Why Did The Chicken Paint The Road?

I've written about a lot of things since I started this blog, but I cannot remember one scandal that smelled as bad as what the mayor has cooked up this time: A report in Business First today details plans by KFC to fill potholes in Louisville roads, then "stamp" the repair with a KFC marketing logo. That means advertisements on the road surface. And to think city officials were upset with the big fish at Pepper Tackle or the palm trees at Hooters. Once again, the harshest criticism must be reserved for the mayor. He allowed this shameful atrocity in the name of "tight budgets". Here's a snippet from the article:

“Budgets are tight for cities across the country, and finding funding for needed road repairs is a continuing challenge,” Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson said in the release. “It’s great to have a concerned corporation like KFC create innovative private/public partnerships like this pothole refresh program.”

Words cannot properly express how disappointed I am in the people that approved this idea or thought it would be widely accepted by the citizenry. There must be a state law governing this activity. If there isn't one, then perhaps there should be. This is not beautification. This is distracting graffiti, masquerading as advertising, being laid down by people who should be sticking to cooking chicken instead of doing road repairs.

My advice for every small business owner in Louisville would be to get a crew and start filling potholes on your own. Make sure you stamp your business' logo on the road in bright white. Call me and I will take pictures and write the story for you. Better yet, call 311 and complain before this nonsense takes over the streets.

Community Cleanup Cancelled

The Southwest Pride Community Cleanup scheduled for tomorrow morning has been canceled because of the threat of severe weather. The activity has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 9th. The original posting for this event can be seen HERE

Find A Felon Friday - March 27, 2009

Laketa Miller

LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 1730 Tempest Way #17, Louisville, KY 40272

Wanted for: Enhancement 1st Degree Traffic in Controlled
Substance/Cocaine. Enhancement Traffic in Marijuana, Less Than 8 Oz.
Enhancement Use/Possess Drug Paraphernalia. Enhancement 2nd Degree
Traffic in Controlled Substance/Drug Unspecified

RACE/SEX: B/F
DOB: 04-27-80
HEIGHT: 5-6
WEIGHT: 126
HAIR: BROWN
EYES: BROWN
COMPLEXION: MEDIUM

Let's Get 'Em Boys!

Billy Clyde May Be Hitting The Bricks

Billy Gillispie might be out as the men's basketball coach at the University of Kentucky as soon as tomorrow. WHAS11 has what looks to be the exclusive.

More later....

Citizens Enraged As Mayor Engages Cordish Co.

It seems as every day passes, we learn more about how close Louisville's mayor is to the folks at the Cordish Co. WHAS11 is reporting on the controversy surrounding a $950,000 give-away by the mayor to Cordish for a new sports bar at Fourth Street Live. The Cordish-owned sports bar will replace an individually-owned bowling alley-themed sports bar.

Ward Plauche, the owner of City Block (formally O'Malley's Corner) wants to know how he can get some free money for his bars. In an article in today's Courier-Journal, Plauche says, "Who can't be successful if they get money from the city and don't have to pay it back?" Indeed.

These actions by the Mayor's office cause suspicion and anger among citizens and confusion among the members of the seemingly powerless Metro Council. It illustrates how important the failed "transparency bill" was to be in helping to eliminate shady, backdoor deals like this one by stripping absolute power from Louisville's mayor. Abramson claims he has the right to spread money around, without any council or public approval, to out-of-town companies like Cordish.

But having the right to do something does not mean you should actually do it.

For more on the powerful Cordish Co. and information on their projects in other cities, see below.

http://www.pitch.com/2008-02-14/news/drunk-on-power/
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/02/04/story4.html
http://hipsubwg.blogspot.com/2009/02/cordish-co-says-proposed-dress-code-law.html
http://voices.kansascity.com/node/1943

8664: Welcome To Louisville

Wednesday Headlines

- Head on over to Broken Sidewalk this afternoon and vote in the BS Neighborhood Derby. The match-up is between South Louisville and New Albany, and as of right now, South Louisville is running behind! Follow the link above and vote today!

- The theme for this year's Pegasus Parade has been set. Thankfully, "Destinations and Discoveries" beat out "Divorce and Depression" by a wide margin.

- The Courier-Journal is reporting that laid-off workers may be eligible for a free class per semester at any of the 16 community colleges in the state. Please take advantage of this valuable program if possible.

- The plans to locate a Qdoba Mexican Grill in front of The Home Depot in Southwest Louisville has been abandoned due to problems with the developer. This does not, however, indicate one will not be built. The search is still on for a suitable location.

"Moose! Rocko! Help the mayor find his checkbook, eh?!

In February, some unethical, foul-ball attorneys for the city presented yet another bogus argument on why Louisville should not have to pay it's firefighters back pay in a serious error involving a miscalculation on overtime. Every court decision thus far has favored the firefighters. This latest one was no exception. The mayor and his boys have tried to run out the clock on this issue, but now the time has come for them to write the long overdue check. An excerpt from an article in today's Courier-Journal states the following:

Louisville firefighters work an average of 56 hours a week, with 16 hours of overtime built into their schedules. Previously, the city had not included those hours in overtime calculations.

Metro government officials have estimated that the city owes firefighters at least $17.6 million, but no official total has been reached. Attorneys for firefighters are asking that their fees and damages and adjustments to pension payments also be included in what the city owes.

City officials did not return phone calls yesterday seeking comment on the latest decision. It is unclear whether they will appeal.

We shall wait and see if the city appeals this decision. Any further challenge by the city is certain to contribute to more ill feelings between the firefighters and the mayor's office, as well as add to already massive court costs caused by the city's refusal to pay what it owes.

But Wait...There's More

- More rampant idiocy. Officials at Louisville Metro Animal Services scrambled to come up with an explanation on why they tried to "spay" a male cat. They say it was a clerical error. Meanwhile, the animal is having complications from the botched surgery and the owner is hoping MAS will pick up the tab. WHAS11 has the story HERE.

Can this department be audited, please? Someone needs to get these dopes on a leash.

- Federal mine safety inspectors shut down a coal mine in eastern Kentucky today for the company's refusal to pay fines. This is good news. WAVE3 has it HERE.

Animal Services Gone To Dogs

The frightful nuttiness continues at Louisville Metro Animal Services, and authorities there are blaming the "dangerous dog" ordinance for their over-the-top actions. WAVE3 has a story on the deputized crew of dog snatchers HERE.

The report details the story of two sisters who contacted MAS to determine what type of license they needed in order to start a small-scale breeding business. The story ends with officials from MAS breaking into the home while the owner was away, snatching the dogs and leaving a search warrant on the door. Is this what was intended when the ordinance was written? Is a Miniature Schnauzer considered dangerous in the language of the ordinance? Is this intrusion legal?

I would like to hear your take on this mess.