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Jen Wagner at Taking Down Words is calling it a day. She is going to work for the Schellinger for Governor campaign. Believe it or Jen and I agree we want this state to be a better place, we just disagree on how it should be done. One day she will see the light. (Smile) I will give her credit for making an impact. Even the people who hate her either read her or know someone who does, I have to respect her ability to get a rise out of people. We definitely have that much in common. Good luck, Jen. By the way, feel free to play guest host after the primary. (Just kidding).
March 27th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Good riddance!
March 27th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Ba-bye!!!!!
March 28th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Where will all the libs go to whine about how Governor Daniels is soooooooooooo mean??
March 28th, 2008 at 8:43 am
So long, and don’t let the door hit her on the way out.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Dinosaur, your screen name is apt.
Jen had a good blog. It provoked comment, it was well-written, and even when I disagreed, she made me think.
Thinking. Try it sometime.
However, this move for Jen is odd. The Schellinger campaign has bene a train wreck thus far, and there’s only six weeks left.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I had the misfortune of meeting Jen on one occasion while I worked on the Eric Dickerson campaign. She is an angry, rabidly-partisan woman who has probably never seen a half-full glass in her life. There’s always room on a sinking ship. I wish her good luck on the campaign.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Of course she will work for the most unqualified candidate in the race. Have you seen his commercials lately? The ones emphasizing education? How much taxpayer money does CSO Architects get again?
March 28th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
All of these blogs serve a purpose; whether it’s too tick people off, or give them validation in their beliefs. I find it humorous how some are venomously wishing it farewell as if it were really that big of a threat.
These are essentially message boards for opinions, and all she was doing was voicing hers. If that’s a problem for some of you, then perhaps the problem you have is with the 1st amendment. Competition is a good thing.
And this is coming from someone who voted for Ballard, AND grilled Jen multiple times on Fart Peterson.
You sound like a bunch of sourpusses. And Melyssa needs to crawl back under the same rock as Wilson.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Grover, I totally agree with what you have written above, for what it is worth. However, with one exception. I have traveled these many blogs for information and enjoyment. Having read them over time, I cannot agree that Wilson and Melyssa can be used in the same sentence. She has often offered solutions to identified problems. Wilson on the other hand has yet to offer a solution, but rather simple partisan verbage and attacks. Meylssa will respond to a challenge. Wilson will attack the challenger. Hugh difference to someone like me who is merely trying to see through the fog of complex issues to gain insight from others. It is not about agreement on solutions, but it is about offering possibilities. Peace.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Rick, you’re mistaken.
Anyone who knows Jen will tell you she’s not sour. She’s serious about her business, but she’s got a great sense of humor, paritcularly with those who disagree. I’ve seen it often.
The Dickerson campaign was enough of a train wreck to blind your senses, though.
FWIW, I saw Eric at Wal Mart two weeks ago with his wife. They were polite and obviously putting together some Easter baskets for someone.
Not to re-dredge that whole domestic violence thing…but someone lied in that case, and I never accuse police officers of lying.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Think Again, if you don’t think police officers lie you are living in a dream world.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
There are some officers out there that have a definite political/personal agenda that would cause harm to persons who do not think like them idealogically. FWIW.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
WOW!
Jen,
who will correct my grammar now that you are leaving?
good luck. see u on the campaign trail
Go Mitch, Go away Hillary.
March 28th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
“However, this move for Jen is odd. The Schellinger campaign has bene a train wreck thus far, and there’s only six weeks left.”
I think it fits her perfect. I don’t know her personally, but from the sounds of her general life, she is one to swim with the elites. The elites are usually the biggest hypocrites when it comes to public education. Public education is good for everyone, except their kids of course. Outside that, she seems to be another rich, connected person. If the Star database is correct, she paid like $400K plus for her home. Yet she acts like she is not rich.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Oh please folks.
If she and her husband, who has a great job, could afford a nice home, so be it.
By the way, how do you know her address, and if so, why are you checking it? Her husbands last name is not Jen’s last name. This is all just a little creepy.
(Jen, if you’re reading this, turn on the alarm system tonight…)
And I learned long ago, not to criticize anyone’s school choice for their child. Each child needs special care, and depending on the child’s needs, another school might work. Parents investigate all kinds of school options. No choice is bad.
As for the police officers lying: let’s just say, when this incident occured, it was long before Eric Dickerson had any political agenda or aspirations. Why would IMPD (nee IPD) lie about a fledging car dealer? There’s no need for that kind of nonsense.
There may be a few bad apples among the IMPD ranks. But I believe they’re few and far between. And I happen to know the police report from that night has been scrutinized at every level. It’s clean.
The whole Dickerson thing died a rightful death.
I think Jen is joining a campaign that will do likewise. She’s smart, she’s entitled, and she can do so from a $50,000 home or a million dollar home; it’s her business. That campaign can use her. Immediately.
This Democrat sorta recoils from the party structure telling me for whom I should vote. Thankfully, it hasn’t taken on the eerie Even Bayh-Andre Carson TV commercial effect just yet.
There is the county chairman-dictating-to-me thing, but no one listens to him anyway.
March 29th, 2008 at 5:15 am
“And I learned long ago, not to criticize anyone’s school choice for their child. Each child needs special care, and depending on the child’s needs, another school might work. Parents investigate all kinds of school options. No choice is bad.”
Give me a break. She calls herself a progressive. Progressives are on the attack when it comes to home schooling. They believe the only type of schooling kids should get is being thrown together into groups and letting strangers do the teaching.
Liberals and progressives should practice what they preach, but they won’t. They are quick to bash someone like Abdul who comes up with some really good ideas about education, mostly because it won’t include government. However, when it comes to their kids, they run as far away from government schools as they can. Sorry, but it is my feeling that Jim is the ISTA candidate. He was already cozy with a lot of big shots in public education due to his company’s involvement with school construction.
As far as her home price, it was posted over on Frugal Hoosiers and someone looked it up on the Star database. I agree with you, more power to anyone who is rich. What I find laughable is that these people, who are now elites, turn around and act like they know what is best for the average citizen whose family income is $60-$100K/year. Whatever. If she had not taken another job, we would be reading an article slamming the Amazon.com jobs because they don’t pay $30/hour. I guess she figures everyone should be able to buy a $300K+ home.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Wow, No Name. It must be a bitch to wake up every morning that bitter.
I’m the parent of a child who had special educational needs. For us, there were choices. The choice we took was not our district school system. Our other child graduated from our district system. In hindsight, each decision we made was correct. But each decision was difficult.
You can’t really criticize someone for the school choices they make.
I’m a progressive, so don’t go lumping all of us together. I know the daily Hannity-Limbaugh talking points love to do that, but it’s unfair and not reality.
That being said, I cannot and will not back Schellinger in the primary. I’ve seen the evil cabal that exists between school system governance and architects. No, it’s not a conspiracy theory–it’s real.
Ask the folks in Washington Township./ Who remonstrated against a bond project, got the right to force the petition drive, and negotiated in “good faith” with the school system. The school system then renegged on their deal.
The architectural firm behind all of it? CSO. Who provided their “services” for free during the “study” phase.
It was all a cruel joke.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Think again. How do we get at these corrupt school actions? It seems that many people are now pointing out how money is being wasted, even stolen (strong word, but in the end, this is what is happening). I have followed with interest the struggles of a lady up north against roofing for schools. What a sham. But it appears she is having an impact. How can we get at these larger issues of corruption by elected school officials? Check her site at http://diana-vice.blogspot.com/.
March 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
It’s a pretty interesting circle, Greg. It is difficult to bust it up. Decades of unholy alliances between superintendents and architects/GC companies, have made it worse.
Clear-thinking superintendents. Clear-thinking school boards. That’s what we need.
What we DON’T need is to elect a governor who’s from that circular firing squad.
He may be a nice guy, but he’s part and parcel of the problem.
March 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Thanks, everyone. Even those of you who are happy to see me go.
It’s been fun, and Abdul’s right: We all want this state to be a better place.
March 29th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
God, CSO does architecture work for schools. Amazing. Look at most of their projects and they are for private businesses.
All you Republicans should be bitching at Lilly for charging people for drugs - they’re making money on people - for shame!
March 29th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
PS
You people do realize that architects are hired by schools, and that they don’t get paid more if the project is more expensive. What you’re trying to do is like blaming your accountant when your taxes are high.
PSS Melyssa, sorry your tax bill’s going up. Nice Indy Monthly article too.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
“You people do realize that architects are hired by schools, and that they don’t get paid more if the project is more expensive.”
Ugh, no, they get a % of construction costs. Plus they also like to make recommendations which waste energy (large, open air atrium). This is why they push for the biggest dollar amount projects, and then become a “consensus builder.” The goal of Schellinger and his ilk is to aim high. This is the test of the district. If enough people bitch, then they come in and claim they understand. They then try to figure out the highest $ amount the community will accept. It is all about their personal bank accounts and their company portfolio. It is never about the tax payer, never about education.
Runaway construction costs are causing taxes to spike quickly upwards. The entire educational industrial complex knows this. They are a huge group: ISTA, principal associations, superintendent association, architect associations, etc.. They decided that hundreds of lobbyist are not good enough. They needed to have one of their own infiltrate state government to make sure the money keeps flowing. If they are successful with Schellinger, education spending will spike to the stratosphere. Thousands will flee Indiana and it will become one big heavily taxed ghetto.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
To keep this politically correct.
Jen!
I’m going to miss you as much as a bad case of a S.T.D.
flipper
March 30th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
A prime example of how architects work is the school 84 project. Schellinger’s idea was to tear down three houses next to the school because he designed a huge, overblown, un-needed add-on. Jim knew from the work that he did across the street at the Catholic church/school that people didn’t want to loose another old unique house in the neighborhood because they stopped him from tearing down the church rectory. Well, Jim’s a smart guy, he knew that if he drew up plans to remove houses for the 84 project that the people would pitch a fit and guess what? He was right. Guess who got to draw up a whole new set of plans and charge us, the tax payers? And while we are on that subject, why was the architecture firm running the neighborhood meetings informing the public about the building project? That seems like a school board or superintendent job to me.
March 31st, 2008 at 5:23 am
Anon, it sounds as though the school boards need to get a handle on their business or go.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Too bad she walked away before getting a chance to rail on the latest news of more Mitch-insider, mid-deeds as reported by the Ft. Wayne Gazette. Abdul, this one involves your buddy, Mike Cunegin.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008803300318
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:02 am
I mistakenly lied, sorry.
Mike Cunegin