Newspaper letter writer savages a failing, flailing and floundering Duggins at the NAHA, and follows the bread crumbs back to Deaf Gahan.

The Deputy Executive Director mentioned in Susan Ryan's letter (below) is Tony Toran, a former city official and longtime Democratic Party higher-up. This and other carefully pre-scripted "surprises" occurred at last Monday's New Albany Housing Authority meeting, but numerous reports of David Duggins' escalating managerial incompetence have been coursing through the Green Mouse's grapevine for weeks.

Once again: I think Duggins was moved to the NAHA not by design, but necessity. Something happened to make Dugout's position at redevelopment untenable, and he needed a fatter pay packet, and so Gahan shifted him to the NAHA. Now Toran is brought aboard to do Duggins' job, while Gahan looks elsewhere for a new bag man (I'm getting to that).

ON THE AVENUES: Using Deaf Gahan’s dullest razor, we race straight to the bottom of his hurried NAHA putsch launch.

From the very start, Jeff Gahan's putsch against the NAHA has been about grabbing the housing authority's acreage for the sort of real estate developments that feed campaign funds rather than the needs of ordinary people.

Gahan also has been directing dog whistles to his not-so-democratic "traditional" Democratic Party supporters. To be succinct, references to "the project" always have been intended to mean not the buildings, but African-American (and other minorities) living in them.

When a Democrat whispers "if only we could do something about the projects," the inference is crystal clear, and has been since Warren Nash dozed though his term as mayor. Republicans? They're perfectly content to let so-called Democrats do their heavy lifting. It's a symbiotic relationship, if highly repellent.

As Ryan correctly points out, Duggins, who was no more prepared than a feral neighborhood cat to inherit Bob Lane's salary at NAHA, much less grasp Lane's duties -- and is surrounded by a similarly useless and clueless governing board of bootlicking sycophants appointed by Gahan -- needed a bailout.

Toran is a trustworthy Democratic foot soldier, and he's African-American, this intended by Gahan as reassurance to black voters who by all rights should (and might yet) desert His Deafness in droves in 2019. Rehabbing the former Baity Funeral Home is another such scrap, albeit a relatively meek one.

Welcome to New Gahania, where we answer to the anchor.

If the rumors are true and legendary Municipal Concealment Attorney (and Democratic Party grandee) Shane Gibson takes over Duggins' former bailiwick as bag man at redevelopment (and as titular economic development director), pretty soon there'll be so few people involved in New Albany civic decision-making that all of it can be transacted by Gahan, Gibson and Adam Dickey in the back seat of a limo, while Warren drives and Duggins is sent off in his brand new NAHA vehicle to pick up a few cases of ice cold Michelob ULTRA Lime Cactus.

Now THAT's what I call gesture politics, although the specific gesture I have in mind probably wouldn't meet with Adam's approval. Okay, boys and girls, all together now: "SHOW US YOUR BEAKS" -- and take it away, Susan Ryan.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: More surprises at NAHA meeting, by Susan Ryan (Hanson Christian Chronicle)

The New Albany Housing Authority (NAHA) meetings always have a surprise and the most recent one was no surprise. We learned that the Interim Executive Director is having difficulty doing the job that Bob Lane did so effortlessly for 17 years. While the Family Self-Sufficiency program is having to cut staff, Mr. Duggins requested that the Board approve a new position for a Deputy Executive Director, and of course the board all approved and refused to consider one board member’s request that they first examine the overall budget. The position description reads exactly like an Executive Director’s job which I guess means that now Mr. Duggins' major responsibility will be to make sure the board approves what the Mayor wants, and represent NAHA to the HUD authorities.

In other news, the board meeting was moved from 5:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. to accommodate staff, and make it difficult if not impossible for working citizens to attend and monitor the board meetings. Nothing like transparency.

We need a reset button. We need to bring Bob Lane back and be serious about building a cooperative working relationship between the city and the NAHA. We need an Executive Director who respects the tenants in public housing and does not castigate them as “those poor who can take their vouchers and find a different city to live in.” Enough is enough.

It's #OurNA, all right: "New Albany attempting to purge itself of the poor" ... so, are local Democrats finally catching on to the Gahan shell game?

It's surprising the Jeffersonville newspaper even published this piece.

Jeff Gahan's taxpayers are big weekly ad buyers, aren't they? The newspaper's editorial team recently concocted a paean to Gahan's Public Housing Putsch 2017 so namby-pamby that it appeared Eddie LaDuke had been reinstalled in the editor's chair.

1 of 2: Nick Vaughn eloquently demonstrates that Jeff Gahan's Great Public Housing Putsch of 2017 does nothing to address poverty -- the real problem.

2 of 2: Newspaper editorial board displays abject cluelessness about the Great Gahan Public Housing Putsch of 2017.

Make no mistake: I'm delighted to read this column. For far too long, local Democratic pretend-liberals have denounced Republican anti-social behavior while venerating Gahan for precisely the same knee-and-phallus-jerking.

In particular, party chairman Adam Dickey spews hypocrisy like the wood chipper following in the wake of downtown street tree deforestation.

Thanks, Susan Ryan. We deeply appreciate it. Does anyone else other than you in the local party get it?

RYAN: New Albany attempting to purge itself of the poor, by Susan Ryan

On Monday, April 24th, the New Albany Housing Authority will vote on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of New Albany. It is a path to purge the city of poor people by tearing down over 600 units of public housing and then giving occupants vouchers to find a place to rent. Cleansing a city of the poor by evicting them and tearing down affordable housing seems to be in vogue (consider our neighbor Charlestown and the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood).

It seems to me that there has been some bullying behavior toward the New Albany Housing Authority (NAHA) by the Mayor’s office. This has led to some serious governance issues for the board of NAHA.

Sure was. After the snip ...

While the Tribune reported that Mayor Gahan said he was unaware of this problem, the fact is that the Board President personally spoke with him several times about the need which only seemed to be filled when the city needed the MOU signed. 

Gahan lied? Say it ain't so.

The City has several ways in which they can put a choke hold on what NAHA can accomplish including refusing to sign off on grant applications, refusing to issue demolition permits, refusal to issue building permits, and failing to make necessary appointments to the governance board. These have been used strategically undermine the vision and action of the board. 

If chicanery's the objective, there's no better point man on the planet than David Duggins.

The point is they work. If we would like to see them get out of public housing a good first step would be to raise the minimum wage. Why do we insist on believing that poor people are lazy when the reality is that most poor are working poor?

Because Eastridge Drive Rules.

To tear down someone’s home then send them off with a voucher hoping they will move to another city as was expressed publicly, is just plain cynical and cruel. There is already a waiting list for voucher approved housing. If we cannot accommodate everyone on that list, why would we add several hundred families to that list?

Son of Eastridge Drive Rules. They're elected officials, not book readers.

We can learn a lot about ourselves by how we treat the poor among us. 

And as such, we continue to learn a lot about local Democratic priorities.

Monday, April 24th, 5:30 p.m. at the NAHA. Will you be there to lend your voice and support to the vulnerable in our community?

I'll be there. Some recent links:

ON THE AVENUES: It's all so simple, says Jeff Gahan. Remove the impoverished, and voila! No more poverty!

Authority fact sheet and ponder the safety net Jeff Gahan seeks to demolish along with bricks and mortar.

Public housing demolition men: "Hi, I'm Mayor Jeff Gahan and this is David Duggins, and we're here to help."

ON THE AVENUES: Never preach free speech to a yes man; it wastes your time and annoys Team Gahan.

Susan Ryan's excellent newspaper column about symbols.

As local pretend-Democrats whistle Dixie(crat), Gahan prepares to launch the public housing pogrom.

Loss leader? Adam wrote a press release about himself as standard bearer for the Democrats.

“It feels like planners in the U.S. sort of exist in a history vacuum. It’s important for them to look at this information and understand that a lot of city planning really involves dismantling systems like zoning and redlining.”

ON THE AVENUES: In 2014 as in 2015, then 2016, now 2017 ... yes, it's the "Adamite Chronicles: Have muzzle, will drivel."

Today's New Albany Housing Authority meeting has been cancelled, so Jeff Gahan's undemocratic Anschluss will have to wait until just before the Ides of March.

Pleasant Ridge in the NYT: All that nice outside money waiting to be invested, and all those low-income people refusing to get out of the way.

Time to learn facts, Democrats: Myths and misperceptions about public housing ... and lessons from Chicago's reform effort.

Gahan's Grab: Yes, principled Democratic positions on public housing actually DO exist, and here's one of them. But first, some Kool Aid!

Right when Greg Phipps said it's no big deal; after all, the sycophant-packed mayoral lickspittle NAHA-N board would have to vote on any public housing changes.

Precinct, trust, communicate ... three strikes and local Democrats are "out," though free to continue pursuing a GOP-style public housing power grab.

Let's summarize 2017 with a Gahan and Floyd Democratic Party meme and a few essential links.

Four things you should know about Jeff "Dead Inside" Gahan's public housing hostile takeover and land grab.

So-called "Democrat" Jeff Gahan's "Memorandum of Understanding" details his hostile takeover of the New Albany Housing Authority, and the land grab to follow.

ON THE AVENUES: A luxury-obsessed Jeff Gahan has packed a board and now seeks to break the New Albany Housing Authority. Can we impeach him yet?

I've been on it this year, haven't I? Hope I'm not bugging anyone.

Susan Ryan's excellent newspaper column about symbols.

I've known the author for a while, and she's a fine writer. The teaser paragraph actually is her conclusion, but it might as well serve as introduction. You'll want to read it all.

Certainly Susan is correct, and symbols genuinely matter. She's a left-winger like me. Let's hope she'll be writing about the wretched symbolism inherent in the Floyd County Democratic Party's oblivious acquiescence in Jeff Gahan's public housing takeover scheme.

If indeed the putsch against affordable housing is disturbing, then shouldn't the rank and file say as much? It's making the local party look even worse ... if that's even possible.

Are there any Democrats in New Albany "brave enough to say 'this is not what we are about'"?

RYAN: Outward symbols the hallmark of inner feelings, by Susan Ryan (Hanson Slip Stream)

 ... Symbols matter. The symbol of the steeple on the Town Clock Church is a symbol of fraternity, of hope, of sacrifice, of honoring God’s image in one another. The symbol in front of the Police Station is one of fear and is inappropriate for a city-owned building. Is there any public official in New Albany brave enough to say “this is not what we are about”?

Letter: GOP chair Matthews and his grumbling about the "need to contribute.”

In the News and Tribune letter section today, GOP chairman Matthews receives a hiding. I've included a link to his most recent letter, as cited by Mrs. Ryan.

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Democratic leader: GOP head not looking out for you

This April, my husband and I will again send in our tax forms with thanks that we live in the United States and pleased that our taxes provide good governance and multiple public services we have benefited from our entire lives. I have visited countries with minimal governance and no organized public services, and it is not a place you would want to live.

Dave Matthews, Floyd County GOP chair, recently shared his angst at “having to contribute” to pay for U.S. budgets. How sad that he sees this in such a negative light. More than most Americans, Matthews has benefited mightily from the U.S. government. Retired from military service, he enjoys unlimited free health care for the rest of his life. He benefits from the only truly socialized medical care in the United States.

However, as chair of the local Republican Party, he will work very hard to make sure none of us ever have such fabulous medical support. Matthews was trained as a pilot at a cost to the U.S. government of $1 million (source The Air Force News). Few of us will be able to receive $1 million worth of free education. As a Republican leader, he is sure to lead the charge against Pell grants and other support for low income students. Matthews now collects a comfortable pension that is guaranteed by the U.S. government. Yet, he will fight proposed regulations of Wall Street that would protect others from having their retirement incomes decimated by unscrupulous hedge fund managers.

Coming out of the service, Matthews was able to get a job as a pilot with UPS (thanks to the $1 million of government training). According to UPS, the average salary of their pilots was $174,830 in 2004. Of course, Matthews is a member of the pilot’s union and benefits significantly from that representation. As chair of the local Republican Party, you can be assured that he will work hard to make sure others do not have strong union representation.

Matthews is doing quite well. You think he would feel blessed and pleased to support a government that has provided so well for him and his family and not approach each tax season grumbling about the “need to contribute” so others can have a fair share.

— Susan Ryan, Floyd County Democratic precinct chair, Floyds Knobs