OMG: At Last, Someone At The Courier Journal Doesn't Do A HIT On David Williams And/Or Richie Farmer!
Blemishes marked Jerry Abramson's tenure as Louisville mayor
Written by John David Dyche
The two major party lieutenant governor candidates are extremely different from each other. Democrat Jerry Abramson is an urban liberal and career politician. Republican Richie Farmer is a rural conservative and relative political newcomer.
Farmer is taciturn. Abramson is loquacious. Although he talks a lot, Abramson says little. He uses torrents of empty rhetoric to avoid actually answering tough questions.
Recent reports have exposed questionable aspects of Farmer’s record as agriculture commissioner. But those matters (e.g., two mini-fridges or a hotel stay) are penny ante compared to Abramson’s awesome body of bad work.
Some say mainstream media go easy on Abramson, but plenty of stories have reported his poor leadership. Here are some questions about them.
You became mayor of merged Louisville Metro in 2003. Seven years later, state auditor Crit Luallen identified several serious flaws in city financial reporting and federal grant oversight. Why were Louisville’s basic financial functions such a mess so late into your administration?
You appointed personal friend Melissa Mershon director of the Neighborhoods Department and made another personal friend, Carol Butler, her special assistant at an $85,000 salary. Co-workers said Butler rarely appeared for work. Both women resigned after Mershon falsified invoices and made improper payments to Butler’s book company. Will you put personal friends in state government posts?
You called Kimberly Bunton a “change agent” when appointing her Louisville’s Housing Department director. She was indicted on felony charges for misusing public money. You also called Dr. Gilles Meloche, your Metro Animal Services director, a “strong change agent” when he resigned under criticism for mismanagement, sexual harassment and missing records. Are you bringing any “change agents” into state government?
After the January 2009 ice storm, you imprudently promised Metro government would clean up the debris by the Kentucky Derby. It did not, partly because you played patty-cake with labor unions before hiring private contractors to help. What promises are you making now, and as lieutenant governor will you put labor union interests before the public interest?
During your last mayoral campaign you touted building new libraries “without raising taxes.” Reelected, you backed a new library tax. What taxes do you want to impose or raise after being elected?
Over four years you spent $214,000 of public money from a personal slush fund with skimpy documentation. $3,400 feted “Louisville business leaders” at a swanky Washington restaurant. $2,378 went to Cordish Companies for a Fourth Street Live football celebration. Why should hard-working citizens fund such frivolities, especially when the no-bid sweetheart contract you struck with Cordish already gives that out-of-state casino company the benefit of millions in public money in a dubious development deal?
After your mayoral tenure Louisville area unemployment is worse than in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Nashville, Knoxville, Columbus, Indianapolis and 210 other metropolitan areas. Do you accept any responsibility for that?
You have previously (e.g., 2004) disclosed your vote in a federal election. Did you vote for Barack Obama for president in 2008? Will vote for him in 2012? Why?
Have you and your running mate, incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear, discussed his leaving office before his second term expires so you can succeed him and run for governor in 2015 as an incumbent? If elected lieutenant governor will you run for governor in 2015? Will you rule it out? Will you rule out running for another elective office before your lieutenant governor term expires?
Jerry Abramson did some good things as Louisville mayor, but he indisputably got worse with time. Kentuckians should know more about his record before putting him a heartbeat (or a resignation) away from the governorship of this conservative state, which has deeply-held conservative values that he does not always share.
Yet Farmer has gotten far more media attention in this campaign. Such disparate press coverage is yet another big difference between the two.
John David Dyche is a Louisville attorney who writes a political column on alternating Tuesdays in Forum. His views are his own, not those of the law firm in which he practices. His email address is jddyche@yahoo.com.
Written by John David Dyche
The two major party lieutenant governor candidates are extremely different from each other. Democrat Jerry Abramson is an urban liberal and career politician. Republican Richie Farmer is a rural conservative and relative political newcomer.
Farmer is taciturn. Abramson is loquacious. Although he talks a lot, Abramson says little. He uses torrents of empty rhetoric to avoid actually answering tough questions.
Recent reports have exposed questionable aspects of Farmer’s record as agriculture commissioner. But those matters (e.g., two mini-fridges or a hotel stay) are penny ante compared to Abramson’s awesome body of bad work.
Some say mainstream media go easy on Abramson, but plenty of stories have reported his poor leadership. Here are some questions about them.
You became mayor of merged Louisville Metro in 2003. Seven years later, state auditor Crit Luallen identified several serious flaws in city financial reporting and federal grant oversight. Why were Louisville’s basic financial functions such a mess so late into your administration?
You appointed personal friend Melissa Mershon director of the Neighborhoods Department and made another personal friend, Carol Butler, her special assistant at an $85,000 salary. Co-workers said Butler rarely appeared for work. Both women resigned after Mershon falsified invoices and made improper payments to Butler’s book company. Will you put personal friends in state government posts?
You called Kimberly Bunton a “change agent” when appointing her Louisville’s Housing Department director. She was indicted on felony charges for misusing public money. You also called Dr. Gilles Meloche, your Metro Animal Services director, a “strong change agent” when he resigned under criticism for mismanagement, sexual harassment and missing records. Are you bringing any “change agents” into state government?
After the January 2009 ice storm, you imprudently promised Metro government would clean up the debris by the Kentucky Derby. It did not, partly because you played patty-cake with labor unions before hiring private contractors to help. What promises are you making now, and as lieutenant governor will you put labor union interests before the public interest?
During your last mayoral campaign you touted building new libraries “without raising taxes.” Reelected, you backed a new library tax. What taxes do you want to impose or raise after being elected?
Over four years you spent $214,000 of public money from a personal slush fund with skimpy documentation. $3,400 feted “Louisville business leaders” at a swanky Washington restaurant. $2,378 went to Cordish Companies for a Fourth Street Live football celebration. Why should hard-working citizens fund such frivolities, especially when the no-bid sweetheart contract you struck with Cordish already gives that out-of-state casino company the benefit of millions in public money in a dubious development deal?
After your mayoral tenure Louisville area unemployment is worse than in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Nashville, Knoxville, Columbus, Indianapolis and 210 other metropolitan areas. Do you accept any responsibility for that?
You have previously (e.g., 2004) disclosed your vote in a federal election. Did you vote for Barack Obama for president in 2008? Will vote for him in 2012? Why?
Have you and your running mate, incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear, discussed his leaving office before his second term expires so you can succeed him and run for governor in 2015 as an incumbent? If elected lieutenant governor will you run for governor in 2015? Will you rule it out? Will you rule out running for another elective office before your lieutenant governor term expires?
Jerry Abramson did some good things as Louisville mayor, but he indisputably got worse with time. Kentuckians should know more about his record before putting him a heartbeat (or a resignation) away from the governorship of this conservative state, which has deeply-held conservative values that he does not always share.
Yet Farmer has gotten far more media attention in this campaign. Such disparate press coverage is yet another big difference between the two.
John David Dyche is a Louisville attorney who writes a political column on alternating Tuesdays in Forum. His views are his own, not those of the law firm in which he practices. His email address is jddyche@yahoo.com.
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posted by KYJurisDoctor at 7:55 AM
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