Some people have objected to “tribal” as a characterization of Northwest Indiana politics. The assumption they make is that somehow this term is pregnant with racial meaning. Why that is, I am not sure? The term is utilized to describe all NWI politics of whatever racial or ethnic background and the term has a history in the social sciences to describe a particular type of social/political relationships based on tribal hierarchy, i.e. who you know not what you know. It is a symbolic way of saying that political rewards are delivered in terms of loyalty not performance. Well so be it. Not liking a term does not change the nature of the bad politics in NWI.
Therefore, instead of “tribal” politics, I will now try to explain NWI in terms of “excuse” politics. “Excuse” politics is the other side of “tribal” politics. Rewards continue to be given for whom you know or are loyal to not how you perform or what you contribute. It is called “excuse” politics because lack of achievement or performance is always answered with an excuse rather than taking responsibility. It is always someone else’s fault, or it is the fault of some circumstances beyond my or my parties’ control. It is never, never my fault or my mistake.
The reality is that most of the individuals who have complained about my "outing" them as part of the ongoing "tribal" politics of NWI have characterized it as "racist" as an excuse for their abysmal behavior in public life.
The most enlightening events to exemplify “excuse” politics is the NWI Democratic Party’s response to the mired of corruption that was uncovered in the past five years so as to literally define the political climate, certainly of Lake County, if not all of NWI. The fact is everyone else had it right. We are the most politically corrupt area in the United States. However, you did not hear that from any public official or their cronies (especially Dan Lowery). They all had the usual list of suspects (or “excuses).
The list is tiresome if not endless. First, was the obvious, all political entities are corrupt and therefore we are just like everywhere else. Factually, that is not true. In addition, it is still an excuse because you are still corrupt. Then there is that this is neither Democratic nor Republican, it can be any individual. This is saying nothing but the obvious and ignores the fact that only Democrats are in control and only Democrats were guilty. The most ingenious and most common “excuse” is that “they are out to get us.” This excuse argues nothing bad was done but the Republicans down State only want to harm the Democrats in Lake County. This was the standard excuse from the head of the Lake County Democratic Party to the members of the Quality of Life Council. In many ways, this was the worst excuse because it was bought by the voters when they re-elected every single incumbent Democrat into office, thieves and all. This last explanation is truly a classic example of refusal to take responsibility.
There is the largest corruption in the history of local government in the United States, all run by Democrats, all of which are found guilty; but, the real cause of this problem is the political goals of the Republicans in Indianapolis. Such stupidity would be cause enough to drive all the Democratic politicians out of office but not in NWI.
Even the problem of education in NWI is answer politically with “excuses.” NWI has the worst record in the State. So does anyone take responsibility? No!! Gary’s teachers are on strike because money will solve the problem, which we all know is the biggest lie in the world.
Then there is Hammond where after two decades of blaming the students for their failure the political leadership has found a new “excuse”: “if we could only build another school, a magnet school.” Another stupid excuse because if you cannot solve your original problems a new school, magnet or otherwise, (as Gary has found out) will not solve your problems.
The height of excuses was initiated in the early 19990s. NWI was an economic disaster; but it was no one’s fault (the same officials are still with us). It is Indianapolis’s fault for not letting us have more funds for development because we have suffered so much: unemployment, urban decay, corrupt politicians, etc. Indianapolis please give us some development funds through gambling. $1.5 billion later NWI is still an economic disaster and the fault now lies in lack of regionalism.
To solve the new excuse of lack of "regionalism", the result is that we ask and are given the Regional Development Authority. The RDA as everyone is aware is an over-pompous 1930s public works project only the morons on the board could love it. Now though, the RDA’s new excuse is that they don’t have enough money from the “Major Moves” program. Although they did not know anything about it before the creation of the RDA. The reality is that the RDA knows it will be a failure and is just preparing for the inevitable "excuses."
So the merry-go-round of “excuse” politics continues. The only way to get off is if the citizens become smart enough to vote the "excusers" out, permanently -- and that my friends is no excuse.
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