Northwest Indiana Comical Politics

The Hammond NWI Christmas Spirit

The following Christmas ode was written by "The Preacher," a NWI radio personality on WJOB radio.  It is currently published on the NWI Discussion Boards.  In the interest of the season, I thought it should be shared by everyone in the great State of Indiana.  All Hoosiers deserve a good laugh during the holiday season; this is especially true of the citizens of Lake County who on Friday had their State income tax increased by 33%.  This was the present (coal?) given to the citizens by their County Government. 

You can see the Ode here (and just in case, I have it available below).

(For those who do not have a translation available for the "Shakesperian" references in this Ode, one is provided at the end of the Carol.)

'Twas the night of the "Penquin"
By Mr. Crackers

‘Twas the night of “The Penquin” and out on the street
he spreads propaganda on tiny webbed feet.

His tuxedo was hung by his bedside with care,
in hopes that Tom Junior soon would be there.

Team Hammond was nervous, and crawled under their beds,
in fear that Tom Junior would lop off their heads.

And with Marty and Eddy perched on his lap,
Dappy got ready to gift wrap more crap.

As his war chest of cash grew fatter and fatter,
Wes Miller asked questions, but, it didn’t matter.

Then Marko showed up at his victory bash,
and the mayor tossed him out by the hairs on his stash.

So, Chico and Tony jumped into the fray,
but, they were no match for Big Al and Repay.

Then right out of nowhere on the board did appear,
a red-headed “Penquin” with his beak up Tom’s rear.

Then laying his finger aside of his snout,
the mayor gave him a job, exercising his clout.

And I laugh when I saw him separating my trash,
then, he flick his cig butt, and was gone in a flash.

But, I heard him exclaim as they drove down the street,
“Your taxes are paying to shoe my webbed feet!”

"I just can't stopped that monkey from writing once he gets in the holiday spirit!
All the characters feature in the above are figments of Mr. Cracker's imagination and are not real people, as far as I know."

Penquin = Steve Fowler; Tom or Tom Junior = Tom McDermott, Jr. Mayor of Hammond, Indiana; Team Hammond = loyal opposition; Marty = Marty Wiggels, Mayor's Chief of Staff (keeps watch, i.e. control, of the son for the father); Marko = Robert Markovich, Hammond City Councilman (highest vote getter in the City, which  embarassed Baby Mac who opposed his re-election); Chico = Chico Hinajosa = City Councilman (used to think well of Baby Mac); Tony = Anthony Higgs; Big Al = Al Salinas (dumbest City Councilman, a true embarassment, and supporter of Baby Mac); Eddy or Repay = Dan Repay, City Councilman (son of a descent local politician, father forgot to provide son with backbone); Mr. Cracker = The Preacher.

Hammond Mayor's Garbage in and Garbage Out

Mayor Baby Mac has continued to implement the negative management of the City of Hammond that I have been critical of all along with the new clarification of the financial cost of the City to its citizens.  The Hammond City finances continue to spiral out of control with no serious reduction in sight.

The first reduction, the Health Depatment, was a political test of wills of meaningless financial value to the City or its citizens.  The only reason it was aliminated was its lack of employment of Baby Mac's friends.

The second part was the shift of the sanitrary functions from the City's books to the Hammond Sanitary District's books.  This allowed Mayor Baby Mac to claim a reduction in the City's property tax levy while simultaneously sticking it to the citizens of Hammond with additional service costs.

The newspapers have now officially reported the "screwing" of the citizens of Hammond.  The elderly's costs will increase from $3 a month to $9 and the regular citizens's costs will go up from $5 per month to $15.  That is a 200% increase.  It is an annual increase of $72 for the elderly and $120 for regular citizens.  It is actually going to raise a ton of money for the Hammond Sanitary District because it will also collect money from not-for-profit entities that previously did not pay property tax.

Since Baby Mac controls the Hammond Sanitary District, it is going to be a good source of employment for his and Daddy Mac's friends, acquintances, and political allies.  The citizens continue to get screwed and pay for gain and benefits of the "old-boy" network.

How to Spin an Ugly Duckling Into a Princess!!!

The suck-ups to Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr, (Baby Mac) have been out in force spinning his election win in every way but the truth. 

Only in the minds of midgets (or the other way around) or people on drugs can the mayoral election in Hammond be described as anything but a goodbye send off to Baby Mac.  (It may very well be the kiss of political death to his partner in crime and fooling of the citizens of Hammond, Dan Repay.) 

The new spin is that Baby Mac almost lost the election, winning by only 400 votes, because he took the tough stand of cutting governmental costs by reducing services, specifically the health department.  To my direct knowledge, the people who are responsible for wholesale distribution of this spin are the two local newspapers, The Times and The Post-Tribune and Dr. Dan Lowery on his "Anyday NWI Will Be Like Heaven" show on Channel 56.  The newspapers gave this lie in their editorials and Lowery repeated this mantra not once but at least twice on his show.  The second time it was repeated on Lowery's show by Jim Wieser (a useless Democratic Party operative). 

First, all these people are lying about the Hammond Health Department.  And if they really don't know that they are lying, then they are just not smart enough to comment on public affairs.  (This is analogous to Dennis Miller's comment that if we are to believe Hillary Clinton that she really didn't know about Bill's extra-marital affairs, then she is just not smart enough to be president.)  The Good Government Initiative specifically recommended NOT doing away with the Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary Health Departments because their unique services were needed and could not be duplicated by the County with any net savings to the citizens.  What is it about "NOT" that these mastodons don't understand?  Baby Mac did not reduce the cost of government he only shifted its cost to all the citizens of Lake County. This is clearly shown in the 11/22/07 article that talks about Lake County creating a satellite office in Hammond.  And why is a satellite office in Hammond needed?  According to Baby Mac, it is because "a local office is needed for low-income, uninsured residents who cannot afford to travel to Crown Point for inoculations or health records."

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL WANTS TO DO WITH THE LAKE COUNTY INCOME TAX.  TAX ALL LAKE COUNTY CITIZENS -- SEND THE MONEY TO THE NORTHERN PART OF LAKE COUNTY -- TO PAY FOR THE THIEVERY AND INCOMPETENCE OF BABY MAC IN HAMMOND AND HIS FELLOW COHORTS IN GARY AND EAST CHICAGO.

The Hammond Budget Shell Game

The new Hammond budget that was passed by the City Council consists of a cynical shell game of hiding the truth from the citizens of Hammond and burdening Lake County Government with additional costs and services.  There are two primary individuals responsible for this charade: the Mayor and his side-kick Councilman Dan Repay.

The citizens of Hammond will pay and pay heavily for this shell-game.  They have little options at this point.  The possibility of Tom McDermott, Jr. loosing the general election is close to zero and Dan Repay has no opposition.

Between the two of them sharpness in public policy is measured by their ability to slice pudding.  In both cases, if it was not for daddy's last name they would both be fighting for Steve Fowler's Hammond City job.

The budget serves as a political cover for both candidates.  Tom McDermott needs to look like he is accomplishing something as mayor.  Dan Repay first needs Tom McDermott's support and he also needs something to sell to the voters when he runs for Lake County Commissioners.  It is one of the least kept secrets that Repay's new wife is not having anything to do with Hammond as a place to live (a little problem if you are a councilman in Hammond).  As usual love trumps responsibility and Repay will move to Schererville after the election.  The reason this occurs after the election is that the Mayor will name his person to the City Council.  Repay runs for Fran DuPey seat with McDermott's support.  (Remember, he has already told Tom Philpot he cannot support him because there will probably be a Hammond candidate.)  I wonder who?

McDermott and Repay made sure that Repay had no opposition, including the primary, otherwise this run to South County for love would have become public and a big embarrassment.

So what have these two schnooks done to the citizens they were elected to serve?  They have ensured that Hammond will die a slow death, in the footsteps of Gary and East Chicago, while to attempt to waltz their way to "higher ground."  (Yes, that was an intentional pun on their responsibility for the recent floods.)

The big lie called the Hammond Budget is presented in this Times story:

City_shaves_5_million_from_its_2008_budget.mht

First, the budget decreased nothing in actual costs to homeowners.  Any actual reduction in the "City" budget will be more than compensated for by increases in direct fees to Hammond City residents.  The new City budget is $5 million less than the previous one.  Part of that reduction ($800,000) is strictly a lowering of debt service that occurred at this time automatically.  The rest is achieved mostly by moving sanitary workers and their cost to the Hammond Sanitary District and second by shifting the Hammond Health Department from the City of Hammond to the Lake County Government,  NONE OF THIS IS A REDUCTION IN THE MONEY SPENT FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICE IN HAMMOND.  This is freshman political science, apparently a course both McDermott and Repay did not take.  As a matter of fact Hammond residents will be spending more money for the same or less service.

Second, service to the citizens of Hammond will be reduced.  There will be a definite reduction in the health of the community -- no City Health Department.  This is mostly a McDermott mental ego trip win.  The Health Department is a unique need for the cities of Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary.  I have been critical of many aspects of the management of these cities; but the Health Departments are just not one of them.  This move truly shows that McDermott never ever had any Democratic Party credentials.  No self-respecting Democrat would do away with the health department of a city as his only cost cutting move.

The Health Department does not save that much money.  It would have cost only $670,000 next year; but, it brings into the City $200,000 in income. I would think people are already talking about not eating in Hammond restaurants, with a few exceptions like the Wheel, because of the likelihood of food poisoning, rat infestation, roaches, etc. resulting from lack of inspection by the Health Department  The County Health Department will not provide the same coverage as was available under the City Health Department.  The Mayor said so himself -- you cannot get the same service and pay less.

Third, There will be a reduction in safety and security.  But, the police chief is getting a $15,000 raise.  Why?  And why now?  There is no accountability in either the fire and police departments for the increased costs that will result from Cabelas and other new retail.  Cabellas, to be properly patrolled, would take at least one police officer.  One officer for three shifts for seven days a week, plus leave, holidays, sickness, etc. requires the City of Hammond to hire four new police officers next year.  For a beginning patrolman, including training and benefits, that would come to at least $130,000.  Where is that in the budget?  It is not.  It is going to be accomplished by reducing the fire and police coverage in other parts of the City.

For any of you who believe the nonsense about crime going down in Hammond, you know that the FBI numbers given by Hammond City Hall do not add up from your own experience in the City.  By the way if you are one of the people who believes that Hammond is safer, I have some land to sell you in the everglades because I also assume you believe the police chief deserves a raise for the creative police work that Hammond is undertaking.  It is rumored that the City of New York is interested in finding out how Hammond is accomplishing this miracle.

Fourth, Scrooge is back in Hammond.  Crossing guards, I repeat SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS, had their health insurance cancelled in the new budget.  How low can you go?  This to give the police chief a raise and the Mayor and Repay call themselves Democrats.  I would not even call them Americans.  How much money did Daddy McDermott make on the City insurance scam?  By the way how much money did he make on his brilliant analysis provided to Cabellas?  I am sure the people at the bottom, our school crossing guards, appreciate all that work by daddy McDermott.  Daddy McDermott successfully went after the unions at The Times newspaper.  It is clear the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Although not directly part of the budget the City Council now permits double dipping by City employees who sit on boards and commissions.  Talk about lack of independent thought.  Many of these double dippers are also Department Heads who are getting a hefty increase in their pay.  That should help them come to terms with supporting McDermott and Repay in their future political runs.

Hammond Budget Impass (Go Team Go)

Monday's impasse on the City budget is the best thing that can happen to Hammond.  Now the City Council has to keep up their good work for the remainder of the week.  If they do not pass a budget, the City gets last years budget.  No budget increase and no future promotional literature for McDermott if or when he tries to seek a bigger elected office.

This will be a tough road to go for the City Council.  There will be a lot of pressure to pass the budget as "developed" by the political scientist Tom McDermott, Jr. in his "adjunct" job as Mayor of Hammond.  As everyone who is a social scientist knows, all budgets must have a purpose or goal that the budget is intended to accomplish. As the famous political scientist, Harold Laswell, said, politics is defined as "Who gets what, when, where, and how."  This is true, even for city governments. Another famous political scientist, known by anyone who teaches a political science course, is the University of Chicago's David Easton's definition of politics, which is that politics is the "authoritative allocation of values."  Of course, the political scientist Tom McDermott, Jr. Esq., is intimately aware of the meaning of politics and recognizes that his budget must by necessity promote certain values.

But in this budget there is nothing obvious.  There is no expenditure to develop new jobs or business growth.  No direction for new and improved services to the citizenry of Hammond.  It does not put more cash into the pockets of the citizens of Hammond.  So what is it about?  What is the budget's values or goals?

Its primary value is to have in place something that McDermott, Jr. can point to and say he accomplished; something he can claim to have accomplished while he tries to pave his way to bigger and better elected positions (like running for Visclosky's seat when Visclosky decides he no longer wants it or possibly Lt. Governor).  The sole value of this budget is to allow him to utilize certain aspects of it in selling himself.   

For example, there is no value to the citizens of Hammond to removing the Health Department, possibly the opposite, but it can become a good campaign slogan outside of Hammond.  There is no cost savings, actually a guaranteed increase in cost, to homeowners over the shift of employees to the Sanitation District; but, it is a great slogan outside of Hammond for the next political move outside of Hammond.

The best action the City Council can take right now for the citizens of Hammond, and in reality all the citizens of NWI, is to do nothing.  Sometimes and this is one of those times, the best course of action is no action at all.  The only harm that can happen is that McDermott will have to redo his campaign literature for the race for Lt. Governor or Congressman.  Sometimes that is the price a mayor has to pay for not reading his political science books.

When Fools Rush In to Diagnose Your Health

It is a real sad state of affairs when fools are elected to office who make up stories to explain their decisions.  The only worse fools are newspaper editorial writers who out loyalty to a job or political party close their eyes to this stupidity and support the fools. 

This is the case with the babbling of the Mayor of Hammond, McDermott, Jr., about getting rid of the Hammond Health Department.  His arguments are basically two fold.  One, it is a unique state of affairs in Indiana that a City has a health department.  In the whole State, only the Cities of Hammond, Gary, and East Chicago have city health departments, which they fund.  Two, the health department, like all services should be shared by all the citizens of Lake County because everyone benefits and there is a "county" health department duplicating the service.

The first point is factually correct; but, meaningless, even deceiving in the context of the argument to shift the Hammond Health Department to the Lake County Health Department.  Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago used to be, the largest cities in Indiana.  In no other county in the State did you have two, never mind three, of the largest cities in one county.  Marion County has the City of Indianapolis, Allen County has the City of Ft. Wayne, and St. Joseph's County has the City of South Bend.  In each county there is only one large city.  So when one speaks of the health department of the county it is synonymous with the health department of the one large city in the county.  As a matter of fact, today Marion County and the City of Indianapolis are just about synonymous with unigov.

Further there are no cities in Indiana like Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago with its industrial history and significant minority populations since the 1900s.  (A possible exception is Terre Haute.  But again that is one city within a county.)  These three industrial cities with their minority populations have always and continue to have unique health requirements that most rural and suburban areas of the county do not. 

Hammond Residents Bailing Themselves Out

It was not suppose to happen.  The massive flooding of basements and houses in Hammond was suppose to be history.  It is not history. 

The City has spent in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars on redoing all the streets, including the sewer and the storm drains and pipe system.  These are suppose to be all new and capable of taking care of a "storm," such as we had.  Otherwise, why bother?  Storm drains and facilities are suppose to take care of the exact problem that happened: excess water coming from the sky, otherwise called rain.

A city is not just bricks and mortar it is also the leadership and the capabilities of the appointed people.  By these very events, the City is shown to have become completely mediocre in its functionality.  The Sanitary District, dominated by new appointments, may not even be sure where Lake Michigan is. What is the big surprise with storm water coming from Highland and Munster? That is the service that these citiies pay the Hammond Sanitary District for. But, it has done so well it is now recommended to get all the sanitation functions of the City in the new budget.  Good luck Hammond Citizens!!! 

You cannot get the half a billion dollars back and no one is going to help with the flooding.  But, soon you will be able to buy a rubber boat, and ducks, at your local Cabellas.

Hammond Budget Another Big Lie

The recently released budget of the City of Hammond constitutes what is classically referred to as the "Big Lie."  The traditional "Big Lie" says one thing but does another.  It is a classic game played by tribal politicians with their "tribe" to achieve one set of goals while seeming to be forward looking.

The City's budget big lie is that somehow this budget helps the home-owning tax payers, the citizens, and everyone else in the City of Hammond by reducing their financial burden, while being creative and innovative in how the "new" budget is structured to not be so biased against property owners.

It does quite the opposite.  That is why it is called the "Big Lie." 

• It immediately increases the tax costs to homeowners and all property owners in the City.
• It increases unemployment in the City.
• It reduces the services to the citizens of the City of Hammond.
• It expands the property tax growth for the citizens of Hammond over the next four years.

Since every piece of property in Hammond, just like other cities, partakes of sanitation and garbage services, shifting the service to the Hammond Sanitation District and having them increase their "service fee" (read tax) only expands the cost to each property owner in Hammond.  Keep in mind that this new cost has no cap and exemptions to it like property taxes do.  The City's cost right now is $5.  Under the Sanitary District it will be $15 a month; but why not $35 a month next year?

Part of this shell game is to reduce the number of employees by over sixty.  Those people will be unemployed.  Are they all going to be non Hammond residents?  What is to prevent the Sanitary District from expanding the layoffs over time?

With less employees and no accountability through election for the sanitation, garbage, etc. services, by definition this will result in reduced service.  Certainly there is no incentive, such as competition, to improve City services.

The shift of sanitation and other services from being paid directly through property taxes by the property owners to being paid directly by the property owners as a "fee" to the Sanitation District allows for the illusion that if your property taxes stay the same they are not being increased.  In reality they are.  As a property owner (homeowner, landlord, or business owner), your cost of owning property in Hammond will substantially increase without one iota of improvement in the City. 

By the way, let us not forget that there is also a shift of cost to the Lake County tax payers for things like health services.  The property owners of Hammond will still pay for the health department services but they will pay for it through the Lake County Health Service.  The service legally must continue so everyone in Lake County, including the citizens of Hammond, will have to share the cost.

Since the City must spend their "new found" money somehow, the result will undoubtedly be an increase in the hiring of lawyers and consultants.  I can assure all of you citizens of Hammond that I will not be offered one of those cushy assignments.

Anti-Semitism is Alive and Well in Hammond

It is truly a sad day when one finds out that the city where one's parents are buried is rife with anti-Semitic behavior.  Here is the story: 

Hammond_Jewish_cemetery_vandalized.htm

Although there was some minor damage to the non-Jewish cemetery across the street, as usual, the major damage, for at least the third time was to the Kneseth Israel Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery.  Thank G-D that my parents graves were not desecrated.  I cannot say that for others.  Some beautiful old, over 75 years old, head stones and grave markers were turned over (more than the 11 reported according to my count) and graves were trampled and desecrated.  One suspects that the only reason Jewish individuals and places of worship are not attacked is because most have left Hammond.  Let us not forget that it was only four years or so ago that Congregation Beth Israel on Hohman was severely desecrated with Nazi graffiti and hate slogans.  Congregation Beth Israel has since relocated to Munster.

The sad fact is that the Mayor of Hammond has not said a word about these acts publicly nor has he gone to the Jewish community or cemetery to show support in confronting this racist behavior.  I even listened for some word on his radio show this morning -- nothing.  Why not?

Is it possible that McDermott's attitude toward Jews is consistent with the anti-semitic attitude of one of his most ardent supporters, who is also one of his political appointees, and potential new city hire?  Steve Fowler, an ardent supporter and advisor, a political appointee, and potentially a new city worker, of Mayor McDermott, Jr., continues to utilize my middle name, which is Hebrew, in a condescending and anti-semitic manner whenever he can on the WJOB discussion board, The Times discussion board, as well as in his comments in my blog. 

The Mayor has neither condemned the anti-semitic behavior of people in his city nor has he condemned the anti-semitic behavior of his adviser.  What is sad is that this adviser, Steve Fowler, works for the County, he is rumored to be moving to a full time Hammond city job, and McDermott named him to the Hammond Sanitary Commission from which he draws a monthly stipend/salary.

It is certainly time that Hammond clean its house of anti-Semitism.  From where I sit, it needs to start with the Mayor's house and his advisers.

Dan Repay the Gutless Wonder of the Hammond Council

It is a sad state of affairs when a politician has no back bone and no faith in any particular belief.  That is the particular definition of Councilman Dan Repay of Hammond.  He has not guts to achieve anything but his personal interests and he has no independent ideas that would benefit Hammond that he is willing to act on.

As a consequence he seems to have cut a devil's bargain with the Mayor, Tom McDermott, Jr. where he supposedly has the Mayor's support to run for a county wide office in exchange for not running against the mayor in this forthcoming election.  The unique fact is that if Dan Repay were to run; he would have a good possibility of wining.  Most Hammond Democrats want someone to replace the child-like baby Tom.  The current Mayor has successfully lost the support of the the police and the fireman.  If Dan Repay believes the mayor will keep his word, he ought to talk to other politicians who have fallen for this line, specifically Sheriff Dominguez.  In that race Mayor McDermott, Jr. committed to both Dominguez and Buncich and when he got caught with his pants down, he let Dave Hamm, as the City's Democratic Chair, take the fall -- nice friend.

When it comes to economic development the Mayor has supported everything that helps his family but has no serious consequences for the city in terms of economic development.  A good example is the case of Cabellas that is under a serious ethical cloud.

The brilliant mayor has twice come out in full support of change in the current K-12 educational system.  The first time was in defense of "hoodies".  This was when the Mayor and City Council came to the School Board meeting to protest the banning of sweat shirts with hoods in school that students would wear to cover their identity.  The second major step that the illustrious mayor was involved with and reported on his radio show four weeks ago was the disaster threat to the educational development of Hammond students when their athletic conference was changed.  That is the extent of this mayor's knowledge and involvement with education.

The sad thing about Dan Repay is that for many years I knew his father and worked with his father when he was on the Hammond City Council.  Dan Repay does not have the independence of his father.