Go Green Campaign News

Jerry’s Kids

Facts, rumors and political innuendo

By Phillip M. Bailey; June 30, 2010

The first general election debate for mayor of Louisville may have been mostly a bore, but a stirring story behind the scenes was that event organizers barred independent candidate Jackie Green from the discussion and had Metro Police stop him from entering the building.

Last week, the Commercial Council of the Home Builders Association of Louisville hosted Democrat Greg Fischer and Republican Hal Heiner in a debate that aired on Fox-41. About 400 real estate and building industry professionals crowded into The Olmsted on Frankfort Avenue to hear the two candidates weigh in on questions (which were provided to them in advance) about job creation in the construction industry.

During the debate, Fischer and Heiner agreed on the sentiment that since city and county governments merged in 2003, Louisville goes beyond downtown and should be viewed beyond the old city limits. But apparently because Green, a bicycle advocate, believes the city should focus on reinvesting in its urban infrastructure and existing neighborhoods before expanding farther into the county, he was not invited to participate.

“We know where Mr. Green stands on development, and it is strictly focused on the urban area and redevelopment,” says Tara Brinkmoeller, a spokeswoman for Home Builders. “We know that he doesn’t believe new development should occur. And knowing that he speaks directly against what we stand for, we didn’t feel it was a forum that would’ve been appropriate.”

Still, the impassioned independent rode his bicycle to the event to hear his opponents’ remarks. According to Green, however, a Louisville Metro Police officer stopped him at the door, saying debate organizers had ordered law enforcement not to allow him on the premises.

“Then I said, ‘Let’s go talk to Charles Kavanaugh (executive director of the Home Builders Association),’ and we had a little discussion. They decided that I could stay, but still couldn’t participate,” says Green. “And I listened to two candidates who had the gall to talk about open and inclusive government, but they willingly participated in a closed and exclusive exercise.”

The day before the event, Brinkmoeller says the real estate group received a string of e-mails from Green’s campaign, which called for his supporters to come out to the event.

“We were just trying to be proactive and prepared, not really knowing or anticipating what could have taken place,” she says, adding that the group later welcomed Green inside to network with attendees. “If there was going to be any additional large crowd situations other than what we were planning for, then we were just trying to make sure crowd control was not going to be a concern. We weren’t expecting any violence or anything like that.”

Because The Olmsted is private property, only paid attendees, the invited candidates and media were allowed in the event, Brinkmoeller says.

Though Green’s candidacy is likely a long shot, the disregard shown toward his alternative viewpoint at the kick-off debate seems unwarranted at best.

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