First “Vote No On Issue #9” Ad Up in Cincinnati’s Fight for Future Passenger Rail

In a similar manner to the public parks ballot initiative this past year in St. Louis that requires a public referendum before city parkland can be sold, exchanged or built upon, some Cincinnatians would like a public referendum before a single cent could be spent on passenger rail. That’s streetcars, light rail, commuter rail, high-speed rail, funicular… you get the point. Some worry that the ballot measure could even affect the Cincinnati Zoo train!

The basic idea of Issue #9 is ridiculous. From the Cincy Streetcar blog: “Mandating our City Government approves projects in a different manner based on the technology used–not the purpose, not the cost, not the potential hazards, but solely on the technology employed is an absurd way to govern a city.”

The anti-rail crowd isn’t as crazy in St. Louis, they simply vote against sales tax increases to fund operating and expansion of Metrolink. And the anti-tax and NAACP groups have not found common ground. I’m going to venture a guess and say that the twice-failed 1/2% sales tax increase will be on the ballot in St. Louis County this coming year. I don’t know if this type of ad would resonate here, but something needs to run if the outcome is expected to be any different.

This is what might be at stake in Cincinnati: