Over the last two days, Enquirer readers have sent more than 500 emails to Mayor-elect John Cranley using the Enquirer’s ‘talk to your government’ tool. The vast majority contained the same plea: Save the streetcar.
Cranley’s reaction to those emails: “The conversation about the streetcar is over.”
Cranley said he welcomes any advice or input on how to make Cincinnati a bike-friendly city with better mass transit.
“I think, big picture, this was not and never was a question about whether diverse mass transit options, walkable neighborhoods, and non-car commuting options are are critical to our future. They are,” Cranley told the Enquirer.
“The conversation about the streetcar is over. What I would like to do is ask that these folks talk about what we can do that will move us towards the goals I share with them.”
And the city’s continued work on the streetcar? Cranley declared it “very offensive.”
Cranley's going to find out damn quickly that even compared to other mid-sized cities, Mayor doesn't make you king. Going out of his way to antagonize and dismiss the people who don't agree with him is going to make his job that much harder.
And let's remember, the Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed Cranley three weeks ago because of his ability to cut deals and reach across party lines:
The city needs his political agility. Surround Cranley with opposing points of view, and he’ll wheel and deal until he builds a coalition.
During his nine years on council, he not only reached across party lines, he drove to fellow council members’ homes and sat in their kitchens courting their votes. The next day, on a different issue, he’d find new allies and build an entirely different coalition.
He doesn't look like a dealmaker to me, he does however look like an arrogant douchebag.
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