Keeping it in the family! Mike Pence's brother may run for Pence's former congress seat!

 

Greg Pence older brother of Vice President Mike Pence 

Gary Welsh liked to say politics in Indiana is an incestous business. Well with the news that Mike Pence's older brother Greg may run for his little brothers former congress seat. It is very clear why so many have come to agree with Gary's observation. Kaitlin Lange and Tony Cook wrote for the Indianapolis Star on June 8th, 2017 about Greg Pence's possible run in their article: "Is Vice President Mike Pence's brother considering a run for congress?"

Mr. Cook & Ms. Lange wrote:

Greg Pence, the vice president's older sibling, isn't ruling it out and a source close to the Pence family said this week that a group of Republican donors is encouraging him to run for the seat once held by his brother.

Greg Pence, who once ran the family's Kiel Bros. Oil Co. gas station and convenience store business, has been a close confidant to the vice president, frequently traveling with him during last year's presidential campaign.

Greg Pence took his first formal step into the political arena earlier this year when he became statewide finance chairman for U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, who is expected to run for Indiana's U.S. Senate seat in 2018.

That would leave Indiana's predominately Republican 6th District House seat vacant. Stretching from Muncie to Madison, it's the same district Mike Pence represented for 12 years and one where he continues to enjoy wide support.

In an interview with IndyStar, Greg Pence acknowledged regular overtures encouraging a congressional run but said he's focused on Messer's campaign right now.

"The funny thing is I’m getting asked that a lot," he said. "And right now the only thing I’m focused on is helping Luke and Jennifer (Messer) make a big decision on whether or not they should run (for Senate)."

That would leave Indiana's predominately Republican 6th District House seat vacant. Stretching from Muncie to Madison, it's the same district Mike Pence represented for 12 years and one where he continues to enjoy wide support.

In an interview with IndyStar, Greg Pence acknowledged regular overtures encouraging a congressional run but said he's focused on Messer's campaign right now.

"The funny thing is I’m getting asked that a lot," he said. "And right now the only thing I’m focused on is helping Luke and Jennifer (Messer) make a big decision on whether or not they should run (for Senate)."

The eldest of six siblings, Greg Pence and his wife, Denise, now own antique malls in Edinburgh and Bloomington. Denise was also a delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer, where she saw her brother-in-law's formal nomination as the party's vice presidential candidate. 

Greg Pence also served a brief and controversial stint as the top deputy at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. He was hired in 2005 to streamline the agency under Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, but the appointment raised eyebrows because he had no environmental credentials and his former company, Kiel Oil, had been cited by the agency for environmental violations in the past.

He left the post after just 2½ months. 

Greg Pence's latest role as chairman of Messer's finance committee could help the political novice establish relationships with key donors for a potential run of his own, while also lending Messer a prominent last name to help with fundraising. 

One major GOP fundraiser, Bob Grand, said Greg Pence "would be a great choice" to fill Messer's seat. But such decisions are premature given that Messer hasn't even officially declared a Senate run.

"I just think it’s too early to speculate," Grand said. "You can’t start running for a seat that isn’t vacant yet."

If he does decide to run, Greg Pence would almost certainly enter the race as a heavy Republican favorite, preventing what might otherwise be a competitive and potentially contentious GOP primary.

"When you're looking for a candidate to recruit, you want somebody with an ability to raise money, somebody who has name recognition, somebody who fits well with the district and those things would seem to characterize Greg Pence if he were to choose to run," said Robert Dion, a political scientist at the University of Evansville. 

It also doesn't hurt to be the vice president's brother. Mike Pence plays a key role in Indiana politics, most recently aiding in Gov. Eric Holcomb's rise to power after Pence dropped out of the gubernatorial race to join Trump on the national ballot.  

IR's belief is that if Luke Messer does run for the Senate, as we believe he will. Greg Pence will run for his brothers former congress seat. His brief service at IDEM under "Godfather" Mitch Daniels doesn't inspire confidence. Our advice to Mikey's older brother is: "Greg, if you do wind up getting elected to congress don't ever run for another office and become a national joke like your brother. "

I-69 Extension Delayed Again! Let's See If The Fourth Time is the Charm! w/update

 

Mike Pence realizing he is everybody's whipping boy

How do you solve a problem like Mike Pence? At the risk of being a broken record. We have decided that Mike Pence's shenanigans once again warrant IR's personal attention. Seriously Mikey! How much more nonsense are you going to trouble us with? If you aren't doing your best to imitate Hillary Clinton, Rod Blagojevich, or an untrained seal. Being disingenuous and hypocritical about your residency when you ran for Governor in 2012, entering into a stupid deal with Agile Networks to fund projects for Indiana's Bicentennial last year and then putting the

taxpayers on the hook when the deal went south. Or you are carrying water for your Washington paymasters and getting chewed out by even Establishment hacks for it. You just can't help but keep tripping over your own feet.

Now Kaitlin Lange and Mark Alesia reported in yesterday's issue of the Indianapolis Star or as we mockingly call it "Pravda Indianapolis". They have reported that there is yet another delay in the fabled I-69 extension from Bloomington to Martinsville! Lange and Alesia write:

The state of Indiana intends to take control of the troubled I-69 project from Bloomington to Martinsville as the public-private partnership used to finance and build the highway crumbles.

Bond analysts told IndyStar that terminating the deal could drive up project costs, but it is uncertain how much.

State officials confirmed Monday that the project's new completion date would be pushed back from May 2018 to August 31, 2018.

That's the fourth time the opening has been pushed back as the state's design-build contractor struggles to pay subcontractors and meet deadlines. The original completion date was October 2016.

I-69 Development Partners originally bid $325 million to win the project, which started in 2014. 

With the project about half finished, the state notified bondholders on Friday of its intention to take over.

The statement said it would take nearly $237 million to complete the project, and that $72 million was available. That means $164 million is needed to "complete construction and resolve claims."

But the extra cost to taxpayers is unclear.

Understandably the Star wanted to find out what additional costs will be burdening us taxpayers but was unable to find out because as the article reports:

State officials declined to tell IndyStar whether taxpayers would have to foot the bill for the $164 million that is needed. Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Finance Authority, said the "official authority" who could answer IndyStar's question is off until Wednesday.

Translation we need to buy ourselves time until we can come up with some bullshit reason to give to you rubes as to why you all should pay for the state's screw ups! 

It doesn't appear much of anyone else connected to this "road to nowhere" was eager to talk either.

As reported:

The IFA issued a statement from Director Dan Huge on Monday, but it also did not address the issue of cost and where the money will come from. Huge has declined numerous interview requests.

Cherian George, managing director of the Fitch ratings agency, earlier told IndyStar that if a project is terminated for cause, the cost of completion typically would rise.

"As a result, there will be additional cost, because now the state has to take it back and actually deliver the project and fill in the gaps," George said. "It may be more than they thought they were going to pay, but it may not be an exorbitantly higher amount."

There will also be money available from the project's performance bond — insurance that it will be completed. But the state only required a bond covering 25 percent of the project's value,which bond analysts said was on the low end of what would typically be required. And getting money from that bond could also be held up by litigation.

As if possible lawsuits weren't enough to drive up the costs to Hoosiers. The Star also reports that other contractors will probably be more expensive:

What's more, the winning bid was $73 million lower than the next lowest bid, suggesting other contractors might demand more.

The project was originally touted by the state as an innovative public-private partnership that would take advantage of private sector expertise, innovation and efficiency to save taxpayers money.

I-69 Development Partners won a bid to design, construct and maintain the highway for decades after completion. But in March the Spanish company Isolux Corsan — which initially comprised more than 80 percent of I-69 Development Partners — entered insolvency proceedings in Spain.

It had four months to reach an agreement with creditors and avoid potential bankruptcy.

The state's negotiations to buy out the bonds for the project have been unsuccessful so far, but Huge's statement said "the state is moving forward with the goal of assuming control." The state has not, however, declared the developer to be in default.

When asked about the deal, I-69 Development Partners issued the following statement: "I-69 Development Partners and the IFA continue to participate in confidential discussions with the aim of ensuring the successful completion of the project. We are confident that we can reach an agreement with the IFA."

Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said the protracted construction has not only frustrated people but also created safety issues.

"I think they should have been willing to declare the company in default a long time ago," he said.

What is so idiotic about this whole I-69 Development problem. Is that way back in 2014 the late great Gary Welsh reported concerns about I-69 Development Partners over at Advance Indiana. 

Gary Welsh writing in 2014 said:

In a separate report this past weekend by the Evansville Courier & Press, questions were raised about the wisdom of Gov. Pence's plan to build the I-69 extension from Bloomington to Martinsville through the use of a public-private agreement. The Pence administration has awarded the project to a Netherlands-based company, Isolux Infrastructure, to upgrade the 21-mile stretch of State Road 37 as another connecting link for I-69. The state will kick in $80 million upfront, while the private contractor will provide $325 million in funding for the extension. In addition, Indiana will make annual payments of $21.8 million to the private consortium over the next 35 years, or a total of $763 million, in exchange for the private consortium agreeing to maintain the highway.

By comparison, $700 million in Major Moves funding was provided for construction of the the nearly 100-mile stretch of new highway from Evansville to Bloomington. State Road 37 between Martinsville and Bloomington is already a 4-lane interstate quality highway absent the interchanges. It looks like Pence is just relying on a public-private agreement for the sake of privatization without any regard to the the extra cost future generations of taxpayers will bear to pay for this small stretch of highway. I hate to see the tab for the final leg between Martinsville and Indianapolis.

Even in death Gary Welsh is still looking out for the taxpayers. Gary was more right than he knew in his concerns about what the tab will wind up being for this section of I-69. 

Democrats and republican rivals of Mike Pence have no doubt long ago gathered this and other such stories on Pence to cause him trouble if he decides to ever run for the White House. Buckle up folks it's going to take awhile until Mike Pence is out of elected office. We are all looking forward to sending old Mikey Pence out to pasture! Let's do this people!

UPDATE:  As if wasting taxpayers money and patience wasn't bad enough. Now CBS 4 is reporting that the continued delay of the I-69 extension is a safety concern in Bloomington:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind-- Safety concerns over an I-69 roadway project are growing in Monroe County.

Residents and officials are expressing the concern after it was announced the project on the new section of interstate between Martinsville and Bloomington will not be finished until August of 2018.

While the delay is certainly cause for annoyance for people who live in the area, residents say they’re equally fed up with accidents and close calls along the stretch of highway.

“Just pulling out onto here, there have been a few accidents already,” said Julie Aubin.

City officials in Bloomington have also called the project a “safety concern,” citing numerous accidents and injuries amassed on the stretch over the years.

“There are often lane realignments that happen day to day. Even if you drive the road frequently, you can be surprised from one day to the next. We’ve had some real tragedies in the area and are very saddened by that,” said director of communications for the City of Bloomington Mary Catherine Carmichael.

A recent study by the Federal Highway Administration stated that most fatal crashes and injuries in work zones most often occur in the summer and fall months.

Bloomington officials like Carmichael say those are the exact issues they’re hoping to avoid for the remainder of the project’s construction.

Now IR understands that there are difficulties and dangers involved in any road project. But we don't think that it is to much to ask that traffic lanes not be completely realigned on a daily basis! The state must be stopped before it causes more damage!

Indy Republican Joins the Call to Defeat Blasphemous Bill to End Access to Public Records!

Back in February we published a column about the Indiana Legislature's move toward the goal of eliminating We The People's access to public records. Earlier today fellow blogger and freedom fighter Jon Easter wrote a great post entitled: "Holcomb Should Halt General Assembly Assault on Government Transparency". Urging Governor Eric Holcomb to veto House Bill 1523 the bill that would add a $20 an hour search fee to the public for requesting public records. We here have been following this issue for quite sometime. We had planned on writing about it today anyway. But Jon Easter's well written column helped to spur an even greater sense of urgency among us all to help protect the public's access to public records. For that you have our everlasting thanks Jon! Here is our take on HB 1523. You can read the bill by clicking here.


Kaitlin Lange of the Evansville Courier & Press wrote an article yesterday detailing this issue. Ms. Lange gives information on the bill's present state and gives statements from supporters and opponents of the bill here:


Gov. Eric Holcomb will decide the fate of legislation that would allow units of government to charge up to $20 an hour to  citizens and media representatives seeking public records.
The House on Tuesday voted 63-27 to send House Bill 1523 to the governor. It would allow the hourly charge to kick in for a records search requiring more than two hours of work. The bill previously cleared the Senate on a 44-3 vote.


Bill author Rep. Kathy Richardson, R-Noblesville, said 27 other states and the federal government already allow such fees.




Well Kathy a lot of elevator's play Kenny G music! That doesn't make it right! IR already has a low enough opinion of this bill! Couldn't you at least have come up with a better argument than to say "Well everybody else is doing this!"




Lange continues:


Former Gov. Mike Pence vetoed a similar measure two years ago, saying "the cost of public records should never be a barrier to the public’s right to know."


The governor has the option of vetoing the bill, signing it into law or allowing it to become law without his signature.
Those opposed to the bill say that people already pay taxes and should not have to pay again to get access to public records.
“It’s the taxpayer’s property," argued Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington.
The Indiana Coalition for Open Government and Indiana Pro Society of Professional Journalists also issued statements against the legislation, saying it could make it “cost prohibitive” for both journalists and concerned citizens to find out how their tax money is being spent and hold elected officials accountable.
“Government employees could deliberately drag their feet on such requests, racking up exorbitant charges to produce records the taxpaying public already paid for in the first place, either to shut down requests or deter them in the future,” SPJ said in a  statement.
Those in support of the bill said fulfilling the large amount of records requests that are filed can be time consuming for public agencies.
Rep. Karen Englemen, R-Corydon, said she saw this firsthand as former Harrison County auditor.
“Some people come in and ask for hours and hours of research to be done,” Engleman said. “We don’t get paid anything for doing that.”
The legislation heads to the governor a month after Indiana was ranked the No. 1 state for budget transparency and government administration.


Mike Pence's decision to veto this bills dad two years ago is probably the only good decision that he made while he was Governor. We agree completely with State Rep Matt Pierce-D when he states that public records are taxpayers property and hence we should not be charged a fee to examine our own property. You go Matt Pierce! We were so impressed by the Indiana Coalition for Open Government and the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists strong support for freedom of information that we have added them to our list of Pro-Freedom Sites! They are right on when they say: “Government employees could deliberately drag their feet on such requests, racking up exorbitant charges to produce records the taxpaying public already paid for in the first place, either to shut down requests or deter them in the future.” We have news for all of you government employees in this state already drag their feet on public records requests. The biggest problem with this bill is that we would then be paying them more to screw us over!


Fake Republican State Rep Karen Engleman's statement that based off her experiences as Harrison County Auditor gives her lame ass excuse to make taxpayers take it up the rear is laughable. Engleman says: “Some people come in and ask for hours and hours of research to be done,” “We don’t get paid anything for doing that.” So what in the hell are you paid to do then? We know that it is a major annoyance for you and your soulless friends to actually do their jobs and provide the public with their own records! You guys are supposed to make things easier for the people! We are not supposed to make your lives better! Karen if doing your job really sucks then our advice is that you quit!


As for Indiana having been ranked the best state in the nation for budget transparency and government administration see our earlier article last month here that shows why anybody who believes that needs to seek help for drug addiction! The overwhelming bipartisian backing for HB 1523 is proof enough that our state legislature is so bad it smells worse than the outhouse outside a White Castle!










This is to our knowledge the first article we have ever read of Ms. Lange's and we must say we are all very impressed with her work. Please contact Ms. Lange and let her know you appreciate her talent! She can be reached at (812) 549-1429. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange


The Indianapolis Business Journal also ran an article by the Associated Press which contains some more information on the legislatures blatant attempt to crush the voters.


IBJ's story includes these kernels of knowledge:


The bill requires a "good faith effort" to complete the search within a reasonable amount of time but does not set out who would audit agencies or hold them accountable. State law currently prohibits public agencies from charging a fee to search for, examine or review a record to determine whether it can be disclosed. Opponents say concerned citizens should not have to pay to access public records.
Supporters of the hourly fee argue government agencies can be bogged down by large requests and that compensation would help to alleviate the burden on government resources.
This bill also requires public agencies to provide electronic copies if they are requested and already exist. It does not require the agency to change the format of the public record.


It comes as no surprise that the legislation does not spell out what a "good faith effort" is on the part of government agencies. So that portion of the bill is completely useless! Since state law currently bans public agencies from charging a fee to search for records. Why should it be changed now? The traitorous lawmakers who support this are being less than honest when they say this is to help ease the strain on government resources. Most Indiana lawmakers have had no problem burdening us with the screw-ups of FSSA, the BMV, DWD, and DCS! Speaking of DCS any word on when the tragic death of Tajanay Bailey and DCS's handling of that case will ever be investigated? It's only been about a decade since she died! So don't give us this crap that you guys give a damn about burdening people!


It is time to say enough is enough! We all must contact Governor Holcomb's office and tell him to veto this bill! Contact his office and tell him that if he signs this or any other bill like this one that you will recruit a real republican to challenge him in the primary. And also tell him if that fails that you will vote for whoever the Democrats nominate to oppose him should he run for Governor again!


We will provide below Governor Holcomb's contact information as well as how to get ahold of the Indiana Coalition for Open Government and the ISPJ. Don't just call, email, tweet, or facebook post or message, or send a signing telegram to  Governor Holcomb about this! Post, Call, Email, Voicemail, tweet, write him every five minutes! Send so many messages that his email, voicemail, twitter feed, and facebook starts begging you to stop! And then just keep piling on! Don't let up! Our freedom is at stake! Now get to work making some calls our friends!


Governor Eric Holcomb Contact Information:

Governor Eric Holcomb

Twitter

https://twitter.com/govholcomb

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/GovHolcomb/

Phone:
317-232-4567


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


Email form link for Governor Holcomb:
http://www.in.gov/gov/2752.htm


Indiana Coalition for Open Government:
http://indianacog.org/


Indy Pro Society of Professional Journalists:
http://www.indyprospj.org/




Spread these statements all over the internet!


http://indianacog.org/icog-news/icogs-opposition-hb1523-gov-holcomb-must-veto/


http://www.indyprospj.org/news/2017/4/3/statement-on-senate-bill-1523


http://www.indianaforefront.com/bad-bills-never-die/