The Indianapolis City-County Council decided to send Proposal 124 sponsored by Councilor Joanne Sanders back to committee. It proposes to re-appoint embattled former Counsel to the Council Aaron Haith to the Indianapolis Housing Agency Board. "I applaud the decision of the Council Majority to not let individuals with questionable ethics backgrounds to serve on Boards and Commissions," Marion Co. GOP Chairman Tom John said in a press release this evening. "Mayor Greg Ballard and our Republican Council members were elected to restore the public's faith in local government and return Indianapolis and Marion County to the highest ethical standards possible," he continued. "I further applaud the efforts and Mayor Ballard and the Republican Caucus to bring fresh faces and perspective to their appointments to these Boards and Commissions. I encourage our friends on the other side of the aisle to follow their lead."
In other action, the Council approved tonight a proposal which will require Marion Co. Clerk Beth White's office to make available online campaign finance reports filed by candidates for local office. Only those candidates who are required to file their campaign finance reports with the Marion Co. Election Board will be covered by Proposal 143.
16 comments:
Contrary to Tom John's press release, I'm seeing anything but "fresh faces" with Ballard's appointments. Anne Shane? Bob Grand? Give me a break. Those are Republican retreads who have been around for years. They are firmly entrenched in the Old Guard Republican camp and have no appeal beyond baseline Republican voters, if that. News flash: Republicans no longer have a majority in Marion County.
If Ballard wants to win re-election he needs to throw away the old Marion County Republican playbook and appoint people who are independent-minded and not afraid of challenging the status quo, people who have appeal outside of Republican baseline voters. So far Ballard has not gotten the message.
Flynn, He's appointing Darla Williams as an environmental hearing officer. As I recall, she held the same position at one point in Bart Peterson'a administration. I witnessed her attacking Mayor Ballard face to face at the 7th District slating convention for not appointing enough black women to positions in his administration. As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
AI, good point. I'm going to stay optimistic for awhile longer when it comes to Ballard. I just saw some of the the Old Guard apointed and became naseauted. Of course, DW's in a very low level appointed position. When he appoints some independent-minded (dare I say "maverick"?)Republicans to leadership positions, I'll be happier he's trying to shake things up in city government.
Your attack on the professionality of Aaron Haith is unwarranted. I have known him for several years and he is quite bright. It is one thing to have political differences with someone but another to attack their ethics and competence.
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The Council made the right decision
in this situation.
Tom John's comments however could be accurate, but coming from a partisan like him they seem disingenuous. Party chairs, from both sides, should not politicize good government business.
John's comments ARE NOT HELPFUL FOR OUR CITY and show that he is more interested in trying to score political points than build a better city.
I am confident that Tom John's comments do not reflect the attitudes of the best of our City County Councilors.
It would have been nice to have seen bipartisan comments from both sides of the aisle supporting this decision.
Tom John seems to think it passes the smell test for Ballard to appoint Grand to the Capital Improvement Board and to promote Councillor Plowman (who I respect greatly as a Councillor) within IMPD.
Nope, John is just lowing the dialog in our County to suit his partisan purposes. Repeat the mantra: "if its a Republican, its okay - if its a Democrat, its not"
Now that's the sort of leadership we need !!!
Jabber, I have to agree regarding Grand's appointment to the CIB. Talk about an agency that needs a shakeup, it's the CIB. Bob Grand's appointment by Ballard will assure that the behind-closed-door dealings that agency has been involved in continue unabated.
Tom John is not the issue...Aaron Haith is.
I am a Democrat, and even I find Haith distasteful. He made our caucus look bad.
Our party can surely find a better appointment than Aaron Haith.
Aaron Haith made the city council look very bad. Can't think of a single person with less regard for the taxpayer citizens than Aaron Haith.
The problem Tom John has is that he comes across as too loud, too partisan. He turns people off and loses credibility for his position. While people are always going to see a party chairman as partisan, there are ways of being the spokesman and earning some credibility. Right now the media doesn't take him seriously because he comes across as so strident, so partisan.
"The problem Tom John has is that he comes across as too loud, too partisan. He turns people off and loses credibility for his position. While people are always going to see a party chairman as partisan, there are ways of being the spokesman and earning some credibility."
This is a description of Dan Parker. Tom John is a breath of fresh air compared to Dan Parker and Old Eddie boy.
Get real, Tom John may come across a little cocky sometimes but he is well grounded when speaking on behalf of the MC GOP.
Actually I think Tom John comes across worse than Parker...and I'm a Republican.
"I witnessed her attacking Mayor Ballard face to face at the 7th District slating convention for not appointing enough black women to positions in his administration."
Sorry Gary but that was Jocelyn Tandy. Darla, you and I were there but it was Tandy who started the verbal abuse.
Remember my comment about Mayor Ballard walking into a buzz saw?
With all due respect, Ernie, the conversation was already underway when you arrived. You walked up after the conversation with Ballard had begun.
To Gary's credit, it was Ms Darla Williams Ernie. Check it out= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApD7erNro80
They say they want fresh faces, so they appoint their girlfriend to boards? I liked Ballard but won't vote agian for him if they are voting in girlfriends who dont even live here. John attacks the integrity of others, is this a joke? he is draining the party.
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