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Updated: 6:49 PM Jan 6, 2009
Airport Scandal Fallout
Blue Grass Airport Director Mike Gobb resigned amid an investigation into his spending and now another airport leader is being asked to step down. Posted: 6:38 PM Jan 5, 2009 |
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42 Comments 
From lavish trips to a $4,500 bill at a strip club, questions are being raised about how the former head of Blue Grass Airport, Mike Gobb, spent its money.
Now, days after he resigned there are calls for another airport leader to step down.
The Urban-County Council met Tuesday to talk about who should be held accountable for the spending irregularities. In the end, the council decided to ask Airport board chairman Bernard Lovely to step down from that post.
The council says he can still remain on the board, but is asking him not to attend meetings or take part in airport activities.
The council will vote on the resolution Thursday, but even if it passes, Vice Mayor Jim Gray admits airport board members do not have to abide by the resolution because the board does not answer to the council.
Gobb resigned last week amid the investigation into his spending of $200,000 in travel expenses over a two year period. Lovely allegedly signed off on Gobb's spending.
Most of the money that funds the airport comes from the public. So, is it possible that some of your dollars ended up being spent on these trips?
Mayor Jim Newberry expressed his disappointment in the scandal at the airport. "I am concerned and disgusted with what has been going on."
Newberry though assured the citizens of Lexington that he is confident the airport board will do what's best. He said the money spent by Mike Gobb for the lavish trips and expensive gifts is the public money. It consists of the passenger fee charged on each ticket purchased, parking and concession fees, as well as the rent paid by airlines. Newberry insisted no taxpayer dollars will be used this fiscal year at the airport. However, he says the past few years are being looked into.
Newberry also said he believes his staff, which includes Vice Mayor Jim Gray, who has been very outspoken on the airport scandal should not be involved in the process. "In my book, it should not be politicians place to try and run an airport. That is why we have an airport board, which has been successful for the past 60 years," said Newberry.
Latest Comments
I don't know why anyone is surprised that Mayor Newberry wants nothing to do with this because that seems to be his standard response when it comes down to making himself the bad guy. This guy has no back bone not to mention a couple of other things he seems to be missing. Thank god for the Vice Mayor. To the mayor I say, this is your problem and you need to step in and take a stand because everybody who works, or lives in Fayette County pays taxes, some of which goes to help fund this airport. If the Airport Board had been doing what they should have been doing then I would say step back and let the auditors make a decision on whether the $200,000 dollars were valid or not. Since they didn't do this it is time for you to at least act like you care about this scandal. If you can't do this then maybe you need to step aside and let the Vice Mayor run the city. I swear you are making Teresa Isaacs look competent, something that I thought I'd ever see again in Lexington.
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$4500 spent at a strip club? This should now be referred to as "The Mike Gobb Stimulus Package."
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Where the [edited] were the auditors? Sounds like the bank bail out. Here's a gob of money so you can pay your bills. No checking to see how it's spent. I want the job so I can spend $4500 on strippers.
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