The Martin Chronicles gets it. Villa Hill Mayor Mike Martin is a Norwood street brawler. "The Little CEO" has oozed through life by perpetually throwing so much (EXPLETIVE) against the wall he always counted on at least just enough of it to stick.
In Martin's mind, the truth is meaningless. His goal has always been to "make it through today" by telling any lie he has to. He will deal with tomorrow with a whole new set of lies when it gets here.
But when you have been foolishly entrusted to run a City government, and you are under investigation for all manner of serious misconduct-well, that strategy probably won't work. Why? Because people will ask follow-up questions. They will check and double-check your claims. Martin can no longer get by hoping that people will simply make the risky assumption that he is telling the truth.
The most recent example? Martin has been caught doing unlicensed electrical, plumbing and commercial work in Northern Kentucky. As other media outlets have also reported, contractors have gone to jail for that offense. Martin knows he is in trouble. So, he has started throwing (EXPLETIVE) against the wall again.
You see, Martin is claiming that he has performed no unlicensed work. Martin is claiming that all he has done is sell electrical supplies. Look out for the "Little Man From Norwood"! He's not gonna to take it! He's gonna get ya!
Uh, wait a minute. One problem with Martin's story. It's a lie. How do we know? Well, we have obtained a copy of the paper trail Martin left behind. We bet Martin absolutely hates it when that happens.
Let's take a look.
We have obtained copies of three invoices from Mike Martin Electric, Inc., located at 101/2 Anna Street in Reading , Ohio. It is clearly spelled out that Mike Martin Electric, Inc. specializes in residential electric and general contracting.
They are invoice numbers 2008168, 2009101 and 2009115. The "bill to" is the Villa Hills Civic Club. It is The Martin Chronicles understanding that the Villa Hills Civic Club is not residential, but a commercial building. That opens up an entirely different set of legal issues regarding licensure.
These invoices would certainly lead a reasonable person to conclude that Martin is lying when he claims that he only sold electrical supplies to the Civic Club. How so? Invoice number 2008168 bills the Club $150 for 2.5 hours of labor at $60 per hour. Invoice number 2009101 bills $150 for labor but does not specify the amount of time worked. Invoice number 2009115 bills $330 for labor for 6 hours of work at $55 per hour.
So how is it again that Martin makes the case he is performing no unlicensed electrical work? Unless of course he fraudulently billed the Civic Club for services he did not provide.
Invoice number 2009115 really got our attention. The invoice lists charges for $300 in materials and, as previously written, $330 for labor. And yet the total balance due upon receipt is $660. The Martin Chronicles freely admits that no one on our staff received a Mathematics college degree. Hey, we're all journalists. But we still figured out that Martin overcharged the Civic Club by $30.
The Martin Chronicles has also obtained copies of several canceled checks paying Mike Martin Electric, Inc. for work performed at the Villa Hills Civic Club. Take a quick look at yesterday's post. Two people signed the Civic Club checks. You know one of the people who signed the checks, right? Yup, it was the historically paid $15 per hour temporary clerk who Martin claims took it upon herself to destroy City records in the middle of a serious lawsuit after both the City Attorney and Kentucky League of Cities issued strong advice to the contrary on January 5, 2012, Mary Hardman.
Just as interesting, the other signature on most of the checks belongs to the wife of the man who received the unbid contact for fire extinguishers for the City. Isn't this a twisted bag of snakes?
Any reasonable person would have to conclude that the mayor is sitting on a reeking pile of corrupt activity. It should scare the stuffing out of those same reasonable people when they read comments from otherwise intelligent people who lament that the majority on council never gave Martin "a chance". If the majority on council had simply turned a blind eye to Martin's abject lack of truth and integrity, just how much more corruption would there be?
The bilious blowhard County Boss Steve Arlinghaus can beat his chest about a "witch hunt". Janet Martin's sister can wear her "I'm here for the witch hunt" hat to meetings. Phil and Regina Harmon and others can continue to steal the polite "Mayor Martin Please Resign Now" signs. The gaggle of pinheads with their heads buried in the sand can whine about the "bickering". Newspaper headline writers can incorrectly claim "infighting". Otherwise good-hearted folks can lament the need for peace. But Martin is the person solely responsible for this sordid mess. None of that poppycock really matters.
Look for things to really heat up at the upcoming council meeting this Wednesday night. The next step should be a removal hearing.
