The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 18: Clark Dietz, CD PAC top Gahan's "Quality of Distant Corporate Donors" chart.

Previously: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 17: Denton-Floyd feels M(ighty) Fine -- and the resulting Reisz Krispies Treats never tasted better to Mayor Gahan.

Some people climb mountains, but during the coming weeks we'll be plucking highlights from eight years of the Committee to Elect Gahan's CFA-4 campaign finance reports. Strap in, folks -- and don't forget those air(head) sickness bags.

Mayor Jeff Gahan's campaign donations for 2018, a non-municipal election year, came to $64,250.

That's right: $64,250, or almost exactly two bucks for every man, woman and child in New Albany, with precious little of it actually coming from inside the city proper. Combined with sloppy seconds from 2011-2017, this sum brought Gahan's 2019 cash-on-hand to $128,000 prior to an expected 2019 haul in excess of $100,000.

Meanwhile the median household income in New Albany is $41,456, meaning that half our households earn more and the other half less.

Think about that. If you're angry about the unprecedented power of money in elections, especially as it emanates from big corporations elsewhere, then look no further than our own quaint city for a primer. With each passing year, Gahan's CFA-4 forms read like a who's who of companies scoring lucrative deals to dine at the taxpayers' trough, most often on a "contractual" basis without any semblance of competitive bidding.

None of it is illegal, and we're not suggesting it is. Rather, it's indicative of a patronage system of meticulously organized beak-wetting built to harvest mountains of cash.

And the single greatest exemplar of this trend is Clark Dietz, a virtual arm of city government, from which Gahan quite possibly lifted his "(luxury) quality of life" mantra.

Clark Dietz, Inc.: "We are engineering more than infrastructure. We are engineering quality of life."

Clark Dietz has established a new yardstick for platinum-level Gahan giving in 2017 and 2018 with $7,500 each year -- not counting the fruit baskets.

The CD PAC always gives strong.

Just for amusement, I went back to 2015 for a look at CD PAC's tithe to Gahan's re-election campaign: $5k.

Look ahead a year at the other side of the ledger -- where Clark Dietz's beneficiaries donate into the pool of funds, and there's this from local CD workhorse Wes Christmas.

Exactly $5k; surely a coincidence.

Going back to the 2015 CD Pak report, you'll have noticed that in the address column, the $5,000 donation from Clark Dietz was listed as going to Gahan at Eastridge Drive, the mayor's home.

Oddly, though perhaps not oddly at all, an entirely different $400 donation was made to Jeff Gahan at 210 Lynnwood in Clarksville (the suits misspelled it), which is the address for Public Finance Management LLC, David Duggins' own personal tiller.

Freudian slip? The state's info on Public Finance Management is here, and an RIP is in order.

If I'm reading correctly, it looks as though Duggins dissolved his PFM just four days after cutting a check to Jason Applegate, then (2018) a candidate for commissioner.

But that's another story for another time.

Clark Dietz and CD PAC
A yearly donor since 2011
Total: $34,400

#FireGahan2019

Rebuttals are welcome and will be published unaltered -- so don't forget spellcheck. If you have supplementary information to offer about any of this, please let us know and we'll update the page. The preceding was gleaned entirely from public records, with the addresses of "individuals" removed.

Next: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 19: Department heads, insurance peddlers, duffers and a few other odds and ends from Gahan's long and winding money trail.

Gahan Money Machine 2017: Tens of thousands from corporate outsiders, who by sheer serendipity get lots and lots of work here.

Mayor Jeff Gahan's campaign donations for 2017 -- a non-municipal election year -- came to $56,175.

That's right: $56,175.

That's a buck and a half for every man, woman and child in New Albany -- and precious little of it actually coming from inside the city proper. This is in addition to what Gahan's campaign had left over from 2011-2016, and what's to come in 2018 and 2019.

The median household income in New Albany is $41,456, meaning that half the household earn more and the other half less.

Think about it.

If you're angry about the power of money in local elections, especially as it comes from corporations elsewhere, then look no further than our own quaint city. Gahan's 2017 form reads like a who's who of companies that have scored lucrative contracts, most often without competitive bidding.

None of it is illegal, and we're not suggesting it is. Rather, it's indicative of a patronage system of meticulously organized beak-wetting built to harvest mountains of cash.

It turns out that Aaron Fairbanks and I both have taken an interest in this esoteric hobby known as Following the Money. As for me, paraphrasing FDR, "Gahan's bootlickers are unanimous in their hate for me — and I welcome their hatred."

Aaron's been taking some flack for digging, especially as it pertains to Jason Applegate's campaign for commissioner. This a diversionary tactic, and the newspaper should consider hiring him as a free-lancer. Alas, perhaps they're busy with Son of Cooking School, or trying to corral a few more column inches for Tom May to colonize.

Their (no, our) loss. This is fun and educational, and I'm interested in widening the search by going through all of Gahan's reports dating back to his first mayoral run, and also from city council members, especially the one typically carrying the mayor's jockstrap.

First, a glance at a big campaign donor from 2017. Aaron leads it off:

September 7, 2017: The News and Tribune report that Denton-Floyd Development received a $2.5 million state tax credit that was matched by the City of New Albany to begin construction on an estimated $15 million "new senior living facility going into the former M. Fine & Sons shirt factory in New Albany."

September 14, 2017: Mayor Jeff Gahan received $3,000 from Denton-Floyd Development more than two years before the next mayoral election.

This is what it looks like when your tax dollars at work are spent buying an election without your consent.

Right here it is.

About a month later, Denton Floyd treated former redevelopment chieftain David Duggins to a relaxing day at Keeneland and the Louisville City soccer match.

ON THE AVENUES: Could that be David Duggins paddling across Jeff Gahan's putrid cesspool? On second thought, I'll take the blindfold.

By then, Denton Floyd was engaged in top secret, cloak and dagger negotiations to transform a "neglected" building into a luxury city hall. Now that it's on the verge of approval, the 2018 campaign finance report should be a dilly.

Throwing Reisz: The Jeff M. Gahan Luxury Government Center keeps the emphasis on buildings, as opposed to people.

Yesterday, the Green Mouse was told that during an earlier conversation about the Reisz conversion, David Barksdale was asked if there was a point beyond which saving the building would no longer be financially feasible.

How much is too much?

"Whatever it takes," was Barksdale's reply.

As historic preservation wagged the dog last Monday night, one of the Indy suits in attendance was Beau Zoeller of the Frost Brown Todd legal firm.

Frost Brown and Todd look to be big donors every year.

Earlier today, it was noted that Clark Dietz's entry couldn't be found. That's because it's the CD PAC listed above.

Just for amusement, I went back to 2015 for a look at CD PAC's tithe to Gahan's re-election campaign: $5k.

Look ahead a year at the other side of the ledger -- where Clark Dietz's beneficiaries donate into the pool of funds, and there's this from local CD workhorse Wes Christmas.

Exactly $5k; surely a coincidence.

Going back to the 2015 CD Pak report, you'll have noticed that in the address column, the $5,000 donation from Clark Dietz was listed as going to Gahan at Eastridge Drive, the mayor's home.

Oddly, though perhaps not oddly at all, an entirely different $400 donation was made to Jeff Gahan at 210 Lynnwood in Clarksville (the suits misspelled it), which is the address for Public Finance Management LLC, Duggins' own personal tiller.

Freudian skip? The state's info on Public Finance Management is here. An RIP is in order.

If I'm reading correctly, it looks like Duggins dissolved PFM just four days after cutting a check to Applegate.

Man, this is tiring. Don't forget another golden oldie from the Bookseller, circa 2015:

"Show Me the Money" (video): Jeff Gahan's campaign contributors provide a who's who list of buying and selling a city.