The Editorial Board of the Cincinnati Herald has encouraged readers to vote NO on Issue 27. The Herald’s opposition was stated in their voter guide that was included in the November 3rd edition: "We cannot support Issue 27 — money for a bigger, better jail." "Let's put more funding into reentry programs and prevention in the first place."
Democratic State Representative Tyrone Yates, Green Party candidate Justin Jeffre, Democratic Party candidate Brian Garry, and "Treatment Professionals Against Issue 27." have all said NO to the Jail Tax. Read more...
See We Demand A Better Plan for information about all groups organizing against Issue 27.
"We're even now wondering if the physical jail plan is excessive. Our region has a multitude of needs that a sales tax increase could fund. This solution to a single problem isn't the way to go. Police protection and criminal justice are basic functions of government that should be funded from general tax dollars." The Cincinnati Business Courier, October 26, 2007.
A group of Hamilton County residents have sent letters to Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann & Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner asking them to "determine if Sheriff Simon Leis of Hamilton County has engaged in illegal activity." Read the press release and letter.
Activists working with No Jail Tax PAC have asked the County Commissioners for a completed, so-called "Comprehensive Safety Plan" — more than the powerpoint outline that has been available on their web site since May, to no avail. As of August 9th, according to staff in the Commissioners office, it is still just an outline. A booklet and a powerpoint exist, but no completed plan!
From the November 4th TV airing of Newsmakers. Part 1: video. Part 2: video.
On October 24, editor John Fox wrote, "Ultimately, this new jail/safety plan is a huge investment in a solution that doesn't address the core problems in the Hamilton County justice system. <…> I've come around to the argument put forth that building more jail cells simply encourages local governments to arrest and jail more citizens. A larger supply helps create increased demand. Having more jail cells than the county needs certainly wouldn't provide any incentive for county officials to overhaul our criminal justice system."
CityBeat reporter Kevin Osborne pointed out in "Too Many Behind Bars?" that people in Hamilton County who have criminal charges against them dismissed spend almost twice as many days in jail as those who are found guilty, according to the Vera Institute of Justice 2006 study, commissioned by Hamilton County.
No Jail Tax PAC Handout: Reasons to Vote NO on Issue 27
Green Party Handout: What You Need to Know About Issue 27
Hamilton County Treasurer Robert Goering opposes the Jail Tax, saying that he can't figure out how the commisioners will spend the money. This reinforces No Jail Tax PAC's concern that this tax does not guarantee funds for treatment or any other social services. Read more...
Commissioners Pepper & DeWine debated Issue 27 for about an hour Oct 8th. But they failed to answer this question: "How many new treatment beds would Issue 27 add?" Read more...
Although still supporting a need for a new jail, The 1900 Club, the Cincinnati Police union's endorsement arm, opposes the 'Comprehensive Safety Plan.' See Politics Extra for 10/03/07.
Close to 53,000 petitions were gathered in just 45 days. The jail tax WILL be on the November ballot, despite the intentions of 2 County Commissioners to enact the tax by decree. Read more...
In November 2006 Issue 12 (a sales tax increase to build a new jail) was resoundingly defeated with 57 percent of the voters saying NO. Hamilton County voters said YES to Justice, YES to Treatment, NO to an unnecessary Jail Expansion, NO to the warehousing of the mentally ill in our jails! Read more... The facts are still the same in 2007!
With 99% of precincts reporting, the Hamilton County Board of Elections is reporting that 56% of voters have said NO to Issue 27, the Jail Tax, with only 44% voting yes. These numbers are nearly identical to the results a year ago on Issue 12, also a jail expansion proposal. This is a clear message that Hamilton County voters are saying NO to a net increase in jail beds. No Jail Tax PAC spokesperson Suhith Wickrema said "We are declaring Hamilton County and Cincinnati, Ohio as ground zero in reversing the national trend towards incarcerating more and more people and expanding the jail/prison industrial complex." The people understand what the policy makers have not, that building larger jails wastes taxpayer money.
The groups opposing Issue 27 included the Cincinnati NAACP, the Southwestern Ohio Green Party, Cincinnati Progressive Action, C.O.A.S.T., the Libertarian Party and some courageous Democrats and Republicans who took positions contrary to their party establishment. This unique team of people working together, despite having few financial resources, achieved a victory for grassroots political activism. The voters heard the message about the problems with Hamilton County's jail system, with studies showing over 80% of jail bed days occupied by people waiting trial, and those whose charges were dismissed spending almost twice as many days in jail as those found guilty. Despite spending a reported amount near a million dollars, the proponents of jail expansion did not gain a significant increase in voter acceptance compared to one year ago.
Voters passed levies for senior services and mental health and recovery services, indicating that this was not solely an anti-tax vote but an anti-jail expansion vote.
This is also a clear message to judges not to set excessive bonds, and to prosecutors not to over-prosecute. This is a message to law enforcement not to arrest the homeless and the mentally ill. We think that if judges, prosecutors and law enforcement change these behaviors, the crowding issue can be resolved, without adding more jail beds.
No Jail Tax PAC would like to thank the voters of Hamilton County, for their intelligence and wisdom in seeing through the barrage of misleading television commercials and mailings and voting NO on Issue 27.
This was No Jail Tax PAC's second campaign against a jail tax. (Voters defeated a similar tax in November, 2006.) No Jail Tax PAC is working to put forward an alternate and better political message and social vision for our city. We oppose the jail tax, but we will also support levies to support public schools, mental health care, and other social programs. Read more here.
Reducing crime and violence must come from changes in our city, its society and its culture. We believe a new jail is not necessary. We oppose any net increase in jail beds in a city and county with a declining population. We call for increases in the budgets for mental health, substance abuse programs and support for families. We must address the root causes of crime — poverty and racism.
WILL A NEW JAIL MAKE YOU SAFER? NO! Read WHY
DO YOU WANT TO PAY MORE SALES TAX? NO! Read WHY
WHO PROFITS FROM NEW JAIL CONSTRUCTION? NOT YOU! Read WHY
Read here for more information.
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