My 10 minute talk with Mayor Tom Henry

In my opinion the best item that Mayor Henry has implemented is “Mayor’s night in.” Basically the Mayor meets with citizens for ten minutes each and discusses their concerns and opinions.

Earlier today I met with Mayor Henry and we discussed my concerns with the Fort Wayne Budget. Here is what I took from this meeting:

1. Several enterprising readers of this blog had already sent my proposed budget to the Mayor so he had already seen it.

2. The Mayor feels that our City Council is the fiscal body of Fort Wayne and that if they want to cut the budget; they will have to cut the budget themselves.

3. The deadline for an approved budget is December 1st, so the City Council needs tomove quickly.

I enjoyed talking to the Mayor. I re-iterated to him that I would be happy to volunteer my time to helping with budget cuts.

We briefly discussed the shortfall in the fire and police pensions from the old pension plans. He stated that it was still “pay as you go” and that no provision has been made for the current liability.

We also briefly discussed the recent property tax cuts. We both agreed that all the recent property tax decrease did was shift taxes from one group of taxpayers to another group. Mayor Henry said that he thought the Indiana Legislature would address this in the next session.

I enjoyed talking to Mayor Henry

Mike Sylvester

Maria Parra Responds to JG Endorsement Editorial

Maria Parra has posted a scathing retort on her blog in regards to today’s editorial where the JG endorsed her opponent for Allen County Treasurer. A few excerpts:

It is right of the editorial board to endorse whomever they want but to be so misinformed about my stance on a campaign issue and then publishing it as fact is appalling and unacceptable. In addition, if a few Democrats are angered because I asked the Trustee to provide documents to justify his spending so be it! I rather have a few disgruntled party hacks upset with me than the taxpayers of Allen County who I am accountable.
[...]
Let me set the record straight for the voters of Allen County. I have not once criticized information on property tax bill as stated in this morning’s Journal Gazette endorsement but the cost of mailing tax bills to the tune of $109,000 a 300% increase in postage and handling.
[...]
Be careful Tracy, I believe your objectivity is out the window with your musical gigs at bars owned by the inner circle of the political establishment.
[...]
Oh by the way, does the last minute barrage of public insults and lies mean someone out there is scared I will win? Wake up voters of Allen County and beware of everything you read.

GOP Chairman On Kelty Plea

After the Kelty plea agreement was finalized I asked Allen County Republican Chairman Steve Shine for a comment:

I’m am thankful that an unfortunate page in Fort Wayne’s political history has come to a conclusion.

Aren’t we all…

Evert Mol & the Future of FWCS

Evert Mol, Fort Wayne Community School Board candidate, had an excellent op-ed piece in one local paper today that you should take the time to read. Mol lays out the problems with the current board and where we need to go in the future:

Despite its stated objective and state and federal mandates to improve test scores, Fort Wayne Community Schools has gone five years with no improvement. Incumbent board member Steve Corona and other board members did not set measurable objectives for academic improvement until this year and still don’t have a timetable for coming into compliance. Up to now they have been satisfied with staying the course

This statements get to the core of the problem regarding the FWCS board. Members like Corona would rather yap about public relations nonsense than actually make an honest assessment of our schools and what we need to do to give our students the kind of education they deserve.

Ostriches like Corona bury their head in the sand and refuse to address the serious realities within our school system. Stop telling me we are “ on the verge of greatness“. Stop telling me we don’t have a discipline problem and that we should be a model for every other district. Stop hiring consultants to come in and blow smoke up my ass.

What is Mr. Montagano thinking?

As anyone reading this blog knows I will not be voting for Mark Souder in the upcoming 3rd Congressional race. I will be voting for Libertarian BIll Larsen.

That being said, the Democratic candidate, Mike Montagano, does not seem to have a strong grasp of politics. Please read this piece in a local newspaper.

Please realize that this bill as passed will increase the National Debt; possibly by as much as 850 billion dollars. It likely will increase the debt by at least a couple of hundred billion dollars. The bill also gives the Secretary of the Treasury unprecendented powers and authority to spend 700 billion dollars of tax payer money. This is a very big deal.

Mark Souder voted the wrong way on this bill. He voted in favor of socialism.

Mr. Montagano has backed away from the bill and does not want to second guess Mark Souder.

Why not?

Mark Souder voted wrong on this bill and should lose his seat in Congress.

Mike Sylvester

Kelty = Liar = Guilty

I have said for quite some time that Matt Kelty was in violation of campaign finance laws and had a basic aversion to telling the truth. I can’t even believe this was debatable but the large number of pseudo-hate mail I received would suggest otherwise.

Here’s the thing, I never thought Matt Kelty should go to jail. There are plenty of scumbags that deserve to be behind bars but Kelty is not one of them. However, he was absolutely wrong to do what he did in regards to his campaign finance report but even worse he consistently lied throughout the entire ordeal.

Kelty has a problem with the truth and let’s explore the details as they are related to this guilty plea. From the grand jury testimony:

New Evidence Delays Kelty Trial 24 Hours

From the News-Sentinel:

Jury selection, which was supposed to start today, was delayed 24 hours because of new information received from the Kelty campaign that his attorney, Robert Gevers, needs to review.

“It’s evidence that goes to the foundation of proof in the case,” Special Prosecuting Attorney Daniel J. Sigler said this morning. “It will speak for itself in the case.”

Can anyone decipher this next statement from Sigler? I’m trying to read between the lines here but I just don’t get it:

So why wasn’t a deal cut?

“I know exactly why it’s gone on this far, and I’m not going to tell you and not out of disrespect, but because it’s irrelevant,” Sigler said. “I know why, and unfortunately I know why has to do with why the case started in the first place.”

Uh? Ok…

Democratic Party Spokesman Undermines Democratic Treasurer Candidate Maria Parra

Obviously the Allen County Democratic Party leadership has learned nothing from the recent problems within the Republican ranks. Political Notebook reports that Democratic Party spokesman Kevin Knuth is actively undermining the Democratic candidate for treasurer Maria Parra:

One familiar Democrat has swung his support behind Sue Orth, the Republican candidate for Allen County treasurer.

Kevin Knuth, spokesman and former chairman of the Allen County Democratic Party, has an Orth campaign sign in his yard, he admitted, “While I wish Maria the very best, I have known Sue Orth for over 20 years, and there is no question she is qualified and will be a great treasurer.”

This is completely unacceptable. If you are an individual Democratic voter or public official you can surely support whoever you want. But when you are the spokesman for the party then it is your job to support your party’s candidates - period.

If Knuth doesn’t feel like he can do that then he should resign as party spokesman. It is one thing for him not to actively support Maria Parra but it is entirely another matter to publicly endorse the opposition party’s candidate. This is unacceptable and embarrassing.

Readers shouldn’t believe for one second that this is about Sue Orth. This has everything to do with the fact that Parra has rocked the boat while doing her job as a Wayne Township Advisory Board Member. This is what happens when you cross the Knuth/Gia Quinta cabal within the Democratic Party.

Leadership is not about putting your personal ego above the good of the party. Leadership is about accepting a variety of ideas into the party and coalescing them into a winning coalition that maintains your party’s core principles. Knuth is not showing himself to be capable of that as party spokesman…

Proposed Budget cuts for City of Fort Wayne

I would like to start this post by thanking Jeff Pruitt for taking the time to attend these meetings.

Next I would like to thank our current City Council for their views on the budget; I feel they have been responsible and I am impressed that they want the Mayor to cut 4.5 million from the current budget request. I think 4.5 million dollars is appropriate and I am glad that our City Council has recommended this amount be cut from the budget.

I am disappointed in the Mayor’s office. The budget they proposed is completely unacceptable. It forces us to cut about 9% from the budget next year or to increase the county income tax significantly. I am also disappointed that the Mayor’s office waited until October to submit a budget; the budget should have been submitted months ago.