Loading ...MONDAY MORNING MUSINGS
There are a couple items to report to get the week started and both, in a sense, are related to each other.
First, Mayor Bart Peterson’s campaign has been push-polling over the weekend. I’ve got a number of e-mails from voters who were annoyed at the calls. They say the pollsters talked about Greg Ballard’s lack of political experience and saying that if he got elected he would cut sidewalk repair and other city services. What’s interesting is that the polls seem to be pushing the voters in the other direction. This goes back to my underlying theory that the voters are really angry and there’s not much the Mayor can do about it, except hope they stay home.
Second, on Wednesday, the Indiana Tax Court will hear arguments on the city’s 65 percent tax increase. Attorney John Price says they will argue the tax increase was passed illegally because City-Council member Patrice Abduallah should have never voted because he vacated his seat when he moved out of his district earlier this year. The city argues case law say even when an official is elected improperly they can still serve, however Price says this case is not about elections, but the fact that Abduallah was sitting on the council illegally when the vote was taken. No smart lawyer would ever try to predict what a court would do, but looking at the city’s track record on legal issues (child welfare, violent video games, etc.) I would not be surprised if the tax court came down on the side of the taxpayers.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:25 am
My guess is the Peterson campaign is about to lauch into some good old fashioned negative advertising–it will probably backfire.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:26 am
on the COIT, could the timing be any better? great to have this in the news the week before the election reminding the electorate that the mayor and CCC kicked them while they were down due to property taxes.
even if they throw it out, does it change anything? carson took his place. or did they window for raising the COIT and it’s gone until the property tax plan gets sorted?
October 29th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Remember, the vote was 15-14. This just means they would have to vote again.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:49 am
We have thousands of voter endorsement cards to distribute and will give quantities of cards to anyone that can get them in the hands of voters.
We need 100,000 of these on the streets by election day and they need distributed everywhere.
Call Melyssa to arrange pick up of quantities of 100 to 1000.
317-938-8913
October 29th, 2007 at 11:24 am
There is word out there that Governor Daniels and Mayor Peterson will push for legislation in this years General Assmebly to make Marion County Township School consolidation a major part of the Mayor’s Indy Works. This being done to cut property taxes in Marion County.
Apparently this is not just rumor but has been on the table since last year.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Abdul, wasn’t there a limited time window that the cities were allowed to vote on the COIT increase? I thought that the state gave a small window on that. If so, they may not have the opportunity to re-vote on the increase.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Joel, that was my understanding as well and the reason Bart and the Bartstitutes hurried it through.
Bumpy, the savings of such a merger would dwarf anything else on the table. Politically, I can’t imagine the Mayor has a dog in that fight. I also can’t see how you leverage the township and city (Beech Grove and Speedway are indy) schools into doing that. Franklin and Pike seem particularly stable. What would motivate them to merge with IPS, Washington (financial trouble), Perry (political problems), and others that seem to be fading? Flame me if you love your township school (IPS people, you don’t have a leg to stand on), but the school assessments speak for themselves (attendance, test scores, graduation rates). As the apartments and housing has declined, it is taking some of the township schools with it.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Ah, negative campaigning! I smell desperation in the Bart camp.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
A reader who works at the CC Building sent us the below note they received from Marion County Clerk Beth White.
The e-mail was sent using the government e-mail system. Note that Indianapolis employees have Election Day off work. Why would they need to vote early then? Either BEth White and the Democrats failed miserably at recruiting poll workers and had to use city employees, or Election Day ‘07 is the day to repay employee patronage. Either way, something stinks in Beth White’s office.
From: Administrator, Exchange
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 6:06 PM
To: Administrator, Exchange
Subject: Absentee Voting Information
Attention City-County Employees,
VOTE ABSENTEE EARLY AND AVOID THE RUSH
The Monday before Election Day it is always the busiest for walk-in absentee voting. Please take advantage of your opportunity to vote absentee early. For your convenience the Clerk’s Office in CCB room W122 is open the following hours.
Absentee Voting - Hours
Tuesday, Oct. 9th, through Friday, Nov. 2nd — 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday, Oct. 27th — 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday, Nov. 3rd — 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Sunday, Nov. 4th — 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Monday, Nov. 5th — 8:00AM - 12 noon
Regards,
Elizabeth L. White,
Marion
County
Clerk