tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35516471119241863182024-03-06T15:01:41.634-05:00Matthew Stone Dot OrgA Blog GardenBlog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.comBlogger519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-84110080847410259722017-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:002017-07-31T08:00:21.823-04:00Ex-Vice President Michael Pence: A Blog Response<a href="http://heartlandnow.com/president-mike-pence-thats-right-i-said-it/">Heartland Now blogger Michael Leppert recently predicted that Vice President Michael Pence will become President at some point</a>. He claims he has been contacted by national media outlets wanting to learn more about Pence. He believes they are preparing for Pence to assume the Presidency in case President Donald Trump isn't able to finish his time in public office, or that he'll run for President himself either in 2020 or 2024.<br />
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I'm reading the tea leaves a little bit differently, but I'd like to address the issue of Mike Pence first.<br />
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Like Michael, I don't think Mike Pence has giving me a passing thought. And I've been critical of his political sensibilities, and his style of governing. I've never met Pence before. But I've listened to his old talk radio show, and seen him in media appearances as a candidate and as a public official. And except for his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-iOtRlDbzQ">god awful RFRA-era interview with George Stephanopoulos</a>, Pence is someone who sticks to his talking points and sticks to them well. You won't get him to budge from them, and you aren't going to get some policy-wonk answers.<br />
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I also don't believe Mike Pence is a deep, intellectual conservative. Disagree with them all you want, and I often do, but I think there is some intelligent thought going on when people like House Speaker Paul Ryan, or the late William Buckley, talk about their conservative believes. I don't think that is the case with Mike Pence. I think he's someone who speaks very carefully, and doesn't want to be boxed in. His style of governing as Governor of Indiana reflected that, with Republican legislators sometimes (privately) griping that they were getting little guidance as to what then-Governor Pence wanted.<br />
<br />
Despite spending over a decade in Washington DC as a member of the House of Representatives, he was never known as a wonk. <a href="https://govtrackinsider.com/before-mike-pence-was-donald-trumps-running-mate-he-served-in-congress-for-12-years-72b511b95d9">None of the bills he introduced into the House became law</a>, and he was much more focused on climbing the leadership ladder.<br />
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Now, let's address Mike Pence as Vice President.<br />
<br />
First, are we sure he's still alive? Has anyone seen Mike?<br />
<br />
Anyway, the beginning of the year, mainstream media wrote a lot of reports talking about the "<a href="http://www.newsweek.com/mike-pence-europe-visit-donald-trump-presidency-559505">outsized</a><span id="goog_161143421"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_161143422"></span>" "<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/15/mike-pence-role-as-vice-president/96539046/">hat</a>" in <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/319801-vice-president-pences-power-grows-in-trumps-white-house">Trump's</a> White <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/20/510659354/donald-trump-and-mike-pence-the-odd-couple-in-the-white-house">House</a>. The general consensus was that incoming Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Mike Pence were seen as the establishment figures, and had a large role in shaping much of the staff that would do the day-to-day work of the White House. Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who also lead the role as head of the communications department, was part of that group. And even though Attorney General Jeff Sessions was an early endorser of Donald Trump, his status as a former US Senator certainly put him in the Republican establishment camp too.<br />
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Nowadays, Spicer and Priebus are gone. Sessions is getting <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/890207082926022656">shit-talked by Trump on Twitter</a>. And with establishment figures quickly winding down within the Trump White House, I think it is only a matter of time before that ire is directed to Pence.<br />
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Now technically, Vice President of the United States is an elected position. Pence can't be fired. He could be impeached, or be pressured to resign. Since President Trump can't fire him (<a href="http://theweek.com/speedreads/709636/white-house-official-says-trump-actually-hates-firing-people">and doesn't like firing people anyway</a>), I think we'll be seeing the later at some point.<br />
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When? Who knows. Mike Pence has done a good job of making himself look good and keeping his head down. But at some point, he'll try to make a name for himself and it could backfire. And if it does, expect Trump to send up a tweet-storm and then we'll have the first Vice Presidential vacancy since the 1970s.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-27860957325258519512017-07-30T21:15:00.002-04:002017-07-30T21:15:28.395-04:00State of the Blog (blog updates)I've been debating if I wish to publish a "<a href="https://youtu.be/npjOSLCR2hE">this blog is dead</a>" post. But with the current antics going on in DC, and with a lot of Hoosier Republican players being a part of the chaos, I don't want to shutter the door just yet. There are a few things I'd like to address:<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I've re-registered the domain name "matthewstone.org". I don't personally like the name "Indy Student" as I haven't been a "student" for quite some time. That said, there are links to this blog on social media and elsewhere that I'd like to keep in tact so the blog URL will stay as "indystudent.blogspot.com". But unofficially, "matthewstone.org" will be what I'll refer to the blog as, at least until I find a better use for my domain name.</li>
<li>Man, was I wrong about the <a href="http://indystudent.blogspot.com/2016/11/my-final-electoral-map.html">POTUS election or what</a>? In my defense, I thought my electoral map was very generous to then-candidate Donald Trump. I think it is worth keeping in mind that Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin's margins for Trump were not resounding victories. Those margins were close. A few shifts in the political landscape could change those. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Arizona,_2016#Statewide_Results">And with states like Arizona only having a 4% margin</a>, other states could shift as well.</li>
<li>The full time job generally keeps me away from the blog as I don't just want to be the 50th asshole to express an opinion. But you can still <a href="https://twitter.com/IndyMattStone">follow me on Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/matt.stone.311493">friend/follow me on Facebook</a>. </li>
<li>Tomorrow, <a href="http://heartlandnow.com/president-mike-pence-thats-right-i-said-it/">I'll address "President Pence"</a>, or as I'll be calling him, "ex-Vice President Pence".</li>
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Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-11491745188514796472017-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:002017-02-28T07:00:02.163-05:00Transit ThoughtsThe process to expand transit in Marion County is coming to an end as the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council voted <a href="http://wishtv.com/2017/02/27/city-county-council-approves-measure-to-expand-indys-mass-transit-system/">17-8 to raise city income taxes by 0.25% to fund expanded transit</a>. The proposal that passed the council <a href="http://cms.indygov.org/proposals/2017/PROP17-003.PDF">is only to increase the tax rate</a>. If the Mayor of Indianapolis signs the tax increase into law, the city and IndyGo will still need to establish what expanded transit will look like, though testimony before the council indicates that the bus rapid transit line known as the Red Line will be prioritized if federal funding doesn't come into play.<br />
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While I voted in favor of the transit referendum in November, I am personally lukewarm on the tax increase, the entire process, and even the transit plan.<br />
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I agree with what my friend and blogging colleague, Jon Easter, is likely to post today. That this referendum is essentially leaving large chunks of the city in the dust, and that unless you live along one of the proposed bus rapid transit lines, your geographic distance to a transit stop probably won't increase. Under served areas will continue to be under served. This should be addressed in an honest way, and not simply written off that there aren't destinations on the south side.<br />
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I am frustrated that the surrounding counties aren't participating in this transit referendum. While many city officials in Fishers, Carmel, and Greenwood have spoken favorably for the regional transit plan, these decisions are left to the county and the counties haven't authorized the referendum. This is frustrating because <a href="http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/34446690/plainfield-businesses-investing-in-worker-transportation">Plainfield is recognizing the need for transit services and businesses are even funding a Plainfield commuter line</a> in hopes of bringing more workers to the southwest side suburb.<br />
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And I personally likely won't benefit from the transit referendum. The routes for the <a href="http://indyconnect.org/the-central-indiana-transit-plan/the-marion-county-transit-plan/">Castleton area won't change</a>. It will still be a half mile walk to get to the nearest bus stop. And for someone who works in Carmel, the transit system really doesn't benefit me during the week.<br />
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That being said, I think my old stomping grounds of Irvington and the east side overall will benefit with the Blue Line rapid transit system making it easy to access Broad Ripple, downtown, and other neighborhoods along their routes. While the routes proposed aren't perfect, I think they're a good start and I hope the council, the Mayor, and IndyGo invite public comment so we can have a good and deliberative discussion on the proper plan now that the transit tax is all but decided. And people trying to get around Indianapolis from the airport won't have to deal with confusing bus schedules or a ridiculous Uber charge and just hop on the rapid transit bus that'll service the airport area.<br />
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I honestly believe that, while not perfect, that this is the right move as long as our representatives proceed with an open and honest discussion now that the tax has been voted on.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-39922964563615063942017-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:002017-01-18T08:00:28.480-05:00My MLK Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeQD9S5W6y3elkO3RyuBrVwP2JT6TTytQTMfEDhzXIy_k_UXVygrG8GSmR1q1C01y5CsmWXjrhpHbRoQlnjjvmzYdjlNDwpcyabPGmFl21N8OhscNkI31XsMjZpaIVJ3sChmT8r0bkbsv/s1600/15977678_10102587898807114_6312199064490033619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeQD9S5W6y3elkO3RyuBrVwP2JT6TTytQTMfEDhzXIy_k_UXVygrG8GSmR1q1C01y5CsmWXjrhpHbRoQlnjjvmzYdjlNDwpcyabPGmFl21N8OhscNkI31XsMjZpaIVJ3sChmT8r0bkbsv/s320/15977678_10102587898807114_6312199064490033619_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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As a native Hoosier, I have never been to the <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/martin-luther-king-memorial-park-indianapolis">MLK Memorial Park</a> even though I used to live fairly close to it. This is the park where Robert F Kennedy broke the news to a largely African-American crowd that Martin Luther King Jr had been assassinated. The full speech is published on one of the nearby memorial markers. An additional marker marks the exact place where the speech occurred (closer to the park's southern edge).<br />
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I was able to spend the day with my dog, walking around Crown Hill, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/matt.stone.311493/media_set?set=a.10102588684402774.1073741827.27307256&type=3&uploaded=22">saying goodbye to an old growth forest that will be chopped down by the federal government</a>. I also went to the MLK Memorial Park, hoping to see the memorial for myself. I walked around the neighborhood and it was a mix of new apartments, homes being built, homes being fixed up, and some homes that probably haven't changed much since RFK was here.<br />
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But as I stood there at the memorial, I only saw myself and three other white folks around. As I thought about why that is, I started to reflect on my life over the past few years.<br />
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Three years ago, I worked in retail pharmacy on the retail end. If you took the staff of both the retail end and the pharmacy end together, the entire staff of the store I was in was at least 2/3rd minority, and more than half were women. At that employer, I wasn't a full time employee, so I didn't get paid holidays or paid time off at all. And any request to take a holiday or a weekend off met with a lot of resistance. Now, I have a job where I get weekends off, most bank holidays off, and I have an incredibly generous amount of PTO. And I wonder if I've benefited from a system where citizens who are minorities often don't have the same opportunities.<br />
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Maybe they're at a dead end job that works them to the bone, that doesn't care that everyone else has the day off. And because they have that dead end job, it makes it hard (if not impossible) to take time to go find a better one. And you can't just take time off, because you need the money.<br />
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Maybe they're using the day off to catch up on school work, something that I (a two time college drop out) probably should've done more of.<br />
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There's a line in MLK's "Dream" speech where he talks about how 1963 is the starting point and that the movement for civil rights will eventually lead to "an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality". MLK's message in his "Dream" speech and his many speeches and sermons is that there are legitmate issues that need to be addressed but that we will make it through. And today, as I stood there with three other white people at a MLK memorial on MLD Day, I wonder if we are in that "autumn", or if we're still stuck back a few seasons and waiting to get to autumn.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-10785765121566974252017-01-16T17:19:00.000-05:002017-01-16T17:19:01.156-05:00Will The Indianapolis Star Ever Post a Circle Centre Disclaimer?<i>The Indianapolis Star</i> has published a variety of articles concerning downtown retailers and restaurants closing over the last several months. But a particular interest is the closing and opening of stores within the Circle Centre Mall, where the newspaper is both a tenant and an investor. <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2017/01/13/talbots-circle-centre-close/96567576/">None</a> of <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/dining/2016/02/24/liz-biro-peek-inside-new-nada-restaurant/80852202/">these</a> stories <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2016/05/24/circle-centre-mall-posts-record-profit/84857698/">contain</a> a <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/life/2016/10/12/primanti-bros-opens-downtown-gives-back-impd/91976076/">disclaimer</a>. And if you click on <a href="http://static.indystar.com/en/aboutus/">IndyStar.com's "About Us"</a> section, it still claims the newspaper is located at the intersection of New York and Pennsylvania in downtown Indianapolis.<br />
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It isn't unusual for local news media to cover the opening and closing of restaurants, particularly ones with a long history within Indianapolis. But it is my view that <i>The Indianapolis Star</i> has almost an obsession with Circle Centre Mall. And they should make it clear to their readers what their business relationship is with the mall and that they have a vested interest in the success of the mall.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-19776203161504136932016-11-07T11:46:00.000-05:002016-11-07T11:46:49.118-05:00My Final Electoral MapA few days ago, I posted to Facebook the following electoral map in the Presidential race against Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl_Br6mkoSAcB0qHWks6jAjH3XplyCI1oH8KPK2QVCvnnDuyAXw_9kNMGGGkcmqJyGgfkA_PzIcSaEkewl5NO1PQkGulZFE8BT4Q1PolegLmBe8Xo0xuSo34xQNNIo7nktgFAumatysb8/s1600/270+Saturday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl_Br6mkoSAcB0qHWks6jAjH3XplyCI1oH8KPK2QVCvnnDuyAXw_9kNMGGGkcmqJyGgfkA_PzIcSaEkewl5NO1PQkGulZFE8BT4Q1PolegLmBe8Xo0xuSo34xQNNIo7nktgFAumatysb8/s320/270+Saturday.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I based this on <a href="http://realclearpolitics.com/">RealClearPolitics</a> polling averages posted at the time. As the polls in competitive battleground states have tightened, the margins are really slim in some areas. <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/pa/pennsylvania_trump_vs_clinton_vs_johnson_vs_stein-5964.html">Pennsylvania, for example</a>, Clinton has an average of 2.4% lead, and the most recent poll shows Pennsylvania as tied. I've long said that states like Pennsylvania and Michigan are fools' gold for Republicans, President Obama easily won the state in 2012 by more than 5%. And even though the polls are tighter, Hillary Clinton has had a very stubborn lead, so I feel safe in calling Pennsylvania for her.<br />
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Some are forecasting that <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ut/utah_trump_vs_clinton_vs_johnson_vs_stein_vs_mcmullin-6154.html#polls">Utah could be in play</a>, but like Pennsylvania, Trump's lead in the polls there have been stubborn. With both Libertian nominee Gary Johnson and independent candidate Evan McMullin making a serious play there, the Never Trump vote is divided three ways. Both Clinton and McMullin have largely failed to go past 30% in many polls, and support for Johnson seems to be bleeding into either McMullin or Clinton's camp. Trump also has seen a slight rise in the polls there. He may very well not break 50% in Republican heavy Utah, but I still believe he is the likely winner.<br />
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The other two traditionally Republican states that Trump has to make a play for, Arizona and Georgia, seem to be safely in Trump's column, though that he's had to spend resources there is a testament to the type of candidate he is.<br />
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Trump also appears to have stubborn leads in Ohio and North Carolina, while Clinton has an admittedly slim stubborn lead in Florida.<br />
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One of the smaller swing states, New Hampshire, has gone from a likely Democratic sweep in both the Presidential and Senate race to a toss up. Like Florida, the margins are slim for either candidate. This is the only real time where I'm differing from RCP's polling average because one poll shows Clinton with an 11 point lead. I believe that poll is an outlier and that Trump overall has a slight edge in polling.<br />
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One interesting note to my map. If Florida flips to Trump, this map ends up 269-269.<br />
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Which may mean each candidate could rely on Maine to bring them over the top. Maine is one of two states that awards one electoral vote to the winner of each Congressional District and the remaining two votes to the state wide winner. Clinton is the almost certain winner of the state wide vote and Maine's second Congressional district. Trump has a slight lead in Congressional district 1, but I'm willing to give it to Clinton because it is a very slim lead.<br />
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The other state that divides up its electoral votes, Nebraska, seems to have a solid Trump lead and I don't believe that will change.<br />
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For the remaining Indiana elections, which is a combination of polls and instincts:<br /><br />Superintendent of Public Instruction: Glenda Ritz (D, Incumbent) over challenger Jennifer McCormick (R), which is in line with a<a href="http://www.wthr.com/article/believe-it-or-not-13-investigates-claims-by-the-indiana-gubernatorial-campaigns"> recent WTHR/Howey poll</a><br />
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Indiana Governor: Calling it for John Gregg (D) against Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb. <a href="http://www.wthr.com/article/exclusive-wthrhpi-poll-indiana-gubernatorial-race-tied-up">The recent WTHR poll has it tied</a>, but Gregg has led in some previous polls. With 11% undecided and Eric Holcomb essentially running as an incumbent, I'm giving the lion's share of the undecided to the challenger. You can expect a post-mortem post on this race depending on which way the election goes.<br />
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Indiana's US Senate election: The Cook Political Report has said that Congressman Todd Young (R) is the expected winner against former US Senator Evan Bayh (D) per NBC's Meet The Press. I have to agree with that assessment. Even though Bayh gave an excellent debate performance and has done a lot of things right in the late stages of this campaign, Young and his Washington D.C. based super PACs and special interests have successfully re-defined the Bayh name for some Hoosier voters.<br />
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Democrats can take some solace in that the Cook Political Report is predicting Democrats with 50 US Senate seats, which means the Democrats will control the chamber if Hillary Clinton wins the Presidential election.<br />
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Indiana's Attorney General: Even though Curtis Hill (R) has dodged media inquiries as to <a href="http://contrariana.com/curtis-hill-needs-to-answer-for-keith-cooper/">why he's refusing post-conviction relief of an innocent man</a>, this is still a Republican state and I don't believe Lorenzo Arredondo (D) can overcome that at this point.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-47051226584410653082016-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:002016-10-17T08:00:20.176-04:00Where is Evan Bayh?It was only a few months ago that Evan Bayh entered the race for Indiana's US Senate seat, taking on the Republican nominee Todd Young.<a href="http://www.politicususa.com/2016/08/17/evan-bayh-indiana-senate.html"> It instantly made the race competitive and sent shock waves across the nation</a>. Since then, <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/senate/in/indiana_senate_young_vs_bayh-6003.html#polls">Bayh's several point advantage has nearly disappeared</a>.<br />
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Bayh's campaign has been dogged by attacks on <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/evan-bayh-indiana-residency-227178">his residency</a> (<a href="http://www.indystar.com/videos/news/politics/2016/09/09/89995252/">his neighbors claim to not have seen him</a>), and <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/how-evan-bayh-lobbied-but-was-never-a-lobbyist-228870">his choice of gigs after he left the Senate in 2010</a>. Besides claiming that him being a lobbyist <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmVoO6iMIPk&list=UUYCZQU0Sh3QaDbKkKQooArg&index=6">isn't "true"</a>, he really hasn't had a good answer in response to these attacks.<br />
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Anyone who has been on any type of social media has likely seen several dedicated Twitter feeds, Facebook accounts, and YouTube videos tearing into Evan Bayh, often contrasting with the Evan Bayh of yesteryear with the Evan Bayh of today. Here is what my Facebook search looks like when I type the word "Bayh" into it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q1zxFuKo6MRiZFJ_jR0LZiA01T4AOZsj9o194PlyxxhBR9hK0GmGUqYeMaGKTHhdesP9CVO5r5mTG1pNeB9F43pVBLCwOtftpGpgEgBWKiPVV5p7ZMZ1ebHftwyFLZ6-ZOF35X7aR_WO/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q1zxFuKo6MRiZFJ_jR0LZiA01T4AOZsj9o194PlyxxhBR9hK0GmGUqYeMaGKTHhdesP9CVO5r5mTG1pNeB9F43pVBLCwOtftpGpgEgBWKiPVV5p7ZMZ1ebHftwyFLZ6-ZOF35X7aR_WO/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This can be repeated for pretty much any social media. In some instances, the negative Bayh pages or accounts are placed before Evan Bayh's official campaign account.<br />
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Which brings me to my main question: Where is Evan Bayh?<br />
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In a recent Wish-TV article, Bayh appeared at a campaign event. <a href="http://wishtv.com/2016/10/13/evan-bayh-defends-making-millions/">Wish-TV described the appearance as "rare"</a>.<br />
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A quick glance of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evanbayh/?fref=ts">Evan Bayh's Facebook page</a> shows no real events being held in the handful of days left before the election. His campaign's website doesn't mention any either. <a href="http://evanbayhforindiana.com/about/">The "Meet Evan Bayh" section doesn't lead you to events, so it really doesn't live up to its name</a>.<br />
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Some may say that Evan Bayh can run against Republican POTUS nominee Donald Trump and win, But I'd argue Indiana polls show Trump consistently on top and no major GOP candidate or elected official in the state of Indiana has reversed their endorsement of Trump.<br />
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Evan Bayh may still win this election. But it won't be because of the actions of his campaign.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-40694512454939638352016-07-15T09:27:00.003-04:002016-07-15T09:27:29.503-04:00Why #PenceMustGo Still Matters in Indiana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXXDYTiyXq7_WR58VsDAKE2wCjO98Ja7W-eDeMPk6uxHZZsEF4tWSwnPaFKldZlwPK2m5JNAHtfp1NaukVqCEdOD6JTXTQAtRfg380z6YvS2z6bWnI7xcHbmpxiK-w8pETbE5hGIEP1rf/s1600/13606698_10155007660149745_8843861276654718268_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXXDYTiyXq7_WR58VsDAKE2wCjO98Ja7W-eDeMPk6uxHZZsEF4tWSwnPaFKldZlwPK2m5JNAHtfp1NaukVqCEdOD6JTXTQAtRfg380z6YvS2z6bWnI7xcHbmpxiK-w8pETbE5hGIEP1rf/s320/13606698_10155007660149745_8843861276654718268_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Image: Gary Varvel of IndyStar.</div>
As I went to sleep last night, there were rumors saying that the VP pick for Pence was not finalized. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/14/politics/donald-trump-vice-presidential-choice/">However, various sources today an offer was made, and Pence accepted</a>. The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/us/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump-vice-president.html?_r=0">official announcement, set for 11 AM today, has been postponed due to the latest terrorist attach in Nice, France</a>. But even though it isn't official, I still would like to talk about the impact of Governor Pence leaving the race.<div>
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There are all types of names being floated around to possibly replace Pence on the ballot as the GOP gubernatorial nominee. They are essentially a Who's Who in Indiana politics with a mishmash from practically every level, with interested applicants ranging from former Mayor's all the way up to Indiana's US House reps, and everything in between. Rumors are flying that <strike>GOP Party Chairman</strike> <strike>US Senate candidate</strike> Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb has secured the necessary votes on the Republican committee that would be in charge of appointing someone to replace Pence on the ballot.</div>
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And that leads us to address the #PenceMustGo movement.</div>
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The #PenceMustGo movement has always been a loose coalition of disaffected Republicans and active Democratic or liberal supporters looking to get Governor Pence out of the Governor's Mansion. However, it has failed to really settle on a single strategy on getting Pence out. </div>
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At first, it seemed like <a href="http://www.21alive.com/nbc33/A-house-divided-Pence-may-have-challenger-in-2016-GOP-gubernatorial-primary-303661821.html?m=y&smobile=y">Governor Pence might face a primary challenge from within the GOP</a>. Former Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2015/06/27/ceos-midlife-crusade-became-gov-mike-pences-problem/29344997/">threatened to fund that hypothetical candidate</a>, But that<a href="http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/forum/pence-gregg-avoid-primary-challenges/article_a6d3f138-260b-5a36-8473-06688e85bf88.html"> failed to materialize</a> and Pence ran uncontested in the May 2016 primary. Oesterle did start a PAC called <a href="http://www.ibj.com/articles/56087-oesterle-starts-pac-to-counter-social-conservatives">Enterprise Republicans</a>, but it really isn't independent of the Republican Party and they really haven't done much <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/09/indiana-gop-convention-weigh-support-traditional-marriage/85651142/">besides a half-assed attempt at making the State GOP platform less horrible</a>. They even staffed the Marion County Republican Party's booth at Indy Pride this year.</div>
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For those Republicans in the #PenceMustGo movement, Pence departing from the gubernatorial race seems to have solved their problems. Many of them are declaring "victory". A handful are saying there are certain people they still wouldn't vote for (the socially conservative House Speaker Brian Bosma is usually on that list), but they're almost giddy about Holcomb as a candidate.</div>
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To me, that doesn't really solve anything.</div>
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As someone who voted for former Governor Mitch Daniels (twice), I've learned that to become the Republican Governor of Indiana, you either have to be a social conservative, or a social conservative who hides it well.</div>
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Daniels was thrown to the wolves by social conservatives for his supposed "truce" on social issues (his precise quote, in context, was a truce on campaigning on social issues; it didn't address legislating and governing) but in my analyses, he is every much as conservative as Mike Pence. <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/11/nation/la-na-indiana-planned-parenthood-20110511">Daniels signed legislation defunding Planned Parenthood</a> and <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Mitch_Daniels_Abortion.htm">enacted other restrictions and regulations on abortion rights</a>. He <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Mitch_Daniels_Civil_Rights.htm">repeatedly supported so-called "traditional" marriage</a> (<a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2013/10/30/purdues-mitch-daniels-declines-to-join-debate-on-same-sex-marriage/3314503/">including support of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage</a>).</div>
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To me, this is an attempt by the Indiana Republican Party to slap a new coat of paint on the same policies that they have repeatedly pushed upon Indiana. They think that if they put up what is essentially a blank slate with Holcomb, they can distance themselves from Pence, who despite the advantages of incumbency was still within the margin of error against his Democratic opponent. </div>
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This is on top of what the <a href="http://indystudent.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-party-of-donald-trump-and-mike-pence.html">Republican Party of Donald Trump and Mike Pence now stand for</a>: Judging people based on their ethnicity and their looks, demonizing minorities, and building figurative and literal walls throughout our country and society.</div>
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I honestly am not content with this outcome. Pence, and whoever wants to run on his accomplishments, still must go. And I will do what I can to help make sure that happens.</div>
Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-10237524697587137612016-07-14T21:30:00.004-04:002016-07-14T21:34:22.947-04:00The Party of Donald Trump and Mike Pence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Image: Via ABC News.</div>
<b>BREAKING: </b>As I was composing this blog post, <a href="http://howeypolitics.com/Content/Default/Lead-Story/Article/Trump-postpones-veep-announcement-as-Pence-twists-in-the-wings/-3/346/14111">Brian Howey is reporting that no offer has been made and that all the VP contenders have been summoned to meet with Donald Trump</a>. Governor Pence must withdraw his name by noon Friday, or his name will stay on the ballot unless he dies or moves out of state. Pence faces the decision to stay in the Veepstakes and withdraw his name from the Governor's race, or stay in the Governor's race and withdraw from the Veepstakes.<br />
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Original post below:<br />
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Pretty much the entire political world knows by now that presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump has picked <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/14/report-pence-trumps-vp-pick/87075866/">Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his Vice Presidential nominee</a>. However, some of the <a href="http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/07/14/trump-senior-advisor-no-mr-trump-hasnt-made-a-decision-yet-about-his-vp-n2192796">Trump Supporting Media (TSM) are saying a VP pick has not been finalized</a>. It will be kind of hilarious if Trump has Mike Pence come all the way out to the North East only to be told "Hey Mike, can you get Newt's luggage for me?"<br />
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But I want to address what this actually means in terms of Donald Trump and Mike Pence, and what this means for the Republican Party.<br />
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I know some #NeverTrump-ers read this blog. They're friends of mine, or we interact on social media. I think many of you have been in denial for a while now. When I told a fellow blogger who has largely been supportive of Governor Pence and critical of Donald Trump, he responded with:<br />
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<ul>
<li>"It isn't official, is it?" (denial)</li>
<li>and "waiting for the words out of Deadbeat Donald's mouth" (anger)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
He knocked out two of the five stages of grief in the span of two minutes. He only has bargaining, depression, and acceptance to go. By the time you read these words, he might've gotten to all five stages.<br />
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Like it or not, the Republican Party is the party of Donald Trump. And Governor Pence doesn't just <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/mike-pence-endorses-trump-222891">"fully support"</a> Donald Trump. He believes in Donald Trump so much, that he is going to join Donald Trump as his running mate.<br />
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So now that we're here, let's talk about what the Republican Party has become by embracing Donald Trump.<br />
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The Republican Party has become a party where people are judged not by their accomplishments or their words, but by their skin color and heritage. Trump is being sued by former Trump University students, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-university-its-worse-than-you-think">a scam barely disguised as a set of seminar course</a>. The judge presiding over the rulings was born in East Chicago, Indiana.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/03/politics/donald-trump-tapper-lead/"> But Trump repeatedly told CNN's Jake Tapper that the judge is "Mexican" and that Trump can't get a fair trial in front of the judge because "we're building a wall between here and Mexico"</a>. Much of the TSM tried to rush out other allegations against the judge, but Trump didn't mention those in the initial interview.<br />
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The Republican Party has become a party where women are judged not by their accomplishments, but by their physical attributes. Among other quotes, Trump singled out former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in an interview saying <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/253178-trump-insults-fiorinas-physical-appearance-look-at-that-face">"Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?</a>"<br />
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I'd go on further, but frankly, if I had to list every negative attribute of Trump, this blog post would never end.<br />
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Tomorrow, we'll talk about the implications of Governor Pence leaving the 2012 election, and why it really shouldn't matter electorally, but it probably will.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-37083712311353803632016-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:002016-05-21T08:00:07.518-04:00The Worst Enemy for Pence Re-Election: The Man in the Mirror<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a counterpoint to Ogden On Politics column on <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2016/05/the-pence-re-election-dilemma-what.html">"The Pence Re-Election Dilemma: "What About Donald?"</a>. Paul believes that Governor Mike Pence (R) and his re-election campaign have a challenge with presumptive Republican POTUS nominee Donald Trump.<br />
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Paul believes that Donald Trump is beloved by the Republican base, particularly those who describe themselves as Tea Party. On that, we agree. Donald Trump has become successful with Republicans in spite of a lot of establishment forces against him. His voters in primaries often crossed economic, social, political (moderate and conservative), and (to what extent they exist in Republican primaries and caucuses) racial lines. I would say that Donald Trump is also attractive <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-ln-donald-trump-white-nationalist-delegate-20160510-story.html">to a part of the Republican base</a> that <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/05/trump-white-power-delegate-illinois-lori-gayne">many don't like to bring up</a>. Within Indiana, a lot of those "Lugar Republicans" have convinced themselves that Donald Trump has just been lying about the xenophobia and racism throughout the primary, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/05/politics/donald-trump-minimum-wage-taxes-general-election-positions/">and that may well be true since he told <i>The New York Times</i> in an off the record interview that "Everything is negotiable."</a> If Pence does have try to distance himself from Trump (which I don't think is guaranteed), that could cause some extreme backlash against a Tea Party and evangelical base that perceives Pence to have betrayed them even though he's practically done their bidding over the past four years.<br />
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But I'd like to point out that Indiana is still, ultimately, a Republican state. Any election that happens state-wide will favor Republicans. The poll <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYWYWbqPbrFYmpfbExFNm1wYjQ/view">sponsored by Enterprise Republicans shows this</a>.<br />
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General election match ups right now are as follows:<br />
POTUS: Trump 40%-Clinton 31%-<br />
US Senate: Young 36%-Hill 22%<br />
Gov: Pence 40%-Gregg 36%<br />
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The numbers within the poll are even worse. A full third strongly disapprove of his job performance. And a plurality of undecided voters 42% disapprove as well. Some of those undecides are likely those Doughnut County Lugar Republicans who will gladly vote GOP the whole way but for one reason or another aren't ready to back Governor Pence.<br />
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In fact, in the doughnut counties, Pence only has a 48% approval rating. Six in ten of independents and nearly as many women under 45 are looking for a new Governor.<br />
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More than once, I've heard that Governor Pence couldn't muster 50% of the vote in 2012 because of US Senate candidate Richard Mourdock and his comments on rape. That didn't explain why other Republicans further up or down the ballot didn't suffer the same fate. And this year, Mourdock isn't on the ballot.<br />
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Anecdotal, but I've talked to a lot of hard core Republicans. Many of these Republicans will engage in mild birtherism and use words like "Killary" to describe presumptive Democratic POTUS nominee Hillary Clinton. And more than a few of these Republicans, particularly women, are hesitant to support Governor Pence.<br />
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So what's the explanation for Pence's numbers being under water?<br />
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I'd suggest the Governor look in the mirror and the policies he's championed while in office.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-68027837712217448362016-05-02T23:33:00.000-04:002016-05-02T23:33:24.857-04:00Trumped Up Election PredictionsElection predictions are a dime a dozen, and by the time this is actually posted on Tuesday, may be worth even less than that. Regardless, here are my predictions:<br />
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<b>United States POTUS:</b><br />
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On the <b>Democratic side</b>, I can't say anyone will be surprised when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wins Indiana's primary on Tuesday. Senator <b>Bernie Sanders </b>has done a lot of events in Indiana, so I suspect it will be closer than the polls predicted. But Clinton has a lot of ties to the Democratic establishment, and a lot (not all) of Indiana Democrats are loyal to the Clintons. So I'm going with <b>Hillary Clinton</b> with a 53-54% of the vote.<br />
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Over with the GOP, I don't think there's any doubt that <b>Donald J Trump</b> will walk away with the vast majority of Indiana delegates on Tuesday. One of the amazing things about the Trump campaign is that, in states where Trump wins, he wins across several demographics. So I don't think a state with a lot of evangelicals, or a state with a lot of college degrees, is necessarily going to hurt Trump as it has in some other primaries or caucuses. Notice that most of Trump's events have been in the urban areas of Indiana (Indianapolis, Carmel, South Bend, Terre Haute, Evansville). Those areas are spread out throughout the state that I think it'll be difficult for a Senator <b>Ted Cruz</b> to even win a single Congressional district. I think Trump will get 59% of the vote statewide and easily carry all Congressional districts.<br />
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<b>US Senate</b> <b>(GOP)</b><br />
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The handful of <b>Todd Young</b> ads I've heard have largely been positive. All of the PAC and campaign ads I've seen and heard from Congressman <b>Marlin Stutzman</b> have been negative in tone. I think the limited polling done in this race is within the ballpark of the internal polls the Stutzman campaign is looking at. I don't think this race will be close at all. I'm giving Young a 60-40% edge.<br />
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<b>US Congress (District 9) (GOP)</b><br />
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This is an all out brawl between State Senator <b>Erin Houchins</b> and <strike>Tennessee</strike> Indiana businessman <b>Trey Hollingsworth</b>. Several other candidates, including Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, are in this race as well but seem to be gaining little traction. There have been no real public polling done on a district level, but the cynic in me is giving the edge to Hollingsworth with 45% of the vote with Houchings coming in at 25%.<br />
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Tomorrow, I hope to share with you some insight on the winners and losers.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-50778091020740551182016-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:002016-05-02T08:00:14.405-04:00RIP Gary WelshGary Welsh, author of the Indiana based blog Advance Indiana, died over this past weekend according to <i><a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/05/01/police-think-pundits-death-suicide/83802656/">The Indianapolis Star</a></i>.<br />
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Before I sat down to write this post, I reflected a long time on Gary Welsh, the man, and Gary Welsh, the public persona.<br />
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More than a few people think the handful of Indianapolis (and honestly, not much more if you expand to Indiana) bloggers are closely connected. In truth, most of us know of each other in passing. A few bloggers are also attorneys and may have some professional overlap due to their day jobs. But in reality, some of us have never met. Others may only run into each other at public events.<br />
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Gary and I did meet, mostly on the <a href="http://civildiscoursenow.com/">Civil Discourse Now</a> podcast. Gary was often a panelist we relied on if someone we scheduled canceled, or if we needed someone at the last minute. In one show, we had Gary on the panel and our guest was a fortune teller. While much of the panel and production crew were skeptical but respectful towards our guest, Gary really seemed to take the fortune to heart. I wouldn't call Gary religious, but he did seem to have some type of faith. It might be a faith or spirituality that was only known and made sense to him, but I think he had it.<br />
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Gary's blog was one of the most prolific Indiana based blogs, and perhaps the longest running. More than just a repository for his personal opinions, he often planted seeds that mainstream media could then turn into stories. More than a few times, he broke news himself. Much of Indiana media and Indiana politicos checked Advance Indiana regularly, even if they didn't want to admit it.<br />
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Paired with the passing of WTLC-AM's Amos Brown, the loss of Gary Welsh is a loss for Indiana's political scene. Many times, these two men were the critical voices. Some times, they were the voices critical even people on their "side" (Amos was a Democratic pundit, Gary a Republican) wanted them to shut up. But that often didn't happen. More than a loss of critical voices, both men had institutional knowledge that will be incredibly difficult to replicate.<br />
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<a href="http://indydemocrat.blogspot.com/2016/05/suicide-leaves-survivors-to-pick-up.html">Jon Easter at Indy Democrat also wrote an excellent piece on suicide prevention</a>.<br />
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If there are any comments, please be respectful. I typically do not censor for content. But due to the death being so recent, I want to be respectful to the friends and family that may inadvertently stumble upon this blog.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-71182350667166130102016-04-30T08:00:00.000-04:002016-04-30T08:00:09.715-04:00I'm a delegate...(to the State Dem Convention)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Apparently not enough people filed in my state delegate district so I won by default.</div>
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This will be the first time I've ever attended one of these things and even though none of the state-wide offices on the Democratic side are contested, I still am kind of excited. I really feel like this is where I belong if I want to help change the state of Indiana in a positive way.</div>
Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-73817410890775506382015-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:002015-12-02T08:00:01.066-05:00Municipal Money and SalariesThe topic of the day is the proposed raises for the Indianapolis-Marion County City County Council and the Indianapolis Mayor. <a href="http://indypolitics.org/2015/11/28/council-introduces-pay-raise-proposal/">The proposal, sponsored by outgoing councilor Mary Moriarty Adams</a>, would boost the pay of councilors to about $16,000 and the mayor to about $120,000. The proposal has a short life span if it isn't acted on quickly, as the council will only have one more full meeting this calendar year. And any measure that doesn't make it out of the full council by the end of the year dies as the term of this council ends on January 1, 2016. According to IndyPolitics, outgoing Mayor Greg Ballard declined to say if he supported it or not, saying he hasn't seen the specifics of the proposal.<br />
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<a href="http://fox59.com/2015/11/30/hogsett-city-council-members-could-see-major-pay-raises-for-2016/">Several news reports have mentioned that councils and/or mayors in other Indiana cities, or cities in neighboring states, have much higher salaries</a>. In fact, <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/10/20/7-ways-carmel-spend-money-2016/74064178/">Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard and the Carmel City-Council voted raises for most city employees themselves and Brainard earlier this year</a>. Carmel's elected officials voted on those raises as part of the city's budget, after the 2015 Republican primary in May, which is the de facto election in Carmel and most of Hamilton County.<br />
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Social media commentary on local news' Facebook pages have been <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CBS4Indy/posts/10156362366305360">almost universally negative on this action</a>.<br />
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So what do I think?<br />
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I think the salaries for mayors and councils across the state have a huge pay gap. And I honestly don't see why. I wonder if one party control in some of these cities (particularly Carmel, Westfield, and Gary) might make it easier to slip these pay increases in. Many of these communities have been one party control for decades, but it is only within the last 10 years that Democrats have really had the same kind of success that they've long had in Gary, or Republicans have had in Carmel.<br />
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I think proposing this after an election, where this wasn't an issue that was talked about publicly, reeks of backroom deals. I suspect that this has been talked about in caucuses and informal meetings for quite some time.<br />
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I think putting this before a lame duck council, with several members not returning, and a lame duck mayor, is attempting to circumvent political backlash, hoping that people won't remember or won't care in four years.<br />
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I honestly don't have a problem with council raises. A good councilor does a lot of work. Some treat it as a full time or nearly full time job in addition to their actual full time job and other responsibilities. The ones doing the hard work, I have much less of a problem giving it to them. The do-nothings, I have more of an issue with.<br />
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As for the Mayor, I think the perks more than make up for whatever salary he doesn't get.<br />
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Ideally, I'd like to completely revamp our legislative body. I think we're a big city and we should have a big-boy, full time council. Cut it down to 11 or 13 members, give them a decent salary, make it their full time job. Put restrictions on other work they can do so conflicts of interest don't arise. Microsoft's Board of Directors is only 10 people so there's no reason we need 25 cooks in the kitchen.<br />
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Failing that, I really think the Indiana state legislature and look at the disparity in pay between city and county councils and Mayors of cities and towns and take the politics out of it. Establish a salary for elected officials based on the type of city (class 1, etc...) or county, set the salary, index it to inflation. I really can't think of a good reason the Mayor of Gary or Westfield should be paid more than the Mayor of Indianapolis. I'd like similar rules to be established for the county wide offices, but many of those offices might be supported by specific fees they charge and the fees collected in a more populated county will obviously be more than in a more rural county.<br />
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<br />Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-62598766332398587042015-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-26T08:00:00.090-04:00Indiana: Where Our State Parks Aren't Free And Don't Have Trash CansA friend of mine recently moved to Indianapolis and overall has enjoyed her time in the city. But her top gripe is that the closest state park, Fort Harrison State Park, <a href="http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2982.htm">charges admission or requires an annual membership</a>.<br />
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We took my dog, <a href="http://twitter.com/questthedog">Quest</a>, out on a hike through the park today. Along the way we noticed several signs saying dogs must be on a leash at all times and that owners must clean up after their dog. As a good citizen, I did so when my dog made a mess.<br />
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As our hike ended and we returned to the parking lot, we looked for a trash can and found none. There are several picnic tables, and even picnic areas presumably meant for large gatherings. But not a single trash can was around. Both restrooms also did not have trash cans.<br />
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We did, however, encounter signs saying that group picnics must clean up after themselves.<br />
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As we left the park, I kept an eye out for a trash can, any trash can, any where, only to find none.<br />
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My friend mentioned that the Department of Natural Resources also runs the nearby Fort Harrison State Park Inn and Golf Resort. She complained that she has to pay admission to the Ft Harrison State Park but it seems unable to provide even basic levels of service in return for membership. She also wonders if her membership fee for the park is subsidizing the Inn and Golf Resort.<br />
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I wonder if they have trash cans at the golf resort?Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-12687583180948794842015-07-27T23:15:00.001-04:002015-07-28T08:53:55.995-04:00LA Starts Electric Car Sharing Program for $1.6 million Vs BlueIndy's $49 million<a href="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/16M-electric-car-sharing-program-to-serve-LA-residents-318452181.html">NBC Los Angeles</a> reports that the state of California has awarded a $1.6 million dollar grant for Los Angeles to launch an electric car sharing program. The program will launch in some of its more diverse and low-income areas, including South LA and Koreatown. The pilot intends to add a fleet of 100 cars, with residents being able to sign up and pay a monthly membership or pay on a per-hour basis. While exact rates are still being worked out, officials are saying they hope it to be lower priced than car sharing services such as Uber and Lyft.<br />
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For reference, Los Angele's base uber fee is $0 bae, $.18 per minute, and $1 per mile. Indianapolis' Uber fares are $1.25 base, $.18 per minute, and $.95 per mile.<br />
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While the report doesn't specifically say what type of electric car infrastructure that LA already has, I'm going to guess the answer is little to none. You can see some shots of charging stations being constructed in the background if you watch the news report clip on NBC-LA's web site. All in all, this works out to about $16,000 per car.<br />
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In contrast, the electric car sharing program BlueIndy is costing nearly <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/04/28/city-reaches-deal-blueindy-electric-car-share-service/26515019/">$50 million for 500 cars</a>. That cost likely doesn't take into account the millions of dollars of lost revenue when <s>Dictator</s> Mayor Greg Ballard (R) unilaterally removes hundreds of parking spots from public use to turn them over to the exclusive use of a for-profit company. Or the massive fines ParkIndy, the private operator of our public parking meters, will levy upon the city for the permanent removal of the parking spaces. Despite the $6 million dollar in help from city taxpayers, don't expect that to make it any cheaper to rent one of these cars. A 2014 estimate puts the estimate at $15 for an hour, or membership fees at $10-15 for a week or an annual membership costing about $15 a month.<br />
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Total costs work out to about 98,000 per car.<br />
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Had enough Indy?Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-37004974200671423542015-07-22T08:00:00.000-04:002015-07-22T08:00:00.437-04:00Governor Pence Throws Gaming Commission Under BusThe Indiana Gaming Commission has gotten into some hot water for sending out a letter to a Muncie-based assisted living home concerning a Euchre game that has a small betting pool and modest prizes. The commission's letter said it would require a charity gaming license to continue hosting this Euchre game.<br />
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In later reports, <a href="http://www.wibc.com/news/local-news/pence-tells-gaming-commission-leave-muncie-euchre-game-alone">Governor Mike Pence (R) has ordered the agency to use "common sense" and specifically to leave the Muncie-based assisting living home alone</a>. The WIBC report also says the gaming commission used a form letter, probably something they've sent out dozens, if not hundreds, of times. It is probably something they are fairly certain they can legally do.<br />
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I don't want to end up defending the Indiana Gaming Commission. I am <a href="http://indystudent.blogspot.com/2015/02/hoosier-lotter-promotes-financial.html">no fan</a> of <a href="http://indystudent.blogspot.com/2013/03/destroy-lottery.html">legalized gambling</a>, and really am disheartened that gambling seems to be seeping into our culture more and more. I don't think it adds any societal value. And in practice, gambling (Both casinos and the like as well as lotteries) disproportionately target poor and minority communities and little to no revenue from the taxes collected on gambling end up helping the populations it prays on.<br />
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But to me, it seemed like the Indiana Gaming Commission was just doing its job. Governor Pence has a law degree and probably has a few juris doctorate holders in his administration, and a few lawyers on speed dial. If the problem is the law, Governor Pence could've attempted to address it during the legislative session earlier this year. <br />
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But that wasn't important to Governor Pence then, and he shouldn't get to ignore the law now just because it isn't politically convenient.<br />
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For an opposing view, see <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2015/07/governor-pence-directs-gaming.html">Ogden On Politics</a>.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-38791356575760713212015-06-23T10:03:00.002-04:002015-06-23T10:03:26.926-04:00IMPD, We Need To Have a TalkLast month, <a href="http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/probationary-impd-officer-arrested-on-dui-charge">the latest officer from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department</a> was arrested with an allegation of drunk driving. At least seven other IMPD officers have been arrested for similar charges since 2013. Other recent headlines show that an IMPD officer is on administrative leave due to accusations <a href="http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/joseph-taylor-impd-officer-under-investigation-for-domestic-violence">of spousal abuse.</a> <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2015/05/27/impd-officer-found-dead-home-identified/28000123/">And there's the strange case of an IMPD officer found dead in a home, the same home that another man died in after an ingestion of chloroform</a>.<br />
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IMPD, we need to have a talk.<br />
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When I was writing this blog on a more regular basis, I had several people within IMPD, officers and others, who would come to me as sources. When I ran for council in 2011, I was the only non-major party candidate endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 86. I've also had <a href="https://twitter.com/rickfop86">Rick Snyder</a> from the FOP on the former podcast Civil Discourse Now. I'm not listing these things to brag, but to show that this is coming from someone who respects law enforcement and is sympathetic to how difficult the job can be, especially with the current occupants of the 25th floor.<br />
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But I'm finding it more and more difficult to defend IMPD in cases like these.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/opinion/article_39ee63de-fa5f-11e4-9860-97c2a9b28b37.html">In her weekly column in the <i>Indianapolis Recorder</i></a>, Shannon Williams recounted an experience she had when she reported an officer's behavior to the Citizen Police Complaint Board. Williams, the President of the Recorder Media Group, had called dispatch to file a report because her dog was struck in a hit and run. She was able to file a report, and she had no problems filing the complaint with the board, but the official report on the officer uncovered the officer's side of the incident.<br />
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Williams claims that:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">"...aspects of the report were not only inaccurate, but some “findings” were actual lies. My words were misconstrued completely and a false stage was set in an attempt to dispute my complaint or substantiate the inappropriate behavior of the officer."</span></blockquote>
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Among the specific claims that Williams found most ludicrous was that she was a victim of domestic violence, the officer claiming she never wanted a report filed, and that she lacked credibility. She also referred to the driver who hit her dog as "a gentleman", which the officer found inconsistent.<br />
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Williams' overall point was that even though this was a minor transgression, she was shocked at the length IMPD went to discredit her for an officer that she alleged to be rude and incompetent. If this is what they do when an officer is rude to a citizen, to what extent are they going to protect someone who does something beyond rude?<br />
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The last several years, rank and file officers and top brass have tried to promote a message that this is a new IMPD. Unfortunately, I can't say much has changed. A lot needs to be addressed from the top on down. I don't think the 25th floor or the top brass is going to step up to the challenge, so I hope the rank and file will help themselves out. It is going to be difficult, but it has to be done.<br />
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And it wouldn't hurt if the mayoral candidates weighed in on this as well.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-21767050367295211212015-05-04T22:24:00.000-04:002015-05-04T22:25:53.622-04:00I Support Councilor Mansfield and Councilor Scales<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh-6Eyd5eQRz0qpg73WdVmBbCr-vE0dVR9rr6qy4Kq9PGLaflzM_TaTcA2-GhyphenhyphenGUoNKsbSbUIdvvefl1zUhHkmdI7aLl-a7C5nPXzX5v0M5Nv4QE12A7g4KeTZxqdhrvKUM3EcXzoZ9-a/s1600/Angela_Mansfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh-6Eyd5eQRz0qpg73WdVmBbCr-vE0dVR9rr6qy4Kq9PGLaflzM_TaTcA2-GhyphenhyphenGUoNKsbSbUIdvvefl1zUhHkmdI7aLl-a7C5nPXzX5v0M5Nv4QE12A7g4KeTZxqdhrvKUM3EcXzoZ9-a/s1600/Angela_Mansfield.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a><i>EDITOR'S NOTE: I have contributed financially to both of these candidates and will be working as a volunteer for a few hours Tuesday morning for Angela Mansfield.</i></div>
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I do not live in any of the districts that have contested primaries for this year's municipal election. But if I did, I would be supporting Councilor Angela Mansfield in District 01 and Councilor Christine Scales in District 3.<br />
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While both come from different political parties, both have a history on the council of independent voting, sometimes voting against their own party.</div>
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I came to know these two women in completely different ways.</div>
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When I first started following the council, Councilor Mansfield was one of the minority members on a committee dealing with some budget item from the Capitol Improvement Board. She was the only no vote on that committee. I thought that took courage, when even members of her own party would support it but she couldn't.</div>
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Legislative representatives have almost perfected a craft in talking about how hard votes are and how they really want to vote one way but just have to vote the other and on and on. Councilor Mansfield isn't like that. She's just going to come to a conclusion and stick to it. She'll listen to you if you disagree, but I haven't seen her fold under public pressure.</div>
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She has also been one of the most articulate critics of Mayor Greg Ballard's administration within the second term. Some Democrats, on the council and off, think it is enough to say that Mayor Ballard is a Republican and thus his policies are bad. But Mansfield doesn't settle for that. She will tell you precisely what policies they are and why they're bad. She'll even have suggestions on how to fix it.</div>
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I do not want this to be construed as being against Councilor Leroy Robinson, who is running against Mansfield in the Democratic primary. Councilor Robinson and I have not always seen eye to eye. But I think he has grown into the council and it suits him well. But his perplexing strategy of <a href="http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/opinion/article_75526980-ef6e-11e4-ac0b-3fce2e412ea5.html">avoiding candidate forums and declining to appear on Amos Brown's radio program</a> (probably the easiest booking opportunity ever for any candidate on a ballot within Marion County), as well as the massive amount of money he is raising for this race, are causes for concern. </div>
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The district is also roughly what my grandfather, Gordon Gilmer, represented during his time on the council. </div>
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District 3 is also on the northside of Indianapolis (northeast rather than northwest), and it should come as no surprise that I fully support and endorse Councilor Christine Scales.</div>
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I don't know if I can recall exactly the first time I interacted with Councilor Scales directly. But several years ago, I received an invitation from someone inviting me to a meeting. I get a lot of legit looking spam via e-mail due to this blog, but I thought this sounded legit. The proposed sale of the water utility company had been proposed, and Councilor Scales was organizing a blogger round table. <a href="http://indystudent.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-take-on-watersewage-utility-sale-to.html">We were given the opportunity to directly question representatives of Citizens Energy Group on the proposed sale of the water utility</a>. It was a very productive and informative conversation. </div>
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Since then, Councilor Scales and I kept in touch. About a year or so ago, she was voted out of the caucus of the Council Republicans. I remember writing her shortly after about the possible switch of her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. There were some Democrats (both on the council and off) who were absolutely targeting her as a party switch, while others were working behind the scenes. I wrote to her saying that if she didn't believe in her heart of hearts that she was a Democrat, then she should sit outside during caucus meetings with pride. She is one of the hardest working council members out there and will always hear you out, even if you don't live in her district.</div>
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If you live in one of these council districts, I hope you consider supporting one of these courageous councilors. In an election where we're very likely to get more of the same from the powers-that-be, it'd be nice to send two councilors back to the City-County building who aren't bought and paid for.</div>
Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-55475102403674715252015-04-01T10:13:00.004-04:002015-04-01T10:14:39.793-04:00A Little Update on ProgressWarning: May contain strong language.<br />
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I have something to admit.<br />
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I had an evolution, personally, in regards to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender culture and LGBT people.<br />
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Not so much that I ever really questioned the need for equality in areas such as marriage or civil rights, but in terms of how I used language related to LGBT people.<br />
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As a teenager in high school, and probably well into my late teens and early 20s, I casually used the word "gay" as an adjective. I remember using the word "homosexual" rather than "gay" to describe a gay man or gay people. Which in itself isn't specifically slander, it is a much more clinical term and in the context of how it is used today, it is often followed by words like "the homosexual agenda" or "the homosexual takeover of America".<br />
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It also isn't too hard to find old social media accounts (before Twitter or Facebook were a thing) where I even casually used the word "fag" or called my friends "faggot".<br />
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I don't know if I ever used those words in front of someone who was gay or lesbian. But statistically speaking, if they are anywhere between 2-5% of the population within the United States, my high school probably had a few. And as someone who has been hurt by words, I should realize how hurtful hearing those words can be. Even if they weren't directed at them.<br />
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This is something I really regret. I'm not proud of it. But it is something I've done in the past. I've recognized it. And I'd like to think I take a more careful consideration of my words. Not just when talking about LGBT, but for all groups of people. I know words can hurt.<br />
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Having been listening to a lot of conservative radio going ga-ga over Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration (Enrolled) Act, I've started to notice something. That even among conservative pundits on radio and television, the language has completely changed from what it was from 10 or even 5 years ago.<br />
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Some are saying "gay" or "lesbian". Very few are using "homosexual". But most seem to just be saying "LGBT" or "GLBT" or they say the full four words. Most aren't even adding a joke about "alphabet soup" after saying it. I'm sure someone has used "faggot" on the radio, but not any show I've heard.<br />
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I think that when you win a fight like that, it might be something you haven't even noticed. But I think winning that kind of fight is huge. When people who, weren't that long ago, were decrying the "homosexual agenda" are now just saying "gay" or "Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender". I think that is huge.<br />
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Maybe my selective radio listening is why I'm noticing this. Maybe in the radio host's life, someone has come out of the closet to them. Maybe the parent company that owns the station had a corporate suit give them a mandate. I don't know the cause.<br />
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But I think a win like that. I think that's big. I think that shows the culture is changing. And that even if some political battles might result in a stalemate or even a loss, the overall war and culture are being won over.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-76830345233085779542015-03-28T22:21:00.001-04:002015-03-28T22:21:41.444-04:00RFRA Fallout Stronger Than ExpectedThe passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has continued ever since Governor Mike Pence signed it into law. Proponents continue to push that is is modeled after the federal and previous states RFRAs but <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cmhomer/posts/10105487786124479">that goes up against reality</a>, where an analyses shows there are three areas where Indiana's RFRA is significantly different.<br />
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The review from the business and political community has been mixed. A State Senator referred to Eric Miller, Republican activist and founder of the socially conservative group Advance America, as some misinformed activist with an opinion "from the right". But that misinformed activist somehow got a spot standing behind Governor Pence as the law was being signed. Miller took to <a href="http://www.advanceamerica.com/blog/?p=1849">his group's website to brag that the law will </a>in part prohibit "a man [from using] the women's restroom".<br />
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Despite the overwhelming majorities that this law passed by, only a handful of state legislatures have taken to social media to defend this law. And none of the well paid lobbyists and activists are really doing themselves any favors.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/tim-swarens/2015/03/28/swarens-gov-mike-pence-push-clarification-religious-freedom-law/70611906/">In an column from <i>The Indianapolis Star</i>'s Tim Swarens</a>, Swarens says that based on his conversation with Pence, Pence's team didn't see any of the backlash coming. Some companies, such as GenCon, have walked back their economic threats in recent days. Others, such as Angie's List, have stepped up their game and called off a headquarters expansion that was receiving assistance from the State of Indiana. Pence also conversed with the Salesforce CEO who recently suspended all employee travel to Indiana but admitted that it did not change the policy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.howeypolitics.com/Content/Columns/Brian-Howey/Article/Brian-Howey-Control-freak-Pence-s-media-shield-thickens/10/21/12235">Just like the JustIN boondoggle</a>, Pence seems to have surrounded himself by a bunch of Yes-Men that have created a sort of tunnel vision where Planet Pence can do no wrong and that it is really only a problem with messaging.<br />
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How can a former radio host, who was well liked by Beltway media for how well they were treated by him and his staff, have so many scandals and fumbles that almost all seem completely self inflicted?Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-90871976507451574902015-03-25T11:57:00.000-04:002015-03-25T11:57:06.144-04:00Religion and Freedom: What's the Fuss?The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has been in the news lately. The legislation, which proponents say is modeled on the federal RFRA and the 20+ states that have passed similar laws, has sailed through the Indiana General Assembly and will soon be on Governor Mike Pence's desk for him to sign, veto, or do nothing (where it automatically becomes law).<br />
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Proponents say that RFRA in Indiana is necessary so that religious organizations and organizations and businesses owned and operated by people of faith won't be forced to do something against their truly held tenants. <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2015/03/freedom-indiana-replaces-honesty-used.html">Pundits have criticized the opponents of RFRA saying that the stories of hardship are exaggerated</a>.<br />
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Just like the marriage amendment that was debated last year, there is a whole host of businesses and organizations that have come out against RFRA. <a href="http://files.gencon.com/Gen_Con_Statement_Regarding_SB101.pdf">The latest is Gen Con, who produced an open letter to Governor Pence saying that signing this into law may cause them to reconsider holding the annual convention in Indianapolis</a>. Several faith based organizations have protested against it as well.<br />
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I think the debate surrounding RFRA (which I'm against because I think it does nothing in terms of legislation or restoring rights) is missing one thing from the proponents.<br />
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To their credit, proponents of RFRA have been very careful to not use examples of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. They've been using religious universities that can still obtain state and federal grants and other situations.<br />
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The question that I haven't heard proponents answer is that RFRA has been a known quantity on the federal and state level for around two decades. Why is this law necessary now when it hasn't been in the previously several years? Why now in the first legislative session after same-sex marriage is legal in Indiana?<br />
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To me, that is a concern that this specific proposal has something more sinister inside.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-46412304510282968272015-02-26T19:34:00.001-05:002015-02-26T19:36:28.977-05:00Hoosier Lottery Promotes Financial Literacy, I Spit Out My CoffeeThe Hoosier Lottery announced today that they're kicking off a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College with a <a href="http://www.wibc.com/news/local-news/hoosier-lottery-and-ivy-tech-tout-financial-literacy">free online financial literacy course</a>. In a media availability event that happened exclusively in my head, Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor actually passed out the press release touting this partnership. That probably explains why nearly <a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/hoosier-lottery-ivy-tech-partner-on-mooc/article_6ea11918-bdd4-11e4-b5c9-63de4b5389f1.html">every</a> single <a href="http://www.tristatehomepage.com/story/d/story/hoosier-lottery-teams-up-with-ivy-tech-for-financi/29805/lVgU0bwzM0S-5VPulFWTLw">article</a> looks <a href="http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/lottery-ivy-tech-offer-free-financial-course">nearly</a> identical despite each one being authored by the individual media outlet or a specific reporter.<br />
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In an exclusive sit down interview that never actually happened, I asked Taylor to explain how this partnership with Ivy Tech came about and why financial literacy was chosen. After she droned on for several minutes, I asked her if this was her idea of a joke. "Actually, I prefer the knock knock jokes" Taylor said. When asked what part of the financial literacy course covers how to responsibly gamble the meager Social Security check Grandma lives off of away at a local gas station, Taylor reminded me that there's a 1-800 number on every Hoosier Lottery ticket for people who have an addiction to <b>gaming. "</b>Gambling only takes place on riverboat casinos", Taylor said, correcting me.<br />
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I also couldn't let this chance pass without asking why the Hoosier Lottery has targeted an aggressive expansion of Lottery retailers and self-serve kiosks almost exclusively in poor and minority communities. And why the media campaign behind the Hoosier Lottery is almost always in the parts of town that could use a lift up. I asked her why the State Fairgrounds electronic billboard screams Lottery promotion day in and day out near a part of town where many African Americans live and what passes for a grocery store around there are usually pimping Hoosier Lottery tickets day in and day out, while the few retail outlets in Hamilton County that sell the Lottery have a lot less flare beside it.<br />
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At that time, I was kindly escorted out of the completely made up media availability event.<br />
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The Onion might as well just pack on up and move to Indianapolis. Half of our actual news events look like an Onion article already.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-43337844547019536422015-02-01T17:04:00.002-05:002015-02-01T17:04:45.358-05:00Louisville and Indianapolis: Closer Than We Think<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently went to Louisville to see Ben Folds perform with their symphonic orchestra. Folds has twice paid a similar visit to Indiana, once to play with Fort Wayne's philharmonic and another to Indianapolis to perform with our own symphony.<br />
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While there, I only drove by car to grab breakfast on Sunday morning and that's only because I was leaving the hotel. While my view of Louisville was limited, I felt that I found a lot of similarities to my home city of Indianapolis. In some ways they were good, and others not so much.<br />
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Similar to Indianapolis, Louisville has a consolidated city-county government that took place in 2003, with the Sheriff and Clerk still retaining their separate roles due to the Kentucky state constitution. Louisville is also the only first class city in the state of Kentucky, allowing the state legislature to craft specific legislation that will only impact Louisville. While our Indianapolis-Marion County Council has 29 (soon to be 25), they have 26 councilors as well as a Mayor. Unlike our system, their council is election so that half of the members are up for election every two years.<br />
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Politically, Kentucky has a viable Democratic party at the state level even though the state hasn't gone "blue" for a Presidential election since Bill Clinton in 1996. It has a Democratic Governor who won election in 2011 with 55% of the vote while the last two US Senate elections have been won by Republicans with 55% and 58% of the vote. In Louisville, a Republican hasn't been elected Mayor since the 1960s and Republicans only hold nine seats on the council.<br />
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While walking around the city, I noticed several parking meters were bagged under the authority of the "<a href="http://louisvilleky.gov/government/parking-authority-parc">Parking Authority of River City</a>". The authority is a board appointed by the Mayor that oversees the parking regulation division of the city government. The board manages the meters, municipal garages, and neighborhood parking permit programs, among other things. Talking to some of the locals, most of them couldn't tell me when electric meters (which also still take coins, from what I could tell) were installed, but had been there for several years. One resident did note some areas are still using the old coin only meters.<br />
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While Indianapolis privatized the entire arm of parking services and management, the city of Louisville owns the meters and other assets but contracts out the day-to-day operations to a private company.<br />
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There's a story from the <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/06/30/parking-rates-rising-free-saturdays-ending/11760623/">Courier Journal about how Saturday parking meter fees have been allowed for a long time</a>, but only local police could write tickets on Saturday rather than Parking Authority workers. That has recently changed. However, the meters all read 7am-6pm Monday through Saturday. It does not seem like any section of the city gets special meter times, like some of the cultural districts do in Indianapolis.<br />
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I also found it interesting how similar their "NuLu" district is with our Fountain Square or Mass Ave district. NuLu is just outside of the heart of downtown Louisville and the area is dotted with areas to grab a meal, a drink, candy, and other kinds of retail, as well as residential and lodging. A street corner that previously housed a maintenance shop is now w<a href="https://twitter.com/IndyMattStone/status/561894233364512769">hat appears to be a very hip, very cool looking bar</a>. Many of the buildings seem to have remodeled interiors while trying to preserve the exteriors.<br />
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I also came across what appeared to be an abandoned building. Instead of leaving it to rot in the middle of their downtown, <a href="https://twitter.com/IndyMattStone/status/561635927571722241">they gutted the interior and turned it into what appears to be a playground or gathering place.</a> It wasn't open to the public at the time, but that seems to be a great idea.<br />
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They also have a recently remodeled convention center. I didn't go inside, but they did appear to have a cafe that serves beer, pastries, and coffee that seemed to be generally open to the public. But unfortunately, if it was open on Sundays, it wasn't at the time I drove by.<br />
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One thing I didn't notice a lot of is green space. Downtown Indianapolis is very fortunate to have several blocks of green space between Central Library and the federal court house between Meridian and Pennsylvania.<br />
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I don't want to seem like I'm trying to make a sell on Louisville, because I'm not. There were two things that I felt were negatives for the city.<br />
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One was the lack of affordable restaurants outside of business hours. It seems that many of the decently priced restaurants, where you can grab some soup, a sandwich, or your basic fare without ordering a several course meal, closed up shop on Friday at 5 when the workers left for the weekend. Even among the fine dining I saw, many of them didn't open until 4-6 in the evening. The district surrounding the sports stadium had several bars and restaurants open until the wee hours of the morning, but that was about it.<br />
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The other thing I noticed is a lot of "For Sale" or "Leasing opportunities available" in commercial buildings. Even in a very commercial corridor with several hotels, a sports stadium, and a Performing Arts Center (along with other landmarks I surely missed or overlooked), there sure seemed to be a lot of empty and underutilized office space. I don't know if that is part of a building boom whose bubble popped, or if Louisville is still struggling with the lagging economy. But it wasn't a very encouraging sign. Surely if a very well-off part of Louisville had signs of hardship, I can only imagine that areas that aren't as tourist and business friendly might be hit even harder.Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551647111924186318.post-80896415118705705512015-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:002015-01-25T22:21:36.541-05:00Consolidated Primary? I'll See Your Consolidated and Raise a "No"My friend Abdul Hakim-Shabazz has recently written about having a <a href="http://www.indianaforefront.com/how-about-a-consolidated-primary/">"consolidated" primary for Indiana's municipal elections</a>. What he's really proposing is doing what many other states do and take the labels away from municipal politics. I really don't love this idea because partisans and party workers honestly and truly believe there is a difference in how the political parties view their role as election officials and how government works. I also don't like the idea of someone claiming a "non-partisan" mantel even though we all know what jersey they are wearing.<br />
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But I think there is some tinkering that can be done with municipal city and town elections that are held in Indiana. Some of it is proposed in the Indiana General Assembly.<br />
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<a href="https://iga.in.gov/static-documents/5/8/a/e/58aeaa53/HB1038.01.INTR.pdf">House Bill 1038</a> would move many of the municipal elections held in off, odd numbered years to even numbered years. It appears that they aren't all moving to the same year. Some offices would be moving to the Presidential year and others would be moving to the non-presidential year.<br />
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Personally, I'd like to see Mayor in one election cycle and have the municipal legislative body in the next cycle. That way one can serve as a referendum on the other.<br />
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But one bill I don't see being proposed in the general assembly, or elsewhere, is the elimination of publicly funded primaries.<br />
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I think many people mistake primaries as some sort of election where one candidate goes up against another (or ore) candidate of the same party, they duke it out, and whoever gets the nomination goes on to face the other nominated candidates in November.<br />
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What primaries actually are a system designed for the benefit of a political party, which is supposed to be a private organization with its own rules and regulating laws. Political organizations should have full and complete control over who they nominate. I believe these organizations can efficiently nominate candidates in a low cost way without the public having to dig out the massive amount of resources to pull off a public election in which not one public official is actually elected.<br />
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Some people may scoff at this idea but it is the exact same system that is often used to fill political vacancies. It is also by the major parties of Indiana to nominate candidates for all of their state-wide office candidates besides Governor. The minor parties that are recognized in Indiana also decide their candidates by a political convention.<br />
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And a number of states do this as well when nominating for President. They are called the "caucus" states. Yes, the Democratic and Republican parties of Iowa actually pay for their caucus.<br />
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So can we have that discussion, Indiana?Blog Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15900497671781531454noreply@blogger.com2