Blue Bluegrass

How long have I known Dee Cain (shown on the right in the photo above)? Since she was known as “Dee Dee”. Since I was called “Bobby”. Since Bourbon County Junior High School. Since long before we graduated high school in 1977. I’ve known her long enough to care a great deal about what happens to her.

Early in 2010, Dee opened the eminently cool 6 Friends Cafe on Kentucky Avenue, right across from Woodland Park, and I was there.

In 2010, Dee explained in the Lexington Herald Leader more about the name:

“We unabashedly stole the name from the children’s book The King With Six Friends by Jay Williams. It’s a story of non-judgment, small kindnesses and the true power of friendship,” Cain said.

So from its very name, 6 Friends celebrated the values of cooperation, non-judgment, and appreciating a diversity of friends. It also had the damndest rotating selection of original gelato flavors, incredibly tasty crepes, paninis that would make your tongue want to slap your mouth, local beers, and wonderfully talented local musicians. Hundreds of people found a new home for their nights out, 20 or 30 at a time. Regularly I and others would bicycle, walk or drive down, hang out, enjoy the people and the music. Lexington had become a richer place. No one can guess how many people were like me, who were helped a bit through their own hard times by its community. Lexington had another place where anybody could hang out, and not worry about whether their sexuality or anything else made them out of place. “As Dee noted: Gelato, Crepes, Fresh Sandwiches, Good Beer and Good Friends…What else is there?”

What else there was were great times, incredibly talented musicians and an ever-changing menu that rolled from 2010 into 2011. With the 2011 elections heating up, in September of 2011, I didn’t notice or get to read a troubling sign—this post on 6 Friends Facebook page:

Well friends, time for a little hard truth! The past 3 months have been very difficult on your 6 Friends Cafe. No music, thank you anonymous protester down the street, for the past 3 months has cost us crucial revenue needed to get through the winter. If you would like to continue to enjoy our quirky cafe, we NEED you to come in and have some lunch or dinner with us during the next week or two. Hopefully the music will begin again September 30th but the damage has certainly been done. We need your help!

That sign was the only clue. Although the porch music stopped, some wonderful indoor music rolled on through December. Then, in January of 2012, that ominous post from September about lost revenues needed to get through the winter returned in the horrible news-6 Friends Cafe was closing forever:

 

The first post of 2012 for The 6 Friends Cafe is a necessary , yet sad post. The cafe will be closing it’s doors. I want to thank each of you for all of your support. The laughter, conversation and friendship that you brought to the cafe was so appreciated! We will be doing one final blow out weekend of music this coming weekend. Details to follow. I will miss the sounds of your laughter in the cafe. Thanks again for the support that each of you gave!

Saturday, January 7, 2012 was the big blowout night. Was I going to miss hearing Beth Burden and her guitar close it out? Miss being there with Dee at the end? Of course not. At that point, the only help possible was to be there for a friend, and to bring a really, really, really, really good bottle of bourbon.

That night, Dee did it like she did most things—the right way. She connected with all the friends and community that wanted to thank her for giving Lexington a place like 6 Friends. Beth Burden’s magic guitar helped everyone through. During the night, I had the chance to catch up with Dee. She talked about why 6 Friends was closing. Here’s what she told me (and Dee has confirmed the accuracy of the following):

During the normally productive summer months, a neighbor a few doors down had filed a complaint against 6 Friends alleging a violation of the city’s zoning ordinance based on the live music from 6 Friends front porch. This front porch is directly across the street from the park’s amphitheater which regularly hosted the exact same sort of live music. 6 Friends was zoned for business. While the matter was pending, 6 Friends was unable to book musicians, which in turn reduced the number of customers for those normally productive summer months.

Finally, in late September, the complaint was presented to Lexington’s zoning board.  The complainant was an absent homeowner a few doors down from 6 Friends, who brought the action through a local attorney. Dee did not have money to hire an attorney, and went herself to try to resolve the complaint.

Dee pointed out that the music was acoustic, identical to that from the park, and then said she wanted to try to get along with her neighbors. An opportunity for Dee and the attorney to meet outside and conduct informal mediation was given. Dee gladly accepted. She opened the conversation by repeating that she wanted to do whatever was needed to get along with all neighbors, and then Dee asked what she needed to do work something out.

The response to Dee was that they weren’t really interested in working anything out with “her kind”.

Dee Cain believes “her kind” was a reference to her sexual orientation.  Dee has lived in many states, and in some of the more backward parts of the country, including Texas. Prior to that moment, she had never been singled out based on her sexual orientation. For that to happen in Kentucky would probably not be surprising, but for that to happen Lexington is quite surprising.

When the proceedings reconvened, Dee had the presence of mind to report the comment about “her kind”. The attorney did not deny saying it. Instead, he pointed out that the term could have been referring to anything. He said that by saying “her kind” he may have meant that she was Irish.

Because of the lost summer of revenue, the damage was done.

After the proceeding, only indoor music was allowed. January 7, 2012 was the day the music died.

Diane Lawless was Dee’s council representative.  Dee voiced her frustration to me that she couldn’t get any advance information, direction, help or response from Lawless during that time, and couldn’t get any information about the process before the matter was heard. Dee had no idea that in 2008 I had contributed to, rallied and worked for Diane Lawless. She told me that Diane was her city council representative. Dee says : “As for contacting Diane, I made two calls, both to her government office, leaving a message both times. I conveyed in the message, to the person that answered the phone, the severity and the details of the situation. I left my cell phone number and never received a return call.”

Was one of the most creative places to hang out in Lexington shut down in part from losses resulting from a zoning violation allegation in a Lexington where one of the parties referred to Dee’s sexual orientation? That is a real possibility.  Beyond what Dee has related, there is no information about the process itself in this post, and this post is not a criticism of the process.

Was the lack of music the only factor that hurt 6 Friends? Absolutely not. Was it a major factor in the cafe having to close forever? Yes, it absolutely was. Dee reached out to Diane Lawless. To her elected representative. To someone who could direct Dee to information to help her through this process. In recent debates, Lawless has claimed that if someone tries to contact her through Facebook, they shouldn’t expect her to respond.  Read the above link and judge her reasoning yourself-this contains a trasnscript of her “explanation”.  The incoherent reasoning behind that excuse is not clear—after all, Facebook messages aren’t some magical mystery like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, inexplicably disappearing without warning. They are accessible from anyplace that has internet access, including a cell phone. But even that excuse fails here.

Dee contacted 3rd District Council Member Diane Lawless the way Diane Lawless says she is supposed to: by calling her at her council offices and leaving detailed messages. Not once. Twice. Would things have been different if Diane Lawless had returned Dee’s pleas for help, or had someone else on the city’s staff return her calls? It is impossible to say. But this is certain: Diane Lawless, as Dee’s elected representative, failed her at a critical time, and Dee was subsequently hurt through a process that included a party referring to Dee’s sexual orientation, or at least, to “her kind”.

Even in a formal, more judicial administrative hearing, there is nothing to prevent an official from returning a phone call. Kentucky law (KRS 13B.100) says plainly that only “substantive” communications are prohibited, and that if one occurs, it does not invalidate the process.  The substance of that communication simply has to be placed in the record if it occurs. Returning phone calls from participants and answering their questions about what will occur is a necessary part of the process even for formal hearings.

But zoning matters are not even judicial administrative hearings.  Requirements for zoning are relaxed by design, and recognized as such by the Kentucky Supreme Court. For over 40 years, the Kentucky Supreme Court has said zoning matters are not just judicial, but are also legislative in nature. As recently as 2005, the Court has affirmed zoning processes were not required to operate as an impartial tribunal in the same way as a judicial body. In that case, the Court again noted communications outside the zoning hearing are not prohibited, and said:

The Court of Appeals reversed the Circuit Court’s ruling, holding that prejudgment and bias by the two Fiscal Court members operated to deprive Hilltop of procedural due process. Specifically, the evidence suggested that the members communicated, in both public and private messages to their constituents prior to a hearing on the matter, their opposition to subsurface mining in general. One of the members was alleged to have said that she “would never vote for a mine in this area of Boone County” because “[t]he people in Boone County just don’t want it.” Judge Knopf dissented from the majority’s opinion, arguing that it departed from the recognized standard of review in zoning cases and failed to appreciate the legislative aspects of the process. From this decision, we granted discretionary review to both parties. We now reverse and remand, finding nothing in this record which violates Hilltop’s right to procedural due process of law.

There cannot be any basis to claim that Diane Lawless is excused from all communications of any sort in any zoning matters. Such a claim flies in the face of forty years of Kentucky law allowing it. There is no excuse for 3rd District Council Member Diane Lawless failing to represent Dee by returning her call.

Dee is not the only resident of the 3rd District who has been hurt by Diane’s failure as a leader.  In Lexington’s 2nd District, Council Member Tom Blues has not hesitated to meet with constituents and discuss matters such as crime in their areas, and has been willing to also confer with public safety staff to see what can be done to address the issue.  Unfortunately, as Josh Monroe notes in his recent letter to the editor, there is no such help available to residents of the 3rd District:

When contacted about a problem with vandalism and burglary in our neighborhood due to the recent vacancy of a business, Lawless could not be bothered to answer any questions. I contacted her using multiple forms of communication, only to be told that she did not have a “magic wand.”

To Dee, again:  Thank you.  You brought a vision to life in a wonderful way, and touched a lot of people through 6 Friends.  It shouldn’t have ended so soon, and shouldn’t have ended this  way.

Diane Lawless—When you fail to do your duty as an elected representative, real people like Dee are hurt. And more than that, our community is hurt. We have lost a special place to meet and have community through a process that included an apparent reference by a party to sexual orientation, and you failed to call Dee back when she wanted directions on what to expect from the process. You have hurt Dee, and you have hurt the hundreds of people who loved 6 Friends and its sense of belonging.

How can this have been allowed to happen in Lexington?  Lexington is a town that has a longstanding commitment to equal rights for all.  I will always have the sadness of losing the place of community, and the sadness of knowing that came through a process in which a party referred to Dee’s sexual orientation, or at least, to “her kind”.

If you serve for two more months or two more years, it is time to change. Please show up for council proceedings.  Please return phone calls from constituents like Dee and Josh, respond to those who you work for, show up and lead on the urgent matters facing Lexington, and take positions that protect Lexington’s most vulnerable citizens.

If you don’t, Lexington and its residents will continue to suffer from your lack of leadership.

Updated at 9:49 p.m:

Stephen Shepard, another constituent of Diane Lawless, just shared this further example of Diane’s failures as a leader, from his request last year:

“And here’s this authors (Stephen’s) exchange with Diane over a bike lane that was over extended on Maxwell Street, asking his then city council woman what her position on it was:

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 10:48 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

It’s Stephen Shepard, plans to kill the bike lane on Maxwell?

from: Diane Lawless
to: stephen
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 10:49 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

Not sure what will happen.

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 10:51 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

They just installed the damn thing! Lol.

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 10:51 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

Do you have a position on it?

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:02 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

Well I’m on Maxwell and curious how this will play out, I’ll be watching this.

from: Diane Lawless
to: stephen
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:09 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

Write to all CM’s!!

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:10 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

Lol, I’m in your district! You mean CM at large as well?

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:11 AM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

I talk to Steve Kay too.

from: stephen
to: Diane Lawless
date: Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 2:17 PM
subject: SMS with Diane Lawless

The Kentucky Kernel is at my front door asking about the bike lane.

==================================

 

 

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Does Lexington deserve elected officials who represent their constituents and who can be counted on to show up in times of crisis? One would hope so.

What is the most important issue facing Lexington’s leadership? There is no single answer, and opinions on which issue is the most important can vary from person to person.

Many single out the police and firefighters disability and pension funding crisis as Lexington’s most important issue. In fact, on her campaign page, 3rd District Urban County Council Representative Diane Lawless identified the pension crisis. Also this year, when asked in a questionnaire for this election: “(Question 11): What is the biggest challenge and opportunity facing Lexington-Fayette County? Lawless answered by identifying the pension fund.

Lawless is not alone in recognizing how important and how urgent the pension fund crisis is for Lexington.

At the June 25, 2012 Police & Fire Pension Task Force Subcommitttee Meeting, no one disagreed with Lexington Mayor Jim Gray (starting at the 37:30 mark in the video-may need Explorer browser to view) in his comments when he addressed the meeting.

Gray first thanked Lexington’s retirees, police and fire representatives and elected officials for taking the critical first step and showing up. Gray noted “everyone is at the table trying to gather information and advance the conversation. We’re all here today, which demonstrates commitment that we should all appreciate,but the time is running out.” Gray noted that “service level insolvency or an enormous tax increase are the likely outcomes in the path and the road we are now on. … The urgency in the crisis is undeniable.”

The police and firefighters have fought strongly to maintain the present system intact, and rightfully so. Their interest is in preserving the generous disability benefit system presently in place, and any group should fight to maintain its benefits. How cuts in services or increases in taxes can be minimized as a counter-balance to those employee interests is at the heart of the crisis. Some sort of balance must be struck in a way that is fair to all.

As a leader, Gray was right to take the time to thank those affected parties for showing up on June 25, 2012. After all, the first step to addressing any crisis is showing up.

Just showing up is a problem for Diane Lawless. Diane Lawless is the leader and Chair of Lexington’s Council Public Safety Committee. A position as chair of Public Safety places a leader in the perfect position to learn about, understand, identify and propose solutions for what Mayor Gray rightfully described as an “urgent crisis”. Remember, this issue is the one Lawless herself identifies as Lexington’s biggest challenge. So on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, the very next day after the urgent crisis relating to the pension fund was discussed by Mayor Gray on June 25, 2012, when the disability process for that pension fund was on the agenda of the Public Safety Committee that Lawless chairs, what did Lawless do?

As the video of the meeting shows, Diane Lawless did not show up on time to even conduct proceedings for the committee she chaired when it was to address this urgent crisis. After an awkward delay, the vice chair had no choice but to begin the meeting without Lawless. This portion of the meeting addressed the nuts and bolts of how disability eligibility occurs, what percentages are paid out, how the application process works, exam requirements, and the numbers involved in the calculations.

The June 26, 2012 Public Safety Committee Minutes note that Lawless arrived at 11:25. Even if that is correct, there is no participation by Lawless until at the 45:00 mark, when the vice chair of the committee notes that Lawless has arrived and will at that time take over the proceedings. Assuming Lawless arrived at 11:25, she still missed the presentation by Ed Gardner of the Lexington Department of Law considering and discussing the two ways that Lexington may be able to address the pension crisis without legislative action by Frankfort. When a leader fails to lead at a time of urgent crisis, progress is impossible.

So what caused Lawless to fail to show up and lead on Lexington’s most urgent crisis? That’s not known. It could be the same thing that made her miss more council meetings over her entire four years on the council than any council member seeking re-election. What the cause is really doesn’t matter. The result is Lexington suffers from Lawless’ failures of leadership, and from not having elected leadership to address all its problems, including its most urgent crisis.

The table demonstrating the specifics of Diane Lawless’ council absences from 2009 through 2012 can be viewed here.

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When confronted with the cold stark fact that Lexington Urban County Council 3rd District Representative Diane Lawless has the worst attendance record on council, some of her supporters just blithely assert that she has protected important programs in Lexington. They falsely suggest that she takes positions that respect those among us who are in the greatest need. Any leader has priorities.

What did Diane Lawless choose to vote against funding last year? Well, according to Lawless as quoted in the right-wing Kentucky Club for Growth, which wrote glowingly of her vote with the three other Republican council members, Lawless stated that: “while there are some good and worthwhile projects in the budget, we cannot afford them now.”

It’s good to know Lawless has priorities. Unfortunately, she and the other three Republicans on the council voted against funding for:

Lexington Human Rights Commission:

It is the purpose of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission to safeguard all individuals within Lexington-Fayette County from discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, familial status and sexual orientation/gender identity in connection with employment, housing and public accommodations.

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission shall serve as an investigative, consultative, educational, persuasive, and enforcement agency in order to guarantee equal opportunity for all people of the City of Lexington and Fayette County.

Then there’s the Hope Center, which just tries to help by giving Lexingtonians

• Food, shelter and clothing to people who are homeless.
• Recovery for those who are addicted.
• Health services for those who are sick.
• Diagnosis and treatment for those who are mentally ill.
• Employment services for those who can work.
• Transitional housing for those who are on their way back. Permanent affordable housing for those who need it.
• Housing, child care and higher education opportunity for single parent families.

Clearly, such programs are rightfully voted down as unimportant by Lawless and three others. It’s all about priorities.

Lawless also voted against funding Moveable Feast:

Moveable Feast Lexington prepares and delivers hot, freshly cooked meals, five days a week, to people living with AIDS/HIV-related illnesses as well as individuals who are patients of Hospice of the Bluegrass.
Clients can receive nutritional counseling, and menus are modified to address specific nutritional needs. We serve Lexington/Fayette County of Kentucky.
Individuals are served without regard to race, sexual orientation, political affiliation or national origin.

Free food for AIDS patients and hospice patients? What was the rest of the council thinking?

Lawless also voted against funding Lexington’s Chrysalis House. What does Chrysalis do?

More than 34 years and counting—that’s how long Chrysalis House has been saving families one life at a time. We could not do it without the generous support of the community. Chrysalis House specializes in treating substance dependent expecting mothers, allowing them to keep their newborns and toddlers with them while in treatment.
Chrysalis House is making a difference in so many ways. Graduates are staying sober, working in jobs that support their families, earning their GEDs, living in their own homes, and giving back to their community as their lives come full circle.

And against the Blue Grass Rape Crisis Center, whose site states:

The Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center (BRCC) is made up of people with diverse backgrounds, skills, and philosophies who are united by a commitment to end sexual violence.
While striving toward the long-range mission of eliminating sexual violence, BRCC provides comprehensive services to all victims and awareness education to the entire community.

Salvation Army of Lexington, which provides homeless services, food pantries, clothing banks, rent and utility assistance, holiday assistance, emergency disaster assistance, early learning centers, boys and girls clubs, camps, and music schools.

Baby Health Service, which began as Mother’s Milk Supply in 1914 to supply formula to infants of indigent families.

There are dozens of similar programs that the three Republicans and Lawless voted against funding. It’s all about priorities. Another loser?

Community Action Council, which combats poverty by offering opportunities for low-income people to achieve self-sufficiency and providing services so that each community member and family is able to reach their full potential. The Council works to serve the low income population through advocacy, service delivery and community involvement.

Public safety? Is that a priority for Lawless? Not last year, it wasn’t. The council voted to add back 11 security officers and several public information employees, plus a police recruiting class of 25 officers. Lawless and the three Republicans voted against that funding too.

After the council voted for the above programs, their budget had the items line item vetoed. And once again, Diane Lawless voted with the three Republicans against overriding the veto, and voted against funding the above programs and dozens of similar ones.

The most eloquent summation of why it is so wrong to not fund such programs came from another council member, Kevin Stinnett, who stated: to balance the city budget on the backs of “people who need us the most” was wrong, and he could not support that action.

So if there’s just not enough money to help those people, then for Diane Lawless, what IS an appropriate use of oh, say, $100,000 of taxpayers money?

How about an investigation and legal bills for a fraud claim that Diane Lawless says she didn’t realize she made? Can’t fund infant formula for indigent mothers, or rape crisis programs, or meals for AIDS patients, but it’s always good to spend $100,000, especially when Lawless later claimed she didn’t realize she had made the fraud allegations. The Herald Leader reported that:

The Urban County Council voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to halt spending on a lawsuit that blossomed from an investigation of fraud allegations made by a city employee.
One day after State Auditor Crit Luallen’s office released a report stating it found no evidence of fraud, the council voted to stop paying lawyers representing the city’s Internal Audit Board and an investigative committee of the council. The board and the committee were fighting over the council’s authority to subpoena the fraud allegations.
Meanwhile, several council members seemed shocked by the revelation in Luallen’s audit that a council member had a copy of the fraud allegations at least a month before the investigative committee was appointed.
…
After Councilman Jay McChord challenged his anonymous colleague to come forward, Councilwoman Diane Lawless said she had met with the state auditor and turned over a large stack of documents. However, she denied knowing the fraud allegations were among those documents.

“I didn’t know what I had,” she said. “That may sound strange, but as you know, a lot of my life is stranger than fiction.”

Asked Councilman Tom Blues, “Why take documents to the state auditor if you did not know what they were?”
Councilman Ed Lane told Lawless she could have provided the allegations to fellow council members. “It ended up we had an investigative committee, incurred legal fees and a lot of bad publicity,” he said.

Lexington deserves a council member who shows up, whose personal life isn’t stranger than fiction, whose priorities are feeding the hungry and the most desperately in need among our citizens, and not a council member who votes against funding such help while wasting $100,000 of taxpayers money on a fraudulent fraud allegation.

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Four years ago, Diane Lawless ran for Lexington city council. This blogger not only contributed to her campaign, rallied for her, and helped distribute yard signs, he believed in her. For four years, Diane Lawless has let down this blogger, her constituents, and the city of Lexington. Want proof? Here’s a photo of me at one of her rallies four years ago. This is written by someone who worked very hard for Lawless four years ago, with the expectation that she would work just as hard for the constituents who she serves; by someone who has been as disappointed with Lawless as with any elected official ever in Kentucky.

In one of her first votes on the council, she voted with the majority in a decision to allow paving of an area that would worsen Lexington’s stormwater runoff disaster, as well as threaten neighborhood quality of life. After the vote, what principled, policy-based reason did Diane Lawless offered as her justification for the vote? Was it

(A) There was new technology that would be able to address the additional stormwater runoff, or
(B) As a council representative, she took a position in favor of businesses and against neighborhoods because she believed there was a critical need for job growth?
(C) That the parameters of planning and zoning criteria amounted to legal requirements which could not be ignored?
(D) None of the above

If you chose D, congratulations. Diane Lawless’ sole justification for her vote was this mind-boggling position: “Well, I voted for it because it was clear it was going to pass anyway.”

Imagine Kathy Stein presented with that scenario. Principled stands for important positions are what elected officials is the duty of officials to the constituents they represent. A position of “I voted for it because it was obviously going to pass anyway” is a failure of the elected official to meet their obligations to represent their constituents.

But there are other and worse ways that Diane Lawless has failed those she represents. For example, it’s pretty difficult to represent anyone when you can’t even be bothered to show up for the work you are paid to do as an elected official. And of all the incumbent candidates for council in Lexington this year, Diane Lawless has the worse attendance record.

The only member with worse attendance was her dear, close political ally K.C. Crosby, of the Republican Party of Kentucky. Lawless missed 16 council meetings, only 2 less than Crosby’s 18 absences. (More to come on Lawless’ alliances with Republicans, including Republican congressional candidate Andy Barr).

There was also an embarrassing failure earlier this year of a council proceeding that Lawless was named to chair. Even that duty didn’t motivate her to actually show up. The entire group assembled waited for a long period, only to have Lawless come stumbling in apologizing for forgetting about her official duties.

Contrast the nonsensical gibberish Lawless offered as her excuse for not showing up to represent her district with the response of challenger Stephanie Spires:

The debate also allowed candidates to ask their opponent a direct question. For 3rd district incumbent Diane Lawless and challenger Stephanie Spires, the main point of contention involved attendance at public meetings how much time each candidate is able to spend serving the community.

“I spend seven days a week, sometimes 8 to 14 hours a day. I have to manage my time, and therefore I have missed these DLC meetings because they’re on Thursdays,” said Lawless.

“I learned that you have to handle, if someone slides you a request on a napkin or they Facebook you or they e-mail you, or they call your cell phone at 3 in the morning. And I’m accessible and you can reach me and I will respond,” said Spires.

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As Congressman Awesome (John Yarmuth) pointed out today, no-lips Mitch McConnell put out a new 3 minute video promoting himself ahead of his 2014 race. Think Mitch is frightened and trying to scare off a tea party primary? It’s possible.

In a slick, highly produced and highly choreographed 3 minute video, it is fantastic that Mitch McConnell never speaks a single word about a single issue that will make our country a better place. McConnell never speaks a single word about the Commonwealth of Kentucky that he is supposed to be serving as a leader. And he never says anything on any issue, other than how powerful he is. Unbelievable? Watch for yourself. ALL HAIL OUR NEW OVERLORD.

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Considering the way the Celtics are abusing the Sixers tonight, it might be a good time to go read what Solzy’s written on Rondo.

“In his second year in the league, he led them to the NBA championship so he’s played above expectations, I think, at an early stage,” Smith told me in a phone interview. “I thought he’d be this type of player but I didn’t know he would be this good this early in his career. He was a guy that when he was drafted, people thought they weren’t even sure what type of pro he would be. Now he ends up being an all star. He’s been an all star multiple times and one of the best point guards in the NBA.”

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Four years ago, a political newcomer named Diane Lawless came campaigning for the Third District of Lexington’s Urban County Council race. She promised effective, idealistic and dedicated service for those whose vote she sought. This liberal blogger gave her money, and gave her hours, and helped with distribution of her yard signs. That trust has been squandered by Lawless, who has been missing in action and inconsistent in four years of supposedly serving the Third District. Lawless has allowed her individual constituents to be hurt by her failure of leadership in ways that have been catastrophic to some of those constituents, and in ways that are unacceptable when they occurred in 2011, and remain unacceptable in 2012.

After four years of the most abject failure on the most basic fundamentals of representing those she serves, and after four years of abject failure to be a consistently reliable liberal voice, Lawless believes that she can consistently fail to show up for work, can steadfastly refuse to even communicate with her constituents, can berate Democrats for committing the horrible faux pas of supporting Democrats, and can simply come back before the voters and act as though she has served the citizens in anything like a proper manner.

Support Jim Gray? Of course. Support Democratic candidates up and down the line? Of course. But for any elected leader to have any value or merit, they must show up and communicate with their constituents. Diane Lawless has failed to do that. Excuses heard have included that she is in some way or another ill. If that is true, then godspeed for a fast recovery. No personal animus is expressed here for someone who may be a nice person if they show up in a communicative state. But whatever the reason, and however valid the personal challenges may be, as an elected official, Diane Lawless is either unable or unwilling to meet the duties of the office. And there can be no personal excuse for her conduct criticizing Democratic volunteers and loyalists for supporting a Democratic candidate.

So who is the best alternative? Not Republican Rock Daniels, who knows how to have a good time (see above). Lexington’s Mayor Jim Gray is to be credited with the plan he came up with for his mayoral race. Here’s part of it:

Friends,
Lexington deserves a Fresh Start. It’s time to put aside our political differences and plan for Lexington’s future. In the next few pages I hope you will read and learn more about how I plan to lead Lexington through the next four years.
Like so many of you I chose Lexington as my home….

Apparently if it’s good enough for Jim Gray, it’s good enough for Rock Daniels to crib from. Here’s part of his documents:

Friends,
The 3rd District deserves a Fresh Approach. It is time to implement a plan that will move us forward into the future. Over the next couple of pages, I hope you will read and learn more about how I plan to lead the 3rd District over the course of the next two years.
Like so many of you, I have chosen to live in Lexington because I….

And so it goes.

And of course, there’s the further moral ambiguity of Rock splashing his business advertisement across Lexington’s trolleys in a way that uses business funds in a way the promotes his candidacy. Yes, it is a non-partisan office race. But perhaps this is all just Rock being true to his Republican roots—after all, money is free speech, and corporations is people. But take away the cribbing of talking points, the skanky use of business funds to promote his race, and he’s still just another empty-suited Republican.

To get more background on all the candidates, read the Herald-Leader’s profile article.

The best choice for the Third District is Stephanie Spires. Read all her materials, learn more about her, here. One candidate is supposedly spreading a claim that Spires is a Republican. Frankly, for this voter, that would be the kiss of death, non-partisan race or not. Be assured that, contrary to what one candidate says, Spires is a Democrat, and has worked for Democratic leadership in the state house. Given the failure of Lawless, Spires deserves a chance to represent progressive values in Lexington.

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Finally, the cn2 link is available with video to embed:

To read more on the interview, click here.

For Adkins’ page, click here.

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