Issue 12

Voters in Hamilton County, Ohio voted down issue 12 which would have increased the local sales tax by .25%.

As a person who is big time law and order, many people were surprised that I voted it down.

Here's why...

As a libertarian, I believe that government should perform finite functions; law and order, fire and roads, everything else is a misuse of government power.

This jail is important... vitally important. Crime is rampant in Cincinnati and way too many people on the street should be behind bars.

This jail is so important it should be number one on the county expenditure list. Instead they spend money on a bunch of crap that should be way down on the priority list and the citizens are blackmailed into voting in a jail that should already be up and running out of the existing general fund.

Here's a look at the actual expenditures for 2003 (the most recent I could find on the auditor's site)

Total Expenditures 239 Million

General Govt 49 M
Public Safety 82 M
Judicial 92.5 M
Social services 1 M
Public Works 2.5 M
Debt Service 13 M

You can't tell me that the county couldn't pair out the money from that budget... especially out of the "general government" budget over 5-10 years.

Maybe this vote will put some smelling salts under the noses of the commissioners and they'll get this jail built under the existing tax structure.