Well, look at this: "Resolution Requesting Amendment of Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County Bylaws Regarding City Council Appointments."

Tonight is the last city council meeting of 2017, paving the way for the first city council meeting of 2018, which means it will be appointments season all over again.

Seems like only yesterday, doesn't it?

As it pertains to the Horseshoe Foundation board, its appointments come with a significant caveat in the context of recent ideological shifts.

New city council game of chance: Horseshoe Party Affiliation Roulette. (January 16, 2015)

In the past, the foundation has insisted that only real Democrats and genuine Republicans can attend its meetings, seeing as these are the only two parties legally allowed in God's own America, with the council expected to send one sub-species of each, meaning that the sole GOP choice for eight years running has been Kevin Zurschmiede, the council's sole Republican.

This is vitally important, given that much of New Albany's economic development planning centers on impolitely demanding money from the Foundation, especially when the TIF Credit Card is running on vapors.

Hence this interesting diversion on tonight's agenda, in the form of a polite resolution.

As currently constituted, the council's partisan breakdown reads like this:

4 DemoDisneyDixiecrats: Caesar, Phipps, Nash and McLaughlin
2 Republican: Aebersold and Knable
1 HPQR (Historic Preservation Quasi Republican): Barksdale
1 Independent: Blair
1 CFP (Coffey First Party): the Wizard of Westside

Don't ask me to handicap this one, although Scott Blair's example is an interesting way to extend this post a further two minutes until dinner.

At least twice in the past, Blair was appointed to the Horseshoe Foundation board, and was promptly batted back. Blair should be a natural to vote yes on tonight's resolution, except that he also possesses a principled objection to resolutions as non-binding wastes of the council's time --although there have been past exceptions.

Expect Coffey to be toting his abacus, all the better to determine whether this or any other proposal is calculated to Make Coffey Great Again, and if not, the proportion of axle grease needed to persuade him.

Phipps will defer to the mayor, and it may require two pre-meeting martinis to get me all the way through it.

Wish me luck.

New city council game of chance: Horseshoe Party Affiliation Roulette.

Last night, city council president Pat McLaughlin once again appointed 6th district Independent Scott Blair to serve with John Gonder on the Horseshoe Foundation board.

This is important, given that much of New Albany's economic development planning centers on politely demanding money from the Foundation.

My, how we miss Guido. He could have rocked that one.

In the past, the foundation has insisted that only real Democrats and genuine Republicans can attend its meetings, seeing as these are the only two parties legally allowed in God's own America, with the council expected to send one sub-species of each, meaning that the sole GOP choice for eight years running has been Kevin Zurschmiede, the council's sole Republican.

In 2013, it went down like this:

McLaughlin thanks Benedetti for her servitude, challenges Horseshoe Foundation to do something about it at year's first council gathering.

As it transpired last night, Blair's appointment in 2015 comes with a delightful, new berry twist.

McLaughlin (read: council attorney Matt Lorch) has determined that Indiana state law defines one's political party identity as being derived from the individuals's chosen party ballot in the previous year's primary election, and Blair having voted Republican in May of 2014 ... voila!

The Independent is magically a Republican for the purposes of the Horseshoe Board.

Recalling that former GOP party chairman David Matthews once told me that he used this very same standard of past primary voting identification to vet potential Republican office seekers (Blair himself might recall this trait), it should be evident that Blair's GOP primary vote last May was undertaken with an explicit shared understanding of its future usefulness when contriving Horseshoe-inspired political performance art to be performed during appointments in January, 2015.

And maybe this is why Diane Benedetti was angered last night that McLaughlin's letter via Lorch to Horseshoe explaining Blair's ideological transformation was mailed without copies being provided to other council members, which McLaughlin explained as a regrettable oversight owing to the time-sensitive need to expedite his explanation as a last-minute courtesy before Horseshoe's January meeting.

Of course, he might have done it on any of the 220-odd days elapsing since the plot was hatched in the 2014 primary, but I digress. Dan Coffey promptly declared that while communication and transparency are always good, they're not anywhere near as compelling when Benedetti suggests them, and so let's all consider this recent factoid about the company that owns and operates Horseshoe Southern Indiana:

The parent company has posted losses for each of the last four years, and its total liabilities have climbed to $28.2 billion.

Most of the debt stemming from the buyout is concentrated in Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., the unit expected to file for Chapter 11 protection.

With all eyes (rightly) turned toward Pillsbury ...

(Thanks to A for the link)

Hilarity at Horseshoe as Deen becomes disposable.

Harrumph.

When Horseshoe dropped NABC from draft sales (it took two frigging years to navigate the casino bureaucracy and get those beers pouring in the first place), local media completely ignored the story.

Well, maybe I should have told someone in local media, but by that point I really wasn't up to giving a damn.

Can we be truthful?

Any casino in the world is about one thing, and one thing alone: Gambling, and the profits to be derived from it.

The rest, whether NABC Black & Blue Grass or Ku Klux Kobbler, is secondary. That any benefit whatever to the community is accrued through the offerings of the Foundation results from indirect taxation on casino patrons, when local government refuses to do the deed itself.

Irony. How very elusive hereabouts.

horseshoe-southern-indiana.php">Paula Deen Buffet Dropped By Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino, by Zach Everson (Eater Louisville)

Rumor has it Guy Fieri might be available...(and he likes to visit Louisville for Derby).

Last week, of course, a deposition leaked in which Deen admitted to casually dropping n-bombs and other racist behavior.

Like the proverbial glove: Ed Clere, a healthy Horseshoe Casino, and Toll Free New Albany.

The best way for New Albany to avoid the considerable collateral damage of bridge tolls (which Rep. Clere has enthusiastically supported), is for Horseshoe Casino's indirect taxation to continue, and to thrive.

(Look at it like this. Jerry Finn, head of the Horseshoe Foundation, served on the Bridges Authority, so as provide an acceptable proxy to protect the interests of the Casino, a mission that was accomplished when tolling was removed from the Casino's main access bridge, the Sherman Minton ... meaning that implicitly, Finn knew all along that tolling would be bad, insofar as it would discourage Kentuckians from coming to Indiana -- which would be death to Horseshoe. All he (and Clere, for that matter) need do now is to extend what already has been proven, and help his adopted city, not by random flower plantings, but by helping it to avoid the pass-through price of bridge tolls)

As such, Rep. Clere is entirely correct in seeking a re-examination of all casino laws.

What I'd further recommend is that the Foundation, having understandably participated in the Horseshoe revenue protection exercise otherwise known as "no tolls on the Sherman Minton Bridge," provide matching money for the city to complete its streets before the coming deluge of motorized citizens passing through to flee the chaos of bridge construction and the larceny of tolling.

As we hold our breaths in utter futility, here's the article.

Indiana lawmaker calls for 'holistic look' at all casino laws, by Charlie White (C-J)

With a new Horseshoe Casino set to open March 4 in Cincinnati and the possibility of more casinos opening in surrounding states, Indiana needs to reassess its gambling policies, putting all options on the table, according to state Rep. Ed Clere.

Clere said Hoosier state lawmakers must find ways to shore up casino revenues — money the state has become “very dependent” upon — by reexamining the number of gambling licenses it allows, locations and the state tax structure.

“The Indiana legislature has made gaming policy in an incremental, ad-hoc, usually reactive fashion for two decades now, and I think it’s time to take a holistic look at all our gambling statutes,” said Clere, a Republican from New Albany.

One year later, Indiana 111 is no less dangerous than before.

Kevin Hammersmith was killed a year ago tomorrow, when his car was struck by a vehicle driven by Wesley S. Bradshaw.

While there’s always the chance, albeit slim, that our community might someday commence a substantive discussion of what might be done to alleviate the hazards on the stretch of rural highway (Indiana 111) connecting Horseshoe with its customer base, there isn’t much to say about this sad anniversary beyond asking a question that might have occurred to others who knew Kevin.

What’s the status of the legal case against Bradshaw?

Since the aftermath of the fatal accident, Bradshaw’s journey through the legal system has been mentioned on two occasions within the pages of the News and Tribune.

Toxicology results

Additional counts

The state of Indiana’s search engine can be used to see further details. Click on criminal cases, and enter Bradshaw’s name. Charges filed against him are enumerated, as well as the chronology of the case. My most recent search yielded this:

Jury Trial (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Orth, Susan L)
08/20/2012 Continued to 10/15/2012 - By Request - Bradshaw, Wesley S
10/15/2012 Continued to 02/25/2013 - By Request - Bradshaw, Wesley S

Yes, “justice” is a word loaded with trip wires. To the extent that the American legal system is capable of proffering justice, we’d all like to see “it” done in this case, and seemingly, the time may be drawing near.

Assuredly Kevin will not be forgotten, and since his untimely death, he has been remembered in numerous, meaningful ways, but wouldn’t the very best way to honor his memory be for us to come together to improve safety on that damned stretch of hazardous highway?

The Crashers as viewed through a plastic cup of Hoosier Daddy.

It was last night's "Local Beer. Local Rock" concert at Showroom in Horseshoe Southern Indiana. NABC was the only beer on tap, the music was loud, and approximately 1,487 folks were queued at the Paula Deen Buffet for the Friday night seafood extravaganza.

This Friday night (September 28): Horseshoe Presents: "Local Beer, Local Rock."

I'm appreciative for the opportunity to pair local beer and music at Horseshoe. It's a fine and progressive idea, and I'll be on hand Friday night to take in the scene. The four NABC beers on tap will be: Black & Blue Grass, Community Dark, Hoosier Daddy and Tafel Bier.