Believe it or not, when I went to the news conference this afternoon with Al Sharpton on Indianapolis’ east side, I really did try to keep an open mind.  No matter how offensive I find Al Sharpton and insulting he is to anyone with a brain, I told myself to play it straight.  No matter old and tired I find his hair, wardrobe and rhetoric, I was not going give him the benefit of the doubt.  Oh well.

Sharpton was supposed to speak to us press folks for an hour.   He showed up nearly a half hour late, only spoke to us for 10 minutes, said nothing of substance and left early.  My father had a word for people like that, but I won’t use it in mixed company.  The sad part is that no one from the Black Ministers Alliance told us he was running late or really said anything to us until Sharpton arrived.

What little Sharpton did say was merely the parroting of what the Black Minister’s Alliance had to say.  He added nothing significant to the conversation.  He repeated their calls for a federal review of the Brandon Johnson case, which is already taking place.  He called for civilian oversight of the police department internal affairs division, which already exists.  And he called for all the officers involved to be fired, even the one IMPD says intervened and was actually the hero in all this.

To be honest, I am seriously debating whether to go to his speech this evening at Eastern Star.  I’m really searching for anything of significance he might have to say to anyone with synaptic activity between their ears and I can’t think of anything.

If I was Brandon Johnson, I would rather take another police beating than have Al Sharpton and the  Keystone Cops organization known as the Black Ministers Alliance, speak for me. It would definitely be less painful.

You can hear his comments below.

al sharpton

Editor’s Note: We did have a bit of an exchange during the news conference and shortly afterward.   Sharpton is definitely a piece of work, among other things.

Between Al Sharpton coming to town tonight to speak about the Brandon Johnson case and the “March for Peace” slated for tomorrow around the City-County building, I must take a moment to give credit where credit is due.  Some people in this town believe there was an injustice and so they’re stepping up and taking action.

However, like most good causes, their worse enemies are truly themselves.  For example, the Black Ministers Alliance, which says says it is the official voice of the African-American Community in Indianapolis, says it wants the following demands met.

• An Internal Affairs Department in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department with civilian oversight and involvement.

• A revamped IMPD Training Academy, not just with minority instructors (including Blacks) but with a curriculum that teaches officers, in the academy and in continuing training, about the complex racial and ethnic community they serve.

• Because of the distrust within the community towards the excesses and negative attitudes of some police officers, there must be Federal Justice Department monitoring of IMPD. Even though the Ballard administration was rolled by the Bush administration and ended IMPD’s efforts to promote and hire qualified minority officers, Indianapolis is still under a federal order. That gives Washington the justification to monitor IMPD and help them end their insensitive ways.

• Finally, to restore trust, terminate all five officers involved in the Brandon Johnson case.

Meanwhile, the “March for Peace” organizers have put out their own list of what they want done…

• For Prosecutor Brizzi not to wait on the completion of the federal investigation, but to immediately bring charges against the officers so the community can get the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

• Internal Affairs Department be re-organized to include civilian participation

• Re-organization of the IMPD Training Academy

• Justice Department to get involved in this process

• IMPD work force be more reflective of the community it serves

Like I said, I give these guys credit for their demand list, because what they’re asking for has already been done, for the most part.    Here’s what I can tell you…

• The findings in the Brandon Johnson case have already been turned over to the Justice Department and it is reviewing it.  Public Safety Director Frank Straub says he will be more than happy to live with whatever decision comes back.
• There are already is civilian oversight of the internal affairs department.  It’s called the Mayor and Public Safety Director.
• The department is already reviewing it’s curriculum to add more cultural understanding of all ethnic minorities, not just blacks. It’s looking at the Hispanic community, Chin community and several others.  Sorry guys, you’re not special, you’re just like everybody else.
• The department is also looking at more minorities in its ranks, but you can’t compromise excellence for equity.  No offense guys but remember back in 2008-09,  the skin color of the officers who kept getting in trouble?  Who ran the which law enforcement division they came from?  Here’s a hint, one of them is running for Sheriff and another for the State Senate.
• The Officer IMPD believes was responsible for the excessive force against Brandon Johnson was relieved of duty.  Why would you want to fire someone who didn’t do anything?  That doesn’t sound like something Jesus would do?

Now to date, no one has asked for a straight out check, but I guess becuse the individual organizing these guys had told them not to ask for money right now because there will be a payday around the corner.  However, I’m sure if the city offered some of these “leaders”  cash they would take it.

Remember, you don’t pay a hooker for sex.  You pay her to leave.

See you at tonight at Al Sharpton, if it starts on time.

There’s an old saying that politics and religion don’t go together.  Someone should post that reminder at the door of the Light of the World Church.   At an ecumenical service slated to kick off  Indiana Black Expo this week, Bishop T. Garrett Benjamin took the opportunity to not only engage the audience, but also take a couple political shots at the Mayor while heaping praise on his challengers in next year’s elections.

The Bishop reportedly told the audience that the Mayor was “not their guy” and when he referred to Melina Kennedy and Jose Evans he said “it was good to see brothers and sisters running for Mayor.”  Please note, neither Evans not Kennedy stayed for the entire service, but Ballard did.

The Bishop also encouraged the audience to attend a scheduled march on Monday to protest the excessive force used against Brandon Johnson.

Shortly after the service the Mayor spoke with Benjamin about his remarks.  The bishop reportedly told Ballard that he had to be tough because there were people “who wanted to burn the city down” and he had to appease them.

We all have our opinions about the Brandon Johnson case.  Regardless, the pulpit is not the place to play politics, especially with the people who’ve reached out to you.  There is a time and place for everything and that was neither the time nor the place.

I’ll have more to write about this tomorrow when I ask will the real black leadership in this town please stand up?

The quickest way to turn a serious issue into a circus is to add Al Sharpton to the mix.  So in honor of his upcoming visit this weekend to Indianapolis, I found this clip from the old “In Living Color” television show.  Enjoy.

Editor’s Note: The poster known as “Think Again” and I disagree over the proposed transfer of Indy’s water and waste water facilities to Citizens Gas.  I asked him to draft an argument against the proposal in 600 words or less and I told him I would post here.  Since I know I’m right and opposing points of view don’t bother me, here are his thoughts.

********

Six hundred words.  Hmmmm.

Abdul limits me to 600 words to refute his ridiculous position, that the pending IWC sale to Citizens Energy is a smart deal. It probably won’t take 600.

Water is vital to our economy, and our future.  Those who manage it must be trustworthy and competent.  Here’s a surprise—I believe Citizens energy fits that bill.  IF they are reigned in on PR expenses.  They’ve earned a good reputation.

But this deal makes little sense for other reasons.

***Philosophically, I’d expect Republicans and Libertarians (who seem to comprise most of IB’s readers) to oppose this deal.  It camouflages needed city infrastructure repairs, as a “benefit” of the IWC sale.  Abdul has even fallen into that trap.

***The useful life of a sidewalk or street, under normal use, could stretch 10 years.  The bonds being used to float this sale are 20 and 30 years in length.  So, we’d be paying for the car much longer than we use it.  Who buys a car this way?  This deal is the car-payment equivalent of a 1979 Impala with $40,000 of automotive after-market product.  Spinning hubcaps, and flat-screen TVs, folks!  Woo-hoo!  The Impala alone had one of Detroit’s best engines ever.  No need to soup it up and raise the car payment.

***Abdul makes the insane argument that those who oppose this sale, must come up with an alternative.  That’s not a sound public policy position, because it imposes a cerebral penalty on smart people.  But here is a Libertarian-inspired thought: sell the utility and do the sidewalks in another manner.  Straight-up, without the economic shell game.  If we package these two concepts, we fall prey to the saddest PR shenanigans since pet rocks.

We aren’t stupid.  Voters in three different jurisdictions in this community, supported tax increases in recent referenda, and so did Wishard’s constituency.

***Not all of IWC’s customers are Indy taxpayers.  Thousands.

You can’t put enough lipstick on this pig to take it to a prom.  I fully expect the City-County Council majority to kiss it anyway.  The world won’t end, but if this Mayor and Council, think that we can be bought with public-works projects sprinkled around town, well…if we allow that to happen, we deserve what we get, which will be:

A non-transparent deal, worth hundreds of millions, for which we’ll be paying for decades.

Sell IWC for a fair-market price.  Period.  Support whatever public works projects we need and will pay for, through legitimate public discussion.

So,    462 words covered it.  I didn’t charge you the full 600, because, well…I didn’t need it.  See the parallel?  I’ll use the extra on another subject, something we really need to talk about.

*******

Actually it’s 447 words, but who’s counting?

I’ve already written about how I think Arizona’s law regarding illegal immigration is unconstitutional so there’s no need to go down that road in the wake the Justice Department’s lawsuit that was filed against the state.

However,  I would like to bring up something else.   Let’s say, for sake of argument, Indiana adopted a law similar to Arizona’s.  I argue the only way to avoid the potential discriminatory impact of the law would be for police to ask everyone for proof of citizenship during a lawful stop.

So in that spirit, I have a rather simple question.  If you were pulled over, could you provide proof of citizenship?

If you have a passport or a new Secure ID driver’s license, you’re in good shape.

Regular driver’s license?  Social security card?  Military ID?  Sorry, those don’t cut it.   Those documents don’t prove citizenship, because resident aliens can also get them.  They help in proving your identity, but not your citizenship.

So do you have any other papers on you?  I know some people do carry wallet-sized photo copies of their birth certificates, but an officer may have a little trouble making that out.

What’s the point?  My point is the best way to deal with the illegal immigration problem is to treat it like the economic issue of supply and demand.  We reduce the demand for the cheap labor and it will go away.  It’s pretty simple.  Plus getting pulled over and a police officer asking me  “Ihre unterlagen bitte”  just sounds kind of weird.

After a nice 4th of July weekend, it’s back to the daily grind of government, politics,  gossip, rumor and blatant innuendo.  So with all that said, here’s what I have for you today…

Al Sharpton’s pending visit to Eastern Star Church nearly didn’t happen.  Word is that some members of Pastor Jeffrey Johnson’s  church were not happy with Rev. Al coming to town and for a brief moment in time the event was moved elsewhere.  I’m not sure how Al got back over at Eastern Star, but apparently reasonable minds did not prevail.

And not to get conspiratorial but it turns out some of the same people who have been complaining about excessive force, I hear, were also “volunteering” to help the city spend some of the proceeds from the Citizens Deal.  Imagine that.

Speaking of Citizens,  the City-County Council holds a major public hearing tonight on the proposed transfer of  the city’s water and waste water facilities to Citizens Gas.  To date, there have still have been no viable alternatives offered.

As the city gets ready to put a budget together in an era of shortfalls, they may want to look at the Marion County Sheriff’s budget, it’s gone up 18% in the last three years to nearly $94 million.

I’ve managed to break down the job creation numbers in the fight between Governor Mitch Daniels and House Speaker Pat Bauer.  If you use the Governor’s math Indiana is first in the nation with private sector job creation, using the Speaker’s math the state comes in fifth.  How about we just settle for second-and-a-half place and call it a day.

There are two really cool things about the 4th of July.

First, it’s an opportunity to think about how truly awesome this country is and despite its challenges and issues, will always rise to the occasion.

Second, it’s also an opportunity to be a total dork and post the old WWF (now WWE) Hulk Hogan “Real American” video.  Enjoy.

If you really want to understand the Union mentality, listen to this call from “Mike” from this morning’s show regarding the UAW Local 23 Union’s refusal to take a pay cut, thus resulting in their plant closing down and more than 600 people being put out of a job and state and local governments losing nearly $1.5 million in revenue.

GM Discussion with “Mike”

I’m sure Mike is a nice guy, but I really don’t think he gets it.  What do you think?