The Martin Chronicles knows a lot will happen between today and then. But Tuesday, August 14 is going to be a telling day for what will happen in Villa Hills over the next two years. Why is that important? Because by 4pm on that Tuesday we will know the field of candidates in this year's city council election.
City government is now in shambles. In our view, Martin has made a terrible mess these past two years. But our recent survey tells us that a fairly substantial minority believe it is because Mayor Mike Martin is strapped with a council who simply won't work with him. They believe Martin and his operatives when they whine that the council majority is still smarting from the results of the 2010 election. The reality? Martin is not the victim of the turmoil. Martin is the source of the turmoil. But good luck explaining that. Hey, Martin goes to Haiti. Martin did discount-albeit illegal-electrical work for somebody's niece. What a great guy. He is not your ordinary con artist.
So what will happen? We know that Martin co-defendant in a LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION lawsuit, Dale Schaber, has been making noise about putting together a fifteen-member slate of council candidates to wreak havoc on November 6. While he should be held in contempt for such an idea, you have to remember that his primary "audience" is the Civic Club pinheads who must certainly like the idea more with each beer they drink. Martin is "their guy" after all.
There will also be the St. Joke's crowd who will want to send people to council to "make nice". The turmoil and embarrassment negatively effects their property value and social standing after all. It may even hurt the attendance at their church festival. That is unacceptable. They will say meaningless things like possessing a desire to "move the City forward". That calculation fails to factor in the reality that the man squatting in the mayor's office has shown himself time and again to be both incompetent and corrupt. The St. Joker "white-glovers" who get elected will be in for a rude awakening.
Why do the Civic Clubbers and St. Jokers even matter? Because they will be the centers of influence who sway the huge majority of uninformed voters as they take about thirty seconds-and that is being generous-to decide which six council candidates will get their vote on November 6. While that may be sad, it is also the truth.
The field will be set on August 14. The council will be chosen on November 6, a mere 121 days from now. Then we will enjoy watching the next two years unfold.
