of conspiracy will be invoked. Taking full responsibility for the outcome and providing a clear view of the process - I'd be surprised if that's on the table.

Maybe officials will eventually pay the price for increasing taxes for this specific item without taxpayer consent. But at least there is a process for holding them accountable - petitions, and if necessary, elections. When it comes to pressure groups, however, it's one big, unelected, free-for-all - without any independent means of getting the facts behind the spin.

Tags: Cincinnati, Taxes, Criminal Justice