7 Reasons to VOTE NO on Issue 7

Hamilton County voters will decide whether SORTA will raise $3.2 Billion over the next 25-years to pay for buses and the roads those buses travel. While many promises are being made about the $10 million dollars per month this will raise, there are at least 7 reasons to vote NO on 7!

 The number one reason to vote NO is the blurring of lines between city and county funding. Taxpayers of the county have never gotten to vote on representation at city hall and the issues facing the City of Cincinnati. Personally, I was opposed to the streetcar as soon as someone told me many years ago it would take $17/rider for the streetcar to break even. Government boondoggles are bad for business, bad for current social services and the local economy, and bad for future generations as these bad decisions stretch off into infinity.

Another concern is the fact that unelected/unaccountable bureaucrats will determine priority projects for infrastructure improvements. This gives the “integrating committee” the power to potentially override the wishes of local communities regarding bus routes and street improvements. Once in place, citizens will have minimal recourse for grievances and opposition to the bureaucrats’ plans.

Job Hubs are spreading throughout the region. From Lawrenceburg to Milford, and from Liberty Township to Florence, jobs in our area are expanding outwardly. It is impossible for the government to predict who needs a ride, where and at what time in large enough numbers to make gas-guzzling buses financially viable.

If Issue 7 passes, Hamilton County will have the second highest sales tax in the state and the highest for this region. Sales taxes adversely affect the poor more than middle and upper income residents by consuming a more substantial percentage of their income. The perceived benefits to the 2% of the population that use public transportation are not enough to offset the cost to 100% of the consumers of the entire county.

A fifth reason is that public transit ridership has been in decline for decades. For what this will cost us, we could consider setting up a system that gives vouchers to those needing a ride to and from work. Or, we could have an employer-generated system of right-sized vans. We could subsidize Uber and Lyft and taxi rides that promote fuel efficiencies for rides when and where they are needed. Federal, State and Local governments already spend more than $50 Billion/year on public transit yet ridership continues to decline.[1]

Reason Six is high sales taxes are bad for business. Higher taxes cool consumerism. Our county needs to make decisions that encourage a vibrant, healthy business environment with well-maintained roads all throughout the county not just the roads that service buses as this levy dictates. And the “Bus Rapid Transit” program calls for dedicated bus lanes on the already cramped freeways – another outdated idea.

Finally, disruptive technologies have become a way of life in America. Cell phones vs. landlines, airline vs. rail travel, video-streaming movies vs. Blockbuster are just a few examples. Efficient 21st century solutions for needed public transportation deserve a chance to emerge organically from the free market that has made Cincinnati such a great place to live, work and raise a family. Cumbersome government programs that burden all of us with higher taxes for decades to come are not the answer. “Only in passenger transportation … is the government trying to halt such technology replacement through government ownership and subsidies.”[2] 

Please stop this boondoggle. Tell your friends and neighbors to Vote NO on ISSUE 7!

Presented by:
Vote NO on Issue 7 Team PAC

[1] https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/charting-public-transits-decline

[2] Ibid