League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 3, 2009 Election
	Greg Cohen Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Blue Ash

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit)

There should be no qualifications to be a council member of a community other than a love for the community and a willingness to listen to the people. I am a trial lawyer with the ability to understand municipal law and skilled at spirited debate without resorting to malice.

2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)

I will immediately demand the end of the practice of declaring an "emergency" on almost every matter before Council. I will propose a notice and comment process which would require the publication of all pending legislation followed by debates and public comment at a council session not to happen sooner than 40 days from the publication. I will review unnecessary expenditures and search out waste.

3. What two actions would you promote to enhance city revenue or decrease city expenditures in order to balance the city budget, given the current economic conditions? (100 word limit)

My first action will be to find a way to mke the Blue Ash Mayor's Court revenue positive rather than run at a deficit. This can be done by becoming a Magistrate's Court with greater powers and eliminating unnecessary court employees. My second action would be to request an outside review of certain city departments to search for savings. The Blue Ash Police would be a good place to start because it currently appears to be extraordinarily top heavy. A chief, two captains and three lieutenants seem excessive to command six sergeants and twenty six patrol officers It is an absurb waste of valuable resources.

4. What steps should the local government take to ensure that the quality of rental property meets minimum legal standards? (100 word limit)

Blue Ash currently has highly effective standards in place. These include boundary restrictions, trash abatement, parked car restrictions and occupancy restrictions. Health Code restictions are a County function. The City can be more effective by instituting annual fire, health and building code inspections at a modest fee to landlords.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 22, 2009 17:12
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