Starting off, here’s a big thank you — to Diane Williamson, the area’s phenomenal voice talent, for giving the Rusty Satellite Show some free voice promos. That’s her doing the intros on today’s show.She’s gotten some pretty cool clients, not the least impressive of which is being the voice of OnStar — “Your vehicle is disabled. Don’t Panic. Help is on the way.” Listen to the podcast
My interview with Brendan McCarthy started another week full of media news. This piece in Insider Louisville got a lot of attention for its chronicling the outflow of warm bodies at Sixth and Broadway, while LPM is hiring for its new Investigative Reporting Center. I also heard, through the media grapevine, that WDRB-TV is hiring more journalists for its web site. Marianne Zickuhr was not what I expected, mainly because my assumption from hearing about Preservation Louisville was that it essentially existed to stop development from happening. Listen to the podcast as Marianne sets me straight. Interesting to learn she a trained operatic singer — so I got her to do a few promos for the show. Great Voice. The big news this week came from the courtroom, where the trial of Barbara Shanklin proved that you can commit ethics violations, waste taxpayer money on pet projects, steer money toward relatives, be so dumb that you can’t explain what happened, and still keep your seat on the Council if you are tight with your colleagues. The Metro Council on Wednesday, after a taxpayer-funded trial that proved Shanklin committed egregious violations, voted to keep her on the Council. Well, correct that. Seven members of the Council voted to keep her. I was most disappointed in the votes of David James and Brent Ackerson, who felt compelled to release statements explaining their embarrassing choices. Kelly Downard had the money quote, saying “I have never been so embarrassed to be a member of an organization in my life.”
Fuel for the fire — even Shanklin’s attorney, Aubrey Williams, whose courtroom antics certainly prolonged the trial, even said that God has something to do with the verdict. He said her guilt was for “slipshod record-keeping,” “stupidity and ignorance” and of “not seeing that forms were filled correctly.” Prosecuting attorney David Tachau put it best, addressing the Council: “I know you have affection for her, but that doesn’t mean she is beyond the reach of the law or deserves a free pass. If you acquit her, you are saying you don’t care.” Sadly, his words ring true now. Please take a listen to Rusty Satellite Show #6, as I rant and rave about Shanklin, the media and the wonderful Teddy Bridgewater.
