Saturday, November 14, 2009

BRIDGE PANEL SELECTIONS: METRO COUNCIL HYPOCRITES

As most know by now Abramson has hand picked our reps for the Bridges Panel. No real surprise with his choices. You can read about them here: Council questions bridge panel picks courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal

No real surprises at all.

The biggest surprise is the idiots on the Council who have rubber stamped each and every appointment by Abramson since merger now are trying to act like they care.

Seems now that Abramson is on his way out they can act like they have some balls knowing full well the Democratic majority will approve these people regardless. After all Abramson has another year left (unless he resigns sooner to "focus" on his bid for Lt. Governor) so why not act like you care now.

I mean even the Courier gets that much: "Mayoral appointments to boards and commissions normally get council approval with little fanfare — Abramson's office can't recall the council voting down an appointment since the 2003 merger."

So what gives now?

Some on the Council now act like they seem concerned. Take Rick Blackwell's statement here:

"But Rick Blackwell, D-12th District, said that the council made clear to Abramson that they wanted a council voice among the membership when it passed a bridges resolution in July.
“It's a really important issue for the community,” he said. ‘We're going to be talking about a lot of things that affect our districts — including the possibility of tolls.”


Yeah Rick we believe you really care based on your history of votes on the Council and siding with your good friend and lack of ethics partner Bob Henderson. Puhleeze.

If you look at the names Abramson has submitted for rubber stamp approval then it automatically raises questions. Of course his appointments have always raised questions in the citizenry. It is only the rubber stamp Council members who failed to ask them.

Carlton said that the mayor wanted his appointments to include civic-minded people who have been involved in the transportation planning issues and are “knowledgeable of the issues.”

And these are civic minded people not Abramson or party cronies? I beg to differ.

Start with Sandra Frazier CEO of the Tandem agency. The Tandem agency on paper seems to be ok. I am not knocking what they do for a living but after reviewing some of the things they work on and some of the people on staff one has to wonder.

I mean Frazier is supposedly an independent yet admittedly her firm counts among its clients the Bridges Coalition, a group of businesses, labor organizations and governments supporting the project.

She also is listed among past donors to River Fields, a conservation organization that opposes an eastern bridge.

Gee no conflict there is there. Not to mention Michael Tierney on staff does work for Mayor wannabe Jim King. Are we to believe that they want to be involved purely because they are civic minded? Very suspect to say the least.

Or look at everybody's favorite non City agency that just so happens to seem to be in the middle of everything that goes on here. You know who I am talking about.

Good old Greater Louisville, Inc (GLI). Joe Reagan of GLI I would not trust for dog catcher. Sorry folks. A non governent agency being funded with our tax dollars by a board Abramson and david Tandy just happen to sit on. Yep.

As far as Moyer and Richmond are concerned with these other people Abramson wants to appoint why even worry about them.

So gee um thanks Rick Blackwell, Vickie Aubrey Welch, Bob Henderson, Dan Johnson, and a whole host of other rubber stamp council members who have allowed this Mayor to screw us with appointments through the years under your watch.

To act like any of you suddenly care is hypocritical at best.

Your thoughts?

5 comments:

  1. I have noted there is increasing community chatter about how River Fields' tentacles have reached into Louisville Metro government and related organizations such as GLI and the Downtown Destruction Corporation, not to mention mayoral campaigns. For the sake of our beloved city's future, this chatter needs to multiply like bunny rabbits.

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  2. Also check out this related blog post at the Louisville Courant: http://louisvillecourant.blogspot.com/2009/11/river-fieldschristy-browngreg-fischerdo.html

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  3. Um, he appointed a past donor to River Fields?- I had missed that.

    Related to board appointments, Jerry has until Dec 22 to come up with his 13 selections for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board- and neither me nor the other couple people I know that have submitted interest- have even been contacted. Lemmee guess, does this mean he's already lined up cronies that oppose affordable housing? Who are cronies that oppose affordable housing anyway? Maybe we can predict who they will be before he does...friendly wagers to follow.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. As regards board appointments and the board, there were created by legislation adopted earlier this year by the Kentucky General Assembly. The new board will for the first time allow citizens throughout the new Louisville as well as police officers to appeal the Chief’s disciplinary actions.

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