31 responses so far ↓

• 1 who-else? // Jun 4, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  What about the Museum Plaza attorney? Out of the blue, you dropped Museum Plaza into a post several entries back on what gets publicly funded and what doesn’t. It was as if that building (or its attorney) was on your mind. Maybe you know more than the rest of us, or maybe your fishing line needs a bite or two.

  Is being #2 in Frankfort bigger and better than being #1 in Louisville?

• 2 Thunder Storm // Jun 4, 2009 at 5:58 pm

  I nominate Jake and Francene, We need outside the beltway people.

  I’m not kidding! Its time for regular people to run and take over government again.

  These lifetime politicians or ladder climbers we keep electing do nothing to help Louisville or Kentucky.

  Lets elect people who don’t care if they get re-elected. Lets elect people who don’t care what lobby, group or powerful person they piss off.

  Lets elect someone who will do something good for Louisville and the Commnwealth

• 3 Zach // Jun 4, 2009 at 6:13 pm

  Kramer’s actually a former Metro Council President too.

• 4 jake // Jun 4, 2009 at 6:13 pm

  Guess I should my thought process: Museum Plaza was on my mind because I had just spent several hours staring at this view – which I do four or five times a week – and wishing it just effing get built. (And I’d just driven by the sink hole that is the arena project.

  I’ve also been working with business leaders (not just in Louisville) of late to help identify projects that would significantly impact our economy with jobs, spending, taxes, development, yadda yadda. Without spending any tax dollars. So that’s another reason MP has been on my mind.

  Craig hasn’t specifically been on my mind lately but I did recently tell him that I want that effing thing built, badly, as do most Louisvillians. I don’t know anything Joe Q. Public doesn’t know. I seriously doubt he’d be considering a run for political office, though, primarily because he’s not the kind of person with an ego the size of mine. He’s a nice guy and I’d vote for him over King Jerry, that’s for sure.

  Being #2 in Frankfort would mean you never have to do anything, ever, and still get all kinds of money pouring in. Way less power, way more fun, way more time to twiddle your thumbs.

  And Thunder: HAHAHAHA. Riiiight. I may be the world’s best cupcake/hummus maker and may be really good at causing people to crap their pants several times a day, but come on? Me? In politics? HAHAHAHAHA.

  I’d end up losing my shit 24/7 over wasteful spending and would likely die within weeks of taking office. There’s no way I could handle the load of crap and no way I could deal with flushing money down the toilet. That’s if I didn’t die first of screaming too loudly about the fact that Louisville only gets back 17% of what it pays to the state in taxes.

  And Francene? She would just cold knock a bitch out if they got in her face. Rightly so. So she couldn’t hold elected office, either.

• 5 Ray Re // Jun 4, 2009 at 7:32 pm

  It’s because Francene would cold knock a bitch out that she should run. If she won’t, why not someone like Dan Ulmer? I’d run but I have to wash my hair.

• 6 Steve // Jun 4, 2009 at 8:35 pm

  Jim King is a lightning rod for controversy. Mercifully, he has the self-awareness to know that. While some folks step on cow pies, King dances on them. Nevertheless he won’t step into the campaign for mayor.

  Craig the Museum Plaza attorney is way too temperamental and deficient in diplomacy to be mayor — or even to run. His slow simmer over the financial difficulties of that mega-project reached a roiling boil at a council meeting, and he managed to offend/piss off the allies he needs to advance his agenda.

  Tyler Allen is a nice guy, but he talks faster than most people can think. While I admire his devotion to a worthy but doomed cause, he’s been a fixture in Frankfort who seemed to accomplish nothing.

  Clearly, he’s an super-intelligent guy, but I question his perception of reality.

  He would be cast as a nutty kook or a kooky nut. Unfortunately, the label would resonate.

  Among the above-referenced list, David Tandy is my favorite.

  But among all the public servants in town, I’d like to see State Rep. Jim Wayne run for mayor. He’s got the mind of a genius and the heart of a giant.

• 7 slim // Jun 4, 2009 at 10:44 pm

  Ellen Call would be a strong republican candidate. No male repub could do it county wide, but she might have a chance.

• 8 jake // Jun 4, 2009 at 11:04 pm

  So I’m just back from the unveiling of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial on the Waterfront…

  How wrong was I! Goodness gracious.

  It appears everyone and their mother thinks Greenberg will run. And he appears to be making the rounds. Didn’t see him there tonight, though.

  Appears likely that Jerry isn’t gonna run. We’re surprised.

  Will have more in the morning.

• 9 jake // Jun 4, 2009 at 11:05 pm

  P.S. Isn’t it interesting that Abramson hasn’t yet hired a campaign staff and hasn’t done ANY fundraising?

  The last election he was three months into the game by this point.

• 10 Thunder Storm // Jun 4, 2009 at 11:40 pm

  Jake – I stand by my previous post even more so after reading your take on it.

  As being the decision maker in charge, you could fire all the morons making those “wasteful spending” decisions. Think about it, if the people working for you waste money, fire them and bring on some new ones.

  There are plenty of unemployed smart (and dumb) people looking for jobs (like me). Eventually the staff would learn to spend our tax money like it was theirs!

  If Francene “would just cold knock a bitch out” for wasteful spending, she would make an excellent Chief of Staff. You could certainly pay her more than she is making on the radio show.

  Its time for regular joes to take back government. Think about it.

  Could you do any worse?

• 11 jake // Jun 4, 2009 at 11:45 pm

  I don’t like wearing suit pants – only jeans with a nice jacket and tie. So I can’t run for office. I’m automatically disqualified.

  You’re right about one thing, though. It would be awesome watching Francene just cold knock a bitch out for wasting money.

• 12 Thunder Storm // Jun 4, 2009 at 11:48 pm

  Don’t have to wear suit pants, Obama has seen to that. He wore khaki’s and a polo shirt in Egypt today. Everyone else had coats and ties.

  Got any more excuses? :)

• 13 Bob // Jun 5, 2009 at 7:33 am

  I love all this talk about somebody replacing Abramson and especially that he hasn’t started up his machine yet.

  But think of the economic impact of his being thrown out of office at last. Think of all those buddy appointees and hangers-on who suddenly would be out of work in Metro. This would rival GM proportions on a local level. And most of those folks have no talent, no skill set that could get them new jobs. They couldn’t all move to Frankfort. But maybe we would see a new mayor who would stop covering up for that gang–so the courts would get busy, as would the jail intake staff, balancing the loss of jobs at Metro.

• 14 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Jun 5, 2009 at 9:14 am

  I don’t know enough about Allen’s overall qualifications, but if we want to talk about an idea that is doomed, that would be the vastly unaffordable, highly destructive, and mostly unnecessary Ohio River Bridges Project. Allen is a true visionary, and even if he doesn’t become mayor, the next mayor should take his counsel much more seriously and steer us back and away from constructing a second downtown bridge and accompanying “Fettuccine Junction” when what we really need is the East End Bridge and a more streamlined Spaghetti Junction.

• 15 jake // Jun 5, 2009 at 9:40 am

  There’s one thing we can all agree on: Anybody, regardless of party, will be refreshing.

  And on the refreshing note: I think the next mayor, regardless of party, will be more receptive to what the community wants, what local businesses need and what the future has in store.

• 16 Steve Coomes // Jun 5, 2009 at 10:00 am

  >Amen, man, a-freakin’-men.

  Let’s see our imperfect, but preferable to any other, American system of election go to work and make some changes.

• 17 Raoul Duke // Jun 5, 2009 at 10:09 am

  Let’s take a serious look….

  Jim King? As Jake says, some folks step in cowpies by accident. Jimbo looks for them. He may not want his business life to face the scrutiny that being a candidate for mayor might bring.

  Jim Wayne? Behind that facade of being a nice, caring guy, he’s meaner than a snake and has the scruples of Machiavelli. I woudn’t trust him any farther than I can throw him. Think of Frank Burns in office.

  Francene? All hat and no cattle. She’s got a tremendous capacity to criticize but no demonstrated record of actually running something. It’s a lot easier to criticize the colors on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel than it was to lay on your back and actually paint it.

  Greg Fischer? Maybe. He certainly has the money to buy the job. Running the city is certainly a bit more difficult than making ice makers or bleachers.

  Tyler Allen? While 8664 is an attractive idea, it is doomed politically. We don’t need Don Quoxite as mayor.

  David Tandy? A little weak in my estimation, but a possibility. Can he afford the cut in pay?

  Ed Springston? He’ll run but he ain’t gonna win.

  Bobbie Holsclaw? She’s got a great gig as County Clerk. Her people are loyal, her budget is balanced and her office runs like a Swiss watch. Why would she give up all that to be mayor or a city that’s broke, runs poorly and has a cadre of (rightfully) pissed off employees? She might do it, but she’d be making a big mistake.

  Kevin Kramer? Maybe. He’s got to consider life after his teaching career.

  Ellen Call? A solid possibility. She was good on the council. She’s from a well thought of family and has demonstrated ability. Plus, she could win.

  Craig Greenburg? His association with Museum Plaza would sink him. The public has about as much use for Museum Plaza as they do for Fourth Street Live. They know that their money was given away. He would be perceived as the fox watching the henhouse.

  Jake? He told you why he wouldn’t make this particular cut.

  Let’s look at some names not yet mentioned…..

  Sara Combs. Widow of Bert. Has residences both in Jefferson and Powell county. Presiding over a court of appeals with some problem judges. This might be a great gig for her and a reason to come back home. She’s got no great love for old Big Head, so if he runs (which appears to be less likely as time goes on), she’d relish knocking him off.

  Judge Tom McDonald. Jerry kind of screwed him on the appointment to County Attorney. He’s never lost a race and has a good bit of political acumen.

  This would have been a perfect opportunity for Chris Thieneman, had he not decided to get into a pissing contest with Mitch. He would have made a good candidate, but his little party-switching episode kind of made him look flaky and it’s too soon afterward for people to forget.

  It almost makes one wish that Dave Armstrong wanted to get back into the fray. One thing that big Head Jerry’s 20 odd years at the helm has done was ensure that no one was preparing to take the big chair. He sucked all of the air out of the room and now that it appears that he’s on his way out (either by his own choice or by the voters’ choice), there is precious little talent waiting in the wings.

  One more thing. I would advise Steve Beshear to pick almost anyone but Jerry as a running mate. He doesn’t need Big Head to win and you can count on Big Head using the Lt. Gov. chair to run for governor, even if it means screwing his boss. Beshear would be doing the state a disservice by giving JA a leg up to run for governor some day.

• 18 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Jun 5, 2009 at 11:13 am

  What about Tina Ward-Pugh, arguably the smartest council member?

  I know I’d work for her.

• 19 Raoul Duke // Jun 5, 2009 at 12:02 pm

  Maybe…but a little too liberal for my tastes. Still, she shows some promise.

• 20 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Jun 5, 2009 at 12:08 pm

  Ward-Pugh may be liberal, but she would also be competent and honest. And she wouldn’t play parlor games with our tax money.

• 21 Blowin' in the wind // Jun 5, 2009 at 3:44 pm

  Who else–why not David Karem? The waterfront still has more to go, but it is in good
  shape. He certainly has vast experience and an ability to work in a bi-partisan manner.

• 22 Dino // Jun 5, 2009 at 3:53 pm

  King would absolutely embarrass this city to no end, David Nicholson on the other hand would be a great candidate

• 23 Thunder Storm // Jun 5, 2009 at 5:02 pm

  Looking at the names suggested above, it appears people are nominating mostly a bunch of retreads. People who are already politicians or have been politicians.

  WHY?

  Why would you want the same people that have at one time or another spent or voted to spend your wonderful city broke?

  Why not bring in somebody new? More I think about it, I think Jake, Rick or Francene or someone like them should run. They are deeply immersed in politics but not smeared by it. They don’t owe anything to anybody and wouldn’t care who they made mad for not funding their pet project.

  People laughed at John Yarmuth saying he would not be a good politician because of his LEO background. Because he had no political background. He won and has done quite well.

  Think about Steve Beshear being our Governor. He brought back the same crew of democrats in non merit jobs who have been there for decades. During those decades Kentucky has not improved in any statistical national economic area. Now we are in even worse shape than ever and he wants to rely on gamblingt money from one of the 5 poorest states to bring us out of the funk.

  He’s not focusing on bringing ANY type of green economy jobs to Kentucky because he is owned by the coal and blacktop industries. Both are anti-green

  Windmills have to be manufatured somewhere, same with solar panels or any of the components associated with them.

  What about more ethanol or biodiesel plants in western kentucky. We grow the crops and produce the fuel.

  What about bringing back hemp to replace our lost tobacco market. We could create a hemp textile industry, take the oil from hemp and turn into biodiesel. Hemp is a big market in Canada and Europe and they have very little trouble with people growing marijuana with the hemp. Some of the car panels in your car are made from hemp grown in Canada.

  We need new people with new ideas who aren’t owned by this or that lobby to kick start Louisville and Kentucky’s economy.

  As Louisville goes, so goes Kentucky. We need you to do good!

• 24 Raoul Duke // Jun 5, 2009 at 5:06 pm

  David Karem is as washed-up a hack as Big Head Jerry

• 25 richard // Jun 6, 2009 at 8:53 am

  Greenburg is an arrogant, well educated attorney who is fixated with pie in the sky projects. Haven’t we just gone through 20 years of this?

• 26 jake // Jun 6, 2009 at 11:53 am

  It’s Greenberg. With an e.

  If you’re going to lob accusations, back them how. HOW is he arrogant? WHY do you think he’s arrogant?

  “[P]ie in the sky” projects? I’d hardly suggest Museum Plaza is a pie in the sky project. Over $40 million private dollars have been spent on it so far (per my understanding).

  I fail to see how a project that would bring hundreds of jobs and mounds of growth to a blighted area is a “pie in the sky” project.

  You seem to be confusing our alleged mayor and King of Cordish with, well, normal people. Normal people don’t think or act like Jerry Abramson.

• 27 Raoul Duke // Jun 7, 2009 at 10:21 am

  I’ll agree that normal people don’t think or act like old big head.

  There might be a significant amount of private money invested in Museum Plaza, but the city has also put up a considerable amount of bonding for this project, as well as bending a lot of rules and giving Museum Plaza some consideration that other developers (see Ville Voice) don’t get. While Jake might like Museum Plaza, it’s not as well-received by the bulk of the public who believes it is another boondoggle over which the taxpayers will get stuck. That perception would sink Greenberg.

• 28 Dino // Jun 7, 2009 at 9:41 pm

  Raoul Duke nailed it. Just because you like a project doesn’t mean it’s feasible. It’s a nice idea, but there’s no way that Museum Plaza will fly in this economy and one that will be in a rut for the forseeable future. Developers are having a tough enough time selling moderately priced condos in this economy downtown, there’s just no way Museum Plaze is getting off the ground anytime soon.

• 29 jake // Jun 7, 2009 at 10:06 pm

  Raoul Duke: That’s interesting. The only folks I’ve encountered who aren’t on board are three Republicans on Metro Council, one of whom is Doug Hawkins. Outside of them? I haven’t run into anyone, anywhere who isn’t interested in Museum Plaza.

  And I haven’t seen anything comparable to $47 million from public funds being sent MP’s way.

  Dino: There’s no reason the building can’t be built with private funds a couple years down the road.

  “[M]oderately priced condos” ?? Downtown? I don’t know anyone who thinks $300,000 for a downtown condo is a moderate price. MP will have to sell for 50 cents on the dollar in order to move. And other developers downtown are going to have to do the same.

  I think people are going to have to rethink the price point for downtown living and working. And then things can get off the ground. Otherwise, no one is gonna drop $300K on something they could get for $90K just a mile or two away.

• 30 Ed Springston // Jun 8, 2009 at 6:40 pm

  “I think people are going to have to rethink the price point for downtown living and working. And then things can get off the ground. Otherwise, no one is gonna drop $300K on something they could get for $90K just a mile or two away.”

  Agreed Jake.

  Funny sidenote. I am always curious how I became labeled a perennial candidate or retread politician per se.

  lol

• 31 Harlan. // Jun 11, 2009 at 10:13 pm

  I agree with Dino that David Nicholson would make a good candidate. We all know he has the interest too.

Leave a Comment