Northwest Indiana Comical Politics

The Mastadon Citizens of NWI

An example of the simplistic perspective and complete lack of intelligence of many of the citizens of NWI is exemplified by a discussant on the NWI Discussion boards calling themselves "Kapptin."  Having no idea who this person is but seeing his so called thought process makes one realize how really primitive some of the citizens are of NWI and especially the ones who support the NWI comical politicians like Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr.

This response was addressing the concern of another poster named "Freetime" who questioned the legality or ethics of the father making over a million dollars from possible collusion in a real estate deal in the son's city.  This seemed to especially questionable since no one neither the Mayor, his father, nor the Company (Cabelas) can identify what the father did for this "fee."

The NWI Comical simpleton's answer is as follows:

Not at all. Tom Sr. found an attractive spot for Cabelas to build and for that they paid him. How much is none of your business. The fact that Tom Sr. used to be the Mayor of Hammond does not mean that he has to tell you how much money he makes from a private company. Would you like to give your yearly salary. Why not your social security number also. The fact that you continue to bring Tom Sr. into this makes me wonder if the argument about the "letter" is all used up. Tom Sr. has no obligation to tell you how much his income is and you are rude for asking.

Now the fact of an ethical conflict of interest or any just plain conflict of interest totally escapes this individual.  Also, this action is in fact blatantly illegal in the Federal level and in many states.  It is even doubtful that the Governor of the State of Indiana, Democrat or Republican, would survive if his father was involved in a land deal such as this.  In actuality, no one knows if it is illegal in Indiana since no one really knows what occurred.  Was there collusion?  What did the father do and when was he hired?  Was this an arms length transaction or a kick-back scheme?  Who else is involved, since it is known that Joe Allegrati was hired as a lawyer for the company and there is further real estate development in the deal?

The "letter" that is being referred to is one of several threats the Mayor, the son, made to the people selling the property to force them to sell.  The threats included re-assessment, increased property tax, annexation by the city through eminent domain. 

Could this happen anywhere else but in the political laugh-land called NWI.  Probably not.  But with citizens like "Kapptin" it is a never ending comedy in NWI.

NWI Newspaper in Pocket of Mastodons

A week ago, I met the new publisher for NWI's The Times Newspaper and I was left with the impression that possibly there would be serious changes in the coverage and honesty of the paper.  This would seem to be especially needed given the fact that this is the third publisher since the new owners bought the paper.

The major problem with the newspaper, or the archaic press as it should be known, is its sale of its soul to the McDermotts and its overall lack of serious critical inquiry journalism.  It is mostly fluff pieces or cheer-leading for NWI that would seem to be written by the Tourism Board.

Now this is not new; this has been an ongoing rumor and generally accepted perspective in NWI regarding this newspaper.  I have also received this information from a number of current and former reporters for the paper.  According to most of these opinions, this has become particularly beyond reasonableness with the new owners because neither they nor their new publishers have a clue of what is going on.  The only center of information they have, and who really runs the paper as an advertising piece for the McDermotts' various economic and political projects, is the managing editor Bill Nangle who has been there since forever.  Reporters have told me directly that they are under direct orders not, and I repeat not, to write anything negative about Tom McDermott Jr. as Mayor of Hammond.  In addition, they have been told directly never to write anything negative about the Cabelas project or to investigate too deep or ask too many questions.

I originally had my doubts; it always seemed to me to be just circumstances.  But when I think about it, only the Gary Post-Tribune Newspaper has achieved any level of investigative reporting and unearthing any level of political corruption.  There must be some explanation for this. The Times has had reporters of good caliber run from the paper to other places; not so with the Post-Tribune where its best reporter was promoted to the Sun-Times.  So it looks like there may be some truth to this claim of a bedroom relationship between the McDermotts and Nangle.  Reporters have constantly pointed out to me the two's ongoing association.  I would be curious as to how often they, Bill Nangle and Tom McDermott, Sr., meet.  That would be a news story by itself.

With all my doubt about the veracity of this rumor, I have to admit that after I saw Friday's and Saturday's paper I now truly believe that this rumor has some legs.  The paper on both days was an advertisement rag sheet for the Tom McDermott, Jr. for Mayor Committee. 

First there was an "opinion" column that essentially repeated a phone conversation where Tom Jr. had fantasies about being a corruption uncoverer.  All of this was solely in his own mind and no one from the paper asked him the simplest question such as: "where is the corruption or is it just overlooked management?"  On top of this was the story that Cabelas was on track, as if someone had raised the question.  The question was always: "how much are the McDermott's and friends cleaning up over the deal and is it legal or ethical?"  "In addition, what is the ongoing payoffs, and to whom, for the former apartment complex land and the plaza across from the Cabelas development?"  From what I am hearing, no one in the business section would dare ask those question for fear of crossing Nangle.

The obvious question is why?  Why would Nangle go along with McDermott, Sr. who by the way was never questioned about the disaster that he was at the Forum?  It is true the Tom McDermott, Sr. broke the back of the newspaper's union; but that was for the old owners.  So why now?  The best explanation or speculation that I have heard is that McDermott has the real circulation numbers that would, if made public, severely damage the paper and especially Nangle's credibility.  With all the recent corporate scandals and the problems with reporting of circulation numbers for newspapers, this would not be a surprising explanation.

As NWI Turns: The Corrupt, the Stupid, and the Archaic

Recently, Mayor of Hammond, Tom McDermott, Jr. decided to play Federal investigator and the results were predictable.  When McD Jr. found himself at a meeting of a governing board that he himself admits he had not even known he was a member of (for the past three years), he threw a childish fit and left.  Of course, in the aftermath, he made accusations of corruption to the local newspaper and on his radio show.

At this point, there is no evidence of corruption, not even a smell or an unnamed source, only the rantings and imagination of Junior.  The only thing that is certain is that Junior and his staff are incompetent for not even knowing what boards he serves on.  After three years in Office, that is truly incomprehensible.

Healthy Start is a Federal intergovernmental program that is run between the cities of Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary.  Its current Federal funding is for $1.25 million.  Its goal, as best presented, is to help reduce infant mortality through individual case work and follow through on critical cases.  It means its charge is to take care of one challenged infant at a time.

As best as one can tell, despite the claims by the archaic press (newspapers), derived from Junior, that the $1 million the program spends on salaries is out of line, that is just not the case.  Spending $1 million on salaries does not seem out of line for a service oriented program.  It does not mean that "there is little money left to spend on the children."  Service means hiring people to provide it.  Comparisons with the GUEA are moronic at best and are meant to support Junior's fantasy by comparing apples with oranges: children and buildings are not the same.  The archaic press does not seem to recognize that this was not a program to buy children; the GUEA bought houses.  The GUEA did not provide a "service."  Its goal was physical renovation.  You truly have to be lacking in intelligence to compare the two, or supporting Junior to keep your job.

To quote the same archaic press and Junior:  "For the program to spend so little on actual services is a travesty"  This is just a plain lie.  Service is provided by people who are paid a salary.  There is no issue raised here of how well they do their job, that is another question. 

We actually do not have any evidence that Junior really did not know that he was on the Governing Board, only his word.  Given that this smacks of true incompetence it does seem strange that the archaic press, The Times, has never raised the issue of the Mayor's incompetence as a board member.  But there have been persistent rumors that Bill Nangle, the managing editor, has been in Tom McDermott, Sr.'s pocket ever since Senior broke the union at the paper.  If one looks at today's paper, November 24, it is surprising that Tom McDermott is not listed as the managing editor, at least the paper should have charged him advertising rate for the whole paper.  It also explains why the paper never questioned anything about the Cabelas deal and the over $1 million Senior is rumored to have made as an "hourly" fee.  No one in NWI is going to believe that this archaic press is independent until he is gone.  McDermott is quoted verbatim: "McDermott said he was astonished to find the program blew nearly $1 million of a $1.25 million grant on salaries, leaving little for actual benefits."  Did anyone have the brains to question if maybe the goal of the program was to provide caseworkers, not "things."  Could it be that this is just a cheap shot by Junior, especially when he has to call The Times to defend himself and the paper is turned over to him.

What the archaic press has supported with absolutely no, and I repeat no evidence or source, both in their Thanksgiving Day editorial and in their front page stories, is the unsubstantiated claim by Junior that he has "uncovered" corruption in Lake County.

They ignore the incompetence of a Mayor who does not know on what boards he serves.  They never challenge or criticize a Mayor who makes charges in public of corruption with no substance to them, and finally they never question an unquestionably unethical if not illegal activity called the "Cabelas Scam".  Yet they support Junior, full blast, on this trivial matter that does not even approach the take of his father or the ultimate cost to Hoosier citizens in tax support to a major corporation. 

This is truly the fat cats using the laboring person's hard earned tax money to light their fat cigars.

The corrupt people, according to Junior, are Mayor Pabey of East Chicago and Mayor Rudy Clay of Gary (and Chair of the Lake County Democratic Party) and Mayor Sarah Wadding of Lake Station.  That is the conclusion that must be reached because they are the ones who have stayed on the Board and have run it in the past.  In addition, former Gary Mayor Scott King is corrupt (I have made the charge that he is unethical; but not on this issue), also the City Controller of East Chicago and the former Health Chief of Gary.  Essentially all the Democrats outside of Hammond. 

How stupid can the Democratic Party be?  You have now been outed as the corrupt party by one of your own.  It may very well be true.  I assume the next move on Junior's part is to win the next election on your back and revert back to being the Republican he always was.  He is depending on the stupidity and fear of the Lake County Democrats to make this happen, because he has little support from the Hammond Democrats, remember David Hamm.

Corrupt NWI must look to Griffin for Salvation

It is true that one of the people I endorsed, Michael Griffin, did not win his race for state treasurer.

In an election that saw three incumbent Indiana Republican congressional seats and the Indiana House changed parties to the Democrats, the fact that Griffin lost can only be rationally explained two ways.

The first explanation is that the state as a whole has contracted the Northwest Indiana tribal disease that only recognizes loyalty and connection as the important values, as opposed to competency in rewarding positions. This would explain the total lack of financial support on the part of the state Democratic Party for Griffin.  As opposed to the Republicans, the Indiana Democratic Party, although always willing to take NWI's money and votes, has never supported a State wide candidate from "the Region".

Although Michael Griffin has always run as a Democrat and only publicly supported Democratic candidates, he is just a little too bright and ethical to be dependable and loyal to the point of ignorance. This ignorance is important in the NWI tribal government because if you know too much, you become aware of your fellow politicians lying and stealing. More generally, you become too enlightened about NWI elected officials' incompetence. Over time, it becomes very difficult to hide one's disgust at the lack of accountability and results, which exemplifies the northern part of Lake County and much of the county's government.  The Mayor of Hammond, Tom McDermott, Jr., recognized that on his radio show this past Wednesday morning when he claimed that Griffing was not "political" enough (translate: dumb enough to be on the take) to be the next Lake County Democratic Head.

Often, the realization of the lack of ethics, combined with lack of intelligence, drives one to want to pull a Simpson, reaching for someone's throat to shake them silly.

There is no question that Griffin was probably the most competent candidate available in Indiana. Even the Indianapolis newspapers, no friends of Democrats, agreed. However, it was not to be. Maybe it was that NWI problem: too much competence. Competence means change that would end the continuous economic and social downward spiral of the State; but the State is afraid of change, just and NWI is. 

The northern part of the county is destined for death before there is any resurrection. This is characterized by the latest census estimates showing the exit of the middle class. This results in the hopeless demise of education at all levels in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago. Schools are on "double-secret probation" without credible plans to change. After the teachers' infamous strike, Gary is more than 2,000 students short -- costing it millions of dollars -- further driving it into demise. This is true hopelessness, and yet, it continues to look as if our local elected officials and their appointees are clueless.

The continued prominence of incompetence is exemplified with the re-election of Frank Mrvan as state senator. We might as well have sent down a pet rock. For his political advertisement, even the state Democratic Party could not compile anything he accomplished in more than 24 years as senator. This example is not unique; it is the norm in NWI.

The other explanation for Griffin's loss is that we truly have someone looking out for NWI. Since the need for some competency is so overwhelming here, the only way it was going to continue is our dependence on the good people of Highland to allow the rest of us to share the most intelligent and ethical public servant in the state.

Maybe we really have a far greater need for Griffin than anyone else does in the state.

McDermott Mastodon Mania

     On today's radio show, 11/22/07, the Mayor of the City of Hammond, Tom McDermott, Jr., showed a true lack of normal civil behavior on his part. I am including this on my blog to not only show the citizens of NWI what a mastodon is like; but to also show the rest of the State of Indiana why they cannot trust us, given the quality of politicians we elect to lead us.

     In his position as Mayor of the City of Hammond, he publicly referred to me in several derogatory ways.  He said, "I don't care what the guy says about me, he is a joke of an instructor and he is a joke as a person," and further "what really stinks is that if the nutty professor really devoted himself to try to find corruption in Lake County . . . he would."  In his evaluation he indicated that "Doctor uh. uh Professor Maurice Eisenstein is a hateful person . . . who has nothing good to say about anyone."  He also managed to refer to me as a "crackpot" and went further to indicate that "exactly what I want is more attention."

     The Mayor further claimed that: "I do not log onto his web site." This would surprise some people who have seen his letter to me on my blog.

     The mildness of this personal attack today on me is somewhat surprising compared to what the Mayor has spewed previously. Maybe the holiday season is having some effect on him. In the past he has gone so far as to argue that I lacked love as a child from my parents as an explanation for my behavior.

     Let us make things very clear. The Mayor of Hammond has absolutely no substance to any of his statements. He has no knowledge of my psychological state nor of my abilities as a professor. I suspect that those opinions were derived from an association he has from a particular university leader in the area.

     Rather than answer many, many problems and criticisms of his policies, as a true NWI Tribal Mastodon, Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr., has responded with name calling and obscurantism. For example, he claimed on the radio show that "in his judgment" last week he "uncovered" corruption in the Federally funded "Healthy Start" program. The Board also includes Mayor Pabey of East Chicago and Mayor Rudy Clay of Gary. Does this mean that McDermott Jr. believes that Pabey and Clay are involved in corruption? What about the other employees of this program? Are they involved in corruption? The only thing McDermott "found" is that meetings were not as required, which was part of his responsibility and that $1 million out of the $1.25 million grant went to salaries, which is not unusual in a service program to reduce infant mortality. The other Mayors and other NWI Democrats should be after his scalp.

     The charge of "corruption" is at best an over exaggeration on his part, and the irony between this and the issues I and others have raised about the the Cabellas deal does not seem to strike him as ironic.

     When I indicated that he and some members of his families relationship with Cabelas would be by most any definition criminally illegal under Federal law and are very questionable even with Indiana's lax laws, he blew a gasket. When it was further pointed out that there is no person in NWI or otherwise that would defend the McDermott's or Cabelas on the issue of ethics, or whether this was ethical, the Mayor's answer was, as usual, to call me names.

     If the Mayor wants a quick solution to the ethical questions surrounding Cabela's then he, his family, and Cabelas should sign a notarized Indiana State non-collusion affidavit. Every entity doing business with the State of Indiana has to sign one.

McDermott the Tribal Mastodon

I have frequently argued that NWI comical politics is uniquely inundated with tribal politics run by mastodon politicians and public officials.  In tribal politics the overarching value is loyalty rather than competency or achievement.  Mastodon public servants ignore modern developments and are committed to policies that guarantee the ultimate demise or extinction of the very citizens, the "mastodon followers", in whose interest they claim to be acting.

Recently, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr.  has proven himself to be the prototype mastodon.  No matter how long he has been, or will be, mayor he will always blame someone outside his circle of loyal lackeys for every failure and lackluster performance.  This is rule number one of tribal mastodons: The first thing tribal mastodons do is find an excuse structure to blame outside their own competence.  McDermott Jr. is well known by all NWI Democratic politicians for this behavior as he is for his childish tantrums.

For McDermott, Jr. the fall guy has generally been former Mayor Duane Dedelow.  McDermott, Jr. will blame former Mayor Dedelow for everything that is wrong with Hammond even if he remains Mayor until the next millennium.

The health care problem is because of the previous administration according to Jr.  This is the case even though he has been mayor for over three years and his father had an interest in running the health insurance program from the very beginning of Jr.'s administration.  Eventually the father's company had to be fired for gross incompetence after a year of operation because the payment failure was so bad, it even embarrassed the mastodon followers.

Now when Jr. borrows money from the gambling boats for the health programs, it is Dedelow's fault.  This is an example of a true primitive tribal mastodon politician.  Dedelow remains the fall guy for Jr. because Jr. cannot answer for his own failures.

When Jr. is challenged, he converts to the paranoid mastodon who is afraid that extinction is around the corner.  His answer to all policy criticism is not to answer the criticism, but rather blame the critic for pursuing a personal vendetta against him for some slight on the part of Jr.  This is rule number two of mastodon politicians: attack the critic while never answering the issues. 

This is standard political mastodon behavior because the only answer tribal politicians have is loyalty and that is all they are concerned about.  The only thing that is important is that the critic dared to criticize and therefore was not loyal.  Since the critic was not loyal, then it is all right to attack the critics family, his profession, his friends, his pets, his religion, his parents (even when dead), and his mental stability.  Meanwhile real issues are never addressed.

I am Still Here

For all you who are wondering, I am still here and plan to continue my explication of the comedy of NWI called politics, especially in Lake County. 

Just to make it clear, I do not present ideas and concepts that either I am not certain to be true or do not make logical sense.  I further do not present ideas that I do not wholeheartedly accept as being correct.  I cannot guarantee that the politicos that are elected in the tribal politics of NWI have the fogiest idea about anything and will carry out the necessary policy, that I cannot guarantee.

Finally, my profession is to be a social and political critic.  That is what my profession is and that is what is the responsibility of a Professor of of Political Science.  I therefore know that I do it better than most.  Those of you who do not understand this; I can only explain through your lack of worldliness and a diverse education.  Good luck to you in the modern world.  It is the Twenty-First Century for many of you in Lake County who missed the Twentieth Century.

IU Northwest Holds Public Ethics Conference

NEWSROOM

IU Northwest to Hold Ethics Conference

InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

11/10/2006 4:22:59 PM

IU Northwest will on Monday hold a conference on ethics in public service.

Those scheduled to participate in the event include Crown Point Mayor Dan Klein, former chairman and CEO of Bank Calumet Calvin Bellamy and State Representative Vernon Smith (D-Gary).

Source: Inside INdiana Business

Press Release

IU NORTHWEST — Indiana University Northwest is pleased to invite the Northwest Indiana community to the Nov. 13 conference “Coming Closer .. Ethics in Northwest Indiana.” This informative series of panel discussions will focus on ethics in public service and will feature the participation of local public officials and academic experts.

The conference will begin at 10 a.m. and will feature four different panel discussions: “Ethics and its Role in Government Service” at 11 a.m.; “Pledges, Codes and Other Regulations” at 12 p.m.; “Children First: Ethics, Superintendents and School Boards” at 1:30 p.m.; and “Perspectives on the Culture in Northwest Indiana (Leadership, Education, Business)” at 3 p.m. The schedule of participants includes: Crown Point Mayor Dan Klein, Highland Town Council President Joe Wszolek, Highland Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin; Munster Town Councilman Rob Mangus; Calvin Bellamy, former chairman and CEO of Bank Calumet; State Rep. Vernon G. Smith, D-Gary; and Maurice Eisenstein, Ph.D., associate professor of history and political science at Purdue University Calumet.

Several past and current regional school officials also are slated to take part, along with a number of IU Northwest faculty members. A reception will follow the final panel presentation at 4 p.m.

“Coming Closer” is open to the public. IU Northwest encourages community leaders, elected officials and interested citizens to attend these productive discussions about the ethics of public service. To RSVP, call (219) 980-6676.

“Coming Closer” is sponsored by the IU Northwest Center for Regional Excellence, the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of History and Philosophy.

Participating IU Northwest faculty include: Dorothy Ige, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Anna Rominger, J.D., dean of the School of Business and Economics; Assistant Prof. Marie Eisenstein, Ph.D., of the IU Northwest School of Public and Environmental Policy; Assistant Prof. Gianluca Di Muzio, Ph.D., of the IU Northwest philosophy department; Assistant Prof. Chris Young, Ph.D., of the IU Northwest history department; Prof. James Lane, Ph.D., chair of the history department; Assistant Prof. Anja Matwijkiw, Ph.D., of the philosophy department; and Patricia Lundberg, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Regional Excellence.

Source: IU Northwest

McDermotts and a Non-Collusion Agreement

How does one assure the people of Hammond, who are footing both the bill and the risk, that the decision about Cabellas ,also the River Parks Apartments and Interstate Plaza development, is truly an arms length one made in their interests; rather than an agreement, or collusion, to benefit a few, the new NWI financial mafia consisting of Whitco and McDermotts?  There is also a question of how transparent the whole process was to the public as opposed to being characterized as a back room deal making.  It is the elected official's responsibility to spearhead that assurance and it is not as difficult as one may think.

The Mayor and his family's claims about Cabellas can be easily resolved when he, his family members in business, and Cabellas sign the proper Indiana non-collusion form. This is a standard form required of all public officials and public contractors doing business with the government.  It basically states the following:

Neither the company or the public official nor anyone subject to the company's or public official’s direction or control has been a party:

a.  to any collusion among bidders in restraint of freedom of competition by agreement to bid at a fixed price or to refrain from bidding,

b. to any collusion with any state official or employee as to quantity, quality or price in the prospective contract, or as to any other terms of such prospective contract, nor

c. in any discussions between bidders and any state official concerning exchange of money or other thing of value

The requirement in Indiana Government is State Form 4391 Non-Collusion Affidavit. Its central outline is as follows:

The undersigned, being duly sworn on oath says, that he is the contracting party, or that he is the representative, agent, member, or officer of the contracting party, that he has not, nor has any other member, employee, representative, agent or officer of the firm, company, corporation or partnership represented by him, directly or indirectly , entered into or offered to enter into any combination, collusion or agreement to receive or pay, and that he has not received or paid, any sum of money or other consideration for the execution of the annexed contract other than that which appears upon the face of the contract. for special consideration in the letting of a contract.

All that one needs now is for the Mayor, his business family and associates, and Cabellas to sign this to assure the citizens of Hammond that there is a true arms length legal relationship in this commercial enterprise.  Hammond needs the assurance that there was no collusion.  That is central to the promotion of public trust and ethics in any government entity.

Intimidation of U.S. Citizen by McDermotts and their Lawyer

Tom McDermott, Jr. and his lawyer Kevin Smith, have been on a constant tirade of threats of legal action against myself.  If the Mayor wants to sue, so be it.  Anyone with $125 can file a lawsuit.  But the Mayor knows, and certainly his Lawyer must know, they have no standing for such a suit.  They must be well aware this is not a viable option for a number of reasons including the interpretation as set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1964 Case, New York Times v Sullivan, when the issue involves public officials.

The McDermott's lawyer's had the audacity to say the comments I made "are made intentionally, with malice and no regard to the truth."  There is absolutely no basis for these statements as legal truths.  It reflects again an attempt at intimidation that I will not accept.  I will not accept it because intimidation has been the method of choice for NWI politicians like the Mayor to answer critics.  It is unacceptable in a modern society.

I now consider the actions of Mayor McDermott and his lawyer as intended solely to limit my constitutional rights and civil liberties as an American Citizen.  This is despicable, and any public official who attempts such intimidation tactics to silence critics is not worthy of anyone's vote.

So, if the Mayor wants to sue, it is his loss.  While the Mayor has no chance of winning such a lawsuit, I, on the other hand, have countless avenues of legal recourse for a counter-suit.  The Mayor has specifically engaged in actions which constitute "(a)ttacks on a person's professional character or standing" and "(a)llegations that the person has committed a crime of moral turpitude" outside any plausible political debate; both of which could constitute defamation per se.  This is evidenced by his open response to me on this blog as well as his comments made on his public radio show.