Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all the readers of the BatBlog, online friends and their families. Remember this is a day to give thanks for all the blessing we have. Whether it be family, friends, your faith, or good health  make sure to take time to give thanks for the important people and things in your life...















A virtual Thanksgiving from the famous and infamous of the BatBlog !

New Poll... 2014 Biggest Political Turkey

New poll... who's the biggest local Turkey  in 2014 ??? The BatBlog presents the 1st annual "Turkey of the Year" award. Plenty of potential candidates but we've whittled it down to the top 9 turkeys...Be  sure to vote !!!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->>>

1. NHBSM (Not Honest) area political blowhard who thinks he knows everything, but is mostly hot air...Hangs around local politicians hoping for an appointment but never gets one...

2. Larry (the Can) Wilder local attorney who allegedly pulls strings in the local political scene and appears to sue the City at the drop of a hat....now buddies with NHBSM...

3. Tom (Canal digger) Galligan managed the local Democratic party to it's biggest beatdown ever by the GOP but who's ego refuses to let him  step aside for the betterment of the party...

4. Mike (Mr.Greenjeans) Smith City councilman dinosaur who is anxiously waiting for Galligan to return as mayor...

Birds of a feather

5. John (Toxic John) Perkins local politician who keeps getting appointed to plum positions by Democrats even though  as far as we know hasn't gotten over 25% in any election in the last 15 years..

6. Danny (Smooth talker) Rodden who traded C.C. sheriff gear (t-shirts, hats , etc.) to a prostitute for a  $@!&  ?*& (sorry this is a family blog)...

7. Jerry (you have no rights) Jacobi who's staff allegedly forgot about a few drug court defendants for over a year and left them in jail ...

8. Matt (lapdog} Owen allegedly when sheriff elect Noel tells lapdog to jump, he says how high...now trying to shut down city court...

Old Turkeys

9. Quasar (the Big Q.) who runs declining local blog (CCC) like a gestapo agent while spewing his right wing, Rush Limbaugh BS that no one is allowed to call him out on...

*** Note***
The picture of turkey "Quasar" was too ugly to post afraid it would scare young children....

Two Class People

 

Ever notice how the good public servants just quietly slip away, while the bad politicians (you know who they are) you just can't seem to get rid of them...voting them out of office isn't enough.
Well we'll lose two quality class people next year here in Clark Co., County clerk Barbara Bratcher Haas to retirement and judge Dan Moore was defeated in the Dem .primary, both will be sorely missed.

  Ms. Haas has just quietly done her job at several different positions for many years, providing excellent public service and class to the various offices she has held. Dan Moore likewise brought professionalism and character to his Circuit court judge position. Dan is a no nonsense, strict but fair and the perfect ideal what a judge should be. I always thought Dan wasn't real comfortable with the political side of being judge, but his work on the judicial bench is beyond reproach...

 Here's wishing Ms. Haas a wonderful retirement and good luck, Dan Moore we're hoping sometime soon you'll  be back somewhere as judge, because that's where you belong... and good luck to you as well....

Jamey Noel the Puppetmaster ??? City Court Controversy...

 

Concerning the recently proposed ordinance by City councilman Matt Owen to abolish Jeffersonville City Court brings up an interesting theory brought up by a comment left in an earlier post. to read CLICK HERE

The anonymous commentor seems to think that recently elected Clark Co. sheriff Jamey Noel maybe behind the scenes, pushing for the elimination of City Court through his campaign manager Matt Owen. The commentor points out several different connections between Noel and the controversy 1.) Owen  2.) Noel's sister Lisa Gill sits on the City Council. 3.) City Judge Pierce's comments about the Indiana State police of which Noel is member, bypassing his court...and then the BatBlog came across an interesting article from the 2006 sheriff's election CLICK HERE  in the article it mentions that Noel has expressed an interest in adding one or two more judges and courts in Clark Co.

Are these merely coincidental factors and people in the movement to remove Judge Pierce and the Jeff city court or is there something to this theory ??? The BatBlog doesn't know for sure but  the coincidences and timing right after the recent election are interesting to say the least.

Owen who also works for Noel as a marketing representative of the New Chapel fire and EMS...by the way why does a fire and EMS need a marketing rep. ??? seems rather strange but that's for another thread...

The BatBlog is not saying anything here is illegal but the circumstances are interesting. The BatBlog likes for our public officials to think on their own and be their own man, which may or may not be the case in this incident...Is Noel the master manipulator and behind the scenes manager of his agenda for the whole area ??? I guess time will tell. In the meantime...

The BatBlog's position remains this is a ridiculous move on Owen's part whether it has been manipulated or not. There is no doubt there is probably a need for another Circuit court in Clark Co., but eliminating City Court is not the way of bringing it about. The pretense of Owen's ordinance as a cost saving measure for area citizens  is far sighted and misleading...some would say an out and out lie.... Going forward hopefully the council will see this ordinance for what it and do the right thing and vote down Owen's proposal...Let your councilman know how you feel about this and as always "stay vigilant my friends".....

New Record Set !!!

The Jeffersonville - Clark Co. Blog (BatBlog) set a new record for number of page views in October with 21,245 views. Thanks to all the readers and those who have participated through the comments section and e-mails. If you have a story or a tip that needs attention you can contact the BatBlog at hoosiertaxpayer@outlook.com where confidentiality is guaranteed. Again thanks for the support and as always "Stay vigilant my friends"

City Court Abolished ...Bad Move , Calling Goliath

  Everyone I've talked to today, including a couple of attorneys thinks the City council's proposed abolishment of Jeffersonville City Court is a bad move. Who else is more qualified and knowledgeable about the situation than the local attorneys who use the current system everyday and know the ins and outs, the good and bad of the court system.

 Matt Owen and Dennis Julius appear to be the main drivers behind the movement to end Judge Pierce's City Court citing reduced caseloads and the costs of operating the court as the factors in their decision.  My question is when did we start looking at costs and expenditures when public safety is concerned ???  Public safety provided by law enforcement and the judicial system is just something you can't put a price on. Eliminating one court (City) and putting more burden and strain on an
another court (Circuit) that is already stretched and full to the max is insane and irresponsible.Not to mention the financial strain the added caseload it will put on the County which is already faced with mandates just to operate. And an over crowded court docket is just begging for more mistakes to be made like the unfortunate release of a killer several weeks ago...Newly elected Circuit Court judge Brad Jacobs summed it up pretty well without the Jeff city Court and referring to the Circuit Court system "it's going to be a nightmare."

 Here's a grand idea for Owen and Julius who apparently didn't ask anyone how they felt or input about their proposal including the judges and attorneys who make up the system. How about Owen and Julius doing their jobs and get together with all parties involved including current judges, prosecutor, County Commissioners, Indiana St. police officials and work together to come up with a plan that would better utilize and increase the caseload of Judge pierce's City Court, and also work on a plan to increase revenue through fines , court costs etc. that would alleviate some of the financial shortcomings.

The easy way out was Owen and Julius'plan to just shut it down...How about showing some leadership qualities and do what you're paid for and try and work out a settlement and plan that is agreeable and works for all the parties involved...Unless of course the move by Julius and Owen was merely political in nature, then they should man up and just admit it's all political and we then we will know that public sentiment and safety don't really matter...because it all politics....

Hopefully the wise giant Goliath will weigh in on this, he's usually a voice of reason on these type matters....YO GOLIATH...You out there???

Can't We Just Get Along...

 *****************************************BREAKING UPDATE*****************************            As predicted by the BatBlog the dumbass City council moved tonight to have the Jeff City court eliminated citing financial costs... Coincidence the same day suit was filed ??? We think not, this has the distinct rotten smell of politics..... stay tuned for more on this developing story....
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 I guess Jeffersonville Democrats didn't hear about the county beatdown of Dem.s by the GOP. Two Democrat officeholders City clerk Vicki Conlin and City Judge Kenneth Pierce are in a pissing contest over some files with Conlin filing suit against Pierce. To make matters worse some of the idiots on the City Council are threatening to shut down the City Court and Pierce.

 Nice move Democrats.... give the GOP more ammunition  and another reason to remove two more Dem. positions to the Rep.s in the next city elections. The GOP is laughing all the way to the polls ... Get your act together ...surely this can be settled without a lawsuit that will just fritter away more taxpayer's money ... Larry "the CanMan" Wilder is making quite the reputation and $$$ suing the City and City offices...

Can't we just get along...Judge Pierce is one of the good guys surely some agreement can be reached before the dumb asses on the council do away with the court and then put a heavier burden on the already over stretched to it's limit Circuit Court...But then, when was anything around here ever done logically or sensibly ???

Election 2015 Jeff Mayor's Race

   

Moore's the front runner unless he shoots himself in the foot...

The Jeffersonville mayoral race will highlight the 2015 city elections. As it looks now and pending some unexpected primary results, incumbent Mike Moore (R) will face city councilman Dennis Julius (D) in Nov. 2015. Moore has to be considered the favorite as a lot of positive growth and new projects have came about in Moore's first three years in office. The Big Four Bridge and landing and revitalization of downtown, the proposed development of the Hwy. 62 corridor, the new marina, the Veterans Pkwy. development are some of the positive aspects here locally under Moore. We realize that the Big Four bridge and subsequent upswing downtown wasn't Moore's idea but like every mayor before him he'll get the credit.....for mainly being in the right place at the right time....

   The negatives are mainly the constant bickering back and forth between Moore and the City council. Though this was mostly just political posturing Moore could have handled it better by not reverting to name calling as he did in a couple of instances. Also improvement in an already poor traffic and road infrastructure hasn't been addressed adequately under Moore especially in the out

Galligan Lite ???

lying east end area.

  Julius who started his campaign for mayor almost as soon as he took his seat on the city council will most certainly be burdened by the conception of all the money his business (Walnut Ridge) has made from the city over the years. His friendship and association with the polarizing former mayor Tom Galligan will come into question...some consider  Julius a Galligan lite. This could also work to his advantage as there is a mostly older core group of the Galligan  camp, who haven't gotten over the victory of Moore over Galligan in 2011 and will most certainly back Julius.

 In the end the BatBlog's opinion, unless Moore shoots himself in the foot in the next year before the election it's his race to lose. The visible, positive growth you see around town after the Galligan years of stagnation will overshadow any negative perceptions of Moore. The negative perception is mostly put out by the bitter rivals of the mayor, but the majority of the voters will notice the mostly positive changes under Moore and vote accordingly....and of course right now it doesn't hurt being a Republican here locally....

 

City Elections 2015 Part II (City council)...

 

The bulk of the council

As we said expect most returning councilmen/women to run for reelection. City council is normally kind of entry level position in politics. It doesn't pay much but then you really don't have to do much either. It's kind of ironic really nonsensical that we pay these council people the equivalent of what you make at McDonald's to oversee multimillion dollar budgets. Most of them have no practical and at times common sense or training or experience to determine what and what isn't important in handling our tax dollars.....but that's politics.

 Then again there are fringe benefits on serving on the city council..A place in the all the parades, occasionally being quoted for the news media, the feeling of self importance and the pleasure of having  answers for your constituents. Actually having answers is a misnomer, good luck finding your councilman or getting a straight answer if you do find him and you have a problem...unless of course it's close to election time.

 Actually we have over the years had some good council people, in fact I thought Zach Payne and especially Brian Glover were excellent choices and solid public servants , and at times Nathan Samuel has shown promise. The rest you can put in a bag and shake them out , not much difference...the rest put politics above progress and have done everything in their power to slow or stop the current mayor's agenda....But in politics especially minor positions like City council, name recognition is everything and it will be tough to root out those who have been perched on this council way too long. It is hard to pin anything negative on them because they actually don't do much....Anyone who has spoken before the council can tell you how they piddle around with their computers, shuffle papers and generally act disinterested. Their condescending attitude attests to their own self exaggerated sense of importance....but then again that's politics and you can only vote for what is presented to you....

Ready for Another Election ??? 2015 City Elections Around the Corner....

Will the stooges seek re-election ???

  Get ready people of Jeffersonville another election is just months away. Mayoral and City council seats will be up for grabs next November with primaries this May. What to look for...the mayor's race looks set with Dennis Julius (D) against incumbent Mike Moore (R) there may be a couple of stragglers enter the primaries, but Julius and Moore look like they are on a collision course in the fall....

  Expect all the sitting councilmen/women other than those that moved on to County offices to run for re-election including the "three stooges" Ed Z., Connie Sellers and Mike "Mr.Green Jeans" Smith...
Sellers and Ed Z. are RINO's (Republican in name only)...who can forget their long faces at Rep. headquarters the night of Moore's election as mayor. The three all of whom were given jobs at one time or another by their guru and puppet master Tom Galligan, have made life as difficult as possible for Moore...hoping against hope that Galligan would rise from the ashes of the burnt heap of old worn out, out of touch, politicians and magically make them relevant again.

Jamey Noel want to be ???

 The rest of the returning incumbents are mostly a pretty nondescript bunch ( that's pretty much a description of any councilman ,,," nondescript") except for young Matt Owen (the Kid with Game) who aspires to be a Jamey Noel clone...Young Owen followed Noel around like a little puppy dog during the recent sheriff's election making sure Jamey's badge and crown were always brightly polished....

End Part I....tomorrow Part II


Side Note *** Congratulations to Pat Barrow and her homeowners group who have at least for now won a major battle against Mac Construction and the asphalt plant. The Moore administration pulled Mac's permit to operate the plant. Expect more litigation, but kudos for Moore and his officials for doing the right thing even if it was a political move for next year's election...

Thank You Veterans !!!

From This To This ???

Election 2014 an overview...BatBlog Picks 16 out of 20 Races Correctly....BatPoll gets16 out of 20 right as well

 

The Jeffersonville - Clark Co. Blog (The BatBlog)  correctly called 80% of the recent races on Election day, as well the BatPoll was right on 16 of the 20 contests. The most surprising race had to be the Co. Clerk where Kelly Harrod (R) topped Susan Popp (D), I don't think anyone saw that race finishing as it did as many looked to Popp as one of the bright spots on the Dem. ticket, but Harrod did win in the BatPoll. Other surprises include Martina Webster's showing against long time office holder Vicky Kent-Haire. For a newcomer like Webster to finish within 600 votes of an election veteran of several different positions in Co. government over many years like Haire, it was a truly great breakout performance by Ms. Webster.

  Kyle Williams (R) judge candidate who appears to have spent a very minimal amount of money on his campaign with little or no publicity and ran exceptionally well against a sitting judge Weber who appears to have spent quite liberally on his. That will be an interesting sideline to this election, who spent the most money ???  My guess would be Noel and Weber....Did they buy the election ??? Well money never hurts...

  A final overview on Election 2014 would be it was a pretty clean election and for the most part we the voters did pretty well. We gave the incumbent Co. council members another term rewarding them for their work. We rewarded Jeremy Mull for his hard work at the prosecutor's office ,Jeremy's not a politician, just a hard worker who will do fine. Some well tested veteran incumbents return to office, as well as some veterans to new positions. Some bright newcomers got their names and faces out there for the future campaigns.

  The questions as we move forward,  can the Democratic party make the necessary changes to be viable in future elections ??  Will Jamey Noel be as good as a sheriff as he was a party chair ?? Can and will he relinquish the strings of the party to others and dedicate himself totally as sheriff ??
Only time will tell....

There's A New Sheriff in Town...The Beatdown of Dem. Party Continues

 ***************************Breaking Rumor********************************
Galligan to step down as local Democratic chair person...

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First of all congratulations to all the candidates last night, for the most part it was a clean, well run election. While are system is at times flawed it's still the best in the world, and the people have spoken. A lot of interesting races, results ,and upsets make this  an election for the ages here in Clark Co.,that's unless of course your a Democrat. Love him or hate you have to give Jamey Noel credit, he has led the Rep. party to unprecedented levels here in it what used to be  overwhelmingly Democratic county. Slick political maneuvering, shrewd moves and an influx of new, young, energetic and attractive candidates the GOP has left local Democrats wondering what happened and left to pick up the pieces. You have to wonder in the sheriff's race how much the split ticket propelled Noel to victory. 37% of the vote isn't much of a mandate and you have to think Meyer would have won without Spainhour's candidacy....but that's politics and Congratulations to Mr. Noel....

  As far as the Democrat's here locally they need to step back and start from scratch are it's only going to get worse. The blame starts at the top and the local Dem. party chair Tom Galligan whose divisiveness and arrogance are just not the qualities you look for in a party leader. For years now Dem.s have turned their back on the rank and file  voter by the Dem. caucus, that has placed old has been candidates like Perkins and Galligan into positions they would have no chance of obtaining by a popular vote of the rank and file. This along with some severe behavioral and criminal actions of several Dem. office holders and candidates and it's small wonder people have abandoned the Dem. party in Clark Co. in droves. For probably the first time in history straight party t voting by the GOP exceeded Dem. locally....

  It's time to give Galligan a plaque thanking him for his service and search for a young enthusiastic party chair who can relate to the younger voters, something Galligan can't. Some one like Noel who is a tireless worker and planner ,who can recruit new, vitalized , younger candidates who can lead the party into the future. This isn't 1990's anymore and if the party caucus continues to hang onto the has beens from that era....you're going to see an even further erosion of Democrats here in the county. Hell even some of the more popular good Democratic candidates  like Susan Popp got caught up the Rep. beatdown inflicted upon what for years was the dominant force here.

 As far as Noel's sheriff win, Jamey has shown he is a shrewd,capable , hardworking politician who has nurtured and cultivated an attractive mixed slate of candidates with great success. Now it's time to use your administrative skills to clean up the Co. jail and bring respect back to the sheriff's dept.and the people's trust, and on that endeavor we wish you luck....

This week more analysis and comments on yesterday's election.. 

Thanks for viewing...yesterday over 1200 page views

Election Day 2014 ...Election Night Special

*************************BREAKING********************************************
Goliath's vote site sucks here is a better Link
CLICK HERE

******************************UPDATE**************************************************
Back home in the BatCave...We'll be here all night, love to hear your experiences, thoughts on the results that will be coming in shortly or any sightings (Joe, Jamey etc.)....the place to be the BatBlog's Election night special
*******************************************************************************************                                   For the latest returns  CLICK HERE

Will be posting different observations and thoughts throughout the day from the Bat(Iphone) in the comments section. I encourage everyone to do the same....Let us know about voter turnout, and any other observations but most of all....BE SURE TO VOTE !!!

2014 Election Eve Special ....Who Should Win and Who Will Win

For 2014 Clark Co. Election Results CLICK HERE 

This Tuesday is as an important as well as interesting of an election Clark Co. has had in a long time. Key positions from sheriff and prosecutor to Co. Council and Commissioner are just some of the key races up for grabs. Clark Co. and Jeffersonville voters have done a good job  recently in putting the "good ole boy" system behind us, and as recent events confirm we need to continue on this track and bring honest, younger, more qualified people into public servant positions. End forever the embarrassment and shame brought on the county by recent officeholders. Now a look at the races.

  The most attention drawing race has to be the sheriff's race where it appears to be a two man contest between Jamey Noel (R) and Mac Spainhour (I). The BatBlog gives a slight edge to Noel going into the last hours. Those opposed to Noel and supporting Dem. candidate Brian Meyer really need to think of switching their vote to Spainhour. The split Dem. vote will most likely be the difference.

While Noel has an impressive resume', his persona as a political wheeler dealer and schemer make us feel  Clark Co. would best be served by honest Mac Spainhour as our sheriff.

The BatBlog feels Jeremy Mull (R) will win the prosecutor's race hands down and rightfully so against Bob Bottoroff (D). Mull is more qualified than the politician Bottoroff. In the county commissioner's race we like Bryan Glover (R) over David Abbot. In the county council races, look for incumbents Barbara Hollis (D) and Bryan Lenfert (R)  to win reelection easily with Steve Doherty (R) holding off Perry Smith (D) in a closer race. The BatBlog predicts Joe Hubbard
(D) will unseat Danny Yost the incumbent (R) in the final council race.

 We feel the need for change for the better in three other key races, where we have long time "good ole boy candidates in all three races. We need the younger more  qualified candidates in the auditor's , assessor's and circuit court 3. judge's race to be elected. Martina Webster has the qualifications , background and honesty to be a great assessor. Perry Mc Call has the background as well to be a fine auditor, and Kyle Williams wants to bring respect back to the judge's seat here in Clark Co.

 Mostly we need to end the good ole boy network which Weber, Snelling and Haire are a big part of, they've been in office long enough. When you're old enough to draw Soc. Security it's time to retire, lets retire Weber, Haire , and Snelling.... It won't be easy because they are slick politicians, whose big grins and campaigns belie the serious problems in each of their respective departments and courts they manage.

Susan Popp (D) should and will win easily in the Co. clerk race and David Reinhardt (R) as well in the treasurer race. Popp is a quality person and public servant who we give a strong endorsement to...

In the remaining races we like Laura Harbison in the judge's contest but who will get a stiff challenge from Brad Jacobs. We like Zach Payne in the recorder's race but it could be close with Lincoln Crum (D)....Todd Young will win easily the House of Rep. race and while we think it will be close Ron (wishy washy) Grooms will probably win his Ind. senate race...Finally Steve Stemler will win his Ind. Rep. race but a special thanks to Russell Brooksbank for coming on the BatBlog and relating his message to voters and encourage everyone to check the message of ALL candidates....

When you go to the polls tomorrow be an educated voter don't rely on just knowing the name or seeing a particular large amount of signs for a particular candidate. Only by educating ourselves and making right decisions can we make a difference at the election box. Encourage your younger friends and relatives to become more aware and participate in local politics, not just the national presidential elections and most of all...Stay Vigilant my Friends....


                          2014 Clark Co. Election
              
                BatBlog Recommendation     Probable Winner 
______________________________________________________
Sheriff            Mac Spainhour (I)                                            Jamey Noel (R)   

Prosecutor     Jeremy Mull (R)                                                Jeremy Mull (R)

Co. Comm.    Bryan Glover (R)                                               Bryan Glover (R)

Assessor         Martina Webster (R)                                         Martina Webster (R)

Auditor          Perry McCall (D)                                                Monty Snelling (R)

Co. Clerk       Susan Popp (D)                                                   Susan Popp (D)

Recorder        Zach Payne (R)                                                   Zach Payne (R)

Judge #3         Kyle Williams (R)                                               Joe Weber (D)

Judge #2         Laura Harbison (D)                                            Brad Jacobs (R)

Treasurer       David Reinhardt (R)                                           David Reinhardt (R)

Co. Council    Brian Lenfert (R)                                                Brian Lenfert (R)

Co. Council     Barbara Hollis (D)                                             Barbara Hollis (D)

Co. Council     Steve Doherty (R)                                               Steve Doherty (R)

Co. Council     Danny Yost (R)                                                   Joe Hubbard (D)

Ind. St. Rep.    Steve Stemler (D)                                               Steve Stemler (D)

Ind. St. Sen.    Chuck Frieberger (D)                                         Ron Grooms (R)

U.S. House      Bill Bailey (D)                                                      Todd Young (R)

Jeff. Town.      Kelley Curran (L)                                               Kelley Curran (L)
Adv. Board     Mick Castleberry (D)                                          Scotty Maples (R)
(3 elected)       Phil Ellis (D)                                                         Shirley Bell (D)

*** STRONG Recommendations*** Spainhour, Mull, Webster, Lenfert, Popp. McCall, Glover, Curran, Williams, and Harbison

Election 2014 ....Getting Close

 

As we get down to the last couple of days before the Election 2014 lets take a look at a couple of other races. In the Clark Co. recorder's race Lincoln Crum (D) faces Jeffersonville city councilman Zach Payne (R). This could be a close race, but the BatBlog believes young Zach Payne may edge out Mr. Crum though it wouldn't be an upset if Crum wins. Payne has the youth to be a rising star for the GOP but needs this win to keep that star rising. The BatBlog would have given a strong endorsement to Payne until we saw a picture of him with Mitch McConnell and Zach wearing a "Team McConnell" t-shirt...Not cool Zach ...Mc Connell is an ass...




 Finally in the Circuit Court #2 two young local attorneys Laura

Harbison (D) faces off against  Brad Jacobs (R). While we feel either candidate will make a good judge we applaud and endorse Ms. Harbison who as a newcomer brought down Jerry (Keep em in jail) Jacobi in the primary. Ms. Harbison did the hard work running and bringing down Jacobi while Jacobs was placed in at the last minute. Jacobs with his family name recognition is probably the favorite to win but the BatBlog believes in Ms Harbison as the better candidate...





Tomorrow the Jeffersonville- Clark Co. Blog's (BatBlog) Election Eve Special where we explain who to vote for , why and who we predict will win....Stay Tuned