It’s official, I will never understand the union mentality.  The United Auto Workers Local 23 has decided that no paycheck is better than a paycheck.   The local union has decided not to take a pay cut so a potential buyer can acquire the local stamping plant.

Workers got notice back in 2007 the plant would close in 2011 unless someone purchased it.   A Chicago-area business man offered to buy the plant if the workers would take a wage and benefit cut.  The national union said it was wiling to work with the buyer, but the locals would have none of that.

They have apparently decided taking a 50-percent pay cut and keeping their jobs is not as preferable as taking a 100-percent pay cut and having no job.  For some reason the union is under the impression that if the plant closes they will all be able to find other jobs.   Apparently they haven’t looked at the job stats which show GM’s workforce have gone from 200,000 to 52,000 and the stamping plant’s workforce has dropped from 6,000 to 651.   Good luck with that job transfer.

Instead of staying gainfully employed and keeping a steady paycheck coming in, these guys would rather be out of work and collect unemployment and welfare, because that is all this course of action is going to get them.

This is why I make it a point to look for the union label, so I can avoid buying the product of that mentality.

Race pimps of the world unite!  You have nothing to lose but your paychecks!  Al Sharpton is coming to town!  Joy!  Rapture! Divinity!

I normally don’t get this excited, but when I heard Wednesday afternoon that the Rev. Al Sharpton was coming to Indianapolis on July 11 to talk about the Brandon Johnson case, I haven’t been this giddy  since my wife came home with Victoria Secret, a bottle of scotch and two Cohiba cigars.

Al Sharpton, ladies and gentlemen!  Al Sharpton!  The man who brought you the Tawana Brawley case.   The man who ran for President in 2000.  The man whose hair and rhetoric have been out of style since 1974 is coming to Indy.  I heard a while back that some local activists were trying to get him to come here and speak on the Johnson case, so his impending arrival means the check must have cleared.

Al’s visit gives me a lot to ponder; like where will be staying?   Will he reside at at the Conrad or the lovely overnight accommodations at the Baymont Inn at 23rd and Post Road?  Will he lay his head on the 9th floor of the Columbia Club or partake of the continental breakfast at the Motel 6 at 21st and Shadeland?  Decisions, decisions.

But despite the numerous accommodations  in the hood that Al likely won’t be staying in, I do wonder what he will talk about?  Will he talk about the high dropout rate of black students?  Will he talk about the disproportionate high rate of out of wedlock births in the black community?  Will he talk about the high rate of obesity and diabetes in the black community due to poor health and diet?  Probably not.  Brandon Johnson is pretty low hanging fruit and Al has never been known to be an intellectual heavyweight.

However, he does a good song and dance and I for one will be looking forward to his Sunday night performance.   After all, as one good friend of mine told me,  who wants to go hear a self-absorbed guy constantly bombard anyone who will listen with his personal opinions on anything and everything!  How can I say no to that and still be Abdul?!

Here’s the news release regarding Al’s impending arrival…

Here’s what some Indiana politicos are saying regarding the Indiana Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the State’s Voter ID law.

Todd Rokita, Secretary of State

• “Hoosier commonsense prevails again. One of the key tools we have put in place to improve elections and protect the strength of our republic – our Photo ID requirement at the polls – has once again been upheld.  I’ve stood up for Hoosiers and this law ever sense we helped write it and began implementing it five years ago and through seven elections and numerous special elections. It is overwhelmingly supported by voters and taxpayers, despite a very small but vocal partisan minority. Protecting the votes of honest people from being diluted by those who have no respect for the franchise is the right thing to do. And I will continue to stand up for the rights of Hoosiers so we can continue to have fair and accurate elections.”

Greg Zoeller, Indiana Attorney General

• “My office has vigorously investigated various forms of election fraud in multiple counties and we combat daily the problem of identity theft in consumer transactions. The Voter ID statute was a reasonable step to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and prevent fraudulent voting from taking place, and so I am pleased that the Indiana Supreme Court has declared that the statute is constitutional.  Indiana’s Solicitor General, Tom Fisher, who argued successfully before the United States Supreme Court in on this very issue, deserves considerable credit for the constitutional defense of the law before Indiana’s high court,”

Charlie White, Republican Candidate for Secretary of State

• “Now that the U.S. Supreme Court and the Indiana Supreme Court have ruled, in separate lawsuits, the Voter I.D. Law is, in fact, Constitutional, it is time for the other side to put this issue to rest for good. With a poll showing 75%* of Hoosiers in favor of the requirement to have a photo ID at the ballot box, this is clearly not a Republican or Democrat issue. It is a common sense issue that validates one of my campaign’s core principles-to protect and defend Indiana’s Voter ID law. This clearly distinguishes me from my opponent.

Vop Osili, Democratic Candidate for Secretary of State

• “I respect the Courts decision and if I were privileged enough to be elected Indiana’s next Secretary of State, I am committed to upholding and applying the laws of our great state,” said Osili.  “However, there are reforms I would seek that maintain our state’s strong efforts to prevent voter fraud, while allowing more eligible voters the opportunity to vote – a fundamental right that we must protect with equal vigilance.”

Mike Wherry, Libertarian Candidate for Secretary of State

• “The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a common sense law today.  We have to show identification for any number of normal day-to-day tasks to prove who we are.  The need to show ID in order to vote should not have to be any different.  It is important for us to have integrity in our elections without disenfranchising voters.  And this law provides opportunities for all voters with ample provisions for those who may not currently have proper ID.”

Indiana Democratic Party

• “While we respect the Indiana Supreme Court, the Indiana Democratic Party disagrees with the decision rendered today.  The law’s restrictions disproportionately hit low-income, minority, disabled and elderly voters the hardest, and there is no denying this law runs against the basic principles of Democracy by diminishing voter participation.   However, we agree the responsibility now falls to the thousands of Hoosier voters unjustly disenfranchised by this highly restrictive law to step forward and challenge its constitutionality.  We believe this ruling now places the spotlight on the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue photo identification through a fair and uniform process.”

Marion County Clerk Beth White

• Today’s decision makes it incumbent on the State of Indiana to redouble its efforts to make sure that every voter who wants identification gets it with the aim that no voter is turned away for lack of identification. For registered voters who lack financial means or transportation, or who have special legal issues such as the inability to get a birth certificate, the State should expend extraordinary effort to assist these voters. In my view, that extraordinary effort is warranted and, given the Court’s decision today, may be constitutionally required.

House Republican Leader Brian Bosma

• “This assures that every vote counts, but counts only once.  Showing an i.d. is a simple process that people encounter on a daily basis from renting a movie at blockbuster, to boarding an airplane.  Showing identification protects the integrity of every vote.”

I just got word the Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the state’s Voter ID is constitutional.  The ruling was 4-1.   I will link the opinion when it becomes available.

I just got this from Indiana Supreme Court…

In League v. Rokita the Court will hand down a 4-1 decision with a dissenting opinion.  The conclusion of the majority opinion reads in part, “It is within the power of the legislature to require voters to identify themselves at the polls using a photo ID…We affirm the judgment of the trial court granting the appellee’s motion to dismiss and rejecting the plaintiffs’ claims that the Indiana Voter ID Law contravenes Article 2, Section 2 or Article 1, Section 23 of the Indiana Constitution.”

You can read the actual opinion here…

Just when you thought Marion County was done with it’s property tax problems, think again…

Nearly 1,000 taxpayers could be in jeopardy of losing their homes and businesses due to delinquent property taxes, even though they are appealing their bills.   And complicating  matters is the fact there is confusion over how taxpayers can resolve their issues due to recent reassessments and property tax caps.

County Treasurer Mike Rodman says his office has sent out notices letting delinquent taxpayers with appeals know they must pay something in order to avoid a tax sale of their property.

Rodman says current requires you either pay your current bill and get a refund of the difference with four-percent interest attached or you pay an amount based on the previous year’s assessment, but with the current year’s tax rate.

Are you still with me?  Good, because here’s where it gets really bad.

If your property is under appeal, you would pay an amount based on the previous year’s appeal.  However, that amount may have to be reconfigured since property tax caps have gone into effect and most Marion County property has been reassessed in the last couple of years.

Rodman says the problem stems from the backlog of property tax appeals and the fact a number of township assessors told taxpayers they would not have to pay anything while their taxes were under appeal.

Rodman says his office is more than happy to help out in the individual taxpayer, however the land owner should be prepared to pay something regardless of what the final disposition is.

Did you get all that?  If not, Rodman and I spoke Friday and his interview is below.

Mike Rodman #1

Mike Rodman #2

I’m going to do this real quick because I’m in a hurry.

Newsflash people, the Supreme Court decision that says the 2nd Amendment applies to the states and municipalities does not mean you can take your gun to an Indianapolis park.

What the Supreme Court said, which I agree with, is that the 2nd Amendment, just like the 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th all apply to the states through the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.   That means local governments can implement total bans on handguns.

However, like every other right, it is not absolute.  That means state and local governments can put reasonable restrictions on gun ownership, as long as it is not a pre-text to try to achieve a ban.

So for those of you who want to spend a lot of money suing the city to get the guns in parks ban lifted on Constitutional grounds will likely be better off at target practice because you will be completely off your mark, as well as your rocker.

I gotta go, I’m running late.

The attorney for the former Carmel High School student who was a victim of alleged hazing by four student athletes has released the Department of Child Services report regarding the attack on his client.

You can read a copy of the report here.  It’s pretty graphic so consider yourself warned.

What I found most interesting about the report is that the case manager who investigated stated there was enough credible evidence for a finding that sexual battery had taken place.  That’s important, not because of the criminal trial, but because of the civil trial.

Remember, in a civil case all you need is a preponderance of the evidence that the event occurred, beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard for criminal cases.

If I were the Carmel school district, the last thing I would want is a young man to get up on the witness stand so he could talk about how  his classmates would “take their fingers and repeatedly shove them up my behind”  and how they threatened to “beat his ass” if he told anyone.

School officials probably would want to write the check now and get this behind them.

It ain’t gonna be pretty folks.

Although Indiana Democrats this past weekend formally nominated their candidates for statewide office under a theme of “A Generation of New Leadership” the new guys are facing the same problems as the previous guys, actually it looks like they have a bigger river in which to swim upstream against stronger currents.

Vop Osili, Pete Buttigieg and Sam Locke all easily won their party’s nomination.  Osili with 78% of the delegate vote against Tom McKenna, and Buttigieg and Locke were unopposed.  All three stressed familiar Democratic themes of accountability and the need to hold Governor Daniels accountable and they promised more openness and transparency in government.

The problem the Democratic statewides have is they are going to have to make up in energy, enthusiasm and organization for what they will be lacking in resources.  Party leaders acknowledge Mitch Daniels is a “fundraising machine” while at the same time limited resources will have to spent on Brad Ellsworth trying to hold on to the Senate being vacated by Evan Bayh (who by the way only got one mention at to my count) and trying to keep control of the Indiana House of Representatives.

Osili and the Democrats touted the “50-state strategy”; the plan Howard Dean used in 2008 where Democrats ran candidates everywhere as a blueprint for their strategy, however Indiana Republicans are doing the virtually the same thing by running 41 candidates against Democrats in House seats.  Also complicating matters is that as much as the party faithful may despise the Governor, he is extremely popular in this state with approval ratings in the high 60s and low 70s in some places.

Throw in the fact that the party out in power tends to lose seats in mid-term elections, when Democrats had a banner year nationally in 2006, they lost all three statewide races and word is their own internal polls show the Secretary of State’s race at 65-35 generic Republican, they’ve got a long road to hoe.  And it also doesn’t help there is no single party leader.

Now as always, this doesn’t mean Democrats can’t buck the national trend and history.  In fact after watching Brad Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly, I think those two may have the best fighting chance to win. And having an African-American on the statewide ticket doesn’t hurt either.    However it won’t be easy and both time and political tides are working against them.  The Democrats are kicking off a two-day, statewide unity tour Monday in Indianapolis.  Might I suggest heading out this afternoon, because they definitely have their work cut out for them.

Indiana Democrats come to town tonight and tomorrow to nominate their candidates for Secretary of State, Treasurer and Auditor.  The races for Treasurer and Auditor are uncontested, however Vop Osili and Tom McKenna are vying for the Secretary of State position.

While delegate contests are always a little tricky, from what I’ve been able to gather Osili is the front-runner, but anything can happen when delegates walk into a booth.   Regardless of who wins that race, allow me to offer some friendly advice.  You may not want to run on repealing Indiana’s Voter ID law.  It makes sense and polls at 80%.  Mending it, sure.  Ending it, not so much.

One of the big things I’ll be watching for is the energy and momentum in the room.   Indiana Democrats are running against a major headwind this year.  In 2006, the year Democrats took back the House of Representatives and gained seats in Congress, they lost all three statewide races.   2010 could be more challenging.

In addition, I’ll be looking to see if someone takes a crowbar and pries open Evan Bayh’s wallet.  I’m hearing private grumbling that Bayh isn’t helping enough with money for the statewide and statehouse races and his retiring from the U.S. Senate is creating a leadership void amongst the party.

You can follow my notes at Twitter starting at about 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Last night I attended two public meetings on the proposed transfer of  the city’s water and waste water facilities to Citizens Gas.   You know the basics, the city gives Citizens the water and waste water, Citizens assumes the water company’s debt and pays about $425 million which will go for streets, sidewalks and infrastructure.  While at both meetings, I noticed the following…

• Most of the people who complained wanting their streets fixed had Councilors who voted against moving the negotiations forward with Citizens.
• The Vice Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party, Cordelia Lewis-Burks, spent about 10 minutes complaining to Mayor Greg Ballard about the conditions of streets in her neighborhood.
  
• Former Mayor Bart Peterson lives one of the streets getting repaved.
• At one town hall meeting a lot people asked would their water be shut off if they didn’t pay their gas bill?  The short answer was no.  The answer no one gave was that if you pay your bills on time being cut off usually isn’t an issue.
• The opposition to the Citizens Gas deal has yet to produce a viable alternative to the plan, somehow I get the strange feeling it’s not going to happen.
• A Council vote on the water deal could come by the end of July.