Forum Focuses on An Update Issues Confronting Cincinnati City Government In 2018

Thursday, January 18, 2018

What are the important issues confronting City Council in 2018 and beyond? At the first Forum of 2018, Councilman David Mann, Former Mayor and Chair of the Budget Committee, will address this question as well as assessing how he sees government’s role in future developments and plans for the city. This luncheon presentation takes place at 12:00 noon, Thursday January 18th, Christ Church Cathedral Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.  PART II

Forum Focuses on An Update  On Significant Citizen Organizing In 2018:Including The Women’s March And Redistricting Reform 

Thursday, February 1, 2018

 Last year, events in Washington, D.C. sparked significant local grassroots organizing around social, political, and economic justice issues. These local efforts included a Women’s March and an initiative to bring about Congressional redistricting reform in Ohio. At the next Community Issues Forum, Michelle Dillingham, Executive Director of Community Shares, Kate Gallion, Organizer of the Cincinnati Women’s March from United We Stand, Bill Woods. of Common Cause/Ohio, and Ed Burdell of the Economic Justice Round Table, will review how some of these organizing efforts are progressing in 2018. This luncheon presentation takes place at 12:00 noon, Thursday February 1st, Christ Church Cathedral Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.

Forum Focuses on The Child Poverty Collaborative In 2018: A Status Report by Dr. Karen Bankston.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

 What progress can be reported concerning the Child Poverty Collaborative? Since its launching in 2016, what steps have been taken to reach the goal of significantly reducing child poverty in Cincinnati? At the next Community Issues Forum, Dr. Karen Bankston, the new Executive Director of the Collaborative, will review the current status of this important local initiative.  PART II

Forum Focuses on The Need To Improve Public Transit In Greater Cincinnati: What Is Needed And How To Fund It.

Thursday, March 1,  2018
 A consensus exists that the current bus system administered by SORTA is inadequate. The questions are: What improvements are needed, and how can they be funded? At the next Community Issues Forum, a panel including Cam Hardy, President of the Better Bus Coalitioni. This luncheon presentation takes place at 12:00 noon, Thursday March 1st, Christ Church Cathedral Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.

Forum Focuses on Will State Issue I On The May 8th Ballot Effectively End Gerrymandered Congressional Districts In Ohio? 

Thursday, March 15,  2018
Will Issue I on the May 8th Ballot effectively end the gerrymandering of Congressional Districts in Ohio? This State Constitutional Amendment proposal was passed by the Ohio House and Senate in February in response to the citizen initiative to eliminate gerrymandering that was organizing to put its plan on the ballot in November. At the next Community Issues Forum, Camille Wimbish, Director of the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Issue I and why most grassroots reform groups have decided to support it.  Video PART II

Forum Focuses on The Front Lines Of Public Education: Educational Innovations At Gamble Montessori High School  

Thursday, March 29,  2018

Cincinnati Public Schools have established a number of schools based on particular educational themes and approaches. Gamble Montessori High School is one of those places. At the next Community Issues Forum, Jack M. Jose, Principal of Gamble Montessori High School, and Krista Taylor, Intervention Specialist at Gamble Montessori High School, will reflect on what they have learned while implementing the Montessori philosophy and principles at this innovative school. This luncheon presentation takes place at 12:00 noon, Thursday March 29th, Christ Church Cathedral Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.  Summary of Forum  Reflections From The Front Lines of Public Education

Forum Focuses on On Current Progress And Future Plans For Cincinnati Public Schools   

Thursday, April 12,  2018

After nine years as Superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, Mary Ronan retired last July, and the Board of Education selected Laura Mitchell to replace her.  At the  Community Issues Forum,  Superintendent Laura Mitchell  discussed the progress of the Cincinnati Public Schools, and how she and the Board are planning current goals and dealing with potential problems. This luncheon presentation takes place at 12:00 noon, Thursday April 12, Christ Church Cathedral Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.  VIDEO PART II

Forum Focuses on Scholar House: A New Program Aimed At Breaking the Cycle Of Poverty Confronting Young Single Parents   

Thursday, April 19 2018

A new project is about to break ground that will assist single parents with children who are living in poverty to continue their education.  Sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral and its partners Cincinnati Union Bethel, and Model Management, Scholar House will provide an apartment building complete with a child care center and other services for the families enrolled in the program.  At the next Community Issues Forum, Mark Sackett of Christ Church Cathedral and Beth Schwartz, President and CEO of Cincinnati Union Bethel, will present an overview of Scholar House and what it hopes to achieve when it is up and running.

Forum Focuses on An Update on Environmental Protection:  The National And Local Realities and How Citizens Can Get Involved 

Thursday, May 3,  2018

With the EPA’s current weakening and its actual elimination of environmental regulations and its lack of enforcement of these regs, environmental protection has been dramatically cut back in the U.S..  Meanwhile, critical local issues exist, and the Ohio EPA does little to protect citizens from environmental health hazards. At the next Community Issues Forum, D. David Altman, an environmental attorney who specializes in defending average citizens from the impacts of major polluters, and Marilyn Wall, Chair of the Sierra Club’s Miami Group, will review what is happening in Washington and locally and what citizens can do.

Forum Focuses on A New Burst of Energy In The Grassroots Campaign For Legislation To Curb Gun Violence 

Thursday, May 17,  2018

After the tragic school shootings in Parkland, Florida, students organized to become a vital new force in the ongoing campaign to curb gun violence by promoting gun reform legislation. These students have joined forces with grassroots organizations that were already in the field such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. At the next Community Issues Forum, Michele Mueller, Local Group Lead for Moms Demand Action, and Lauren Rose, a student activist and senior at Mason High School, will discuss current activities and the new burst of energy that has given strength to local, state, and national gun reform efforts.

Forum Focuses on The Equitable Development Rubric Created By The Peaslee Neighborhood Center

Thursday, May 31,  2018

With all the development taking place in neighborhoods such as Over-the-Rhine, a planning process is badly needed to insure equitable results that will benefit the current residents. At the next Community Issues Forum, Jennifer Summers and Jennifer Arens of Peaslee Neighborhood Center will discuss an equitable development rubric that the Center has created as a tool to help citizens evaluate the impact of local development projects. This luncheon forum took place at 12:00 noon, Thursday May 31st,

Forum Focuses on Protecting Voting Rights And Focusing On Efforts To Register And Motivate People To Vote  

Thursday, September 13,  2018

The Community Issues Forum kicks off its new season with a forum focusing on voting rights and local efforts to register and motivate people to vote. Cosponsored by the Voter Engagement Coordination Campaign, this forum will feature a panel including Elizabeth Brown, Co-President, the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area, Carol Womeldorf of the Ohio Poor People’s Campaign, Catherine Turcer, Director of Common Cause/Ohio, and Amy Teitelman, Regional Director of For Our Future Fund.

Forum Focuses on   “What are the critical issues that candidates running for office this fall need to address?

Thursday, September 27,  2018

What are the critical issues that candidates running for office this fall need to address? At the next Community Issues Forum, a panel of community leaders will spell out some of the problems and policies that local, state and national candidates should be talking to voters about. The panel includes John E. Schrider, Jr.,  Attorney at Law/Director Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, Michelle Dillingham, Executive Director of Community Shares, Paul Breidenbach representing  the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, and D. David Altman, an environmental attorney who specializes in defending average citizens.

Forum Focuses on  What do voters need to know about Issue I before they go to the polls this fall? 

Thursday, October 11,  2018

What do voters need to know about Issue I before they go to the polls this fall? At the next Community Issues Forum, Elizabeth Hopkins, Staff Lead for Project AMOS, will review the content of this proposed Amendment to the Ohio Constitution and its intent to reform the criminal justice system’s reliance on sentencing people to prison terms. (Project AMOS is an interfaith coalition of fifty congregations that focuses on racial and social justice issues.)  This luncheon Forum take place at 12:00 noon, Thursdays October 11th, Christ Church Cathedral  Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.

 

Forum Focuses on  “What do voters need to know about the six City Charter Amendment proposals and the County Children’s Services Levy?”

Thursday, October 25, 2018

What do voters need to know about the six City Charter Amendment proposals and the County Children’s Services Levy before they go to the polls this fall? At the next Community Issues Forum, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Dreihaus will review the Children’s Services Levy, and Civic Leader Don Mooney and Councilmembers Greg Landsman and David Mann will review the City Charter Amendments. This luncheon Forum take place at 12:00 noon, Thursdays October 25th, Christ Church Cathedral  Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.

 

Forum Focuses on  Good Food For All: A Collaboration Between The Greater Cincinnati Good Food Coalition And The Cincinnati Public Schools

Thursday, November 8, 2018

The Greater Cincinnati Good Food Coalition is a diverse alliance of organizations dedicated to reshaping local food institutions into a system that is healthier for people and the environment. The Coalition currently works with the Cincinnati Public Schools to leverage the CPS purchasing power in order to bring best food practices to its many campuses. At the next Community Issues Forum, Brennan Grayson, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, will review the goals and development of the Food Coalition and provide an up to date progress report on its collaboration with CPS. This luncheon Forum take place at 12:00 noon, Thursdays November 8th, Christ Church Cathedral  Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.  VIDEO PART II

 

Forum Focuses on Growing Poverty In Cincinnati: “All-In Cincinnati,” A New Policy Agenda And Coalition To Address It

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Cincinnati experienced a 4.2 percent increase in poverty from 2007 to 2017. Recent Census numbers reveal that 10,000 residents fell below the poverty line during that decade. “All In Cincinnati” represents a new coalition and policy agenda dedicated to addressing both poverty and inequity in this city. At the next Community Issues Forum, a representative of the All-In Cincinnati Core Team will review the recently released report of All-In Cincinnati, and provide an update of its policy agenda and the work of the local All-In Cincinnati coalition. (The Core Team represents thirteen local organizations, including the Urban League, LISC, Project AMOS, and the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.) This luncheon Forum take place at 12:00 noon, Thursdays November 29th, Christ Church Cathedral  Forum Room (Third Floor), 318 East Fourth Street.  PART THREE VIDEO