The Martin Chronicles knows this post may involve a little too much "inside baseball". But, Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin just misused taxpayer money to send out a political propaganda piece that-in part-makes the false claim that he is putting money back in to the city's cash reserves. That bogus assertion deserves scrutiny.
You see, the mismanaging Martin has rammed through a budget amendment (increasing spending) all four years he's been in the mayor's office. We'll give you an example of Martin's annual rite of budget chicanery to explain. Let's say Martin takes $300,000 out of the city cash reserves in April to cover his projected mismanaged budget shortfalls and only squanders $160,000 of it because-as has been the factual case-no planned road work was done. Well, that means $140,000 goes back in to the reserves a few months later. Got it so far?
But is it correct to say that Martin "saved" the $140,000 that went back in to the reserves? Because that's the drivel Martin is trying to peddle-at taxpayer's expense-to low information voters in Villa Hills. Of course it isn't correct. The correct way to say it is that Martin over-spent the budget by $160,000. Pure and simple. Are you still with us?
Think of it in personal terms. Let's say your monthly bills normally total $4,000. You spend too much money on entertainment and have a surprise auto repair expense one month. The auto mechanic tells you that the repairs will cost $2,000. You take $3000 out of your savings (cash reserves) to cover your entertainment largesse and the auto repair.
When you pick up your car, the mechanic tells you that the repair was only $600. While you are relieved to hear that news, you are smart enough to understand that the $1,400 you put back in to your savings account doesn't truly represent "savings". Why, because the balance in that savings account is now $1,600 less than before. Does that make sense? If not, walk through it again.
Is Martin simply not bright enough to understand what "saving" money really means? Probably. Is Martin intentionally fudging budget numbers to make himself look good a few weeks from an election? Again, probably. Doesn't Martin understand the serious responsibility he has to be a good steward of the taxpayers' money? Well, considering the fact that he has wasted more than $500,000 on lawyers and legal actions, probably not.
To understand Martin's true lack of seriousness about his mismanagement of your tax dollars, one example of his actions is very telling. Some time ago Martin removed a qualified CPA from his Finance Committee because he found her work "unacceptable". Then what did he do? Martin replaced that qualified CPA with a teen-aged boy.
The Martin Chronicles applauds the teen-aged boy's budding civic mindedness. We sincerely do. But the boy seems like an odd replacement for a qualified CPA. It's not the boy's understandable lack of experience and training, but instead Martin's terrible judgment, that we question.
Teen idol Martin fooled just enough of you to eke out a razor-thin victory in 2010. He's trying to do it again in 2014. There is one major difference this time though. Martin is now misusing your money attempting to dupe you. Last time he was just suing you for it!
Come Monday it will be 28 days until the voting starts.
