CHRIS THIENEMAN TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON THURSDAY

Chris Thieneman is holding a press conference on Thursday morning at 10:30 am at 4th Street live. Chris you may recall sent an open records request using Kentucky Open Records Law to obtain information concerning the Cordish $950,000 sweetheart deal that had no accountability whatsoever.

Metro Council President David Tandy, Bruce Traughber, Mike Norman, and others even went to Baltimore for answers. They came back empty handed behind and used the "gee it looked okay to me" mentality.

Chris has fought the City before and won. You may recall the River Fields deal being reopened thanks to a lawsuit by Chris Thieneman that netted the City a few hundred thousand more dollars. The lawsuit led to a more fair open bidding process on River Fields thanks to Chris efforts.

Chris has threatened to sue if there were no answers on his open records request in regards to Cordish expenditures on the $950,000 Abramson gave them. This should be a doozy of a press conference.

Make plans to attend.....

MYVIEWMATTERS RADIO W/ DAWN TWEED-WHARTON

Tonight's show featured local activist on healthcare reform Dawn Tweed-Wharton where we discussed issues surrounding healthcare and even media bias. shhhhhh.



Check it out very interesting.

JUSTICE FOR JIM KING? NOT LIKELY LOOKING AT THIS

Today I dropped off my complaint with Commonwealth Attorney Dave Stengel's office asking for a criminal investigation on Jim King for felony campaign finance fraud. Of course where was Dave Stengel? You guessed it at Jim King's "I wannabe Mayor announcement." I couldn't script this any better if I tried. Check out the pic above courtesy of LEOWeekly.


Of course I do wonder if Dave Stengel was on personal time because I am sure lunch does not last longer than an hour.


The question is did it get tossed before it got read? Who knows. Obviously I expect Commonwealth Attorney Stengel to stay away from this issue as it is to political apparently for the entrenched to actually do their job.


Some will say that it isn't his job, but according to the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling in the case of Democratic Party of Kentucky v. William L. Graham, Commonwealth Attorney Stengel AND Attorney General Jack Conway, do have the authority. Conway's office, through assistant Tad Thomas another insider, has already declined to get involved. Stengel's office will do so as well.


Next in line when this happens is County Attorney Mike O'Connell who I am sure will have problems getting involved as well. Folks are you seeing a pattern yet?

Our elected so called leaders will not do anything that would be controversial against the machine that keeps them in power and in fact try everything they can to stop any registered voting citizen from seeking justice.


The KREF is not going to do much, if anything, because of the power of the elite though clearly the LAW has been broken and knowingly so. That is why I am preparing to file a lawsuit, assuming the KREF does not recuse itself, so that I can have a fair and unbiased review of the case.

Considering the ties between ex KREF Chair Joe Terry, who was quoted in the Courier on Dec 12, 2008 as saying these gifts would stink to him if they were given AFTER a candidate announced their run for office, as they clearly were in Katie King's case. He then went on Jim King's payroll after the original complaint was filed with the KREF in February and changed his mind. As ex Chairman he was a qualified "expert" to make that statement about the illegality of the Kings actions in December, but now is defending the very thing he himself railed against. Sarah Jackson current executive director of the KREF said that the timing and intent of such gifts would be relevent in subjecting the Kings to inquiry. I wonder where she stands now?

It does not get anymore suspect than this.

Money talks and justice walks. So far anyway.

Strike One.

Jack Conway has his own problems now that he is running for Senate and certainly does not want to take the risk of making a financial powerhouse like King upset.

Strike Two.

Now Dave Stengel, along with more of the same hacks, will do nothing of any relevance I am sure. Check out his comments quoted in the LEO:

Running as man with money on his mind, the campaign has already gained the support of Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Stengel, a longtime friend of King, who said the city’s economic crisis calls for a mayor with a business background.

We’ve got a lot of talent running for this, but Jim has a real solid base in finance and banking. He knows how to raise capital,” Stengel said. “This is our biggest problem right now. We’re out of money. All government is out of money. If we can’t turn something around we’re all going to be hurting.”

For starters saying any of these clowns has a lot of talent certainly belies what most of us know. They have entrenched numbers but if any of them had talent we would not be iin this mess in the first place. King has approved everything in lockstep with Abramson as well as committed intentional, knowing campaign finance violations to buy a Judgeship.

Strike three.

We want this in office?

Stay tuned this will get even worse.

I will file a lawsuit on behalf of us all, if and when it becomes necessary. And yes according to the law I have that right. Want to get involved and help? Contact me at myviewmatters@aol.com, call (502)742-8519, or use the handy dandy paypal link on the right of this site.

Make a call to Commonwealth Attorney Dave Stengel and demand an investigation at (502) 595-2340.

Or call the County Attorney Mike O'Connell at (502) 574-6336.

The KREF can be reached here: (502) 573-2226

Attorney General Jack Conway's office: (502) 696-5300

This fight goes to the integrity of elections period. We deserve fairness and equality. We do not deserve the lies and manipulation by our elected leaders to keep power for themselves. We The People are the power and we must stand up and demand it.

For a copy of the complaint email me.

It is time to demand fairness and a voice for us all. We deserve it!

CHARITABLE GAMING FIGHT GOES ON

Yet another fiasco is being attempted against Charitable Gaming in Kentucky. It seems like the State morons just cannot get enough power and control in everything so they have to continue going after the ones who doe the most for our community.

According to this story: Proposal revamps how bingo is run courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal, the state Department of Charitable Gaming wants to centralize purchasing for bingo and pull-tab supplies and computerize the charities' record keeping. The agency believes the steps will reduce prices, improve accountability and leave charities with more money to support their causes.

Sounds like they really care doesn't it? I call bull. The real problem is they just want more money as usual and are concerned when they cannot get enough. They also just lost the slots issue and need to set up another fight for the necessity of saving Churchill Downs by eliminating the charitable gamers. Take this for example from the article:

Based on audits of some of its charities, the department estimates that $100 million a year –— about a fifth of the total amount accounted for in charity games — goes unreported because of theft and clerical errors.


The state also estimates charities lose $600,000 a year from accepting bad checks and have to pay $300,000 for bookkeeping to deal with the current paperwork.

Therein lies the real truth. They are concerned because they THINK that $100 million goes unreported and therefore can get more money by squeezing the gamers with yet another example of government being involved in private affairs.

No one is naive enough to think that some money would go unaccounted for. That is a problem EVERY business entity that deals in cash as their main staple, whether charity, non profit or for profit, has. Investigate each and every one of them. Hell start with the grocery stores who deal primarily with cash. Why not control the food supply then we can really be dependent on big brother right?

By the way while you are at it investigate the Charitable Gaming Commission itself. Why would I say that?

Because the Commission itself fines any Bingo or Charity that does not have the quarterly reports turned in on time and yet cannot produce an annual report from 2007-2008 of their own yet. Pot meet Kettle.

The article goes further to quote Kaven Rumpel, “I think this is a train wreck for the department to get involved in free trade,” said Kaven Rumpel, president of the Kentucky Charitable Gaming Association and owner of the Highview bingo hall, who said that the changes could result in less competition and higher prices for supplies

I agree totally. For the Government to continue involving themselves in free trade should be a serious concern to us all. As a matter of fact we do have FEDERAL laws to prevent this and this could cause a serious lawsuit against the State. What do the feds say about this. It is time we asked them.

Why do we continue to allow these idiots to continue this obvious attack against charities here at home? I do not know.

You can read my previous stories on charitable gaming throughout this website. The State has continued to try and persuade the public opinion into thinking that there are rampant thieves throughout the industry by implying that there is $100 million unreported and taken by thieves.

They have the right to their opinion right?

My opinion is that I believe the money spent by our legislators through graft, greed, corruption, and pork barrel spending throughout the State, is more than the $100 million they IMPLY is being stolen. Of course ours is stolen taxpayer money by our legislators.

I would almost bet I can prove my amounts faster than they can prove theirs.

It is a pathetic attempt once again to decide where money does or does not go. Who the hell is the State to decide what profit a business can make from anything?

If they want to use the failed logic that the industry has to cover bad checks for example then what gives them the right to decide that?

If any business decides to accept checks in the course of conducting their business it is their responsibility to accept any repercussions that go along with that choice. For the State to act like they care is yet another attempt to gain public sympathy that would allow them access to that which they are not entitled.

Is the State now going to force the business that does not allow personal checks to start accepting them and pay the State a fee to monitor the program for them?

They want to imply $100 million is stolen each year? Great then why are you not out attacking ALL other business that gets ripped off each year. Go check out the construction industry and the cash jobs that go unreported each year. Investigate how much money Cordish has received or paid to elected officials. What percent of profit has 4th Street live made? It is relevant since there is essentially a profit sharing agreement for Cordish with the City. Cordish has never paid a dime towards that agreement so where is their 40% threshold?

I guarantee if you ever got hold of all this information $100 million would be a drop in the bucket.

Go check out the cash that gets dispersed among the elected politicians or funneled into campaign accounts against the intent of campaign finance reform for reelection. Wanna bet that money adds up quick as well?

Of course they will not do that. It would cost the political appointed cronies their jobs and perhaps put some in jail. Instead follow the orders of "leadership" and go after those who can least afford it. But hey once they are gone we can get Churchill Downs the money they want and line the pockets of our legislators as well right?

Charitable Gamers make money to support their cause by the use of Bingo's etc. They fund their OWN issues. They are not asking for handouts. Thanks to the previous attempts by the State to act like they cared about the Charities many have disappeared altogether from the Bingo halls.

When faced with undue "profit" margins by the State, I use this phrase because most charities are considered non profit, many have had no choice but to quit trying to provide for themselves. The profit threshold by the State is essentially 40% with no allowances in many cases, of write offs afforded every other business.

When you cannot provide for yourself where do you go? Oh yeah the government. Let's ask the taxpayer's to fund our charity or let big brother take care of us making us dependent once again instead of free.

Why would a charity be forced to have a minimum profit margin? If a charity makes a dime that goes into their own charity itself, is that not a dime they did not have to ask for from the taxpayers?

Should they be punished for only making a 10% profit for example versus a 40%?

So many questions and no answers because the people at State want to CONTROL everything as usual. Using the State logic why do they not just go ahead and force EVERY business in Kentucky to post a 40% profit for doing business here.

If it is good enough for one business it should be good enough for all.

They do not because they know they cannot. Because that would probably be the final tipping point to us getting rid of these idiots.

Is this what it will take to wake us up to stand and be counted?

You know our government is needed for so many things and I always acknowledge, and recognize that, but to continue involving themselves at will in selective private business is a major concern for myself and indeed should be for us all.

Free trade and competition is what drives the American economy, for the State boys to think they can continue driving a wedge into the rights of private business is a steppingstone to destroying the very fabric of America itself.

It is insulting to each of us that they choose to destroy our way of life in favor of protecting their own.

In their own words from the Courier:

“We're not taking away the competitive process,” she said. Manufacturers are “still going to want to compete with each other because one manufacturer is still going to want to outsell another manufacturer. The only way they can do that is by putting the games in the market and taking out the games that they don't sell anymore just like they do now. That is not going to change.”


And yet the very next statement he makes is this:

Boggs said competition would be removed from the distribution system.

Lackey said “ideally” there would be two distributors in the state, compared with 23 now.

Um doesn't the statement itself say ultimately there would be 2 distributors instead of the 23 we have now?

Of course they are taking away from the competitive process and it is high time we stopped them from doing so.

Kevin Mills, leader of the St. Gabriel Catholic Church bingo, stated “What they're basically doing is ruining all the competition, and … there's nothing anybody can do about it.”

Well said Kevin Mills and Kaven Rumpel but there is much we can do about it. Stand and get the message out and help get outsiders elected to office.

The time to change is now before we all get left even further behind.

CORDISH AND OUR LEADERSHIP ONCE AGAIN: SAY WHAT?

Once again our leadership has failed us. Once again we are now seeing just how pathetic these so called leaders are. Once again we are starting to see just how the Abramson machine and the rubberstamps on the Council have been able to screw us all through lies and deception. Once again we see how no one will stand up and take back our Louisville by holding morons accountable.

Every now and then the Courier Journal actually does report something that we should look at and take serious. Today is one of those days. Check out the Cordish confidentiality agreement that was signed by Bruce "I do what Jerry tells me to" Traughber, auditor Mike "thanks for my job Jerry" Norman, and David "I wanna be Mayor so help me Jerry" Tandy.

Cordish confidentiality agreement courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal

Would anyone with any common sense sign something like this?

I mean really we paid for the trip, we pay their salaries, and we have demanded some transparency. What did we get?

Absolutely nothing. To say that these people, ALL of these people need to go would be an understatement.

Heck Cordish was even kind enough to draft a response for these guys just in case they did not know how to write one. PATHETIC.

Abramson now wants to be Lt. Governor. David Tandy now wants to be Mayor. Hell Jim King is now asking for transparency because he wants to be Mayor and he is one of the worst when it comes to transparency.

See the similarities here?

All the so called leaders and wannabe's have left us high and dry as usual. The pattern here is a simple one. They have no intent to gain us what we need and demand in transparency and accountability. None of the above have done anything to aid us in our search.

The only way to finally gain what we all seek is to throw them all out. I am not kidding. Get these people out of government they are not interested in our best interests at all. They benefit from a personal standpoint and with their private business dealings at our expense.

How else can we justify why the team that went to Baltimore came back with this garbage.

The team included Metro Council President David Tandy and our City Auditor in Mike Norman. Neither could do better than this? BOTH signed a confidentiality agreement? David Tandy is a lawyer, as well as, Metro Council President he certainly should have known better than this.

The entire Metro Council shares blame in this as well for allowing the Mayor to do this.

After spending the last several years pushing for transparency myself, and the many others who are doing so now, it seems there has been plenty of opportunity for the Council to begin the process of achieving this goal for the betterment of we the people who elect them.

Instead we now have this fiasco, and we now have the wannabe Mayor candidates acting like they want transparency now. Just one more example on a long list of their failures and why we need outsiders in government now not later.

Where were they during the years since merger? Reaping the benefits of an inflated ego and/or financial gain. Period.

For Jim King to act like he wants transparency now is an insult to all of our intelligence.

For David Tandy to sign such a confidential agreement when it concerns our taxpayer money he wants to control is just another example of someone wanting the job of Mayor for their gain not ours.

For the rest of the delegation including Mike Norman to sign such is just one more example of Abramson friends doing what they are told.

Time to break the cycle. Period.

Get rid of them all and do not be fooled.

We need real leadership by someone willing to stand up and do the right thing for us all.

We do not need more of the same by this pathetic display of insiders.

IS THIS WHERE WE ARE HEADED?

I just recently watched the movie Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone, don't hold that against me, and this stood out as a great speech. Why? It seems that each and everyday we are still fighting for the rights to live our lives free. This could be our alternative if we do not wake up soon. Or not but it is interesting when you think about the greed and corruption of our politicians, and the problems we suffer from because of it.

JIM KING WANTS TRANSPARENCY AND THE MAYORSHIP? LAUGHABLE AT BEST

According to thevillevoice Jim King is now preparing an ordinance to be introduced next week that will require any project financed with taxpayer dollars to be subject to open records laws and that there be no confidentiality agreements concerning the way money is spent. You can read more here: King, Council Move to Prevent Another Cordish

Funnily enough rumor also has it that King is preparing to announce his candidacy for Louisville Metro Mayor next week as well. Allen Leaning To Yes in Mayor’s Race. Amazing coincidence huh?

For starters Jim King is obviously trying to use the "transparency" issue thinking he can get votes from this stance in preparation for his announcement. It is really pathetic as King has continued to be part of the problem in lieu of transparency and certainly is shady when it comes to politics. You can read my stories throughout this site for the reasons why I believe so.

Many believe that Jim King's involvement in financing Katie King's run for Judge was illegal or borderline anyway. Myself included.

To say he is behind anything to do with legislation for accountability is also an incredible thing for him to take ownership of.

If King was so concerned with taxpayer money why has it taken until now to start working towards accountability and/or transparency?

Many of us have been asking for transparency and accountability for years. Hell it was one thing I campaigned on in 2006 when I ran for Mayor. Where has Jim King been on this issue since then? Did he take the lead on the issue?

No he has not. So why now?

Manipulation and deception.

He believes this is a situation he can capitalize on and people will forget the behind the scenes ongoing investigations and his lack of transparency himself. I even did an article, Louisville News and Politics: ONLINE DATABASE: DOES IT REALLY MATTER?, exposing one way he himself avoids the transparency we seek even showing one email as an example.



This email clearly shows a conversation about City business that Jim King himself said should be responded to his personal email. Of course this is becoming known as standard practice by some Council members. Why is this a big deal now?

Because personal email is not subject to open records inquiry that is why. What does this mean?

Simply that you can talk about anything and everything when it comes to City business and shield the deals or intent from public view if you opt to use private email. This is a clear way to circumvent transparency and accountability.

This underscores the intent of open records laws and the trust once again in public officials.

King has proven time and again by his lack of getting involved in any meaningful way to helping us gain this transparency and accountability we have been seeking for years. He has also showed a willingness to bend the law, or at least attempt to, as evidenced in his ongoing investigation into the Katie King campaign last year.

Yes I take the hits for keeping this alive and yes I will in some circles continue to be beat up over it.

It does not matter.

We the people deserve transparency and accountability from our elected leaders. I will gladly take the hits if it helps us gain it. I put it on the line in 2006 by making this an issue and will continue to until we gain what we all seek.

I am thankful for all today that are finally getting involved and seeking the same thing.

I will continue calling out the hypocrisy of those like King who continue to mislead us in the hopes of getting what they want for their own gain. Not necessarily what we deserve in leadership.

Do I disagree with a Metro Council ordinance working to gain us the accountability King says is he now working on?

Not in the least.

I do believe Jim King is the wrong person to ask for something he himself spends a considerable amount of time and money trying to avoid.

Just saying.