Why Jim Kalb is the Mayor of Portsmouth?

Everyone knows that the Mayor of the great city of Portsmouth is an hourly employee at a local supermarket. (He works there four hours per week.) Jim Kalb does not have a college education. He is not a successful business man. He is not a lawyer. He has none of the qualifications that you would expect of an elected mayor of a city like Portsmouth. So why is he our mayor instead of someone whose more qualified? Well, a big part of the reason is the nature of politics here. You have to question the sanity of anyone who would went to run for Mayor in Portsmouth. Kalb's predecessor was recalled from office. And Kalb's critics (the same one's who recalled the previous mayor) constantly threaten him with being recalled.When "recall fever" hits this town it becomes like another country: Recallistan. They pass recall petitions at the drop of a hat. And enough people in this City will sign any petition that is put in front of them, that its a piece of cake to get a recall on the ballot.

But the threat of recall is the least of it. There is a circle of internet critics in this City who are so relentlessly negative and full of hate for anyone who disagrees with them, that they can't stand to see anything good happen in Portsmouth. When they are not recalling, their boycotting some business or other: the local newspaper, the hospital, the donut shop, even the waffle house! (more on this in future posts).

But they really heap their hatred on politicians who want the City to prosper. Here is a mild example, from just last year, of what the vicious attack dogs of the internet say about the Mayor:

"The Mayor, Jim Kalb, is known mostly around town as the Tool or the Fool for the unelected leaders of Portsmouth. He barely graduated from vocational school, went to work at Kroger’s, and could never progress past a stock boy due to his attitude and aptitude. It's been said he barely kept his job at Kroger’s and if it wasn't for the union he would have lost the job at Kroger's a long time ago. He also told me shortly after his placement as Mayor when Greg Bauer was recalled that he would never be able to get elected on his own as Mayor because of his lack of experience and aptitude. Chief Horner, Mayor Kalb's boss, is the Chief of Police who uses intimidation tactics to get his way, no matter how much it hurts the community. Chief Horner is too busy trying to lend a hand to council in bankrupting the community through intimidation tactics and working under the "color of Law" instead of doing his job arresting and convicting drug dealers, prostitutes, burglary crimes, wrong doing etc. It's also been said Chief Horner deliberately stays away from enforcing these types of crimes due to a close relationship of his. Seems the county wants to plan for the future. Maybe the city of Portsmouth should be join forces with the county and eliminate our incompetent elected officials who continue to be played for the Tools and the Fools."

Notice how the writer uses cheap-shots to smear a man whose only crime was to actually get elected by the Citizens of Portsmouth. "It's been said..."and "...mostly known around town as..." The writer uses this smug innuendo to make it look like a lot of people agree with her. Just who is this low-class self-styled internet journalista who takes it on herself to speak as the voice of Portsmouth? Why its none other than Teresa Mollette, wife of a city councilman, on her own website.

(Click below to read the whole story.) http://com2.runboard.com/bccgforum.f1.t989

Please note how ridiculous her comments from May 13, 2008 are in retrospect. She said the City was mismanaging funds and City officials were incompetent and inept, but Scioto County was planning for the future and its officials had backbone and vision. She said the "city of Portsmouth should join forces with the county and eliminate our incompetent elected officials..."

As we all now know Scioto County is in a fiscal emergency: the first Ohio county ever to be under the financial control of the state. This is a very serious situation that is a major embarassment to our community and black-eye for all of us. Yet if had listened to Mrs. Mollette and followed her "ingenius" advice, the City would now be in the same sinking financial boat. (Brilliant, Teresa!)

But instead the City seems to get by on a tight budget, even in these tough economic times, with nothing but constant criticism by Mrs. Mollette and her pack of strange friends. Here is another example of how she speaks of our cities leaders (other than her own husband of course.)

(Click below to read the whole story.)

http://com2.runboard.com/bccgforum.f1.t1507

Week after week, Ms. Mollette goes on her web forum to air every stitch of the City's dirty laundry that she can find. One of her biggest targets over the years has been Southern Ohio Medical Center, the local hospital. She "spreads the word" about how the hospital is run by a bunch of "crooks and liars" and how the administration and the doctors are all incomptent. Here is just one example from early last year.

(Click below to read the whole story.)

http://portsmouthcitizens.info/blog/?p=317

Recently, due to "financial hardship" SOMC has had to severely cut back its pediatric unit and may eventually close it altogether. Well who was crying about it on her website? After so many months of her and her circle of internet jerks relentlessly talking down our area's main health care provider, who just couldn't understand why the hospital would do such a thing? None other than Mollette herself, the eternal critic of Portsmouth. Did you ever think your chickens would come home to roost, Teresa?

The Mollettes claim to be positive and that they want to work with others for the Cities betterment. But we have searched in vane for one positive or encouraging word that she has ever printed about Mr. Kalb, the elected mayor of Portsmouth. We can not find one.

So why is James Kalb the mayor of Portsmouth? Well, mainly because most people who may be more qualified just don't want the job. Who wants to take on the idiots in this town. In a future posts we will mention just a few of the past decent City Council people who have been hounded out of office by these people.

But what about Jane Murray, you may ask? What about this candidate who si supported by the Mollettes? Isn't Murray qualified to be mayor? We'll take a look at Ms. Murray soon.