Home

Join

Main Menu

IB HOT LINK

Listen to Abdul in the Morning on WXNT 1430 AM

Recent Comments

Links

FOLLOW IB

Indiana Barrister Facebook Page

Indiana Barrister Twitter Feed

Get your own Widget
«
»

Wynns of Change

Indianapolis Parks Director Joe Wynns is stepping down.  Wynns tended his resignation yesterday and his last day will be September 12.  In an interview Wynns said it was time to move on and had nothing to do with his public criticism of park budget cuts. 

In a public statement the Mayor’s office said, “Joe Wynns has served the citizens of Indianapolis for over 38 years and that kind of service deserves our thanks and our admiration. I thank Joe for his dedicated service and wish him luck in his future endeavors.”

Although Wynns departure appears mutual on the surface, there are also a couple other dynamics going on here.  First, Wynns has always had a loose cannon streak.  I recall a conversation I had with him about enforcing the city’s then ban on sex offenders in city parks.  Wynns said he had no intent of enforcing the ordinance because he didn’t have the manpower.  He later denied he made the statements.  The ban was overturned.

Second, there had always been issues with Wynns’ leaderships in the Parks however, the Ballard administration decided to keep him on.  This was a mistake.  The administration should have let him go and appointed an interim Parks director.  By keeping him around for as long as they did, administration officials have set themselves for charges of being retaliatory (due to Wynns comments on the budget) and, unfortunately, the tired charge of being insensitive to Blacks. 

Speaking of racism, I can already hear the crying from the whining class.  Because of the Mayor’s conflict with the Sheriff over the budget and now the resgination of Wynns, the whning class is going to start stirring up their less-informed constituency and try to stri up trouble.  In the words of Public Enemy, don’t believe the hype.  With the work the administration is doing for ex-offenders, minority business development, tackling crime and abandoned housing, the last thing you can call them is racist.

If the Ballard administration is guilty of something, it’s bad timing.  If Wynns was going to leave, this should have been worked out a long time ago.   But such is change and how it blows.

 

Posted: 08|14|08 at 6:43 am by Abdul Hakim-Shabazz
Follow this entry via RSS 2.0.

  • Think Again
    Hope springs eternal, Taxpayer.

    Today's Friday, so Dan is using the Burton brain.
  • Taxpayer 834512
    With you on the Burtons. And, with strong candidates from a kaleidoscope of gender, religion, education, and experience, the city got "The Seed".
  • Think Again
    Get over it: I have lobbied. Peterson and Ballard are scared of the issue.

    And frankly, this is the one place we can whine about it: the blog owner has waxed eloquent about the very issue over and over.

    I'm merely agreeing with him. And he's right, by the by.

    Besides, Lincoln Plowman and Monroe Gray together have about half a brain. Kinda like the Burtons. Our city can and must do better.
  • Moneyguy
    Change is good! If this guy has been around for four administrations then maybe it is time for a new director of the parks. New ideas and changes are always good in my book. As for Amos Brown you know those radio show host always have to have something negative to talk about it's in the "Dummies book on how to be a Talk Radio Show Host"! I'm sure Abdul has a copy! ;)
  • Get over it
    Think again, I appreciate your cogenty analysis and as you say 30 yrs in local politics, but Get over the public safety employee issue you have! Lobby to have this changed if you have not done so, but frankly, the insults and allegations of impropriety get old, and childish. Those of us who read thisb log expect better than that from you
  • flipper
    Abdul,
    Your prediction was right about the resignation of Joe Wynn.
    Amos Brown whined about it for at least 20 minutes on his radio show this afternoon.
    flipper
  • Jocelyn-Tandy Adande
    Response to think again.

    I can count more than four members who have financially supported the council and are financial members. Obviously you are not a member or you would know who the members are.
  • Taxpayer 834512
    TA- thx again for historical references for those of us not here.
  • Think Again
    Jocelyn honey, the four-member AARCI is hardly credible, but thanks for trying. Joe Wynns's resignation is not due to racism. It's due to bad prinorities on the 25th floor.

    John, you may be right, but I doubt it. Regardless, we are involved in those economic development projects which seem to help the city overall. Whether you or I agree on those specifics, or whether we'd do it if we were in charge, is hardly the issue. They're done.

    I harken back to the original RCA Dome argument. Hordes of folks argued that Indy would never be a convention city.

    Fast forward to 2008. Indy is one of the hubs for the second tier of conventions, the less-pricey ones: service clubs, churches, band groups, high school groups, etc. A huge business, and it's growing in leaps because folks come here to conventions, and they like our hospitality and the downtown layout.

    My point is: from 1960-1999, under three Republican mayors, raising taxes or re-shaping budgets for essential services just wasn't done. So, we have: a decaying sewer problem that has a billion dollar pricetag. A jail situation that a Republican federal judge said was impossible--and she's right. A transit system that does not work. And I could go on.

    Problems delayed are problems amplified--always. I wish we'd have done the CSO, and if it meant the CSO or RCA Dome, I'd have opted for fixing the sewers.

    But they didn't ask me. The ruling class at the time had disdain for anyone except white middle-aged lawyers and bankers. Period.

    And look what it got us: expensive fixes.

    Also, to be fair, one of the nicest downtowns in America, that makes money for all of us. But the cost was overwhelming, and now we're got to pay the piper. For my money, I'd prefer we have nice parks and fixed sewers and buses.
    And, that we take care of this marvelous downtown that attracts folks to our city. While we take care of the less-sexy things in neighborhoods.

    The Olgen Williamses of the world don't get that. Ditto that pinhead Lincoln Plowman.

    But I digress...
  • Jocelyn-Tandy Adande
    For the record Mayor Ballard is not a racist and for those so called AA leaders and spokespersons to suggest it is a lie. For the record, the African American Republican Council of Indianapolis did endorse him last year and helped to regain control of the city-county council. There are several new black leaders, elected and appointed in the city/county who just happen to be republicans. The same select group of democrats have chosen to ignore them when they speak of leaders for he African American Community.

    Already implied by Amos Brown on his talk show yesterday. The Peterson supporters are already accusing Ballard of being anti black and minority regarding the police department which never should have been merged in the first place, and now Mr. Wynns departure. However, Mr. Wynns has stated it was time for him to do something on the national level. 38 years is a long time for anyone to work in the same position. We can assume that maybe he was burnt-out and that can happen.
  • John Doe
    "For too long, one party dominated this city, and their vision in some areas (Circle Centre, amateur sports) was vastly overshadowed by their worship at the Altar of No New Taxes. That’s how we got the Combined Sewer Overflow problem, a mass transit system that’s a national joke, and jail overcrowding that a hard-right federal judgue ruled was unconstitutional 20 years ago.

    Now the pigeons have come home to roost. The expensive fixes for those problems cost way more than they would’ve if properly handled long ago."

    Sorry, but jacking taxes are NOT the answer. The answer is simply stop government from getting involved in things like Circle Centre, convention center, pro-sport complexes, etc. etc.. Two years ago the property taxes on a home in Meridian-Kessler valued at $400K was $11,000 A YEAR!! Imagine what the taxes would have been had Republicans and Dems been raising taxes like you suggest. That property tax bill could be $20K/year. Wonder how big of a draw the city would be with that kind of taxation?

    I also find it halarious that you blame one party when it was the Democrats who gave us our new stadium. The taxes raised in Marion Co. to pay for this Taj Mahal could have been directed to all the issues you pointed out. So why don't you put the blame on Dems as well as Republicans? The performance auto show left, GENCON is in bankruptcy, and the FFA may decide to leave Indy after this years convention. At this rate, we may as well put off expanding the convention center, unless it could be easily converted into a Jail 3.
  • Think Again
    I don't doubt the conversation you detail above, Abdul. I can recount specific issues where Joe has gone ballistic, only to apologize later. He's human. So are you. And if anyone screams racism at this one, they're off base.

    But with all due respect, you've been here just a short time. Joe Wynns has carried heavy water for three mayors at the Parks Department. You'll never know the conflicts or problems he's steered through rough times.

    As with all leaders, he's got an independent streak. But calling him a loose cannon is a little harsh, and frankly, untrue.

    He's no looser than some of Ballard's top appointees. I have a certain deputy mayor in mind.

    Joe has been part of the glue that's held together the city parks for decades. This new crowd thinks parks are a burden, instead of a Quality of Life amenity.

    For too long, one party dominated this city, and their vision in some areas (Circle Centre, amateur sports) was vastly overshadowed by their worship at the Altar of No New Taxes. That's how we got the Combined Sewer Overflow problem, a mass transit system that's a national joke, and jail overcrowding that a hard-right federal judgue ruled was unconstitutional 20 years ago.

    Now the pigeons have come home to roost. The expensive fixes for those problems cost way more than they would've if properly handled long ago. The funds to fix those problems rob us of budget flexibility when we need it most.

    There's plenty of fluff still left in this city budget. I give Ballard some credit for trying to find it. The fix will not come by hacking the park budget, which is too small as it is. If other city departments were as frugal as Joe and his staff have been, we'd have less problems.

    It will come when city employees aren't council members, and the 25th floor budget goes down, not up. Way too many chiefs. Not enough Indians.

    In war--and that's what we're in, a budget war--you need the foot soldiers. And in all times, we need some Quality of Life amenities which make our city livable.
blog comments powered by Disqus