The Martin Chronicles publisher has been an avid observer of everything-politics since he cast his first vote in the Presidential race of 1976 for a man who was doomed to fail because he actually did the right thing for the Grand Old Republic by pardoning Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford. The subject of this post deserves no such pardon.
But the 1976 election is not what our publisher has been thinking about the last forty-eight hours or so. Instead, he has been obsessed with the election campaign of 1992. He remembers the words of ragin’ Cajun political consultant James Carville who kept the totally undisciplined Bill Clinton on track in his successful bid for the White House by repeating time and time and time again, “It’s the economy, stupid!”
Yes, there is a connection to the current turmoil in Mayor Mike Martin’s troubled town of Villa Hills in this walk down memory lane. So, let us share with you what our employer talked about with us incessantly over the last couple of days.
You see, our publisher has grown weary of explaining to otherwise-bright and decent residents (read: not the corn-holing crud balls from the crummy Civic Club) how it is that the Villa Hills Police Department is on track to rack up somewhere in the neighborhood of $175,000 in unnecessary overtime expense in this fiscal year. Many otherwise good-hearted citizens express dismay that police officers who had seemingly expressed willingness to work huge amounts of extra hours suddenly reversed course and expected to be paid for their time! So, our publisher instructed us to post about the root cause of the waste of taxpayer money.
It’s really pretty straightforward. First Mayor Mike Martin made the dictatorial pronouncement that he would not hire a replacement for the eighth police officer. (It’s my decision. I’m the CEO. We’re moving on. Get over it. Remember those haunting words!) Then, because of Martin’s incessant meddling and mistreatment of the PD, another officer decided to retire. So, six police officers have been struggling to do the work of the needed eight for most of Martin’s Reign of Error. This inexplicable situation has caused every single officer to work many extra hours to cover the work that should truly be done by eight officers.
In some cases, police officers said they would take compensatory (comp) time off rather than adversely impact the City’s budget with overtime expenses. That was a magnanimous gesture by the department for a mayor who has, by all accounts, been treating them like so much dirt in one of his work boots.
Here’s the problem. It became impossible for officers to take time off. As The Martin Chronicles has reported, crime has been skyrocketing. Investigations required officers to be on the job. The mayor finally issued a mandate in late 2011 that no officers could take time off. That was the mayor’s decision. The responsibility rests solely with him.
So, as required by labor law, the officers took the only decision remaining to them. They rightfully said they wanted to be paid overtime for all of the extra hours they had been working. The result? The taxpayers are being stuck with the bill. Residents need to know that the police department didn’t change their minds. Rather, Martin changed the rules. Again, as we have reported, the Department of Labor backs all this up and was ready to levy heavy fines against the City for Martin’s dreadful mismanagement.
Martin recently told The Kentucky Enquirer reporter Cindy Schroeder that he may go door-to-door explaining why he doesn’t want to properly staff the police department. If he foolishly comes to your door, have your facts. Know the real truth. Don’t buy his baloney like many of you did when he lied to you in 2010. If you want to know the main reason why the City budget is hemorrhaging, don’t blame the police department. It’s the mayor, stupid!
