Larry Clark has lost a major labor endorsement. Just in case you missed it yesterday. This could spell trouble for the Democrat from Louisville’s South End. [Page One Ruh Ro]
According to the New York Times, the University of Louisville is a huge failure. A graduation rate of – wait for it – 44 percent. The paper says UofL is not doing its job. [NY Times]
I had an affair with Rick Pitino. Can I hurry up and get some free press off this news? [Just Wondering]
Tyler Allen has decided to run for mayor of Louisville. [Fat Lip]
Dear state legislature: Please make the Kentucky Association of Counties and the Kentucky League of Cities subject to our open records act. [H-L]
Again, the mainstream media says Jerry Abramson did nothing wrong. That’s just not the case and Jack Conway’s opinion said as much. Let’s deal with the facts, people! Jesus H. [WLKY]
Yet another unemployment benefit extension. This is getting scary for some people. [Bluegrass Politics]
Where’s the Republican outrage over legislating from the bench? [The Hill]
Cindy Sheehan is pretty cool. She sat down with LEO Weekly for an interview. [Phillip Bailey]
Hal Rogers was spotted in the Lane Report. [Go Look]
David Boswell wants to lose to Brett Guthrie again. Almost laughable that the guy thinks he’s a legit candidate. [Joe Arnold]
11 responses so far ↓
1 Novena // Sep 10, 2009 at 8:34 am
“We Retain, Yeah, We Retain”
In her recent C-J article, Provost Shirl bragged about UofL’s “rising” graduation rate without mentioning it was only at 44%. Going from near nowhere to a bit of somewhere can be called an improvement. But it is not worthy of (a) KY taxpayers who support UofL; and (b) the huge salaries paid to UofL honchos for a third-rate product.
2 Bob // Sep 10, 2009 at 8:55 am
One more time on Abramson and Cordish sweetheart deals. AG says it is legal. Voters need to say it isn’t RIGHT. Sad to say there is too often a major gap between what is legal and what is right. Nothing in the law required that Abramson do business the way he did it. That is all on Abramson. Backroom deals, no public info, no bids—all of that was because Abramson wanted it that way. Can we lock him up? Nope. Can we see to it that he doesn’t get public office again. Yep.
3 tbrauch // Sep 10, 2009 at 9:27 am
One thing to keep in mind (though by no means does it make it right) is that those graduation rates are probably 6 year stats, i.e., the percent of people who graduate within 6 years of their first semester.
Taking a normal 12-hour load (what the feds consider ful-time) at UofL now requires 5 years plus 1 credit hour to graduate for the minimal program. If you are working a job and only going to school part time, as a lot of UofL students do, it can easily take longer than 6 years to graduate. I’ve heard murmurings that the 10-year graduation rate is closer to 60%, where the article says they should be.
Again, that doesn’t make it right, but I thought it was something people should hear.
4 Dick Irby // Sep 10, 2009 at 9:56 am
Please get this straight Jake: The news media has not said the Mayor did nothing wrong in economic developmen deals his office negotiated. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID IT. If you read the opinion, you find current law gives the Mayor the right to negotiate contracts. His office and developers take a big gamble by not seeking Metro Council approval first because the Council can always say no.
In the cases the A-G was asked to look into, the Council or Board of Aldermen gave approval.
The Attorney General, in interviews, went out of his way to say Metro Council can change current rules to obtain more transparency and even go to Frankfort to seek changes in the power structure merger created. Unlike you who is free to sling your opinion (and I always get a hoot out of it), news reporters have to stick to reporting the news without personal feelings thrown in. So, please get off our case on this issue!!!! The coverage I saw and was involved in reported the A-G’s conclusion and got reaction from the Mayor and his critics. That’s what we do.
5 jake // Sep 10, 2009 at 10:00 am
The C-J said just that – that the mayor did nothing wrong. So did WLKY.
Of course they’re saying Jack Conway says it’s a-okay– because that’s what his opinion says.
But most major media outlets are ignoring the fact that Metro Council must approve King Jerry’s money machine. That’s fact – not opinion.
6 Thurston // Sep 10, 2009 at 11:53 am
Wait a second. Jake admits that Conway’s opinion says the mayor did nothing wrong? Then what’s with all the posts that say otherwise? Guess you didn’t want to damage Jack’s golden child status on Page One. Come on, man. Everybody can see this is a clear back-scratching situation. You usually call people on this sort of thing. Disappointed.
7 jake // Sep 10, 2009 at 12:02 pm
You’re full of shit.
Read what I’ve written for the past several days.
Conway says it’s legal. And also says that the mayor must have Metro Council approval.
Don’t spin what I say unless you have the guts to use your real name.
8 Thurston // Sep 10, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Well, of the two posts I’ve read, which make up the entirety of your coverage are as follows:
Mayor Abramson is corrupt (the AG says so) & then some bitching about how the gotcha mainstream media has let the mayor off the hook.
The important phrase that you’ve ignored from the opinion is: “there is no controlling authority which requires one of these two prerequisites to be completed before the other.” There’s also the “Cordish was acting at its own peril” phrase that would raise some concern.
This effectively let’s the mayor off the hook. There is no damning evidence against the mayor, only that Cordish acted without waiting for the approval of the Metro Council. The media you criticize understands this (presumably because they have more experience reading legal documents than you) which is why they called it how it is.
In your effort to defend Conway at all costs, you have overlooked what everyone else seems to understand: CONWAY has given the mayor a free pass. How you are able to spin otherwise is beyond me.
-Thurston Moore,
Guitarist, Sonic Youth
(obviously, not really)
9 intherealworld // Sep 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
No one has a free pass. The AG simply said it’s in the mayor’s power to negotiate contracts, and it’s in the Council’s power to write the checks. Or not write the checks.
And the AG is encouraging the Council to use its power and feel free to refuse to write checks for contracts they don’t like. He is advising the Council that it need not be concerned about threats of lawsuits brought by entities who sign contracts with the Mayor if the Council refuses to appropriate funds that the Mayor promised.
The section of the opinion addressing the perils of dealing with government is not mere opinion, it is a citation to existing, clearly understood law. So I advise the correspondents who have questioned this legal fact: If you find an attorney who tells you otherwise, RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS FAST AS YOU CAN!
10 LT // Sep 10, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Hal rogers in The Lane Report. I think The Lane Report is the only political or b to b news source for the entire State of Kentucky. I’m glad we saw it. Silvia Lovely was the one on one last month. Interesting on the timing of that.
11 jake // Sep 10, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Oh, right, I work to protect Jack Conway at all costs.
Which is why I say he’s going to lose to Daniel Mongiardo if his crew doesn’t sack up.
Leave a Comment