9/11 Twenty-One Years later....

This will not be the post you expect from the headline. Fair warning.....

Most remember the events of 9/11. How anyone could forget I have no idea but many seemingly have. Like most of America at that time I was glued to the TV in shock at what had just happened. Terrorism on American Soil. Right here at home the worst terrorist attack we have ever seen. Aircraft flown right into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, bodies jumping plummeting from the buildings rather than face burning alive, buildings imploding right before our eyes. All airspace abandoned, well except for a few elites that no one will talk about.

And all red flags ignored up to that point that could have avoided all of it.

I won't rehash that stuff because no one cares about it. They would rather dodge, deflect, and claim conspiracy theory rather than open their eyes to the truth of what happened. The thing is there was some good that came from such a tragedy, at least temporarily.

We as Americans stood side by side. We worked to clean things up and rebuild. We didn't care about black or white, gay or straight, rich or poor. We did the work and honored the fallen. We swore we would never forget.

And yet we have. Not all of us of course, but so many have and we became a nation I no longer recognize today.

What have we done since? We have become a nation divided more than ever. The terrorists are no longer outside the US looking in but domestic terrorism lives and breathes. I can find no other way to describe it.

We are divided among every line imaginable race, wealth, sexual orientation, and the political correctness has destroyed our once great nation. Why? Because we care more about feelings than freedom.

We coddle the criminals at the expense of the law abiding. We destroy us all through third world policies and over taxation. Our once great nation that was a beacon to the world has sold out and can no longer take care of itself much less others and yet somehow we still do. Whether we can afford it or not.

No longer do we teach the basics in our public schools. They have become a public indoctrination camp. 

Thanks Dale Gillespie you were right when I argued you weren't. Reading, writing, and 'rithmetic have been abandoned in favor of teaching 5 year olds that they may be transgender. How the hell can our kids figure that out at that age? Indoctrination.

We have college courses designed to do nothing other than teach black people what it means to be black, then wonder why the "skills" they learned are not compatible with the work force. Call me racist I don't care. The truth hurts and that  is part of the problem. The biggest part I would say.

The lunatics are running the asylum and somehow we don't care or refuse to admit it. I am independent, though it will be argued that I am a Republican so my opinions don't matter, yet when I look at where we are today with idiots like Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Schumer and others, and yes I include McConnell in that group, we have to ask what gives?

Our grocery shelves are no longer full, if they are you generally can't afford to eat, gas is way too high so you can't afford to go far, and the work ethic in this Country is non existent. More money you say? Unionize? Spare me. Unions are protection rackets for bad employees. I spent years working in unions and never did leadership do anything unless it protected a bad employee that bought the leader drinks at the local bar, or the leadership would gain from selling the workforce out. UAW, Teamsters, it is all the same. 

Here is a newsflash. You can pay someone $50 an hour but they still won't show up as scheduled consistently. When they do you get a $2 an hour work ethic. Meanwhile, you now pay $10 for a loaf of bread so the business that provided the job doesn't fold. Then you bitch because prices are so high you need more money never realizing your part in that.

Mom and Pop stores that used to make the neighborhoods work now are out of business because they can't compete at those wages. Then the neighborhoods die.

The current trend in our Country is a communistic, fascist approach. The elites at the top of the political bubble get bought and paid for and we the people get shafted with their policies. They sell us out to China, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and so many more it defies logic. Then we borrow money to send to our enemies or countries around the world. Let them borrow their own money or change the way they do business, even better change their own communistic, fascist way of life that has destroyed their own Country. We shouldn't be paying for it.

We send billions around the world constantly for the oligarchs and political leaders to divide amongst them. Never mind none of it is going to the people it is supposed to help. We Americans are paying to keep their leadership in power. Why? So our leadership can get kickbacks and make money. But we turn a blind eye and pretend it isn't happening because you know, feelings. We have been sold fear at every turn to keep us in line like good little robots. And it is working. Throughout history it has worked, for a limited time, then it takes war to get out of it and lives lost that didn't need to be.

Feelings have Trumped common sense and logic. We now would rather scream orange man bad because he said stuff that hurt my feelings, rather than admit many things orange man did made us safer, and freer.

I'm not turning this into a Trump good or bad segment so for you haters of that statement, look inside yourself for what is wrong with this Country today. Freedom is gone. Freedom of speech is one of our basic foundations and we have no freedom fo speech anymore. EVERYTHING is censored to fit a narrative today. If you disagree with someone you are white, misogynist, homophobe, racist, or worse.

Freedom of religion? Only if you are non Christian.

Gun owner? You are obviously deranged and a psychopath in training.

The party of inclusiveness, you know the Progressive Democrats, are the party of violence yet somehow Conservatives are accused of being the violent ones.

So why the rant in a post about 9/11?

Because since then we forgot what being an American is.

The terrorists are winning and they are terrorists from inside our way of life not outside.

As a veteran I took an oath to protect against all enemies foreign and domestic. The enemy today is from within IMO.

We promised we wouldn't forget. We not only forgot we empowered those that would kill or enslave us all for their own gain.

I never forgot the lessons from 9/11. I still remember all the good that came about for a brief time right after. When we weren't labeled racist, misogynist, homophobe, and worse. We were labeled Americans. 

But the light is getting dimmer thanks to the asinine policies that are destroying us today...

Rich white ANTIFA scores again

You are being played. Most know it and either A). they don't care, or B). they are too scared to stand up. The left has decided to create an all out war on America and the sheep are following blindly along as expected. Say what you want but I am right.

By the end of this article I will obtain many labels. Most I have heard before so maybe you guys can get creative and find a new one.

Anarchy reigns Supreme

You read that right. Welcome to today's liberal utopia where anarchy reigns supreme. There has been an orchestrated, well funded, well organized attack being played out in America right now paid for by the liberal elitist who are funding the likes of Antifa and BLM. It has been going on for years right under our noses and no one cared. Lately we are seeing the so called conspiracy theorists may not be such theorists after all.

Riots and looting throughout the entire Country, well orchestrated, organized, and financed.

(courtesy Fox5ny.com)

The Virus that destroyed America

Catchy headline huh?

This article will piss some of you off. In fact, I am quite sure a lot of you. Your little scared butt will be triggered and it will be my fault, or Trump, or anyone else but yours. It has become our American way of life. This COVID-19 virus pandemic and paranoia has proven it.

I won't lose sleep over it. I rarely do.

The fact is currently our nation is facing a foe unheard of and fear is being used to control us. Spare me. We have been down this road many times before.

The difference here is we are being goaded into panic like it is the end of the world. MERS, SARS, so many others are/were pandemics as well. We didn't destroy America and we didn't quit our way of life. So why now?

Because the powers that be want it this way and people have become so scared in their little bubble they don't know what freedom means.

We lose thousands of people each year to the flu, millions are infected. We continue on and barely a blip on the radar. We lose thousands to sudden, onset car accidents yet we continue to drive. We lose people everyday to many sudden onset illnesses or accidents, and yet we continue on.

All this paranoia over this virus is just one more way to show how far we have fallen and how little freedom means to so many.

Roughly 22 veterans commit suicide each and everyday. So many of you "feel" for them and make sure you say so on your social media and get the props for "supporting our troops."

Hypocrites.

You profess your support for our troops and are not proud to be an American. Strong words? You bet. But you show it each and everyday when you follow and obey unlawful orders. Being an American is being free to make your own choices, but also being responsible for them.

These veterans commit suicide in most cases because they have been forced to do things, and have seen things, that no one should ever have to. Things most of you are too much of a coward to see. All to ensure your freedom.

And you mock them each and every time you shame anyone who doesn't agree with you and staying home cowered in fear right now.

We have seen this ploy used many times throughout history. Create a panic and then takeover.

I think most of the people these days would have gladly gone on the trains willingly to Auschwitz even knowing the outcome, simply because they were told to. Big brother knows what is best for you right?

"Think of everybody else they say. You are so selfish because you might give it to somebody else by going out. "

Here is a newsflash. Practically everybody carries some germ that could lead to some illness that could even be fatal. The numbers in this whole COVID-19 thing are not getting worse or better as the "models" show us. They are just testing more and we find out what common sense people already know. Models are only as good as the data input into them. Control the data you control the model.

There are carriers who don't get sick but carry the virus unknowingly.

It is as common as anything in our society.

And people die from it. I'm high risk myself. I am sure at this point some of you so called Christians are praying I get it and die because you disagree with what I am saying. Hypocrites. But knowing I am high risk, being an adult with constitutional freedoms, I am more than capable of deciding what that risk is. I am also responsible for what happens either way.

And that is the problem. The powers that be have divided us so much that we look to CNN or FOX news to tell us how to feel. We have lost the ability of rational thought in many cases always in our search to blame someone or control them to fit whatever agenda the power that is you follow wants you to fit.

You are clueless to what is really going on. A watering down and takeover of our American way of life.

You are being told to be afraid and in your fear you do as you're told. By someone who has no power or authority to do so. You follow along like good little sheep.

Don't get near anyone they say. But make sure you shop at your local Wal-Mart.

Stay home we will pay you anyway and we will give you a bonus. Until the money runs out and the jobs are gone.

You follow along like all good little socialist have done throughout history.

40% of our economy completely shut down, millions out of work that may never get another job opportunity. Since when did Government have the right to tell private business who is essential and who is not? They don't.

How many people commit suicide or die of starvation because of this illegal encroachment on our freedom? Yeah it happens everyday. But you don't hear about that until it fits an agenda.

But hey at least some vulture in the home buying business can get some cheap houses to flip for some artificial money. Houses your neighbors lost because they were told they were not allowed to work. An illegal order by a power grabbing mindless unconstitutional regime. Sure to kick back the appropriate amount to the powers that be who made it happen.

By the way that isn't Trump's fault. The Governor's run their states. Some of you need a civics class badly.

Your out of control gestapo minded state governors who are violating every constitutional freedom you have all in the name of "keeping you safe." And you buy into it like a puppy scared to piss on the floor of a new house for fear of a beating.

Who protects you from these run away tyrants?

You don't want protection from it and you just proved it America. You walk willingly into the gas chambers because you are driven by fear. You have been so dumbed down and so mind numbed that you don't even know how freedom works.

And my veteran brothers and sisters die everyday thinking they were doing their job to protect the freedoms all for you.

Hide in your hole folks but don't blame anyone when it all falls apart and nothing is left but yourself.

If there is anything most of you have earned in your life. It is earning the right to feel embarrassed and ashamed of not knowing what being an American and freedom are all about.

But you won't. Because you were told you were a good little boy or girl.......

West Side Communities Left Behind for Seven Years

Reprinted with permission of  www.ilocalnews.com/louisville

jpcaldwell

August 19, 2018 - 3:04pm

The failure of Mayor Gregory Fischer to achieve his 2011 “three pillars” of governance has produced a greater divide between the people of west, east and south Louisville. Failed Mayor Gregory Fischer promised to “create well-paying jobs, improve education” and build a “more compassionate city” in his first inaugural address to the people of Louisville. These broken promises of the Mayor’s past seven years of failed governance hits West Louisville the hardest.

West Louisville leaders Metro Councilman David James and Reverend Kevin Cosby, in 2012 developed a plan with Ford Motor Company, UPS and local union representatives to build a “world-class workforce education and training facility” in West Louisville, according to news reports. Mayor Gregory Fischer apparently jumped on the bandwagon and offered to host a work group for the initiative. The workforce education and training initiative provided the perfect opportunity for the Mayor to achieve the first of his three commitments to the people of Louisville.

A world-class workforce education and training facility can have a “huge social and economic impact” on a community, according to businessfacilities.com. The news story indicates a highly skilled workforce can be “the most important ingredient to strengthen economies and ensure a high quality of life.” News reports indicate the work group identified an ideal site for the workforce education and training facility to be built adjacent to both Simmons College and a satellite JCTC workforce training center in West Louisville. Unfortunately, failed Mayor Gregory Fischer abandoned the initiative, the facility was never built and the “well-paying jobs” have never materialized in West Louisville.

The second unfulfilled promise of “improved education” awarded the west side of Louisville four out of the top five “worst performing public schools in the United States,“ for the 2016-2017 school year (neighborhoodscout.com). Mayor Gregory Fischer’s report card grade on public education the past seven years is an “F” for failure. The worst performing schools in the United States by rank are 1) Maupin Elementary; 2) Roosevelt Perry Elementary; 4) Frayser Elementary; and, 5) Wheatley Elementary. None of the elementary schools located on the east side or south side of town appear to have made the list of the country’s worst performing public schools. How can there be such disparity between our public elementary schools if they employ the same teaching programs and education standards across the city?

Failed Mayor Gregory Fischer’s appalling performance record on education in West Louisville public schools is shameful! Sadly, the young students attending Maupin, Roosevelt Perry, Frayser and Wheatley elementary schools are paying the price of the Mayor’s failed commitment to “improve education.” The parents and grandparents of these public school students should demand answers to probing questions and call for an investigation into Mayor Gregory Fischer’s public education program in our West Louisville communities.

Our West Louisville communities also appear to have significantly more violent crime activity than any other part of town, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department crime map. The news reports of Louisville being one of the most dangerous cities in the country is really talking about the violent criminal activities in our communities of West Louisville. What has failed Mayor Gregory Fischer, our top public safety officer, been doing the past seven years to encourage criminal activity in the west side of Louisville? How can the people of Louisville become “more compassionate” with such a disgraceful governance record?

Wake up West Louisville! Enough is enough! We the people of the neighborhood communities in West Louisville need a rallying cry and strong Mayoral candidate who will challenge failed Mayor Gregory Fischer and make a difference for everyone in Louisville, not just the privileged few. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must take charge and drive change to improve our public schools and advance our quality of life! We must demand answers and progress from our elected public servants. We can do better! 

Listen Monday from 7-8pm at The Ed Springston Show.

Mayor Fischer West Side Story – Part 2

Louisville, KY – In our first article at Louisville Politics concerning Mayor Fischer’s West Side Story lies, we brought you the tale of yet another example of lies and broken promises that would aid our West End residents and our community. What was once a no brainer in the efforts to aid our City and its poorest community quickly became yet another example of just why leadership in Louisville is a failure.Louisville is home to 3 of the largest global businesses in the United States today that include Ford, GE, and UPS. These employers account for over 20,000 workers in the Louisville Metro area and add millions to our local economy.

But they have one basic need in common.

The need for an advanced manufacturing and logistics academic facility in Louisville to produce and maintain a highly skilled and educated workforce.

As we pointed out in the first part of this series, this has become a serious concern for local employers and affects their ability to move forward with more jobs and opportunity. This problem has led to the sudden rise of the fly by night warehouses that rely solely on temporary workers and hurt the working middle class.

These low paying, temporary warehouse, no skill, jobs are permeating Louisville and destroying the potential we once had.

This mindset of going after the cheap, low paying, dead-end temporary jobs is aiding and abetting the downfall of the American worker right here at home. It is a systemic problem that further erodes our ability to compete in a global economy with middle class educated workers.
Most affected are the poorest amongst us.

Who can argue with the rationale to essentially ‘work for less’ when you are starving and can’t make ends meet. When these are the only options available you take them to survive.
It really is that simple, and yes even shameful, that our failed leadership continues ignoring the realities of what we need in a 21st century economy.

Mayor Greg Fischer, working in conjunction with Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington, developed the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Program (BEAM) with a high-profile group of 21 business and civic executives to form the board of directors, in his effort to address these concerns.

As usual all we received was yet again more lip service with no intent to follow through. Great photo op as usual with no substance to back it up.

The stated goal was a simple one, the mission was to grow jobs in the State and increase the economic pie throughout the Commonwealth.

Fischer had this to say in November 2011 at the announcement:

“We are serious about growing jobs in our state and this board is evidence of that,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “The Bluegrass region already has the assets, including two Ford plants and Toyota plant, to become best-in-world at advanced manufacturing.”

The stated goal of BEAM was to develop a joint regional business plan supporting the growth of high-quality jobs in advanced manufacturing.

Fischer even announced that the project would use Brookings’ “Metropolitan Business Plan” framework to develop a comprehensive economic development effort designed to nurture and support manufacturers and their supply chains. The goals: quality job creation and increases in export activity.
Once again great photo op but no substance.

Why? Because when faced with a choice of moving forward to follow through with his stated intent he pulled the plug.

The Background

The Park Hill neighborhood was once a vital part of Louisville’s economy. Approximately 1,400 acres made up the Park Hill Industrial Corridor, and as has happened all too frequently to many cities across the Country, it has declined rapidly over the last 30 years or so. With unemployment raging, poverty at an all time high, and abandoned buildings running rampant throughout the area, Park Hill is an example of a lost part of our industrial community.

With all this in mind, in 2009 leadership finally stated what we knew all along. There was a critical need for investment in this declining neighborhood.

Louisville Metro decided to adopt the Park Hill Industrial Corridor Implementation Strategy.

It recommended focusing on the combined business attraction and development efforts of Metro Government and Greater Louisville Inc. on a number of key industry “clusters” identified as having the most potential for growth in the area.

It prioritized the need for near-term and long-term aesthetic improvements, transportation changes, land-use enhancements, and programs and policies needed to make the Park Hill corridor a magnet for businesses and new jobs.

In mid-2012 the opportunity finally arose to fulfill the promise, and the need, with a government-funded regional training center facility right in the heart of the corridor. It would be a great boost to the West End Park Hill neighborhood and finally drive economic growth and development in one of the poorest areas in Louisville.

It would also have finally fulfilled the long and endless stream of broken promises by Democratic leadership in Louisville to the West End citizens.

The new academic facility would have created new jobs, job-training opportunities, help clean up the local community, improve property values, and generally help the Park Hill and West End residents have something to believe in and become a source of pride.

There would be even more jobs created by a number of new businesses offering support to faculty and students attending education and training classes at the new facility.

Why Park Hill
Faced with so many perceptions within the Louisville community itself, and visitors to the City as outlined above, Park Hill not only needed improvements, but it would be highly visible as it follows along the 7th/9th street corridor, and the effects of new buildings, new jobs, and improved appearance would not only help change the perceptions of crime, but investment in the neighborhood would show how we can overcome our problems by being inclusive of each area for opportunity to grow within the community.

Since the 7th/9th street area is the most heavily traveled route through the Industrial corridor, with access to all major interstates, what better image could we portray that Louisville is on the move and send a message to visitors and local employers such as Ford, GE, and UPS that we are following through on our commitment to aid them in their needs?

What a better way to prove our commitment and thus complete our promises to both the depleted West End area residents and local employers?

The Training Facility Plan

The plan was a simple one and we already had some federal grant money available as outlined in Part One.

The government funded regional training facility would consist of approximately 150,000 square feet of classroom and learning space on almost nine acres of land.

It would include a 300 seat auditorium, a library, an online manufacturing simulation and class production studio, a materials handling center, a vehicle production dynamic prove out area, a vehicle body shop and a vehicle repair shop.

It would also have dynamic classrooms and state-of-the art learning cells — an integrated robot lab, an electrical lab, a hydraulics lab, a mechanical lab, a machine tool lab, a welding lab, a vehicle body lab, a vehicle repair lab, a computer lab, a programmable logic controller lab, manufacturing systems and processes lab, sensor technology lab, and an integrated system troubleshooting lab.

State of the art and in a neighborhood long forgotten through many lies and broken promises by so called leaders over a 30 year period, what could be a better fit?

As we pointed out previously it won’t happen because of two men.

After months and months of hard work Democratic Mayor Greg Fischer pulled the plug, with Simmons College own Kevin Cosby’s blessing, because Fischer wanted the project moved to the East End. It would benefit his sister, JCTC Board Chairman Lynn Fischer, who is also the CEO of Catalyst Learning, a worker training firm, and as always it all comes down to money and political power.
Why share the wealth if you can have it all?

Ask Kevin Cosby why he agreed to drop the plan. Rumor has it it was for his own financial well-being.

Simmons College History

In order to understand fully why this was so important to the West End community, and Louisville overall, one has to understand the historical significance of Simmons College and its roots in the West End.

In August of 1865, 12 Black Baptist Churches met at Fifth Street Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky and organized the state Convention of Colored Baptist Churches in Kentucky.

Because there was no place in the state where Blacks could obtain a college education, members of the Convention soon began discussing the need to create a school for the training of Negroes – many of whom were one generation removed from slavery.

Having first given consideration to Frankfort, Kentucky as the home to the school, members of the Convention instead decided in 1869 to locate what would be known as the Kentucky Normal Theological Institute in Louisville, KY.

It was not until 1879 that anything was essentially done to open the school, when the trustees of the Convention of Colored Baptist Churches in Kentucky purchased 4 acres of land on the corner of 8th & Kentucky Street in Louisville that immediately served as the campus for the school.

That same year, the school opened its doors under the direction of its first President Rev. Elijah P. Marrs. After a brief one-year tenure, Rev. Marrs was succeeded by Dr. W.J. Simmons.

Under the leadership of Dr. Simmons the school began to flourish in such a way that it would eventually be renamed Simmons University in appreciation for his contributions.

Under Dr. Simmons tutelage and leadership from 1880 to 1890, Simmons College became a full university that included programs such as liberal arts, college preparatory courses and medical, law, business, music, and theological departments.

The school also became active in collegiate sports that included football, basketball, and baseball teams. Simmons University was on their way.

That is until the Great Depression.

In 1930, the campus was forced to sell its property due to a foreclosure on the mortgage. As a result, the school had to drastically scale back operations. By 1935 Simmons had a new location and a new curriculum.

The new location at 1811 Dumesnil Street in West Louisville afforded the school the opportunity to continue but with a much narrower mission. They would focus on educating young men and women for Christian service. In 1982 the school was renamed Simmons Bible College to more adequately reflect its mission.

Finally, after 77 years of exile, Simmons College of Kentucky returned to its original 8th and Kentucky campus in 2007.

Simmons College was a natural fit for this facility and Cosby was one of the most eager to see it come to fruition….in the beginning. But when faced with a decision to make by Mayor Fischer, who could not just drop the project for fear of backlash from the West End residents who elected him Mayor especially with an upcoming reelection, Fischer opted, as his Democratic predecessors did, once again to deny the West End its rightful place in economic progress.

The only way to sell this atrocity was to enlist the aid of a prominent black community leader such as Cosby who was instrumental to the project itself.

After all Cosby, as President of Simmons College, is absolutely vital to the project.

Cosby certainly could not sell the failure of this project to the community that he relies on financially to support himself without facing backlash of his own, so why did he back off and support Fischer by selling out?

Why would President Kevin Cosby sell out the community and the history of Simmons College?
Sources tell us money was involved and it wasn’t cheap. The price was high folks and those involved in paying it are now known.

How much does it take to sell out your community in dollars? We will tell you in future articles.
What was the value to the West End community itself?

Over $27 million lost, not including the intrinsic value of creating a vibrant atmosphere for the West End community itself, and all for personal financial gain at the expense of the community in which he serves.

That’s $27,000,000 folks.

Are you surprised?

Trust us. You haven’t seen anything yet……



Listen Monday and Thursday from 7-8pm at The Ed Springston Show. Also visit Louisville Politics for more details and in depth coverage of local political and news issues.

Mayor Fischer’s West Side Story – Lies and broken promises

Louisville, KY – This is a tale of Mayor Fischer’s West Side story. One full of lies and broken promises the West End community has grown far too accustomed to for too many years under Democratic leadership in Louisville. Louisville Politics has been asking for years why the West End continues being ignored and made to live as outsiders in the Louisville dream. This is but one example of why.

One of the key problems throughout Louisville and indeed across the US these days is the lack of economic opportunity, especially in our depressed inner city poor neighborhoods. With that in mind studies were done throughout Kentucky and major employers in Kentucky were asked what was their number one problem with growth and development in Kentucky.

The answer? Lack of an available trained work force.

It made sense and helped explain the sudden rise of the fly by night warehouses that rely solely on temporary workers and hurt the working middle class. These low paying temporary warehouse no skill jobs are permeating Louisville and destroying the potential we once had.

Without a skilled workforce we are pummeling toward a decline that Detroit is facing today.
Governor Steve Beshear himself bought into that argument and announced he wanted to place three regional training facilities throughout the state. Toyota and its suppliers are seeking one for Georgetown, and would presumably get one, so why not Louisville home to 3 of the State’s largest employers Ford, GE, and UPS?

A plan was put in place to develop a regional training facility in Louisville.

In June of 2012, Mayor Greg Fischer assembled a team of union officials, manufacturers, community leaders, JCTC, U of L, as well as, Simmons College President Kevin Cosby to develop a concept and work plan for a world-class regional education and training facility to help improve the skill levels of the Louisville workforce.

This team included representatives from Ford, GE, UPS, the UAW, IUE, Simmons College, JCTC, and many more. Among them from the Mayor’s office were Haley Stevens, Tony Peyton, and Mary Ellen Wiederwohl.

For months Mayor Fischer held regular meetings with local stakeholders at City Hall to advance the new JCTC/Simmons college facility project. The group and the initiative was making huge progress and the project was on the road to fruition.

Finally, after decades of lies, we had a project that would create many opportunities for West Louisville. New jobs, new infrastructure, and a new attitude for a blighted and long forgotten area of our history. A plan that included all the business leaders, and representatives of the union workers, of Louisville working together for the common good.

Imagine, a worker training facility essentially run by Simmons College and JCTC sharing a common area that would be a huge benefit to the forgotten area of Louisville.

What a boost!

Common sense and logic, usually neither of which appear in most projects seemingly, actually prevailed and by including the biggest business leaders of our community, and the unions, the group proved to be a huge success in helping further along our West Louisville.

Black and white, management and labor, State and Local Government officials, both Republican AND Democrat, our largest employers, Ford, UPS, GE, suppliers and many others actually working together and very supportive of the project.

Can anyone remember a project that crossed racial boundaries, political boundaries, or included management and labor working together in a positive way here In Louisville?

Can anyone think of any single project of this caliber or magnitude actually being associated with the West End of Louisville?

Even a local real estate firm volunteered a significant amount of time and effort to assemble a development plan and quietly arranged an opportunity to purchase the tract of land for the new JCTC/Simmons college education and training facility.

This new world-class education and training facility project would have helped change opinions not only in the way Louisville overall perceives Western Louisville, but in the hearts and minds of many in Western Louisville who just want to have a seat at the table.

After decades of being led by lies and deceptions from elected leaders, this was a chance to be inclusive of Western Louisville and have a positive impact on a declining area. It would give West
Louisville what it really needs.

A significant economic infusion into the West Louisville community.

It could, and would help reshape the image of Western Louisville and help them move in a positive direction towards meaningful change.

A change that is badly needed.

New construction, training opportunities that would create much needed jobs, something that would benefit the poorest of our community, and particularly the African-American citizens of the West End, who had been ignored and seemingly forgotten from the civil rights battles of the 1960’s, by Louisville’s Democratic leadership.

Finally, after all of the decades of lies and manipulation, the West End had seemingly arrived and had a seat at the table in negotiations. We could finally work towards eliminating the blight that our elected leaders and we ourselves made due to poor leadership.

The West End would be recognized as a world leader because of the training facility, and finally be proud of being a part of the community.

It would have been a great day in Louisville…. except it isn’t going to happen.
After months and months of hard work Democratic Mayor Greg Fischer pulled the plug, with Simmons College own Kevin Cosby’s blessing, because Fischer wanted the project moved to the East End.

Why?

First the background

As many of you know, the YMCA is building a new facility in West Louisville. The City of Louisville sought federal assistance and secured $1.2 million in community development funds for the project. Miraculously the YMCA last year told Mayor Fischer and the city that they did not want to use the federal funds for the project.

With $1.2 million in funds available and not being used, what do you do?

Enter the team working on the regional training facility project. The work group saw an opportunity to redirect the YMCA federal community development funds to the new regional training facility initiative and quickly developed a plan.

The next step of course was to get Mayor Fischer’s approval for the grant money, that the YMCA did not use, to be redirected for the project.

Recommendations were made to Mayor Fischer and the Metro Council members to redirect the available funds to purchase approximately 8.5 acres of land on 8th Street, between a JCTC education facility and Simmons College, to build the new education and training facility.

All the pieces were in place, there was affordable land available, over $1.2 million to get it off the ground and running, with millions more available through federal grants, and it was a perfect opportunity to prove that the West End was vital.

It was the perfect fit for JCTC and Simmons College since JCTC representatives were already working jointly with Kevin Cosby at Simmons College.

Since Simmons, a historically black private co-ed college founded in 1879, was returning to its roots as Louisville’s first industrial worker education and training center during the early 1900s, how could one not see that this was the perfect fit?

What a great testament to what we as a community could accomplish when working together!

Finally we could change the attitudes that had permeated throughout the West End community from lying politicians.

With all of this in mind, the project group didn’t just have an idea. They developed it.

They worked tirelessly to bring it together. Top managers and labor working together for a common good in our community. They put together a plan and provided presentations. They invited city officials and advisors to the site so they could see firsthand the opportunities and seek support for the project.

All were impressed, including Mayor Fischer, who was so excited he told some ‘that this facility in West Louisville would be good,’ for Louisville. Yep he was excited all the way up until a decision had to be made and he ……dropped the whole plan.

Why did Mayor Fischer pull the plug?

It really is simple. Politics and money.

Many people say that Mayor Greg Fischer doesn’t make any economic decisions unless they benefit his campaign manager or other political ‘Friends of Greg.’

Political insiders have indicated that Mayor Fischer’s sister, and JCTC Board Chairman Lynn Fischer, who is also the CEO of Catalyst Learning, a worker training firm, did not want the project next to Simmons College. Conflict of interest? You bet but one thing was clear.
Lynn wanted the facility wholly owned and operated by JCTC on the east side of Louisville.

Why JCTC and the east side?

Based on our more than 20 year history of failed leadership in the West End, led by by former ‘Mayor for life’ Jerry Abramson, as well as the current lies by the Fischer administration, and his Democratic party partners, it seems there is a mindset by the Democratic political machine in Louisville.

Like his predecessor before him, Jerry Abramson, (remember poorer, blacker, and older?), Fischer appears to be following in those same footsteps by this decision and has proven once again what the people of the West End should know about this project and why they were left out once again.

Simply put?

Assuredly there would not be many people of color at that location.

Speculation?

Perhaps, but the Democratic leadership in this town has a long record of empty promises and lies when it comes to bringing people of color to the table, much less have a voice, in many economic opportunities, and Fischer in many opinions is no stranger to that mindset as well.

What is more disturbing is that Simmons College own President Kevin Cosby agreed with the change.

Why would he agree to something that would once again screw the African-American community and destroy their faith?

What promises or financial contributions were made to Reverend Cosby in exchange for walking away from the West End community?

We will answer that one in a future article but rest assured Cosby has profited well from the disparities of the racial divide.

In the meantime, why does Mayor Fischer continue to follow the path of his Democratic predecessors, who time after time, provided nothing but lies and empty promises to West Louisville?

The answer is obvious. West Louisville continues allowing it.

Why does West Louisville continue supporting and electing these liars?

There will be more forthcoming.

There are federal investigations currently underway regarding Mayor Fischer and the Democratic machine that include potential fraudulent land deals, similar to the dealings and investigation of Trenton, NJ Mayor Tony Mack.

Mack was recently arrested for fraudulent land deals involving federal funds.

Buckle up Louisville and enjoy the ride.

You ain’t seen nothing yet…..

Listen Monday and Thursday from 7-8pm at The Ed Springston Show. Also visit Louisville Politics for more details and in depth coverage of local political and news issues.