Archive for September 4th, 2007

[As we start a new Special Focus on the issue of Local Government Reform in Indiana, the Directors of Hoosier Access would like to welcome a very special guest to kick off our new series, Republican Candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis, Greg Ballard]
By: Greg Ballard

The current administration in Indianapolis has unfortunately become a closed, arrogant government and the people in the Hoosier capital are desperately in need of openness and accountability from its government. The recent tax hikes and the manipulation of the City-County Council meetings received much publicity, but there is clearly a deeper, more ominous trend that must be changed. For example:

- The 2007 budget was submitted by the Mayor and passed by the Democratic majority with blank pages on the summary sheets.

- Also in 2007, many officeholders were offered tickets to the Super Bowl and paid for them, but one City-County Councilman accepted the tickets and had someone else pay for it, refusing to name who paid for it. This same councilman recently resigned from his seat as he knowingly lived outside of his district, voting on many important measures over the past four years.

- On the proposed 2008 budget, Line 390, “Other Services and Charges,” is $65 million, almost 10% of the non-public safety budget. This is up from $6 million in the 2000 budget.

- Lobbyists do not need to be registered with the city and they have almost no laws regarding their behavior.

Clearly, Indianapolis is in need of a more open, honest government. Several proposals need to be enacted here in Indianapolis. Several of them are as follows:

(Read More Below the Fold) (more…)

While John Gizzi of Human Events is thinking that 2008 could be a repeat of 1974 for Congressional Republicans, George Witwer is thinking that ‘08 could turn out to be a statewide 1994. In ‘74 Republicans in Congress saw their numbers drop dramatically. The candidates that they ran for Congress in districts across the nation may have been good individuals, but they weren’t always the best individuals. In ‘94 of course Republicans, led by the brilliant Newt Gingrich, stormed Capitol Hill and gained a majority in the U.S. House.

George Witwer, as you may recall, ran as Stephen Goldsmith’s Lt. Gov. candidate in 1996. Mr. Witwer is also the founder and Chairman of the Opportunity Project of Indiana (OPI). The Opportunity Project focuses on electing conservative Republicans (emphasis on conservative) to state office in Indiana. For several years now they’ve not been as active as they were in the ’90s, however, as the stormy political climate in Indiana continues to rage and heat up, Mr. Witwer is dusting off the Opportunity Project and planning on playing a serious role in the ‘08 cycle.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to talk to Mr. Witwer about his plans for OPI and his thoughts about the upcoming election. He, like just about everyone else, thinks that property taxes will be the defining issue of the statewide ‘08 cycle. No, they are not the only issue, and may not be the most important issue, but they are a high profile example a broader problem of uncontrolled spending and government mismanagement. From school districts to the state budget, spending is on the rise, and now taxes are starting to catch up.

(Read more below the fold) (more…)