First there was Indy Works, then came Indy Works, Part II; The Mayor Strikes Back. Now Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson is getting ready to go back to Indiana General Assembly and ask for Indy Works, Part III; Return of the Mayor. After two semi-unsuccessful bids to get his plan through the Mayor is heading back to the other end of Market Street.

Peterson told me in an interview on Wednesday that he plans to craft a new plan that calls not only for consolidation, but more home rule for the city of Indianapolis to look for revenue to solve its own problems.

The dynamics are somewhat different this time as the Mayor not only has the usual financial pressures over his head, but now he’s also got the added weight of the crime issue to deal with. A also with a record homicide rate on his hands, an angry Black clergy in the wings and a possible re-election bid against someone considered to be a credible challenger in the wings, the Mayor can ill-afford a loss in this area.

However, unlike last year where the Mayor had to deal with a Republican-Controlled General Assembly, this time he may have friends in the House of Representatives with Democrats in control. They could leverage the Mayor’s proposal when dealing with the Governor and the Republican-controlled Senate. It’s also a budget year which adds to the mix. And with Ft. Wayne Republican David Long (also a big believer in consolidation) looking more like the next Senate Pro Tempore, it could make things even more interesting.

The criticism against the Mayor will likely be he already has consolidation power if he were to go out and sell his proposal to the Marion County Township residents. This could be easier to lobby that criticism if the Mayor’s allies score victories in Warren, Lawrence and Perry Township.

Either way, we get another sequel. It can either be Star Wars, The Return of the Jedi or Superman III; Just for the record, Superman III was the worst film. Hopefully, the Mayor will have better luck because if he fails, the next sequel could be Indy Works IV; Randolph’s Rage.

Well Daylight Savings Time comes to an end this weekend. Sunday morning at 2 a.m. we turn our clocks back an hour. And just think, this was when the world was supposed to come to an end but oddly enough, it’s still here. No children have been hit buses waiting for them to pick them up from school. I’ve seen no reports of drive-ins shutting down in droves. I’ve not even read one newspaper article about farm animals having their sleep schedules thrown off because of Daylight Savings Times. Hoosiers changed their clocks and the world kept turning.

Hoosiers will turn their clocks on Sunday morning, or before going to bed, and the world will continue to turn again. Now some counties have petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation to go from the Eastern to the Central and back to the Eastern Time Zone again. That’s not a criticism of DST, but sounds more like people who can’t get their act together. Of course Fed Ex did bring quite a few jobs to Indiana, credited in part to DST. So for all you people, who had an issue with DST, change your clocks and go to bed. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep. It does wonders for your brain.

By now you’ve probably heard about the New Jersey State Supreme Court ruling that basically says lawmakers in the Garden State need to come up with rules to define civil unions between gay couples. It did not call it marriage, it just said the state must extend the same rights to gay couples as it does straight ones, and gave the legislature six months to get its act together.

Now this is the part where the outrage and righteous (or in most cases self-righteous) indignation comes in. So go ahead and get that out of your system.

Now for the grown up discussion.

You know as well as I do that gay marriage is not going to harm your marriage, unless you have some closet issues that you really need to work out and be honest with yourself about. Two people who’ve decided to commit the rest of their lives to each other should be commended. Whether you call it marriage or civil union, does it really matter?

So for those of you, who think marriage is coming to an end, allow me to offer this piece of advice. It’s not! But if you think it might be, then work with me to make divorce illegal.

I honestly believe that when people marry you do it forever. No divorce, period! You made the promise, now you’re stuck with it. If you aren’t willing to deal with the possibility that the person you’re going to hook up with is not the first thing you want to see in the morning with no make up and bad breath, then that’s just too damn bad.

So help save marriage, end divorce!

I was driving yesterday afternoon and heard Beth White, the Democratic candidate for Marion County Clerk do an interview and was talking about Voter ID. White opposes Voter ID, but says as duly elected official she would comply with the law and go to the legislature to make the law more flexible. The more I thought about Beth’s statements the more I thought about Voter ID. And the more I thought about voter ID, the less sympathy I had for people who didn’t have one.

I thought about this long and hard. Voter ID has been the law in Indiana since July 2005. We had a primary in May 2006. It’s been nearly 14 months since the law was passed. Who couldn’t find a few hours to get an ID in all that time? I know there have been some lines at the BMV, but I didn’t think the wait was that bad!

If you didn’t have an ID and couldn’t find a few hours in the last 14 months to get one, then maybe you shouldn’t be voting in the first place. I would argue, folks that if getting the ID wasn’t a priority for some people, then us accommodating their right to vote shouldn’t be a priority either.

A couple interesting news items from Marion County. Give it a read!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The political rumor mill is abuzz. I found out today that Marion County Democrats might be getting ready to eat two of their own. My sources tell me Council Member Patrice Abdullah (District 15) and Angela Mansfield (District 2) are both in their party’s sights. Because the two stood up against the bar at 300 East as well as the Savoy on west 86th Street, I’m told they probably won’t get slated in next year’s municipal elections. It would be a shame if that were to happen. While I disagree with Abdullah and Mansfield philosophically on some issues, they are still honorable people who want to represent their constituents. Please note, both the Savoy and 300 East were owned by local Democratic power broker Bill Mays and Monroe Gray, the Council President also had an interest in 300 East, through his wife who was an investor in the establishment. And if you’re counting that makes three Democrats who’ve been targeted by their own. Democrats threatened to run an opponent against Sharron Franklin because she did not vote for consolidation.

From Michigan Road to Martin Luther King Dr.

It just never stops, this morning. Some local elected officials want to change the name of Michigan Road to Martin Luther King Dr., in Indianapolis. The change would take place on Michigan Road from 38th Street to 96th Street. They say it’s a way to honor Dr. King. And they accuse anyone who opposes the idea of being a racist. I have to laugh really loud at this one. Many of the residents oppose the change because of Michigan Road’s legacy and historic status as a major thoroughfare of the Underground Railroad. Proponents of changing the road name will call them racists, although the head of the organization leading the fight is the son of one of the Tuskegee Airmen. I think I’ve rattled some more cages today and will probably get shot at before it’s all over.

As many of you know, I’m a big cigar smoker. But I also respect the fact that my cigars bother some people so I try to be polite about it. I am not a big fan of smoking bans because I believe they infringe on private property rights. However, over in Omaha, they’ve just got down right ridiculous. Omaha passed one of the most restrictive smoking bans in the nation. It’s so tough that the authorities have told people to call 911 when they see a smoker. I’m not kidding. This about this, your mom is having a heart attack. You call 911, but can’t get through because the lines are clogged with people reporting smokers. Smoke ’em if got ’em.

This piece originally appeared in the Howey Political Report. I thought it salient to reprint here with the recent discssion about a timetable for Iraq.

I normally don’t write about the war in Iraq. My personal belief is going into Iraq was a mistake because the true problem in the war on terror was Iran, as we are seeing today. However, I do not subscribe to the “cut and run” crowd, nor do I believe in “staying the course.” I do think however, it is time for a deadline.

Why a deadline? Think about this. When I was in college I did an independent study course. Part of it involved getting a paper done. The professor I had was adamant about the deadlines and I made sure I met them. Some of my other counterparts though had professors who gave them no deadline, but just told them to get the paper done whenever. They never got it done, because there was no deadline.

Now you maybe saying to yourself, “Abdul, Iraq is not a term paper.” You’re right, but the same underlying theme still applies. If the Iraqis don’t have a deadline, what incentive is there for them to step up to the plate and get control over their own country? Obviously the current sectarian violence isn’t incentive enough. The Associated Press is reporting at least 700 people have been killed this month due to the violence. So maybe a deadline is in order.

Now obviously there are consequences to not meeting a deadline. In college you fail. In Iraq, the consequence should not be for American troops to leave, per se. But I am of the mindset that dividing up the country into three autonomous regions will be the way to go. As my Dad would say, “If you boys can’t play together, your mother and I are going to have to separate you!”

There have been several proposals on the table to partition the country into autonomous Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish regions. A new Iraqi Federation could be created, with each region sharing the proceeds from the nation’s oil revenues. It’s harsh, but maybe necessary. Obviously the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki can’t do the job. If you don’t think dividing Iraq will work, I point to the old Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

The President opposes a timetable for Iraq, saying it will embolden the terrorists. I argue a timetable will light the fire under the Iraqis and embolden them to take control of their destiny.

There are two new polls out concerning key races in Marion County. In the Marion County Prosecutor’s race, WTHR reports Carl Brizzi is ahead by 16 points and in the 7th Congressional District, Eric Dickerson leads Julia Carson by three points. There are a number of reasons as to why the polls say what they do, particularly since a poll released by WISH-TV showed strikingly different results.

What’s interesting though is that is the two top spots on the GOP local ticket are either tied or ahead, one could ask what this does for races further down the ballot, such as Clerk, Auditor, Recorder? If Brizzi or Dickerson have coattails it could help the rest of the ticket. One could even say the Sheriff’s race might be more compettitive than originally thought.

The conventional wisdom is that Marion County is trending more Democratic, the new polling data could sugest otherwise.

But the real poll happens Nov.7.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Wednesday on Indiana’s Voter ID law. It’s an interesting discussion, to say the least. You can hear it here. If you can’t hear it, search for Crawford v. Rokita. There is a hilarious part when the bench tells one Plaintiff’s lawyer to sit down because he has nothing to add to the discussion. Enjoy.

I’m going to surprise many of you today and pay a compliment to Melina Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for County Prosecutor. Don’t look shocked! I’ve done it before. Click here to read it. I know a lot of you like to think I’m on the GOP’s payroll, but they can’t afford me. Back to the blog.

During today’s debate with Republican incumbent Carl Brizzi at the Indianapolis Rotary Club, Kennedy paid a compliment to Republican City-County Councilmember Ike Randolph.

Indianapolis Star Editor Dennis Ryerson asked the candidates about public safety and what they would do to help those offenders getting out of prison. While both candidates gave standard answers, Kennedy cited the Indiana Department of Correction’s offender re-entry program at Plainfield and the city’s own efforts to hire ex-offenders and provide them with work. The last time I checked that was a proposal submitted by Randolph and was shot down and later put on hold by her own Council Democrats. Check my friend RiShawn Biddle’s Expresso column for details on what went down there.

I have to say, I was impressed Kennedy would cite a Republican program in her debate, when Democrats tried to stop it for political gain. As I said before, Kennedy and I have our philosophical differences and I think overall in this debate the crowd (primarily businessmen and businesswomen) walked away supporting Brizzi, on this point she gets credit from yours truly.