NEWS

Is streetcar comment hyperbole or threat?

Sharon Coolidge, and Jason Williams
Cincinnati
Cincinnati streetcar

An online comment posted by someone who appears to be a streetcar opponent threatening "huge fires" at houses of Cincinnati City Council members has prompted a police investigation.

Councilman Christopher Smitherman requested the investigation Thursday night after he was told of the comment on a Channel 12 story that said:

"Find the names, addresses and phone #s of the last 2 city councils. Local12 ...publish them...and lets(sic) have some huge fires !!!... Where are they now?"

The comments appear directed at city officials who support the $148 million streetcar project, and the Facebook message may be nothing more than hyperbole.

"I sent this to the police requesting a full investigation," said Smitherman, a long-time streetcar opponent. "No one should play. We just lost a firefighter and they are threatening to burn down our homes."

Streetcar supporters say they want all negative rhetoric toward the project to stop.

"This threat of physical violence towards members of council who have supported the streetcar is not helped by the extreme, daily political rhetoric from the Mayor (John Cranley) and two members of council (Smitherman and Charlie Winburn)," Councilman Chris Seelbach said. "This should be a call to the Mayor to tone down the divisive, political rhetoric and actually work with members of council to make sure the project continues to be successful, on time and on budget."

Police did not immediately return calls.

Hyperbole or not, the comments throw fuel on the latest streetcar-related firestorm. Debate over the Downtown and Over-the-Rhine rail system has heated back up in the past month at City Hall, and the streetcar has been the source of several arguments among Cranley and City Council members at meetings. Winburn this month has called for council to permanently cancel the project, an idea he has no support for.

This week's debate centered mostly on the cost of residential parking permits in Over-the-Rhine and whether they should help pay for the streetcar. In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about whether council should study ways to expand the streetcar to Uptown. The annual cost to run the streetcar also has been a hot topic.