EDITORIALS

Fifth Third trickles down tax cut; Come clean about your Bengals future, Marvin

Enquirer editorial board

In this weekly feature, The Enquirer editorial board celebrates successes across our region and calls out those who stand in the way of progress.

A family photo of Gabriel Taye. Taye, 8, took his own life on January 26, 2017. It was just two days after another student apparently assaulted Gabriel in a restroom at Carson Elementary in West Price Hill, where he was a student. In a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Cincinnati Public Schools, Gabriel's parents, Cornelia Reynolds and Benyam Taye, say Gabriel was repeatedly bullied.

Thumbs up

  • Time will tell whether the tax reform bill passed by Congress this week is a boon or a bust for taxpayers and the U.S. economy, but let's give credit where credit is due. Starting first with Sen. Rob Portman who fought to make sure the Historic Tax Credit and other tax incentives that have been critical in the redevelopment of iconic structures in Cincinnati such as Music Hall and neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine were preserved. Many developers and historic preservationists across Greater Cincinnati worried the HTC would be a casualty in negotiations of the final version of the House-Senate bill. But Portman was true to his word and delivered a win for the region. Kudos also go to Fifth Third Bank for wasting no time in announcing that it would boost the minimum pay for its employees to $15 an hour in the wake of that tax bill passage. Critics of the bill were skeptical that corporations would take the windfall from the massive tax cut and use it to reward workers. Fifth Third's pay increase would impact roughly 3,000 hourly employees in the company. Here's hoping we see more area companies employ similar trickle-down practices that actually increase stagnant wages for their workers versus handing out one-time bonuses. Maybe then more Americans will get excited and believe the hype about President Trump and Congress's tax measure.
  • The Enquirer has covered in great detail the challenges mental health treatment providers face with increasing patient demand and inadequate funding. That's why the $75 million joint donations from the Fath and Lindner families to the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason this week to address mental health care across the region is so huge. Harry and Linda Fath are giving $50 million to the Lindner Center, and their friends S. Craig and Frances Lindner also are chipping in $25 million. These very generous gifts will go along way in helping the region address a serious health care need.
  • It seems as if every political issue is polarizing and steeped in partisanship these days. So it was refreshing and encouraging to see the three-person Hamilton County Board of Commissioners pass a bipartisan 2018 budget. Democrats Todd Portune and Denise Driehaus and Republican Chris Monzel were able to put political parties aside and approve a  $240 million budget that didn't raise the property transfer fee people pay when selling their homes. Elected officials working together to do what is best for the communities and taxpayers they represent - what a novel concept. Thank you, Commissioners Portune, Driehaus and Monzel, for showing us all that it is still possible for Democrats and Republicans to agree on something.
  • The circumstances are unfortunate but the honor is more than appropriate. Cincinnati City Council on Wednesday voted 9-0 to christen Lafeuille Avenue in Westwood with the secondary name "Gabriel's Way" in memory of Gabriel Taye, a second grader at Carson Elementary School who lived on that street. The 8-year-old committed suicide Jan. 26 at his home after being bullied at school. City officials also designated Jan. 26 as Gabriel's Day. His heartbreaking death has been seared into the memories and consciences of  Greater Cincinnatians; and while naming a street in his honor can't mend the wound for his mother Cornelia Reynolds, it does ensure young Gabriel is never forgotten.
  • Thumbs up to Greater Cincinnati Water Works for switching from quarterly to monthly billing for water bills. Hamilton County Commissioners and customers have been requesting the change for some time. The move will certainly help some customers manage their finances better and avoid getting hit with a huge payment four times a year. It might also enable some water users to keep better track of their consumption.
  • Middletown police and the community-at-large turned a story of Christmas tragedy into one of love, compassion and hope. When a mother of nine died Wednesday night of a drug overdose, officers who responded to the scene were so affected by the Middletown family's plight, they asked the community for help. After making a plea on Facebook, the community responded in full force, donating coats, toys and everything in between, plus about $16,000. Middletown, like many other communities in the region, has been ravaged by the heroin epidemic, but it's good to see residents there haven't given in to compassion fatigue. It's also reassuring that Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw and his officers are not only protecting Middletown citizens but serving their needs as well.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis speaks at a press conference Mon., Dec. 18, 2017, the day after another Bengals loss. So far in 2017, they are 5-9.

Thumbs down

  • We could give thumbs down to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis for his team's abysmal and embarrassing performances the past two weeks. But those losses take a backseat to the way Lewis fumbled questions about his future in Cincinnati after national media reports surfaced that he and the club were parting ways at the end of the season. If accurate, it's understandable that Lewis would want to keep this distracting news under wraps until after the season so his team can stay focused on these final two meaningless games. But once the cat was out of the proverbial bag, Lewis handled it as poorly as a botched two-minute drill. One also has to wonder if it was Lewis or the Bengals organization that leaked the information to ESPN's Adam Schefter, an industry heavyweight known for breaking insider news. It's best now if Lewis just comes clean because despite his pleas to let this story "die down," reporters and even some of Bengals players will continue to speculate until they get a straight answer.
  • We agree with Councilman Charlie Winburn that delays and procrastination on building a new District 5 Police headquarters is not leadership. Neither is side-stepping community input and springing last-minute, multimillion-dollar proposals on City Council. Cincinnati police officers deserve a safe and healthy environment to work from and they deserve it as soon as possible. But that doesn't mean City Council should abandon public input and vetting in the process. Building a new District 5 station doesn't need to become Cincinnati's latest political football. Council should follow best practices and include officers and residents in the district in the planning. Moving quickly doesn't have to mean sacrificing transparency, inclusion or common sense.