The Return of the Mitch?

 

Mitch Daniels
Photo: Purdue University

Purdue President Mitch Daniels has been in the news a lot lately. 

First came the somewhat surprising news that he would be retiring from his post as President of Purdue University. Then, nearly immediately, the speculation began about what the former Indiana Governor and Federal Budget Director under George W. Bush might do in his retirement.

Hint: the speculation is that he's not moving to the Villages in Florida.

Politico's Adam Wren, one of Indiana's finest political reporters, has reported that friends of Daniels say he is "fascinated" by the idea of returning to the Governor's Mansion that he never lived in when he was Governor of Indiana from 2005-2013. Daniels defeated incumbent Governor Joe Kernan in 2004, and he easily won reelection over former U.S. Representative Jill Long Thompson in 2008. The term-limited Daniels left office and quickly was named the President of Purdue University in 2013. Since then, he's been the head Boilermaker.

Wren also floated the possibility on Twitter that some Republicans are trying to convince Daniels to challenge Joe Hogsett for Mayor of Indianapolis in 2023. Hogsett, a former U.S. Attorney, is also a possible Gubernatorial candidate in 2024. Many forget that Hogsett was once Indiana's Secretary of State back in 1989. He won election to his own term by beating Bill Hudnut in 1990. He also lost statewide races in 1994 for U.S. Senate and in 2004 for Attorney General. Hogsett definitely has been around the block a time or two of Indiana's 92 counties and is also a former Indiana Democratic Party Chair.

Whatever Daniels decides to do, it should be an interesting time as the statewide GOP becomes more and more another agent of Donald J. Trump's hostile takeover of the party. Trump loyalist Diego Morales bounced Secretary of State Holli Sullivan at the Republican Convention on Saturday. He'll be their statewide ticket leader in November. The GOP also passed a very far right platform on Saturday signaling the continued movement away from a guy like Daniels and his former Chief of Staff and curent Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. There's not a guarantee that Daniels, who by most accounts would be far more to the center than to where his party now sits politically, would win a primary against a Trumper like Jim Banks or Mike Braun or Todd Rokita.

Personally, I think Mitch is enjoying the attention having been out of the political spotlight for a while. It must be nice to still be wanted by some in the party. The next few months will reveal much about Daniels' future plans as well as those who might run against him. 

Holcomb Logic on COVID Hard to Follow

Eric Holcomb
Photo courtesy State of Indiana

There was a time early on in the 2020 campaign where I actually considered voting for Eric Holcomb.

I know, it's hard to believe, but I was impressed with how Governor Holcomb handled the early days of the pandemic. His steady and principled leadership carried Hoosiers through the early part of this nightmare, and he stuck to his guns early when challenged by those to his far right on pandemic policy.

As the days and months went on, other factors proved that my early feelings of support for the Governor were misplaced. The Governor opened the state too quickly last summer, and we saw an even bigger surge start in the fall that reached its peak in December and January.

Governor Holcomb danced on a line last year. He had a strong Libertarian challenge to his right on COVID policy and a Democratic opponent who was an actual medical doctor. Still, he had plenty of loyal Republican support to coast to an easy victory in 2020. 

Now, he's seen the Indiana General Assembly take swipes at his powers as Governor because of the perceived job he's done managing COVID-19. The far right believes the Governor has been too stringent with his mask mandate and his public health measures against businesses, churches and public events. So, there's now a controversial effort to change the Governor's ability to put in public health measures with the emergency powers granted by the Indiana Constitution. It's an effort that's likely going to end up in court because even if Holcomb vetoes legislation limiting the powers of the Governor, the Indiana General Assembly only needs a majority to override the veto. 

So, that brings us to last week. Governor Holcomb, under attack from the far right, ended Indiana's mask mandate effective on April 6. This comes with less than 20 percent of Hoosiers completely vaccinated against the virus. While the number of vaccinated and completely vaccinated Hoosiers climbs daily, so are COVID-19 cases.

Just today, Indiana went back into the thousands in new cases. It's nosing upward again, and Holcomb is sticking to his decision to put the local governments in charge of masking regulations and public health policies to prevent the spread of the virus. The GOP-led General Assembly now is trying to amend bills to take that ability away from local officials like Marion County Health Commissioner Dr. Virginia Caine and Mayor Joe Hogsett.

So, let's get down to it. What Governor Holcomb is doing makes zero sense. President Joe Biden is begging state governors to not end mask mandates. Neighboring states like Kentucky are making the same plea. Holcomb isn't budging. 

Makes you wonder why. I mean, I suppose he's possibly going on principle as he sees it that the numbers and positivity rates are down, but he was slow to react to the rising cases in the fall. It appears he's content to do the same thing again. Apparently his ever-present "road map" to beating the virus doesn't learn from previous wrong turns. 

Holcomb doesn't have another election for Governor to run. He has a General Assembly that's out of control with a weak first-year Speaker that's hellbent on undercutting his authority. That's not going to change with any concessions he makes. He has every reason to come down on the side of science and health policy, but he's not doing it. He's content to watch a fourth surge race against the rate of vaccinations. Is he angling for his next move politically? As Governor, what he's doing makes no sense.

I'm fully vaccinated, and I'm glad because I have no idea why Governor Holcomb is doing what he's doing. I fear it's going to lead to more Hoosiers becoming victims of this nasty virus.

Bray Threatens School Funding Over School Safety Decisions

Rod Bray
Official State Photo

To say being a school teacher or administrator right now is a tough job is an understatement…let alone being a student, parent or guardian.

As the school year begins, schools find themselves trying to weave their ways through scores of potential landmines that could have devastating effects on a community and Hoosier families. 

In general, a lack of guidance from state officials and a lack of anyone wishing to make a decision has created a vacuum where local schools have to cobble together the best information they can and make decisions based on those facts as the COVID-19 pandemic slogs on.

In short, these critical decisions rely on consistent and clear communication from the state. It's no time for amateur hour.

Some counties like Marion County have had an involved local health department. While Dr. Virginia Caine and Mayor Joe Hogsett have made some moves that have not been well-communicated ahead of time, they have been pretty rock solid in their guidance that when it becomes unsafe to keep schools open that they won’t hesitate to close them. They did it in March, and they have clear guidance for Marion County Schools that's based on science and data. This is the kind of guidance that local school boards and superintendents need to make good decisions. 

Most of all, they need to know that decision makers in government have their backs in no uncertain terms. The last thing they need are mixed messages or unclear guidance.

School leaders were shuddering to think what might happen to funding this summer as the state announced major budget cuts to deal with the budget shortfall. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb alleviated concerns by saying that schools would receive 100 percent funding as planned for the 2020/2021 school year. With that guidance, schools have moved forward in good faith. 

Late last night, the Governor's guidance was muddied as a powerful General Assembly voice decided to weigh in.

Senate President Pro Tempore Rod Bray announced in a letter that public schools not beginning the school year with an in person option would see a funding cut of 15 percent per student. With schools already rolling in many communities and some deciding to go 100 percent virtual, Bray's letter drew broad criticism. The ISTA, AFT, Senate Democrats, State School Superintendent Jennifer McCormick, Woody Myers and others were quick to criticize the move. 

One person has been silent: Governor Holcomb.

This is not the kind of guidance our schools need right now. Bray wants to punish schools who make decisions based on health and safety. When approached by the Indy Star on what all this meant for schools, Bray could not provide any details.

Senator Bray clearly did not think out this position, and he clearly does not understand how his proposed funding cuts will affect districts that are already in session or may be closed by health orders. 

I bet he doesn’t care, either. 

Bray's letter is essentially that “OPEN THE SCHOOLS” tweet President Trump mindlessly tweets in the form of a poorly thought out policy, and Governor Holcomb seems good with it.

That's a sad state of affairs, folks.

UPDATE: Per the Fort Wayne Journal Courier's Niki Kelly, the Governor has finally commented reiterating his support for 100 percent funding for schools.

Questions Fair on Delayed Mask Mandate

Eric Holcomb
Official State Photo

A month ago, after seeing a 300+ case one day jump, I raised concerns on Twitter about that jump in COVID-19 cases. The state COVID-19 dashboard shows the precipitous rise since then.

For the last few days, we've seen numbers topping out at or near state records. We've seen hospitalizations jump. We've seen positive case testing rates jump. Things have been rising up up up. It's not new. It's been happening for weeks.

All the way, Governor Eric Holcomb has been going about his jovial way. He dishes up sports clichés and Hoosierisms quickly, but he dithers when it comes time to take decisive action preferring to leave it to the local governments to make the toughest decisions on the pandemic.

But, the numbers don't lie and someone saw that.

Joe Hogsett has been ahead of the Governor on almost every action when it comes to the pandemic, but he's gotten very little credit for his efforts and even has received unbelievable flak for them. That's not to say that Hogsett has been perfect. The idea that the Marion County Fair was allowed to happen boggles my mind, but Hogsett did react to the increasing numbers with a mask mandate on July 2. He made that mandate take effect on July 9.

Many were flabbergasted when the Marion County Republican Party came after him for not instituting the mask mandate immediately. Chair of the Indy GOP, Cindy Kirchhofer asked, "If Joe Hogsett says masks will save lives on July 9, why wait until then?"

Well, Rep. Kirchhofer, if Governor Holcomb says masks will save lives on July 27, why did he wait until now? Furthermore, why did he wait at all?

Ask Governor Holcomb why did he not see what dumb me saw when I saw that huge jump back in June? Why did he ignore as we went from 350 to 450 to 550 to 650 to 750 to 850 to 950 cases per day? It's been a march.

Of course, Kirchhofer won't answer, and she won't press the issue. I'm assuming she'll issue some sort of congratulatory news release praising her party's governor for taking this action.

Since she won't ask the questions, we all should. Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians. We should all be mad as heck that it took Governor Holcomb this long to finally make a decision to "mandate" people to wear masks.

I put mandate in quotes in that last paragraph because, like Hogsett's order back in early July, there are technical penalties for not wearing masks. Governor Holcomb said that the "mask police" would not be out to enforce the mandate. It's my opinion that those mandates should be enforced, strictly. The education would be your fine for not wearing a mask. The people that won't comply are happy not to.

I'll praise Governor Holcomb for doing the right thing. I'll just wonder why it took more suffering to do something to try to reverse a trend that's been a reality for a month.

Spartz Campaign Releases Photo with Unmasked Candidate on Trail

Victoria Spartz
Official Indiana Senate Photo

Indiana State Senator Victoria Spartz is in a neck-and-neck battle with, in the interest of full disclosure, my friend, former State Rep. Christina Hale in Indiana's 5th Congressional District.

Because the race is so tight, it's no wonder that the candidates are out and about knocking doors and talking to voters even in the middle of this pandemic. In that vein, Spartz released a photo on Twitter of a particular moment from her campaigning on Saturday.

The photo, which I'll link here, shows Spartz with one of her daughters campaigning on the doorstep of a voter. The Republican and her daughter both have masks, but they are not wearing them. The voter is also unmasked. None of them are demonstrating social distancing.

First off, let's be fair. I don't know the voter. It's possible Spartz may have known the voter and the woman may have been screened somehow before the photo. I also don't know where the photo was taken. It could have been in Hamilton County or maybe even somewhere else in the expansive district, but, if the candidate was in Marion County, she was in violation of the mask mandate put into effect July 9 by Mayor Joe Hogsett.

Plus, it's just not safe to be going around these days knocking doors without a mask. After all, you're coming into contact with a wide variety of people on your journey knocking doors. If you're going to stop and get up close with people, the least you can do, under CDC recommendations, is to mask up when social distancing isn't possible.

City-County Councillor Ali Brown, who represents part of the 5th District, stated in a tweet that Spartz's behavior was unwelcome in her part of Marion County. "Please don't knock in my district if you aren't going to do the most basic thing to protect constituents. I care about the people who live here," Brown tweeted.

COVID-19 is no joke, and it's something candidates and campaigns are going to have to deal with in every action they take not only to keep themselves and their families safe but to keep the people they come into contact with safe. In the same way that candidates take great care to make sure their image is cultivated in the most positive light, candidates are going to have to demonstrate that they are willing to take steps like masking up.

Of course, there's also the possibility that Spartz may not care about masking up and being safe while door knocking. I think it's fair for reporters to ask her that question now given the photo her official campaign Twitter account sent out.

Larrison Wins Spot on Council

Jason Larrison
Photo: Jason Larrison for Council Facebook

City-County Council candidate Jason Larrison described himself as a "failed" blogger and comedian to the Indy Star's Amelia Pak-Harvey in an apology for inflammatory old blog posts.

Now, he can describe himself as City-County Councillor.

By a social-media-reported margin of one vote, Larrison has been elected to the City-County Council in a caucus of 23 party precinct officials over Karla Lopez-Owens and Francine Lee.

Larrison will now serve out the unexpired term of Blake Johnson. The next Council election will be 2023 (barring some change at the state level to move municipal elections to an even year).

Larrison had been backed by Mayor Joe Hogsett and his inner circle who spent a lot of political capital in defending Larrison. City-County Councillors and community members raised concerns about Larrison's fitness for office after the controversial blog posts resurfaced.

Those opposed to Larrison's candidacy rallied around Karla Lopez-Owens, a Mexican native, naturalized citizen and immigrant activist. The 12th District on the Council has the city's highest Latinx/Hispanic population of any Council district. Lopez-Owens would have been the only Latina on the Council had she won the caucus.

How we proceed from here will certainly be interesting to watch. There are people who are straight up mad about this, and it remains to be seen if that anger subsides. Twelve sitting Councillors had sent Hogsett a letter endorsing Lopez-Owens and asking for Larrison to leave the race. The Mayor needs to certainly smooth things over with them, if he can.

My feeling is that this will not go away for Larrison, and his margin for error on the Council will be extremely small. The Mayor also is in the middle of a dire time. He's receiving renewed pressure from those on the right and the last thing he needs is a fight from the left. He's brought this one on himself.

Never a dull moment in Indy!

District 12 Race May Be Inflicting Damage to Hogsett's Relationships with Council

Joe Hogsett
Photo: indy.gov

One of the rules of being a political leader is knowing when to punt.

Joe Hogsett is holding on to the ball on 4th and 15, and a near majority of the City-County Council is chasing after him.

Twelve members the Council Democratic Caucus sent Hogsett, his senior staff and candidate Jason Larrison a letter expressing support for Karla Lopez-Owens and asking Larrison to leave the race. Larrison, Lopez-Owens and Francine Lee are locked in a tight caucus battle to replace Blake Johnson on the Council in District 12.

Hogsett has backed Larrison and continues to back him despite Indy Star reporting from Amelia Pak-Harvey detailing blog posts Larrison penned several years ago. Blog posts that could conservatively be described as anti-immigrant, misogynistic and homophobic. Unbelievably, the blog still is live. You can read it here. Larrison apologized in the Pak-Harvey article calling his posts, "unacceptable."

So, if they were unacceptable, why is Hogsett continuing to back Larrison's candidacy? Why did he issue a defense in the Pak-Harvey article. I get that people change and that we aren't the people we were 10-15-20 years ago, but these posts were, in my opinion, so inflammatory that they would affect Larrison's ability to be a successful Councillor. It's also clear that the entire situation has the potential, whatever the outcome, to drive a wedge between the Mayor and his Council caucus as well as other community leaders. Why not just urge Larrison to step aside and allow Lopez-Owens or Lee to represent the district in the Council? If Larrison refused to step aside, at least the best thing politically for Hogsett would be to distance yourself from him more strongly.

The damage may already be done, though. I don't get it. I wonder what advice the Mayor is getting these days.

Larrison's Past Blog Posts Provide District 12 Caucus Eve Surprise

When Blake Johnson was elected to fill out the unexpired term of Dan Forestal, who resigned from his District 100 post in the Indiana House, it set off a race to replace him on the City-County Council

Many community leaders and several City-County Councillors have come out in support of Karla Lopez-Owens to replace Johnson. Mayor Joe Hogsett has backed former employee Jason Larrison for the spot. So, as you might imagine, the caucus has taken a turn and has become a bit of a proxy battle between the Council and the Mayor. Francine Lee, who has supporters of her own, is also in the race to become a Councillor as well.

Well, this race took a turn this evening. Call it a "Caucus Eve Surprise" if you will.

Tonight, the Indianapolis Star published an article by Amelia Pak-Harvey detailing blog posts written in 2006 and 2007 where Larrison had made insensitive remarks about undocumented immigrants, women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

For his part, Larrison apologized without any confusion. After explaining to the Pak-Harvey that he was unsuccessfully attempting to be a blogger and a comedian at the time he penned the posts, he said, "I made bad jokes that were completely unacceptable and I am not the sort of person to make excuses when I screw up."

That's a definitive apology, and I credit him for taking responsibility. He didn't go the wishy washy way of saying that he was apologizing if he offended someone. He said he was clearly wrong. 

The apology, though, in my opinion is not enough. The posts were unacceptable, as he stated, and they were disqualifying. Larrison should drop out of this race before the caucus on Tuesday. I believe that no matter his contrition, the posts were written and that will damage his ability to effectively serve his constituents. District 12 has, according to the Star, the highest percentage of Hispanic and Latinx individuals in our city.

That's not all, though. I'm also disappointed in Mayor Hogsett, who, according to the Star piece, condemned Larrison's past posts but continues to support his candidacy. I think that's incredibly unfortunate, and it has the potential to strain the relationships between the Mayor and the Latinx community in Indianapolis.

I agree with the Councillors and community leaders backing Karla Lopez-Owens. She should be given the opportunity to lead the 12th District on the Council. She appears qualified and ready to lead the district forward.

UPDATE: After having read some of the posts in question (found them on a Facebook post of a friend), I think Joe Hogsett needs to answer as to why he is continuing to support Larrison's campaign at all. The posts are definitely disqualifying.

Indy GOP Masks True Intentions

Cindy Kirchhofer
Photo: Indiana House Republicans

The Marion County Republican Party once ruled the roost in Marion County. Now, it can't even muster enough people to help run an election...even in heavily Republican areas.

This once dominant party can't even get politics right either. Today, the party released a statement from current chair Cindy Kirchhofer. Let's say...it missed the mark. The statement kind of sort of praises Mayor Joe Hogsett for doing the right thing on making masks mandatory but then somehow tries to criticize him for his implementation schedule.

The statement goes:

"I believe that masks are an important precautionary health measure. However, it's sad but not surprising that once again Joe Hogsett picks politics over protecting people as he issues his mask mandate."

"If Joe Hogsett says masks will save lives on July 9, why wait until then? I fear this isn't about protecting our neighbors but about protecting his political career.“

Now, if you read that statement, it could go a lot of different ways after that first sentence. It could have said, "I believe masks are an important precautionary health measure. That's why I join Mayor Hogsett in urging all Indianapolis and Marion County residents to wear a mask. Here's where you can go to get a free mask from the city of Indianapolis. You can also pick one up at points in the city or call (317) 327-4MAC."

OR

It could have said, "I believe masks are an important precautionary health measure. That's why I am urging Governor Eric Holcomb to join Mayor Hogsett in issuing an order to make masks mandatory across the state of Indiana."

Of course, I'm living in a mythical world and not the one where where Cindy Kirchhofer is the Chair of a failing at the Indy ballot box political party that STRETCHES to score political points on Mayor Hogsett while at the same time trying to also care about mask wearing.

Joe Hogsett
Photo: Indy.gov

It is July 2. Governor Holcomb just announced yesterday that he would encourage but not require masks across the state. I'm sure Hogsett and Dr. Virginia Caine of the Marion County Health Department were waiting for that guidance. So, now, Mayor Hogsett is left with a mandatory order that will require people to not only hear about it but to obtain a mask to comply. Of course implementing it right away isn't an option. A week seems perfectly practical to anyone that isn't thinking with the political point scoring brain.  If she truly did care and think mask wearing was so important than she should be bending the Governor's ear on the subject of a mandatory mask order.

And, let's look at all the things that the Indy GOP could be doing to score political points right now. I just wrote another long post today about Mayor Hogsett's challenges. Yet, Kirchhofer chooses pandemic masks to accuse the Mayor of trying to score political points. Come on Rep. Kirchhofer, you CANNOT be serious.

If anything, the political ploy here was not to take up quarrel with Hogsett's timeline. The political play here for the Republican Party would be to play that libertarian angle. The mandatory angle was the play. Of course, that's the wrong play, but, at least it makes some sense given the traditional GOP party line.

As it stands, Hogsett's order may be disliked by some, but at least he's given everyone a chance to comply. Plus, the numbers in Indianapolis show that we're actually holding our own in comparison to some other areas when it comes to COVID-19. We need to keep it that way, and Hogsett's order will help do it.

By the way, Mitch Gore is running against Kirchhofer for the District 89 seat. You can find his website here.

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.

Mears Wins Prosecutor 500

Ryan Mears is the Marion County Prosecutor.

Earlier today, the man serving as Interim Prosecutor won the right to serve in that capacity through at least 2022 in a narrow vote over Timothy Moriarty, an advisor for Mayor Joe Hogsett. Politically and morally, I think Mears won this election on the first full day he was on the job as Interim Prosecutor.

The day after former Prosecutor Terry Curry announced he was exiting, Mears immediately made news by announcing that Marion County would no longer be prosecuting marijuana cases for amounts under one ounce. This made sense in a number of ways, but it also signaled that Mears didn't care about the GOP's or the FOP's reaction...that he was going to make his own call and stand on his own principles about these cases. Politically, I'm sure it caught Moriarty and probably everyone fairly flatfooted, and suddenly, he had to react to something his opponent in the race was proposing.

The last few weeks have not been, on the surface, a good show for the Marion County Democratic Party. Major names backed Moriarty. Joe Hogsett and André Carson were chief among them, and Mears had his own backers too...namely his former boss Terry Curry and Senator JD Ford.Mears had his own backers too...namely his former boss Terry Curry and Senator JD Ford. There was also this perception that the deck was being stacked in favor of one candidate. Local pundits like Abdul-Hakim Shabazz have written about it on his Indy Politics site. I've seen the sentiment, though, from grassroots Democrats, too. In the end, Mears' message carried the day.

I think the General Assembly needs to take a look at these countywide offices and perhaps make a change to allow all the voters to participate in a special election. It could be done in May or November along with regular elections to keep costs down. The only complicating factor would be that one year where there aren't elections, but that could be rectified too.

Regardless, I think Marion County got itself a good Prosecutor today. I wish him the best of luck. I also wish my friend Tim Moriarty the best. I think the day will come for him to serve our city and county in an elected capacity, too.

Merritt, Indy GOP All Hat and No Cattle on Potholes and Tort Claims

We are one month away from the Primary Election, and we still have no idea what Jim Merritt wants to do if he's elected Mayor of Indianapolis.

He certainly can hold a press conference. We know that! So far, he's held several on potholes and tort claims, but, when pressed for solutions, he comes up empty. Most embarrassingly, the media asked Merritt if he would change the tort claim procedures for Indianapolis (which are largely dictated by state law and not city ordinance), and Merritt became the guy that couldn't find his wallet when it came time to pay the check.

Don't bother to look online for his ideas, either. His website provides no more guidance beyond a promise to roll out his policies during the campaign. Inspiring.

Here's the truth. Jim Merritt, as a state Senator, has been a member of a Indiana General Assembly that has Kathy Bates-in-Misery-style hobbled local governments. Time after time, they've pushed the funding of city governments back to the cities and towns and then cut off the ability for those entities to raise funds. Constitutional tax caps slapped a big governor on the engine of city and local governments.

Years of mismanagement of Republican City-County Councils and Mayors of Indianapolis has also placed us in this situation. Roads were not updated and repaired, and, when they were, they were done so in such a shoddy fashion that many of the improvements have simply fallen apart. Can Joe Hogsett do more? Sure! He has to have the ability to do so, though. In the current funding structure, it's just not feasible.

Indiana has run up is surplus on the backs of local governments, cities, and schools. Jim Merritt won't tell you that at his next press conference. He'll tell you that the General Assembly threw some chump change at the problem when in reality it's going to take a concerted effort and much more political capital to truly fix our problems.

Are the attacks on Joe Hogsett fair? I don't think so unless you're going to do something different than what he's done. Indy's Department of Public Works is doing what it can, and I think Hogsett is, too.

Merritt is all hat and no cattle at this point. His party likes to throw up memes on social media and tag Hogsett as "Pothole Joe", but they ignore their role in getting us here. As for Merritt, he wants your vote without any plan to fix anything in this city, so I've got a nickname for Jim Merritt since he has no plan: "Meritless Merritt".

I think it fits.