Like everyone else this afternoon, I was paying attention to the riot at New Castle prison, albeit from the perspective of a journalist/news commentator, but paying attention nonetheless. I was shocked and surprised about a riot at an Indiana Correction center, even though these things happen in prisons all the time. However, I have to say, if you have to deal with a riot, the one at New Castle is about as good as you can get.

For the all the hoopla, the fact that only a handful of inmates and two correctional employees were hurt was impressive. And most of the inmates’ injuries were due to the tear gas; breathing disorder, etc. And as far as Indiana prison riot history goes, this one was a walk in the park.

Take a gander at the following according to the Department of Corrections and Governor’s Office.

1985 – Pendleton Correctional Facility (then Indiana Reformatory), riot. Offenders take over cell house, take several hostages. Situation resolved by negotiations.

1989 – Reception Diagnostic Center, Plainfield, disturbance. Offenders take over cell house. Situation resolved by tactical intervention. Emergency Squads use chemical agents.

1991 – Plainfield Correctional Facility, disturbance. Offenders take over the recreation field. Situation resolved by negotiations.

1992 – Correctional Industrial Facility, hostage taking. One offender takes one staff member hostage. Situation ends when offender is shot by Special Emergency Response Team marksman.

1994 – Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, hostage taking. Offender takes hostage in medical unit using a pen. Situation resolved by negotiations.

2001 – Westville Correctional Facility, disturbance. Two staff members barricaded themselves in the officer’s restroom of the control pod when offenders took over the housing unit.

2003 – Indiana State Prison, disturbance. Offenders refuse to lock down on ranges. Resolved by tactical intervention, Emergency Squads use chemical agents.

I don’t think privatization or out-of-state inmates were responsible for those riots. Now there will be those who claim this riot was the result of privatization and the importation of out-of-state bad boys. Allow me to respectfully disagree. This riot was the result of prison inmates behaving badly, plain and simple.

We can talk about how to avoid future situations and whether prison officials responded accordingly. But at least, let’s keep the debate honest.

You know by now the ACLU of Indiana has sued the state over the “In God We Trust” license plate. The arguments for and against are pretty standard so there’s no point in rehashing them, but I do have a suggestion.

State Rep. Woody Burton says the plate doesn’t cost the state more money than a standard plate. I argue it should. If in “God We Trust” is popular, then let people pay the extra money. The money can go into the police-fire pension funds. Think about it, you may trust God, but the police and fire keep us safe while we’re here.

Makes sense, n’est pas?

As I said in a previous post, I attended the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations. McANA had a candidate’s forum. I took some notes and thought I’d offer up the highlights of what each candidate had to say, there were about 22 of them who showed. I’ll probably get a complaint or two for doing this, but it’s more coverage than most of these people will get otherwise. By the way, an asterik indicates an incumbent.

Joanne Sanders* (D-AL) – The city needs new and strategic methods to fight crime, not just more police protection.

Roselle Boyd* (D-AL) – Concerned about the power the council doesn’t have and the fact the city must go to the Legislature for tax authority.

Lonell Conley* (D-AL) – A clean city is key to fighting crime.

Ron Gibson* (D-AL) – There should be more crime prevention and intervention as well as more public transportation.

Mike Jerzierski (R-AL) – More police, more efficient government, improve education.

Ruth Highland (R-AL) – Police are over-taxed and it’s time to bring back neighborhoods.

Mike Speedy* (R-24) – Build better neighborhoods and improve public safety.

Tyson Wray (R-24) – Do a better job of battling crime and rebuild old neighborhoods.

Steve Terrell (D-22) – The city can’t fight crime until they fight poverty.

John Katz (D-21) – Crime is out of control. The city needs to do a better job.

David McGrath (D-19) – Put criminals on work release and make them pay for their crimes.

Adam Longworth (D-18) – Do a better job of fighting crime and improving schools.

Mary Moriarty Adams* (D-17) – Improve public safety, economic development and rebuild neighborhoods.

Will Jackson (D-16) – Fund more mass transit. He won’t be a puppet for the Mayor.

Bill Oliver* (D-10) – We need to make more jobs. Monroe Gray has served the Council with dignity and has done an admirable job as Council President.

Janice McHenry (R-6) – The city’s high foreclosure rate is one of the root causes of its problems.

Carey Hamilton (D-4) – Mass transit will solve most of Indianapolis’ problems.

Chrstina Scales (R-4) – Use funds from the interest on township to hire more police officers.

Cody Kendell (D-3) – The city needs more mass transit.

Angela Mansfield* (D-2) – Zoning would be one her priorities as well as passing her ordinance to prevent the reckless discharge of weapons.

Bruce Henry (R-1) – The city needs to get a better handle on spending and needs more police to deal with the crime problem.

After a Friday night of heavy indulgence with friends and chasing after someone I’ve had a major thing for forever, you’d think I’d spend the following Saturday morning recovering, but no. Instead I went to the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations monthly meeting. Nearly two dozen candidates for the City-County Council showed up to answer questions and let the crowd know why they were running.

For the most part everyone did ok. Crime was the big issue and everyone agreed it was out of control and needed to be addressed. While most of the approaches were the same, more police and early intervention. There were some new comers with interesting ideas. I was particularly impressed with District Four candidate Christine Scales suggestion that interest from the Township fund balances be used to pay for extra police patrols in the township areas. I thought it was a very innovative idea and the type of out of the box thinking this county could use. And it would also give the Trustees some real work to do.

While I did agree in principle with those candidates who said jobs were important, I have never fully subscribed to the theory that poverty causes crime. There are a lot of poor people in this world who would never think of harming another person. And most of the people committing the crimes in Marion County aren’t Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread to support their families. They are bad people who need to be locked up and put away.

However, I guess my biggest eyebrow rising moment came when City-County Council Vice President Joanne Sanders said she would fight crime by making sure ex-offenders had jobs to go to. A position that makes sense, no doubt, however when that subject came up last year and a proposal was before the council (Proposal 97 sponsored by Ike Randolph), Sanders and her party tabled the measure saying it needed more study. To date I haven’t seen anything show up on the council floor that would bring that measure back up.

Like I said, overall it was an interesting meeting. The biggest point of contention in the meeting was when one member of the audience asked on a note card how well the candidates thought Monroe Gray was doing as Council President, that raised a bit of a stir and caused some bickering. I’m glad I convinced someone to slip it in the stack.

Massachusetts Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney was in town yesterday as the keynote speaker for annual state Republican Party dinner. He got a warm reception and is a very personable fellow, but as one GOP member put it, “he came across as clinically optimistic.” Romney hit all the main points, the war on terror, education, etc. However he did make a couple gaffs. He said “every child deserves a mother and father” which I thought they already had. And when it comes to health care, “poor people just don’t stay home and die” they go to the emergency room. Those were easy misstatements I can forgive.

But perhaps what surprised me the most was during the press availability afterwards. While chastising Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for saying Iraq was lost, he said Iraq was now in a civil war. He says the U.S. won the war when it beat Saddam Hussein and is now in the nation building process and trying support the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. He says Iraq is in a “low-level civil war.” He says he supports the President’s surge and the U.S. should know in a few months whether the surge is working. He says he doesn’t give the surge a 100 percent chance of working because of the insurgency and sectarian violence.

My sources tell me that the bids to manage the Indiana Lottery are in, with one as high as $2 billion. The bids will likely be unveiled this week. Although House Democrats oppose privatization/franchising the lottery, the fact that state revenues may be $150 million smaller than what was originally forecast and so many programs that need funding, the opposition may start to see things in a different light.

I was out tonight with friends when this came across my e-mail. I’ll have a follow-up later.

Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police Vote In New Contract

(Indianapolis, IN) — The members of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police have approved a new contract with the City of Indianapolis after more than a year without one for former Indianapolis Police Department officers. The new contract runs from January, 2007 to December, 2010.

The base pay for all officers will remain the same as 2006, but in 2008 officers will get a three percent raise followed by a four percent raise in 2009 and five percent raise in 2010. Officers will also receive increases in longevity pay, matching city contributions to retirement savings in 2008 and no increase in health insurance premiums in 2007.

“The men and women of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department are dedicated public servants who have been working without a contract for more than a year,” said Indianapolis FOP President Aaron Sullivan. “They accepted the contract offer made by the Sheriff and city officials because it was the best possible contract considering the administration’s priorities and resources. Now that the contract has been secured we can begin to address issues related to the merger and rising crime that are hindering law enforcement officers.”

An ordinance that would limit gunfire in Marion County may not get out of the gate. City-County Councilmember Angela Mansfield introduced the measure in an effort to eliminate the firing of guns in the county. However, at least one Democrat says they won’t vote for the measure. Sherron Franklin says there are already laws on the books criminalizing the reckless discharge of weapons. There may also be at least two other democrats who won’t vote for the measure. Assuming all Republicans stay united, the measure would only have 12 votes and fail to pass. The measure comes for a committee vote on May 22.

When the Marion County Republicans were trying figure out who would be there new chairman, State Senator Mike Young said current Marion County GOP Chairman Tom John would get the job over his dead body. Tom got the job and Mike didn’t keep his promise. Young is symbolic of what is wrong with a portion of the local Republican establishment. Young and his ilk are fighting consolidation like third world dictators who are past their prime, still fighting revolutionaries.

Indiana lawmakers will have a conference committee meeting over Indy Works tomorrow afternoon. And Young will lead the charge to try to stop it. Young is symptomatic of the outdated and anachronistic thinking that still plagues part of the GOP in Indianapolis. By opposing consolidation, instead of embracing and co-opting the issue, the old guard members come across as protectors of the status quo and more concerned about the jobs of township officials than saving the taxpayers money.

Even one of their own experts who testified at the summer study committee on consolidation in 2005 told the panel that fire consolidation saves money and creates efficiencies. Were they not listening, or did they only hear what they wanted to hear?

The members of the GOP who are fighting consolidation need to move on. They are on the losing side of history. This county faces serious problems concerning crime, taxes, finances, foreclosures, schools and economic development. Maybe Young and his group should spend time focusing on those issues. But then again, they do take time, energy and thoughtfulness. And I would never accuse the Young crowd of being thoughtful.

Editor’s note: I know this issue is pretty much over after today, but I couldn’t help myself when I remembered this today

My Indiana Democratic friends have been having a field day (well actually three field days) with Secretary of State Todd Rokita’s remark about Blacks and their relationship with the Democratic Party. You all know by now Rokita said blacks vote Democratic 90 percent of the time and he wondered who’s the master and who’s the slave in that relationship.

The Dems have expressed outrage, and Black House Democrats have officially accepted his apology. But never let be it said what good for the goose is good for the goose’s domestic partner.

On May 5, Steny Hoyer, the U.S. House Majority Leader is the keynote speaker at the annual Indiana Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner.

Hoyer put his foot in his mouth during the last election he called the Black Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland a slave. Actually he said, “Steele slavishly supported the GOP.”

To be fair, Hoyer did apologize for his remarks. But you have to admit it’s kind of funny that Democrats jumped all over someone for using the term slave, only to have invited someone to speak at their most important annual dinner who did the same thing.

Editor’s Note: Don’t worry D’s, the Marion County GOP’s day is coming tomorrow when I write about their ad nauseum opposition to consolidation.