Code Red: Will you be prepared?

Just watched Metro Louisville's latest PSA for Code Red. The intro alone tells you what's coming:

"When potentially life-threatening events affect your family, will you be prepared? Will you be informed?

It's Friday, and I didn't do a end-of-the year recap like so I took a few minutes to caption my favorite moments inappropriately:

KREF lists Christy Brown as respondent in complaint

"If I thought the bridge decision was based on smart-growth principles and good regional planning," she says, "I'd feel good about it. What I really object to is that it's a land speculator's dream come true." -Christy Brown, 9/2004 (http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2004/september-october/so04feature3.html)

Christy Brown, along with and Old National Bank vice president Tommy Elliot, were the leaders of the inauguration committee (WFPL), later legally known as Greg Fischer Mayoral Inauguration.

Christy Brown with then Mayor-elect Greg Fischer, and her neighbor and  Inaugural committee planning team member George Stinson at the transition office.

The above-picture, which was taken by Donald Vish, and is being used without permission because of it's newsworthiness, was uploaded on flickr listing Stinson as a "senior advisor at transition office." Oh dear, another senior advisor,

Best coverage of Occupy from yesterday: WDRB

Well, I wouldn't call it a "victory" just yet, but I would say Chris Turner with WDRB, yes a Fox affiliate, gave some of the most comprehensive coverage of yesterday's Occupy news. There was a point late in the afternoon where he was giving us news instead of us giving it to him:

So little Occupy monsters, put this in your iphone calendars with 2 alarms:

Jan. 6, 2012 8 am: Hearing in Judge A. C. McKay Chauvin's Division 8 Court  

  >>>FACEBOOK EVENT  RSVP HERE<<<

HELLO, COMPASSIONATE CITY? CAN WE HAVE TENTS? THANK YOU.

It started last night with Dan Klepal's CJ story, that also appeared on front page of today's paper:
CJ: Occupy Louisville vows to fight city's attempt to take down tents

And apparently, that's where our TV folks find out where the news is. Because all day has been cover Occupy Louisville day:
New Occupy Louisville Permit Could Quash Camp - Louisville News Story - WLKY Louisville

UPI: Occupy Louisville to try to stop tent ban

Updated 5:21 PM:

Jan, 3: IPL Director Jim Mims expected back from his vacation, and the earliest date we can receive rejection of our extension request for the tent permits (so it can be appealed.)
Jan. 5: Meeting with the City
Jan. 6, 8 am: Hearing in Judge A. C. McKay Chauvin's Division 8 Court.

And the city not to do anything about the tents and a new permit until Jan. 5, 2012.
A big hand goes out to Chris Harrell for giving us endless hours of pro-bono this week. The next time I get sued, Chris deserves my business. (That's not an invitation to sue me though.)
Also a big thanks to Robin Garr who made today's complaint possible by paying for the filing fees!

01/04/02: VIDEO REMOVED BECAUSE LINK IT IS INACTIVE AT SOURCE.

A few Kentuckians victims of Anonymous

The customer database for the website SpecialForces.com was hacked yesterday, allegedly by the group Anonymous.

A tweet from the group yesterday led to this pastebin page where they took responsibility and supplied links to the customer's information, including their passwords. Anonymous described the customers of Special Forces this way:

"Their customer base is comprised primarily of military and law enforcement affiliated individuals, who have for too long enjoyed purchasing tactical combat equipment from their slick and “professional” looking website."

Amongst the customers of Special Forces who were victims of the Anonymous attack where at least three who claimed to be law enforcement officials in Kentucky:

Fischer, Mims using rabbitt tricks to foil Occupy Louisville

In a meeting last Wednesday, Occupy Louisville attorneys asked Metro Louisville's Jim Mims for the rejection of the tent permit, so we could APPEAL IT. Listen in at the 6 minute mark:


Turns out, they aren't formally rejecting the permit before the eviction. This makes an appeal impossible until after the eviction. Pretty smooth, eh?

I feel bad picking on Mims because he's obviously a pawn and doing what he's told. Of course, he's also getting paid $76,900/ year, so I imagine he probably believes if he does as he's told, he's well on his way to escaping the 99%.
What we need to know now is whether Mims' vacation was scheduled in advance of last Wednesday's meeting, or if Mayor Fischer sent him on vacation. Or if it was scheduled before the Wednesday meeting, and when he was offering to supply the rejection, he knew he wouldn't be around to have to deal with it.

And we can do that here as an open records request. Anyone can do them! You don't have to be a journalist. In fact, with the exception of a few, journalist regular do. If you're in television, you know I'm talking to you, right?

To file one, just go here: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/ipl/Open+Records+Request.htm.
They ask if you are a media organization, but that's just so they can know how much they can manipulate you, don't pay that no mind. This is what I asked for:

"Pursuant to Kentucky's Open Records Act, I'd like to know what vacation days Mr. Jim Mims with IPL had scheduled as of December 19, 2011.

And if it's not the vacation days of 12/27/2011-01/02/2012, when were those vacation days scheduled? "

So for Metro Louisville to comply with Kentucky's Open Records law, they'll need to get that information back to me within a few days, or at least notify me of the reason for the delay. Will be interesting to see if the Open Records department is now sent on vacation, too.

3:07 PM Update:
The reason for the delay in IPL granting the rejection of the permit is now being blamed on the Jefferson County Attorney's Office. Mike O'Connell is our Jefferson County Attorney. Is he on vacation, too?

Forgive my frustration, but it's been 6 days since Mims said the tent permit was definitely rejected, and yet we still don't have it it in writing for the appeal.

7:45 PM Update:
Working group meeting down at Occupy Louisville today at 5 PM. One of our volunteer attorney's Chris Harrell, gave an update to the 12-16 people who were assembled on the complaint he hopes to file tomorrow in Kentucky state court. Among other points, the complaint is asking for an injunction to allow tents to stay on the basis that they are necessary to exercise First Amendment rights when it's this cold outside. There's apparently a precedent complaint in South Carolina that worked.

To file the complaint, however, will take $180 filing fee. If you can help with that, get with Chris directly: harrell-law.com. Harrell updating the occupiers:

Dan Klepal, with the Courier Journal, was also covering the meeting, with a CJ photographer that had the ultimate challenge. How does one document a meeting in photographs when nearly 20 people are stuffed in a 12'x15' tent? Will be interesting to see tomorrow's paper.

The online story was put up about 10 minutes ago: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20111227/NEWS01/312270075/Occupy-Louisville-vows-fight-city-s-attempt-take-down-tents?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

Jim Ramsey teaches us how to party like it's 1999

It was recently made public that the president of the University of Louisville, Jim Ramsey, was to get a $270,000/year in additional compensation from a non-profit, the University of Louisville Foundation, raising his total annual compensation to $600,000/year. (Lane) It was billed as a raise, but that's a misrepresentation.

According to the Foundation's 2010 IRS 990 Form, they only supplemented Ramsey's measly $374,196/year income with $140,053 in cash, and $121,199 in "other compensation"(whatever that means).

The dramatic headlines about Ramsey's raise, suddenly don't make much sense at all. If I earned $635,448 in 2010, and found out I'd only make $600,000 in 2011. I don't even think I'd call it a raise, but then again, I didn't go to Harvard. I was educated at U of L.  The discrepancy may be because some sources, like the Lane Report link above, lists Ramsey's state salary at $329,740. But the Foundation's 990 says differently.
 
When the Foundation, founded in 1970, has a mission to support the efforts of University of Louisville Jim Ramsey's retirement plans, and to attract students no one in the region and to bring the world's top scholars and scientists Rick Pitino and Charlie Strong to Kentucky.
So whether he's paid $600,000/year or $635,448/year, it's a bargain for Louisville. But the best part, without Ramsey, we wouldn't have this unbelievable $10,000+ full-page advertisement in today's Courier-Journal:

Courier-Journal, 12-12-11, p C12.

Wait a second...Really? Let's look at little closer at this advertisement. Get off the paper, Frank...

Signs on a Louisville winter's day

Democratic Councilwoman challenges mayor, sky doesn't fall

An incumbent member of the Democratic Party's Metro Council Caucus had the audacity (gasp) this morning to question the motivation, if not the decision-making process, of our incumbent Democratic Party mayor.

In a tweet, Councilwoman Attica Scott (1), asked Mayor Greg Fischer:

@louisvillemayor Why do you fear holding public forums for the police chief candidates similar to the superintendent search process?
— Councilwoman Scott (@CW_AtticaScott) December 26, 2011

A good question. Why do you fear those public forums, Mayor Fischer? As of 2 PM, Mayor Fischer has yet to respond to the Councilwoman's tweet. I know you're shocked, but Mayor Fischer hasn't responded to a Twitter inquiry this morning from yours truly, either:

@louisvillemayor Any word on when IPL will have #occupylouisville tent permit rejection?
— curtis morrison (@morrison4metro) December 26, 2011

Want to start paying attention to this Twitter thing for 2012?
Follow Councilwoman Scott on Twitter at: @CW_AtticaScott
Follow me at: @Morrison4Metro
Follow Mayor Fischer at: @louisvillemayor (Just be careful not to get attached)

Editor's note, 11:07 PM: 
A short Facebook exchange with Scott revealed a couple details that I could have mentioned. First, the mayor outlined a four-step process on how the new police chief would be chosen. (Metro Newsroom) The first step was "citizen input."

At a December 1st forum called "West Louisville Community Forum on Police Chief Search," was hosted by Councilpersons of of Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. Scott even put it up on Facebook. But the Mayor, not anyone from the Southern Police Institute (SPI) he had hired, attended that forum. Oops. (We know the day before the Mayor was at Harvard teachinglearning about Occupy Louisville.)

"Folks in West Louisville would like the top five candidates to be part of a community forum as was the case with the superintendent search process."- Councilwoman Scott told me via Facebook this evening.

At least one "folk" in the Highlands (the one typing write now), also thinks the community deserves a chance to vet the candidates.

Update 12/28/2011: 4:22 PM: 
Councilwoman Attica Scott stopped by Occupy Louisville for a few minutes before lunch today to get an update on where we were at. I asked her if she had heard anything on whether the Mayor had responded to her challenge to let our community vet the mayor candidates? She said no, but she's not given up hope. And I think that's great. We shouldn't. It's a reasonable request.

Also, found this other perspective on the selection process and the forum at the Nia Center:
Metro Council discussion about next LMPD chief happened despite meeting format [Opinion: The Arena]

Featured GLI Supporter of the week: Charah®, Inc.

Charah®, Inc. is based in Louisville and contributed $10,000 to Greater Louisville, Inc. (GLI) in 2011.

On their website, Charah®, Inc. defines it's mission as "an ash management company developing and implementing innovative solutions and services to the coal-fired utility industry." 

Elsewhere on it's website, Charah®, Inc. anonymously references their contract at Louisville Gas and Electric's Mill Creek plant in a case study and takes credit for why LG&E has refrained from construction of a new ash pond::

"Problem
A large utility company in the Louisville, KY area was nearing capacity for its ash storage pond. With approximately five years of capacity left in the pond, the utility approached Charah looking for options for handling the bottom ash produced daily at the utility. If a viable solution was not found, the utility would be forced to build a new ash pond or to have the existing ash pond cleaned at a great expense to the station.
Solution
...The utility has gained storage pond space and has saved tremendously on landfill space without constructing new pond storage."

Oh dear. Wonder why they stopped short, without taking credit for reversing climate change?

Video from Wednesday meeting between Occupy Louisville and IPL

(Editor's note: This entry was updated with additional media and info between 4-5 pm)
This meeting was a different meeting from the Thursday IPL meeting. Here's audio of the first 9 minutes of Thursday's meeting, which had a decidedly different agenda:

And from Friday's NOON GA:

In related news, IPL promised Occupy Louisville they would timely provide a rejection of the tent permit. (See 6:20 mark in 2nd video above) Without this rejection, no legal appeal remedy is possible.

When I went in the IPL office today at 2:30 PM, I was told that Caroline Fletcher "was working on the rejection, but she went home early because of the holiday." IPL Director Jim Mims had went home early as well.

I was told they'll won't be back in office Tuesday, December 29, 2011, at 8:00 AM.

And the 'Ville Voice put up a post on the Fischer Administration's inner-office communication regarding Occupy Louisville: Fischer Folks Went Looking For ‘Occupy’ Problems

TODAY> NOON> OCCUPY 2012 DISCUSSION ON SITE> BE THERE

First, I did a recap of yesterday's IPL meeting. I'm guessing IPL & Mayor Fischer won't like it so they'll issue a press release saying something else in 3...2...1...:
Insider Louisville: Thanks to Occupy Louisville, metro officials learning about homelessness

Now, this is important:
FACEBOOK EVENT LINK HERE to today's noon discussion group on Occupy Louisville's site, 5th & Muhammad Ali.

The fate of Occupy Louisville has been severely threatened by Mayor Greg Fischer's eviction, via his order not to renew the permit for tents. If the eviction is allowed it's certainly going to suck for the normally-invisible homeless who have been empowered by their inclusiveness in the movement. They'll be forced to live outside again, if they aren't fortunate enough to make inside one of our underfunded shelters.

But who is it really going to suck for? US.

We need this movement if we expect to have social change. 
If you still believe in social change, I'll see you at noon.

Update 10:18 AM: I need to make clear, my views and perspectives, and what Occupy means to me, may not be what it means to you, and that's okay. My communications are not necessarily "official positions" of other participants at Occupy Louisville. Just wanted to make that clear.

Nee Nee'S Angels Daycare drops off blankets to Occupy Louisville

About noon today, the little folks from Nee Nee'S Angels Daycare dropped off quilts to keep occupiers warm at Occupy Louisville. A great bunch of kids with beautiful smiles!

Nee Nee'S Angels is located at 400 South 41St Street, Louisville, KY - 40212, and their number is: (502) 774-9704. If MSNBC's Ezra Klein wants to marry me and adopt a bunch of children with ADD, I've decided this is where we will send them.

Would President Obama deport Mitt Romney?

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney declared Wednesday that he would deport President Obama's uncle, Onyango Obama, who is allegedly an illegal immigrant arrested in August for drunk driving in Framingham, Massachusetts. Fast forward to the 11 minute mark: Audio from Howie Carr Show.

Onyango Obama is the half-brother of the president's late father and he's out on bail, pending a hearing in Massachusetts District Court.

The charge is more serious because there are allegations that in 1992, Onyango Obama may have broken another law by violating an order to return Kenya.

Like Obama, Mitt Romney knows what it is like to be arrested in Middlesex County. In February 1982, Romney was arrested by the Natick Police for disobeying an officer. In fact, that happened only about 3 miles East from where Obama was arrested. (Boston Globe)

View Larger Map
This was not his first arrest, though. Romney's, I mean. He had been arrested with alongside his future wife for destruction of private property in the 1960's. Of course it's glamorized as a teenage prank on a golf course, ahhh, how sweet white privilege really is. (Deseret News)

There is one HUGE difference between Obama and Romney, though. Romney's father was born in the United States of America Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico. (Fox News)

So hypothetically, what if Mitt Romney was Hispanic?

When did we start farming brownfields?

As a kid growing up in rural Southern Indiana, I knew the 10,000+ acre, Indiana Army Ammunition Plant was blighted by long-term pollution. My step-dad had told me. It wasn't a secret back then.

That's why I was surprised to hear in it's last meeting of 2011, the River Ridge Development Authority which has owned and controlled the former Plant since 1998, announced they're offering more than 360 acres of land to farmers. (News and Tribune: River Ridge offering land to farmers: Farm leases expected to bring in additional revenues)

Senator Rand Paul being holiday-friendly and stuff

Archbishop Kelly's funeral, facing Occupy Louisville

Tuesday's public visitation for Archbishop Thomas Kelly will be 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m, at the Cathedral of the Assumption, with the funeral at 2 p.m.

"Government is a teacher, for good or for bad, but government should set the example. I do not believe that government engaging in violence or retribution is the right example. You don't solve violence by committing violence."-Archbishop Thomas Kelly, O.P. speaking to a Jubilee celebration in Louisville

Makes one wonder what the Archbishop would think about closing down Occupy Louisville?

Mourners won't be able to miss the sight of Occupy Louisville, because the site, itself, is located directly across the street from the Cathedral, at least for now.

Occupy Louisville participants have told me that the Cathedral has been a great neighbor, and that often the same people living in the encampment will get food from the back of parsonage. The Catholic church may have it's flaws, but no one can deny they've done more to help the poor and hungry than any other entity in the history of our planet.

Mayor Greg Fischer's IPL Director James Mims, told Occupy Louisville organizers and attorneys last Friday that the occupation must end tents must be taken down by January 2, 2012. Councilwoman Attica Scott got Mr. Mims on the phone Monday morning and he told her there were three reasons why the tents must come down, and he would provide the reasons in writing this week. I sure hope Mr. Mims realizes the list of people waiting to see those reasons is long, and not without influence.

Occupy Louisville will also be holding a press conference Tuesday afternoon at 5 pm, on a decision by Occupy participants and supporters to maintain the camp, and the tents, regardless of whether a permit is secured.

Following Sunday night's work group meetings down at Occupy Louisville, I uploaded a clip of Mayor Fischer attributing Louisville's compassion and hospitality to explain why Metro Louisville's been in "accommodation mode" with Occupy Louisville: LC: Compassionate Mayor Fischer orders tents down in winter

We could be a compassionate city.

Metro Council will challenge mayor on fireworks, but not GLI

After wasting a year of time doing basically nothing for public safety, the Louisville Metro Council has nothing to show for their "work" except bitterness because they didn't get their sacred fireworks ordinance.

And Tom acting like the Mayor's done the Metro Council a great injustice...is this going to be the issue he points to when he tells voters this spring that he stood up to the Mayor? Please. Whatever. Okay, fine. I grabbed a screenshot from the WAVE story so the establishment Owen campaign can milk that angle:

In perspective, within a week of the veto they were so upset about, these same council-creatures capitulate on their stand against GLI funding: LC: Mayor Fischer says "jump", Metro Council asks "How high?"

Bridges input tonight or tomorrow, or forever hold your peace

What you think? Is this pretty animation worth $3/trip to cross the Ohio River:


I. Think. Not. The write up in the CJ this morning mentioned how by 2030, 310,000 vehicles a day will cross the Ohio River.

If you know Hoosiers, like I know Hoosiers, you'll understand that about 309,000 of those vehicles will use the untolled 2nd St & Sherman Minton bridges. But "peak oil" happens before 2030, wait, it's already happened, so do these estimates reflect $20/gallon gas? No, they don't. Here's your last two chances to stop this 2-bridge solution before it cripples our economy:

Monday, December 19, 2011
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Brown and Williamson Club
2800 S. Floyd St., Gate 6
Louisville, KY

Tuesday, December 20, 2011
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Lakeview
505 Marriott Drive
Clarksville, IN

Can't make either input session, you can submit your thoughts online: HERE

Compassionate Mayor Fischer orders tents down in winter

Mayor Fischer says "jump", Metro Council asks "How high?"

And in this week's episode of "Mayor Fischer says "jump!", Metro Council asks "How high?", we find that the Council approved the release of an additional $500,000 in funding for Greater Louisville, Inc. (GLI) on Thursday night.

Grinstead will have bike lanes

Councilman Tom Owen sent out the following email today:

"New Bike Lanes on Market Street (see attached file for image taken today)

Members of the city's bike program rode the new Market Street bike lanes today from 10th to 24th Street as the crews were still working to finish striping the lanes and add bike symbols. The lanes are between 5.5 and 6 feet wide! We are all doing more with less and so is Market Street! Market Street is turning four motorized travel lanes into two motorized travel lanes, two bicycle travel lanes and a center turn lane. Motor vehicle parking will still be available.

Grinstead Drive Bike Lane Project (see attached file for proposed diagram)

Bike Lanes are coming to Grinstead Drive! Tom Owen, Metro Councilman from District 8, has been working with the Kentucky Department of Transportation and concerned citizens and bikers to finalize the proposed plan. Here is more from Tom:
Dear Cohort Bicycle Rider:

You have asked that the traffic calming plan for Grinstead Drive—Everett to Cherokee Parkway—proposed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet include bicycle lanes. Frankly, I confess that my absorption over the past fifteen years or so has been with steps to prevent auto wipeouts on those “S” curves. The accident count on that stretch of Grinstead makes it one of the most dangerous roadways in the state.

The State heard your input on the bike lanes at least partially. Their plan calls for reducing the driving lanes on Grinstead from four to two with a center lane dedicated for turns. Bike lanes will be added and on-street parking stripped between Willow and Cherokee Parkway. On-street parking will be preserved in the Everett to Hilliard section and a transitional “sharrows” wil be fully signed and marked for that Hilliard to Willow section.

I know many of you will be disappointed that the bike lanes will not encompass the entire Everett to Cherokee Parkway section of Grinstead but I have deferred to the State’s recommendation so as to not put the entire calming project in jeopardy, respond to their auto-bike safety concerns, and preserve on-street parking in the southern portion of the route. Clearly trade-offs were necessary the deeper we got in our belated discussions about adding bike lanes.

My hope is that the calming/bike lane project can be completed in the Summer of 2012.

Thanks again for loving our community enough to express an opinion.

Tom Owen
8th District
Louisville Metro Council
http://www.louisvilleky.gov/metrocouncil/members/08"

Could Greg Fischer be the next Herbert Hoover?

This story was first broke on Ginger Snaps Back. Mayor Greg Fischer plans to break up Occupy Louisville by not extending them a permit past January 1, 2012.

A few regular occupiers joined one of our attorney's, Ken Nevitt, at a Public Works meeting recently. Mr. Mims, the Courier-Journal, and several LMPD Majors were present. This story reminds me of President Herbert Hoover's decision to evict the Bonus Army from D.C. by destroying the camps when he hoped no one was looking. See the WW1 veterans were starving. They came to Washington to demand their pensions early. The House said yes, the Senate said no, and Herbert told them to split. They didn't, and bet you can guess what happened next:


Occupy Louisville isn't the typical model for the Occupy movement.
Louisville's homeless population is growing so rapidly, especially with children and veterans, that OL has stepped up to the plate & taken under their wings many of our brother and sisters who have no where else to go. (LC:Coalition for the Homeless Director identifies Occupy Louisville as community resource)


Contrast their service against our Mayor's priorities relayed to the Metro Council at a private breakfast last Saturday: He wants to focus on the Ohio River Bridges Project (which he somehow connected to Occupy Louisville when he was on the panel at Harvard), and he wants to address the vacant homes resulting from the foreclosure crisis. (CJ: Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer...)

So while our mayor is focusing on the real estate, Occupy Louisville is focusing on the displaced humans. Guess who I'm standing with?

If you want to join us this Sunday night at 530 pm, work groups will be discussing options before the 7 PM General Assembly. OL is now located at 5th and Muhammad Ali:

View Larger Map


BTW, a quick education if you missed it a couple weeks ago...a General Assembly starts with a Mic check:

Can the Metro Council stop rain?

Can the Metro Council stop rain?

Yes. Kinda. Through taking concrete measures to ensure our city minimizes the greenhouse gases we emit into our atmosphere, we would, can and should help to curb climate change. That's just my thought of the day. For more about my platform for Metro Council, check out the "Priorities" tab of the campaign website: morrison4metro.com

And of course, contributions are welcome. If your contribution is precisely $99, all the better. First, because it's under $100, you'll be ensuring your anonymity under Kentucky's campaign finance laws, and you'll evade retribution from those who REALLY believe in retribution.

But even better, $99 is a great because it drives home how this campaign is about the 99%.

Oh, and Shawn Reilly is running for State Senate. (WFPL: Anti-Toll Advocate Running for State Senate) Shawn's my good friend, and I was excited to see him offering himself up for public service.

From the WFPL interview, I noticed he's come out in support of expanded gaming, like our governor. Frankly I was disappointed about that. I'm disappointed whenever Democrats expand options for people who need bad options the very least. But that's probably the only issue issue of hundreds in which Shawn and I don't have agreement, so I'm going to look past it.

I was particularly impressed that he saw how ridiculous it is we'd subsidize the Happy Creationist Dinos-On-The-Arc park, while leaving Kentucky Kingdom a ghost town.

Also, I attended Metro Dems Christmas Party last night and I need to report there wasn't anything ridiculous going on there. I say I need to report that, because Jeff Noble instructed me I needed to and it's easier to report that than to figure out what was actually going on.

Obama gets 3rd Party challenger from "Justice Party"

President Obama was warned. He was told if he messed up on climate change, if he mirrored Bush's foreign policy, he would face a 3rd party liberal challenger. And here is that challenger. I give you, former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson:

Monday things to do

I'll be at this & I'll be bringing banana pudding:

I didn't know about this hearing Monday, kudos for Fairness Campaign newsletter for bringing it to my attention. Note on the bottom, hospital merger means the end of partnership benefits for employees. (WFPL) Well, that's not good...

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE: 1715 Spring Drive, 9 AM SATURDAY

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE
LOCATION: 1715 Spring Drive, Louisville, KY
WHEN: December 10, 2011, Saturday morning, 9 AM
(If it's the same time as last year:LEO Weekly: Fischer’s breakfast with council will stay social — right?)

As Bruce Lunsford waits for a refund of the $10,000 he gave Mayor Greg Fischer for inaugural expenses that was instead diverted to Fischer's campaign account and ultimately refunded to Fischer...(CJ: Businessmen say donations to...diverted...)

And the general public still hasn't caught on that money they donated for inaugural expenses likely could have ended up in Fischer's pocket as well...(Inaugurationgate?)

And the deadline approaches for the Louisville Metro Council to surrender $500,000 they're holding which Fischer wants to go to GLI....(LC: GLI...redefine...cancer)

Our Louisville Metro Council members are invited to occupy Mayor Fischer's lovely home for breakfast. As a quorum is expected, this will be a public meeting and the general public has the legal right to attend.

It is a lovely home, by the way. The Mayor and his wife purchased the home in 2000 for $1,700,000. It's only 5,706 sq feet, if you don't count the basement.

There's no mention of this public meeting on the city's Metro Newsroom, so I'm not sure if it's in the living room, dining room, kitchen, or the Mayor's bedroom. The public is not invited to this private meeting. Chris Poynter has the unfortunate job of communicating to the public why the mayor believes he's above the law, and he told WFPL:

"notifying the media and allowing the media to come in, that is basically representing the public."- (WFPL: Fischer Again Invites Council Over for Breakfast)

So if you're on Metro Council, you may be enjoying Eggs Bayou Lafourche this Saturday morning, washed down with organic Brut Champagne mimosas, but if you're not on Metro Council, sorry, it's slurping cornflakes from Tupperware for you.

If WLKY, WAVE, WHAS11 and FOX41 had any courage at all, they'd cover this pretentious illegal mess from a helicopter like the pretentious illegal mess that is.

From the LEO Weekly, a year ago, the last time this happened:

Coalition for the Homeless Director identifies Occupy Louisville as community resource

In a statement issued in the last half of November, Natalie Harris, the Director of the Coalition for the Homeless, expressed her gratefulness for Occupy Louisville

"Until we begin to address the causes of poverty and homelessness within our community , the numbers will only continue to rise. It requires new ways of thinking, additional resources and non-traditional partners. We have begun to gather all three, but we have a long way to go. So, I am thankful to the members of Occupy Louisville who are serving 'the least of these' in their newly established community. While they may have many decisions to make about their message and demands, this is one thing they are clearly getting right."(DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE STATEMENT HERE)

It's no secret some of the those folks camping are down there because they had few other options, but is that a bad thing? Republicans continue to fight the very compassion that lies within our human nature and our liberal friends are overwhelmed trying to make the best use of what little funding hasn't dried up.

I've pleaded with my fellow social worker students to get involved in politics, and to run for office ,but most of them are in practicums and already they don't have the emotional energy left for public service.

It is no wonder Harris is grateful for "non-traditional partners." If we do not win this war against compassion, it may be all that we have left. (Oh, what? You thought the war was on Terror? Awkward.)

Natalie Harris, with Congressman John Yarmuth in 2010. (Pic by me)

Occupy Metro Council
This Thursday night, December 8, at the Metro Council meeting, Occupy Louisville has lined up quite a few people to address the Council on quite a few issues, and I think that's great. And I plan to be there: Occupy Metro Council

Holiday Shopping for the Coalition
And next Tuesday, December 13, from 6PM-8PM is Holiday Shopping for the Coalition. Join the Coalition for the Homeless at Louisville's International Fair Trade Marketplace, Just Creations, and knock out all your holiday shopping. A percentage of all sales will go to support Coalition for the Homeless programs! They'll have refreshments like water, ginger ale, wine, cupcakes.

Greg prefers Ohio River brigdes plan over 8664

Is anyone surprised Greg misspelled bridges?

Is anyone surprised this question wasn't answered?

Chris Otts got Mayor Fischer's thoughts on GLI yesterday: HERE

“…difficult to evaluate everybody around the country because of the recession that’s been going on for last four years.”

1) Louisville’s economic development problems didn’t just “happen” in the last 4 years, Greg.
2) And you believe we’re ahead of the national curve? WOW.

Is anyone surprised this question wasn't answered?

This one's gone on long enough though, I sent in an open records request to the KREF a couple hours ago. I have a hunch this isn't over. (New developments this morning)

Go check out the rest of all the fun Facebook questions: HERE
I didn't follow twitter tonight so who knows what went on there.

12/6/11 This entry was updated to reflect Chris Ott's blog entry in CJ.

Negotiating with the city? Greg Fischer's accepting donations

The CJ's Dan Klepal has gone all journalist-ninja on Mayor Fischer this morning.(Contributions to Mayor Greg Fischer flow in)
This is a nice follow-up to Klepal's September look at: (Mayor Greg Fischer's inaugural donors well-connected)

The thing is, the Mayor says that the donations from the Babbage's* (Insight) didn't affect his judgement, but I want to know how the donations were solicited in the first place? While the website did continue to accept donations well into 2011, it hasn't been collecting recently so those checks had to be hand-delivered or mailed to where? Oh, see picture below...this was probably a hand-delivered check is my guess. This has Yuck all over it.

Loyal readers may recall that I brought attention to the creature that is known as "Greg Fischer Mayoral Inauguration"-fund, or whatever the hell it is as early as January 10, 2011, when I sent in my one and only Citizen's Bill of Rights inquiry on this very topic, which was of course, ignored:

On January 10, 2011: Who's running Louisville?
And again that same day: Iceberg-Gate Contest!
And again on January 12, 2011: Questions for Greg Fischer
And on January 13, 2011 It's the little things that make me happy
And on January 27,2011 Attorney General Jack Conway's office informed me it was all okay: Greg Fischer / Iceberg-Gate Update

I kept whining about how the Mayor wasn't answering questions about the potential for mixing of campaign contributions with city business in February, March, but I didn't realize we had to actually wait until someone exchanged money for influence before it was news.

Okay, I must stop. Only Jake is allowed to do that much "I told you so." in one post. And the funnest image found on the internet today:

12/05/11: 5:35 PM
This entry was updated to take out where I went overboard.

12/17/11: 7:32 PM
*Bob Babbage was once the Auditor of Kentucky. Download that bio HERE.

Update 7/21/12 Updated archives on this subject:

January 22, 2012:  Fischer supporter: '...let the truth guide him...' 
January 13, 2012: After my KREF complaint had been filed, but before investigation had begun, Fischer amended his KREF reports to disclose the in-kind donation by Iceberg Ventures. (Fischer amending KREF reports)
December 29, 2011: KREF lists Christy Brown as respondent in complaint

December 8, 2011: Inaugurationgate?
December 5, 2011, beginning to put CJ/Dan Klepal's work in context: Negotiating with the city? Greg Fischer's accepting donations 
January 27,2011 Attorney General Jack Conway's office informed me it was all okay: Greg Fischer / Iceberg-Gate Update 
13, 2011 It's the little things that make me happy

January 12, 2011: Questions for Greg Fischer 

January 10, 2011: Who's running Louisville?
And again that same day: Iceberg-Gate Contest!

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Step 1) Go to google.
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Through the miracle of the internet advertising, this will cost the Newt Gingrich campaign some dollars. YAY!

Justitia robbed: Owen cashes in on earned media

Councilman Tom Owen says that Lady Justice was:

"delicately balancing the scale of justice between retribution and restoration," before those scales were apparently stolen.(WLKY: Piece Of Historic Statue Stolen In Front Of Metro Hall)

Oh brother. Owen also said:

"Maybe the justice system should lean more heavily on the side of retribution."

For the record, I am more interested in restorative justice than retributive justice. And also, I also happen to disagree that the scales represent that balance anyway.

The scales were there when this photo was taken on May 26, 2009:
But they were missing prior to when this was taken on August 08, 2010:

Who is Greg hanging out with now?

Insider Louisville broke a story a couple days ago that Mayor Fischer was speaking at a Harvard Forum on the subject of the Occupy movement.
Insider Louisville: Mayor Greg Fischer joins Trey Grayson at Harvard for ‘Mayors on the Front Line: Occupy Wall St., Flash Mobs and Gun Violence’

Interesting. Haven't watched the whole performance yet, but this piece make me wonder if Greg might not want to get on stack in this kind of GA:


And yet he does. Oh dear.