When the Feds got out of the business of paying for inmate medical care through Medicaid, the county was left holding the bill. Now Hamilton County is solely responsible for inmate care, even for individuals who are not yet tried. That's why David Pepper is pushing for a bipartisan solution which will provide critical relief for the county.

Check out the letter to Sherrod Brown urging relief.

For about a year, I've been promising myself (and a few others) I'd start a blog...unveiling "PepTalk"

"With a heavy heart, I'm sad to report that on June 5th, 2008, the beloved "Pepper Van" met its untimely end...felled by a storm-tossed tree in Wyoming, Ohio."

But let us not remember how She passed, but how She lived. She came to us in 2001. She logged hundreds of miles carrying a generation of Cincinnatians to and from parades and delivering signs to thousands of households...always reliable, always workmanlike. And even when backed into a building or driven into other vehicles, She never complained.

DaVinci once reflected: "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death." While it ended poorly, the Pepper Van indeed led a life well-used.

As we enter the post-van era, it's time to create new memories! Please join us this Fourth of July.

We will be marching in Madeira on Thursday at 6:30pm. On Friday July 4th, we will march the streets of Montgomery, Northside and Sharonville. Joining us for even one parade will be a great help.

If you would like to volunteer in one or all of the upcoming parades, just email Bridget at Bridget@davidpepper.com.

Think you know a lot about Hamilton County and its history? Take our quiz and find out. Also, read more on Hamilton County's financial condition. Read June newsletter here.

With the Banks breaking ground and construction already underway, we want to hear your input on the Banks. Click here for the newletter and take the survey.

On Tuesday, June 3rd, Hamilton County is convening elected officials and administrators from across the tri-state to discuss pragmatic ways to save tax dollars through energy efficiency, while creating a demand for good "green jobs" in our region. The summit will include informative presentations from ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. a non-partisan association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that are committed to sustainable development.

For two weeks last month, I set aside almost my entire schedule to do something most citizens dread doing. Jury Duty.

And I have to say, I'm so glad I did. It's not only a citizen's duty-it's an eye-opening and educational experience that benefits every citizen who does it.

I happened to serve on the grand jury (probably would not have made it onto a regular jury). For two weeks, I and 10 other dedicated citizens from all across Hamilton County heard case after case, and deliberated about whether or not to indict fellow citizens for alleged crimes. I can't reveal any specifics, but I can tell you how rewarding the experience was in general.

In this month’s newsletter, foster and adoptive parents take center stage. Hamilton County recently launched a new campaign to increase the number of parents willing and able to create a new safe home for our foster and adoptive children. Also inside are the results of last weeks survey. Just click on this link to read more.

Dear Citizen:

Happy New Year, and thank you for your support and friendship.

As we begin this new year, I wanted to provide a summary of the County’s accomplishments in 2007, and the challenges and priorities we face for 2008. Overall, it was a busy and productive first year for me as a County Commissioner. Let me first say that it’s a wonderful position, with so much opportunity to make a difference—for the entire community, and individual lives. It is a great mix of policy and execution, which suits my interest in style. And for the most part, even in a challenging environment, we at the County were able to work well together—across party lines, and across a broad array of departments and offices.

Most importantly, I think we made some very positive strides in cleaning up a mess that was left by some reckless decisions in prior years. The “cleaning up” we did in 2007 will put us in a strong position to take big steps forward this year and beyond on our key priorities. While we have a long way to go, I was proud to see in a recent survey that the citizens’ view of “County Political Leadership” was at its highest point in years.

On Wednesday (1-9-08), Hamilton County Commission unanimously passed a resolution voluntarily returning salary increases the commissioners themselves would have received in 2008 due to State law that provides automatic salary increases.

The voluntary salary givebacks come as part of a tight budget in which County Commissioners froze wages, made job cuts, and eliminated other services in an effort to close a large budget deficit while holding the line on taxes. Each Commissioner is returning $2,372.00 to the County General Fund.

“When we’re asking so much of our workforce in difficult times, we have to lead the way,” Commissioner David Pepper said."