Really Mayor Fischer? Daryl Owens on the Merger 2.0 task force?

Last week on March 18, 2011 Mayor Fischer named the rest of the merger 2.0 task force.  On this bipartisan task force he named two pre-merger, former Jefferson County Fiscal Court members: Daryl Owens and Delores Delahanty.  I had to laugh that Delahanty and Owens were named to the task force.

There may be some question as to why I am writing on this now–after all this was last weeks news?  I offer the excuse that I was out of town, I had to get caught up with the news. My vacation pack from our major daily was a little slow in getting to me.

I  explored the blogosphere and web-searched the story and I think I have a different analysis.

As a concession to my thoughts, there is no doubt there is a small amount of bipartisanship on this task force with the very positive Rebecca Jackson on it. It also makes good sense to have the highly intelligent and personable David Armstrong on it.   So, there are some rock-solid people on it, but again, some appointments that make me chuckle.

Delahanty

First, I think that  Delahanty is mis-identified as a “citizen at large.”    Too many retired executives get named as “citizens at large” over the average rank and file worker (even here in Louisville).   She is definitely one of the Democratic Party faithful and made a spirited effort to challenge Mike Ward in the 1994 democratic primary for the 6th district congressional seat.  I have met Delahanty a number of times and she has impressed me as a smart lady.  She did not get where she is for nothing.

Owens

However, what made me laugh the most is that Fischer named one of the most vocal public opponents to merger to this task force.  The evidence is still online at http://www.ket.org/merger/.  (You will need Real Player to see it.)  KET still has this link to the 2000 videos where Daryl Owens argued against merger and had University of Louisville professor Hank Savitch  (a passionate merger opponent) answer for him about the consequences of merger on other cities.   The Mayor’s release said nothing of this.

Sure Owens is a state representative, and at face value a relevant local politician, but given that he bucked the political establishment on merger in 2000 makes him a strange choice for such an appointment.  It makes me say: Really Mayor Fischer?