The weight of the pandemic hung over critical decisions about how to spend money Wednesday.Both Cincinnati and Hamilton County leaders dealt with the big money matters separately and in starkly different ways.At City Hall, lawmakers split in a 5-4 vote in favor of a $29 million spending plan that left some Council Democrats lamenting a missed opportunity. They wanted more spent on youth jobs, child care and getting people in the restaurant industry and other businesses back to work. I do believe that this is a historic, you know, once in a generation opportunity, said Councilman Greg Landsman before the vote.He told his council colleagues the lack of affordable child care is the number one reason people are not back on the job. He and Jan Michele Kearney wanted to utilize $5 million of the American Recovery Plan dollars for child care.Republican Steve Goodin was on the winning side, looking to hold the line for that at $1 million. Traditionally, funding child care isn t the
Aaron Doster / AP
This column is a look-ahead at politics in this corner of the world. It is not by any means a prediction of the future.
I am not Carnac the Magnificent
. (Younger readers, just Google it.)
Anyone who tells you that he or she predicted a year ago all the weird twists and turns the politics of 2020 would take is fibbing, to put it mildly.
So you ll get no predictions for 2021 here. If that s what you are looking for, buy an Ouija board.
What follows is all about what is likely to transpire in this neck of the woods in the eagerly awaited 2021.
Despite bribery charges, city paychecks for Pastor, Sittenfeld continue
COVID courthouse delays may push back trial dates
Cincinnati taxpayers could spend $132,891 on the salaries and health insurance for suspended City Council members Jeff Pastor and PG Sittenfeld over the next year while both await trial on corruption charges.
and last updated 2021-03-17 12:39:19-04
CINCINNATI â Cincinnati taxpayers could spend $132,891 on the salaries and health insurance for suspended City Council members Jeff Pastor and PG Sittenfeld over the next year while both await trial on corruption charges.
State law allows Pastor and Sittenfeld, whom the FBI arrested following separate grand jury indictments in November, to collect full salaries until their cases are resolved in court or their council terms expire at the end of 2021.