Streetvibes March 15, 2010 Edition

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Artists as Activists Page 16

Vendor Profile Page 9

Metropole Page 1

STREETVIBES

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M a r. 1 5 - 3 1 , 2 0 1 0 • A d v o c a t i n g J u s t i c e , B u i l d i n g C o m m u n i t y • I s s u e 1 7 3

City Ignores Plea for Fair Hiring Commission won’t listen, mayor misleads media

By Eli Braun Contributing Writer

respected community groups representing thousands of Cincinnatians apparently incinnati’s Fair Hir- arose from a misunderstanding Now Coalition ing that could be cleared up rallied at City Hall by a single phone call. on Feb. 25 to deliver over The morning after the rally, 1,000 letters from city resi- Mallory taped a segment for dents and community groups WKRC’s Newsmakers with asking Mayor Mark Mallory Dan Hurley, in which he once and his apagain depointed nied that Civil Ser“You have a First the city’s vice Comno-felon Amendment right to say mission to what you need to say. Please hiring poliend their cy existed. don’t be dissuaded.” policy of “There is - Stephen JohnsonGrove denying not a blancity jobs ket policy to qualified applicants who that says we cannot hire felhave felony convictions. ons,” Mallory said. “It’s always The Civil Service Commis- been my belief that you have sion is responsible for estab- to give people that second lishing screening standards opportunity. The city of Cinused in the hiring of certain cinnati can’t be exempt.” civil service employees for Mallory’s claim doesn’t the city of Cincinnati. match the evidence, accordFor at least three years the ing to David Singleton, exmayor and the Civil Service ecutive director of the Ohio Commission have refused to Justice & Policy Center. acknowledge that a no-fel“Bottom line,” he said on on hiring policy even exists, a different segment of Newsmuch less consider creating makers, “if you’re applying a smarter policy. The AMOS for a civil service job, you’re Project, the Ohio Justice & not going to get it if you have Policy Center and the Cincin- a criminal record.” nati Human Relations ComWhile the mayor maintains mission therefore joined to- one façade for the cameras, he gether to draw attention to presides over a government the discriminatory practice. that denies rehabilitated peoThe city’s obstructionist ple with criminal records the stance was only more deeply opportunity to work for their confirmed by its response to city. the rally. Stop That Singing Representatives of the Fair Hiring Now Coalition planned The commission canceled to testify during the commission’s regular Feb. 25 meeting, its public comment section but upon learning of the rally, the afternoon before the rally. the commission canceled the It did not explain why. There section for public comment. was no time to alert commuOver 50 Cincinnati residents nity members who planned arrived at City Hall for the to attend. “That train had left the stacommission’s 9 a.m. meeting only to find that they would tion,” said organizer Stephen have no opportunity to tes- JohnsonGrove, who directs tify. News crews from WLWT the Second Chance Project and WXIX captured their sur- at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, where he focuses on prise on video. After the rally, the mayor’s alleviating barriers faced by staff called the news stations former offenders. While organizers passed to deny that the city had a no-felon hiring policy. It was out an agenda and song sheet, all a miscommunication, the Cincinnati Police Sgt. Richmayor’s staff asserted. The ard Antoine told the group, news stations pulled the sto- “There will be no singing or ries. See City, p. 4 The concerted efforts of

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The Fair Hiring Now Coalition demands change. Photo by Nate Wenstrup.

Council Turns Backs on Metropole Tenants Millions in subsidies for boutique hotel By Paul Kopp Contributing Writer

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ants while local business praised 3CDC for its work and its approach in helping the tenants with the relocation process.

obert Britton sat calmly as he waited to speak at the March 3 meeting of ‘This should enrage’ Cincinnati City Council. “I would like to read a scripAndy Church, president of the ture from the Living Way Bible,” Downtown Residents Council, he said. “Anyone that oppresses “I would like to said the group wants to mainthe poor insults God, who made tain diversity downtown. read a scripture them. That’s chapter 14 Prov“3CDC has gone above and from the Living Way erbs, the 31st verse." beyond what one would expect Bible. Anyone that Britton was among a group of many other companies puroppresses the poor of activists attending the meetsuing a similar deal,” he said. insults God, who ing to show their support for “We feel this project is a net made them. That’s the low-income tenants of the chapter 14 Proverbs, positive for the city.” Metropole Apartments. The tenOthers discussed in more dethe 31st verse.” ants, some of whom also spoke tail the positive effects the city - Robert Britton at the meeting, oppose a plan by could see from the addition of the Cincinnati Center City Dethe hotel. velopment Corp. (3CDC) that will force them Steve Loftin is president of the Cincinnati to move so the Metropole can be renovated Arts Association, which operates the Aronoff and turned into a boutique hotel. Center across the street from the Metropole. The topic of the council meeting was wheth- He said he has seen the positive effect 21c has er to give 3CDC and its partner, 21c Hotels, a had in Louisville, where it opened a hotel in $2.5 million grant and a $4.5 million loan to 2006. help fund the renovation. Also being voted on David Ginsburg, president of Downtown was an ordinance that would exempt 3CDC Cincinnati Inc., said the hotel will help round from paying property taxes on improvements out the “backstage entertainment” area to the Metropole during the renovation. downtown and continue the neighborhood’s During the public forum, sides in the debate commercial revitalization, bringing jobs to were quickly drawn. Activists spoke against the funding and the forced relocation of tenSee Metropole, p. 5


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