Cincinnati City Council Candidate John Eby Responds to Jail Tax Vote

Via email:

John Eby, candidate for Cincinnati City Council, weighed in on the Jail issue Wednesday. Eby said, “I’m glad that the County Commissioners have taken the first steps in combating the crime issue, however this can’t be all. We have to take further steps to put programs into place that will ensure these criminals are no longer a threat and to make sure that our juveniles are not committing crime”. Eby continued to say, “I wish that council would have played a larger role in making this happen but this is the same “leadership” we have seen from council for years now”. Overall, Eby was glad that steps are being taken to combat crime in the city but couldn’t stress enough the importance of programs that are preventative. Finally, there will be those who oppose the jail because of the tax aspect of the measure which Eby understands but says, “Sometimes we have to make a small sacrifice for our safety. If elected to council I will do my very best to keep taxes low, however we must put the safety of our communities first”.

John Eby ended with, “Rudy Guiliani’s advisor, Msgr. Placa stated after 9/11that ”History forgets the petty fights but not the acts of true leadership.” The vote today by the county commissioners to temporarily raise the sales ½ cent to implement a safety and security plan will be hotly debated, criticized, and attacked. This vote shows true leadership. I support the decision of the commissioners as a short term solution to the major problem facing Cincinnati today .We must not see it as the final answer. We must elect a city council that will stress Educational Excellence, Business Development, and Creating a quality of life that will attract/ retain young professionals and their families as the way to sustain our city. This is the only long-term solution to greatly reducing crime.

Safety and security is the major concern of many citizens. We have witnessed higher crime rates, increased gang violence, and mourned over 500 deaths in recent years. A “fear factor” has kept many people from living in, or even visiting the city. The Commissioner’s vote today will be the cornerstone on which we can reclaim, renew, and reinvigorate Greater Cincinnati. I hope that the mayor, city council, public officials, and the citizens of Cincinnati can see this as our beginning to truly confront the problem of crime.”