The Martin Chronicles has been watching the turmoil in malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's Villa Hills for some time. We'll set aside a few of the obvious problems-and that is isn't easy-for the purposes of this post. We'll leave all of the corruption and cronyism that is rampant in Martin's misadministration for future posts.
Our question today? What on God's green earth is Martin's plan? What is he trying to accomplish? It seems that he is just causing one crisis after another with no sense of purpose. A reasonable person could certainly conclude that he is intentionally trying to foul things up so much that they are beyond repair. Or, they could conclude that Martin is a massively incompetent boob. Worse yet, it could be both.
So, what is Martin trying to do?
- Despite admissions from other Cities-including a published statement from Ft. Mitchell's mayor-that Martin has approached them on pricing for police coverage, he continues to deny what he's been doing. Martin and others act as if all of the public sentiment supporting a fully-staffed, local department is wrong-headed and based on some misunderstanding of an "unfortunate word" he inadvertently uttered. Then he turns around and tells a Kentucky Enquirer writer that he "still wants to outsource police coverage". The fact that many people don't trust Martin's mishandling of this important issue should be no surprise.
- Martin continues to portray himself as some kind of budget hawk. This despite the fact that a year-end budget amendment has been necessary every year he has been in the mayor's office. His response? It's somebody else's fault. Blame the previous council. Blame the local police department. But, no, Martin refuses to take any blame. Despite the fact that he is the self-proclaimed "CEO". His incessant fussing about paper towels, coffee, car washes and postage meters represents the gnats, while the taxpayers must continue to swallow six-figure overtime charges, tens of thousands of dollars poured in to an unused park that abuts the property of at least two current council members, indefensible legal fees and nonsensical budget amendments.
- Martin wants taxpayers to believe that spending ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND TAXPAYER DOLLARS now to "allegedly" reduce FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS in annual payments is somehow "SAVING MONEY". Talk about your infamous "fuzzy math". Yes, there are some blind loyalists who believe Martin. And, maybe the entire City Council supports spending the ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND TAXPAYER DOLLARS now as well. Just remember, if everyone believes a square is a circle, its still a circle. This is inexplicable.
- Martin wants taxpayers to believe that he is some kind of hillbilly messiah acting as an agent of change. If by change Martin means a CONFIDENTIAL REPRIMAND from the Villa Hills' Ethics Board, the operation of an ILLEGAL electrical and plumbing contractor business, a dressing down from a judge from her bench for ILLEGALLY DESTROYING CITY RECORDS and a CONVICTION on SEVEN OF NINE COUNTS OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT and NEGLECT OF DUTY, then he is indeed an agent of change. But is it change for the better? Hell no.
Look, there is no coherent plan that will ultimately benefit the taxpayers. Martin is simply using taxpayer money to settle old scores that arose from his 2007 FORGERY ARREST.
Two separate courts tossed out Martin's $1.505 MILLION CASH GRAB LAWSUIT against the taxpayers. So, he is using taxpayer money in other ways to finish his vendetta instead.
It's as plain as the cheesy moustache beneath Martin's nose.
The Martin Chronicles has been reporting on Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's mayhem now for nearly two years. Martin has divided the town on matters large and small in an embarrassingly ugly way. Lately, Martin seems to be doing what most desperadoes did in the old Western movies, "laying low" until the heat blows over. Many speculate that the tiny tyrant is hoping that most residents will forget all of the problems he has created. Then, he only needs to fool one more voter than his opponent-or opponents-next year to be granted four more years to continue to tear the once-proud City apart.
One insider recently equated Martin's current approach to mismanaging Villa Hills to another-non-Western-movie. The movie? The 1980 sleeper hit Airplane!. This insider laughed and said that Martin's current behavior reminds him of the exchange from that hilarious film.
As the crippled airliner makes its approach to the runway, tough guy Rex Kramer (played by Robert Stack) looks at Tower Supervisor Steve McCroskey (portrayed by Lloyd Bridges) and ominously says, "Its quiet. Too quiet.". Our insider's point? Don't assume Martin isn't continuing his nonsense just because things seem to be relatively quiet at the moment.
Circling back to the Western film genre-hey, we can do that. Its our blog!-Martin appears to be imperfectly fine with using his taxpayer-funded "hired guns" to do his dirty work at the moment. We've heard rumblings that there has been an ongoing effort to intimidate City Councilmembers who dared to speak out against the diminutive dictator. We also have confirmed reports that Martin's disgusting habit of using other agencies and organizations to "jam-up" his perceived enemies continues unabated. Nothing has changed. Except maybe what political consultants call "the optics".
Besides, Martin is still doing some incredibly outrageous things in public. The most recent example? Martin is asking council to dip in to the City's dwindling cash reserves for an additional ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! Not to bolster the under-manned police department that is doing everything it can to battle skyrocketing crime. Not for a significant road project.
No, Martin is asking council to dip in to the City's dwindling cash reserves to take out ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS to underwrite the squad of lawyers he has hired-at incredible taxpayer expense-to carry out his long-standing vendetta against his perceived enemies. When will we hear from the Tea-Partiers who used to rail against Villa Hills City Government back when it was named the best City in Northern Kentucky? We aren't holding our collective breaths.
Now, flipping back to the movie Airplane!-again, because we can-we have something to say to the residents of Villa Hills who will be entering the voting booth on November 4, 2014 with the chance to finally depose the malevolent and mismanaging Martin. It's the line Leslie Nielsen's Dr. Rumack repeated to Ted Striker (Robert Hays) over and over again.
"Good luck. We're all counting on you."
The Martin Chronicles can't be the only one who saw Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin announce that bilious blowhard County Judge Executive Steve Arlinghaus will now be charging the taxpayers for the police protection from the Kenton County Police. We have been telling you that this was coming. It had to. Arlinghaus had no right to charge all of the county taxpayers for police protection he was giving-at Kenton County taxpayer expense-to his buddy Mike Martin.
But its more interesting than that. You see, Martin never mentioned the fact that the council is now obligated to approve an inter-local agreement between the City he's destroying and Arlinghaus fiefdom.
So how will that happen? Our guess? Martin will declare the need for an emergency meeting to ram through an inter-local agreement. We also guess that the council will be provided absolutely no time to review that agreement. It will be remarkably similar to when council voted to approve Martin's plan to contract with the Northern Kentucky Area Planning and Zoning Commission-without ever seeing the contract.
Will Councilman Jim Cahill once again urge his colleagues to approve a contract they haven't seen because "we need the County's help?"
The Martin Chronicles freely admits that we have been very tough on new Councilmember Holly Menninger-Isenhour. Her incessant-and unfounded-attacks on the Villa Hills Police Department and her willingness to serve as a craven shill for vile ancient crocodile Councilman Mary Koenig, malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin and a host of others have made our criticism more than justified.
But HBM-I was actually right on the money when she came after the mendacious Martin at Wednesday's monthly council meeting. The reason? She criticized the miscreant Martin for the underhanded way the tiny tyrant is trying to ram through another tax increase-under the cover of darkness. Menninger-Isenhour actually said that Martin has been holding "secret meetings" to carry out his dark deception.
You see, Martin wants to enter his looming re-election bid by spinning yet another tall tale that he kept his solemn promise to get rid of the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. What the tiny tyrant will never say is that he replaced it with ANOTHER ONEROUS TAX. This time- following the footsteps of his mentor the bilious blowhard County Judge Executive Steve Arlinghaus-Martin hopes to replace at least some of the revenue generated by the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX with a hide-stripping tax on residents' Duke Energy bills.
To her credit, Menninger-Isenhour hammered Martin for his complete lack of transparency on his new tax plan. She correctly explained that this new tax would harm people who had older-less energy-efficient-homes. Senior citizens who currently receive a "homestead exemption" for the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX-you know, the one that Martin lied to 2010 voters about repealing-will see a significant increase in the taxes they pay to the diminutive dictator.
She was also right that this NEW, UNFAIR PROPOSED ENERGY TAX would generate less revenue than the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. The malevolent Martin's feeble response? He would get the additional revenue to fund his non-existent road program "out of the budget".
But of course that is just more Martin mendacity. After all, if he is able to squeeze money out of the current City Budget, why did he just ask council to give him an additional ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS out of the City's dwindling cash reserves to fund the taxpayer-funded lawyers he is employing to carry out his personal vendetta against the people who he blames for his 2007 FORGERY ARREST. Its utter-and typical-Martin nonsense.
Let's operate under the foolhardy assumption that-for once-Martin may actually be telling the truth. What does the diminutive dimbulb propose to cut out of the just-enacted City Budget to free up more money for his non-existent street program? Is he going to suggest further cuts to an already hampered police department? Is he going to suggest cutting the fire department budget? Is he going to cut loose his City Administrator disguised as a City Clerk? Again, remember that Martin has just asked council to free-up another ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS out of the taxpayer's dwindling cash reserve to pay for the incredible legal bills he is running up.
Martin is just slinging unadulterated hogwash. Just as he has been doing ever since he LIED his way in to the mayor's office on January 1, 2011. It is a massive understatement to describe what Martin has done since he took office as a DISGRACE. And its not enough to chalk it up to the fact that Martin is incredibly stupid. Even though he is incredibly stupid.
His seven convictions on OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT and NEGLECT OF DUTY, his REPRIMAND FROM THE VILLA HILLS ETHICS BOARD, his dressing down by a judge FROM THE BENCH FOR ILLEGALLY DESTROYING CITY RECORDS, his PROVEN UNLICENSED ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING CONTRACTOR BUSINESS and his perpetual telling of LIE after LIE after LIE after LIE after LIE after LIE has provided residents with ample PROOF that Martin is also a LAWBREAKER. There is really no room for debate of this FACT.
The Martin Chronicles is big enough to give credit where credit is due. Even to people we think have been mostly a disaster on the current City Council. Menninger-Isenhour is absolutely right this time. We don't think she has been right much before. But, again, she is clearly right this time. The dishonest Martin is-once again-behaving like the little cockroach that he is. The malfeasant mayor is scurrying around under cover of darkness, once again secretly attempting to take money out of the taxpayers' pockets.
People need to speak out before its too late.
The Martin Chronicles staff always gets a good chuckle when it watches Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's closing remarks at the end of the "public hearing" that was held a few months ago to take resident comment on the diminutive dictator's radical plan to disband the local police department. Martin actually claimed he "runs a tight ship". His evidence? Well, he got rid of the City's postage meter and claimed that action saved ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Something happened at last night's meeting that shouldn't make anyone laugh. Except the lawyers who may be laughing all the way to the bank. So what happened? There was a first reading for an ordinance to take ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS out of the City's cash reserves.
Why does Martin need ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS? Will it be spent to bolster the short-staffed police? Will it be spent doing additional street repair? No. The majority of taxpayers would probably be fine with such a move for those reasons.
But the mismanaging Martin needs ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS to cover the legal fees that he is racking up with his squad of lawyers and legal actions. Two things to keep in mind. First, there was already SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS for legal fees in the budget that council passed in June. Second, its still only the First Quarter of the current Fiscal Year. The taxpayers should consider it a very ominous sign that Martin already needs an EXTRA ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS to cover his legal fees.
Is it any comfort that the City Attorney told a questioning councilmember that they could actually look at the invoices they were being asked to dip in to the cash reserves to pay?
The Martin Chronicles had reporters at Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's monthly City Council meeting last night. We also had a team-including our beloved publisher-watching the proceedings. Suffice it to say that it was-as expected-another weird night in Martinville. We were regaled with revelations about secret meetings and out-of-body experiences.
Here are our "quick takes", soon to be followed by more in-depth reporting:
- Why is the mendacious Martin so nervous? Yes, we agree that he should be very nervous. But we generally assume he is far too stupid to realize the troubled state he has created and occupies. We also generally assume that Martin has developed several LIES to obfuscate his way out of any immediate problems.
- Why should residents want Martin's personal-and now taxpayer-funded City-Attorney to continue to offer his vapid opinions on any policy matter? Toad simply needs to sit there, keep his trap shut, and provide any legal assistance that is asked of him. Fortunately, Toad will continue to overstep his bounds.
- Why do meeting attendees seem so reluctant to say what they really think? Could it have anything to do with THE FACT that Martin signed an Executive Order providing him the authority to have them expelled from the meeting-or worse yet-arrested?
- Why would anyone be satisfied that the Finance Committee did not receive what should be very easily generated reporting in order for them to do their job? In all the seriousness that we can muster, that is an outrage and an affront to the residents.
- Why do the taxpayers continue to fund Martin's squad of lawyers to sue residents, the Civil Service Board and-worst of all-the residents?
- Why did any voter think it was a good idea to return the vile, ancient crocodile Councilman Mary Koenig to the City Council? She is an anachronism who still thinks the solution to every problem is either more taxes or a kick to somebody's crotch.
- Why did we ever doubt that HBM-I is a train wreck? After all, her inane comments are becoming the sordid stuff of local legend. We are already looking in to HBM-I's council-meeting revelation that Martin is conducting "secret meetings".
We'll have more in-depth analysis soon.
The Martin Chronicles has been receiving a tidal wave of reaction to its last post. And we will be forever happy for that.
For the handful of pinheads and nitwits who were upset that we passed along the quote from the person previously considered "the worst mayor in Villa Hills", we say, "Get over it. It's our blog. We're moving on." Oh, by the way, we agree with that guy-which is a rare occasion to be sure.
Villa Hills' malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin and his hillbilly lynchmob do indeed SUCK!
The Martin Chronicles loves a good laugh. We know most of our readers do too. So, we are going to show you a photo of some of the hilarious hillbilly lynchmob that took to the streets to spread Martin's lies and help to put a crook in the mayor's office in 2010. Hey! Isn't that Nurse Janet and the rest of his family?
How bad is it? Even the guy who was previously considered the worst mayor in the history of Villa Hills has been quoted saying, "Martin sucks!!!!" Yep. That's bad.
You still have to wait 405 days to fix Martin's mess!
The Martin Chronicles will be covering tonight's Villa Hills City Council meeting tonight. Since the monthly secret (non-televised) meeting was canceled a couple of weeks ago, there should be a lot of catching up to do. As always, we'll provide in depth coverage.
We've heard that many Villa Hills residents have started a new drinking game played while watching the council meeting. Players chug a beer every time malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin tells a lie. We expect to hear numerous reports of serious hangovers tomorrow. We'll skip the drinking. But we're sure our Martin "BS" Meter will get another serious workout tonight.
We have also heard that many residents are thrilled that they just received their annual Villa Hills property tax bill. Especially since so much of their money is going to pay for lawyers and legal actions.
Why not tune in and enjoy the show?
The Martin Chronicles has learned that this month's Villa Hills' Finance Committee meeting was cancelled. Sources tell us that the meeting was cancelled because financial reports were not ready for review. This despite the fact that-since the monthly council meeting was moved to the last Wednesday of each month some time ago-those responsible for preparing the financial reports have an additional week to do their job.
Will Martin give another Finance Committee chairperson the boot because of what he'll rudely describe as "shortcomings"? One thing we know for sure. Martin will let everyone know that none of this is his fault. He's only "the CEO", after all. We'll be watching closely for the tiny tyrant's next move.
We have also heard some odd rumors about why the reports have not been completed. We are continuing to work to confirm these rumors. When we do we'll pass that information along to you.
Sources also tell us that Villa Hills' malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin is fussing about how his words are being twisted and false stories about his intentions are circulating around town. Given the now well-known fact that Martin has been a master of circulating false stories and defaming those he perceives as enemies, his latest lament is laughable.
Damned ironic, isn't it?
The Martin Chronicles believes that the residents of malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's "divided" Villa Hills should be glad that the Kenton County Police is offering their assistance to help cover their town. The Kenton County Police officers are dedicated professionals. We have nothing but respect for them and the work they perform. This issue isn't about those police professionals. Its about unprofessional politicians like Martin who have created so much unnecessary turmoil that Villa Hills requires any assistance at all.
Even though he will try to blame everyone else in his looming election, Martin has actually taken full responsibility for the police department mess. So, by extension, Martin has actually taken full responsibility for the huge spike in crime in the City he mismanages. How so? Remember his now infamous words every single time he was asked to fully staff the police department? "This is my decision. I'm the CEO. We're moving on. Get over it."
Martin and others on council have tried to make the case that they now have more coverage than before. You've heard what they've said. "We actually have more police on the street for less money." But police work is not like working on an assembly line at a cookie or ice cream factory.
After all, many residents have commented that the Kenton County Police seem to focus their efforts on "traffic details". Sure, that has its place. Especially because there are two schools in Villa Hills.
But what about the investigations of the burglaries and break-ins. We doubt if the part-time officers are too heavily involved in those investigations. And we know that those investigations are not the responsibility of the Kenton County Police.
So, the question remains. Is the local police department sufficiently staffed to do real police work to stem the rising crime wave?
Our sources say, "No".
The Martin Chronicles reporting staff has heard the many concerns expressed about the skyrocketing crime rate in Villa Hills from that town's resident. There has been a spike in burglaries, break-in and vandalism that began at about the time malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin took office in January, 2011.
Our post is not an indictment of the local police department. These police officers are doing the best they can under dreadful circumstances imposed by the malevolent Martin. No, our post is an indictment on the way the tiny tyrant Martin has mismanaged the local police department. Why has that happened. Well, Martin couldn't manage his way out of a wet paper bag. But it's more than that. Martin is still hell-bent on getting revenge against a local police department that he incorrectly blames for FORGERY CHARGES that were brought against him in late 2007.
Why do we write "incorrectly blames"? Because the only person responsible for the FORGERY CHARGES brought against Martin in late 2007 is Martin himself. Martin FORGED a deceased person's name on that deceased person's checks and cashed them, after all. Sure, Martin blames a bank teller and what he describes as his "dysfunctional family" for his FORGERY. But he alone is responsible for what he did.
So, when a slim majority of voters bought Martin's bullshit claim that he was "the change" that Villa Hills needed, the die was cast. Martin's vendetta against the local police department hit high gear from almost the minute he took charge.
Villa Hills is a City of nearly eight thousand people. The town is spread out over 3.5 square miles. There are several entrances and exits. Wrongdoers can come and go from Buttermilk to the Interstate. They can enter and exit from Amsterdam in to Boone County. Bad guys can find their way in and out on Highwater Road from and to Ludlow. There are two more entrances and exits in to Crescent Springs. Plus, crooks can come in and out of Villa Hills through the high-end area of Country Squire Estates. Villa Hills is far from a "gated community".
What should any reasonable person expect when a revenge-driven mayor like Martin intentionally keeps his local police department under-staffed? Remember Martin's bluster when he was asked to bring the department up to full staffing levels? "I'm the CEO. It's my decision. Deal with it. We're moving on. Get over it." Martin is a radical loon who has left his City wide open to the massive crime surge it is currently facing.
Yes, we have posted this before. Voters get the kind of government they deserve. But we don't really believe that any of the voters-even those that foolishly voted for the diminutive dictator Martin-supported the huge escalation in crime that Martin's actions have triggered.
This surging crime wave is the best example of what the pinheads mean when they say Martin has done "great things for people'. Yeah, right.
The answer isn't what the lunatics suggest. More guns in Villa Hills doesn't solve a damn thing. All you need to know is that Martin has appointed police-haters and gun-nuts to the City's Safety Committee that oversees the local PD. Just like Martin, these people are insane.
Do you want to know how to get crime under control in Villa Hills? That's easy. Throw Martin and cronies like Koenig, Menninger-Isenhour and Wischer out on their asses on November 4, 2014.
You get to help make that choice in 410 days.
The Martin Chronicles read a post on Facebook recently that made a great deal of sense. The poster wrote that the saying, "It's not what you believe, it's what you do that matters" perfectly described Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin. We mostly agree.
We've all been regaled with the stories told by various and sundry pinheads of the diminutive dictator's charity work in Haiti. Others nitwits have told us that Martin does "wonderful things for people", like leaving church early to unclog a toilet. These actions are more or less admirable, we guess.
- What about the people who have to work for Martin? Some employees have been senselessly-and viciously-defamed, libeled and slandered. Martin has used taxpayer money to sue employees. Police officers have to come to work everyday wondering when the tiny tyrant will complete his stated goal of disbanding their department.
- What about the people who Martin lied to about his plan to repeal the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX as he went door-to-door during his dirtbag 2010 campaign? Now he says these people were simply too stupid to understand what he really meant. Martin is also using taxpayer money to sue many of them.
- What about the previous city council? All they wanted was for Martin to answer legitimate questions. These council people had a sworn duty to provide oversight, after all. Instead, Martin attacked them and spread terrible lies about them to convince a majority of the voters to surround him with an entirely new council in 2012. What has happened since is solid proof that the root cause of the myriad of problems in Villa Hills' City government is Martin himself.
- What about the current council? There is strong evidence that Martin is using taxpayer money to use his personal-and now City Attorney-Toad V. McMurtry to intimidate them in to silence about what is really happening.
- What about the residents who disagree with Martin? The malicious mayor has signed Executive Orders allowing for the expulsion and potential arrest of anyone Martin may designate as a dangerous dissident at a City Council meeting.
We hope that the voters remember these Martin actions when they walk in to the voting booth on November 4, 2014. If they do, his mayoral mayhem will finally come to an end.
We'll know in 411 days.
The Martin Chronicles has been compiling information on Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin for some time now. That effort was underway well before Martin' dirtbag 2010 campaign landed him in the mayor's office. So, when we launched our pesky blog on October 8, 2011 we already had a treasure trove of background to assist us.
One of the recurring themes in Martin's mendacious world is that nothing is ever his fault. The diminutive dictator wants people to believe that he is always a victim of circumstances beyond his control. Unless, of course, something good happens.
What's so odd about Martin's reflexive habit of blaming others when things go wrong but pulling credit to himself when there is any success is that he still appears to believe that he is on the outside looking in to the mess that he himself has created. Sure, it can work when you are actually an outsider running for election-like during his 2010 mudfest campaign. But he has been mismanaging Villa Hills' City government now for almost three years. He is the responsible party. Or, as he has been so fond of reminding us, he is the CEO.
Let's take a little walk down memory lane:
- The Commonwealth Attorney's office issued an arrest warrant for Martin on charges of FORGERY in late 2007. Martin claimed that a bank teller told him it was perfectly fine to sign a deceased person's name on that deceased person's checks and cash them. So, the FORGERY was actually some bank teller's fault. After it was all said and done, four judges summarily dismissed Martin's claim by opining that what he did fit the very definition of FORGERY.
- Martin added some dishonest intrigue to his FORGERY ARREST as he was attempting to secure a $1.505 MILLION judgment from the taxpayers of Villa Hills just a few years ago. We have reviewed depositions taken during his lawsuit. Martin falsely claimed that his FORGERY ARREST was nothing more than a result of a vicious payback against him for his good government investigations in to what he falsely claimed was suspicious activity by the City's Building Inspector and his predecessor. Again, those same four judges opined that his claims were specious.
- Martin blamed everybody else for not telling him about the temporary arrangement for the Villa Hills Police Department to handle building inspections that had been made prior to him taking office. He continues to maintain that this temporary arrangement is the reason that so much money has been wasted on unnecessary police overtime. But what did Martin ever do to resolve the issue? Absolutely nothing. Say it again. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Martin blamed the fact that the residents of his troubled town hadn't purchased enough firearms to deal with the continuing surge in all types of crime. Of course, his persistent and vicious vendetta against the Villa Hills Police Department had nothing to do with the problem. Sure enough. Gun up, everybody!
- Martin blamed the crony-hire temporary clerk who had supposedly been hired to assist with property tax season for the now-proven ILLEGAL destruction of City records back in January 2012. Of course, Martin never offered an explanation for why this crony-hire temporary clerk was still being paid after tax season ended or why she was doing something other than collect property tax. The crony-hire temporary clerk later fell on her sword for Martin and said she "read a book" about how to be a City Clerk. C'mon, man.
- Martin's personal-and now taxpayer funded City-attorney Toad McMurtry layered on to the excuses for the Little Liar's ILLEGAL destruction of City records. How? During Martin's October, 2012 removal hearing, Toad maintained that the ILLEGAL destruction of City records was the fault of a Police Chief who didn't tell Martin he wasn't allowed to break the law and an Assistant Police Chief who "planted evidence". Of course, Toad offered no proof and nothing has been said since former Councilmen Mike Pope and Jim Noll went in the tank to vote against removing Martin from office.
- Martin blamed the continuing turmoil in Villa Hills City government on the past council. He said they wouldn't work with him. They said they didn't like the changes he was making. Enough voters believed his false lament to surround the tiny tyrant with an entirely new council in November, 2012. Not surprisingly, things are still getting worse.
Look, for a guy who obsesses on paper towels, car washes, coffee and postage meters, it's damned strange that Martin misses so many BIG THINGS. What's the verse from the Holy Bible? "Straining gnats and swallowing camels". All of Martin's bizarre excuse-making doesn't pass the smell test.
The voters will have the opportunity to hold Martin accountable for his LIES and MISDEEDS
in just 412 days. A lot will happen between now and November 4, 2014.
What will the voters do?
The Martin Chronicles has eyes and ears everywhere. We also keep an eye on the various social networks were so many opinions about the goings-on in malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin are posted. We think it may be valuable for our readers to know about one of the myths Martin and his surrogates are peddling.
First, a reminder as background. As we have previously reported, Martin is using taxpayer money to fund a squad of attorneys to wrest away the authority of the City's duly-appointed Civil Service Board to decide on the merits of the diminutive dictator's charges against Assistant Police Chief Joe Schutzman. You know. The police officer Martin blames most for his 2007 FORGERY ARREST.
Martin claims that City Council should decide the merits of those charges. He even offered up a bizarre comment to the media, suggesting the Schutzman would not get "a fair hearing" from the five members of the Civil Service Board. Remember, three council members have already publicly declared their support for "outsourcing" at least the management of the Villa Hills PD. Does any reasonable person really believe that Schutzman would be treated fairly in the council forum?
So what is the myth being spread about the Civil Service Board. Well, Martin and his cronies are peddling the lie that the five board members would be biased against the tiny tyrant because they were appointed by previous administration. But of course-as is almost always the case in Martin's world-that claim is a bold-faced lie.
You see, Martin has appointed three of the five members currently serving on the Civil Service Board. We aren't saying we think Martin's three appointees will be in the tank for the little liar. We suspect they would weigh the facts presented and make a fair decision. The two members who were appointed by the previous administration would do the same. But the numbers serve as clear evidence that Martin and his surrogates are lying yet again.
The fact that Martin wants to plead his case against Schutzman before what he believes will be a far more compliant City Council is further proof that he does have a vendetta against the Villa Hills Police Department.
The Martin Chronicles had reporters working a Northern Kentucky church festival this past weekend. While we sometimes wonder if enough people in malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's Villa Hills have finally figured out what a mess their diminutive dictator has created in their troubled town, we gained further confirmation that many others have correctly taken the measure of the pint-sized punk.
Here are some of the comments that our reporters brought to this morning's meeting:
"Why didn't the city council remove Martin from office when they had the chance? It was obvious that he broke several laws. Now he's tearing that City apart. That guy is a CROOK!"
"Why aren't more people in Villa Hills upset about Martin using TAXPAYER money to appoint his own personal attorney to the City Attorney job? Who in their right mind thinks that's a good idea?"
"I can't believe people in Villa Hills aren't throwing a fit about Martin signing a purchase order to generate a check for himself for more than $23,000!"
"All you have to do is look at that guy (Martin). He even looks like a rat."
"What dumbasses support disbanding the Villa Hills Police? If a real leader wanted to save money, why would he look at CUTTING SAFETY FIRST?"
"You know a mayor is in big trouble when he has to gavel down his own wife at a council meeting."
"What is it about Villa Hills? It seems like there is always some bizarre thing happening there."
"Doesn't Villa Hills have around eight thousand residents? Couldn't they find someone better that A FORGER to run City government? How stupid are they?"
"I wonder how many of those people who voted to give Martin a whole new council now realize that the problem is Martin? They can't be that stupid, can they?"
"Martin is just such a babbling idiot that a lot of people in Villa Hills feel sorry for him. Even though all he does is rip them off. That guy is A JOKE!"
"Why did (Kenton County Judge Executive Steve) Arlinghaus jump in to defend Martin? Is there something fishy there that we should know about?"
The best exchange?:
"Why did Martin do (A), (B), (C) and (D)?
"I know why."
"So, tell me why."
"Because Martin is a DUMBASS!"
The voters of Villa Hills have 414 days to come to the same-correct-conclusion.
The Martin Chronicles is watching the days, weeks and months begin to fly by. The crisp fall weather put the entire staff in an "election-year" mode at our early morning staff meeting. We began to kick around our predictions for the year ahead once again.
By this time next year, the mayoral and council elections will be moving full speed ahead in malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's Villa Hills. Assuming that the mendacious Martin decides to run for a second term-and we are convinced that he will-it will be fun to observe and report. By this time next year, there will only be 52 days before voters head to the polls to decide the fate of Martin and his cronies. But as we learned during Martin's dirtbag 2010 campaign, the diminutive dictator can tell an almost immeasurable number of lies in 52 days.
So how will Martin campaign?
- Martin will continue to rewrite history by telling tall tales of the mess he cleaned up when he entered the mayor's office. No mention will be made that he inherited a City that had just been voted "the best in Northern Kentucky" that he almost immediately began to drive off the cliff with his mismanagement and corruption.
- Of course Martin will also tell whoppers about "all of the money he has saved". You can bet that Martin will make unsubstantiated claims about money he had "found". Hopefully, voters will take the time to confirm the fact that their taxes are higher than when Martin took office in January, 2011. That is the true measure of "savings".
- Martin will once again say that "safety is my first priority". No mention will be made of his disgusting treatment of the local police department or the fact that he bears at least some of the blame for the City's rising crime rate because of that disgusting treatment.
- Martin will have surrogates-including Martin-picked council candidates-spreading all sorts of lies about his opponent (or opponents). You will be regaled with a veritable avalanche of allegations, accusations, innuendoes and flat-out lies.
- Martin will have other surrogates push stories of his "philanthropy". You will hear about how Martin "does great things for people" and hear tales of his trips to Haiti. No mention will be made of his mistreatment of the police and other employees, his executive orders designed to threaten opponents or his abuse of power using attorneys, city administrators, the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, and unwilling VHPD, the NKAPZC and even the Better Business Bureau to cause problems for his perceived opponents.
- Many believe that Martin will also convince at least one person to enter the mayor's race to serve as a "sacrificial lamb" for the sole purpose of siphoning votes away from the "Anybody But Martin" segment of the residents.
What should the voters remember?
- The voters should remember that they gave Martin an entirely new council in 2012 in a failed attempt to bring "peace". What happened? We see more of the same. It may even be worse in many ways. Even media dinosaurs like The Kentucky Enquirer admit as much.
- The voters should remember that Martin has used their money to help cover his tracks by muddying the waters when it comes to the true financial state of the City.
- The voters should remember that Martin has used their money to hire his personal attorney to serve as the taxpayer-funded City Attorney.
- The voters should remember that Martin has used their money to hire a City Administrator disguised as a City Clerk.
- The voters should remember Martin's unbridled corruption. Martin continues to operate an UNLICENSED electrical and plumbing contracting business. Martin has been reprimanded by the Villa Hills Ethics Board. A judge warned Martin to cease his illegal destruction of City records. Martin was CONVICTED ON SEVEN OF NINE COUNTS OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND NEGLECT OF DUTY.
- The voters should remember that Martin has lied to them time and time and time and time again. Do you want a glaring example? Martin claimed for more than two years that he had no intention to disband the local police department. We all learned later that Martin had been pursuing outsourcing even before his 2010 election.
So what will happen?
That is hard to know. Martin would be a dead duck in a "normal" world. But his election in 2010 proves that anything can happen.
That is precisely why we are looking forward to covering the upcoming election.
The Martin Chronicles beloved publisher had a breakfast meeting with some prominent Villa Hills residents this morning. As should be expected, the topic of malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's ham-handed treatment of the local police department was heavily discussed.
Martin has taken severe-and totally justified-criticism after his lies about his radical plan to disband the local police department were revealed earlier this year. To a person, these prominent residents are convinced that Martin is still moving full speed ahead with that radical plan. A recent article on cincinnati.com revealed that "outsourcing" is still Martin's goal, after all.
The people at this gathering think some residents are apathetic because they believe Villa Hills is generally a quiet, safe town. This despite the surge in crime that has occurred under Martin's regime.
As one breakfast attendee put it, "Villa Hills has mostly been a safe place to live precisely because of the hard work done by its' local police department. To believe otherwise is foolish."
Well, it is Martin.
The Martin Chronicles fully understands the significance of September 11, 2001. The events of that day provide yet another example of Americans at their best. Responding to the chaos created by terrorists who hoped to bring our country to its knees, many fine people gave the last full measure of devotion while selflessly coming to the aid of others. The sacrifice made by these first responders and others should never be forgotten.
We hope many people decide to go to the ceremony at Crescent Springs Community Park tonight to remember that sacrifice and honor the memories of all of the victims of that terrorist attack. It is a worthwhile thing to do.
But we have to admit that Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's involvement in this event does not come without irony. Whether Councilmember Mary Koenig is correct when she says that all of the current turmoil in Villa Hills has resulted from Martin's utterance of "an unfortunate word", or as is far more likely, it has come from Martin's vendetta against the police department he blames for his 2007 FORGERY ARREST, what is happening to that local department is a disgrace.
Villa Hills police officers deserve far better than what they have been getting since January 2011. We can only imagine what it must be like for those dedicated professionals who come to work with the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over their heads. They should not be pawns in the vagaries of local hillbilly politics. But they are.
Fortunately, we live in a country where these problems are solved with ballots, not bullets. All we have to do is to look at the history of the past twelve years of bloody violence in the Middle East to know how fortunate we are. The people of Villa Hills have the opportunity to come to the aid of their hometown heroes on November 4, 2014. That is now 419 days away.
Never forget.
The Martin Chronicles is sending a last-minute notice to all of our loyal readers. Why not drive up to Rogers Road tonight and attend what is laughingly referred to as the "Safety Committee" meeting. It is a guaranteed laugh riot.
This may be one of the few remaining opportunities to see a true Villa Hills Police Department discussed before malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin finally finishes his vendetta against them caused by his 2007 FORGERY ARREST. Yes, we know. There are actually a few pinheads who still actually "trust this mayor".But they are nothing more than "useful idiots".
So why not join tonight's fun?
The Martin Chronicles has been watching Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin scurrying around trying to cover his tracks ever since he tripped over his own tongue and betrayed the long-standing lie he was telling about not having a radical plan to disband the local police department. Because of course Martin does have a radical plan to disband the local police department. A noticeable majority of residents have reacted very negatively.
While we know this was never possible-because he is an incompetent and corrupt fool-what if Martin had pursued his radical plan in a logical, common-sense way? Suppose he had announced very early on that he was going to study every aspect of the City government-not just the police department-in search of ways to lower costs and shift funding to what he believed were more pressing needs?
What if he had created a committee to explore the possibility of contracting for snow removal and park maintenance? What if he had created a committee to explore the possibility of reducing administrative costs instead of almost immediately hiring a crony to do the City's bookkeeping for an offensive $47.50 per hour? Perhaps it would not been so obvious that his nearly three-year long assault on the Villa Hills police department has been nothing more than payback for his 2007 FORGERY ARREST.
We read the social networks. We find the exchanges revealing. It appears that the Martin apologists now say they support Martin's radical police plan to outsource because of the pay received by Police Chief Dan Goodenough and Assistant Chief Joe Schutzman. What these apologists don't say-but what our investigation has revealed-is that Martin had the opportunity to do something about it when he first took office but did absolutely nothing.
You see, Goodenough's and Schutzman's pay was temporarily increased in late 2010 to compensate for the extra duties that had been assigned to them. These extra duties were supposed to cease when Martin took office in January 2011. How do we know this? Because Martin himself said so during his dirtbag 2010 campaign. Had Martin been a man and sat down with Goodenough and Schutzman to address that issue, well, it wouldn't be an issue now.
We have been told that Martin is bitterly complaining to those who will listen-and that number is shrinking noticeably-that his attorney told him he just couldn't sit down with Goodenough and Schutzman back then. Why? Because he was suing the two police officers-and the residents of Villa Hills-for $1.505 MILLION. Okay. Who the hell's fault is that? Survey says, IT'S MARTIN!!!
Besides, if Schutzman's extra pay was such a huge problem, why did Martin later sign him to a new contract for building inspection services that would pay Schutzman another $24K a year over and above what the Assistant Chief was already making? A reasonable person can see that Martin's inexplicable act punched a hole in the apologists' "pay too high" argument big enough to sail the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower through. The problem? The dwindling number of Martin apologists are simply not reasonable people.
Those who make excuses for Martin's mismanagement and corruption by blaming Goodenough and Schutzman will end up the stuff of legend. Martin's personal-and now City Attorney-Toad V. McMurtry called Goodenough unethical, said it was the Police Chief's fault for not telling Martin that the diminutive dictator was not allowed to break the law and accused Schutzman of planting evidence. Martin's City Administrator, er, uh, City Clerk Craig Bohman has accused Schutzman of harassment and selective traffic enforcement. This despite the fact that Bohman was never given a ticket or even stopped.
The good news about McMurtry's and Bohman's disgraceful-and false-assertions? The next mayor will have more than ample reason to fire them both on January 1, 2015.
Then there is Councilmember Mary Koenig. She attributes the all of the negative reaction to Martin's radical plan to the diminutive dictator's use of an "unfortunate word". If only that were true.
If Martin was truly concerned about spending, why is he using taxpayer money to fund the activities of a half dozen lawyers? It's nonsense. And no amount of postage meters, car washes, paper towels or coffee will paper over the mess the diminutive dictator has made of the City government's operations.
This whole mess will most likely get worse before it gets better. When Martin finally summons the courage to carry out his plan he has the votes on council to get it done. Why? Because voters wrongly believed that surrounding Martin with a new council would fix the problem. Instead, the aftermath of that 2012 vote has brought more uncertainty and turmoil. The next mayor will have an incredible mess to fix, thanks to the dim-witted and venal Martin.
The only thing that can resolve this is to eliminate the root cause of the mess. Events have clearly demonstrated that the root cause is Martin himself.
We still have to wait 421 days until the next election.
The Martin Chronicles staff read the fairly recent cincinnati.com article, "Villa Hills adding three part-time officers" very closely. As is almost always the case in the local papers, the headline is very misleading. The unknown-sized portion of Villa Hills residents we categorize as "the low information population" might see the headline and conclude that all is well with the Villa Hills Police Department.
But before these inattentive folks break out in to a rousing rendition of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", they should read the entire article. Why? Because therein lies the truth. The article tells us that "Martin said he does want to outsource the department's work". So, nothing has changed.
The article says Martin has "no intention" of putting police services out for bid now or in the near future". Of course not. Martin has already approached other Cities to provide bids for police protection. The Ft. Mitchell mayor already confirmed that.
While we are loathe to try to guess what the malfeasant Martin is cooking up, it does seem that he is delaying things in hopes that the strong opposition to his radical plan cools off. But his comments-and the "cat-and-mouse" comments of Councilwoman Koenig-in this recent article are clear signs that they have every intention to outsource police services.
Martin's surrogates are also pushing a full-scale attack on the VHPD's leadership. It is truly disgusting. It's also truly Martin and his compliant band of idiots. Hey, we read the social networking posts just like a lot of people do. We can tell that Martin's pinheads are blaming City employees and others for Martin's abject lack of leadership since January, 2011. It's always someone else's fault for Martin's wasteful screw-ups? Give us a break. And these aforementioned pinheads should try being intellectually honest for once.
Besides, are people considering how Martin's radical plan is impacting the morale of the police department? Long before Martin tripped over his own tongue and revealed that he had been lying about his plans for the police department, the officers already knew what the dim-bulbed, diminutive dictator was planning. No wonder good officers are leaving.
We hope that an any-sized majority of Villa Hills residents (we'd settle for a majority of one) are breaking out in the "Hallelujah Chorus" at about 9 o'clock on the evening of November 4, 2014. Why, because on that day that majority of those residents will have hopefully awakened to the disaster and voted Martin and a few others out on their asses once and for all.
If it happens, the drinks are on The Martin Chronicles beloved publisher.
The Martin Chronicles has already reported the cheesy lecture malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin and his flunky Councilmembers Koenig and Wischer offered up about their twisted views on following the rules of sign placement in their embattled City. This diatribe was delivered at the August non-secret council meeting. Their lecture was not only hypocritical, it was extremely stultifying.
Here's what we suggest to our large audience. Hop in your car and take a quick drive around the 3.5 square miles of Villa Hills. What will you see? Signs for upcoming City functions placed in right-of-ways all over the place.
Look, the city-wide yard sale and family camp-out may be the best events ever held by any City anywhere, ever. But here's the point. If you clowns are going to lecture people who support a fully-staffed, local police department about the rules of sign placement-how about following those rules yourself?
Martin's track record has proved he believes that the rules apply to everyone but him. But, c'mon man.
We can only hope the voters deliver a "lecture" to Martin and his entourage in 426 days.
The Martin Chronicles thinks you should know that the August Villa Hills City Council meeting is now available to watch on TBNK.org. Yes, we know. Any meeting involving malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin is tough to slog through. But, the meeting is worth watching for anyone who is concerned about the current direction of Villa Hills' City Government.
First of all, after watching the meeting it is pretty darn clear that the mendacious Martin is a complete stranger to the truth. After a smarmy prompting from jittery Councilman Jim Cahill, Martin falsely proclaims that he has no intention to outsource police coverage for the "non-foreseeable(non-foreseeable??????) future". And yet, Martin has just told a cincinnati.com reporter that he "want to outsource police services". Besides, it has already been confirmed that Martin has already solicited bids from several Northern Kentucky Cities.
Then there are the obviously-evasive comments from vile ancient crocodile Councilman Mary Koenig. She "hates to say 'never" to anything"? Who the heck is she trying to fool? Perhaps the "low-information population" segment of Villa Hills' residents? It is a fact that Koenig is fully supportive of Martin's radical plan to "outsource" Villa Hills police protection. Several sources say that effort remains ongoing and that Koenig is a very active participant in that effort.
And what is up with the weird Councilman Brian Wischer? He describes Martin's diatribe against the "Keep OUR Villa Hills Police Department" yard signs as "low hanging fruit". Seriously, Brian? Is that a fact? Look, we know you will be a "YES" vote for "outsourcing" when Martin brings it to the floor. Please give us a break. By the way, we know what you did.
And what does Councilwoman Holly Menninger-Isenhour have against Councilman Rod Baehner? Why did she bark at Baehner for simply trying to help, saying "I'm not talking to you!". People should ask Isenhour what she was up to at the civic club fundraiser for a sick local resident. Her actions that night will tell those people all they need to know about the goofy Isenhour.
Many people have also been asking why Martin was so nervous throughout the entire meeting. Watch it. You'll see how nervous the diminutive dictator was.
We can tell you why. Because even the dim-witted Martin knows he is a LIAR. And Martin know its only a matter of time before event the "low-information population" of Villa Hills figure out what a LIAR Martin is.
The Martin Chronicles reporting staff has been spending many hours interviewing people who have been a target of Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's spiteful vengeance. What we are learning is incredible, but sadly, all too true.
So what has Martin been up to for the past few years? Well, we are learning that Martin is attempting to carry out his paranoid vendetta against several people using several entities and people who in some cases you are paying.
Who are some of the entities and people we have learned Martin has been using to "get" his perceived enemies?:
- The reluctant Villa Hills Police Department-a group he earnestly intends to eliminate.
- The Better Business Bureau.
- His personal-and now taxpayer-funded City Attorney-Toad McMurtry.
- His taxpayer-funded City Attorney/City Administrator Craig Bohman.
- Taxpayer-funded Northern Kentucky Area Planning & Zoning Commission.
- Taxpayer-funded attorney Robert Winters.
- The Kentucky Labor Cabinet
We are also compiling evidence that the malfeasant Martin has been using surrogates to contact the employer's of Martin's paranoia-fueled enemies list to cause difficulties for those people at work. What we are learning is truly disgusting. But it does fit in to the malevolent Martin's often-announced plans to "pick 'em off one at a time".
Layer this on top of the other lies the mendacious Martin has been spreading for years.:
- He recruited members of his infamous hillbilly lynchmob to spread lies about his opponents with a now-fulfilled promise of taxpayer-funded crony employment.
- He turned loose the hillbilly ass-hats from the civic club by filling their empty heads with lies about how he was being persecuted by "dark forces" when the reality is that Martin did indeed commit forgery.
- He falsely claimed that he came in to office finding that computer files had been erased. We learned later that the computer forensic company he wasted your money on never made such a finding.
And shame on the pinheads who say that Martin does "great things for people" and proclaim that "they trust this mayor". They are one of the main reasons a once-proud City is in absolute chaos.
While we have expressed frustration with the three solid people who are currently on City Council for always prefacing comments with, "This (fill-in-the-blank) problem isn't about Martin" or refusing to respond to snarky insults that Martin hurls at them, we have to confess we understand to a degree. They see what we see. Martin is a venal, cheap-shot bully who has no boundaries when it comes to below-the-belt, more-often-than-not-false attacks on those he believes are his "enemies". Who wants to fool with that?
Our beloved publisher told the reporters who approached him about developing this shocking story to never compare Martin to Richard Nixon. Why? Because-while Nixon was indeed a crook like Martin is a crook-Nixon had a functioning brain. So, we will make no such comparisons when this story unfolds.
But, Martin's behavior has been solid proof that the old saw "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" is-interestingly enough-absolutely true. Oh, by the way...
Happy Labor Day! Hey, what the heck?
