Return of the Living Ed
As I sit here with martini in hand and cigar in mouth I am wondering what was going through the heads of my Democratic City-County Council friends during last night’s meeting.
Reportedly they met with County Chairman Ed Treacy prior to the Council meeting. According to my sources, Treacy encouraged them to do what they could to slow down the budget process until November in an effort to embarrass Mayor Greg Ballard and the Republicans.
The line of attack apparently was to question a proposal that would have transferred $47 million in city funds to make up for shortfalls in a number of fund balances. The proposal went through the Administration and Finance Committee. Democrats questioned the move saying it went against transparency in government and circumvented the Council committee process.
I would buy that argument had Democrats not done the same thing back in 2005. Democrats moved around $38 million to shore up multiple shortfalls and used the Administration and Finance Committee to do the exact same thing. Both Councilors Joanne Sanders and Jackie Nytes, critics of Monday night’s proposal, both voted for the funds transfer.
Am I the only person in this town who remembers this stuff? I understand the Council is a political, as well as a governmental, body and politics is part of the job. But I don’t see how my Democratic friends can take Ed Treacy’s advice in this arena and hope to accomplish anything. All it does is feed into the dissent I keep hearing about with Treacy’s leadership of the party and the possible coup that might be coming.
Oh well, at least it will be fun to watch.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Would this qualify as “more of the same,” “the kind of change we need,” or “failed policies of the past?”
September 9th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
[...] I am suprised that the party of CHANGE! are reverting to their old ways this close to an important election. Then Abdul posts this: [...]
September 9th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Ed Treacy has always been a slash and burn political hack. He doesn’t care about the downstream consequences of his acts, he only cares about making political points at ANY cost. Ed Treacy is who brought you the incompetence in County government which led to the election of Mayor Ballard.
September 9th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Treacy is the lowest piece of humanity that can exist. He represents everything that is wrong with politics. Can we ever be rid of this scum, again, regardless of party affiliation. They are killing us. I would vote democrat in a heartbeat if they had the courage to out him.
September 9th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
$47M to cover shortfalls? Coulda been covered, but instead of that, our money was used to bribe JW Marriott:
“The deal includes $48.5 million in incentives from the city to help cover infrastructure costs and a walkway connecting the JW Marriott to the convention center.”
http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=7519269
September 9th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
John, make sure you specify that the Marriott money was done by PETERSON and not Ballard.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I knew there was a reason I became a Republican…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Last year activists help put new faces on the Council. Apparently, we have more work to do. A council whose members have disgraced themselves with alledged ghost employment, conflicts of interests, and matters under investigation, have not only an apology to make to the citizens of Indianapolis but speaks to a vacuum of leadership that cannot control it’s members; much less a budget.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Did anyone ask Treacy when the indictment of felony Ghost Employment against Monroe Gray is comin?
September 10th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Democrats select people who can’t think for themselves so they can tell them what to do. He probably threatened the councilors who didn’t agree with his plan to embarrass Mayor Ballard. Treacy is an unscrupulous strategist and attack dog.
Democrats never fight fair on Election Day. The reason why Treacy was Andre Carson’s choice for county chair is to insure he wins in November. Treacy worked very well with his grandmother hand in hand on dirty politics. He is one nasty SOB. Sooner or later he will be caught up in a major scandal. Treacy’s wife is a superior court judge Becky Pierson-Treacy, so that gives him some lee way regarding political clout he holds.
Voter ID is the Democrats worst nightmare on Election Day. GOTV Program involves driving voters to polls in precincts where they don’t reside during the last hour of the day to drive up vote totals in heavy black democratic precincts. Obama’s campaign has millions of dollars to spend on GOTV and the Democrats are going to try to buy this election. Bank on it! I am sure there will be mass chaos in precincts this November with black voters attempting to vote for Obama but not according to the law. If they are caught and challenged, of course they will blame Republicans for attempting to disenfranchise black voters. Dems will do whatever it takes to win and the “race card” will be played in this election!
September 10th, 2008 at 7:03 am
patriot paul POINT OF ORDER. I have been saying this for a year now if you recall.
September 10th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Re: comment 11., Yes, David, you are absolutely correct. Apparently the Council gets it, but just doesn’t care. As long as they continue to behave unethically, we will be there holding them accountable in front of the public. I could almost see steam coming from the ears of some members after my concluding comments. They will never be known as a ‘reform’ Council and the lack of discipline among it’s own members is pathetically apparent to the Star News and the public. Thx.for your continued elevation of this awareness. Keep up the good work!
September 10th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Abdul-
As a Democrat who takes pride in being intellectually consistent, I agree with you.
I expect to see the same indignation when Sarah Palin flips on an issue (the Bridge to Nowhere) or Ballard flips on an issue (cutting public safety, cutting deputy mayors, supporting the Gov’s income tax hike, etc.)
Sincerely, I am….Bart Flies.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Statler – I figured it was covered in the story, but yes let’s be clear about that. It was indeed one of Bart’s foo paws.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Try again John and Statler
The Peterson administration STARTED the process for the JW, but after the election, they stopped negotiations intentionally out of (misplaced) respect for the new administration. They wanted to give Ballard and Grand the chance to make a final decision, which they did (See Star article of December 22, 2007 “The signing [of the development agreement] came two days after city developoment officials gave their go-ahead to the deal and three days after Mayor-elect Greg Ballard did the same.”) No bonds were let by the Peterson administration, that was your guy again (see Star article of May 1, 2008). Ballard and Grand went forward with it because they knew that it was crucial to the Super Bowl bid. Now JW, no Super Bowl. I know that your guy was against the Super Bowl before he was for it, but once he flipped on that position, he had to support the JW.