WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:17.640 It's seven oh five here at fifty five k CUD 2 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.519 talk station. Love when guests are in studio, and I 3 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:24.640 love talking to todds Zenser, even though the content roo've 4 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:27.519 always revealed shenanigans, most notably in the city of Cincinnati. 5 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.800 He is the citizen Watchdog and the citizen of the 6 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:33.119 City of Cincinnati. I think go you a debt of 7 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:36.439 gratitude for the work that you do and your focus 8 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:39.119 and your willingness to stick at something and look behind 9 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.119 all the look at all the details and the documents 10 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:45.679 behind the scene to point out the mismanagement of basically 11 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:48.880 finances and well the government generally speaking. Good to have 12 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:51.520 you back in studio, Todd Zenzer, thank you, good morning, 13 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:53.840 Good morning. And you can get his podcasts where you 14 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:58.320 get your podcast Citizen Watchdog Citizen Watchdog podcast where he 15 00:00:58.359 --> 00:01:00.719 goes into detail about all these things he reveals. Let's 16 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.719 start with I know you're behind and helping assist with 17 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:08.879 getting signatures for the Save Hyde Park Square ballot initiative, 18 00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:13.159 which is a referendum to nullify the council's April twenty 19 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.680 third decision depriving the residents of the Hyde Park area 20 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:19.519 from their rights to control their destiny in terms of zoning. 21 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.799 And I had the guy who was I can't remember 22 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:26.239 what the name of the site was, but he has 23 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:31.400 the depictions of what this monstrosity hotel and all these 24 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:35.280 upgrades will look like, and it just looms so large 25 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:38.079 over the existing high you have to see it to 26 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:40.239 fully understand it. I mean, because if you hear's someone 27 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:42.359 talking about, well, the elevation is only going to go 28 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:44.959 up in an X number of feet, but when you 29 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:47.480 see what that's going to mean for the look of 30 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:50.879 Hyde Park Square, it's like, oh my lord, it's it's bad. 31 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:53.280 One of the witnesses that I don't know if it 32 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.480 was at the council meeting or at the planning commission 33 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:59.280 said imagine if you've ever ever been to the Arc. 34 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:02.079 Exhibit yeah in Kentucky. 35 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:06.480 Yeah, she said, imagine that arc sitting on Hyde Park Square. 36 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.680 That's what she described it as. 37 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:12.240 Oh wow, that is a really great way of describing it, 38 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:14.080 because that thing is just monstrous. 39 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:17.080 Yeah. So that's what they're that's what they're looking at. 40 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:20.120 And this is this is a true petition drive. This 41 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:23.199 isn't just for you know, for show. They're actually out 42 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.560 there gathering signatures on petitions. 43 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:27.960 Yeah, and from my conversation with you off air before 44 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:30.000 we started this morning, they're aread you've already got thousands 45 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:31.479 of signatures on this petition. 46 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:34.039 Yeah, they're making progress great. 47 00:02:34.199 --> 00:02:37.039 And my understanding is you've got to have a minimum 48 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:39.000 of ten thousand, but you want to get a lot 49 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.199 more than that, because some of the signatures get thrown out, 50 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:43.599 like someone else that lives outside of the city signs it, 51 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:48.120 and that that won't count exactly. All right, So you've 52 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:51.159 been around town doing signature gathering and I understand you've 53 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:55.919 got some some events coming up in locations where the 54 00:02:55.919 --> 00:02:57.280 the petition can be signed. 55 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:03.000 Yes, the next one is tomorrow afternoon in pleasant Ridge 56 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:08.159 from two to five pm at the Nine Giant Brewery 57 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:09.280 on Montgomery Road. 58 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:14.400 Nine Giant Brewery, sixty ninety five Montgomery Road between two 59 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:16.360 and five pm. Stop on end. You don't have to 60 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:19.120 have a beer, but why wouldn't you and sign the petition. 61 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:22.759 And now there are people walking around downtown and hanging 62 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:26.240 out and dives and places like that to get these signatures. 63 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:32.120 Yeah, the Hyde Park citizens have mobilized in a big way. 64 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:34.840 Good and yeah, they're all over the place. 65 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:37.120 Well, and there's an incentive for people who don't aren't 66 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.840 impacted by the Hyde Park development. It's just because again 67 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:43.159 the right to control your own neighborhood, your own your 68 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:45.840 own community. They're all different. I mean, there's a lot 69 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.199 of different communities in the city since say the Bondhill 70 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.400 was the victim of this kind of thing, and so 71 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.879 Bondhill residents because they got burned by Cincinni council trumping 72 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:56.039 what they wanted, well, get out there and sign the petition. 73 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:00.159 Absolutely, and it's not going to stop. There's a new 74 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:03.479 initiative now that the city is coming up with where 75 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:05.919 they want to rezone our hillsides so that they can 76 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:09.879 develop our hillsides. It's called the Hillside Initiative. The hillsides 77 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:13.479 are I don't I haven't looked a lot into it yet, 78 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:17.160 but there's a Hillside Trust that basically is responsible for 79 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:20.439 preserving all these hillsides, and the city is out there 80 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:25.120 engaging in community engagement asking people not whether or not 81 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:28.360 we should develop the hillsides, what would you like to 82 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:30.800 see developed on the hillsides. That's how they operate. 83 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:34.519 They start from that foregone conclusion that this will happen. 84 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:36.519 So here's give me your input exactly. 85 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:38.920 And it's very important that people pay attention. This is 86 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:43.120 another sneak attack, just like connected communities, and we really 87 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.199 need to pay attention to what's going on here. We're 88 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.000 gonna we're gonna lose our hillsides to developers next. 89 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:51.240 Okay, well, what does it mean to develop the hillsides anyway? 90 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:52.839 What are their proposals for it? 91 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:57.560 They'll put housing or they'll put you know. 92 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:02.879 These connected communities for focused like small multi unit buildings 93 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:03.199 and things. 94 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.759 That's the thing. They haven't really shown their cars yet. 95 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:09.120 They're out there asking the public about it, but they 96 00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:13.199 haven't really shown their card yet. But the hillsides, from 97 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.560 what I understand, make up like twenty percent of the 98 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:19.439 land in the city, So they want to go after 99 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:21.240 that and open it up to development. 100 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:25.240 So are they going to bring back inclines then, because 101 00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:26.839 they don't want us drive in cars. 102 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:29.480 I would love to see the price ill inclient come back, 103 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:30.839 but that's not going to happen. 104 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:35.160 Just for nostalgia proprix exactly like San Francisco's street car 105 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:37.759 is not exactly the best mode of community a mode 106 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:41.480 of transportation, but it's cute to see but it's. 107 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:45.319 The folks in Hyde Park Square are out there. You know, 108 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:47.360 they're they're doing work for all of us on this 109 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:48.160 petition drive. 110 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:51.800 I agree, And let's face it, every single neighborhood in 111 00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:53.319 the city since then. He was a victim of this 112 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:56.639 when they foisted connected communities without everybody, without hearing from people. 113 00:05:56.680 --> 00:05:57.120 That's right. 114 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.480 So it's been done to everyone, and then they go 115 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:03.519 and give a waiver for these well connected developers A 116 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:06.399 phrase I got for you from you in Hyde Park 117 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:10.000 to waive connected communities concept in Hyde Park Square. 118 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:13.120 Yeah, it's funny. We were when we were collecting signatures 119 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:15.879 last night. Somebody actually came in and said, oh, these 120 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:17.319 well connected developers. 121 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:21.199 Oh that's great, that's great listening to Todd Zenzer And 122 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:22.800 you know, it's the truth. I mean what I mean. 123 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:26.199 It just it reveals so much about where the loyalty 124 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:28.879 of the elected officials, the council members and the and 125 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.480 the mayor are. It's not their constituents. 126 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:33.720 It doesn't seem to be Brian, that's for sure. 127 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.040 Well, elections can have consequences, and we are going to 128 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:40.000 get an opportunity. Well, citizens of Cincinnati are going to 129 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:43.560 get an opportunity to maybe vote for different people in November. Yes, 130 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:45.920 how optimistic are you that that's going to happen? 131 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:50.120 Well, one good sign is that, from what I understand, 132 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:53.680 the Democrats were supposed to come out with their slate 133 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:59.000 their slate card by now, and they've pushed them back totally. 134 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:02.519 So they maybe having some difficulty trying to figure out 135 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:05.800 who they should run for council. I mean, the mayor 136 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:09.519 of course is set, but the Blue ticket or the 137 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:11.160 Democrats isn't settled. 138 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:14.680 Yet, So perhaps some infighting, maybe even over zoning issues 139 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:16.079 inside the Democrat party. 140 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:22.800 I'm not sure. You know, they have one vacancy that 141 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:26.879 they have to fill. There's one incumbent that's not Victoria 142 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:30.439 Parks is not running again, so there's one empty slot, 143 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:35.199 so there's probably disagreements about who should fill that slot. 144 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.959 And then I think there may be some incumbent council 145 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:41.839 members who aren't aren't a sure thing for the ticket. 146 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:48.360 Really, yeah, is anybody out loud running against like, for example, 147 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:51.360 either connected communities or what was done to Hyde Park 148 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:53.759 as a Democrat? Like here, I am a Democrat. I 149 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:55.399 want to run for since a city council and I 150 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:57.800 object completely to what they did to the residents of 151 00:07:57.839 --> 00:07:58.279 High Park. 152 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:03.639 Oh yeah, there are definitely Democrats who are concerned about 153 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:05.680 what went on. And I think what you're going to 154 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:10.199 see is the Charter Committee is working on coming up 155 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:13.480 with a slate I would hope. So, I mean, and 156 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:16.319 those that slate is not going to be one party 157 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:18.879 or another. It's going to be it's going to be 158 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:22.319 a combination of independence or Republicans, some Democrats. 159 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:24.000 Well isn't that kind of what the Charter Committee is 160 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:24.360 all about. 161 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:25.720 Yes, that's exactly right. 162 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:28.240 It's common sense government, correct. 163 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:31.680 So we'll see what happens there. I mean, I think 164 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:33.039 there's going to be some competition. 165 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:35.240 Well, I'd like to see that, and I'd like to 166 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:40.799 see some you know, some reporting on it, you know, 167 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:43.919 people talking about the issues, raising awareness that there is 168 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:46.399 a choice that you have, that it may be represent 169 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:48.600 you better as a resident of the City of Cincinnati. 170 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:50.399 I mean, it's going to take all of that. A 171 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:51.600 well oiled campaign. 172 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:55.720 Yeah, you're going to see You're going to see social media. 173 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:01.000 There's going to be the Charter Committee is refreshing their website. 174 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:04.840 I do believe they're very serious about challenging the incumbents here. 175 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.840 Good good, Well, you've got the fifty five CASEE Morning 176 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:10.840 Show to spread the word about those alternatives, because there's 177 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:13.639 got to be a change, and you have a multitude 178 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.879 of reasons why other than just this one issue, the 179 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.000 zoning issue of why there needs to be a change. 180 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:20.759 And we're going to continue with Todd Zenzer and talk 181 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:24.600 about some of that. Remember it's Citizen Watchdog is his podcast. 182 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:26.320 Make sure you find that to stay up on what's 183 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.399 going on the City of Cincinnati seven to fifteen. Right 184 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:35.360 now the fifty five KRC Detalk station. Brian Thomas was 185 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:40.200 Citizen Watchdog Todd Zenzer in the studio. Let's pivot over 186 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.679 to another area of mismanagement by city government. That will 187 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:45.399 be the equipment used to clear our roads and service 188 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:47.440 our roads and things of that nature. And we found 189 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.360 out it was only January this year. Hell, they didn't 190 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:51.840 even plow a lot of the roads up like a 191 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.559 Mount Adams and the like. A lot of equipment apparently, 192 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:56.559 as we learned at the time, was out of commission, 193 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.519 and they also had manpower issues, which we can talk 194 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:04.799 about odds Inzer, you investigated this, what did you learn, well, 195 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:06.440 your investigation. 196 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.919 Well, what I did, I'm I'm trying to keep track 197 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:13.320 or come up with these deficits that the city has. 198 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:17.399 They have a deficit on their pension liability of oh, 199 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:21.360 eight hundred plus million dollars. They've got to close that 200 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:24.720 gap in twenty years, which would take about forty million 201 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:28.919 dollars a year. And then we have the infamous four 202 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:33.960 hundred million dollars in deferred infrastructure maintenance. Right by the way, 203 00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:37.639 I've never seen a list that totals four hundred million. 204 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:39.799 I've seen lists of total two hundred and fifty and 205 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:42.080 two hundred. They've never produced a list of that four 206 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:44.679 hundred million, but that's the number they use. In fact, 207 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:47.559 when we were in the throes of the campaign, they 208 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:48.960 said it was five hundred million. 209 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:52.279 But why would they want to admit to something that 210 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.519 makes them look even more incompetent by inflating that figure. 211 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:57.720 If they had hanging it's only two hundred and fifty million, 212 00:10:57.759 --> 00:11:00.440 we can manage that, we'll catch up eventually. But by 213 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:02.679 saying it's four hundred or five hundred million dollars, they've 214 00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:06.039 acknowledged that they have ignored a problem in road maintenance 215 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:09.200 for even worse than what we perceive it to be. 216 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:12.679 Yeah, well, they did that so that people would vote 217 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:13.600 to sell the railway. 218 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:15.360 Oh Lord, is that the reason? 219 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:20.039 Yes, exactly. And then I was then when this snow, 220 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:22.799 this winter storm Blair came up and we had twenty 221 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:27.600 of our snowplows out of commission or broken down, it 222 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:30.679 indicated the problem with this fleet maintenance. 223 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:35.440 So much like ignoring the pension, much like ignoring the roads, 224 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:39.279 this is ignoring the fleet right over time. 225 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:42.679 That's right. So I found this report from the internal 226 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.679 audit manager in the city. So I looked into that 227 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:49.720 operation I don't know, a few months ago and had 228 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:53.519 some observations. I was somewhat critical. But they issued a 229 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:57.320 report and it stands out among their reports because it's 230 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.759 almost twenty pages long and it's got twelve Fine. You 231 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:03.159 look at their other reports and they're all like six 232 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:06.120 seven pages long, and they got a couple of observations, 233 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:11.320 but this was a fairly hard hitting report and it 234 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:17.360 had twelve findings, which is very unusual. And some basic things. Well, 235 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:24.000 they have a forty five percent of fifteen hundred vehicles 236 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:26.320 are out of life cycle. 237 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:28.919 So almost half of all of the vehicles they have 238 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.799 are out. What does out of life cycle mean? Specifically? 239 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:34.679 Right. So in their fleet management, they keep track of 240 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:38.039 how old the vehicle is, how many miles it has, 241 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.440 what it's a maintenance record looks like, and they have 242 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:44.279 a software that helps them manage the fleet, and they 243 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:48.559 come up with this indicator of out of life cycle. 244 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:54.279 And this audit report found that six hundred and eighty 245 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:57.600 almost seven hundred of their vehicles are out of life 246 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:02.120 cycle and they had three big categories. But the total 247 00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:07.120 cost to replace all those is eighty two million dollars. 248 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:10.600 Oh great, And so you have the pension liability, you 249 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:14.080 have the deferred maintenance, you have the vehicle of purchase 250 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:17.559 and replacement. And I'm sure there are other deficits out there, 251 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:19.480 we just don't know what they are right now. But 252 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:23.320 those three items total one point three billion. 253 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:24.480 Dollars billion with a B. 254 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:29.000 Yes, And you don't see any activity in council to 255 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:29.759 address this. 256 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:32.799 Well, do you think the council members are even aware 257 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:33.080 of this? 258 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:38.320 Well, I think they are generally aware of it. 259 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:41.519 Yeah, generally, But I'm talking about Todd Zenzer level awareness, 260 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:43.600 where you have the actual dollars. You look at the 261 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:47.159 reports that exist, this report that you're referring to that 262 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.600 allowed you to crunch the numbers that identified all these 263 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.879 different problems. It came out over a year ago, right. 264 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.440 Yeah, came out in January of twenty four. And if 265 00:13:56.519 --> 00:14:01.120 the council and the city manager and the mayor read 266 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:03.559 the report, I don't see how they couldn't have come 267 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:07.559 up with some kind of action to to to fix it. 268 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:10.080 Because here's here's what's funny, because. 269 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:13.159 They're too busy chiefs in their green new deal tail exactly. 270 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:16.159 But here's the thing. If they truly believed what they 271 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:22.440 were saying about climate change and the fact that all 272 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:27.240 these that that all these storms and and weather issues 273 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:30.399 and and and and all of that is caused by 274 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:34.360 greenhouse gases, you'd think they would have looked at this 275 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:36.840 report and said, oh my god, we're going to have 276 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:39.440 all this bad weather coming. We better, we better make 277 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:40.240 sure we're prepared. 278 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:40.840 They don't. 279 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:45.879 They can't possibly believe all this. They don't Green Cincinnati 280 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:48.159 Plan and all the disasters that are going to happen 281 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:53.759 because they're not they're not uh uh managing for it. 282 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:56.639 Well, we'll talk more about this since a green plan 283 00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.519 coming up. But the whole notion that the City of 284 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:03.679 cincinnat within these geographic limitations that it has can have 285 00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:08.759 some sort of, you know, plausible impact on the global climate. 286 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:12.679 Is just a joke that anyone thinks that that is. 287 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.200 It's just it's nonsense, and it's obviously there's something else 288 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:20.159 behind the curtain of these green energy projects, and gee, 289 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.759 I wonder what it is. Seven twenty five ifty five 290 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:25.080 KARO City Talk Station more with Todd Zenzer or Citizen 291 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:29.200 Watchdog a thirty fifty five Krcity Talks station. I hope 292 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:31.679 you're having a happy Friday. I always enjoy my conversation 293 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.559 with Todd Zenzer, the enlightening they are in times doing 294 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:37.840 the heavy lifting and paying attention to the important bottom 295 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.519 line figures for the city government. What's out there, what 296 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.879 needs to be done, what's being neglected, and where they're 297 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:46.200 focusing their attention. And you alluded to it. We just 298 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:50.879 mentioned it, the green Energy Plan, which I think I 299 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:55.240 learned from you or someone else that at least may 300 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:56.720 I have to have purvol and quite a few other 301 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:59.159 members of the council view everything from a lens of 302 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:04.679 green New Deal sort of focus, as well as DEI Yes. 303 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:07.799 When he was interviewed about their twenty twenty three green 304 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:12.799 Cincinnati plan. The mayor said that any everything that comes 305 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:19.399 across his desk he views through two lenses, equity and climate. 306 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:22.840 And I don't even know what that means, to be honest, 307 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:27.519 I don't either, but he's very committed and. 308 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.000 Ought to be committed. 309 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:33.559 The Green Cincinnati Plan is very very extreme. I mean 310 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:37.240 it is. They put so much effort and planning into 311 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:41.279 that thing. I've asked for any records that will show 312 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.480 what the cost of the Green City Plan is in 313 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.159 terms of what a cost to put it together, and 314 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:50.240 I asked for the same information on connected communities. I 315 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:52.159 haven't gotten anything back yet. Of course you have it, 316 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:57.080 but it is the Green Cincinnati Plan is just very 317 00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:57.879 very extreme. 318 00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.960 You know, for example, Phell, let's talk about the example. 319 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:05.079 Five different types of equity are outlined in the plan. 320 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:09.240 How does equity save the planet. 321 00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:14.160 Brian, I don't know about all that stuff. 322 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:17.759 Money goes out the door to fund what non government 323 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:21.359 organizations are putting together studies and doing focus groups and 324 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:22.039 that kind of thing. 325 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:26.240 Yeah, I've I've been looking at the nonprofits and external 326 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:30.759 organizations that the city gives money to, and my count 327 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.039 is up to two hundred and fourteen, So. 328 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:34.799 Two hundred and fourteen hands in the cookie jar. 329 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:35.880 Yes. 330 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:39.519 Meanwhile, we got over a billion dollars in outstanding debt 331 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:41.720 and maintenance and upgrade needs. 332 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:46.960 Yeah. And what seventy one organizations are given money under 333 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.599 the Green Cincinnati Plan. 334 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:51.279 And do we have any idea what they're doing? 335 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:59.400 Well, and we know what they got the money for generally, 336 00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:03.359 but were there's no report back on what they actually 337 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:04.039 do with the money. 338 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:07.839 Well, see, that's there's something like that. USAID revealed when 339 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:10.279 DOGE took a look at that, they found that money 340 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:12.200 went out the door, but they never followed up like 341 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:15.519 for example, you know, studying I don't know, transgender mice 342 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:18.519 or pick your favorite example of money millions of dollars squad. Yeah, 343 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.039 did anything get accomplished by the recipients of the money 344 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.000 or was it just money that went to some identified 345 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:28.480 not for profit or non government or governmental organizations who 346 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:32.640 purported to address whatever issue they were told to do. 347 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.039 Yeah. So they have a number of grant programs that 348 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:40.680 they operate. There's there's fourteen competitive grant programs that the 349 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:44.319 city operates with either federal money, state money, Cincinnati money. 350 00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:50.160 But on the there's a category called leverage support in 351 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:54.960 addition to the Green Cincinnati Plan, in addition to the 352 00:18:55.000 --> 00:19:00.799 Act for Sense program. In addition to that's the other one, 353 00:19:01.960 --> 00:19:05.279 A Safe and Clean is another program. And they have 354 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:09.720 all these programs where all these nonprofits and and the 355 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:13.920 amounts range from like nine hundred dollars to two hundred 356 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:17.920 and fifty thousand dollars. And so they have all these 357 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:23.200 organizations getting money, and we really don't have a good 358 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:27.200 handle on exactly how they're managing that money. And there's 359 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:30.240 just a lot of risk there for a lot of leakage, 360 00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:36.000 a lot of misappropriation. And I've found one audit of 361 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:39.160 one recipient in the last several years, and it was 362 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:41.799 a pretty good They had some pretty good findings actually, 363 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:44.599 and that that should have caused them to look at 364 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:47.599 a lot more of these organizations than they have looked 365 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:49.799 at and well. 366 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:52.400 Boiled down to its most basic points, what do the 367 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.680 audit reveal about that one organization? It was recipient of 368 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:56.519 the taxpayer dollars. 369 00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:59.119 So this is it was kind of surprising because this 370 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:03.480 is the region Economic Development Initiative, and so this is 371 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:08.759 an initiative with other local governments and the let me 372 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.359 see if I can find the results here real. 373 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:12.880 Quickly, Well, why are you doing that? We can talk, 374 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:14.480 We can have further about this because we can't put 375 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:16.640 this subject matter to rest and because we're coming up 376 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.920 on a break here. But I must observe that you know, 377 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:20.519 some entity out there is getting a quarter of a 378 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:22.440 million dollars. We don't know exactly what they're doing or 379 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:26.920 what they're accomplishing, but those entities employ people. A salary 380 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:30.359 must be paid because this isn't all volunteer work going 381 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:33.240 out there, That's right. So you we are basically so 382 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:35.279 after the salary is paid, what what did you get 383 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:38.319 in return for paying that person's salary? What's left over 384 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:43.440 from that that allocation to cover whatever costs associated with 385 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:44.759 whatever work they're doing. 386 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:46.839 Yeah, well, there are some of these groups that they 387 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:49.519 have they have millions of dollars in assets that are 388 00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:53.279 getting these big nonprofits and they're getting two hundred, two 389 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.160 hundred and fifty thousand dollars from the city. One of them, 390 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:59.519 the CEO, is making over four hundred thousand. 391 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:01.559 Dollars bactly what I'm talking about right there. 392 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:03.440 And it's like, why do you need r two hundred 393 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:06.079 thousand dollars if they're able to pay your CEO over 394 00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:07.359 four hundred thousand dollars. 395 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.319 Well maybe because that's some of that money's going to 396 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:12.000 come back to fund campaigns to get city council members 397 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:14.279 and the mayor re elected. Seven thirty five fifty five 398 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:17.119 kr CD talk station seven forty one if you five 399 00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:22.240 KRCD talk station talking with Todd Zenzer says in Watchdog, 400 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.640 former Inspector General for the United States. Looking at what 401 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:29.000