Ex Governor "Pamepered" Mike Pence stiffs Indiana taxpayers on State's Bicentennial Consrtuction Projects!

Former Governor and now Vice-President Mike "Pampered" Pence may no longer be in Indiana but we are still stuck dealing with his fuck ups as Governor! Tony Cook once again has another outstanding story. On INDYSTAR.COM today Mr. Cook has posted an article about how our state lawmakers are scrambling to fund several dumbass ideas construction projects that Pence started without a way to fund them! We know you are all just as shocked as we are! This stuff just doesn't happen in Eerie, Indiana! And for all you party hacks out there reading this: Yes we just here insulted you! Tony Cook writes:


At issue are $53.5 million in new projects Pence sought as part of the state’s 200th birthday celebration last year. They included a new $2 million Bicentennial Plaza at the Indiana Statehouse, a $2.5 million education center at the neighboring State Library, a new $25 million state archives building and a $24 million inn at Potato Creek State Park in St. Joseph County.
Construction on the plaza — with its two large sculptures and water features — and the education center already are complete. Some design work for the archives building also has occurred. So far, the state has spent more than $5 million.

Skeptical lawmakers allowed Pence to spend taxpayer money on the projects as part of the state's 200th birthday celebration after he assured them he could pay for projects by leasing excess space on the Indiana's 340 state-owned cell towers.
But two years after those assurances were made, a cell tower deal has yet to materialize.


So let's just think about this for a minute. Lawmakers agreed to spend tax dollars on these assorted projects because Mike Pence had assured them it would be paid for by leasing excess space on state-owned cell towers. And two years later the state has no cell tower deal. Now the IR staff does not generally handle large scale business transactions. But it seems to all of us that both Pence and the legislators share blame for this. Pence should have at least had some deal ready to cover the costs of these projects in full before proposing this to the legislature. The legislators on the other hand should have made certain that Pence actually had something on the table and wasn't just blowing smoke to get them to agree to another of his half-baked schemes!


Cook continues:


Now, Gov. Eric Holcomb, Pence's successor and fellow Republican, is trying to find a way to fill the $5.5 million hole those projects left in the state budget.
He initially proposed dipping into a fund traditionally reserved for public health initiatives, but is now reworking that plan after questions from IndyStar.
The need to find $5.5 million for the bicentennial projects comes at a time when Holcomb is already grappling with a $378 million revenue shortfall compared to what lawmakers had originally budgeted for this year.
"We did the projects. We have to pay for the projects," said Stephanie Wilson, Holcomb's spokeswoman.

A Pence spokesman did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

In the two-year state spending plan Holcomb sent to lawmakers earlier this month, he sought to use money from the state's Tobacco Master Settlement fund to pay for the projects.
Money in that fund comes from a 1998 multistate lawsuit settlement with big tobacco companies over the health impact of their products. Indiana receives about $128 million a year from the settlement. Other states have used their share of the settlement for unrelated purposes, but Indiana traditionally has reserved the funds for public health initiatives such as children’s health insurance, community health centers, mental health treatment and programs to combat HIV and AIDS.
Holcomb's proposal to use the fund to pay for bicentennial projects raised concerns among public health advocates given the state’s HIV outbreak last year, a sharp uptick in opioid abuse and deaths and the state's 12th-highest-in-the-nation smoking rate.


Cook goes onto point out that last year that State Rep. Greg Porter-D, and other legislators in both parties had questioned if any cell tower deal would be able to fully fund these projects. And what deal that then Governor Pence had in place would most likely have not fully funded the bicentennial projects funding needs!


“That money was intended for health-related programs and that’s where it should go,” said Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis. “Our governor talks about having an honestly balanced budget with no gimmicks. I think this would be a nice gimmick.”
He and other lawmakers raised concerns when Pence first proposed funding the projects with a cell phone tower deal. Even Republican fiscal leaders expressed doubts about Pence's proposed funding mechanism after IndyStar exposed last year that any cell tower deal likely would fall short of fully funding the projects.
“I’m going on faith," Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said last year. "They assured me they can get this done.”
Amid such concerns — and in the heat of the presidential campaign — Pence announced in September that a cell phone tower deal had been reached with Ohio-based Agile Networks. The deal would provide the state with $50 million upfront and more during the life of the 25-year lease, his administration said.
“This agreement, if approved, will put underused assets into full play, enhance Indiana’s communication capabilities throughout the state and fund the state’s bicentennial projects,” Pence said at the time.
What Pence didn't say was that the deal with Agile Networks was far more expansive than advertised. Not only would it have given Agile control over the state's cell phone towers, it also would have allowed the company to use the state's vast fiber network.
That stirred fierce opposition from the state's cable and broadband trade groups, which represent companies such as AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner.
A spokesman for Agile declined comment for this story.


The deal was supposed to go before the state budget committee for final approval in December, but it did not end up on the agenda amid the behind-the-scenes controversy.
Now, the fate of the deal is uncertain.
Wilson said the governor is reviewing "the entire deal."
"It’s not done," she said. "We don’t know if or when it will be done."
In the meantime, Holcomb is backing off his initial proposal to pay for the bicentennial projects with money from the tobacco settlement fund.
Wilson said Tuesday that Holcomb  is now asking House lawmakers to change the funding source for the projects to the general fund.
The tobacco settlement money will instead be used to support a planned increase in funding for the state’s adult protective services, which an IndyStar investigation found last year is woefully understaffed and ineffective in protecting vulnerable adults exposed to abuse and neglect.
“This is in keeping with the governor’s commitment to using health-related funds for health-related purposes,” Wilson said.
When asked about the bicentennial funding problem, fiscal leaders in the General Assembly tried to cast it in diplomatic terms.
"Let’s say we had some friendly jousting going on between me and the (Pence) administration over the bicentennial projects," Kenley said. "At one time I said, 'I’m not sure I can afford to celebrate our bicentennial.' But we went ahead and celebrated. Now that we’ve celebrated, we’ve got to pay the bills."


This story alone shows why most of our legislators in both parties should be thrown out of office! If as State Senator Luke Kenley states that they were not certain they could afford the projects but went ahead and did them anyway. That is reason enough to show that he has no business being in charge of anything! If past experience is any indication the legislators including Kenley will probably come up with some other bone-headed plan to take care of former Governor Pence's mistakes! Kudos to Tony Cook for writing this story! If he keeps this up he will get snatched up by a real news outlet sooner or later!


Update: All of us here are especially honored and thankful for a mention by Mr. Jon Easter about this post on his blog. Click here to read his wonderful work.

Jon Easter's Take on Raising Statewide Officeholders Pay

Good Evening everyone. We all think it would be worth your time to check out this great post by Jon Easter of Indy Democrat fame. Nice work as always Jon! Checkout Jon's Pulitzer worthy piece Senator Head Wants to Give Gov., Others Raises

Political Hack Jim Atterholt is begging for his old job back ruining the State Utility Commission

Just like a bad slasher film villain who just does not know when to quit. Soon to be former Chief of Staff to outgoing Governor Mike Pence thinks he should be allowed another chance to screw up the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC). John Russell of the Indianapolis Business Journal has the story:

Jim Atterholt


Gov. Mike Pence’s chief of staff, who will lose his job when Pence leaves office on Monday, is seeking to return to the five-member state commission that oversees utilities.


Jim Atterholt confirmed Thursday he has applied for an opening on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, where he served from 2009 to 2014—the last four years as chairman.
During his previous term as chairman, Atterholt was given the job of cleaning up the commission following the messy tenure of his predecessor, David Lott Hardy.
Hardy was accused of failing to disclose several secret meetings with Duke Energy executives concerning cost overruns at the company’s Edwardsport plant and of helping the agency’s top lawyer break ethics laws. He was charged with four felony counts for official misconduct, but the charges were later dismissed.
The IURC is a powerful agency that 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.
The commission has an opening due to the retirement of Chairwoman Carol Stephan, who stepped down Jan. 1 after 2-½ years.
“I have submitted my application to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Nominating Committee to fill the remainder of Carol's term,” Atterholt told IBJ in an email. “Governor-elect Holcomb will determine who will serve as chair of the commission.”
Prior to joining the IURC in 2009, Atterholt was the Indiana insurance commissioner for more than four years. He previously worked as director of government affairs for AT&T-Indiana and spent two terms as a Republican member of the Indiana House of Representatives
It’s unclear how much competition Atterholt will have in his bid to get his old job back. The process to fill openings on the IURC is cumbersome, with applicants required to submit letters of interest to a nominating committee, which selects candidates to interview and then recommends three finalists to the governor, who picks the winner.
The nominating committee has not yet released the names of other interested candidates.


Interestingly the article 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 here and 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.


If Eric Holcomb is indeed stupid enough to give Atterholt any job in his administration than he deserves to get his butt whipped if he seeks reelection in 2020! This story of Atterholt's attempt to stay on in state government is disturbing enough. But 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 suspect that Mr. Russell will most likely not respond or will give some lame excuse as to why he dropped the ball in reporting on Jimmy Atterholt! If and when we here anything at all about this we will let you know. From all of us here at Indy Republican until next time have a good night and God bless.


Paul Ogden's time at the Department of Insurance:


http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2008/12/part-i-my-days-at-department-of.html


http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2008/12/art-ii-my-days-at-department-of.html


http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2008/12/part-iii-my-days-at-department-of.html


Court of Appeals boneheaded decision on Ogden's lawsuit against the DOI:


http://www.in.gov/judiciary/opinions/pdf/02211201par.pdf

RINO Brian Bosma and Statehouse Republicans want to raise taxes on all Hoosiers

Happy 2017 to all of you from the IR staff! Hope the new year has been a good one for all of you so far. State House Speaker Fake Republican Brian Bosma started out the new year by outlining his plan to raise taxes on hoosiers. Tony Cook and Chelsea Schneider wrote a good piece for the Indianapolis Star about Bosma's plan to hose the taxpayers in an article dated January 4th, 2017 entitled "Why House GOP wants to increase your gas tax"


Cook and Schneider write:


House Speaker Brian Bosma’s plan would initially increase the state’s gasoline tax by 10 cents a gallon, resulting in a tax increase of $48 per year for the average Hoosier motorist.
The proposal also would create a new $15 per year fee on every vehicle registered in the state. Electric vehicles would pay more at $150 per year as a way to compensate for using less gasoline. Those fees are expected to generate an estimated $92 million per year with that funding going toward local roads.

In the long run, House GOP leaders say the plan — along with potential new highway tolls — is expected to generate the projected $1.2 billion per year needed to maintain state and local roads and fund expansions. Under the plan, gasoline taxes would see an initial boost, and then regularly increase with inflation and Hoosier income growth.
“The overarching goal of the House Republican caucus this year is to have a sustainable, long-term and comprehensive road funding program," said Bosma, R-Indianapolis. "For far too long, we’ve kicked this can down the road and been concerned about a single session or a two-year term or the next administration. It’s time for us to think about the next generation."
The announcement amounts to the second year in a row House Republicans have sought tax increases to support long-term road funding. Last year, those plans were blocked by Senate Republicans and Gov. Mike Pence who were hesitant to support tax increases.


But this year, Senate leaders seem more open to the role tax hikes could play in highway funding, though Senate Republican leader David Long declined to comment Wednesday. Incoming Gov. Eric Holcomb has said “all options” were on the table and is expected to say more on road funding Thursday.
"I’m very encouraged by where we are all starting on the many important issues we’ll be discussing over the next several months," Holcomb said in a statement. "When it comes to road and bridge funding, we all share the same goal — creating a long-term, sustainable plan that strongly positions us for the future, and I’m confident we’ll have one before we adjourn."
The House GOP plan would send nearly $300 million in new dollars to state roads in 2018 and then $480 million in 2019, House fiscal leader Rep. Tim Brown said. An estimate by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates higher revenue in 2019 at $540 million.
In 2018, the state would begin shifting more of the sales tax on gasoline to highway funding, a move that’s expected to raise more than $360 million when fully implemented in 2022, Brown said.
However, the shift would leave a hole in the state's general fund. Bosma made no commitment to plug the gap, but suggested lawmakers could look to increase taxes on cigarettes. Last year, House Republicans proposed to increase the tax by $1 per pack to help pay for roads.


Not surprisingly many true conservative republicans are opposed to Speaker Bosma's shafting of the taxpayers. The article goes onto say:


The conservative Americans for Prosperity-Indiana plans to oppose the tax hike through door-to-door visits with Hoosier voters, as well as by phone and mail. "Before any tax increases are discussed, gasoline sales tax revenue should be moved to a designated fund immediately, and spending should be frozen at current levels using a portion of revenue increases to fill the gap," state director Justin Stevens said. "Hoosiers overwhelmingly agree that if lawmakers aren’t using existing money to make roads a priority, they should not be trusted with more of our hard-earned paychecks.”


Legislative leaders say new revenue is needed because the state's 18 cents-a-gallon gasoline tax has not been increased since 2003. The introduction of more fuel-efficient vehicles since then has caused that revenue stream to stagnate.
The House plan also would increase the special fuel tax and motor carrier tax by 10 cents a gallon. It also would require the Indiana Department of Transportation to study the potential for tolls on existing interstate highways.


Justin Stevens makes an excellent point if our legislators are failing to use taxpayers money responsibly there is absolutely no reason to give them more of other peoples money to squander! This is another good pieces by Ms. Schneider and Mr. Cook. One point that nobody seems to be making though. Is back in 2006 when then Governor "Godfather" Mitch Daniels pushed his "Major Moves" legislation through it was sold as being able to take care of the state's road funding problems for decades. If that was true then the legislators need to be asked why in the name of hell do they need more money for roads now? Governor-elect Eric Holcomb also has come out in support of this plan. Not a surprise since Holcomb is a longtime tool of Mitch Daniels and his fake republican cohorts who have done nothing but enrich themselves by draining the lifeblood out of hoosier taxpayers! It is long past time that Brian Bosma should be put out to pasture. He has done nothing but enrich himself and try to hide lawmakers emails from the voters. Someone needs to ask what he is afraid that taxpayers will see. Let's all keep our eyes trained on dear old Brian and see what other nonsense he tries to pull!


We urge our readers to contact Chelsea Schneider & Tony Cook and urge them to keep digging into Brian Bosma's agenda and how it will impact all of us. Here is their contact information:


Chelsea Schneider (317) 444-6077. Twitter: @IndyStarChelsea. 
Tony Cook (317) 444-6081. Twitter: @indystartony.

Governor-Elect Eric Holcomb picks Kyle Hupfer as IN GOP Chairman

This isn't exactly breaking news. But we wanted to update all our readers that former Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) director and attorney Kyle Hupfer to takeover as head of the Indiana Republican Party when current State Chairman Jeff Cardwell steps down in a few months. Niki Kelly at the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports:

Kyle Hupfer

Hupfer is the current 5th District Chairman and a trusted longtime friend of Holcomb.
“I know Kyle Hupfer is prepared to manage the robust statewide grass-roots, finance and communications organization that is the Indiana Republican Party well into the future and ask that members of the state committee select him as our next state chairman,” Holcomb said.
Hupfer is chief administrative officer and general counsel of Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc., in addition to serving as co-chair of the Holcomb-Crouch Transition Board.
He previously served as the director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for then-Gov. Mitch Daniels and also as the chairman of the Indiana State Fair Commission.


We had reported previously on this blog about speculation that former Marion County GOP Chairman Kyle Walker would be Eric Holcomb's pick to lead the Indiana GOP. Our sources tell us that Mr. Hupfer is not a bad choice to be chairman. If Mr. Hupfer is a decent choice to run our party. He should be mindful of Eric Holcomb. That man is capable of all kinds of underhandedness. Good Luck to you Mr. Hupfer! With Holcomb as Governor you will need it! As for further information about the man Kyle Hupfer will be replacing current State GOP Chairman RINO Traitor Jeff Cardwell we refer you to our previous posting about Mr. Cardwell here.

Goodbye Mayor Hudnut

Indy Republican is sorry to report that former Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut passed away this morning at age 84. The Indianapolis Star's Justin Mack has this to say:



Former Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III has died at the age of 84.
Hudnut's family on Sunday announced that after years of battling illness, Hudnut died in Maryland.
Memorial services are still being planned for the former mayor and former senior pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. There will be two public services: one in Indianapolis, and one in Washington D.C.
“On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this difficult time.  It was a real gift to Bill that he had an opportunity to hear how much he meant to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors — and to the communities he served — through your notes, cards, letters, personal visits, and comments on his CaringBridge posts,” his wife, Beverly Hudnut, said in a statement. “So many wonderful people helped us in so many ways these past couple of years— and we will be eternally grateful."
Included along with the announcement of his passing was a valediction from Hudnut himself. In it he calls his journey a "wonderful trip," and he hopes that his epitaph will read, “He built well and he cared about people.”
"One cannot choose how one finishes the race, only how one runs it. I would not have chosen a long, slow slide into complete heart failure, but I tried to cope with it with 'gaiety, courage and a quiet mind,' to borrow from my mother who in turn was quoting Robert Louis Stevenson," Hudnut writes. "It has often been remarked that life is a journey, not a destination. About the destination, 'I believe, Lord, help thou mine unbelief.' I leave this earthly life at peace, with faith and trust in a future that will carry me beyond the bourne of space and time, but also with wariness of plotting the furniture of heaven or the temperature of hell.
"There is much I cannot fathom about the afterlife. Will there be recognition? What part of me, if any, survives? Forever, or just until I am forgotten? A little reverent agnosticism seems to be in order, because 'now we see through a glass darkly.' More positively, 'we walk by faith and not by sight.'"
In the wake of Hudnut's passing, Mayor Joseph Hogsett has called for all state and Marion County officials to join him in flying flags at half-staff this week.
"Today, our city mourns the loss of a visionary leader who cared so deeply for Indianapolis that he dedicated much of his career to its transformation," Hogsett said.
"Mayor Hudnut was ahead of his time, helping to turn, as he often said, 'India-NO-place' into 'India-SHOW-place,' and paving the way for the world class city that Indianapolis has become," Hogsett said in a statement. "He was a true public servant, with an energy and personality that captured the hearts and imaginations of countless residents.
"For the City of Indianapolis, there will only ever be one Mayor Bill Hudnut. But it is my deepest aspiration that we will continue building on his legacy and in so doing, make our Mayor proud.”
Former Mayor Greg Ballard offered a statement as well, calling Hudnut "a true Founding Father of modern Indianapolis."
"Through his leadership, imagination, and sheer determination, he made our capital a destination city for people and events from around the world," Ballard said. "Regardless of where Mayor Hudnut lived, he always called Indianapolis home. He was an invaluable friend and advisor to me during my time as mayor, and my deepest condolences go out to his family. He will be missed.”
Hudnut was a Princeton University and Union Theological Seminary graduate who served as a pastor in Indianapolis, Buffalo and Annapolis. In 1972, he was elected to congress to represent the people of Indianapolis.
Hudnut won his first mayoral bid in 1975, and was re-elected three times. In his 16 years as the leader of the city, Hudnut oversaw dozens of major building projects were downtown, including the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.
In 2014, statue of “Mayor Bill” was dedicated in his honor near the Convention Center.
Hudnut was honored as the “Nation’s Outstanding Mayor of 1988” by City and Slate Magazine; named “Man of the Year” by The Indianapolis Star in 1979; and awarded Princeton University’s highest alumni honor, The Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, in 1986.
After leaving office in Indianapolis, Hudnut relocated to Chicago and then Washington, D.C. area.
"I have tried to lead a useful life," Hudnut writes in his valediction. "Of course, I’ve made mistakes. I’ve displayed some real shortcomings and caused some hurts along the way.  I’m sorry. But overall, I look back with gratitude. I have been blessed in so many ways."
This story will be updated.
Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.


Milestones of the Hudnut era (1976-92)
In 1978 Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut appoints the first black to the post of deputy mayor. Joe Slash later served as the mayor’s chief of staff. He stayed in the administration until 1989.
In 1979 Hudnut introduces the idea of a Downtown shopping mall. The mall opens in 1995, during the administration of Hudnut’s successor, Stephen Goldsmith.
In 1980 Indianapolis hosts its first Final Four.
Construction of Hoosier Dome begins in 1983; it’s the first home of the Indianapolis Colts.
In 1983 the Indiana Pacers were struggling on the court and financially and appeared headed to California when Hudnut urged local real estate magnates Mel and Herb Simon to buy the team. They bought it.
Indianapolis Colts move to Indianapolis from Baltimore, 1984.
Indianapolis hosts Pan American Games, a major international multisport event — 38 nations, 30 sports — in 1987.


Well written Mr. Mack! Bill Hudnut was the last man of merit to date that Indianapolis has selected to be it's Mayor. We all here are certain that Mayor Hudnut and Gary Welsh are in Heaven right now having a great chat! Pretty certain that Gary is giving him an earful about Indianapolis Corruption! We encourage our readers to thank Mr. Mack for writing such a wonderful piece about the now late Mayor Hudnut.

Kyle Walker for Indiana GOP Chairman? Is the State Republican Party going to commit suicide?

Good evening folks. Our sources tell us here at IR that former Marion County Republican Chairman Kyle Walker is in the running to become the next State GOP Chairman. Walker's claim to fame is that he served as former Indianapolis Greg Ballard's lapdog. In addition to that Walker has helped to destroy the Republican Party in Marion County. If Walker is picked he will do serious damage to the state party. It does make sense that "Bagman" Holcomb would pick a loser such as Walker to be state chairman. Because Walker like Holcomb is a political hack devoid of any meaningful convictions. If Walker gets picked the Indiana Republican Party deserves to be thrown to the ash heap of history! As unwelcoming as the Indiana GOP is to anyone who is a real republican. Under Walker the two parties will be the same organization and true republicans will be turned into pariahs. If Walker is picked we encourage all our fellow republicans out there to refuse to lift a finger for the INGOP. If they are going to betray us and abandon Real Republicans like Christine Scales then the Indiana GOP should go down to utter defeat! In other bad news Governor-Elect Eric "Smells like Washington" Holcomb has announced he will appoint prominent welfare queen, and corporate/political whore Jim Schellinger to be Indiana's Secretary of Commerce! Why in the name of hell is Holcomb appointing a former democratic candidate for Governor to serve in his administration? This just proves that both political parties in this state are just one political party. If this is the road the Grand Old Party wants to travel down in Indiana. Then we at Indy REPUBLICAN urge all true republicans to drive the State GOP into a ditch! Enough is Enough! Let us break our chains! Set the captives free! To paraphrase that great republican William Lloyd Garrison: "We will not act with moderation! We will not issue a moderate alarm when the Hoosier state is burning down! We will not allow the continued bipartisan pillaging of our lives, liberty and treasure to go unchallenged! We will mercilessly fight every fake, low down, no good, slime ball that continues to destroy our state! We will ultimately win! Bayh and Lugar are no more! Nobody is unbeatable!" Fight the good fight brothers and sisters!

RIP Florence Henderson

We were all sad to hear that last Thursday Florence Henderson most famous for playing "Carol Brady" on "The Brady Bunch" from 1969-1974 passed away. She was an extremely talented actress, singer, dancer, and comic. She will be sorely missed. To celebrate just how great a person Mrs. Henderson was. We felt it would be only fitting to show footage that displays here comic side. So take a look at her appearance on "Saturday Night Live" back in 2000.

Update: Apologies to all our readers we are having trouble embedding the video so here is a link to it here: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/ladies-man-the-skanks-cold-open/2869231

Why John Gregg Lost

As promised earlier this month. INDY REPUBLICAN is giving it's own postmortem view as to why we all got the Governors race here in Indiana wrong. As we have stated here previously we had outlined Eric Holcomb's many weaknesses as a candidate. We stand by every word in those posts. But  as with all elections the Governors race did not occur in a vacuum. Outside events played a role in shaping the outcome of the race. Overall we feel that John Gregg ran a good campaign and Eric Holcomb didn't run the best campaign. However that being said there are several areas where the Indiana Democratic Party messed up with other races and that along with other factors is what allowed Gregg to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Gregg ran a good attack ad against Holcomb arguing about how Holcomb was selected by the State Republican apparatchiks and not by the voters. Which is a criticism of Holcomb we have made as well. But the fact that as we pointed out this summer is how democrats did the same thing when they dumped Baron Hill and replaced him with Evan Bayh to run for the Senate. So attacking the backroom deal way in which Holcomb was selected probably was diluted by the fact Democrats had done the same with the race for the Senate. Hence the attacks on Holcomb didn't land the punches they otherwise would have. Gregg did phenomenally well at fundraising. He raised almost as much as Mitch Daniels did in his 2004 race. We can understand Gregg's campaign being proud of this. However bragging about having raised this near record haul was not a good idea. Gregg's whole campaign was being pitched to the voters that he was a different kind of candidate, one who would bring together both parties, a candidate who was not a typical politician. That seemed to be working. When his campaign decided to boast of his fundraising this sent a message that he was just another politician interested only in raising money and also made him appear somewhat less than squeaky clean. Gregg did make mention briefly of Eric Holcomb's very nasty 2000 race for state representative. But did not elaborate or go in depth as to the details of that race. If he had pointed out how Holcomb had accused his opponent of promoting perversion. That would have seriously undermined old Eric. Since the voters were not given that information simply saying that Holcomb had engaged in one of the nastiest campaigns in state history did not give undecided voters any reason to either vote against Holcomb or to board the John Gregg express. Gregg was good at rebutting attacks on himself which is something most candidates are terrible at. He was not however as skilled at attacking Holcomb. Not that his attacks were bad it's just they should have been better. A experienced candidate like Gregg should have been aware of this. The first mention in campaign ads that Holcomb was the new candidate for Governor actually came from the Gregg campaign. Bad move. They should have let Holcomb be the one to make his first move. With Gregg in the unique position for a Indiana Democrat of having both more money and higher name recognition than his republican opponent. Gregg should have spent his time building himself up, campaigning non stop throughout the state, and until Holcomb was able to actually get his name out there, keep the race about why Gregg should be Governor. So that by the time that Holcomb would have been able to scrape enough money together to run ads. Gregg would have solidified his position even further and Holcomb would have had an even bigger problem. By mentioning Holcomb in an attack ad Gregg simply gave Holcomb free advertising and made Holcomb's name recognition go up. Yes it was bad publicity for Holcomb. But it got Holcomb's name out there and gave him a boost he desperately needed. Gregg should have not mentioned Holcomb period unless or until Holcomb had gotten his name out. Free piece of advice to all you aspiring candidates out there: Do not help your opponent in anyway! Don't attack them unless they give you reason to.

As to why we all felt so strongly that Gregg would win. Simply put given Gregg's skill at fundraising, his having campaigned for Governor for over a year versus Holcomb's three and a half months, combined with the fact that all polling up to that point had shown that Gregg was ahead. With the exception of a last minute Howey Politics poll that showed Gregg and Holcomb tied (more on that in a minute). The trend seemed to be breaking Gregg's way. Even Larry Sabato the great political scientist and publisher of The Crystal Ball thought Gregg would win. What all of us and Dr. Sabato missed is the last minute poll that showed Holcomb and Gregg tied 42-42 and the number of undecided voters having grown. This should have told us that Holcomb was improving his position, that Gregg was not, and with more undecideds that clearly signaled the race was tightening. Hillary Clinton certainly was a drag on Democrats and Trump's margin certainly helped some down ballot Republicans but at the end of the day. Gregg lost because he did not use his resources as well as he should have. If we were Indiana Democrats we would get rid of the dead weight at the top of the state party and work on winning races at the local and state legislative level. Also they need to start calling out the Republican Establishment and their many shortcomings rather than doing things like voting en mass with them to gut the State Board of Accounts! Yes they don't have enough votes now to do much but they can start to earn them by taking principled stands for good government! If they don't even complain about the RINO Establishment of Daniels-Holcomb and their shortcomings than they will not give voters any reason to vote for them. Hopefully we all have learned something valuable here. Mainly how not to fuck up a campaign!

Reasons to be thankful

We know it is hard for many of you to be hopeful at times like this. For we have to look forward to Eric "Bagman" Holcomb as Governor as well as Mike Pence as the next Vice-President of the United States. But there is a lot we all as Hoosiers and Americans have to be thankful for! For one thing we are Americans! We are citizens of the greatest country in human history! We have freedoms that are unparalleled throughout history! Ironically we the people have had these freedoms so long we have started to take them for granted and we are in danger of losing them. But we have them anyway. Yes it is true that Gary Welsh the great Titan of the Indiana Blogsphere passed way to soon. But we all need to be thankful for his contributions to this state and this nation. Thanks to him and Paul Ogden Dick Lugar and Evan Bayh are no longer rotting away in the Senate! Yes Misters Donnelly and Young are no prizes but at least it has been shown in politics that no one is invincible. Paul Ogden is still blogging all of us here have joined the cause as well! Inspired by Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden to be modern day troubadours to sing the songs of good government and freedom! Others here and there along the highways and byways will join us and ultimately we will succeed in making a more perfect state and a more perfect union! We must remember that although exposing corruption is one of our primary goals. In addition we must practice positive active goodness. Our enemies the Daniels, Bayh's, Holcomb's, Delaneys, the Matt Tully's, and the Jim Shella's wish only to continue their nihilistic crusade to destroy the good for being good. Unlike them we wish to be free and enjoy life not just avoid pain. The parasites mentioned above believe that others are merely tools to be used to further their own ends. All of us deal with others by choice and voluntary association. We strive to avoid using anyone in any manner. That is why the powers that be are scared. They know themselves to be full of it! And nothing scares them as much as men and women who can think! Slowly but surely people around this state and around the country are beginning to question the elites! Christine Scales has been the target of both political parties in Indianapolis because of her stateswoman like refusal to be bullied by either former Mayor Ballard and his RINO cronies or by Mayor Hogsett and his minions. Paul Ogden is the object of both praise and hatred for his refusal to stop calling out the garbage that has to long disgraced our state! Together and individually we shall smash the media monopoly in this state! We must remind each other and ourselves that the best things in life happen outside of government. We must remind our elected officials they work for us and we own their fate they don't own us. This struggle has and will be long and complicated. It may take decades and may require both parties to fade into oblivion before we have reclaimed our state. But ultimately we will win because we will not submit. We will honor the heroes gone before us. We will continue the work that Gary Welsh began. We will succeed and cause him and all the other angels in heaven to shout with joy at what we will ultimately accomplish. We will continue to offer advice as time, experience and the Holy Spirit guide us. As David struck down Goliath and the walls of Jericho came a tumbling down. So shall the cracks continue to open and widen in the bipartisan cabal that controls so much of our state! Remember the words of Christ who said: "Let not your heart be troubled", "let none be yee called masters", and lastly our brothers and sisters as the savior also said "Do not worry about tomorrow. For each day has enough worry unto itself. By worrying can you add a minute to your life or an inch to your height." Oh we all here forget to mention word on the street is that Holcomb is already ruffling feathers and might be in for a rocky start as governor. There are many who fear him. But just as many who will undermine him everyday he is in office. He would be wise not to trust anyone.

With that we bid you all Godspeed! May the blessings of God be with you all! AMEN!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's coming up on Turkey Day fellow freedom fighters! So all of us here at Indy REPUBLICAN wish you a Happy Thanksgiving this Thursday! We will be back after the holiday guys and gals! So just kick back, relax and remember to enjoy yourselves! We leave you this great song celebrating freedom from the great Billy Joel:

Election recovery

We here at Indy Republican have been deeply moved by all the attention and support we all here have received from our readers. It's true we were wrong in most of our election predictions. But it happens.  We are still as determined as ever to hold those in power accountable. We will be posting some new items soon. We just need to still recover from this bat sh!t insane election year. See you soon!

Live Blogging the Historic 2016 Election Results

Good evening all! We here at Indy REPUBLICAN will be providing updates throughout the night. Not much in so far. Judging by email and social media traffic we have seen today. John Gregg's campaign seems to still be running strong today. Eric Holcomb's people still seem to be uncoordinated. "Tennessee Trey" Hollingsworth has been campaigning all day in his district and seems to be in trouble in his race. We will bring you more news as we are able.

Stay tuned.......

As of 7:40 PM Trump has carried Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. In Indiana looking rough for Evan Bayh. Trey Hollingsworth and Shelli Yoder are dead even. Ritz and Gregg are behind their REPUBLICAN opponents. Most of the state has not reported. The races for Governor & SPI maybe shaping up to be nail bitters! We will keep you all up to date!

Closing in on 9 in the PM. And the we at the IR newsdesk are wanting to pull our hair out! At this rate it's looking bad for Gregg and Ritz if they lose by these margins we see a lot of mass firings at the Indiana Democratic Party! At least Bayh looks like is done for! We certainly hope so!

More later....

Holcomb, Hollingsworth have won there races. Glenda Ritz has also lost her race. Holcomb's win is the biggest surprise of the night. Will do a full post mortem of tonight's state and national elections. Our only thoughts tonight as to Holcomb's win is that Trump's momentum in Indiana and Hoosier voters dislike of Hillary Clinton was to much for Gregg to overcome. Inspite of some disappoints tonight we are all thrilled beyond measure that Evan Bayh will not be returned to the Senate. That is a huge win for all Hoosiers!

INDY REPUBLICAN's Final predictions for Election 2016

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! You all may recall recently we gave you our prediction that John Gregg will win the Governors race. We still stand by that prediction. We are ready to give our predictions in the Presidential, U.S Senate, and US House races here in old Eerie, IN. We predict that Saint Evan will be defeated by Congressman Todd Young in his bid to regain his Senate seat. Donald Trump will carry the state and Hillary Clinton will become our next president. The Democrats will pickup the 9th district seat when Shelli Yoder defeats "Tennessee Trey" Hollingsworth. Otherwise Indiana's congressional delegation remains unchanged. In the state legislative races Republicans will easily keep control of both houses but will lose super majority status in the State House. Nationally the Republicans will easily keep control of the US House of Representatives with a diminished majority. And we give the Democratcs a 50-50 chance at taking the Senate. If Hillary wins the Democratic Governor and former DNC Chairman Terry McCauliffe will appoint Vice President elect Tim Kaine's replacement and the GOP has a shot of winning that seat in 2018. Okay Indiana don't fail us now! We all have high quality dinners riding on the accuracy of our predictions! So if we mess up to bad in our predictions we are out some serious coinage and unlike "Pampered Pence" and "Bagman Holcomb" we have to pay our own way!

Trouble in Paradise? Angie's List to layoff undisclosed number of employees!

Wednesday  night Fox 59 reported that the taxpayer funded racket Angie's List is going to be making some cutbacks in it's workforce.

Fox 59 said yesterday: 

Angie’s List isn’t being specific tonight on layoffs reported in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Employees at its East Washington Street campus confirmed to FOX59 that layoffs did in fact take place, but there have been no details released from the company.

Angie's List has been subtly indicating that it would be looking for cost cuttings measures. Marketwatch reports stocks went up 3.5 percent Tuesday after the company publicized that it was putting itself up for sale and exploring strategic alternatives.

Third quarter net losses released Tuesday showed Angie’s List took a $16.8 million hit.

A company spokesperson issued this statement to FOX59 Wednesday afternoon:

As we covered on the earnings call yesterday, we're always looking to drive efficiencies and have identified another $15-$20m in savings. These are primarily workforce related and targeting non-revenue generating headcount.

 Those of you who follow INDY REPUBLICAN, Advance Indiana, and Ogden on Politics are familiar with Angie's List and it's underhanded way of doing business. Former Angie's List CEO & Co-Founder  Bill Oesterle has been a particularly frequent target for criticism by our staff, the now deceased Gary Welsh, Paul Ogden and Charlie White. Although we don't envy the 150 plus layoffs our sources tell us are coming at Angie's List. In a way it's only poetic justice that this Frankenstein monster that Oesterle and his cohorts have created is like the walls of Jericho is "a tumbling down"! Thank God for small favors! No wonder Bill went flying out of Angie's List like a bat out of hell last year! He is forever grateful to "Asskisser" Matt Tully and his minions in the media for not reporting on Billy's lack of business acumen. 

How the Mighty have Fallen! Establishment Rag Indianapolis Star to layoff more staff!

Good morning friends! Well it appears the useless Langley controlled tabloid the Indianapolis Star is falling even further into irrelevancy! In a story reported by Lesley Weidenbener in the Indianapolis Business Journal on October 26, 2016 the Indianapolis Star aka Pravda Indiana is letting go two of it's works and plans to eliminate seven more in the near future. Ms. Weidenbender reports:


The Indianapolis Star laid off two members of its reporting staff Tuesday as part of a larger effort by its owner, Gannett Co., to trim 2 percent of its workforce.
The layoffs were the seventh round of job reductions at the paper in the past eight years—and more cuts are looming.
Negotiators for The Star told union officials Tuesday that the paper plans to eliminate its entire copy editing staff and move those duties to a central copy desk in Louisville.
The move would eliminate seven jobs in Indianapolis, although two of the staff members would be moved to other positions focused on web production and proofreading headlines and front pages, according to a post on the website of the Indianapolis NewsGuild, which represents The Star’s newsroom and custodial employees.
The two employees who lost their jobs Tuesday, Phil Friend and Leah Woodrum, were web producers—reporters who generate online stories and social media content. Friend worked in sports and Woodrum handled general-assignment duties. Both joined The Star about seven months ago after being transferred from the Lafayette Journal & Courier, also owned by Gannett.
Guild President Robert King, a reporter at the paper, said the pair were generating content for The Star and other Gannett papers in Indiana.
“They were new to us but we were glad to have them,” King said. “They were good folks. I don’t think this is any reflection on their work. It’s a decision far above us here.”
Jeff Taylor, a Gannett vice president and its Midwest regional editor, declined in an email to IBJ to comment on the changes.
The announcement about the copy editors—who generally check stories for grammatical and factual errors and write headlines—was part of the paper’s opening salvo in new contract negotiations, which started Tuesday.
King declined to comment specifically on the negotiations. But a post on the union’s website said “guild leaders reacted with concern about the proposal, not only for the job losses but also for the potential damage to the quality of the news product.”
In 2012, The Star moved most of its designers to Louisville, where Gannett owns The Courier-Journal and operates a Regional Design Studio that lays out pages for area papers. Now, the guild said, The Star is seeking a change in its guild contract to allow the copy editor positions to be moved to the Design Studio as well.




“We’re still trying to put out a quality product,” King told IBJ. “And we’ve got some really good people here. But another hit to our staff is always tough.”
Today, the guild represents roughly 75 employees, down from 120 in 2011.The paper has several other job openings and King said it’s not clear whether those positions will also be eliminated.
On Monday, Gannett CEO Bob Dickey sent a memo to employees saying that the company would reduce its workforce by 2 percent as part of an effort to “assertively manage our costs” while working to transform “into a leading, next-generation media company.” Politico said the 2 percent figure represents about 350 jobs.
He said most of those laid off would be notified by end of day Tuesday with all “actions” completed by the end of the week.
“Actions like these are difficult,” Dickey wrote, “but I remain steadfastly committed to reinvesting in our employees and the capabilities required to sustain and grow our company so that we may continue to serve our customers with excellence.”


If Gannet CEO Bob Dickey was at all worried about growing his company and providing excellent customer service the first thing he should do is fire Matt Tully! And hire people like Paul Ogden, Charlie White, and former Star reporters Dick Cady & Ruth Holladay! But Gannet as usual just seems interested in spewing mindless drivel than having any media of merit! We can just here Gary Welsh laughing from his grave at the total train wreck that is the Indianapolis Star!


In the words of that classic 1970's band The Tramps all we can say about the decline of the Star is "BURN BABY BURN"!

Evan Bayh's residency, Scott Tibbs advocates for merit employment, and INDY REPUBLICAN Predicts Governors Race

Hello fellow malcontents! INDY REPUBLICAN is proud to once again have your attention. Hopefully you have all managed to keep your sanity during this madcap election year! Now for news and views that the powers that be don't want you to have!

First item deals with where Evan Bayh lives. Three days ago the establishment run propaganda rag The Indianapolis Star. Breaking with their longstanding tradition of covering Evan Bayh's worthless ass. Ran a column that details according to Bayh's schedule he didn't once stay at his Indianapolis condo in 2010. The column states:

Evan Bayh says that his Indianapolis condominium has long been his home, and that he has spent “lots and lots” of time there since deciding to run for his old Senate seat. But a copy of his schedule shows Bayh did not stay overnight there once during his last year in office in 2010.

The schedule provided to The Associated Press shows the Democrat spent taxpayer money, campaign funds or let other people pay for him to stay in Indianapolis hotels on the relatively rare occasions he returned from Washington, D.C.

During the same period, he spent $3,000 in taxpayer money on what appeared to be job hunting trips to New York, despite the assertion of his campaign that the trips were devoted to official media appearances.

The AP obtained Bayh’s schedule from a source who requested anonymity because the information was private. The Bayh campaign did not dispute its authenticity.

Earlier this month, the AP reported that Bayh spent substantial time during his last year in the Senate searching for a private sector job, while voting for or seeking changes to legislation that benefited the corporate and financial world.

Since unexpectedly entering the race in July, Bayh, whose primary residence is in Washington, has struggled to explain whether Indiana is home. During an interview with WLFI-TV in August he tried to put the issue to rest, but gave the wrong address for his condo, which is listed on his drivers’ license and voter registration.

“I’ll always be a Hoosier,” Bayh said last week. “We own our condominium. Period. From time to time I would stay someplace else, but our condo has always been our home.”

Bayh stayed at Indianapolis hotels roughly a dozen times in 2010, though taxpayers paid only a few hundred dollars because campaign funds or other people helped pick up the tab.

When asked last month how often he has stayed at his condo during the campaign, Bayh said: “I haven’t kept track, but lots and lots and lots.” He also accused his opponent, Republican Rep. Todd Young, of “using this as a distraction.”

Bayh’s schedule shows the four taxpayer-funded trips to New York between September and November 2010 revolved largely around meetings with a veritable who’s who of American banking and finance, as well as a job headhunter.

Senate ethics rules forbid the use of public money for personal travel. Bayh’s campaign says the trips to New York were justified because he also conducted official business, including giving interviews to journalists.

This is the point where we all start saying Bullshit! When the Bayh campaign says the trips were justified because apparently to them giving press interviews qualifies as "official business"! The staff here are not constitutional scholars but as far as we can tell a Senator's official duties are simply to vote on legislation! How in the Hell does schmoozing with media airheads have anything to do with that! Many have raised serious questions about just when did Bayh decide to not run for reelection in 2010? Paul Ogden raised the question as to why Bayh was retiring rather than running for another term in 2010 you can read that here. Los Angeles radio host and author Larry Elder also discussed this in an article he wrote in 2010! It is nothing short of journalistic malpractice that other than a few here and there, no one in the local or national press has ever challenged Bayh on why he did a HALO jump out of his Senate seat six years ago!

On a better note an alert IR reader found a wonderful article written by Scott Tibbs the author of the blog Conservatibbs. Although we here at Indy Republican like Mr. Tibbs are republicans, and consider ourselves to be very conservative we don't always see eye-to-eye with Scott. But he is always interesting to read. Especially this article he wrote back in August of this year titled: "Ending at-will employment for government" INDY REPUBLICAN, Paul Ogden, and Scott Tibbs all proudly back the Republican tradition of Civil Service Reform. The IR staff, and Mister's Ogden & Tibbs can scarcely be called "liberal" republicans by any stretch of the imagination. But we all feel that the Grand Old Party needs to return to it's true conservative roots of eliminating patronage in all levels of government! We will quote Mr. Tibbs article below:

The Indiana State legislature needs to add an exception to Indiana's "at-will" employment law to make it illegal for government at all levels (city, county, township and state) to fire employees without cause. This would better serve taxpayers and protect employees who are doing a good job.

Yes, civil service protections can be problematic and a permanent bureaucracy is not the answer. We have all heard the horror stories about government employees who cannot be fired and continue to be paid on the taxpayers' dime despite the fact that they lack the competence, professionalism, integrity and skill set needed to do their work. But because they were hired, it is nearly impossible to remove them.

But the way government operates now is not sustainable, especially as the workload becomes more complex. An elected office changes hands and all of the employees are frightened for their jobs. Employees are terrified to point out wrongdoing because they are afraid to lose their jobs, so outright theft happens without anyone trying to do anything about it or even letting the proper authorities know about the crimes. Elected officials remove qualified employees and replace them with people who cannot do the job through nepotism, cronyism and patronage. This is a system that does not serve the taxpayers at all.

The solution, then, is to professionalize local and state government by implementing basic best practices. If local government cannot be trusted to do this voluntarily, then the state legislature needs to force them to do it. Best practices includes removing bad employees, after progressive discipline and good-faith efforts to bring under-performing employees into line. (Obviously, there are some things that require immediate termination.) Leave the politics to the legislative bodies while focusing administrative offices on actually serving the taxpayers instead of serving their political parties.

Fortunately, we have an opportunity to move in that direction by casting the right votes in the general election. Republican candidates for office - specifically auditor candidate Ann Boehm and treasurer candidate Ann Collins - have pledged to end the "at will" nonsense in their offices and follow basic "best practices" with their staff. Electing Boehm and Collins would help, but that will only help those two offices in one of the state's 92 counties. The rest of the state needs the legislature to intervene.

Well put Scott!


Now INDY REPUBLICAN is going to offer our very first ever election prediction! After many months of careful thought and observation. We at INDY REPUBLICAN predict that Democrat John Gregg will become the next governor of Indiana! We feel confident in this prediction because with the exception of a single poll conducted since Eric Holcomb became the republican candidate for Governor. Every poll taken has given John Gregg anywhere from a 2 to 12 point lead. With most polls putting Gregg on average from 2 to 5 points ahead. According to a story on Eagle Country Online published October 20th, 2016:


A new Ball State University and WISH-TV Hoosier Survey released Wednesday gives Gregg a five-point lead over Republican Eric Holcomb, 48 to 43 percent.
The difference is within the poll’s 4.8 percent margin of error. The poll surveyed 544 likely Indiana voters.


Also reported is that  "Holcomb’s campaign reported raising $7.7 million in the third quarter while Gregg has brought in $4.5 million. Gregg does have more money in his campaign war chest, $4.8 million to $2.8 million."


So given the facts that we are less than two weeks away from election and inspite of Holcomb raising more money in the third quarter of 2016 than Gregg. That Gregg still has $2 million more in his campaign war chest than Holcomb. Coupled with Holcomb's less than inspiring campaign, and the fact that Gregg's campaign is sending out more emails, and pounding the ground more than Holcomb. We are fairly confident in Gregg defeating "Bagman" Holcomb! We are not endorsing any candidate for Governor but we do not want Holcomb to win! And if this keeps up he won't! You have been reading INDY REPUBLICAN here on blogger. This is IR and it's staff wishing you all long life and happiness! And if he is reading this up in heaven Gary Welsh you are still our hero!

Is Eric Holcomb Toast?, "Godfather" Mitch Daniels given $200K for "Good Performance", Purdue's Standards are slipping!

INDY REPUBLICAN wanted to wish all our readers a very blessed Monday. Whether you  spent part of the weekend at your houses of worship, in meditation, or catching up on some much needed rest. We hope you all  had a decent weekend! Now for all the craziness that has been going on here in the Hoosier State!


For our first story we turn to the news that Monmouth University released a poll on Friday Oct 14th, 2016 that shows Democratic Candidate for Governor John Gregg leading his fake Republican opponent Eric "Bagman" Holcomb 50% to 38%. If this is true it means that good old Eric is in serious trouble in his bid to become Indiana's next Governor! Fellow blogger and great guy Paul Ogden has his take on this story on his blog in a post entitled: "New Monmouth Poll Shows Indiana Republican Candidates Trailing in Statewide Races". We urge you all to go check this out. The Indianapolis Business Journal in an article written on Friday October 14th, 2016 had this to say:


A new poll by Monmouth University conducted this week says Democrat John Gregg has built a whopping 12-point lead over Republican Eric Holcomb in the race for governor.
The poll also found Republican Donald Trump with a 4-point lead in Indiana over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the race for president and Democrat Evan Bayh with a 6-point lead over Republican Todd Young in the U.S. Senate contest.
The poll of 402 likely voters was conducted Tuesday through Thursday and has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.
The findings show Gregg leading 50 percent to 38 percent; Bayh ahead 48 percent to 42 percent; and Trump up 45 percent to 41 percent.
The poll results for the gubernatorial and Senate races vary widely from a WTHR/Howey Politics Indiana poll performed just last week and released Oct. 6 that found Gregg with only a 2-point lead and Bayh and Young in a virtual tie.




Holcomb campaign manager Mike O'Brien issued a statement Friday questioning the Monmouth results.


"This poll is a complete outlier and laughably inconsistent with every other public poll released this election season,” he said. “Our internal data shows we are on a winning trajectory in this margin-of-error contest. After only 12 weeks on the campaign trail, compared to our opponent's 282-week campaign, we are in the passing lane headed into the home stretch of this race and remain confident that Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb will be Indiana's next governor."


You may recall that we have previously discussed Mike O'Brien on this blog before and pointed out how he is just simply a water carrier for any flunky wearing the Republican jersey! He especially likes Republicans like Mitch Daniels and Eric Holcomb who hold no ideological or core convictions at all! In other words candidates who are just like him!


We would like to give a little newsflash to Mike O'Brien! Mike while it's true this poll is inconsistent with the size of John Gregg's lead over your candidate Eric Holcomb. Almost every poll that has come out since Eric was picked by 22 party insiders to run for governor back in late July has shown Gregg in the lead from anywhere to 2 to 5 points! So for you to say your team is on a winning trajectory might be a little bit of a stretch to say the least! Now Holcomb may pull of a win but his campaign has been badly run from the start! We will not rehash that here because we have done so elsewhere on this blog.


Now onto the next topic "Bagman" Holcomb's old boss as Charlie White so lovingly refers to him as "Godfather" Governor Mitch Daniels. It appears that the good old "Godfather" Mitch is doing so well in his job as President of Purdue University that he is being given over $200,000 as his performance incentive pay! He is already guaranteed a base salary of $420,000. Nice work if you can get it! Of course it helps that Mitch Daniels appointed the Purdue Board of Trustees that in turn gave him his position as Purdue University President! The Indianapolis Business Journal goes onto report:


Mike Berghoff, chairman of Purdue’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement that “we have an extraordinary institution and an extraordinary president.”


Daniels also will receive an additional $100,000 the trustees pledged to give him last year if he stayed until June 30, 2016, which was part of a retention incentive. The incentive promises Daniels additional pay for every year he stays at the university until 2020.
In the 2014-15 academic year, Daniels received 90 percent of the $126,000 of possible at-risk pay. In addition, Daniels was paid extra for areas in which he exceeded expectations such as donations, which reached $343 million, surpassing the board's $260 million goal.


Back in July we reported on the theory by some that Mitch Daniels decided not to run for Governor so he wouldn't miss out on $1 Million in retention bonuses if he stayed in his position at Purdue till 2020. The theory seems a little more solid to the INDY REPUBLICAN staff now. We also find Mike Berghoff's ass-kissing of Mitch Daniels to be way overboard! At this point we can't tell where Berghoff's head ends and Daniels ass begins! Folks for a so called "fiscal conservative" Mitch Daniels certainly seems to have no problem from enriching himself at the taxpayers trough! Thank God this man isn't running for President! Although depending on how the Governor's race goes. Don't be surprised if Mitch Daniels decides to try to run for Governor again in 2020! Just like the scheming mouse in "Pinky and The Brain". Mitch Daniels always seems to be scheming to take over the world. Not to demean that great classic "Pinky and the Brain". But we can't seem to help but see remarkable similarities between "The Brain" and former Governor Daniels. Both have inflated egos, both are driven by a belief that they are superior than everyone else, and both are insecure due to there lack of height.


Holly Bailey writing on February 28, 2011 for Yahoo News about Daniels and his height problem quotes a Daniels ally as saying of him:

Mark McKinnon, a former Bush adviser and close friend of Daniels, defended his former colleague, saying that after four years of President Obama, Americans might want someone a little "nerdy … balding and pint-sized."

What the Hell! Is this supposed to be some sort of compliment? If this is one of Mitch's friends trying to sell him as a potential presidential candidate then Daniels is screwed nationally!

Bailey continues:

On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace finally asked Daniels about all of the talk about his height and looks, saying some have suggested that he doesn't "look presidential."

Daniels admitted it could be a problem "with some voters."

"I've never suggested to a voter what they should consider a valid criterion," Daniels replied. "If it comes down to height and hair, I probably wouldn't do very well. But I guess that's just something you weigh in the balance with many other factors."

In layman's terms Daniels is a sad, pathetic man who always needs to try and push others around!

Open Letter to Advance Indiana's Readers

INDY REPUBLICAN is writing this to all the readers of the late, great Gary Welsh's blog. All of us here, just like all of you are still reeling from the tragic death of Gary Welsh. He did leave this earth far to soon. But his job and ours of rooting out and exposing corruption all throughout this state continues. This state which is part of the greatest nation in the history of the world is not beyond redemption. Anymore than our nation is beyond saving. We here know that we cannot and never would try to be Gary Welsh. But if he was able to accomplish what he could we can accomplish at least as much, maybe more. To do this we will need any and all suggestions, news tips, and story ideas you all have to offer. Many fans of Gary and Paul Ogden have and have continued to provide invaluable aid and support to all of us here. We ask that you continue to do so. For anything you want us to look into post a comment on this blog post. Your comments on this post will be kept confidential and will not be published. Also we request that you give all the aid you can to Paul Ogden and Ogden on Politics as well as whatever encouragement and aid you can give to Charlie White. We suggest you all ask them and ask Indiana Talks which carries both the Johnny Stir and Charlie White Shows what help they need to compete against the monopolistic Indiana Media. God Bless you all! And we look forward to working with all of you. Let the games begin!

Indiana Right to Life sells out principles with Trump and Holcomb endorsements!

Well it's official fellow babies! Indiana Right to Life has betrayed Pro Life Hoosiers by endorsing both Donald Trump for President and Eric "Bagman" Holcomb for Governor. How endorsing Donald Trump who until recently was a Pro Abortion Zealot. And Eric Holcomb who has called Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner who has been repudiated by the Illinois Right to Life for his Pro abortion record as believing in "responsible republican leadership". By it's very actions IRTL has shown they care not about opposing abortion and promoting alternatives to it. But there only goal is raw political power. Also last year Holcomb was part of the Bill Oesterle campaign against RFRA and then he turns around and becomes Lieutenant Governor to Mike Pence the very man he was ripping up only a little while before. Regardless of ones opinion on RFRA the fact that Eric Holcomb would change his stance so radically on a dime should raise questions about his personal integrity! What we ask all true believing republicans throughout Indiana to do is let not your hearts be troubled. Refuse to support Eric Holcomb and Donald Trump! Do not support any false prophets such as them and IRTL. Some ask "What are sincere Republicans to do against the inhuman cabal that runs the establishment of both political parties fight the whole Indiana political world?" We say if necessary that is what we should and must do. You can an do make a difference. It has been and will continue to be a long hard struggle but as Thomas Paine said: "Hell like tyranny is not easily conquered. But the greater the struggle the greater the triumph!" Never show fear to the political parasites. Live out your lives by your own principles not the whims of a third rater like Holcomb! The best witness is your life. We leave you all with some reforms to push endlessly for. Eliminate the offices of the Indiana Inspector General, eliminate the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, restore the State Board of Accounts to it's proper role and put it under legislative control, lastly restore merit employment to ALL state employees and limit the number of gubernatorial appointees who can work at an agency to two. Lastly all state agency heads should be appointed by the Indiana Legislature and the Governor should have no say in the matter. That's all for now. God Bless you all and God Bless the United States of America! In the name of America! For the memory of Gary Welsh let us commit ourselves to rebuilding our state and our nation! Praise be to God! Amen!

Matt Tully thinks Carmel Mayor "RINO" Jim Brainaird is Underpaid!

Good evening everyone. This is the INDY REPUBLICAN staff saying we hope you all had a decent start to your week today. As you all have figured out by now those of at this blog are not fans of Pravda Indiana Indianapolis Star Useless Fool writer Matt Tully. Like the late Gary Welsh we are certainly not fans of Tully and his Circle Jerk Club! Just when you think Tully is incapable of writing any more insipid trash he pulls through and writes more drivel for his establishment paymasters! In todays Star Tully has an article arguing in favor of Carmel RINO Mayor Jim "Taxman" Brainard and other Indiana mayors getting pay raises!  Tully asks us to "hear him out before declaring him the president of the out-of-his-mind club!" Well we all hear can think of next to nothing we would rather do than listen to Matt Tully's girly ravings! But in the spirit of being kind we will indulge him now. So Okay Matt! Let's tell our readers in your own words why you think Mayor's should receive a pay raise!


Tully's bullsh*t's writes:


Indiana residents from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River, in cities big and small, would be wise to be more open to raising the pay of their mayors. Yes, there's the opinion I warned you about, the crazy one. A call for higher pay for elected officials.
Well, not all elected officials.
This is specifically about mayors. And about the uniquely challenging and critical job of leading a city. Few things do more to drive a state forward, or to hold it back, than the quality and strength of its many communities. And few things impact the direction of a city more than the quality of its mayor.
No, money is not the most important factor. I get that. And, yes, being a mayor is about public service. I get that, too. Still, it's worth remembering the old you-get-what-you-pay-for adage.
In the words of Matt Greller, CEO of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, "Mayors are at the forefront of the talent attraction and quality of place revolution occurring throughout the country."
If you want a state filled with energy, ideas, ambition and visionary thinking — and who doesn't? — you'd be smart to start by making sure you have the best people leading our cities. Cities are where new ideas bubble up, where innovation is most often found, where entrepreneurs emerge, and where states are most clearly defined. You often hear that states are the laboratory of ideas for the federal government. Well, the same can be said for cities and state government.
Few state leaders have done more to drive Indiana forward, or to draw more people here, than the mayors who have reinvigorated Indianapolis in recent decades.


Okay folks we are going to stop here for just a moment and get our barf bags! What the Hell Planet do you Live on Mr. Tully? What Indianapolis mayors have "reinvigorated" the city? Steve Goldsmith? Bart Peterson? Greg "Full of Crap" Ballard? Or perhaps current Indianapolis Mayor "Lazy" Joe Hogsett? If anybody out there needs anymore proof that Matt Tully is just a hack who sold his soul to the bipartisan political establishment that runs much of this state. His argument that mayors should receive raises should put any doubts about that issue to rest! Come on Tully! Are you seriously saying that we should give Jim Brainard a man who as mayor has been accused of hiring private investigators to spy on Fishers residents as Gary Welsh chronicled back in 2011? Read Welsh's article here if you want to know what kind of a man that Mr. Tully looks for when picking a city mayor!


In marked contrast to Tully's endless butt kissing. Here comes like manna from heaven, an article written by The Man Who Should Have Matt Tully's Job! Paul Ogden of Ogden on Politics fame has written a post today entitled: "Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard's Budget Requests Nearly 40% Increase in Pay".


Paul Ogden had this to say today:


At a time when families are struggling and local politicians are continually asking for higher taxes on those families, it is appalling to see politicians raising their own pay.  The Current in Carmel reports:

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard has submitted his budget for 2017, along with a salary ordinance that includes a $50,000 pay raise for himself, which is a 40 percent increase. 

The mayor’s salary is proposed to increase from $127,946 a year to $179,344 a year. It

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard

will be introduced at the City Council meeting on Oct. 3 but will likely not be passed on first reading to allow the public time to comment. 

Prior to the ordinance being released, Brainard told Current in Carmel that his salary was going up, “around $35,000 or $40,000 or something.” 

“City manager salaries can be way above that,” he said. “In some cities they make $200,000 or $300,000.” 

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett makes $99,000 a year. When asked about the discrepancy, Brainard said, “They don’t have money to get their roads paved.” 

“It’s a ridiculously low salary for someone representing a city of that size,” he said. “It’s a billion-dollar business.” 

If passed, the salary increase would make Brainard the highest paid mayor in the state. 

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson is currently the state’s highest paid mayor at $142,096. 

“We don’t really look at Indiana when we do salary comparisons,” Brainard said.The mayor said the salary increase is necessary. 

“It’s important to attract qualified people to run for office,” he said. “Many of the mayors we look at (for comparison) can make seven or eight times that in the private sector.”

,,,

Then leave office Mayor Brainard.  Contrary to your claim, there would be quality people lining up the door to take your place when you leave.  I get so sick of that ridiculous argument.  I hear it all the time from judges wanting to be paid more.  Like there is a shortage of excellent attorneys out there who who wouldn't jump at the chance to be a judge.


That is how a real citizen journalist reports the news Mr. Tully! At the end of his press release for Mayor Brainard Tully gives his contact information as follows: You can reach me at matthew.tully@indystar.com or at Twitter.com/matthewltully.


So if anyone feels like sharing their thoughts with Mr. Tully contact him via email or on Twitter. Piece of free advice for you all. Don't be surprised if Tully blocks you on Twitter, Facebook, or email if you dare to question his infinite wisdom! As many of our correspondents have discovered Tully is an incredibly thin skinned man! Like his TV counterpart Jim "Shill" Shella! he cannot handle the truth! Anything that is not flattering to him or his circle jerk club will be dismissed out of hand! As a favor to a longtime fan of the INDY REPUBLICAN blog. We have agreed to share this message from the reader to Tully himself (Warning! Contains profanity viewer discretion is advised):