Northwest Indiana Comical Politics

The "Chief" Tribal Excuses of NWI Politics

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.

Catholic College Tries to Halt Higher Education Development in NWI

A recent column written by Calumet College of St. Joseph's Vice President for Academic Affairs has specifically requested that yours truly be shut down as a commentator on public affairs in NWI.  (They also called for the silencing of conservative columnist Ann Coulter, but that is a different issue.) 

In attempting to assess why this silencing was all of sudden an important issue for Calumet College and its Vice President, I was truly stumped for a while.  The viciousness of the attack was beyond anything that was readily explainable as a consequence of any recent development.  That is, there seemed to be nothing new that I had criticized or uniquely revealed that would call for this sort of response.

I then realized that there was one new development that did threaten Calumet College and the new $150,000+ position of their Vice President.  For over 15 years, I have become active in promoting metropolitan status for the universities of NWI, Purdue Calumet and Indiana University Northwest.  This would change their mission and improve their overall funding profile per student to match other universities.  This requirement would include a drastic change in governance of the two institutions to reflect the needs of NWI not the needs of Bloomington and West Lafayette as is the case currently.  It would also end the inherent discrimination against Hoosier African-Americans and Hispanics students in higher education in Indiana.

After fifteen years of lobbying the State Legislature and the Boards of Trustees of the major universities, the local political system for once has finally gotten on board this summer.  There is a bill being developed to go in front of the State Legislature for its next term.  The Mayors of Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago are supporting the proposal because they have finally realized that it the only way to gain economic development, to end racism in their communities, and bring tax dollars back to the community.

What I now realize is that the only people who will loose is Calumet College.  At best, it has always been marginal real college.  With PUC and IUN growing to 20-30,000 students each, there is no place or value any longer for Calumet College (there may not be any now).

That is why I believe the whole school, Calumet College, decided to come after me.  If they can discredit me in any way, they hope to stop their ultimate demise even if it is at the expense of the future of the people of NWI.

NWI's Calumet College of St. Joseph Demands Censorship of Conservatives and Political Critics, and support of Democrats in NWI

Calumet College of St. Joseph's Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Daniel Lowery, presented the following policy in Monday's NWI Post-Tribune Newspaper.  Calumet College of St. Joseph is a small private Catholic mostly bachelor's awarding institution of higher education in Hammond, Indiana.  Lowery, as the number two management authority at the School, would seem to be developing a new policy position for Calumet College the essence of which is to have conservative columnists, i.e. Ann Coulter, and local critical columnists be censored and therefore implicitly provide full support for the Democratic Party in NWI.

There was no disclaimer with the column that this does not reflect the views of the School.  It specifically identified the author as its Vice-President and that he was writing in this position. 

The following is the column arguing for a policy of censorship that the Vice-President of  Calumet College wrote:

I’m often given the chance to comment on local affairs. Turns in the bully pulpit can be rewarding. Indeed, too few ever get a chance to share their two cents worth at a podium or in an op-ed piece.

At the same time, anyone who expresses opinions in public ought to feel a bit of trepidation. Words matter. They can contribute to the public good. Conversely, they can damage individuals and institutions.

Those of us with access to the public square need to ask a number of questions. Do we have our facts in order? Do we understand the context of the situation on which we’re commenting? Is our analysis complete? Are we being fair to everyone involved? Are we being attentive to the perspectives of those who often go unrepresented in decision-making? Are we being swayed by our own interests?

These are tough questions. Answering them requires broad knowledge, a commitment to introspection, a dose of humility and a willingness to eat crow from time to time.

Nationally, these questions don't seem to count for much.  If you watch cable-news programs, you know that rapid-fire interruptions, misrepresenting the views of others and demonization are the order of the day.  Personal attacks and shrill commentary evidently sell commercials.

Locally, the Post-Tribune serves the same gatekeeping function that television networks serve nationally. It selects stories to cover and advances an influential editorial perspective.  By and large, the Post-Tribune serves this role well.  It also provides column space to others, including me, national columnist Ann Coulter, and local gadfly Maurice Eisenstein.

I’ve carefully studied Coulter’s work. In my view, she has established herself as a right-wing ideologue who will say almost anything to book a speaking engagement. Her shameless attacks on the widows of 9/11 victims rightly invited criticism. It’s time to ask whether her contributions advance our deliberations. I believe she has forfeited her claim on the bully pulpit.

Eisenstein is another case. I admire his courage in taking on powerful interests. I am less impressed by the depth of his knowledge.  And he certainly displays a tin ear with respect to the sensitivities of particular communities.

His recent attack on former Attorney General Karen Freeman-Wilson was poorly researched. And his recurring use of the word “tribes” to describe urban politics reflects — at best — a remarkable insensitivity to the history of race relations in this country.

Moreover, Eisenstein plays a one-note song with three alternating beats.

1. All decision-makers in Northwest Indiana are idiots.

2. No one knows what should be done but him.

3. If you disagree with him, you’ve obviously sold out. Moreover, you’re probably a part of a larger conspiracy to deprive him of his livelihood.

Please!

In fact, Eisenstein’s views — like those of Coulter — have grown tiresome. We know where they stand; they’ve had their time in the sun.

It’s time to move on.

Indeed, it might be time for a new set of voices to emerge. And the Post-Tribune can play an important role in this regard.

It is hoped these new voices will attend to the questions posed above. After all, it’s not just a matter of being critical; anybody can do that. It’s also about acting responsibly and speaking civilly in meeting the demands of the public square.

The specifics of this column will be answered in a later commentary here.  It is surprising to have a whole school attempt to censor columnists, national conservative or local ones, and a whole school of higher education support one party, the Democrats.  I do believe that the Republican Party deserves some explanation from the School not to mention anyone who believes in the Bill of Rights.

It is a real shame that an American school of higher education, even a private one, would continue to have someone as narrow minded as Prof. Dan Lowery as its Vice-President.

By Comparing Rochester and Gary, Freeman-Wilson lacks insight for Mayor of Gary

The major problem with Indiana politicians is that they routinely insist on revealing a lack of understanding about most issues.   

In elected public servants, it creates for disastrous public policy. Sadly, they are not being called to task.

A recent quote in an interview with a local media exemplifies this negative quality in Karen Freeman-Wilson as a Gary mayoral candidate.  This complete lack of knowledge, lack of understanding of the problems, and complete incompetence in thinking power is shown by the shallowness of her ideas and capabilities.

In this recent news story, Freeman-Wilson presented Rochester, N.Y., as a city after which Gary would emulate itself under her administration.  She said the two are similar because they both have suffered from a downturn in two major industries. Freeman-Wilson never indicates what these two industries are and I don't believe she knows.  She claims Rochester has responded to this situation, and Gary needs to as well like Rochester.

Where did she come up with this idea?  Rochester and Gary have so little in common that one wants to know what is she smoking?  Or is the reality in Gary in fact where no citizens care if their candidates or elected officials can present and sensible ideas.  The fact that Freeman-Wilson is being considered as a serious candidate would indicate that Gary would accept Bozo the Clown as a candidate.  For good or bad, neither Karen Freeman-Wilson or Bozo the Clown can hold a candle to Rudy Clay.

Let me tell you about Rochester — and, by the way, this is public information.Rochester has more than twice the population of Gary, with a median family income of $31,257. Its culture is closer to New England than to that of Gary. Rochester is the headquarters and home of a number of international businesses — Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Paychex and Xerox — whereas Gary cannot get a mom-and-pop grocery store to stay open.

The number one industry in Rochester is higher education, whereas, in Gary and Northwest Indiana, higher education takes a back seat.  An example of higher education institutions in the Rochester area are the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe Community College, the Eastman School of Music, Alfred University, State University of New York at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo.  Higher education is what one can say without question Karen Freeman-Wilson has no understanding of nor has she been able to understand the economic policy implications of any of her ideas.

Rochester has become the world capital of imaging. The University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics is ranked No. 1 in the country, and the Rochester Institute of Technology has one of the best imaging science departments in the nation.

In 2005, the University of Rochester became the largest employer in the area, surpassing Kodak.

Rep. Patrick Bauer is a complete incompetent

State Representative Patrick Bauer has challenged Gov. Mitch Daniels to remove the state sales tax on gasoline. This makes no public policy sense, and its only value is to fool citizens to support Democrats.   Those who fall for this deserve what they get: increased taxes in other areas and less service.  This is such a cynical political ploy that it makes Bauer nothing more than a lackey for his big fat ass to get a bigger chair if the Democrats win the House (or maybe he is looking for a place with less wind for his cheap hair piece).

With people like that representing us we do not need enemies.  It is time for South Bend to start looking at brains instead of hair-do as a criteria for voting someone into office.  It is bad enough the morons we elect in NWI, why does South Bend have to add to our problems.  They are suppose to be smarter than that.  What is their excuse?

The Indiana sales tax on gasoline is 6 percent, or about 14-20 cents per gallon, depending on if it is calculated net or gross.  Anyway, every study has shown that removing this tax will make negligible difference to an Indiana resident’s lifestyle, but it will remove more than $160 million yearly from the state’s coffers.  In addition, this tax removal will primarily favor the more wealthy, who drive larger cars, and the corporations, who operate car and truck fleets and have expense accounts.  What a great Democrat Bauer is?  As a working man, I sure am glad he is in my corner.  (I am being sarcastic).

Who pays most of the $160 million dollars being added to the state’s funds to support Hoosier education, state police, road building, etc.?   Illinois residents who come to Indiana, especially NWI, to get gasoline, and trucking companies and tourists who travel the crossroads of America, filling their cars with gas and leaving their money behind.

Such policy proposal is why Bauer has made no positive contribution to the welfare of Indiana residents.  In all the years he has been in the Indiana House of Representatives, especially when he was in positions of power, his sole contribution has been impediment. He has stood in the way of every advancement Indiana could make.  It is doubly sad that most NWI legislators have followed what Bauer has proposed.  If he were only to hurt the people he represents in South Bend, that would be their problem.However, this proposal would hurt all Hoosiers.

Karen Freeman-Wilson: "don't confuse me with the facts"

Gary mayoral candidate Karen Freeman-Wilson has now firmly established her qualifications as strictly configured as the "tribal chief."  She does not want to be "confused by the facts."  In her column in today's, Wednesday August 9, Post-Tribune newspaper, she acknowledges that all that matters to her and to her tribal followers is personal loyalty and titles.  A true and complete tribal head with no other qualifications.  Accomplishment = zero. 

In reality her lack of any substantive recognizable accomplishments do not count for evaluation for her or her loyal tribe.  The sad thing is that neither she nor her followers recognize the difference.

She first proceeds to attack me for my ignorance, which she does not establish, just states.  What it seems to mean to her is that I did not list her titles and excuses.

What qualifies her for the position of mayor is a long litany of what she refers to as "facts."  Two things she does not realize: One, her facts are just a list of titles and associations.  Not one word about accomplishments because she has none.  In addition, there is not one word about the future vision because again she has none.  Two, she cannot distinguish, because she is tribal, between facts and opinion.  She states as fact that her husband did a great job as sanitation head because he was qualified.  That no else in the country thought he was qualified doesn't matter.  As Karen Freeman-Wilson says "don't confuse me with the facts."  She also cannot indicate what exceptional work he did except to be married to her.  That may be an accomplishment but not in the sanitation business.

When dealing with her legal counseling for thievery at the GUEA she lists a long list of excuses of how "I did not know?", "how could I know?", "why should I have even asked?", etc.  The sum total is that if you can figure out the excuses after the fact you are not responsible for anything.  As a matter of fact that is her standard line: "I am too stupid to know anything, so why blame me."  But somehow she and her followers seem to thing that stupidity and ignorance are a good trademark for being mayor of Gary.

It is her and her followers right to think that deaf, dumb, and blind are good qualifications for the next mayor of Gary.  It is also my right and responsibility to disagree.

Karen Freeman-Wilson and her supporters truly prove by their actions my thesis that the problem of NWI lies in the "tribal" politics with which it is burdened.  Nothing reflects that more than the perspective and personal references by Freeman-Wilson in her column.

Senator Frank Mrvan running scared

State Senator Frank Mrvan is running scared of his opposition in the coming November election.  This response on his part has some real substance and is not just a ploy or a figment of someone's imagination.  Mrvan is very vulnerable and he knows it. 

First, he has never been a good campaigner and whenever he has had a significant competitor he has lost.  He now has a competitor, Chris Morrow, who is good in public presentation and can think through policy and idea positions.  In addition, Mrvan has won primarily on name recognition, as has his son.  But in this race, Chris Morrow's name is almost as well known from his years of being president of a local bank and his public service on many different civic boards in Northwest Indiana.

So Mrvan is facing a skilled campaigner with name recognition that almost matches his own.  It should also be pointed out that the challenger has significantly greater resources to spend on this race than Mrvan has.

Two, although Frank Mrvan has served in the Indiana Senate for decades, i.e. he is over the hill, he cannot run on his record.  The first reason is that for having been in the Senate for so long he has no record to speak of.  There are few bills that he can actually claim that he initiated or were his idea.  Generally speaking he has been irrelevant to NWI.  For example, he just announced through free mail, a perk he receives as the incumbent, that he is going to propose a limit on fireworks.  So what, everyone else in the legislature is going to propose the same thing.  Mrvan lacks any unique and fresh thought.  Not only is he not a leader; he cannot even be a follower.  In reality he has made himself irrelevant.

He is facing someone who is articulate and can present new ideas.  But the reality is that Mrvan is so irrelevant that there is nothing to be gained by voting for him.  The value is voting against him to send a message to the other legislators that "we are damn mad and we are not going to take it anymore!!"  Chris Morrow represents the one chance for NWI voters to show that they are damn tired of these do nothing incestual relationships.

Mrvan thinks he can succeed by looking at the GUEA and Morrow's presidency of it.  Mrvan forgets that the GUEA is in Gary and no one in his district cares.  Further if Freeman-Wilson as attorney to the GUEA can run for Mayor then the Board of the GUEA is irrelevant for the Senate District.  What Mrvan forgets is that if he forces people to look back at Morrow they are going to look back at Mrvan's vote to raise everyone's property taxes.  No one should forgive him for being one of the legislators who worked for and voted for each of the bills that skewered the tax payers of Northwest Indiana.

It was Mrvan's doing that has NWI in this pickle no else's and a message needs to be sent out to all of NWI's legislators telling them to pay attention to the citizens needs or out you go.  It is the need to send this message that frightens Mrvan above all else because that is how he would vote.

The NWI Tribes of McDermott and Freeman-Wilson

Tribal politics continues to affect Northwest Indiana negatively. Tribal politics, the norm in our politics, has to do with mutually supportive relationships between public officials, rather than with producing effective policy. These values are painfully obvious in at least two recent local stories.

The first story described Purdue University Calumet in Hammond celebrating its 60th anniversary.  It is understood this is a great achievement, and PUC and the other regional campuses — Indiana University Northwest in Gary and Purdue University North Central in Westville — provide educational opportunities for NWI that otherwise would not be available.  Significantly, what is left out of the story shows how far public officials will go to protect their own.

The PUC spokesman proudly announced having the highest number of Hispanic students of any campus in Indiana.  The same probably can be said for IUN and black students.  Certainly, PUC and IUN together have more than double the number of black students than West Lafayette and Bloomington combined. Additionally, PUC and IUN minority students are Hoosier taxpaying residents — but, at most, only half of the 650 Hispanics or the 1,100 blacks on West Lafayette’s campus are Hoosiers.  In summary, NWI campuses educate the majority of the taxpaying Hoosier minority students.

So why are our political leaders not truthful about the failure (and racism) of the boards of trustees of both campuses and of our elected representatives in Indianapolis?

After 60 years, no one wants to make any public official look bad for providing only one-third of the Hoosier taxpayers’ funds to educate minorities in NWI versus what they provide predominantly white and none Hoosier students on the campuses around Indianapolis. 

Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. reflected about his undergraduate experience at PUC.  Why not, as mayor, talk about how the State only provided one-third the number of taxpayer dollars for his education compared to other students in Indiana and argue for change?  He is aware that no city or town in Indiana, or otherwise, has succeeded economically without a university with at least the mission of a metropolitan university such as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis or University of Illinois Chicago; both of which were a central demand of their mayors to permit economic development.  As a consequence of mayoral incompetence in NWI, one can readily see the developmental differences between Chicago, Indianapolis and Hammond.  Hammond is the one that looks pitiful.

A partial so called “regional” campus is not sufficient; but serves to hide the truth from the citizens.  But the old boys continue protecting their fellow tribe members from being exposed.

The second story announced that Karen Freeman-Wilson, the Gary Urban Enterprise Association attorney, is running for Gary mayor.  Her candidacy is simply a competition between political factions, not aimed at improving the welfare of Gary’s residents.

If a public official was looking out for Gary’s residents, then not only is this too early to announce, but an attorney for an agency that had so much apparent wrongdoing should have the shame to leave town — not announce a run for mayor.

Now is the time to govern, not campaign, and that is what Mayor Rudy Clay is doing.

Freeman-Wilson just wants to continue to be in a position to divide the spoils with her tribe. The fact this candidate was the attorney for an agency whose leaders are under indictment — but not yet in jail — means she should be laughed out of town.  There is no substantive achievement in the public or private sector nor is there any unique idea that qualifies her for any public position.  That is an un-contestable truth.  Her biggest accomplishment is to get her inexperienced husband a job heading the sanitary district, thanks to the tribal embrace of former Mayor Scott King.

In NWI she can run because she represents a tribe, not because she shows effectiveness. She certainly has nothing on Clay.

These tribes are putting us on reservations and making sure that our young people will move to greener pastures.