AN INDEPENDENT MINDSET:PARTIES BE DAMNED

For some time now I have struggled with a decision.

Simply, I have been a lifelong Democrat and have always been proud to be one. Traditionally labor Democrats have been the ones fighting for the rights of the workers and the middle class.

This has sadly not been the case for many years.

When I first felt that at a local level I left the party for one year, as I said I would, in 2006 purely to insure that Abramson, who in my opinion was hurting Louisville and all of us in it regardless of party, did not essentially get a free ride to reelection. He was destroying the middle class and labor in our community with pipe dreams of Cordish and an arena, things we cannot afford. He was hurting the working class that made this community what it was and what it will be again.

He sent good paying middle class jobs down the road with the lies that he was adding good paying jobs to replace them. Of course those good paying jobs are service economy jobs that do not pay enough for a family to afford more than dog food. he has fought and wasted taxpayer money to challenge contractual agreements with our police, firefighters, and voted against labor at every turn in contractual negotiations with the City.

He has hurt our neighbors by lessening their ability to provide for their families, has hurt our City by giving away money like it was his own to places such as Cordish, He has mismanaged our assets and our money by continuing to employ cronies heading departments that steadily show decline, mismanagement, and quite frankly theft.

There has not been one person who would challenge the status quo that allowed Abramson to do this to us. Where were the Republicans at when we needed them to counterbalance the ego and power of Mayor Abramson?

Voting yes on everything he put before them on the Council.

Surely we had a Democrat with morals, ethics, and integrity that would stop this madness right?

Nope we let them keep their jobs on the Council so Abramson could still get what he wanted.

Nothing ethical about being a rubberstamp for your own ego.

I felt obligated, since no one else would, to run in 2006 because it was time to force issues to the surface and let the chips fall where they may.

Never did I have any grand illusion of winning that race as an unknown outsider. I can say this though everything I stated then has come true.

No I am not bragging just stating the obvious.

Of course I knew there would be a price to pay for challenging Jerry. When I honored my word that I would rejoin the party immediately after the race I quickly came to realize that essentially nothing changed. The party and the rubberstamps in it would protect THEIR interests at the expense of all of us they supposedly represent.

I found this out during the Metro Council race in District 14. So many deals were made to pollute the ballot and let Henderson get voted back in with LESS than 37% of the vote just to keep me and my voice off the Council. No it is not delusional. That is what I have been told by multiple sources on the inside. Confidentially of course so I will not release their names. Make of it what you will.

I would not be a rubberstamp for the Abramson machine, nor would I be for any person or party, that could be controlled and they could not have that. As Jim King and others have found out I will not shut up for any of them. I will work to make it better and more ethical across the board for us all. We deserve it.

I would ask each of you to begin paying attention to the pretenders that show up for elections.

Ask yourself this.

Where are those faithful candidates at now after they "promised" they would work to change things? What are they doing for the community to bring changes? Where are Jack Wood, Rick McCoy, or Michael Bowman? They sit in Dem club meetings, or other meetings talking a lot but doing very little other than ensuring their party stays in control.

What is the price we pay for blind allegiance to a party doctrine and no allegiance to we the people?

That is the problem today. It is very real and we are suffering greatly for it.

I spoke with some Republican friends I know and of course the answer was come on board we would love to have you. Problem is I see the same thing with them.

The Republicans seem to be so disorganized they have no one that can stand up to be a leader today IMO. If they did they would have already been working to make changes and fighting the fight myself and others fight everyday. Instead they are now starting to mimic what many of us have been saying all along.

In short jumping on the bandwagon. We need no bandwagon jumpers we need leaders.

Partisan politics from both sides are destroying our Country, our State, and our Louisville. I can no longer align myself with either party that condones such behavior and flagrant misuse of power.

I am done with the partisan party politics. I have never been one to sit idly by and agree, like a brainwashed idiot, to anything that would hurt my fellow man. I simply cannot do it. While they are fighting each other We The People are being left further behind.

As always I will continue to fight for the unions and the middle class in our community, for the small businesses and fairness for us all. For those who are too weak to fight for themselves.

I will continue to do that proudly with or without the support of any of them, if I choose to run for an office in the future, because it is the right thing to do. For the people and our American way of life.

I will be working toward a way to get Louisville to change toward nonpartisan elections.

Yes we must forget the party mantras. A nonpartisan election would allow the opportunity FOR ALL who wish to run for office to get the chance. It would create opportunity more equal and fair across the board.

As a matter of fact we already have some that have these races. Lexington has non partisan elections, closer to home Mt Washington does.

So today I announce I am an independent for good. No one can save the parties from witin at this point. They have become so polluted and corrupt at so many levels that the only way to get them back in line is to make sure others eyes get opened.

While I will suffer for it politically I will not be brainwashed into swearing an allegiance to any party or entity that does not have the best interests in mind for myself or my fellow citizens at heart. I am an old school kind of guy that believse in the power of the people.

I owe no allegiance to either party or the entrenched faithful they represent.

My allegiance today, as it always has been, is and shall remain to the people who deserve fairness and equality in representation from leadership.

My fellow citizen.

I will continue to lead the way to truth and honesty through this website and my radio show, The MyViewMatters Radio Show, for all of us. And yes I will once again run for some future office if I feel the need arises. Believe me we have a need for someone to step up to the plate and lead the way back to what our forefathers intended us to be.

I don't care who it is. I have no ego that requires it to be me.

Like me, love me, or hate me we deserve better and I simply cannot stand with those who purposely divide us and oppose the very people they are elected to represent.

Just sign me a born again American.......