Loading ...This Can’t Be Good
According to my colleague Jack Rinehart at RTV 6, City-County Councilor Paul Bateman is under investigation for his role in a charitable foundation that is missing more than $1.5 million.
Marion County Grand Jurors served a search warrant last week on the headquarters of the Russel Foundation seizing computers, IRS records and other documents.
Bateman is listed as the Chief Operating Officer on the charity’s website. Bateman would not comment on the warrant to RTV 6, but he would only say he has done nothing wrong.
I will be the first person to stand up and say a search warrant is not guilt and Bateman and I, while having philosophical disagreements at times, have always been cordial to each other.
However, this news can’t be good for Marion County Democrats in general and Black Democrats in particular. Bateman’s potential troubles come on the heels of Doris Minton-McNeil being arrested on disorderly conduct charges. And last year Monroe Gray and Ron Gibson found themselves at the center of controversies.
I don’t know who’s running the local Democratic party these days, but these incidents are evidentiary of an absence of leadership and getting people in line.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:00 am
A big part of the problem is any bozo can run for office and get elected if they have the right letter after their name for the district they are running in.
Voters do not vote on who is the best candidate, who is the most intelligent, who understands economics or anything else the best. They vote for their “team” regardless of who is on the ballot (in most cases).
If everyone had to submit a resume and conduct an interview with ALL of the voters (not just the 23 people who watch a TV debate), defend their positions to the voters and win their support we would have higher quality elected officials and our government wouldn’t be such a mess.
Just look at the U.S. Congress. They blame everyone else for these major problems we’re having in America when Congress itself is primarily to blame. Mortgage crisis, inflation, gas prices, high health care costs, jobs lost overseas … all significantly impacted by elected bozos in office. (no insult to the late great Bozo the Clown intended).
July 18th, 2008 at 3:08 am
yes and the trouble is also the marion county democratic party is a little click. when you join the click you are a savior. getting into the click is not easy. you have to have qualifications other than being a wasp. during the last election cycle a very good democrat friend of mine decided to volunteer and wrote emails to three of the top officials and left three voice mail messages to be ignored until election day when they called him 5 times to remind him to vote for bart. by then he was disenchanted with bart and voted for ballard and told them so.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:08 am
This is exactly why so many talented democrats abandoned the party. This is the type of black leadership that is promoted. We can’t follow these bozos.
July 18th, 2008 at 7:26 am
I’m still wondering why the CIB is allocating $150,000.00 to the Black Expo. Since when is a celebration of cultural history a capital improvement? Where’s my charitable deduction on my taxes?
July 18th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Here is the next question. How long does it take to bring charges in the Doris Minton-McNeil case?
July 18th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Paul, lighten up. The IBE brings in millions to the city.
Paul Bateman isn’t guilty yet. Hold the line.
It’s not about color of skin, it’s about expectations for leaders. It seems to be true, that those expectations are lowered for the black community. I don’t know why and it’s a shame, because there are some talented young professionals of color waiting to break through the glass ceiling. But the Carl Drummers-Tony Duncans-Monroe Grays of the world are holding fast.
I’m thinking in particular of the young black lawyer who dared to run against Andre. I talked to him during the caucus process, and he was bright, energetic and full of ideas. When he was finished with that experience, he was full of ideological bullet holes.
A crying shame.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Some folks just think the CIB can do anything it wants to, just so long as somebody is using the convention center, legality and propriety be damned.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:58 am
So, Master Bateman. Where is your piety now?
July 18th, 2008 at 10:20 am
“…but these incidents are evidentiary of an absence of leadership…”
.
More like “a reflection of leadership”.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:30 am
“Think Again” wrote:
July 18th, 2008 at 7:59 am
“Paul, lighten up. The IBE brings in millions to the city.”
I guess you have never seen the results of 10 people in the same hotel room that they absolutely TRASH before they leave, including stealing everything not bolted down.
Or the “stiffing” of waiters/waitresses in restraurants, or the shoplifting from every store in Circle City Mall that is open.
Yea, I can see all of the “benefits” of IBE.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Master bateman!! Priceless!!
July 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Concerned taxpayer & citizen: Thanks for saying what you did. I moved downtown in 1986 and lived there for 12 years and had many friends that worked as servers and managers in the restaurant biz. Not a single one of them has ever had a good thing to say about IBE. Without exception every single friend in the hospitalitiy business dreaded IBE each year because the attendees treat them without respect, runs them ragged, and doesn’t tip well (or at all).
.
Having said that, they also told me the next worst conventions to have to work are the bible thumping Christian conventions. Overall, the tips are horrible.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Melyssa and Taxpayer: before you trash IBE, try dialing in some recent facts.
“…shoplifting from every store in Circle City Mall that is open.”
Absolutely NOT true.
The real problem with IBE has been and continues to be the weekend nights and teen loitering. That loitering has taken a tragic turn in recent years with gunfire and nonsense.
And the hotel rooms aren’t routinely trashed, or damaged any more than most regular conventions.
I’d say your observations are racist, but I don’t stoop that low. I’ll just say they’re under-informed, over-generalized and hyped beyond reality.
For instance: a friend routinely works the hardware (”Do It Best” formerly HWI) show, three times a year at the convention center. They’ve got some pretty wild and disgusting stories about that money-making convention too…and it’s a predominantly older, white crowd.
Bad behavior knows no racial boundary. And it shouldn’t be tolerated. But crass comments about a largely-minority event, are not the answer.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I am recounting the experience of what I’ve been told over and over throughout the years from my friends who work downtown in the restaurant business. Would you like to venture downtown one night after IBE and talk off the record to waitpersons?
.
And don’t you dare call me a racist, for it will not hold water. You obviously know NOTHING of me or my relationships.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Think again, I think I will leave you hanging on your own relative to post 13. However, in post # 6, I am with you all the way. My only question is why the people continue to support the parties when they are so corrupt. While crossover can be painful in the short run, maybe each party needs to experience some tough love to get their attention. Although, even given some outstanding options during the last primary for representative, the democrats did select the one with the fewest operating brain cells. I just don’t understand politics I guess. Here I always thought it was about sending potential leaders on our behalf.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I would recommend that someone investigate the three (2 active and 1 retired) high ranking IMPD police officers involved with the Russell Group! They are supposed to be working security but “?” it’s kind of like the Sopranos! No Show Jobs! Now millions are missing? There are also several Black Ministers involved with the Russell Group! These are the very same ministers involved with Greg Ballard, Olgen Williams and the “Peace in the Streets” program? Strange bed-fellows????????
July 18th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Julia Carson lowered the bar for all public officials in Marion County, especially black public officials. Now we’re stuck with some of her posse and her under-achieving grandson until the local black community wakes up and begins demanding accountability.
The Dems circle the wagons around corrupt public officials. A striking example of this is evident here in Indy.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Steward,
You are right on the mark.
Olgin Williams, his sons along with the ususal crowd of ministers who have brought us the loving black community we currently have, insert sarcasm, will be the Monroe Gray for Ballard in 3 years. A lack of familiarity with the black culture is the kiss of death for gullible politicians who pander to the bible thumpers and ex-cons without marketable skills.
This poor selection of black leadership has actually set us back quite a few years. We cringed in the past when whites showed only the embarrassing blacks in the media–now we have one as a deputy mayor in 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 19th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Melyssa honey…I’m with you when you’re right, but:
When you throw gas on a fire as you did earlier, with glittering generalities about IBE’s effects, with little or flimsy evidence, the chips fall where they may.
Yes, I have ventured downtown during IBE. Every year. Yes, I have friends in the service industry, and I’ve asked them about the charges leveled above. The overwhelming response is: it’s very crowded on Saturday nights, but no moreso than a Colts game. And the folks who stiff on tips are only slightly moreso than a Colts game.
Calm down. I didn’t say you were racist. I observed that the coments posted earlier could be viewed as racist comments. Because they’re based on relatively unsubstantiated rumors repeated over and over. I know plenty about you, and don’t consider you racist at all, but rather a community activist of the first order. But…don’t casually throw around comments about a largely-minority event, which are not backed up with solid evidence, and which can be viewed as racist, and expect to avoid critcism.
IBE is largely a well-run and responsible event that brings much to the city. The event runs longer than any single event downtown, and as such, contains two weekends and tens of thousands of out-of-town visitors. My point is: you cna’t really compare it to any other downtown event, because its characteristics are unique. That does not explain or excuse violence or loitering or senseless acts. But the closest comparison is probably the thrice-yearly hardware show, which lasts five days.
And my service industry friends say they’re plenty cheap.
Go figure.
July 19th, 2008 at 10:02 am
The Russell Group? Isn’t this the group of Black Leaders??? “joking” who met with Greg Ballard immediately after he was elected?
Robert Russell
Melvin Girton
Fitzhugh Lyons
? Gonnzalas
Richard Crenshaw
William Benjamin
Darryl Pierce
Lionel Rush
and now millions of dollars are missing? AGAIN!!!
Another bad decision by Greg Ballard?
July 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
The problem with IBE is that it has come to be identified by a few weekend nights. Downtown commonly experiences more crime on Friday and particularly Saturday than it does for months. Unfortunately IBE has done absolutely nothing to repair their image with the overall community, or the people who accidentally go downtown on these nights not knowing what’s going on.
The convention during the week is fine, but IBE needs to start cleaning up their own backyard on Friday and Saturday night. It’s absolutely hypocritical when people get shot and they say it’s not related to IBE, despite the fact that the only reason these acts are allowed to be committed in perpetuity is because of the IBE and whatever stranglehold they have in city politics. Then when steps are taken to try to address these problems, the IBE steps in and says these measures are too racial. What a bunch of bologna. Whatever money the convention brings in during the week is fine, but it’s far offset by the damage to the city’s image on the weekend. It’s impossible to measure how many people will never come to Indianapolis ever again because of this weekend. Saying a hardware convention in any way compares to IBE is a fantasy. Come on, you’re better than that.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
My favorite expo weekend quote, “This is great! They never let us do this stuff in (insert Midwest city of choice)!”
July 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I wonder if anyone has noticed that the democrats are using an interesting maneuver to gain offices and appoint party insiders to the vacated positions therefore bypassing the electoral system? They are slowly but surely gaining political strength that they lost during the 07 election. Therefore explaining where your Cherrish Pryors, Dorris Minton-McNeils and Andre Carsons.
The IBE itself is a good event but you have an unbelievable number of ignorant people that disturb the peace and call it culture. As a black man, I’m insulted but that very assumption because that’s not my culture that involves all that foolishness and accepted ignorance.
The black community won’t change from the mental slavery imposed on them by the democratic party unless they want to and the GOP would have to make significant changes in the perception that the black community has on them. The black community as a whole has to see that being a democrat is NOT in their genetic code.
July 19th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
A bow to item 15 by Greg. I similarly don’t understand why party line is more important, or at least worth excusing what would be laughable, offensive, unethical, or unacceptable if done by “the other guys”. Do you owe your allegiance to what’s best for your citizens or your party? They sometimes differ.
July 20th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Response to all Nay-sayers:
How many of you have bothered to attend Indiana Black Expo. IBE’s Summer Celebration is more than young people standing around on the street corners in downtown Indianapolis on Friday and Saturday nights after the event closes.
First: Let me get something straight. African American Citizens pay taxes in this city and state also, and it is our downtown as well.
Second: Our youth have just as much right to enjoy all of the same privileges and opportunities the downtown has to offer as caucasians teens.
For those of you who have chosen not to experience the true programs of IBE, your criticism is merely based on media soundbites
of a few negative incidents that have occurred during the week. All of which can not be associated with IBE.
I have never heard a call from the majority community for the 500 Mile Race, the Brickyard 400 or any other major white supported event to be shut down when multiple arrests for public nudity, public drunkeness, excessive noise in the Speedway community and other law violations have occurred. Your statements are racist!
Living downtown, I have seen these offenses committed by white citizens but it does not always make the evening news.
Why don’t some of you attend the informative workshops held to expand your knowledge in business, education, health issues, employment, the arts, and exhibits which have been generously sponsored and supported by all of the major corporations and government entities for 38 years?
Fact: In an estimated crowd of 300,000 people in attendance for IBE’s events, the number of criminal offenses or incidents are minimal.
IBE is in the top 5 economic events for the city and the state, and we are here to stay!
July 20th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
“African American Citizens pay taxes in this city and state also, and it is our downtown as well.”
FACT: Less than 50% of the citizens in Marion County pay ANY taxes, and of that 50%, less than 25% are black.
“Our youth have just as much right to enjoy all of the same privileges and opportunities the downtown has to offer as caucasians teens.”
FACT: There is NO organized, city-sponsored event where HUNDREDS of caucasian teens roam the streets, walking out into traffic to make people stop, using LOUD profane language in every other sentence, etc. Many are driving vehicles that have $20,000 wheels and tires and $5,000 sound and TV systems. Yet they claim that “the white man” beats them down and they can’t get a job.
“For those of you who have chosen not to experience the true programs of IBE, your criticism is merely based on media soundbites…”
FACT: Blacks intentionally INTIMIDATE white people who venture out Downtown during IBLACKE, and the “true programs” are 100% geared toward black people.
“I have never heard a call from the majority community for the 500 Mile Race, the Brickyard 400 or any other major white supported event to be shut down when multiple arrests for public nudity, public drunkeness, excessive noise in the Speedway community and other law violations have occurred. Your statements are racist!”
FACT: The 500 and Brickyard are NOT white people events. Just because people state that something needs to be done, it does NOT make them RACISTS. Perhaps people who think they can do anything they want because it’s “THEIR” week are the racists.
I could go on, but what’s the point.
July 20th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
With all due respect One Who Knows, I do too. I’ve been downtown every year for nearly the past decade. I’ve also spent a good amount of time downtown when it isn’t an Expo or not-officially-Expo-but-Expo-staff-still-control-the-decisions weekend. I stand by my comments. The races bring in many multiples the revenue of Expo and the neighborhood is used to dealing with it. Even then, I grew up in Speedway and while this year has been an exception, the gunshots, robberies, beatings, and gang fights are a little worse than people being drunk IMHO. Oh, and at least the drunks at the race are of age…
July 21st, 2008 at 2:19 am
Mr. Bateman has done nothing wrong. He is a modest man who works hard for the commuity and his family. He worked for Chrysler for 35 years and now helps with the drive by prayer vigils in the city. He is an outreach minister in his church and in his role as city county councilor
Please wait and see who the real crook is in this situation( The Bishop)
Thanks for your time
July 21st, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Thank you much Abdul for this post. I have never seen my councilor in my community. I seen him on tv with andre carson, i seen him on tv with olgen and i seen him on tv with the Pastor Hill and the drive by prayers. But I never, and I mean never have seen him in the district he represents. Let’s hold elected officals accountable!
July 24th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Think again:
That young black lawyer is a tool for Lacy, Mr. 300 East, Johnson and was a tool for the ex-Mayor Bart Peterson.
We are trying to promote black leaders who received their ethical and professional training from other groups that have promoted high standards of public servants. He was mentored and used by the same folks who mentored and advised Monroe Gray, King Ro & Aaron Haith. Don’t be fooled by the law degree, Haith has a law degree too and we saw on television his standards of ethics. We must always look beyond the suit and close hair cut, we were fooled by Monroe Gray…if you snapp a photo of him when he’s cleaned up he LOOKS smart but…
July 24th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
OK, Councillor Bateman has shown honor, now it’s time for Doris Minton and Monroe Gray to follow his lead. But I think their caucus just fractured its solidarity.