Councilman Greg Phipps's blog makes Erika blow a superannuated gasket.

Boy, Erika's sure steamed. He/she/it hasn't been this agitated since Greg Phipps toppled Steve Price in 2011 like a house of Legion video poker machine cards, providing hope of literacy to the long suffering residents of the 3rd council district.

MAIL CALL: IS THIS COUNCILMAN FOR REAL?

... Well Mr. Phipps, The Constitution of the United States gives you the right to say how you feel.

As Christians we find this highly offensive. We've never met missionaries who forced Christianity on other cultures and believe us we know several.

It can mean only one thing: An elected official is displaying independence, intelligence, or probably both; and yes, upon further perusal, we find the little peoples' target right here:

Greg's Social, Political and Religious Commentary

Views expressed on this blog are presented from a liberal, progressive perspective with the intent to encourage a critical view of the problems facing our society. Views expressed are not presented in a mean-spirited way, nor are intended to offend; however, those with different political and religious views may be challenged by what is presented here.

Nash: "I believe that New Albany deserves better than we have received in recent elections."

Matt, I keep trying to tell you: Use big enough words, and no one will respond to what you write. But what the hey ... nice one-two punch this week.

NASH: If that’s what it takes

As a member of the New Albany City Council in the last year of his second term, no one can recall Mr. Price ever attending a meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. Most of the historic districts in New Albany fall within the boundaries of Mr. Price’s district. His complete lack of knowledge and understanding of what they do was evident when he tried to disband the group. Luckily, no other member of the city council felt the same way about the Historic Preservation Commission as he did.

On the same page as Ms. Larner’s letter to the editor, there was a “Cheer” from reader Stephen Scott concerning work being done to make downtown sidewalks handicap accessible. He writes “The benefit for those who need it is immeasurable.” The irony that these two reader comments appear on the same page was not lost on me. Mr. Price was the sole member of the city council who voted against the federally mandated improvements to the sidewalks.

Coffey refuses to name names; pumpkin patch freezes solid; NA council completes another session.

It appears that the Gang of Pour was not represented at last night's council meeting, putting us into the same category of zombie-like irrelevance as every last one of Steve Price's long-suffering, utterly ignored constituents. Fortunately, the Tribune's Daniel Suddeath is well paid to endure the indignities. Here is his report:

New Albany City Council passes $1.7M to balance 2010 budget; Annexation passes while preservation commission abolishment turned away.

... Councilwoman Diane McCartin-Benedetti sponsored the measure, and said she did not support the administration’s original proposal because it did not include a repayment of the EDIT funds that would have been spent on public safety.

“I think EDIT — economic development [tax] — needs to be used for economic development,” she said.

It's Price vs. the HPC, third round, as kindergarten vandalism returns to tonight's council agenda.

It's the first Monday of the month, and you know what that means: It's Coffey Time, otherwise known as a meeting of the Common Council of the City of New Albany.

The 3rd district uncouncilman Steve Price will introduce his enduringly entertaining "gut the HPC and barbecue the carcass for some Buffett karaoke" ordinance for a third, doomed reading.

Having informed the assembled throng last time that hundreds of starving New Albanians oppose preservation, yet being congenitally unable to produce them or to induce them to emerge from hiding (you see, it's those persistent fears of molestation at the hands of vindicative and fanatical preservationist zombies), you'd think that Price spent the last two weeks assembling a witness or three.

What about that guy sleeping there on yonder rental couch? He certainly looks oppositional.

Meanwhile, masochists need only consult The Comprehensive Guide to Soporific Stupor for complete listings. I shan't be there, as it is time for another Office Hours with the Publican at the Public House. Imperial Stouts are on the agenda tonight.

Have fun, friends and neighbors. Just imagine what it might be like to have a councilman with a pulse.

Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee.

Some nights, the Gummy Worms just aren't enough. Had to ride all the way to Mt. Pilot to get 'em, and they didn't last half the meeting.

You know, it's just been building, ever since back when I was all green, and here's the thing about fairness: It just makes you plain angry that for six whole years, the city wasted all those taxpayer nickles and dimes on stamps to let me know about HPC meetings when I never had any notion of attending them in the first place.

You need your buddy Goober to help you out, and lucky me, he's willing to second my ordinance, and then try to withdraw his second, and get all red in the face, then stand up for the rights of all the oprah-essed little people by abstaining twice on the votes. Takes guts to do that, and heck, it made me proud to be his pal, seeing as I know he had to do it because of Perfesser Erika running agin' him, and all.

That's right Goober, twice. Didn't matter anyway, seeing as them pointy-headed rich folks like Howard Sprague wouldn't pay attention to the stories of all the folks who kept calling us, even though we didn't get a single one of them to come down and testify 'cuz of them damned ree-pry-zals from the pergessives.


And then ol' Jack Messer had to go and say that I was trying to fire Sheriff Andy, but heck, it's just that we need Otis running things, not all them people who accomplish stuff. What's so fair about not being able to keep up with the college grad-ee-ates, anyway? What about Bank Street, huh?

Damn right I'm out of order. I was doing karaoke before that police cadet was born. Screw it, they're all Nazis. I'm outta here.

(We can only hope.)

Music soothes the savage vinyl siding mogul.

Open thread: Li'l Stevie's anti-preservation, pro-community vandalism homework assignment about to reach council?

The Facebook page of the Heritage Preservation League of New Albany- Floyd County reports that at Thursday evening's council conclave, 3rd District uncouncilperson Steve Price will introduce an ordinance to dissolve the Historic Preservation Commission and to repeal Title XV, Chapter 151 (Historic Preservation).

While the meeting's agenda has yet to be released, and the scope of the purported ordinance strikes me as so bizarrely surreal as to be purpose-built for "noble" failure, it naturally would be in keeping with CM Price's decades-long, sustained assault on the virtues of his own neighborhood to conceive such a plainly destructive plan.

But ...

TWANG! It would make Ron Craig and the hovering, bloodsucking slumlord contingent quite happy (see: Craig's gallant last stand against Communism, Atheism and Historical Preservation.)

TWANG! It would increase the percentage of tips Price receives while performing senseless Karaoke at Pastimes, another recent and eager violator of the preservation codes.

TWANG! It would help fill buckets of vindictive spite and warm spit, fueling Price's ceaseless and formless anger against a scary planet.

Beyond all those, there appears to be little in this attempted kindergarten-level community vandalism homework project that actually would benefit the city of New Albany, and perhaps for that very reason, and sadly, yet again, those citizens who avoided the terrible fate of getting permanently wasted on the way must mobilize and reject the efforts of the extractive element.

This recurring brainless shit of Price's gets tiresome, doesn't it?

Feel free to discuss.