Stephanie Yarian is a student at IUPUI and is currently taking a public policy class. This year's election is naturally a topic of classroom discussion. When she learned that Democrats were appointing Andre Carson to fill the vacancy created by the forced resignation of Councilor Patrice Abduallah (D) and he was facing no Republican opponent, she decided she would launch her own independent race for the 15th District council seat. When she attempted to file as a write-in candidate in Marion Co. Clerk Beth White's office, she was told she was ineligible to run as an independent because she missed the July 3 deadline. "I am disturbed by this because Andre Carson, who replaced Patrice Abduallah on August 28th as 15th District City County Council person due his to forced resignation, did not file as a candidate before this deadline either, but was selected by a political party’s precinct committee, not the constituents of the 15th District," Yarian said.
Welcome to Marion County politics, Stephanie. It really is worse than it seems because Marion Co. Clerk Beth White's office knew Patrice Abduallah was ineligible to either hold his council seat or run as a candidate for re-election in the 15th District because his statement of candidacy declared he no longer lived in his district. Yet, this same office which denied you the opportunity because of the deadline set out in the law, ignored a law declaring a council member's seat vacant when the member moves out of his district. Further, since Abduallah's seat legally became vacant last January, Democrats also missed the statutory deadline for replacing Abduallah's name on the ballot.
"If Mr. Carson is allowed to run uncontested this election cycle, a travesty of democracy will be committed, and the citizens of the 15th District will not be able to vote for a candidate of their choice or be represented appropriately in the City County Council," Yarian astutely observes. You see, Stephanie, these folks don't care about fairness or choices in who we elect to represent us in government. It's all about raw political power and helping one's self. The laws which apply to you and I do not apply to this arrogant, ruling elite. Unfortunately, the opposing parties, Republican or Libertarian, don't care enough to challenge the ruling party for ignoring a basic premise in our form of government that nobody is above the law. John Adams' idea that we are "a government of laws and not of men" never occurred to these folks, as sad as that may be for you to hear. And the news media, which is supposed to keep a watchful eye to prevent this sort of thing from happening, is nowhere to be found.
34 comments:
If in January Councilor Patrice Abduallah declared he did not live in the district - where did he vote during the primary ? Did he go to his old polling site and vote or to his new polling site ? Can a regular citizen find out this information ?
Did he do a Transfer Registration
You must transfer your registration if
* Anytime you move from one residence to another
* Anytime you have a change of name
Or did he fill out a
Affidavits of Voter Transfer Within 30 days before the Election
If you are registered and move to a new precinct in Indiana within 30 days of an election, you may complete an Affidavit of Voter Transfer at the Marion County Board of Voter Registration or at your former polling site. You will then be able to vote at the precinct where you formerly lived.
If he did none of the above and he voted in his old precinct is that considered fraud ?
i would think she has grounds for legal action. Any attorney want to help her out??
Mike, Patrice was still registered at the Sheffield Avenue address, although his statement of candidacy stated the Warman Avenue address outside the district. Presumably, he voted in the old precinct. We know he was still serving as precinct committeeman when his successor was chosen because he cast a vote at the caucus. If he had changed his voter registration, he wouldn't have been able to vote for himself. The discrepancy in the two addresses was caught by the clerk's office. Although they raised the issue with him, they chose to do nothing about it. Instead, they became co-conspirators in his effort to defraud the people of the 15th district. If I hadn't made a stink this summer about him not living in the district, he would still be on the council and on the ballot.
If he "moved" from Sheffield to Warmen by his candidacy papers should he have not filled out a Transfer Registration form also at some point ?
If I move from the west side to the east side more than a month before an election and I do not do anything for a new voter registration card then I can just drive across town and vote at my old site and it is all legal ?
I guess Stephanie Yarian could mount a write in campaign at each poling site ?dpzjqvy
No. One must pre-register to mount a write-in campaign.
you could write in "Robert M. Knight" and get chuckles from the poll inspector and clerks but that vote won't count.
Look, Gary...the Patrice situation has been handled. It's old news.
And trying to link that to the inability of this lady to get her Independent candidacy validated, is lacking in substance, if Indiana law is any indication.
Indiana law requires the Independent or write-in candidates to meet a filing deadline, too.
I happen to think it's an oppressive deadline. But hell, voting or running for office in Indiana is oppressive. Ergo Voter ID.
All "solutions" to Indiana voting "problems" are overkill.
Your gripe, and her gripe, is with the legislature.
Familiar refrain, isn't it?
It'll change when we demand that it change. But brains are not in abundance at the Statehouse. Not when folks like Woody Burton, Phil Hinkle, Bill Cochran, Jim Lewis and Lindel Hume walk around unmedicated. Or worse yet, as leadership.
And unchecked.
"Look, Gary...the Patrice situation has been handled. It's old news."
That's precisely the attitude I disdain. So what if Beth White's office broke the law. It's old news. I agree that the law doesn't permit this young lady to run as an independent candidate at this time. That's not the point. The law has been broken repeatedly to ensure the candidate Democrats want on the ballot is allowed to appear on the ballot.
Meanwhile, the Grand Old Party just lies there in the fetal position, not doing a thing about the clearly illegal actions of the democrats in Marion County.
No wonder we are losing every election.
The Republicans did not deign to file anybody in District 15 for the Primary.
The Republicans did not deign to appoint a candidate in District 15 before July 3rd.
Why did the Republicans not deign to give voters a choice in District 15?
Now the Republicans are crying "foul" because of their own inaction? Sheeesh!!!
Hats off to Stefanie for having the chutzpah to try and challenge this political shell game in the CCC. It's good to know there are young people (egads, did I say that?!!) who are engaged in the political process. You'll learn a lot (mostly what NOT to do) by watching Indiana politics. Good luck to you!
"Now the Republicans are crying "foul" because of their own inaction? Sheeesh!!!"
I think that "whoosh" we all heard was the point going over Wilson's head. Read the comment at 7:06, and try again.
With Wilson's logic one could say those who decide not to rob the bank apparently do not want the money.
Breaking the rules is still breaking the rules; even if it's your own party doing it. And Wilson, you never answered my question on another posting about supporting Gray when you know he's crooked.
"Wilson, you never answered my question on another posting about supporting Gray when you know he's crooked."
Problem is, to the other side Gray is not crooked. He's a hardworking individual doing the people's work.
"Problem is, to the other side Gray is not crooked. He's a hardworking individual doing the people's work."
It seems the real problem is defining what exactly Gray does for the people, huh?
Still learned a good lesson (and a good lesson for those in the class): Marion Co. should be avoided like the plague. Once you get the degree, get the hell out. That is of course unless your one of the "choose ones." You know, someone who can get a job on IMPD or the fire department because of connections. Or someone who can get a make work job doing something for $60K+/year.
Rumor is Bart is going to push for a commuter tax. Before he pushed for such a tax, maybe he should clean up the waste and corruption which has caused the city/county to come into money problems.
Anonymous (of course) said: Once you get the degree, get the hell out. That is of course unless your one of the "choose ones."
It looks like Anonymous still hasn't completed his G.E.D.!
I wonder if Andre Carson is even eligible to be on the ballot. Since Abduallah became ineligible in January, but was still on the primary ballot, does that mean the Dems gave up their spot on the ballot along with Abduallah by not filing for another candidate (ie. Carson) by the deadline?
This argument isn’t so much about political parties, but democracy itself. People have become complacent in America (especially in Indianapolis) and aren’t exercising their rights and responsibilities. The Founding Fathers gave us the right to vote for our leaders, and it is our responsibility to do so. In this case, that is not what is happening.
Government in Indianapolis is becoming tyrannical when the elite (ie. a political party’s caucus) are choosing who will be in office.
Let’s all hope that the judicial branch of Indiana government takes a hard look at this issue and calls for a special election, so that the people of the 15th District can have a voice in the City County Council.
Gary, I can't find any law that was broken when the clerk's office asked Patrice about his residency.
The candidacy forms explicitly state the signing candidate assumes all responsibility for the information provided.
Now, it was not very smart for her office to get involved at that level. Complete hands-off would've been smarter. But it not illegal. If stupid were illegal, we'd have 4 state representatives instead of 100.
But the prize for the year goes to Grover. I've been reading this blog for almost two years, and the smartest, most convincing argument I have ever read came in Grover's post:
"With Wilson's logic one could say those who decide not to rob the bank apparently do not want the money."
Genius. You took Wilson's typical response to any situation and reworded the logic beautifully.
Give him a kewpie doll, Gary.
Sadly, it simply seems some Republicans look at election to the Council as an opportunity to rob the bank.
Wilson, first, you are banned from this blog.
Next, there is no more glaring example of corruption than Monroe Gray's election to the city council and then being given by the mayor an $83k city job on the fire dept payroll & city car WITH NO RESPONSIBILITY!
Indiana law calls this Ghost Employment and Official Misconduct, both are felony crimes!
P. S. Go trespass thru the tulips on TDW
"Gary, I can't find any law that was broken when the clerk's office asked Patrice about his residency."
In other words, it is perfectly illegal for the Clerk's office to allow a candidate's name to be placed on the ballot knowing full well that the person doesn't qualify to run for that office because his statement of candidacy tells said office he doesn't live in the district. Said candidate is allowed to be nominated and would otherwise have won election and still be a member of the council if I hadn't complained about him not living in his district. What you're saying is that it is perfectly legal for the county clerk's office to defraud the voters of the 15th District by depriving them of an elected representative who resides in their district. I think if you go back and read the statutory duties of the office and recite the oath she took when she was sworn into office, you might come to a different conclusion.
I did read the clerk's oath and statutory duties, Gary...again, stupid or inappropriate isn't illegal.
Wilson, no you DID-ENT say "rob the bank" regarding Republicans for cuoncil, when Monroe Gray is having his city salary garnished for not paying his bills...
Geeeesh.
Speaking of tulips at 11:55am, the anonymouse surely knows of the Cosmo Knights, a golf ball and tulips...
Wilson from the photos I saw of you at the "party" it seems to me you are just there (the dems) little puppet......they tell you what to do and you do it, do they tell you when you go eat, go to the bathroom, and other things. It also seems to me that you are really not into alot of things from the photos as well......but then again.....I am just not for sure what the dems have on you and you are not speaking against them in fear they will release what they have on you.......hmmmmmm......thinking maybe that is it?
If Gary Welsh or Jocelyn Tandy could find anything deleterious against me, Gary would have posted it a long time ago with great enjoyment and relish. He's even had to fabricate patently fraudulent stuff which was easily rebutted.
I am pleasantly retired and beholden to nobody. Some people simply cant imagine political volunteering except for pay or for blackmail. What a pitiful negative life they must live...
Wilson, I saw your name on the TAX DELINQUENCY list (along with many Democrat elected officials)! Like most TAX AND SPEND Democrats...you have no problem TAXING & SPENDING, but do have some difficulty paying your fair share.
Yup - I spaced out on paying $147 which I paid promptly plus 10% penalty when billed this summer. I then also paid the original high 2007 taxes. I own my house outright so I dont have a mortgage escrow on taxes...
This was dealt with months ago but some whiny anonymice cant find anything better.
The funny part is that they'd rather gossip about me instead of Bart Peterson or Monroe Gray. Whose side are they on?
Wilson is a puppet or rather the *itch to the party.
He wasn't allowed INSIDE the fundraiser with the candidates, he had to stay on the porch.
(Even the dems do not think he is fit for the house).
Someone made a remark today that Wilson is the doormat to the Dems.
What an ignorant statement! Of course I was inside at the fundraiser - I took a number of photos of my friends inside there. They didnt allow smoking inside :-) so I spent a lot of time out on the front porch videotaping and photographing the frantic fools trying to harass the invitees.
(How desperate the anonymice are to smear me, a private citizen! Oh well - they cant say much good about Ballard or their candidates so they have to harass other folk.)
Wilson: A reminder that you are banned from this blog.
That said: You are far from a "private citizen"...you are a patsy of the Democrats! As such, your outrageous behavior is subject to blogging.
...and who were your "friends"? I don't think the Democrats see you as a "friend", but as a mere patsy to do their disinformation!!!
Now, trespass thru the tulips on TDW!
Nice pics of Wilson (with commentary) on
http://indyflashover.blogspot.com/
Jocelyn, lots of folks have tiptoed through your tulips!
Wilson: You are BANNED from this blog (and many others)!
GO AWAY!
The IUPUI student should be given credit for trying but the law is the law.....Let's hope it was a learning experience for her. With all of the attorneys who are republicans and if the election laws were violated then why dont they institute legal action. After all, the prosecutor and the attorney general are republicans.
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