Political signs don't belong in peaceful HOA neighborhoods
Letter: The Bengals should be grateful to Cincinnati. Instead, the Brown family is greedy
Alternatives exist to address the proponents' issues without overriding existing agreements. Reducing the majority needed to change HOA rules, for example, or help prospective homebuyers find out about HOA restrictions. HOAs could establish "reasonable restrictions" regarding political signs, but that involves hiring lawyers and an HOA-wide vote and arguments the HOA didn't ask for.
A "no yard sign" rule is a bright-line standard that is easy to apply and keeps our neighborhoods more peaceful.
Michael O'Neill, Lewis Center, Ohio
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Proposed Ohio law shouldn't overrule HOAs on yard signs | Letter
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
01-07-2025
- NBC Sports
Ohio governor signs Browns stadium provisions into law
The Browns may not get their way very often on the field. They've gotten their way off the field. As it relates to getting a new field. Via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a new budget into law late Monday night. The big, beautiful, Buckeye bill gives the Browns $600 million in state money for a new stadium — and it clears the path to move from Cleveland to Brook Park without violating the Art Modell Law. The $600 million comes from the state's unclaimed property fund. Ruiter notes that a class-action lawsuit was filed last week, arguing that unclaimed funds can't be used for public projects. The Modell Law, which as written limits the ability of the Browns to move 'elsewhere,' was changed to prohibit moves outside the state. Which will make things hilarious in about 10 years, when the Bengals try to move to Columbus. (I'm kidding, Cincinnati. But it definitely would be hilarious.) The Browns still need to come up with more money to get this done, since Cuyahoga County has no interest in participating. With the stadium expected to cost $2.4 billion (it's always more than the estimate), the Browns have managed to get 25 percent of the money from taxpayer funds. Most NFL stadium projects aimed for a 50-50 split. Regardless, it's full Cleveland steam ahead. The team bought 176 acres last week, for $76 million. Hopefully they'll get a better return on that than they have on the $230 million that will go to Deshaun Watson.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio budget bill with Browns stadium funding, LGBTQ+ restrictions heads to Gov. Mike DeWine
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The two-year, $60 billion operating budget sent to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine calls for flattening Ohio's income tax and setting aside $600 million in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium, among hundreds of spending decisions. He has until Monday to sign it and issue any line-item vetoes. State Sen. George Lang described the massive spending blueprint as 'a budget of abundance,' as he and other members of the GOP supermajority touted its $1 billion in income tax relief, pathways to address Ohio's property tax crisis and how — like the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency initiative — it trims spending at administrative agencies and curtails regulations. Democrats voted uniformly against the bill, alongside a handful of Republicans, casting it as a collection of misguided policy tradeoffs that prioritize the wealthy over the middle class. Those opponents argued that joining what the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Tax Foundation has described as a 'flat tax revolution' in the states would stand to mostly benefit higher income earners at the expense of local governments and libraries. Another key Democratic sticking point: Though it increases public education funding by about $3 billion over the biennium, the bill underfunds, by hundreds of millions of dollars or more, the final stage of a bipartisan, legislatively approved overhaul of Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system. Here's a closer look: Paying for an NFL stadium It includes the $600 million Haslam Sports Group, owner of the Browns, requested from the state to help build a new domed stadium in suburban Brook Park south of Cleveland. DeWine proposed doubling taxes on sports betting to help the Browns, as well as the Bengals and other teams who might seek facility upgrades. But the Legislature settled on using some of the $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds the state is holding on to — in small sums residents left behind from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks and forgotten utility deposits. The budget earmarks $1.7 billion from that fund to create an Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund and designates the Browns as the first grant recipient. The budget doesn't explicitly include money for the Bengals, who reached a tentative deal on stadium renovations with their home county Thursday, but the fund would assist such projects going forward. Lawmakers who represent Cleveland and surrounding communities, mostly Democrats, blasted the proposal as a gift to the team's billionaire owners. Democrats outside the Legislature threatened to sue if DeWine signs the plan, arguing it would be unconstitutionally raiding the unclaimed funds without due process. The Republican attorney general vowed their effort would fail. Taking on taxes The budget phases in a single flat-tax rate of 2.75% over two years, effective on anyone making over $26,050 a year. Those making less would continue to pay nothing. The plan eliminates the existing 3.5% rate on those making over $100,000 a year by the 2026 tax year. Ohio would be the 15th state with a flat tax rate if the plan is enacted. Republicans tout that as a benefit to working Ohioans and the economy and another step in their continuing efforts to reduce the state's tax burden, with the aim of some of them being to eventually eliminate the income tax entirely. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit, found 98% of the benefit would go to the top 20% of income earners, or those making over $139,900. To address skyrocketing property taxes largely collected by public school districts, the bill prohibits any new emergency or new replacement levies and requires wording changes on ballots when seeking any future levies. It also caps districts' operating budget carryovers, requiring them to spend down surpluses that exceed 40% or return the excess to taxpayers. Opponents argued that penalizes districts that have been good stewards of their money. Trimming government programs and oversight Echoing the approach of Trump's DOGE as one of that program's architects runs for governor with Trump's support, lawmakers boasted of the legislation's 3% to 4% cuts to administrative agency budgets. Beyond that, it defunds, defangs, reassigns or abolishes bodies that punish election law violations, craft public school policy, monitor rare diseases, field complaints about Ohio's state prisons and oversee state spending on Medicaid — the largest and most foundational portion of the state budget. Most of the affected boards, commissions and committees were bipartisan. It also reduces funding for tobacco use prevention, food banks and several housing programs, while devoting $7 million to quantum computing research at Miami University and $5 million to child cancer research. In anticipation of potential cuts to the federal budget, Republicans also included a trigger mechanism that would end coverage under Medicaid expansion if the federal government match falls below 90%. Democrats criticized the decision, which affects health insurance coverage for more than 800,000 Ohioans. Targeting LGBTQ+ issues The legislation declares as not only state policy but 'incontrovertible reality' that there are 'only two sexes, male and female." It prohibits, to the extent allowed under federal law, the distribution of Medicaid funds for mental health services that "promote or affirm social gender transition' and bans state funds from going to youth shelters that do the same. It also would require public libraries to move children's books 'related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression' out of view of minors. Republican Rep. Gary Click, a Baptist pastor, called it unfortunate that lawmakers have to assert such positions on sexuality but said it's what constituents want. 'What's next?" he asked. "In the next budget, do we have to say water is wet and the Earth is round?' Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio, the state's first openly gay legislative leader, rebuked Republicans for sowing 'the seeds of division, of suspicion and shame' and suggesting LGBTQ+ people are 'too extreme to be seen in the light of day.' 'These actions aren't going to erase us," she said. "Just because you put the materials behind a curtain doesn't mean the people suddenly — poof! — don't exist. Because you know what? We do. We are the very fabric of every single one of your communities in every single one of your districts.'
26-06-2025
Ohio budget bill with Browns stadium funding, LGBTQ+ restrictions heads to Gov. Mike DeWine
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The two-year, $60 billion operating budget sent to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine calls for flattening Ohio's income tax and setting aside $600 million in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium, among hundreds of spending decisions. He has until Monday to sign it and issue any line-item vetoes. State Sen. George Lang described the massive spending blueprint as 'a budget of abundance,' as he and other members of the GOP supermajority touted its $1 billion in income tax relief, pathways to address Ohio's property tax crisis and how — like the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency initiative — it trims spending at administrative agencies and curtails regulations. Democrats voted uniformly against the bill, alongside a handful of Republicans, casting it as a collection of misguided policy tradeoffs that prioritize the wealthy over the middle class. Those opponents argued that joining what the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Tax Foundation has described as a 'flat tax revolution' in the states would stand to mostly benefit higher income earners at the expense of local governments and libraries. Another key Democratic sticking point: Though it increases public education funding by about $3 billion over the biennium, the bill underfunds, by hundreds of millions of dollars or more, the final stage of a bipartisan, legislatively approved overhaul of Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system. Here's a closer look: It includes the $600 million Haslam Sports Group, owner of the Browns, requested from the state to help build a new domed stadium in suburban Brook Park south of Cleveland. DeWine proposed doubling taxes on sports betting to help the Browns, as well as the Bengals and other teams who might seek facility upgrades. But the Legislature settled on using some of the $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds the state is holding on to — in small sums residents left behind from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks and forgotten utility deposits. The budget earmarks $1.7 billion from that fund to create an Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund and designates the Browns as the first grant recipient. The budget doesn't explicitly include money for the Bengals, who reached a tentative deal on stadium renovations with their home county Thursday, but the fund would assist such projects going forward. Lawmakers who represent Cleveland and surrounding communities, mostly Democrats, blasted the proposal as a gift to the team's billionaire owners. Democrats outside the Legislature threatened to sue if DeWine signs the plan, arguing it would be unconstitutionally raiding the unclaimed funds without due process. The Republican attorney general vowed their effort would fail. The budget phases in a single flat-tax rate of 2.75% over two years, effective on anyone making over $26,050 a year. Those making less would continue to pay nothing. The plan eliminates the existing 3.5% rate on those making over $100,000 a year by the 2026 tax year. Ohio would be the 15th state with a flat tax rate if the plan is enacted. Republicans tout that as a benefit to working Ohioans and the economy and another step in their continuing efforts to reduce the state's tax burden, with the aim of some of them being to eventually eliminate the income tax entirely. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit, found 98% of the benefit would go to the top 20% of income earners, or those making over $139,900. To address skyrocketing property taxes largely collected by public school districts, the bill prohibits any new emergency or new replacement levies and requires wording changes on ballots when seeking any future levies. It also caps districts' operating budget carryovers, requiring them to spend down surpluses that exceed 40% or return the excess to taxpayers. Opponents argued that penalizes districts that have been good stewards of their money. Echoing the approach of Trump's DOGE as one of that program's architects runs for governor with Trump's support, lawmakers boasted of the legislation's 3% to 4% cuts to administrative agency budgets. Beyond that, it defunds, defangs, reassigns or abolishes bodies that punish election law violations, craft public school policy, monitor rare diseases, field complaints about Ohio's state prisons and oversee state spending on Medicaid — the largest and most foundational portion of the state budget. Most of the affected boards, commissions and committees were bipartisan. It also reduces funding for tobacco use prevention, food banks and several housing programs, while devoting $7 million to quantum computing research at Miami University and $5 million to child cancer research. In anticipation of potential cuts to the federal budget, Republicans also included a trigger mechanism that would end coverage under Medicaid expansion if the federal government match falls below 90%. Democrats criticized the decision, which affects health insurance coverage for more than 800,000 Ohioans. The legislation declares as not only state policy but 'incontrovertible reality' that there are 'only two sexes, male and female." It prohibits, to the extent allowed under federal law, the distribution of Medicaid funds for mental health services that "promote or affirm social gender transition' and bans state funds from going to youth shelters that do the same. It also would require public libraries to move children's books 'related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression' out of view of minors. Republican Rep. Gary Click, a Baptist pastor, called it unfortunate that lawmakers have to assert such positions on sexuality but said it's what constituents want. 'What's next?" he asked. "In the next budget, do we have to say water is wet and the Earth is round?' Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio, the state's first openly gay legislative leader, rebuked Republicans for sowing 'the seeds of division, of suspicion and shame' and suggesting LGBTQ+ people are 'too extreme to be seen in the light of day.' 'These actions aren't going to erase us," she said. "Just because you put the materials behind a curtain doesn't mean the people suddenly — poof! — don't exist. Because you know what? We do. We are the very fabric of every single one of your communities in every single one of your districts.'
