Yesterday, for the millionth time, we pointed out shenanigans at Louisville Metro Animal Services.

In that post, we also said this:

Meanwhile, Jim King does everything BUT address LMAS. He brought the Zoo up in deficit discussions because his wife (a true Louisville gem) is on the board, though. Nary a mention of cleaning up LMAS to save budget dollars.

Guess who responded?

Jim King // Jan 27, 2012 at 3:28 am

jake,

as I’ve said before, LMAS is an executive branch function. I’m President of the legislative branch. We gave the Mayor 28 ways to save money that could presumably go to LMAS needs. It made no sense for me to mention LMAS in a budget “reduction” letter. The Council recently visited the Manslick center and I spoke with Justin Scally last week about adding fencing at the Animal House to allow more than one animal at a time to be exercised outside. I don’t feel you are being fair on this subject and I don’t undersand that as you seen very logical and fair these last two years I’ve been reading you.

Of course I ripped that apart:

jake // Jan 27, 2012 at 8:16 am

Jim…

The legislative branch of local government has the power to hold the head of the executive branch accountable.

You did not specifically address Louisville Metro Animal Services. It made tons of sense to mention it since the three new staffers there suck down more than $250,000 that could be used to keep that agency out of a deficit situation. Common sense could go a long way there.

You gave Justin Scally a weeks-long heads-up about your visit. We wrote about it. You already know how silly that is and I won’t berate you again. But it’s just dumb to proclaim that as making progress. It’s like telling Richie Farmer you’ll be visiting his apartment at a specific time so he’s able to clean up all the coke or hillbilly heroin from the toilet seat and shoo all the hookers away.

Not being fair? Interesting you should say that. Because the thousands of people who care about Metro Animal Services and this city’s responsibility to do something think I’m being more than fair. Your wife thinks I’m being more than fair. Jonathan Hurst thinks I’m being more than fair. Actually, all of your staff think I’m being fair. And former staff. And campaign staffers. And constituents. Many of them say I’m not being harsh enough and spend their entire days saying I’m bought and paid for by you, actually. I hear about it 24 flipping hours a day, non-stop, even on holidays, even when I’ve been in the hospital. It’s the only thing people talk to me about in this damn town. EVERYBODY seems to have an opinion and 95% of those opinions are the same (rare for Louisville).

This isn’t the most important issue metro government faces but you’re ending up with egg on your face for acting as if the five minutes you’ve spent on the matter in the five years you’ve been reading me (it was at least 4 years ago when you took the polygraph, sir) are sufficient. You know hundreds of people will make sure of it.

You’re playing pat-a-cake with this issue. So are most of your colleagues (with the exception of Kelly Downard). If you were taking it seriously, you wouldn’t tuck tail and run from the people who have been trying to work with you on it for months and months.

Reality, here, is that you’re not a blubbering tool who got elected with daddy’s money. You didn’t have that cushion and privilege. I know first-hand that you have the ability to clean this bullshit up. I personally understand and appreciate the strong desire of the entire council (get real – they all express their embarrassment of the new mayor in private) to let the mayor fall on his own face. But this issue makes our city look ridiculous. It is indicative of the lack of compassion and lack of transparency Greg Fischer has forced upon the metro area under the guise of – yep, compassion and transparency. It’s utter horse shit. Or dog and cat shit, if we’re getting technical.

You have direct access to me and thereby have direct access to every single person working on this. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty? Send someone else to do it.

I may be argumentative on every other issue for the sake of being difficult and to drive up readership. But I have proved I am right on Metro Animal Services for several years. I will own that.

Yeah. Head – desk.

P.S. We also said this:

It’s time for the Democratic Metro Councilman we’ve been hinting about to sack up and speak out on LMAS. Because no one else has the guts to try improving the place.

And it’s beyond time for that councilcritter to sack up and get to it. He knows who he is.