Louisville Mojo: Mayor Jerry Abramson: the Mojo Interview, Part II

This is the second part of the Mojo interview with Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, as he nears his final year in office. To read the first half, go here.

The first part of the interview ended with Abramson saying “We are closer now than ever to maybe getting something done,” on the Ohio River Bridges Project, so the next question was easy:

So, how soon do you see someone being able to drive across the Ohio on a new bridge?

“I've been working on this issue for over 20 years, and I am an optimist, and so I would say…let's see, 12 years from now.”

When asked about more recent challenges, Abramson said the most daunting task he's had to deal with recently is one that hasn't been very visible to many in the community:

“The most challenging issue of the last six years that no one has seen has been the consolidation of the systems,” he said. “The old city and the old county didn't have the same financial management systems, didn't have the same people systems; didn't have the same communications systems from EMS to Fire, Police to EMS and all that. Changing the culture inside city government and county government, to change the mindset, and some of that I have yet to accomplish, to change it to a team approach.”

And as for more recent issues, Abramson seemed blithe to the criticism over recently resigned Metro and scandal-ridden Animal Services Director Gilles Meloche, while acknowledging that the city's dangerous dog ordinance remains a hotbutton issue for many in the Metro.

“Ever since the dog ordinance passed, that's been an issue that some members of the community have been beating that drum on for more than the last year,” he said. “So that is an ongoing issue of some concern for a segment of the community.”

And in the staggering understatement of the morning, Abramson briefly mentioned the scandal over former Metro Housing Authority Director Kimberly Bunton. Last year Bunton resigned under a cloud of scandal (which sounds vaguely familiar) after it came out that she had improperly funneled housing grant money to her mother and to herself – and then she was given more than $10,000 in unemployment benefits with the approval of Metro Government:

“And then there was the leadership person that I put in place for housing that did not work out as I had hoped,” he said. “I was very disappointed by that, but we've got that one back on track with Tina Heavrin as the director.

“In terms of 'oh my gosh'-es floating around, I guess those are the two that some members of the council have relished in finding fault.”

And since he brought it up, that made it easier to ask if the mayor felt like he had a good relationship with council, and how his relationship with the council has changed:

Abramson noted that he was a strong, but also largely a lone, proponent of nonpartisan elections in the newly merged government.

“And I worked for that because I don't think there's a Democrat or Republican way to run a city,” he said. “Because, well, there isn't…(but) I lost that battle.”

“My hope was that we would have 26 members of the council and that they would have caucuses based on their interests,” he said. “It would be based on the issues.”

“And so some people who I considered to be very good, civic-minded
individuals were elected, and then because they had an 'R' or a 'D' after their names, they sort of changed,” he said. “And all of a sudden there was a Republican and a Democratic caucus, and each one budget director, and each one had a public relations person, and each one had a political party operative, when we're talking about filling potholes, we're talking about creating jobs, we're talking about making sure the community is safe.”

“So the answer to your question is, I think it could have been better, had all of us been nonpartisan.”

Speaking of the Metro Council and the Bridges Project, why didn't you appoint a member of the council to the bridge authority?

“I got a letter from the governor who said, and I concur, that we have to keep politics out of the bridge authority.”

Abramson said he did take half the council's resolution, making half his appointments for one year and the others for two, but that he – as well as Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels – felt it was best to have professionals not politicians.

“Our feeling was the best thing to do to ensure that politics didn't play a role in the difficult issues that are coming up was not to on either side of the river select elected officials,” he said. “And oh, by the way, there will be tolls, and what politician who plans to run for re-election wants to stand up and vote on tolls?”

Abramson also acknowledged that he has noticed increased criticism and challenges to his ideas in recent days, but he attributed that largely to a great sense of angst and unease among people because of the country's recent economic woes – which he said has been felt by mayors across the country with whom he's spoken.

But that hasn't played a role in his decision to pursue statewide office, he said. Rather it was a personal appeal from the governor, a longtime friend who had initially tried to talk Abramson into running for governor before deciding to do so himself, that swayed him, Abramson said.

And contrary to expectation, he has no plans to run for governor, he said – not that he'd rule out a run for governor entirely.

“I may very well be the first lieutenant governor in recent history to not be running for lieutenant governor to be something else, “ he said. “I could be very, very happy spending four years helping this state and then going on and going and doing something else.”

“The answer I am not approaching this position to do anything afterwards…there is no grand plan thereafter,” he said.

But could you be talked into it?

"There are no plans to anything beyond those four years, but I mean, y'know, who knows?”

And the polling he's done in the past indicates that, contrary to popular opinion, it would be very possible for someone from Louisville to be elected governor, he said.

Abramson said he plans to work in Frankfort to help move forward issues and projects affecting Louisville, because what helps the Louisville metropolitan region helps the rest of the state.

Jim Host, who was instrumental in getting the downtown arena off the drawing board, once related to him an illustrative conversation he'd had with a man from out in the state, Abramson said.

“This guy called him from Eastern Kentucky and said, 'Host, what the hell are you doing, helping those guys in Louisville build an arena? Why, why would you do that?' and Host said, 'Y'know, this community, for every dollar in taxes that we give to Kentucky, this economic engine called Louisville, Kentucky, gets back around 50 cents. Guess where the other 50 cents goes? To the rest of the state.

“'So you need to understand that the success of the economic engine of this commonwealth has a direct effect on the quality of life that you and your family are enjoying, and the rest of the state.' And that says to me that many people are beginning to understand that the economic engine of this commonwealth is in this region.”

Finally, it was time to try to get Abramson to handicap the upcoming mayoral race, now that he's out of it. Not surprisingly, he didn't rise to the bait:

“I'm staying out of that one,” he said. “We are supporting the Democratic nominee, no matter who he or she might be.”

ADD A COMMENT

EdenSprings sat nov 07 2009 at 1:26 pm ·


	“Ever since the dog ordinance passed, that's been an issue that some members of the community have been beating that drum on for more than the last year,” Yeah, a "segment"--like those few citizens who prefer not having their Constitutional rights trampled by your Pet Nazis who forge search warrants and break into folks' homes while they're away. Just a couple of us, Jerry. Not many to worry about. Don't bother your pretty little head about a minor detail like Civil Liberties. Just us poor people that your pal Dr. Meloche claims shouldn't be allowed to have pets. Remember, Jerry? The older, poorer, blacker folks who used to vote for you? Just a handful of us. Who have lawyers. That are starting to file suit in federal court. Seeking punitive damages. That we suffered under your fine legislation. I'm sure it won't amount to much in your campaign for Lt. Gov. Just a few folks upset that you supported a foreigner who plead guilty to a controlled substance charge and did a buncha other illegal stuff that you supported over Metro employees and your own Metro voters. It won't hurt much. Really.

Stevietheman wed nov 11 2009 at 4:21 pm ·


	Mayor Jer said "Abramson also talked about he has noticed increased criticism and challenge to his ideas in recent days, but he attributed that largely to a great sense of angst and unease among people because of the country's recent economic woes – which he said has been felt by mayors across the country with whom he's spoken." Mayor Jer is mistaken. A bulk of the criticism was beginning well before this recession hit. He took big hits on the library tax matter. He has faced lots of criticism on the bridges matter for many years. Further, a lot of the criticism has actually very little to do with the recession. Corruption is corruption, and things like the Cordish affair would be just as smelly in any other time frame.

ADD A COMMENT

blogs: the louisvillian