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Dear Friends and Supporters:
It’s that time again! November 8, 2011 you will be casting your vote for my final term as your City Councilman. When I ran in 2005 I finished ninth, in 2007 I finished in fourth place, and in the 2009 election I was the second highest vote getter. My goal in the upcoming election is to finish first, but I need your help. Throughout my tenure on City Council I have continued to serve with integrity and a sense of fairness, and I rely on those characteristics as I deliberate and make my decisions. I conduct the City’s business in a mature and professional manner, especially when interacting with my colleagues. I never forget that my decisions must be based on the recognition that how I vote impacts everyone; the poor, our beleaguered working class, the affluent and the business community.
So much has been accomplished over the past five years that we can point to with pride. The Banks Project is moving forward and completion is in sight. Our Downtown has a renewed vibrancy, and the City’s overall image is much improved. Community-Police relations are at an all time high, and the renaissance of Over-the-Rhine is progressing block-by-block, as other communities experience growth and renewal. We have a new skyscraper Downtown, and several new hotels have opened with others planned. The casino development is underway, the renovation and rebirth of the Vernon Manor is nearing completion, and a major smaller chain grocery store is locating in the Roselawn/Bond Hill area providing access to quality foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Our Economic Development Division has managed to retain several thousand jobs in the city, attracted many new businesses, and added hundreds of new jobs.
While there are so many encouraging things that are happening in Cincinnati we must also face the fact that the current downturn in the economy has been demoralizing. Major funding cuts to Cincinnati from the state and the federal government places further stress on our local general fund budget. Local legislators must make mature, knowledgeable decisions about how we balance our budget. Like Governor Kasich, some members of City Council are trying to blame our budget woes on collective bargaining and union contracts. I strongly disagree and will continue to fight for the right of workers to collectively bargain. There are many factors contributing to our budget problems, but I refuse to allow government to balance this deficit solely on the backs of poor and working middle-class families.
Balancing the 2012 budget will require a tremendous amount of experience, skill and understanding of previous budgets. Fortunately, I have nearly six years of budget experience, and given the passage of Senate Bill 5, my skills will be sorely needed. Police, Fire, Public Service Employees, Building Trades and Cincinnati Organized and Dedicated Employees (C.O.D.E.) will all come under attack. Managed competition, outsourcing and downsizing are terms that will be liberally used in the upcoming budget process. Middle-class working families are under attack, and to fight back I need your help.
It takes money to run a successful campaign and to turn back this direct assault on labor, the poor and middle-class families. If you support the current growth of our city, the right of workers to bargain collectively, the plight of the poor and middle-class, or if you want to be assured your voice will be heard, then please support my campaign for re-election with a donation of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50, or whatever you can afford.
Thank you for your support and consideration.
Sincerely,
Cecil Thomas
Candidate for Cincinnati City Council
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