3 Questions Jane Murray MUST ANSWER (Part 3)

OUR THIRD QUESTION FOR JANE MURRAY This question is for the candidate. But if she wins the election tomorrow and becomes the Mayor of Portsmouth, despite the information we have uncovered and shared on this website, it will become a question for the citizens of Portsmouth. The citizens are the ones who will have to live with, for better or worse, the results of their selection.

* We have revealed that in 1993 Jane Murray (Jane Vimont, at the time) formed a private corporation (Jane Vimont and Associates) of which she was the sole owner. She formed the company while still a key staff member for a US Congressman from Kentucky. She used secret insider information, gotten as result of meetings held in violation of Kentucky sunshine laws, to gain a lucrative contract for herself in 1995, worth several hundred thousand dollars. She left her client in shambles with a major museum project, her own brainchild, that went bankrupt a few years after the museum fired her for three years of poor performance. (http://p-townunderground.blogspot.com/search/label/ukbbmuseum) * We revealed the credit card abuse scandal that tarnished her reputation and the career of her employer, Mayor Scotty Baesler of Lexington. In 1995, a major Kentucky newspaper exposed her extravagant use of the cards for travel and gifts and the state auditor's determination that she failed to provide receipts. * She left behind broken promises and unfinished (or un-started) cultural projects all over the Lexington area when she left government. Late in her public career, as her development failures began to catch up with her, she cultivated self-beneficial relationships with consultants specializing in cultural centers and museum development, particularly Lord Cultural Resources of Toronto, Canada. The very services Portsmouth will "need" as Murray pursues the promises she has made to her supporters and the citizens of Portsmouth. OUR THIRD QUESTION FOR JANE MURRAY IS: If elected do you promise that you will not financially benefit from your position as Mayor beyond the salary and benefits provided by the City?

If she is elected it will be up to City Council and the Citizens of Portsmouth to safeguard the city's financial interests from Ms. Murray.

GRANDVIEW LAWSUIT

City Council should not agree to and the Citizens of Portsmouth should not accept any settlement or court-ordered penalty that would benefit Ms. Murray beyond her documented damages. As mayor she should not materially benefit from her own lawsuit.

But she appears to have purposefully positioned herself to do so. On 9-30-08, Jane Murray announced her effort to recall Fifth Ward Councilman Howard Baughman, and to try to fill his seat, via her committee "Citizens For Change In The Fifth." (http://portsmouthcitizens.info/blog/?p=494) In November, Baughman resigned rather fight the recall. Murray applied to City Council to be appointed to the seat. When another applicant was chosen, and she announced her intention to run for mayor. All of this effort was concurrent with Murray's filing of a lawsuit against the City. Conflicts of interest appears inevitable. Citizens should monitor any financial settlements proposed or agreed to by either the plaintiffs or City administration--since Murray will be both, if elected. 2) LORD CULTURAL RESOURCES Murray should also commit that she has not and will not make any personally beneficial financial arrangements with consultants or developers hired or recruited for any city projects? On multiple occasions, Jane Murray has pushed strongly for various museum and other cultural projects to be initiated by the City. The video at the following link (http://portsmouthcitizens.info/Council/Highlights/8-25-08/8-25-08(1)JMurray.wmv, at about the 2/3 mark) is just one of many requests by Murray on the issue Here she addresses City Council, 8/25/08:

"I did want to speak to you about larger issues about this government. Since I moved back in 2002 and bought a home, I have tried to bring my expertise to the table over and over to assist the City. I suggested we build a children's museum. I suggested that we look at building a vision of the future of the City of Portsmouth and all the planning that would go into that."

Considering Murray's past dubious relationships with Lord Cultural Resources of Canada and other consultants and the fact that she has yet to be closely associated with any successful museum or cultural center, we suggest that City Council scrutinize any similar proposal by Murray with great care, if she is elected. The citizens should demand it.

And, definitely, do not give her a credit card!

3 Questions Jane Murray MUST ANSWER (Part 2)

OUR SECOND QUESTION FOR JANE MURRAY (Jane Murray's website http://www.janemurrayformayor.com/ states that she will be holding a press conference today at 11:00 a.m. We hope the following will be among the questions asked of the candidate.)

2) What is the status of your lawsuit against the City of Portsmouth?

According to Scioto County Common Pleas Court records, you are the lead plantiff in a lawsuit against the City of Portsmouth.

http://www.sciotocountycpcourt.org/

DOCKET SHEET for 08CIH00331 Scioto Court of Common Pleas JANE MURRAY, et al vs. CITY OF PORTSMOUTH ______________________________________ Date Filed: 08/11/08 Style: MURRAY ETAL/CITY OF PORTS Judge : 1 Action : OTHER CIVIL ______________________________________ Judge: William T. Marshall

What is the status of this suit?

How much are you and your co-plaintiffs suing the City for? (Please provide our answer to the nearest million.)

If you are elected Mayor, do you think it will be a conflict of interest for you to represent the City and also provide depositions against the City and testify against the City in court? (In other words will you want the City to win or lose this case?)

Do you plan to drop your lawsuit if you are elected Mayor?

First Question for Murray Coming at Midnight Tonight

Probably the most glaringly obvious un-answered (and un-asked!) question from the Jane Murray campaign is related to Murray's former employment as a legislative aid for Scotty Baesler, Mayor of Lexington 1982 to 1993, US Congressman 1993 to 1999, failed candidate for Ky Governor in 1998. Murray worked for Baesler from 1983 to 1995, and she trumpets her past legislative experience in Lexington and Washington on her website and at every public appearance.

Sherlock Holmes once solved a mystery by focusing on "the dog that didn't bark." Well, we at P-Town U think this campaign has it's own dog that is not barking.

* If Murray was such a great assistant to Baesler, why have we not seen any kind of endorsement from the former congressman? A letter, a photograph of the two together, even a personal appearance by this well-known politician would certainly be a plus for the Murray campaign. This seems very strange to us.

Other questions:

* If Murray was so instrumental in so many projects, why have we seen no pictures from that time of the museums, cultural centers, etc., that she was able to create? And that she promises to bring to Portsmouth?

* Why are the no endorsements at all from any public figures from Lexington or Washington? Surely she would still have contacts who could vouch for her, so that the Citizens of Portsmouth don't have to just "take her word" for all of her accomplishments.

* And perhaps the biggest of all these questions: Why did Murray leave Baesler's staff in the fall of 1995, right in the middle of Baesler's tenure in Washington, just as he was preparing to run for governor? Was she fired or did she resign? If so was she forced to resign?

These vital questions will be addressed in the first of three expose's of the Murray campaign. We will release the results of our investigation tonight at midnight.

After you read it, you will definitely question the first statement by Murray, as quoted in the newspaper story below; "I will abide by the law."

3 Questions Jane Murray MUST ANSWER Before Election Day

NOTE: The position of mayor is probably the most powerful and important public position in our county. The County Commissioner's may control a larger budget than the mayor, but each of them is only one of three, and is restricted by the other two. And the Mayor really serves as the face of our community. It is very important to know the truth about each of the candidates for mayor. We know Jim Kalb. His past, his family realtions, his record, his marriages, even his teen years growing up on Jackson Street have all been thoroughly publicized and scrutinized, for good or ill, for all the world to see on the internet. Even Mr. Skiver is well known in our community. But all we know about Jane Murray is what she has chosen to share with us. Even the internet has been especially gentle with her. Why is that we wonder? Soon we will begin a series of 3 articles that will explore the background and intentions of a person that the citizens of Portsmouth really don't know very well. (Make that at least 3 articles.) Perhaps you have questions of your own for the candidates. If you do, send it to us at ptownu@yahoo.com. We will try to get answers or at least tell you what we think. We think the next few days will be interesting.