Mayor Greg Ballard, Indy Chamber of Commerce leaders and other Indy civic leaders aren’t going to be proud of this new civic milestone: in 2014, more Indianapolis residents lived in poverty than at any time in Indianapolis’ 195-year history.
That stat, documented by the Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey (ACS), reported that 194,960 Indianapolis/Marion County residents lived below the federal poverty level last year. A record high!
The Great Recession ended in mid-2009, six years ago. Yet, Indy’s poverty rate has stubbornly hovered between 20 percent and 22 percent since. Despite lower unemployment in the city/county and evidence that some household incomes are rising, it’s stunning and disturbing that a little more than one-in-five Indy residents are in poverty.
The Census ACS reported that Indy’s poverty rate was 21.4 percent — 10th highest of America’s 20 largest cities, 13th highest of the 30 largest cities. What an accomplishment for Mayor Greg Ballard to conclude his eight-year reign on!
Indianapolis has squandered millions on boondoggles, from cricket fields and electric cars, to poorly designed bicycle lanes and crumbling recently repaired streets. Indianapolis has spent millions creating a downtown full of trendy bars and cafes, trendy attractions and overpriced (and in some cases cheaply built) housing filled with millennials while, literally a mile away, thousands live in poverty and despair.
During his reign Ballard has talked lots about public safety, sustainability, electric cars and the energy crisis, but to my knowledge, he’s never given a major (or even minor) speech about the rising levels of poverty in his city. (And if I’m wrong, the mayor’s PR folks can send me a transcript of that speech).
The mayor, his minions and civic apologists have waxed eloquent about the need to recruit young people with high incomes to town to raise city/county revenues, but they stand mute when you ask them what they’re doing to move existing Indy residents out of poverty.
Asked to comment on Indy’s record poverty, Ballard’s newbie press secretary sent me 206 words of excuses and pabulum about programs and initiatives that, if they really existed and were effective, would’ve begun reducing poverty in our city.
Back in March, Ballard spoke strong words about equality — that “Indy Welcomes All.” But it’s a damn shame Ballard’s never spoken with passion about his city’s poor, about improving their lot.
The record levels of poverty on his watch are Ballard’s real legacy. A mayor that didn’t care about the less fortunate in his city — a city that welcomes all BUT the poor!
What I’m Hearing in the Streets
The five living UniGov mayors appeared at a gala saluting the 50th anniversary of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) last week. Ballard, Bart Peterson, Steve Goldsmith, Richard Lugar and, best of all, Bill Hudnut were present.
A word about Hudnut: He’s been battling congestive heart failure and throat cancer the past few months. But God’s seemingly not ready for Hudnut to join Him in Heaven, as Hudnut was strong of voice, vibrant, funny and incisive on stage at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, demonstrating why Indianapolis loved him for 16 years as mayor.
Oh, a shout out to Hudnut’s devoted wife Beverly. She was at his side at the event, greeting old friends and well-wishers, demonstrating pure love and devotion to her beloved husband.
Hudnut extolled GIPC for “being inclusive (racially and geographically) and leaving politics at the door.” Sadly, under Ballard, that’s not what GIPC’s become.
The mayors were asked to give advice to the next mayor — Chuck Brewer or Joe Hogsett — who were in attendance at the event.
— Lugar: “Be specific about issues. Go into all neighborhoods and campaign.”
— Hudnut: “Don’t be vindictive. Take care of the store and be inclusive. Be a cheerleader for the city. Lift up people’s spirits.”
— Goldsmith: “We have to have a good school system.” On the serious subject of city finances, he said, “There is no fat left (in the budget). Pay attention to growing city/county revenues. Create a regional perspective.” Goldsmith ended with a simple admonition, “Be better than we were.”
— Peterson: “Be extremely ambitious in setting goals for the city.” Saying other cities were stealing Indy’s successful ideas, Peterson warned: “Indy has to step up its game. Bring people together. Be about unifying the community.”
It seemed to me that the past mayors, in their way, were leveling criticism against the current mayor.
Ballard’s advice, oddly, to his successor was somewhat pedestrian: “Handle the basics. Look into the future and beat other cities to that future.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made Indiana and Indianapolis one of the stops on his sixth annual Back to School Bus Tour. Duncan chose to hold a town hall with area high school students at historic Crispus Attucks High School.
Duncan dialogued with a racially- and gender-diverse group of 16 students representing IPS, township and charter high schools. The discussion was great, with Duncan adeptly answering student concerns.
But the event was an embarrassment for the mayor’s office, as just 165 people were there in Attucks’ 700-plus-capacity auditorium.
Other than Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and City-County Councilman William Oliver, no elected officials attended.
Despite being an invitation-only event, word trickled out to some Attucks alumni and activists who feel school reform has gone too far. If they hadn’t shown up, the attendance would’ve been far lower.
One activist, Delana Ivey, shouted out a question to Duncan. He didn’t answer, and IPS officials got nervous, embarrassed and tried to start a confrontation with Ivey and another protestor. Cooler heads prevailed and all was peaceful.
Hope Indy’s next mayor takes Duncan up on that and invites him back for a discussion on education reform with a wide range of differing voices.
See ya next week!
You can email Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
