We don't need no stinking meetings, as the GREEN MOUSE presents NAWBANY WEEK IN REVIEW for 17 April.

The good news is that Republican mayoral candidate Kevin Zurschmiede finally has a platform.

The bad news is that Rush Limbaugh wrote it yesterday -- and the election was five years ago. Off to Facebook we go:

K: I’ve been saying for several years that life has been so good for so many of us for so long that we take it for granted that it always will be good.

Guess what -- We have reached a lengthy blip of uncertainty lasting for several days, weeks now, turning into months soon. If we do not act now many of our treasured day to day activities will be gone for years to come and many may never return.

See thoughts from Rush yesterday

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April 16, 2020

R: All right this cannot go on, folks. It cannot go on. Even Barry Diller now is calling this cataclysmic, and it is cataclysmic ... We’re at a point now where no matter how many people die from coronavirus, it’s not gonna equate to the damage done to the U.S. economy. 22 million people are not working ...

 ... It is hurting all of us. And it’s scary that there are still people who want to maintain this and have it get even worse. Literally scary. But as I have been saying — I’ve been overusing the word — this isn’t sustainable. It hasn’t been sustainable for a month. It has to change.

(T)here are people who want to continue this. Why?

Jeff Gahan defeated Zurschmiede in 2015 (I participated as a candidate as well and tallied more votes as an independent than Dan Coffey did four years later), and Gahan's giving it his best Winston Churchill pandemic impression.

Also getting $1 million from the state is New Albany. Mayor Jeff Gahan said that the city is currently focused entirely on the coronavirus pandemic, but that officials look forward to moving ahead when the time comes.

“We continue to encourage employees and contractors to wash their hands, practice social distancing, wear DIY masks and other Personal Protection Equipment when it is available, but we are very happy to learn we are the recipient of Community Crossings Grant for $1 million," Gahan said in a statement. "This important grant allows us to extend our road repair efforts and to be fully prepared once construction resumes. Roads are selected by need from our Paving and Road Status Inventory that ranks each road in New Albany by condition. This street ranking and selection list is required for the Community Crossings Grant.”

Inspiring, and they're words that make me want to run out and storm a beach -- masked and socially distant, of course. It's like General Patton said: "The object of campaign finance is not to die for your TIF zone, but to make some other mayor die for his."

The biggest local story of the week came from John Boyle at the Newsy 'Bune: New Albany City Council cancels meetings during outbreak.

“My interpretation, the council attorney’s interpretation and the city attorney’s interpretation was that we shouldn’t have gatherings of 10 or more people and that the only city business that should be taken care of had to relate directly to COVID-19,” (council president Bob) Caesar said of his decision to cancel the meetings. “We didn’t need to take care of anything else. The mayor’s office would take care of everything else.”

Caesar contended that the city’s finances, along with entities like the police and fire departments, are in “great shape.”

If you can't trust the city's most prolific sycophant, who can you trust? Fortunately there are dissenting voices.

(5th district councilman Josh) Turner contends that the council should be holding meetings digitally, utilizing tools like Zoom. Other governing bodies in Southern Indiana have taken advantage of such tools during the pandemic.

The New Albany City Council did hold a virtual meeting last month to pass five funding resolutions to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeffersonville City Council and the Floyd County officials have held meetings that were broadcasts using those platforms. Even in New Albany, the redevelopment commission and board of public works are holding meetings via Zoom.

Maybe Caesar's reasoning is more, um, personal.

If meetings were to be held over Zoom or any other digital platform, Caesar said only those with certain technological capabilities and savvy would be able to participate. “We can’t have public hearing, because people can’t come into our building,” he said. “You can’t just have one for people with access to those devices. You have to have it for everybody.”

Dude's still on AOL dial-up, isn't he?

Certain situations, Caesar noted, would call for a meeting. If an essential entity in the city were to need immediate assistance to make it through the outbreak, he said the council would spring into action.

One hypothetical situation would be a food bank, for instance, needing food or money to serve their clients.

“We’ve got to do something about that, and we will do something about that,” he said. “We will act extremely fast to get something like that done.”

At least CeeSaw has used the shutdown to hone his stand-up routine. Maybe he'll entertain us on YouTube soon, or more likely utilizing the latest in black and white Pathe newsreel technology prior to the Roy Rogers double feature at the Bijou.

Speaking of political maladroits, they come in all party affiliations. By the way, Tennessee Trey Hollingsworth, whose net worth of $50 Million Dollars makes him the 7th wealthiest member of Congress (deliciously, just behind Nancy Pelosi), wants to buy a vowel, or a consonant -- aw, what the fuck, daddy, just buy the newspaper for scrap.

In an exclusive interview with IndyStar Wednesday, Hollingsworth declined to say his words were poorly chosen but indicated he was trying to make a more nuanced argument about the need for better planning as the White House, Congress and other elected officials make tough decisions going forward.

"I believe that I stood up and said on a radio show, (that) we are going to have to make tough decisions going forward ," Hollingsworth said, "and we owe a plan that acknowledges the reality that the risk of coronavirus will never be equal to zero and there are costs associated with this shutdown of our economy, real costs that Hoosiers and Americans are bearing.

"What I got back was Trey wants people to die. I never said that, and it's not true."

Hollingsworth spoke more starkly to WIBC on Tuesday, saying Americans have to go back to their way of life, and it's the lesser of two evils versus the number of people who might die from the coronavirus.

Now if you're excuse me, I have to go take a shower.

Dining on the poor, part one: "Meet Joseph Albert “Trey” Hollingsworth III, the biggest goober in Washington."

Dining on the poor, part two: Trey "Big Boy Pants" Hollingsworth reminds us that capital accumulation comes before YOUR life.

City Council Thursday: These are your luminaries. Cherish them.

Incoming 5th district council person Matt Nash on Twitter:

He's referring to lone Republican council member Kevin Zurschmiede, though it's worth noting that nominal pretend-Democrat Bob Caesar voted against recycling AND the homeless.

It even rhymes: "You folks in District 2 ... my, my how YOU'RE screwed." 

Read all about it: New Albany joins homelessness coalition, by Jerod Clapp (That Jeffersonville Newspaper).

Meanwhile, of the last 25 tweets at the News and Tribune's Twitter account, 17 dealt with locales in Clark County or were links to columnists.

Of the 25 tweets, four were devoted to New Albany and/or Floyd County.

And another four were about ex-chain restaurant spokesman Fogle's sex crimes.

WHAS: "The most important topic for (New Albany) is the future."

Click through to the WHAS web site for the video and story. Both are by Chris Williams.

Video link: Candidates describe motivations in New Albany

Story link: New Albany, Ind. mayoral election could come down to wire

WAVE: "The current administration ... has compromised the future by its expenditures."

Click through to WAVE's web site and view the video.

3 candidates vie to be New Albany's next mayor, by Katie Bauer (WAVE)

WDRB: "Three New Albany Mayoral candidates state their case."

Click through to WDRB's web site and view the video.

Three New Albany Mayoral candidates state their case, by Gil Corsey (WDRB)

WLKY: "New Albany mayoral challengers question incumbent's spending."

Someone might mention to Jeff Gahan how easy it is to do "cool things" when you're spending another's money. Click over to WLKY to watch the video.

New Albany mayoral challengers question incumbent's spending, by Mark Vanderhoff (WLKY)

N and T: "ELECTION PREVIEW: New Albany mayoral candidates talk safety, quality of life."

The News and Tribune's 2015 Voters Guide has all the candidates and their answers to submitted questions. I've already published my own answers here.

Jerod Clapp previews the mayoraLet's pull just one classic example of King Gahan the Oblivious.

“All of the decisions that are made through board of works, city council… public meetings take place to address various aspects of whatever the action is. As far as I’m concerned, it’s very transparent. I really don’t agree with anyone that’s making those kinds of statements that we’re not transparent. I’d just like them to be specific. We haven’t changed meeting times, those schedules have been around for many years.”

He simply does not grasp transparency, does he?

ELECTION PREVIEW: New Albany mayoral candidates talk safety, quality of life, Jerod Clapp (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — Making the city a better place to work and live are on the agendas of each candidate shooting for the mayor’s office in New Albany, but they each have a different approach to reaching those goals.

Incumbent and Democrat, Jeff Gahan, 52, city councilman and Republican Kevin Zurschmiede, 53, and local businessman and independent, Roger Baylor, 55, all want to improve the city for potential and current residents while growing the prospects for businesses that are already here or eyeing the region.

Infrastructure, code enforcement and other issues — two-way streets included — have all been key talking points for the candidates, but the emphasis and level of priority all have different places for the candidates.

Zurschmiede swings and misses as Padgett and pals sue the city of New Albany.

Narcissus gazes at his erection.

We've been following this story since the original April tort claim (here ... here ... and here, among others).

Whatever your political persuasion, it should be obvious that the lawsuit's timing has been determined according to the election calendar, and just as non-coincidentally, given Padgett & Pals' healthy monetary support of the GOP in the current voting cycle, Republican mayoral candidate Kevin Zurschmiede has made sure the C-J's reporter got this much in writing.

(Zurschmiede) does not consider turning one-way streets into two-way streets to be a top city priority. He wants to add an additional lane in each direction to Interstate 265 to help deal with traffic on the Sherman Minton bridge when the two metro area Ohio River bridges open and start tolling.

So, in his zeal to appease the trucking paymasters, KZ desperately wants us to know that (a) he does not at all understand induced demand, (b) he thinks it is necessary to rely on the state and feds to redesign an interstate on short notice, and (c) enough of that two-way stuff, 'cuz it makes his brain hurt.

If you're a two-way streets advocate, and in terms of casting a vote for mayor, I'm not guilty of hyperbole in suggesting to you that only one choice exists: Me.

But beyond that, a pinch of salt helps the lawsuit make better sense, because this much is true: When it comes to breathtaking duplicity, Jeff Gahan has exercised supreme arrogance and bad faith with two-way streets proponents and Padgett obstructionists alike, in equal measure.

He has lied to us all.

Boondoggles like the Main Street "improvement" project have poisoned potential resolution by making lawsuits like this inevitable, and Gahan's inept evasiveness ever since has made an ugly situation intolerable.

It's why he cannot be trusted, and it's why he has to go.

Period.

New Albany, others sued over street design, by Chris Morris (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — Eight local manufacturers, service companies and trucking companies have filed suit against the city of New Albany, New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan, the Floyd County Commissioners, Indiana Department of Transportation and other government agencies alleging that a recent redesign of East Main Street has negatively affected their right to safely access the street.

The plaintiffs are: Padgett, Inc., Tiger Truck Lines, J&J Pallet Corporation, Kaiser Wholesale, Inc., E.M. Cummings Veneers, Inc., Maximum Fleet Service, LLC, Mr. “P” Express, Inc. and W-M Lumber & Wood Products, Inc.

According to their counsel, James Gary, these business owners were not consulted prior to the redesign, which has impaired the ability of their vehicles to travel the designated “Heavy Haul” route for New Albany.

Mailer Wars '15: Let's take a closer look at KZ's four platitudes.

Let's look at each in turn.

Better Management: Localism does not factor into it; instead, it's the very same incentive-laden "attract and retain" boilerplate that's written on the back of David Duggins's business cards. You'd think that at some point, the GOP would realize that Beach Mold & Tool and Padgett actually are local businesses. How will KZ compete against the superior incentives available at River Ridge?

Better Neighborhoods: "Enforcing existing codes" is a code phrase itself, meaning "no rental property registration or inspection" -- and yet rental properties remain the crux of so many neighborhood issues. Also, there's nothing to stop neighborhood associations from being created and strengthened now. The truth is there's no grassroots pressure for this to occur. If KZ intends to create these entities, isn't that top-down thinking of the sort we're trying to purge?

Better City: In my estimation, KZ's vow to run City Hall transparently is sincere. He's surely seen how it works from the other side of the wall, being the only Republican on a council dominated by Democrats.

Better Life: Reading the words "an exceptional place to raise our children" reminds me of a weekend discussion about sporting opportunities for young people. Whenever the topic of team sports is raised, the discussion inevitably turns to a collective responsibility on the part of suburbanites to provide "opportunity" to low-income, inner-city children who can't afford team sports. Curiously, it seldom turns to a chat about what we might do to provide economic opportunity overall, period, rather than continuing to regard the one-in-a-million, lottery-winning inner city future NBA star as constituting equitable opportunity.

I'm not grading these mailers, but KZ's second mass communication manages to narrow his platform to four basic points, even if they are vague and generalized. It's probably where he needs to be in terms of agitprop.

For greater substance, I believe you know where to look. Just search "Baylor Mayor" at NAC, make some coffee, and settle in.

Mailer Wars '15: KZ plays it safe and sticks to the platitudes.

Kevin Zurschmiede's opening statement is very safe. It's the small talk with the father of your date while you're waiting for her to come downstairs.

In large measure, the mayoral campaign to date has consisted of the two major party candidates repeating basic mantras.

Jeff Gahan: Look at these photos of the nice gifts I bought for you with YOUR credit card.

Kevin Zurschmiede: I'm not him ... I'm not him ... I'm not him.

Meanwhile, I've tried my hardest to offer substance: On neighborhoods , and localism, and health and safety, and human rights and free speech -- and yes, also on calmed and completed two-way streets.

Consequently, Kevin's challenge is moving beyond the character references and delving into specifics.

For instance, the mayor has had absolutely nothing to say about economic development or jobs during his reign. This is easy to explain: What development the local economy has undertaken has been in spite of Gahan, not because of him -- and jobs comprise a category defined primarily by persistent hemorrhaging, as with Pillsbury, StemWood and Indatus.  

Yes, Jeff, I know: Beach Mold & Tool is expanding -- and the company thinks so highly of your contribution to this expansion that it is hosting the GOP chili cook-off next week.

When there's nothing to say, you tend to change the subject, hence Gahan's "Elvis meets PT Barnum at Walt Disney's penthouse suite" persona.

I've campaigned on a platform of de-emphasizing economic development boilerplate in a time of River Ridge envy, turning attention to the localization of the economy, and devoting our economic development efforts to useful infrastructure improvements toward this end, as with fiber optic communications and two-way streets.

Kevin has not offered specifics, and worse still, he possesses his own 800-lb gorilla: Padgett, an old-school industrial entity which does not comprehend new-school economic development, and in fact has advocated actively against measures to achieve it (those pesky two-way streets, again).

As a candidate, I'm delighted to be the only one of three to so much as mention economic development as a civic priority, and to both articulate and define a future agenda.

As a voter, I find it curious that both major parties are playing prevent defense, but please, be my guest.

In closing, as with the DemoDixieDisneycrats, the GOP appears to be willing to embrace the attack, although even with this, the Republicans are being reactive to Gahan's ludicrous claims.

Where's the beef?

Hash it #gahanhypocrisy: A mayor who doesn't bother attending council meetings criticizes KZ for poor attendance.

Jeff Gahan's first "attack meme" comes to us from the Democratic Party's page at Fb, which is well on its way to purging all dissenters by prohibiting their comments. It's a repugnant twist emulated at the mayor's campaign page, and in some recent instances the city's social media feed.

That's right: Taxpayer dollars not only are spent to tout Gahan's re-election campaign, but to prevent comments. Those of Gahan's supporters with a passing interest in human rights might consider this quote.

Meanwhile, as Mark Cassidy asks ...

Inquiring minds want to know:

Why does Jeff Gahan not attend city council meetings? He was so mad at Doug England for not attending, that he, as council president, would not allow anyone to speak in the Mayor's slot on the agenda but the Mayor. Now, as Mayor, he attends even less frequently that England did and routinely sends someone to speak in the Mayor's slot. Hypocrite or not?

Far less frequently, in fact. As for me, I intend to attend as many council meetings as I can once elected mayor. Hell, I already do. I will answer questions, throw rhetorical punches, and do so for as long as they wish. It should be like question time in the House of Commons.

A discussion followed Mark's post about Gahan's chronic non-attendance.

---

Clint: It depends on what the meaning of attending is.

Stephen: I was told by the current Council president that there was no reason for him to be there just to get "attacked" by the council members. This was at least two years ago, maybe three, when I raised the issue of his absence. That was when my disillusionment began.

Mark: Takes one to know one, I guess. At least England was man enough to show up considerably more often than Gahan has. Not to mention that he told many of us, when he ran four years ago, that he would be a regular attendee at meetings. Pshaw.

Steven: Mayor Garner almost always showed up and was almost always attacked by the Council.

Mark: True. I started attending on a regular basis during his last year.

Roger: But Gahan completely controls this council. Last night was vivid proof. It was as though their teleprompters went blank, and in the absence of instructions, flailing was the order of the day: "We'd tell you what we think as soon as Gahan tells us."

Stephen: From my perspective, being there is part of the job. No one else can answer for you, but you. Be a man, Gahan.

Roger: Only if manhood pertains to monetizing or propaganda. Cults of personality mean never having to be yourself. The fear needs to stop.

Clint: "Ve half vays of making you think."

Roger: Even in New Albany?

Clint: I didn't specify useful or logical thinking.

Here's the link to the Leadership Southern Indiana debate video.

Republican mayoral candidate Kevin Zurschmiede and I discuss the issues. It's an hour long, and worth your time.

Leadership Southern Indiana's New Albany Mayoral Debate

In the aftermath of the debate, much has been made about Mayor Jeff Gahan's absence -- and that's as it should be.

Baylor for Mayor: We're the "no excuses" team.

Leadership Southern Indiana debate recap: A calm and factual discussion about choices.

Courtesy of the Floyd County GOP page at Fb.

Shea Van Hoy live-tweeted Tuesday's Leadership Southern Indiana debate; check the feed here. If you're using your noggin before voting, please watch the video when it is released at the News and Tribune.

Thanks to LSI and everyone responsible for tonight's debate at NAHS. They worked hard and produced a class presentation from top to bottom. The debate featured great questions in a concise, fast paced format. The discussion was issue-driven and substantive.

Special thanks to Kevin Zurschmiede. He was informative and honest. I tried to be, too.

New Albany mayor's debate focuses on who wasn't there, by Jerod Clapp (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — Several issues were brought to the stage, but Tuesday’s New Albany mayoral debate was bookended by who was missing from the discussion.

Two of the three candidates running for the seat — Kevin Zurschmiede, a Republican, and Roger Baylor, an independent — participated in Leadership Southern Indiana’s debate at New Albany High School.

LWV Debate 1 (N and T link): Why is Jeff Gahan terrified of a mayoral threesome?

Photo credit: Christopher Fryer, N and T.

The subtitle is very important.

"Voters won't see full-field New Albany mayoral debate."

After announcing he'd fly back from his son's destination wedding for last night's LWV debate at Wembley, Kevin Zurschmiede changed his mind and chose to remain with his family. I believe that's a civilized and rational decision, and I respect it.

We simply must not forget that the ongoing responsibility for conniving to evade face to face debates with all three mayoral candidates present lies with Jeff Gahan, not Zurschmiede.

It's clear that Gahan is ducking and covering, though he still might choose to do the right and honorable thing by attending the Leadership Southern Indiana session on Tuesday, September 29.

Yes, I know. It's advisable to refrain from holding your breaths. Gahan's already asphyxiated common sense and decency in this town, and there's no use in NAC readers becoming casualties, too.

The departing reporter Suddeath sifts through it quite well, and this is a solid overview of the LWV affair. Earlier this week, he covered the NAHA forum here. The raw video of last evening is here.

New Albany mayoral candidates trade jabs over platforms and personality; Voters won't see full-field New Albany mayoral debate, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — Incumbent Democrat Jeff Gahan and Independent mayoral challenger Roger Baylor continued their verbal sparring Thursday over the future of New Albany, as well as decisions made in the past, during the second candidates forum held this week.

Baylor attacked Gahan's track record on economic development, citing the recent or planned exoduses of companies like General Mills, Indatus and StemWood from New Albany. Gahan accused Baylor — who has been a co-owner of the New Albanian Brewing Co. for more than 25 years and active in numerous other local causes — of being too negative.

"He's never done anything in a positive manner to help the city of New Albany," said Gahan, who is seeking his second term as mayor, during the debate hosted by the League of Women Voters.

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.

Stop the presses: Zurschmiede works it out, will attend the Sept. 24 LWV debate at the Homerdome.

I hope the newspaper is paying attention, seeing as I've been ... never mind.

Don't ask me for details about the change. I only know that with Jeff Gahan announcing his debate schedule with a mind toward avoiding a three-way contest, Kevin Zurschmiede has somehow altered his family itinerary, and will be able to attend the League Of Women Voters event on September 24 at Gahan's home field, Silver Street Park.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters

Great news, our league received news today concerning the debate from the Republican chair and Kevin zurschmead has rearranged his schedule and will be at the debate! So, in both counties all mayoral candidates will attend!

Of course, the LWV won't publicly concede this is Gahan's home field ... and very gently, it's Zurschmiede, and Facebook does allow editing, even hours later.

But make no mistake, this is good news. Voters deserve to see the three of us together on one stage, in spite of Gahan's evasive machinations, and now the great and powerful Oz needs to get real, reciprocate, and honor both city voters and the hard work of Leadership Southern Indiana by rearranging HIS schedule to attend LSI's debate on the 29th at New Albany High School.

Earlier today, long before the breaking news, the South Central Indiana League of Women Voters added event promos on Facebook.

My photo shows me wearing a US Postal Service cap from the Tour de France. Randy Smith gave it to me. In 2008, I was bicycling in Belgium, and lost the cap on the road somewhere. I can't remember the origin of the photograph, but then again, it's been more than seven years.

A healthy discussion then took place on the LWV's page at Fb. Here it is, lest something happen to the historical document. Note again that a few hours later, Zurschmiede's situation changed, and the update above was posted.

Roger A. Baylor
With all due respect, consider changing the date of the NA forum. Gahan's only coming because Zurschmiede cannot. The voters deserve better than this.

South Central Indiana League of Women
Gahan isn't coming to the LSI debate, we really cannot and hope you understand. There are debates and forums happening and canceling it would just conflict with another function.

Roger A. Baylor
I understand you have no interest in accountability, and that is genuinely regrettable. You are actively enabling Gahan's selective irresponsibility, but it's a learning experience -- and I surely wouldn't want anyone losing her city job over it.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters
That is unfair, you question my integrity, Bill Hansen's, Teresa Perkins, and everyone involved in the League. We have been impartial and have bent over backwards to pull off an event that would give voice to everyone equally. If you choose not to come, we will understand.

Roger A. Baylor
I don't even know who you are. I wouldn't miss this or any other event, and I'm not the only one with eyebrows raised. It's a softball toss in the mayor's own building, and he's shirking LSI because he's getting a free ride here.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters
Again, we have worked hard. The questions are coming from concerns expressed by citizens and will come to you at the same time they come to other candidates. We have had commitments from everyone before any other debate was even announced. It is Barb (Anderson), Roger. I respect you and your right to feel the way you do but we do not intend to soft pedal anything but we do intend to hold an event that is fair, impartial, and balanced. Kevin expressed his regret due to his son's marriage and we will read those regrets and respect him a great deal, he was quite the gentleman about not being able to attend. We are asking questions that are pertinent to the community, a two minute response to the other candidate and a one minute rebuttal. To our knowledge and to our seeing there has been no attempt to soft pedal anything, just an attempt to have a civil debate.

Roger A. Baylor
And Barb, my respect for you is immense. The builders cancelled their forum owing to no-shows, which points to the potential for manipulation, and that's my argument: if it is impartial, then one candidate cannot be handed ammo (the building) and also provided a pretext to evade face to face with both challengers. Lots of us already know what it feels like to be used by Jeff Gahan. Perhaps the League will learn this difficult lesson too. Cheers.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters
I live in Jeffersonville, I loved the public park which is owned by the taxpayers. Kevin as a council person has as much to do with parks as any Mayor. We are not a wealthy organization and thought the venue was beautiful and proud for any forum to be held there. There are three city council candidates not attending. We are offering for educational purposes and opportunity for the citizens of the county to see and speak with their candidates. The questions are being offered by the League and no one else, the reception will be an opportunity for people to ask one on one questions. My respect for you is strong as well, I would never suggest you would participate in an event that wasn't fair and above board, neither would I think you would suggest I would.

Jeff Gillenwater
Kevin actually voted against the expenditure for the park and many others questioned it, including Roger. Gahan, in turn, has been continually using it as a prop for campaign purposes. The League declaring it something beautiful of which to be proud, a very pro-park and, in context, pro-Gahan stance, isn't exactly impartial so it's not difficult to see why many people are questioning venue choice. I think the brewery that Roger helped build is great and an asset to the community but I wouldn't suggest that holding a mayoral debate there would be impartial. The same could be said of Kevin's properties. The park is technically public but the association is plain. Given the low number of New Albany forums involving all the mayoral candidates, it doesn't seem unreasonable that a single alternative date and/or location could be explored without conflicting with another event. Besides the LSI debate, what other neutral events involving all the mayoral candidates are scheduled between now and the November election that would make it difficult to find another date or location? The library, the Carnegie Center, IUS, or any of the public schools would be neutral. Is there really not an alternative date available at any of them over the next couple of months? At best, this is an honest mistake but it's not too late to correct it.

Roger A. Baylor
Thanks, Jeff Gillenwater. That's it in a nutshell.

Gahan's signature pettiness ensures we'll not see a mayoral debate with all three candidates present at once.

(Update, 5:24 p.m., Sept. 4: Several of you have rightly pointed out that the NAHA is not owned or governed by the city. I was and remain aware of this, and should have done a better job with language intended to convey irony. Apologies for the muddle)

It genuinely sickens me to report this information to you.

Earlier today, I told you this.

In letter, Jeff Gahan confirms intent to snub Leadership Southern Indiana and bypass LSI's mayoral debate (includes my return letter).

Now I know why.

I've learned that Republican mayoral candidate Kevin Zurschmiede will be out of town during the week of the New Albany Housing Authority candidate forum (September 22) and League of Women Voters coronation softball toss (September 24).

The reason?

His son is getting married in a destination wedding.

In my world, that's a damned good reason, and knowing this puts a completely different spin on Jeff Gahan's letter, doesn't it?

Yes, Gahan is perfectly content to appear on a Tuesday at a forum staged by a "department" of his own city government, and then again two days later at what amounts to a fluffed-up photo op in a building he bonded to have built, as organized by an employee he appointed to her position.

But when it comes to appearing at the sole debate -- a real debate, at that -- at which all three candidates might appear together, Gahan is quick to decline.

If that's not textbook moral cowardice, I'm hard pressed to offer a better definition. Local Democrats should be hanging their heads in shame, but if the past is any guide, they're looking the other way.

ON THE AVENUES: When even Mitt Romney can run to the left of New Albany’s Democrats, it's a very big problem.

Telephone polling has started -- destroy those credit card receipts, boys.

Have you been phoned with polling questions about the mayoral race in New Albany? Two friends received calls yesterday, both from West Coast area codes.

First, W.

I was just polled about the upcoming coming election. It was a California phone number. They made negative statements about Kevin Zurschmiede and Jeff Gahan, but nothing about you, though they included you in options of who did I plan to vote for.

A bit later, D was able to fill in a few blanks.

Received a call this evening with an Oregon area code asking my opinions on the city of New Albany and its "progress". Tons of questions, most I had difficulty understanding. They can call all they want but at this time it's Baylor for Mayor ... they asked if I thought Downtown New Albany needed 2-way streets.

I asked if it could be determined which political party was paying for the calls.

If I had to guess, I'd say the Democratic Party. Seemed more pro-Gahan. Brought up Kevin Zurchmiede and his lack of knowledge that tenants were running a prostitution business out if one if his properties. Seems to me they wouldn't have brought that up if they were soliciting votes for KZ.

Yep -- that gives it away, doesn't it?

If you receive one of these calls, let me know -- and bite back. Have some fun. Ask them to identify themselves and their paymasters.

When developers and contractors keep giving an incumbent money, I guess he's gotta spend it on something.

On mayoral forums and debates, no-show incumbents and "a spectrum of opinion."

"But the bigger the office, the more need for a public exchange of ideas. The candidate who can’t agree with that much devalues our democracy."

Jeff Gahan missed the Southern Indiana Realtors Association candidate luncheon last Thursday. I asked one of the organizers about it, and he said, "He was really hard to reach, and when we finally did, he said he'd try to make it."

File under "THEMES, recurring."

Seeing as Kevin Zurschmiede is a realtor, perhaps Gahan thought he'd be at a disadvantage. I feel much the same way about the League of Women Voters' bizarre decision to award its debate venue to Gahan's own Silver Street Park building, but it won't stop me from attending the event.

Sept. 24 "fix" at the Taj Mahal: I'd prefer a genuine debate to a staged re-enthronement, but let's do it.

I've spoken with several persons who feel that Gahan won't come to any of the upcoming forums. I persist in thinking he will. Here are the occasions as revealed to me thus far.

Building & Development Association of Southern Indiana
Thursday, September 10, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
300 Spring St, Jeffersonville, IN 47130

New Albany Housing Authority Candidate and Voting Information Session
Tuesday, September 22, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
300 Erni Avenue Gymnasium, New Albany, IN 47150

League of Women Voters Candidate Forum 
Thursday, September 24, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Silver Street Park, 2043 Silver Street, New Albany, IN 47150

Leadership Southern Indiana New Albany Mayoral Debate
Tue, September 29, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
New Albany High School, 1020 Vincennes Street, New Albany, IN 47150

This editorial was written in New Jersey in 2014, not New Albany, but significant portions are quite relevant to us.

N.J. incumbents must stop dodging debates: Editorial (NJ.com)

... the big-ticket incumbents who won’t debate their opponents -- particularly those leading in the polls who are just trying to run out the clock until Nov. 4 -- are doing their constituents a disservice.

Politics is a debate of ideas, and elections are a referendum on who best expresses those ideas, but it’s hard to compare two candidates if one guy refuses to stand still for more than a few hours.

It’s disappointing that U.S. Sen. Cory Booker is one of them. His decision to engage in only one debate against Jeffrey Bell gives credence to the assumption that they serve but one purpose: to reinforce your prior decision to vote for the blue team or red team, which is precisely the problem with our pro-wrestling-level of political discourse nowadays.

Perhaps the best way to drag incumbents out of their comfort zone is a third-party candidate who could tell the others why they’re out of touch, which isn’t beyond reason in a country that lives in a perpetual state of war, can’t feed its hungry, can’t educate its kids, and can’t bring itself to punish the Wall Streeters who bankroll the major party candidates.

You know, a spectrum of opinion. Democracy.

But Booker needs to have more than one debate with his Republican challenger. Bell is often dismissed by Democrats as dotty and irrelevant, but he has the courage to be on a ballot and he deserves to be heard. Who said so? Bill Bradley said so. He and Bell had 21 debates when they ran for Senate in 1978, and though Bell lost the vote, he scored significant points: When Bradley authored the legislation that overhauled the federal tax code – the two-bracket system -- he incorporated some of Bell’s ideas.

Those days are gone. Frontrunners have been programmed to avoid the gotcha moment, as one slip in the morning gets you pilloried during the B-block that evening on Hannity or Maddow ...

Jeff Gahan blows off today's SIRA candidate luncheon.

Today was the Southern Indiana Realtors Association luncheon at Elk Run Golf Club in Jeffersonville. There was a huge question hanging over the pre-lunch session, which featured the Jeffersonville and Salem mayoral candidates.

Would Jeff Gahan attend the function, or just send Mike Hall like usual?

As you can see, there was an empty seat for the empty suit.

Mark Cassidy contributed Gomer Pyle, and Nick Vaughn took the photo.

One of the organizers told me that it was really difficult getting hold of Mayor Gahan, and when finally he responded, it was to say he'd try to attend.

I enjoyed it; thanks to Martina Webster to extending the invitation. The gig included a free lunch -- and after all, it's why we fight.