Louisville Ky MSD, Audits and Indictments?

Sometimes you have to take credit where it is due because no one else will give it to you. Yep pretty egotistical statement and in this case I will be a pretty egotistical guy. Thanks to Kentucky Open Records Laws we can find out a lot more than we ever have.

For years now we at LNP have been reporting on the fallacies of MSD, including the shenanigans of Attorney Larry Zielke, the incompetency of Director Bud Shardein, and a whole host of other issues. Today we are vindicated.

Why would I say that? For the last year or so the CJ, and others, have been finally reporting somewhat on the problems at MSD yet they were silent throughout the years in many case in order to protect the former regime leader in Jerry Abramson.

There can be no doubt about that now as the problems at MSD have been talked about for years in the public domain by yours truly. Why were other media outlets ignoring these problems when Jerry was in charge? While I thank Crit Luallen for finally doing a complete audit, why would she wait until the end of her term to do so when info was provided long ago about MSD and an audit requested by yours truly as well?

While there certainly are many questions to be asked, and accountability for all who helped hide this to protect the Democratic mafia with Abramson, it is indeed a great day to finally be proven right so thanks to Crit and her Department.

You can read the findings here from Crit’s office.

Mayor Greg Fisher announced at Noon today that Bud Shardein will be replaced as Director immediately. Unfortunately, though I agree with ridding Shardein 100%, the direction he is taking is suspect.

For starters, allowing Shardein to remain in any capacity until the spring is wrong. He has proven to be a dismal failure, a liar, and a thief. You don’t reward that behavior by allowing him to stay on so he can pad retirement.

You fire him immediately and deal with it. To allow him even so much as an advisory role is an insult to each of us who have been screwed by wrongful rate increases and faulty management.

Fischer also announced that three long-serving board members — chairman Arnold Celentano, Doyle Stacy and Jerome Clark — will shortly retire from the board as soon as replacements are found. Fischer asked them to stay until replacements can be appointed to maintain a level of institutional knowledge during the interim. There are eight board members, four of whom have been appointed by Fischer and have served fewer than six months.

Good to see Doyle Stacy being replaced as he was nothing more than a political hack appointment to appease the UAW for his work gaining an endorsement of Jerry Abramson in 2006. His work in that fiasco was rewarded so good riddance.

Another interesting twist to the story?

Greg Heitzman, Water Company president, will also assume the title of executive director of MSD starting immediately. Heitzman will be a loaned executive to help lead MSD during its transition toward compliance with the audit findings as well as a possible new business structure. Current executive director Bud Schardein, a 28 year MSD veteran, announced today that he will retire in the spring but will remain with the agency in an advisory role until then to help ensure a smooth transition.

I have problems with Heitzman being interim for MSD. Why? Because I believe that the Louisville Water Company is the second biggest scam against us ratepayers.

LWC is 100% owned and operated by the City of Louisville itself. Its purpose is to provide us with safe affordable drinking water. Period.

So why then can LWC continue to raise rates and post a profit that goes straight into the Louisville General Fund?

Is this not a form of illegal taxation since the Government owns it? Making a profit by raising rates is exactly one of the same scams MSD has been employing. Using a government agency for profit is, well, not exactly acceptable is it?

Greg Fisher you need a new Board Chairman? I volunteer. In the meantime.

There are a lot more questions to be asked and answered in the short-term but today, after years of railing against the illegalities of MSD, is as good a day as any to sit back, reflect on the fight, and say……

I told you so.


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CODE ENFORCEMENT SERIES PART 2: Michael Baugh

First, I must apologize for taking a while to write this second part. I have been awaiting information and some records via KORA (Kentucky Open Records Act) info. While Kentucky Open Records Law makes information avalable they don't make it easy. It does take awhile to sift through the info as well.

I said in the first part of this series I would talk about IPL inspector Michael Baugh next. This issue will deal with Inspector Michael Baugh and one question:

Why is this guy still an IPL inspector?

Upon receiving Mr. Baugh's personnel file through the KORA it is obvious Mr. Baugh has a serious problem in dealing with the public at large. He has been disciplined repeatedly since at least 1994 for conduct unbecoming and his behavior towards the public at large. Complaints from homeowners, letters, phone calls, etc because of his abrasive and unprofessional behavior have been an ongoing way of life for Mr. Baugh at IPL.
As a matter of fact the disciplinary offenses include everything from conduct unbecoming, failure to follow bosses orders, and the most obvious discourteous, impolite, and disrespectful with the general public. According to his file records he was ORDERED to alter his approach when dealing with citizens as early as 1998. Yes I know this predates merger but it shows just how long this abusive behavior has been going on from Mr. Baugh.

Finally by 2003 it was recommended he be reassigned to office work due to his communication failures. So what happened with the recommendation?

Apparently it was ignored since Michael Baugh continues to do inspections and deals with the public at large today 5 years later.

This has been a pattern of behavior by Michael Baugh since at least 1994. He has been reprimanded over and over and yet still allowed to continue harassing the public at large.

How is this possible? Good question. I mean seriously this guy in July of 2003 was found in violation of 3 IPL RULES ON HIS OWN HOME!
Additionally he was found in violation of IPL RULES ON HIS OWN HOME again in April of 2007!

If he doesn't even know he is in violation on his own home we trust him to inspect ours and say we are? If he does know then his arrogance means he feels he can do whatever he wants and has in many instances. We need these people doing this job huh?

Also after securing cell phone records his minute usage averages about 1800 minutes per month. This would include personal calls as well. Of course the City plan only allows for 1000 minutes so the other 800 minutes are billed at 45 cents per minute. This equates to roughly an additional $360.00 per month we the taxpayers are paying for.

According to the signed Metro agreement by Michael Baugh, and all others on a Metro cell phone, all personal calls are to be monetarily reimbursed to the City. Are the overages being reimbursed as agreed in writing? If he isn't paying for personal calls at the same 45 cent rate the City pays how much are we wasting in this City on personal calls? Since one reprimand concerned spending too much time on the phone not conducting business I found it relevant to seek phone records.

On a sidenote, I know this Mayor cannot understand communications, or fund them appropriately, but can we not get a better deal on cell phones? I mean mine is all inclusive unlimited everything for less than $100 a month. The overage alone on Michael Baugh's phone is more than triple that!

In all fairness though Michael Baugh is not alone in the phone overages I am sure. He just happens to be part of the problem with IPL and one part of my investigation. And do not forget that he apparently has a great rapport with District 14 Metro Councilman Bob Henderson. This was reported on back in April in the LEO by Rick Redding of www.thevillevoice.com.

I mean it was kind of obvious since Redding was doing a story on me and my fight for the people of District 14 during the primary and Michael Baugh just "happened" to show up at lunch with Bob Henderson and basically verified the quotas I told Rick about. Even Henderson admitted Baugh was "aggressive" in that article. That is putting it mildly based on records.

It is time we started becoming aware of what our leadership is doing and allowing. Michael Baugh is a prime example of some seeming sense of power gone wrong. He has been allowed to continue in his capacity harassing the publci at large and has declared even recently that when he is on your property "I am God when I am here."

No power trip in that statement huh.

Based on his personnel records over a period of years, from at least 1994 to present day, it seems he might actually believe that. According to records his behavior has not only been unacceptable to us but to his bosses as well. Yet they have continued to allow him to remain in the capacity of inspector and dealing with the public. One thing is for sure.

This type of abusive behavior cannot continue unchallenged by the office of Code enforcement or any level of government at Metro.

In previous articles you have read where I have singled out John Flood, Bill Schreck, and even Abramson for abuses by Code enforcement. This further illustrates just how willing they are to allow abuse to continue at the expense of the citizens they represent. This information was based on public accessible open records and many anonymous calls. I still get anonymous calls over this and I am asked to keep them anonymous because my sources will lose their job or be severely reprimanded for speaking out.
It is obvious to me based on my research that these inspectors work in a hostile work environment and there are legal remedies available to force these so called "leaders," and I use the term loosely, to straighten up and quit harassing those that work for them for exercising their freedom of speech. Every workplace has rules and behavior that is acceptable or not including Metro Government as an employer.

For those that continue wanting to remain anonymous I will as always respect that.

We often hear of working toward change today during this Presidential election season. I have spoken for the need to change for quite some time. During my Mayoral campaign in 2006 I promised there would be change one way or the other.
It starts with one voice and it grows from there. And believe me based on the number of people who read this site we are definitely growing. And by the way the person that hacked into my comp?

Really that isn't going to stop me. More on that for you readers later.

I urge each of you to get involved and help us all get the change we need and stop the stranglehold and abuse we continue to endure from our officials. No it will not be easy and it is hard to stand up sometimes but it is necessary to effect change in many ways.

WE THE PEOPLE is where it all starts and I ask that each of you remember that WE THE PEOPLE have the power to change anything. We do not need to live in fear of our government they work for us.

Abusive corrupted power is not Democrat or Republican. It is a mindset that knows no boundaries nor is it divided amongst party lines.

Stand tall and stand proud. :-)

As always I can be contacted at the following:

contact me

or via phone at (502)742-8519

Keep the calls coming from every level and office at Metro. I appreciate them all and will continue fighting for us all.
Let's see what we can do together to improve your workplace and our communities at every level. As always it will be confidential if you want.