A Message From Our Publisher

The Martin Chronicles has a landmark reason to celebrate today. And despite all the current tumult and trouble Villa Hills’, we will most certainly celebrate. We launched our blog on Saturday, October 8, 2011. As should be expected, our readership was very small at first. Every month we have witnessed incredible expansion in the size of our audience. February will end up with an audience increase more than 20% larger than our previous best month.

At our current pace of readership growth, we are on track to welcome our 20,000^th unique visitor to our busy blog sometime early this evening. We want to remind our loyal and growing audience that this is quite an accomplishment for a news enterprise that is singularly focused on the goings-on in a City roughly 3.5 square miles in size with a population of less than 8,000 residents.

We have a dedicated staff of reporters who have developed a large stable of reliable sources. These reporters aggressively pursue their stories with a dogged determination to get what Dragnet’s Joe Friday often described as “just the facts”.

We also realize that these amazing facts continue to drive new readers to our blog. Mayor Mike Martin has created a colossal mess made up of so many poorly moving parts that it takes a lot of gumption to sort it all out. But sort it out we do every single day.

You have followed us through incredible stories of the willful destruction of City property and City records. You have followed us as we brought to you stories of falsified documents and false statements. You have followed us through many a shocking report on corrupt business practices, cronyism, ethics violations and financial mismanagement. You have followed us as we reported the mayor’s retaliatory behavior and inexplicable disregard for dire warnings of sexual harassment that have sparked lawsuits and looming lawsuits.

It may sound a bit immodest. But The Martin Chronicles first sounded the alarm. We are proud to say that several other media outlets have answered the call. It appears they see many of the same things we do. Just because we are all beginning to report facts that make the dwindling number of Martin loyalists uncomfortable, this reporting of the facts does not betray bias. Sometimes the truth can be a very painful thing.

There are watershed moments looming just beyond the next twist in the road. You see, Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro has also been cutting through the smokescreens and sifting through the dirt piles and is on the verge of presenting a shocking picture of misconduct and malfeasance to the people of Villa Hills.

Thank you to our ever-growing audience. Please don’t worry. We don’t intend to spend the entire day today resting on our laurels. There are far too many new stories to track down.

More News Briefs From The Land Of Martin

The Martin Chronicles reporters just love covering tiny Villa Hills. Square mile for square mile, this town is the most scandal-filled place in the Milky Way Galaxy.

We feel compelled to take at least a little bit of the credit for $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper Martin-crony-hire Cordelia Schaber taking down her nky.com comment to a Letter to the Editor we reported on yesterday. Remember? The one where she expressed disappointment that the majority of council hasn’t just rolled over and let Martin run completely amok? Schaber boo-hood in her letter that the poor, little mayor needed a gaggle of goofballs to rise up and run for council this fall.

We have a sneaking suspicion that Schaber far prefers her cushy patronage job to sticking her neck out too far for Martin. So, she pulled her cheesy comment. Don’t worry. Council printed plenty of copies of it. They still plan to ask the befuddled bookkeeper to step down for her wrong-headed foray into politics.

WARNING! If you declined to pay your UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX when you went to the County Court House to renew your car registration you had better beware. Multiple sources confirm that Councilman Greg Kilburn, author of the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX is champing at the bit to SUE YOU. If you are sued you can take some comfort in the fact that while you have been taken to the cleaners, free-roaders with out-of-state plates and drivers of company vehicles have received a FREE PASS from Kilburn and Martin. At least someone is able to successfully skirt the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. It just isn’t you. See, it doesn’t pay to play by the rules. We suspect Mayor Martin learned that lesson many years ago.

The Martin Chronicles has also received word that the Villa Hills’ Ethics Board sent “confidential” reprimands to Mayor Martin and Councilman Jim Noll for their involvement in the misuse of city personnel and equipment for political advocacy during their campaign to hoodwink you into voting yourself a massive property tax increase last November. We think it is fair to say that this “confidential” reprimand rises above what Martin supporters describe as “bickering”.

We wonder why the Ethics Board chose to keep the details “confidential”. Just how bad is the reprimand? Don’t worry. The Martin Chronicles will eventually get to the bottom of this mystery too.

By the way, can you imagine the opposition ads against Noll in his run for the State Senate? Picture a grainy black and white photo of Noll with his sweaty face contorted and a menacing voice-over saying, “Jim Noll, accused of predatory behavior while allegedly serving the people of Villa Hills as a councilman. Jim Noll, suspected of bringing a portable “wet bar” to his City council meetings. Jim Noll, hit with a “confidential” reprimand from the Villa Hills’ Ethics Board for misusing City personnel and resources while trying to perpetrate a fraud on the voters of Villa Hills. Jim Noll, the man who once famously asked, ‘What’s a caucus?’ Now this man wants to be your State Senator. Is this a risk the public dares to take?” We say, “Why the (EXPLETIVE) not? The voters of Villa Hills did!!” This State Senate race will be fun to watch. Just not too closely.

But The Martin Chronicles thinks the real fun for the poor residents of the troubled town will be trying to sort out the thoroughbreds from the nags in the 2012 council race. The starting gate springs open at 4PM on the August 14 filing deadline in a race to the November 6 finish line that is now just 251 days away. The rumor mill at the Villa Hills’ track says the race card will be packed. The stakes in this race couldn’t be much higher.

Isn’t this fun?

Tomorrow's Tease: Come Explore With Us!

The Martin Chronicles invites you to dial us up any time tomorrow after 3AM to explore the following questions.

1. Why did $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper Martin-crony-hire Cordelia Schaber take down her smarmy comment to a Letter to the Editor?
2. Are you about to be SUED by the author of the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX, Councilman Greg Kilburn?
3. What two elected officials just received a "confidential" reprimand from the Villa Hills' Ethics Board?

Last Line Of Defense

The Martin Chronicles knew this was coming. In fact, we were anxiously awaiting it. And it is hilarious. We are beginning to see some wingnuts and benefactors of largesse in the dwindling army of Villa Hills’ Mayor Mike Martin post letters on nky.com whining about the treatment the self-proclaimed “CEO” is getting. Take heart. Be not afraid. In fact, look for it to get far worse. As Martin grows more desperate things are bound to get very ugly. You never know. Kentoncounty1, skittel and meto3130 may even ooze back up to the surface!

The first letter to the editor was a hoot. Written by a former council woman who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in the mid-1990s, she trotted out the same old “Martin apologist” story line. Martin won the election (so does that mean he has free rein to do whatever he wants?).The mean old majority on council just won’t give Mayor Martin a chance. They are ganging up on the little fella. Martin’s problems are the previous administration’s fault (the writer goes so far as to suggest that the previous mayor didn’t even have the First Amendment right to put signs in his yard expressing support for certain council candidates –a very odd view for such a “free spirit”). See the pattern? This will be the final line of defense as Martin’s last stand approaches.

The writer betrayed more than the fact that she is clueless. She also shares Martin’s paranoid belief that everyone is out to get him-including the reporters at the Enquirer and Recorder. So this writer thinks that reporting the fact that Martin has squandered more than$150,000 in unnecessary overtime betrays a bias? So this writer believes that reporting the fact that Martin frequently tells council that all decisions are his alone because he is the “CEO” betrays a bias? So this writer thinks the fact that Martin’s hostility toward a city employee has sparked a very serious lawsuit betrays a bias? So this writer thinks the fact that Martin’s disregard for the City Attorney’s advice on how to deal with sexual harassment allegations has put the City on the brink of another lawsuit betrays a bias?

By the way, the writer oddly indicates that the newspapers somehow imply that Martin wasn’t duly elected. A careful review of every recent article does not turn up even a hint at such a preposterous idea. Nice try, though. The Martin Chronicles does like to tease the newspapers at times. But no one respects the First Amendment more than we do. Just because a newspaper story presents facts that make you uncomfortable does not mean they are biased. Get over it.

We suspect that the newspaper-and now television- reporters couldn’t care less who is serving as mayor and council in any city, including Villa Hills. Their job is to report the facts. That is precisely what they are doing. While we respect the right of anyone to express their opinions, they are far more interesting to read when they are at least remotely based in truth.

Are the current disagreements with the autocratic mayor any different than the disagreements the writer had with the mayor she ran against back in the 1990’s? Well, yes the certainly are. The current mayor’s policies have led to an incredible waste of taxpayer money. The current mayor’s decimation of the police department has led to a sharp spike in crime. The current mayor’s behavior has placed the taxpayer’s in financial risk. The current mayor is also the subject of a very serious investigation that could lead to criminal charges.

A particular response to the former council woman’s editorial is paradoxically both priceless and worthless. It is written by the City’s clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber (another former council woman as well). If anyone brings a bias to their writing, we think it is fair to say that it is Cordelia Schaber. She is Martin’s $47.50 per hour crony hire after all. She is also the wife of Martin’s co-defendant Dale in a very serious libel and slander lawsuit generated by the dissemination of all manner of later-disproven allegations against a City employee.

Not surprisingly, Cordelia’s screed encourages new people to run for council to support Mayor Martin in the upcoming November election. Someone has to preserve her juicy patronage job, after all. It will be interesting to see how many people are so-inclined to rally to Martin’s support after Special Counsel begins to reveal the findings of his investigation. It may not matter anyway. It is unclear if Martin will still be in office come November 6^th. The odds are currently running against the mayor.

As a brief aside, since a taxpayer-funded contract employee of the City of Villa Hills has decided to engage herself in political activity, would the Council now be within their rights to ask her to resign from her $47.50 per hour job? The Martin Chronicles confesses we do not know what, if any, ordinance would apply in this case. But council would be wise to check into that. What’s next, after all? Will the interim City Clerk be wearing a “Save Mike Martin” tee shirt the next time she clerks a Council meeting?

For the purposes of full disclosure, The Martin Chronicles admits we are biased. We are biased in favor of good government. Write what you will to the Letters to the Editor, Martin’s Reign of Error in no way represents good government.

Sunday Commentary

Multiple sources have confirmed that Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro’s investigation is within ten days of being prepared to make its preliminary findings to city council.

The Martin Chronicles quoted a local official several weeks ago saying, “Let’s finish this thing.” We wholeheartedly agree. We should move past the end of the beginning and closer to the beginning of the end. Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro was retained in late summer last year to investigate the suspicious activities of Mayor Mike Martin. After a marathon executive session into which Taliaferro and an assistant carried a 5 inch thick binder of information, council voted to expand special counsel’s investigation at the December council meeting.

The time has come for the facts to begin to be reported. That would be a great start. By now the 5 inch thick binder has surely grown much thicker. Given the early January document destruction in a hastily-dug fire pit and subsequent ham-handed attempt to cover it up by the mayor, it is clear to anyone paying any attention that the taxpayers continue to sink deeper into Martin’s quicksand of liability with each passing day.

Keep in mind that this incredible “burn of events” took place after council voted to expand the scope of the special counsel investigation in December. Who knows what else will happen if the special counsel investigation drags on for several more months? Given the past fourteen months, it is reasonable to assume that Martin will continue to behave in a way that further weakens the City’s position in current and pending lawsuits. What’s the old saying? Enough is enough.

The Martin Chronicles isn’t suggesting an end to the investigation. We aren’t suggesting an immediate vote for removal. We do believe it is time for the findings to begin to be publicly reported. It is time for a large venue at River Ridge or Villa Madonna to be reserved to hold a presentation of the findings that will most likely be attended by hundreds of residents. We wonder if Steve Arlinghaus will moan about “witch hunts” after the facts are laid out.

It’s time to begin a public exploration of Martin’s questionable business “lapses”. What is going on at 10 ½ Anna Street in Reading, Ohio? What have the residents who had Martin performed electrical and plumbing work for them reported to special counsel? All of these “lapses” are extremely relevant to his fitness to lead the city.

It’s time to hear the truth about the cause for the persistent failure to fulfill Open Records requests. It appears a conscious decision was made to stonewall. It’s time to hear the facts regarding the blatant cronyism. Too much taxpayer money has been doled out to friends.

Rumors are flying around town that Martin claims his attorney is the one who is really responsible for the six-figure squandering of taxpayer dollars in overtime expenses. Is Martin claiming his attorney has tied his hands and made it impossible for the mayor to carry out his duties? If that is correct, then Martin is statutorily unable to perform his duties as mayor. Such inability is clear grounds for removal from office.

Shouldn’t the public be offered the opportunity to hear why committee heads and employees have been hindered in doing their appointed tasks? That activity builds a strong case for misconduct. Isn’t it time for a public airing about why computers were removed after-hours, including those from employee work stations, from the City Building? Shouldn’t the public know what the mayor may have been trying to either cover or trump up?

Since the taxpayers share in the liability for the mayor’s refusal to take concerns about sexual harassment seriously, don’t they have a right to know exactly what happened? Sources confirm that the City Attorney has been conducting an ongoing investigation into the harassment claims and isn’t pleased at what he is discovering. It appears the mayor has unilaterally waived the safeguards to prevent further harassment without the knowledge of the City Attorney.  If nothing else, the capability to effectively manage the City, or any enterprise for that matter, are called squarely into question.

If even a preliminary report is not presented soon, public confidence could begin to erode when they hear friends who spend their evenings enjoying several rounds of Keystone Light at the Civic Club offer up mindless opinions on the work of special counsel. We see a strong tide of public sentiment running against the mayor. If a change has to be made, the time is right.

The Martin Chronicles says shame on any councilman who is reluctant to proceed because it may hamper their run for the State Senate. Their reward should be a resounding defeat in the upcoming November 6^th election that is now only a mere 253 days away. Councilmen who can still say with a straight face at a St. Joe’s “Fat Tuesday” dinner that they are in office for “the best interests of the residents” but see no harm in what the mayor has been doing for the past fourteen months are delusional.

We have a couple of questions for all those who complain about money being spent on the Special Counsel’s investigation. How would you feel if the City is hammered in court because of the reckless behavior of the mayor with a council who stood by and did nothing to protect the taxpayer’s interests after discovering what had taken place? Would you rather spend thousands of dollars now to save millions of dollars later?

We’ve heard Martin’s rapidly-refuted explanations for his suspicious behavior. We’ve witnessed his shuck and jive as he shuts down discussions and lays blame on others. We’ve seen his chair-spinning and gum-chomping. None of it holds water. None of it flies. Again, enough is enough. It’s high time for the facts to begin to see the light of day.

City council-and the mayor-must now realize that the facts presented by Special Counsel will be widely disseminated to the public. The Martin Chronicles is there. The Community Recorder and The Kentucky Enquirer are engaged. WCPO’s stalwart efforts prove that the broadcast media is now on board and they are digging for the truth.

It is high time to begin the process of finishing this thing that we laughingly call the Martin Administration.

The Case For Engagement

The Martin Chronicles has posted multiple times that many Villa Hills residents remain oblivious to what is happening in their City Building. It is perfectly understandable. Most people are busy trying to earn a living, raise their families and find a little time for enjoying life. The negative nature of most things “political” turns people off. What did former Cincinnati Bengal’s head coach Sam Wyche famously say after a devastating defeat all those years ago, “There is golf to play and tennis to be served up?”

So then when do people engage? It usually happens when people realize that someone is trying to reach into their wallet. Why not? Keeping up with the demands of life is already expensive enough. Who wants to have less money? This concern is why many people in this tiny community did become engaged last November and defeated the City’s Road Tax proposal by a lop-sided 70-30 margin.

Peoples’ “wallet worry” is precisely why it is now time for residents to begin to start paying better attention to the mushrooming mess at 720 Rogers Road.

·         The mayor has mismanaged the police department into more than $150,000 in unnecessary overtime expense resulting in large part from his inexplicable unwillingness to employ enough police officers. Six officers are simply not enough to adequately cover Villa Hills during a time when crime is sharply increasing. That is your money being wasted.

·         Sources say that the City is on track to post perhaps as much as $300,000 in excess spending-or deficit-at the end of what is proving to be a miserable fiscal year. This projection does not take into account the City’s looming legal liabilities. Given the noticeable absence of road work and a mild winter, one has to wonder what is going on. That is your money being wasted.

·         The mayor’s hostility towards one City employee has provoked a very serious lawsuit. It was easy to see that coming back in 2010. But a majority of voters either didn’t see it coming or chose to ignore it. Now it has happened. Yes, we know the standard line. The City has insurance. But from where do people think the insurance money being spent to defend the City comes? From where will the money come if the City either reaches a settlement with the plaintiff or is hit with a judgment after a trial? The money comes from the taxpayers of course. That is your money being wasted.

·         The mayor’s puzzling disregard for the alleged predatory behavior of a councilman has the City on the brink of yet another lawsuit. From where will the money come if the City either reaches a settlement with a potential plaintiff or is hit with yet another judgment after a trial? Once again, the money comes from the taxpayers. That is your money being wasted.

·         Think of your own insurance coverage. Your rates are based on your level of risk. There is little doubt that the City’s insurance premiums will continue to increase as more mayoral mismanagement exposes the City, and the taxpayers, to even greater risk. That is your money being wasted.

·         A review of the City’s baffling financial reports shows a sharp rise in billings from the City Attorney. No doubt, the attorney has his hands full trying to sort out all the problems cropping up in City government. Who is paying the City Attorney? Well, that money also comes from the taxpayers. That is your money being wasted.

·         We have already posted that the decision to send the collection of the $40 per car “sticker tax” to the County Courthouse will lessen collections by giving a free pass to all out-of-state licensed “free roaders” and drivers of company vehicles. Worse yet, County Judge Executive-and Villa Hills resident-Steve Arlinghaus is charging the taxpayers several thousands of dollars to collect the tax. That is your money being wasted.

·         Despite the fact that he verbally assaulted the homeowner many months later for causing all of his problems, Mayor Martin approved illegally spending your tax dollars to clean up that homeowner’s private property. That is your money being wasted.

·         Councilman Mike Pope once wrote on his now-defunct “alternate reality” City website that the City could operate with “one and a half” clerks if the City stopped collecting the $40 per car “sticker tax” at 720 Rogers Road. Well, the City lets Steve Arlinghaus collect the tax now. Even still, the City employs two full-time clerks and $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber. Additionally, Martin plans to hire a third, full-time City Clerk. It would have already happened had council not voted down Martin’s candidate at the February council meeting. That is your money being wasted.

·         Mayor Martin used city personnel and resources to print and distribute pro-road tax flyers right before last November’s vote. That is clearly wrong. So wrong in fact that the City’s Ethics Board is strongly rumored to be issuing a confidential reprimand to Martin and Councilman Jim Noll. That is your money being wasted.

·         Mayor Martin ordered the construction of a new, expanded concrete parking lot at 720 Rogers Road that cost several thousand dollars. Why? People don’t need to come to the City Building to pay their $40 per car “sticker tax” anymore. What is the point? Additionally, the new parking lot is an unfinished eyesore. That is your money being wasted.

The Martin Chronicles believes the residents need to start asking questions. This should begin happening now. The answers to these questions should not be expected to come from City employees. And, given the way most members of council have been intentionally left in the dark over the ongoing operations of City government, it is not fair to expect them to be able to answer the questions. The answers must come from the man who frequently states he is the “CEO”. The answers should come from the man who has had no problem reminding everyone that all decisions are his. The answers should come from Mayor Martin.

 If the answers residents receive are more of the same nonsense and double-talk that we have heard over these past fourteen months, perhaps further action will be required. Enter the Special Counsel.

Zeroing In

The Martin Chronicles had a very serious meeting yesterday. To a person, our reporters understand that the story of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin is approaching a crescendo. Our publisher also spoke at length about the fact that other media outlets are now beginning to zero in on this amazing story.

We often like to tease other media outlets about how they are just now chasing down stories that we have been covering since we launched October 8, 2011. They should know that we are truly happy they are onboard. Our publisher reminded everyone that we have the unique advantage of focusing our efforts on just one community that is only about 3.5 square miles in size. The other media outlets are covering many communities and probably receiving dozens of tips from all over the Tri-State every single day about matters large and small. Despite the fact that they are being pulled in numerous directions, some first-class media outlets are now on the trail of the Mike Martin story.

Let’s be fair. It’s taking time for much of the Villa Hills’ community to engage in this story as well. There are still even a percentage of Villa Hills’ residents who don’t even know the names of their mayor and council. There are some who still inexplicably chalk up the events of the past fourteen months as mere bickering. There are also some who still believe that Mike Martin is being unfairly persecuted despite the obvious mess that has been created and is being almost perpetually worsened by the self-proclaimed “CEO”. But clearly, the tide of public sentiment is running strongly against the mayor.

Some solid news reporters were singled out for praise by our publisher. Cindy Schroeder, a long-time reporter for The Kentucky Enquirer has delivered very balanced coverage of the turmoil in Villa Hills and truly seems to understand the root causes. Community Recorder reporter Libby Cunningham has brought tremendous energy and drive and has done a courageous job pursuing the Martin story.  Our publisher also expressed admiration for the work of WCPO’s Kendall Herold for bringing the broadcast media into the mix. It is a difficult job rooting through the tall grass to get to the truth. But these three fine reporters and some others appear undaunted.

Hey, we get it. The Martin Chronicles is constantly tracking down numerous leads. We weigh the spin, local politics, grudges, animosities, self-interest and yes, flat-out lies every single day. We recognize that a blog like ours is like the proverbial speed boat. We are fast and nimble. We aren’t hampered by understandable corporate concerns. Our wide array of sources have educated us on all “the players”, the ones to trust implicitly, the ones to take with a grain of salt and the ones to generally disregard. We are making an educated guess that the other media outlets are still sizing much of this up. But, all things considered, they are doing yeoman-like work. They are now “on it”.

The Martin Chronicles suggests that if they haven’t yet done so, they should consider approaching Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro for some background on his extensive investigation. While it is unlikely that Special Counsel will lay down many of his “aces” prior to the presentation of his preliminary report, these reporters would most likely gain a better understanding on background of the true severity of the problems.

The other media outlets would also probably benefit by talking to attorney Barbara Bonar. Ms. Bonar could most likely shed some light on the allegations of predatory behavior by Councilman Jim Noll. Those discussions might also provide some perspective about Noll’s current behavior and actions. It could also very well provide some insight on why others are concerned that, despite a mountain of evidence, Noll might just refuse to vote to remove Martin from office.

The City of Reading might also prove to be fertile investigative ground. Martin has State of Ohio filings listing 10 ½ Anna Street in Reading as his business address. Our sources tell us that City of Reading officials don’t seem to even be aware of Martin’s business. Are there potentially serious tax issues for the mayor of a municipality in the Commonwealth of Kentucky? It makes for an interesting mystery.

The Villa Hills Ethics Board is rumored to be on the verge of issuing confidential reprimands to Mayor Martin and Councilman Noll. The other media outlets may want to pursue the confidential reprimands. They just might afford even more insight into the exploding mess. The media is not be bound by the confidentiality. The public has a right to know.

The Martin Chronicles is truly glad that we are no longer the only media outlet digging into Mayor Martin’s growing mess. Speaking of that, our reporters are now going back to work on some new leads we received early this morning.

This Is Martin's "A-Team"?!?

The Martin Chronicles has to confess that we could not care less how bad things get for Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin. Or, for that matter, how dreadful things get for the entire City. In point of fact, our informal motto is “IT CAN’T GET BAD ENOUGH!” If you visit our offices, you will hear our staff reduce the motto to the acronym “ICGBE!” Much like Mayor Martin himself, our motto is a “running joke”.

We also get a tremendous laugh out of how poorly the coalition Martin scrabbled together to mudslide to victory in 2010 is serving him now:

·         Councilman Mike Pope? Well, this self-professed accounting genius has fouled-up the City’s finances so badly that he may be getting a visit from the State Auditor’s office in the very near future.

·         Councilman Jim Noll? He brings his own portable wet bar to council meetings and has allegedly exhibited predatory behavior that has pushed the City to the brink of yet another lawsuit.

·         Crony-hire $47.50 per hour Clerk/Bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber? Well, she may finally do something useful by serving as cannon fodder for Pope as he attempts to explain himself to the State Auditors.

·         Martin’s biggest allies in the 2010 mayor’s race were the equally vile and disgusting rednecks at that putrid pub oddly referred to as a “civic club”. Our publisher showed his age when he suggested a civic club anthem. His song choice? Cher’s 1971 mega-hit, Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.

As it is in the final days of most tin-pot dictators, Martin is now desperate for “soldiers”. Much like any banana republic ruler soon to be facing a firing squad, Martin is busy emptying out the prisons and lunatic asylums looking for any warm body that can carry a rifle in his desperate final stand.

Want an example? Despite the fact that we consider the civic club a reeking armpit, we have developed sources even there. We are told Martin is now reduced to getting advice and encouragement during council meetings from an alcoholic, morbidly obese car salesman who spends virtually every night of his miserable life parked on his bulbous butt at the sullied saloon.

Our sources have been laughing about the text message exchanges between Martin and the pudgy peddler ever since they occurred during the debacle known as the February 15 council meeting. The husky huckster was so proud of himself after the meeting that he was showing everyone the texts saying, “Lookey here!” We are guessing the slob salesman wasn’t paying too much attention to the actual meeting though. Despite-or perhaps because of-all of the corpulent car dealer’s loving advice and encouragement, the gum-chomping Martin made a total fool of himself.

[PUBLISHER’S NOTE: We have learned that the former president of the civic club who is making a run for a return to power has finally filled out his “Blue Ticket” of candidates. The former president is lovingly referred to by his boot-licking sycophants at the bar as “General Zod”. Joining the General on his “Blue Ticket” are Bane, Doctor Doom, Mephisto, The Silver Surfer, Lex Luthor, The Green Goblin, The Joker and, to attract the female voters, Catwoman and the infamous Harley Quinn. Our publisher can give you 18,000 unaccounted-for reasons to elect the “Blue Ticket” and return the civic club to its former glory. ICGBE!]

Tomorrow's Tease: Regrading Martin's "A-Team"

The Martin Chronicles has reported that Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's coalition of ne'er-do-wells, ninnies and nitwits served him well as he eked out a 2010 mayoral victory. So how is his army performing now? Dial up tomorrow's post any time after 3AM for The Martin Chronicles' update on the "Martin Army".

The Window Is Closing

The Martin Chronicles has obtained a February 6, 2012 email from Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro’s office to Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin. As is our policy, the email is reprinted in its entirety.

Dear Mayor Mike Martin,

     In order to conduct the investigation by Villa Hills City Council on September 21, 2011 and expanded on December 21, 2011, Independent Counsel has prepared its first set of requests for information for your response. On December 20, 2011, you were sent an email asking if you had retained an attorney. You were sent another email on December 20, 2011 requesting you to respond regarding the investigation.

     To date, you have not responded to either email. If you have retained an attorney, please advise Independent Counsel of your attorney’s name and contact information so that we may send your attorney copies of any requests for information.

As we frequently state, we are strongly disinclined to throw anything that may float to the drowning mayor. But we must say that if Martin has not retained legal counsel-preferably a criminal defense attorney-he’s even crazier than Councilman Mike Pope. And sisters and brothers, that is saying something.

Why isn’t Martin cooperating with Special Counsel? The mayor could at least end most of the inquiry into his business practices now by simply producing his various professional licenses and a copy of his occupational licenses for every year since he began Mike Martin Electric/Quality Home Services. Could it be that some or all of these licenses simply don’t exist? Perhaps Martin has retained legal counsel and, knowing the severity of the situation, his attorney advised him to remain silent.

The time window through which Martin can move on relatively painlessly is rapidly closing. Once Special Counsel begins to publicly lay out the case against the mayor-and that presentation is looming-other agencies will have no choice but to take action. Then it will be far more painful for the mayor and for the voters who installed Martin in a position to do such tremendous damage to the City government.

The one thing The Martin Chronicles is sure of is that the investigation will not go away simply because Martin refuses to cooperate. The operations of the City are tied in a knot that will be extremely difficult to undo even if the process to return some semblance of normalcy began as soon as today. We know the process will not begin today. We firmly believe Martin plans to launch a scorched-earth defense that will cost the taxpayers a great deal more money and far greater embarrassment.

It is also clear that the residents themselves are somewhat divided. Some of the public remains clueless and apathetic. We have also obtained a great deal of email traffic being sent to the mayor and council. The sentiment of those who are engaged is running strongly against the mayor. But there are actually some people who still believe that what is taking place is mere “bickering”. With all the respect we can muster, those who chalk the current conflict to nothing more than small town politics are foolishly blind to the terrible mess Martin is creating.

The Martin Chronicles has little more sympathy for the residents of Villa Hills than we do for its mayor. But the longer the mayor’s inevitable end is delayed, the more difficult it will become to clean up this monumental disaster. Still, do not hold your breath.

Tomorrow's Tease: Scorched Earth?

The Martin Chronicles has obtained a recent email sent from the office of the Special Counsel to the person they are investigating, Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin.

As we have previously reported, Martin is refusing to cooperate with Special Counsel's investigation. Despite a rising tide of public disapproval and media scrutiny, Martin appears unwilling to deal with the growing mess.

What happens next? Dial up The Martin Chronicles any time after 3AM tomorrow morning for a current report.

Martin Meltdown?

The Martin Chronicles often makes it clear that we think the Villa Hills Civic Club is nothing more than a crappy cavern of corruption. But that doesn’t mean we don’t welcome reports from a few of the very small minority of decent people who frequent the pathetic place. Our sources tell us that Mayor Mike Martin decided to take out his mounting frustration on a resident for whom he illegally spent taxpayer dollars helping when they collided at the cruddy Civic Club recently.

We concede that this is not the first time Martin has been witnessed verbally assaulting someone. There is the well-documented incident a few years ago when Martin hurled profanities at the spouse of a City employee at a Fire in the Hills event. This recent incident is different. Witnesses say Martin seemed almost desperate to find anyone in the Club who would agree with him as he berated the humiliated resident.

The resident came to a council meeting many, many months ago asking the City to spend taxpayer dollars to clean up a hillside that fell on private property and a Duke Energy easement. Despite the fact that Duke Energy expressed a willingness to clean up their portion of the mess, Martin brazenly told them that he would illegally spend taxpayer money for the cleanup of the easement and private property.

So why did Martin begin berating this resident on a recent Sunday at the despicable dive oddly called a Civic Club? Why did he tell this poor person “this is all your fault!” speaking about the mounting problems Martin faces? The Martin Chronicles agrees that if this poor resident voted for Martin then a part of the blame is indeed theirs. But, this resident did not commit the high crimes and misdemeanors that the Special Counsel will soon be laying out before the world.

Is this resident responsible for all the unlicensed electrical, plumbing and other commercial work Martin has done all over the Tri-State? Is this resident responsible for the fact that Martin did work many years without an occupational license and failed to secure the proper permits? Did this resident tell Martin not to fill Open Records requests or illegally burn City records? Did this resident assist the mayor while he was removing computers from the City building in the dead of night? Did this resident encourage the mayor’s mishandling of the police department that led to more than $150,000 of unnecessary overtime? Did this resident suggest the mayor turn a blind eye to allegations of sexual harassment? Was this resident responsible for the hiring of cronies? How about the awarding of contracts for everything including fire extinguishers to his venal buddies? Is the resident responsible for the lawsuits or complaints or Ethics Board reprimands?

The Martin Chronicles knows you know the answer to all of these questions. A resounding, “NO!”

But Martin is desperately looking for scapegoats. Martin has survived this long by blaming everyone else for his shortcomings and unethical behavior. That poor resident. His own attorney. The police. The judges. The media. The City Council. The previous administration. Too bad. He’s out of excuses. This mess is solely his property. It is an unmitigated, corrupt disaster.

That is why it is time for Mayor Martin to do the right thing and resign. But The Martin Chronicles is sure that he won’t. Not until the Special Counsel report lays out the solid evidence of Martin’s malfeasance. But it will be far too late for Martin when that happens. Perhaps the residents have earned this further embarrassment by putting such a scoundrel in the mayor’s office.

The Martin Chronicles is standing by on the watchtower.

Tomorrow's Tease: "It's All Your Fault!"

The Martin Chronicles has been told of a recent Sunday "Mayor Martin meltdown" where the beleaguered mayor tries to blame his many trials and tribulations on one poor resident. Dial up the Martin Chronicles any time after 3AM tomorrow to learn more about this disgusting encounter at that equally disgusting dump, the Villa Hills Civic Club.

Budget Busting

The Martin Chronicles has learned that the more than $150,000 in police department overtime squandered by Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin may only be about half of the story. Well-placed sources indicate that the City is trending to finish the fiscal year over-budget somewhere in the range of $300,000. That is an incredible amount of red ink for a City the size of Villa Hills.

Given the fact that the City has been operating under an old budget-because Martin was unable to produce a budget for this current fiscal year-it should shock readers if the City doesn’t finish the fiscal year with a substantial surplus.

Why? Because the old budget the City is still operating under includes funding for the unfilled City Clerk position and two open police officer positions. Not funding these three positions should have saved somewhere in the range of $200-$250K when salary, benefits and retirement obligations is added up. So what happened?

We also don’t remember much road work being done over the past twelve months. In fact, we really don’t remember any significant work being completed in 2011. The City collected the $40 per car sticker in 2011. Why wasn’t it spent on the streets? Since much of the road tax money went unspent, shouldn’t that mean there will be an even larger surplus at the end of the fiscal year? What is going on?

The Martin Chronicles reminds you that we have had a very mild winter. No overtime for hours of snow plowing. No extra fuel costs for trucks running for hours on end. No purchase of additional salt. Shouldn’t the taxpayers see huge savings from the mild winter as well?

Martin has also eliminated community events like Fire in the Hills and the Haunted Trail. While the City never spent a great deal on these events, they spent nothing on them this year. Where has that savings gone?

It certainly hasn't helped that City Council has been stonewalled on financial reporting. Council consists of some very talented individuals who would have lent a hand to help. If their help had ever been requested, that is. The decision to stop asking for Council's close scrutiny and approval of monthly financial reports has proven to be a huge, costly mistake.

At this point, Martin’s wild spending and shocking cost-overruns simply reveal an individual who isn’t capable of running this or any other City. But massive incompetence isn’t a crime. What Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro reveals in the weeks ahead may just tell a different story.

Here Is What YOU Can Do

The Martin Chronicles has been reporting the grim facts of Mayor Mike Martin’s Reign of Error for some time now. Facts are important. Of greater importance is what is done with these facts.

Singer Dan Fogelberg wrote a song, Same Old Lang Syne. It is based on the New Year’s expression Auld Lang Syne, meaning “Times Gone By”. A line of Fogelberg’s song has deep meaning to Villa Hills’ now. “We stood there lost in our embarrassment as the conversation dragged.”

You may be asking yourself, “Why those words?” We will tell you.

Our reporters are out among the people daily. Throughout the continuous antics of Mayor Martin, we hear statements like this:

“I’m embarrassed to say I live in Villa Hills.”

“Can’t they (meaning council) do something?”

As The Martin Chronicles has been reporting, the fact is that the majority of council is doing something. They are looking out for the best interests of the City and its citizens. The problem is Mayor Martin deludes himself into thinking that is only council who is disturbed by his shocking disregard for the law. Martin’s dwindling supporters seem to be convinced council is engaged in petty bickering and vendettas. The term “witch hunt” has even been used by one high-placed blockhead in connection with Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro’s investigation of the mayor.

History has taught us that “witch hunts” were based on superstition and gossip. That is certainly not the case with Mayor Martin’s continued costly ineptitude. The results of the investigation will soon reveal just why council-and many residents-have been concerned and leading the call for Mayor Martin to resign.

When asked by members of council at the February 15 council meeting to resign, Mayor Martin told them and the media that is not going to happen.

Would you like to see good news about Villa Hills for a change? Are you content to wait until Special Counsel’s investigation reveals further embarrassment? Are you outraged at Mayor Martin’s actions? Do you really believe that collective sighs and exasperation will accomplish anything? Do you feel that your responsibilities of being a citizen end on Election Day? Are you going to stand there in your embarrassment and do nothing? Do you long for the days of Old Lang Syne? Do you understand that your community needs you to speak up now?

Let this post serve as your call to action. Contact Mayor Martin-and please also contact members of city council requesting that Mayor Martin do what is best for the City he once professed to love, and resign.

mayor@villahillsky.org; gbruns@villahillsky.org; gkilburn@villahillsky.org; noll@villahillsky.org; mpope@villahillsky.org; sringo@villahillsky.org; tsogar@villahillsky.org

You owe it to yourselves and your community to do this now.

Parsing Martin's Words

The Martin Chronicles would be remiss if it did not do some analysis on some of Mayor Mike Martin’s “unusual” comments captured in the wonderful February 16 cincinnati.com story reporting on the Villa Hills council meeting.

First, the section recounting Martin’s pathetic, unprofessional mismanagement of the police department which has led to the squandering of more than 150,000 taxpayer dollars (the equivalent of 5% of the City’s total annual budget).

How did this happen? Martin said he “would rather spend a little overtime” than hire the eighth police officer that both the Police Chief and the sane members of council have been requesting for more than a year. Despite the explosion of crime, Martin insisted that six officers cover the City for much of the last twelve months.

Despite the disastrous result, Martin still insists in the February 16 article that he will not hire the much-needed eighth officer. Why? Well, he told cincinnati.com that he will not say. Again, why? Because he is afraid “he will forget something important”. Is that a fact? Martin is the CEO. Not hiring the eighth police officer was his decision. He advised everyone to “get over it” because he was “moving on”. Even still, he “might forget something important” in his attempt to explain a decision. Perhaps the City’s insurance company has advised his to shut the (EXPLETIVE) up.

Second, Martin’s comment that he has “only” 2.485 MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND! This is a joke, right? The wealthy publisher of the Martin Chronicles says he wishes he could say he “only has 2.485 MILLION DOLLAR TO SPEND” tracking down the endless scandals, foul-up, bleeps and blunders that are what we laughingly refer to as the Martin Administration.

Let’s see. It’s February. The City is nearly eight months through its fiscal year. Martin still has $2.485 MILLION to spend out of a $3 MILLION dollar budget. And he can’t find the more than $150,000 in unnecessary overtime he has foolishly squandered? Not surprisingly, Martin makes no sense at all. Look for mindless cuts in services and unnecessary lay-offs of employees that will lead to more costly lawsuits.

We aren’t inclined to throw a lifeline to the drowning mayor. But we guess the taxpayers would appreciate their mayor paying the overtime he has caused before the Department of Labor takes more money out of the City’s hide in the form of fines, penalties and interest.

Lastly, Martin’s bizarre comment that he “understands why people want him to resign”. Is that right? No kidding? Just because, in just fourteen months, the venal, incompetent mayor has turned what was chosen as Northern Kentucky’s “Most Livable City” in 2010 to its “Most Laughable City”?

The scandalous, shameful squandering of more than $150,000 through pathetic mismanagement would be a huge story even in a much larger city. It is truly shocking in a City the size of Villa Hills. No matter the size of the City, reasonable people would of course expect the person responsible for such taxpayer money waste-in this case the "CEO"- to do the right thing and resign.

As a councilman, Martin became infamous for always cloyingly proclaiming he was “elected by the people" to (fill-in-the-blank) before he cast virtually any vote. As mayor, Martin may want to adhere to the same philosophy-do what the people want-and get out while the getting out is still good.

But then, what would our fine staff of reporters do nearly around the clock after Martin departs?

Breaking Story: Martin Fouls Up A Trip To The Bathroom

The Martin Chronicles is not kidding. Several sources tell us that Martin left an executive session (closed-door meeting) during Wednesday's council meeting under the premise of needing a bathroom break. He was then overheard shooting his mouth off about what was being discussed in the private meeting to assembled members of his hillbilly lynch mob.

Why is that important? Because it is almost certain that the City's defense strategy in current lawsuits and the ones that are about to be filed was being discussed. Martin may have revealed those strategies to folks who do not wish Villa Hills' taxpayers well.

Setting aside all of Martin's corrupt behavior, his ineptitude is enough to disqualify him. The more than $150,000 he wasted on unnecessary overtime is bad enough. But that amount may seem like chicken feed in lawsuit judgments against the City.

So, Martin decided to assist any and all plaintiffs against the taxpayers by tipping the City's defense plans. We wonder if he plays poker with his cards facing out as well.

Martin's Tragical History Tour

The Martin Chronicles has been doing a little historical research as a means of gaining perspective into the current chaos in the troubled town of Villa Hills. We’ve been reviewing some DVD’s we obtained to see the rampant hypocrisy and contradiction that exemplifies what we laughingly refer to as the Martin Administration. Roll up for the history tour.

Our first stop: March, 2001. We spoke with a couple of residents who were closely involved in the turmoil created by then-Mayor Steve Clark. They shared some newspaper clippings they preserved from that horrendous time. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Clark was bravely telling the media that he would never resign. Five hours later he resigned. Totally disregard any pronouncements Martin makes either to the media or after council meetings in that reeking dung heap known as the Civic Club.

Stop Number Two: June, 2007. Then-councilman Martin is captured on video bitterly complaining the Public Works Director spent $35 on a garden hose. Martin’s issue? He said he could have purchased the same garden hose for $19 elsewhere. Funny, isn’t it? $16 was a crisis in June, 2007. More than $150,000 mindlessly tossed away in overtime means nothing in February, 2012.

Stop Number Three: October, 2010. Martin emetically professes his undying love for the City of Villa Hills at that reeking dung heap known as the Civic Club’s Candidate Forum. We now learn that Martin loves the City so much that he is willing to totally destroy it in a vain attempt to save his own hide.

Stop Number Four: Every council meeting from January, 2011 through January, 2012. Councilman Mike Pope forcefully states his complete agreement with CEO Martin about not hiring the eighth police officer. Pope announced at the end of the February, 2012 council meeting that he now believes that the police department does need the eighth officer. The cost for Pope’s education? More than $150,000. Here is the good news for Pope. His tuition has been fully funded by the taxpayers.

Bonus Quick Stop: How do Mayor and Mrs. Martin, the lunatic Pope and the alleged alcoholic predator Jim Noll gush about the prospects of a parade to celebrate the humiliated City’s 50^th Anniversary and then claim that “deep budget cuts” are necessary as a result of Martin’s whizzing away of more than $150,000 in unnecessary overtime? It is good to see these four venal pinheads have their priorities straight.

History tells us that Martin is already finished. He has disgraced himself and the City. Special Counsel’s report will make things far, far worse for Martin. History also tells us that Martin will probably be the absolute last person to realize the severity of the trouble he faces.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: We are unable to confirm that Martin’s emphatic council meeting gum-chewing was an attempt to lure Wrigley as a sponsor for his parade. Our publisher suspects that Martin was instead trying to control his obvious case of nerves to avoid having a bowel movement in his pants on live television.]

Tomorrow's Tease: Martin's Tragical History Tour

The Martin Chronicles graciously invites our exploding audience to roll up, roll up for the history tour. It's an invitation. You've got a reservation. Martin's Tragical History Tour is coming to take you away. Take you today. The taxpayer's will pay. Sorry, we just couldn't help that.

Our crack team of reporters has been catching a little rest by reviewing council meeting DVDs and newspaper clippings and will be taking you on a four-stop tour (with one bonus stop) of the hypocrisy and contradiction of Martin's current, expensive mess.

[PUBLISHER'S NOTE: If you haven't yet read the article posted February 16 on cincinnati.com, you should. Reader's who have been contacting us suspecting that Gannett reporter Libby Cunningham has been submitting posts to the Martin Chronicles over the past several weeks are incorrect. We suspect that the writing style of "The Chronicles" has simply become part of Ms. Cunningham's unconscious mind. In any event, her writing is now A+ in our book. Check it out!!!]

Preliminary Council Meeting Report

The Martin Chronicles wants to extend a special “THANK YOU” to WCPO-TV for jumping on the dinosaur media bandwagon that is now covering what we have been dutifully reporting to you since our launch October 8, 2011. They got to witness yesterday’s spectacle demonstrating what happens when an apathetic community elects a man devoid of leadership, and worse, integrity.

Our reporters have been literally working all night on the many storylines that came out of last night’s council meeting debacle. From a Martin-proposed City Clerk being voted down to a silly discussion about a parade that we suspect will soon take both tarred and feathered Martins to the City limits.

The phone lines are still burning and the e-mails are flying. We will begin posting stories in the coming hours. As one of our intrepid reporters said a couple of hours ago, “we’ll rest when things settle down.” The grim fact is that it means no one at The Martin Chronicles will be able to “put it in park” for several more weeks.

Another reporter joked that Mike Pope abstains more than a Trappist monk. Others speculate that Pope is trying to avoid being drawn into Martin’s legal problems by refusing to take any and all decisions. Our publisher says, “Good luck with that strategy.” We hope Pope is prepared for the onslaught he is about to face.

Councilman Greg Kilburn also alienated the remainder of the diminishing base that kept him on council by a scant six votes. The author of the UNFAIR $40 ROAD TAX lawyerly tried to share in the blame for Martin’s $150,000-plus overtime screw-up. Kilburn has voluntarily accepted the status of lame duck. There is no sense in speculating why. Kilburn has been erratic now for some time. Many of his former supporters washed their hands of him during his fence-straddling bloviation last night. So long, Greg. The City will be better for it when Mr. Kilburn returns to private life.

Also, despite Councilman Noll’s mindless meandering last night, he must know all the evidence of his alleged predatory behavior is going to be handed over to his opponent in his upcoming bid for outgoing Senator Jack Westwood’s seat. Strange indeed.

It is far too late for Mayor Martin to hide the disaster. No amount of additional lying, cover-up, computer removal, stonewalling, blame-laying, finger-pointing or document destruction can paper over the scandalous state of Villa Hills’ City government.The horse is out of the barn. In fact, the horse is galloping at full speed into the next county.

We wonder what Martin can possibly be thinking. A person of even average intelligence would be looking for a way out. The Martin Chronicles thinks that is not the mayor’s plan. We still expect one last, desperate rally of Martin’s hillbilly lynch mob. The next several weeks will be ugly to be sure.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts.

Breaking News: Kilburn Is Finished

The Martin Chronicles understands Councilman Greg Kilburn's worry. He staggered to the 2010 finsh line a scant 6 votes ahead of the seventh place finisher. But he remained on council.

However, he has now alienated his voting base by pandering to Mayor Mike Martin's "hillbilly lynch mob". How? He expressed a willingness to force council to share in the blame for Martin's $150,000 overtime screw-up.

Thanks Mr. Kilburn. But so long.

Breaking News: Martin's Budget Amendment Voted Down

The Martin Chronicles suggests Villa Hills' residents set aside Councilman Greg Kilburn's mindless mea culpa, trying to straddle the fence on Martin's mismanagement of the $150,000 in unneccessary Police overtime.

Martin's pathetic attempt to share blame for his squandering of tax dollars was rejected by a majority of council. He must now finally take the responsibility for his dictatorial management approach.

If he goes through with his threatened lay-offs, there will be hell-and more lawsuits-for the taxpayers to cover.

Breaking News: Martin's Clerk Candidate Voted Down

By a 4-2 vote, council sent a strong message to hopefully-soon-to-be-departing Villa Hills' Mayor Mike Martin that his crony hire, clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber and their $47.50 per hour taxpayer rip-off is done. How? 4 dissenting votes said "NO" to Martin's proposed City Clerk hire.

Why, because they know full well the City Clerk needs to have some accounting skill. Martin's proposed hire would have been another employee who is clueless to the taxpayer fleece that is also known as the Martin Administration.

Kudos to the four who voted "NO"!

The Branch Norwoodians: Villa Hills Chapter

What do David Koresh, The Reverend Jim Jones and Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin have in common? Koresh and Jones both had apocalyptic visions, a messianic complex and they led their respective organizations along to their own personal Armageddon. Martin is from the exact same, odd mold. Koresh and Jones are fading into history. Martin appears to be destined to share the same dust bin. The Martin Chronicles sincerely hopes that when the Villa Hills “complex” burns to the ground there is but one inhabitant inside. But that is still a very open question.

The Martin Chronicles has learned that Martin is going to ask City Council to join him in a political suicide pact at tonight’s Council meeting. If for no other reason than to watch Martin’s imitation of Jones and Koresh, we suggest you tune in to Insight Channel 16 at 7 o’clock.

What have we learned Martin wants council to do? First, a little review is in order. For more than a year Martin has fumbled, stumbled and bungled his way in to more than $150,000 in police overtime expenses. The Department of Labor is now breathing down Martin’s neck, wanting to know why one particular employee has not been paid the overtime he has rightfully earned. Martin got what he wanted. He always pushed for this employee to be paid on the basis of “time and material”. The result has been an unmitigated disaster.

If Martin doesn’t deal with the mess he has created soon, he will be adding financial insult to grievous taxpayer injury in the form of interest and penalties imposed by the aforementioned Department of Labor. He has no one to blame but himself. But as we have learned, accepting responsibility is never “The Martin Way”.

Why the mayoral disastrous dithering? Because Martin is scared to death to admit that he is solely responsible for flushing more than $150,000 in taxpayer money down a Norwood sewer rat hole. His unprofessional mismanagement has proven to be far more than a very costly embarrassment.

Now the answer to what Martin is requesting of council. Sources tell us that the mayor wants council to vote to approve paying the $100,000 in overtime to the particular employee.

Why would council even think about thinking about thinking about thinking about putting their “fingerprints” on Martin’s mess? Council doesn’t need to vote to pay the employee. The law mandates that Martin must cut the check. In our view, Martin is simply looking for a way to share the blame for his colossal foul-up. We sincerely hope council declines to accommodate the mismanaging mayor. Hiring the eighth police officer when the Police Chief and council requested Martin do so more than a year ago would have prevented all of this.

Every time the request was made to hire the eighth officer, the mayor would beat his chest and say “NO!” Martin would say, “I am the CEO. It is my decision. Get over it. We’re moving on.” To this day, whenever Martin is asked to reconsider his vengeance-fueled decision, Martin says, “Don’t go there!” The Martin Chronicles warned that these words would come back to haunt. Now “haunt” those words most certainly do. Why should council agree to share in Martin’s blame?

Suppose someone, like say Councilman Mike Pope, insists that council approve a budget amendment tonight in order to pay the employee. Again, council shouldn’t think about thinking about thinking about thinking about doing so. Why? Because that is nothing more than a deceptive attempt to get council to endorse Martin’s wretched mismanagement.

Only one budget amendment should be necessary. That amendment would be approved at the end of the fiscal year. Hopefully, Martin will be long gone by then. In the meantime, council should let Martin and his buddies Pope and $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper, crony-hire Cordelia Schaber sort out Martin’s six-figure screw-up. The mayor created this fiscal debacle all on his own.

Much like Jones and Koresh, Martin is threatening disaster. The mayor warns council that if they don’t succumb to his blackmail-and that is exactly what this is- he will lay-off four employees. What should council say? “Go ahead, mayor.” Then watch the residents engage in what will be a loud, public conflagration. Only one person needs to vacate “the Branch Norwoodian compound” And just who is that? Why, that would be Mayor Mike Martin. But the messianic mayor won’t go quietly. No matter. The time has long past to force the issue. Before the City is past the point of repair.

The Martin Chronicles knows this is harsh-and absolutely true. Mayor Martin is pathetic. He has no problem beating his chest, proclaiming that he is “the CEO” who has virtually unlimited authority. But what the Third World Dictator-wannabe won’t ever do is accept the responsibility that comes with what he believes is his boundless authority. If four employees are terminated, it will be the sole fault of the mayor’s abject inability to lead. Council will have no responsibility for the inevitable diminishment in services that will be sure to follow.

For what it’s worth, The Martin Chronicles strongly recommends that council-including the suddenly unpredictable Greg Kilburn-loudly declines Martin’s “gracious” offer for a cup of his special blend of Kool-Aid tonight. When Martin asks council to amend the budget and vote to endorse his horrible mishandling of overtime hours, they should succinctly respond, “Mr. Mayor, this is your mess. You are “the CEO”. Get over it. Council is moving on”.

Tomorrow's Tease: Beware "The Branch Norwoodians"

The Martin Chronicles has reported numerous times that the authorities are moving in on "the Branch Norwoodian compound". The only open question? How many innocent victims will be consumed along with Mike Martin when the Villa Hills' mayor decides to burn everything down around him? Dial up tomorrow's post any time after 3AM to learn what is at stake at tomorrow's monthly council meeting.

"Deal With It"

The Martin Chronicles has to chuckle about the shock and horror now being expressed all over the greater Villa Hills area about the malfeasance and pathetic mismanagement of Mayor Mike Martin. Our reporters hear it in the grocery store, the pharmacies, the health clubs, the bars, the gas stations, the restaurants, the hardware stores and even in the churches. As one long-time observer puts it, “You can’t find anyone who will admit voting for this clown”.

We know we say this quite a bit. But it won’t stop us from saying it yet again. Voters-and non-voters- get the government they deserve. By a narrow margin, voters did elect Martin in November, 2010. Whether voters want to admit that fact now or not.

Several people also now maintain that they didn’t bother to vote because they thought the outcome of the election was a foregone conclusion. They feign shock at the result. But all those folks who sat out the 2010 election are as much to blame as all those now-phantom voters who elected Martin, and perhaps as bad, re-elected Mike Pope. One underestimates the ability of the voters to make terrible choices at their own risk. It happens all the time.

So how did it happen? It began with the double-digit IQ denizens at that dump known as the Civic Club. Stinging from the embarrassment of their huge embezzlement scandal, the venal Heidelberg Men and Women from the crummy Civic Club made it their mission to wreak havoc on their hated City government. They joined with Martin to spread lie after lie after lie after lie.

Fairly soon the holier-than-thou hypocrites that over-populate the St. Joe’s Heavy Drinking Men’s Society were on Mike Martin’s bandwagon. Much of that was because of the alcohol-fueled crossover between the Civic Club knuckleheads and the sanctimonious Society.

There was also a gaggle of ill-informed voters who were foolish enough to believe Martin when he lied to them about his plan to repeal the Greg Kilburn’s UNFAIR $40 STICKER TAX. How did that work out? Oh, that’s right. Now you have to pay the” Kilburn Tax” at slumlord County Boss Steve Arlinghaus’ Court House. By the way, Martin is going to SUE YOU if you don’t pay it.

Martin also appealed to the raised-pinky, Chablis and brie, “Jeeves be a good man and pull the car around” crowd as well with his “Time for a change” bunk. While this noveau riche crowd never breaks even a bead of sweat to help with anything, they expect to be catered to at the drop of their silk fedoras. “I say Muffy, that chap Martin appears to be such an accommodating little fellow, don’t you agree?”

Never risking exposition of his low intelligence by debating the real issues facing the City, Martin instead spewed slanderous and libelous mud and pulled together the rest of his hillbilly lynch mob coalition by patching together an odd assortment of cat haters, red-baiters, tree-huggers, granny-muggers, defrocked Civic Club officers, religious fanatics, toilet cloggers, cigar chompers, fire extinguisher salesmen, morbidly obese, codgers, tax-dodgers, lunks, punks, drunks, rustlers, hustlers, cut-throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperadoes, mugs, pugs, thugs, half-wits, dim-wits, nit-wits, vipers, snipers, gripers, foolers, droolers, home-schoolers, con men, bush-whackers, drug addicts, crazy uncles in the attic, unlicensed electricians, failed musicians, crack-pots, tin-pots, popes, dopes, dope-smokers, jack-booters, boot-lickers, pick-pockets, nose-pickers, nit-pickers, pin-stickers, stick men, straw men, hornswogglers, Keystone Light-swallowers, mule-skinners, Indian agents and Mexican bandits.

And so, Martin narrowly won the election. Perhaps we should borrow the “CEO’s” favorite line with just a little twist. “It was your decision. Now Martin is the CEO. Deal with it.”’

The excellent group of Martin Chronicles’ reporters who put this post together, with help from Mel Brooks, now feels better. The real question is, do you?