Comments on Advance Indiana™: Outrage: Republican Lawmaker Says Christine Scales Is Not A Member Of Republican Caucus

I've pointed this out before. The at-large se...

2013-04-05T08:04:52.737-05:00

I've pointed this out before. The at-large seats don't simply follow the Mayor's race. That's a myth. At-large seats are baseline seats. They follow the baseline of the county. At-large candidates can only do stuff at the margins to raise them above that baseline.

The mayor race though is not a baseline race. It's a high profile race. While the Mayor's race does track the baseline to a certain degree, the at-large seats closely track the baseline. That's why we have a Republican Mayor and four Democratic at-large members.

Whichever party has a majority in the county will want to keep the at-large seats regardless of who is in the Mayor's Office. That's why Republicans wanted them to begin with and why the Democrats want to keep them now. There are some "good government" reasons too for arguments on both sides, but the political equation dominates.

I'd like David Frizzell to know that Christine...

2013-04-04T18:30:31.063-05:00

I'd like David Frizzell to know that Christine Scales represents me. Frizzell does NOT represent me. Frizzell, go have another cigarette before you spew off with irresponsible comments about my elected official!

I'm proud of the work Christine Scales has done! Christine Scales represents us well!!!

In its current form, the bill retains the four at-...

2013-04-04T17:26:36.307-05:00

In its current form, the bill retains the four at-large sats.

The Rs insisted on the at-large seats when Uni-Gov was established because they believed they would (a) always win the mayor's race, and (b)the at-large seats would be won by the winning mayoral candidate's party, thereby assuring Republicans at least a 15-seat majority on the 29-member council. They figured that Democrats could do no better than win 14 of the 25 single-member districts on a county-wide basis. The Rs figured the at-large seats provided them a fire wall to holding a majority. Twelve has been the D's best showing to date. The unthinkable happened in 2011. Ballard won but failed to carry a single at-large candidate with him. In 2007, the Rs won all but one of the at-large seats, assuring them a majority. With the changing demographics, the Rs figure the only way they can assure control is to have no at-large seats and gerrymander the single-member districts.

I'm no fan of Ballard but if Republicans held ...

2013-04-04T15:56:27.478-05:00

I'm no fan of Ballard but if Republicans held the at-large seats, Amos Brown would support SB 621.

At-large seats on the Council are like the Senatorial 'votes' in the Electoral College. Funny that the left is so opposed to SB 621 *and* the Electoral College.

The classier thing to do with at-large would be to terminate them effective 10 years out.

Have the Marion County Republicans seen "Ther...

2013-04-04T14:45:37.700-05:00

Have the Marion County Republicans seen "There Will be No Economic Recovery. Prepare Yourself Accordingly" courtesy of RealEconTV. All should watch.