Have you seen that warm glow and billowing smoke coming from 801 Plum Street? Why, that's just the dumpster fire that is Cincinnati's city government. Let's recap:
- Mayor John Cranley and city manager Harry Black are waging war open war on each other, slinging allegations of strip club visits, personnel abuse and corruption at each other. Cranley wants Black out. Black says he wants to stay.
- During a council hearing on the failures of the 911 system in regards to the death of Kyle Plush, Councilman Wendell Young managed to cram his entire foot into his mouth while offending Plush's parents.
- A lawsuit was filed against five members of council over a series of private text messages with each other -- in which they said Black needed counseling and Cranley was a liar -- with the suit stating that the text messages constituted a public meeting.
- There's an undertone of racial tensions underpinning everything from Black's position in government to the police to the FC Cincinnati stadium deal, which is its own, slowly opening Pandora's Box.
That's a lot, and there's surely more to come, but perhaps none of this should be surprising.
After all, it is 2018. Governmental dumpster fires are in vogue.
Kevin Necessary is the editorial cartoonist for WCPO. His opinions do not reflect those of WCPO.
