I was getting a little burnt out on the upcoming May primary and have been looking for something else to write about. And then, like manna from heaven, I was looking at the Indianapolis Star’s website and found that the Indianapolis City-County Council Democrats are seriously looking at wasting more than $180,000 of the taxpayers’ [...]
I was going to write something snarky about Monday night’s failed override of the smoking ban veto, but my parents told me to never speak ill of the dead, so I won’t.
Some of my Democratic friends on the Indianapolis City-County Council are not happy campers right now. They are upset that outgoing Council President Ryan Vaughn is moving forward with a plan to draw new council maps. The first public hearing was held Monday. In-coming Council Vice President Brian Mahern called the move an act of [...]
Anyone who reads this blog knows I am a big believer in government consolidation, particularly when it comes to public safety. I have supported fire consolidation when Bart Peterson was Mayor of Indianapolis, I support it now that Greg Ballard is Mayor and I will support it regardless of who the next mayor is. What [...]
There’s nothing like starting out the week with a good bunch of gossip, rumor and political innuendo. Most of it falls on the Democratic side today. And as always, take it for what it is worth… Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson apparently has felt the need to justify some recent purchases in these tight budget [...]
The one percent increase in the city’s hotel tax made it through tonight’s city-county council with just enough support to make it bi-partisan. All but one Republican voted “yes” and all but one Democrat voted “no.” Republican Christine Scales voted against the proposal, Jackie Nytes voted in favor. Libertarian Ed Coleman joined the Democrats. Nytes [...]
All due apologies to my friends at 300 N. Pennsylvannia. It’s amazing what people talk about behind closed doors when they think no one is listening. Strategy or Tragedy in the Making In a recent caucus meeting, City-County Council Democrats planned their next line of attack against Republican Mayor Greg Ballard. The Dems are planning [...]
I understand the philosophy that “all is fair when it comes to love, war and politics” however, if you are going to try to play the game, at least do it with some modicum of sophistication. I am referring the whisper campaign being lodged against the Ballard Administration that it is full of racists. This [...]
For the past couple weeks, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s ethics proposal has been circulating around city hall. It hasn’t been formally introduced as the Mayor has been soliciting input from both Democrats and Republicans on the Council. I managed to get a copy of a summary sheet and here are some of the highlights. Unless [...]
That’s how Monday night’s City-County Council and four years of Democratic Control came to an end. It wasn’t short by any means. The meeting started at 7 p.m. and finished shortly before midnight. Measures to start a process to repeal the public safety tax, have the council approve tax abatements, tie the unionization of hotel [...]
