Showing posts with label Curtis Morrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Curtis Morrison. Show all posts

Monday, June 10, 2013

Kerry Stemler: Once an asshole, always an asshole.

Three years later, only two of the faces have changed

In Louisville Courant, Curtis Morrison reports from California.

Still no word from my attorney, meanwhile Kerry Stemler wants attention

 ... In the meantime, Joe Gerth with the Courier-Journal published what I would characterize as a pretty fair profile of me.

Laughable that Kerry Stemler thought he should have input, since we've technically never met.

A piece of oligarch-fluffing work, that Kerry Stemler. Presumably the carnage of the ORBP, which he has done so much to unleash on the region, is to be lauded because it emanates from self-effacing and rational motives.

Spare me, little man.

If memory serves, it wasn't just Curtis Morrison that Stemler wouldn't consider debating during the run-up to the bridges debacle. It was anyone and everyone expressing opposition to the concrete, steel and automotive sycophant's cadre of boondoggle fetishists -- you know, those wild and crazy suit wearers who drink a single watered-down margarita at a chain Tex-Mex place and then want to jump Ayn Rand's dusty bones while wearing a garter fashioned from toll chits.

Here's what Kerry Stemler has to say about Curtis Morrison, as reported by Joe Gerth. Stemler's fascistic big-business power trip is about to lay waste to the metro area. Remember this small factoid as you read.

“Do you think sometimes people want their 15 minutes of fame?” asked Kerry Stemler, former co-chairman of the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority, a project about which (Curtis) Morrison has been outspoken.

Stemler doesn’t have much sympathy for Morrison ...

... While Stemler said he disagreed with (Tyler) Allen — who also worked against building the downtown bridge — he always felt that Allen was sincere. But he said Morrison seemed to be opposing the project just to oppose it.

“If I was ever asked to debate Curtis, I wouldn’t have done it,” Stemler said. “He was too irrational in his motives.”

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Curtis Morrison and the curious case of adult supervision at Insider Louisville.



Dear Terry,

Seriously?

Might a wee bit of this "adult supervision" be advisable for some of your other Insider Louisville writers?

Hint: I'm thinking of this fellow named Tierney.

Full disclosure: I've known Curtis for ten years or so, ever since I was a tenant during his in real estate days.

Can't say I have a dog in this fight; just curious as to your selective application of the supervision doctrine. Tierney's beer blather in the Forecastle series was about as wrongheaded as you're accusing Curtis of being.

Just saying.

R

Terry Boyd: The curious case of Curtis Morrison


Curtis Morrison
Last night, I got emails from Ruby Cramer, a reporter atBuzzFeed.
Cramer wanted Curtis Morrison’s contact information.
All I could tell her is, “Curtis is no longer a contributor to Insider Louisville.”
Which is a shame.
Curtis has the makings of a solid reporter, under adult supervision.
Exceptional when it comes to getting public documents under the Freedom of Information Act, then squeezing out all the data and nuances on the way to documenting an important story.
Unfortunately, Curtis is also an overt and dedicated political activist, and you can’t be both at the same time at Insider Louisville.
It was my mistake to keep Curtis without an explicit guarantee he wouldn’t indulge in politics.
A painful lesson we’ll never repeat.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Curt chronicles the most chaotic bridges meeting ... ever.

On Wednesday night, another well-attended meeting was held in Utica. Curt's description of disorganization and poor meeting planning is just another brick in Kerry Stemler's pro-tolls wall. If one is willing to divide the metro area by imposing an Eisenhower-era "solution" to contemporary mobility problems for the sole benefit of his fellow oligarchs, does one really care about the status of degraded plebeians? Let 'em eat Rally's, b'gosh.

Curtis Morrison: WVB East End Partners host, fumble most chaotic bridges meeting … ever, by Curtis Morrison (Insider Louisville)

After a decade of public meetings and forums, you’d think all the kinks in how to conduct a public meeting on the Ohio River Bridges Project would be worked out, right?

Wrong.

Tuesday night, about 300 people stormed into the lobby of the Springdale Community Church, a space which could accommodate about 50 comfortably.

WMV East End Partners, the consortium of three companies contracted to build, operate, and maintain the East End Bridge for 35 years, was the primary host.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Morrison: "Understand how the East End Bridge or the downtown bridge is going to be financed? You likely don’t."

Go the Insider Louisville, read the entirety of Curt's chronicle of a fiasco, and resort to strong drink.

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Shocker: Plan calls for building East End bridge,THEN figuring out how to pay for it

“So, how much is that baby gonna’ run us?” Don’t worry about … it’s public funding magic.









(Editor’s note: Terry Boyd also contributed to this post.)
If you think you know everything there is to know about the $2.6 billion bridges projects – either the East End bridge project or the downtown bridge – you don’t.
In fact, we’d go so far to bet you don’t know the half of it. (Which is not an accident.)
If you think you understand how the East End Bridge or the downtown bridge is going to be financed, you likely don’t.
If you think you understand the tolling mechanism, think again.
To tell you everything never reported in the conventional media would take a book.
So, for this post, we’re going to focus on the East End Bridge, which is being built by Indiana.
Through the magic of something called “availability payments,” the East End Bridge (Indiana’s project) is on a schedule to be essentially built before the process to finance it even begins.
Seriously.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Morrison: "Who knew? New Albany more progressive than most of Kentucky as it (very quietly) passes gay-rights law."

Somehow, Curt manages to steer the Insider Louisville discussion away from Lynn's Paradise Cafe recriminations onto an as-yet low key little something that New Albany is quite rapidly becoming renowned for possessing. Apart from the splashiness of aquatic proposals, human rights protections genuinely matter. Does the city itself "get it"?

Who knew? New Albany more progressive than most of Kentucky as it (very quietly) passes gay-rights law, by Curtis Morrison (Insider Louisville)

You probably have already heard, in the 3-1 vote Monday, the city of Vicco, Kentucky has adopted an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Vicco is in Eastern Kentucky, and has 334 residents.

But what three mile-stretch of Louisville’s Ohio River shoreline can one swim across, with the comfort of knowing discrimination protections for gays, lesbians and transgendered await on the banks of the other shore?

If you guessed West End frontage opposite the city of New Albany, Indiana, you are correct.

Friday, January 11, 2013

ORBP status: CART seeks a trial, and that's a good thing.

As Jeff wrote at Facebook:
Win or lose, a trial in this situation could be a turning point for civil rights in the metro area; precisely the sort of unavoidable public dialogue that's been avoided for 45 years. Local leaders should support it moving forward.
He was referring to this.
Bridges opponent seeks trial in suit, by Marcus Green (Courier-Journal)

A public transportation advocacy group is asking for a trial in a lawsuit over the Ohio River Bridges Project.

The Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation made the motion in federal court Monday, days after two other plaintiffs agreed to drop their portions of the suit.

In a news release issued Monday, the coalition took issue with comments in news stories during the weekend indicating that the settlement removed serious obstacles to the project. The coalition’s statement said there are serious “issues still remaining to be litigated.”
Concurrently, bridges skeptic Curt Morrison gives a detailed overview of bridges boondoggle "progress" at the present time.
What’s REALLY going on with the Ohio River Bridges Project, by Curtis Morrison (Insider Louisville)

Is a new bridge really coming to a river near you?

As Insider Louisville reported, the construction of the Ohio River Bridges Project overcame a hurdle late Friday.

What you didn’t hear about Friday is there are hitches still inherent in completing the project even though Kentucky Transportation Cabinet appears to be ignoring them, presenting construction as fait accompli ...

... “The legal complaint against Louisville Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project is Far From Settled,” reads the headline for a statement we received last night from David Coyte, CART President.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Bridges, water, filtration, salt ...

Discussion, anyone?

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East End Bridge over Louisville Water Co. filtration system means salt, spills could ‘shut down water system for 800,000 people’

By Curtis Morrison
When salt is put down on the East End Bridge to combat winter ice, it could mix with oil, grime and other gross stuff on the roadway, then end up in our Louisville Water Co. drinking water.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Bridge toll fluffery: It ain't over 'til it's over.

For your consideration, two items pertaining to the bridges boondoggle, the oligarchic orgasm, and Ed Clere's preferred regimen of "Tolls-R-Us." First, Jim Keith in the newspaper:

Tourism director expresses concerns on tolling

... The Clark-Floyd Counties Convention-Tourism Bureau has been outspoken on the proposed building of an additional I-65 bridge and placing tolls on the bridges. Recently we learned through articles in the News and Tribune that, according to the Bridges Authority, our thoughts and concerns were not “appropriate.”

The Board of Managers is concerned that a new I-65 bridge and tolling will be a deterrent to doing business in Jeffersonville and Clarksville. Our concerns were confirmed with the recently released Economic Impact Study of the Ohio River Bridges Project prepared for the Indiana Finance Authority and the Indiana Department of Transportation prepared by the Economic Development Research Group Inc. Businesses will lose customers and sales and thus some of them may be forced to close ...

— Jim Keith, executive director, Clark-Floyd Counties Convention-Tourism Bureau

Then, Curt Morrison at Insider Louisville:

Curtis Morrison: Tyler Allen and J.C. Stites were right about the bridges, Abramson, Reagan and PR hacks were wrong


Tyler Allen, left, and J.C. Stites sit at rear of April 2010 Bridges Authority meeting.
By Curtis Morrison
Remember in 2005 when 8664 co-founders Tyler Allen and J.C. Stites were right about the bridges, especially the proposed changes downtown?
According to the 8664.org website, the two local businessmen founded the grassroots organization “after seeing pictures of the proposed 23-lane Spaghetti Junction planned for Louisville’s waterfront.”

Sunday, June 03, 2012

Ludicrous ORBP, Volume 763: "Kentucky: Where designed obsolescence is boss."

Give 'em hell, Curt ... then again, just tell the truth about the Ohio River Bridges Project and they'll think it's hell.

'We'll take two Tunnels of Death with a side of tolls'- says the Ohio River Bridges Project

Each proposed East End tunnel is planned to be 40' wide.

There is a curious detail hidden in the tunnel construction plans for the Eastern connection of the Ohio River Bridges Project. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Road diets: Abhorred from Indian Hills to Karolus Magnus.

In New Albany's case, resistance to a "road diet" for Spring Street must be coming from the "greater" public residing entirely outside town. Is there an Indian Hills in Clarksville?

Traffic jam: Brownsboro Road ‘diet’ pits the ‘greater public’ and their Ultimate Driving Machines against Blue Collar bikers, pedestrians


Run, pedestrian, run!








By Curtis Morrison, Louisville Courant
Progressive change, whether treating sewage or creating safe streets, does not come easily when the always petulant greater public is not getting its way.
Take for example the proposed “road diet” for Lower Brownsboro Road (closer to downtown), a plan to slow traffic by reducing the road to one lane each direction  from two lanes, with a center turn lane. The redesign would add a sidewalk, but commuters from the wealthy areas the road connects to downtown – including Windy Hills and Indian Hills – are less than thrilled.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Morrison on River Ridge: "When did we start farming brownfields?"

The newspaper dutifully “reports” a press release, while it is left to a citizen blogger to provide the background necessary to even begin asking the many obvious questions raised by the guileless stenography. So it goes in Stemlerstan.

When did we start farming brownfields?, by Curt Morrison at Louisville Courant

As a kid growing up in rural Southern Indiana, I knew the 10,000+ acre, Indiana Army Ammunition Plant was blighted by long-term pollution. My step-dad had told me. It wasn't a secret back then.

That's why I was surprised to hear in it's last meeting of 2011, the River Ridge Development Authority which has owned and controlled the former Plant since 1998, announced they're offering more than 360 acres of land to farmers. (News and Tribune: River Ridge offering land to farmers: Farm leases expected to bring in additional revenues)

Thursday, October 06, 2011

"Protesters have a variety of individual demands ...

... but the unifying theme is anger at the economic system that benefits the rich."

Following is the morning's dispatch from Curtis Morrison.

---

October 6, 2011 7:45 AM

For Immediate Release
Contact: curtis morrison, a communications liaison for #occupylouisville participants ... curtster3@gmail.com ... 502.403.9498

Topic: Occupy Louisville completed a second day of opposing corporate influence in U.S. politics and occupying the park at 4th and Jefferson Streets, and is ready to now begin Day 3.

Over 150 people gathered for an evening General Assembly around 9:00pm at 4th and Jefferson park in Louisville’s Financial District Tuesday night. By that time, the occupation was only 38 hours old but gaining supporters by the hour.

The purpose, to express a feeling of mass injustice for all people wronged by the corporate forces of the world: The corporate forces that have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, that have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate and those have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education.

Curtis Morrison said “So far the police have stood down and this has been a peaceful occupation all are welcome to join us an help get our democracy back.” Morrison then added “As our movement continues to grow we could be occupying several parks in the downtown area with thousands of people expected for Fridays march from U of L.”

Participants in the uprising are relocating nightly to the Belvedere at the instruction of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and returning to the 4th and Jefferson park of the mornings. General Assemblies, where the participants make decisions, are held at 1 pm and 7 pm daily, and all are welcome.

Occupy Louisville is an ongoing demonstration opposing corrupt corporate influence in U.S. politics, the influence of money and corporations on democracy and a lack of legal and political repercussions for the global financial crisis.

Website: http://occupylouisville.org/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyLouisville
Facebook event for Friday's U of L March: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=256929557684962
Twitter screename: @OccupyLou
Twitter hashtag: #occupylouisville