Cincinnati’s railway cash is going nowhere fast

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Zinser Op-Ed Enquirer 2.17.26

 

$85 million in railway funds disbursed to the city in 2025 and so far in 2026.

Only around $10 million reported to have been spent (12%).
If the city continues to receive quarterly disbursements from the Railway Board of Trustees as planned, millions of unspent railway funds will continue to pile up in the city’s investment pool. It will likely reach $100 million by the end of the year.
However, the railway funds are supposed to be used to maintain and repair our infrastructure, not earn investment income for the city.
I guess City Hall no longer considers the state of our infrastructure to be a crisis like they did during their campaign to sell the railroad.

Cincinnati once rolled back property taxes. Those days are over.

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This latest op-ed, published today (January 11th) is essentially the same message as Episode 41 of “Citizen Watchdog with Todd Zinser.” This mayor and the majority of this city council have already raised taxes – the city property tax in 2022! And now they are already coming for another tax increase? Only this time it is the earnings tax.
Episode 42, coming soon, lays out the path forward for examining whether an increase in the earnings tax is justified. Let’s just say I am skeptical.

A fishing expedition is wrong path with chief (Cincinnati Enquirer Sunday 11.2.25)

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Op-Ed 11.2.25 Theetge Investigation

 

One of the local media outlets, maybe more than one, published a copy of the city’s recent contract with Frost Brown Todd LLP. The law firm was hired to conduct an investigation of Chief Theetge.

I took a look at the contract and decided to comment on it because there were things about the contract that did not sit well with me.

I’ll let the op-ed speak for itself but the bottom line is that in my opinion, the “investigation” by Frost Brown Todd LLP was going to make matters worse and that the city should follow the “Law of Holes:” When you find yourself in a hole stop digging.

Roley’s grip on Cincinnati police grows as the Collaborative Agreement fades | Cincinnati Enquirer Opinion 8.13.25

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https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15jPngmhCG/

 

 

Cincinnati spent millions on anti-violence programs. Why are bullets still flying? (Cincinnati Enquirer 7.7.25) Zinser Op-Ed 014

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When a violent parolee who illegally cut off his ankle monitor, invaded the home of Patrick and Sarah Heringer in Over-the-Rhine and murdered Patrick, Sarah’s voice went out to the entire city in a very profound way. She summed up the city’s violent crime problem with three words. The city is all about, “Optics over Outcomes.”

The city’s “holistic” “Blueprint for Reducing Violence,” called “ACT for Cincy,” is Exhibit 1 for the city’s “optics over outcomes.”  ACT for Cincy is a $3 million social services program sold to the city’s residents as a violence reduction program. The program has no discernable way to measure any impact the program has on violence reduction, only how much money it is distributing to numerous non-profit organizations in the name of violence reduction.

It was telling, but not surprising, that the mayor said nothing about the city’s so-called “blueprint” during his appearance on WVXU’s  “Cincinnati Edition,” on July 2, 2025, or any time earlier in the wake of Mr. Heringer’s murder.

Cincinnati spent millions on anti-violence programs. Why are bullets still flying

ACT-for-Cincy-Blueprint_January-2025

 

Sittenfeld’s pardon is a reminder that anti-corruption reform isn’t finished (Cincinnati Enquirer 5.31.25) Zinser Op-Ed 013

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The Enquirer published this op-ed, on-line, late on Friday May 30. I did not submit it until around 9 pm and it was publshed online that night and then again on June 8, 2025, in the printed edition of the Sunday paper.

I took a different approach to the Sittenfeld pardon. Instead of talking about the pardon, I think we should review what the city has done in response to the scandal?

When he was a candidate for mayor, Mr. Pureval said all the right things about greater transparency necessary to prevent corruption. But there are two very important aspects of the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway where Mr. Pureval has kept secrets when he should not. I sent a letter requesting specific actions that both city council and the mayor should take.

 

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2025/05/30/cincinnati-falls-short-in-response-to-corruption-scandal-opinion/83957198007/

Enquirer 1.19.23 re Crowe audit

Crowe draft report 12.15.22

Crowe Audit Final

Sutmoller Affidavit 12.6.23

Email to Mayor and Council re Anti-corruption Op-Ed

Memo__1_ (1)

Memo (4)

 

Cincinnati focus should be on fiscal responsibility, not villifing DOGE. (Cincinnati Enquirer 4.17.25) Zinser Op-Ed 012

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I will let the Op-Ed speak for itself but I thought Ms. Albi’s conduct during the meeting was inappropriate and said so in an email to the mayor and council. In my view, Ms. Albi should have been cited for violating the rules of the council concerning decorum.

DOGE delivers hard truths and Albi shoots the messenger _ Opinion

Yahoo Mail – Unbecoming Conduct by Councilmember Albi 4.11.25

Office of Public Affairs _ Attorney General Pamela Bondi Announces Severe Charges Against Violent Tesla Arsonists _ United States Department of Justice

Cincinnati’s ARC program needs to be under police command (Cincinnati Enquirer 3.9.25) Zinser Op-Ed 011

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The ARC program (Alternative Response to Crisis) wasn’t even in place for a year before the mayor declared it a success. It was clear from the program’s inception that the city was going to invest in the program no matter what. In its current operation, it is a “defund the police” effort. The FOP and Firefighters’ union each filed unfair labor practice (ULPs) complaints against the program. So far, the FOP has received a favorable decision from the state labor board. So we will see what the police and the city workout.

My op-ed advocates to put the ARC program under the direct command of the police, not the city manager and the head of the communications center.

 

Zinser Arc Op Ed 3.9.25

 

 

Trump’s firings of inspectors general not against the law (Cincinnati Enquirer 2.2.25) Zinser Op-Ed 010

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I am not really interested in commenting on national stories but with all the commotion about President Trump removing 17 departmental IGs, and since I am the only former federal IG in Cincinnati, I thought I should add my perspective on the subject.

Trump’s firing of Inpectors General not against the law (September 15, 2025)