KYNECT: My Experience with Kentucky's Health Exchange Network

It's not my habit or even inclination to write about local or state issues. I usually try to leave that to those who have the interest and, frankly, the connections. As the editor of Another Opinion, I try to keep the focus on the "big picture"; national and international events which affect everyone. I least of all like to write about myself. To be honest, I don't think I'm that interesting. But I must make an exception this time. This is a personal story which has to be told, not for my sake but the sake of others affected by Kentucky's health exchange, KYNECT, which has often (and erroneously) been billed as "America's Model Health Exchange" by former Governor Steve Beshear in response to the Affordable Care Act or as it's more commonly called, "Obamacare"; the healthcare law that isn't. This isn't my first go around with KYNECT, only the most recent. I will try to avoid using identifiable or real names of those I've dealt since many, if not all, are still employed and I have no bone to pick with any of them or desire to cause them harm in any way. Most were simply trying to do their job to the best of their ability and simply either lacked the proper training or authority. However, it was the system itself and the bureaucracy built around it which plays the primary role as villain in this little drama. So, with further ado, let's begin.

Like most Americans, one of the first projects I begin working on following New Year's, is gathering and sorting through piles of receipts, notes, and other documents in order to file my taxes; an annual ritual that most Americans both curse and gleefully anticipate like kids at Christmas in the hopes that dear ole "Uncle Sam" will be sending them money for new washers or dryers, or down payments on cars, boats, vacations, or whatever with stopping to realize that it's their money in the first place that they were denied use of for a year, but I digress. After dutifully gather all my paperwork together for 2015, I headed off to a professional tax preparer on February 13th. After dropping everything off and quick review, I headed home knowing that's one more problem off my plate and secure in the knowledge that they'll be done right while I focus on more mundane tasks like cleaning the garage. Alas, that wasn't to be this year. By the time I had arrived home, the tax preparer had called and left a message for me to call back. "That can't good" I thought, and I was right.

It turned out that KYNECT had sent a 1095A form, which meant nothing to me. As the tax expert matter-of-factly explained, it meant that we had been enrolled in a insurance program for which we didn't qualify for based on my wife's part time job and income reported on her W2. She recommended that I call KYNECT and get a corrected 1095B form, which is what KYNECT should have provided based on the insurance program we were enrolled in. Sounded simple enough. So, I called and after a brief hold spoke with a rather chipper customer service representative named Shayne. I explained the problem to Shayne, who politely said they would correct the problem and get a 1095B out to me as soon as possible. A few days later, almost miraculously I received a 1095B and immediately I dropped it off at the tax preparers' office. Once more, I had a phone message waiting for me by the time I got back home. So, feeling like a kindergartener who got caught skipping down the hall, I called her back. As it turned out, the 1095B they sent went with the 1095B and so it's wrong too. She explained that the 1095A should be zeroed out since we never received supplemented coverage KYNECT was showing and the 1095B should reflect the policy we actually did have. So, on February 23rd, I called and spoke with Jasmine at KYNECT and gave her my story. Jasmine promised to review with her supervisor and send a corrected 1095A and 1095B, but again, I received the same incorrect forms a few days later.

On March 2nd, I called an explained the situation again to the poor unsuspecting customer care representative who had the misfortune to answer the call. She reviewed the notes in the system and refreshingly admitted that this was above her head and then politely asked if she could place me on hold while she spoke to her supervisor. Jackie. No problem. I explained to Jackie the situation and my justifiable frustration. Jackie said she had reviewed the notes and thought she understood the problem and had a possible solution. According to Jackie, either the system or someone, had entered our annual income into the wrong column. The yearly income, based on my wife's part time job, was mistakenly shown as our January 2015 income. This automatically kicked us out of our insurance plan and into a supplemented insurance plan, at least for a few weeks when the mistake was probably caught by someone reviewing the data. The system showed that we were placed in plan which showed no income for January 30th to February 1st, and then back into our original plan starting February 2 through the rest of the year. Confusing, but at least we had an explanation. All that was needed, according to Jackie, was to transfer me to the folks who handled 1095A forms and have them zero out the January 1st through the 30th. That would automatically generate a corrected 1095A form and would generate a correct 1095B form. Jackie also said she would make sure this would be amply detailed so everyone would know what happened. Hallelujah!

So, Jackie transferred me to the folks who handled those dreaded 1095A forms. As it turned out, I spoke with a very sympathetic Amanda. Amanda asked for my claim number and as I started to explain, she said she had just read Jackie's beautifully detailed notes and knew just what to do. Amanda said she had already entered a ticket to have the 1095A form, the bane of my existence at this point, zeroed out. I should receive a new, and hopefully correct, 1095B form. To be sure, Amanda transferred me to Shasha in the 1095B department. Again, they were on the ball. Shasha had the information from Jackie and Amanda, and assured me a new and accurate 1095B should be generated and on its way to me shortly. For the first time in weeks, I had a good feeling about this. I immediately called and let my tax preparer know the good news. Actually, I think she was almost as pleased as I was (probably because she knew she was going to get this off her desk and paid).

On March 7th, I received a call from Jackie at KYNECT to make sure everything was taken care of. I brought her up to date and thanked her for help. I deeply appreciated everything she had done. On March 10th, I called to confirm that everything was proceeding as discussed and there were no hiccups. John, another one of the customer care reps, was a bit less friendly (personally, I think he saw all the notes and was afraid I was going to ask him a question). John confirmed that the revisions were being processed and there was a ticket to expedite the handling of my claim. "Excellent" I thought, and that's when the other shoe dropped...with a dull pain-in-the-pit-of-my-stomach thud.

On the morning of March 17th, I received a phone call from Jeanette at KYNECT. Apparently she must work in the 1095A department since she said he supervisor had asked her to call me and see "if I really wanted to have the 1095A form corrected". What? I asked Jeanette if she or her supervisor had read the notes, and she said her supervisor had but was wanting to know if I really wanted to do this? She went on to say that their system showed that we didn't qualify for the program we were in due to our "substantial income for the month of January 2015" and that's why we were placed in the other supplemented insurance plan which generated the 1095A. I think that for a moment I was actually numb. How could this be happening...again? Didn't anyone actually read the notes? Why were they just now working on this---10 days later? I explained as rationally and briefly as I could what the error was and what had been done, but somehow I don't think I was getting through. In her eyes, I was making the claim that their system was wrong; it was flawed, but I suspect she was thinking that it was I who was wrong.

Immediately, I gathered up all my documentation and notes and called KYNECT. Enough was enough. The unfortunate soul who answered for KYNECT was Jaz. She dutifully asked for my claim number and then...silence. I think she was just as stymied by all the notes as I was in knowing where to begin. As I started to explain, she very politely asked to place me on hold while she spoke with her supervisor. After a brief hold, Jaz came back on and in a refreshingly honest tone said that this was over her head and recommended I speak with her supervisor, and so I spoke with Dannie. Dannie introduced herself and asked if she could place me on hold for a few minutes while she read all the notes. "No problem" I said. I let her know that I wanted someone who knew the facts before we went any further. After about five minutes, she came back and said she had read through the notes. She asked if I had ever been referred over to Community Based Services (CBS), which oversaw our insurance plan. I said no and she said that she hadn't seen anything either. She explained that she understood everything that had happened but was flabbergasted that I hadn't been referred to CBS since they had oversight over our plan. She went on to say that only CBS could make the correction which would then flow over to KYNECT's 1095A and B departments where new forms could be generated. Until CBS made the change, the system would keep editing out the corrections and perpetuate the original error. This was now March 24th and I had started the process on February 15th. I had wasted weeks of effort.

So, Dannie transferred me to Community Based Services where, after an hour and a half wait, I spoke with a cordial Jane. Jane read through the mass of notes and was surprised that no one---not customer service reps or supervisors or their supervisors---no one had thought to refer me to them. We discussed the problem in detail and she issued a ticket for an immediate correction. She said the 1095A would have to be backdated, if possible since we never had (or knew of) the tax credit, as a result of being bumped out of our original insurance plan, and in fact, had never enrolled new plan. The insurance company which underwrote the new plan didn't have a new member ID number for us, and obviously we never received a new insurance card. We never even received notice of a change in plans. Nothing. As I advised Jane, we, in fact, had continued to use our original insurance card as always with no problems. The problem, however, for us was whether the system would allow a backdating of the entry to correct their error. She also pointed out that this wasn't a system error. It was human error in making a data entry. Some minimum wage summer help goofed and now I'm paying the price I thought to myself. Jane promised to follow up, however reminded me that nearly the public safety net for the State of Kentucky was in turmoil due to errors generated by the recent mergers of social programs which had caused thousands of individuals to bumped out of programs on which they depended, such as food stamps, housing assistance, natal care, and so forth. My problem, as important as it was, would not be considered priority. Jane suggested that I give KYNECT a call in a few hours. By then they should had the change from her side and could reprint a corrected 1095A and B. She added that KYNECT could read their notes since they were on the same system (besides, CBS can read KYNECT's notes).

About three hours later, I called KYNECT and spoke with Aretha. She said there were no changes showing; nothing. I asked her to check with her supervisor who may have a higher access. She came back and said that KYNECT was unable to read anything from CBS. Jane had recommended that I request a letter from KYNECT explaining their error for my tax records. Aretha said that under HIPAA guidelines that was not possible, even with a oral or written request. In short, KYNECT wasn't going to step up and own their mistake. At that point, I was fed up. I was tired. I had done everything in my power to get this resolved but nothing I did worked. I was dealing with a bunch of apparatchiks that would have made the Soviet Union proud. Since I know a few people on the executive side of State government, I felt the time had come to reach out for assistance. I contacted someone I knew and as briefly as I could explained what had happened and asked if there was anything he could do to help. I made sure this was done formally to both protect each other as well as to give it the weight of a formal request for assistance.

On March 30th, I was pleasantly surprised with a call from the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Human Services. After a bit of clutter about what their system was still showing, etc, I was able to explain what had happened and needed to happen. I was told I would need a special letter of exemption, which she would discuss with her boss about providing. However, she never had heard of a problem quite like this before and acknowledged that she didn't know what, ultimately, they could do. I was promised a call back as soon as she knew something. I was hopeful that this bureaucratic nightmare was about over but I knew better than to get my hopes up again, and as it turned out, I was right.

Approximately a week or so later, I received another letter from KYNECT. It was the same incorrect forms as before showing the same incorrect coverage and the same incorrect income. After all this time, nothing whatsoever had been accomplished. I phoned my contact at CHHS to ask what had happened. She said that coverage apparently became available as a result of the income entry error. There was no coverage actually provided, though the company which had picked us up did, apparently, received payment from the State. I reminded her that no new member number was ever assigned. No notice of the change in coverage was ever provided. There had been no contact from either the new insurance provider or by me with KYNECT. In fact, I had received a notice from KYNECT in December 2014 advising that my coverage would continue as before for 2015. After the error was ultimately caught and corrected late January, the money was returned by the new insurance company to the State and we were resigned our original coverage as if nothing had happened, except for the incorrect 1095A and 1095B.

I asked how we was assigned the new provider and was advised that either I or someone else had selected them since the system doesn't automatically assign individuals (at this point, I don't think they know what the system actually does and doesn't do). I reminded her that I hadn't contacted anyone at all with KYNECT in 2015 and I keep very detailed notes of my dealings with KYNECT. They had caused me enough problems once before, in 2013, so the less I had to deal with them the better as far as I was concerned. So, apparently someone at KYNECT---perhaps that same minimum wage summer help---made the selection for us. As for backdating the system to correct them original program, they can't. There is no mechanism in the system to allow this type of correction. After nearly two months of dealing with this so-called "health exchange model", I was stuck with their mistake. No ability to correct data errors. No letter of exemption. No letter acknowledging their mistake. Nothing.

Most of those I dealt with were helpful, and like many State and local government employees overworked, stressed, and often underpaid while the department administrators are very well compensated and usually have linebackers to keep them separated from the common riff-raff. Of course some entry level employees are rude, unproductive, and unprofessional. I didn't find that here, though some were obviously totally lost. I didn't get what I needed, a correction of KYNECT's original, a correct 1095A and 1095B form, or written acknowledgement of their error, I wouldn't describe this as a "loss". I was successful in exposing the often ignored individual employees who went above and beyond to help me address a problem not of my making as well as highlighting failures in KYNECT's employee training, in its bureaucratic roadblocks designed to protect KYNECT's administration, and perhaps most importantly, in revealing a flawed system which lacks the proper programming to allow its users the ability to correct errors. I am sure there will be those who won't care one bit for this being exposed to the public. That's too bad since it's our tax dollars which are paying for this. If KYNECT is a "model" of a healthcare exchange, it's the model of what could be a successful exchange rather than of one that is.

The Illusion of Choice: Surveys and Polls

A few nights ago the AFL-CIO called me with one of those pre-recorded surveys designed to sound like a "real" person was on the other line. I'm fine with that. I actually don't mind answering their questions (at least some of them. They are certain questions that I

won't answer such as household income). Nevertheless, this survey centered on the upcoming Governor's race.

The survey started off by thanking me for my willingness to participate and added that I had been "chosen" because of my political participation in the past. While I didn't realize there were folks keeping track of my previous political involvement, I decided to play along. The first question asked me if I was aware that Republican Matt Bevin and Democrat Jack Conway were running for Governor of Kentucky. However, no mention was made of the Independent, Drew Curtis, which I found odd.

The next question asked me if I was Democrat or Republican or unsure. As everyone knows, I'm a Independent, so I guess that puts me in the "unsure" camp. Apparently whoever put the survey together doesn't consider Indies as a valid political philosophy or is aware that Independents are the largest voting bloc in America. The next question asked me if I leaned Republican or leaned Democrat. Well, like most Americans, I'm a Centrist. Is that Left leaning or Right leaning I wondered? Fortunately, there was a third choice----unsure, which was apparently inserted in case the respondent couldn't make up their mind whether they preferred to be accused of being a "Socialist" or a "Nazi". The reason I selected "unsure" is simply because I don't believe the political Left or the Right has got it right. Like most people, I support the Left on some issues, mostly social and the Right on other issues such as small government and tax overhaul.

I was then asked who I voted for in the last presidential election---Democrat Barack Obama or Republican Mitt Romney or the ubiquitous "some other candidate" as if there was really just two choices but if I had to be difficult, I could pick someone else. I really had a hard time trying to imagine who in their right mind would admit voting for Barack Obama these days but then again, who in their right mind would admit voting for Mitt Romney? It reminded me of being a kid and having to chose between chocolate or vanilla ice cream when all I really wanted was strawberry. So, I dutifully picked "some other candidate".

I guess they weren't satisfied with my answers, and so in another attempt to pin me down, I was asked who I voted for in the last race for governor---Democrat Steve Beshear or Republican David Williams, or (again) "some other candidate"? Well, once more, I opted for the latter just to maintain the consistency. After all, if I was going to buck the system, I wasn't going to be wishy washy about it. The survey closed with the usual questions "for statistical purposes" so they can attempt to identify their demographics (which is kind of interesting. If I was "selected" because of my past political activity as they said at the beginning of the survey, wouldn't they already know my demographic values?). I was asked to select an age range, which I did. The worse thing about that was that I was second from the last grouping ("65 or older"). That sure didn't help with my self-esteem. It made me feel as if I was slowing being ushered of the stage! Anyway, they asked my race (including "other" and "decline to say" which I thought was pretty cool). I was then asked to identify my gender. Apparently you still have to chose between male or female. (sorry Bruce...err...Caitlyn), and my zip code. I was a little surprised they didn't ask for my highest level of education completed, but maybe "skoolin" isn't considered an important value in determining potential voters for Governor.

This wasn't the only gubernatorial survey I've received recently. A few days before this survey, I received a "live" phone call from a somewhat husky sounding female who was calling on behalf of the UAW. I have to admit, this was a much more pleasant phone call. I guess that's because I was speaking with an honest to goodness human being, which made me like my opinion was a bit more important than the pre-recorded ones I get from an autodialer. I suppose that's also because I can ask questions back, which I consider important given my quizzical nature. The caller thanked me for taking the time to answer their questions, and volunteered that I was chosen because I was identified as "politically active", as well as "Democrat leaning" and a union official, which I found interesting on several levels.

I haven't been a registered Democrat since 2003 when I was forced to switch due to some unremitting harassment the local party refused to address for not actively supporting my 2001 Metro Council opponent (he had switched from Republican to Democrat at the behest of the State Democratic Party even though he had never been involved in politics or a consistent voter. In addition, I had been asked to run for Metro Council by the local Democratic Executive Committee and other local party leaders). I had been a long time mid level officer in the local Democratic Party organization and a prominent community activist, however, the state party leadership didn't think I could be controlled and wanted someone else. I had also been the state chairman of a national writers union for several years and served on the national steering committee as well as having served on the veterans and Victory Pac committees plus the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council (my wife is also a retired Teamster). After that, I was aggressively recruited to run as a Republican for State Representative in 2004 against a sentimentally popular but unproductive Democratic incumbent of some 30 years (though I lost the race, I came within 1500 votes of winning in a strongly conservative Democratic district, which resulted in him opting not to run again). However, I've been "clean and sober" from any political party since around 2008, though I've kept my contacts on both sides.

Nevertheless, the questions were much like the other survey I mentioned, however, I did get to ask a few questions of my own. Specifically, I asked what kind of responses they were getting. She said most people had indicated little interest in the race. Most were focusing on the presidential election, especially on Donald Trump. She added that "The Donald" seems to have tapped into an underlining current of distrust bordering on distain for the federal government and especially on Obama. She also mentioned that of those who were keeping up with the gubernatorial race, most of the respondents held negative opinions about both Jack Conway and Matt Bevin. I asked about their feedback regarding the Independent, Drew Curtis (I had noticed that no mention of the Independent was made in either survey). She said that a number of those familiar with the race mentioned that they supported or leaned toward the Curtis. A few who didn't recall Curtis' name also indicated they wanted to know more about the third candidate.

Obviously, there's a couple of factors going on here. First, neither Bevin or Conway are particularly strong candidates. Conway has run for just about everything but keeps losing. People just can't relate to him and Conway, no matter what office he's running for, comes across as a spoilt rich brat with a sense of entitlement. Matt Bevin seems to be popular with the Kentucky Tea Party set and the anti-Mitch McConnell and anti-GOP Establishment clique. However, Matt just seems to be unable to get his message out to a wider base, especially across party lines. Perhaps part of this is because people in general are sick and tired of "good ole party boys". They see both parties as inept, out of touch, corrupt, beholden to the corporate oligarchs and one percenters who are running America now. Of course, both parties continue to lose members while third parties and especially independents are growing. Indies are now the largest political segment of America, followed by Democrats and more distantly, Republicans. Within ten years, Indies are expected to outnumber Democrats and Republicans combined.

I guess the reason why neither survey (and I suspect this holds true for other surveys being conducted on the governor's race) mention the Independent's name or positions is because the race between Conway and Bevin is tight, and just perhaps, the sponsors of the surveys are trying to make voters think they only have two choices for governor. Perhaps too they are attempting to condition voters into choosing an "R" or a "D" as if that's all that matters when the reality is just the opposite. Even when it comes to debates, third party and independent candidates are rarely invited as if they candidacy is publicity stunt. Few people realize that the national Democratic and Republican parties have worked out a deal to keep everyone else out of the limelight and off the stage ever since they were grossly embarrassed by Ross Perot's performance. The corporate news media plays along and downplays, ignores, and makes fun of just about every third party or independent who comes along. It's like being onboard the Titanic and throwing ice cubes at the approaching iceberg! All the Indies and third parties are truly missing is charismatic candidates with a good campaign organization. Of course, they're going to need money, however, the corporate oligarchs who control the power in this country also control the money flow in politics (remember the Citizens United misruling by the not-so-Supreme Court?), but it can still be done.

I think it's time that the average voters takes third party and Independent candidates more seriously. Obviously, like most of us, they're are just as fed up, turned off, and discouraged by our broken political system as everyone else is, except they're willing to step forward to try and do something about the mess both parties and their benefactors have created. Most are closer to our ideals about common sense government than either party and let's face it, with more people leaving the other two parties and registering as Independent, the political tide is on their side. Besides, if the corporate news media and both political parties are so opposed to them, they almost have to be the better choice by definition! Finally, remember that the only endorsement which ultimately matters is your vote.


Drew Curtis for Governor
http://drewcurtis.nationbuilder.com/

Matt Bevin for Governor
http://www.mattbevin.com/

Conway Overly for Kentucky
https://conwayoverly.com/

What Should a Patriot Do?

You know, I often get accused of all sorts of nonsense or called names. It comes with the territory for being a non-partisan political writer and community organiser I suppose. After awhile, you kind of develop the skin of an armadillo; a solid sense of humor doesn't hurt either. Everyone once in awhile, someone will say something that actually gives me pause. Sort of a "say what?" moment.

A few weeks ago, I was reading an article about the upcoming 2015 race for Kentucky Chief Buffoon...I mean Governor. Sorry, my bad. The article discussed the possible candidacies of current Lt. Governor and former Louisville "Mayor-for-Life", Jerry "His Excellency" Abramson, current Kentucky Attorney General, Jack "Please Love Me" Conway, State Auditor Adam Edelen, and James Comer, the Agriculture Commissioner and perhaps the Kentucky Republican Party's one bright star. Former State Auditor and political powerhouse Crit Luallen and novice Stanford banker Jess Correll were also mentioned as possible contenders (Abramson has since indicated he will not run).

I had briefly commented that of the lot, Democrat Crit Luallen is probably the best qualified candidate in terms of experience and temperament. Edelen has shown himself capable, but there's been some questions about his relationship state lobbyists. But on the other hand, he has done a Yeoman's job with his investigation of Kentucky's Emergency Management Agency. On the Republican side, James Comer is the banner carrier for the beleaguered KYGOP. The article went on to discuss Kentucky's junior Senator Rand Paul's support of Republican Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell's upcoming race for re-election and the possibility of a presidential bid by the junior Senator.

I added in my comment that Rand needed to be less focused about a run for President and more on getting re-elected, especially since he lied to his core group of supporters, the Tea Party, over the issue of amnesty for illegal immigrants. Paul originally said he opposed any form of amnesty for the estimated 12 million illegals currently in the US. However, since he's "buddied up" with the anti-Tea Party McConnell and joined the so-called "Gang of Eight", his position changed with his raising notoriety. It seemed, I said, that the more public attention Paul gets, the more he seemed to distant himself from his base.

Granted, genuine bipartisanship in Washington is as rare as an honest man (or women) on Capitol Hill or K Street, bipartisanship kicks its heels high when it comes to gerrymandering districts in order to protect incumbents of either political denomination. However, even a junior Senator can't go around kicking sand at his core supporters before even his first re-election campaign, especially in a sparsely populated district as his. The Tea Party put a little known Bowling Green doctor into office and I have no doubt they can pull him out faster than a bad tooth. Well, wouldn't you know that someone took umbrage to my comment? 

Here I am, expressing my own non-partisan opinion, and I get a comment from the nut gallery about how "surprised" they were that I, as a "key Tea Partier", would say something unflattering about the son of Ron Paul, the darling of Libertarians everywhere. Of course, they had nothing to say about my remarks concerning the potential gubernatorial candidates. I guess they like Crit. They just seemed miffed for some unexplained reason that I pointed out that Rand Paul needed to get his head out of the oxygen deprived air of Washington's Beltway, and his feet firmly planted back on the Kentucky Bluegrass that put him into office in the first place. It just seems to me that if you're to make promises, you should do your level best to live up to them. At least, that's what I was taught as a kid.

Now I'm not naive enough to believe every political candidate actually intends to fulfill all their promises. Most couldn't even if they actually wanted to. It's simply not how the game is played. Energetic idealists are often so overwhelmed by the reality of office, they haven't a clue as what to do once they arrive in Washington. As a result, they're taken under the wing of some more experienced member to show them the ropes (ie: who gives and gets the payoffs and where the real levers are power are). Little by little, they're ensconced in the muck they came to rake. Even if they're still intent on carrying out a modicum of their campaign promises, the bureaucracy and mechanizations of power (sub-committees, committees, special advisory boards, parliamentary manipulations, corporate lobbyists, etc) will insure they're kept so busy they're too tired or isolated to make "revolution".

All the same, someone like a Rand Paul, can at least stand his ground on an issue like no amnesty for illegal immigrants, but I suppose the bright lights of the various talk shows has curled more than his hair. It curled his tongue, and by that, I mean his ability to tell the truth. Amnesty is bad for America. It's bad for American workers. And the current plan is bad for those here illegally, and he knows it.

Knowing that though, I have to ask myself why patriotic groups like the Tea Party would keep helping to elect people like Paul to go to Washington and cooperate with a system which has long since stopped working for the American People. Think about it. Why would you want to "go along to get along" as former Speaker of House Sam Rayburn used to say when you're whole argument is that the system is corrupt and rotten to the core? Wouldn't you instead try to elect people whose sole purpose is create a new Constitutional Republic by refusing to cooperate with the old one?

Maybe they shouldn't even be trying to get people elected. It seems that all it does is feed the system and sooner or later, corrupts even the noblest of knights errant. Instead, perhaps the objective of the Tea Party and other patriotic minded groups should be to educate the populace through grassroots' efforts (petitions, shadow economies, protests, citizen lobbyists, etc) and to create a revolving door of defeated "apparatchiks" to the point where they will have no choice but to adopt real change. In other words, harass and starve the Beast.

Oh, and for the record, I'm not a "Tea Partier", but I am a proud American and a Independent.

Louisville’s $63 Million Dollar “Rainy Day” Fund

$63 million dollars. That’s what Louisville, a third tier city, has squirreled away in its “rainy day” fund. “Mayor for Life” Jerry Abramson has proposed cutting $3.4 million dollars from the budget, which Abramson claims has a $20 million shortfall. Gone will general road maintenance, and community programs, especially those aimed at children. Community centers and libraries will be closed one day a week, and Otter Creek Park will be closed just to name a very few.

$63 million dollars. With that, Metro employees wouldn’t be facing mandatory unpaid time off or layoffs. Critical city unions, such as the police and firefighters, wouldn’t be looking at not only forgoing overdue pay increases (nominal as they are), but also possible pay cuts as well. And then there’s the issue of overtime pay the firefighters are owed by the City.

$63 million dollars. That’s three times the average amount that second tier cities, such as Nashville, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, keep in reserve. Nashville and Cincinnati have $15 million and $13 million respectively in their “rainy day funds”, and they are considering using a portion to avoid layoffs. Toledo, which is facing a $10 million deficit, has $6.4 million dollars in its “rainy day” fund. For now, their mayor, Carty Feinbeiner, has opted not to use those funds yet. Instead, he has been concentrating on cutting services. Buffalo, New York has $35 million dollars stashed away as a buffer in its “rainy day” fund according to the city’s financial controller, Janet Penksa.

$63 million dollars. Not a penny of that will be spent on either government services or to assist government employees. Abramson insist that this money is for “emergencies” only. In case he hasn’t heard, we are in a recession. We’ve been in a recession since December of 2007 (and we didn’t need some government accounting or economic office to tell us that either). Companies are closing. Income is being cut. Services are being reduced or eliminated. People are losing their jobs. I think that qualifies as an “emergency” don’t you? Instead, the mayor is worried that using any portion of the fund could jeopardize the city’s bond rating. In other words, it could jeopardize Jerry’s intended legacy, which is the oft-attempted revitalization of downtown Louisville. With all the cutbacks and layoffs, Abramson hasn’t cut back one thin dime on his downtown pet projects and he doesn’t intend to unless forced, which bring us to our last point.

$63 million dollars. That’s our money, paid for by people like you and me through our taxes. This isn’t “King” Abramson’s private piggy bank. If Jerry won’t let lose of the money for the benefit of our metro employees and community at large, will our Louisville Metro Soviet (formerly known as the Louisville Metro Council) force his hand? Long a rubber stamp (and hence the name), the Metro Soviet has shown little backbone when it has come to challenging the mayor’s directives. Now, given the crisis we’re facing, would be time for (as they used to say) “all good men---and women---to come to the aid of their country”, or in this case, their community.

It’s our money, so what are we going to do about it? Should the needs of people come first or should it be Abramson’s downtown legacy? From where I stand, it’s raining hard.

Takes on the Election

The cheering, along with the sobbing are over. The lights have been turned off and everyone has gone home. It’s sad to say, but true nevertheless, the Kentucky Republican Party took a beating and perhaps rightly so. Ernie Fletcher’s promise of four years ago to “clean up the mess in Frankfort” became little more than a hollow echo. Mark Hebert, reporter for WHAS 11 said last night that in an interview with former Congresswoman Anne Northup, she had remarked that Fletcher lost the election when he pardoned his aides and then took the 5th the following day. She said during her campaign for the Republican nomination for governor that Fletcher was unelectable. She was right, and Fletcher took most of the Republican slate down with him. Fletcher campaigned primarily on the issue of equating casinos with sin, and that in a state with a long history of gambling. As pretty much anyone but his campaign advisers could tell him, this was a non-issue from the start. Then, toward the end, his veiled accusations that the Democratic frontrunners were “gay” was another blow to his credibility. But the fact was that by then, nobody cared; attention was being focused on the down ticket. His campaign in some quarters became little more than a mockery.

Those that follow this blog will note that the predications I made in the last issue were a 100% accurate. Trey Grayson won a pretty tough race over Bruce Hendrickson. Trey is perhaps the only rising star left in the Republican stable, and the fact that he didn’t listen to GOP strategists and tie his race to the governor probably saved him from certain defeat. Henderson had no real chance of winning. His only shot was hoping that the anticipated Democratic landslide would be enough. It wasn’t.

“Young Jack” Conway beat up the Republican Stan Lee as expected. When will the Republicans get serious about running someone who can actually win Attorney General? Maybe by the next time they win the governorship, which may be in another 20 or 30 years. Democrat Todd Hollenbach had no trouble with Melinda Wheeler for State Treasurer. I guess we can assume that position won’t be eliminated anywhere soon. Republican Linda Greenwell had to sideline her campaign for State Auditor for personal reasons. It turned out her mother was, and remains, quite ill. However, the anticipated outcome was never in doubt. She simply didn’t have the money or party support to take out the incumbent, Crit Luallen. There’s some talk Crit may take on US Senator Mitch McConnell. Good luck. I think you’ll need your big girl panties for that one. As for Linda, I wish all the best for your mom’s swift recovery. Hope to see you out there again. Republican Richie Farmer plowed his opponent, David Williams to keep his seat as Agriculture Commissioner. The real question is where does he go from here?

As for the Library Tax, no surprise there, except perhaps for the Courier Journal’s editorial board and Abramson & Company. Most of us bloggers out here in county had a strong sense it would fail. Of all the people I heard from, none expressed any interest in an additional tax. Frankly, who can blame them? After all, we’re paying record gas prices, plus with winter coming, we’re expected to pay record heating and heating oil bills. Our sewer rates just went up, as did our water bills, and our electric bills are going up an average of 11% per household. Even our garbage bills are keep going up (and we’re paying the cost of fuel for their trucks as part of the bill). Food staples are on the rise. Of course, health care costs are always going up, as is cable, and then of course, we have the holidays to think about! I suspect Abramson & Company may try to push the Library Tax through again, but next time it may be done in away that denies the voters a voice.

So, where do we go from here? Well, first I’d like to address the Democrats. Enjoy your victory. It was well won, but don’t get arrogant. This wasn’t a mandate from the people. It was a rejection of Fletcher (and, in part, of Bush as well). People voted for Beshear holding their nose. And don’t forget, you wouldn’t have gotten your near record margins of victory without the crossover votes of Republicans and Independents. You owe them a word of thanks. But here it is—your opportunity. Don’t mess it up this time. Don’t do what you’ve done in the past. Try actually working for the people and not for special interests groups. No bribes. No vote selling. No petty bickering. Think past party lines and do what’s right for everyone. And for Pete’s sakes, keep your britches on. We don’t want another “Pants Droppin” Paul Patton scandal. Now go do your job.

As for the Republicans, what do you think about a long vacation in a third world country to regain your sense of perspective? Seriously, what are you all thinking? Who is advising your candidates? Find them and fire them! It’s time for a top to bottom house cleaning. Spare no one. The “I know what’s best” ivory tower mentality has to go. Find people who know what’s going on in the hinterlands. Find people who can think past base social issues and focus on the issues that matter to people like healthcare, daycare, lower taxes, smaller government, and jobs with decent wages. Most people didn’t give a hoot about the moral implications of casinos. What they care about is the jobs they bring and putting food on the table and roof over their heads. Why haven’t you reached out to minorities? It’s not like they’re going away any time soon!

In Jefferson County, the GOP has completely imploded. It’s time—no, it’s way past time for the current “losership” to go before everybody quits and there’s nobody left to turn off the lights. Forget that “East End Only” mentality. If you want to win elections, you have to think past (and West) of I-65. You have to think middle class, not country club. You can’t keep on promising potential candidates support and abandoning them as soon as they file (and that goes for the state leadership just as well). And remember, I don’t care if it’s “just politics” or not, you can’t keep lying to your candidates and expect them to keep coming back. Until you make serious changes, you will lose and keep losing. It’s time to rebuild from scratch.


Now, here’s another article from Moderate Man. He’s got a really good idea here. See what you think:

Prepare For the Future

The Louisville Metro Region, including Southern Indiana, Oldham, Bullitt and Shelby Counties need a Monorail. It should be operated by a private company, like the cities of Seattle, Las Vegas and Tokyo. All of them operate accident free at a profit. Taxpayer subsidies not needed. Capital costs will cost as much as Light Rail, but construction time is much quicker, knocking years off construction schedules. Capital costs can be bonded by these private companies and recaptured thru innovative financial methods. However, a fully linked system to all the outlying regions may take up to a hundred years to fund and build. Chicago’s elevated system comes to mind. They even have the South Shore line to South Bend, Indiana. Mass transit is not a one item cure all for our transportation needs. Yes, buses are and will always be needed. They are flexible for routing and a systems custom needs. Monorails will bring spurs to the center of downtown Louisville from places like LaGrange in Oldham County beside I-71, Shelbyville in Shelby County along I-64, Mt. Washington along Bardstown Rd., New Albany Ind. over the Ohio along the Sherman Minton Bridge, Shepherdsville along I-65. But we already have a system in place to put commuter trains on to bring workers into the downtown Metro area. There is the Paducah & Louisville Railroad along Dixie highway, the CSX line along LaGrange Rd from Peewee Valley, and the Louisville-Jeffersonville Line in Southern Indiana. An operating agreement and rail cars are all that is needed, as the lines are in place. If all these items listed above were in place, how much longer do you think it would be before the United States Congress allocated funding on an Amtrak intra city line from Louisville to Chicago, like the old Kentucky Cardinal Express, but this time upgrading the rails for faster service? This is the ultimate goal, to be connected to the federal rail commuter transportation system, so that at a future date when high speed rail replaces or supplements automobiles, our region is ready and willing to be connected to other cities for fast and efficient transportation, just like our airports are.

Moderate Man

My Election Predictions

Is it just me or are the elections this year a bore? Judging by the lack of yard signs, it looks like I’m not the only who feels that way. Sure, there’s the occasional sign for some judge, but very few other signs. The most I’ve seen so far have been for Steve Beshear or “Young Jack” Conway. I think I saw maybe one or two battered Fletcher signs. It could be because there’s no huge groundswell of any one candidate, or contentious issue (except maybe the matter of casinos, but even that hasn’t got anybody’s goat as Fletcher hoped). I think folks are pretty tired of politics as usual. The Democrats are running retreads and the GOP is imploding in slow motion. I think the Democrats will be successful because people have had enough of Bush, Cheney, the Iraqi War, the dismal housing market, the lackadaisical economy, the high gas prices, the frightening environment, the government’s do-nothing approach on illegal immigration and its failure to make English the national language (not that the Democrats will necessarily do any better mind you). And then there’s Ernie Fletcher.

Could any one person muck up an opportunity for entire political party as much as he did? The Democrats had messed up just about as much as they could when ole “Pants-Droppin” Paul Patton (D) showed us so much more and his apparent affair. The folks in Kentucky wanted a change, and Fletcher offered change. He was the first Republican governor in almost 30 years. Well, we got change alright in the form of scandals and indictments almost from the get-go, and arrogance to boot. Now it looks like it may be another 30 years before the GOP will see another governor. So, with that said, let’s look my predictions for the November elections.

For Treasurer, we have Republican Melinda Wheeler facing off against Democrat LJ “Todd” Hollenbach (you remember his pop don’t you? Yelp, it was former Jefferson County Judge, “Terrible Todd” Hollenbach as he was called back then. He helped to cram forced busing down our throats with this “partner in crime”, Mayor Harvey Sloane back in 1975). Ms. Wheeler would like to do away with the job and save taxpayers several thousands of dollars. However, a lot of people would like to keep this stepping stone office. Given the mood of Kentuckians and the vested interests of the good ole boys on both sides to keep this office, I look for Democrat Todd Hollenbach to win a close victory.

Next we have Commissioner of Agriculture. Democrat David Lynn Williams is challenging incumbent Richie Farmer (don’t you just love that name for an Ag Commish?). Farmer, a Republican should have no difficulty winning reelection.

Democrat Crit Luallen is the incumbent Auditor of Public Accounts. She facing former opponent Linda Greenwell, a Republican. In their first race, Luallen barely beat Greenwell despite having a large monetary advantage, which showed Linda’s campaign tenacity. This time, Crit has about a 10:1 dollar lead and frankly, hasn’t upset anyone. Try as she might, I don’t Linda Greenwell is going to be able to pull this one off, which is shame. She’d be good as Kentucky’s next Auditor. But be that as it may, Crit Luallen has done an excellent job and will be overwhelmingly reelected.

Louisville’s “Pravda on the Ohio”, as the Courier Journal is often called, has run several articles of late implying that incumbent Secretary of State, Trey Grayson’s reelection bid was in trouble. Grayson, a Republican, is fending off Bruce Hendrickson, a Democrat. Grayson is one of the classiest guys you could ever want to meet. He’s managed to stay clear of the Fletcher disaster, and has actually improved the office’s efficiency (what a concept). Hendrickson’s claim to fame seems to be the fact that he’s a Democrat and he’s hoping to slide in amid the anticipated Democratic onslaught. Not only will Trey Grayson be reelected, but he represents the GOP’s best hope for any higher office.

The Office of Attorney General has emerged as one of the most powerful offices in state government. With the incumbent Greg Stumbo (D) out, this is an open seated contest between Republican Stan Lee and Democrat “Young Jack” Conway. Conway cut his teeth working for Paul Patton, while Stan Lee serves in State House of Representatives. Stan has endorsements from just about every Republican State Senator and State Representative, along with several county attorneys, sheriffs, and Kentucky Right to Life. Conway’s endorsements come from about every union, the Sierra Club, as well as several prominent individuals such as Louisville Mayor, Jerry Abramson, former Governor Brereton Jones and Congressman Ben Chandler (all Democrat of course).

I think Conway will win this hands down, but not because he’s that good, but because the State Republicans haven’t learned to take this office seriously despite the beatings they took from Stumbo and put up a seriously qualified candidate. Conway has been looking for a platform to run for governor. After November, he’ll have it.

Finally, we arrive at the race for Governor. I’m never been short for words, but where do I start on this one? To use a nautical description, the Fletcher “Ship of State” is going bow up and slipping beneath with waves of history. This was one of the great “what if” governorships in recent history…anywhere. With decades of Democratic control of the State’s Chief Executive Office, and equally decades of Democratic screw-ups, embarrassments and scandals, Fletcher came along at the right time. He was a successful Congressman and medical doctor. But right from the outset, Fletcher found himself eyeball deep in the muck he promised to clean up. Did he, in his giddiness of being Kentucky’s first Republican governor since Louie Nunn, think he was going to be able to pull the same stunts the Democrats pulled for years? If so, it was either arrogance or simple stupidity. Did he not realize that things don’t work in the halls of Frankfort the way the work in Washington? Several businessmen-turned-governors have found out the hard way that what worked in the boardrooms didn’t mean zilch in Frankfort. We could have had to a competitive two party political system in Kentucky, which would translate into better government for all Kentuckians, but that was not to be.

But to be fair, people aren’t exactly clamoring to get on the Steve Beshear bus either. He’s just another ole Democratic retread with the same rehashed ideas and the same tired old rhetoric. People aren’t suddenly embracing Democratic ideals as much as they are rejecting what Fletcher and Bush (yes, George W. Bush) has stood for. I think it’s time for new ideas and new solutions that go beyond the outdated concepts of “Left’ and Right” or “Conservative” and “Liberal”. People are not as black and white on issues has they once were (if indeed they actually ever were). We need politicians who think outside the box and in ways that represent the best interests of the people they were elected to serve. Until then, look for us to continue to jump back and forth from incompetence to scandal. With that said Kentuckians will hold their nose and vote for Beshear and hope for the best.

Bridges to Tomorrow

The following is an article "Moderate Man" sent me. I thought you'd find it interesting:
Louisville needs the proposed 2 new bridges over the Ohio River, plus the redesign of Spaghetti Junction. But not for the reasons most mentioned. I hope to expand your thinking on the subject. Yes they will be expensive, almost $4 billion dollars. Yes it will take almost 20 years to build. Yes they will last a long time, maybe a hundred years. But it comes down to what type of town do we want to be? A sleepy backwater river town. Or do we dare dream about a larger regional megalopolis that has the population base to draw lifetime residents and quality high paying businesses for a growth community? If that is the goal, then we need more than 2 bridges and downtown bottleneck fix. I don’t usually agree with Councilman Doug Hawkins, but we also need a third bridge in southwest Jefferson County to make the Snyder Freeway a true ring/bypass around Louisville. Look at the other towns that have them: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Houston, Dallas, Jacksonville, etc. They have developed planned growth and made their town user friendly. However any transportation plan would be incomplete without mass transit. Buses alone are not enough. We need a light rail/monorail combination. This would truly give regional mass transportation to the hundreds of thousands of new workers in the outlying growth areas of the future. Only by building for the future will the growth become a reality. It was at one recent trip I made to Charlestown Indiana that I saw the real importance of the proposed bridges and a modern state of the art mass transit system. I-265 ends near there, awaiting an expected bridge connection from Jefferson County over the Ohio River. Lots of old and new factories, businesses, farm land for buildings, potential subdivisions, etc. The Clark county area ripe for growth, is huge. It’s about 25% the size of Louisville Metro. All those workers, owners, shoppers, residents, visitors will cross the bridges each way to add to the regional economy with jobs, education, tourism, businesses, etc. Everybody wins. And the cost of these transportation items is small, when compared to the economic benefits over their 100- 150 year lifetime depreciation. You have to spend money to make money. How to pay for all the transportation items mentioned so far? I’m sure the price would be enormous. The same arguments were made in the 1950’s in Michigan on how to pay for a huge 5 mile bridge to connect the Upper and Lower parts of the state with the Mackinac Bridge. A private investment banker became interested in the project and offered to manage a group of investment companies which would underwrite the sale of bonds. The Michigan Legislature in an effort to make the bonds more attractive, passed an act whereby the $417,000 annual operating and maintenance costs would be paid for out of gasoline and license plate taxes. Then in June 1953 almost $100,000,000 of bonds were bought by investors all over the country. A large sum by today’s standards. And yes, there are tolls over this bridge. It costs $2.50 a car and more for a truck with additional axles. But they have had over 100 million crossings since it was opened to traffic in November 1957. The last of the Mackinac Bridge bonds retired in July 1986, but fare revenues are now used to operate and maintain the bridge. Our transportation needs could be paid in the same way, including a light rail/monorail, which I have more to say about in a future edition.

Moderate Man

Sick and Tired

Saturday night saw the first meeting of several ticked off political and community activists, who gathered together to discuss the current political situation in Louisville’s Southend. The gist of the evening’s conversation centered on the failure of either party to take seriously the concerns facing the Southend. First on the agenda was the local Republican Party, which continues to show little more than a passing interest in anything west of I-65. Personally, I wonder if there’s some unwritten pact with their Democratic counterparts to stay out of the Blue-collar Southend in exchange for the Democrats keeping out of the White-collar Eastend.

Two key Republicans praised for their commitment to the folks in the Southend was State Senator Dan Seum and Metro Councilman Doug Hawkins—neither of whom are exactly the darlings of the GOP ruling clique, or the Courier Journal for that matter. For those not familiar with the GOP and Southend, no serious steps to build any inroads have been attempted in years, despite poor opposition from the Democrats (more on that in a moment). Focus instead has remained east of I-65. The Republicans shot themselves in their...er...foot with their abandonment of key Southend candidates in the 2004 races, resulting in many leaving the party. They recently repeated a similar scenario in 2006. This left many of the Republicans in the group feeling like the proverbial red headed stepchild. But before the Democrats start to gloat, things aren’t any better on their side of the fence; Different cows. Same bull.

As an aside, when I ran for Metro Council in 2002, I brought up the idea of forming a “Southend Caucus”, regardless of party or office, for the purpose on working on the Southend’s diverse and serious problems together. The Courier Journal accused me of wanting to “Balkanize” local politics. Folks, it was “Balkanized” long before I got here. I was just trying to find a way to sidestep party politics and work together base on common ground. Well, you can call me “Tito” if you want, but I still think it’s a good idea.

Despite controlling the overwhelming majority of seats, the Democrats have shown little in the way of leadership. It was pointed out that the Democrats are poorly organized and poorly lead at every level, with their chief interest laying in playing the “status quo” game of politics of promising change while doing nothing. Everyone in attendance agreed that with the failure of the Republicans and of the Democrats to bring more police officers, economic redevelopment, job opportunities, businesses, and a non-partisan commitment to neighborhoods to the Southend. The time has come whereby the residents need to be encouraged to start voting in their own economic self-interest irrespective of party registration.

Could this affect the Democrats? Hopefully so. Since they control the majority of the seats in the Southend, they’ll want to protect those seats. Perhaps by working more closely with area residents in addressing their concerns, they may actually want to keep junkyards, trailer parks and meth labs out, and bring in more upscale developments and businesses (did you know the Southend has no bookstore? Nope. Not a one). As for the Republicans, perhaps they will use this opportunity to capitalize on the leadership vacuum by investing in its small (and declining) voter base (is it any wonder that the Southend has one of highest number of registered Independents anywhere in the county?). Perhaps too it may actually induce them to start working with instead of against its best know elected representatives, Seum, Hawkins (and let’s not forget Kevin Bratcher either). The meeting adjourned with a mutual agreement to continue with these discussions, and develop specific steps to bring the issues of the Southend to the forefront.


A Musical Note

I thought you all might enjoy this. A friend of mine recently wrote and produced a neat little ditty about our favorite terrorist group, the Hezbollah (we all know what a fun group they are). Click onto Rob’s site and check out his song (yelp, that’s him singing too) at: http://myspace.com/bobbyludwig. I hope you’ll pass it along to everyone red blooded American you know! And Rob, great job!

Money Matters

Former candidate for Governor, Billy Harper spent a phenomenal $6.1 million dollars in his attempt to win the Republican Primary. In a recent article by the Courier Journal, Harper, a Paducah businessman who owns a construction company, outspent incumbent Governor Ernie Fletcher, who raised $3.2 million dollars and former Congressman Anne Northup, who raised a comparatively paltry $1.6 million dollars. Most of Harper’s money came from out of his own pocket. Whenever you see a candidate funding their own campaign to such a degree, the first thing you should ask yourself is why?

Generally self funding is the result of one of two possibilities. First, the candidate is trying to make a statement that they aren’t for sale. The candidate often feels that by accepting money, particularly from Political Action Committees, better known as PACs, they are subscribing to that group’s agenda, and by accepting their money, is beholden to whatever piece of legislation is either introduced or needs to be “chaperoned” through committee. Of course, a candidate may accept money from a PAC without either agreeing with their agenda or agreeing in any way to support any issues which comes his or her way, but it’s a pretty sure bet that if they don’t offer some measure of support, not only will that individual not see any more money from them, they can expect that PAC to actively work against in every way possible.

The other reason a candidate self funds is more telling, and often the more likely scenario. They are unknowns. They have little support or name recognition among the general populace and/or among the moneyed power brokers. This belies the importance of a candidate laying their groundwork at least a year to eighteen months in advance of their intent to announce they will be candidate for a particular office. Unless you just happen to be well known by everyone in your district, a candidate needs to get out and meet as many people as possible well in advance of the election kickoff. This serves several purposes, but key is letting people meet you (called “getting the name out” and “pressing the flesh”). It also gives the candidate and the voters an opportunity to start a conversation about the issues. As a candidate, you may have certain ideas about what you think the issues are, but after meeting with the people, that may change. You may find that the citizens of a given district have completely unrelated ideas as to what is important. So, you get an opportunity to start defining your message. It also lets the power brokers learn a little bit about the candidate and decided whether or not this is someone they may be interested in supporting.

All too often the big money goes to the incumbents. Unless there’s a compelling issue which can be capitalized on, the candidate has to seriously consider self funding or dropping out. Fletcher was able to redirect the issues which landed him and his administration in so much hot water. As an incumbent, he was still going to be the odds on favorite unless someone came up with some deeply incriminating information (I’m thinking pictures here folks). This is often when races start going dirty, which, if not substantiated, will have a backlash on the accusing candidate. In the end, Harper wasn’t able to get his message through to the voters. He violated the so-called “Golden Triangle Rule”, by picking someone from the same part of the Commonwealth as where he came from rather than from Triangle. What he needed was someone from the population centers of Louisville, Lexington, or Covington, which would have given him a statewide audience rather than keeping his voter base locked up in Western Kentucky. I guess this election should put to rest the old notion that money can always buy an election. As for Harper, I hope he isn’t done yet. He had some great issues. He needs to keep his name out there and give it a go again.

MSD Meeting

I want to give a brief update on the MSD meeting which took place on June 3rd at the Government Center on Dixie Highway. The meeting was hosted by Metro 25 Councilman Doug Hawkins and representatives of MSD. There were approximately 60 to 70 people in attendance, including several Southend community activists and two other Metro Council members. Basically this wasn’t a meeting to discuss if there was going to be an increase, but why there was going to be an increase of just under $7.00 on your water bill. The estimated annual cost will be $390.00 for each household.

It seems that MSD is 1.4 billion dollars in debt. The EPA has ordered the City Louisville to rebuild its sewer and water system to a tune of $800 million dollars. This unfunded federal mandate, we were told, was not open to discussion. If the City failed to comply, a federal judge could introduce their own plan, which would leave the city with no recourse (and we all remember just how well forced bussing worked out after it was ordered and implemented by a federal judge).

The revamping will affect approximately 225,000 homes and cover some 3200 miles in total. One piece of good news came out of the meeting; seniors (and presumably those on a fixed limited income) may be eligible for a 30% discount on the increase. So, when does this go into effect? We expect seeing the increase showing up on our bills in September and continue through 2040 (I have my doubt that once added, it will ever come off).

Lastly, I’d like to thank Doug Hawkins for taking the time to schedule this meeting with MSD. We, the public, need to be aware of the actions of our government and how our money is spent. Councilman Hawkins made this possible.

Odds & Ends

I was watching one of my favorite talk shows Saturday night, Glenn Beck, and heard a really interesting statistic. Did you know an estimated 2/3 of eligible voters don’t vote? Only 1/3 of Americans actually show up at the polls on a regular basis. One of the main reasons I suspect is the utter disgust the people have for Washington politics. According to Glenn, some 80% of Americans describe themselves as centrist. I doubt the number is actually quite that high, but there a large and significant amount of people who feel alienate by both political parties, and the folks in Washington just don’t get it. The majority, and I dare say, the overwhelming majority of Americans feel a complete disconnect with government. But what can we do? Well, there are a number of thing, but none more important than voting (to that, I add that we should vote for the individual and their stance on issues not the party label…ever).

Politicians, and the special interest groups which control both major parties, want us to believe that we have no choice. We have to take what they offer, be it on the issues or the candidates they put up. There’s nothing we can do about the way things are being run. Like hell there isn’t. We---you and I---have the ultimate power. It’s called the vote. We can remove any politician we collectively decide to. I don’t care what you’re registered as, Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Third Party. Just vote, and get others to vote. The one thing politicians and their masters fear more than an independent prosecutor, is a large voter turnout because they can’t control the outcome.

But we need to go further than that. We need term limits. The longer a politician is in office, the more beholden they become to the moneyed special interest groups and the less they listen to the people. If we can limit a president to two four year terms, then why can’t we limit Senators to two six terms? Why can we limit Congressman to six two year terms? We also need to limit the money which goes into campaigns, and we need to make it instantly available to public. If these people are going to represent us, then we deserve to see who is giving them money. I can assure you they aren’t going to do it themselves. We will have to force the issue by intentionally voting for the challenger candidates no matter who they are, especially those having the courage to step up and publicly endorsing term limits and campaign spending limits.

Lastly, it looks like the Senate is trying to revive the “Amnesty” Bill. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is key to the bill’s success or failure. Please contact Senator McConnell and tell him we don’t want any part of an “Amnesty” Bill for illegal immigrants.

Post Election Clean Up

Well, in case you missed it, the elections are over…for now. Voter turnout was a low 15 percent of the state’s registered voters. One Democrat said she voted for the ones who didn’t bother her with phone calls while another Democrat told me, “there’s nothing to vote for”. She didn’t like anything see saw or heard about any of the candidates. Her only regret was that there wasn’t a “none of above” on the ballot. If there was, there would be a lot of embarrassed politicians suddenly out of office.

As for my predictions, it looks like I was pretty right on. It looks like I missed just a couple. For State Treasurer, I said Republican Lonnie Napier and Mike Weaver on the Democratic side would win. Well, Melinda Wheeler, who wants to do away with the office, won on the GOP side while Todd Hollenbach, son of the former Jefferson County Judge Executive during the forced bussing episode of 1975, won for the Democrats.

For Agriculture Commissioner, Richie Farmer (R) won as I thought he would, while my other pick, David Neville lost to David Williams, a current Democrat. Williams is a sometime Republican and sometime Democratic candidate. Looks like Democratic suits him well this time! Congratulations to both Todd Hollenbach and David Williams on their win.


If Jody Richards is serious about Kentucky’s best interest, he should forget about running for Governor or any other office than the one he currently has. He needs to stay right where he’s at as Speaker of the House. Sometimes one can do more good by not having the top job.

My thanks to John Y Brown III for being a good sport. He did a great job as Secretary of State. I think if John has higher aspirations, he should look to either a State Senate or State Representative seat, and then come back for another run. I’ve heard rumors that John and Jack Conway had considered a possible at the Governor’s Mansion. I think that would make a formable team. You listening John?

Gatewood Galbraith has made some four attempts for Governor. Gatewood, you’re always a hoot, but it just ain’t gonna happen pal. Have you ever considered running for Agriculture Commissioner? If not, you should. You’re a basically country lawyer. You know about the problems of farmers and obstacles they face. This is a rural state. You could do a lot there. Go for it!

Jeff Hoover. What can I say? You’re tough. You’re experienced. You’re intelligent. And I like that. But like Jody, you may be at your best right where you are. Besides being a thorn in Larry Clark’s side (I like that too), you might consider making it your mission to bring talented people interested in public service into the Republican Party, and even helping them run for office.

Billy Harper. You’re a heck of a guy. I admire your convections. I especially admire your willingness to back up your convections with your own money. It’s rare in politics these days that someone will “walk the talk”. I’d like to see you in a position where you could ride roughshod over the financial abuses and mismanagement in Frankfort. I bet you’d clean house! Like my advice to Jeff, I think you can offer much to people aspiring to public service from the Republican side of the fence. You’d make a terrific “Dutch Uncle”!

Finally, Anne Northup. You had just lost your seat to John Yarmuth. Perhaps you felt compelled to run. You’ve done it for so long. Maybe it was outside pressure, but I suspect it may have been the sting of defeat and the need to prove yourself again. You did what you felt needed to be done. You’ve been a State Representative. You’ve been a Congresswoman. You did well. You really did. Now, take some time off for yourself. You’ve earned it.

Congratulations to all the victors and thank you to all those who time out of the busy lives to run for public office. I’ve been there and done that. It isn’t easy.

Pre-Election Predictions

I must get asked about a dozen times a day about who I think is going to win the upcoming elections. There are days when I lean one way and then something will come along in the news, or I’ll see some political spot which makes me change my mind. But like any good political prognosticator, I consulted my tarot cards, stared deeply into my coffee grounds (I know it’s supposed to be tea leaves, but it was really early so cut me some slack), and finally, I examined the entrails a pig. After all, one can talk politics without pork right? So, here we go:

For Commissioner of Agriculture, I expect Richie Farmer to pick up a win in the Republican Primary. He’s done a great job and I can’t see why the voters wouldn’t want more of the same. On the Democratic side, it will be David Neville.

The State Treasurer’s race has an especially good crop of candidates this time around. But I like Lonnie Napier the best. He has some great credentials. On the Democratic side, I look for Mike Weaver to pull out a win.

We all know the potential power of the Attorney General’s office. I think this one goes to Jack Conway, the former Pattonite, to win the Democratic Primary. I suspect Jack has plans to use this office as a jumping off point for Governor. Stan Lee looks like a winner for the Republicans. The GOP would be well advised to go all out for AG in future races (just a suggestion).

Bruce Hendrickson will be the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State. He’ll do battle in the fall with incumbent Trey Grayson. I have to tell you right now, Trey is one serious class act. Trey is probably one of, if not the brightest stars in the Republican camp.

In the Republican Primary for Governor, Ernie Fletcher will be re-nominated. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Harper come in second with Northup running a close third. Fletcher hit the ground running and never looked back. I really like Harper’s approach. He deserves a spot in Frankfort where he could put his energy and ideas to work for the citizens of Kentucky. Anne Northup just never found her voice. She seems like she’s just going through the motions. There’s no fire in her eyes. Personally, I think her selection of Michael Clingman as Campaign Manager was strategic mistake. Anne knows better than anyone that to take out an incumbent, you’ve got to have generals with brass. Anne, I like you. I really do, but you need a break. Spend time with Woody and the kids. Relax for awhile and enjoy life. Then I urge you to take a serious look at Metro Mayor. We need someone with new ideas down at City Hall.

The Democratic Primary is going to be a slugfest until the last vote is counted. They'll go after each other like a pack of ravenous hyenas. Richards, Galbraith, and Hensley are essentially out of the race, as if they were actually ever in it. Jonathan Miller has already dropped. At first, I thought this dance was between Henry and Lunsford; Steve’s popularity (well, actually Heather’s) versus Lunsford’s money. Both have baggage. Both have made some serious political mistakes. Steve’s running mate, Renee True seems like quality material, but she’s an unknown (by the way, does she talk? I have yet to hear her speak) and people are mistrustful of unknowns. Lunsford’s second is the outgoing AG, Greg Stumbo. Greg has “issues” all his own, but never underestimate the power of money in politics, especially Kentucky politics and Lunsford is loaded.

Now here’s the kicker, Kentuckians are tired of the mudslinging, corruption (real or implied), and back biting. Sure it’s good entertainment, but is that what we want in Frankfort? Stumbo is seen a mudslinger following his investigation of Fletcher. Lunsford quit the last time out and supported Ernie Fletcher, and that’s been a bur in Labor’s saddle ever since. Steve Henry has all sorts of problems. Frankly, none of the Democratic candidates should be pointing fingers (the really sad thing is that out of all the Democrats out there, this was the best crew they could field).

So, who is a known commodity with little (relatively speaking) baggage and good fundraiser capabilities? The only answer I can come up with that everyone in the Democratic camp can live with is Steve Beshear and his running mate, Dr. Dan Mongiardo. Don’t get me wrong. They’re not Teflon, but they seem to offer a little something for everyone with minimum garbage. I think Beshear would stand the best chance of all the other candidates of beating Fletcher in November. The big question is how badly this Primary damaged the Democrats ability to come together in the fall. Will the pack be dining on elephant in November or each other? Time will tell.

Finally, remember: there's only one opinion and one endorsement that really matters, and that's you--the voter.

The Metro Council of Nannies

When I was a kid growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s, I often heard people remark that Democrats never meet a tax or social program they didn’t like. In fact, it’s what led to the Democratic Party being referred to in those days as the “Nanny Party”. The Republicans then were a different breed than they are today. Back then, the GOP was about maximum independence from government. They revered self reliance, a small government, financial accountability, and personal independence. It’s perhaps an irony that most of the environmental protection initiatives were Republican in origin. This brings me to the subject of this edition, that is, the “Metro Council of Nannies”.

The Louisville Metro Council is dominated by Democrats, and though well meaning as they are, have decided they know what’s good for us. Like any good nanny should, we’re going to take our medicine and like it. Let’s look at the “No Smoking” Ordinance first, and then on to a couple other recent issues. As a disclaimer, I’m no fan of smoking. I consider it nothing more than a coward’s version of suicide. Still, it's an individual's choice, which I can respect. Just a little common courtesy please and you keep your smoke out of my space.

Metro Council has decided that employees of bars, restaurants, etc are being forced into working in unhealthy environments. Somehow, these otherwise intelligent individuals are being held captive by their employers in smoke clogged establishments and required to endure hours upon hours of toxic secondhand smoke. As if that’s not bad enough, patrons were being dragged in off the streets into these dens of sin to set in smoke choking taverns and restraurants. Let’s not forget that Metro Council had earlier approved separate smoking and non smoking sections, provided that the owners spend thousands of dollars on new ventilations systems. Interestingly however, employees of Churchill Downs are somehow different from the other serfs…er…employees since Churchill Downs is exempt. Must be all those bucks that fan the air I suppose.

So, what did we learn from this? Well, evidently employees do not have the free choice to seek other employment, perhaps even in non-smoking establishments. Who knows, maybe some enterprising owners may have created their own little niche with completely smoke free bars or restaurants. We also learned that the public was incapable of deciding on whether to patronize a business based on full knowledge of its smoking policy. In short, we—you and I—weren’t capable of making our own decisions, and thus enter the nannies to save us from ourselves.

Next, we have the “Dog Ordinance”. I’m still trying to figure that one out. Apparently Metro Council has decided for us what’s a vicious animal (all of them it would seem), and the solution is simply to penalize everyone. Good going geniuses. If your dog or other pet attacks someone, you’re going to get sued. It’s called taking personal responsibility folks. If you have a dog, keep it fenced in or on a leach…period. How about a warning sign on the fence? Second, let’s have Animal Control actually enforce existing laws on the books. We don’t need the Metro Nannies telling us what we already know. On a side note, I would like to see owners fined for not keeping track of their pets. How many times have you seen some dog or cat out wondering the streets, especially in the mornings, only to later get hit by a car or truck? This lack of care ticks me off like few things can. We bring them into our world. They depend on us to take care and look after them, and in return offer us unconditional love, companionship, and protection. If you can’t take responsibility for your dog or cat, don’t get one! Go buy yourself a hamster or goldfish instead.

Finally, Metro Council wants to restrict what we eat. It would seem that our elected nannies are going to try and remove Trans-fat from our collective diets. Listen, if I want to eat some grease soaked hamburger and bag of fries, it’s none of their business. Frankly, what I do to or with my body is of no one’s concern but mine. There’s an old saying which goes like this, “Do as you will but harm none”. It means it’s your life. So long as no one is harmed or injured, do what makes you happiest. We elected these folks to fix potholes, pick up trash, and make sure we have adequate police, fire, and EMS. Other than that, they can get out of my life and stop telling me what to do, unless, as my grandmother used to say, they want to pay my bills in which case we can discuss a possible curfew time.


A Street by any other Name isn’t as Sweet

Metro Councilwomen Barbara Shanklin and Mary Woolridge, along with everyone’s favorite jester of street theater, the Rev. Louis Coleman, came into Portland hell bent on renaming 22nd Street after Martin Luther King Jr. There was just one problem however, no one bothered to ask the folks who lived in Portland what they thought of the proposal…until then. About halfway through the meeting, after getting an earful from angry residents, Shanklin and Woolridge walked out, still vowing to have their way.

Our renowned city historian, and fellow Metro Councilman, Tom Owens proclaimed that even though Portland’s history was primarily Irish, German, and Catholic, there was throughout Portland's history small enclaves of black residents. After the collective “duh” subsided, many are still wondering why we need another street named after the fallen civil rights leader. As most residents know, Rev. King did visit Louisville once, and marched downtown along Broadway. In the 1980’s, the small street in front of the Federal Building, along with park, were named in his honor.

Louisville has the John F. Kennedy Bridge, named after the slain president, who also visited our fair city. Then there is the Ron Mazzolli Federal Building, named after the popular congressman. Of course, we have the both the Gene Snyder Expressway and the Gene Snyder Post Office Building which houses, among other things, the federal courts. Gene too was a long serving and quite popular congressman.

Despite his public disavow of Louisville on several occasions, Louisville renamed Walnut Street after boxer Muhammad Ali in the 1970’s. In fact, we now have the Muhammad Ali Center, which seems to have suffered from late construction, overruns, inadequate funding, poor attendance, and may soon find its way to being publicly supported by taxpayer dollars. But what about Louisville’s other unsung heroes? We have a stadium and two bridges being built, plus several large new office and apartment buildings being built downtown. Will one of them find a place of honor there?

Keeping with the boxing theme for a moment, what about legendary heavyweight Jimmy Ellis? Ellis is a born and bred Louisville boxer who was always proud to say he was from the River City. Jimmy fought 50 professional bouts, and won 40 of those with 24 by knockout. From 1968 until 1970, he was the world heavyweight champion, after beating another boxing great, Jerry Quarry for the WBA Heavyweight Championship title. Ellis fought and beat the super Floyd Patterson and kept his title until losing it another one of boxing legends, “Smokin” Joe Frazier. Ellis, who never left Louisville and still makes his home here, was truly a giant among giants and yet this world recognized legend remains virtually unknown in Louisville (and let’s not forget Greg Page, another one of our boxing greats who remains in the shadows).

Speaking of legends, none were greater than the Green Bay Packers during the 1960’s under Coach Vince Lombardi. This was time when football was played by tough men for the mere love of the game. No over inflated egos allowed. In this era of Joe Namath of the New York Jets, Tex Schramm and Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys, Roman Gabriele of the Los Angles Rams, Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears, Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns, and Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts (who attended UofL by the way), none eclipsed Green Bay’s Bart Starr (still my personal favorite of all time), Ray Nitschke, Jim Taylor, and Louisville’s own, Paul Hornung.

Paul “The Golden Boy” Hornung dominated the 1960 football season with 176 points and followed it up in 1961 with 146 points, He continued his breakneck pace throughout most of the 1960’s. Even some of footballs greatest running backs like Emmitt Smith, Priest Holms, Marshall Faulk, Gary Anderson, and Shaun Alexander failed to beat Paul’s 1960 record. It wasn’t until 2006 that LaDainian Thomlinson finally broke the record.

Today, Paul Hornung is a successful businessman here in Louisville, but despite his status among football’s greatest of all time, there are no streets, buildings, or bridges named after this former great running back. And speaking of football players, let’s talk briefly about another Louisville great, Phil Simms.

Phil Simms was born in Lebanon, Kentucky but grew up in Louisville. He went on to attend Morehead State. The New York Giant Quarterback won three MVP awards, not to mention Super Bowl XXI, and set more records than I have space for. Today he is a sports commenter and analysis as well as a successful businessman. Sadly, he too remains virtually ignored by his hometown while still adored by football fans everywhere.

Finally, how about TV Anchor, Diane Sawyer? Here’s a woman who was born in Glasgow Kentucky, but grew up in Louisville and cut her journalistic teeth right here at WLKY-TV. She went on to serve in two White House administrations, Richard Nixon’s and Gerald Ford’s. Diane has won just about every journalistic award there is, including two Peabody’s, the IRTS Lifetime Achievement Award, the Broadcasting Magazine’s Hall of Fame, and induction into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame.

These are just a few people who deserve to be honored by the citizens of Louisville, but there are many more. They were born here. They grew up here. Finally, then went on to greatness while doing making us proud of their accomplishments. If anyone deserves having a street, or bridge, or anything else named after them, it’s these folks.

A Word From Our Sponsors

Well, endorsements are for the most part in. Candidates are either giddy with their new found friends, or ticked off to the max at “those lyin’, back stabbin’ SOBs”. Let me tell you a few things about endorsements. First, they aren’t always what they seem. Typically, around August or so, various groups send out questionnaires designed to get the candidate to support their issues. Some of the questions are rather generic, sort of luring into a false sense of ease. But as you go along, the wording become rather tricky, with little wiggle room for the candidate to respond. Of course, the candidate is usually trying to answer the questions without committing too much.

After this little dance, those candidates who seem worth talking to will be invited to a brief meeting before a small group representing the organization, where they will play a verbal cat and mouse game called “You ask the questions and I’ll try to give you the answers you want to hear without locking myself in to much”. It’s really quite an art form if you think about it. Candidates can become rather adapt at the “non-committal commitment” as they move along in politics. We’ve all seen members of Congress and the President perform masterfully the “two-step-side-step” on a regular basis. Once the interview is completed, the board votes on who gets the nod, which not only includes the endorsement, but usually a nice fat campaign donation to go with it. If you’re a Republican, you hope for endorsements from the business community. If you’re an ultra conservative, your probably hoping for the support of Right to Life and Moral Majority crowd, and of course, Pro 2nd Amendment groups. If you’re a Democrat, you cater mainly to organized labor, pro environment, and other progressive groups.

The least important endorsement is from the Courier Journal. Once upon a time (B.G.—Before Gannett), the Courier Journal was all powerful. If you received their endorsement, you were almost guaranteed a win. Nowadays, an endorsement from them is just as likely to cost you an election as not. It’s was my experience with the C/J that they were not as informed or unbiased as they should be. In my first race several years ago, my opponent differed with the C/J on a number of issues, and didn’t have a clue about others. They also failed to take note of his credentials, or lack thereof when they endorsed him. In my second race, they never even bothered to interview any of us, or look at our campaign material. I can only assume their endorsement was solely on party affiliation. I admit to being guilty of complaining about their editorial slant in the past and what I consider to be one writer’s occasional inappropriate racial remarks, which I have written about (this may explain why they don’t print any of my letters to the editor anymore). But I believe the media should be in the business of reporting the news, not trying to create it.

The funny thing about endorsements is that not everyone fits neatly into categories. I’ve known a number of Republicans who were pro-union. Some were former shop stewards. They used union print shops to buy their campaign material (with the ever important union “bug” label). Some even had pretty good Pro-Labor voting records. I’ve also known several Democrats who were just the opposite. They’ve never belonged to a union. They didn’t use a union “bug” on their campaign material, and even privately scoffed at Labor. Yet, they got Labor’s endorsement simply because they were Democrats. Supposedly there had been instances where endorsements were agreed to privately before any of the candidates walked into the room. I find something very wrong with that don’t you? Personally, I would like to see the rank and file vote on each endorsement rather than allowing one or two individuals making the decision for them.

As everyone knows, I’m Pro-Labor big time. But I think Labor has been used and abused by the Democratic Party for far too long. It’s the same for some minority groups. Their support and money is simply taken for granted. If the Democrats were good for working Americans, Republicans would never get elected. The trouble is that neither the Republicans nor Democrats really care for working America. Both parties are bought and paid for by their corporate masters. Labor, in my opinion, needs to climb out of the Democratic Party’s pocket and take a look around. It needs to support pro-union candidates regardless of party.

In today’s anti-Labor environment, unions need support wherever they can find it, and it only makes sense that they seek friends on both sides of aisles when possible. After all, business groups seek the best politician to promote their interests, and party is completely irrelevant. So, why shouldn’t Labor? Granted, most of its supporters are on the Democratic side, but why automatically turn down potential allies just because they happen to have an “R” or “I” behind their names? I know unions up North have started supporting the individual, not the party. They know it’s better to make friends than create enemies. I wish we would do the same thing here in Kentucky. As an aside, I’ve recently learned that Ed Springston, an independent and pro-union candidate for Louisville’s mayor, will be picking up the endorsements of several local unions while the incumbent mayor, “King” Jerry Abramson, failed to receive the endorsement of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council. Building and Trades even withdrew their endorsement of the Democratic Mayor. Now, that’s what I call progress!

Given that both major parties have done a pretty lousy job when it comes to protecting jobs from being exported, worker’s rights, job safety, job creation, etc, I would like to see unions put aside their differences and put together a union party. Did you know that the United States is the only Western nation without a Labor Party? I understand that there is a small third party comprised of unions which is showing some promise. The Green Party, which is huge everywhere in the world, except the US, is gaining strength as well. Wow, can you imagine what a Pro-Labor/Pro-Environment political party could do? With a little over 1/3 of voters registered as independents, and both Democrats and Republicans continuing to lose numbers, this type of political alliance could be awesome, especially in light of the number of people who vote "none of the above" by staying home. I bet they'd have something to vote for then!

Klan-destine

The KKK attempted to march in the Fairdale Parade on Septmeber 23, but was rebuffed by the festival officials, as well as by Metro Council candidates Renay Davis (R) and Vicki Welch (D). The following week, a letter was circulated in Fairdale, allegedly from the Klan, endorsing Vicki Welch. The Klan is said to have members living in and around Fairdale, and according to Tolerance.Org, is based in Fairdale (there are 10 Klan groups throughout Kentucky according to Tolerance.Org). What’s interesting is the letter supposedly came from Ms. Davis as part of a smear campaign against Ms. Welch. The letter seems to have been limited in scope and directed at specific Fairdale residents. Fairdale is Ms. Welch’s strongest based of support, and where she has also been losing ground to Ms. Davis. Secondly, the letter appears to have gained wider distribution thank to supporters of Ms. Welch. Folks from her camp were allegedly seen passing the letter out to residents at a recent music festival in Fairdale.

What makes me suspect about the letter is that Ms. Davis is about as opposed to the Klan as one can get, as is Ms. Welch no doubt. A tactic such as this is not in the character of Ms. Davis. Also, the letter was directed mainly at people living in the area where Ms. Welch needs to carry in order to win in November. Finally, some the folks passing the letter around were not only from Ms Welch’s camp, but were also some of the same individuals who pulled a similar stunt on me when I ran for Metro Council. In short, it’s what we used to call in the military as “disinformation”. People should treat it as such.

Poll Results

As you’ll recall, we did a poll last month about Campaigns & Elections listing of this blog under the category of “Liberal”. We had 2 votes for “Liberal”, 2 votes for “Conservative” and about 6 votes for “Centrist”. That’s about as middle of road as one can get! Since C&E doesn’t have a category for “Centrist”, I’ve asked them to list our blog under both the “Liberal” and “Conservative” categories. Thanks everyone for participating!