"The issues facing Indianapolis- seniors losing their homes to pay rising taxes, out of control crime, uncontrolled government spending- all require the attention of a full-time mayor," said Ballard. "I pledge that I will not neglect Indianapolis for political gain and will refrain from seeking another office as mayor and will definitely serve a full term. I ask Bart Peterson make the same commitment to Indianapolis and the citizens because they deserve nothing less."
"If Mayor Peterson won't commit to fulfilling four full years of his third term, voters need to know now because that would mean that the next mayor of Indianapolis would be hand picked by Democratic Party officials, not voters," said Ballard.
The pledge question is based on speculation Peterson really wants to move on to something bigger in D.C. or elsewhere, particularly if his former boss, Evan Bayh, manages to make it on to the national Democratic ticket next year and gets himself elected Vice President. Even if Peterson pledges to serve a full, four-year term, it will be an empty promise. Bill Clinton made a similar pledge to Arkansas voters the last time he was re-elected as governor and then conveniently disgarded it to run for president. Guys like Clinton and Peterson always put their personal, self-interest above the public interest. If Peterson were to get re-elected and then resign the mayor's office, you can expect Democrats to hand the office to Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell.
UPDATE: Peterson is now saying he will serve a full term if re-elected. "I'm enthusiastically and unequivocally pledging I will serve a full four-year term if I m elected Nov. 6," Peterson told the Star. Of course, he also told us he wouldn't raise taxes to solve the city's budget problems when he first ran for mayor but we now know he didn't keep that promise.
36 comments:
So now the GOP candidate wants the Democrat Mayor to pledge not to do exactly what all 3 Republican Mayors did?
Longtime Indianapolis residents recall that all three of Bart's Republican predecessors (Lugar, Hudnut and Goldsmith) all ran unsuccessfully for higher office whilst they were Mayor themselves. They all were perfectly willing to ditch Indianapolis voters! The rest of the state thwarted their ambitions...
Lugar lost to Birch Bayh when he tried it in '74 (Watergate), Hudnut lost to Joe Hogsett in '90 and Goldsmith lost to O'Bannon in '96. Each of their losses were attributable to Marion County voters abandoning them in droves. Peterson has already ruled out running for governor. This is about him resigning to accept an appointment in D.C.
The anti-Peterson fishing expedition is getting old, Gary.
Then don't read his blog anymore 12:53.
If Peterson were to get re-elected and then resign the mayor's office, you can expect Democrats to hand the office to Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell.
Wow. Damn those Democrats for following state law. I'll bet those legislators who wrote that law years ago were just pawns for Julia Carson. After all, she's behind everything! Woo... Scary!
C'mon, stick to the facts. Indiana law says if a mayor can't fulfill his duties it goes to the head of the city council unless the city has standing deputy mayors. We do. They even have it spelled out as to which deputy mayor it passes to in order... Look it up.
Oh - and of course Ballard is saying he won't run for anything else. He couldn't get elected to a prominent office! If Daniels won't even push him for Mayor of Indy, do you think he's gonna suggest him for Senator or Representative? I highly doubt it.
Gee, Gary. I would think you would know the law of the land in Indiana.
State law says that the president of the city council shall become mayor if the mayor cannot do his job and cannot name a deputy.
In Indianapolis, we have standing positions for deputy mayors and it is the chief deputy who, by law, fills the spot. There is no "choice" here except the choice the mayor made when he named his chief deputy mayor.
So, in some sense you are right, Democrats will choose the mayor if Bart Peterson cannot fulfill his term, but that choice will have been made by only one Democrat, Bart Peterson...
And just for the record, last time I checked, John Dillon was the chief deputy. Unless Peterson names a new deputy after his inauguration, Dillon would most likely fill the mayor's seat if he were to leave.
Google "indianapolis mayor succession" or just go find the 2004 executive order on Indygov. It's always the first EO of each mayor's term.
Campbell is being touted for mayor by Democratic insiders. There is a reason he is being put out front to speak on behalf of the mayor instead of his press secretary.
To turn your Clinton argument back at you, could it not be said that Clinton actually had an even greater public interest at heart when he chose to run for President? I mean, if he truly wanted to make as big a difference as possible for ALL people, then wouldn't it make sense to go for the job where you can try to accomplish that? Same with Lugar in '74, Hudnut in '90 or Goldsmith in '96.
Also, when did "self-interest" become such a dirty word? Why is there such a double standard between the private sector and public sector when it comes to serving one's self interest?
I am not going to bash Ballard for his ability to get elected, or lack thereof. That is truly for voters to decide. They will. And the IndyU crowd--all eight of them-- will then have to find another ridiculous campaign.
I just didn't expect to see it on this blog--so often. Elections sometimes put folks' emotions on edge. This, too, shall pass.
Indpls Star: 3:33 PM September 26, 2007
Mayor candidates say they'll serve full term
Looks like whomever is elected Indianapolis mayor on Nov. 6 will stay mayor for a full four-year term.
Republican mayoral candidate Greg Ballard this morning said he'd serve a full term, and challenged Democrat incumbent Mayor Bart Peterson to make the same pledge.
Which he did.
"I'm enthusiastically and unequivocally pledging I will serve a full four-year term if I m elected Nov. 6," Peterson said.
Ballard had speculated that Peterson could end up in Washington, noting that Peterson formerly worked for Sen. Evan Bayh when Bayh was governor. Bayh's endorsement of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for president has fueled talk that Bayh could end up on a national ticket with Clinton.
"We cannot have a mayor who has his eyes somewhere else," Ballard said.
Peterson said he is a big fan of Bayh, and hopes he does become vice president.
But, he said, "I really don't want to go to Washington. Let me back up. I don't want to go to Washington. I do not want to and I will not."
This is another non-issue. Another pledge from a politician, either one of them? That's worth about as much as a nickel glued to a manhole cover. If either got in office and was given the opportunity to do something better either would jump at it regardless of 'pledges.' Just like some 'pledge' no more taxes? Just like some 'pledge' to fight crime and give police/fire decent contracts? Or 'pledge' to declare war on abandoned houses? Or 'pledge' to run a transparent campaign and then not disclose financing/fundraising until he has to? Puh-lease...
Wilson, Peterson is known for "stretching the truth" a bit. Will he sign a document stating that IF he runs for another office, he will resign as Mayor first? Or if he appointed to another office, (congress when Julia Carson succumbs to her dementia), that he will decline?
My guess is NO.
Dementia obviously hasn't stopped the anonymous nobodies from commenting here.
Is this the section that covers vacancy in the Indianapolis mayor's office--isn't this the same process used for Councilman Patrice Abduallah?
IC 3-13-8-1
Vacancy in office last held by person elected or selected as candidate of major political party
Sec. 1. A vacancy in a city office (other than judge of a city court) that was last held by a person elected or selected as a candidate of a major political party of the state shall be filled by a caucus under IC 3-13-11.
As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.10-1988, SEC.195.
anon 6:24, I thought the chief deputy mayor only served until the caucus met and selected his replacement. In the mayor's press release on his executive order following Gov. O'Bannon's death, he writes, "If the office of mayor were vacant due to death, resignation, removal from office, incapacitation for more than six months or ceasing to be a county resident, the chief deputy mayor would become mayor."
IC 3-13-11-12 reads: "the chief deputy employee of the office that is vacant assumes the duties of that office for the period of time between when a vacancy occurs and when the office is filled under this chapter in a circuit, county, city, town, or township office."
Why is Ballard even trying to make this an issue....thebigwigs in his own party dont support him....he cant possibly win on his $10,000 budget.
Why ask for a pledge if when you get it, you call the person making it a liar....does that make any sense....If you truly think the mayor is liar then dont ask him to make a pledge. Personally I believe him.
"he cant possibly win on his $10,000 budget"
Piss off. He's getting that much in a single fundraiser.
anon 10:36...then let him reveal this big bucks flowing into his campaign coffers.....
A friend of mine who works for the county GOP told me Tom John told the staff to forget the mayor's race and just focus on the council races. Ballard doesn't have enough money to buy TV or radio spots.
Hmmmm. Piss off?
Looks like the Ballard folks have lost their patience.
Hint; it's a marathon, not a sprint, fellas. A pledge today, a promise next week, campaign reports Oct. 20, press conferences weekly...you get the drift.
Tom John is a closet Peterson supporter.
10K in a fundraiser?
He needs about 10K a day from here on out to mount a credible campaign.
Its over.
Watch the Channel 8 story. Opens with "Greg Ballard failed today..." Ends with "It amounts to a swing and a miss for Greg Ballard.
Sorta like his entire campaign.
Your loyalty to Greg Ballard is nice, Gary, but this non-issue is lame. Stick to taxes, crime, and general government performance - I'm not saying that I agree with your position on these, but at least they're actual issues of actual concern to actual voters.
"He needs about 10K a day from here on out to mount a credible campaign."
Alert Beth White she can cancel the election, not that she's capable of running one.
Hey, don't forget about Bill Clinton and Teddy Kennedy for distractions from the feeble and faltering GOP mayoral campaign! Surely you can milk Monica for a few more years?
Fort Wayne Democrat said, "Your loyalty to Greg Ballard is nice, Gary, but this non-issue is lame. Stick to taxes, crime, and general government performance - I'm not saying that I agree with your position on these, but at least they're actual issues of actual concern to actual voters."
I think it should be a concern of voters whether their elected official plans to serve out a full term. In Indiana we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of public officials bailing out on their elective offices mid-term. Look at how many legislators quit this year alone, allowing a handful of people to handpick their legislator. It's a fair question to ask a candidate these days.
Case in point: 5 of the 25 district councilors (excluding at-large) on the CCC were appointed to fill out terms of members who resigned. Twenty percent are unelected.
What the heck happened? More democrats have posted comments to this post than I have seen in the few months I have been following the blog. Any chance the Peterson campaign has assigned people to flame the blogs because of their effectiveness?
Mayor Peterson's pledge means nothing.
Ballard has nothing to do with Peterson being labeled a "LIAR", that was all Peterson's doing.
Ballard isn’t involved with HFHIG. I’ve never seen Ballard at our meetings, he has never met with us.
Ballard isn't calling Peterson a liar get your facts straight. The citizens of Indy are. Why? because he is a LIAR.
"Case in point: 5 of the 25 district councilors (excluding at-large) on the CCC were appointed to fill out terms of members who resigned. Twenty percent are unelected."
Steve Talley - rewarded for the IMPD vote with a city job - replaced by Paul Bateman
Greg Bowes - elected County Ass. - Replaced by Cherrish Pryor
Earl Salisbury - resigned - replaced by Bob Lutz
Patrice Abduallah - Resigned for improper residency - Replaced by Andre Carson
Jim Bradford - resigned - replaced by Ryan Vaughn
3 Democrats, 2 Republicans.
Didn't a couple Dem state AG's resign to take jobs in the private sector? Jeff Modisett comes to mind, and I thought Karen Freeman-Wilson did also.
"I think it should be a concern of voters whether their elected official plans to serve out a full term."
That is my point. Of course you think that the voters should care, otherwise you wouldn't have posted this on your blog (which I really enjoy, by the way.)
But my point is that they don't. These sorts of things may matter to the political junkies such as ourselves who spend way too much time engrossed in such detail - but to the average person who is worried about their family, their job, their carpool, their yard, their mother-in-law, the Colts, etc., it's just doesn't make the list of things to bother about.
Those are just my two cents.
Or I should say, "...it just doesn't make the list..."
Sorry about poor editing.
"What the heck happened? More democrats have posted comments to this post than I have seen in the few months I have been following the blog. Any chance the Peterson campaign has assigned people to flame the blogs because of their effectiveness?"
That's exactly what's going on. They're doing it all over the blogs and especially on the indystar talkback. Keep up the fight against the disinformation people. And make a donation to Ballard's campaign!
"the average person who is worried about their family, their job, their carpool, their yard, their mother-in-law, the Colts, etc."
You left out #1 with "average people" --- TAXES! April 15th is a big day on everyone's calendar. Every homeowner knows about their property taxes, and frankly so should renters but renters don't see that number its built into their rent.
The only thing Peterson has done consistantly as mayor is lie. Why should we assume this so called pledge would be different from past prevarications?
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