The older and whiter the New Albanian, the more enduring the corrosive mythology: "All that stands between New Albany and world dominance is the existence of public housing, and people inhabiting it."
It's complete and utter bunk, but for as long as I've been cognizant of chemical processes masquerading for rational thought in New Albany, I've heard variations of the preceding.
It should come as no surprise that irrespective of religion or party affiliation, a vast majority of Mayor Jeff Gahan's peer group accepts this assertion without question.
Broadly speaking, it's a generational phenomenon. While by no means a scientific observation, fewer millennials seem to have accepted the veracity of the "public housing as mortal threat" doctrine.
Perhaps that's because younger people have more direct experience with (un)affordable housing than their parents and grandparents.
To repeat, for a C-student in New Albany of Gahan's demographic not to equate public housing and malaria in terms of progress through eradication would be the truly unusual development, so taking it a step further, from where did Gahan borrow his ham-fisted methodology v.v. the putsch -- his hostile takeover of public housing, the annexation of public housing properties to city control, demolition and useless vouchers, and calculated indifference to human suffering?
The latter can be explained by Gahan's worsening paranoia and agoraphobia. My guess is that the remainder has been lifted to lesser or greater extent from the plan of operation in Louisville these past few years. Gahan isn't capable of strategic planning of this magnitude, so it's a given that he's copying the answers from another mayor's test paper -- and he idolizes Louisville's mayor Greg Fischer.
If you're a New Albanian seated to the left of the aisle, you'd naturally look to the Floyd County Democratic Party to fight on behalf of social injustice, to protect working men and women (90% of public housing residents are employed), and to advocate solutions (affordable housing, a living wage) to problems afflicting those both inside and outside our public housing units.
Pins drop and crickets chirp.
It can't be said that the party is frozen by the incoming headlights, because this implies standing erect in the middle of the road, and when spinelessness occurs, a better analogy is a blubbery heap oozing fear atop the center line.
In short, until the party emits a pulse on the issue of Gahan's putsch, it plainly owns the doctrine. Gahan isn't just one of the few (supposed) Democrats left standing; he's Adam Dickey's shining star and the party's sole great (pasty) white hope. Until the party's officeholders and candidates indicate otherwise, Gahanism is its real platform -- and Gahanism is neither upper case Democratic, nor lower case democratic.
No single plank of Gahanism better illuminates the local "democratic" party's quandary than the mayor's assault on the residents of public housing. Amid the deafening silence of wannabe progressives, the hypocrisy and cowardice mount.
Just as the Inuit possess dozens of words to describe varying manifestations of snow and ice, so are the many subtle shadings of Let's Pretend We're Democrats® finally revealing themselves for our edification.
Consider it a voting guide for 2019 ... and, for that matter, 2018, too. It's shameful, but Gahanism is all about shamelessness.
Where are the Democrats?
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