BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Reds have spent $50,000 so far to convince voters that a new ballpark should be built on the riverfront, and the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce has kicked in $25,000 toward the pro-riverfront campaign.
Those are the two biggest, single contributions listed on the campaign finance report that the pro-riverfront Move Greater Cincinnati Forward campaign will file today with the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
The pro-riverfront campaign, which is pushing a "No" vote on Issue 11, had collected $88,500 and spent $76,556 through Oct. 14, according to a copy of the report provided to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Reports on the rest of the campaign's contributions and expenditures won't be filed until after the Nov. 3 election.
The Broadway Commons campaign, which is pushing for a "Yes" vote on Issue 11, did not release its campaign finance report Wednesday.
Reds Managing Executive John Allen said the team donated money because of the issue's importance.
"Obviously, we feel very strongly that our future is on the river," he said. He expects the team will make more contributions.
The Bengals contributed $300,000 to the million-dollar campaign to pass Issue 1 in 1996. The issue asked voters to raise Hamilton County's sales tax by a half-cent on the dollar to fund construction of new stadiums for the Bengals and Reds.
The Reds did not contribute during the 1996 campaign, but Reds CEO Marge Schott retired the campaign's debt of about $41,000.
Issue 11 asks voters to create a Hamilton County charter that would require commissioners to build any new Reds ballpark at the Broadway Commons site. The measure seeks to undo a deal between the county and the team to build a new riverfront ballpark next to the Crown coliseum at the site known as "The Wedge" or Baseball on Main.
Chamber President John Williams said the group's $25,000 donation to the pro-riverfront campaign underscores the chamber's belief that the riverfront is the best place for the ballpark and the community. Broadway backers have painted the debate as a people's movement versus powerful corporate interests who favor the riverfront, but riverfront proponents see it as an issue of emotion versus facts.
"The chamber became concerned that only the emotional side was being put out, and that needed to be balanced," Mr. Williams said. "Without the dollars, the message couldn't get out."
In other campaign news:
Members of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County planning commissions announced Wednesday that they will work to persuade voters to support Issue 11.
Using full-page newspaper ads and personal letter-writing campaigns, commission members will try to explain to voters why both planning bodies have endorsed the Broadway Commons site, they said.
Planning commission members said riverfront proponents have tried to overshadow the reasons both planning bodies endorsed Broadway and Reading Road as the best spot to build a new Reds ballpark.
"What set some of us off was seeing ad copy by the opposition that Broadway Commons is some kind of a scheme by landowners to make a lot of money," said Donald Mooney, a city planning commission member.
Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus, a riverfront proponent, said he's heard criticism that the planning bodies made endorsements before knowing all the facts about the riverfront site.
"I think it's unfortunate they've chosen to dig their heels in," he said.
At the pro-riverfront campaign, Hamilton County township trustees met to reaffirm their opposition to Issue 11 and collect yard signs.
The trustees fear creation of a charter could ultimately dilute the power of township and municipal governments in Hamilton County. Broadway backers say that claim is a scare tactic and that the Issue 11 ballot language makes clear that Hamilton County government won't change in any way except for the stadium siting.
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