City-County Councilor Kent Smith (R) announced today that he is resigning his at-large seat on the council. Smith is citing new Department of Defense rules on reservists' participation in political activities as the reason for his resignation. Not sure why those same rules don't apply to 5th District congressional candidate Dr. John McGoff. Smith has been a big disappointment since his election to the council in 2007. Like Greg Ballard, he used anti-tax activists and grassroots reformers to win election in 2007 and then conveniently reneged on most of his campaign pledges. Smith's departure from the council is welcome news. Marion County precinct committeepersons will be called together for a caucus in the near future to appoint his replacement.
UPDATE: An online story in the Star speculates on several possible candidates, including Aaron Williams, a city employee and son of Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams, successful financial adviser Chris Douglas, and Dorothy Henry, a former CIB member who is in Bob Grand's pocket. Henry's husband is also city employee.
UPDATE II: I spoke to Dr. John McGoff about the DoD policy and his candidacy. He's been advised by military counsel that his candidacy poses no problem. I'm also hearing that Smith could have obtained a waiver if he had wanted one. It's beginning to look a lot like someone is in a hurry to get the hell out of Dodge.
17 comments:
I hear Aaron Williams is heavily favorited to succeed Smith...
It wouldn't surprise me if they don't try to install him in that seat. He won't have my support. He's a Democrat, just like his father, and they're only using the Republican Party to pimp at taxpayers expense for their black minister friends.
Too band...despite some family issues, Kent Smith has been one of the few reasonable councilors.
Oh good! Maybe the Marion County GOP can hobble together another RINO to put on council.
Aaron Williams has been a committed and loyal member of the Republican Party for years. He is a ward chairman and has always spoken for himself and NOT his father (who has told him NOT to get involved in politics.) Aaron has worked with Democrats and has a great relationship with them such as his mentor Bill Crawford; Bart Peterson, Councilors Maggie Lewis, Duke Oliver, Paul Bateman and many more, but he still is loyal to his party. Furthermore, he has a great reputation in the community as an educated young black man (which you don’t see often) who has been SERVING in this entire community for over 10 years. Give us someone who is better qualified than Aaron Williams that is NOT a member of the good ol' boy system, and is NOT going to be dictated the old regime and party favorites. Here you have the opportunity to have someone who is a devout Christian and practices what he preaches, he’s college educated from Indiana University, makes an honest living, is respected by his elders and more importantly by his peers, and has ALWAYS been at the forefront to try and make a difference in his community. Everyone may not like him because of his father and their relationship, but what else do you expect from a father and a son but for them to have a good relationship? He is the right person for the job and there is no better way for the Republican Party to show how diverse they say they are than by endorsing Aaron Williams and only because he has EARNED IT through HARD WORK!
Art,
By "reasonable" I assume you mean wiling to selll out the principles and people who helped you get elected.
Neither Aaron nor his convicted felon father support the principles of the Republican Party. They support whichever party offers them a job. I find it insulting to think that we would be told that we have to back someone to fill Smith's replacement simply because he's African-American. The Ballard administration has implemented extremely discriminatory contracting policies that force the awarding of public contracts to minority contractors. His Public Safety Director has already announced his support for affirmative action policies that compel the hiring of less-qualified minority candidates over more qualified white candidates. His father wasted no time in getting a make work job for Aaron in the Public Safety Department. I don't work to put Republicans in office so people who support higher taxes, more government spending and discriminatory hiring and contacting policies can run the show.
Bull. The U.S. Government cannot chill participation in the political process, and everyone knows that if a government agency tried such an overreaching, they'd by sued in Federal Court, right quick.
GUESS WHAT I HEARD .....your comment ...."an educated young black man {which you don't see often"].....is pure unadulterated racism. Do you not see how insulting that comment is? There is also one other GOP officer holder who is an active reservist. I wonder if she will resign also.
Look forward to reading the DoD rules that Kent says limit his political activities to the point of preventing him from serving on our city-county council.
Just speculation on my part but it seems Smith had been having severe business difficulties so he finagled going back on fulltime active duty if only for the paycheck and benefits. Common sense would dictate we don't want uniformed active-duty military men as active politicians and office-holders...
Aaron Williams got fired from the US Attorneys Office after just 6 months. Olgin was instrumental in getting him that neighborhood coordinator job and he couldn't get along with anyone and wouldn't perform and continuely played by his own rules.
Sounds like it'll be politics as usual.
Too bad for the residents of Indpls if he's selected.
Not sure what he's been doing for a living, but I heard him say at a recent council meeting that he wasn't able to return someone's call because he had patients to see.
Guess says:
"Aaron has worked with Democrats and has a great relationship with them such as his mentor Bill Crawford; Bart Peterson, Councilors Maggie Lewis, Duke Oliver, Paul Bateman and many more...."
My "guess" is that Aaron Williams would prefer you stop promoting him by pointing to support he has among Democrats.
Of course Olgen Williams, his father, actively supported Bart Peterson's re-election effort and then was rewarded by an appointment as Vice Mayor. Olgen though fit the stereotype of what the Establishment Republcians wanted - an African-American who would not be seen and not heard.
Hmm with Kent resigning did the vote he cast to knock Alan Retherford out of his Board of Zoning Appeals position still stand up?
His resignation did not come until after the vote was taken so it will stand.
Who are these people who we never see on this blog that show up and start espousing praise for candidates out of the blue?
Anyone who would have Bill Crawford as a mentor is someone to whom I am suspect.
I've personally witnessed Crawford show great disrespect and disregard for the concerns of the citizens of this state.
"Guess What I Heard" ...thanks for blabbing about the Williams/Crawford connection. Now I know to steer clear of Aaron Williams.
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