Personal Prerogative: On Joe Hogsett...

Joe Hogsett
Photo: Indy.gov

Just starting this off with a disclaimer. Joe Hogsett is a friend of mine...and not just the kind of friend that politics makes. Joe's a real friend, and I value that friendship.

Because of my friendship with the Mayor, I'll be honest, it's been incredibly hard for me to watch him absorb criticism, fair and otherwise, over the past few months. I almost didn't write this, but I felt as if  I should at least say something...even if it's nuanced and as devoid of red meat as a vegan platter.

Can we appreciate the situation that all policy makers in Marion County find themselves in right now? Think of it. We're at the center of multiple intersecting issues of which any one would be a difficult way forward for the Chief Executive of Marion County.

• The continuing response to a global pandemic that's continuing to kill Hoosiers.
• The critical conversation over race relations in our city.
• The need for real police and criminal justice reform.
• The response to the violence and riots that occurred at the end of May.
• The mounting homicide numbers and gun violence.
• Our crumbling streets and infrastructure that has been neglected for eons.

Any one of those issues...and some I didn't even list...is enough to keep a Mayor up at night. Right now, though, they are all happening at once. It's overwhelming, and the people who care about these issues rightly want answers now, and they are feeling mad that they can't get them. I completely understand the frustrations. 

It's tough and unparalleled, but, even as a friend, I can't write off perceived or otherwise inaction as just 'the job is tough', so I won't. Joe Hogsett, my friend, is also my Mayor. It's completely understandable that some are frustrated with the way they perceive the city is progressing. If fair is fair and being honest is required, I do think that the Mayor has made some mistakes. I also think he's done shown great leadership in other ways, but that does nothing for those who want answers and feel that their problems aren't being addressed.

A criticism I hear a lot is that the Mayor has been absent. I don't buy it. While I wish the Mayor had taken a more visible role at times such as the night the riots struck downtown. I know that Mayor Hogsett is leading. I guess if I were on the Mayor's staff, I would advise them to be even more aggressive in attacking these issues. I would utilize the Mayor's social media accounts more and get that word out. 

Hogsett is visible, but I would argue that he needs to be even more visible. Visibility doesn't necessarily mean physical presence either in this age of COVID-19. That's why social media is important. Use it. It's free and, as our President reminds us every day, it allows an unfiltered message to the masses.

I also believe Joe needs to be more vocal about the city's struggles with the lawmakers on the other side of Market Street and the way their conservative philosophies and loyalties affect what we can do as a city on critical issues.

One way we could get the General Assembly to help us in Indy is on the issue of guns and the way it relates to the obscene number of homicides our city is racking up. I don't know how to give an answer or even a proposal about how to stem this tied until we stop the flow of illegal guns onto our streets. That's going to take some sea change at the Statehouse get done. The General Assembly pushes back at local rule whenever the NRA's pet issues are threatened even in the most conservative ways. Mayor Hogsett needs to spend some of his political capital to let people know his. Until then, certainly there is more than we can do as a city. That starts in our schools trying to teach young people that there are better ways to solve conflicts other than shooting people. One thing is clear. It's also a problem we are not going to arrest our way out of. That was true when Greg Ballard was mayor, and it's certainly the same now.

It's a complicated road that Mayor Hogsett is riding right now, and his actions early in his administration in taking on the responsibility for public safety means that the buck stops on his desk. To his credit, he's taken that mantel and the criticism when it has been warranted and seems committed to this cause and to taking the blowback from the FOP if necessary.

I could go on here, but I just don't buy that line from some on the far right that the Mayor is absentee or that he doesn't care about his city. That's not accurate at all. I know the real Joe Hogsett, and that's not him.

Quick story. On December 25, 2014, my mother died. We had her funeral visitation on December 30, and a great crowd came to celebrate Mom's life. One of those who came to pay his respects was Joe Hogsett, without an entourage. Now, he didn't know my mother, but he knew what she meant to me and to my family. I remember that he spent about 15 minutes with me and my brother just talking to us. He put his hand on my shoulder and my brother's shoulder, and he said, "It's a weird feeling to lose both of your parents. You kind of feel uniquely alone."

It was true. He understood what we were both feeling five years after losing Dad and a few days after losing Mom. I'll remember always that kindness and compassion for me and my family.

I know Joe's heart, and I am confident in his leadership despite any stumbles he may make. We're in caring hands.