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.

Trump Goes Low in Wallace Attack Tweet

Bubba Wallace
Photo: NASCAR

Each morning after I wake up, grab a drink and shake off the drowsiness, I grab my phone and open social media to get my first glance at what's going on.

Lately, I prepare for anything. This morning, the first few tweets I saw were responses to a Trump tweet: a Trump tweet that only shows the President keeps going lower and lower and lower and lower.

Trump decided that today, in the midst of a killer global pandemic he mismanaged, was the perfect time to attack NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. The personal attack against NASCAR's only Black driver comes just two days after the Independence Day holiday and in the middle of a continued discussion about race in our society. 

Trump's tweet is mean-spirited, incorrect and wrong at every level, and one has to wonder why anyone in the most powerful office in the land would ever resort to such race-baiting. 

For one, Trump needs a distraction as the coronavirus numbers continue to skyrocket in most states. He needs someone to change the subject, and, by attacking the only Black driver in the NASCAR paddock, he gets people talking. Secondly, I'll put it bluntly, Trump needs his base, and that base includes the kind of people that wear tinfoil hats, support the Confederate States of America and the racism that continues to divide our nation.

Sadly, caught in the middle of this, is Bubba Wallace.

Wallace led the fight to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from NASCAR tracks. He should be praised for his leadership in helping an organization that was berthed in the tradition and history of Southern culture to divorce itself from the symbol some white Southerners hold sacred. He and his race team brought attention to the Black Lives Matter cause by running it on his car in a race. 

As a leader and as a man, Wallace deserves our accolades and not aspersions from a morally bankrupt failure of a President. He deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work, and I hope President Biden will award him one when he's in office. Make no mistake, Trump's low personal attack will cause Wallace to absorb more hate directed at him from the President's most racist supporters. Hate that has caused him already to need more security. 

I proudly stand with Bubba Wallace.

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.

Rader Steps Away after Long, Distinguished Career at WTHR

Kevin Rader
Photo: WTHR

A legend of the Indy airwaves is retiring.

Kevin Rader, a longtime friendly face at WTHR, is stepping away after a 30-year run as one of the top political reporters in Indiana. He is the dean of TV political reporting in this city.

Landing in Indianapolis in 1990, Rader became the political reporter for the station, as he describes it, pretty much because no one else wanted it. He writes in his retirement piece, "I was the only one who wanted the beat. No one wanted to get tied up at the Statehouse, but I did."

Rader took that opportunity and has run with it. He's covered, as he states in his piece, political conventions, local politicians, political icons and national tragedies. I say that he's done it with distinction, class, professionalism and a heart that comes through in everything he does.

Beyond his reporting on politics and national events, I'll remember Rader's excellent "Only in Indiana" features. He has a gift for storytelling, and it comes through in these tremendous pieces bringing ordinary Hoosiers the recognition they deserve. The segment compares favorably with legendary Indy news icons like Fred Heckman's "My Town Indy" pieces or Ray Rice's "Indiana's Own" segments. Reporters don't last for 30 years on TV in a market unless they love it and unless they are good. Rader talks about his love for our city in his piece and that also comes through in his reports.

When I first began to care about politics, Indy had three of the finest reporters on the beat that you could find. At WRTV, you had Norman Cox, who retired in 2013 after some 37 years on the job. WISH had Jim Shella who came to our screens in 1982 and retired in 2016. Now, Rader steps away after 30 years of reporting. Three unmatched reporters whose institutional knowledge of the ins and outs of all the major politicking around here cannot be downloaded onto someone's laptop.

Rader, who I never have met, has a reputation of being one of the nicest and most genuine people in this market, and that comes from multiple people that I have met who know him. On a personal note, I have always been a fan of his reporting. His integrity, credentials and professionalism are unquestioned.

Congratulations, Mr. Kevin Rader. You will be missed, and your retirement leaves big shoes to fill for your potential replacement. As a citizen of Indianapolis and as a political observer in this city, I know I'll miss your reports and journalistic excellence.