It seems Mayor Bart Peterson and the Democrats are upset they are being accused of raising our taxes 19 times. According to the Star, Marion Co. Democratic Party Chairman Mike O'Connor called the claim "balderdash." Let's see, which cartoon has he been watching too much of recently? The Star says it's own analysis "showed that of the 19 increases cited by Republicans, at least four were not tax increases . . ." Okay, so the Mayor and Democratic-controlled council only voted to increase your taxes 15 times. Isn't that sort of like the guy who stood in front of the judge accused of shooting his wife 5 times and said, "But your honor, I only shot her 4 times."
What's even more funny than that is Mayor Peterson's pledge not to raise taxes again. "If re-elected, Peterson said, he would not raise taxes in the next four years because he has solved long-standing problems such as jail overcrowding, a short-staffed prosecutor's office, an underfunded crime lab and unfunded police and fire pensions," the Star reports. "These are problems that have bedeviled Indianapolis for decades, generations in some cases," Peterson said. "We've dealt with these problems now. That's why we don't need tax increases in the future." And how do you plan to pay for that $10 million shortfall needed for the operation of Lucas Oil Stadium?
If you find yourself laughing at all this, so did Greg Ballard. "I think that's ludicrous," he said. "Past performance is an indicator of future performance. That's not even credible." If you believe Peterson won't raise taxes again, you probably think Aaron Haith will recuse himself from matters upon which he has a conflict of interest, Monroe Gray will never visit another pea shake house and Ann DeLaney will tell the truth on Indiana Week In Review.
10 comments:
And did the STAR fact check Petersons latest ads ?
Remember Peterson's War On Abandoned Houses?
In conversation with the Health and Hospital who handle unsafe abandoned houses in this town, I was told their budget was slashed, people were let go and their was ZERO money in their budgets to deal with the 11,000 plus abandoned house in this town. In fact, Bart pulled their city vehicles out from underneath them so they get to drive their own cars into these hellholes.
All board up work is done by outside contactors at higher cost.
My eastside block started with one abandoned house a year ago and now has 9 and the Mayor still says he wants to better neighborhoods?
He's a goddam liar!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Indianapolis Star checks facts about as good as a fly by night broker that would recommend I buy stock in Gannett
"But your Honor, my client only cut the victim's throat. It's not like he stabbed him".
O'Conner's a piece of work isn't he?
Interesting Irvington meeting last night. A soap box forum, candidates from District 21, At large, and mayoral got to speak. Ballard and Fred Petreson were there. It was pretty much the same spiel until Rozelle Boyd got up to speak. He must have studied a political history slogan handbook. Dont change horses in midstream was one chestnut, and you know what you have in us, dont settle for a pig in a poke, the last which was accompanied by an excruciating historical explanation.
One of the GOP at larges Hegg then delivered a rebuttal. He reminded the audience of what we have in our current at larges, including a 9K salary enlargement attempt by Boyd, all 4 councilors steadfastly refusing to allow an ethics investigation and then finding religion in the last week of the campaign, as well as reminding one and all of the councilors refusal to acknowledge or respect a union, the FOP, when the recent CIOT was justified as benefitting public safety, including that groups largest union.
I spoke with him after, and although I was at first upset with negative talk on his part, he made me re-think my stance. He said it was his duty as a challenger to give the voters an informed historical background as to the current seats holders, and that up until now, his debates had initially started with Boyd etc as polite, but as the season has worn on, the councilors had increasingly gotten edgy and making sniping and insulting remarks. None of what he said was a lie, and I admired the candor, especially since his campaign hasnt received any particular attention from the GOP. He has my vote, and I think we can do better than who currently rpresents the county.
Boyd IS tired old slogans!
Boyd is tired old slogans--I agree. But Mr. Hegg needs a fact check regarding the FOP.
And you might be interested to know that over ten of those tax increases passed by huge margins, relatively routine matters, with huge Republican support.
But let's not let facts get in the way.
Why not? The facts get in the way of reporters of the Indianapolis Star.
I just got in from door to door campaigning and posting yard signs, and saw this thread.
First, 1:18am, Thank you, I remember our chat last night and its true, the Democrat At-Large councilors mood has reflected a pendulum swinging away from the support they enjoy from the public. I, Ed Coleman, Barbara Malone and Kent Smith have engaged the incumbent councilors on 5 seperate occasions. At first, their attitude towards us was of a benevolent, polite but patronizing attitude..sort of a 'good luck (you'll need it)' As the campaign has unfolded however, their demeanor has gotten progressively more defensive and belligerent, culminating in the "pigs in a poke" comment. I sat there, aghast, because none of us Republicans or Libertarian Tim Maguire have taken a low road, and believe me, with this groups record of hoorible legislation and some of their personal conduct, it would have been like aiming at fish in a barrel. After that insulting comment, made in a predominantly Democrat neighborhood (Irvington), I responded, and filled in a few blanks with some information people might not have know about Boyd, Conley, Gibson, and Sanders (I dont like lumping her in this category, as I genuinely believe that Joann carries herself in a much more palatable, respectful to the public demeanor). Comments I made included an attempted $9,000 pay raise authored by Boyd for "dry cleaning expenses" as its sole justification; I mentioned the fact that all 4 councilors and their caucus steadfastly blocked attempts to fully investigate Monroe Gray, and then found religion a week before the election; and touched upon the fact that the COIT 65% increase which they defended as being for public safety was done while ignoring several Democrat police officers in a blatantly rude and disrespectful ignoring of the largest public safety union in Marion County, the Fraternal Order of Police. That included Mayor Bart Peterson. I'll touch more on that in a minute. The upshot though was that I was able to weave the fact that our team of GOP At-Large candidates would not insult the publics intelligence and sensibiliities with such blatant hypocrisy and self serving legislation.
I could have been a LOT more incisive, particularly with Gibson and Conley, but I didnt. For one thing, there was a 3-minute time limit, and for another, I thought I would let them have their dignity. Let me tell one and all that after the meeting, I was there for over almost an hour answering questions about my comments. I gave them research material which justified every historical account I mentioned, and it was well received, earning a few Democrat votes! Its nice to have the truth on ones side.
7:11pm... let me reassure you that I did check my facts, with FOP President Sullican and PAC chair Paul Scott: Of all 15 Democrat councilors, only 2 bothered to submit their FOP candidate questionnaire and schedule and interview with the FOP PAC committee: Sherron Franklin and Mary Moriarty-Adams. One of those FOP gentleman told me that Adams stated at her interview that her caucus thought she was fool-hardy and brave to go throught the endorsement process. This alone shows one and all their attitude towards public safety and law enforcement in particular, the gateway and largest organization to public safety. Too bad there are several Democrat officers whose elected councilors thought those men and women werent worthy of their time and respect...but the councilors wont hesitate to use them as a justification for increased tax spending which isnt guaranteed for public safety. Read the ordinance, I did. It's NOT guaranteed.
Finally, 7:11, although several Republicans did in fact vote on several of those 15 tax increases, the fact which no one can deny is that the councils' agenda is ran by the majority, the Democratic party. They cannot deny responsibility for their 'juice' and how they use it, and to mention the Republican councilors voting for the tax increases is, I'm sorry to say, a deflection at best.
We deserve better representation from our legislative body. I am confident that we the people of Marion County agree, and will make that happen on November 6th.
Respectfully,
Michael Hegg
(R) At-Large, City County Council candidate
www.mikeforindy.com
Anon 7:11pm,
If your gonna talk the fact game be specific otherwise your nothing but blow. As far as huge Republican support, since when did the R's take over the CCC? I believe they havent been in charge for awhile and most of their requests to do anything such as an Ethics investigation gets shot down by the Dems.
That is a fact.
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