Saturday, March 31, 2012

Layoffs?!?!?

The Martin Chronicles begs your indulgence. As we recounted in yesterday’s post, Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin is a remarkably skilled liar. That is if you are grading the self-important simpleton on quantity and not quality.

It would be a colossal understatement to say that things are not going well at all for the little man from Norwood. He is worrying about losing “his wife’s (?) house” because of all the taxpayer money he has foolishly squandered. He is under investigation for misconduct in office. The investigation is rumored to have uncovered misdeeds far worse than that. A growing chorus of residents is also joining the majority on council to ask for the incompetent “CEO” to resign. Bad. Very bad.
How bad has it gotten? The Ayatollah of Phony Holy Rollahs has had to recruit his own perpetually-throwing-her-less-than two-cents-worth-in wife Janet to write a libelous letter-to-the-editor to support her husband’s corrupt, sinking ship-of-state. That is pathetic. Feeble. Nasty. Abhorrent. Inferior. Terrible. Low. Awful. Disgusting. Revulsive. Wanton. Contemptible. Grungy. Troubling. Wretched. Horrible. Detestable. Foul. Horrendous. Unconvincing. Gruesome. Monstrous. Disreputable. Immoral. Revolting. Dreadful. Shabby. Hateful. Inadequate. Abominable. Degenerate. Wicked. Outrageous. Upsetting. Sleazy. Depraved. Disturbing. Horrific. Repugnant. Mucky. Dirty. Atrocious. Shameful. Offensive. Distressing. Ghastly. Appalling. Worn-out. Dishonorable. Grisly. Shocking. Vile. Loathsome. Ignominious. Decadent. Repulsive. Despicable. Base. Worthless. In plain English, it is exactly the kind of action you would expect from two low-lifes like Mike and Janet Martin to take.

His threat to lay off almost half the City employees to save his own pimply hide has really touched a nerve with many residents. Many now see the mendacious mayor for the phony he really is.
So please allow us to paint a picture for you. It is quite grim. Let us suppose that Councilman Mike Pope and Villa-Hills-made-a-nice-stepping-stone-State-Senate-candidate Councilman Jim Noll decide to turn a blind eye to all of the misconduct and corruption that Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro lays before the public beginning on April 30 and vote against removing the malfeasant mayor.

An ebullient Mike Martin will surely hold a press conference to beat his chest. If you are not a fan of the NFL or Coors Light commercials this may not make as much sense to you. But here goes.
REPORTER: When do you plan to begin the employee lay-offs to prevent the loss of your wife’s (?) house?

MARTIN: What’s that?!? Huh? LAYOFFS?!?!? You’re talkin’ about LAYOFFS?!?!? Are you kiddin’ me?!?!? I just hope I don’t end up in jail!!!
Alright. Enough fantasy. We’re getting back to work. Isn’t this fun?

Friday, March 30, 2012

The Amazing Transparent Man

The Martin Chronicles is having a wonderful time sifting through all the deceit, fabrications, misrepresentations, bamboozling, bush-whacking, double-talking, falsehoods, calumny, slander, back-stabbing, libel, mendacity, defamation, deception and flat-out lies contained in Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s three-page Manifesto oddly titled, “A Note To Villa Hills Residents”. Who writes a three-page “note” by the way? We are so impressed with Martin’s fabricated piece of fiction that we have taken to calling the little man “The Unahandyman”. 
 
In one section of the self-important simpleton’s screed, he equates the City having a run of the mill website (Website? That is so “Nineties”.) to making the City more “transparent”. You don’t say? Is that a fact?
Let’s explore just how “transparent” the mendacious Martin really is:


·         Throughout his dirtbag mayoral campaign, Martin actually said he was “happy to tell” the residents that he was not suing them. The problem with that “happy” declaration? No less an esteemed body than the Supreme Court of the United States says Martin was suing the residents. He only stopped suing them when an Appellate Court panel advised him that he was “barking up the wrong tree” with his ridiculous lawsuit on June 7, 2011.


·         Just prior to the January 2011 council meeting, Martin assured at least two council members that he did have all the proper licenses necessary to legally run his handyman business. The problem with that assurance? Martin does not have all the proper licenses necessary to legally run his handyman business.


·         Shortly after assuming his role of supreme dictator of the Third World Banana Republic some still call Villa Hills, Martin claimed he was left with NO City records. Was this the rationale for enacting an official City policy that flagrantly disobeyed Kentucky Open Records statutes? The problem with that calumnious claim? If Martin was left NO records, how did he manage to get caught red-handed literally burning a truck load of those records that didn’t even exist on January 5, 2012?


·         Staying with the infamous “Martin’s City records cook-out”, why did he tell the Public Works Director not to let anyone know about the illegal “barbecue”? Why did he falsify a document about his, at best, improper destruction of City records, misrepresenting what was actually burned? Then the mendacious mayor lied not once, but twice, when he was questioned by a councilman about the accuracy of his falsified list at the January 2012 council meeting. Transparent? By whose deceitful definition?


·         How about the Martin Road Tax fiasco? First he was for the tax. Then he was against the tax. Then he was both for and against the tax. His empty head told him one thing. His black heart told him something else. He didn’t know then. But he knows now. Someone flagged him down to ask him a question as he was driving to a council meeting. You know the little man’s shtick by now. After improperly using City personnel and resources to produce and distribute a PRO-TAX flyer (that action earned him a “confidential” reprimand from the City’s Ethics Board) he lied to a resident who asked him about the flyer, saying he had “no idea” who was responsible for producing and distributing it.


·         Consider the decimation of the Villa Hills Police Department. Martin announced he would not replace the eighth police officer (leading to an explosion in crime and overtime costs to the taxpayers), but NEVER provided his real reasons. “I’m the CEO. It’s MY decision” Remember? C’mon, man. Just how “transparent” is that?


We could go on for hours. But we have a staff breakfast meeting. Much more to come on “Mike Martin, The Amazing Transparent Man” in future posts.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Weekend Tease: The Challenge Begins

The Martin Chronicles has obtained emails that challenge Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's legal ability to willy-nilly begin to lay off City employees in his desperate attempt to save "his wife's (?) house".
We are confident that the mayor is still focused on wasteful spending items like a frivolous parade to "celebrate" the City's 50-year Anniversary while still holding the threat of lay-off over the heads of City employees who are tasked with cleaning up the colossal mess Martin continues to create.

These emails also confirm that Martin has legal counsel exploring a way for him to circumvent the City's Civil Service ordinance to make hard-working, honest employees pay a steep price for the bumbling mayor's incompetence and mismanagement.

The mayor also appears to be foolish enough to believe that the employees are not aware of his terrible plan. This despite the fact that Martin openly discussed lay-offs at the March council meeting.

The Martin Chronicles plans to explore these despicable developments this weekend. We hope that the residents of Villa Hills are not as happy as mayoral spouse Janet Martin seems to believe they are in here disgusting, libelous letter-to-the-editor that appeared this week.

Tomorrow's Tease: The Amazing Transparent Man!

The Martin Chronicles will treat you to more from Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's "manifesto"  tomorrow. We'll be "happy" to start to tell tell you the truth about just how "transparent" the little Unahandyman really is!

Dial up the "Old MC" tomorrow any time after 3AM for the 411.

"The Dog Ate My Homework"

The Martin Chronicles is ceaselessly amazed by how mean-spirited the Ayatollah of Phony Holy Rollah’s Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin truly is. We have witnessed the perpetual deceit and breathless self-aggrandizement. We have seen his constant, reflexive reaction to any problem that confronts him. Martin lapses into a litany of blame-laying, mud-slinging and finger-pointing.

Nothing is ever his fault. He takes no responsibility for any problem. All indications are that he has stumbled through his entire life this way. Martin has evidently been this way ever since he had to steal food to survive as a waif on the mean streets of Norwood (or so the fable goes). The dog always eats his homework.
Whenever the little man lands in trouble-which is frequently-he immediately begins to:

·         Attack the previous administration and accuse them of all manner of crimes and incompetence

·         Attack the majority on council and accuse them of not being willing to work with him

·         Attack the Civil Service Commission

·         Attack the residents

·         Attack the City employees

But here is the reality the little man refuses to face:

·         The previous administration left him the number one rated City in Northern Kentucky. It is his actions that are destroying the once smoothly-functioning City. Doesn’t 2010 seem like a long time ago?

·         The majority of council has a track record of accomplishment and dedicated public service. He has a track record of ineptitude, dishonesty and costly failure. Hear that echo? It is Martin’s infamous pronouncement, “I am the CEO. It’s MY decision. Get over it. We’re moving on.” Always remember those autocratic words.

·         The Civil Service Commission has provided Martin with several fine candidates for the open City Clerk and Police Officer positions. It is Martin’s mismanagement and incompetence that has made a complete mess of the hiring effort.

·         It has been Martin’s decision to misuse taxpayer money on the private property of area residents. He has no business verbally assaulting them at the Civic Club or any place else.

·         The City employees have had to cover for Martin’s massive incompetence and mismanagement for nearly sixteen months. They take beatings from residents who are upset with his wrongdoing and failed policies.
But now it gets worse. Martin has gone far beyond simply throwing the employees under the bus. Now he is holding them hostage in his desperate attempt to cajole council into giving him another $125K of taxpayer money to squander. One fine writer accurately described Martin’s current actions as “extortion”. Martin is threatening to lay the employees off because he is incapable of managing a budget and leading the City.

These employees come to work every day for the purpose of serving the residents. Martin’s ugly politics and failed policies do not belong to them. But the little man has unfairly pulled them square in to the middle of the giant mess he has created.
Martin is threatening their livelihoods. Martin is threatening their families. Martin wants to punish them for the fact that he is in way over his head. Martin is disgraceful. The solution? Mayor Martin himself is the only one who needs to be laid off. And it needs to be a permanent separation.




Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tomorrow's Tease: That Darn Dog Did It Again!

The Martin Chronicles will first do a little shameless self-congratulation. We welcomed our 25,000th unique visitor to our plucky little blog today! Our readership continues to grow by leaps and bounds each and every day. That keeps our publisher very happy.
Yes, we know the grim reason. It is the abject failure and perpetual misdeeds of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin that keeps driving people to our blog. We are proud that even members of the dinosaur media have become regular readers. And yes, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, we know who you are!

Dial up the "Old MC" tomorrow to read our exposition on Martin's perpetual fall-back position whenever he is caught in a jam. "The Dog Ate My Homework!"

Man, that paper-loving dog keeps mighty, mighty busy. Sweet, sweet Jack!!

Enough Already!

The Martin Chronicles crack staff has tracked down a copy of “The Martin Manifesto” that has been circulating around town. It is quite a testament to Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s greatness. As we read it we started to feel overcome with a sense that perhaps Martin’s visage should join those of Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln on the cliffs of Mt. Rushmore. Then we remembered. The three pathetically written pages of mindless meanderings are nothing more than the proverbial crock of bovine scatology and dangerous libel.
Please allow us to share an example. Martin claims, “The Accounting Firm used by the previous administration has been replaced with an annual savings to the City of around $15,000”. Is that a fact? You don’t say?
Do you join us in wondering whether or not it has ever occurred to the mismanaging mayor that replacing a competent accountant with his crony-hire, $47.50 per hour, hillbilly bucket head clerk/bookkeeper could be maybe a part of the reason he finds himself in the position of frantically pleading with council to give him an emergency budget amendment to cover his current $125,000 budget shortfall? Of course you do.

So perhaps Martin could tell us again how he thinks getting rid of a skilled accountant confident in what they were doing saved any money at all? It seems to us fairer to say that Martin’s bonehead move actually cost the taxpayer’s $125,000.
Besides, the accounting firm has a completely different version of what happened. As they tell it, they informed the mayor they would no longer be providing accounting services to the Martin-led government. Something about not wanting to risk their professional reputation. Given Martin’s consistent unfamiliarity with the truth, we absolutely believe the accounting firm.

You say you want an encore? Okay several readers have their Bic lighters fired up. So here goes. “Unfiled City Records have been identified, organized and filed so that City Records can be maintained as required by law and money due the City is deposited when received”.
As Mayberry’s Andy Taylor used to say, “Don’t that beat all?” And here all the time Martin told us there were no records. Why, that was supposed to be the reason he almost never fills an Open Records request in accordance with State statute. Didn’t he tell us that he wasn’t left even a Post It Note or paper clip?

What gives? Now we are supposed to believe that the City Building looked like an episode of Hoarders with stacks and stacks of paperwork scattered all throughout the premises? So, is that the reason Martin ordered the unlawful destruction of City Records on January 5, 2012? Is the mayor now saying that he committed what is potentially a Class D felony in a heroic attempt to prevent the City Building that was bursting at the seams with flammable records from perhaps catching fire?
Enough already.
[PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Sometime late today The Martin Chronicles will be hosting our 25,000th UNIQUE VISITOR! Dare I say this is quite an accomplishment for our plucky little blog? I want to extend a grateful THANK YOU to all our loyal readers on behalf of our entire staff of dedicated people covering Mike Martin’s scandal-plagued river town.]

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It's Just Crazy Enough To Work

The Martin Chronicles’ staff is known for having strong stomachs. Our reporters have all covered many grisly events in their long and accomplished careers. But as one of our veteran newshounds said late yesterday, “Man, this is gettin’ so ugly. I’ve seen some truly horrible stuff over the years. I’ve witnessed all manner of calamities and accidents. I’ve covered plagues, pestilence and civil wars. But this. This? Why, it’s getting’ to the point where I don’t know if I can even look at it anymore.” His words faded off as he repeated over and over, “The horror. The horror. The h-o-r-r-o-r.”
So what is the “horror” our reporter was referring to? Well, that would be the tangled mess of squirming snakes we laughingly refer to as the “administration” of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin. Layer on to this the obviously poor advice provided by the Councilman Mike Pope-led Finance Committee and you’ve got ugly trouble in this little river City. With a capital “T”.
And ugly it is. Channel 9 News presented a shocking report yesterday on the budget fiasco the bumbling Mayor Martin has created. The mismanaging mayor is pleading with council to hold an emergency meeting to pass a $125K budget amendment that will only cover his immediate shortfall.

Martin is so frantic that he has reportedly threatened to “lay off half the employees”. Why? We suspect he is still desperately trying to save his “wife’s (?) house”. C’mon. you know the truth. One of our more sarcastic staff members asked, “Now when Martin says he is going to layoff ‘half the employees’, does he mean laying them off from the waist down or the waist up?”
As we have already written, we hope council declines Martin’s frenzied request. We hope even more that the council has the intestinal fortitude not to back down from Martin’s obvious blackmail. If the mayor truly lays off half the city staff for purely selfish reasons the explosion he has already created all on his own will become a literal radioactive mushroom crowd of residents’ fury with the fallout cascading down on his head. Our advice to the council? Call the mismanaging mayor’s bluff. If the council backs down, they will never, ever, no, not ever be able to stop the mayor again. No matter how crazy or irresponsible the mismanaging mayor’s mindless actions.

There is a way Martin could solve his budget crisis. At least he could do so in his own mind. You see, Martin claimed he “found” $30K in unbilled taxes during his dirtbag 2010 mayoral campaign. Then, Martin assigned credit for “finding” the same $30K in unbilled taxes to $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber just a few months ago. There is now a Martin-generated pathetic propaganda piece floating around town where he credits his “hard work” for “finding” the same $30K in unbilled taxes yet again. Yup, the h-o-r-r-o-r!
The Martin Chronicles is convinced that Martin truly believes that saying he and Cordelia “found” the same $30K three times equates to finding $90K. So using the mayor’s own logic, he simply needs to tell five more people that either he or Cordelia “found” the same $30K and, according to his calculations, he will have “found” $150K! More than enough to solve his immediate budget busting problem. With $25K more of the same “found” money to spare!

Maybe we can have that parade Martin, Pope and Noll want after all!
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Tomorrow we will try to help Martin by offering yet another excellent suggestion. We call it our “Martin’s April Fool’s Day Tell-All-A-Thon Solution”. Can’t you just hear it now? “TIMPANI!!!!”]

Monday, March 26, 2012

Tomorrow's Tease: We Have The Answer!

The Martin Chronicles saw the Channel 9 News report on Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's dreadful budget mess. Boy howdy!

Be not afraid. We have the solution. Dial us up any time after 3am to discover what the "old MC" suggests for a solution to Martin's mayhem.

The "Double Standard" Defense

The Martin Chronicles staff watched the last council meeting very closely. The volume was turned up all the way so that we could hear comments coming from those in attendance. We couldn’t wait to hear what Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s rumored “bombshell” was going to be. Every Martin Chronicles’ reporter was certain it was going to be big. B-I-G, BIG!!! Several even made bets on what Martin would announce.

Alas, as he has done for the last dreadful fifteen months of his woeful administration, Martin let us down yet again. Every single reporter lost their bet.  It was a colossal letdown.
As we have already reported, Martin’s “bombshell” was nothing more than the far-less-than-shocking announcement that Councilman Tim Sogar does not have a Kenton County Occupational License. Mr. Sogar is a sales rep who travels to several states and Canada marketing his company’s products. So what? He works out of his house. What the heck? That’s it? That’s a “bombshell”?
Besides, County Boss Steve Arlinghaus already came to a Villa Hills council meeting a few months ago to offer his opinion from on high that the failure to secure an Occupational License is no big deal. We can only guess that Kenton County doesn’t need the tax revenue. So what’s the point? Where is the “bombshell”? The increasingly unpopular Arlinghaus even went so far as to describe criticism of someone for not having an Occupational License as “a witch hunt”. So what in the wide, wide world of sports was Martin thinking?
But Martin seems to think it is a big deal. For some inexplicable reason Martin seems to think that Mr. Sogar’s lack of an Occupational License somehow absolves the mayor of all of his many sins.
Our reporters heard Mrs. Martin argue with Mr. Sogar during the meeting, alleging that Sogar’s lack of an Occupational License was somehow a “double standard”? Witnesses tell The Martin Chronicles that Mrs. Martin even followed Mr. Sogar as he made his way to the bathroom during the meeting. Mrs. Martin’s mission? We can only assume that she intended to continue to harangue Mr. Sogar about the “double standard”. Sogar’s response? Witnesses say he closed the bathroom door in Mrs. Martin’s face.
Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Mr. Sogar needs an Occupational License. What will he do? He will do the right thing.  Mr. Sogar will secure the proper licenses through his company. The Martin Chronicles has done some checking. And, well, uh, how to put this-that is not what Martin has done since launching Mike Martin Electric several years ago after he put the cookie factory out of business.
You see, a few years Martin did secure an Occupational License. Most years? Well, most years he did not. Funny thing is that the couple of years he complied with the law coincided with years he was running for election. What does that tell you? It tells you that the years Martin knowingly chose not to purchase the license he also knew he was not complying with the law. It also tells you that, knowing he was violating the law, he wanted to avoid an election year issue.
There is more. Councilman Greg Kilburn works out of his house for an out-of-town company. Should he also have an Occupational License? Would Mike Martin describe that as a “triple standard”? And then there is the Villa-Hills-is- just-a-convenient-stepping-stone-State-Senate-candidate Councilman Jim Noll. He claims to be running a law firm from his home. Does he have an Occupational License? If not, would Mike Martin describe that transgression as evidence of a “quadruple standard”?
What the (EXPLETIVE)? Maybe every single woman, man and child in Villa Hills should secure an occupational license to escape the mindlessly-mud-slinging wrath of Mike Martin.
The Martin Chronicles sees where this is headed. Martin will not heed the advice of the friend who came to the podium at the last council meeting and counseled him to resign. Instead, Martin will do what he always does and throw mud at his perceived enemies. It will be “scorched earth”. That is all Martin is good at.
We are also convinced that Martin is not doing his dirt-digging and mud-slinging alone. Let’s face it. He’s not very bright. We have a reporter digging into that. Several sources are convinced that Martin is getting assistance from a very experienced battle-axe in these efforts to discredit his perceived enemies. We have a pretty good idea who it is and are working to confirm it.
The Special Counsel may very well be presenting his initial findings on April 30. When Mr. Taliaferro is finished laying out the many misdeed of Mike Martin, his failure to secure an Occupational License will seem meaningless.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunday Commentary: He Is The "CEO"

In a follow-up to yesterday’s post, The Martin Chronicles wants to explore some of the possible excuses Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin may make in a desperate attempt to cover his misdeeds and unfamiliarity with what virtually everyone else calls “the truth”.
Let’s start with the mindless crushing of the City safe with a backhoe. That little piece of malfeasant nitwittery happened more than a year ago. What might Martin say? Well, he will most likely lie and say he asked several people for the combination to the safe. He might lie and say he called a locksmith who told him it would be $1,000 or $1,500 dollars to open the safe. He might say the City Attorney told him it was okay to willfully destroy City property (given the City Attorney’s performance over the past fifteen months we can’t be 100% sure that didn’t happen).
Frankly, all of that is irrelevant. Before he took any action State statutes mandate that he should have asked council to declare the safe “surplus property”. That never happened. Besides, the fact that Martin went out to purchase a new safe with his own money (misusing the City’s Tax ID to avoid paying sales tax) after his action was discovered is as close to an admission that he knew what he did was improper as you are ever going to get.

Will Martin try to explain away his shady business dealings? Will he say he didn’t know then that he needs and electrical and plumbing license to do electrical and plumbing work, but he knows it now?
Will he say that it is a mere coincidence that not a single one of the residences in Villa Hills where he performed his unlicensed work secured the necessary permits? Will he chalk that up to every single one of his customers being somewhat dishonest?

What excuse will Martin provide to explain his unlicensed commercial work at the Villa Hills Civic Club? Will he make the easily disprovable claim that he donated the labor and material (which would still be improper)? Why might it be so easily disprovable? Perhaps Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro has copies of Civic Club checks paid to Mike Martin Electric for the unlicensed work he performed? We’ll know that soon enough.
Will Martin blame his official (and improper) policy to delay and stonewall the filling of Open Records requests on the endlessly interim City Clerk? Despite the fact that this more or less useless clerk publicly stated that she could not release records without the mayor’s approval to a crowd at a council meeting?

Will Martin blame this same inept clerk for the illegal document destruction of January 5? Will he say it is her, not him who is the “custodian of records”? How will he explain the document he falsified the next day? What will he say when documents that weren’t on his trumped up list are presented in the special counsel report? Will that also be the hapless interim City Clerk’s fault?
If so, won’t that be rich? There is something to be said for getting the opportunity to watch two low-life’s wrestling with one another desperately attempting to throw the other low-life under the bus.

As many of you are learning, and we already knew, it is not the current City Council who is holding Martin back from becoming “all the mayor he could be”. Unless of course by that Martin means he could become an even bigger embarrassment to the City and its residents.
The logic is clear. The council Martin blames for his problems was there many years before his arrival. Theirs is a track record of accomplishment. What has changed? Martin is now there. His track record? Embarrassing misconduct and abject failure.

What we have witnessed over these last fifteen disgraceful months, the lies, the improper conduct, the huge budget over-runs, the decimation of the police department-these are all the sole property of Mayor Mike Martin. Who will ever forget his famous words? “I’m the CEO. It’s MY decision. Get over it. We’re moving on”. Always remember those words.
No more excuses. No more finger-pointing. No more blame-laying. No more lies. With Martin, what you see is what you get. It is time for Martin to heed the sober advice given to him by his friend who came to the podium at the last council meeting. It is time for Martin to accept the fact that he alone is the “CEO”. These were his decisions. These were his actions. He needs to get over himself. And he needs to move on.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Martin's Next Move?

The Martin Chronicles has been predicting it now for many months. It is the Martin Way. Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin lied during his $1.505 MILLION lawsuit against the taxpayers. He lied during his dirtbag mayoral race. Now he is going to lie and try to divert attention away from his malfeasant behavior and the incredible mess he has created, hoping that people will not see him for the cornered rat he is.

We saw the first round at last Wednesday’s Council meeting. Remember? Martin’s big “bombshell”? How did it go? Martin conceded that he has avoided taxes, fees and licenses in his business practices. But he said Councilman Tim Sogar was guilty of the same offense! As we have already reported, Martin was (once again) DEAD WRONG. But that isn’t even the point. The point is that he is playing the final “marked” cards he has remaining in his corrupt deck.
He’ll try to make all manner of excuses for every bit of his corrupt and foolish behavior. It will either be the fault of the previous administration (that left him the Number One City in Northern Kentucky) or the current City Council that (with the exceptions of Mike Pope and Jim Noll) he has refused to work with from the jump. With Martin, it's always lie after lie after lie after lie.

Martin was able to fool the idiots at the Civic Club and the holier-than-thou pinheads of the St. Joe’s Heavy Drinking Men’s Society during the 2010 election. He may even be able to dupe these morons again. They don’t matter nearly as much anymore. Just ask the recently defrocked General Zod.
But a growing majority of people, who generally mind their own business, go to work to take care of their families and pay their taxes have got Martin figured out. They have seen him destroy the City over these past fifteen months. They know he is simply an unintelligent, corrupt little man who is in way over his head.

Here is what we predict is coming next. Martin will implore the voters who unwisely elected him to make another huge mistake. He will ask for more council members like Mike Pope and Jim Noll. It is the same kind of strategy Steve Clark tried in 2000. It didn’t work then.
If it works this time, if Martin somehow fools the voters again, then the City that was considered the gem of Northern Kentucky just two years ago should simply throw in the proverbial towel. West Crescent Springs? What do you think? Do you think that has a nice ring to it?

There is only one change that needs to be made to begin to put the City back on the right path. It is Mike Martin who must go.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Why Rush A Budget Amendment?

The Martin Chronicles sees the sense of panic in Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s face. As he has repeatedly told numerous people, he doesn’t want to lose “his wife’s house (?)” over the colossal spending mess he alone has created beginning on July 1, 2011. 
 
Now he wants council to bail him out by holding an emergency meeting to pass a budget amendment. This despite the fact that no new budget was enacted for the current fiscal year. Martin was almost pleading with council to cave in at their March 21 meeting. We sincerely hope council says, “NO”! If Martin persists, council should tell him to go jump in to Lake General Zod.
We believe council will have to amend the budget to clean up the horrible mess that Martin is solely responsible for creating. By statute, council does have the fiduciary responsibility to appropriate the funds that Martin has over-spent. The council has a duty to protect the City’s credit and to make sure all of Martin’s bills are paid.

Martin has mismanaged the City’s budget into a huge shortfall. But why amend the budget now? Why waste even more money publishing a budget amendment in the next several weeks? So Martin can sleep better at night? Frankly, to (EXPLETIVE) with him and his profligate over-spending.
What if Martin exceeds the budget by even more than some emergency amendment provides for? Given the mismanaging mayor’s pathetic budget skills, that is a strong possibility. Then council will have to retrace their steps and re-do the process. Even more taxpayer money will then be wasted.

Council would then be fairly criticized for that waste of taxpayer money. They should not amend the budget now.
The Martin Chronicles strongly endorses amending the budget ONE TIME. They should do so in July. Only then will they know the bill the taxpayers will owe for the havoc Martin is wreaking.

If Martin is having trouble sleeping at night perhaps he should try zolpidem.


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Springtime For Martin

The Martin Chronicles wants to give you just a few highlights from last night’s hillbilly hoe down-also referred to by some as the March Villa Hills council meeting. In brief, the meeting began with the usual dose of fear and loathing and ended with an out of control shouting match over which Martin begged for someone to please make a motion to adjourn the embarrassment.

Okay, here are the Cliff’s Notes:
A gentleman professing to be a good friend of Mike Martin came to the podium during the “public comment” portion of the meeting. The gentleman very politely asked Martin to resign. The reason? Because “things are not going well.” STOP THE PRESSES!!!!
After nearly eight years of Martin LIES, SLANDER, DEFAMATION, FIT-THROWING, CHARACTER ASSASSINATION, HAND-WRINGING, BED-WETTING, CALUMNY, WHINING, MOANING, CRYING and CATERWALLING about the man who provided building inspection services to the City of Villa Hills these past many years, the mayor shrugged his shoulders and signed this man he despises so much to a two-year, guaranteed contract to provide-wait for it-hang on-here it comes-BUILDING INSPECTON SERVICES. Oh, no. You aren’t getting off that easy. It gets even better. MARTIN GAVE THIS GUY A RAISE!!!!!

The Martin Chronicles doesn't even want to try to get into the mind of Martin. We wouldn't fit. It is far too small. But it is clear that Martin now warmly embraces the concept of DOUBLE DIPPING!
Our sources told us that Martin had been throwing out chest-beating hints that he had a real “bombshell” to reveal at last night’s redneck romp. The Martin Chroncles was intrigued. We were at the edge of our metaphorical seat. What a let down. It reminded our publisher of the time he was invited to a fireworks display at Grandma's house. Expecting a huge, pyrotechnic show, the litle boy was subjected to an hour of his alcoholic uncle waving a sparkler around in a driving hailstorm!

So, exactly what was that “bombshell”? Well, as it turns out, one of the council people doesn’t have an occupational license. In Martin’s desperate mind that somehow vindicates him of all of the high crimes and misdemeanors the little mayor has committed. Do you know why that councilman doesn’t have an occupational license? Brace yourself-it is shocking-hold on-yep, here it comes-oh, that’s right, HE DOESN’T NEED ONE!!!! Martin should know that there are 8,000 people in his “naked city”. Very few of them have occupational licenses. That absolves the mayor of nothing.
We would also be remiss if we didn’t report that Greg Kilburn’s audition for the role of Neville Chamberlain in the upcoming Mike Martin’s Electrical Follies production of Springtime For Hitler went exceptionally well.
To close our report for now, it appears that Special Counsel will make his initial report to the public on Monday, April 30. About fifteen minutes-okay, we had better give Martin thirty minutes to catch the clue train-alright, an hour-after the report begins Martin will come to realize that his mounting problems have little or nothing to do with the fact that he avoided getting an occupational license. You should be there. We certainly will be.  


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Council Meeting Tonight

The Martin Chronicles staff is standing by to watch and report any developments tonight from what we truly hope proves to be a rare, quick, uneventful council meeting. Hey, there is always a chance. Keep hope alive!

"Don't Do As I Do. Do As I Say"

The Martin Chronicles has obtained a copy of an email letter from Northern Kentucky homeowners that we believe pretty much speaks for itself. We are reprinting it in its entirety with only the name and address withheld for security reasons.  We are also aware that other media outlets have received this document.

I read with interest the article in the Enquirer/Post dated March 9, 2012 regarding “Villa Hills Infighting Rages On.” The portion of the article that peaked my interest was the section regarding “Villa Hills City Council hiring an independent counsel to look into Martin’s business practices and allegations that Martin was doing work without proper licenses”. The article stated “Martin has denied any wrongdoing on his fulltime job as a general contractor and he has said that he has all the proper business licenses and permits”.
I am not a Villa Hills City resident but recently hired Mike Martin to do a remodeling job in my Northern Kentucky home. I did check with the Better Business Bureau prior to contracting with him and found no negative reports, however about halfway into the remodeling job which could be summed up as “shoddy at best”, Mr. Martin informed us that he “was not licensed in KY but was licensed in Ohio”. If he wasn’t licensed in KY, why on earth would he accept a remodeling job in a No. KY home?

The job was quoted to take three weeks but he seldom showed up to do the work or did he communicate with is during this time. The only communication was when I called to see what was going on and inquire why he hadn’t been there. I had to continuely “light a fire under him” and this project was drawn out for nine weeks. There were several things that had to be “redone” after we pointed out to him it was done incorrectly. In the end, the job he considered to be complete was left with numerous repairs having to take place afterwards before the room could be used. Mr. Martin was contacted by us via telephone, letter via US Mail and emails. He simply ignored these requests to correct the problems or to make an adjustment in the fully paid contract. We are currently filing a report with the BBB so others checking may be alerted of his practices.
I just find this lends credibility to his honesty and integrity as a contractor and would think that is he is not qualified to do something he claims to be a “professional “ at, I certainly wouldn’t think he is qualified to run an entire city. In addition, it looks like his professional habits as a contractor may have carried over into his ability as mayor. I can appreciate the headaches you must be having in dealing with him.

Best wishes in your endeavor

Names and address withheld

The Martin Chronicles has one-we think extremely important-question. How can a man who has not bothered to secure the proper licenses-and pay the related fees- expect other contractors who perform work in Villa Hills to do so?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Were Taxpayers Providing Martin's Personal Legal Defense?

As the Martin Chronicles has reported, it would be a huge understatement to describe Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s treatment of the Villa Hills Police Department as “hostile”. Bristling from his 2007 forgery arrest, Martin has decimated the department. His retaliation has been so bad against one particular officer that it triggered a very serious lawsuit in August 2011. The City, Mike Martin (in his official and personal capacities) and a top lieutenant in Martin’s hillbilly lynch mob are named as co-defendants in the suit.

After being unable to find a Northern Kentucky firm willing to defend Villa Hills, the City’s insurance carrier finally retained Lexington-based Sturgill, Turner, Barker and Moloney, PLLC. Shortly thereafter, Martin’s personal insurance company also retained the very same law firm.
Some on council expressed concern almost immediately about this unusual arrangement. Would Martin’s personal insurer benefit by “piggybacking” on the work being done by the City’s insurance company attorneys?
Sources say that council was told that this arrangement presented no problems. Council was assured that the Lexington law firm could build a wall between the defense of the taxpayers and Martin’s personal defense. Further assurances were provided that no taxpayer money was being expended for Martin’s personal defense.

Recent events seem to indicate that all those assurances were wrong.
The Martin Chronicles recently learned that the City’s insurance company has finally come to realize that the City’s best interest and Martin’s interests are not the same. No kidding? If the City’s insurance carrier had asked us we could have clued them in a long time ago.

So how much did Martin’s personal defense cost the taxpayers over these past six months? It shouldn’t have cost them one penny. But the circumstances of the last several months paint a very different picture.
The Martin Chronicles wants to cover one more point. You may hear a councilman or two say, “Don’t worry. The City’s insurance company is paying the bill.” These are the same disingenuous people who sloughed off the $50K-plus that was expended when Mike Martin was suing you.

But you need to take a step back and think. From where does the money come? Well, the money the insurance company uses to pay all the legal fees comes from you, the taxpayer. You are paying the City’s insurance premiums, so, you are paying the bill. You should not have to pay the bill for Mike Martin’s personal defense. It is Mike Martin who created this entire mess after all.

Monday, March 19, 2012

The Seventh Officer?

The Martin Chronicles gets it. We think people who have been paying attention-a growing number in the City-now get it too. Mayor Mike Martin came in to his new job in January 2011 with a deep-seated resentment towards everything “Villa Hills Police Department” and a special hostility towards one officer in particular.

Why? Because had it not been for a skilled criminal defense attorney, Mike Martin may never have become mayor. Martin’s 2007 forgery arrest has seemingly been stuck in his craw now for nearly five years. A wise man would have thanked his lucky stars for escaping the results of conduct that four separate judges reviewing the claims in his lawsuit against the taxpayers and two police officers commented fit the very definition of forgery*.

But Mike Martin is not a wise man. He did not decide to accept his escape and get on with life. Ignoring his good fortune, Martin instead chose to file the aforementioned lawsuit asking for $1.505 MILLION. What followed was more than four years of LIES, SLANDER, LIBEL, and DEFAMATION. Martin was actually able to convince a sizable segment of Villa Hills’ residents that he had been falsely arrested and had his constitutional rights violated. Those incredible fabrications were a major reason why Martin won his 2010 mayoral race.

On June 7 2011, everyone learned that Martin had been lying when his outrageous claims were tossed out of court a second time. But by then it was far too late. The damage had already been done.

How so? Martin was already well on his way to decimating the Villa Hills Police Department. Martin announced-without offering any explanation-that the eighth officer would never be replaced. (Oddly, Martin now claims he will go door-to-door to explain his refusal to hire the eighth officer well more than a year after the fact**) Martin made matters even worse. Yet another police officer would be brow-beaten into retirement by the mayor within 100 days.

Martin begged council for emergency powers to do an end-run around the City’s Civil service Commission last November so that he could replace the seventh officer. Council gave him thirty days. Martin squandered all the time away accomplishing nothing.

Martin finally allowed the Civil Service Commission to find candidates. They sent the mayor candidates to interview. He botched their recommendations.

It appears Martin is finally going to hire a fine candidate recommended by the Civil Service Commission and Police Chief. Why? Only because the mayor has exhausted all the possible ways he can foul up the hiring process. Frankly, a good candidate will eventually join the ranks of the police department despite Martin rather than because of him.
One problem. Multiple sources confirm this solid candidate will have to attend the Police Academy. He will eventually be an excellent officer. But he will not be ready to patrol the streets alone until very late this year at best.

Martin has mismanaged the police department so badly that it has unnecessarily struggled to serve the community while 25% below proper personnel levels for more than a year. Martin’s abject incompetence has also lead to an explosion in crime and an incredible amount overtime expense. These problems are going to continue for the foreseeable future.

Martin’s mishandling of the police department, along with so many other mayoral-generated problems over these past fifteen months, has been an embarrassment. The Martin Chronicles sincerely hopes that by the time the seventh police officer is ready to patrol Villa Hills’ streets, he will be working for a different mayor.

*Appellate Court Order of Dismissal, June 7 2011
** The Kentucky Enquirer, March 9 2012

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sunday Supplements

Ed is one of The Martin Chronicles most energetic reporters. He has been known to work around the clock tracking down leads. He made a comment yesterday about the quickening pace of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s mounting problems that made the entire staff burst into laughter. “Normally, when you’re tracking down stories about some bad guy you have to dig, dig, dig, dig and dig some more. Anymore with Martin, he’s throwing stories our way almost faster than we can catch ‘em!”

Here are some news briefs from a few of many stories we are working on right now.

Martin says, “Not another penny.”
Several sources have confirmed that the mayor is in an absolute panic about his ongoing budget mess. He has reportedly vowed not to spend another penny honoring the long-time lease agreements the City has with the Villa Madonna and that rat’s nest laughingly called a civic club. Considering that the civic club vine-swingers were his top campaign operatives in 2010, Martin is certainly taking a big risk. Well, he only has $2.485 million to spend!*. We wonder what old General Zod thinks about Martin’s decision.

City Attorney bills out-of-control
We get it. It has to be hard being Villa Hills’ City Attorney right now. Problem after problem after problem. Lie after lie after lie. Scandal after scandal after scandal. But we don’t think taxpayers will be pleased if the City Attorney’s bills end up running more than $100K over-budget by the end of the current, dreadful fiscal year. And it is starting to look like that could happen. There is a way to fix it. But it will require a change at the top of Villa Hills’ City government.

 Exactly who is paying for Martin’s private attorney?
Thanks to his unbridled hostility towards the police department and his focused retaliation against one officer, Martin has dragged the taxpayers into a very serious lawsuit. It appears that the taxpayers have been funding Martin’s private defense. More on this disgusting development in upcoming posts of The Martin Chronicles.

 Clock running out on Martin’s response to the interrogatories.
Martin received the interrogatories from Special Counsel on February 8. His responses were due within 30 days. We know he has changed attorneys. We know his new attorney requested more time to respond to the interrogatories. We know the new attorney was told “no”. Has Martin answered the interrogatories? If so, what did he say? As we wrote way back on February 8, the only thing worse for Martin than lying was telling the truth. Either way, his situation is going to only get worse. We are working on a report for you that should be ready in the next few days.

 People are coming forward about Martin’s business practices.
Multiple sources confirm that numerous people have come forward to let Special Counsel know that Martin has performed unlicensed electrical and plumbing work in their residences after the recent article in The Kentucky Enquirer. Perhaps Martin should have been more careful in his comments to the media. No one can lie themselves out of every mess they make. Can council remove Martin from office for doing this work? No, that won’t be the prime reason. Martin’s shocking disregard for the law by doing this work will be part of the case for misconduct that will force the vote for removal. How far will Pope and Noll go out on a limb for the mayor?

*nky.com online article, February 16 2012



Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Takin' O' Your Green

First of all, good marnin’ to ya! The Martin Chronicles wishes you and yours a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Everybody is Irish on this day. Everyone on our plucky blog’s staff is wearing green. Our publisher plans to serve the staff a feast of corned beef and cabbage. He says he’s even going to let us wash it down some green Guiness later today! He knows we are all gettin’ a mite wall fallin’ coverin’ Martin’s muck.

Some of us may even get a little sugach. A few may even get ar meisce. But none of us are allowed to get caoch olta. Why? Because a St. Paddy’s Day party doesn’t mean he doesn’t expect us to continue to cover the turmoil that continues in the troubled town now run by that nasty little leprechaun Mayor Mike Martin.

While we are on the subject of the” green”, it appears that Mayor Martin and a trio of councilman (Kilburn, Pope and Noll) have cost the City a huge amount of “green”. As in “long green”, “greenbacks”, “bread”, “ “paper”, “moolah”, “dough” , “bones”, “loot”, “dead presidents”. How? Well, they made they voted to make the colossal mistake of sending the collection of the Villa Hills UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX or license fee to County Boss Steve Arlinghaus’ Court House.

If current trends continue, the City could collect perhaps as much as $100,000 less in UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX revenue than they did in 2010. It appears there will be a lot less gold in the pot at the end of Martin’s rainbow this year.

This disaster may even rise to the level of an UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX famine. So much for Greg Kilburn’s beloved street repair program. The Villa Hills’ road that rises to meet you may not be in very good shape thanks to the boneheaded move by Martin, Kilburn, Pope and Noll. They all be actin’ like a bunch ‘a bleedin’ Class A jammy clients!

Villa Hills’ residents need to mind yourself when looking at the little registration renewal notice card they receive from the Kenton County Clerk advising them that their motor vehicle tax is due.

They will see a list that includes taxes for state, county, school, library, health, extension service, and the dreaded Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission. Then they will see a registration fee. Then they will see a TOTAL DUE.  If they plan to mail their payment in they will be asked to add two dollars to their total. What won’t they see on that breakout? The UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX! That little $40 surprise is tucked away on a completely separate, obscure part of the card that a reasonable person could certainly miss.

Sources at the Court House are telling us, as The Martin Chronicles correctly predicted, that many people are saying a polite, “goozer off” when a clerk asks visitors to Boss Arlinghaus’ County Court House if they also want to pay their UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX.

Not to worry, Martin, Kilburn, Pope and Noll have a plan. Yes, it is a crazy plan. But it is a plan nevertheless. How well is this eejit plan working? We are hearing that residents who have recently received their “If you don’t pay your UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX we will SUE YOU!” letters are grabbing their pitchforks and torches.

It is certainly fair to say that with Mayor Martin, who is quite the git, on the brink of sitting through brutal Special Counsel Hearings that may very well lead to a vote for his removal from office for other nefarious mischief; he doesn’t need any more enemies. Millie up! But the day that little leprechaun leaves will be cracker! Time to quit foostering.

Faith ‘n Begorrah!

Friday, March 16, 2012

A Case For Misconduct?

As Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro’s initial investigation of Mayor Mike Martin moves into its final phase, The Martin Chronicles has a few thoughts on what the next few several will almost certainly reveal in the coming weeks.

The Martin Chronicles firmly believe all of us are blessed to live in The United States of America. People elect their leadership. Elections have consequences. Sometimes the result of an election put someone in office who is, shall we say, not up to par. While complaining about Presidents, Governors, County Judge Executives, Mayors and other elected officials is our right, the removal of an elected official from office is a serious matter. An action like removal should only be done for the correct reasons.
This may shock some of our readers. But in an odd way The Martin Chronicles agrees with the clueless former councilwomen who recently posted Letters to the Editor supporting Mayor Martin. It is not correct to remove elected officials simply because you dislike them. It is not correct to remove an elected official because you disagree with their policy initiatives. It is not correct to remove an elected official because they are inarticulate or unprofessional. In many cases, it is not correct to remove an elected official because they habitually lie. Depending of course on what they are lying about. All of the preceding would be great reasons to vigorously campaign against such an official the next time they stand for re-election. As we have written before, that is the American Way.
The Kentucky Revised Statutes spell out the correct grounds for removal of an elected official. These grounds can be found in KRS 83A.040(9). Here they are:

1.       Misconduct;

2.       Incapacity; or

3.       Willful neglect in the performance of the duties of the office as required by law.



·         If it is determined that the mayor has been operating his business even some years without an occupational license, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor has been doing electrical, plumbing work or commercial without the required licenses, that is something that should be seriously considered. These offenses also carry the potential of fines and jail sentence.

·         If it is determined that there is an intentional pattern of failure to obtain proper permits for home improvement work being done by the mayor, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that there has been any evasion of State, County or City taxes or fees, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor engaged in the willful destruction of City property, that is something that should be seriously considered. Crushing a safe open with a backhoe may be more than just an incredibly stupid thing to do.

·         If it is determined that the mayor improperly utilized city equipment and/or personnel for political reasons, that is something that should be seriously considered. Keep in mind that the City’s Ethics Board believed that Martin and Councilman Jim Noll did that very thing and are issuing both “confidential reprimands”.

·         If it is determined that the mayor improperly removed taxpayer-funded property from the city building, that is something that should be seriously considered. It is hard to make a credible case that computers located at employee work stations are “in storage”.

·         If it is determined that the mayor provided untruthful answers to questions posed by the Ethics Committee in the course of an official investigation, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor made a conscious decision to interfere with the distribution of information to employees and other elected officials they require to properly perform their jobs, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor made the conscious decision to hold back the release of requested public documents for any reason outside the guidelines spelled out in the Kentucky Revised Statutes, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor engaged in retaliatory or harassing behavior against employees, or ignored warnings that others were engaging in such behavior, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor stated that he was unable to properly perform his duties as mayor because of the advice given to him by his personal attorney, that is something that should seriously be considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor disregarded the City Attorney’s advice regarding alleged harassing behavior and in fact condoned the continued contact between the alleged harasser and the City employee, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor engaged in the willful destruction of City records in the middle of a serious lawsuit and Special Counsel investigation, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor prepared false documents in an attempt to cover his tracks in the willful destruction of City records, that is something that should be seriously considered.

·         If it is determined that the mayor has been arranging and conducting meetings in violation of the Open Meetings statute, that is something that should be seriously considered.

Any of the preceding sixteen issues, if proven, would warrant removal from office. Elected officials have been removed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for far less severe offenses. If several of these are proven, the decision should become even clearer.
It must be noted that KRS 83A.040(9) states that misconduct, incapacity or willful neglect may result in removal from office. In a legal sense, may is a far different word than shall. There must be a unanimous vote by council to remove the mayor from office.
No one should vote to remove Martin because they are sore over the results of the 2010 election. They shouldn’t remove him because he has baseless delusions of grandeur or because they don’t like his chair spinning, speech crutches or gum chomping. Frankly, they will have ample reason to vote to remove him while ignoring all of that. The irony is that the current mayor made such a “holy stink” about his version of “truth and integrity” in the 2010 election.
It is likely that the residents, and city council, will be presented with a grim picture involving many moving parts that have been operated by a mayor who has something other than the best interests of the City in mind.
But, anyone who has been paying attention knows that there are two members on council who will have a very difficult time voting for Martin’s removal. Even if the mayor ends up facing charges brought by a variety of outside agencies. It is hard for anyone to admit they were wrong. There are personal grudges and alliances involved. History has shown us it is particularly difficult for these two councilmen to ever admit they were wrong.
Let’s imagine that one, some or all of the preceding sixteen issues are proven by Special Counsel in the coming weeks. Then let’s imagine that at least one of the two aforementioned councilmen still refuses to vote for removal. The voters will then be presented with the opportunity to remove one councilman from office and defeat another in his State Senate run on Tuesday, November 6.
November 6 is a mere 235 days away. The Martin Chronicles hopes a majority of the voters are paying far more attention than they did in 2010.