You should have received your census forms in the mail this week.   It takes about two seconds to fill the whole thing out and mail it back.  You don’t even have to pay postage.

Now I know there are some people who will get the form and throw it in the trash.  They believe the government has no business asking how many people are in their household.  Whatever.  If you are one of the people who fall into that category, let me give you something to ponder.

If  you and your friends don’t fill out the census form, the odds are pretty good that people with political opinions much different than yours will.  That means they will be counted and you won’t.  And if enough of them are counted, they will get additional representation in either Congress or the Statehouse because legislative maps are reapportioned based on population.  That means their political views will have more representation than yours.  You wouldn’t want that would you?

Of course not!  Now fill out the stupid sheet of paper and mail it back.   Because if you don’t someone you politically disagree with probably will and has.

I was looking over the data regarding Indianapolis Public Schools and suspensions and had a thought.  If 60-70% of IPS’ suspensions are repeat offenders, then maybe schools should adopt a “three strikes” and your out policy.

Why should students who came to school to learn have their education stifled because someone doesn’t know how act?  If that student doesn’t care about his education and his or her parents don’t care about their education, in an age of limited resources and limited time, then the school shouldn’t have to spend valuable time and resources on someone who doesn’t want to be there.

Of course you work with students to the best of your ability as an educator, but you can’t save everybody and to be honest not everybody is worth saving (you know I’m right about that one).

As someone who has taught for years I’ve had students who were willing to work, some who needed a little help, and some who were a waste of time.  I always give each student an opportunity to achieve and try to work with the ones who want to be successful.

But like I said, you can’t save everybody; just try not to live next door to them when they go off.

I think we’re all agreed here the proposed $2 billion transfer of the city’s water and wastewater facilities is the biggest policy/political move of the Ballard administration.  It is fraught with a lot of risk, but also a lot of reward.  There’s going to be a lot of talk in the days ahead, but as we go forward with the discussion, I think it would be nice to keep a few things in mind.

Healthy skepticism of the deal is okay.  There should be with something this massive.  City officials have an obligation, which I think they will live up to, to sell this idea to the public and ratepayers.   They should answer all questions about rate increases, accountability, and how will the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission allow Citizens $426 million payment to be spent or are there pitfalls the city hasn’t planned for yet?  These questions, as well as many others, should be asked.

All I ask critics of the proposal is to do two things.  First, read it.  Start with the Memorandum of  Understanding.  Hint, it’s 21 pages, single-spaced.  Second, if you don’t like it, offer up an alternative.  It doesn’t take a lot of synaptic activity to call the agreement a “backroom deal” but then what?  The emotionally unstable ranting of the conspiratorial madman is cute for about five minutes, then what?   If you think this is a bad idea, fine.  What do you have to replace it?

Where’s your plan to address the city’s $4 billion water/sewer infrastructure problem?  What’s your plan to repair streets, sewers and sidewalks with limited, actually shrinking, tax dollars which are the result of tax caps and declining revenue?  What’s your plan to mitigate rates which are rising due to an original water deal which froze rates while the need to fix the infrastructure continued to grow?   What’s your plan to deal with the water company’s near $950 million debt?  What part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and Citizens Gas do you have concerns?  Would you have preferred a more cash up front and less rate protection down the road?  In other words, whatcha got?!

Matter of fact, I will make space available for anyone with thoughtful questions, concerns and an alternative plan.  Because if you are coming to the table with serious questions for a grown up discussion about this city’s infrastructure, then you deserve to have a voice.   If all you’re doing is “talking crazy” then please keep it to yourself, because you’re probably the only person who’s taking you seriously.

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.  For some reason this blog and my home computer don’t see eye to eye and ironically that’s where most of my work gets done.  I think I’ve it worked out.  But in case there’s an issue, you can always get an update at Indiana Barrister.  Thanks for you patience.

I have to give Evan Bayh credit.  He did something no Republican could ever do,  drove himself out of office.   Now granted it was more like walking away, but still the Senator’s decision not to run again has sent shock waves through Indiana’s political landscape like an earthquake through Haiti.

Of course the big question on everyone’s mind is of course,  “why”?  Why step down? Why not run again?  Why put another relatively safe seat at risk of switching political parties?  Bayh said it was because Washington had become too partisan and he just didn’t love Congress anymore.   I don’t doubt it, but Washington had been partisan forever.   I’m not saying Bayh’s answer wasn’t truthful, I just don’t think he wasn’t telling the whole story.    My hypothesis on why the man with $13 million in the bank and internal polls showing a 55-percent re-elect victory  decided to walk away is simple;  the seat was not safe enough.

Feel free to take that in for a second.

Although I don’t have the institutional memory of my other colleagues in the press corps, what I have picked during my tenure here is that Evan Bayh loves two things, his family and a safe bet.   Look at his record as Governor and Senator and words from the Obama administration officials about him never “coloring outside the lines.” Put all that together and what do you get, someone who like a safe bet and sure thing.   And for everyday he stayed in the race, it was his chances got less and less safe and less and less sure.

Was it because he was a Democrat?  Not entirely it was more because he was an incumbent!

An incumbent in this political climate is like me selling bean pies at a KKK rally, the people around you aren’t happy to see you and unless you pull some fancy footwork out of Blazing Saddles, you can forget about ever being seen again.

Now before we go any further, Republicans shouldn’t get too excited, the average national polling data says more people consider themselves independents than Ds or Rs.  Throw in that fact, and voter angst and anger, it makes sense for Bayh to bolt  even though his re-elects were in the mid-50s, Bayh likely wanted what he was used to having; a 60% plus comfortable win.  Unfortunately, he would have to spend a lot of time and almost all his cash just to break even at best.

So what does Bayh do now?  Well,  first make sure your successor is already picked long before you announce you’re stepping down.  Rumor has it 8th District Congressman Brad Ellsworth is the fan favorite.  Replacing him, I hear, would likely be former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg.  (Remember, this is all speculation at this point.)  Also having $13 million in the bank is a nice bit of walking around money to have when times are tight all over and reminding people it’s still your party and they can cry if they want to.  And you can use the cash to build IOUs over time should you decided to get back into politics, say like in 2012.

I’m sure there are a lot of theories about the Senator’s true motivation.   Some good, some the rantings of madmen.   And only a handful people know the whole story, however until something more plausible comes along, this is my story and I’m sticking to it.   At the end of the day Evan Bayh did what Evan Bayh does best, he played it safe and took a pass.

Now that the Indianapolis Colts have lost the Super Bowl (31-17),  I can let you know what else is on tap for this week…

In the race to challenge Evan Bayh, you would think that former U.S. Senator Dan Coats was already in the race the way the ads have been popping up all over the place.  The most damning one in my opinion is the You Tube clip where he says he had no intention of ever returning to Indiana.  Yikes!

Also expect U.S. Senate candidate Don Bates, Jr. to file on Thursday.  His campaign tells me they have the signatures to get on the ballot.  No word yet from the other candidates.

Things are getting interesting in two of Indiana’s Congressional races.   State Rep. Mike Murphy put out a poll last week saying only 28% of GOP voters think 5th District incumbent Dan Burton should be re-elected.  The other challengers all had support in the teens and more than 40% of the voters were undecided.  That does not bode well for the incumbent.  But 28% support is still better than 16% support.

In the 4th District I’m hearing State Senator Mike Young may get in the race.  Already Secretary of State Todd Rokita and State Senator Brandt Hershman are gunning for the job.  If Young gets in, how can I say this politely, he will corner the market on the intellectually challenged vote.

I’ll be checking to see how things play out in the Indiana House of Representatives now that Democrat Chet Dobis has been stripped of his leadership position and just how far will he go to vote his conscience on matters.   As accurately pointed out on Frugal Hoosiers, if Dobis decides to play hardball he can block any party-line measure from happening because the Democrats would only have 50 votes, which is not enough to pass anything.  Democrats only had a 52-48 majority and State Rep. Dennie Oxley, Sr. is out with health issues.  Do the math.

The candidates keep piling on the race to fill the spot on the Indianapolis City-County Council being vacated by Republican Kent Smith.  So far the list of possible candidates includes Aaron Williams, son of Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams,  Jackie Cissel, Daniels administration aide at FSSA, local businessmen Angel Rivera and Chris Douglas and former CIB board member Dorothy Henry.   All bring unique qualifications to the job, but what I think is more interesting is that you have three African-Americans, two of which are women, a Hispanic and an openly gay man.  This is definitely not your father’s Republican Party.

Speaking of City-County Councilors, I would be surprised if there is a formal statement this week from Jim Voyles regarding Councilor Lincoln Plowman, who is under investigation but no one is quite sure exactly for what.   Plowman has not spoken publicly but on his Facebook page he offered thanks to everyone who has offered their support and told them “Please do not believe everything that you hear or read from the news media sources.”  Plowman does not plan to step down from the Council.

Expect Mitch Daniels legal counsel Mark Massa to formally enter the race for Marion County Prosecutor today.  Slating for both the Democrats and Republicans is this weekend.  I’m debating which one to hit.  The Republicans actually have a contest for Sheriff.   The Democratic slating contest was over before it began.  I’ll be checking the energy and enthusiasm of both crowds.

Also expect a report to come out this week on mass transit in Central Indiana.  Whereas previous reports have ended up mothballed on the shelf, this one, I’m told, might actually have some teeth behind it.

That’s what I’m watching this week.  There’s a lot more I could add to the list but 635 words is more than enough for Monday morning.

Is it my imagination or has this week just been non-stop politically?!  Here’s the latest…

City-County Council Member Lincoln Plowman is on administrative leave from IMPD pending an internal investigation.  It’s unclear exactly what Plowman is under investigation for, but it appear its is related to his duties as a Council Member.   According published reports Plowman has hired attorney James Voyles, a clear indication of whatever this is, it’s serious.

Speaking of Council,  At-large Council member Kent Smith is stepping down.  Smith is taking a new active-duty position with the National Guard and according to new Department of  Defense rules, it would be difficult for Smith to serve in that position. According to county party rules a caucus must be called within 30 days to fill the vacancy.  So far the names mentioned include Aaron Williams, son of deputy Mayor Olgen Williams,  former Capitol Improvement Board member Dorothy Henry, local businessmen Chris Douglas and Angel Rivera.

Indianapolis Public School students will only get an hour off the Monday after the  the Super Bowl.   IPS officials tried to start school with a two-hour delay, but the Department of Education said two-hour delays are only good for emergencies and the Super Bowl is not an emergency and students would have to make up the day.  You would have thought someone would have checked first.

Expect an announcement soon about the Republicans’ choice for the Marion County Prosecutor.

5th District Congressional candidate Mike Murphy has put out a new poll showing only 28% of the Republican voters in the  district think incumbent Dan Burton should be re-elected.  When asked which candidate had the best chance at beating Burton, Murphy and John McGoff were tied at 16%.   Luke Messer comes in with 15% and Brose McVey with 11%.   The poll also shows 43% of the voters are undecided on who they want to replace Burton.

And there appears to be a backlash against a Dan Coats run for the U.S. Senate.  On his Facebook page, Conservative State Senator Mike Delph says while he respects Dan Coats, he says Coats’ opportunity to run against Evan Bayh was back in 1998 and he chose to walk away.  Delph also says the other candidates are working hard and the GOP nomination must be earned.

Although Uncle Sam wants you to be a census taker, but not a lot of people want to take Uncle Sam up on his offer.  The census needs about 45,000 people to be census takers in Indiana, but they are having the hardest time finding anyone.

For example, a good friend was in one of the area malls recently and saw two people taking applications for census work, but no one was taking them up on their offer.  Another friend told me the story of a woman who had not one, but two interviews with the census and canceled both of them.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think becoming a census worker is all that difficult. You take a test, bring your paperwork call it a day.  There’s even a practice test on the Internet so you can sharpen your skills before you go in and take the exam.  The pay is $12-$15 an hour.   You won’t get rich, but you won’t starve either.

With unemployment around 10%, you would think people would be clamoring to get a decent job, albeit only temporary.   This has me reaching one of two conclusions.  First, the economy is not as bad as everyone thinks it is.  Second, maybe a good number of the people who are out of work shouldn’t have been in the workforce in the first place.

By the way, if you know somebody who could use a census job, they should call  the U.S. Census at 1-866-861-2010 or log on to the website for the U.S. Census .

Here are a few political items to start you day off right…

4th and Rokita?

I’m hearing from reliable sources, again, that Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita is very likely to run for the Republican nomination for the 4th Congressional District.   Steve Buyer announced Friday he was not seeking another term because of his wife’s health.  Rokita has about $300,000 in cash on hand and very good relations with a lot of the county clerks in the area which will be crucial to any campaign.  I’m also hearing State Senator Brandt Hershman is also likely to give it a try as well.

5th District Finances

The money reports are starting to come in for the 5th Congressional District.  Incumbent Dan Burton raised more than $145,000 in the last quarter and has about $460,000 in cash on hand.   Challenger Mike Murphy reportedly raised about $30,000 this quarter and had about $173,000 on hand.  I’m told Brose McVey raised about $31,000 and had $62,000 in cash on hand.   John McGoff raised about $30,000 and has about $77,000 on hand.  Luke Messer raised about $106,000 this quarter and has about $285,000 in the bank.  And if you’re keeping count, the challengers raised about $197,000 to Burton’s $145,000.

In Case You Wondering

Anyone looking to challenge Evan Bayh better start raising some mad cash real quick.  His latest campaign filings show he raised more than $300,000 in the last quarter and has about $13 million in cash on hand.

There are some more items I’m working on today so check back this afternoon for an update.

It’s nice to be back after a day trip to the Land of Lincoln.  I had a few things waiting for me upon my return so I figured I’d share them with you.

Early Retirement?

There is talk this morning that an Indiana Congressman is going to announce his retirement today.  There’s no word on exactly who it is, however 4th District Congressman Steve Buyer does have an announcement this morning at IU hospital in Indianapolis.

Bar Wars V

Legislation in the House that would have changed the way alcohol is sold and distributed in Indiana all but died on the vine yesterday.  House Speaker Pat Bauer did not call down a bill for second reading which would have forced alcohol wholesalers to reimburse another wholesaler who lost its supplier contract to that  wholesaler.  Supporters say the bill was necessary to protect Hoosier jobs and wholesalers from predatory practices.  Opponents said the bill was a bailout for National Wine and Spirits and would have created a virtual monopoly for National and resulted in higher prices.  Sources say the Speaker was annoyed how the issue had gotten out of control and wanted to make it go away.  However, the legislation could still come back in the form of an amendment to another bill.

Yes, Massa

My very reliable sources are telling me that Marion County Democrats are scared to death of  Mark Massa, the General Counsel for Governor Mitch Daniels, running for County Prosecutor.   Incumbent Carl Brizzi is not seeking a third term and Helen Marchal dropped out of the race.  What worries Democrats is that Massa would have access to the Daniels political operation.   In 2008 , Barack Obama got nearly 100,000 more votes than John McCain in Marion County, however Mitch Daniels received about 50,000 more voters than Jill Long Thompson.