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

Questions & Answers

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

I have 30 years military experience, and I have also served as Vice President and President of Avondale Community Council. I am a small business owner. I have experience working with the community as a public servant and an entrepreneur. My life experiences give me a unique perspective on policy.

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

I have a proposal for establishing a "Community Congress." This would take existing neighborhood councils, bringing them together at City Hall monthly for the purposes of increasing neighborhood communication. I think this is key to improving communication and citizen input.

My plan for new small businesses calls for giving them a period of time where they pay no tax to the city on either their income or property. They can be graduated back into paying full taxes. This will help them get started for growth.

I also think we should review and revise policies that make people feel treated unfairly.

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

The first step would be to conduct a review of all public facilities, to see what exactly we are looking at in terms of non-compliance. That falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Buildings and Inspections. It should be a priority to address all facilities in non-compliance.

Any realistic plan to address this issue should be based on clear numbers, which I do not have access to at this time. I do think, however, the issue is important and relatively simple to address. After getting a report from Buildings and Inspections, a viable plan can be developed.

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

I think it would be interesting to see if waste collection services could team up with Community Councils on this front. That kind of partnership would be easier to establish with something like a Community Congress, designed to facilitate discussion between Council Members and community volunteers.

It is my understanding that recycling materials brings at least some profit to the companies selling the recycled materials for production. I'd like to explore a profit-sharing initiative between communities and the collection company. This could inspire and mobilize more community involvement in the recycling process, especially if communities reaped direct monetary rewards.

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

Currently, there are different Section 8 departments for both Cincinnati and Hamilton County. I think these offices should consolidate and share resources for serving the region. I think a larger geographic area for the establishment and maintenance of housing benefits both residents and neighbors.

In some areas, citizens become upset by having a higher percentage of Section 8 housing in one Cincinnati neighborhood as opposed to another. Consolidating with the County would provide more opportunities for less concentrated low income housing, which I think ultimately benefits all parties involved. I think mixed-income housing is always the better route.