SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION
City-Council President Monroe Gray may be facing a revolt within his own party. My sources tell me that many members of his own party are fed up with the perpetual embarrassment that his become his leadership as of late. Although a handful of them may express support publicly for Gray, behind the scenes it is all they can do to contain themselves.
It has even gotten to the point that Gray may face a challenge for the Presidency should Democrats retain control for the Council. Whites on the council have privately grumbled that only reason Gray is President is because the Blacks on the Council want an African-American as President. However, this time things are different. Just pick up the paper these days.
Gray could face a challenge from a number of individuals who are qualified for the job. Despite my philosophical differences with them, council Vice-President Joanne Sanders, Jackie Nytes and Mary Moriarty Adams are viable candidates. The three of them do all the work on the Council anyway when it comes to the budget and the men are usually nowhere to be found. So since the women do the all work, it’s only fitting one of them be in charge.
Any change would be an improvement. It just depends on what some members of the Council think is more important, good government or Gray staying in the headlines.
October 15th, 2007 at 7:46 am
You are completely correct, but you leave out one player who won’t bequiet after Nov. 6: Bart Peterson.
He stayed out of the council’s nonsense for almost four years, because he only had one vote to spare in his party’s caucus. But as long as that vote is Sherron Frnaklin, he’s toast on most issues, because she’s completely whacked out–ask her colleagues.
The mayor came close to putting up a Franklin primary challenger, but stayed with his earlier advice of remaining apart of the council’s inner workings. (Arrogant, ignorant and aloof)
He finally realizes that the council’s stench does spill over to him, and it has brought him down. Not enough to lose, but it has cost him.
BTW, it’ll be Joanne. And she has earned it.
If Monroe’s constituents send him back for another term, so be it. But he’ll likely be speaking from the council chairs instead of the prez’s chair. Which is good news for all of us.
It all depends on the margin for Democrats.
And there will be another byproduct of this predicted outcome, too–Vern Brown, Monroe Gray, King Ro and Ron Gibson will not have their (nearly) hourly phone calls to the 25th floor returned as often…seeking special favors for this and that…it’s driving the mayor’s office nuts. They’re disgraceful. Look for King Ro’s wife to get the boot in her cushy zoning job, too–but only after she’s done considerable damage.
(What IS that ugly flower she wears now that her hearings are on TV?)
October 15th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
To democratic activist. It is good to see that not every democrat stands by and says nothing about the corruuption. Good for you.
By the way, can you tell me specifically which campaign promises Bart has kept?
October 15th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I have to say, if the Dems are going to maintain control of council, it would be refreshing to have someone in as President who can clearly communicate and isn’t such an embarrassment to the city!
October 15th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Yes, God. Please. I’d take Joanne or Jackie any day over Monroe Gray.
October 15th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Melyssa:
Promises Bart has kept: numerous, but, for starters:
1. Combined Sewer Overflow. Not sexy, but a billion-dollar problem ignored by Lugar, Hudnut (three times), and Goldy. Think Pogue’s Run. Then flush. You’ll get the idea.
2. Jail overcrowding: A conservative Republican federal judge imposed a constitutional rights violation on the Marion County Jail almost 18 years ago. Not a prison,mind you–the jail, where we’d all go if charged with something but not yet convicted. The Mayor, Sheriff and Judges collaborated over five years to finally reduce jail overcrowding, stop early releases, and have the federal order removed.
3. Police pensions: also ignored by three former Republican mayors. Now fixed, albeit by a new income tax. Which would’ve bene cheaper if properly fixed a decade ago.
4. Sidewalks: More new sidewalks than at any period in city history.
5. Combined police forces: Judging from past posts, you’re probably aligned with the IndyU folks on this, but trust me, by any objective measure, it’s saved money. Lots of it. And the savings will continue. Police operating efficiencies are just starting to kick in.
And here’s one he tried, but only partially completed: government consolidation. Because of wicked political hacks’ moves, some in his own party, he wasn’t able to shepherd complete fire department consolidation through–yet. Ditto with the elimination of duplicitous township government, which, on a good day, works poorly.
What else ya wonderin about, dear Melyssa?
October 15th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Democratic activist, regarding the combined police force, could you give specifics on “but trust me, by any objective measure, it’s saved money. Lots of it. And the savings will continue. Police operating efficiencies are just starting to kick in.”
Please don’t take this the wrong way, I don’t want to take your word on it. I don’t know you so why should I believe you? It is kind of like going in to the boss and telling him you need a raise for all the work you have done. If you can’t list specific things you have done, don’t go in there and say it.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
It’s good to see that Abdul is not the shameless shill for Tom John’s Marion County Republicans that some folk assume. The local GOP election strategy has been to ignore Ballard and campaign on the slogan: “A vote for any Democrat anywhere is a vote for Monroe Gray”. Abdul’s posting here certainly throws a monkey-wrench into that political spin. Thanks, dude…
So vote for your entire Democratic slate – Abdul says you won’t be getting Monroe Gray by default!
October 15th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Ignore Wilson.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Jail overcrowding was reduced by having a revolving door ‘justice’ system called an Arrestee Processing Center, which turns criminals loose without bail so they may victimize again and again! It is another reason why the Detroit educator said that Bart & The Democrat Machine created South Detroit, Indiana and nobody wants to stay!!!!!
October 15th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Democrat activist:
1. I harped on him and everybody before him for the sewer thing. I’ll complain about it but you’re right, it needed to be done.
2. They ‘fixed’ jail overcrowding by reworking the bond matrices. Think redefining both strong-arm and armed robbery to include only those situations where a knife is used. The ‘robbery’ rate goes down, but the problem doesn’t go away.
3. Agreed. Why wait until now? Is he trying to see how much of a challenge a threepeat could be?
4. I could care less, but for those who live in neighborhoods with sidewalks that’s great. I had heard major moves money was a part of it but I’ll take your word for it that it was all him.
5. I could wear out the keys on my girlfriend’s laptop telling you how this consolidation is NOT saving money. There was an excellent missive linked on money magazine’s site detailing how police consolidations are great for streamlining but don’t save money. If you wanted to make things uniform, fine. If you wanted to get your paws on the Sheriff’s dept pension (I’m sorry, did I say that?), fine. But don’t merge police departments and then expect to save money. Especially when you follow the Louisville model and everybody in Louisville hates it and says they regret it. If the merger had been about saving money, they would have chosen blue uniforms and that would have been that. Instead they spent 6 months deciding if they should switch to black so as not to hurt anybody’s feelings, at the additional cost of several million dollars.
To top it all off, they spent several weeks deciding on a navy blue background for the IMPD patch before they put in the order. The order came in and they were royal blue. None of the rank and file were surprised.
October 16th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Anyone thinking of casting a vote for The Democrat Machine will also be casting a vote for the corruption and violent crime of what has been becoming South Detroit, Indiana!
Think about it. If we don’t have a revolution against the corruption that is The Democrat Machine, then we will see the good people and $$$ flee our city for a community that is safe, with fair taxes.
Did I mention corruption? Like Ghost Employment of a city-council president who gets an $83k salary from the city’s fire dept for a make-work, do-nothing job that has NO RESPONSIBILITY and NO WORK PRODUCT? How about the no-bid contract the city-council president’s concrete company got a the city’s airport? Did you know the city-council president co-owns a bar in a government building with the airport authority board member? Did you know a zoning variance was granted to the city council president and airport authority board member to put a bar in the government building by the wife of the city council majority leader? Did you know the city council’s sergeant at arms/parliamentarian who has been using abusive interpretations of the city council’s rules to stiffle an ethics investiation of the city council president? Did you know the city council attorney is a convcited criminal that has received disciplinary action from the state supreme court?
I can go on. The corruption that is The Democrat Machine is pure evil and is the reason for a massive exodus from what was formerly Indianapolis, but is turning into South Detroit, Indiana!
October 16th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Count me in as another Dem who wishes MG would stand up and say that he’s not seeking another term as president if the Dems retain the majority. It would remove him as an issue in the next three weeks.
Do I think that’ll happen? No. But, we can wish, can’t we?