Archive for the ‘Local Government’ Category

Returning from a vacation in the Baltimore suburbs and seeing this article was rather timely

The WSJ article HERE describes in very good detail how Baltimore got in the “city wide ghetto” shape its in now. Cities like Indianapolis could have gone down this road easily if Bart Peterson were allowed continued rule unchecked by an unruly City-County Council led by Monroe “Sweet Pea” Gray.

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This week, a local developer and the City of Bloomington clashed in small claims court over “one or two balloons” affixed to a leasing sign at MeadowCreek apartments. The city’s planning department ruled the balloons to be “illegal temporary signage”, and ordered Renaissance Rentals to pay $952 for the violations, or one percent of the potential fine of $95,200. For its part, Renaissance Rentals claims the balloons were a decoration, not a sign. Before we go further, let’s look at the offending signage, thanks to the street view feature of Google Maps.

Seriously? $95,000 for this? You’re kidding, right?

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Yet another Council meeting is upon us and I’ll be there to live blog it tonight, from the Chambers of the Council. Meeting starts at 7 PM.

The preliminary agenda is posted HERE

6:48 PM - The Republican councilors are in the chamber with a couple exceptions. As usual none of the Democrats are in chambers yet. They typically don’t arrive until the last possible second. The MSM is lined up in front of the Public Assembly Room anticipating an appearance by Doris Minton-McNeill. So far no word if she will appear at the council meeting tonight.

6:52 PM - The Dems are slowly making their way into the chamber. Vernon Brown is the first to arrive.

6:55 PM - Doris Minton-McNeill is present in the Council Chamber. Ms. Minton-McNeill passed by my location saying to Kim King of Fox 59 “No Comment”.

6:59 PM - Prayer led by Councilor Janice McHenry’s pastor. Pledge led by a former student of Councilor McHenry. Attendance recorded, Angela Mansfield is reported as sick by Council President Bob Cockrum. Doris Minton-McNeill brought her 29th Ward Organization to the Council Chamber in a show of support for their councilor.

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There is an Indianapolis Marion County City-County Council meeting tonight at 7 PM at the CCB. I plan to be there to live blog the meeting.

6:50 PM - I’m in place, plugged in and ready to go. Councilor Ed Coleman came by and told me to keep an eye out for a proposal tonight. He didn’t share which one but he’d let me know…. this should be interesting.

The Agenda (not the uhgender) is posted HERE. I see there is a Proposal 265 recommending the Indianapolis Airport Authority add the old name of the Airport to the new terminal so it will be named “Indianapolis Weir Cook International Airport”. Lots of older generation folks remember Weir Cook was the original Indianapolis Airport.

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Unfortunately there will not be a live blog of the City-County Council meeting. With a prior $DAYJOB commitment and a special Hoosier Access Radio presentation forthcoming I couldn’t make the Council Meeting. I’m watching like everyone else on Channel 16.

But the Democrats with Monroe “Sweet Pea” Gray are not disappointing. Ummm uhhhhh duhhhhh mmmmm errrr durrrrrrrr Anyone care to translate that mess?

*Adam Longworth was able to attend Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s first State of the City Speech.  Since no one else who contributes here was able to attend, Adam volunteered to offer his impressions of the speech.*

Well last night was quite the interesting experience as far as speeches go. Although this was my first state of the city address that I would be viewing personally I have seen a few like them, and thus had a reasonable expectation of what to expect-or so I thought. I traveled to union station with Ponytail Paul and Kent Morgan and we arrived about 20 minutes before the speech began. Of course, this being a Republican mayor, there were plenty of Republicans there for me to rub elbows with. And I did with gusto.

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Hoosier Access groupie and contributor to the Weird Pro Blogger Hour on Hoosier Access Radio, Adam Longworth, is attending the Mayor’s State of the City Address at Union Station in Downtown Indianapolis. It appears it will not be live on Channel 16 (cable) but most likely taped and played at a later time.

Adam will provide a post-Address wrap-up here later tonight and if any spectacular announcements are made at the Address Adam will text one of us and we’ll post it up here.

The Agenda (not the “uhgender”) is posted HERE (Adobe Reader required). Meeting starts at 7 PM.

6:53 PM - The crowd is assembling in the Public Assembly Room. Several veterans including Warren Township’s own Pony Tail Paul Cauley.

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Monroe Gray was finally supposed to get his day under the spotlight from the Investigative Committee on Ethics of the City-County Council. It never happened. What gives? Turns out, it got delayed to another day and time. How, under a Republican controlled council, does this happen? Democrat Councilman William Oliver did his best to move it behind closed doors and out of public view, if not stall it outright with selected readings from Robert’s Rules of Order. Clever, Councilman Oliver. Very clever. Check out the footage from the committee hearing.

(H/T to the people with Bart Lies)

Okay, I admit it: I’m working on some other things but I want to get a blog post in so I’m copy-and-pasting from a campaign’s press release.  The major difference between a Hoosier Access blogger copy-and-paste and another bloggers copying-and-pasting is that we’re honest enough to tell you about it.

Bob Lee, Allen County Treasurer and Candidate for State Representative in District 85 has endorsed Fort Wayne City Purchasing Director Jim Howard for County Council At-Large.  “County Council will likely be asked to do more with less in the coming years,” said Lee.  “Jim’s fiscally conservative values combined with his proven record in local government will serve the citizens of Allen well on County Council.  I feel Jim has the skills necessary to make tough decisions by weighing competing interests for limited resources and make well thought out and fairly administered fiscal decisions for the taxpayers of Allen County.  Jim Howard is the right person at the right time to serve on the Allen County Council.” 

“I am honored to receive this support from Bob Lee who is a trusted and respected county official,” said Jim Howard.  “I will work hard on behalf of Allen County taxpayers on the County Council as I take the same fiscal conservative leadership to council meetings that I take to work every day to save tax dollars and make good decisions to run efficient government.”    

As City Purchasing Director, Howard has oversight of $100 million of city purchases every year.  Howard is credited with saving the city of Fort Wayne over $2 million over the past few years by employing unique practices of increasing competition, bundling purchase, and working with the schools and the county to buy fuel and energy needs.

Do you ever picture State Dem. Chairman Dan Parker hunched over his desk, like Mr. Burns from the Simpson’s, cursing every time a Republican keeps a campaign promise? That’s really all he can do as his third tier candidates for Governor duke it out while Governor Daniels continues to keep his campaign pledges from 2004. Not that I need to remind what they are, but here goes: daylight savings, streamlining state government through privatization, bringing in more business into the state (while other state have them fleeing) and now he’s dealing with our out of whack property tax problem.

And if that’s not a hard enough kick to the posterior, Indy Mayor Greg Ballard continues to work at fulfilling his campaign promises. First, he brought IMPD back under control of the mayor’s office. Next on his list? Increasing the transparency of city government.

From the Indy Star:

Ballard last year ran on a platform in part dedicated to the notion that government dealings should be more transparent, and his reform package is aimed at fulfilling that campaign promise.

Ballard was quoted as saying “Government is not supposed to be a closed loop. Who is getting contracts and who is lobbying should be open to everybody.”

Of course, all Parker can do is try to throw something on the wall to see if it sticks when it comes to attacking the Mayor, which is exactly what he did just after Mayor Ballard assumed control of IMPD.

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I’m at the Indianapolis City-County Council Meeting live blogging for Hoosier Access tonight. The Democrats are very slow in making a presence in the Council chambers. President Cockrum called the GOP councilors to their seats at 6:57, it is now 7:00 PM and the Democrats are slowly making their way to their seats.

Doesn’t appear to be a whole lot on the agenda. Councilors Mansfield and Dane Mahern are absent.

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