In The News

Interpreters Help Spread the Word for Mayoral Candidates

Mon, March 08, 2010

Courier-Journal

The Americana Center in the Beechmont neighborhood is where Louisville comes to meet the world.

But on Monday night, it was the place where the world met Louisville’s mayoral candidates.

The most ironic moment of the debate came when Thieneman chose his second question. It was very similar to his first question, so he asked for a different one.

“Be careful what you wish for,” candidate Jim King said from his seat.

Thieneman’s new question asked what he would do to support libraries, bringing chuckles from the audience because in 2007, he led a grass-roots campaign against raising the occupational tax to pay for an expansion of Louisville’s library system.

“I am so excited about this question being for me,” Thieneman said. “We were able to prove that we can build new libraries without new taxes.”

He added the libraries are important to help people who don’t speak English learn the language.