Democrats are slobbering in ecstasy that we’re slaughtering Galena; meanwhile, New Albany continues to steadily lose ground regionally in terms of economic development and job creation.
What we do have in abundance — an indie business and entrepreneurial class — labors under Jeff Gahan’s insistence that (a) they receive few of the incentives and subsidies lavished elsewhere, and (b) he’s responsible for their success, anyway.
Thus the sad pantomime. Here and there Wendy Dant Chesser tosses Gahan a few crumbs; in reply, Gahan and what’s left of his captive council minions buy a few pencils from One Southern Indiana.
For eight years we’ve been waiting for Gahan to present and explain a coherent economic development strategy in this time of River Ridge hegemony and the concurrent loss of companies like Pillsbury (and remember Samtec’s new plant … in Scottsburg?)
For eight years, we’ve heard barely audible gurgling sounds in response — and so with nothing concrete to offer, Gahan and the Democrats just conjure whoppers out of whole cloth.
Regular readers know how difficult it can be for reality-based people to fathom the DemoDisneyDixiecratic fantasyland wherein Tricky Dickey churns out fabrications, concoctions, fibs, cock and bull stories and fake facts almost as quickly as Putin’s computerized bots.
What’s worse, his press releases never vary from the Democratic National Committee’s style-free user’s manual — which is to say, they’re unreadable. Like so many other fiction writers, perhaps Dickey is paid by the word.
Let’s be perfectly clear, Mudd.
HMS Maritime’s expansion in New Albany had nothing to do with Jeff Gahan, although even one as skeptical as me can plainly see why this or any other sitting mayor seeks to take credit for each and every sunrise, taco and subsequent bowel movement.
But Greg Phipps?
Can anyone capable of reading and comprehending these words cite a single instance of Phipps being involved with economic development during the past eight years, apart from attending the stray ribbon-cutting, and issuing rote rubber-stamp approval of every expenditure ever handed him by Team Gahan?
Yet he is commended for “sponsoring” incentives written by City Hall’s legal team. By this same skewed logic, 5th district councilman Matt Nash personally engineered the deal to spend a few million more in TIF-ATM funds for the Colonial Manor property.
As the kids say, “OMG.”
Readers, we’ve all heard politicians lie. That’s a real fact, not a fake one. But I can’t recall a time when the “leading element” of the local Democratic Party has lied to such a breathtaking extent. Nor can I remember this much Kool-Aid and Loaded Rice Krispie Treats being consumed by the rank and file.
It’s almost as if the quiver’s empty, and self-delusion is all they have left.
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Democratic mayoral candidate David White understands that change begins with a whole lotta scrubbing, and NA Confidential advocates just such a deep civic cleansing.
After eight years on the job, Mayor Jeff Gahan’s list of stunning “achievements” is long, indeed: tax increases, budgetary hide ‘n’ seek, self-deification, daily hypocrisy, public housing takeover, non-transparency, pay-to-play for no-bid contracts, bullying city residents and bullying city employees. Eight years is enough. It’s time to drain Gahan’s swamp, flush his ruling clique and take this city back from Gahan’s Indy-based special interest donors.
NA Confidential supports David White for Mayor in the Democratic Party primary, with voting now through May 7.