Dieruf sets record straight on Greenberg’s false attack ads

Throughout this campaign, I have been focused on issues that are within the purview of the Louisville Mayor’s race. Mr. Greenberg and his campaign are injecting a national issue into this race in an attempt to confuse voters on what is clearly a state and national issue. There are so many local issues that deserve to be addressed — like safety, housing, jobs, economic development and drug addiction among others that the Louisville Mayor can have an impact on. 

I am focused on uniting the community. However, Mr. Greenberg cites Roe v. Wade for one purpose, and that is to divide us and polarize our community further while bringing up a national and state level issue. That is misguided. If he is willing to divide us to get elected, how can we trust that he will unite us if he is elected? Mr. Greenberg is completely lost when it comes to understanding the role of a mayor. 

I want to hold Mr. Greenberg accountable for the untruths he has put out about me. His ad states what my stance is on the Roe v. Wade Constitutional issue — and it’s lies. Mr. Greenberg’s ad makes it sound like I’m going to have police hunting down pregnant women and doctors. Nothing could be further from the truth. In my view, if doctors are not following the law, it’s up to the medical licensure board to hold them accountable. Meanwhile, Mr. Greenberg likes to tout his endorsement by Planned Parenthood — a group that has publicly stated its support for defunding the police. Louisville needs to be a safer place. That won’t happen if the city defunds the police.

The sanctity of life is a personal issue for me. My wife, Jody, and I had a daughter named Stephanie who was born three months early. She lived for 18 months. We know how precious life is based on losing our young child. No parent should have to bury a child. We cherish the short time we had with Stephanie and would give anything if we could have had her with us longer. So, yes, I believe life is precious. However, I believe any legislation regulating or restricting abortion should include exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother and health of the baby.

My position is not extreme, but I am extremely qualified to be Mayor of Louisville. What I do think is extreme is lying about your opponent in an effort to gain political support. I ask Louisville voters to consider this: If he’s going to lie to you in a political ad, what makes you think he won’t lie to you as mayor? I am sure my opponent will continue to play these sound bite games with national issues and try to tie me to things that simply are not true -- since he already has.

Keep in mind that my opponent is the handpicked successor to the current old money, establishment leadership. This campaign boils down to Craig Greenberg’s wild rhetoric versus my proven results.  I’m confident that the voters of Louisville Metro will see through his smears. They want real change, not more of the same. They want a safer, cleaner city where children can play outside without fear of stray bullets — NOT a continuation of the status quo. And that’s what my opponent is. 

Mayor Bill Dieruf’s statement on the need to restore juvenile justice in Louisville

This disturbing report by WAVE3 Troubleshooter Natalia Martinez clearly defines the alarming community catastrophe we have with the complete void of juvenile justice in Louisville. Chief Rick Sanders and I have been talking about this serious public safety failure for the past 14 months.

The dangerous situation at the juvenile detention center on LaGrange Road in Lyndon is one stark illustration of why Louisville must re-establish an effective juvenile justice system here for the safety of the community.

As the WAVE3 report details (https://www.wave3.com/2022/09/16/matter-life-death-whistleblowers-urge-closing-juvenile-detention-center-lyndon/), youths who are serious offenders — accused of murder, rape and assault — are wreaking havoc in an understaffed, overcrowded facility in Lyndon that was never intended for this use. The youths are attacking overworked staff members, rioting, breaking doors and windows, setting fires and escaping, according to the report.

It is not safe for the center’s staff. It is not safe for nearby residents. And it is not safe for the youths housed there in the less than humane circumstances described in the report.

I applaud the bravery and good conscience of a former staff member and others with firsthand knowledge of this facility who stepped up and blew the whistle on this public safety nightmare. Something must be done immediately about the Lyndon facility before someone dies!

The reason Louisville is in this situation today is because the current administration decided to shut down the Jefferson County Youth Center in downtown Louisville in 2019 so that the city did not have to pay for it anymore. That is a powerful indicator of how the establishment government officials do not understand basic public safety and shows a serious lack of concern for keeping the people of Louisville safe!

I realize there are many wayward youths who need guidance and a fresh start. We need to reform who we can before they are in the system for good and take the truly dangerous youths off the street so that they don’t perpetuate more violence or lead others astray.

The majority of serious crimes being committed in Louisville today are at the hands of youths who know there will be little or no repercussions for their illegal behavior. Youths who break the law need to be held accountable for their actions, therefore we must have a youth detention center.

I have already been working with state Rep. Kevin Bratcher on legislation that would re-establish juvenile justice in Louisville. If the current administration isn’t going to do something to address this disaster created three years ago when top officials in Louisville and Frankfort could not come to an agreement on how to fund JCYC, then Rep. Bratcher and I will step up and do so. There have to be consequences for young serious offenders.

In my role as Mayor of Jeffersontown and past president of the Kentucky League of Cities, I am already working in Frankfort on juvenile justice legislation and other bills that are in the best interest of Louisville Metro. Our community cannot wait until Jan. 1 to take action in Frankfort that will make Louisville a safer, more prosperous place to live. And it starts with making sure we have an effective juvenile justice system in place. Lives are at stake!

Statement by Mayor Bill Dieruf regarding impending release of DOJ report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022

Contact:

Dieruf for Metro Mayor Campaign Manager

Carol Timmons mobile: (502) 593-9737 or

carol.timmons15@gmail.com

Statement by Mayor Bill Dieruf regarding impending release of DOJ report

Approximately 18 months ago, the United States Department of Justice began an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Louisville Metro Police Department. Recent news stories have made us aware that the investigation is going to be concluded soon. In an attempt to get out in front of what that report is going to reveal, Mayor Fischer and Chief Shields made the rounds last week to local media outlets and held an online forum to do damage control in advance of its release.

They know this report from the Department of Justice will be a damning indictment of their leadership and that of their predecessors.  This is nothing more than a last-minute attempt to distract us from their failures by pointing to changes that have done nothing to address the root cause of the problem.

They waited until they got caught allowing these systemic problems to continue that should have been addressed long ago.  Shame on them for trying to make it sound like they have been working hard to fix problems when they — and their longtime controlling interests — created them.  In doing so they put your public safety at great risk. They fractured our city and still fail to accept responsibility. We will not stand for it.

I implore the Department of Justice to release the report as soon as possible, and ask Mayor Fischer, Chief Shields, and members of their administration to make public all briefings and communications they’ve received from the Department of Justice concerning the report’s preliminary findings.

What’s happening here is unfair. All people of Louisville — from the rank and file of the LMPD to those who protested against injustice — have a right to know these findings in regard to the long-term, systemic political mismanagement of LMPD and Louisville Metro Government.

It is absolutely imperative that the report be released to the public before the election on November 8, so that the voters may be fully informed. It’s clear that Mayor Fischer will attempt to do as he has done so many times in the past — stonewall, stall, cover up and blame others for the critical findings of the Department of Justice. Only by doing so can he protect Craig Greenberg, his hand-picked successor.

The report must be released as soon as possible so that voters have an opportunity to learn and understand the findings of this investigation. Any delay in releasing the report is not right! It is not fair to you, the people, who depend upon our police officers for public safety. It is not fair to those who distrust the police, who want to know what has been found. It is not fair to the voters, who want to make an informed decision.

Be assured of this — the DOJ report potentially could shed extremely negative light on several years – perhaps decades – of inept leadership at LMPD and Louisville Metro. And it is not fair to the rank and file of LMPD, who strive to improve. Stonewalling with respect to the report helps only my opponent and the old guard power brokers who put him up to run. But mark my words, Greg Fischer will do just that.

It is time to bring to an end the years of broken promises made to neighborhoods throughout Louisville by the political elite. Years of unprecedented and prolonged deception have prevented unity, squandered resources, and failed our city on every front — from Corrections, to housing, to TARC and TARC3  —  but especially when it comes to our public safety.

Yet these political elites who have failed us and our city for decades now expect voters to rubber stamp Craig Greenberg, their hand-picked candidate for Mayor, to continue their hold on power and influence.

Let me be absolutely clear about the stakes of this election:  These old guard power brokers have backed Greg Fischer for the past 12 years and now they are backing my opponent Craig Greenberg because Craig is more of the same as Greg.

We have an opportunity to break the cycle that is ruining Louisville Metro.

As Mayor, I will move our whole community forward with fresh leadership — free from the tired old trappings of ineffective and inefficient government operations that have prevented Louisville from becoming the place that ALL people of Louisville want to live, work, and raise their families.

Continuing down the path of failed leadership will give us the same failed results that led to the scrutiny of the Department of Justice on our city. The voters of Louisville Metro deserve better, and they are demanding change.

When my opponent tells you what his plans are, keep in mind it is going to be more of what we have experienced for decades. These plans will only be a continuation of what got us to this dismal point. The only way he could speak to details is if he has been briefed by the current administration. I don’t need to be coached by the current administration because I’ve been a Mayor and have extensive experience in community leadership. My opponent has none.

We cannot afford four more years of the same lackluster leadership. I’m running for Mayor to reform Louisville Metro Government and give voters the truly transparent leadership they deserve.

Eight weeks from today, the voters of Louisville Metro will deliver their verdict on whether to continue with the failed status quo in our city.  I’m confident that they will deliver a message loud and clear to City Hall that it’s time to go in a new direction.

Remember: Nothing changes if nothing ever changes.

###

Jeffersontown unveils 9/11 memorial

As seen on Wave3

By David Ochoa

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Hundreds of miles away from the attacks you’d probably think there isn’t much connection to Jeffersontown. But at the ceremony Sunday, stories were told that show how far the ripples reached.

A crowd gathered to watch the unveiling of the brand new monument.

“We want the emotion of the steel that that day happened to resound beyond this one square, Mayor Bill Dieruf said. “We wanted to go across the United States to unite the people here to say we never want this to happen again.”

Mayor Bill Dieruf told a story of a Jeffersomtown woman who was in one of the towers on 9/11.

Dieruf said she was on the 42nd floor when the fire alarm went off. She went down 20 floors before being told she could go back up to her office if she wanted. The woman decided to keep going down.

“She kept hearing sounds hitting the ground,” Dieruf said. “She thought it might be bricks, it was actually bodies hitting the ground.”

She wasn’t the only one who was personally connected to the attacks.

Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders worked for the DEA at the time and was across the street from the Pentagon.

“Bill Brown an agent said, ‘Rick look to the west.’ And I saw American Airlines flight 77 approaching from the west,” Chief Rick Sanders said. “Over the crystal city mall and strike the west side of the Pentagon.”

Sanders says it was surreal, but the unity he saw after the attack is what he says is most important.

After all the speeches, a man and a woman were the last few to approach the monument.

With a picture in hand, they touch the steel.

The picture is of New York Firefighter Captain Timothy Stackpole.

“He was on his day off, and got the call,” Robert Foster, Jeffersontown resident said. “He was off-duty, had just finished his shift. Just like many of the other ones, he didn’t hesitate, he got back on his shift and perished in the second tower.”

Robert Foster is good friends with Stackpole’s godson, who is a New York firefighter. Foster brings Stackpole’s picture to memorials like this in order to spread his story.

“It brings you to tears, Foster said. “When you really stop and think about the numbers and the casualties that took place and that Jtown actually has an actual piece of the towers that are no longer there.”

Copyright 2022 WAVE. All rights reserved.

Jefferson County FOP Presidents' Council endorses Mayor Bill Dieruf for Louisville Mayor

Mayor Bill Dieruf speaking to the media and press conference attendees.

LOUISVILLE, KY: The six Fraternal Order of Police lodges in Jefferson County that make up the FOP Presidents Council have selected Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf as their unanimous choice to receive their endorsement in the Louisville Mayor's race. The lodges represent the River City Lodge 614 (LMPD) and Louisville Metro Corrections Lodge 77 along with the Jeffersontown Lodge 26, St. Matthews Lodge 31, Shively Lodge 17, and Metropolitan Lodge 32.

Violent crime continues to remain high and we need a Mayor who recognizes public safety as the number one priority of Government. It is time for a change in our city and a leader like Bill Dieruf will ensure that is the top priority" in remarks given by the Jefferson County FOP Presidents Council.

" appreciate the confidence in my leadership shown by the Fraternal Order of Police" said Mayor Bill Dieruf, who is the Republican candidate for Louisville Mayor and current Mayor of Jeffersontown. "Their decision to endorse me for Louisville Mayor is a significant acknowledgement that now is the time for real change in leadership in Louisville Metro Government. Improving public safety is my top priority because it is crucial that people feel safe in all parts of Louisville. That's why the unanimous backing of all six FOPs in the Jefferson County Presidents Council is so important."

"The FOP recognizes the value of Mayor Dieruf's experience as a proven leader who works well with law enforcement. The team he will bring will ensure public safety is a top priority and build back the ranks of LMPD and Louisville Corrections", said President Ryan Nichols of River City FOP Lodge 614.

"For 12 years I have served as Mayor of Jeffersontown with one of the finest police departments in Kentucky.

Members of other local FOPs are aware of the great working relationship I have with our officers and thus have chosen to support me," Mayor Dieruf said. "LMPD officers can look forward to having that kind of positive connection with the Mayor of Louisville when I am elected. My leadership will foster confidence and bring back loyalty and pride in LMPD's ranks."

"Support from our elected leaders will help increase our manpower thus allowing law enforcement to more effectively provide public safety" said President Nichols

"I am grateful to be recognized by our local FOPs as the right leader who understands what it takes to make this community safe," Mayor Dieruf said. "This endorsement is a strong validation of my successful leadership.

It shows that officers throughout Jefferson County are confident that I am the one who will work with them to bring safety back to Louisville. That is what we will do together on Day One when I am Mayor. This entire community is ready for Louisville to be a safer place for all. I will achieve this as the Mayor for Everybody."

EDUCATION

Providing students with a great start, relevant learning and career education is vital

Education of our next generation is an issue of great importance to me. I want to make Louisville a city that people can be proud of as a place to live, learn, establish their homes, raise families and enjoy life — and encourage other people to want to reside here. But for those efforts to truly matter, we have to have our young people well educated and prepared to be successful in life.

I am passionate about providing pre-preschool programs for our youngest learners. Early success on the education front is vital, and we must make sure all students have access to school readiness programs. I also believe we need to ensure our high school graduates take advantage of post-secondary learning opportunities — whether it’s college or skilled trades training — so they want to call Louisville home and a place to raise their families.

Relevant learning, like that offered by Jefferson County Public Schools’ Academies of Louisville program, are putting students on a strong path for transition readiness into the workforce. More businesses need to get involved with Academies’ Business Partnerships to further these connections between students and the workplace.

Below are some of my education priorities:

• Pre-preschool programs are vital for students’ success

• Students must be prepared for learning opportunities after high school

• The importance of making learning relevant

• Students must feel safe in school

• Education needs collaboration not more bureaucracy 

Pre-preschool programs are vital for students’ success

It is crucial to ensure a good beginning for all students. Preschool education – especially pre-preschool for our youngest children – has been a focus of mine for eight years. I was working with a fellow Home Rule City leader, the late Mayor Glenn Sea of Worthington Hills, on an early childhood education initiative prior to his untimely death in 2018. During the years we researched and worked together on this effort, I learned a lot about the significance of early childhood education and its long-term impact on the success of students.

We must have learning opportunities for our youngest children to ensure they are ready for school. Research by The Campaign for Grade Level Reading shows it is essential for reading proficiency to be on track by third grade for students to be prepared for the important transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Students who do not reach the reading proficiency mark by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. And other studies show that many males of color are highly likely to have their lives cut short or they wind up in prison if they don’t attain reading proficiency by third grade.

Black and Hispanic males from low-income families in particular struggle with reading proficiency, according to the research. Just 10 percent of African-American males and 14 percent of Hispanic males from low-income families read on grade level. That is startling data. If we want to get students on course for a positive future, we must reverse these statistics. 

I believe the key is pre-preschool education. It is imperative that we create collaborations among preschool programs of all kinds to find what works best for each child and ensure children of all socioeconomic levels get off to the right start.

Whether it’s early childhood education programs offered by Jefferson County Public Schools or  preschool programs operated by faith-based and community organizations, all efforts to benefit early learners deserve our attention and support. As Louisville Mayor, I would invite all of these authorities on pre-preschool to gather to share best practices and find ways to work together to ensure more young children are reached and provided with the learning opportunities they need to succeed in the long term.

Students must be prepared for learning opportunities after high school

On the other end of the learning spectrum are educational opportunities after high school. I believe it is essential that high school graduates have opportunities to continue learning after high school. 

Louisville has successful post-secondary institutions that have been around for more than a century and ones that have been established here in recent years. All are dedicated to preparing their students for a bright future.

We are fortunate that we have local universities that educate the next generation of doctors and nurses, engineers, lawyers, IT specialists, entrepreneurs, teachers and accountants. 

But all students do not need to attend college. There are skilled-trades training options, certificate programs and apprenticeships that prepare high school graduates for well-paying careers in industry sectors where they are greatly needed.

All of these learning opportunities are necessary for Louisville to have a well-rounded workforce.

There are many challenges that post-secondary institutions encounter as they advance in their missions to prepare their students for success. Because of my 10 years of service to the Visitors Board of Directors for the Regional Campus of Campbellsville University, which is located in Jeffersontown, I have seen firsthand the inner workings of a post-secondary institution. There is a constant evolution of curriculum and class offerings to meet the ever-changing landscape of post-secondary institutions.

As for the challenges that students face – particularly those who do not have the financial wherewithal to pay for post-secondary education — Louisville Metro is fortunate to have Evolve502, which comes to their assistance. 

Evolve502 offers scholarships and grants along with wrap-around services that assure students have access to government programs and social services that keep them on track. The role that Evolve 502 plays is the type of coordinated effort that can make a big difference in the lives of students as they prepare to enter the workforce. I will support Evolve502 and promote its role in helping high school graduates get the next level of education that is right for them.

The full complement of post-secondary institutions in Louisville Metro is well rounded and serves our community well. As Mayor of Louisville Metro, I will partner with these institutions and collaborate with their leadership to find opportunities to ensure we are preparing the workforce our business community needs.

The importance of making learning relevant

Preparation for learning after high school can take many forms. I am impressed by the Academies of Louisville program in place at 15 Jefferson County Public Schools high schools. A coordinated effort of JCPS, KentuckianaWorks and Greater Louisville Inc., the Academies of Louisville program does an excellent job giving students real-world experience in a wide range of career tracks from engineering to skilled trades to health care to media and the arts and more.

It's great to see how this program focused on transition readiness empowers students and connects them with employers and job opportunities. By making learning relevant, students better understand why they go to school.

The City of Jeffersontown and Jeffersontown High School have been partners for many years in the engineering program at the school that now is part of the Academies of Louisville program. 

As Mayor of Louisville, I will encourage businesses to join the Academies of Louisville effort and increase the number of Business Partnerships that give students access to career experiences that serve to inspire them. The Business Partnerships are an ideal way for businesspeople to make a positive impact on students. JCPS needs our help, and the students deserve our support.

Students must feel safe in school

In schools today, like it or not, education and safety are intertwined. Students, faculty and staff deserve to spend the school day in a safe environment conducive to learning. I am a big believer in having school resource officers in the schools.

I witnessed firsthand how it can work well. The City of Jeffersontown handpicked a police officer to work at Jeffersontown High School for several years until SROs were removed from schools in 2019. Officer Steve “Stretch” Mattingly had great relationships with students who liked and trusted him so much that they shared information with him that allowed him to intervene and prevent unsafe or illegal incidents from occurring. That kind of positive rapport occurs when the right people with the right training are hired for the SRO role.

Some say that mental health counselors are more needed on school campuses than police officers. I understand the concern. With the complicated lives of youths today, I can see how mental health counselors would be assets as well. However, I think it’s not an either/or. It’s both.

When I am Louisville Mayor, I will work with other elected leaders, public safety authorities, school leaders and police officials to tackle the school safety issue head on. Schools and bus stops must not be battlegrounds. Our children are depending on us to bring peace and safety to their schools and to their world.

Education needs collaboration not more bureaucracy

Louisville Metro has a rich heritage of educational excellence at its private, parochial and public schools as well as our post-secondary institutions. While we applaud past achievements, we must acknowledge areas where improvement is needed and work collaboratively with educators applaud their successes when achievement goals are met and students get the education they deserve. 

None of these efforts would attain their goals without the love and passion of our teachers who invest in their students and strive to help them succeed in life. I am humbled by teachers’ dedication to their jobs and thankful for what they do for our students. 

In fact, our teachers have so much red tape and paperwork to deal with already I do not believe there needs to be another layer of bureaucracy with Metro Government adding a Louisville Department of Education. As Louisville Metro Mayor, I will work with educators across the spectrum of education in our community to ensure even brighter futures for our youths.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/JOB CREATION

With Ford battery plants on horizon, economic development strategies must be proactive, effective

Economic development/job creation, public safety and education, my top priorities, are intertwined. A well-educated and skilled workforce attracts businesses that will bring well-paying jobs to Louisville. It’s a simple statement not easily achieved. That’s why my experienced leadership as a successful Mayor matters when it comes to business attraction and retention and job creation.

The most significant economic development opportunity in decades is on the horizon for Louisville Metro with Ford Motor Co. and SK Innovation’s twin electric vehicle battery production plants headed for a site just south of Jefferson County in Glendale, Ky. The $5.8 billion investment is expected to create 5,000 jobs.

But that is just a start with economic investment and job creation related to the battery plants.

Since United Parcel Service Inc. located its Worldport air hub in Louisville, hundreds of businesses have located in the Louisville region to serve and be close to the UPS operation. 

The same will happen with the battery production plants. With their location in Glendale, those suppliers and other businesses will have a choice which direction they go for their locations — north toward Louisville or south toward Bowling Green, Ky., and Nashville. We have to pull out all the stops to get them to choose Louisville.

We also need to be prepared to welcome the thousands of employees who will work at the battery production plants and ancillary businesses. Many of them will want to live in a metropolitan area that can provide a wide price range of housing, parks, recreational activities, entertainment, dining and arts offerings that Louisville has. But we will need to have a focused effort to attract these families to our community. 

Louisville has to be prepared to attract businesses to locate here so they bring investment, jobs and families to our community. We have to be ready to act promptly, efficiently and proactively. That’s what successful cities do. It’s what I have done in Jeffersontown for the past 11 years and continue to do today.

As Louisville Mayor, I will move forward with dynamic business attraction and residential development strategies to ensure Louisville is a welcoming location of choice.

Below are some of my economic development priorities:.

• Best practices call for collaboration of private sector and government 

• Regulatory processes must be effective and efficient

• Entrepreneurs, small businesses are important economic engine

• Ensuring minority-owned businesses have opportunities

• A safe and welcoming downtown is imperative for economic growth

• Workforce development in crisis mode

• JOBS incentive program brings well-paying jobs

• Louisville needs a fresh mentality for economic growth

Best practices call for collaboration of private sector and government 

Business and employee attraction starts with business-to-business interactions. This is true for local business growth and attracting other businesses to our region. Government needs to come in when needed then get out of the way. 

That structure is proven in other regional peer cities and once was the structure here when GLI was formed and before that with the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership. The Partnership was driven by corporate leaders teamed with experienced economic development specialists. Funding for GLI’s efforts was stripped away by the current Louisville Metro Government Administration.

The Louisville Mayor’s Office needs to collaborate with the private sector entity to ensure an inviting business climate with the right legislative priorities, incentive programs and tax structure that make sense for Louisville to be a location of choice for companies of all sizes.

Regulatory processes must be effective and efficient

Clear and reasonable regulations that guide development are important for a city to have as new construction and redevelopment projects get under way. But these rules must not hinder wise, well-planned development. That’s a key factor in how a city grows and provides opportunities to its citizens.

Our team’s approach for 11-plus years in Jeffersontown has been to review businesses’ plans to ensure they meet guidelines — then get out of their way. When worthy projects needed approvals at the state level, I have gone to Frankfort on many occasions and advocated for legislation that would enable projects to proceed or worked to help businesses obtain permits or funding for infrastructure that would allow job-creating development to move forward. 

For example, early in my tenure as Mayor, a company that wanted to locate in Jeffersontown ended up establishing their operation in Indiana after company officials learned they would have to wait six to nine months to receive a needed zoning variance. That was not acceptable. I worked with state legislators to get state law changed to allow Jeffersontown to have its own Board of Zoning Adjustment so a loss of that kind would never happen again. This change has cut months of delays and helped Jeffersontown land projects. 

We also created unique zoning designations (CTC-1 and CTC-2) for our town center to allow creative uses of properties. It enables us to have a walkable, family-friendly downtown for all ages. We are the new cool place with everything from sand volleyball to pinball to craft beer to various restaurants.

At the onset of the pandemic, Jeffersontown was the first local government to allow businesses to expand use of outside areas for food and drink and to allow carry out and delivery of alcoholic beverages. We also worked with the state ABC to change its regulations to match what we did. Metro Government later followed our lead.

We didn’t let the pandemic stop projects either. Our business licensing and project review process never shut down. Permitting approval and development plan review continued on schedule so their would not be a gap in development activity.

On another front to promote efficiency, Jeffersontown recently took over landscape review to expedite the approval process. 

Because Jeffersontown has the largest commerce park in Kentucky with 1,800 businesses, I am well versed in working with businesses of all sizes and scope to help them get established and thrive in the city I now serve. I will take this experience to all of Louisville Metro and implement it.

Regulatory processes must be efficient so projects can proceed. I am already knowledgeable about Metro’s land-use procedures. I was part of the group that created the new 2040 Comprehensive Plan and have read all 987 pages of the Land Development Code.

We worked hard to increase efficiency in the permit and approval process in Jeffersontown to have a true business-friendly environment. Businesses and residents appreciate the steps we’ve taken to streamline permitting processes. They look forward to our common sense approach moving to Louisville.

Entrepreneurs, small business are important economic engine

We have to do more to encourage, invest in and nurture entrepreneurs in Louisville. I’ve seen too many talented entrepreneurs with inspiring innovations take their businesses elsewhere because they could not thrive here. There has to be a collaboration of private capital and government support to get this done. It’s how it works in other successful cities.

For decades, Louisville leaders have talked about the need to stop the “brain drain” of young college graduates leaving their hometown for greener pastures — with little progress on that front. We also must stop the “innovation drain” that takes away the seeds of our future business community. Need I mention Humana Inc. to illustrate how that works?

Several efforts to support startups have been launched in Louisville in recent years, but none have had sufficient success or inertia to truly make a difference. 

If you want to know where Louisville stands among peer cities in regard to the entrepreneurial sector, I can tell you it’s not great. Louisville made Inc. magazine’s 2020 Top 50 list of the best U.S. cities to start a business. But we came in at No. 43 – below peer cities. Nashville was ranked No. 4, Indianapolis No. 25, St. Louis No. 33, Cincinnati No. 42. Wouldn’t it be great to be ranked above at least one of those cities? Click this link  https://www.inc.com/surge-cities/best-places-start-business.html to check out Inc.’s article and data.

When it comes to entrepreneurism and small business ownership, Louisville needs a Mayor who truly gets it — someone who has walked the walk and doesn’t have a large personal bank roll cushion to rely on.

I understand the opportunities and challenges entrepreneurs and small business owners face. For 35 years, I operated the Dieruf Hardware store that was started by my father in 1946. Dieruf Hardware is the longest-operating family-owned business in Jeffersontown.

I know what it’s like to hold a checkbook in my lap and have a sharp eye on cash flow to keep my business on track. I can relate to both the satisfaction and stresses that come with being a small business owner. I was energized every time I had the opportunity to meet a customer’s needs — whether they wanted a 5-cent nut or a $30,000 bobcat. We are always dedicated to solutions with the WOW of customer service.

That’s how you build a stable clientele at a small business. It’s also the correct mindset to have as a leader of a city. It’s what I’ve done in Jeffersontown, which has come a long way in the past 12 years. And it’s what I will do in Louisville Metro.

Ensuring minority-owned businesses have opportunities

As Louisville Mayor, I will acknowledge that a level playing field has not existed for our Black citizens. Black businesspeople should have access to influential business relationships and capital  — keys to success that have been sadly lacking. 

Ensuring success for Black-owned businesses is not just a matter of providing affordable storefronts for Black entrepreneurs to open shops and restaurants. We must mentor minority businesspeople to help them succeed in all walks of life — in professional careers and as entrepreneurs whether they own a technology firm, restaurant, retail shop or a construction company.

As a former instructor of business management at the University of Louisville, I know the importance of management training. We need a program offering mentors across the spectrum of business operations to provide ongoing advisory services for both minority- and women-owned businesses so they can be profitable and grow.

We also need to ensure there is a comprehensive database of local minority- and women-owned businesses and publicize it so that other companies are able do business with them.

How do we make it work? Experienced businesspeople need to be mentors, and a combination of city investment and private sector investment should underwrite these efforts. PPPs exist so government and the private sector can collaborate in innovative ways like this. 

A safe and welcoming downtown is imperative for economic growth

My No. 1 priority is improving public safety, which is a crucial objective for the recovery of downtown Louisville. Chief Rick Sanders and I will put in place law enforcement strategies that we know are effective so that locals and visitors feel safe in our central business district. 

Wonderful strides made over the past few decades were decimated in one night when damage to storefronts and office buildings left our downtown looking like a war zone. 

Once beautification of our central business district is addressed, we then need to make sure area residents feel safe to come downtown again and for tourists and conventioneers to choose to visit Louisville.

I have met with businesses actively involved in downtown Louisville to know how to move forward. And I will be Ready Day One. 

Fortunately our tourism and convention industries are recovering, but government and the private sector must team up to put into action ideas of the Downtown Revitalization Team, which invested much time and creative energy into coming up with strategies to restore downtown’s economy. The Downtown Revitalization Team’s work will move forward with my support as Mayor.

A safe and attractive downtown is imperative. That includes ensuring that homeless people do not camp on Louisville’s front door step. We need to help people who are homeless – we can’t keep relocating them from underpasses to parking lots. That’s the equivalent of moving around the chairs on the Titanic. There are no quick an easy solutions to homelessness because there are several reasons why people wind up with no roof over their head. But I will address this community challenge. 

Image building for downtown Louisville starts with new leadership in the Mayor’s office. I will make it a priority as Louisville Mayor to keep our city looking great. My goal is for Louisville to have a welcoming downtown with an appealing live, work, play environment.

Workforce development in crisis mode

Louisville’s labor force participation rate was at an all-time low in 2021 at a rate of 63%, according to Greater Louisville Inc. That does not create a climate for success in our city.

We need people to rejoin the work force, but we have to acknowledge the reasons why they are not. 

We will move forward with Frankfort to improve access to child care. We also have to address transportation needs so that employees can get to work at well-paying jobs.

But there are creative steps we can take to attract more workers to Louisville. We need to promote Louisville as a great place to work by attracting remote workers to our community because of its affordability, access to arts, entertainment and a plethora of recreational activities here and within a few hours’ drive.

Louisville Metro should launch a digital promotion campaign that targets employees in other cities and encourages them to move to Louisville. We had a similar campaign in Jeffersontown during the early months of the pandemic that proved to be an effective tool. We could replicate that effort on a larger scale for Louisville Metro.

Programs that offer incentives to get employees to choose to return to or enter the workforce also are useful and ideally would be funded by American Rescue Plan dollars.

One barrier that prevents some people from returning to work is that they lose their health coverage provided through public assistance. A STEP program that maintains health coverage for a predetermined period upon employment would allow people to work in jobs where health benefits are not immediately available. I would work with my connections in Frankfort to get a program of this kind established.

For the long-term, the Academies of Louisville programs stands to be a strong workforce development resource – particularly as students get access to job opportunities at Business Partners’ companies. As Louisville Mayor, I will promote this program and recognize its value in preparing our next generation workforce. 

JOBS incentive program brings well-paying jobs

Louisville needs to be smart in offering the right kinds of economic incentives that serve our city well and boost job creation.  As Mayor of Jeffersontown, home to Kentucky’s largest commerce park, I have overseen an Economic Development Authority and worked with hundreds of businesses on their expansion and relocation plans.

On my watch we launched our JOBS incentive program that can be used by existing businesses or ones new to Jeffersontown. Employers earn tax rebates through job creation. Since January 2020, a period when many businesses experienced downturns, we approved several JOBS projects that are on course to create 346 well-paying jobs with an average annual salary of $68,500.

Hundreds of other jobs have come to Jeffersontown since the JOBS program was launched eight years ago. Louisville needs programs like this one where incentives are earned by business successes. 

Louisville needs a fresh mentality for economic growth

Louisville Metro is stagnant. Before the pandemic-prompted downturn, our economy was in a lull for years. Louisville lags peer cities in business expansion and population growth. There is no well-orchestrated business-attraction effort that compels businesses to choose Louisville. 

We must change Louisville’s self-deprecating nature that has thwarted us for decades and take on a fresh mentality and optimistic mantle of community leadership. I don’t like it when I hear residents say: “I want to be like Indianapolis or Nashville.” During my administration Louisville will be the leader that others want to follow.

We must lean on our business strengths and nurture entrepreneurs to not just position Louisville as a great place to visit but as a thriving community with positive, forward motion so people want to live, work, operate businesses and raise their families here. There is much work to be done. I have walked this walk. I know how to get it done. I will be Ready Day One to set this course.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Reducing violent crime will help people feel safe in Louisville Metro

My No. 1 priority as Louisville Metro Mayor will be public safety. We must reduce violent crime. My goal is to ensure that all residents feel safe at home and wherever they go in Louisville Metro. To prosper, everyone – resident or visitor – must feel safe here.

When talking with families in the West End, I’ve learned that some parents have their children sleep in their bathtubs to protect them from stray bullets that enter homes in their area. That is not acceptable —children should not have to live in fear.

I will be Ready Day One as Louisville Metro Mayor as my team and I launch effective public safety strategies and programs that we know work and have experience implementing. I will surround myself with knowledgeable and experienced team members, including Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders. 

I will bring Chief Sanders with me in a yet-to-be-determined capacity. He is an accomplished law enforcement executive whose experience includes serving as third in command of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Washington, D.C., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, and more than a decade as Jeffersontown Police Chief. Together, we will get our hometown back on track as a safe community.

Public safety is undoubtedly the most critical challenge facing Louisville Metro and thus is the major focal point for the Louisville Metro Mayor race this year. Other mayoral candidates will have public safety plans. They probably will mention some of the same objectives we will put in place. 

But having a plan does not come close to having the know-how, connections and successful experience Chief Sanders and I have to address the public safety challenges facing Louisville Metro. We will be Ready to Lead Day One to implement effective strategies and programs that we’re already doing every day. We’ve got to get law and order restored in Louisville Metro.

Below are some of my public safety priorities:

• Law enforcement experience means we’re Ready Day One

• Building up the ranks of LMPD is necessary

• Violent crime must be stopped

• Community Oriented Policing works

• Intelligence-led Policing takes down criminals

• Group Violence Intervention can be effective – when done right

• Youth detention center must reopen

• Corrections debacle requires major changes

Law enforcement experience means we’re Ready Day One

When I am elected Louisville Metro Mayor, Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders, an experienced law enforcement executive at the federal, state and local levels, will come with me in a yet to be determined capacity.

Chief Sanders, a graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Louisville, started his career with the former Jefferson County Police Department. He spent 24 years working for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) where he was assigned to Chicago, Indianapolis, Miami, Dallas and, ultimately, Washington, D.C., where he served as third in command for the DEA.

While serving as the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA in Chicago for five years in the early 2000s, Chief Sanders was leader of a law enforcement task force that targeted the top 20 drug and gang leaders. The Chicago leaders of the DEA, FBI, ATF and local law enforcement agencies met weekly to stay on top of the gang and drug violence problem. By the time he left for his next assignment, the task force had taken down a majority those 20 criminals, and they served time in federal prison. 

Chief Sanders became Jeffersontown Police Chief upon his retirement from the DEA. We worked together for nine years before he answered the call to serve as Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police. After four years in Frankfort, Chief Sanders chose to return as Chief of the Jeffersontown Police Department in late 2019. 

Chief Sanders’ unique background and connections -- knowing the law enforcement landscape in Louisville Metro, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and federal agencies – is extensive, authoritative experience no other mayoral candidate will be able to bring to the table. He knows how to do what Louisville Metro needs. Chief Sanders and I have worked together as a successful leadership team and will be Ready Day One to take on this challenge.

Building up the ranks of LMPD

Building trust among the Louisville Metro Police Department, city leadership and residents is crucial. We must grow LMPD’s ranks and build officers’ trust in city leadership in order to achieve our public safety goals. Officers should be trained in proper intervention procedures to ensure appropriate response when engaging citizens.

As Mayor of Jeffersontown for 11-plus years, I have overseen one of the top-rated police departments in Kentucky along with Chief Rick Sanders, an experienced law enforcement executive. 

Chief Sanders and I will grow LMPD’s ranks immediately. Many former LMPD officers have told us they will return to the force when I am Mayor. When the Jeffersontown Police Department had two openings, more than 100 LMPD officers inquired about the positions . At the same time, LMPD had 300 openings and 14 candidates applied. 

There is a great need for experienced officers at LMPD now. We will bring them back. The confidence in leadership Chief Sanders and I have among police officers will benefit Louisville, its residents and LMPD.

Community Oriented Policing works

Chief Rick Sanders and I are experienced in Community Oriented Policing where police and residents work together to create a safer community. We have seen it work.

Jeffersontown police officers are required to get out of their cruisers every day to interact with residents and visit businesses to build positive relationships. And their efforts pay off.

When two people were shot and killed at the Jeffersontown Kroger store in 2018, it was citizens who took videos of the perpetrator and showed the footage to our police officers, enabling the suspect to be apprehended minutes after the shootings occurred.

During the 2021 Gaslight Festival, a carjacking occurred, and a citizen following at a safe distance, tracking the car until Jeffersontown police officers arrived to apprehend the thieves.

The kind of relationship building required for Community Oriented Policing is not possible right now in Louisville. LMPD is so shorthanded there is not enough time for officers to invest in relationship building.

When we get LMPD’s staffing level raised, we will immediately start implementing Community Oriented Policing. Establishing rapport between residents and officers is a crucial step to improving public safety in Louisville.

Intelligence-led Policing takes down criminals

Intelligence-led Policing is a proven way to catch and incarcerate the most dangerous criminals. We use that approach in Jeffersontown with Chief Rick Sanders and his experienced team of investigators.

Chief Sanders used intelligence-led policing during decades with the DEA where he was stationed in Chicago, Miami and Washington, D.C. He knows how to lead an investigative process that requires a strategic, multi-agency approach to incarcerate the worst offenders, including leaders of gangs and drug cartels. 

That’s what Chief Sanders did during his five years with the DEA in Chicago. The DEA, FBI, ATF and local law enforcement agencies bring a different level of experience and abilities ranging from boots on the ground insider knowledge to wiretapping authority that makes the collaborative effort  effective.

To illustrate how Intelligence-led Policing has worked here, in November Jeffersontown Police arrested six people involved in a major catalytic converter theft ring following a year-long investigation. Hundreds of catalytic converters valued at more than $100,000 were recovered upon the arrest of the suspects, who were stealing catalytic converters throughout the Louisville Metro area.

Effective intelligence-led policing goes way beyond stopping a person with a broken tail light to get a look inside the car. It’s important to find the leaders of criminal operations and incarcerate them to make a serious impact on Louisville’s violent crime problem.

We have to remove the people who are leading astray our young people so we can direct youths to safer, healthier, more productive ways to live in this world.

Group Violence Intervention can be effective – when done right

Group Violence Intervention (GVI) is a collaborative effort of law enforcement officials, members of the community and social workers who take a direct approach at communicating with people active in committing violent street crimes, offering a clear path out of that way of life. Part of the message against violence in these face-to-face meetings is to explain the consequences of further violence. 

Originally known as Boston’s “Operation Ceasefire” program, GVI was responsible for a 63 percent reduction in youth homicides in Boston and has evolved into Group Violence Intervention. LMPD has made attempts at employing the GVI strategy with limited success to date. 

I am knowledgeable about GVI as Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders is experienced in GVI. He knows well law enforcement leaders in other communities where GVI has been used successfully. Those connections will be helpful in establishing effective GVI efforts in 

LMPD has attempted use of GVI without needed results. GVI needs to be implemented more effectively in Louisville Metro, which Chief Sanders and I will do.

Youth detention center must reopen

Way too much violent crime occurring in Louisville is at the hands of youths today. And we have no place to incarcerate them. A budget battle between state officials and Louisville Metro left the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Services without funding. So it closed. 

There are 16 beds at a youth center on Lagrange Road in Louisville’s East End, but it is far from enough capacity to incarcerate the number of youths who are committing crimes in Louisville Metro. The nearest youth detention center to Louisville is hours away. So there is not adequate capacity for the large number of youths committing serious crimes. This cannot continue.

In early 2022, Jeffersontown Police officers arrested four youths in a stolen car. All were carrying stolen weapons. The officers called Louisville Metro officials to find out where to take these young offenders. They were told to release them to their parents. So youths in dire need of counseling and encouragement for a more positive path in life were turned back to the streets where they could be committing crimes again the next day.

People wonder why we have a such problem with violent crime. It’s because we’re not incarcerating a many of the people who are committing them – even when we catch them. 

Sadly, many homicides occurring in Louisville are young people killing young people. Years ago, entrance to a gang was earned by stealing a special pair of sneakers. Today, a body must be produced. We must use intelligence-led policing methods to apprehend the leaders of these gangs in order to save youths from lives of crime. 

And homicides are not the only crimes being committed by youths. Carjackings by armed thieves are on the rise in Louisville. Many of them are carried out by teens. Here’s is what is happening in many carjacking incidents. Cars packed with young thieves drive around our community, looking for their next target. With a target sighted, one youth hops out of the vehicle, pulls out a weapon, carjacks the targeted car then drives off in it. The first care with the rest of the carload initially follows the stolen car, then breaks off to find the next target. These offenders are mainly youths.

The gang problem that Louisville has will not decline until we address the fact that so many youths are going astray. We have to have ways to counsel and dissuade youths from making bad choices and committing serious crimes, but when they do, we have to incarcerate them.

Corrections debacle requires major changes

By late March, eight people died in a five-month period in Louisville Metro Corrections. This sad turn of events is an indication of the need for change in how the downtown jail is run. I am optimistic that the spring 2022 leadership change will result in improved operations there.

Increased drug detection efforts likely will stem the tide of inmates dying as most have been caused by overdoses. But there is much more work to be done so that Louisville Metro Corrections does its job to safely house offenders and keep our community safe.

First, there needs to be adequate staffing at the jail — and confidence in leadership. Corrections officers and other jail staff have tough jobs, and they need to be supported and paid a fair wage for the work they do. It is essential to have adequate staffing so that the facility is well monitored and safe for offenders who are incarcerated.

On another front, it is crucial to address jail overcrowding. That starts with the fact that we’ve got to stop incarcerating people we’re mad at and start incarcerating people who are committing serious crimes. 

Rather than have people sit in jail who have committed minor offenses, it would be better to have them do community service. We also should not be using the jail as a treatment center for people who have mental health issues and addiction problems. Those people should be connected with the help they need. 

When I am Louisville Mayor, I will bring successful programs we’ve used in Jeffersontown to help people who are troubled but not a harm to the community. Eight years ago, we started the Angel Program that assists people addicted to drugs. They can come into the Jeffersontown Police Department and turn in their drugs and paraphernalia and ask for help with no repercussions.

We have connections with more than 300 treatment centers that are here and across the country where substance abusers can get the help they need. We assess their situation and learn what type of treatment best suits their circumstances such as whether they need inpatient or outpatient services and whether they need to remain in town or would be better served to go to a facility out of state. We also determine if they have health insurance that can be used or whether they need financial assistance to obtain treatment.

Because addicts often relapse, we stay with our Angel Program participants and provide wrapround support services to guide them back to healthier lives. There are Angel Programs now established across Kentucky based on what we implemented in Jeffersontown.

The Angel Program can help reduce recidivism of people who have been in jail. Meanwhile, we must ensure there are enough corrections officers to implement security measures that keep inmates safe. Adequate staffing is necessary for jail operations to be proactive and not just reactive. 

Homelessness: Why Louisville’s solution is like redecorating a sinking ship

Louisville Metro Government’s attempt to address homelessness in downtown Louisville by spending at least $3 million on a “safe outdoor space” is a wasteful expenditure equivalent to moving chairs around on the Titanic.

Well intentioned though it may be, this outdoor space and the money wasted on it would not be the right step toward providing a solution to help increasing numbers of people who need affordable, permanent housing. 

The proposed outdoor campsite would temporarily house 40 to 50 people. That doesn’t come close to properly assisting the estimated 1,071 people who are homeless in Louisville on any given day. Those are 2019 statistics cited by Know Homelessness, a Louisville-based initiative created to increase understanding and awareness of homelessness in Louisville and Southern Indiana. Since the onset of the pandemic, that number likely has spiked.

Instead of spending $3 million on the outdoor temporary housing space, why not allocate those funds to existing organizations that have established programs in place to provide permanent housing for people? Additional dollars for their proven programs would get more people into stable living situations more quickly. 

Better yet, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and the Louisville Metro Council need to step up and allocate a significant amount of the $388 million in American Rescue Plan Act federal relief money to provide permanent housing solutions and needed support services for the homeless.

The ramifications for finding affordable housing for the homeless are significant — for the people themselves and for our community. Our elected leaders should focus on helping people in need instead of pushing them from one site to another. Advocates for helping the homeless repeatedly point out that providing people with permanent housing is a critical first step to resolving homelessness 

Many people are one serious illness, one bad choice, one unfortunate job loss away from being homeless. All homeless people do not fall into the category of those with mental health challenges. To reduce homelessness in our community, we need to understand the challenge and take action once informed. Research cited by Know Homelessness, which is an initiative of Louisville-based Access Ventures, states that:

• 80% of homeless people are temporarily homeless because of some sudden change in their lives;

• 45% of homeless people have worked in the previous 30 days;

• 50% of homeless women and children are escaping domestic violence.

True, there is a segment of homeless people who have mental health issues and require more intensive support services. Yet many homeless people in Louisville are hard-working people who are down on their luck and wound up in an unfortunate situation — often beyond their control.

We need to rescue people who need a hand up to get out of dire circumstances.

Sure, there is talk of more programs on the way in follow up to the proposed campsite. But unfortunately it’s too little too late. We don’t need to put a Bandaid on a hemorrhage. And that’s what the outdoor space would be. 

While it’s good to review what works in other cities, we need to make plans for what is right for Louisville and be a leader in resolving homelessness. Experience has taught me that the appropriate response must engage multiple assets jointly to restore homeless people. We must get parties knowledgeable and passionate about resolving the homelessness challenge around a table to join forces, support existing successful programs, and bring lasting stability to those who are suffering. This needs to happen today.

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