1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: Just I have seven O six here fifty five ker 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: Ce Detalk station. Very Happy Friday Eve to him he 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: had extra special in studios. Citizen watchdog TODDS. Zenser, former 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: Inspector General from the United States of America, is keenly 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: interested in what I always like to jokingly refer to 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: as shenanigans going on in the city of downtown Cincinnati. 7 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: Of course, he follows the figures, follows the money, finds 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: out where money is being allocated, most notably those pesky 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: NGOs that seem to suck up a lot of cash 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: and then don't provide information about what they've actually done 11 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: with it. So I'm suggesting maybe that those handouts of 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,639 Speaker 1: money rewards for political favoritism. And a little bird told 13 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: me over the break there, and I was looking for 14 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: facts or information surrounding why. And this is not related 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: to a conversation we're having with Todd Zenzer, but good 16 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: to see again, Todd Zenzer, thank you for coming in 17 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: the dismissal of the murder case against Elwood Jones after 18 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: having been convicted and affirmed on appeal through the state 19 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: level all the way through the federal level. Wondering why 20 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: it is that Connie Pillach and Judge Wendy Cross decided 21 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: we were going to ditch this, Wendy Cross issuing an 22 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: order saying he was entitled to retrial, follow by Connie 23 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: Pillage saying no, we're dismissing all charges against them. He's 24 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: been released. He is obviously guilty. Look at what Joe 25 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: Deeters had to say about it, former prosecutor apparently at 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: the press conference doing this. Iris Rawley was there. So 27 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: I was looking for a political reality of why would 28 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: they go through all the trouble to dismiss the charges 29 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: against this murderer clearly guilty without question, and basically having 30 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: Pillage lie to her constituents, the Hamilton County voters who 31 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: put her in office, distorted the evidence, distorted the underlying 32 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: record yesterday in the press conference. Maybe that's it, Scott 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: iris Rawley's fingerprints on it. I'll let you decide. Moving over, 34 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: Thank you Todd Zenzer for the work that you do 35 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: on behalf of the taxpayers of the city Cincinnati. Right 36 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: out of the gate man, what you show, it's really frightening. 37 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: Let's start with the mayor. Okay, Now, last time you 38 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: were on the show, you pointed out that their a 39 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: have to have provoal is a board member? Now you 40 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: found it. It's on several organizations. Am I right on 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: that too? 42 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 2: So far that I found okay? 43 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: And under the ethical rules of being a mayor that 44 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: governed the mayor's office, is he an obligated to report 45 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: where his you know, these board memberships just as a 46 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: matter of public disclosure. 47 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. The financial disclosures that the Ohio Ethics Commission requires 48 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 2: has a section where you have to disclose any other 49 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: organizations where you have a fiduciary role, which board members 50 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: absolutely have a fiduciary role. And so I actually looked 51 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 2: at his financial disclosures in connection with those repossessions to 52 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: see what. 53 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: Is all the car repossessions. 54 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I got those, and when I was looking 55 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:59,119 Speaker 2: at the forums, this section on fiduciary does not contain 56 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 2: the his board membership for Centrifus. And I had three 57 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: years of disclosure and none of those are reporting his 58 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 2: board membership of Centrifus, which I had already found. And 59 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: then there's a second nonprofit that he is a board 60 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 2: member for and they also get money from the city. 61 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 2: They get about fifty thousand dollars a year an outfit 62 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: called Compass and Centrifews has gotten between two hundred and 63 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. 64 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: No, okay, I just referenced the NGOs that get money 65 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: and the question marks swirling around whether or not we 66 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: get any return for the money they're given. But we 67 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: all know that money is given to a variety of 68 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: different non governmental organizations from the city coffers. He sits 69 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: on two boards of directors for independent companies, the ones 70 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: that you just mentioned that receive those types of outs 71 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: from the city taxpayers. Yes, how I mean that is 72 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: that is a conflict of interest? Well, I believe I 73 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: mean establish this. Let's point out that does mayor have 74 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: to have purwalls have some or any say in where 75 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: these funds are handed to whom these funds are given 76 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: or handed out. I know the city managers integrally involved 77 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: in that. We've been down this process before. But the 78 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: mayor does have some authority over that, right. 79 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 2: Yes, if you look at the authorities of the mayor 80 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 2: and the authorities of the city manager, they the I 81 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 2: have a memo that from the former solicitor that basically 82 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 2: says that the mayor and the city manager share the 83 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 2: responsibility of formulating the budget, so he's involved in formulating 84 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 2: a budget in general that has all of these leverage 85 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 2: support payments is what they are. Grants is what they 86 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 2: call it. And then there's a process, and I've criticized 87 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: the city council for this to their face. Yeah, where 88 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: the city council members and the mayor will recommend additions 89 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 2: to whatever the city manager is recommending for these leverage 90 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: support recipients. The city council members and the mayor can 91 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 2: actually propose adding or subtracting from those amounts. And there's 92 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 2: one year, for example, where the mayor himself inserts himself 93 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 2: in the leverage support for centrifuse, where he adds twenty 94 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 2: five thousand dollars to the grant level that the city 95 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 2: manager had already recommended. And he is sitting on. 96 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: Their board, on the board effectively voting money or directing money. 97 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: This isn't even a vote, This doesn't require since a 98 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 1: council approval majority or otherwise does it. 99 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: Well, it's part of the overall budget, so yeah, they 100 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 2: vote on it. Oh, they don't have to vote, well, 101 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: I guess they do vote on the overall budgets oh yes. 102 00:05:54,880 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: So they effectively stamp of approval. They wait, they make 103 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: a list of ones that they want to get money, 104 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: these different various NGOs. So city council is involved in 105 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: that process along with the city manager. And then after 106 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: they do that, oh wait a second, I want to 107 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: add this company on the list of recipients, in this 108 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: particular case, twenty five thousand dollars to a company that 109 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: he sits on the board of directors. So they add that. 110 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: The council later approves the budget. That's correct, which it 111 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: contains the additions that they didn't recommend in the first place. 112 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: That's correct. 113 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: So he has complete control and authority over this type 114 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: of addition. It sounds like, now they could have reject 115 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: the budget based upon the addition of that one NGO, 116 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: but they clearly didn't. 117 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 2: That's right. 118 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: That is I mean, that's an open and shutcase of 119 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: conflict of interest. 120 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's kind of an ethics one on one thing. 121 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: I mean purely. That's why I really wanted to focus 122 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: on where the authority lies. Who has the authority to 123 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: ensure that you know, he well this, So what do 124 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: you take in response to this, I guess supposedly or 125 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: I suppose to. The first quick question is what action 126 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: can be taken? I mean, first of all, he isn't 127 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: complying with his obligations on the disclosures that's right, Is 128 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: that actionable? Does that mean? Is it subjected to exposure 129 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: to a penalty or a fine or public right, the 130 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: condemnation or anything. 131 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: All of that would fall under the jurisdiction of the 132 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 2: Ohio Ethics Commission, and so you know they have they 133 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 2: have ways to enforce their rules. And whether or not 134 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: mister Purval becomes subject to those enforcement efforts is a 135 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: different question. 136 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: Well, that requires someone to bring it to the Ethics 137 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: boards attention by way of a formal request or complaint. 138 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 2: That would that would be the start of the process. 139 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, is that like a crisp any kind of 140 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: thing or no. 141 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: Any any citizen can file a complaint with. 142 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: The including a citizen watch talk. 143 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 2: Yeah they could, he could. 144 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: I'm looking at Utah's insert. 145 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 2: Just asking I see that brain. 146 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: I know, I just ask him for the listening audience. 147 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: So I don't know where to go with that. One 148 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: is calling ethical vote. 149 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 2: Well, I've well, first of all, I have I have 150 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: raised this issue to the city council in public comments 151 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 2: about how screwy this system is where they make recommendations 152 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 2: on top of the city manager. And so I told 153 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 2: him one time, I said, the least you could do 154 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 2: is when you send your memos in with these requests, 155 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 2: the least you could do is have a little attestation 156 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: at the bottom of the memo saying that you do 157 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: not have a conflict of interest with any of these organizations. 158 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 2: So I made that recommendations earlier this year, or that 159 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 2: recommendation earlier this year. We'll see whether they do that. 160 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 2: But there's no there's no oversight of any of this 161 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 2: NGO spending. 162 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: They they well, I suppose there theoretically could be oversight 163 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: if he accurately filled out his finiancial disclosure forms, because 164 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: then the information will be public and it will be incumbent, 165 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: perhaps arguably on the city council members when these requests 166 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 1: are made to look at the disclosures to find out 167 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: if he has any connection with the money of the 168 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: organizations that are getting money. If he's not there, he 169 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 1: has no connection. One could logically conclude, that is if 170 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: he's being honest with his financial disclosure forms. But here 171 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: we have a situa where he's not taking away the 172 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: ability of anybody to check whether this is an ethical violation. 173 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 2: That's right on papal enter Todd Zinzer on paper right 174 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 2: now with the financial disclosures, no indication that he sits 175 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 2: on the board of Centrifuse, But I have confirmation from 176 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 2: the CEO of Centrifus that he is sitting on the board. 177 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: Fine pivoting over to the other entity where he did 178 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: disclose he was a board member, they too received money 179 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: as well, which negates my point about the city council 180 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: actually doing its job and checking into these things on 181 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:54,680 Speaker 1: its own. Yes. 182 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 2: Well, here's another thing, Brian early On, I asked for 183 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 2: the financial disclosure forms. They that the officials in Cincinnati 184 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 2: file with the city, that there's a separate financial disclosure 185 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: that they file with the city. So I requested those 186 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 2: and the city did not give them give me any 187 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: of them. 188 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: Did they provide you with an explanation of why that 189 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: information was not forthcoming? 190 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 2: Todds censer, Well, I can't remember exactly what they say, 191 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 2: but they don't give a lot of explanation on public 192 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 2: records requests. When they deny it, it just says it's overbroad 193 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 2: or we don't do research for you, or you know, 194 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 2: excuses like that it's a problem. This public disclosure or 195 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 2: this public records request process for the city is terrible. 196 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: Which is how it always ends up in court. Yes, 197 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: and how they always end up losing in court. Yes, 198 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: and how that money that they went and fought in 199 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: court was coming from the taxpayer of the City of Cincinnati. 200 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: Litigation is expensive. 201 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 2: Yes, but their first instinct is to withhold, and somehow 202 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 2: we've got to turn that around. Their first instinct should 203 00:10:58,480 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 2: be to disclose the records. 204 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: He recently had an opportunity to turn things around, but 205 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: one in four voters in the sea just showed up 206 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: and we know what we got out of that with Yes, sir, massive, massive, 207 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,559 Speaker 1: But let's do it all over again more with todds Inzer. 208 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: We've got lots more Shenanigans. Call out right coming up 209 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: at seven sixteen right now. Todds Ens are in studio. 210 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: Citizen Watchdog's name of the podcast. He is a citizen Watchdog. 211 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: You can follo him on Facebook. You can listen to 212 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: the podcast produced by Joe Strecker. Of course todds Ends 213 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: you would mentioned and I don't want to let it 214 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: go without following up on it. I think the board 215 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: membership that after parvol is involved with here, I think 216 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 1: is a greater and more problematic problem than after Pervoll's 217 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: personal expense issues. But he didn't pay his monthly car payment, 218 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: resulting in the repossession of his automobile. They actually repossessed it, 219 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 1: that's my understanding. Yes, that was widely reported, and he 220 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: even had a press conference following day saying, ah, ye 221 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 1: I was an oversight. 222 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, he was interviewed. I can't remember who interviewed him, 223 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 2: But he did make public statements that there was a 224 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 2: problem with his auto pay. 225 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: Right auto pay, So you set up and it makes 226 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: an automatic payment. Fine, I'll acknowledge, and I'll just go 227 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: ahead and admit fine, he has auto pay. But he 228 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: didn't say, no, my car was not repossessed. I mean, 229 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: that's that's an admission of fact right there, right, Okay, 230 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: With that in mind, who out there really truly believes 231 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: that he didn't get multiple notices in advance before his 232 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: car was actually towed away. I mean, nobody wants tow 233 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: away a car if it was mere oversight. Oh, I'm sorry. 234 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: Here's the money from last month, and by the way, 235 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: here's my payment for this month. Great, we don't have 236 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: to get a tow truck out there. Yeah. 237 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 2: People I spoke to didn't find it credible. 238 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: So incredible, not believable. Right, Maybe one could characterize that 239 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 1: as a lie, if we want to go so far 240 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: as to put a pejorative term on it. 241 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 2: You could say that, Okay, all right, So here's here's 242 00:12:59,000 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 2: the thing about it. 243 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: Look the ethical picture here in total, So we're moving 244 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,079 Speaker 1: from one ethical problem to another. Lying to the constituents 245 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: to me is an ethical breach. 246 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 2: Well, just on the financial disclosures and his failure to 247 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 2: comply with the rules. 248 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: There. 249 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 2: What happens is, let's say there's somebody else who has 250 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 2: to file financial disclosures who haven't done that. It gets 251 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,599 Speaker 2: caught up in some kind of a gratuity issue or 252 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 2: bribery issue, and you're not going to be able to 253 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 2: punish him for any of those disclosure problems because all 254 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 2: he has to do is point to the mayor and 255 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 2: say he's he's not complying, why should I comply? So 256 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 2: that's one issue. 257 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: The other issue point. 258 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 2: The other issue is that it shows everybody that we're 259 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 2: operating in a catch me. If you can operation, which 260 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 2: is very common where the people heading up these public 261 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 2: agencies they don't follow the rules and when they're caught, 262 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 2: they say, oh, I'm sorry, I just we won't do 263 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 2: it again. And that's that's the kind of culture that 264 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 2: seems to be at play here in Cincinnati. 265 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: Which is why you're such a thorn on their side. 266 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: There's so many catch me if you can things going 267 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: on out there, and you seem to be the only 268 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: one that's even interested in getting to the bottom of 269 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: how they are getting away with it or holding them 270 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: accountable for violating the rule. 271 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 2: I really criticize the City council for that because that's 272 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 2: their job. Their job is to oversee the administration. And 273 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 2: for example, on this eight million dollars settlement, not one 274 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: member of city council ask the solicitor, how did you 275 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 2: arrive at eight million dollars? How did you arrive at 276 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 2: twelve or thirteen thousand dollars for each of the members 277 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 2: of the class. 278 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: This is the settlement for the curfew violation arrests. 279 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, for the law for the civil rights lawsuit that 280 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 2: was filed. Yes, and they're not doing The city Council 281 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 2: does not do any oversight that I can see right now. 282 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 2: All they do is spend money. That's basically what they do. 283 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: Well, using your disclosure rule as an illustration, if you 284 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: don't know the rules, you're probably not going to comply 285 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: with them. Is it possible, Todd zendser, that the folks 286 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: that have been elected to the Cincinni City Council just 287 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: really don't know what they're doing insofar as they have 288 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 1: that responsibility for oversight. 289 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 2: Well, thereby law they must take an ethics course going 290 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 2: going into their term of office. But in the case 291 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 2: of the mayor, I didn't bring up with me today, 292 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 2: but he actually signed a code of conduct that talks 293 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 2: about he has to know the conflict of interest rules, 294 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 2: he has to go to ethics training every year, and 295 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 2: he has to agree not to retaliate against anybody that's 296 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 2: blowing a whistle. 297 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: Okay, and then at some point there should be a 298 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: failure to abide by the foregoing result in some consequence. 299 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: What might that consequence be? I know you said you 300 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: can report somebody to the ethics board, which probably has 301 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: been done if I mean, I'm just saying it out loud, 302 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: so I'm probably has been done. Or refer to the 303 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: prosecutor's office or whatever. But is there any accountability in 304 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: that ethics mandate or edict that he issued. 305 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 2: No, it's just it's just to him signing that he 306 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 2: will do do all that. 307 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: All right. See folks seven twenty five fifty five k 308 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: c DE talk station. We'll find out where in the 309 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: hell is that Repy Thursday, to you Brian Thomas with 310 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: Citizen Watchdog. Todd's Inzer and studio for the hour, one 311 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: revelation after another, and Todd, you know, I I commented 312 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: to you off the brick. I cannot thank you enough 313 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: for the work that you're doing. It's got you. You're 314 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: fighting this Sissophian challenge to you know, right, the wrongs 315 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: that are going on each and every day, and you're 316 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: met with such resistance at every single turn. You didn't 317 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: follow all of these rules. You were derelicting your duty 318 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: from way back to this point in time. You ask 319 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: for the information, they resist giving you the information. And 320 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: then when you when you pully fully pull the carpet 321 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: out from under them or reveal the facts and information, 322 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: then they just say, whoops, I'm sorry, that's right, and 323 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: continue to do it in all other areas of government. Right. 324 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 2: So the first red flag to me was when I 325 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 2: first started looking at the city. I looked at their 326 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 2: internal audit operation and on their website it said that 327 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 2: they do a risk assessment every six months or twice 328 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 2: a year. So I asked to see that. I put 329 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 2: a record's request in to see it, and they come 330 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 2: back and they say, oh, well, we don't do that. 331 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 2: We don't have the resources to do a risk assessment, 332 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 2: which means that they haven't done any work to see 333 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: what's on the horizon that could hurt the city. That's 334 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 2: the purpose of the risk assessment is to find out 335 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 2: where your weaknesses are that you have to work on 336 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 2: to protect the city. 337 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: So spending what I would argue is a small amount 338 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: of money to protect the financial future of the City 339 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: of Cincinnati generally speaking, has gone by the wayside because 340 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:53,679 Speaker 1: they claim they don't have enough money to do that 341 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: while giving away money to outside organizations, some of whom 342 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: Mayoraburvall sits on the board directors. Yeah, okay, great, So. 343 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 2: That was a big red flag for me because it 344 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 2: doesn't really cost any money. All they have to do 345 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 2: is go to each department head ask what are your 346 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 2: biggest challenges? What are your biggest concerns? You ask the 347 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 2: department heads what risks do you face to complete your work? 348 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 2: And you ask each department head, they give you the answer, 349 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 2: You write it down, you issue the report. That's a 350 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 2: risk assessment. 351 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, that doesn't sound it sounds like a job responsibility 352 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 1: that should be done on a day to day activity 353 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 1: kind of thing. That isn't no additional allocation fun absolutely Wow. Okay, 354 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: you quite revealing. Todds Ends are moving over to railway money. 355 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: We were promised millions and millions of dollars were rolling 356 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 1: on in and the one limitation they have on using 357 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: railway money allegedly is existing infrastructure. But you've run into 358 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: some problems with all of that, todds Ends, or explain 359 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: that to my listening audience. 360 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 2: Well, most recently, in fact, I just sent a letter 361 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,399 Speaker 2: to the board yesterday because of this report on Local 362 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 2: twelve that they haven't they haven't spent a thirty million 363 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 2: dollars that they're getting for infrastructure work. And the reason 364 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 2: I wrote to the board is because back in February 365 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,120 Speaker 2: I went to a board meeting and I asked them, 366 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 2: what are you going to do with the city isn't 367 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 2: able to spend the money that you disperse to them. 368 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 2: It's sitting there in the city coffers doing nothing. Why 369 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:31,640 Speaker 2: don't you make them justify their request and keep that 370 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 2: money in the trust fund until the city actually needs 371 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 2: the money? 372 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,160 Speaker 1: Okay? And when you say their request, who is the 373 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: they that you're referring to that has the request. I 374 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: just kind of want to get I want to have 375 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: clear understanding of this how this works. 376 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 2: The city gets an automatic disbursement now every quarter of 377 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 2: the railway money, okay, So it goes into the city 378 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 2: coffers and it's. 379 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 1: In a separate pile trust fund sort of kind oh 380 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: you give me the John decide of suspicion on that. 381 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 2: No, it just goes through the city. They have an account, 382 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 2: they have a line item for it, but they're not 383 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 2: spending it, all right, and so the I can't recall 384 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 2: your question, Ryan. 385 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: So the money requests, where is that coming from? That 386 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: it has not been dispersed, it's still sitting in the 387 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: city coffers. Well, the. 388 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 2: Projects that they plan the fund with that money aren't 389 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 2: off the ground. They're not incurring any cost yet, so 390 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 2: that money's just sitting there. 391 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: Okay, So let's say repaving some road requires a construction 392 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 1: crew or an allocation of city construction crew resources. Either 393 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: an independent contractor is going to do the work or 394 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 1: the city itself is going to do the work. Right, Yes, 395 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: So they're standing there, presumably waiting for money so they 396 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: can start work on the project. 397 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,640 Speaker 2: Well, they've got they've already got capital funds that they're 398 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 2: using that are in the budget, and then this extra 399 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 2: money they've got got projects in mind to use. The 400 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 2: railroad money for those projects. And it's those projects that 401 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 2: aren't getting off the ground, and it's the money that's 402 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 2: not being spent, the money to repave the roads. They've 403 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 2: got money to repave the roads, and the railroad money 404 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 2: is a supplement to all those moneys. 405 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: Right. That was the joke behind everything, because money's fungible. Yes, 406 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: they have all the tax dollars that come in and 407 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: a separate source of revenue we'll just call it. It's 408 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: like tax dollars is railroad money that's going to the 409 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: same pot. That just gives more money to handle, money 410 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: to handle the responsibility that the original taxpayer should have done. 411 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: So that gives them an extra thirty million dollars to 412 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: play with, right, thirty million dollars to play with it. 413 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: Now they can say no, we're getting railroad, We're getting 414 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: road repair from that thirty million dollars that the railroad produced, 415 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: because that's existing infrastructure. But that takes the weight off 416 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: the budget by thirty million dollars for them to go 417 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,360 Speaker 1: out and fund some goofy, brand new projects. 418 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:58,640 Speaker 2: Hot. That's exactly right. 419 00:21:58,800 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: That's how it's working. 420 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 2: As far as I can tell. 421 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: Yes, have they identified the road projects that have yet 422 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: to be funded that aren't being done right now? That 423 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: you were referring to a moment ago, I mean, I mean, 424 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: are you if you looked at them when you say, yeah, 425 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: that's existing infrastructure. What are we being denied because of 426 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:19,639 Speaker 1: this sort of hold on the fund distribution? 427 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,479 Speaker 2: Well, it's just a matter of the city doesn't have 428 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 2: the infrastructure or the processes and the manpower and the 429 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 2: contracting to get all this money working. So it's just 430 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 2: sitting there until the city can get its act together 431 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,439 Speaker 2: in terms of you know, the bidding of contracts and 432 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 2: purchasing of materials, and it's it's all in the it's 433 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 2: all in the queue, and they haven't actually spent the 434 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 2: money yet. 435 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: Because they don't have the resources to do their job. 436 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, they they they don't. They don't have the infrastructure 437 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 2: in the city to spend all that. 438 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: That's like your foyer request. Yes, yes, for documents. They 439 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: have a legal allegation to produce them. I'm sorry, we 440 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: don't have the resources to comply with the law. Well, 441 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: that's a really convenient way of getting around the law, 442 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: isn't it, Todd. 443 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 2: Right, So what I've been saying is that they they 444 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 2: turned back money every year from the capital account that 445 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 2: they have not been able to spend because of their 446 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 2: bad processes and things like that. So they already can't 447 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 2: spend the infrastructure money that they had in the general fund. 448 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,360 Speaker 2: And then you're going to layer railroad money on top 449 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 2: of that, and they don't have the infrastructure to spend 450 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 2: that either. And that was a big argument of ours 451 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 2: for why we shouldn't be selling a railroad. 452 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: Jeez, this gets worse the longer this conversation goes. Todd, 453 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: I just am really struggling with trying to find some 454 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: positive and there apparently there are none. 455 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 2: Well, they did pay Sunset, Brian. 456 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 1: They paved Sunset. I know they had money for that 457 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: after all these many many years decades even yeah, thanks 458 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: for that, and you no longer have me to be 459 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:03,880 Speaker 1: able to complain about that. I still have the gift 460 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: that keeps on giving along the complaint lines the street car. 461 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: Maybe Todd knows something about maybe a new leg of 462 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: the street car, because there's been a lot of rumblings 463 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: about that one going on seven thirty seven right now, 464 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: if you five KRC DE talk station imported cars, whether 465 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: they're from Asia or Europe, Chuck Ingram, fifty five KRC 466 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: deep Talk station seven forty comes up with seven forty two. 467 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 1: Fifty five KRCD Talk Station Brian Thomas with citizen Watchdog 468 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: Todd Zenzer. I stick with the parameters of this budget. 469 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: I think I personally was a little confused because I 470 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 1: was thinking, like the federal government's budget this sticking with 471 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: the thirty million dollars. So the Railroad Trustee Board allocates 472 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: the proceeds and gives the city a sincenty the thirty 473 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: million dollars. Yes, the city has budgeted certain programs during 474 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: the budgeting process for the prior year where that money 475 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 1: is going to go, as you've explained it, based upon 476 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: their inability to get these projects off the ground, issuing RFPs, 477 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: going through the process of you know, selecting contras, actors, whatever. 478 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: They don't have the resources to do that. So the 479 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: money remains unspent. Yes, moving into the next county year. 480 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 1: The federal government, in the way their budget process works, it's 481 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: use it or lose it. 482 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 2: That's absolutely correct. 483 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: You have to spend the money during that fiscal year, 484 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 1: that's right. That's not the case for the city. No, 485 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: that's not so the money remains in the account. Yes. 486 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: Is the city under an obligation in the following year, 487 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,479 Speaker 1: the new budget to honor the commitments made under the 488 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: prior year budget to do those certain projects that were identified, 489 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 1: or is it can they start from scratch? 490 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 2: Well that's a good question, Brian. I think they can 491 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: basically move that money to whatever projects are the priority 492 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 2: at the moment. And what I suggested to the board 493 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 2: this week. 494 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: The trustees that monitor the investment from the railroad sale. 495 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: That board, not one of the ones after have pro 496 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: ball sitting on sorry head to make. 497 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 2: This is this is the railroad the Railroad board. What 498 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 2: I suggested this week is that they adopt a draw 499 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 2: down system like the Federal Highway Administration has where the 500 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 2: states come in and they draw down money from the 501 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,640 Speaker 2: federal government account as they need it. They don't get 502 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 2: all this money up front. They have to put claims 503 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 2: into the federal government to draw down money from their account. 504 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: It's like an attorney working off a retainer. Yes, you 505 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: get a lump sum upfront, you can only draw money 506 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: after you've done the hour's work. 507 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 2: Right, So what I suggested to the board in a 508 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,400 Speaker 2: letter this week is that they adopt a draw down 509 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 2: system where the city has to come and make specific 510 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:37,479 Speaker 2: requests for specific sums of money for specific projects, and 511 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 2: that's when the board can transfer money to them. 512 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: Because the issue is not ripe for transfer of money 513 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 1: until they have a set in stone project that's right, 514 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: funding parameters. 515 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 2: Until they have something they're going to spend that money 516 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 2: on in a timely way. That money should stay in 517 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 2: the trust fund earning returns. 518 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: Or earning Yeah, that's the other that's the benefit from that. 519 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: Notal does that make them? You know, you pay money 520 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: only for projects that are actually working and being accomplished, 521 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: but you continue to earn interest. 522 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 2: Right, the money should either be working on the infrastructure 523 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 2: or working by earning gains in the trust fund. 524 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: Have you heard back from the board on that concept. 525 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 2: No, I just sent the letter the other day. 526 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: Okay, do they you think they have the ability to 527 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: implement a drawdown procedure along those lines. 528 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 2: Absolutely, that's my read of it anyway. 529 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: All right, So this isn't intruding on Cincinnati Council's authority 530 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: to choose projects or to pick where to allocate where 531 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: the funds go. It just merely is demonstrating to the 532 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: board who's got the money, that there is a specific 533 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,200 Speaker 1: project the money is going to. Right. 534 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:44,959 Speaker 2: So the board has some very good lawyers that are 535 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 2: sitting on the board. So I don't want to tell them, 536 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 2: you know, legally what they can and cannot do, but 537 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 2: they should. They have a fiduciary duty to make sure 538 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 2: that they are earning the maximum amount they can earn 539 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 2: in that account. And by giving money to the city 540 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 2: that the city isn't in a position to spend, you know, 541 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 2: they're losing that earnings. 542 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 1: Huh, which might give rise to a cause of action 543 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: by any since any taxpayer for breach of fiduciary duty. 544 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 545 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: Oh, there's another lawsuit somebody out there in the audience. 546 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: Can Key, I continua. 547 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 2: So I'll let people know what they tell me, if 548 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 2: they tell me anything. But the next meeting of the 549 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:31,880 Speaker 2: trust board is in February. So in fact, what I think, 550 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,120 Speaker 2: I posted it last night on my Facebook. I went 551 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 2: to the meeting in February of this year of twenty five, 552 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 2: and I raised the issue of the inability of the 553 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 2: city to spend the money that the board was transferring 554 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 2: to them. I said, you, you can't transfer money to 555 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 2: the city and have it just sit there. 556 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: Right. 557 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 2: So they didn't do anything back in February. We'll see 558 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 2: if they do anything. 559 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: Now, don't hold your breath, Tod. We really like you 560 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: and what you're doing for the city in spite of 561 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: the fact it's a thorn in the well am Ayer's 562 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: side as much as any of the the council members 563 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: and the city manager seven forty six right now more 564 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: one more with Todd sendsor stick around QC Kinetics will 565 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: QC Kinetics SAWCE talk station seven fifty fifty five KRCD 566 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 1: talk Station Brient Thomas Todd Zendser and probably just scratching 567 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:32,720 Speaker 1: the service of all the issues going on in downtown 568 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: Cincinnati that Todd is writing heard over. He busily writes 569 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: letters issues for your requests and waits and waits and 570 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: waits and waits and waits for them to say, I'm sorry, 571 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: we don't have time to do it. Kind of just 572 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: summarizing your life over the course of the past year. 573 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: Todd's endser. One of the things you mentioned on the break, 574 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: you've got the ongoing issues. Those are issues you've advanced, 575 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: you've sent letters, you've brought to the public's attention, waiting 576 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: for follow up, waiting for resolution. So you're keeping track 577 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 1: of them ongoing and I presume ever growing list. But 578 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: then you also have, like into the future, what you 579 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: want to look into, Right, so there's that list projects 580 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: you need to get to. But then you start as 581 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: you become more and more popular and more widely known 582 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,479 Speaker 1: for what you are doing, this value to the city 583 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: that you provide, people are bringing more things to your attention. Yeah, 584 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 1: so you can I summarize by saying you're feeling a 585 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 1: bit overwhelmed with a number of issues that need to 586 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: be looked into. 587 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,719 Speaker 2: Todd, Yeah, I think one of the things I have 588 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 2: to do is manage people's expectations about what exactly we 589 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 2: can look into here because we really don't have any 590 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 2: authority to go into places and talk to people like 591 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: I did when I was working. But yeah, there are 592 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 2: people that they have their own oversight questions. You know, 593 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 2: the courts for example, and the criminal justice. 594 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: Issues big topic this morning. 595 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 2: It is a big issue for people. There are people 596 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 2: that have their own lawsuits against the city that they're 597 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 2: calling me about, uh for you know, for my take 598 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 2: on their efforts and things like that. I've got a 599 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 2: phone call today and I got a phone call tomorrow 600 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 2: with some folks. So there's things going on and I 601 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 2: just have to do what I can really well. 602 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: And that leads me to ask you about the process 603 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: of your starting this five oh one C three entity 604 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: to do this type of work under the umbrella of 605 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: an off for profit company. The Cincinnati Oversight Project is 606 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: I believe that's what you've named it. 607 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: That's what I've named it, and I want to kind 608 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 2: of model it after a Judicial Watch if you if 609 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 2: you're familiar with that organ site, and you know a 610 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 2: lot of their work is getting records out of the 611 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,680 Speaker 2: government that disclose what's really going on. So that's that's 612 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 2: part of the effort. The other effort is to have 613 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 2: a platform to start talking to people about the value 614 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 2: or benefits of having an oversight organization within government here 615 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 2: in Cincinnati, like they do in a lot of states, 616 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 2: and they do in a lot of municipalities. 617 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: That's why we have inspectors general, right. 618 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 2: That's correct. And you know that if you've seen one 619 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 2: inspector general, you've seen one inspector general. They're all kind 620 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 2: of different. And so Cincinnati is in a position to 621 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 2: build their inspector General operation from the you know, from 622 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 2: the get go, and improve the oversight of the city's operations, 623 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 2: including the city council operation and the and the mayor. 624 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: Well, why would they want to expose themselves to something 625 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: that their own internal inspector general office would would expose. 626 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 2: That's exactly right, Brian. And that's why you don't have 627 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 2: them everywhere, because there's a lot of resistance to that 628 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 2: type of oversight even when they even when they establish 629 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 2: those oversight offices. For example, I interviewed for a position 630 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 2: out West one time for a transit authorities I g 631 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 2: and I went into interview and their proposal gave the 632 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 2: ig no authority. No investigative authority was in the statute. 633 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:11,240 Speaker 2: And I told him that that's not that's not going 634 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 2: to work out, got your teeth, And so they selected 635 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 2: a woman who was friends with the governor, and she 636 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 2: wound up quitting over that issue. In a couple of 637 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 2: years they got in she got into a dispute with 638 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 2: the board and they weren't cooperating with her and she 639 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 2: didn't have any authority to press. 640 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: Well, I'm guessing that you know, if you start the 641 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: Cincinnati Oversight Project, you get your five oh one C 642 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: three status, you're going to need some help. Is this 643 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: an invitation for people who are interested in doing the 644 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: type of work you're doing, to help you deal with 645 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 1: all these challenges, including all the items that you have 646 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: on your to do list. 647 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 2: Well, eventually the answer would be yes. And you know, 648 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 2: I haven't really decided whether it would be a five 649 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 2: O one C three or five O one C four. 650 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 2: I'm inclined to maybe not do a thing five oh 651 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 2: one C three because the donors for the five oh 652 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 2: one C three are public and five oh one C 653 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 2: four donors are not public. And I'm thinking that people 654 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:14,840 Speaker 2: that want to donate and get greater oversight of the 655 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 2: city may not want to have their name out front, 656 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:19,439 Speaker 2: like that, So I'm those are the kind of things 657 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 2: I'm I'm looking at. 658 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: Well, look at Signal ninety nine and they did a 659 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 1: background check on her and she wasn't even living in 660 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,839 Speaker 1: the greater Cincinnati area at the time. Why do they 661 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: do that? Why do they rifle through her records while 662 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,759 Speaker 1: she was an employee this insant police department because she's 663 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:37,879 Speaker 1: made posts online and she annoyed our elected officials. Right, Yeah, 664 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 1: you set yourself up with a crosshair. When you do, 665 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 1: you know, open your mouth. And that's why we're proud 666 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: of you and happy with what you're doing, because you'll 667 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: take the slings and errors from these clowns and you're 668 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: you're identifying all the issues that will justify me calling 669 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:52,919 Speaker 1: them clowns. How's that, Todd? 670 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 2: That's fine. Well, it provides a more healthy government if 671 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 2: you have outside or into and people giving that third 672 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,720 Speaker 2: party view of what the operations are doing. 673 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: Todd Zenzer, keep up the great work. A very merry Christmas, 674 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: Happy holidays across the board. Well wishes for you and 675 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 1: your family. I know you and I'll be talking a 676 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: lot throughout the next calendar year. You're always here, welcome 677 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,479 Speaker 1: here on the fifty five Cassy Morning Show. To bring 678 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 1: further to the public's attention the stuff you're doing each 679 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: and every day. Follow Todd on Facebook, just look for 680 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:27,200 Speaker 1: Citizen Watchdog and regularly check up on his podcast, because 681 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:30,600 Speaker 1: you will remain enlightened throughout the year. Todd. I don't 682 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: en for you, but I appreciate you. Thank you, Brian. 683 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 2: Merry Christmas to you and everybody out there. 684 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: Thanks much. Seven fifty six fifty five Carsity Talk Station 685 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: got time to chime in. If you feel like I 686 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: feel free to call me five one three