As someone who writes frequently about events at the Indiana General Assembly, I found myself keeping tabs on two pieces of legislation important to Indianapolis, HB 1011, mass transit, and SB 621, Marion County government reform. The Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee was hearing the mass transit bill, while the House Local Government and Regulatory Reform Committee was hearing the Marion County bill.
And just to keep everyone up to speed the mass transit bill would have called for a referendum on a tax increase to fund the expansion of bus and rail service in Marion and Hamilton counties and it would have given the remaining donut counties the ability to opt-in. The Marion County bill would, among other things give the mayor more control over the entire city-county budget, as well as his appointments, and prior to the language being changed at the hearing, it would have eliminated the at-large council seats. The bill was amended so the at-larges will now stay.
What struck me as most interesting was not only were both rooms packed, but exactly who was doing the packing. In the Senate hearing there were representatives from the business community, local government, faith community, etc. It was a widespread, cross section of individuals all supporting mass transit. Meanwhile, at the House hearing, it was mostly individuals connected in one capacity or another to the Marion County Democratic Party. Now before I get the usual e-mails complaining that I am leaving out certain facts, please note I said “mostly.” Also testifying against the bill was Republican City-County Councilwoman Christine Scales as well as members of neighborhood groups.
I was not surprised to see the SB 621 hearing look like a Democratic slating convention. Sen. Jean Breaux threatened that Democrats would withhold support for mass transit if Republicans passed SB 621.
Here is what was really going on. Democrats have been more concerned about keeping four people employed (the at-larges) than employing the thousands of their constituents who would be helped by expanded bus service. An informal count showed the number of elected Democratic officials who showed up to testify against SB 621, about a dozen or so. The amount that showed up to testify on behalf of mass transit, zero. Now, in all due fairness to Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry, he did hold a news conference in support of mass transit, arguing that it is a tool to help fight crime because it would help people get to work and become self-sufficient, but it would also get witnesses more access to the courts and criminal justice system.
Unfortunately, the rest of Curry’s party doesn’t seem to see things that way. They have put self-interest ahead of the public’s interest. I guess the good news for them is that the four at-larges got to keep their jobs. Too bad their constituents won’t have mass transit so they can look for a job to keep.
Abdul-Hakim Shabazz is an attorney, political commentator and publisher of IndyPolitics.org. You can email comments to him at abdul@indypolitics.org.
