Yvette Simpson is getting good at making last-minute decisions that upset people.

The Cincinnati mayoral candidate has backed out of a Monday night debate hosted by EmpowerU, a fiscally conservative group formed by tea party members.

The group slammed Simpson in a press release Monday morning, referencing an email from her campaign manager sent at 9:30 p.m. Sunday informing EmpowerU about the progressive Democrat backing out. EmpowerU suggested Simpson backed out because she didn't like the questions that were scheduled to be asked.

"Cancellation of tonight’s debate falls squarely on Candidate Simpson," according to the release.

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Simpson's campaign sent Politics Extra a statement saying it had "deep regret" about backing out of the debate, which was scheduled to be in Delhi Township. But the city councilwoman's schedule has changed, campaign manager Amanda Ford said.

"With only 15 days remaining until Election Day, we feel it is important for Ms. Simpson to be in the city of Cincinnati talking with voters," Ford said in the statement.

The campaign said it had nothing to do with the questions that were to be asked early in the debate.

Those questions, which EmpowerU said were given to candidates in advance, focused on high property tax rates, the struggling streetcar and Children's Hospital's expansion project.

Here's a partial sampling of the first three questions:

• What will you do to lower taxes in the City of Cincinnati?

• The streetcar has proven to be an expensive project with many people calling it a "boondoggle." Knowing this, are you now in favor of expanding the streetcar, or should we turn our attention to more pressing transportation needs of the 52 neighborhoods?

• Discuss the role that the mayor plays in economic development for the city. ... Please discuss Amazon.com and Children's Hospital in your answer.

The questions undoubtedly were aimed at Simpson, but they're fair. She's a staunch streetcar supporter and has been under fire since August for her role in the debate over Children's Hospital's $550 million expansion project.

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The criticism has mostly been aimed at her decision to introduce a last-minute motion demanding Children's hand over millions of dollars to the neighborhood in exchange for her support of a zoning change.

In fairness, PX asked Simpson's campaign to provide answers to those questions when we reached out for comment Monday morning. The campaign declined to answer the questions. She has answered questions repeatedly about her Children's decision and the streetcar in other debates, forums and media interviews.

It's also not like voters haven't had a chance to see Simpson and Mayor John Cranley on the same stage this fall. They've participated in over a dozen debates and forums so far, but neither candidate has made it to all the events. Cranley was a no-show at Mount St. Joseph University's candidates' forum on Oct. 16 in Delhi Township.

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Look, PX isn't sure why Simpson and Cranley originally agreed to this debate. They're both Democrats, and it's odd they agreed to a debate hosted by a conservative group. But EmpowerU has held debates for several years on local races with Republicans and Democrats. In addition, the debate was scheduled to be held outside the city limits.

But they did commit, and folks were counting on this debate. It's crunch time, and the candidates are really under the microscope this close to Nov. 7. What message does it send to voters when it looks like Simpson is avoiding answering tough questions?

Politics Extra is a column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics. Follow Enquirer political columnist Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy and send email to jwilliams@enquirer.com.