People familiar with Indianapolis politics know there is no love lost between former mayors Bill Hudnut and Steve Goldsmith. While fans of Hudnut were more than happy to keep him in that position for life, having amended the law to allow him to seek more than two consecutive terms to that office, Goldsmith wasn't among those fans. He cooled his heels as county prosecutor until enough pushing and prodding convinced Hudnut to give up the job in 1991. When Hudnut searched for a new job after leaving the mayor's office, several observers note Goldsmith had a hand in making sure Hudnut was as unemployable in the city as much as possible, which led Hudnut to move to Chevy Chase, Maryland to work for the Urban Land Institute. Hudnut later became mayor of Chevy Chase.
Perhaps Hudnut's crowning achievement as Indianapolis mayor was building the Hoosier Dome, later renamed the RCA Dome, and convincing Robert Irsay to move his Colts NFL team to Indianapolis to play there. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a former Baltimore resident, mentioned the team's move derisively during a press conference at which he announced the appointment of Goldsmith as his deputy mayor in April of this year. "I was proud to take the Colts to Indianapolis," Goldsmith said in response to Bloomberg's comment. "He was instrumental in getting them there," Bloomberg responded. "That was when I am a mayor," Goldsmith claimed, "but now I'm a deputy mayor of the great city of New York so I'm totally prepared to change my attitude about those things as well." I'm sure if Bill Hudnut had been in the room when Goldsmith made that phony claim, he would have jumped to his feet to correct the record.
During questioning by reporters, Goldsmith was asked about potential conflicts of interest he would have in his new job and whether he would be severing ties to his other jobs. Goldsmith said he was working on "extracting himself" from his other endeavors, including his teaching jobs at Harvard and Columbia, but Bloomberg jumped in to say Goldsmith would not be taking his new job officially until June 1 so he had time to extract himself from his consulting work like a contract with another city before starting his job officially. Goldsmith mentioned he was living in Boston at the time and that his wife and daughter were living in Washington. He said he would leave the job of hunting for a new home in the city to his wife, who would join him later in the summer. I'm curious why the local news media has shown no interest in discovering what consulting role Goldsmith has played here in Indianapolis advising Mayor Greg Ballard and how that consulting role may have conflicted with clients he represented in matters before the city. You can listen to the video of Bloomberg's press conference announcing the appointment of Goldsmith here. The exchange about the Colts took place at about 11:40 in the video.
9 comments:
Wow...that's remarkable. I can't believe he makes that claim. Even said it was done when he was Mayor.
Goldsmith mentioned he was living in Boston at the time and that his wife and daughter were living in Washington.
And, nobody examined that oddity either.
Gee, Steve "OG" Goldsmith lying, stealing and defrauding the public. How unusual.
I met Steve Goldsmith in person only once, while he was mayor of Indy. At the time, I did not imagine him a future New Yorker. But now that he is, well, it makes sense and it makes me happy. Best wishes in New York, sir. May your tenure there be very long, extremely long.
Goldsmith was an a**hole here in Indianapolis and that has not changed. He has the personality of a pet rock. The people of New York will eat him alive.
I understand there are serious concerns about what is being done with the police contract wrecker contracts this time also.
I have seen nothing published about this.
I understand this has now become political also, with the big boys teaming up with large companies from Chicago, etc. in order to play. And they will now be five-year contracts, instead of two year.
I wonder when the wonderful crack investigators of the Indy Red Star Rag will get on this story.
I understand that the Wayne Township trustee (who has less than three weeks left in office) is giving away $50,000 hard-earned tax dollars to Christamore House (Olgen Williams' old job).
I also understand one of the main reasons Christamore House is so hard up is that they squandered a $250,000 federal grant on the wrong things, and now have to pay it back.
I wonder when the crack investigators of the Indy Red Star Rag are going to do an expose on this matter.
I apologize. I posted the my two entries on the wrong story.
He has made a name for himself in New York City -- as the man who messed up the city's snow response after the December 26 blizzard.
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