Fox’s Steve Hilton Explains why State Government Corruption is such a threat

Yesterday Steve Hilton the host of Fox News’s “The Revolution” gave a monologue on why we need to drain the swamp at the state level. We found this video to be very well done and informative. IR used to love much of the Fox News Channels programming. But have grown fed up with its transformation into a propaganda arm for Donald Trump. We still like Shepherd Smith, Brit Hume, Brett Baier, Chris Wallace and Juan Williams. But they are now minority voices at FNC. Seeing Hilton’s monologue gives us hope. 

Here is Hilton’s piece:

Alas Poor Jim Atterholt We Hardly Knew Ye

Jim Atterholt 

John Russell over at IBJ.COM reports that after less than a year back at the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC). That political hack and Paul Ogden’s old bete noire Jim Atterholt has decided to run like hell resign as Chairman of the IURC. 

Russell writes:

James Atterholt, chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, will leave Jan. 12, Governor Eric Holcomb’s office said Monday.

The powerful agency regulates $14 billion worth of electric, natural gas, telecommunications, steam, water and sewer utilities. It approves utility projects and determines how much utilities can charge customers.

In a statement, Atterholt said his wife, Brenda, was offered a job transfer to Fort Myers Beach, Florida. “We are looking forward to life at a slower pace.”

Holcomb’s announcement called Atterholt’s departure a “retirement,” but it seemed somewhat unexpected. Holcomb had appointed Atterholt in February, and in a statement at the time made the appointment sound long term.

“Jim Atterholt’s history of service and depth of knowledge on utility issues make him the best choice to lead the IURC, particularly over the next four years,” Holcomb said in February.

Gov. Mitch Daniels originally appointed Atterholt as chairman of the commission, and he served from 2010 to 2014. He had a break to serve as chief of staff to Gov. Mike Pence from 2014 through 2016.
 
Before serving at the IURC, Atterholt served as commissioner for the Indiana Department of Insurance. He previously served two terms as a member of the Indiana General Assembly, from 1998 to 2002.

With Atterholt’s retirement, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Nominating Committee must convene to evaluate candidates and then submit the nominations of three individuals to the governor to fill the vacated position.

It is very observant of John Russell to point out the unusual nature of Atterholt’s departure considering how much fanfare Governor Eric Holcomb had made earlier this year to Atterholt’s appointment to the IURC. IR had blogged about Atterholt and the IURC earlier this year here and here.

Although we applaud Russell for mentioning Atterholt’s previous tenure at the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI), IURC and as Chief of Staff to former Governor Mike Pence. We must chastise Russell just as we did earlier this year for failing to mention Atterholt’s past scandals at the IDOI and IURC. Even though Russell reported on one of Atterholt’s IURC scandals years ago.

As we noted back in January:

Interestingly the article (John Russell’s January 2017 article on Atterholt) declines to mention Atterholt's sordid and unethical history at running both the Indiana Department of Insurance and also his time at IURC. Especially considering that John Russell reported on Atterholt's issue at the IURC back in a 2011 article he wrote for the Indianapolis Star! At the time both Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden both reported on Atterholt's unusually close relationship with Duke Energy. Which was the problem his predecessor David Lott Hardy had and was the reason why Hardy was forced out and Atterholt put in Hardy's place! Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden's pieces on Atterholt and the IURC can be found hereand here. As for his conduct as head of the Department of Insurance Atterholt was told repeatedly by then Title Insurance Division Head Paul Ogden about various legal problems being created by a department head at the IDOI who had been put into their position by former Governor Joe Kernan. Atterholt responded by firing Ogden from his position. Longtime readers of Advance Indiana and Ogden on Politics.com will be aware of the story. But for those of you who may not have heard of it we will post links to both Mr. Ogden's accounts of his situation as reported on his blog and also a link to the asinine decision made by the Court of Appeals granting summary judgement to the Department of Insurance. If you like twisted and nonsensical judicial decisions then you will enjoy reading the Court's dismissing of Ogden's lawsuit. 


We are all scratching our heads here as to why Mr. Russell made absolutely no mention of Atterholt's past problems at IURC since he reported on them five and a half years ago! Tell us John why did you fail to mention these facts in your IBJ article last week? It is relevant information and any competent third rate hack would have put it in there article! Why didn't you? If you ever care to explain yourself we are all ears! If any of you feel so inclined you can call John Russell at his office (317) 472-5383 or ask him on twitter if you feel so inclined at www.twitter.com/JohnRussell99.

We are glad that Atterholt is leaving the state. But we are upset that the press is once again letting a lowlife creep like Jim Atterholt off the hook for his sins. If Indianapolis had a halfway competent prosecutor Atterholt would possibly be facing criminal charges for his transgressions at the Department of Insurance and his shenanigans at the IURC. If anyone wants to call up John Russell at 317-472-5383 or contact him at www.twitter.com/JohnRussell99. 

As for Jim Atterholt. Jimmy if you are reading this Go to Hell!

Indy Republican appreciates your support on the Carmel Carousel Petition

This past week we have published several blog posts. Covering the efforts by Tim Hannon and several other patriots in Carmel to try and stop RINO Mayor Jim Brainard and the Carmel City Council, from further raiding taxpayers money. We have received an extremely positive response to our posts and also have received many thousands of visitors to our site. A special thanks is due to Eric Morris of Veterans for Peace, Indianapolis for making all of us aware of this situation before the Indianapolis Star reported on it. We are not knocking the Star in this instance. The piece written by Andrew Clark was well written. We are just thrilled that we were able to bring Mr. Hannon's petition to your attention before anyone else did. You can read our posts on the Carmel petition fight here and here.

We would like to end this blog post by directing your attention to the following blogs that we feel are deserving of your support. We do not agree with everything on these blogs. And in some cases we disagree with them much of the time. But all of these blogs provide a valuable service and are worthy of your support and please spread the word about this blog and the following blogs.

Eric Morris's Veterans for Peace, Indianapolis blog: http://veteransforpeaceindianapolis.blogspot.com/?m=1

Paul Ogden's Ogden on Politics: http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/?m=1

Jon Easter's Indy Democrat: http://indydemocrat.blogspot.com/?m=1

Matt Stone's Indy Student/Matthew Stone dot org: http://indystudent.blogspot.com/?m=1

Retiring State Senator Luke Kenley's Legacy of Tax Hikes, and the Bicentennial and I-69 Extension Boondoggle's!

Tax Raising State Senator Luke Kenley 

Yesterday Tony Cook of the Indianapolis Star reported that longtime Republican State Senator Luke Kenley of Noblesville would be retiring on September 30th of this year. He was doing this inspite of the fact last year that Mr. Kenley successfully ran for reelection to another four year term in the state senate. IR's readers might recall that we have expressed less than positive views of the good senator especially in his choosing to vote for Mike Pence's idiotic plan to lease the state of Indiana's cell phone towers in the Agile Networks debacle. Like his master Governor "Taxman" Eric Holcomb he has submitted to his masters call to raise taxes and fees on the already overburdened population of Indiana. We have blogged about good old Eric's tax raising ways here. 

Before riding off into the sunset. "Servile" Luke Kenley took part today in a hearing before the Indiana Finance Authority asking them not to repeat their past mistakes regarding the financing and construction of the I-69 extension. Kaitlin Lange in today's edition of the Indianapolis Star speaks at length on the hearing in her article "Lawmakers urge officials to avoid repeating I-69 mistakes". We have previously reported on the I-69 Extension snafu and former Indiana Governor Mike Pence's part in it here.

Miss Lange wrote earlier today reported:

Lawmakers urged the Indiana Finance Authority to learn from its mistakes as the state takes over a failed public-private partnership to build a section of I-69.

The section of the highway between Bloomington and Martinsville is almost two years behind schedule. The finance authority is dissolving the state's contract with a consortium that was to have designed and built the road and then maintained it for 35 years.

The company at the heart of the deal, Isolux Corsan, filed for bankruptcy in Spain earlier this week. IndyStar previously reported that the state missed several warning signs in choosing the consortium I-69 Development Partners.

"I do want to ask that in the future, as the state looks at doing business with folks, that we do business with people who are capable of getting it done — reputable people," Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville, said at the State Budget Committee hearing Thursday.

Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said the finance authority should study how it got into this situation and how to monitor best practices in an evolving market for public-private partnerships.

Lange notes that: "Not a single member of the public attended the hearing, which was posted with less than 24 hours' notice on the State Budget Agency website."

We will return to Miss Lange's piece in a bit. But a reader just shared some interesting information from Kaitlin Lange's twitter feed:

Kaitlin Lange @kaitlin_lange·6h

@markalesia and I are at the State Budget Committee meeting over I-69, section 5. The meeting notice was posted online sometime today.

Kaitlin Lange @kaitlin_lange

Replying to @kaitlin_lange and @markalesia

According to the committee's website, public announcements are supposed to be posted online 48 hours before the meeting.12:57 PM · Jul 6, 2017

Kaitlin Lange @kaitlin_lange·6h

It doesn't look like anyone from the public is here, even though these meetings are open to the public.

Keith Clock @keithclock·6h

I'm not sure how anyone knew of today's meeting.

Kaitlin Lange @kaitlin_lange

Replying to @keithclock and @markalesia

I only knew because a source told me.1:32 PM · Jul 6, 2017

Kaitlin Lange @kaitlin_lange

Replying to @kaitlin_lange and @markalesia

Vincent said that termination of the agreement was considered in late 2016, early 2017. Pence would have been governor at the time.1:45 PM · Jul 6, 2017

Kaitlin Lange @kaitlin_lange

I asked Sen. Kenley about why the meeting wasn't posted in advance. He said he'll look into it.2:16 PM · Jul 6, 2017
Lange's article continues:

Proponents of public-private partnerships say they take advantage of private sector efficiency and innovation and transfer financial risk from the state to a private company.

Detractors have pointed to Indiana and I-69 as an example of what can go wrong. Kenley, however, said the state needs to keep using the public-private model.

"There are a lot of lessons here," Kenley said after the hearing. "It appears that the major weakness here was in the selection of somebody who didn't have the financial capability to do what they needed to do."

Kenley said the state needs to "take a look at more than just the bid price and say, 'Who are the bidders and what is their credibility and what's their past track record?' "

That's a good point Senator Kenley. Why the Hell didn't you guys look into the bidders credibility and track record in the first damn place?

The late great Gary Welsh writing on Advance Indiana three years ago in 2014 warned of the problems with this whole scheme  If you and the other lawmakers had bothered to read what Mr. Welsh wrote. Instead of listening to Matt Tully's Circle Jerk Gang this whole problem would never have happened!

The "Vincent" referenced by Kaitlin Lange is Miah Vincent the director of Indiana's Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vincent stated that the idea of the state terminating the agreement with I-69 Development Partners was originally discussed while Mike Pence was still Governor. Certainly puts a dent in good old Mike Pence's image! Also the fact this meeting was announced less than the 48 hours that is required and Kenley's continued white washing of this whole nasty business. Leads the IR team to conclude that Luke can't leave office soon enough! 

Kudos once again to Miss Lange on another well written work of journalism!