1) Jason Lee Overbey launched the SpeakUpCincinnati blog and #SpeakUpCincy Twitter chat after becoming embroiled in a legal battle with Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley over transitional housing for those in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. 2) The Twitter chat invites citizens and leaders to discuss topics on Tuesday evenings using the #SpeakUpCincy hashtag. Overbey has recruited local politicians and leaders to host discussions and hopes to give more voice to ordinary people. 3) Overbey remains passionate about giving a voice to overlooked parts of Cincinnati and challenging the political system, saying Mayor Cranley "tossed me into the circus" but he intends to "perform with the rest of them

1. Heroin,ClownsandTwitter: AnAnnouncementforGreaterCincinnati
SpeakUp Cincinnati isa developing GreaterCincinnatiblogcreatedbyJasonLee Overbey. In2014, Mr.
Overbey heldthe positionof Executive Directorof New FoundationsTransitional Living.NFTLisa group
of soberlivinghousesprovidingresidence forpeople new inrecoveryfromdrugand/oralcohol abuse.
Early in2014, Cincinnati MayorJohnCranley,spearheadedlegal efforts toshutdownthe transitional
houses .
“In a matter of hoursI was takenfromoperational dutiesservingmenandwomen inrecoveryand
thrustintoa movie-like dramaof politicsandlaw,”JasonLee Overbey,recounted. “Andwithinadayor
two,what I hadalwaysknownintuitively,becameempirical andpainfullyever-present:thatforthe
mostpart, the average citizenhaslittle tonoimpacton how s/he is governed.Forthe marginalizedof
society,there seemednohope andnovoice forthemat all.”
The legal fracas unfoldedinthe mediaandbehindcloseddoorsformore than7 months. In October
2014 the partiessettled.New Foundationswouldremainopenwithrestrictions.“Manypeople asked
me if I hatedMayor Cranley.Ourstruggle gave voice towhateverthey alreadyfeltaboutthe new
Mayor. But I didn’thate him.I still don’t.Iwas,however,livinginaTwilightZone where Icouldnot
comprehendhowthe Mayorof a city witha major heroinoverdose problemcouldbe soquicktoshut
downa group whowas clearlyapart of the solutionandnotthe problem.Wasthere no wayto come to
the table and talkaboutthis?No.John Cranleysetthe tone forhow the storywouldplayout.I stayed
up manynights.I couldnotwrap my mindaroundthe fact that thisTwilight Zone wasactuallythe
normal and the sane inthis political world.I wasembarrassedby myownnaiveté whenIaskedoutloud
howsuch a disconnectcouldoccur inour Republic,”Jasonadmitted.
Mr. Overbeyhadtoacclimate to thisnew worldatbreakneckspeed.Manywouldsayitcame to him
effortlessly.“Seeminglyoutof nowhere Iknew Ihadto organize rallies,call the media,leveragesocial
media,talktoelectedandde facto leaders,raise money.Ialmostfeltlikeapurpose rose upwithinme
that had beenwaitingtoemerge inthatmoment.Ialmostfeel like Ididn’thave achoice.Iwouldnever
have admittedthisatthe time butI wasstartledat how effective ourpushbackwasbecoming.”Jason
continued,“Ialsoknewwithinthe firstdaysof the fightthatI would soonmartial myownresourcesand
strengthstocreate some kindof platformforanyone andeveryone tospeakup – to geta taste of what
it islike whenthe Kingdoesadouble take because acommonerspoke up,howeverdiminutive itmay
be.”
In the summerof 2014 JasonLee Overbeylaunched SpeakUpCincinnati.Hisblogsite foreveryone.
Clearlyado-it-yourselfsite,toputitkindly,andwithnoreal outside support, Mr.Overbey addedtothe
bloginbetweenrunningNFTL,workingwithresidents, andgettingintensive dailylessons inCincinnati
and Ohiopolitics. “Iamnot goingto say itis all ugly.Ordirty.Or all politiciansare self-focused.Iwill say
that itis a different worldfromwhatmostof Americalives in.That’saproblemforthemandfor
everyone else.Itake itpersonally,”Overbey explained.
Afterthe settlementwiththe City,Mr.Overbeyclosedthe chapteronhis4 year successat NFTL.
Althoughpressed,he declinedtogointo detailsaboutwhatseemstobe a strategicdeparture - planned

2. to occur whenthe legal dramawas over. “He doesn’tgive up,”one of his previous directreports
offered.
He assumedthe CEOrole of non-profitprovidingprograms toadultswithdevelopmental and
intellectual disabilities inHamiltonCounty.“Non-profitsare alarge part of our regional economy - our
financial economyandourstructural economy.Iam fascinatedwiththe bestwaystoorganize and
manage non-profits,”Overbey said.“Iam a leaderinNon-profit2.0Managementand inchampioning
non-profitcausesinourarea. At leastI tryto be. A civilized,modernurbancore is definedand
developedbyitsnon-profitsector.Profitablebusinessesare ano-brainer,right?Automatictourban
areas.Not somuch philanthropy.Justtryaskingfora dollarfora goodcause.Evenif you getthe dollar,
youare goingto pay a price for it.In Business101, yousell a widget,youmake adollar,yourcustomer
getsa functionof some kindfromthe widget.InNon-profit101,you laborfor a cause,youofferservices
lowcost or free,societyasa whole benefits,the individual downplaysthe benefitsuntil theyneedyour
service,theyhave tobe remindeditisn’tfree,yougetacidreflux andplancarwashes,people honkat
youas theydrive bybut you can’tchange the worldwithhonkinghorns.Non-profitsmatter.Theyare
drivingyourcitieswhetheryoucanadmitit or not.”
NowJason is back infrontof hisfellow,everydaycitizensnurturinganideatoget theminvolvedinthe
TwilightZone.“Idon’tknowwhowouldgowillinglyintothatillogical,upsideworld.Itdoesn’tmatter
though.If we don’t,aren’twe complicit,then,increatingthe gap that resultsfromourpolitical
dynamic?Inotherwords,we have a part inthe mess!”hisvoice rose.“Quitactinglike youhave a
choice.Quitsayingyoudon’tfollowpolitics.What?Everytime youpaya tax,follow alaw, make a
judgmentinyourmindabouta crime story youheard,or sendyour childtoschool…you are following
politics.Justgoaheadand jump init all the way.”
JasonLee Overbey,throughSpeakUpCincinnati, thenannounced the launchof anew regional Twitter
Chat: #SpeakUpCincy TweetChat.
“EveryTuesdayeveningat7PMEST, startingMarch 10, 2015, my hope isthat people joinme and our
varyinghoststo speakup,”he announced.“Geton Twitterandreplyand compose Tweetswiththe
hashtag#SpeakUpCincy.EveryTweetsentwiththe hashtag inthe 7-8PMhour on Tuesdayswill be
includedinfree weeklytranscripts.Iwill alwaysbe lingeringinthe backgroundof the chatsbut I want
leadersandcitizenstohostTuesdays.Pickatopic.Prepare some questionsorstatements.Andletitrip.
Tweetchatsare fast-pacedandgetheated.Participantshave anopportunitytoconnectwithbignames
and otherlike-mindedcitizensthatthey couldn’tnetworkwith onaradioor TV talkshow.How can you
not joinus?”
JasonLee Overbeyhascommittedtomaking the #SpeakUpCincyTwitterChatasuccess.“Oh, I’mputting
some of my ownmoneyup. I’m notgettinganythingoutof this.Well,aseat at the table! I am goingto
knockon our leadersdoors – and bythat I meanTweetto them.Iam hopingpeople like
CouncilmembersChrisSeelbachandYvette Simpsonsnatchupa Tuesdaynightandmake it theirown.I
harassed Cincinnati leaderMike Moroski until he agreed,”Jasonlaughed.“He isgoingtograb a Tuesday
night.Whocares what the topicis?I promise you:watchand you will see people startingtojoinin and…

3. speakingup. That’swhatI want.Not necessarilyanswerstocomplex problems,althoughthatwould
make a great story.I want people totalk…toTweet.”
Whenaskedabout beingforcedintothe local political dynamic andlegal wranglingbythe case,Mr.
Overbeypausedandsmiled.He said,“Itbroughtme to thislevel of passion fora side of Cincinnati that
isn’tsportsor chili.I’mfiredup.If youdon’tlike it,talkto Mayor Cranley.He sort of grabbedme by what
little hairIhave leftandtossedme intothe circus. I’mnot justgoingto lie aroundkissingthe dirt.I’m
gonnaput my clownsuitonand performwiththe restof them.I’mnottakingoff the rubbernose until
the otherclownsdo.”
#SpeakUpCincyTwitterChatInformation: http://twubs.com/SpeakUpCincy
http://speakupcincinnati.com