Here is the latest Indianapolis political gossip, rumor and innuendo for your reading pleasure.

• Expect announcements this week from the Indiana Department of Education on recommendations concerning the six failing Indianapolis Public Schools that failed to make it off of academic probation.  Washington, Arlington, Broad Ripple, Emma Donnan, Howe and Manual are potentially on the chopping block.  It’s believed that Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett will make his recommendations this week and the State Board of Education will vote early next week.  Under state law, Bennett can recommend options ranging from a total takeover to academic assistance.  IPS Superintendent Dr. Eugene White has threatened to take the state to court over the takeover, saying the state should not have counted 7th and 8th grade scores at the district’s community high schools.
• Speaking of Superintendent of Public Instruction, a couple names have already started to surface as potential challengers in next year’s elections.  Democratic State Senator Tim Skinner of Terre Haute and State Representative Terry Goodin of Austin are being named as possible candidates.  Both have spent time in education.  Skinner was a high school government teacher.  Goodin is an administrator.
• In another bit of school news, the Franklin Township School Board is slated to pick a replacement tonight for outgoing school board member Aaron Sullivan.  Sullivan announced his resignation, in part over the continuing controversies involving the district’s finances.  Although the board has reportedly received applications from a number of  candidates, the name I keep hearing as the board’s choice is Ron Green.  What makes his pick interesting is that Green reportedly ran the public relations/outreach in the last township referendum which was turned down by voters nearly 3-1.  I’m told he was paid $30,000 for his work.
• Local Libertarians got some good news this weekend.  The National Libertarian Party has pledged to donate $50,000 to the re-election of City-County Councilor Ed Coleman. Coleman currently serves at-large but decided to run against current District 24 office holder Jack Sandlin. Sandlin took over from the vacancy created by Mike Speedy who was elected to the Indiana General Assembly.
• I did not forget the Indiana State Fair.  I have some thoughts on the litigation being filed, which I will share later in the week.
• The audio blog posts will continue as well.  I had a couple kinks in the system which I think I have finally worked out.

I always joke that on any given day the four most hated people at the Marion County Democratic Party are Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels,  Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Indiana State Democratic Chairman Dan Parker, and everyone’s favorite political pundit Abdul-Hakim Shabazz. I also always say that whomever comes in first depends on the day.   I don’t Mitch, Greg or Dan have to worry about anything for a while.

As I blogged this week Chairman Ed Treacy and his wife, Marion County Superior Court Judge Becky Pierson-Treacy were planning a fund raiser on September 15 for Judge Treacy.  The event allowed different levels of donating and for $1000 you get a “favorable ruling”.  Although the Treacys say they were just joking, the legal community didn’t think it was funny. My colleagues at RTV 6 did a story about it.  In the story former Judge Gary Miller, who also works in the are of professional liability and malpractice, said the flyer could indicate that justice was for sale.  And a spokesperson for the Indiana Supreme Court said judges are required to act in a manner that promotes confidence in the judicial branch.  The fund raiser has since been cancelled.

So how does this make me the most wanted, or in this case, most unwanted  man at 148 E. Market Street?  Easy.  Had I not blogged about the fund raiser, it is unlikely it would have gotten any attention outside of legal circles.  A lot of people would have complained, but many would have felt obligated to show up.   Now that there has been some light shined on this event, it’s been cancelled.  So in the eyes of Ed Treacy, I have committed the most unforgiveable sin, I have cost him political contributions.  And there is reason to believe these contributions would have ended up going to help his City-Council candidates because does any here honestly think the Chairman of a County party can’t get his wife slated for judge?  Seriously.  And to make matters worse, anyone who has donated will probably start asking for their money back.  So somehow I don’t think I will be on the Treacy’s Christmas card list this year.

Such is life my friends. I am sure that when I left the airwaves, a lot of people thought I was leaving for good.  I told folks that I only lost one platform, and that can be rebuilt.  Which by the way that whole process is coming along quite well.   But for now, I don’t think I’ll be putting down Ed Treacy as a reference.  I am sure he has called me a number of things that would probably be the basis for a civil rights complaint if I was on his payroll.  But I don’t worry about threats or intimidation.  I’ve been threatened by experts.  And as far as being on his hit list, I am apparently in good company along with the Mayor, Governor, State Democratic Chairman and did I mention a number of Black clergy here in Indianapolis as well?

Enjoy your weekend.  I will.

The Indiana Democratic Party has unveiled this You Tube attack against incumbent Republican Senator Dick Lugar. Ironically, you could say the same thing about Barack Obama.  When you form a firing squad, make sure it isn’t a circle.

No audio blog today, so this one will be in writing.

Apparently Marion County Superior Court Judge Becky Pierson-Treacy is telling fellow judges and lawyers that she and husband Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy were just joking when they put out their fundraiser invitation that suggested a $1000 contribution will get you a “favorable ruling”.

The Treacys are on vacation in Wyoming, but apparently their phones have been ringing off the hook.

A number of lawyers who dabble in politics have asked why she even needed to raise money in the first place as judges in Marion County are slated and usually win.   And some have gone so far as to contact the Indiana Judicial Qualification Commission and file formal complaints.

Judge Treacy and I have never met personally, however from what I have heard in the legal community she is not going to be winning any judicial scholar awards anytime soon.  Even in 2006 an Indianapolis Bar Association survey of judges had her as the third-lowest approved judge on the bench.

And after seeing the fundraiser flyer she sent out, I am not surprised in the least.

There is a long-time debate in legal circles as to whether Judges should be elected or appointed?  I’ve always favored appointments over elections because I have no desire to see a judge lose his or her position because of legally-sound, but politically unpopular, decisions.

Another reason I am not a fan of judicial elections is because of the possible appearance of impropriety and influence buying.  Take for example the following.  On September 15, supporters of Marion County Superior Court Judge Becky Pierson-Treacy are hosting a fundrasier here in Indianapolis. No biggie, right?  Well instead of a flat donation request, they’ve allowed for different levels of donating.

• $150 gets you a “Sustained”
• $250 gets you “Affirmed”
• $500 gets you “So Ordered”
• $1000 gets you “Favorable Ruling”

I’ve embedded a copy of the invitation below.

Obviously, someone thought the play on judicial terms would be cute, but there’s just something that seems inappropriate about donating $1000 to get a favorable ruling.  And to make matters more interesting, I am told that the invitations have been sent to attorneys (both prosecutors and public defenders) that have appeared before Judge Treacy.  Does anyone really think this is a good idea?

There are judicial canons that prohibit judges from soliciting political contributions.   Maybe the rules should be revisited.

I had a pretty good response to yesterday’s “audio blog” so we’re going to give this another shot.  I’m still working out the formula so bear with me.  I did slow down more on this one.  Today’s subjects include…

• Politicizing the State Fair Tragedy
• ISTA Cheers Court Decision on Contracts
• Former CEO of Carmel Performing Arts Center Clams Up
• Marion County Zoning Appointment
• Barack Obama Approval Rating in Indiana

Abdul’s Verbal Blog – 18 Aug 2011

I sat down and chatted this afternoon with GOPAC Chairman Frank Donatelli.  GOPAC has a conference in Indianapolis for the next few days.

In part one we talked about Indiana being a model for the nation in terms of reform at the state level and the criticism that Republican Governors have balanced their budgets at the expense of education and social services.

GOPAC Chairman Frank Donatelli – Part 1

In part two we discuss the voter frustration with Washington-based partisanship and whether Republicans will be able to hold on to the gains they made in 2010.

GOPAC Chairman Frank Donatelli – Part 2

I’m trying something a little different today on Indiana Barrister.  Instead of writing out thoughts I’m recording them for playback.  I’ve had a lot of people tell me they want to hear what I have to say in the mornings (I recommend something else), so we’re going to give this a shot and see what happens.

Abdul Verbal Blog – 17 Aug 2011

My topics for this post include…

• Mitch Daniels on the State Fair accident.
• Competing City Budget Messages
• Melina Kennedy’s Education Attack on Dr. Eugene White
• Ed Treacy’s Arms Are Too Short to Box with God
• Terry Curry and Child Support
• They Don’t Call it the Bloody 8th for Nothing

And all under five minutes.

Here is your copy of the City of Indianapolis’ 2012 budget. It’s interesting reading. My Democratic friends have criticized the budget and are calling for cuts in public safety. Earlier this year they were claiming crime was on the rise, despite what the city was saying. So if crime is one the rise, why do they want to cut the police and public safety?

As much as I love democracy and enjoy citizens gathering to address their grievances with their local officials, it would be nice if they did their homework every once in a while.   The union crowd Monday night jammed-packed the City-County Council chambers with their supporters to encourage the Council to pass Proposal 242.    On the surface, the proposal would provide a tax rebate to certain classifications of workers in the hospitality industry.

The way the measure works is that any hotel employee who works in the Professional Sports Development District and initially makes between $10,000 and $25,000 annually (that number is later adjusted for inflation) is entitled to a tax rebate. According to the ordinance the rebate will be equal to the amount the worker paid in county taxes or the difference between the hotel worker’s total wages and the hospitality income threshold, whichever is smaller.   Also the ordinance says the total amount paid will either be $250,000 or 10% of what the city pays for outside consultants during the prior fiscal year.

Pretty simple stuff, right?   Not so much.   The proponents argue that rebate is “fair” because the city provides a lot of incentives for the downtown hotels and workers should “share” in some of the benefits.  I thought they were “sharing in the benefits” by working a job that otherwise would not exist on behalf of the city of Indianapolis, but that is neither here nor there.   The two things I find most fascinating are one, advocates say the rebate would be to the tune of about $200 for a worker making $25,000.   To put that in perspective the worker would receive a rebate of equal to 0.008 of their annual income.  Or to put it another way, 54 cents a day.  To paraphrase Sally Struthers, that’s definitely much less than the price of a cup of coffee.

And please note, not every hotel worker will get that 54 cents.  If you make less than $10,000 annually, you are out of luck.   And if you make more than $25,000, no one has any use for you.  I would think the part-time hotel worker is as entitled to that 54 cents as much as the full-time worker is as well.  Secondly, the new economic bogeyman is the “consultant”.  Never mind the engineering consultant on a road or environmental project probably has a better skill set than the person who makes beds, but that’s another story for another day.

Basically, this is classic election year pandering.  Let’s call it for what it is.  When the leader of the group introduced herself as a “community organizer” that told me everything that I needed to hear.   You would think that rebuilding the city’s infrastructure, making it safe and livable, keeping taxes reasonable, looking for non-property/income tax based ways to pay for city services and attracting and keeping larger conventions so that these hotel workers (who make between $10,000 and $25,000 annually) can actually have a job would be enough.  Apparently it isn’t.

I had a few suggestions on how some of these workers could put a lot more money in their pockets.  They could get better skills and thus, better jobs.  The ones who smoke could quit the habit; $4 – $5 a day for pack of cigarettes adds up after a while.  They could advocate a tax cut on behalf of all citizens so everyone gets back more of their money.  Of course when Republicans do that, Democrats accuse them of engaging in election year pandering and promoting irresponsible fiscal policies.  I’ll stop right there.