We have been preparing for Villa Hills' Police Chief Dan Goodenough's Monday night removal hearing that has been deviously orchestrated by malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin, Martin's personal-and now City-Attorney Toad V. McMurtry and their lawless lackeys. The entire sham is nothing but a mockery and a travesty. In other words, it's pure, raw Martin at his usual worst.
The first few lines of one song particular song really "struck a chord"-pun definitely intended- with everyone at The Martin Chronicles palatial offices. The song? Chicago's "Dialogue (Part I and II)". You see, we think these lines explain a great deal about why Villa Hills is in such a terrible mess.
The opening line? "Are you optimistic 'bout the way that things are going?" Let's look back to the mayoral campaign of 2010. Villa Hills residents had every reason to be optimistic about the way that things were going. Why not? Cincy Business Magazine-a truly independent evaluator-had just designated Villa Hills "The Best City in Northern Kentucky".
One thing was sticking in the craw of many Villa Hills residents in 2010 though. What was it? THE UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. People just didn't like it. So, when a seemingly-charming little fellow named Mike Martin knocked on their door FALSELY promising them that he was going to REPEAL THE UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX, a razor-thin majority of voters decided to cast their vote for him. What the heck? Voters decided that-from what they think they had witnessed over the past several years- virtually anyone could run a City like Villa Hills. It must be so very easy.
Yep, the results of the 2010 election fairly much coincide with the second line of Chicago's "Dialogue (Part I and II)". Those words? "No, I never, ever think of it at all". You see, voters spend little time thinking about the importance of local elections. This despite the fact that local government has the greatest impact on their day-to-day lives.
The first two years of Martin's Reign of Error were filled with conflict and confusion. It was confirmed that Martin ran-and continues to run-an UNLICENSED electrical and plumbing handyman business. This despite the fact that-as mayor-Martin is statutorily tasked with stopping such business practices.
It was also revealed that the mismanaging Martin totally ignored a comely female City employee's claims that former Council member Jim Noll was engaging in SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Noll is accused of persisting in asking this comely female employee for a "lunch date" and frequently putting his hands on her.
Martin was also strongly rebuked by a judge for HIS ILLEGAL DESTRUCTION OF CITY RECORDS. Martin received a CONFIDENTIAL REPRIMAND FROM THE RELUCTANT VILLA HILLS ETHICS BOARD and Martin was CONVICTED ON SEVEN OF NINE COUNTS OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND NEGLECT OF DUTY. Only former Council members Mike Pope's and Jim Noll's POTENTIALLY ILLEGAL REFUSAL to vote to remove Martin from office-no matter the evidence-saved the tiny tyrant's undeserving hind end from removal.
The third and fourth lines from Chicago's "Dialogue (Part I and II)" help explain what happened next in 2012. Those next two lines? (3) "Don't you ever worry when you see what's going down?" then (4) "Well, I try to mind my business, that is, no business at all."
Thus came the 2012 council election. You see, the mostly-inattentive voters of Villa Hills knew they were worn out from the embarrassment they had experienced during the mismanaging Martin's first two years. But, they knew very little else.
So, a majority of voters decided to believe the DISHONEST proclamation of the misdirecting Martin, his wife Janet, and the rest of Martin's hillbilly lynchmob. You see, Martin, his wife Janet and the rest of the hillbilly lynchmob declared that Martin only needed a new City council to prove what he could really do, That is why the voters are staring squarely in the face of Martin finally getting his strong desire to disband the Villa Hills Police Department.
The closing words of "Dialogue (Part I and II) say it best. That closing lyric? "We can make it happen." repeated over and over. You can be part of the voting public who makes it happen on Election Day, November 4.
But will a majority finally "make it happen"?
