Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Invisible Mayor













Paul K. Ogden said...

I find it odd that a Republican "insider" would talk about the Mayor getting re-elected but then would not want to be identified. You're right that the person is clueless. A person can be tarnished in office so badly that no amount of campaign cash can make that tarnish go away. Ballard is well on his way to being that tarnished elected official.

Flipper said...

Gary and Paul , Why do both of you continue to bash the mayor? You both worked on his campaign as I did and when you didn't get a a legal job on the 25th floor you turned against him. Greg has reduced crime and balanced a budget and Bart and Sweet Pea are no longer running this city. I enjoy reading your blogs, but I wish you both would say something positive about our city and the mayor once in awhile. happy New Year to all of you. flipper

Indy Student said...

Very good read, Gary. Looks like you contributed a lot to the article.

Advance Indiana said...

Flipper, The fact is that I never applied for a job with the Ballard administration and didn't expect one. Would I have liked to serve on a board in an unpaid capacity like the CIB where I could have done a hell of a lot of good. You bet I did. Your memory is very selective. As I recall, you were the first one to start bashing Ballard when he told you that you wouldn't be driving him to Chicago to the Indiana Society party after you had already gone out and rented a tux. You were the one who spilled the beans on Ballard's conversation with Joe Loftus and Bob Grand on the ride to the Bush event for Sodrel--the one where you said they told Ballard how things were going to be done. I don't know what has changed from your standpoint, but you are singing a much different song than you were a couple of years ago about this time.

Advance Indiana said...

Thanks, Indy Student.


Paul, I thought the same thing. And we proved last election that it is not all about money.

Ballard should have heeded my suggestion to defect from the Republican party after he was elected and then stand up and be his own man.

interestedparty said...

What's the story about the rude luncheon guest in Denver?

Advance Indiana said...

Ballard complained about the catered lunch, got up and left and went to McDonald's for his lunch.

Indy Student said...

Flipper's post is interesting.

Balancing a budget is meaningless for two reasons: It's constitutionally required AND municipal corporations are seperate budgets that CAN go in debt according to a State Supreme Court ruling. If we just factored in the CIB's supposed debt alone (47 million), it'd throw the entire city budget off even with the "rainy day fund."

Even in the city budget, many games can be played. Look at the grant that was factored in to pay for 50 new police cars that not only the city was denied, but didn't have a chance to get it.

As for reducing crime, I'm a believer in that there are certain things that are mostly beyond the control of those heading the Executive Branch. Are homicides down this year? Yes. I've also read that home invasions are UP.

But what Flipper should really be asking him/herself is why do you support a mayor who broke a central campaign promise of no new taxes? He has lobbied for taxes increased in alcohol, hotel, car rentals, supported two increases in water rates, and wants to increase various city fees (a fancy word for taxes). He hasn't seen a tax he wouldn't support, and he claimed he'd do his job "without taking more of your money."

Paul K. Ogden said...


You really think our criticism has to do with our not getting some plum job or contract instead of Ballard's horrendous performance in office? You have the mistaken view that criticism must be driven by some financial self-interest rather than the fact Ballard has broken virtually every campaign promises and betrayed the very people who helped put him in office.

The sad fact is that there isn't much good to say about Ballard. He has been a complete disaster. You suggest a "balanced budget." Like that's some accomplishment. By law, all muni budgets have to be balanced!! And what good is it if you end the Democratic insiders and conflicts of interest running the city to replace it with Republicans who do the same thing? Where is the ethics reform this adminstration promised? The 25th Floor is run by a bunch of people trying to profit as much as they can off of their positions.

The only way things are going to change is if people, especially Republicans, are willing to speak out and say this is not acceptable. Our party deserves better. Just suffering in silence gets us nowhere.

Paul K. Ogden said...


I don't agree about the defection. As I've pointed out many times, for better or worse it's a two party system. Ballard never would have won running as a Libertarian.

Had Enough Indy? said...

Rubino is a very gifted wordsmith. Beyond the article being about Ballard, it was very artful and a pleasure to read. Thanks for the link.

Paul K. Ogden said...


I would agree it's a good, substantive article. I don't agree with the general thrust that the status quo in this city was great.

The elite country club types have been running the city for a long time and its been mostly to profit themselves not to make the city a better place. What is disappointing to me is not that Ballard has changed directions from the long time Indy tradition of insiders using government to make themselves wealthy..rather it's that he has continued it with a gusto, albeit less competence.


Paul...I didn't suggest that he run as a Libertarian. I suggested that he defect after he won!

And I'm fed up with this false left/right paradigm that does not work for us, but for the insiders.

Our country is in a rut and it is getting deeper everyday.

dcrutch said...

Amen to HFFT. I'll know we're finally getting away from the rotational "insiders",cyclically taking their turn seizing the booty, when we have a local muckraker who rakes both ways like Welsh, Ogden, or Donahy (sp?) appointed to the CIB.
THAT, I'd like to see.

Advance Indiana said...

Ballard had his chance to remake the CIB and he failed miserably. He appointed another group of insiders who will be in the pocket of the downtown elites who will continue to spend endlessly to give our taxpayer dollars to the billionaire sports team owners and a handful of downtown hotels. There are no second chances for Ballard as far as I'm concerned. The sooner his ass is kicked out of office, the better.

dcrutch said...

Yeah, but when you look at the collective corruption from both parties across all levels of goverment, the bar's gotten lower and lower. I didn't think anybody could be a worse President than Clinton- then we got Bush. How could he be topped for ineptitude? (or so I thought) Well.....wrong again.
I believe we can realistically imagine somebody even more beholden to one of the downtown law firms getting elected Mayor. Maybe that's not a dealbreaker in overall merit- but if you don't like insider influence....

Sean Shepard said...

Part of the problem with boards like the CIB is that, indeed, they get stocked full of "movers and shakers" and people who have established reputations or "perceived credentials" just by having been close to government, the legal system or political party activities.

What is REALLY needed on these boards, are some regular people with spines who will hold the "movers and shakers" accountable and not be enamored with them.

Paul K. Ogden said...

Dcrutch says:


I think most people will tell you the influence of Barnes & Thornburg with the current administration is the most extreme example ever of a law firm dominating a Mayor's office. It didn't have to be that way. Ballard didn't owe B&T anything for his election yet he completely gave away the store.

Paul K. Ogden said...

Bingo, SS is dead on the mark of his analysis. The last thing the CIB needs is more well-connected "movers and shakers."

Advance Indiana said...

Sean, Ann Lathrop is now the CIB's president. The media has completely ignored the fact that she has a job with Crowe Horwath that is entirely tied to the government sector. She was hired as a Republican to get government contracts for the accounting firm as her primary job responsibility. She worked for ACS before joining Crowe, the same firm that has done a disasterous job at privatizing welfare services in Indiana at a huge cost to taxpayers. Nobody is asking Ann Lathrop to disclose her list of potential conflicts of interest. The public only knew about Bob Grand and his relationship with the Simons because this blog exposed it and forced the hand of the Indianapolis Star; otherwise, it would have gone unreported. Lathrop's conflicts could be every bit as troublesome as Grand's but we may never be told about them.

Barnard said...

Paul, This is an interesting thread. I agree with many of your points. I'm curious though if you can give me an example of how these insiders create personal wealth from running the city? I'm not being critical, just curious.