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.
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