Former mayor adjusts to life out of public eye

By Janelle MacDonald - bio | email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Louisville's former mayor is a month-and-a-half out of office, but Jerry Abramson is not out of the business of watching the workings of Louisville.

"I get a lot of kidding, where people stop me and say, 'Weren't you somebody?'" he said Thursday.

Abramson says his life these days is much different.

"I got home last night at 5:00," he said. "I haven't been home at 5:00 when I was mayor for many, many, many years."

Campaigning for lieutenant governor a day-and-a-half a week, Abramson says most of his professional time is spent on teaching at Bellarmine, but after a life of public policy, it's hard to leave the public part behind.

"I'm still interested in the issues of the day and watch the newscasts, read the newspaper," he said.

One of those issues: the resignation this month of Metro Animal Services Director Wayne Zelinsky.

"I really commend Mayor [Greg] Fischer in terms of continuing the modernization if you will of the animal services department and the new leadership," Abramson said. "He's doing a national search, which is exactly what we did eight years ago."

Abramson says he did not know about the web site that led to Zelinsky's resignation, the Derby City VIP escort service.

"I don't know anything about the business," Abramson said.

As to whether he would've done anything differently in the handling of LMAS' problems over the years, Abramson said it mostly boils down to money.

"I wish we  had the funds to be able to move the entire operation [to the new location in Newburg], rather than just the funds to build the adoption facility," Abramson said.

Abramson says he will teach both spring and summer semesters at Bellarmine before ramping up to campaign full-time this fall with his runningmate, current Governor Steve Beshear.

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