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It's Time For a Change in the Clark Co. Assessor's Office

 

Clark Co. assessor incumbent (D) Vicky Kent Haire, who has served several positions in county government over the years faces newcomer local real estate agent  Martina "Tina" Webster (R). We thank Ms. Haire for her service but the BatBlog have noticed a steady decline in recent years in the customer service and help provided by the office,  The information and customer service from the Assessor's office is probably the most important of any county office, because they determine the value of ones property and the tax liability of property owners through out the county.  As anyone who owns property(real estate) knows, there are a lot of discrepancies and mistakes made in what is a complicated assessing process, and that is why good information and customer service is essential to this department.

  No one wants to pay more than their fair share of taxes and with the recent decline of the service and the explanations provided,we wonder if there aren't a lot of taxpayers paying more taxes than they should. Gone are the days when the local assessor or agent of the office would go home to home checking with the home owner for mistakes in things like sq. footage, no of rooms, etc. Now the work is outsourced, and it is up to the taxpayer on his own time to make sure things are correct and attempt to get a logical answer on why his assessment and taxes went up. And file and follow through on their own time any appeals process.

 That's why the BatBlog feels it's time for a change , Ms. Webster with her background in real estate, her understanding of property values and the reasons behind them is a perfect match for this office. She has already obtained her level 3 certification as a qualified assessor. she has all the qualifications, education (bachelor's degree from IUS), work experience, and the dedication to helping the public understand property taxes and values as demonstrated by her web site martinawebster.com  which we encourage you to check out and we guarantee you has more information than provided by the current assessor's office, or any other government office on understanding how the assessment system works. Ms. Webster has also vowed to make customer service and public education her top propriety and extending office hours if possible for convenience to accommodate taxpayers, provide answers , and better educate the public....

 Ms. Haire ,as we said before we thank you for your service but she is also one of the good ole boys/girls  Galligan, Perkins, Rodden, Jacobi and company whose time has passed it's time for a younger , better educated assessor to meet the modern changes of real estate, taxes and assessments.

The BatBlog gives a strong endorsement to Martina "Tina " Webster for Clark Co. Assessor....

Conflicted Feelings on the Judges Races

There are two judges races on the ballot here in Clark Co. on Nov. 4. In Circuit court 3. incumbent Joe Weber (D) faces a challenge from local attorney Kyle Williams (R). Weber is the nice guy, that personally everyone seems to like. He rides around in all the parades in his little old truck, sporting his silly hat and is all smiles....kind of a judicial Ronald Mc Donald...don't get us wrong we like Joe Weber and more than likely he'll win big over newcomer Williams.

   The problem we hear with Judge Weber are reports of a couple of probation officer employees running roughshod over Joe creating dissension  within the Department. It appears to be a case of  "the monkey's running the zoo" scenario . Take home vehicles, poor work habits (time on the job, doing things not within the scope of their job), personal credit cards  and other issues appear to have created  a question of government waste as well as the dissension in the Dept. Judge Joe you preached fiscal conservatism in your N/T  interview how about cleaning up the alleged mess within your department,

 It won't make much of a difference though Weber has that consummate nice guy and politician persona and we are not sure Mr. Williams has the background or experience to handle the huge caseload required of a Circuit Court 3 Judge. Ronald errr we mean Joe will be reelected.

Election 2014.....How We Choose Our Endorsements

 

The savvy, educated voter needs to do his research and understand the qualifications, education and experience for each candidate pertaining to the office he or she seeks. As well, personal character, and how a candidate responds under pressure from difficult questions that arise during campaigns should be taken into consideration as well. Thankfully the days of pulling the straight party ticket are for the most part gone. It's absurd to think that one party would put forward the best , most qualified candidate in each and every different position and office on the ballot. For many years especially here in Clark Co. straight party voting was almost the norm with the GOP a lot of times not even bothering to field a candidate for certain offices, knowing it was futile. The  Dem. primary was actually the real election.

   The BatBlog's political writer Hoosiertaxpayer having observed, participated in, and voted in, local and national politics and elections for over 40 years tries to take all the factors mentioned above in deciding who the best candidate for each office is and who he will vote for and recommend. Yes it can be subjective, but a lot of times there is a clear difference. Unfortunately many voters due to time constraints because of family, job, etc. or a polarized  to hated view of politics in general don't bother to vote or educate themselves on the candidates. There are a lot of candidates who rely and thrive on this, knowing that if they are lucky enough to win early on they can ride the benefit of name recognition into more success at the polls in the years ahead. This has been prevalent here locally for quite a time and it leads to a entitlement attitude in long time office holders who feel so comfortable that they become narcissistic. We've seen it a lot here locally, which  recent events, crimes and controversies concerning our politicians bear out.

  We can't let these old time office holders or any office holder for that matter get so comfortable that they forget they work for us and are only entitled to do just that and nothing more... work for us...There are clear choices in the upcoming election, we have tried to point out the races where there is a clear choice sheriff, prosecutor, auditor, clerk, and assessor, We have no political party agenda, merely pointing out the most qualified and capable who we think will be the best office holders and public servants...

Whatever your decision is be sure to Vote on Nov. 4

Some Of The Other Races...Election 2014

 

Today we'll recap some of the other less publicized but equally important races as the election nears. In the Indiana state representative race Dist. 71   incumbent Steve Stemler (D) faces Libertarian candidate Russell Brooksbank. Stemler has been a popular vote getter here locally and should win easily. The BatBlog feels until the Libertarian party eases their stances on government programs like Soc. Security, Medicare and Medicaid, they are facing an uphill battle to be  legitimate and viable contenders  in key races. Mr. Brooksbank has shown he has some good ideas and we appreciate his participation here on the BatBlog, but we feel the public's perception of Libertarians as anti everything government will kill his chances. Stemler wins big...

In the 9th Dist. Congressional race incumbent Todd Young (R) will win easily over two contenders, Bill Bailey(D) and Mike Frey(L). Bailey doesn't appear to be campaigning to hard and Frey again will be burdened by the perception of the Libertarian party. The big difference though is that  9th Dist. is just is a highly republican district. Young will win big.

 In the Clark Co. treasurer's race newcomer Nancy Mc Divitt (D) faces incumbent David Reinhardt. Ms Mc Divitt has run a low key race, so low key that the BatBlog isn't sure what her qualifications are. Reinhardt should and will win easily

 Finally in the local Indiana state senate race incumbent Ron Grooms (R) seeks reelection in a rematch with Chuck Freiberger (D) who he faced in the same race four years ago.  The BatBlog has always considered Grooms one of the most wishy washy politicians around, but he is a nice guy and sometimes being a nice guy is enough. We predict Grooms will win but it could be close...


*** This week the BatBlog looks at the other key local races... Clark Co. assessor, recorder and the judges races plus an election eve preview...Stay Tuned and Be Sure To Vote

 

Regulating Volunteer Fire Departments...The Jamey Noel Rule ???

 

Thumbs up to the Clark Co. Commissioners for giving consideration to greater scrutiny and possibly more regulations of county volunteer fire departments. Volunteer fire departments are not the strictly volunteer, unpaid organizations that they are perceived to be by much of the public. Many VFD's employ full time employees and have been the target of charges of favoritism, cronyism and recently, political practices. The BatBlog is pretty sure that the GOP sheriff candidate Jamey Noel and his relationship as chief of the Utica volunteer F.D. and the controversy regarding political activity at a building owned by the UVFD and New Chapel EMS is behind the commissioner's recent scrutiny, and rightfully so.

These are tax dollars being used by these VFD's to operate. These monies and operations need to be monitored strictly so that tax dollars are wisely spent and the operations and hiring practices  are fairly administrated. There have been accusations that an inordinate amount of friends and family are employed by the UVFD and the New Chapel EMS two organizations Mr. Noel apparently oversees and when you factor in the political activity we can see where those same words "doesn't pass the smell test"  come into play again. Not saying there is any wrong doing, but there appears to be several questions that should be answered...

It's a good move for the commissioners to look into these VPD's and we hope they follow up on their consideration of  possibly adopting an ordinance.....

Jeremy Mull Needs to Be The Next Clark Co. Prosecutor

Day in and day out chief deputy prosecutor Jeremy Mull (R) has been the down in the trenches, doing the hard work, and has been the face of the prosecutors office for several years now. It is time to give him the title of Clark Co. prosecutor. A couple of months back we posted a glowing recommendation from Co. Commissioner Rick Stephenson on Jeremy's candidacy and in Mr. Mull's own words his background, experience, and qualifications for the job. I encourage everyone to check it out   CLICK HERE....

 Nothing against his opponent Bob Bottorff (D) who was doing an excellent job in his short stint as local Democratic chair, but Mr. Mull's experience and impressive resume' make him the man for the job, hands down. In the words of one local attorney (paraphrased) Mr. Mull is a better litigator while Mr. Bottoroff is more of a politician...The choice is clear Jeremy Mull for Clark Co. prosecutor....

The BatBlog feels Mr. Mull will win the Nov.4 race rather easily as his record, experience, and background make him stand out from his opponent...

Be sure to Vote !!!

Breaking Story....Clark Co. Probation Office Under Investigation ???
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  It appears that some of the rumors about the Clark Co. probation office may be coming true. Several sources have informed the BatBlog that there is a story(s) in the works from local news agencies about Indiana State police investigating the probation office and several different employees. It appears as rumored police investigators are going over time sheets and other matters including alleged probation department employees doing political work (erecting signs) during work hours and a lack of supervisional control by several local judges over said employees. The BatBlog has names of the judges and employees involved in the investigation but will not release them until a more appropriate time. While we will still treat this as a rumor, the BatBlog feels something is coming down so watch the headlines and remember where you heard it first on the "award winning" BatBlog...

Will this be ANOTHER black eye on the Clark Co.judicial and correctional systems ??? only time will tell....Stay tuned and tell your friends about the BatBlog and as always "stay vigilant my friends"...

**********************Breaking News Spainhour Cleared***********
Mac Spainhour independant candidate for Clark Co, sheriff was cleared by the Clark Co. election board today by a vote of 3-0 on charges filed last week. Spainhour  is in compliance as reported earlier by the BatBlog.....

For Mac's personal message on the events today CLICK HERE

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RIP Edwin M. Coots Jr. III

A truly fine, gentle man who served the people of Clark Co. as coroner or deputy coroner for nearly 50 years. His family has provided funeral services and care for over 150 years entrusted by many in the community in their times of grief....Rest in Peace Edwin "Little Tuck" Coots...

Clark Co. Sheriff's Race Heating Up .....

 

 With the Clark Co. sheriff's race less than two weeks away, things are starting to heat up. This appears to be the race that has drawn the most interest and the most passionate supporters for the individual candidates. While the candidates have been most civil in their face to face "greet the candidates" forums, behind the scenes the accusations and claims have been flying hot and heavy. A lot of people blame each candidates supporters for the "dirty politics" claim and not the candidates themselves. The BatBlog thinks we should be careful in giving the candidates a pass on being clean, because there appears to be a lot of behind the scene manipulations by all the campaigns.

  We're pretty sure (R) Jamey Noel didn't turn himself in on the campaign headquarters/ New Chapel EMS controversy, and (I) Mac Spainhour's alleged campaign funding mistakes supposedly was reported by someone connected to a Noel family member. We're also pretty sure (D) Brian Meyer didn't say he would bring back former sheriff Danny Rodden after he is elected, as has been rumored. Yeah there's a lot of rumors and innuendos flying and it would be naive to think the candidates weren't at least aware if not directly involved in these  political shenanigans. The candidates might all smile and praise each other publicly, but this is politics and this is Clark Co....What do you think ???

 The BatBlog still strongly supports Mac Spainhour, Mac seems just like a stand up guy with no ties to the current sheriff's dept., which is truly a mess .When you consider the Rodden disgrace and the Adam's embarrassment and the serious alleged drug problems in the Clark Co. jail, it's time for new leadership away from the current dept. And while Jamey Noel has a shiny resume', his memory seems to be conveniently vague at times when it is necessary. He has garnered the reputation as a political wheeler dealer in his role as GOP chair, who has become considered somewhat of a  power broker in each of his many pursuits. Meyer is just too closely aligned with Rodden and the department.

We do think it will be a close race ....the BatBlog gives a slight edge to Noel going into the last couple of weeks. Mainly because Spainhour and Meyer will split the Democratic vote. We believe it will be close between Spainhour and Noel with Meyer trailing the field. We will give a final prediction next week.

Thanks to everyone for the many, some very detailed comments and predictions. I would caution everyone to keep their comments away from the candidates personal lives, while character issues are important let's not forget innocent family members....

The BatBlog Endorses Perry McCall for Clark Co. Auditor

The BatBlog feels there needs to be a shakeup in the Clark Co. Auditor's office. Local attorney and political newcomer Perry McCall (D) faces a tough challenge facing incumbent Monty Snelling (R). Snelling was part of the Co. Council that put the county in deep financial problems and we didn't feel like he handled a threatened lawsuit against the City of Jeffersonville professionally. Never the less Snelling being the incumbent probably has an edge on Mc Call...but the BatBlog feels Mr. Mc Call's background and experience as an attorney makes him a good choice for Auditor and endorses and supports his candidacy.

To see Mr. McCall's ideas, qualifications and why he's the best man for the job CLICK HERE

Which Is It Jamey ??? Noel Changes His Answer....

Seems like Rep. sheriff candidate Jamey Noel forgot about his announcement of his candidacy or at least where he made it. Reversing course Noel told the News/Tribune that actually there were political events held at the New Chapel EMS/GOP headquarters in 2013 including his announcement he was running for Clark Co. sheriff. This is contrary to what he told the N/T earlier. Anything else you forget Mr. Noel ??? or should we ask your attorney ???

 Possibly just a oversight but the famous words seem to apply here "Initially it appears not to pass the smell test"...We agree....

Mac Spainhour Campaign Funding Charges

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Mr. Spainhour went to the voter registration office today and made sure his paperwork was in order. He will have the paperwork in hand at the next election board meeting next Thursday. The Secretary of State office seemed confident that Mr. Spainhour was now in compliance. This appears to be a case of an over anxious reporter seeking a sensational story  that he couldn't wait on to report. It also seems to be a case of typical political BS. The News/Tribune owes Mac Spainhour a story that Mac is apparently in the clear...
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It would be hypocritical of the BatBlog (even though we support Mac) if we didn't report the Mac Spainhour alleged campaign financing violations reported in yesterday's N/T. These are serious accusations not to be taken lightly, but on the same behalf it appears to be an oversight or an instance of not knowing the finance laws. The laws for campaign financing are complicated and confusing, but that is not making an excuse for Mac. The stand up guy Mac is, he'll face up to it and accept responsibility if the mistakes were made. The timing and who reported the violation is suspicious, but that's another story....The BatBlog continues it's strong support for Mac Spainhour for Clark Co. sheriff...

For the N/T story CLICK HERE

For Mac's personal response to the accusations CLICK HERE

HT Ready for The New Jeffersonville Marina

UPDATE...Jeffersonville Marina to Become Reality

The final permits have been approved by the Army Corps of Engineers and mayor Mike Moore says he has the votes necessary for approval by the city council, This will fit in nicely with the Big Four Bridge, new park landing and upsurge in downtown. Now they need to get busy and work on phase II, which will include a public fishing pier an unique idea...... A story you'll see only on WDRB and the BatBlog..... WDRB 41 Louisville News

County Councilmen That Deserve Re-Election...

There are four Clark Co. council (men/women) up for re-election Nov.4  and the BatBlog concludes each is deserving of re-election. Barbara Hollis(D) Dist.1 and Brian Lenfert (R) Dist.2 should both be easy winners in their respective races against Shawn Billups (R) in Dist.1  and Lenfert will face off against Kelly Conn(D) in Dist.2. Both Barbara and Brian have shown exceptional leadership as president and vice president of the Co. council that has faced trying times with their limited budget.

 In the other 2 races in Dist.3 incumbent Danny Yost (R) faces off against Joe Hubbard (D) this is probably the best chance for the incumbent to lose, Yost got some negative publicity with some legal issues earlier and faces a stiff test from Hubbard. In Dist.4 incumbent Steve Doherty (R) faces former councilman looking to regain his old seat, Perry (I never met a tax I didn't like) Smith (D). Smith who has won several terms before could give Doherty a good race.

None the less the BatBlog endorses all the incumbent Clark Co.councilpersons Hollis, Lenfert, Yost and Doherty for re-election....Be Sure To Vote !!!

Unfortunate Circumstances Derail Meyer's Sheriff Bid ???

 

It appears that due to some unfortunate circumstances, none being of his making Dem. sheriff candidate and current acting sheriff Brian Meyer may face a tough road to being elected this November. Mr. Meyer who has worked his way all the way to the top from humble beginnings probably won't get his fair due or consideration. Mainly because several his cohorts at the Clark Co. sheriff's have been arrested and charged with felonies, Meyer will most likely be odd man out as the sheriff's race moves forward.

   Mr Meyer seem like a fine man and certainly has the credentials and experience to be sheriff, but most likely won't have the opportunity to do so. Former sheriff Danny Rodden's sad downfall and disgrace along with Chuck Adams' alleged offer of employment to a supporter and the  plea bargained deal recently that reduced Adams' felony charges , along with other arrests within the sheriff's dept. have certainly seriously hurt Meyer's chances of winning. Plus you have an Independant candidate (Mac Spainhour) who more than likely will split the Democratic vote.

The BatBlog endorses Mac Spainhour and feels that it is time for change within the C.C. sheriff's dept. but also feels Brian Meyer didn't get a fair shake on his own merits. Politics are funny that way .... John McCain probably lost the presidency because of George W. Bush and Sarah Palin....Brian Meyer can thank Rodden, Adams and company...

Bryan Glover for Clark Co. Commissioner Dist. 3

  The BatBlog believes there is only one choice in the County Commissioner Dist 3. race and that is current Jeffersonville City Councilman Bryan Glover.... and he gets the BatBlog endorsement.
Bryan is one of the few voices of reason on the Jeff City Council and will make an excellent Co. Comm., he has a solid background in the business world and will bring more common sense and good leadership to what is shaping up as the best team of Commissioners this county has had in a long time. Bryan along with Jack Coffman and Rick Stephenson are the type of leaders to lead the county back to respectability in difficult times.

 David Abbot former Co. councilman who defeated a weak field in the Dem. primary doesn't have the support necessary for a strong run. His performance and time on the council were average at best. The clear choice is Bryan Glover who should and will win Nov.4....

Will the GOP's HeadquartersGate Hurt Jamey Noel and the Rep. Party ???

  As reported  first on GAW news.CLICK HERE and later by the News/Tribune CLICK HERE . The local Republican headquarters is housed in a building owned by New Chapel EMS which is ambulance company run by GOP chairmen and Clark Co. sheriff candidate Jamey Noel. The GOP paid no rent for 2013 and has a lease for only $200.00 a month for 2014 according to the N/T story. The question is did Noel use his position with New Chapel to benefit the GOP ??

  In Noel's own words "from the initial smell test, it would look like something's not right" but said he did not use his position as chief of New Chapel EMS to benefit the Republican Party. The BatBlog agrees this just doesn't pass the "smell test" and questions Noel's claim that during 2013 when no rent was paid  "There was no political activity, really, per se going on up there."  but admitted the site likely had "people meeting there" The BatBlog wonders what the people were meeting there for if wasn't politics ....a game of  Cornhole or Pin the Tail on the Donkey ???
The BatBlog also wonders why Mr. Noel brought Republican attorney Tom Lowe along for the N/T interview...

The big question though is, will this "HeadquartersGate" hurt Noel's campaign and damage other GOP candidates ???  The BatBlog think's not ,while it definetly has a fishy smell it appears nothing illegal was done. Voters are pretty blase about dirty tricks and such around Clark Co. ...they are more or less expected. Only the very savvy voters pay attention to this kind stuff unless it's a really big scandal like the Rodden affair. Name recognition is still the dominating factor in local elections and Noel with his involvement in several different organizations and prominence in the news  still has that in his favor and is probably the favorite to win the sheriff's position....

But the BatBlog strongly agrees  it just doesn't pass the smell test......

A Bunch of Tight Asses on Jeff City Council ??? Or Moore Politics ???

  What do we have on the Jeffersonville city council a bunch of tight asses ??? or is it more politics as usual ??? Monday night the council delayed the vote on the riverfront "marina" project due to several member's concerns about the cost of the project. Are these councilman truly fiscally conservative or they playing more political games in order to delay one of mayor Mike Moore's pet projects ??? The BatBlog thinks the answer is the latter .... The core of the council that is doing the complaining are Smith, Samuels and councilman Julius (a declared candidate for mayor). Smith and Samuels are part of the earlier council that spent money like drunken sailors under former mayor Galligan and the BatBlog is pretty sure Julius didn't have a problem with the City frittering away over a million bucks on the lousy ass landscaping job along Hwy. 62, that benefited his business.

 With several of mayor Moore's projects  coming to fruition like the Big Four Landing, and Gateway hotel project, it appears that the mayor's political enemies have made a consorted effort to either stop or delay the projects in anticipation of next years mayoral election.

Mike "Tightwad" Smith

The riverfront is one of the prime assets of the city and right now it is a dilapidated embarrassment. Whether you avail yourself or not of the boat docks or planned fishing pier the riverfront is one of the gateways to the city  and the aesthetics to this area are vital. Pleasant and beautiful landscaping and appearance will go a long way to attracting visitors who will spend money at local businesses. Louisville has wisely spent multi millions on their riverfront and the transformation is amazing and is money well spent.

Meanwhile our city council wants to remain in the dark ages sitting on their wallets, complaining and generally holding up progress. How many millions did we spend on the canal planning and engineering that was washed right down the proverbial drain. It's time for this council to get off their collective asses and approve this project. They should even expand it to include all the features originally wanted (multiple permanent and transient boat docks, fishing pier, landscape development) no matter what the cost. It would be the smart thing to do, but that would be a stretch when you look at some of the members we have on the council...

A voice of reason on a somewhat lost City council

A voice of reason in this issue was councilman Bryan Glover who said the council needs to be careful limiting what the city is allowed to do on this project he also stated the city of Jeffersonville is fortunate in the fact to have 3 gateways into the city and we need to do it right the first time...

Truer words were never more said.....kudos to Bryan Glover for telling it like it is...

Nice Article on Dick Jones

 

 The New/Tribune has one of Dale Moss' fluff pieces on recently retired County Clerk Dick Jones. Dick is one of the true gentlemen, nice guys, and real public servants that this area has ever known. Dick who always had a smile and a friendly word of advice or answer to any question or problem pertaining to any of the various offices he held over the years. In one of his selfless acts he retired early so his workers in his office could receive a raise. Knowing it was time to retire he left without fanfare, but he will truly be missed and will leave a legacy of one of the finest gentlemen to ever serve office in Jeffersonville and Clark Co.

  The BatBlog wishes Dick Jones a happy and long retirement and well wishes and hope he catches the big one on his next fishing trip.  On a side note the BatBlog hopes Tom Galligan and John Perkins take Dick's lead and follow him into retirement....Maybe Dick can take the two of them on one of his fishing outings along with NHBSM who we would welcome to hear less of as well...

For the N/T storyCLICK HERE

The Adventures of Beavis and Butthead....New Judge Appointed

Citing the apparent political nature of the lawsuit ,Jeffersonville  city attorney Les Merkley requested and will have an out of county judge appointed to rule on what many have called a frivolous, purely political lawsuit by local legend in his own mind NHBSM. The lawsuit to stop the "Jeffersonville Gateway Project "which Merkley has also  requested NHBSM put up a 24 million dollar bond will now be overseen by a judge from Scott Co. Roger Duvall... for the News/Tribune story.....CLICK HERE

To the Libertarians and New Polls Up

New Election 2014 Polls Up ---------------------------------------->

The BatBlog received a message from Libertarian candidate for State Representatve Dist. 71 Russell Brooksbank asking why the Libertarians weren't included in the BatPoll. It was a mistake on my part and I apologize. Libertarians have a message and ideology that needs to be heard and it is sometimes overlooked in our basically two party system. I agree with some of their ideas of smaller governmental influence and  interference in our daily lives, but also strongly disagree with their stances on government programs like Soc. Security, Medicare and Medicaid. With that said they still deserve for their message to get out and be heard...

 I have included Mr.Brooksbank's  race against incumbent Dem. Steve Stemler in some new polls I have up, and have added a couple more races that were simply overlooked ...unfortunately the polls can't be edited once they are up.... there are Libertarian candidates in the Dist 2 County Council race Greg Hertzsch and Mike Frey in the 9th Dist. Congressional race please check out their candidacies and again apologies for the mistakes...

Where's Joe ???

 

Clark Co. probation dept. employee the center of recent furniture moving controversy for Judge Jacobi appears to be missing in action. The BatBlog has received conflicting, unconfirmed reports about Mr. Renck ranging from suspension and under investigation for the recent event, to vacationing in Aruba, to just lying low...The BatBlog hasn't said Mr. Renck has done anything wrong but he does seem to flying on the radar of quite a few local residents, who seem to think he may be a political stooge for some of the local judges.

 If you have a Joe sighting, or if you are Joe. drop us a line, e-mail or even a post card from Aruba. Inquiring minds are missing you Joe...

Stay vigilant my friends...

Clear Choice in Clark Co. Clerk Race

There is a clear choice in the Clark Co. Clerk'srace...Susan Popp (D) currently on the county council is the obvious and best choice and get's a resounding endorsement from the BatBlog. Ms. Popp is one of the few remaining superstar candidates on the local Democratic slate and should and will win easily in her race against  Rep. candidate Kelly Harrod.....

************************************UPDATE***********************************************
The Jeffersonville, Clark Co. Blog (The BatBlog) set a new record with nearly 12,000 views nearly 400 a day last month ...Thank you for the support...
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Stay tuned for additional coverage of Election 2014 and all the political stories, rumors of Jeffersonville and Clark Co.

BatBlog Endorses Mac Spainhour for Clark Co. Sheriff

 

First thing the BatBlog wants to say after last nights candidate forums, is that all three candidates appear to be good men and each one is qualified in their own ways to be sheriff of Clark Co. All three men should be congratulated for showing their respect for one another and running one of if not the cleanest race in county history.

  What is important to the BatBlog and a clear difference in endorsing Mac Spainhour is his lifelong career in law enforcement and his status as an Independant candidate with no ties to either political party. He knows law enforcement, teaches law enforcement and has no  party loyalties in what is a very political position , and most important of all he is a good man with integrity who will make a fine sheriff.

   Mr. Noel  has a long list of impressive credentials, training and positions. Our only concern is Mr. Noel with his numerous responsibilities ,might not have the fully dedicated time to give the sheriff's office the total attention required of the position, because he certainly does have the qualifications and experience to make a fine sheriff as well...

  Finally Brian Meyer the Dem. who has worked his way up through the sheriff's dept. from corrections guard to his position now as acting sheriff. Mr. Meyer as well has the necessary qualifications and experience. His campaign rightfully or wrongfully has probably been tarnished by the Rodden affair. We're sure Mr. Meyer would be his own man, but his association with the former disgraced sheriff may be a hindrance to his election chances.

  It is a time for change in the sheriff's dept, In the past we have elected sheriffs already within the dept. In the BatBlog's opinion a sense of entitlement has settled into the dept.We have characterized bad behavior and arrests of sheriff's dept. personnel...It is time to clean this up and the alleged drug problems within the C.C. jail....and we think Mac Spainhour is the right man for the job.

It won't be an easy task for Mac as it appears Jamey Noel might have a slight lead heading into the last month of campaigning.  While the sheriff's dept. should be in capable hands no matter the outcome...We urge everyone to get out and elect Mac Spainhour Clark Co. sheriff....