Laure Quinlivan Blog

CINCINNATI VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN AND THEY WANT NEW ENERGY ON COUNCIL…AND WE WILL DELIVER.  THANK YOU CINCINNATI FOR ELECTING A CITIZEN ACTIVIST WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE.   I AM THE CITY’S FIRST JOC…JOURNALIST ON COUNCIL…IN MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY.  THE MISSION OF A JOURNALIST IS ACTUALLY GREAT PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE… THE MISSION OF A JOURNALIST IS TO SEEK THE TRUTH AND REPORT IT AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE, GIVE VOICE TO THE VOICELESS AND HOLD THE POWERFUL ACCOUNTABLE.  I INTEND TO DO THAT AS A MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL AS WE DEAL WITH VERY CHALLENING ISSUES.  

I HAD NO IDEA WHEN I ENTERED THIS RACE HOW TOUGH AND TIME-CONSUMING IT IS TO RUN FOR OFFICE.   SO FIRST, I WANT TO THANK ALL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EVERYONE WHO’S EVER RUN ---I HAVE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR YOU.  I APPLAUD MY CO-CHALLENGERS IN THIS YEAR’S RACE…NICHOLAS HOLLAN, TONY FISCHER, GREG HARRIS, WENDELL YOUNG, BERNADETTE WATSON, LAMARQUE WARD, ANITRA BROCKMAN, GEORGE ZAMARY AND AMY MURRAY.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU CAN’T WIN ELECTED OFFICE ON YOUR OWN, YOU NEED A TEAM, HECK YOU NEED A VILLAGE.  AND IT ALL STARTS WITH YOUR FAMILY.   MY LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO MY HUSBAND GREG RUTHMAN.  WHEN I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO DO THIS HE SAID  “GO FOR IT.” AND HE’S BEEN MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.  AS YOU MAY HAVE READ IN THE NEWSPAPER SUNDAY, MY HUSBAND IS A CREATIVE GUY WHO CAME UP WITH SEVERAL GOOD IDEAS FOR THE CAMPAIGN.  IT WAS GREG’S IDEA TO ASK ‘EARL PITTS’ TO DO MY RADIO SPOTS ON WLW AND I THINK IT WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA.   I AM CONVINCED EARL PITTS PULLED IN SUPPORT FROM SOME  DIEHARD REPUBLICANS.

I ALWAYS KNEW THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT, I WAS GOING TO BE OK, BECAUSE I WOULD STILL BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE A MOM…I THANK MY BABY BOY QUINN FOR GIVING ME SQUEEZY HUGS ON REQUEST.  I THANK MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER FOR NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH ON HER THREAT TO QUOTE –“ DIE OF EMBARASSMENT ” THESE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AS SHE SAW HER MOM’S FACE ON SIGNS ALL OVER TOWN.  JUST WHEN SHE GOT USED TO THE SIGNS, I CAME TO PICK HER UP AT SCHOOL …IN THE QUINLIVAN.   MY FANTASTIC MOVING BILLBOARD.   I’M PROUD TO BE THE FIRST MOTHER ON CITY COUNCIL IN A VERY LONG TIME WITH KIDS IN CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THE QUINLIVAN WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF A GREAT CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER AND SUPPORTER –SOMEONE I WORKED WITH ON AN I-TEAM STORY YEARS AGO—GENE R.  THANK YOU GENE. 

A FEW OTHERS VOLUNTEERS DESERVE SPECIAL MENTION.  

ERNIE H.- MY FRIEND FROM CROSSROADS WHO DID HONK & WAVES, PARADES, ANYTHING.

PAUL M.- ANOTHER FRIEND I MET DURING THE I-TEAM STADIUM STORIES 10 YEARS AGO WHO’S BEEN AS SOLID AS A ROCK HELPING THIS CAMPAIGN.

KATHY H.  IF ANY OF YOU YOU GAVE ME MONEY, CHANCES ARE IT’S THANKS TO KATHY.  SHE DID CALLTIME WITH ME TWICE A WEEK AND WITHOUT HER, I JUST COULDN’T HAVE BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL DIALING FOR DOLLARS TO KEEP THIS OPERATION GOING.

I WANT TO THANK MY YOGA FRIENDS CHRIS S. & MARY K. FOR WALKING IN ALL THOSE PARADES AND KEEPING MY SPIRITS UP DURING COFFEE TALK AFTER YOGA ON SATURDAY MORNING.

I WANT TO THANK PEOPLE WHO THREW HOUSE PARTIES AND FUNDRAISERS FOR ME….JIM MOLL, GEORGE CRAWFORD, MARGE HAMMELRATH, MARIA KREPPEL, MY COUSINS JAMIE MAZZA AND LYNN HENSLER, MY GOOD FRIEND KRISTEN MCCAULIFFE…AND TOM & CATHY CRAIN.  I THANK MY FRIEND US SENATOR MARIA CANTWELL FOR FLYING IN FROM WASHIGNTON TO DO A FUNDRAISER AT THE CRAIN’S HOUSE THAT HELPED ME RAISE ENOUGH CASH TO RUN TV ADS. I THANK  STEVE CAMINITI & DAN DONNELLON FOR PERFORMING AT MY GO BANANA COMEDY FUNDRAISER.

AND THANKS MOST OF ALL TO MY INNER CIRCLE, GREAT FRIENDS WHO GOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, JUST TO HELP ME.  THE MUTLI-TALENTED BELLY DANCING YOGI DEVOTEEE, MARY SEIBERT….SHE IS MY TREASURER AND I COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HER.

A MULTI-TASKING MOM AND EXCELLENT SALESWOMAN AND LONGTIME FRIEND WHO VOLUNTEERED TO HELP ME BUY MEDIA…BETHANY V.

I WANT TO THANK TWO PEOPLE WHO HELPED ME EARLY ON IN THE CAMPAIGN GET THINGS STARTED, BENTLEY DAVIS AND CHANDLER DETHY.

AND FINALLY, MY DREAM TEAM….STARTING IN SEPTEMBER WE GOT THIS CAMPAIGN ROCKING…AND WE’VE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME DOING IT…FIRST, THE MAN MANY MAY REMEMBER HIS WORK IN JOHN CRANLEY ‘S OFFICE… MUSICIAN, SINGLE DAD AND MY DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANGER…MARVELOUS MARVIN HAWKINS.

AND FINALLY, A WONDERFUL WOMAN I MET THIS SUMMER THROUGH ROTARY CLUB, WHERE WE BOTH ARE MEMBERS.  WE SAT NEXT TO EACH OTHER AT A REDS GAME IN AUGUST AND TWO DAYS LATER SHE WAS MY NEW CAMPAIGN MANAGER. SHE’S NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS BEFORE, BUT SHE’S GREAT WITH PEOPLE… COOKS LIKE MARTHA STEWART (MADE THE FOOD TONIGHT) AND SINGS LIKE AN  ANGEL….CAMPAIGN MANAGER MARY BETH POULIMENOS.   ALSO THANKS TO HER HUSBAND JIMMY FOR LETTING HER SPEND ALL THIS TIME WITH ME, INSTEAD OF HIM.

I WANT TO THANK THE LABOR LEADERS AND UNION MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING AND ENDORSING ME…I CAN’T WAIT TO STAND UP FOR WORKING FAMILIES.

TO MY COLLEAGUES ON CITY COUNCIL, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.  I WANT TO SAY SPECIAL THANKS TO TWO OF YOU.  FIRST, CECIL THOMAS…HE’S BEEN THE MOST GENEROUS TO ME, TAKING ME AROUND TO BARBER SHOPS AND BEAUTY SHOPS IN BOND HILL AND ROSELAWN TO MEET PEOPLE I WOULDN’T ORDINARILY MEET, AND DOING A RADIO SPOT FOR ME.   THANK YOU CECIL. 

AND I WANT TO THANK ROXANNE QUALLS FOR SETTING A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A PUBLIC SERVANT.  SHE’S HARD-WORKING AND SMART AND THOUGHTFUL AND WILLING TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.. .THE KIND OF COUNCIL PERSON I WANT TO BE…

FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR MARK MALLORY.  HE’S A WONDERFUL LEADER WHO’S DONE GREAT THINGS FOR CINCINNATI’S IMAGE HERE AND ABROAD…AND I’VE BEEN WITH HIM ON TWO SISTER CITY TRIPS, TO GERMANY AND CHINA, AND I’VE SEEN HOW HARD HE WORKS AND HOW GREAT HE REPRESENTS US.   I THANK HIM FOR HIS PEP TALKS AND HIS ENCOURAGMENT AND MENTORING….I AM VERY PROUD TO BE ON YOUR TEAM, MAYOR MALLORY.

A SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIEND AND EVERYONE’S FAVORITE CITY AMBASSADOR, JIM TARBELL.  THANKS FOR APPEARING IN MY TV COMMERCIAL WITH TWINKLING EYES AND MISCHIEVOUS SMILE.  THANKS ALSO TO COMMISSIONER DAVID PEPPER, THE HARDEST WORKING MAN IN POLITICS, WHO CAN’T BE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE HE’S CAMPAIGNING IN ANOTHER PART OF THE STATE. THANK YOU DAVID FOR APPEARING IN THE TV COMMERCIAL TO REMIND FOLKS I’LL BE ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR CITIZENS.

SO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?   WE’RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS CITY. ‘CLEANER, GREENER, SMARTER.”  SAY IT WITH ME…WE’RE GOING TO MAKE THIS CITY…’CLEANER, GREENER, SMARTER.”

I’M GOING TO WATCH OVER YOUR TAXPAYER MONEY, HELP MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIVE TO CITIZENS.  I’M GOING TO PROMOTE CINCINANTI TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AND WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON MAKING THE QUEEN CITY, THE GREEN CITY.  WE’RE GOING TO BE THE CENTER FOR GREEN COLLAR JOBS.   WE’RE GOING TO HAVE BIKE PATHS, GREENSPACE, URBAN FARMS, RECYCLING AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY.  AND FINALLY, WE’RE GOING TO GET STREETCARS AND REVITALIZE OUR DOWNTOWN.

I CHALLENGE AVERAGE CITIZENS TO GET INVOLVED…IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU.  I WANT YOUR IDEAS, I WILL LISTEN AND GIVE YOU A VOICE.   I WANT EMPLOYEES TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK THE SOLUTIONS ARE FOR OUR CITY…HOW DO WE SAVE MONEY….HOW DO MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT…I WANT YOUR HELP….WE NEED YOUR HELP.  YOU CAN REACH ME AT:  LAURE@LQREPORTINGTOYOU.COM.

I WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO CITIZENS THROUGH MY WEBSITE… WWW.LQREPORTINGTOYOU.COM.  

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS TRUSTED ME OVER THE YEARS TO INVESTIGATE IMPORTANT ISSUES, AND THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME  NOW TO HELP LEAD THE CITY.  I WON’T LET YOU DOWN.  THANK YOU, LET’S PARTY.