IDC Member Bobby Jackson let me know about this event. The National Dialogue and Revival for Social Justice inthe Black Curch is hosting speakers today, including former presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton at 7pm.
Eastern Star Church
5750 E 30th St
Meeting Minutes for October General membership meeting of the Indiana Democratic Club. 10/24/2006 @ 7:30pm
Meeting called to order by: IDC President Ken Kern at 7:30pm at the Julia Carson Government Center in Indianapolis
Pledge of Allegiance led by: State Sen. and Marion County Auditor Candidate Billie Breaux
Speaker: Judy Anderson, Candidate for State Auditor
Indianapolis Star VP/Editor Dennis Ryerson could not make it due to another obligation.
Judy Anderson is the Democratic candidate for State Auditor.
Topic: State Candidates
Secretary of State: Joe Pearson. Grain and livestock farmer in Grant County. BS in Animal Science from Purdue, MS in Education from Ball State and finished a Doctorate in 2004. Lives in Blackford county. 16 years on Blackford County School Board and President of Indiana School Board Association
www.joepearsonforindiana.com
Treasurer: Michael Griffin. Attended IU with BS in Religious Studies and Political Science, MS in Political Affairs with minor in Finance. Adjunct professor at IU Northwest. Certified Public Finance Administrator and Indiana Accredited Municipal Clerk and Certified Municipal Clerk.
www.michaelgriffinfortreasurer.org
Auditor: Judy Anderson. Vigo County Commissioner since 2000. Originally from Vigo County and lives in West Terre Haute.
Drove a school bus for 22 years and started her own catering business for 10 years. Started political career in 1984. Served on Township Advisory Board for 12 years. When her last child went to college, she decided to run county wide for an at large seat on the county council. Out of 15 candidates, she came out on top and was the first woman elected to the Vigo County Council. After 1 term, a commissioner’s position opened she was urged to run for that and she did, serving her second term now and is the President of the Vigo County Commissioners.
She had no intention of running for a state office at this time and was happy where she was, but it came about and jumped up to take it. As a Commissioner and a Council Member, she has known the way money is structured and moves in and out of the county. She could see the pie at the county level but has a problem that at the state level, she can’t see the pie. She wants to change that.
She has also had problems with Major Moves. It sounds good but could not see the whole thing. As Auditor, she would be overseeing and auditing the Major Moves money – a 75 year contract. She wants to be there to oversee where the millions and billions of dollars are going. “If I know, you’ll know” – the public needs to know where their tax dollars are going. Good or bad, it needs to be known.
She has a big problem with what they call “invisible money” – money that is sent out of state and through private contracts to state employees that work through contractors. The state is not accountable for this and this is a problem. Tax payers deserve to know where this money is going.
The Auditor needs to work with legislators to get laws passed to open up the records of public spending to all taxpayers. Corporations should also be held accountable for paying their fair share of taxes. She doesn’t just want to go in and write checks – she wants to make sure it’s right to write the checks. She will be an independent auditor tied only to the taxpayers of Indiana. There are 14 states in the United States that require at least some sort of public reporting on service contracts. These are not being accounted for in Indiana.
We have got to get Democrats elected, locally, state legislature. “Pull that donkey’s tail.” We are laying the groundwork for 2008 in 2006.
Q&A:
She feels that we’re doing well statewide and that we will do well on Election Day.
Does not feel the lack of a US Senate candidate is hurting us, but it surely would have been nice.
Does not feel the media accurately or fully explains the office of Auditor, and that the people need a better understanding not just of the office of Auditor but of the others as well.
Minutes: September minutes accepted as handed out.
Treasurer’s Report: Accepted as read by the Secretary
Guests, New Members, Candidates & Notables:
Judge Barbara Collins, thanking for support of the Democratic Judges. There is actually no competition this year due to a GOP bill that made it 20 judges, 10 from each party.
Michael DeSloover. Was the first candidate for the statehouse in 25 years in Hamilton County. Active on the Fraud Taskforce. Indianapolis has the lowest appreciation of home values of any major city in the US (around 3% per year) next to Buffalo, NY. The problem is not the 2% of fraud, it’s THAT. If we moderately curtailed house building, the average net worth could increase $15k to $20k. Indianapolis is one of the most over-built markets in the nation. This is all a big problem and just trying to get the word out there.
Bill Stant, Green Party Candidate for Secretary of State. He is strictly a write in candidate due to Indiana’s closed ballot process.
Steve Nicewanger, Warren Township Democratic Club President. Irvington Halloween Festival on Saturday and Warren Democrats will have a booth. Starts at 10:30am through about 6pm, and any Democrat who wants to come and help are welcome. In Irvington.
State Senator Billie Breaux and Candidate for Marion County Auditor. Support the county ticket. We have the best ticket we’ve had in a long time, so go out and support the ticket. Just because the news says this is a Democratic year, we have to get out there and make it a Democratic year. Don’t take it for granted.
Catherine Carr, candidate for the US House in the 4th District.
Judge Shaheed, Marion County Criminal Court 14.
Announcements:
New Business:
Respectfully Submitted,
Jason Borneman
IDC Secretary
The october meeting will be October 24th, 7:30pm at the Julia Carson Government Center. The speaker will be Indianapolis Star VP/Editor Dennis Ryerson. for those who came to the May meeting where he spoke, it was an excellent presentation with a great Q&A. Since this will be two weeks before the election, it should be a most interesting meeting.
It’s been far too long. there haven’t been any organized meetings since July but we’re back and here are the notes from the September meeting:
Meeting Minutes for September General membership meeting of the Indiana Democratic Club. 09/26/2006 @ 7:30pm
Sponsor: Hon. Jim Maley
Meeting called to order by: IDC President Ken Kern
Pledge of Allegiance led by: Joann Sanders
Speaker: Morton Marcus
Topic: Has the Governor Shot Himself In The Foot?
Was with the Kelly School of Business for 33 years. Semi-retired, writing a column for ~35 newspapers.
Why are Democrats cowards? Why don’t we have a candidate for US Senate in Indiana?! They say we’d be wasting money, but we’ve wasted our identity – we have no one at the top of the ticket. No message bearer for the state party. Every party has a right and an obligation to field candidates in all races.
Also here for Beth White for County Clerk.
Mitch Daniels is an unfortunate person because he has no decent press relations. His own people don’t know how to relate to the public. That gets you headlines like the recent gun headlines in the Star “Pack a picnic – or a gun”. They end up supporting things that many people in the state oppose (Major Moves, etc). Wherever Mr. Marcus goes across the state he hears Democrats and Republicans alike wonder what he is doing.
Why did he have the Indiana DNR issue a statement that you can take guns to state parks? He did it at a time he was speaking to the NRA and when we have a large number of gun related deaths in Indianapolis. Argues that the “more police” solution from the Sheriff and Mayor is phony and that it won’t stop this sort of gun violence, that instead you need to get the guns out of the hands of criminals. The 2nd amendment has nothing to do with this: “In order to maintain a well regulated militia….” is the key phrase.
Arms are weapons. If you cannot infringe the right to own a gun, you shouldn’t be able to bear arms to have a nuclear weapon or any other sort of weapon. We’ve already said you can’t carry some sorts of weapons in some areas. Why is that okay but regulations of guns are not? Argues that people can have guns but should not be allowed to take them off their property. What is the appropriate punishment for people who do without overcrowding our jails?
Jail overcrowding could be helped by legalizing marijuana – non-violent offenders. There needs to be a focus on that which is consequence. What is the cost of having a society where we have large numbers of people killed via the illegal drug trade, vs. a society with a weakened work force through legalization.
Daniels has to be forced to address gun policy and the BMV (he’s apologized but hasn’t addressed it. Someone has to take the fall for what it has become and take responsibility). The Toll Road situation is another example of this. No numbers were ever shown in detail. We need transparency. Also challenged the city/county budget process and the stadium.*
The Bio/Life Sciences initiative.. who’s benefiting? Us? IU/Purdue/Lilly/others? Instead of this should we be paving our roads and building mass transit?
We need to simplify government, doesn’t mean removing regulations but simplifying the way government works. To make Indiana and Indianapolis better, it’s not ‘initiatives’ and the like, it’s making the lives of ordinary people better.
Minutes: Minute from last General membership Meeting: Deferred until next month.
Treasurer’s Report: Accepted as read by the Treasurer
Guests, New Members, Candidates & Notables:
Steve Nicewanger of the Warren Twp club: John Barnes is having a bowling fundraiser tomorrow night Bowling for Barnes, NE Wood Bowl on Shortridge behind the old Eastgate shopping center. $25 per person.
Jeff Kosc: new in town from Chicago a couple months ago and a new member.
JoAnn Sanders: At-large city-county council member. The council is struggling to keep a budget together. Looking to have a plan in the next couple months to help the 2008 budget. We have hope for the election to revive our majority in the State House to help us with our funding in Indianapolis.
Greg Bowes: Current City-County Council member, running for Assessor. Budget was tough, but investing county option income tax into safety, courts, etc to help our justice system in the county (in despite of our Prosecutor). As for the Assessor campaign now that the budget season is over more time to work the campaign. Poll last week showed Melina Kennedy at 43% and Brizzi at 42% for Prosecutor! Reminder from the county party: county and township candidates met with Ed Tracy. Our push is to get our boards filled for the election. At the latest, if you are a precinct person, get them filled by mid October so that they can be trained.
Melissa Lear-Fisher from Julia Carson’s campaign: Just here to listen tonight. There are voter registration efforts, going out every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday. If you want to help, call the campaign at: _______________
Chris Kaiser, former candidate for 7th Distrct Congress in Primary: Firm believer in contested primaries, glad to be back and looking forward to help.
Mary Ray from Hamilton County: Tomorrow night next meeting, David Orentlicher speaking. MCL Cafeteria at 116th Street and Keystone. 6:30pm.
David ____ : sitting judge in Marion County, Criminal Division.
Catherine Carr : Congressional Candidate in 5th District. We need to take back the House. There’s also a recent attack on Bart Peterson that’s an attack on Democrats in general that has many at best dubious ascertains about police in Marion County.
Larry Ryan, Southside Club: Third Tuesday Lunch October 17th 11:30am to 1pm, southside club office 1135 Shelby. Trucker’s breakfast October 7th 8:30-10am, 1135 Shelby. For anyone going to the Debs dinner they will be leaving after the Third Tuesday Lunch
Becky Pearson-Tracy: Judge in Marion Superior Court. Even though the ballot is structured that they will all win they want all your votes anyway.
Cathy Gilette from the Susan Fuldauer campaign: Having a comedy night as a fundraiser. $30 per person. October 27th, 6pm at Morty’s Comedy joint 3625 E 96th . Check Susan’s website for information.
Kelly Earls from Russel Brown for Senate (Dist 31) Campaign: he’s knocked on 10,000 doors. If anyone lives in his district and you want to put up a yard sign or go door knocking contact the campaign. (add Brown website for info)
Letty Oliver: Moved, seconded and passed for the Club to pay Cheryl Kern for her food handler’s license to work food for the Christmas party. Also announced Indiana Women in Work Conference, Martin Center, Friday Oct 6th 8pm-430, Keynote Sen. Billie Breaux. October 5th, national president of NAACP dinner. Drinks 6:45, dinner at 7, Riverwalk banquet Hall, $50.
John Barnes, candidate for State Representative.
Announcements:
Old Business:
The fair was good, we are officially taking over running the Marion County Fair from the County Party. It was a success and looking forward to next year.