Blue Indy is No More

Good evening boys and girls. Hope you all had the happiest holidays imaginable, and we all wish you a Happy 2020. A little before Christmas the Indianapolis Business Journal ran a piece by Susan Orr detailing how the death trap electric car service Blue Indy is leaving Indianapolis.

In her December 20th, 2019 article Miss Orr has this to say: 

Blue Indy, the electric-car-sharing service that launched in September 2015, is pulling the plug on its Indianapolis fleet.

“We regret to announce that Blue Indy will end its collaboration with the City of Indianapolis, effective May 21st, 2020,” the company said in a letter sent to customers Friday morning. “This difficult decision to end the service has been made because we did not reach the level of activity required to be economically viable.”

As of August, Blue Indy had 3,000 active members—a fifth of the total it had projected that it needed for profitability. It had 92 stations and 200 cars—80 fewer cars circulating than two years ago.

When the Paris-based company backed by French logistics company Bollore and billionaire Vincent Bollore launched in Indianapolis, it predicted that it would be operating profitably by 2020, with at least 15,000 members, 200 stations and 500 cars.

This isn’t the only place Bollore has struggled with car-sharing.

Autolib, which Bollore launched in Paris in 2011, closed seven years later after city officials refused to contribute money to offset a revenue shortfall.

Indianapolis spent $6 million to help launch Blue Indy and wasn’t expected to recoup the investment until the service turned profitable.

The controversial deal came at the end of former Republican Mayor Greg Ballard’s administration, and spurred a lawsuitfrom the Marion County auditor, a Democrat, that was eventually dismissed.

In return for the $6 million, Blue Indy promised to share profits with the city—once its own investment was recouped and Indianapolis Power & Light recovered 125% of the more than $3 million in ratepayer hikes that made the charging stations possible. IPL initially filed a $12.3 million cost-recovery request to pay for installations but the request was denied by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

Blue Indy, which has said it invested more than $40 million of its own money to launch the service, did not disclose its annual revenue or what performance it would need to achieve to turn a profit.

The company said it would remain in operation locally until May 21 but gradually reduce the number of cars it has operating over that time. It said it would stop charging monthly membership fees on March 21 and terminate the memberships.

The company did not say what would happen to the charging stations, which can be found all over Indianapolis and are heavily clustered in and around downtown.

All we can say is it’s about damn time Blue Indy left the Circle City. This boondoggle was never going to turn a profit. But former Mayor Ballard and company just couldn’t resist flushing more taxpayer money down the drain. Never mind the fact that Blue Indy’s cars and charging stations weren’t very safe. Paul Ogden of Ogden on Politics and the late great Gary Welsh of Advance Indiana fame have both written Bigly about Blue Indy. Click here and here to read the massive amount of material these two geniuses have written about Blue Indy. As disgusted as we are by the sheer waste of taxpayer money on this disaster. We are relieved to see it coming to an end. Gary Welsh is smiling down from heaven over this. Fear not my friends, the stone is being rolled off the tomb door, the resurrection of Indiana and the spirit of Gary Welsh is at hand! Sing songs of rejoicing and praise! As to the powers that be we have but one message to give to you: Be afraid, be VERY afraid! 

A little message to the power that be from Vincent Price:

The Suicide of Jeffrey Epstein w/update

Recently we had promised to write more about former Bill Clinton and Donald Trump’s BFF Sex Trafficer and Financier Jeffrey Epstein. Now it appears that the 66 year old died last night in a Manhattan jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Although we find the timing very suspicious regarding Epstein’s suicide at this point INDY REPUBLICAN doesn’t have enough information to form an opinion one way or another as to how Epstein died. The late great Gary Welsh wrote extensively about Epstein and his ties to the Clinton’s and Epstein’s former attorney now Trump apologist Alan Dershowitz. Epstein had been on suicide watch since July 23rd after a previously unsuccessful suicide attempt about three weeks ago. The conspiracy theory wheels are all going into overdrive now. Oh what IR and the gang wouldn’t give to get Gary Welsh’s take on this. Epstein as we have said before had strong ties to both President’s Clinton and Trump. Some of our Pro-Trump friends are already trying to make hay out of Epstein’s suicide as way to emphasize the corruption of the Clinton’s.

INDY REPUBLICAN has nothing but loathing and contempt for Bill and Hillary Clinton. Just as we do for Donald Trump. A word of warning though to our Trump supporting friends: Do you really want to go down this road? Already many  democrats, and media personalities are citing Epstein’s death as being tied to President Trump and Vladimir Putin. See the following tweets as an example:

A guy who had information that would have destroyed rich and powerful men’s lives ends up dead in his jail cell. How predictably...Russian.

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 10, 2019

He reportedly tried to kill himself two weeks ago. And is allowed to finish the job now? Bullshit.

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 10, 2019

Powerful Democratic and Republican figures breathing a huge sigh of relief—as well as a Harvard professor or two.

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 10, 2019

Scarborough appears to be making a not so subtle dig at Alan Dershowitz when he says a “Harvard professor or two”. Regardless of how Epstein died what he did to lead to his indictment must be investigated. Hopefully we will learn more over time. Former Redstate Managing Editor and Mediate writer Caleb Howe has an in depth look at Joe Scarborough’s Trump like conspiracy rambling.

UPDATE: According to NBC News Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of his death. Law professor Jonathan Turley has more information on his blog about Epstein’s death. Politico also has an article saying that members of Congress are demanding answers in Epstein’s death. Another interesting tidbit was yesterday court documents revealed accusations against former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) and former U.S.Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking. This situation just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

INDY REPUBLICAN’s Tribute to Advance Indiana’s Gary Welsh

Gary Welsh Blogger and Friend to all Good Americans 

We wanted to say something to all of our friends and readers. IR has enjoyed writing for the last three years and we intend to blog until we leave this world. It has just dawned on us now. That in all the time we have been blogging, we have never taken the time to express how much we appreciated, honored and loved our dear friend the late great Gary Welsh. The talented, charming, much beloved genius who authored the irreplaceable blog Advance Indiana. We did mention briefly now and then we missed him. And this blog is dedicated to carrying on his crusade for freedom and good government. However we all were so determined to write this blog, and to help our brothers-in-arms Paul Ogden, and Jon Easter. We never paid a proper tribute to Gary. Well that changes now. Gary Welsh was in the highest and greatest sense a man. He fought for the rights of all, and inspite of the odds he won more often than he knew. His writing style and prose were of the quality that all should aspire to. He was willing to stand alone if need be. We miss him to an extent, that our sorrow cannot be adequately expressed by the limitations of human speech. 

His blog is still read by all of us to this day. We can never bring ourselves to remove the link to his blog. To do so would make us guilty of impoverishing all who visit this blog. We are proud to have been his friends for over a decade. He helped many of us survive times that almost destroyed us. Though we miss him like we miss a father, teacher and friend. All of us are blessed to have known him. We have no doubt that regardless of whatever differences he might have had with IR and Paul Ogden. Gary Welsh was a true men, and a patriot without equal. He was and would have been proud to continue working beside us. We beseech you our readers to remember that inspite of our differences as Lincoln put it: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Yes the tensions along political, religious and partisan lines are immense today. We have faced far darker moments than we find ourselves in. We will survive this. Don’t let yourself become discouraged. Even if it seems the whole world is against you. Hold fast to your principles, your values. Make them matter to YOUR lives. Develop within yourself the satisfaction that although thanks and approval from others are not inherently bad. And you will sometimes receive them. It will not always come right away or every time you do right. As long as you hold to the knowledge and firm conviction that what you are doing is right. Your actions, your life will and does matter. The seeds you plant will eventually bear fruit. Rome was not built in a day. Our task, our calling will be lifelong. 

Our ultimate goal as expressed once again by that great republican Abe Lincoln is this: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Farewell Gary Welsh! You will never be forgotten. Your detractors as some have already will wither away. Your life, your work will forever stand resolute against the powers that be. Exactly as the 300 at Thermopylae held firm. As we close this tribute to the master himself. We issue a call to arms to any and all to aid us, Paul Ogden and our allies in pursuing the holy cause of freedom.

Here’s a little civil war song to get you all motivated to fight the good fight! Praise be to God! AMEN!

Indiana's Inspector General Continues to Cover Up Crime

Something that INDY REPUBLICAN and all right thinking Hoosiers figured out long ago is, that in this state the powers that be enforce the laws only when they wish to. Since 2005 when "Godfather Governor" Mitch Daniels created the office of Inspector General to cover up investigate and ferret out wrongdoers. The amount of criminal activity and corruption has exploded a thousand fold in this state. Earlier this week one of IR's favorite Indiana journalists Kara Kenney had an outstanding story about a Department of Corrections Supervisor accused of running a business on state time:

The Inspector General’s office launched an investigation in October 2018 following a complaint about a Department of Correction supervisor selling essential oils during work hours.

According to the complaint, an IDOC employee told investigators the supervisor approached her about selling products during an IDOC meeting and gave her a product sample.

“Employee also indicated that she saw another DOC employee give the supervisor money during state time for what she assumed was payment for the purchase of essential oils,” read the OIG report. “Employee alleged that the supervisor recruited at least three other DOC employees to sell the products.”

In an interview with an OIG investigator, the supervisor said she began offering and promoting products through a private company during the fall of 2017, but stopped when IDOC launched an internal investigation.

The supervisor also said three of her Department of Correction subordinates joined the company and engaged in the business outside of work.

The OIG investigation found the IDOC supervisor received a percentage of the application fee for the three IDOC employees who obtained company memberships through her.

IDOC investigators found an email the supervisor sent from her state email related to the essential oils business.

“Although the investigation revealed the supervisor engaged in limited misuse of state property and a violation of DOC policy, her misuse of state property was low in volume and spread over a time frame of several months,” read the report.

The Office of Inspector General found “insufficient evidence” to bring a formal complaint against the IDOC supervisor before the State Ethics Commission.

“The evidence did not clearly show how much state time the supervisor spent promoting or offering products because some of this activity occurred during the supervisor’s lunch hours and after state work hours,” read the OIG report, dated May 23.

But fear not fellow hoosiers! Because even though the IG has declined to bring a formal complaint against the IDOC employee who by their own admission engaged in a commercial venture on state time. An offense that could get an employee terminated by the state. The IG has agreed to take the following action so that they not be forced too often to pretend to investigate wrongdoing at the state:

The OIG recommends the Indiana Department of Correction distribute a written notice to all IDOC employees reminding them that if they engage in any outside business, they must do so on their own time without using state time or state property/resources.

The Inspector General also recommends IDOC and its supervisors use caution when talking to subordinates about outside businesses they’re involved in.

Yeah have IDOC actually explain to DOC employees that they aren't supposed to engage in outside business on state time. That'll teach people not to commit ghost employment! As for recommending that IDOC and the supervisors their us caution when discussing outside business at DOC. Why not just tell them NOT to talk to anybody at work about outside employment? You know due to something called common sense and professionalism.

Lastly the Inspector General's office had this final bit of Solomon-like wisdom to offer the DOC:

“The OIG encourages DOC to consider providing additional training or instruction for all DOC employees in supervisory or managerial roles on the ghost employment and use of state property rules,” read the report. “Employees in authoritative positions often have the ability to wield undue influence over their subordinates, even if unintentional.”

Our response to the IG is "No Shit"! There are single celled organisms that know that people in authority have the ability to wield undue influence over their employees. Kudos to Kara Kenney for this outstanding report. Feel free to read the IG's so called report here if you wish. This reminds us all here of a similar case of blatant ghost employment reported on by Kenney back in 2012. Both Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden blogged about the case at that time. Paul Ogden had this interesting observation of that case:

Let me get this straight.  I write a memo to the Commissioner of the Indiana Department that my supervisor was misappropriating money from the title insurance division that I ran and committing other legal violations.  Within minutes of getting that memo, I am immediately fired and left two years short of my pension.  I'm not alone.  Whistleblowers who are routinely fired by the state and I am not aware of a single one who has ever prevailed in court. Judges do not enforce the laws protecting state employee whistleblowers.  

If you are a state employee who dares to report ghost employment, the whistleblower can expect to be fired and have absolutely no recourse.  Meanwhile the state employee who commits the ghost employment gets a short suspension and continues on in state employment or gets his full pension should he choose to retire. 

In the interest of saving taxpayers money at this point the Indiana General Assembly should just abolish the Inspector General's office. After 14 plus years of existence it has only served to shield wrongdoers from being held accountable. And to punish those employees who have tried to uphold the laws and protect the taxpayers money. In the past the IG has used their office to cover up and protect former Indiana Secretary of State and Congressman Todd Rokita. The administration of former Governor Mike Pence further allowed the Inspector General's Office to cover up wrong doing by a former BMV official.

Inspector General Lori Torres

Given the track record so far of Governor Eric Holcomb we can expect more, not less of these incidents to occur. Seeing as Holcomb is a servant to his demonic master Mitch Daniels it is not surprising that he has appointed Daniels flunky Lori Torres to the post of Inspector General. Torres was Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor for part of Daniels time as Governor. So naturally she has continued to do the bidding of her masters in hoosier politics. What we suggest to our readers is that they write, call and email Ms. Torres and her office until she decides to actually do her job. Also contact Governor Eric Holcomb, as well as your state legislators about this. Tell them that Gary Welsh called and he wants to give them all an earful.

You can reach Miss Torres at:

Office of the Inspector General
315 West Ohio Street, Room 104
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
Telephone: 317-232-3850
Toll free:  866-805-8498
Email: info@ig.in.gov
Twitter: @LoriTorres2013 

Governor Eric Holcomb when he exits his coffin can be contacted at:

By Phone: 317-232-4567

By Mail:
Office of the Governor
Statehouse
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2797

Or contact Eric Holcomb via twitter: @HolcombForIN, or @GovHolcomb

Click here to contact your state legislators and give them a piece of your mind. Come on everybody! Let's go out there and raise some hell for Gary Welsh! That's it friends! Troll the living daylights out of the political class! DEFY Eric Holcomb! Call and tweet like hell motherfuckers! Till next time this is your favorite midwestern brigands and rabble rousers saying "Keep up the good fight"!

Erick Erickson Goes Off The Deep End w/Update

Erick Erickson Trump Propagandist/Anti-Christian Spokesman

We were originally going to blog about the long overdue arrest of financier and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein that occurred a few days ago. And hope to blog about that more soon. Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana wrote extensively on Epstein and Epstein counsel, now Donald Trump apologist Alan Dershowitz. In a not-so-shocking turn Erick Erickson, once a man who billed himself as the conscience of conservatives and the guardian of opposing the RINO-Lib Dem Donald Trump. Has continued his turn to evil. By deciding to make light of the sexual abuse of Jeffrey Epstein.

Erickson had this to say:

If Epstein had done what he did with teenage boys and dressed them in drag, undoubtedly a number of people out to get him would instead be defending him.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 9, 2019

We have addressed Erickson’s descent into madness and sycophancy last month. But this ill timed and pitiful attempt at making a joke about Epstein’s victims is a new low. Before the objections to our portrayal of Erick’s poorly chosen words. Whether or not what he said is true or not is irrelevant. Also Erick President Trump like his former BFF former President Bill Clinton has strong ties to Epstein. So we thought that it might interest you to know the candidate you are supporting for President next year is so close with a pedophile. We wonder if Erickson will cowardly delete his tweet from today. Just as he has since deleted his tweet stating that he was backing now independent Congress Justin Amash of Michigan and Donald Trump in their re-election bids in 2020. Erickson’s attempt to play both sides against the middle by attempting to placate Trump and his former Never Trump allies will succeed only in making Erickson more and more of a joke. So Erick hope you enjoy being part of the Fellowship of the Pharisees. Because that’s who you have sided with. Let’s all pray that Erickson’s apostasy and fall from grace ends eventually. We do so hate to see someone destroy themselves for less than nothing.

UPDATE: This apparently is not the first time that Erickson has made light of allegations of sexual assault. Back in 2017 Erickson wrote an article entitled “Why I Don’t Blame Roy Moore’s Voters for Sticking With Him”. Of course after seeing this it makes Erick’s tweet makes more sense. After all Epstein did oversample 12-18 year olds, just like Roy Moore.

IBM Ordered to Pay $78 Million to the State Ending Decade Long Lawsuit

Good afternoon friends! Well it appears that the decade long shit show IBM-FSSA lawsuit has come to an end. IBM has been ordered by the Indiana Supreme Court to pay $78 Million to the state over the bungled welfare privatization performed during Mitch Daniels “reign of error” as Governor. Olivia Covington over at The Indiana Lawyer gives the lowdown on this case:

In its second opinion issued in the years-long dispute between Indiana and IBM Corp. over the failed contract to create a new Hoosier welfare system, the Indiana Supreme Court has allowed IBM to collect post-judgment interest on its $49.5 million damages award. However, that interest will date back only to a 2017 judgment on remand, not the original judgment entered in the company’s favor in 2012, and only serves as an offset to the greater sum IBM owes the state.

Justice Steven David wrote for the court in the Wednesday opinion in International Business Machines Corporation v. State of Indiana, acting on behalf of the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration, 19S-PL-19. The justices, excluding Justice Mark Massa, heard their second round of arguments in the case in February.

At issue in the litigation is a contract between IBM and the state requiring IBM to develop a new welfare system that utilized a centralized call center to handle customer requests. The new system, colloquially known as “modernization,” was meant to be a shift away from the prior welfare system that emphasized face-to-face contact with customers.

But the state terminated the IBM contract in 2009 after modernization began experiencing problems. Instead, the state created its own welfare system, known as “hybrid,” that combined the call center with the former face-to-face model.

Both parties filed breach complaints, and the Marion Superior Court initially determined modernization’s failure was not a breach of IBM’s contract. Instead, the state was ordered in 2012 to pay IBM $49.5 million for the costs of equipment and assignment fees.

Barnes & Thornburg attorneys John Maley and Peter Rusthoven, counsel for the state in the IBM litigation, released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying they are pleased with the court’s ruling.

“Hoosiers will finally benefit from IBM’s multi-million-dollar payment of this judgment,” the statement said, referring to the $78 million owed to the state.

The article does mention the ruiling was 3-1 in favor of the state. Justice Mark Massa did not participate in the ruling since he worked as General Counsel for Governor Mitch Daniels who had ordered the IBM contract canceled. We have blogged previously on this issue once or twice before. Personally we feel that IBM was royally shafted by the state and should have not been forced to pay the state anything. On the other hand though IBM should have realized that doing business with the state was a bad idea. Especially since after IBM was given the heave ho, Affiliated Computer Systems (ACS) was put in to do the work. This was a big problem because then FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob had previously worked for ACS. Why this matter was never investigated by the US Attorneys Office in Indianapolis is a mystery to this day. Barnes and Thornburg’s role in representing the state is particularly troubling because as Paul Ogden pointed out back in 2012 that Barnes and Thornburg had lobbied the state to get ACS put in charge of the states welfare privatization project. Paul Ogden said at the time:

According to Judge Dreyer, the services provided by ACS were the major source of the complaints, Nonetheless, IBM ended up being discharged from the while ACS remained on as part of a "hybrid system."  Conveniently for ACS, a former executive theirs, Mitch Roob, headed FSSA, when IBM-ACS won the original privatization contract and yet another ACS executive, Mike Gargano, headed FSSA during the litigation over IBM's discharge.

The State, i.e. FSSA, ended up suing IBM to recover under the contract.  IBM countersued, claiming that the State breached the contact through its termination.  But who does the Daniels' administration insist the State hire to represent the State?  None other than Barnes & Thornburg the very law firm that represented ACS in lobbying to get the contract and still represents ACS to this day.  

Let me summarize what appears to have happened. ACS lobbies state officials to oust IBM so ACS can have the lucrative Medicaid privatization contract to itself.  ACS eventually succeeds.  The State sues IBM, perhaps to counter the inevitable breach of suit IBM was about to file.  After, IBM sues, the State hires Barnes & Thornburg, ACS's attorney to represent the state.

The State appears to be nothing more than a proxy for ACS. This case is essentially ACS v. IBM, yet we taxpayers are on the hook to pay Barnes & Thornburg, ACS' attorneys, $9.6 million.  That is uttterly outrageous.

Given that federal money here is involved, I too wonder why there has not been a federal investigation opened up by the FBI into this matter.  There certainly should be now that the facts here expose troubling, if not illegal, conduct by government officials and private lobbyists.

Between attorneys fees and the cost of the original contract with IBM. We estimate that the state has easily put us taxpayers on the hook for well over $500 Million. This whole mess could have been avoided if the Daniels administration had just listened to what some of his own people told him and given FSSA caseworkers new computers. Instead “Little Man” Mitch was determined to privatize food stamp delivery no matter what. Daniels and his bagman Governor “High Tax” Holcomb seem content knowing they slit the wrists of us taxpayers to feed the vampire looters and moochers who have helped through their demonic means to advance their political careers. 

Some of INDY REPUBLICANS allies in the cultural war against President Trump. Have tried to assuage our concerns about Holcomb by saying he is not on the side of Trumpian tribalism and authoritarianism. Don’t be fooled. Former Governor Mitch Daniels his boss whose legacy Holcomb carries out. Mitch Daniels created the tribalism, authoritarianism, and waste and theft of taxpayers money that would have been an embarrassment even in Tsarist Russia. We the men and women of truth, the guardians of freedom and justice for all will continue to fight until the Daniels-Holcomb Syndicate is a distant memory. 

A Contrarian’s View of Senator Dick Lugar

Senator Richard Lugar

We are writing this post in the full knowledge that by doing so we may well come under extreme criticism and will be undoubtedly chastised for speaking ill of the dead. But the truth about who Dick Lugar was is true whether we say so or not. So we might as well say so. Notwithstanding we originally all of us here at IR had decided to say nothing regarding the now deceased Senator Richard Lugar. Given the degree to which the IR gang helped to defeat Lugar in the 2010 Primary. At first we all thought that we had said all we had to say on the man. Upon further reflection especially considering the uncritical and unwarranted adulation that has been bestowed upon the Senator. As well as the damage to our state, and our nation Lugar helped to inflict. We took the advice of George Orwell who said: “telling the truth is a revolutionary act”.  As well as John 8:32 states: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Also to do justice to the memory of the late great Gary Welsh, who like Paul Ogden helped to end Lugar’s 36 year reign in the Senate. And for the fact that Lugar was allowed to escape punishment for potentially 24 felonies, while Charlie White was crucified and convicted falsely on the bogus charge of one count of voter fraud. These facts notwithstanding the death of Senator Lugar MUST be aired. Paul Ogden has penned a good piece today on the Senator’s passing. Paul as always is candid, and honest. Paul has long been a valued friend and ally of all of us here. Paul Ogden and us are usually in agreement on the issues. In regards to Lugar we agree on many points. But we cannot offer nearly as much praise of Lugar as Paul can. 

Gary Welsh has throughly documented Lugar’s falsely claiming to have been an inhabitant of the state for 35 years while he was in the Senate. It is true that Lugar as we, Paul Ogden, grant Lugar did some good work on foreign policy. We strongly disagree that Lugar was a non tribal figure. Especially given his role in launching the political career of “Godfather” Governor Mitch Daniels who is the most tribalistic and cult like person to ever inhabit the Governors Office. Also no amount of good deeds will ever make up for Lugar’s corrupt conduct as Mayor of Indianapolis. Of particular interest is this account from the 1970’s of Mitch Daniels engaging in some questionable actions to shake down city employees to give money to Mayor Lugar’s campaign coffers. 

As lifelong conservatives and republicans we believe in the rule of law. Which has for too long been neglected by the bipartisan cabal that has control of much of the Hoosier state. And the fact that Dick Lugar escaped punishment for his misdeeds is a fact that will have to be acknowledged sooner or later. Seriously Lugar was allowed to cast votes from a house that he had not owned for 35 years, Mitch Daniels cast ballots using the address of the Governors mansion that he admitted he did not reside at. Mike Pence filed tax returns when he was running for Governor in 2012 stating that he lived in Virginia. Even though according to state law to run for Governor he had to have resided in Indiana for the five years preceding the 2012 election. Most laughable is Pence’s having voted from the Governor’s mansion in last years election even though he doesn’t live there. Sorry folks to bring up unpleasant facts. But until the Indiana press and federal prosecutors do their jobs and go after these creeps we are forced to air unpleasant facts.

What’s Hiding in Lindsey Graham’s Closet?

Good afternoon fellow patriots. We like many of our fellow conservatives and libertarians have been frustrated with Senator Lindsey Graham’s lack of a spine and balls for the better part of a decade. But his well documented transformation from Never Trump to Trump’s Butt Kisser has sickened even our cast iron stomachs. Personally we believe that he is just trying to hitch his wagon to whatever is the latest political horse. Other’s however have a different theory as to why Graham has become submissive to President Trump.

We were cruising around cyberspace and came across the following from one of our favorite conservatives S.E. Cupp:

To anyone using their platform to peddle this garbage: Please stop implying that Lindsey Graham is closeted and that Trump must be blackmailing him for support. It’s baseless, juvenile and also homophobic.

— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) January 15, 2019

This brought to mind a post from back in 2015 by the late great Gary Welsh about speculation that both then Senator Mark Kirk and Lindsey Graham were both gay. The friend to all patriots everywhere and the IR Gang’s eternal hero had this to say:

Both Kirk, who is divorced, and the single Graham have been the subject of persistent rumors about their sexual orientation.

Gary was referring to a comment made by then Senator Mark Kirk that Graham is “a bro with no ho”. The comment came up in the context of if Graham were to ever be elected president. Since Graham is not married he said he would pick either he sister or one of his female friends to serve as First Lady. 

We just cannot help but to think that Gary Welsh would be having a field day with Lindsey Graham’s flip flopping if he was still alive. For the record IR doesn’t believe that Graham is gay. Just an opportunist who we all would gladly have leave public life. We do agree with Gary that Ann Coulter is actually a man.

Till next time everyone!

Matt Tully Is Dead

We just received word that our old nemesis Matt Tully of the Indianapolis Star has died of cancer. We had no love for Matt Tully and IR won’t lie and say we thought much of him before or now. We still despise his role in attacking Gary Welsh and Charlie White. But we didn’t want this to happen. Tully every once in a good while wrote decent articles. And by all accounts was a good husband and father. Our prayers to his family and friends. Also Matt sorry you suffered the way you did. But you are at peace now. That’s all that matters. Someday we will bury the hatchet and start again. Good or Bad you kept us on our toes.

Rest In Peace Brother Matthew 

The IR Crew

When Will The IBM-FSSA Debacle Ever End?

As many of our readers are undoubtedly aware. For the better part of the last decade now. We Hoosiers have been on the hook for well over a half billion dollar debacle because “Godfather” Governor Mitch Daniels and his stooge Mitch Roob had to enter into a boneheaded contract with IBM/ACS to privatize Indiana’s welfare system. We blogged about this last year and about a month became aware of some new developments in this case.

Rick Callahan writing for the Associated Press reported that Indiana’s Court of Appeals had upheld a previous ruling from August 2017 that IBM owed the state $78 Million. 

Callahan also reported:

The three-judge court also found that IBM is entitled to interest on nearly $50 million in state fees that Welch ruled Indiana owes the company. 

Judge Heather Welch had rejected IBM’s request for interest on those fees, but the appellate court reversed the decision and sent the matter back to Welch to determine the amount of interest IBM is owed. The court specified that the interest be calculated for the more than six years that have elapsed since another Marion County judge found in 2012 that Indiana owed IBM $49.5 million in state fees.

John Maley, one of the private attorneys representing Indiana in the case, called Friday’s ruling “a significant victory for Hoosier taxpayers.” He said the state’s attorneys believe Welch ruled correctly on the interest issue and that they will be conferring with state officials “regarding that narrow legal issue and possible further review.”

IBM spokesman Doug Shelton said the New York-based company is disappointed by the ruling and plans to appeal.

“IBM invested significant resources in its partnership with the state to help turn around a welfare system described at the time by Indiana’s governor as one of the worst in the nation,” he said in a statement.

Indiana and IBM sued each other in 2010 after then-Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, cancelled the $1.3 billion contract that his administration reached with the company to privatize and automate the processing of Indiana’s welfare applications.

Under that deal, an IBM-led team of vendors worked to process applications for food stamps, Medicaid and other benefits. Residents could apply for the benefits through call centers, the internet and fax machines. But the contract was pulled in late 2009, less than three years into the 10-year deal, following complaints about long wait times, lost documents and improper rejections.

Not mentioned in the article is that former Assistant State House Assistant Leader Eric Turner had owned a building which was then leased by ACS to be used as a welfare call center. IR and the late great Gary Welsh have blogged about Turners legal and ethical issues.

It’s extremely frustrating to the IR crew and those of us on the front lines of fighting the most corrupt state government in the nation that this whole shit show over at FSSA is still going on. But as long as it is we and others like us will continue to report it. Don’t worry Gary. Your crusade will continue and intensify. Until our state is rebuilt. Good night and God Bless!

Indianapolis Star Continues It’s Slide Into Oblivion

In another sign of the inevitable demise of the Indianapolis Star. Yesterday the Star announced that they will no longer be publishing opinion pieces and editorials five days a week and will instead publish them on Thursday and Sunday only. Andrea Neal tweeted about this yesterday:

@indystar, once great metropolitan daily with two Pulitzers, announced with a whimper today it will no longer publish Op-Ed pages five days a week. Devastating news for those who love(d) newspapers. #deathbyathousandcuts pic.twitter.com/nyTpQw33QI

— AndreaNeal1 (@HoosierHoundDog) October 7, 2018

Gary Welsh, Paul Ogden and IR have for several years now been talking about the Star’s fall from it’s heyday under “Young Gene” Pulliam to it’s decline since being bought by the Gannet Corporation in 1999. Click here and here to read some of our previous columns on the Star’s sad state. One reader once commented on this blog that the Star even failed as trash can liner. Many people whom IR respects and admires have mentioned that the decline at the Star is due to the decrease in resources given to local newspapers in recent years and to the ever increasing use of the Internet as a news source. But the biggest factor for many of us who have canceled our subscriptions to the Star over the past two decades, is the decline in quality reporting being printed by the Star since 1999. There are still several high quality journalists at the Star such as Tony Cook and Fatima Hussein. But when most of the papers space is spent simply regurgitating the talking points of the Indiana political establishment. Why should people pay money to read the Star when they could just listen to politicians speak for free? And when you have useless shills like Tim Swarens as an opinion writer, or guest columnist like Carpetbagging Abdul Hakim-Shabazz writing for your Op-Ed page. It’s only natural that the Star’s readership would plummet.

Tim Swarens on his Facebook page was whining about  how the news business has gotten more complex over the years:

Maybe if Swarens had actually tried to be something other than a hack writer the Star would be in better shape today. We sympathize with Andrea Neal and Ruth Holladay’s sadness at what the Star has become. But unlike them we cannot bring ourselves to mourn the Star’s impending destruction. The Indianapolis Star died long ago. We, Paul Ogden and the late, great Gary Welsh long ago made our piece with that. Our best advice to what talent remains at the Star is: Keep your resumes updated, write high quality work like you never have before, and start applying for other jobs if you have not already. It is no longer possible to dig the Star out of the cosmos sized hole it has dug itself into. The only thing that you can do is keep the Star’s demise from damaging your own careers and let Tim Swarens and his ilk go down with the funeral pyre that is known as The Indianapolis Star.

ISP Finally Puts Pixie Grismore on their Cold Case Site

Pixie Grismore

Last year we wrote an article in defense of "Armchair Sleuths" after they had received criticism from Indiana State Police Captain David Bursten. In that article we also pointed out that the late great Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana had went after then Sgt. Bursten trying without success to get the unsolved murder of former state employee and Birch Bayh campaign worker Mary Beth "Pixie" Grismore listed on the Indiana State Police (ISP) Cold Case section of their website. Gary Welsh had made the following references to his inquiries he had made with now Captain Bursten:

Welsh did hear from Captain then Sergeant Bursten of the ISP. Welsh wrote in 2011:

UPDATE: Sgt. Dave Bursten, public information officer for the Indiana State Police, has confirmed the Grismore case is still an open investigation. He said the closing of the Terre Haute post and revamping of the agency's website is why her case is not listed as a cold case file. Bursten said anyone with information or tips regarding the case should telephone the agency's hotline at 1-800-453-4756.

Two months later in July 2011. Gary Welsh posting about the still unsolved disappearance of Indiana University student Lauren Spierers. Welsh mentioned that the ISP still had not put Pixie Grismores case on their cold case website.

Welsh had this to say in his July 2011 post:

The Indiana State Police don't even have her case listed on their website as a cold case file, a fact a police spokesman told me was simply due to an oversight during a revamping of the department's website. Nearly two months after I raised the question, the omission has still not been corrected. Her case is listed on the state of Ohio's cold case list, even though all investigatory leads led them right back to Indiana. No, the Indiana State Police have no intention of trying to discover who actually murdered Mary Beth Grismore. Let's hope Indiana police are truly interested in solving the disappearance case of Lauren Spierers.

Here is Gary's last known mention of Bursten:

Hey, Capt. Bursten, I'm still waiting for ISP to include Pixie Grismore's unsolved murder on your cold case list that you told me a couple of years ago was going to occur in short order. Isn't her case just one in a long string of cases your agency has deep-sixed for corrupt political motives?

We had last checked the ISP's Cold Case Investigations page earlier this year and had not seen the Grismore murder listed on their site. We had started to fear that as Gary Welsh had told all of us several years ago that her case would never be put on the ISP Cold Case Page. Inspite of the Ohio Attorney General's Office listing the case on their site. We are happy to report that one of our readers contacted us earlier today to tell us that after nearly a decade the ISP has finally posted the case on their website click here to see the page. And although the page is not as detailed as we all would prefer it doesn't even have a photo of Pixie Grismore. Even though photo's of her are easily found on the Internet. We are extremely gratified to see that her case is seeing some light. To many of our readers who took the time to constantly hammer away at the ISP we thank you. Also we would like to thank Captain David Bursten for finally making sure the Cold Case Page was updated! Eight years is way too long! But better late than never.

In fact let's all contact the Good Captain and express our gratitude for his dedicated public service. You can reach him on Twitter @dbursten. 

Here is his contact information at the ISP if you would like to call, email, or go thank him personally:

	Indiana State Police / Public Info Office
Address:	IGCN 100 N Senate Ave
	Marion County, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Email:	dbursten@isp.in.gov
Desk Phone:	317-232-0064

We here at IR give our sincere thanks to our legionaries out their in the trench's. And a special thanks to Captain Bursten. Without whom the ISP would not be what it is now!

Good Night and God Bless You All!