Indiana

Don?t Annoy Them With Details

Posted on August 16, 2010
If you are a taxpayer in the Indianapolis Public School system, your jaw should be dropping to the floor about now.  IPS is preparing for its hearing on the budget and at least two board members apparently do care about the details. I obtained a copy of some e-mail correspondence between the several board members [...

Was The U.S. Senate Race Over Before It Started?

Posted on August 16, 2010
With 70+ days until Election Day, what polling data has been done is showing a bleak picture for Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Brad Ellsworth. The chart below, courtesy of pollster.com shows Republican Dan Coats with a very comfortable lead over Ellsworth and Libertarian challenger Rebecca Sink-Burris...

Sunday Funny; The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost

Posted on August 15, 2010
I know the last thing you’d expect to see on Sunday is your favorite political pundit and a chicken.   But that’s what happens when you give your wife and mother-in-law tickets to the Indiana State Fair and they end up buying chickens for her farm land...

Your Suggestions Are Welcome

Posted on August 14, 2010
As part of the new public safety advisory board, one of my goals is to reach out to different segments of the community through various channels and solicit input on how to improve public safety. I’ve already got a couple meetings under my belt and I wanted to make sure I reached the readers of Indiana [...

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Early Start

Posted on August 13, 2010
My counterpart Jon Easter of Indy Democrat made an argument this week for the early start of the school year.  While I think my friend is wrong, I do think he presents another point of view that deserves a fair shake.  So with that said, he’s granted me permission to cross post his thoughts so [...

Just Another Day in the Abdul World

Posted on August 12, 2010
Although the big news of the day was the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department answering questions about David Bisard who was charged with driving drunk and killing a motorist in the process, the Department of Public Safety also announced a new advisory board to help with police-community relations and department policy...

Q & A for IMPD

Posted on August 11, 2010
As much of a fan that I am of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department,  someone is going to have some explaining to do when it comes to Officer David Bisard. Bisard was reportedly drunk when he got into an accident with his squad car on Friday that ended up killing one motorcyclist and sending two others [...

Charges Filed

Posted on August 11, 2010
Reckless homicide and several other felonies have been filed against IMPD officer David Bisard for the death of one motorist and the injuries of two others.  You can read the charges below.  There are several felony drunken driving charges.  A warrant has been issued for his arrest...

We Interrupt This Blog?

Posted on August 10, 2010
As many of you know,  the best way to describe my religious affiliation is Agnostic-Islamic.  I pray five times a day, I just can’t remember when to do it.  (Insert drum roll here). I bring this up because Ramadan begins tomorrow.  My parents are pretty orthodox observers and my father at 74-years old still has the [...

Tax Cuts and Expiration Dates

Posted on August 09, 2010
I am about to say something that will likely take a number of you by surprise.   The Bush tax cuts slated to expire this year should be allowed to do so and the money should go towards deficit reduction.  I know this may sound odd coming from someone like me, but I have always believed [...

Making the Right Choice

Posted on August 08, 2010
With a good chunk of school starting this week, I figured it would be the perfect time to entertain the thought of the subject of school choice.  I bring this up not only because I’m a big fan of choice and competition, but also the fact is that there are five new charter schools slated [...

Friday?s Follies

Posted on August 06, 2010
Between shootings and court rulings on gay marriage it’s been a pretty busy week, however there have been quite a few items that have popped up on that are worth a mention or two, so here they are… The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police has overwhelmingly rejected the latest contract offer from the city...

In Defense of Marriage

Posted on August 05, 2010
In 30 days, the lovely Mrs. Shabazz and I will celebrate our first anniversary.  Like most newlyweds, we’re looking forward to it.  And unlike most married men, I already have her gift taken care of and arrangements made to mark the occasion.  I bring this up not to brag, well there is a little bit [...

You Have Met the Enemy, And He Is You

Posted on August 04, 2010
I’ve written quite a bit lately about violence and black-on-black crime.  And I will frankly admit that it did feel like it was getting to be a bit much.  But this blog post is different.   It is not about the Baptist Ministers Alliance.  It is not about Shamus Patton...

Why This Libertarian Supports the Water Transfer

Posted on August 03, 2010
I’ve got some work to do today, so I’m posting a guest column by Matt Wittlief of the Marion County Libertarian Party.  Enjoy. ********** On Monday, July 26, the Indianapolis City-County Council voted to approve the transfer of water and waste water utilities to Citizen’s Energy Group...

School Daze and Confused

Posted on August 02, 2010
Today marks the first the day of school in Warren Township here in Indianapolis.  Yes, it’s August 2 and school is starting.  A number of school districts will start class over the next two weeks and I, for the life of me, still can’t understand why...

Race For the Senate

Posted on August 01, 2010
This past week I spoke to all three candidates for the U.S. Senate here in Indiana.  I’m posting their interviews so you can hear them in your own words. Each interview segment is about 8-9 minutes long.  My ultimate goal is to get all three in the same place this Fall...

Baited and Switched

Posted on July 31, 2010
Just when I thought things couldn’t get anymore bizarre in this town I get proven incorrect.  I thought after Brandon Johnson, Al Sharpton and Shamus Patton, we’d be done with silliness for a while.  No such luck. My colleagues at RTV 6 are reporting that an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer was injured after being baited into [...

IMPD Conspiracy Theory

Posted on July 30, 2010
The squirrels must really be excited today because the conspiracy theory nuts are out in force.  I’m not talking about my usual conspiracy theorists, I’m talking old school wing-nuts. In case you hadn’t heard, because you live in the real world, there is a school of thought out there that the shootings that occurred a couple [...

I Hate to Say I Told You So, But?

Posted on July 29, 2010
I told you so.  I told you Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration law was unconstitutional.  A federal judge ruled that the most controversial portions of the law just don’t cut it. Judge Susan Bolton ruled the law runs afoul of the principle that the federal government has supreme authority when it comes to most immigration matters...

Wednesday?s City Wire

Posted on July 28, 2010
Here are some items of note for your reading pleasure… The panel taking a look at making the second Saturday night of Indiana Black Expo should have it’s recommendations ready to present to the public by September 20.   Panel member Rev. Charles Harrison says the group met this past Monday and batted around a number [...

Nine Strikes and You?re Out

Posted on July 27, 2010
I spent some time Monday reading through the probable cause affidavit regarding Shamus Patton.  What was more disturbing than the fact he allegedly shot at and could have killed nine people that night, was the fact that he had nine previous run-ins with the law...

Water World

Posted on July 27, 2010
It’s not very often I see tri-partisan support for somewhat controversial measures down at the City-County building, but by a vote of 19-10, the Indianapolis City-County Council approved the nearly $2 billion deal to transfer the city’s water and waste water facilities to Citizens Gas...

Who Are They Running Against

Posted on July 26, 2010
It looks like some Indiana House Democrats are finding it easier to run against and opponent who isn’t on the ballot as opposed to their Republican challengers. Scott Reske (D-Pendelton) says the taxpayers of Madison County should not have to foot the bill for the Capitol Improvement Board’s assistance to the Indiana Pacers...

Shame On Us

Posted on July 26, 2010
I’ve posted the probable cause affadvit filed by the Marion County Prosecutor’s office regarding Shamus Patton and the shooting that occured two Saturday’s ago during Indiana Black Expo.  While everyone is innocent until proven guilty, what’s most disturbing is that according to the affadavit, Shamus has been in and out of the juvenile justice nine times [...

Coming to America

Posted on July 25, 2010
I was recently asked what it’s like to be me?  The pat answer I give is awesome.  However the person asking the question wanted more specifics, they wanted to know what it was like for me to hold the opinions I do and be black at the same time.  To be honest, I really had [...

Labor Pains

Posted on July 23, 2010
I was downtown Thursday as dozens of employees from the city’s hotels were gathering together to stage a protest over the wages paid to workers at the Hyatt and their inability to unionize.     Forty-one people were arrested, including City-County Councilor Joanne Sanders...

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

Posted on July 22, 2010
The following is a guest column by 18-year old Lauren Roscoe.  She is a student at the University of Indianapolis.  I met her at the Indiana Black Expo news conference this week on the creation of a task force to address public safety and youth violence...

Smoke Free Indy Poll Supports Status Quo

Posted on July 21, 2010
I just took a look at the details of the Smoke Free Indy/Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids poll.   The poll is actually pretty telling, but not for the reasons that you might think.  The poll of 500 likely voters says nerly 70% of the public supports a total ban on smoking in most places, including bars [...

Water Works

Posted on July 20, 2010
I’m taking brief respite from blogging about Indiana Black Expo and yesterday’s arrest of Shamus Patton.  I’m working on a longer, more analytical piece which I will throw up tomorrow because I need a couple more pieces to fall into place...

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