The Martin Chronicles has written about the scurrilous, dirtbag mayoral campaign of now-Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin. It was a true testament to the very worst of today's politics. Martin's campaign was so full of LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION that it set the stage for an employee to file a very serious lawsuit against Martin that has placed the taxpayers in harm's way.
Martin's dishonest effort was aided by the hillbilly lynch mob cobbled together from Civic Club vine-swingers, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou phonies from the St. Joe's Heavy Drinking Men's Society, cat-haters, embittered old tree-huggers and various and sundry other tri-cornered hat-wearing, "Don't Tread One Me" flag-waving, lunatic government-haters.The worst part? Most of these people still don't see what is happening.
Martin recently went door-to-door with his silly Unahandyman Manifesto. In it, he writes that "You are getting what you voted for".
Let's take another look at Martin's campaign rhetoric and compare it to the dreadful reality the taxpayers now face.
1. It's time for a change. We'll give Martin credit for keeping this promise. He has indeed brought change to Villa Hills City government. Martin is Villa Hills' first mayor to file a complaint against the Voice of Villa Hills to the Better Business Bureau. Martin is one of only two mayors in the history of the City to file false police reports and threaten gun violence.
Villa Hills is no longer the NUMBER ONE CITY in Northern Kentucky. All you have to do is read the dinosaur media reportage of the goings-on in Martin's town over the past few months.Thanks to "the little man from Norwood", Villa Hills has gone from "most livable" to "most laughable" in very short order.
2. Truth and integrity. Whoa Nellie! That one has not quite worked out. Want proof? Well, City Council has just strongly reprimanded Martin for Open Records violations, retaliation against employees, improper disposition of City property and improper use of City personnel and resources. The Ethics Board has also issued a reprimand against Martin.
It has also been discovered that Martin has shown total disregard for State statutes when performing unlicensed electrical and plumbing work. Martin has disqualified himself as the man who can make other contractors follow State statutes and City ordinances. Why should others follow the rules when the City's mayor totally disregards them. Almost as bad, when council members asked Martin about the rumors that he was illegally performing work without licenses prior to the January 2011 meeting (Martin's first as mayor) - he lied to them.
Still to come? The reckoning for Martin's wanton January 5, 2012 destruction of City records and his subsequent feeble attempt to cover up what he had done. As a judge rightfully said on April 26, 2012 as she rightfully dressed down Martin, he has done terrible harm to the residents he was foolishly elected to serve.
3. Transparency. Wow! Seriously?!?! Martin's government has been about as open as the old Soviet Kremlin at the height of the Cold War. A reprimand for Open Records violations. The destruction of City records. Complaints of secret Finance Committee meetings. Secret Ethics Board meetings.
If Martin thinks his '90's vintage website somehow represents his commitment to transparency, he is woefully mistaken. His actions far outweigh the minimal impact of any website.
Transparency? Once again, not hardly.
4. Greater cooperation. Let's see. How did that go again? "I'm the CEO. It's my decision. We're moving on. Deal with it." Martin is consumed with the kind of Nixon-esque hubris that brings governments to great shame.
Martin still hasn't kept his promise to get next fiscal year's budget proposal to council. It's already been almost two years since Villa Hills enacted a budget. What is the hold up? What could possibly be causing the delay? Are Martin and any willing accomplices on Mike Pope's Finance Committee trying to paper over the terrible mess that Martin has made with YOUR money.
We know the hand-wringing peaceniks just want everyone to hold hands and make nice. They are missing the point. Martin is the one setting a wretched example. The turmoil is entirely Martin's fault.
5. Safety is my first concern. Lock your doors! Martin has fouled up the budget so badly that each police cruiser may be limited to one tank of gas a week. Who's kidding who here? Martin has decimated the police force and that has led to a sharp uptick in crime. Thank goodness safety was his first concern. It looks like every Villa Hills resident should be highly concerned about their personal safety as well.
6. Repair and replacement of streets. Look out for the pot holes! Unless you count Martin's brand new concrete parking lot at the City Building or all the money being flushed down the drain with useless slab-jacking, nothing is getting done. But they still collect the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX.
Martin disingenuously claimed in 2010 that he could find extra money for street repair in the current budget. There is a major problem with that idea. THERE IS NO CURRENT BUDGET!!
7. Repeal the dreaded UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. The Martin Chronicles is always fair. We have reviewed every bit of Martin 2010 dirtbag campaign literature and his libelous campaign website. The literature and website hold that Martin dishonestly said he would "study" the repeal of the tax.
We have also talked to several people who spoke to Martin during his mudslinging campaign. They claim Martin told them he was going to make sure the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX was repealed.
In any event, careful review of every council meeting reveals that Martin never suggested a study to repeal the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. So, we learn that he once again lied.
Instead, Martin attempted to foist a huge property tax increase on the voters as a means of paying for street repairs. Luckily, the voters rebuked Martin and that crazy idea at the polls last November.
Martin did validate his support for the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX by convincing three foolish council members (Kilburn, Noll and Pope) to vote with him to move the collection of the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX to bilious blowhard County Boss Steve Arlinghaus' Court House.
The result? A huge shortfall in street repair money. If you pay the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX you are in a shrinking group of people who have been made a fool. If you choose not to pay the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX, Martin is in the process of suing you.
Summing it all up. We waited a little more than nine months from the day entered the mayor's office to launch our blog. Yes, we were developing sources and gathering background material. But we wanted to give the little fella a chance.
It became clear-and it is much clearer now-that Martin is far more than stupid and incompetent. Martin is also thoroughly corrupt. The Martin Chronicles is now convinced that Martin ran for mayor only as a way to get his hands on information he incorrectly thought would be the key to getting his grubby hands on $1.505MILLION of YOUR MONEY.
Martin will most likely refuse to resign in the confidence that Councilmen Pope and Noll will serve as firewalls preventing his removal. We aren't sure why Pope and Noll are willing to turn a blind eye to Martin's illegal activity and corruption, but it certainly appears that they are.
Yes, Martin is a dishonest phony. His Unahandyman Manifesto betrayed a simple, dishonest mind that tries to create a world that has its heart set on "getting" the little fella.
But The Martin Chronicles is still deeply concerned that the vapid voters will give him a working majority in just 170 days in the misguided hope for peace. Councilman Mike Pope claims that the residents who have contacted him say they believe Special Counsel's investigation is a waste of time and money. Even good-hearted people are struggling in a search for a way to stop their City's great embarrassment.
If the voters are foolish enough to reward Martin for the dishonesty and corruption that a majority on council has rightfully challenged, it will be too late to check his reckless actions. Then look out.
