The most famous hotel in American politics right now is a nondescript Comfort Suites, at an interstate exit in Urbana, Ill. It’s not fancy like Indy’s downtown hotels. It‘s more like the small, nondescript hotels at I-465 exits or across from truck stops on interstates throughout the Midwest.
This hotel is where Indiana House Democrats have been residing for over five weeks during the longest state legislative political confrontation so far this year.
I went to Urbana last week to see our African-American and Democratic state lawmakers, face-to-face, to ascertain their mood during this unprecedented political standoff.
In the unpretentious lobby I talked with Reps. Charlie Brown, Earl Harris, Cherrish Pryor, Bill Crawford and Pat Bauer. They all looked rested despite the pressure from Republicans, the media and others. They all expressed their gratitude at how the people of Urbana and twin city Champaign were treating them.
Pryor, Crawford and the others from Indy were well aware of community issues besides the legislative battles, including the Brandon Johnson raid.
During our live radio show from Champaign/Urbana, the only Indiana radio station to originate a live show from Illinois during the standoff, the Democratic lawmakers clearly explained what the fight’s about: basic Democratic Party principles against a radical Republican legislative agenda designed to eliminate hard fought gains for working families.
They all stressed it’s a fight to preserve workers’ rights, if they wish, to have collective bargaining and union representation. A fight to make sure that public schools in neighborhoods where African-American, minority and poor children live have the dollars and resources necessary to educate them.
Crawford and Bauer also indicated that even though they’ll eventually return to the legislative session, the fight won’t end.
Both agreed with me that Republicans are preparing an assault on our African-American community through a legislative redistricting process that Republicans publicly promised would be open and fair, but increasingly looks as it will be secretive and crooked.
Six weeks after 2010 Census data arrived in Indiana, GOP lawmakers are just now convening hearings on redistricting, hearings Senate Democrats were cut out of. Hearings haven’t yet been scheduled for Indianapolis, and none scheduled in minority-majority communities in Lake County.
Urbana is just a way station in the battle to keep the radical Republican legislative agenda from strangling Indiana.
What I’m hearing in the streets
Over the weekend, I talked to some African-American IMPD officers about “the raid”; that assault by some 12 IMPD officers on the home of Brandon Johnson, his mother, sister and brothers.
Many legal scholars and many more in our African-American community are questioning the circumstances of police raiding the home of the youth beaten by police officers last May and holding the family at gunpoint, while a search was conducted and arrests made.
Cops wanted to charge Brandon and his brothers with being members of a criminal gang, along with felony gun and narcotics charges.
But Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry opted to charge Brandon’s older brothers with a misdemeanor marijuana charge and Brandon with a juvenile gun possession charge for a gun allegedly owned and legally licensed to his mother.
Just as many in our African-American community have serious questions about the raid, so did the Black cops I talked with.
The officers told me, “Find out what was in the probable cause.” That’s a document, accompanying the search warrant, outlining what police were searching for in Johnson’s home.
IMPD, who allowed some media to be at the raid, refuses to provide media access to the search probable cause info.
“No,” Public Safety Director Frank Straub told me during a contentious WTLC-AM (1310) “Afternoons with Amos” interview last week. “This is an ongoing investigation. We will not provide that information.”
Law enforcement sources say IMPD’s gang unit pushed for the raid, believing Brandon’s brothers, and maybe him, were members of a gang called “The Pop Off Boys.” A gang with that name exists, but I’m told they’re a neighborhood nuisance; not a major criminal enterprise like the Crips, Bloods, Vice Lords or Disciples.
In the radio interview, Straub revealed he knew about the raid a week before it happened and that it would cause community concern. But neither Straub, nor top IMPD or mayor’s office officials briefed community leaders about the raid after it happened.
On the radio, outrage was strong, as callers vehemently eviscerated Straub. The legal rationale for the raid stinks. And to me seems more like a desperate attempt by Straub and Mayor Greg Ballard to curry favor with white police officers; knowing the mayor can’t be re-elected without strong support from IMPD officers.
Last week the mainstream media saw why Mayor Ballard hates speaking with Black media; the mayor’s dislike of dealing with tough questions and criticism.
The Indianapolis Star’s Editorial Board invited the mayor to discuss current issues, but the meeting didn’t go well as the mayor rebelled over answering some tough questions and issues.
The meeting was so contentious that two top Star journalists complained on their public Twitter accounts.
Editorial Page Editor Tim Swarens wrote, I mean “tweeted,” “Contentious ed board meeting with Mayor Ballard. It’s fair to say he left frustrated, as were we.”
Columnist Matt Tully’s tweet was more direct, “How can I sum up Mayor Ballard’s performance in the ed board today? Defensive, vague, confusing. Didn’t want to answer tough questions.”
During the meeting, as he tried to explain his opposition to a tougher anti-smoking ban, Ballard disrespected those who work in Indy’s smoke-filled bars and nightspots.
Tully’s tweet of that exchange is damning, “Mayor Ballard still opposes full smoking ban. Asked about workers in smoky bars, he dismissed concerns. Said those were “transient” jobs.”
Transient jobs?
When the Ballard administration wanted that multi-million dollar Conseco Fieldhouse bailout for the Pacers, they talked about the thousands of hospitality jobs at risk if the Pacers weren’t helped.
But when it comes to the health and safety of those workers, Mayor Ballard dismisses them, many of whom are Black, as working in “transient” jobs.
The Ballard administration’s continued disrespect towards Blacks with trumped up police raids, or dismissing hard working Blacks as “transients” makes a lie the mayor’s own boast that he’s the best mayor ever for African-Americans.
See ‘ya next week.
You can e-mail comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
