Steve Chabot Bans Cameras at Public Town Hall Meeting "For Security Purposes"

Thinking about taking a camera to record Rep. Steve Chabot's (R-OH) next public town hall meeting? Think again! According to this report from ThinkProgress, Chabot banned constituents from filming the town hall meeting:

Fearing pushback on issues like ending Medicare and corporate tax dodging, Chabot took an extraordinary step in order to prevent a possible “Youtube moment”: he banned constituents from filming the town hall. Outside the town hall were multiple signs reading, “For Security Purposes, Cameras Are NOT Permitted.” In fact, on at least two separate occasions, middle-aged constituents who tried to record the public event had their cameras confiscated and were asked to leave.

Oddly, media were permitted to film the event which undercuts the claim that cameras were banned "for security purposes". What is the real reason for Chabot's ban on public filming of the event? ThinkProgress has the answer:

...as one of Chabot’s staffers told ThinkProgress, they wanted to “prevent” people from “making a show” of the event. Indeed, Chabot and his staff were worried enough about citizens voicing their anger at his policies that they only accepted pre-screened questions chosen by the congressman’s staff.

Check out this video that was captured of Cincinnati Police confiscating cameras from citizens who were attempting to tape this public town hall meeting:

Mandel's Campaign Blocks Cameras at Public Forum

On Wednesday evening, a candidates forum was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blue Ash. The event was sponsored by several Conservative groups including COAST, the Cincinnati Tea Party and Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati. The event was moderated by former Hamilton County Commissioner, Phil Heimlich. Heimlich posed questions to candidates who are competing in many races this Spring and the vast majority of the candidates in attendance were running as Republicans.

My initial intention in covering this event was to talk to attendees and participants to see where the Conservative movement is heading. Now that the health care reform legislation has become law, it is a forum like this that can give some insight into the direction that the Republican Party will choose to take.

However my initial goal was sidetracked once the Republican Candidate for Ohio State Treasurer, Josh Mandel, took the stage. At 32, Mandel is currently the youngest member of the Ohio House of Representatives, has served in the Marine Corp. and has been on two tours of duty in Iraq. As Mandel took the stage, he was given a standing ovation for his service and it was clear during the first few moments of his speech that he was going to be well-received.

Shortly into my videotaping of Mandel's remarks, my attention was drawn to my right, where another gentleman was videotaping the speech. A member of Mandel's campaign, who I would later identify as Joel Riter, was trying to block this man's camera. (Riter is also the Legislative Aide for Josh Mandel in the Ohio House) It took me a moment to realize what was happening, but I quickly turned my own camera lens on this situation.

Once Riter noticed that he was being recorded, he promptly came over to me as I turned my lens back to the speech. Riter proceeded to hold his Blackberry approximately six inches from my face and take multiple pictures of me. In-between pictures, he proceeded to block my camera lens from videotaping Josh Mandel's speech.

I confronted Riter, asking what why he was standing in front of my camera to which he replied: "Are you working with the Democrats?" When I told him that I wasn't he said, "I thought you were, you're not?" Again, I said that I wasn't and Riter informed me that he was blocking the other man's camera because he did work with the Democrats. Here is the video:



After the candidate forum ended and I had packed up my video equipment, I ran into Josh Mandel outside. I approached him to ask about this incident, but as you will hear, once he heard that The Cincinnati Beacon has a "liberal" perspective, he completely ignored me.

Mandel made time for Republicans Phil and Rebecca Heimlich and even Democratic City Council member Cecil Thomas, but ignored my attempts to ask him about his staffer. I approached Councilman Thomas about the situation after Mandel had finished with him. Here is the audio beginning with my questioning of Mandel:



After the event, I asked the other gentleman who was having his camera blocked, if he had a moment for a question or two. He referred me to Seth Bringman, the Communications Director for the Ohio Democratic Party. Bringman issued this statement:

“Tracking your opponents is a standard practice of both parties. We had a tracker from the Ohio Democratic Party at this event, which was open to the public. Like any of our trackers, he was both respectful and professional.”

Even though both Joel Riter and Josh Mandel did not comment on this matter at the event, I also made an attempt to contact Michael Long, the Political Director for Mandel's campaign. He did not respond to either my email request or to the message that I left with his office. If I hear back, I will post his response in full.

While the majority of the Candidate forum was calm and civil, this incident took several by surprise. I had more than one citizen come up to me in the ballroom asking who the "man blocking the cameras" was. When I explained who he was and why he was blocking the cameras, these attendees expressed disgust and made mention that they would contact the campaign. You even heard COAST member Mark Miller say that this behavior is "not cool" in my interview with Cecil Thomas.

As the Mandel Campaign and Mandel himself remain silent on this issue, the fact remains that they felt it appropriate to block the cameras of those who they disagreed with during a public forum. Joel Riter operated under the assumption that I was with the Democrats and though he apologized to me personally when he realized I was not, still felt justified in blocking the camera of the gentleman who was working for the Democrats.

Josh Mandel also decided that he would only permit himself to be asked questions by media outlets who have a "Conservative" lean as evidenced by his repeated dismissal of my questions. These actions are quite curious for a candidate who claims to run his campaign with "honesty" and "integrity".



This piece is cross posted here.

No Surprise, the 'Jerry & Bill Show' Leaves Much to Be Desired

It was a difficult task, but I managed to make it through the entire half-hour of the pilot episode of the "Jerry & Bill Show" this evening on FOX 19. The Tribune Co. decided that it would be a good idea to pit former Mayor of Cincinnati Jerry Springer against Conservative talk-show host Bill "Willie" Cunningham and have them argue about politics. From The Chicago Tribune's piece on the show:

"We'd go at it minute or two, a bell would sound, and then we'd go onto the next one," Cunningham said. "At the end, we'd each have a 60- to 90-second commentary."

Compton, 35, Tribune Co.'s senior vice president for programming, said that if he approves the show, it would air on many of the company's television stations and "hopefully others." It wouldn't be seen on WGN-Ch. 9, however, which is focusing on non-talk show programming, Compton said.

"We're going to run the pilot in the next two weeks, and if it rates, we're going to jump all over it and try to put together a deal," he said. "This is part of our quest to get back into original programming. Tribune was there once before, and with today's technology, it's a lot easier to do than it has ever been."

The pilot was shot at the Fox affiliate in Cincinnati, where all of the players first met. The Cincinnati Enquirer first reported the taping.

When I first heard that this show was in the works, I expected that it would only air locally due to the strong local interest in both personalities. Call me crazy, but I don't think the country needs another show that is devoted to a Democrat and a Republican yelling at each other about politics. I guess the thinking was that if you create the conditions for a train wreck, people will tune in to watch it happen.

This show was everything that you would expect it to be. Frustrating, frantic, disorganized, and not helpful to the overall political discourse. As the show opened Jerry Springer stated that this was going to be a "political conversation where nothing is off-limits" (wait, is this supposed to be something different?) and Cunningham immediately launched into his normal ranting and raving.

"Your man," Cunningham said to Springer, "Barack Hussein Obama..." "Our President," quipped Springer, Cunningham: "Your man, Barack Hussein Obama..." and we were off down a very predictable road.

The two bantered about Obama's successes in his first year as President, each sticking to the normal partisan talking points before segueing into the current health care debate. Springer made points about European countries' life expectancy being higher than that of the U.S. and that 45 million Americans currently lack health insurance. "Medicaid and Medicare already cover those without insurance," Cunningham stated, "We have the best health care in the world".

Once Springer pointed out that you can't get Medicare until you are over 65 and that Medicaid is reserved for citizens who are really poor, Cunningham launched into his familiar diatribe against the poor claiming that there are not any "dirt-poor" people in this country anymore and that "there are poor people in this country, but they are fat." Cunningham also stated that "to be poor in America means that you are morbidly obese." He apparently thinks this because the Government gives out so many "handouts" to those in need.

The two briefly touched on Afghanistan (Cunningham wants to withdraw the troops) before they moved on to why the conversation on politics is so nasty. Ironic right? I thought this point had a little potential considering that Cunningham recently made the 2009 Media Matters of America "Most Outrageous Comments" list, but Cunningham set the agenda by claiming that liberals "control" the universities, the media and Hollywood. Reacting to this, Springer asked how Bush was elected twice if the media is so liberal. "Because people had talk radio to turn to," Cunningham replied.

Other topics included:

Global Warming

Which Cunningham claimed is a "liberal myth to seize control of the economy" and doesn't believe in because we are having such a cold winter.

and Tiger Woods

In perhaps the most incoherent moment of the show, Cunningham claimed that Lyndon Johnson is responsible for the whole Tiger Woods mess because Welfare took fathers out of the home. Therefore, children have had no role models in the home and have had to look to celebrities like Tiger Woods for inspiration.

The show closed with both of their hopes for the new year. Springer wants health care for all and Cunningham wants Obama to be impeached so Biden can become President.

Can someone tell me why we need this show? Real conversations about important issues are already few and far between within the corporate media, I don't think that we need more of this nonsense on the airwaves.


This is also posted here.

Citizens Gather for "End the Fed" Event in Downtown Cincinnati (Video Report)

This is cross posted here.

Interview with Dr. Brad Wenstrup, 2009 Republican Candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati

Dr. Brad Wenstrup, a lifetime resident of Cincinnati, is the 2009 Republican candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati. Wenstrup is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and ran his own medical practice in downtown Cincinnati from 1986 to 2001. The Cincinnati Beacon reached out to the Wenstrup campaign on numerous occasions in attempts to get responses to our questions. Below is the outcome of our efforts:

CB: You suggest revitalizing neighborhoods with a model like between 3CDC and Over-the-Rhine. 3CDC received public subsidies to purchase abandoned buildings. How can this model work in the neighborhoods? Do you support more subsidies for private corporations to purchase buildings?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: You say the Environmental Justice Ordinance kills jobs. Can you point to one job that has been "killed" since the very recent implementation of this ordinance?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: What is one example by which a mayor can specifically stimulate job growth for minority-owned and women-owned businesses?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: What aspect of the streetcar's funding structure is "wasteful"? Do you deny that the streetcar brings economic development? If so, on what basis? If not, then why not support the plan?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: Is there a relationship between human service funding and crime? What role should human service funding play during tough budgetary scenarios?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: You call "spraygrounds" more modern than swimming pools. How are disadvantaged children supposed to learn how to swim?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: You say you support no cuts to the "frontline" in police and fire. What about administration? How many cuts can you support to bloated administrative costs with fire and police? How quickly will you implement these cuts?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: If elected, would you be willing to meet with online activists in designing a more transparent interface for tracking City Hall actions?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: You say you want to be engaged as mayor, attending public comment sessions. Will you require councilmembers to be attentive, or is it acceptable to use Twitter in open council chambers?


BW: (No response provided)


CB: If you went to a different community council once a week, you'd only see each community once a year. Isn't "Mayor's Night In" a more effective strategy to hear from concerned voters?


BW: (No response provided)


This interview is cross posted here.

Above photo is courtesy of here.

Local Activists March in Favor of Health Care Reform

This past Sunday, close to 100 local activists and concerned citizens gathered on the corner of 5th and Walnut streets in Downtown Cincinnati to march in support of health care reform. Members associated with Organizing for America, the AFL-CIO, Cincinnati Progressive Action, and the local branch of the International Socialist Organization all helped to promote this event and their messages ranged from supporting President Obama's call for a public option to calls for pressing members of Congress to have a dialogue about the adoption of a single-payer health care system.

Activists began gathering a little before 11:30am on a chilly Sunday morning, carrying homemade signs and wearing clothing that expressed their support for health care reform. As organizers began to pass out materials and leaflets, about a dozen anti-health care reform activists (some wearing shirts indicating their membership in the Cincinnati Chapters of the Tea Party and 9/12 Project Organizations) made their presence known. They carried signs implying that President Obama is ushering Socialism and Marxism and voiced many of the same concerns that have been heard at the various town hall meetings that I and many others covered throughout the country this past August.

Unlike some of the town hall meetings, those who are not in favor of health care reform were outnumbered by those in favor of fundamentally amending the health care system. Local candidates for Cincinnati City Council Nicholas Hollan, Anitra Brockman and Greg Harris were also in attendance to show their support for health care reform and as you will see in the video that I have provided below, all three spoke at the event.

The march lasted for about an hour, snaking through the streets of Cincinnati and through the hoards of people who were making their way down to Paul Brown Stadium to attend the Cincinnati Bengals game. I even heard a few cries of "Who Dey for Health Care" as I covered the event.

Below is some video footage of the march including the speeches by Nicholas Hollan, Anitra Brockman, Greg Harris and organizer Nathan Lane:




This piece is cross posted here.

Cincinnati Health Care Forum Draws Big Crowd, Mixed Emotions

On Tuesday evening, the Hamilton County Democratic Forum held an what was dubbed an "educational program about Health Care" at the 20th Century Theater in the neighborhood of Oakley in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event featured Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) and Jessica McNiece who represented Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and allowed the event to be open to the public so that questions could be asked and so that the issue of health care could be discussed.

As I have reported previously, the past two events which have featured Rep. Driehaus as a speaker, have drawn crowds which have been very vocal in either their support or their resistance to the current health care reforms that are being proposed by members of Congress. While this gathering was not quite the spectacle, many familiar faces were again present to make their voices heard. There were citizens representing the Cincinnati Tea Party organization, the Cincinnati 9/12 Project, Cincinnati Progressive Action, and Planned Parenthood in attendance and contrary to the first public meeting on health care reform, those who are in favor of both a single-payer system or a public option greatly outnumbered those who were advocating against reform.

Security was tight as I entered the 20th Century Theater about a half hour before the event was scheduled to start. I was met at the door by security officials and my bags were inspected before I was allowed to enter. Employees of the theater were also collecting signs and banners that activists had brought to the event and placed them outside so that they could be collected after the conclusion of the forum. As I set up my equipment there were members of the Hamilton County Democratic Forum that were passing out the rules of the evening which included:

- Everyone MUST be respectful of his or her fellow Americans
- No guns, knives or weapons of any kind are allowed in the theater.
- No shouting
- No noises, including, but not limited to: booing, whistling, hissing, etc.
- People who disobey the rules or are in any way discourteous to the speakers or their fellow Americans will be asked to leave, and if necessary, escorted from the building.

Also stated at the top of the handout was the declaration: "This is a private meeting and is not a Town Hall Meeting or a government sponsored event."

These rules, including the rule regarding people being escorted from the building, would come into play later in the evening.

As citizens took their seats in the theater, the atmosphere was relatively calm and the demeanor of the crowd was overall positive. I will refrain from describing much of the content once the forum began as I have posted complete video footage of the event below. The forum consisted of opening remarks from the Hamilton County Democratic Forum, followed by remarks from Rep. Driehaus and Jessica McNiece. Following the opening remarks, a panel of four was present on the stage and each member of the panel had a chance to ask two questions. Following the questions of the panel members, Rep. Driehaus and Ms. McNiece drew cards from a basket. These cards were handed out prior to the event to those who wished to ask a question. The cards were then collected, put in a basket, and chosen at random.

This process allowed for a wide variety of questions to be asked and for some interesting moments throughout the forum. Rep. Driehaus was asked about his own acceptance of campaign funds from the health care industry (which he did not deny and justified by implying that he has to take these contributions due to the way the campaign finance system is set up-Q&A Video 5 at 7:41-) as well as why he was discounting a single-payer health care system. This type of random questioning also allowed for those who oppose health care reform to get a chance to make some of their concerns known. Driehaus received questions regarding abortion, end of life care, and the deficit. Many of these questions elicited some animated exchanges between Driehaus and the crowd. One of these moments came at the 1:11 mark in the Q&A 6 video below.

The evening did not conclude without some fireworks. There was one instance where two gentlemen continually shouted out that Driehaus and other speakers were lying about various issues. I watched as security warned these men about shouting out during the meeting. As the shouts persisted, these two men were kicked out by security. There was another instance where a man jumped to his feet and began shouting as he walked toward the back of the theater, obviously expecting that he would be kicked out for his behavior. Even Jim, as you will recognize from this video which I shot at the first town hall meeting, was kicked out of the event after he shouted out a comment about tort reform (Q&A #8 Video at 1:50). In an interesting moment, Rep. Driehaus actually answered his question as he was being escorted out of the theater while shaking hands with supporters. Jim later appeared outside with a sign that read: "Government Communism are not the solution. They are the problem. Stop the lies, stop the tyranny." A gentleman in a Cincinnati Tea Party shirt congratulated Jim for getting kicked out of the event, labeling Jim his "hero". Shortly after, a woman from England was arguing with another woman who had lived overseas about the quality of government-run health care and Jim yelled the following at the woman who was advocating a single-payer system: "You brought us World War One and World War Two! We don't want your tyranny!"

After the meeting was over, there were several familiar faces that gathered outside the theater to hold up signs to support their cause. "Medicare for All" read one sign while another one read "Single-Payer is Best". Signs against reform were also present and ranged from the sign that Jim carried to "Obamacare = Rationing End of Life Counseling". One woman even stated that the only conversation that you should have at the end of life should be with God; apparently in reference to her opposition for the end of life counseling options that are present within the bills before Congress.

The mood outside the theater after the conclusion of the event was light-hearted with an opponent of reform (who almost got into a fight during the last gathering) yelling "Hi Mom and Dad" at my camera. Even Rep. Driehaus was able to exit through the front door of the theater without being shouted at as he made his way to his car. I encourage you to watch the videos below to see the responses to the questions that were asked especially as the debate over reform is heating up. Congress will be back in session very soon and as we begin to see the White House continue to use language that suggests that the public option may be struck from the bill, it is a good bet that the public will have much more to say about health care reform in the days to come.

Introduction


Steve Driehaus 1


Steve Driehaus 2


Jessica McNiece


Q & A 1


Q & A 2


Q & A 3


Q & A 4


Q & A 5


Q & A 6


Q & A 7


Q & A 8


Q & A 9



This piece is crossposted here.

More Footage From the Second Cincinnati Townhall

Earlier, I posted a summary of the second town hall event that Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) held yesterday at the Nathanael Green Lodge Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This was a ticketed event as it was part of the Green Township Democratic Club's normal scheduled meeting. The club decided to issue tickets to the event once it was realized that a lot of people would be showing up to discuss the issue of health care.

While citizens showed up representing both sides of the health care debate, it was clear that those in favor of health care reform outnumbered those who are against the reforms that are currently being discussed before Congress. This was a big difference from the first town hall meeting during which those opposed to reforms greatly outnumbered those in favor.

I have uploaded another video from the event that you can view below. You will see part of a speech given by the Secretary Treasurer of the local chapter of the AFL-CIO and how that quickly degenerated into heated arguments throughout the crowd. This video culminates with a man who is opposed to health care reform threatening to kill a man who is in favor of health care reform. I am working on one more video from this event and hope to have it posted soon.

I also encourage you to visit my other post on this event which contains the video of a woman who continually shouted "Obamacare is America's Chappaquiddick". There is another town hall meeting scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley during which Rep. Steve Driehaus will be speaking. I will be sure to have more video from that event.

Anti-Health Care Reformer Outside Cincinnati Townhall: "Obamacare is America's Chappaquiddick!"

Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) held a second townhall meeting yesterday evening at the Nathanael Green Lodge in Cincinnati, Ohio that was sponsored by the Green Township Democratic Club. This was a ticketed event, so the majority of people, both for health care reform and against, gathered outside the venue prior to the event starting.

The last townhall meeting that Driehaus held was dominated by those who are opposed to health care reform. Driehaus was shouted down throughout the town hall meeting, had a hard time answering the questions that he was asked, and was chased down by a shouting crowd as he left the event.

This time there was a noticeable increase in citizens that came to the event in favor of health care reform. There was a strong union presence from the AFL-CIO and other local labor unions as well as organizations such as Planned Parenthood and Cincinnati Progressive Action. There was also a noticeable increase in people who were advocating for single-payer health insurance which is an option that has been off the table in Congress since the beginning of the drafting of legislation.

People from both sides of the debate gathered outside in order to hold their signs and make their voices heard. Things started out pretty calmly, but soon progressed into many shouting matches and even a death threat. The AFL-CIO had organized various speakers from around the Tri-State area to voice their support for health care reform, but as you can imagine, those who were opposed to health care reform didn't let this happen without shouting out various slogans.

I captured a lot of video from outside the event as I did not get a chance to go inside for the actual forum. I have video of various arguments and confrontations that happened within the crowd that I will be posting soon and I will soon post a confrontation where an anti-health care reformer threatens to kill a gentleman that he is arguing with.

As it is quite late as I am typing this, I will post one video this evening. This video centers around a woman who claims that she voted for Obama in November and is a registered Democrat. She claims that she has "seen the light" and was "duped" by Obama during the campaign. She came out in opposition to health care reform (and programs like Welfare as you will hear), but most striking is an analogy that she kept shouting. You will hear that she keeps shouting "Obamacare is America's Chappaquiddick". This is an obvious reference to the infamous incident which involved the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) back in 1969.

The odd thing about this is that the analogy makes no sense to me other than to assume that the only reason that this woman is shouting this phrase is to try and tie the death of Sen. Kennedy (which happened earlier yesterday) with her argument against health care. This is yet another example of ridiculous arguments and sayings that make no sense, yet are injected into the debate on health care. In this case, a totally unrelated incident is referenced for the sole purpose of trying to tie in Sen. Kennedy's death from earlier in the day and enrage supporters of health care reform, the same cause for which Kennedy fought for, for the majority of his life. Here is the video and be sure to check back as more will become available:




This piece is crossposted here.

Daughter of Cincinnati City Councilman Gets Tased During Traffic Stop

Celeste Thomas, daughter of Cincinnati City Councilman Cecil Thomas, was tased last night by Cincinnati Police during a traffic stop. From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

The incident involving Celeste Thomas began unfolding just after midnight Saturday when Officer Stephanie Glueck and Jennifer Myers were driving on West McMillan in Clifton Heights when they saw a 2004 Toyota Corolla hit a city garbage truck at 73 West McMillan.

When it seemed the driver, Demetri Washington, was not going to stop, the officers initiated a traffic stop.

A video of the arrest of Washington, 33, on charges of resisting arrest, drunken driving, driving without a license and a burglary warrant and of Celeste Thomas, 26, on charges of obstructing official business and open container, shows what happened next.

Washington pulled over and Glueck walked up to the driver’s side window and asked Washington for his license and proof of insurance. He didn’t immediately comply. When officers found Washington was wanted on a warrant for burglary, he was arrested and handcuffed.

Here is video of the incident:



The officer who tased Thomas is Anthony Plummer who has had his police powers revoked and is currently being investigated for using excessive force. Police Chief Thomas Streicher has already stated publicly that Plummer did not follow proper police procedures and that improper force was used. In addition, it appears that Plummer has a past history of using excessive force. Again from the Enquirer:

Plummer joined the force in 2001 and his personnel file shows a suspension for use of force, two reprimands and an incident that led to his being fired.

Plummer was fired in August of 2006 for violating procedure during an arrest in which he used a Taser. An arbitrator reinstated Plummer in September of 2007.

If Plummer is found to have violated department policy in Celeste Thomas’ arrest, he will face a disciplinary hearing. A hearing officer will make a disciplinary recommendation to Streicher, who in turn will make one to Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney.

If disciplinary action is taken, it cannot be based on that prior incident because as per police contract, incidents are cleared for an officer’s record after three years.

While the quick response and candid reaction of Chief Streicher is rare, it is has drawn praise from Christopher Smitherman, the local President of the NAACP:

“I give them an A-plus to this stage,” Smitherman said. “The collaborative agreement was about trying to change the police culture, and we’re seeing here that that’s happening.

“When the police chief feels comfortable enough at this early point in an investigation to say publicly that he thinks the officer was wrong and used excessive force, that shows me we’re getting closer to where we all want to be in terms of police-community relations,” Smitherman added.

This recent local situation is only one in a long series of police actions from across the country that have resulted in children, the elderly, and the handicapped being subdued by the use of tasers.

digby writes often about civil liberties and tasers and recently wrote the following:

Tasers were sold to the public as a tool for law enforcement to be used in lieu of deadly force. Presumably, this means situations in which officers would have previously had to use their firearms. It's hard to argue with that, and I can't think of a single civil libertarian who would say that this would be a truly civilized advance in policing. Nobody wants to see more death and if police have a weapon they can employ instead of a gun, in self defense or to stop someone from hurting others, I think we all can agree that's a good thing.

But that's not what's happening. Tasers are routinely used by police to torture innocent people who have not broken any law and whose only crime is being disrespectful toward their authority or failing to understand their "orders." There is ample evidence that police often take no more than 30 seconds to talk to citizens before employing the taser, they use them while people are already handcuffed and thus present no danger, and are used often against the mentally ill and handicapped. It is becoming a barbaric tool of authoritarian, social control.

This is a pattern that we have seen time and time again and in case after case. Tasers are not always substituted for the use of lethal force, but rather for the use of dialogue. People are tased not always for posing a danger to the safety of the police officer, but for mouthing off to the police or not fully complying with commands. This is a dangerous path to continue down with a device that has proven itself capable of causing death.

In this most recent local case, the police admit that Celeste Thomas was on her knees with her hands in the air when she was tased in the back. Regardless of the fact that she got out of the car against the commands of the police, she was not posing a danger to the officers who were on the scene as she was on her knees with her hands in the air. If tasers are to be used in place of lethal force, are we to believe that Officer Plummer would have shot Thomas? I have seen many comments on local news websites that have been posted by users suggesting that Thomas got what she had coming because one should expect these consequences if one does not comply with the commands of the police. I think we are better than that as a society.

We should expect citizens to have a certain level of earned respect for law enforcement officers, but we should also expect these same officers to use force sparingly when other tactics are exhausted. We should expect that tools of force should not be used simply because they are easier and create a sense of fear within the public, especially with a tool that has been known to have deadly effects. As a society we should continue to examine tools such as the taser as it is used more liberally during situations that once seemed routine and ask ourselves if this is truly an effective tool, or if it is exerting more authoritarian controls over the greater population.



This is crossposted here.

More on the Recent Health Care Forum in Cincinnati

As more and more members of Congress are engaging with public via local town hall meetings on the issue of health care reform, we continue to see the same pattern from a segment of the population who are opposed to what they view as, "socialized medicine".

It has been well documented by various sources that primarily Republican and Conservative opponents to health care reform, have engaged in tactics to interrupt these town hall meetings and specifically avoid having an intelligent debate. There is even one report that came out yesterday of a Congressman who was physically assaulted at one of these events.

The scene was no different at Monday's local town hall meeting at the First Unitarian Church here in Cincinnati with Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH). As you could see in my initial post on this topic, Driehaus was regularly interrupted by the crowd and at times had difficulty answering the questions as people insisted on shouting over him. "What about the illegals getting covered?" one man shouted, "You're lying!" shouted several others.

Driehaus pleaded for rationality and calm indicating that he wanted to have a good discussion with those who didn't agree with the plan, but couldn't do so if everyone insisted on shouting. A handful of people walked out two-thirds of the way through the forum complaining about socialism and indicating the the health care system did not need reforming. Several people wore tee-shirts with the web address of the Cincinnati Tea Party movement while others had signs objecting to, in their view, a government take-over of the health-care industry.

As the forum drew to a conclusion after a little over an hour, little had been accomplished. This had not been a thoughtful exchange of ideas but was rather a gathering of people who felt that the best way to move America forward was to prevent any rational and thoughtful debate. Participants who used buzz phrases indicating their opposition to "government control" and "socialized medicine" were cheered and when Driehaus even mentioned the words "single payer" or dared to question the deficit under President Reagan, he was called a liar and shouted down.

This opposition to President Obama and the Democratically controlled Congress has been brewing since last year's campaign season. Obama was regularly called a "socialist", slammed for "palling around with terrorists", and was criticized by many on the right for wanting to "destroy America". We see these themes injected into everything from the debate on the passage of the stimulus plans, to the birther movement, and now we see these tactics used in the health care debate. There are similarities that can be observed in many of these instances. Opponents of these policies are often operating off a playbook that misrepresents factual information and rather than get their fuel from ideas and proposing alternatives, they get their fuel from a belief that Obama and the Democrats genuinely want to destroy the United States.

Glenn Beck exploits this tactic daily on his show on Fox News and recently revealed that he believes that Obama not only hates white people, but is an actual racist. Is it any wonder why we see primarily middle-aged whites lining up to attend "tea-parties" and shout down Congressmen at these town hall meetings?

Below is a video that contains some footage that I shot after the conclusion of Monday's Health Care forum in Cincinnati. You will see the police moving in to surround Driehaus after he was done taking questions, the crowd chasing after Driehaus as he exited the church, and a conversation with one of the opponents of health care reform. You will hear several moments where people are shouting "Vote for Chabot" in reference to long-time politician Steve Chabot whom Driehaus defeated in 2008 and will face once again in the next election. As the crowd runs over to Driehaus' car, you will also hear someone shout "Don't kill your parents Steve!" which is a reference to a story that Driehaus told during the forum about his personal struggle in determining end of life care for his now deceased father.

As the crowd dispersed one person proudly stated, "Well that was a peaceful protest now wasn't it?" while two others expressed to me, "I wish their was less shouting...I would like to see a stronger push for nationalized health care." Too bad they didn't get to ask a question during the forum. Then again, they probably wouldn't have had a chance to fully ask their question before being shouted down. Here is the video:




This piece is crossposted here.

Rep. Steve Driehaus at the Health Care Reform Forum in Cincinnati

A public forum on the topic of health care was held on Monday, August 3 at the First Unitarian Church in the neighborhood of Avondale in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) of Ohio's first Congressional District was slated to speak at the forum to answer the public's questions on health care reform and to also brief citizens on some of the conversations that have been taking place in Congress over the last few weeks.

Citizens were lined up outside the Church's entrance just after 6PM for the 7PM forum. When the doors were opened at 6:30PM, the crowd made their way into a small room that could only hold 90 people. As it quickly became clear that this room would not hold everyone, an announcement was made that the sanctuary would be the new location for this forum. The sanctuary was overflowing with people by the time that Congressman Driehaus arrived, many people had to sit in either the choir loft or outside in the hall.

One of the organizers of the event gave some introductory remarks which included special attention to notes that have been circulated by opponents of health care reform at various forums around the country. These notes encourage opponents to be disruptive of the forum, to engaging in yelling and outbursts, and to make it a point to not engage in constructive discussion. Opponents at the forum were warned to not engage in type of behavior, but it quickly became clear that these warnings would not be followed.

As Rep. Driehaus began his remarks, it became evident that the vast majority of those who had gathered for this event were planning on being disruptive and shouting both at and over Driehaus. Many people wore shirts with the web address of the Cincinnati Tea Party organization and some even brought signs which depicted slogans that showed opposition to socialized medicine. You will notice that Rep. Driehaus was interrupted throughout the majority of the forum. Below are several videos of the event which encompass Rep. Driehaus' entire participation in the forum. Sponsors of the forum were the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Organization of Women and the Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus:

















There will be more videos posted in the coming days that will give you a glimpse of what happened after the conclusion of this forum, so check back soon.

This is crossposted here.

Interview with Democratic Candidate for Cincinnati City Council Nicholas Hollan

On this past Saturday, I covered the second rally held on Fountain Square in support of the people of Iran. Present at this rally was Democratic Candidate for Cincinnati City Council Nicholas Hollan. Hollan was present at the rally in order to both gather signatures on his petition for his candidacy and to show his support for the people of Iran.

From Hollan's website:

For our city to move forward, we must together and proactively address the root causes of the pressing issues we face.

* Let’s work closely with community councils to create a long term vision for each Cincinnati neighborhood.
* Let’s focus on ensuring that our children are born healthy and are ready to learn and succeed.
* Let’s elevate the quality of life in Cincinnati to encourage people to move in instead of out.

After the conclusion of the rally, I had an opportunity to speak with Hollan and ask him a few questions. That exchange is below.

(note: though the title lists July 26 as the date, the interview was conducted on July 25.)




This is crossposted here.

United For Iran: Cincinnatians Hold Second Rally to Voice Support for Iranians

Yesterday, citizens of the Greater Cincinnati Area gathered on Fountain Square to rally in support of the people of Iran, the second such rally within the last month. The rally was entitled, "United for Iran: Global Day of Action" and included speeches by those who organized the event, chants, signs, a song, and the formation of a human chain to symbolize solidarity with those in Iran who have been protesting since the contested election on June 12, 2009. From the organizer's Facebook page:

Join us, all Iranians and Non-Iranians, in expressing solidarity with the freedom-seeking protesters in Iran. Many of our own friends and relatives are bravely marching on the streets, and we feel a duty to support them by keeping up the momentum and continuing to raise awareness of these important events in Iran.

Around 80 people attended this event which is down slightly from the attendance of over 100 at the first rally and the decrease was mainly attributed to a threat of thunderstorms as well as the diminishing media coverage. There was a noticeable increase in the attendance of non-Iranians at this rally as well as those who drove by Fountain Square while honking their horn and giving their "thumbs up" in support of the demonstrators. Also in attendance was Democratic candidate for Cincinnati City Council, Nicholas Hollan, who felt it important to show his support for not only those gathered in Cincinnati, but those who continue to raise their voice in Iran. I had an opportunity to ask him a few questions at the conclusion of the rally and that interview will be available within the next few days.

Demonstrators young and old holding signs of support and handing out fliers to passers-by gathered around the bullhorn at a little after 4PM as the rally kicked off:



After the introduction and as more people joined the rally, attendees began chanting their support for the people of Iran:

"Natarseed, natarseed ma hameh baham hasteem" (Don't be afraid, Don't be afraid, we are all in this together)

"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

and "Basiji Basiji stop the violence now" were just some of slogans that echoed throughout Fountain Square and attracted new people to join the rally. A flier that was being passed out by organizers stated:

"The Iranian government is in clear violation of the Iranian people's human rights. We are here to stand with the people of Iran in their fight for civil and human rights. We urge all of you to take action with us. We cannot let all those that gave up their lives demanding freedom to be forgotten. We want to let our Iranian brothers and sisters know that we hear their voices and they are not alone!"

Demonstrator Jay Sardinia then took the microphone and spoke about the spontaneity of the protests taking place in Iran as well as the struggles that the face the Iranian youth:



Following Sardinia's speech, attendees at the demonstration formed a human chain around the perimeter of Fountain Square's corner of Fifth Street and Vine while continuing to chant and sing to show their support for Democracy and against the violations of human rights in Iran.

Once the two-hour rally concluded, I was able to once-again speak with organizer Nazanin Tork about the her goals for these demonstrations, the media coverage of the continued unrest in Iran, and what is next:




This piece is crossposted here.

Cincinnatians Rally in Support of Iranian Protesters

Yesterday about 100 Iranian-Americans, Cincinnati community members, and residents of the Greater Tri-State area gathered on Fountain Square for a rally in support of and in solidarity with the citizens of Iran who have been voicing their opposition to the recent election results.

Demonstrators began arriving on the Square a few minutes before 4 P.M., mainly wearing black to mourn those who have been killed during the Iranian Government's crackdown on peaceful dissent. The rally was largely organized by Iranian-Americans Ghoncheh Boroujerdi, Ahoo Tabatabai, Golnaz Shafeei, and Nazanin Tork on Facebook and the stated mission was listed as follows:

Join us, all Iranians and Non-Iranians, in expressing solidarity with the freedom-seeking protesters in Iran. Many of our own friends and relatives are bravely marching on the streets, and we feel a duty to support them by keeping up the momentum and continuing to raise awareness of these important events in Iran.

Here is some audio and some images from the beginning of the rally:



As the rally progressed, people marched on the square carrying signs, chanting slogans, and mourning the loss of all of those who have been killed in Iran since the crackdown. There were many images of Neda, whose violent death was captured on video and broadcast to the entire world as well as images of others who have lost their lives in the clashes with Iranian authorities. At one point flowers were collected on a make-shift shrine made out of a folding chair in front of a poster of images of those who have died.

As the people continued to step forward to the bullhorn to speak and offer words of solidarity in both English and Farsi, attention was drawn to a sign carried by one of those attending the rally. The sign read, "U.S. Out of the Middle East". A handful of demonstrators began to shout at the organizers and at the man holding the sign saying that this was not the message that they wanted to express. "I am not hear for the Middle East," one man shouted, "I am here only for the people of Iran!" "Who installed the Shah?" shot back another demonstrator, "If you want to hold a rally for him, go across the street!" This smaller group became more and more vocal and even tried to use other signs to block the sign in question. Organizers quickly took to the bullhorn to try and keep the peace and announce that everyone was expressing the same solidarity in different ways, but those who objected to the sign continued to shout over the organizers and start chants of their own.

The confrontation reached its climax when one demonstrator walked over to the man holding the sign and forcefully ripped it from his hands. The ripped sign was thrown to the ground as police approached and organizers took to the bullhorn to regain control by asserting that this rally was organized as a peaceful event. Audio of the confrontation can be heard below, the main female voice is that of organizer Nazanin Tork. The climax of the argument happens at around 2:23 in the video:



After control was regained by the organizers of the event, the rally continued and ended peacefully without incident with chants of "Don't be afraid, we are all in this together" and "Fake Republic, sham election, this became our call to action".

After the event was over I was able to ask one of the organizers, Nazanin Tork, a few questions about the goals of the rally as well as the confrontation (Note: images in this video are not from the Cincinnati rally):





This piece is crossposted here.

Bill Cunningham Back on "Hannity"

Cincinnati's own, Bill Cunningham was on the Fox News show "Hannity" earlier this week spewing more nonsense. Here is some of the video:



I think Cunningham wins the award for cramming the most smears into the shortest time period for this rant:

"Sean, what we have here is this little boy who grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the age of 6 to 10, rejected by his own father, rejected by his own mother, rejected by his stepfather, raised by his grandparents, bowing before the King of Saudi Arabia, kissing the behind of every European socialist, saying okay to people like Ahmenijad -- we have the most dishonest, the most disreputable 100 days in American history, and this guy actually believes it's good!"

You know you are watching something wildly over the top when Geraldo Rivera actually looks like a voice of reason.

Also interesting to note that in a current poll on Cincinnati.com, Bill Cunningham is the leading vote-getter for "Favorite Personality on WLW-AM".

From Istanbul to Cincinnati: Growing Concerns Over Access to Water

It has been said by many that the wars of the future will be fought over water. Such a statement is often far from our minds as we turn on our tap to wash our hands or flush our toilets to remove waste from our homes. Water, to many of us, is simply a resource that we have ample access to whenever we need it. From time to time we hear statistics from organizations such as the World Health Organization that tell us that over 1 billion people on our planet lack access to safe drinking water and we may not register exactly what this means or the implications that this may have on the rest of the world's population. Pictures of African children gathering jars of filthy water may tug at our heart strings and we may feel blessed that we are the fortunate ones who don't have to worry about detecting diseases from a resource that we must have in order to survive. We may even understand that a water crisis is a realistic possibility as our planet's population continues to increase while our access to drinkable water remains a constant challenge, but it may still seem like an issue that is far removed from our everyday lives.

Every three years, the World Water Council puts on a World Water Forum at which leaders from around the globe meet to have discussions with an end goal of presenting a unified front on the many issues that surround accessibility to this precious resource. This past weekend, the fifth World Water Forum was held in Istanbul, Turkey which led to leaders of various countries signing a traditional ministerial statement at the conclusion of the forum. This year's statement described water as a "basic human need" and called for "new and adequate resources" for the water sector.

Labeling water as a "basic human need" was met with intense backlash from both activists and dissenting countries who took part in the World Water Forum. The major point of contention was the Forum's refusal to distinguish water as a human right versus a human need. What appears to be simply an issue of semantics is actually a point of contention that carries much greater implication. Jeff Conant of Alternet.org explains in his recent piece:

If water is "a human need," it implies no obligation on the part of governments to ensure access to it. If it is "a human right," on the other hand, a series of policy procedures follow suit to make compliance obligatory.

Conant also quotes Juan Carlos Alurralde, an advisor to the Ministry of Environment and Water of Boliva, in his piece as saying that the ministers of Egypt, Brazil, and the United States were strongly opposed to language that would label water as a human right.

As this language was stricken from the final ministerial statement, a large number of countries including Chile, Switzerland, Bolivia, South Africa, and Venezuela filed dissenting statements that supported viewing water as a fundamental human right and their commitment to "all necessary actions for the progressive implementation of this right". Endorsing the dissenting views was the president of the UN General Assembly Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann. He stated:

"Water is a public trust, a common heritage of people and nature, and a fundamental human right. I am convinced that we must challenge the notion that water is a commodity to be bought and sold on the open market."

Dissenting nations, as well as other members of the UN, also criticized the World Water Council as a group of "water lords" and called for additional discussions on the issue of water under the direction of the United Nations.

Also voicing their opposition were hundreds of activists that took to the streets to protest the World Water Forum as a "corporate driven fraud". Police clashed violently with the protesters, charging the crowd while firing rubber bullets, tear gas, and ironically, water cannons. Many of the activists and representatives of alternative organizations voiced their concern that the World Water Forum was not a forum that encouraged participation from the public. David Boys, a member of the NGO Public Services International, was quoted in an article by the AFP saying that "transparency, accountability, and participation" were absent from the forum.

From Istanbul to Cincinnati, activists who are at the center of this debate are largely concerned with the question of control. As the bottled water industry continues to boom and cities around the United States have experimented in selling off what was once a publicly controlled resource to private corporations, we see the issue of ownership play out again and again. Communities from California, to Illinois, to New York have experienced water privatization first hand and there are some citizens in Cincinnati who are concerned about the future of their water supply.

As has been reported previously at the Cincinnati Beacon, City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. has formed an advisory group to study whether to transform the Greater Cincinnati Water Works into the Greater Cincinnati Water District. While very few details have emerged about how this would be done or why this option is even under consideration, a water district would move operational control away from a Director appointed by the City Manager to a regionally appointed board.

As the advisory group is believed to be submitting their recommendation to Dohoney within the next six weeks, a citizens group called "Protect Our Water" has created a website which expresses concern about public accountability of a proposed water district and why such a change needs to take place. Taken from their website:

Today the City of Cincinnati enjoys reasonable and relatively low water prices compared to other cities in our region and throughout the country. If the Water Works is sold to a Water District which we will no longer control, there is no guarantee that water rates will remain low. Water rates could rise.

...

Today the City of Cincinnati Water Works provides us with water service and quality that is among the best in the nation. If the Water Works is sold to a Water District, we have no guarantee that service and quality will remain the same.

The concerns expressed by "Protect Our Water" echo the concerns of activists and citizens from around the world who view water not as simply a human need, but as a human right. These citizens largely believe in public control of a resource that plays such a fundamental role in promoting life upon this planet.

As this feasibility study is prepared and a recommendation is delivered to City Manager Dohoney, citizens of Cincinnati are going to have some very real questions about this proposed endeavor. These issues are coming to a head in cities all over this country and around the world. When there are simultaneous increases in the scarcity of water, the interests of corporations to profit from water, and concerned citizens who are worried about losing control of their water, something has to give.

As Cincinnati continues to study the feasibility of selling their publicly controlled Water Works to a Water District, the citizens are beginning to take notice. Like the activists in Istanbul during the World Water Forum and like the alternative organizations to the World Water Council, the local citizens are going to want a seat at the table to have their say as this issue continues to develop.



This article is also posted at: http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com

Community Members Seek Greater Support for Hamilton County JFS at Future Budget Hearings

Over a dozen concerned citizens gathered in Mt. Auburn last night at the Church of Our Savior for a public meeting to discuss Hamilton County's proposed budget and its impact on county services and workers. The proposed budget cuts for 2009 would close a jail, eliminate deputy patrols in some townships, layoff hundreds of county workers, and have an untold impact on many public programs.

According to employees of the Hamilton County Job and Family Services (JFS) who attended yesterday's meeting, as many as 350 jobs could be lost in this department alone. In fact, layoffs have already begun at JFS as an estimated 80 workers have already lost their jobs.

Organizers and sponsors of yesterday's public meeting (including Mother Paula Jackson, Rev. Damon Lynch III, and Cincinnati Progressive Action) voiced concerns over the layoffs at JFS during these times of economic hardship. Attendees expressed concern that during times when unemployment is going to increase, the county will be eliminating workers from an agency that will be needed the most and who are most prepared to handle an increase in unemployed citizens. In addition to the loss of jobs at JFS, attendees worried that elimination of these positions will put many of these workers into the unemployment line themselves and will actually end up costing the county more money in the long-run.

The first public hearing put together by County Commissioners was held on November 19 at the Sharonville Convention Center. An estimated 150 citizens attended this hearing and numerous employees of the Sheriff's Office spoke voicing their opposition to the recommended budget. Family members of these employees also voiced their concerns about how job losses and a reduction in public safety services will affect their communities. While the vast majority of the speakers at this first public hearing were connected to the Sheriff's Office, members of the Hamilton County JFS were largely absent despite facing similar job and service cuts. As the final two public hearings approach on December 3 and December 10, attendees of last night's public meeting shared the viewpoint that more members of JFS are needed to attend these hearings to voice their opinion on an issue that greatly affects them.

With a lack of representation from JFS workers at both the public hearing on November 19 and at last night's public meeting at the Church of Our Savior, it was acknowledged that there is work to do to both educate workers at JFS on the impact that the proposed budget will have on the agency and also motivate JFS workers to attend the remaining public hearings to give their input and voice solutions to issues raised in the 2009 proposed budget.

Some of the attendees of last night's meeting questioned how the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) are working with their members at JFS as the threat of future job cuts loom. Based upon the response of JFS employees at the meeting, it appears that AFSCME has taken little to no action to encourage workers to either attend or speak out at the public hearings. AFSCME even cancelled a recent meeting despite questions raised by JFS workers about this current crisis.

As the public meeting concluded, attendees called for JFS workers, all those who have been affected by the services that JFS provides, and all citizens concerned about the future of County services to attend either one or both of the remaining public hearings to voice their opinions as well as their solutions to the cuts that are included in the proposed budget. The times and locations for the remaining two public hearings are as follows:

Wednesday, December 03, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
The Drake Center
Rooms F and G, Level A, West Pavilion
151 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45216-1096

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
3520 Central Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45223-2690


This article can also be found at: http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com