Comments on Advance Indiana™: House Ethics Committee Chairman On Ozdemir's Payroll, Supports Publicly-Financed Soccer Stadium

What a damn shame our Government has become. No lo...

2015-02-14T20:45:45.258-05:00

What a damn shame our Government has become. No longer do we get a voice in the Statehouse via election. It's a shell game for the power hungry. I'm ashamed to be a Hoosier. I emailed Rep. Steuerwald, who I proudly voted for last election, to let him know how disgusted I was at his behavior. Would any member of the local media be willing to expose these clowns?

Anon 913, potentially also Anon 1026, I like your ...

2015-02-14T11:06:42.603-05:00

Anon 913, potentially also Anon 1026, I like your thinking and especially your point about Lady Gaga fans governing. How would this monarch be chosen or arise? Also, I'd prefer each monarch to reign over much smaller geographically and by population areas, rather than the whole continental US. More like New England, NY, Mid Atlantic, Texas, Cali, and so forth. I'd be comfortable with King Gary Welsh the I of the Middle West!

"Anon 1026. By constitutional monarchy, do yo...

2015-02-14T09:13:38.502-05:00

"Anon 1026. By constitutional monarchy, do you mean like Britain which is really a parliamentary monarchy?"

Then I wouldn't mean that, would I?

A monarch restrained by a constitution seems preferable to a monarch supplanted by the yammering idiots in the green chairs.

"Hoppe argues that "Democracy: The God that Failed" is less preferable to monarchy because the politicians take shorter sight since they are renting office rather than owning and passing to children as a monarch would."

I'm lately finding that I tend to concur and that a fantastically wealthy monarch, removed from the pressures to curry favor to hold office, but bound by a constitution, would likely be less destructive than our democracy.

"Hoppe argues a contract based society is best, though, through voluntary covenants actually signed by the living rather than the long dead, such as the Founding Fathers."

I'm not as keen to supplant prior wisdom with current tastes. Lady Gaga's unlistenable number, "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga has 614 million views on Youtube.

Nobody who listens to Lady Gaga should have a say in governing.

Hailstone, Your deep thinking, keen insight, broa...

2015-02-14T09:03:20.264-05:00

Hailstone,

Your deep thinking, keen insight, broad education and global understanding of political issues that correctly causes you to understand that every issue can be narrowed to a choice between "USA or Kim Jong Un" is probably best appreciated over on ingunowners.com.

That regiment of philosophers usually takes the well-reasoned perspective of "either love cops or get out of America" or the more common "either USA or Muslim."

As America is supposed to be a Christian nation, and as Kim Jong Un is a bit of an atheist, he's not really the threat to Evangelical America that the devout of other religions are.

Still, your polarization would be welcome, but do expect to get steered toward recognizing the true enemy of America.

Once you're with your proper academy of thinkers, I'll expect future posts to be something along the lines of "either USA or ISIL;" "we can send you to Kurdistan if you don't like it here."

Anon 1026. By constitutional monarchy, do you mea...

2015-02-14T08:23:32.222-05:00

Anon 1026. By constitutional monarchy, do you mean like Britain which is really a parliamentary monarchy? Hans Hermann Hoppe argues that "Democracy: The God that Failed" is less preferable to monarchy because the politicians take shorter sight since they are renting office rather than owning and passing to children as a monarch would. Hoppe argues a contract based society is best, though, through voluntary covenants actually signed by the living rather than the long dead, such as the Founding Fathers.

In many ways our current system is a temporary monarchy, with presidents reigning for 8 years. This is not D or R, Obama or whomever. Just look at how roads were shut down for his visit, and the next one will be either a Clinton or Bush reigning for his (or her) allotted 8 years.

Many in the local so-called Tea Party were co-opte...

2015-02-14T07:40:54.597-05:00

Many in the local so-called Tea Party were co-opted by TJ and DB years ago; some ran for office not realizing they were being used. I am unsure that there is primarily "one" Tea Party state/local group but rather there are many and from what this Conservative heard occurring and said at some of those meetings does not align with true Conservatism.

In liberal quarters it is highly fashionable to mock and throw hate at real Conservatives in the unthinking knee-jerk way liberals deflect to throwing out the name 'George Bush' when liberals
are losing an argument. I now and then see some of that here in the Comment section of Advance Indiana. Liberals are so "cool" to make the snarky remarks about Conservatism one would never hear made against an ethnic group or a left liberal Democrat.

America is now lorded over by an oligarchic, crony, career ruling class where the Republicans are completely indistinguishable from the Democrats. There is no where for true Conservatives to go when their ostensible "representatives" like to them during campaigns.

Many of the commenters here haven't the slightest clue how to correctly define, compare, and contrast the various political systems humans lived and often suffered under throughout the ages.

Which brings us back to Ersal Osdemir's apparent wholesale purchase of Democrat AND Republican politicians, judges, and personnel.

Anon 8:02 - would you rather have the likes of Kim...

2015-02-13T22:33:45.417-05:00

Anon 8:02 - would you rather have the likes of Kim Jung Un? I'm sure emigrating to DPRK could be arranged.

Eric: A constitutional monarchy might arrive at t...

2015-02-13T22:26:50.137-05:00

Eric:

A constitutional monarchy might arrive at the same end.

Anon 802. Just get rid of government and then you...

2015-02-13T20:56:21.540-05:00

Anon 802. Just get rid of government and then you won't have to worry about debates, democracy, lobbying, ethics in government, etc.

Perhaps the most accurate conclusion is that repre...

2015-02-13T20:02:04.913-05:00

Perhaps the most accurate conclusion is that representative democracy is a failed experiment.

Perhaps it is even more precise to say that democracy cannot exist in the presence of campaign funding.

Perhaps we ought to scrap democracy altogether. If we are to keep democracy, perhaps we should ban all forms of campaigning. A single mailing and a single webpage, each created by the government could possibly be allowed. Debates have even become a worthless exchange of ideas.

"What is your position on taxpayer funding for sports stadiums?"

"That's an excellent question, Sally, but first I want to thank you for inviting me, and I want to thank the Indiana Press Club for hosting this debate. I'd also like to thank every person in Indiana for living in the state, and I will now thank each Hoosier personally, in alphabetical order."

Debates are worthless.

It's painfully obvious now why Steuerwald appe...

2015-02-13T19:35:18.734-05:00

It's painfully obvious now why Steuerwald appeared to be walking on egg shells throughout the Eric Turner ethics scandal.

I noticed that Speaker Bosma included that same di...

2015-02-13T19:26:10.276-05:00

I noticed that Speaker Bosma included that same disclaimer in his Statement of Economic Interest. The New York State Assembly Speaker's recent federal indictment accusing him of masking bribes as legal referral fees points up the need to require attorney-lawmakers to provide more complete disclosure than the current law requires of them.

Perhaps Greg Wright is typing too fast and that...

2015-02-13T19:19:33.563-05:00

Perhaps Greg Wright is typing too fast and that's why people can't read his comments accurately.

I've looked up the issue before, but as I reca...

2015-02-13T19:16:17.625-05:00

I've looked up the issue before, but as I recall attorney-client privilege does not cover the fact you represent a client. What it covers is what you talked about during that representation. You can be required to disclose who you represent.

Time for DOJ integrity division to take over for H...

2015-02-13T17:47:16.449-05:00

Time for DOJ integrity division to take over for Hogsett since it's all here in plain sight for them. Line em up and let's watch them fall.

This is interesting from the Guardian Paper - Oreg...

2015-02-13T17:24:06.260-05:00

This is interesting from the Guardian Paper - Oregon governor John Kitzhaber to resign. Among other allegations, Kitzhaber is accused of steering contracts to his fiancee’s environmental consulting firm. His fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, is accused of using public office to further private interests. In the past two weeks, the Oregonian learned that close associates of Kitzhaber may have attempted to “make jobs” for Hayes. The paper called for the governor’s resignation.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/13/oregon-governor-john-kitzhaber-corruption-fiancee

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My Stars this is like going to Reptile Zoo and fin...

2015-02-13T17:04:24.600-05:00

My Stars this is like going to Reptile Zoo and finding all the snakes are loose.

Perhaps this has always been SOP in the Indiana Government. It is breath taking though how utterly Brazen these People are. I do not expect them to have any sense of shame for these scams. The Brazenness in attitude they have is truly astounding.

Apparently some of you commenters are incapable of...

2015-02-13T16:50:12.433-05:00

Apparently some of you commenters are incapable of reading. Wright is not saying they are Tea Party folks; he's talking about the list of people on the Tea Party's list of miscreants.

Greg Wright has as about as much credibility as a ...

2015-02-13T16:26:35.115-05:00

Greg Wright has as about as much credibility as a door knob. His big claim to fame was trying to take out McAtee on a Hatch act..that sure didn't work out well for Gary...Saying that Bob Grand is Tea Party guy just shows how much Greg doesn't know. Murry Clark ..Tea Party? Really Gary? Joe Loftus ..Tea Party?..what rock have you been living under Gary?

Thanks for the correction, Carlos. He's acting...

2015-02-13T15:45:29.831-05:00

Thanks for the correction, Carlos. He's acting as a special judge following the change of judge.

Gary, just a correction: Judge Najjar's a Magi...

2015-02-13T15:40:48.163-05:00

Gary, just a correction: Judge Najjar's a Magistrate.

anon 12:57, sorry for not being clear. my underst...

2015-02-13T15:17:03.285-05:00

anon 12:57,
sorry for not being clear. my understanding is that the local tea party is circulating a list for its members to vote on the local republicans that they consider most corrupt. gary's article mentioned about half of the persons that i recall were on the tea party list.

sure hope that gary keeps up the good work keeping us informed. do not recall ever meeting ozdemir and have not done any business with his organization.

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. We have the best Democrat an...

2015-02-13T14:28:15.207-05:00

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. We have the best Democrat and Republican attorneys and politicians money can buy.

I suspect State Rep. Todd Huston knows more about ...

2015-02-13T14:12:11.759-05:00

I suspect State Rep. Todd Huston knows more about Ozdemir's "deepest and darkest secrets" than Steuerwald. Good luck trying to pry those secrets out of him.

It is what it is. Corrupt and blatantly open for a...

2015-02-13T13:59:14.127-05:00

It is what it is. Corrupt and blatantly open for all to see.
Problem is...what's going to be done to stop the madness?