Now if you were to believe the conventional wisdom propagated in the main stream media, you would believe that "progressives" would be the politicians most responsive to the will of the people.
But then you would be wrong. Take the city Cincinnati where the city, despite massive budget problems is moving ahead with plans to borrow $120 million to build the world's largest Thomas the Tank Engine train set.
Oh, and all of about 30% of the city's population is all for it...........
A new poll showing strong opposition to the proposed Cincinnati streetcar, particularly to borrowing tens of millions of dollars to build it, has redoubled opponents' determination to block the project but also left some supporters surprisingly upbeat about prospects for the $128 million plan."Once again, we see that Cincinnatians are a lot smarter than their politicians," said leading streetcar opponent Tom Luken, a former Cincinnati congressman, mayor and councilman.
An Enquirer poll published Sunday revealed that Cincinnatians by a 2-1 margin oppose City Hall's plan to issue $64 million in bonds to pay for streetcar construction.
• Read more about the poll, and take it yourself.
The poll, a phone survey of 600 Cincinnatians conducted last week by a New Jersey-based firm, also showed that twice as many people view the streetcar as a waste of taxpayers' money than those who strongly support it and are convinced it will rejuvenate Cincinnati's core.
"Unless City Hall comes to its senses and stops this thing right now," Luken said, he will circulate petitions to place the streetcar issue on the November ballot.
"More than ever, it's clear the politicians are trying to force this down the public's throat," Luken said "I don't see how they can go forward and spend $128 million - and probably a lot more when it's all over - on something people obviously don't want. If they don't do the right thing, the people will."
Jason Barron, a spokesman for Mayor Mark Mallory, argued that the poll produced "some fantastic numbers" for the streetcar project, which Mallory has identified as his top priority.
Blowing money on white elephants the public opposes? Now that's "Progressive"!
Kind of reminds you of health care.
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