A Funny set of Words

I have a funny set of words I will not say much about, but I do think they are thrown about way to often.
Common Sense

I love the wonderful book Thomas Paine wrote of the same name. However, in this day and age is there really a "common sense" anymore?

Do I have a common sense of anything with a person who may have lost their legs in war?
Do I have a common sense with a person who didn't grow up in a lower middle class area?
Do I have a common sense with the leaders I elect to represent me?
Do I have a common sense with my friends?

Do I understand what common sense is? Does it stop at don't kill your neighbor because it is wrong, or is it supposed to be more in depth than that shallow view of the nature of man?
Do any of us truly possess a common sense of anything in this world anymore?

I'd love some comments... :)

Mother's Day 2014

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers I know. Kids: respect and love them for every second you have them in your lives. They can aggravate, complain, feel like they are bringing the weight of the world down on your head... because they love you. They want the best for you. They are that tiny kitten who will fight the Rottweiler for you. They will sacrifice all to be there for you and to support your greatest and not so great work. They are there with a gentle reminder to keep pushing, and a harsh reminder to be careful...
They are Mother's, and all of you who are fortunate enough to have had one in your lives... I envy you.
I was fortunate to have a Cornucopia of Ladies who took on the role in my life.
My first and DEAREST mother was Aunt Mae. You will always be in my heart Mae, and my deepest love went with you so many years ago and it will forever break my heart you didn't get to see more. I will cherish everyday I got to spend with you walking and talking about the world or God and what he meant to you, or just sitting and watching Jeopardy with you. I will NEVER get that back, and I miss it daily. I miss you Mom. Aunt Teresa, mean at points because she knew I had better in me than I showed... but became a loving and understanding force in my life as years passed and she found out what the true nature of my life had been. Even my Father tried to play a bit of the role. To all the friends Mom's who actually acted as though they cared, from Dave Taylor's "Red", to George Due's "Weenie" to any of my other friends Mother's... I thought the world of them all, and was the most jealous kid in the world that I had none to speak of in my life, but you had yours to complain about and be friends with in the long run.
To ALL of you Mom's who stick it out every day and fight to keep those kids going and on the right path... Happy Mother's Day!!!
To all you kids who have Mom around, CHERISH EVERY MINUTE YOU GET, they are fleeting and can be over in a literal heartbeat as my Mother's time has.
Love her for who she is and what she has done for you... You never get another.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcTmd4SAJrs

Movie Review: "Gravity" - 2013

                                      


Movie review for General Audience: "Gravity"

 

Scream and no one can hear you. There are no sound waves to carry your noise; any noise. Cry for help and no one is there; you are alone in a place few ever go. Try to leave your life rafts in any way, and within 10 seconds your blood boils and you freeze dry. Welcome to Gravity the new DVD release starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Slated for release in late March of 2014, Gravity, directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Alfonso Cuarón is a story which starts out peacefully enough, and turns to a thrill a minute ride through our limited capabilities for Space Travel and life sustenance in those harsh conditions. It places a significant highlight on how “Space Junk” has become an issue over the course of the Space Race and man’s subsequent journeys into space, especially in the last 30-years as space has “opened up” to other populations of possible explorers. The main characters were engrossing. Sandra Bullock as the new traveler not “battle hardened” to the harsh realities of space and George Clooney the wily old Veteran who has seen it all, prepared for it all and brings a calmness to each situation no matter how grave it may seem to be. The constant rotational orbit felt by those who venture to the Stratus is captured wonderfully by Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and there is no wonder from a visual, story and acting perspective this movie garnered 10 Academy award Nominations, which is nearly unheard of in the genre of Space centric filming (Konow, David). In my opinion this was a wonderful story, shot on the background of emptiness that humans can scarcely imagine, much less understand and master.

            The first part of the movie that was of interest to me personally was the depiction of space. The vehicles and equipment we currently use in space exploration, the visual of being upside down 350 miles above the surface of the Earth and whether this film caught the “reality” of being in a limitless vacuum where the temperature fluctuates from absolute zero (−273.15° on the Celsius scale and −459.67° on the Fahrenheit scale) to a boiling 300° or so in seconds depending on positioning of the sun to you (Couper, Heather, and Nigel Henbest). A place where there is not a breath to be had of anything but total vacuum (Couper, Heather, and Nigel Henbest). We stay within a relatively safe distance of only 350 miles above the Earth’s surface to partially protect us from being baked alive by the microwaves and Solar Ejections that are common place issues of major concern when maintaining life during a deep space exploration (Couper, Heather, and Nigel Henbest)(Watercutter, Angela). Except for a few minor exaggerations and missteps, very few of each, from a scientific perspective this movie was very well done in its entirety. Let's move onto a few of the more glaring missteps that are worth at least a mention as they were created to aid in the telling of a story, but in fact do give the average viewer of the movie the idea that things are a little “tighter packed” in space than they truly are.

The major idea of the film is based on the Kessler Syndrome. This is the idea that fragments of space junk will eventually cause an avalanche of problems in space and maybe render space unsuitable for several hundred years in the future because a cloud of super speeding fragmented garbage will be floating around the planet (Couper, Heather, and Nigel Henbest)(Watercutter, Angela). We get a premonition of this issue when Dr. Stone (Sandra Bullock) loses grip on a small bolt while repairing the Hubble, and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) uses his jet pack to retrieve it and tells her, “relax, you are almost done”. That scene sets the stage for the rest for the movie; a roving cloud of space junk created by 2 satellites colliding heads toward our players Dr. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski as they work on the Hubble telescope. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson came out and stated, “Satellite communications were disrupted at 230 mi up, but communications satellites orbit 100x higher” and “how Hubble (350mi up), The International Space Station (230mi up) and a Chinese Space Station are all in sight lines of one another is not a reality of current space exploration.” However, he was very happy the film actually put out a scenario involving the Kessler Syndrome which has only been featured in one other film I can think of, Pixar’s “Wall-E” from 2008 which was critically acclaimed but didn’t get a large audience. In this movie, humans left planet earth because of garbage on the planet and a cloud of space junk surrounding the planet. One other issue I noticed was when Dr. Stone gets to the first escape capsule and undresses and gets in fetal position as atmosphere fills the cabin. She would have frozen to death or asphyxiated before that point (Watercutter, Angela)(Parry, Dan).

            The characters as played by Bullock and Clooney were totally believable and realistic. Sandra Bullock is the newbie Dr. Ryan Stone who trained for 8 months to make this flight and a specific range of upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope but wants to go “home” as quickly as she can.  George Clooney’s Matt Kowalski is the Veteran Astronaut who according to the movie, “has spent more time in space than all but one man in history”. The same level of angst, fear and trepidation she brings to her character he brings the total and equal opposite of happiness, calm and personal assuredness that only many hours doing what you love can bring. From the opening scene she is focusing on her job, hands, tools and the part she is working on, while Clooney roams around on a jet pack and tells Houston stories whether true or not; they have heard before, but since this is his last trip up, they give a little leeway for play and enjoyment of the feeling of weightless joy.

            Lastly, the film was done in a stunningly visual way. In the 3D version people were leaving the theaters with motion sickness (Konow, David). The views of space, the earth, the space stations, satellites and other things in space were created with stunning detail even using actual cutting edge devices that only NASA has access to. The movie was shot using several new camera inventions just for this film such as the incorporation of 3D axis software using a stationary object. In other words, a 3D world can now be created around characters and anything in that world can become the point of perspective (Konow, David). If you saw her ‘floating to space’ sequence, you get what I mean. One minute the Earth is the center of her focus, then the focus is on her, then the focus shifts from her perspective and how she feels like she is tumbling with no control as would happen in space. Many story line questions have arisen from the movie, because it turns out a few of the writers who assisted Cuarón actually worked on such psychological shows with deep underlying plots and twist such as “Lost”, the hit ABC TV show that ran from 2004 – 2010. These questions only add to the wonder that is this film. The writing team and the unusual film style leave many questions in the viewer’s mind. When you see the film, ask yourself if your questions have been answered.
            In summary, even with the inconsistencies, questions and odd script turns this movie is sure to be a classic in the genre of Space movies. In this reviewer’s opinion, not since Stanley Kubrick’s 1968, “2001: a Space Odyssey” earned him an Academy Award for Best Visual has a movie about space been so intense and such a thrill to see. 

 

Works Cited

 Couper, Heather, and Nigel Henbest. “DK Space Encyclopedia” New York: DK Pub.             1999. Print. ISBN-13: 978-0789447081. Print.  p. 72-106. Web. 11 April 2014.

 

Watercutter, Angela. “Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Fact-Check Gravity on Twitter”. wired.com.  Permalink. 07 October 2013. Web. 11 April 2014.

 

Parry, Dan. “Moonshot: The inside story of mankind's greatest adventure.” London: Ebury P, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0091928377. Print. p 15-55. Web. 11 April 2014

 

Konow, David. “Gravity Making the Case for Good 3D”. tgdaily.com. 08 October 2013. Web. 11 April 2014.

 

2 Words Today That Harken to a Better Time... Fireside Chats

Wouldn't it feel good as a nation if we could all be comforted in the same manner? I am sure you have heard old relatives, or read about these in school. Well, I had relatives who actually lived the Depression and spoke of it and the impact on the nation it had. One of the few comforts was the sense of community, the sense of belonging to something bigger... Please read below:

Fireside Chats:
Roosevelt’s way of communicating with the masses for lack of a better term. He was probably the first “media savvy” President with a new mass technology. He was the first to realize that "radio" was everywhere, and everyone listened. Radio, not TV, black and white, internet, Blackberry IPhone or movies... NOPE, Radio folks. So, in the dark days of the Great Depression, people like my Great Aunt and her family on the farm in Corinth KY, and my Grandfather in Pineville KY and his would either set up the radio, or go to the neighbor’s house as a family, and sit and listen to FDR talk about how things were going to get better for all of them in short order. They wanted to hear about The New Deal and trusting banks again and their land wasn’t going to be taken from them. Then as we moved toward the 40’s, and WW2, they listened to get updates on Japan, Communist Russia and the greatest scare of Nazi Germany. He was the first to actually sit in what may be considered an intimate setting and “talk to the American people” as a whole nation. Even though during his Presidency there were only between 30 and 45 of these “chats”, but from listening to my relatives talk you would think he had them weekly. They hung on every word. The man was a powerful speaker. 

Here is one on the HEALTH of the nation... maybe we need this again because history has repeated itself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt9f-MZX-58

 

My Generation IS THE GREATEST GENERATION!!!

I will write more about this at a later point.
Gen X. We are bad asses. We got left, tough love, latch key, parents who were all about themselves and we were a burden not a treat...
ENJOY!!! We work fast, don't trust, are aloof and VERY CYNICAL. Here is some good watching on the subject.

Do we have to save the planet? Do the intelligent amongst us have to rise to the top and stop the bullshit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7fLZdfngAI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg8z1v8NTIQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R9sx3T7CIY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZwcaNxClxg

GLEN BECK = Moron

SO SAYS THOMAS PAINE!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9M2nTmU3jA

Today's Man of History Review

There is a man everyone, black, white or indifferent should know in American History. He is one of those behind the scenes characters who made major changes. Showing that indeed, one man can make a difference...
Ladies and Gents:

Thurgood Marshall:
                 An interesting man to say the least. He graduated from Lincoln University in 1930 and applied to University of Maryland Law School but was turned down because of his race. He then attended Howard University Law School, though his mother had to pawn her wedding and engagement rings to pay the tuition. He graduated first in his class in 1933, just as America was feeling the full impact of the Great Depression. Most will remember him only for being the first Black Supreme Court Justice of the United States. He was nominated by LBJ following the retirement of Justice Tom C. Clark, saying that this was "the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place." He was confirmed as an Associate Justice by a Senate vote of 69–11 on August 30, 1967. Doris Kerns Goodwin said then that a lot of Black babies being born would have the name Thurgood. Well, in my generation, 2 of the popular T.V. shows of the day have had lead characters named Thurgood. “The PJ’s” done in the late 1990’s by Eddie Murphy and was a Claymation show based on several families and friends who all lived in the “PJ’s” together, or The Projects. Another is the cartoon on now, called “Cleveland”. Beyond those minor societal facts, he did many things that had nothing to do with Television. He was the attorney who fought Brown v. Board of education in 1954 and won at the Supreme Court level by calling into question the legality of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 and the ideals of Separate but equal being even Constitutionally correct. He is, by some, almost credited with singlehandedly doing away with segregation by way of the law. He actually fought 32 cases total in front of the Supreme Court in his career, and won 29 of them. He believed work within the system to change it was best, and summarily dismissed Malcom X’s calls for violent upheaval. He believed Affirmative Action should be the only step taken to make things equal in light of past problems, and dismissed those who called for reparations and separation. 

http://www.thurgoodmarshall.com/home.htm - His historical site.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/robes_marshall.html - PBS write up about him and his accomplishments.

  

Kennedy Civil Rights Speech, June 11th, 1963: Analysis

I took the time to look up and put into historical context a time and speech that meant so much and had so much hope... but that hope was dashed a scant few months later.
John Kennedy speaks of the United States finally upholding Brown v Board, or "Separate but Equal" being made illegal nationally. He had to call out the National Guard to get kids into class!!!

Here is the speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS4Qw4lIckg

Here is the analysis... Enjoy and comment.

(Kennedy in bold blue, summation in normal text)

Key words Kennedy uses are showing what whites have that blacks want. That we are all created the same and it is time to recognize such: "Today, we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. And when Americans are sent to Vietnam or West Berlin, we do not ask for whites only. It ought to be possible, therefore, for American students of any color to attend any public institution they select without having to be backed up by troops. It ought to be possible for American consumers of any color to receive equal service in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and restaurants and theaters and retail stores, without being forced to resort to demonstrations in the street, and it ought to be possible for American citizens of any color to register and to vote in a free election without interference or fear of reprisal. It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color. In short, every American ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated. But this is not the case." He cites statistics that show the table is not set the same for each race in the U.S.: "The Negro baby born in America today, regardless of the section of the State in which he is born, has about one-half as much chance of completing a high school as a white baby born in the same place on the same day, one-third as much chance of completing college, one-third as much chance of becoming a professional man, twice as much chance of becoming unemployed, about one-seventh as much chance of earning $10,000 a year, a life expectancy which is 7 years shorter, and the prospects of earning only half as much". It is not only an issue of what is right, but what indeed will actually make the United States the free nation it claims to be and people shouldn't have to rise up to get guaranteed rights: "We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it, and we cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other that this is the land of the free except for the Negroes; that we have no second-class citizens except Negroes; that we have no class or caste system, no ghettoes, no master race except with respect to Negroes? Now the time has come for this Nation to fulfill its promise. The events in Birmingham and elsewhere have so increased the cries for equality that no city or State or legislative body can prudently choose to ignore them. The fires of frustration and discord are burning in every city, North and South, where legal remedies are not at hand. Redress is sought in the streets, in demonstrations, parades, and protests which create tensions and threaten violence and threaten lives". It is also an issue of morality in a nation that claims the highest moral codes: "We face, therefore, a moral crisis as a country and a people. It cannot be met by repressive police action. It cannot be left to increased demonstrations in the streets. It cannot be quieted by token moves or talk. It is a time to act in the Congress, in your State and local legislative body and, above all, in all of our daily lives. It is not enough to pin the blame on others, to say this a problem of one section of the country or another, or deplore the facts that we face. A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all. Those who do nothing are inviting shame, as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right, as well as reality."
The evidence is overwhelming. He presents statistics cited above; in one respect he cites something that is even happening to whites in today's day who have little means: "The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated. If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot eat lunch in a restaurant open to the public, if he cannot send his children to the best public school available, if he cannot vote for the public officials who will represent him, if, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place? Who among us would then be content with the counsels of patience and delay?" That segregation continues even 9 years after it had been a decided issue by the nation's laws, which in turn hurts black's prospects for jobs, upward mobility or anything of his own because he is naturally playing from behind: "Too many Negro children entering segregated grade schools at the time of the Supreme Court's decision nine years ago will enter segregated high schools this fall, having suffered a loss which can never be restored. The lack of an adequate education denies the Negro a chance to get a decent job." Now it is time for Congress and himself to implement the decisions of so many years prior and he is asking for the entire country to pitch in and help level a playing field that for so long was kept slanted slightly toward the white...

Post Script:
Have things indeed changed? Does a "Black President" truly signify things are better? Even if he is fought tooth and nail at every turn? What do the cries of "I want my Country back" truly harken to? Will people look to see that 10% of the population is currently 80% of the prison population and not "blame them" for their ills? What about the extra 10 to 15% unemployment? It is hard to get a job where there are none to be had.

Just a little food for thought. Have things gotten better?

Cincinnati Street Car Really?

I know this has been discussed ad naseum in the area, but so what. I have 10 cents to throw in too...
MLA'd and all...

Sparky the Dog                                         

Professor MORONSKI

21 April 2014

Research Paper

A Street Car in Cincinnati, Would You Want to Ride?

There has been an ongoing struggle within the Cincinnati Political Sphere between people who want, and those who do not. I am speaking of the proposed Street Car in Cincinnati Ohio. The idea has been floating around since the mid 1990’s, and has yet to come to fruition after many years spent researching the project and its proposed lines, costs, “best routes” and whether this project should take precedence over a high speed line serving the big three cities in Ohio of Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. The Street Car can be a bad idea for Cincinnati if we take into consideration historical transit lines of Cincinnati, gentrification, costs of construction in our already taxed market, past area construction boondoggles, the instability of the Cincinnati business district, the stability of the line, ridership populace in the area and whether crime can be kept off the line.

Cincinnati Street Cars have been in Cincinnati Ohio since the 1850’s when the first lines of Horse drawn rail carts were created in the downtown area to first move supplies back and forth between businesses (O’Neill). Within two years of the lines opening to businesses, citizen passengers started riding the cars for small fees. This was mostly due to groups of workers moving production materials along city streets at first who basically hitched a ride to the next job (O’Neill). Shortly after, rail cars specifically for passengers opened up for use downtown. They would take people across what is now 4th street and up Vine toward the Clifton area so people didn’t have to walk the hill or get on horseback to go. By 1872, 4 incline cars were built in Cincinnati to service various suburban areas at the time. The concrete bases can still be seen around town in certain areas (“Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”). By 1883, Horse drawn carts downtown for passenger service were on the way out, and a trolley system was in place. The first Electric Trolley Cars went into service in 1889 (“Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”). Within a few years, all remaining trolley, cable and horse carts were replaced by overhead electric transit lines. These Street Cars at their peak in the 1940’s eventually had over 200 miles of tracks in Downtown Cincinnati (Cincinnati 010). No single Street, Electric or Trolley car line has ever made it in Cincinnati longer than 50 years. By the 1970’s, the Union Terminal Car Lines station was being demolished ("What Is The Cincinnati Streetcar?"). The Metro Bus line has the longest mass transit ridership in the city since 1953, and is still in existence today.

Proponents of the modern Street Car project in Cincinnati believe there will be a sustainable ridership, and a base of users who can pay for upkeep of the line by way of riding fees. The data doesn’t support this stance. Cincinnati was a city starting in the late 18^th Century when in 1788 when Mathias Denman, Colonel Robert Patterson and Israel Ludlow named the area Losantiville from 3 different languages (“Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”). City population grew from then until the middle 20^th Century when urban Cincinnati dwellers began to abandon the inner city in lieu of surrounding suburbs and job centers (Cole. p. 977). During the time between and through to the 1950’s the city population shifted many times from immigrants, to “country transplants”, to eventually African Americans from the South looking to gain an industrial job and make a home for their families. Cincinnati’s population peaked in the 1950’s at 503,998 according to Census data (atlasproject. p 36). Since the 1950’s we have lost 209,000 urban residents, but the surrounding Greater Cincinnati Metro area has doubled in size (Cole. p. 977). As business came to be in places such as Blue Ash, Sharonville, Norwood, Carthage, St. Bernard and Evendale among others the population followed suit and expanded into these areas more and more. In the 1970’s, Cincinnati saw the largest decline of population in a single decade, followed closely by the 2000 census data (“Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”). Just in the last ten years Cincinnati lost an additional 10% of its urban population (“Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”). Sprawl, economic factors such as job market and loss of the manufacturing base in the area have led many people to leave the area in total. It would appear the ridership for the Street Car line abandoned the city long ago and are not looking to come back anytime soon. This creates a void for proponents to fill in some way, and the claims seem to be businesses will spring up and people will move back to town for a Street Car line. There has not yet been any evidence produced to show any intent amongst those in the outlying areas to start moving back or looking for work in proposed line’s area (Hahn).

However, the line is to be built through one of Cincinnati’s most historically unfriendly districts to businesses and citizens alike, the Over the Rhine district of the West End and part of Clifton. Recent Gentrification of the area by making such bold moves as doing away with the Laurel Homes Projects that were a mainstay in Cincinnati for over 30 years has not helped the area (Cole. p. 977). It created housing for more upwardly mobile and affluent younger people to live who may work downtown, but with the lacking base of sustainable companies who pay middle class wages it seems to have been a mistake when talking a base from which to draw a significant ridership for a new Street Car line. Crime since the removal of that public housing block has risen in outlying areas by roughly the same number as it has dropped downtown (Cole. p. 977). Areas like Mt. Washington, Norwood, and Oakley have seen their crime rates rise as the displaced residents of the West End neighborhood move to outlying areas.

The gentrification has beautified part of Cincinnati, but it has not given rise to the need for additional transit made to serve only that specific population (Newbauer). People who before moved to outlying areas to get a little less crime have found themselves stuck in that same mix and moving further East or West of the city to get away from the displaced population from the Laurel Holmes district that was. Now there is a smaller rider base of city citizenry than in any time since Cincinnati had Electric Rail in the early 1900’s. The proposed line rides through a significant area that has been “reinvented” by city planners, but the area mostly caters to small breweries, eateries, and legal offices. It also serves several “mom and pop” type shops for the locals who are not fortunate enough to have a middle class income and yet may need a cigarette, beer or check cashed (Newbauer). Again, not a sustainable rider base from which to draw taxable or fee driven Street Cars. I would invite anyone to take a drive along the planned route and its expansion, and report what you see. Do you as a citizen see the population that would be served by having a brand new Street Car line in the city? It is a historic route to say the least, but the cars are not being sold to the public as a “history ride through town”, but as viable mass transit that will put Cincinnati back on par with other upwardly mobile or cutting edge towns (Klepal). The two narratives are as follows.  Supporters’ narrative: “The streetcar alignment will foster economic development, increase commercial and retail activities, and lead to redevelopment of the downtown housing stock. It will have an impact on the city redevelopment as a whole, but in particular on the neighborhoods along the streetcar’s proposed alignment.” (Makadi, Elad p. 136-146)

 Opponents’ narrative: “The streetcar will be underutilized and inefficient. As a result, it might attract a few businesses and residents from other neighborhoods into the route’s surrounding streets, but will not generate any significant change in the city’s land use pattern or commercial and residential development.” (Makadi, Elad p. 136-146)

For study purposes, three scenarios have been painted for the outcome. One with street Cars, one with limited Street Cars and one with no Street Cars. Surveys of both retailers and businesses see no significant planning on their part to open business on the line, and or within close proximity to the line, “Under Scenario 1 (corresponding to the supporters’ narrative), three street-network-based strips (service areas) were created around the proposed streetcar stops. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the corresponding walking distances are 370 m, 730 m, and 1100 m (respectively 5, 10, and 15 min). Each strip was assigned a relative suitability score where the 370 m strip was considered the most suitable for development. In accordance with the streetcar supporters’ narrative, we assume that the streetcar has no effect on land use change beyond 1100 m from the route (Makadi, Elad p. 136-146).

Under Scenario 2 (corresponding to the opponents’ narrative), the maximum impact takes place within a half of city block (60 m) from the proposed stops and extends up to 1.5 city blocks (180 m) (Makadi, Elad, et al. p. 136-146).  In Scenario 3 this factor does not play any role since it is a no-streetcar scenario. Population density factor. Population density is known to affect land use patterns. For instance, commercial development occurs in proximity to densely populated areas while industrial zones are steered away from residential development (Barredo, et al). For modeling purposes, we assume that new residential and commercial development occurs in areas with the highest population density, while industrial land use is likely to be located in areas of lowest population density. The assignment of suitability scores followed this assumption; employment density factor. High employment density zones attract commercial and residential developments. The average employment density in the study area is 96 employees per hectare. The areas carrying values higher than the average were identified as high employment density zones. They were assigned higher suitability scores for commercial and residential land use. For areas outside these zones, a monotonically decreasing function was applied reflecting distance decay, so that the closer a cell to the high employment density zone the higher its suitability level for transitioning to commercial land use (Makadi, Elad et. al p. 136-146). However, no study data has been generated on “intent” of business to relocate to an already congested area of town in lieu of tax breaks and almost free land to develop on the outskirts of the city. Basically, along the proposed line there is no “land” to develop that doesn’t have existing housing or businesses on it already and to develop that land as the prime real-estate it is would cost tax payers additionally. As part of my investigation I took a ride in my car twice over the proposed route looking for available land for development. As a person who worked on the coordination and completion of both the Great American Ballpark and the Paul Brown Stadium, I understand land placement and build strategy. I see no place to develop businesses that would increase sustainable ridership for the cars.

            A large concern among the electorate would be Cincinnati’s prior boondoggles in the County and City construction arena and how to keep cost overruns, nepotism and additional expenditures and taxes under wraps (NY times).  Ken Belson of the New York Times focuses on the example of Cincinnati, where voters approved a sales tax increase to fund building a stadium for the Bengals and the Reds. With sales tax revenue plummeting, the city is left holding the bag for the sports centers. Belson writes,

"The teams have not volunteered to rewrite their leases. So in the coming weeks, the county plans to cut basic services, lower its legal bills and drain a bond reserve fund with no plan for paying it back. 'Anyone looking at this objectively knows it's a train wreck,' said Dusty Rhodes, the county auditor. 'I told them they were making a big mistake, but they didn't want to hear me.'”

Cincinnati has historically had cost overruns at construction, I was part of the design and building of both stadiums downtown, and as a worker in the industry, it made me sad to see what we as a company were charging the County for things that should have been discussed and not charged. The sales tax that was supposed to expire once the Stadiums were built has yet to expire, and the whole idea was sold to the population as a way to increase the Banks business district, and redevelop the downtown area, and these projects still lag sadly behind dates thought to be completed (NY Times). However, the County Commissioner of the time, Bob Bedinghaus is now a highly paid employee of the Cincinnati Bengals organization and no one can figure out what he does for them. Most believe his job is due to sweetheart deals for the stadiums he procured for the Bengals. (Newbauer). Cincinnati as a whole has tried multiple times in its recent history to “throw money at the problem” of keeping businesses downtown by building new retail space, renovating retail spaces once used by others, Shillito’s to Macy’s to whatever else we can get in there. We have renovated Fountain Square, and most of the West End district (Newbauer). As an almost lifelong resident of the city I can tell you that people who do not live in the city have no desire to go to the city. They have all the shopping and things they need in their own areas and perceived crime and trouble in the city keeps most people from venturing down. See Eastgate as a prime example. Between Eastgate and Anderson Township mall a person can get just about anything of need. I am fairly sure it is obvious our city has been set up in this manner, allowing suburban residents to detach from the downtown experience.

            In summation, Cincinnati has tried Street Cars in many forms over the course of the city’s existence (“Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”). From horse drawn rail lines, inclines built into the seven hills, trolley cars to serve the inner city population all the way to rail electrics through the 1950’s. (Cincinnati 010) None have been sustainable for more than a 50-year run (Hahn). The area the newest proposal implies would be the best route can be seen by mapping images done on my peer reviewed papers provided that none of the proposed lines will serve existing points of business, or any place where large scale business can be built or installed in the community (Makadi, Elad et. al p. 136-146). This has made the voting base leery of new construction that will only help one small part of the city when the city can’t keep police, fire and or EMS services open. We have issues with community centers and pools, but can find the money to build a Street Car to serve a single and small section of inner city upwardly mobile. This doesn’t fly in Cincinnati when the city population is in decline, and it has become increasingly hard to get people from the surrounding areas to come downtown to enjoy a day in the city, much less to ride a Street Car to nowhere.  

Works Cited

O’Neill, Tom. “Exhibit Commemorates the Streetcar Era; Fifty Years Later the Memories Live On.” Enquirer.com.  Cincinnati Enquirer [Cincinnati, OH] 8 August 2001. Web. 23 March 2014.

atlasproject. Historical Atlas of Cincinnati “The Relationship Between Transportation and Urban Growth in Cincinnati.” Photographs. oldtimecincy.com pg. 36. 16 July 2010. Web. 23 March 2014.

Cincinnati 010. Map. Cincinnati, Ohio: C.O. Titus, 1869. Item #: US20629 Historic MapWorks Residential Genealogy. historicmapworks.com. n.d. Web. 23 March 2014. Peer Reviewed.

City of Cincinnati. "What Is The Cincinnati Streetcar?" Cincinnati-oh.gov/streetcar/. n.p. n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

The Ohio Museum of Transportation Ohio’s Transit History. “Cincinnati Trolley Coaches”. omot.org/history/cintc. n.p. n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

Cole, David. “Cincinnati Transit: A Brief History”. metro-cincinnati.org. pg. 977. n.d. Web. 30 March 2014

Newbauer, Frank. “Stadium ‘fiasco’ not fault of Dems; blame all-GOP ex-county commissioners”. Enquirer.com.  Cincinnati Enquirer [Cincinnati, OH]. Letters Editor. 5 December 2011. Web. 30 March 2014.

Klepal, Dan. “Stadium mistakes not repeated, Reds more cooperative; county learned from Bengals' debacle” Enquirer.com.  Cincinnati Enquirer [Cincinnati, OH] 18 March 2013. Web. 30 March 2014.

Belson, Ken. “Stadium Boom Deepens Municipal Woes”. nytimes.com. The New York Times. [New York, NY] 24 Dec 2009. Web. 30 March 2014.

Makadi, Elad, Diana Mitsova, Xinghau Wang. “Projecting the impacts of a proposed streetcar system on the urban core land redevelopment: The case of Cincinnati, Ohio”. Elsivier. Cities. Volume 35. P. 136-146. 11 July 2013.  Web. 4 April 2014. Peer Reviewed.

Hahn, Barbara. "Union Terminal: Business Clubs, Railroads and City Planning in Cincinnati." The Journal of Urban History 68.3 (2004) 30: 707. Sage Publications. 1 Jul 2004. Web. 4 April 2014. Peer Reviewed.