The Martin Chronicles is very happy that "visits" have been going through the roof these last few days. We are sure that the fact that Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro is presenting his initial findings into his investigations into the suspicious behavior of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin these past dreadful 16 months has a great deal to do with it.
We are equally convinced that the judicial lambasting Martin took at last Thursday's evidentiary hearing for his possible destruction of evidence in a serious lawsuit against him is another factor. It was ugly. And it should have been. All Villa Hills residents were done great harm by Martin's now-infamous January 5 "records barbecue".
Here is our final exhortation. Drag yourself to tonight's presentation. If you can't be there, watch it on the Government Channel LIVE. It directly effects all Villa Hills' taxpayers. It is IMPORTANT.
Sources tell us that Martin's best defense for what will be laid out is to convince the public that he is a clueless dolt. Do not underestimate Martin's well-honed ability to play the LAMEBRAIN.
As political commentator Patrick Buchanan once famously said, "Don't wait for the call. Mount up and ride to the sound of the gunfire". There won't be gunfire. But there very well may be plenty of fireworks tonight.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Special Counsel Presentation Tonight
The Martin Chronicles suggests that if you are interested in the future of the City of Villa Hills, Kentucky, you should strongly consider finding your way to River Ridge Elementary to witness Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's presentation of the initial findings of his investigation into the questionable behavior of Mayor Mike Martin. The presentation is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm.
Obviously, other media outlets understand that tonight's presentation is a very big deal. WCPO was reporting from the Villa Hills City Building throughout the morning. It is a natural follow-up to the disastrous Thursday court hearing, where as Clyde Gray aptly put it, Martin "got an earful" from the judge.
It is also humorous to hear a reporter talk about the "challenges Martin claims he has endured and overcome". As the kids say, "WHATEVER!" Although, come to think of it, it probably took a great deal of shoddy-at-best effort for Martin to inherit a City that had just been voted the Number One City in Northern Kentucky in spring 2010 and totally demolish it in a matter of just sixteen months. Poor, poor pitiful little fellow. Woe is him.
You should be aware that the sole purpose of tonight's meeting is for Mr. Taliaferro to lay out the facts he has unearthed. And much like when you turn over a rock in a damp, shady portion of your yard, don't be surprised if what you learn is more than a little unsettling.
Think for a moment. Why do you think public comment is not a portion of the meeting? Do you really believe Councilman Mike Pope's pejorative pronouncement that this makes it "sort of like a Communist court"? Remember that council will have to serve as the jury if a removal hearing is held later.
Is a jury in any trial supposed to arrive at their verdict as a result of public sentiment? Of course not. If a potential juror is found to have a preformed opinion about a case during pretrial voir dire, one or the other attorney will ask the judge to take that person out of consideration to be seated on the jury.
If a case is explosive enough, the judge will sequester the jury and disallow them to view media reports and to make contact with the public throughout the course of the trial. Given how badly Mike Martin has divided the Villa Hills' residents with his non-stop lies, this case certainly fits the definition of "explosive".
The Martin Chronicles has learned that the Kentucky League of Cities plans to send at least one representative to the Special Counsel's presentation. If they learned anything at the evidentiary hearing last Thursday, it is that they have a real problem on their hands in the form of one Mayor Martin. Martin's wanton destruction of potential evidence and perpetual calumny has placed the City-and worse yet, the taxpayers-in a very precarious position in the LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION lawsuit that Martin's reckless actions have triggered.
Do you want to know what has really been happening? Do you want to know if you are really getting what you voted for, as Martin claims in his ridiculous "Note to Villa Hills Residents"? If so, The Martin Chronicles strongly suggests that you drag yourself to the River Ridge Elementary cafeteria before 6:30 tonight. Even though Martin's "transparent" City website fails to mention tonight's CITY EVENT.
Obviously, other media outlets understand that tonight's presentation is a very big deal. WCPO was reporting from the Villa Hills City Building throughout the morning. It is a natural follow-up to the disastrous Thursday court hearing, where as Clyde Gray aptly put it, Martin "got an earful" from the judge.
It is also humorous to hear a reporter talk about the "challenges Martin claims he has endured and overcome". As the kids say, "WHATEVER!" Although, come to think of it, it probably took a great deal of shoddy-at-best effort for Martin to inherit a City that had just been voted the Number One City in Northern Kentucky in spring 2010 and totally demolish it in a matter of just sixteen months. Poor, poor pitiful little fellow. Woe is him.
You should be aware that the sole purpose of tonight's meeting is for Mr. Taliaferro to lay out the facts he has unearthed. And much like when you turn over a rock in a damp, shady portion of your yard, don't be surprised if what you learn is more than a little unsettling.
Think for a moment. Why do you think public comment is not a portion of the meeting? Do you really believe Councilman Mike Pope's pejorative pronouncement that this makes it "sort of like a Communist court"? Remember that council will have to serve as the jury if a removal hearing is held later.
Is a jury in any trial supposed to arrive at their verdict as a result of public sentiment? Of course not. If a potential juror is found to have a preformed opinion about a case during pretrial voir dire, one or the other attorney will ask the judge to take that person out of consideration to be seated on the jury.
If a case is explosive enough, the judge will sequester the jury and disallow them to view media reports and to make contact with the public throughout the course of the trial. Given how badly Mike Martin has divided the Villa Hills' residents with his non-stop lies, this case certainly fits the definition of "explosive".
The Martin Chronicles has learned that the Kentucky League of Cities plans to send at least one representative to the Special Counsel's presentation. If they learned anything at the evidentiary hearing last Thursday, it is that they have a real problem on their hands in the form of one Mayor Martin. Martin's wanton destruction of potential evidence and perpetual calumny has placed the City-and worse yet, the taxpayers-in a very precarious position in the LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION lawsuit that Martin's reckless actions have triggered.
Do you want to know what has really been happening? Do you want to know if you are really getting what you voted for, as Martin claims in his ridiculous "Note to Villa Hills Residents"? If so, The Martin Chronicles strongly suggests that you drag yourself to the River Ridge Elementary cafeteria before 6:30 tonight. Even though Martin's "transparent" City website fails to mention tonight's CITY EVENT.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Comrade Pope
The Martin Chronicles recognizes it. We know we aren't inclined to let things go very easily. When something doesn't sit well with us, it really frosts our keyboards. The only way to warm 'em back up? That's easy. Write away!
Something that has really gotten under our collective skin is the way-off-base comment by that goofy Councilman Mike Pope. When Pope described what will rightfully be Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's uninterrupted presentation of his initial findings into the inexplicable activities of Villa Hills' Mayor Mike Martin as a "Communist court", that really grabbed our "goat". Even the moribund City Attorney Mike Duncan agrees that a presentation without disruption is the correct way to go.
Here is the real problem. Pope is the ultimate Martin apparatchik. He is slavishly complicit in many of the misdeeds of the mayor. As czar of the City's Finance Committee, Pope has played a scurrilous shell game with taxpayer money. Pope frequently heaped propaganda on Martin for the mayor's adept handling of the City's finances. The disaster was only revealed when Martin was overcome with the fear of losing his wife's dacha(?).
The Martin Chronicles has revealed emails demonstrating Pope's "useful idiot" status as well. For instance? Well, Pope wrote that he had "no problem" with Martin's total-and possibly illegal-disregard for Kentucky Open Records statutes. Pope also emailed that he had no issue with Martin's January 5 document burn. However, last Thursday's court hearing has clearly demonstrated that Martin's wanton destruction of evidence may be as radioactive as Chernobyl.
Then there is Pope's now-defunct "alternate reality" City website. Pope filled it with propaganda that would most certainly make Pravda blush. Remember the adoring puff pieces about Martin's trips to Haiti? Sadly, the City website is travelling down that same road. Want an example. Martin has refused to place Taliaferro's hearing on the City calendar. C'mon, comrade!
Flash back to the rigged Civic Club Candidate forum of 2010. Each council candidate was given ten minutes for a brief presentation and to field questions from the audience. Pope ranted for nearly all of the ten minutes, revealing his "Log (yes, "LOG") Term Plan". Pope explained how many tractors the factories would produce and how many tons of wheat the farms harvest. In a manner that would make Josef Stalin proud, Pope left only enough time for a set-up question from fellow traveler, soon-to-be-crony-hire, uncontracted-contract-employee, $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber.
Pope is about to be faced with the facts about Mike Martin. What will he do if there is a removal hearing? Will he throw his own questionable reputation away to defend the indefensible?
Martin may very well be headed for a Siberian gulag. Will Pope blindly follow Martin into the wilderness? Hopefully, it won't be too long until we can say До свидания to both of them.
Something that has really gotten under our collective skin is the way-off-base comment by that goofy Councilman Mike Pope. When Pope described what will rightfully be Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's uninterrupted presentation of his initial findings into the inexplicable activities of Villa Hills' Mayor Mike Martin as a "Communist court", that really grabbed our "goat". Even the moribund City Attorney Mike Duncan agrees that a presentation without disruption is the correct way to go.
Here is the real problem. Pope is the ultimate Martin apparatchik. He is slavishly complicit in many of the misdeeds of the mayor. As czar of the City's Finance Committee, Pope has played a scurrilous shell game with taxpayer money. Pope frequently heaped propaganda on Martin for the mayor's adept handling of the City's finances. The disaster was only revealed when Martin was overcome with the fear of losing his wife's dacha(?).
The Martin Chronicles has revealed emails demonstrating Pope's "useful idiot" status as well. For instance? Well, Pope wrote that he had "no problem" with Martin's total-and possibly illegal-disregard for Kentucky Open Records statutes. Pope also emailed that he had no issue with Martin's January 5 document burn. However, last Thursday's court hearing has clearly demonstrated that Martin's wanton destruction of evidence may be as radioactive as Chernobyl.
Then there is Pope's now-defunct "alternate reality" City website. Pope filled it with propaganda that would most certainly make Pravda blush. Remember the adoring puff pieces about Martin's trips to Haiti? Sadly, the City website is travelling down that same road. Want an example. Martin has refused to place Taliaferro's hearing on the City calendar. C'mon, comrade!
Flash back to the rigged Civic Club Candidate forum of 2010. Each council candidate was given ten minutes for a brief presentation and to field questions from the audience. Pope ranted for nearly all of the ten minutes, revealing his "Log (yes, "LOG") Term Plan". Pope explained how many tractors the factories would produce and how many tons of wheat the farms harvest. In a manner that would make Josef Stalin proud, Pope left only enough time for a set-up question from fellow traveler, soon-to-be-crony-hire, uncontracted-contract-employee, $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber.
Pope is about to be faced with the facts about Mike Martin. What will he do if there is a removal hearing? Will he throw his own questionable reputation away to defend the indefensible?
Martin may very well be headed for a Siberian gulag. Will Pope blindly follow Martin into the wilderness? Hopefully, it won't be too long until we can say До свидания to both of them.
SUNDAY COMMENTARY: Why, Why, Why?!?
The Martin Chronicles knows that many people are remembered for things they said at a crossroads moment. When you hear the name Patrick Henry, you think of "Give me liberty, or give me death!" Harry Truman? "The buck stops here." Neil Armstrong? "That's one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind." Reds utility infielder Chico Ruiz? "Bench me or trade me." You get the picture.
Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin may well be remembered for things two other people said. At Thursday's evidentiary hearing regarding Martin's wanton destruction of City documents, the judge emphatically asked, "Why, why, why would anyone think destroying documents in the middle of a lawsuit is a good idea?!?" The Kentucky League of Cities attorney's response? "I don't have an answer, your honor."
We all may look back at Thursday's hearing as perhaps one of those "crossroads moments". This is the first time Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin has had to face a question about an action he took that he will have a tough time blaming on someone else. Not that he won't try.
While she did not go into the court room, there is a reason why Martin's crony-hire, $15 per hour endlessly-temporary City Clerk who handled money while not being bonded was in the building. She may not be all that bright. She may have the personality of a door knob. But she certainly doesn't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.
The fact that Martin did not include a tortuous explanation for his now-infamous January 5 "City records barbecue" in his recent Unahandyman Manifesto is telling. He can't blame that action on the previous administration. He can't hand what he did to a council that won't work with him. He can't point a finger at his former attorney in the mayor's $1.505 MILLION lawsuit against the taxpayers. He can't tell us that a bank teller advised him that it was okay to burn documents in the middle of a lawsuit that was entering the discovery phase. This is all on him. If the dog ate Martin's homework, it is only because he mixed his homework in with Rover's Alpo.
County Boss Steve Arlinghaus may not think contractors really need to get occupational licenses. Civic Club pinheads may think it doesn't matter that Martin was slapped with a "confidential reprimand" by the Villa Hills Ethics Board. The disgraced former chairman of that Ethics Board may be able to slough off the City's budget problems to "infighting". Embittered old tree-huggers may be able to fault Martin's opponent in the 2010 election for exercising his First Amendment rights as the reason for the "infighting". But even these yahoos can't offer up an excuse for Martin's document destruction that will not ring quite hollow.
Previously disengaged residents are beginning to wake up. They see the trouble that Martin is sending their way. They are coming to council meetings. Several even came to Thursday's hearing. The Martin Chronicles hopes a large number come to River Ridge on Monday evening. Despite the fact that Martin never saw fit to post the meeting on his "transparent" City website.
The judge rightfully pointed out that Martin's document destruction has HARMED the residents of the City he was elected to serve. The City's already-precarious position in a serious lawsuit was severely damaged by what will correctly be presented by the plaintiff's attorneys as a brazen attempt to tamper with evidence. Who will get the "invoice" for Martin's reckless actions? The taxpayers of Villa Hills will be stuck with it.
The Kentucky League of Cities attorney's answer was not entirely accurate. You see, there is an answer for why someone would burn City documents in the middle of a lawsuit. But that answer is not a good one.
Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin may well be remembered for things two other people said. At Thursday's evidentiary hearing regarding Martin's wanton destruction of City documents, the judge emphatically asked, "Why, why, why would anyone think destroying documents in the middle of a lawsuit is a good idea?!?" The Kentucky League of Cities attorney's response? "I don't have an answer, your honor."
We all may look back at Thursday's hearing as perhaps one of those "crossroads moments". This is the first time Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin has had to face a question about an action he took that he will have a tough time blaming on someone else. Not that he won't try.
While she did not go into the court room, there is a reason why Martin's crony-hire, $15 per hour endlessly-temporary City Clerk who handled money while not being bonded was in the building. She may not be all that bright. She may have the personality of a door knob. But she certainly doesn't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.
The fact that Martin did not include a tortuous explanation for his now-infamous January 5 "City records barbecue" in his recent Unahandyman Manifesto is telling. He can't blame that action on the previous administration. He can't hand what he did to a council that won't work with him. He can't point a finger at his former attorney in the mayor's $1.505 MILLION lawsuit against the taxpayers. He can't tell us that a bank teller advised him that it was okay to burn documents in the middle of a lawsuit that was entering the discovery phase. This is all on him. If the dog ate Martin's homework, it is only because he mixed his homework in with Rover's Alpo.
County Boss Steve Arlinghaus may not think contractors really need to get occupational licenses. Civic Club pinheads may think it doesn't matter that Martin was slapped with a "confidential reprimand" by the Villa Hills Ethics Board. The disgraced former chairman of that Ethics Board may be able to slough off the City's budget problems to "infighting". Embittered old tree-huggers may be able to fault Martin's opponent in the 2010 election for exercising his First Amendment rights as the reason for the "infighting". But even these yahoos can't offer up an excuse for Martin's document destruction that will not ring quite hollow.
Previously disengaged residents are beginning to wake up. They see the trouble that Martin is sending their way. They are coming to council meetings. Several even came to Thursday's hearing. The Martin Chronicles hopes a large number come to River Ridge on Monday evening. Despite the fact that Martin never saw fit to post the meeting on his "transparent" City website.
The judge rightfully pointed out that Martin's document destruction has HARMED the residents of the City he was elected to serve. The City's already-precarious position in a serious lawsuit was severely damaged by what will correctly be presented by the plaintiff's attorneys as a brazen attempt to tamper with evidence. Who will get the "invoice" for Martin's reckless actions? The taxpayers of Villa Hills will be stuck with it.
The Kentucky League of Cities attorney's answer was not entirely accurate. You see, there is an answer for why someone would burn City documents in the middle of a lawsuit. But that answer is not a good one.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
I Don't Have An Answer
The Martin Chronicles sees the absolute drubbing Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin took at Thursday's evidentiary hearing as a real turning point in this sordid saga. Even the log-thumping vine-swingers at the Civic Club may eventually figure it out. Some day. Hopefully. Maybe. Possibly. A thin thread of hope. Not only is Martin in great jeopardy, but he has placed the taxpayers-including the Civic Club troglodytes-in deep difficulty as well.
The judge was quite clear that Martin's reckless document destruction has done harm to the City and its' residents. While clearly bothered, the judge was being extremely kind when she admonished Martin for poor judgment. Given the abrupt way the judge put a halt to the presentation of evidence, The Martin Chronicles is convinced that she knows far more about what took place on January 5 than she revealed Thursday. And what we believe she knows does not bode well for Martin-or the taxpayers who will be stuck picking up his tab.
In a very telling moment, the judge asked how anyone could justify burning City documents in the middle of a lawsuit-especially after Martin was advised by the City Attorney and the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) to preserve everything. The KLC attorneys representing Martin told the judge they did not have an answer.
Not that we care one way or the other, but the KLC attorneys-who have been dubbed "Skippy" and "Dippy"-had better wake up and smell the strongly-brewed coffee. That is if their career goals include the continued practice of law. They presented what Martin had told them as their defense on Thursday. And Martin is flat-out lying to them. They better realize what Martin is before he has them walking into a legal tree shredder as well.
The funny thing is, we aren't sure that Martin has even the first clue about the severity of his problems. A couple of our reporters were laughing this morning about a possible scenario around the Martin's breakfast table.
Mr. Martin: Did you see me Janet?!? Why I was on television again! Isn't that great?!?
Mrs. Martin: Oh, Mike. You are so wonderful! I just don't understand why everyone refuses to work with you!
Mr. Martin: Janet, it's just sad. But most people are intimidated by my incredible genius.
You think we are kidding, don't you? Hey, don't be so sure!
This all starts to play out beginning Monday at River Ridge Elementary. Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro presents the initial findings of his investigation beginning at 6:30. You really should attend.
The judge was quite clear that Martin's reckless document destruction has done harm to the City and its' residents. While clearly bothered, the judge was being extremely kind when she admonished Martin for poor judgment. Given the abrupt way the judge put a halt to the presentation of evidence, The Martin Chronicles is convinced that she knows far more about what took place on January 5 than she revealed Thursday. And what we believe she knows does not bode well for Martin-or the taxpayers who will be stuck picking up his tab.
In a very telling moment, the judge asked how anyone could justify burning City documents in the middle of a lawsuit-especially after Martin was advised by the City Attorney and the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) to preserve everything. The KLC attorneys representing Martin told the judge they did not have an answer.
Not that we care one way or the other, but the KLC attorneys-who have been dubbed "Skippy" and "Dippy"-had better wake up and smell the strongly-brewed coffee. That is if their career goals include the continued practice of law. They presented what Martin had told them as their defense on Thursday. And Martin is flat-out lying to them. They better realize what Martin is before he has them walking into a legal tree shredder as well.
The funny thing is, we aren't sure that Martin has even the first clue about the severity of his problems. A couple of our reporters were laughing this morning about a possible scenario around the Martin's breakfast table.
Mr. Martin: Did you see me Janet?!? Why I was on television again! Isn't that great?!?
Mrs. Martin: Oh, Mike. You are so wonderful! I just don't understand why everyone refuses to work with you!
Mr. Martin: Janet, it's just sad. But most people are intimidated by my incredible genius.
You think we are kidding, don't you? Hey, don't be so sure!
This all starts to play out beginning Monday at River Ridge Elementary. Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro presents the initial findings of his investigation beginning at 6:30. You really should attend.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Evening Update: Over-rated Insurance
The Martin Chronicles' business reporter had an interesting chat with a representative from the Kentucky League of Cities insurance company that wrapped up just about thirty minutes ago. Not surprisingly, there is more negative fallout from the endless antics of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin headed the taxpayers' way.
According to the KLC representative, Villa Hills insurance premiums are about to go through the proverbial roof. Why? The result of the cost of Mike Martin's lawsuit against the taxpayers and the anticipated disaster looming in the current LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION lawsuit that Martin's reckless actions has caused. What the heck? Villa Hills is already hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget.
Perhaps Martin should get GEICO on the phone. He can get a quote in fifteen minutes or less.
According to the KLC representative, Villa Hills insurance premiums are about to go through the proverbial roof. Why? The result of the cost of Mike Martin's lawsuit against the taxpayers and the anticipated disaster looming in the current LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION lawsuit that Martin's reckless actions has caused. What the heck? Villa Hills is already hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget.
Perhaps Martin should get GEICO on the phone. He can get a quote in fifteen minutes or less.
Another Milestone!
The Martin Chronicles is just seconds away from welcoming its' 30,000th unique visitor. This plucky little blog realizes that Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's meat-headed missteps and malfeasant misdeeds are largely responsible for our great success. But we'll take it anyway!
Keep reading. Things are really starting to get interesting!
Keep reading. Things are really starting to get interesting!
Special Counsel Presentation Monday
The Martin Chronicles suggests Villa Hills residents travel to River Ridge Elementary Monday, April 30 before 6:30pm. Why? Because Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro will be presenting the initial findings of his investigation of Mayor Mike Martin. This will be your opportunity to learn whether Martin was accurate in his Unahandyman Manifesto when he wrote, "You are getting what you voted for".
Mr. Taliaferro will present what he has discovered to city council and the public. Then council will have to decide what their next action will be. Sources say that Councilman Mike Pope is already trying cover for Martin by attempting to sabotage any possible removal hearing. But, a removal hearing remains a strong possibility.
If a removal hearing is held, council members will serve as the jury who will weigh the evidence, listen to the witnesses, hear Martin's defense of his actions and decide Martin's mayoral future. City Attorney Mike Duncan and the majority of council's decision to avoid the circus of uninformed public comment at the April 30 presentation was the correct one. There will be plenty of time for Martin to deploy his worn-out tactic of stacking the deck with lackeys and sycophants to protest the persecution of "The Little Man From Norwood".
Civic Club catter-wallers, holier-than-thou hotheads from St. Joe's Heavy Drinking Men's Society, the Chablis and Brie raised-pinky hand-wringers, embittered old hippie tree-huggers, tri-cornered hat-wearing government-haters, disorderly conductors, alcoholic State Senate candidates, disgraced former Ethics Board chairmen, pro-forgery activists and every other enclave of crack pots, dim bulbs, cat-haters, cop-haters, document destroyers and conspiracy theorists will blame everyone else but Martin for his, at best, indefensible actions.
Everyone should also be prepared for Martin's "last stand". He will continue attacks like the one he ultimately had to make a faux-public apology for when he demanded Councilman Tim Sogar resign because he didn't have an occupational license (that Sogar doesn't need) and continue to go door-to-door with LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION.
But it will be city council who has to decide. The council needs your support.
Mr. Taliaferro will present what he has discovered to city council and the public. Then council will have to decide what their next action will be. Sources say that Councilman Mike Pope is already trying cover for Martin by attempting to sabotage any possible removal hearing. But, a removal hearing remains a strong possibility.
If a removal hearing is held, council members will serve as the jury who will weigh the evidence, listen to the witnesses, hear Martin's defense of his actions and decide Martin's mayoral future. City Attorney Mike Duncan and the majority of council's decision to avoid the circus of uninformed public comment at the April 30 presentation was the correct one. There will be plenty of time for Martin to deploy his worn-out tactic of stacking the deck with lackeys and sycophants to protest the persecution of "The Little Man From Norwood".
Civic Club catter-wallers, holier-than-thou hotheads from St. Joe's Heavy Drinking Men's Society, the Chablis and Brie raised-pinky hand-wringers, embittered old hippie tree-huggers, tri-cornered hat-wearing government-haters, disorderly conductors, alcoholic State Senate candidates, disgraced former Ethics Board chairmen, pro-forgery activists and every other enclave of crack pots, dim bulbs, cat-haters, cop-haters, document destroyers and conspiracy theorists will blame everyone else but Martin for his, at best, indefensible actions.
Everyone should also be prepared for Martin's "last stand". He will continue attacks like the one he ultimately had to make a faux-public apology for when he demanded Councilman Tim Sogar resign because he didn't have an occupational license (that Sogar doesn't need) and continue to go door-to-door with LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION.
But it will be city council who has to decide. The council needs your support.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
WCPO Nails It
The Martin Chronicles says WCPO is right on the money. Their 6 o'clock story lead? "Northern Kentucky mayor's integrity called into question" The mayor? Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin. He was dressed down in court today for his wanton January 5 destruction of City documents.
Yes, Martin's actions are very serious. They could mushroom into CRIMINAL issues. And, they could drag other participants in "the City records barbecue" into Martin's mess.
Tune into WCPO for their more extensive report of Martin's mess at 11 o'clock. We are guessing Al Schottelkotte is smiling down on all of this.
Quite a prelude to Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's report of his initial findings set for Monday, April 30 at River Ridge beginning at 6:30. If you care about Villa Hills future, you should be there.
Yes, Martin's actions are very serious. They could mushroom into CRIMINAL issues. And, they could drag other participants in "the City records barbecue" into Martin's mess.
Tune into WCPO for their more extensive report of Martin's mess at 11 o'clock. We are guessing Al Schottelkotte is smiling down on all of this.
Quite a prelude to Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's report of his initial findings set for Monday, April 30 at River Ridge beginning at 6:30. If you care about Villa Hills future, you should be there.
Hype And Hyperbole In Villa Hills
The Martin Chronicles is a huge fan of scoffing at ridiculous hyperbole. That's why we love that goofy Councilman Mike Pope so dang much. He provides us with a steady diet of eccentric exaggeration. His latest lap through looney land? Well, it came in the April 23 nky.com story by Cindy Schroeder, "Villa Hills investigation findings to be unveiled".
What did our boy Pope offer up this time? He said of the planned, uninterrupted presentation of Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's initial findings scheduled for Monday, April 30 at River Ridge Elementary, "kind of sounds like a Communist court". Is that right? You don't say. Hmmm. We aren't sure we agree with that.
Isn't the public invited to the presentation? Yes they are. Isn't the presentation being broadcast on the Government Channel and recorded by the Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky for future replay? Yes it is. Won't the media do extensive reporting on the facts presented? You can take that to the bank. So for what reason does Pope equate Monday's presentation to a "Communist court"? Perhaps because the structure of the April 30 Special Meeting derails the plan we are sure the Martins along with Pope and Noll had for totally disrupting Mr. Taliaferro's presentation. How would they do this? It would be done with a mega-dose of the same antics we have witnessed over the last sixteen dreadful months.
We would see Mike Pope constantly interrupting Mr. Taliaferro with off-the-subject questions. We would see the tattered remnants of Martin's hillbilly lynch mob scattered throughout River Ridge Cafeteria (you would know them by their cowboy hats and boots, tube tops and plaid shirts, oversized-belt buckles and portable spittoons). You would hear the Martinites shouting out things like, "Ahhh tayul yuuuuu whuuuut" and "Ahhh do-unt rahhhtly buuu-leeeve this hayer stooof". We are sorry. We get it that if you don't frequent that popular hillbilly hangout, the Villa Hills Civic Club, you may not know what we mean. That is actually a good thing.
If this was truly a "Communist Court", the first thing we would hear is that Martin is suffering the effects of a "cold". Several months would go by with no public appearances by "The Little CEO". The next news would be that "The Little Man From Norwood" has sadly succumbed to his "illness". Within months following Martin's untimely demise, government officials would say, "Who was Mike Martin? We've never heard of him".
That is not what is about to take place. There will be plenty of time for comments and questions when a removal hearing is held.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Martin has still not posted the April 30 presentation by Special Counsel on his City website calendar. How transparent is that again?]
What did our boy Pope offer up this time? He said of the planned, uninterrupted presentation of Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro's initial findings scheduled for Monday, April 30 at River Ridge Elementary, "kind of sounds like a Communist court". Is that right? You don't say. Hmmm. We aren't sure we agree with that.
Isn't the public invited to the presentation? Yes they are. Isn't the presentation being broadcast on the Government Channel and recorded by the Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky for future replay? Yes it is. Won't the media do extensive reporting on the facts presented? You can take that to the bank. So for what reason does Pope equate Monday's presentation to a "Communist court"? Perhaps because the structure of the April 30 Special Meeting derails the plan we are sure the Martins along with Pope and Noll had for totally disrupting Mr. Taliaferro's presentation. How would they do this? It would be done with a mega-dose of the same antics we have witnessed over the last sixteen dreadful months.
We would see Mike Pope constantly interrupting Mr. Taliaferro with off-the-subject questions. We would see the tattered remnants of Martin's hillbilly lynch mob scattered throughout River Ridge Cafeteria (you would know them by their cowboy hats and boots, tube tops and plaid shirts, oversized-belt buckles and portable spittoons). You would hear the Martinites shouting out things like, "Ahhh tayul yuuuuu whuuuut" and "Ahhh do-unt rahhhtly buuu-leeeve this hayer stooof". We are sorry. We get it that if you don't frequent that popular hillbilly hangout, the Villa Hills Civic Club, you may not know what we mean. That is actually a good thing.
If this was truly a "Communist Court", the first thing we would hear is that Martin is suffering the effects of a "cold". Several months would go by with no public appearances by "The Little CEO". The next news would be that "The Little Man From Norwood" has sadly succumbed to his "illness". Within months following Martin's untimely demise, government officials would say, "Who was Mike Martin? We've never heard of him".
That is not what is about to take place. There will be plenty of time for comments and questions when a removal hearing is held.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Martin has still not posted the April 30 presentation by Special Counsel on his City website calendar. How transparent is that again?]
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
What Did He Really Say?
The Martin Chronicles has a certain fondness for the quickly-marching-to-extinction Kentucky Enquirer. Despite the drivel churned out by their "infighting-obsessed" headline writer, the old rag has done a pretty fair job of covering Villa Hills recently. Not always. But recently.
We got a chuckle from a recent headline, "Villa Hills mayor apologizes to councilman". You see, we aren't sure the mendacious Martin actually did apologize to Councilman Tim Sogar. A close listen to what Martin says seems to reveal, "You got it. If I was wrong, I'm sorry".
When dealing with an experienced fabricator like Martin, that extra little word is important. Why? Because Martin still thinks he knows more about the law than the City Attorney. It is very similar to Martin's "happy to tell you" report during his 2010 dirtbag mayoral campaign that he wasn't suing the taxpayers-even when the US Supreme Court says he absolutely was. In Martin's mind, those nine folks in funny looking robes are clueless.
The Kentucky Enquirer clearly got one thing exactly right when they wrote that Martin has been "falsely claiming that Sogar was required to get a local occupational license, and failed to do so". Janet Martin went so far at the last council meeting as to loudly bray that the investigation of her corrupt husband was a "double standard". Mrs. Martin even chased Sogar while he was taking a bathroom break to harangue him further. So embarrassing. So disgraceful. So pathetic. So Martin.
Sogar got at least a phony apology from Mr. Martin. Now what we'd like Mr. Sogar to do at the next council meeting-assuming Martin hasn't been removed from office-is demand Janet Martin stand up and sing Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry".
"I'm Sorry. So Sorry. That I married such a fool . . . "
We got a chuckle from a recent headline, "Villa Hills mayor apologizes to councilman". You see, we aren't sure the mendacious Martin actually did apologize to Councilman Tim Sogar. A close listen to what Martin says seems to reveal, "You got it. If I was wrong, I'm sorry".
When dealing with an experienced fabricator like Martin, that extra little word is important. Why? Because Martin still thinks he knows more about the law than the City Attorney. It is very similar to Martin's "happy to tell you" report during his 2010 dirtbag mayoral campaign that he wasn't suing the taxpayers-even when the US Supreme Court says he absolutely was. In Martin's mind, those nine folks in funny looking robes are clueless.
The Kentucky Enquirer clearly got one thing exactly right when they wrote that Martin has been "falsely claiming that Sogar was required to get a local occupational license, and failed to do so". Janet Martin went so far at the last council meeting as to loudly bray that the investigation of her corrupt husband was a "double standard". Mrs. Martin even chased Sogar while he was taking a bathroom break to harangue him further. So embarrassing. So disgraceful. So pathetic. So Martin.
Sogar got at least a phony apology from Mr. Martin. Now what we'd like Mr. Sogar to do at the next council meeting-assuming Martin hasn't been removed from office-is demand Janet Martin stand up and sing Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry".
"I'm Sorry. So Sorry. That I married such a fool . . . "
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Document Destruction Fast Track
As The Martin Chronicles reported Sunday, a motion hearing regarding Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's destruction of City documents was on the court docket today. The motion was a request to have the court issue an order to Martin to stop destroying evidence in the pending lawsuit against the mayor for LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION.
As our readers know all too well, law enforcement officers stopped the Villa Hills Public Works crew from burning City documents on January 5, 2012. Martin told the Public Works Director not to let anyone know he had ordered them to do it. Martin ordered the destruction of documents after both the City Attorney and Attorneys from the Kentucky League of Cities sent written notice to Martin about the importance of preserving all City records during the lawsuit. The document Martin falsified after-the-fact to cover up what he really had destroyed is blown out of the water by some of the actual documents law enforcement recovered from the fire.
As fate would have it, the Court House was evacuated this morning. Sources say someone called in a bomb scare. No, The Martin Chronicles is not going to touch that. It's too easy. That is not our brand of humor. Nothing really funny about a bomb scare. And we want to be factual. Some were concerned that the evacuation would cause weeks of delay.
That was not the case. When court re-convened, the judge scheduled an evidentiary hearing on Martin's records destruction for this Thursday morning at 11am. The Martin Chronicles Legal Team thinks that the Judge's schedule for the evidentiary hearing is on a very "fast track". Especially given the fact that other motions on today's docket were continued for weeks. That may very well speak to the seriousness of the matter.
These legal experts also expect witnesses to include the Villa Hills' Public Works Director and Police Chief. We also imagine that the judge will get the opportunity to see some of the documents recovered from the fire-that were not on Martin's falsified list.
As our readers know all too well, law enforcement officers stopped the Villa Hills Public Works crew from burning City documents on January 5, 2012. Martin told the Public Works Director not to let anyone know he had ordered them to do it. Martin ordered the destruction of documents after both the City Attorney and Attorneys from the Kentucky League of Cities sent written notice to Martin about the importance of preserving all City records during the lawsuit. The document Martin falsified after-the-fact to cover up what he really had destroyed is blown out of the water by some of the actual documents law enforcement recovered from the fire.
As fate would have it, the Court House was evacuated this morning. Sources say someone called in a bomb scare. No, The Martin Chronicles is not going to touch that. It's too easy. That is not our brand of humor. Nothing really funny about a bomb scare. And we want to be factual. Some were concerned that the evacuation would cause weeks of delay.
That was not the case. When court re-convened, the judge scheduled an evidentiary hearing on Martin's records destruction for this Thursday morning at 11am. The Martin Chronicles Legal Team thinks that the Judge's schedule for the evidentiary hearing is on a very "fast track". Especially given the fact that other motions on today's docket were continued for weeks. That may very well speak to the seriousness of the matter.
These legal experts also expect witnesses to include the Villa Hills' Public Works Director and Police Chief. We also imagine that the judge will get the opportunity to see some of the documents recovered from the fire-that were not on Martin's falsified list.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Borrow, Tax And Spend
The Martin Chronicles can only imagine that the Tea Partiers, Liberty Leaguers, Home Schoolers, Bible Thumpers and all the other "Don't Tread On Me" flag-waving, tri-cornered hat-wearing, government-hating fanatics were aghast when Mike Pope revealed the "Martin/Pope Borrow, Tax and Spend Road Plan" proposal at last Wednesday night's council "infight". The worst of all three worlds. We can also only speculate that the other nimrods on Pope's floundering finance committee provided their "valuable" input at their most recent secret meeting. This brilliant idea may have been concocted by just Martin and Pope.
So what is the gist of the plan? Well, Mayor Martin and Councilman Pope strongly support the idea of borrowing $500,000 (not even enough to fund one year of the City Engineer's cost forecasts), and paying it back over ten years by locking in the maximum property tax increase allowed by law each year over that same time period. That represents a property tax increase of approximately 60%.
Martin and Pope failed to explain how they would fund year two of their plan. Or year three. Or year four. Or year five Or year six. Okay, we know. Most of our readers are very bright. We are sure they understand that the "Martin/Pope Borrow, Tax and Spend Road Plan" is yet another prescription for financial disaster. And Martin has already provided an overdose of those prescriptions to the City's budget. Why else would he be constantly fretting about losing his wife's (?) house?
What has created the supposed need for the "Martin/Pope Borrow, Tax and Spend Road Plan"? That one is easy to answer. It is the fault of the two authors of this shocking proposal.
First, Mike Pope. The guy who has spent the last five years perpetually attacking the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. Hey, we actually agree with Pope that the UNFAIR STICKER TAX should be done away with. The only difference is that The Martin Chronicles has suggested several logical alternatives. Pope has not. All Pope has done is poison the well and then asked everyone to gather around for a drink.
Then "The Little CEO". In 2010, Martin campaigns on the false promise to repeal the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. Then he sends the collection of the UNFAIR STICKER TAX to Boss Arlinghaus' County Court House just in time for Arlinghaus to layer on his own $35 PER CAR UNFAIR STICKER TAX. Much like everything else Martin has championed over these past sixteen horrific months, this has turned into an unqualified disaster.
Martin and Pope also failed to explain how they would fund the other rising costs every City government must face. Rising retirement costs. Rising cost of dispatch services. Rising cost of fuel and energy. Rising cost of health care. You get the picture.
Maybe Martin's plan to lay off half of the City's employees will offset the other rising costs. Who needs City services anyway? But please, don't tell anybody about that. Remember, Martin was really hoping to keep that part of his plan a secret. Then those rascals at WCPO had to go ahead and report what he actually said!
So what is the gist of the plan? Well, Mayor Martin and Councilman Pope strongly support the idea of borrowing $500,000 (not even enough to fund one year of the City Engineer's cost forecasts), and paying it back over ten years by locking in the maximum property tax increase allowed by law each year over that same time period. That represents a property tax increase of approximately 60%.
Martin and Pope failed to explain how they would fund year two of their plan. Or year three. Or year four. Or year five Or year six. Okay, we know. Most of our readers are very bright. We are sure they understand that the "Martin/Pope Borrow, Tax and Spend Road Plan" is yet another prescription for financial disaster. And Martin has already provided an overdose of those prescriptions to the City's budget. Why else would he be constantly fretting about losing his wife's (?) house?
What has created the supposed need for the "Martin/Pope Borrow, Tax and Spend Road Plan"? That one is easy to answer. It is the fault of the two authors of this shocking proposal.
First, Mike Pope. The guy who has spent the last five years perpetually attacking the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. Hey, we actually agree with Pope that the UNFAIR STICKER TAX should be done away with. The only difference is that The Martin Chronicles has suggested several logical alternatives. Pope has not. All Pope has done is poison the well and then asked everyone to gather around for a drink.
Then "The Little CEO". In 2010, Martin campaigns on the false promise to repeal the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. Then he sends the collection of the UNFAIR STICKER TAX to Boss Arlinghaus' County Court House just in time for Arlinghaus to layer on his own $35 PER CAR UNFAIR STICKER TAX. Much like everything else Martin has championed over these past sixteen horrific months, this has turned into an unqualified disaster.
Martin and Pope also failed to explain how they would fund the other rising costs every City government must face. Rising retirement costs. Rising cost of dispatch services. Rising cost of fuel and energy. Rising cost of health care. You get the picture.
Maybe Martin's plan to lay off half of the City's employees will offset the other rising costs. Who needs City services anyway? But please, don't tell anybody about that. Remember, Martin was really hoping to keep that part of his plan a secret. Then those rascals at WCPO had to go ahead and report what he actually said!
Monday, Monday
The Martin Chronicles believes the next two Mondays will be quite interesting in Villa Hills, the hate-filled home of one Mayor Mike Martin. Today we will consider Monday, April 23.
According to an email we obtained written by the Villa Hill City Attorney, there is a motion on Judge Summe's monthly docket tomorrow for an order to "prohibit the mayor (Martin) from destroying documents or evidence." Say what?!?!? Did we read that correctly? It takes a COURT ORDER to stop Martin from doing something he isn't supposed to do anyway? Think about it. If State statutes didn't stop Martin from tampering with evidence, why would Martin worry about what he will surely perceive as a "silly court order". "Lone wolf"? Remember?
Our legal experts tell us that there are two items on the docket ahead of the Martin motion. Because of time constraints, it is entirely possible that there will be a continuance in the Martin matter. Great news for fans of Mike Martin. Bad news for JUSTICE.
Our legal expert opines that a continuance won't matter much at this point. "What the heck. Martin was first caught burning City records on January 5. There are indications that he continued to shred records after that. It's been nearly four months. At the rate Martin has been destroying documents, there can't be a (EXPLETIVE) thing left at this point anyway.
According to an email we obtained written by the Villa Hill City Attorney, there is a motion on Judge Summe's monthly docket tomorrow for an order to "prohibit the mayor (Martin) from destroying documents or evidence." Say what?!?!? Did we read that correctly? It takes a COURT ORDER to stop Martin from doing something he isn't supposed to do anyway? Think about it. If State statutes didn't stop Martin from tampering with evidence, why would Martin worry about what he will surely perceive as a "silly court order". "Lone wolf"? Remember?
Our legal experts tell us that there are two items on the docket ahead of the Martin motion. Because of time constraints, it is entirely possible that there will be a continuance in the Martin matter. Great news for fans of Mike Martin. Bad news for JUSTICE.
Our legal expert opines that a continuance won't matter much at this point. "What the heck. Martin was first caught burning City records on January 5. There are indications that he continued to shred records after that. It's been nearly four months. At the rate Martin has been destroying documents, there can't be a (EXPLETIVE) thing left at this point anyway.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Try To Imagine
The Martin Chronicles asks that you use your imagination for this post. Pretend that you, just as the nitwits at that dingy dump they call the Villa Hills Civic Club do, think that Mayor Mike Martin has done absolutely nothing wrong. Imagine if you can, just as the hapless Kentucky Enquirer headline writer does, that Martin is an earnest, good government messiah who is nothing more than a victim of "infighting". Visualize the world through the eyes of the Tea Partiers, Liberty Leaguers and other various and sundry tri-cornered hat-wearing fanatics who drool when they remember then-Councilman Mike Martin's tirade over the Public Works Director's "reckless" purchase of a $40 garden hose.
Are you there yet? Can you see it? Good. So how does it feel?
Do you feel better now?
Are you there yet? Can you see it? Good. So how does it feel?
- Now, how do we explain Martin's persistent sixteen months of failure to adhere to Kentucky Open Records statutes?
- How do we justify Martin's after-hours removal of computers kept "in storage" at employee work stations from City premises?
- How do we rationalize Martin's January 5 burning of City records that occurred despite written requests from the City Attorney and Kentucky League of Cities to preserve all ( as in all) City records?
- How do we defend Martin's falsification of a document intended to misrepresent what records were actually destroyed on January 5?
- How do we excuse the "confidential" reprimand issued by the Villa Hills Ethics Board for his misuse of City personnel and resources for political activity?
- How do we endorse Martin's decimation of the Villa Hills Police Department that has led to an explosion in unnecessary overtime cost and a skyrocketing crime rate?
- How do we ratify Martin's (and his wife's) dishonest, LIBELOUS attacks on perceived enemies like Councilman Tim Sogar and a host of others?
- How do we defend the hiring of two unqualified Civic Club cronies at a combined pay rate of $62.50 an hour and the awarding of unbid contracts to more Civic Club cohorts for items as innocuous as fire extinguishers?
- How do we support Martin's inability to enact a coherent budget for sixteen months? His frenzied pleas to council for a six-figure budget amendment in a vain attempt to stem his tsunami of taxpayer red ink? His current plan to send the taxpayers into even further debt and lock them into years of guaranteed tax increases?
Do you feel better now?
Friday, April 20, 2012
What Time Clock?
Being a curious blog, The Martin Chronicles decided to learn more about how Councilman Jim Noll's proposed time clock for Villa Hills' employees is working in the City of Ft. Mitchell. In the event you didn't watch Wednesday night's meeting, council and the public were informed that Ft. Mitchell had instituted the same time clock Noll is proposing to track Villa Hills 11 "hired hands".
It was announced that Mayor Martin and his endlessly interim city clerk would be making the trip up Buttermilk Pike to observe the Ft. Mitchell time clock in action. Or perhaps not.
You see, we had one of our reporters contact Ft. Mitchell to get an update. Boy, were we surprised to learn that Ft. Mitchell hasn't adopted the time clock! It looks like the mayor and endlessly interim city clerk are going to be very bored when they go to Ft. Mitchell for their training session.
Oh, by the way. You didn't hear it discussed at the council meeting. But Mayor Martin's move to have Kenton County Boss Steve Arlinghaus' courtesans collect the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX has been an unmitigated disaster. At the current rate of collections, actual UNFAIR STICKER revenues will be lucky to reach 60% of the budget target.
Here's more good UNFAIR STICKER TAX news. Boss Arlinghaus wants to impose his own UNFAIR $35 PER CAR COUNTY STICKER TAX. So, for the rare Villa Hills' resident who obeys the law it will now cost $75 PER CAR!
Time for another budget amendment? Or, maybe an injunction!
It was announced that Mayor Martin and his endlessly interim city clerk would be making the trip up Buttermilk Pike to observe the Ft. Mitchell time clock in action. Or perhaps not.
You see, we had one of our reporters contact Ft. Mitchell to get an update. Boy, were we surprised to learn that Ft. Mitchell hasn't adopted the time clock! It looks like the mayor and endlessly interim city clerk are going to be very bored when they go to Ft. Mitchell for their training session.
Oh, by the way. You didn't hear it discussed at the council meeting. But Mayor Martin's move to have Kenton County Boss Steve Arlinghaus' courtesans collect the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX has been an unmitigated disaster. At the current rate of collections, actual UNFAIR STICKER revenues will be lucky to reach 60% of the budget target.
Here's more good UNFAIR STICKER TAX news. Boss Arlinghaus wants to impose his own UNFAIR $35 PER CAR COUNTY STICKER TAX. So, for the rare Villa Hills' resident who obeys the law it will now cost $75 PER CAR!
Time for another budget amendment? Or, maybe an injunction!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Little Man, You Had A Busy Night
The Martin Chronicles is following several story leads that surfaced at last night's Villa Hills city council meeting. It certainly appears that Mayor Martin is right on the edge of losing any semblance of control over a City that was ranked Number One in Northern Kentucky just two short years ago. What has gone wrong? We will learn more about that when the Special Counsel presents the initial findings at River Ridge Elementary on Monday, April 30 beginning at 6:30pm.
Based on last night's meeting, just how poorly are things going?
Martin's lies aren't working. The little man from Norwood was forced to make a very embarrassing public apology for the scurrilous attack he and his wife launched against Councilman Tim Sogar last month. Mr. Sogar explained the reasons why, contrary to Martin's fabrications, he is not required to have an Occupational License. The City Attorney surprisingly swatted away Martin's lame questions and protests. Martin was not even provided salt or pepper for the crow he was forced to eat.
Councilman George Bruns laid waste to the Martin Manifesto that the mayor took door-to-door this past Sunday. Bruns dismantled Martin's hand-delivered deceptions point by point. Martin's feeble response? "I'm not going to discuss it with you, George." Where is that old bravado and bluster that the CEO used to exhibit?
The City Attorney also told the mayor, council, God and the camera that the uncontracted arrangement Mayor Martin unilaterally struck with his $47.50 per hour crony-hire clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber well more than one year ago was not a good idea. While The Martin Chronicles has said that since the blog launched on October 8, 2011, we think it is significant that the City Attorney demonstrated the sand to make that statement so publicly. Martin's response? He re-shuffled his already over-shuffled papers.
It is also becoming evident that Martin has completely mismanaged the City's finances. Last night we heard some shocking numbers about line items that are literally hemorrhaging red ink. It is such a mess that the City Attorney informed council that they have the legal right to ask a judge to issue an injunction to bar the mayor from more rampant waste of taxpayer money.
Council also sent signals that the mayor's budget proposal for next fiscal year may not be approved. That would mean two years without a new budget. We aren't sure whether passage of a new budget would make any difference. Martin simply can't control spending.
Councilman and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Pope went so far as to suggest the council consider borrowing $500,000 to fund street repair. The debt would be repaid over ten years by annual tax increases. Red ink, debt that equates to more than 15% of the City's annual revenues and TAX INCREASES LOCKED IN FOR AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE? Mike Pope is certainly not the Tea Partier he likes to masquerade himself as.
We also wonder about Councilman Jim Noll. How, after droning on for nearly a half an hour about something as meaningless as time clocks for eleven City employees can Noll suggest that it is important for Special Counsel to keep his April 30 presentation concise? Who is Noll trying to kid?
Along those lines, we find it shameless that Martin would question the amount of money being spent for Special Counsel's investigation. It is Martin's perpetual dodge, dip, duck, dive and uh, dodge of the Special Counsel's requests that has wasted so much time.
Martin has never met a taxpayer dollar he doesn't want to waste.
Based on last night's meeting, just how poorly are things going?
Martin's lies aren't working. The little man from Norwood was forced to make a very embarrassing public apology for the scurrilous attack he and his wife launched against Councilman Tim Sogar last month. Mr. Sogar explained the reasons why, contrary to Martin's fabrications, he is not required to have an Occupational License. The City Attorney surprisingly swatted away Martin's lame questions and protests. Martin was not even provided salt or pepper for the crow he was forced to eat.
Councilman George Bruns laid waste to the Martin Manifesto that the mayor took door-to-door this past Sunday. Bruns dismantled Martin's hand-delivered deceptions point by point. Martin's feeble response? "I'm not going to discuss it with you, George." Where is that old bravado and bluster that the CEO used to exhibit?
The City Attorney also told the mayor, council, God and the camera that the uncontracted arrangement Mayor Martin unilaterally struck with his $47.50 per hour crony-hire clerk/bookkeeper Cordelia Schaber well more than one year ago was not a good idea. While The Martin Chronicles has said that since the blog launched on October 8, 2011, we think it is significant that the City Attorney demonstrated the sand to make that statement so publicly. Martin's response? He re-shuffled his already over-shuffled papers.
It is also becoming evident that Martin has completely mismanaged the City's finances. Last night we heard some shocking numbers about line items that are literally hemorrhaging red ink. It is such a mess that the City Attorney informed council that they have the legal right to ask a judge to issue an injunction to bar the mayor from more rampant waste of taxpayer money.
Council also sent signals that the mayor's budget proposal for next fiscal year may not be approved. That would mean two years without a new budget. We aren't sure whether passage of a new budget would make any difference. Martin simply can't control spending.
Councilman and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Pope went so far as to suggest the council consider borrowing $500,000 to fund street repair. The debt would be repaid over ten years by annual tax increases. Red ink, debt that equates to more than 15% of the City's annual revenues and TAX INCREASES LOCKED IN FOR AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE? Mike Pope is certainly not the Tea Partier he likes to masquerade himself as.
We also wonder about Councilman Jim Noll. How, after droning on for nearly a half an hour about something as meaningless as time clocks for eleven City employees can Noll suggest that it is important for Special Counsel to keep his April 30 presentation concise? Who is Noll trying to kid?
Along those lines, we find it shameless that Martin would question the amount of money being spent for Special Counsel's investigation. It is Martin's perpetual dodge, dip, duck, dive and uh, dodge of the Special Counsel's requests that has wasted so much time.
Martin has never met a taxpayer dollar he doesn't want to waste.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
How Does Martin Define "Transparency"?
The Martin Chronicles has never accused Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin of being even a little bit bright. So maybe when he constantly blows his own tiny horn about how "transparent" he is, he simply doesn't know what the word means. More likely, this is just another in an incredibly lengthy series of Martin fabrications.
You may be wondering what prompted this rare additional MC post. Well, one of our reporters pointed out this morning that as of two minutes ago the April 30 Special Counsel presentation at River Ridge is still not listed on Martin's wonderfully irrelevant City Website. Is that "transparent"?
Geez, Martin's recent Mendacious Manifesto hailed the antediluvian website as his misadministration's crowning accomplishment. No reference to the meeting? Why, that is awfully strange. Don't think it is an oversite though. Is that "transparent"?
You see, Martin also neglected to mention the looming April 30 Special Counsel presentation in his Council Report published in the Voice of Villa Hills. The corrupt CEO loaded the screed up with all manner of pointless propaganda. But left out the presentation. Is that "transparent"?
Here's the real point. If Martin was confident that the Special Counsel's presentation would vindicate him, he would push to get as many people there as possible. He would want the residents to see that he has done nothing wrong. He would want people to conclude that he is a good-government messiah being unfairly persecuted by bullying council people who are simply smarting from the results of the 2010 election.
That is what Martin and his hateful wife constantly say after all. But of course, they are lying.
Martin hopes he can keep a lid on the many scandals he has created just long enough for the troglodytes at the Civic Club to elect "15 people" to protect his dishonest hind quarters.
Whether that happens or not is entirely up to you.
You may be wondering what prompted this rare additional MC post. Well, one of our reporters pointed out this morning that as of two minutes ago the April 30 Special Counsel presentation at River Ridge is still not listed on Martin's wonderfully irrelevant City Website. Is that "transparent"?
Geez, Martin's recent Mendacious Manifesto hailed the antediluvian website as his misadministration's crowning accomplishment. No reference to the meeting? Why, that is awfully strange. Don't think it is an oversite though. Is that "transparent"?
You see, Martin also neglected to mention the looming April 30 Special Counsel presentation in his Council Report published in the Voice of Villa Hills. The corrupt CEO loaded the screed up with all manner of pointless propaganda. But left out the presentation. Is that "transparent"?
Here's the real point. If Martin was confident that the Special Counsel's presentation would vindicate him, he would push to get as many people there as possible. He would want the residents to see that he has done nothing wrong. He would want people to conclude that he is a good-government messiah being unfairly persecuted by bullying council people who are simply smarting from the results of the 2010 election.
That is what Martin and his hateful wife constantly say after all. But of course, they are lying.
Martin hopes he can keep a lid on the many scandals he has created just long enough for the troglodytes at the Civic Club to elect "15 people" to protect his dishonest hind quarters.
Whether that happens or not is entirely up to you.
Council Meeting Tonight!
The Martin Chronicles looks forward to this night every month. It's the Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin Show! Watch him serve up colossal whopper after whopper after whopper after flaming whopper while simultaneously finger-pointing, blame-laying and dirt-dishing. You'll witness the little man from Norwood as he does his dazzling chair-spin while frenziedly chomping his Juicy Fruit with all of the enthusiasm of a rabid beaver tearing into a fresh wood pile!
Is there really any doubt that even the IQ-challenged CEO is starting to figure out that he is facing problems larger than his failure to frequently secure the occupational license he requires annually to run his handyman business? If there was any doubt remaining, reading WCPO's online report of the malevolent mayor and the wretched remnants of his once formidable hillbilly lynch mob stumbling door-to-door with a LIE and LIBEL-filled version of his Unahandyman Manifesto confirmed that he knows he has trouble with a Capital T.
WCPO's online story also rightfully pointed out that the mendacious mayor conveniently neglected to mention that he is under serious investigation for matters far more serious than the lack of an occupational license in his Manifesto.
The Martin Chronicles also noticed that the Unahandyman's door-to-door, desperate diatribe failed to include his now many weeks-old, still unkept promise explaining why he thinks the Villa Hills Police Department can operate at 25% below proper manpower levels. We guess that would have also required him to also explain the skyrocketing crime rate and his frantic push for a six-figure budget amendment just to cover his mismanaged overtime costs.
The Martin Chronicles suggests you watch the council meeting tonight. Don't worry about keeping track of all of Martin's fabrications. Don't waste your time totalling the endless spouting-off of Martin's willing-accomplice wife. Those are our jobs! We hope to give you updates if news breaks.
Also, be sure to get April 30 on your calendar. You really should attend the Special Counsel's presentation of his initial findings at River Ridge. Learn once and for all that you are NOT getting what you thought you were voting for!
Is there really any doubt that even the IQ-challenged CEO is starting to figure out that he is facing problems larger than his failure to frequently secure the occupational license he requires annually to run his handyman business? If there was any doubt remaining, reading WCPO's online report of the malevolent mayor and the wretched remnants of his once formidable hillbilly lynch mob stumbling door-to-door with a LIE and LIBEL-filled version of his Unahandyman Manifesto confirmed that he knows he has trouble with a Capital T.
WCPO's online story also rightfully pointed out that the mendacious mayor conveniently neglected to mention that he is under serious investigation for matters far more serious than the lack of an occupational license in his Manifesto.
The Martin Chronicles also noticed that the Unahandyman's door-to-door, desperate diatribe failed to include his now many weeks-old, still unkept promise explaining why he thinks the Villa Hills Police Department can operate at 25% below proper manpower levels. We guess that would have also required him to also explain the skyrocketing crime rate and his frantic push for a six-figure budget amendment just to cover his mismanaged overtime costs.
The Martin Chronicles suggests you watch the council meeting tonight. Don't worry about keeping track of all of Martin's fabrications. Don't waste your time totalling the endless spouting-off of Martin's willing-accomplice wife. Those are our jobs! We hope to give you updates if news breaks.
Also, be sure to get April 30 on your calendar. You really should attend the Special Counsel's presentation of his initial findings at River Ridge. Learn once and for all that you are NOT getting what you thought you were voting for!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Norwood-Style Politics
The Martin Chronicles has learned that Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin and the tattered remnants of his hillbilly lynch mob spent a beautiful Sunday, April 15 afternoon delivering LIBEL door-to-door. The message? A condensed version of the Unahandyman's Manifesto cheesily titled "A Note To Villa Hills Residents".
Hilariously, Martin decided to edit out his fifth different explanation about why he felt good with his decision to crush the City safe with a backhoe. But, he left in many of the LIBELOUS claims he has been making about the previous administration. If anyone still believes anything Martin says about City computers after he was witnessed taking them off-site to parts unknown many, many months ago or City records after Martin was caught burning truckloads of them on January 5 - we hear someone may be selling a very nice bridge in Brooklyn.
One could sum up Martin's hilarious letter by saying that because he has now posted cryptic financial reports and a meaningless schedule of meetings on an irrelevant City website it is okay that he:
Want to hear something really funny? Martin claims in his Mendacious Manifesto that he has taken the "high road". So LIBELING, SLANDERING, DEFAMING and FLAT-OUT LYING about his perceived enemies and everything he has done is the "high road"? Compared to what? Genocide?
The Martin Chronicles thinks only those people who wanted Norwood-style dirtbag politics carried about by a low-life, sociopathic sewer rat are getting what they voted for.
Does that include you?
Hilariously, Martin decided to edit out his fifth different explanation about why he felt good with his decision to crush the City safe with a backhoe. But, he left in many of the LIBELOUS claims he has been making about the previous administration. If anyone still believes anything Martin says about City computers after he was witnessed taking them off-site to parts unknown many, many months ago or City records after Martin was caught burning truckloads of them on January 5 - we hear someone may be selling a very nice bridge in Brooklyn.
One could sum up Martin's hilarious letter by saying that because he has now posted cryptic financial reports and a meaningless schedule of meetings on an irrelevant City website it is okay that he:
- has racked up an incredible six-figure waste of taxpayer money in police overtime alone;
- has fouled-up the budget so badly he is threatening to lay-off half of the City's remaining employees;
- has decimated and mismanaged the Villa Hills Police Department leading to a serious spike in crime;
- has single-handedly destroyed the City's street repair program;
- has mismanaged his way into triggering one serious lawsuit and is on the verge of being hit with at least two more;
- has redefined "transparency" as meaning a refusal to fill Open Records requests and a failure to follow State Open Meetings statutes;
- has been slapped with a "confidential" reprimand by the City's Ethics Board for misuse of City resources and personnel;
Want to hear something really funny? Martin claims in his Mendacious Manifesto that he has taken the "high road". So LIBELING, SLANDERING, DEFAMING and FLAT-OUT LYING about his perceived enemies and everything he has done is the "high road"? Compared to what? Genocide?
The Martin Chronicles thinks only those people who wanted Norwood-style dirtbag politics carried about by a low-life, sociopathic sewer rat are getting what they voted for.
Does that include you?
Monday, April 16, 2012
Meetings Loom
The Martin Chronicles will be covering the Villa Hills City Council meeting Wednesday evening. Believe it or not, we hope it is a fast, smooth meeting. The big meeting this month will be the Special Counsel’s presentation of his initial findings on April 30 at River Ridge Elementary – assuming Martin or his council cronies Mike Pope and Jim Noll don’t pull some scurrilous, sophomoric stunt to sabotage it. Those kinds of abusive antics are certainly something we could expect from any of those three.
We understand that the April 30 meeting will be taped for future replay on the Government Channels, but not broadcast LIVE. So the Martin Chronicles plans to dispatch a squad of reporters to cover these important proceedings. If you care about your City even a little bit you need to get your butt up out of the La-Z-Boy and get up there to find out if you are getting what you voted for.
If you believe that Martin should be held accountable for the fraud he has perpetrated on the City, you definitely need to attend the April 30 meeting. Why? Because you can bet that the frantic Martin will be emptying out the lunatic asylums, leper colonies, highwaymen hideouts, X-rated movie theaters, theaters of the absurd, opium dens, golf leagues, refugee camps, speakeasies, snake pits, illegal gambling casinos, crack houses, round houses, cat houses, gin mills, puppy mills, prayer meetings, holding tanks, drunk tanks, propane tanks, clip joints, bookie joints, strip joints, dog fights, cock fights, fight clubs, chop shops, saloons, unlicensed contractor job sites and of course, the Villa Hills Civic Club to rally every last knuckle-dragger still a card-carrying member of his hillbilly lynch mob to create an ugly spectacle. Because that is the type of person Mike Martin is.
Keep in mind that there are still Civic Club troglodytes who lament that they would love to see what Martin could do if only there were six Mike Popes on city council. The sane members of council need and deserve your public support on April 30.
There is one thing we think we should definitely see at this Wednesday’s council gathering that may be a little painful, but certainly necessary. Namely, Mayor Mike Martin and his spouse Janet should both make a public apology to Councilman Tim Sogar for their spurious claim that Sogar should resign because he doesn’t have an Occupational License. No, not because interior designer-extraordinaire County Boss Steve Arlinghaus doesn’t seem to think that law must be obeyed. It is because Mr. Sogar IS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE AN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE. It’s as simple as that.
Several sources are telling us that Martin and his wife are planning a LIBELOUS, SLANDEROUS and DEFAMATORY last stand in a desperate attempt to hold on to the CEO and MRS. CEO positions. Rumors are rampant that they are pulling out every Branch Norwoodian trick in the book to bully their opposition.
The Martin Chronicles believes that Martin’s luck is finally running out. Lie after lie after lie after lie worked for many years. The deceit worked for his “shoddy at best” handyman business for a several years. His LIES, SLANDER, LIBEL and DEFAMATION carried all the way to his equally “shoddy at best” CEO position. But now people are keeping close track of all the conflicting stories Martin tries to tell to cover his tracks. These holier-than-thou Martin dirtbag tricks and lies may have worked then. But we are beginning to believe that they are not going to work now.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
THE Timeline
The Martin Chronicles has always correctly believed that Mike Martin’s “springboard” to the mayor’s office was a COLOSSAL LIE. We have been doing several weeks of research and interviewing into Martin’s rise to power by his telling of a deceitful tale of persecution by the Villa Hills Police Department. Martin falsely portrayed himself as some “good government messiah” in 2010 by telling lie after lie after lie that his hillbilly lynch mob also spread about malicious prosecution and a supposed vendetta against him.
The facts tell a very different story. Here is what we have learned through our extensive investigation.
9/18/2007 – Villa Hills’ councilman Mike Martin calls the Villa Hills Police Department (VHPD) to file a harassment complaint against a collection agency that continues to contact him with phone calls about an unsettled account. The collectors are pursuing the wrong Mike Martin. Detective Joe Schutzman contacts the collection agency on Martin’s behalf and straightens out the matter. Remember, Martin will soon falsely allege that Detective Schutzman had a vendetta against him.
While this was happening, officials from Hamilton County, Ohio were independently working to clarify why checks being issued to a deceased woman were being cashed by someone named Mike Martin. This Mike Martin would be correctly identified as Villa Hills Councilman Mike Martin.
10/2007 – After researching why a woman who had passed away four years earlier was being issued checks and they were being endorsed by someone signing her name, the Hamilton County Fraud Unit contacts the VHPD.
The VHPD receives a package via US Mail from the Hamilton County Family Protection Office about checks being cashed and deposited into the personal bank account of Villa Hills’ Councilman Mike Martin.
10/28/2007 – Martin is contacted by VHPD Detective Joe Schutzman to come into the office to discuss the package mailed from the Hamilton County Protection Office. Martin refuses to come in without an attorney. Martin is advised that his attorney is welcome to attend. Schutzman even offers to contact the attorney directly to schedule the meeting. Martin refuses to give Schutzman the name of the attorney.
10/2007 – Martin continually fails to return phone inquiries from the VHPD attempting to schedule a meeting. At the request of the VHPD, Martin is contacted by one of his good friends who also happens to be an attorney strongly urging him to take his attorney to meet with the VHPD to quickly get the matter resolved.
11/1/2007 – The VHPD learns that Martin’s attorney recuses himself after finding out that Martin incorrectly advised him that he was dealing with a civil matter. The matter is criminal. The VHPD learned that this attorney referred Martin to a criminal lawyer.
11/2/2007 – Martin agrees to meet with Detective Schutzman. Schutzman showed Martin all of the information the VHPD had received. During the interview Martin acknowledges that he committed forgery. Martin lays all the blame on a bank employee who he says advised him to sign the deceased woman’s (who it turns out was Martin’s mother) name on the checks. Bank records show that Martin cashed some of the checks and deposited others into his personal account.
11/8/2007 – Detective Schutzman follows up with Hamilton County Court Enforcement. It is learned that Court Enforcement learned in 2005 that Martin’s mother passed away in 2003. Court Enforcement ordered that the checks cease. For some reason the cancellation of the checks did not occur.
11/20/2007 – Martin advises the VHPD to communicate with his attorney. Detective Schutzman learns that Martin’s attorney is not licensed to practice law in Kentucky during an attempt to schedule a meeting. The VHPD informs Martin that his attorney does not have a Kentucky license.
11/2007 – Martin retains a third attorney who recuses himself in a matter of days.
11/27/2007 – Detective Schutzman’s report reaches the Commonwealth Attorney’s office.
11/28/2007 – Martin contacts VHPD Chief Dan Goodenough. Martin inquires about the grand jury process. Martin asks if he can be present when the case is presented to the grand jury. Goodenough explains the grand jury process to Martin and explains that no case is being presented to the grand jury at this time. Martin questions Schutzman’s role in the investigation and asks if there is a conflict of interest as Martin serves as a Villa Hills’ councilman. (Interestingly, Martin saw no such conflict when running for re-election to council in 2008 or mayor in 2010 while he was suing Schutzman, Goodenough and the taxpayers of Villa Hills).
12/2007 – The fourth attorney representing Marin contacts the VHPD and lets them know that Martin has been advised to stop talking to the VHPD.
12/18/2007 – The VHPD is notified that a warrant has been issued by the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for Martin’s arrest. After doing some research with the district court clerks, Chief Goodenough contacts Martin and informs him of the arrest warrant. Martin is advised of the charges, warrant number, cash amount needed for bond, where to turn himself in (the third floor of the Justice Center, NOT JAIL) so that he can quickly be processed by the clerks, post his bond and leave. The entire process takes about thirty minutes.
It is important to note that Martin was not handcuffed and driven to the Justice Center in a police cruiser. He drove himself and, again, was in and out in approximately thirty minutes.
12/2007 thru 2/2008 – There are three continuances issued during the court proceedings. Martin is granted time to correct the mess he had created in Hamilton County.
Some interesting things are revealed. Martin had hired an attorney in Hamilton County to oversee payment of the checks well before these problems surfaced. The attorney advised Martin to enter the checks into probate court when his mother passed away. Martin refused to do so. Martin explained that he did not want other members of his family to know he was receiving the checks. It was also learned that a court had ordered the checks be paid to Martin’s mother even before Martin was born.
2/2008 – On the fourth and final court appearance, the judge is satisfied that Martin had corrected the mess that he created in Hamilton County. The judge is further assured that no more checks would be issued to Martin in his mother’s name.
It is important to note that Martin was investigated and arrested for signing someone else’s name to a check and depositing it (forgery). At no time was Martin being investigated for theft. More than three years later four judges would rule that there was probable cause for Martin’s arrest and that his actions fit the very definition of forgery.
Despite Martin’s good fortune in February 2008, the councilman would file an ultimately unsuccessful $1.505 MILLION lawsuit against Chief Goodenough, Detective Schutzman and the taxpayers of Villa Hills (despite what Martin was so happy to report during his dirtbag mayoral campaign) in May, 2008.
Yes indeed. You ARE getting what you voted for.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
A Budget Would Be Helpful
On the day after Friday the 13th, The Martin Chronicles hopes to have better luck than Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin had at the conclusion of a meeting Tuesday evening. The meeting’s purpose was to discuss the emergency dispatch services the City of Erlanger provides to several other Kenton County Cities, including Villa Hills.
Our snitches tell us that the meeting itself was pretty standard fare. Erlanger officials bashed interior decorator-extraordinaire Boss Arlinghaus’ Kenton County Emergency Dispatch and promised to do everything they possibly could do to contain their escalating costs. All fairly predictable.
The funny part actually took place after the meeting. It began with officials from a few different Cities chatting about what they may do next regarding Emergency Dispatch Services.
Proving the old saying, “There is no such thing as a stupid question” isn't always accurate, Martin approached these officials and asked, “How do you guys pay for these dispatch Services?”
One amused official replied with the obvious answer, “We put it in our City budget.”
Without missing a beat, a second official stuck a sarcastic verbal dagger in Martin’s heart, saying, “But that won’t work for you. You haven’t even gotten a budget passed!”
Our snitches tell us that Martin put his head down and walked away from the belly-laughing group.
You are getting (EXACTLY) what you voted for.
Friday, April 13, 2012
That's Our Story And We're Sticking To It.
Everyone on the staff of the Martin Chronicles has an imitation rabbit’s foot in their pocket today. We all tossed salt over our shoulder as we ate our Midnight Meal before resuming work on this very early morning. No one will be careless around mirrors or walk under any ladders as we make our way through the day. Black cats, fugetaboutit! Why, because it is Friday the 13th of course. We may or may not be superstitious, but we sure aren’t going to press our luck either!
The Martin Chronicles is very rough on the Villa Hills Civic Club. And why not? They are largely responsible for perpetrating the fraud on the people of Villa Hills that is Mayor Mike Martin. Despite our tough treatment, we have many friends there who give us updates. For the record, they are certainly not the vine-swinging log-thumpers that we regularly skewer with such great regularity.
Much like our report on Martin’s Tuesday computer antics, this report also sent us on a mission to do a whole lot of fact checking. We confirmed it with multiple sources within the Club and feel comfortable reporting what we know to you. We just can’t believe anybody can be this stupid.
Martin, his wife Janet and the $15 per hour crony-hire clerk whose signature is on the falsified paperwork supposedly listing all of the documents Martin threw into his “city records barbecue” on January 5th were having what we have to assume they thought was a private meeting at an out-of-the-way table in the Club. They should have been more careful. Perhaps the crony-hire clerk will take another unanticipated trip of Florida after Special Counsel gets a hold of this.
Witnesses say the Martins and the crony-hire clerk were surrounded by notebooks and papers. These witnesses have good reason to believe that the trio were trying to “get their story straight” about their destruction of City documents. No matter the story they ended up concocting, several sources confirm these three co-conspirators are in for some huge surprises in the weeks ahead.
Martin certainly seems to be making a concerted effort to cover the tracks of his last sixteen months. What he doesn’t know is what is going to bite him.
[EDITORS NOTE: We are working on a breaking story that an April 23 court proceeding has been announced dealing with Martin's January 5 document burn. We will provide details as we uncover them.]
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Paging Detective Mark Fuhrman
The Martin Chronicles is working on a story that we would rate as off the “bizarre meter” even in the Mayor Mike Martin’s hate-filled hamlet of Villa Hills. Even still, several credible sources tell a similar story leading us to believe it is quite true.
Here is what we know. Special Counsel arrived at the Villa Hills City Building accompanied by a computer forensics expert on Tuesday, April 10. We are told that it was their stated intention to examine the computers that Martin removed from City premises after-hours in his personal vehicle several months ago. We have also learned that Martin refused to allow Special Counsel to examine the computers on Tuesday.
Several witnesses also report that they saw Public Works employees carrying the computers in white EVIDENCE boxes. Strangely, these witnesses report that the Public Works employees were wearing rubber gloves. We are still trying to confirm why, or even if, Martin considers the computers “evidence”. “Evidence” of what?!?!
We have other questions. Does Martin have the legal right to interfere in the Special Counsel’s investigation (an investigation that was properly authorized under Kentucky Revised Statute 83A by a majority of City Council) into his activities? Is Martin trying to hide something? If so, what and why? Furthermore, if these computers are “evidence”, how many people have had access to them over the last nearly sixteen months? The list of people who could have used, misused or tampered with the computers over that length of time could total in the dozens.
Let’s face it. Martin took the computers off City premises after-hours in his own vehicle. Where did he take them? What was done to them? As we first posted on October 29, 2011, there is the whole issue of what is generally referred to as “chain of custody”. The detectives in the botched OJ Simpson investigation received a harsh lesson in that. Given the “shoddy at best” handling of these computers, what, if anything, can be believed?
Martin’s most recent computer antics certainly add more grist for the Special Counsel’s mill. The Special Counsel presentation of his initial findings is now scheduled for Monday April 30 in the cafeteria at River Ridge Elementary. The Martin Chronicles will most certainly be there. We believe that if you care even a little bit about Villa Hills, you should also attend.
We are going to continue to follow leads on this breaking story. As Mike Martin famously wrote in his three-page Manifesto, you are getting what you voted for!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tomorrow's Tease: More Computer Antics
The Martin Chronicles has learned that Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin has ratcheted up the controversy surrounding his after-hours removal of computers from City premises in his personal vehicle.
Dial up "the Old MC" any time after 3am tomorrow to find out how!
Dial up "the Old MC" any time after 3am tomorrow to find out how!
If Only
Every now and then one of the Martin Chronicles reporters will hear someone lament that they would love to see what Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin could do if he had a council that would work with him. Poor little fella. As you can probably guess, these sentiments are typically expressed by cave-dwellers who spend most evenings with their butts parked in stools around the bar at that rat’s nest known as the Civic Club.
Perhaps Villa Hills’ residents will get the opportunity to see exactly that come January 1, 2013. We know that the Civic Club is hatching a plan to run 15 Martin supporters for council. If luck is with Martin, he’ll have no one to stand in his way then. The council election is now only 209 days away. Can’t you just imagine Martin surrounded by six Mike Popes? Wouldn’t that be great?
Perhaps the dim bulbs yearning for the day when Martin can show what he is truly made of should pay closer attention to the mayor’s own words written in his recently circulated three-page Manifesto. Martin says YOU ARE GETTING WHAT YOU VOTED FOR. And the performance, character, integrity, intelligence and skill-level of the person you voted for was most accurately described in the recent letter we published from an unhappy customer of Martin's misnamed Quality Home Services, “Shoddy at best”.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Items Of Interest
The Martin Chronicles is continuously amazed by the rampant hypocrisy of elected officials. We also find humor in even the most foolish ideas. These have been what have made the assignment we undertook on October 8, 2011 so interesting to observe and report.
Let’s first take a look at the hypocrisy. Last year Kenton County Boss Steve Arlinghaus took the podium at a Villa Hills council meeting to defend Mayor Mike Martin. Arlinghaus was appalled that council would authorize the expenditure of taxpayer money to investigate the mayor. The County Boss went so far as to describe the council’s desire for the truth as “a witch hunt”.
Now we read that County Attorney Garry Edmonson is suing Tea-Party favorite Arlinghaus over misuse of taxpayer money to renovate the County offices. Isn’t that rich? Arlinghaus had no problem alleging that Villa Hills’ council was wasting taxpayer money. Now Arlinghaus is being sued for doing exactly that.
Arlinghaus seems to have learned a thing or two from his pal Martin. You see, Arlinghaus is employing the Martin-tested defense, “I didn’t know it then. But I know it now.”
Look, we don’t really like Arlinghaus or Edmonson. By most accounts, both are “Class A” jerks. But we certainly hope the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag-wavers are at least a little put out about this. These tri-cornered-hat-wearing extremists thought they were electing Sarah Palin. Instead, in Arlinghaus, it appears they got Martha Stewart.
Under the heading of “you can’t fix stupid”, we are also hearing reports that the log-thumping troglodytes at the Villa Hills Civic Club are planning to make mischief in Villa Hills’ electoral politics yet again.
These “civic” club mouth-breathers are largely responsible for turning Mike Martin loose on the City to create his own special brand of mayhem. Now they hope to make a mockery of the upcoming council election that is a mere 210 days away.
How so? Well, several people report that Martin’s co-defendant in a LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION lawsuit is telling anyone who will listen that “they need 15 people to run for city council”. Won’t that be something to see? Considering that only six members can sit on council at a time, it is clear that Martin’s co-defendant simply wants to make a mess of things yet again. Given the fact that this hillbilly is a pal of Mike Martin’s, it is also obvious that the desire for good government is not even a small factor in this effort.
The Martin Chronicles wonders if either Martin or his co-defendant has even the slightest clue of the impact of the mayor’s move to sign the man they hatefully called a “double-dipper” to a two-year contract to well, how to best say it, by their very own definition “DOUBLE DIP”?
You see, signing this contract is an admission that despite all of his LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION, Martin realizes that there is really not anything wrong with entering into an agreement with a City employee’s company to provide a service to the taxpayers.
So, it is quite clear that what the mayor and his co-defendant were really doing during Martin’s 2010 dirtbag campaign was attempting to damage the employee’s reputation and hinder the employee’s ability to earn a living.
That sure sounds like LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION to us.
Isn’t this fun?
Monday, April 9, 2012
You Know His Shtick
As The Martin Chronicles reported yesterday, we are receiving conflicting leads regarding Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin’s plans moving forward. Some are saying that they have reason to believe Martin is strongly weighing his options regarding an exit strategy. Others indicate that Martin has every intention to counter-attack with every scurrilous story he can fabricate.
This much we do know. The Special Counsel is currently scheduled to deliver his preliminary report on April 30. We have received numerous indications that the Special Counsel’s report is going to paint a damning picture of mismanagement and, worse yet, official misconduct.
Those who speculate that Martin is considering an early exit believe he wants to avoid the public embarrassment to himself, his family and the residents of Villa Hills. Despite his comments to the media and claims that people are approaching him telling him not to resign, the preponderance of public reaction so far has included people on news reports and at the podium during council meetings respectfully asking the mayor to step down. We are not inclined to think Martin will make a graceful exit. “Graceful” is not the Martin Way.
When Martin avoided a forgery trial by the skin of his teeth a few years ago, he did not thank his lucky stars. Instead, he recruited his now-infamous hillbilly lynch mob to join him in a disgraceful campaign of LIBEL, SLANDER, DEFAMATION and flat-out LIES. At first, one could consider his dirtbag efforts successful. But not now.
Why? Martin’s campaign of deceit has triggered one serious lawsuit and has the City on the precipice of at least one more. Martin has also been caught destroying City records and was discovered fabricating a document designed to hide his misdeed. His official City policy to disobey State Open Records statutes has been revealed. Witnesses have seen the mayor removing property from the City Building after-hours. By his own admission (despite his multiple version of events-all of which are LIES), Martin improperly destroyed City property. These are just a few of the many issues being scrutinized by Special Counsel.
Despite all of this, Martin continues to make excuses and point blame at others. His three-page Manifesto is a bizarre document full of contradictory CALUMNY and DEFAMTION. His wife published a LIBELOUS letter-to-the-editor. Two other pinheaded Martin cronies have written equally disgraceful, self-serving “opinion” pieces.
The best so far? Martin’s “bombshell” revelation that another councilman should resign because he doesn’t have an occupational license. There is a major reason that Martin’s “bombshell” is a dud. That councilman is not required to have an occupational license. Martin and his wife should be ashamed for making such a dishonest claim. But shame is obviously not in their DNA. With them it has been an endless stream of LIES.
Martin has a real problem. For most of his life he could get away with answering any tough question with one dismissive LIE. It has worked with the customers of his “shoddy at best” handyman business. It convinced the mouth-breathing vine-swingers and hate-mongers at the Civic Club. The sanctimonious, holier-than-thou louts from the St. Joe’s Heavy Drinking Men Society lapped it up. The tea-partiers, liberty-leaguers, home-schoolers, Bible-thumpers and other various and sundry extremists and hypocrites pinned their hopes on the Little Man from Norwood. Several hundred thousands of dollars of RED INK later, are at least these government-hating extremists at least a little disillusioned?
We all know the Unahandyman’s shtick by now.
· “I was elected by the people to (fill-in-the-blank).”
· “I am happy to announce (despite what The Supreme Court of the United States has twice-ruled) that I am not suing the City.”
· ”My heart tells me one thing. My head tells me something else.”
· “I didn’t know then. But I know that now.”
· “They won’t work with me.”
· “I’ve been so very busy.”
· “I am for the road tax. I am against the road tax. I am both for and against the road tax.”
· I have no idea who produced the pro-Road Tax flyer in the Voice of Villa Hills (that I received a “confidential “ reprimand from the City’s Ethics Board for improperly using City personnel and resources to produce).”
· “I have all of the proper licenses to run my handyman business (unless you include the licenses I should have had for the electrical, plumbing and commercial work I am doing).”
· “I’d rather pay a little (as in hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of) overtime.”
· “I saved $15,000 by firing the accounting firm (despite the fact that the City is now swimming in a sea of red ink).”
· “You ARE getting what you voted for.”
· “I found $30K in uncollected taxes (3 different times).”
· “The Civil Service Commission only sent me four qualified candidates for the City Clerk position (and I didn’t bother to interview any of them).”
· “Someone flagged me down on the way to the council meeting.”
· “I am going to lay-off 40% of the City staff to make up for my massive mismanagement and overspending (but I am very angry at that reporter from Channel 9 for having the nerve to report that fact to the residents).”
· “Double-dipping is wrong but I am signing the man I LIBELOUSLY called a double-dipper to a multi-year contract to do more double-dipping.”
· “The previous administration left me with absolutely no records but I had so many records laying around all over the City Building that I had to burn a couple of truckloads of them right before the discovery phase of a lawsuit against me.”
· “That’s your opinion.”
It will be far harder now. Why? Because every Martin LIE-and there will be many-will be followed up with another question. And then another question. And then yet another question. And most likely even another question. It is already quite clear that Martin has a very difficult time keeping his LIES straight. Martin has a lot at stake. It doesn’t look good for the little fella. But we don’t think he is smart enough to realize it.
The shtick that will now cause Martin the greatest problem? “He’s the CEO. It’s HIS decision. Deal with it.” But is HE moving on? We doubt it. At least not without a large dose of dreadful embarrassment to Villa Hills first.
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