League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 8, 2005 Election
	Cecil Thomas Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Cincinnati

Questions & Answers

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

As a retired 27 year veteran of the Cincinnati Police and a recognized leader, I was recruited to rejuvenate Cincinnati's Human Relations Commission. CHRC soared under my 5 year tenure as CEO. I have been directly involved in solving Cincinnati's problems for 32 years. I have walked the streets with common citizens addressing grassroot issues and committed with corporate executives on improving our city's image. I understand Cincinnati, our neighborhoods, the police and government.

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

I plan to implement the plan. After the unrest of 2001, the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission and Cincinnati Community Action Now (CCAN), met over several months to determine causes and to make recommendations. The results identified six areas of immediate focus, I added a seventh:
1. Economic & Inclusion
2. Education & Youth Development
3. Community/Police Relations/Crime/Justice System
4. Housing & Neighborhood Development
5. Health Care & Human Services
6. Media Image
7. Community Dialogue on Subject of Racism
I will concentrate all efforts on implementing the CCAN recommendations in these areas with the support of the mayor and council as we collective work to move Cincinnati forward.

3. What steps would you take to ensure that all public facilities are accessible to people with disabilities? (100 words limit)

Discrimination of any form is wrong. One of the roles of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission is to monitor and give input to the Accessibility Committee of the City of Cincinnati. As a councilman, I will continue to support and enhance the collaboration between the City's Accessibility Committee, Human Relations Commission and the Inclusion Network. I will encourage my colleagues to join me in a quarterly meeting with these groups for an evaluation of the cities efforts. I believe the city can do much more than what it is currently doing to improve the quality of life and accessibility of its mentally and physically challenged citizens.

4. What specific steps will you take to expand recycling services in your community? (100 words limit)

Recycling, can be very healthy, physically and financially for our city and its residents. Recycling is the reuse of materials, either pre-consumer or post consumer, that would ordinarily be considered waste. Recycling helps lessens the amount of waste that goes into landfills, helps reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that goes into the earth, and in some cases significantly reduces manufacturing cost and energy consumption. As a councilman, I will support any recycle legislation that may generate any of the above results.

5. What steps would you take to provide affordable housing for all residents of your community? (100 words limit)

Critical to the stability of any city is affordable homeownership. A model of that stability is the Hope VI project in the West End. Mixed income housing create stability,stimulates diversity and foster community pride. As a councilman, I will encourage my colleagues to work closer with lending institutions and neighborhood community development corporations to develop more creative financing options. I will work to create a regional housing authority; identify and develop new legislation; review and modify zoning and building codes, processes, and practices; work with local neighborhood community councils to identify Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts; and plan and implement a regional housing pilot project.