You could get a Model T Ford in any color you liked -- as long as you only liked black. In Indianapolis, you can vote for a new mayor of any ideological hue you like, too -- as long as you like stupid.
Our choices are A) Unsatsfactory, B) Unacceptable or C) Unrealistic.
Under A, we have incumbent Greg Ballard, well-meaning but politically tone-deaf Republican, steered too much by smoke-filled-room rentseekers, the man who gave us the odious Frank Straub running Public Safety. Frank, in turn, leads us to--
B, Melina Kennedy, Fraternal Order of Police-endorsed Democrat challenger, who wants to "fix the public schools" -- something over which the mayor has zero power -- and "get rid of illegal guns" by "closing loopholes," apparently unaware that the State Legislature has enacted sweeping pre-emption of local gun laws by State law; about all the City can rule on is if people with licenses to carry handguns can carry them inside city-owned buildings. --Tellingly, her longest reply in the linked survey has to do with city support for The Arts. Much as I love art, I was hoping for a Mayor focused more on paving and snowplowing, on keepin' the Police and Fire Departments in shape to deal with crime and conflagration. Which brings us to--
C, Libertarian Chris Bowen, the Man With Half A Clue. Nuvo quotes him as being all in favor of things like mandatory car inspections (a tax on the working poor, sir?) and stricter environmental regs (in the state that was the first to ban phosphates in detergent, which is why Hoosiers are a dingy lot); he seems a little more sensible in the survey linked above but until he learns to hold the line on his collie-pup enthusiasm when interviewed, he's gonna find himself running with the hounds and hunting with the hare on every issue.
My enthusiasm for having to pick anyone at all from this field can scarcely be underestimated. None Of The Above, please run for Mayor!
How, exactly, can Chris Bowen call himself a Libertarian and yet be in favor of more government regulation?
ReplyDeleteSounds more like a LiberALtarian to me.
YaKnow, I've got a suspicion that my little hamlet has a Mayor-and-City-Council election running.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder, though I suspect we've got the same bucket'o'fail-tune playing.
I honestly believe that if all ballots had a "None of the Above" box as a mandatory inclusion, we would have not only a winner, but also a majority winner.
ReplyDeleteThis would apply at the national, provincial (state) and municipal levels.
If only this fantasy could become reality.
Regards.
Yeah, in this state, you're deemed elected and not even put on the ballot if you're running unopposed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stupid law.
Well.... at least on the upside the Dem's shiny new gun control ideas would be dead on arrival.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for the preemption law.
George,
ReplyDelete"I honestly believe that if all ballots had a "None of the Above" box as a mandatory inclusion, we would have not only a winner, but also a majority winner."
If they'd let him serve out his term, I'd vote for the man every time. ;)
I think we have a catch 22. If they where competent at anything other than getting uninformed people to vote for them, then they would be doing that and making money.
ReplyDeleteHmmm....