New [anti-abortion] ordinance: A solution in search of a problem

Cincinnati Enquirer ^ | 9/9/01 | Laura Pulfer

[madprof98]

I had been told to expect a nice young man.

And Chris Monzel appears to be exactly that.

Coughing wetly into a tissue, he apologized for his cold and said he hoped he wouldn't pass along his germs. Which he got the usual way. His kids, he explained.

Cincinnati's most junior council member is a dad who baby-sat his daughter while his wife attended to her career. He's a Harvard graduate who volunteered his time in New York's inner city. He keeps pictures of his kids in his small office on the third floor of City Hall.

Nice.

And young, for sure. Only 33 and probably least well-known of the council members, Chris Monzel was appointed in February by the Republican Party to complete the term of Charlie Winburn. He had run for council in 1999 and finished 17th out of 20 candidates, with 2 percent of the vote.

The abortion issue

“I love this job,” he said. So, as the election approaches, he probably could use a lot more votes and an issue. Name recognition.

Mr. Monzel's earlier issue — to demand extensive background checks and fingerprinting of ice cream truck drivers — just didn't capture the public imagination.

He has pronounced himself in favor of spending money on overtime for police. But that makes him only one more bobbing head in a sea of politicians who have taken the bold position that too many citizens have been shot.

November is approaching.

How about abortion?

Right now, elective abortions are considered a covered medical procedure for city employees, but on Aug. 28, Mr. Monzel asked the city solicitor to draft an ordinance that would disallow them.

Perhaps he has found the city to be so overwhelmed with demand for abortions by its female workers that it is not only repugnant to him, but a burden on the taxpaying public.

So, how many women have taken advantage of this benefit?

He doesn't know.

Maybe none.

He doesn't want to pry into employees' records, he said. “That's their private decision. They can still have an abortion if they choose.”

So, he has no plan to stop abortions. Just to make them more expensive to workers.

Citizen complaint

What happened, he said, was that one (1) call flooded in. “It was a citizen of the city of Cincinnati who heard that the city was funding abortions.” And it didn't “sit well” with the citizen, according to Mr. Monzel.

Besides, “I don't believe in it personally.”

Some people, he said, have suggested his motivations might be political rather than moral. Some people have questioned the timing. Others have wondered if his sudden interest in employees' medical benefits is simply a ploy to force a vote regarding abortion in council.

“And I feel horrible about that,” he said.

Well, I don't blame him. Right now, this city has a lot of explosive and crucial matters to solve. We are disheartened and worried.

And bringing up this divisive issue simply to grab headlines or for political gain would be irresponsible. Duplicitous. Cheap.

And certainly not something you'd expect from a nice young man.

E-mail Laura at lpulfer@enquirer.com or call 768-8393.

[madprof98]

Seems to me the only way to get good politicians at the state or national level is to cultivate local leaders who are willing to take a stand on the issues that matter most. But as soon as one of them dares to raise the topic of abortion, they get demonized by the media. I don't know anything else about the target of this lady's wrath, but I know I'd go door-to-door to keep him in office.

[Balding_Eagle]

My email to the columnist:

Quote from your column: "And certainly not something you'd expect from a nice young man."

Which is why I will wait to hear his side of the story. Funny how the crucial underpinnings of his stance never appeared in your column!

Signed ______

[MHGinTN]

The lieberal socialist societal engineers have so succeeded in their campaign to redesign America that they noiw have court approval for a woman to hire a serial killer to avail them of an annoying pregnancy. That there is an individual human being slaughtered in the 'procedure' doesn't even register with the brain of this journo, she only sees the blessing of the right to hire murder and considers the young man a not so nice boy if he would question that solemn rite of femnism. The condescending sh!t flowing from her word processor is impossible to miss, don'tcha think? It is the socialist's last refuge when a populace begins to awaken to the truth of the fiends; human sacrifice is sophisticated and those who would oppose it are obviously not as nice as those who embrace it. See?

[WFTR]

So, is this woman bitter because:

A. She sees her own old face in the mirror every morning and hates someone who is young, hopeful for the future, and not a liberal?
B. She sees a guy who is a good husband and father and realizes that she could never have won the interest of a man like him?
C. She hates Republicans in general and will never pass an opportunity to be ugly to them?
D. All of the above?

WFTR
Bill

[wafflehouse]

all kids are filthy germ carriers.. we must exterminate all the little vermin!    /sarcasm

[farmer18th]

I say she's bitter because bitter will read better at the lesbo coffee clutch she attends for self-affirmation.

[WFTR]

Very good on both counts!!