January 22, 2010

Cincinnati NAACP
Media Release

The Cincinnati NAACP Executive Committee voted last night Thursday, January 21, 2010 to petition Hamilton County if County Commissioners vote to raise the sales tax.  Hamilton County Commissioners are planning to raise the sales tax without a vote of the citizens of Hamilton County to bail out the stadium fund.  City and County leaders sold Hamilton County voters in 1996 on the stadium deal(s) with poor financial projections.  "The majority of citizens can not afford to attend a football game at Paul Brown Stadium," Christopher Smitherman President of the Cincinnati NAACP says.

The Cincinnati NAACP is confident the 28,750 signature threshold needed to place the issue on the ballot for November 2010 will be met. "Hamilton County Commissioners are attempting to break their promise with Hamilton County voters by raising taxes.  It looks like county leaders need to cut their budget much deeper,"  Smitherman says.

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Reference Article regading Stadium Deal:

(6/28/09): Berding & Qualls Pushed Bengals Stadium, Now Pushing Streetcar