Next Tuesday, Hamilton County residents get to vote on a 1/2% increase in the county's sales tax to support construction of a jail and other crime programs.
This issue has made numerous unlikely bedfellows with guys like me agreeing with the NAACP (against) and Mark Dann siding up with Simon Leis (pro).
My recommendation is to vote no on this tax. Just as I indicated last month.
But Gordon, you are a law and order kind of guy why would you vote no.
Let's begin with the jail itself. As a libertarian, I'm always preaching roads, police and fire. This jail is part of the police. Why would I be against it? Because this jail is the first priority of government, not the add on. This jail should already be paid out of the county general fund; well before the Hamilton County Job and Family services budget gets it's first dollar. Instead the county is being blackmailed into approving the tax or else "we'll have all these criminals on the street!".
Why don't we get to vote on funding the less important roles of county government, instead of the first? County commissioners Portune and Pepper, if you can't keep criminals from victimizing the public, you shouldn't be in office.
Secondly, why do we need such a big maximum security jail in the first place? It seems to me that most of the county lock ups are non violent DUI's and drug abusers; hardened criminals go to the state pen. Why can't we just slap up a bunch of quonset hut style barracks for the non violent, low risk, jail population and leave the Queensgate and downtown jails for the more violent offenders. That would keep the cost of this jail to the low millions instead of the 100 million plus.
Third, in order to get the endorsement of the city of Cincinnati, this thing is more than just a jail; it's got all kinds of horrible government treatment programs slapped on it.
So as far as I'm concerned, I'll agree with Chris Smitherman for the only time in my life... this boondoggle is big 'ole hell no.
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