Gahan is far more energetic in ducking debates than keeping campaign promises from 2011.

Shattered 2011 Gahan campaign promises, Part 1: The "good jobs" mayor!

Shattered 2011 Gahan campaign promises, Part 2: The "good education" mayor!

Shattered 2011 Gahan campaign promises, Part 3: The "let's work together" mayor!

Let's review.

In the assumption that Kevin Zurschmiede would be out of town for his son's wedding, Jeff Gahan carefully planned his mayoral debate schedule to avoid any unmanageable situation requiring the three of us to appear together, accepting invitations to events staged by the New Albany Housing Authority (Sept. 22) and the League of Women Voters (24th), and declining to participate in what obviously stood to be the most substantive and challenging, debate, as organized by Leadership Southern Indiana on the 29th.

Gahan already has refused to attend the Southern Indiana Realtors Association question and answer luncheon. Another such mayoral chat, put together by the Builders & Development Association, was cancelled. Had it been held, Gahan would not have been there.

Subsequently, Zurschmiede was able to alter his travel plans, and now he'll be able to come to Silver Street Park (Gahan's de facto "home" field) for the League's debate, which will feature questions provided in advance from LWV organizers like Linda Moeller, who also is Gahan's appointee as controller and openly acknowledges her position as high-ranking Gahan campaign worker.

Thus far, the League has managed to misspell Zurschmiede's name twice (differently each time) on promotional materials, which incorporate an 8-year-old photo of me, when literally dozens of more recent photos can be found merely by Googling my name and clicking on Images.

In short, the only debate at which all three candidates will appear is a softball toss orchestrated by Democrats supporting Gahan, who conveniently wave the League's "impartial" banner. It's a farce, and needs to be recognized as such, but I wouldn't think of missing.

I'd suggest you write to Gahan urging him to sprout a pair and come to the LSI debate on the 29th, but as we know, after four years in office, he doesn't yet have an official, published e-mail address. This in itself begs a question: Has our mayor been emulating Hillary Clinton by using a private e-mail address, one safely removed from public information requests, to conduct city business?

More on that another time. For now ...

Only one full-field debate set in New Albany mayoral race, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan will attend two debates ahead of the November general election.

He won't, however, be taking part in the Leadership Southern Indiana debate at New Albany High School on Sept. 29. As a result, voters will have just one opportunity to see all three candidates — Republican Kevin Zurschmiede, independent Roger Baylor and Gahan — on stage during the same forum.