Behind closed doors of a Lafayette union hall, a rump caucus of Democratic legislators single-handedly delivered Republicans control of Indiana’s government for the foreseeable future.
The coup that deposed Rep. Pat Bauer as House Minority Leader may have permanently placed Indiana Democrats into a state of serfdom in state politics.
More ominously, the coup sent a message to the state’s largest bloc of reliable Democratic voters and Indianapolis area African-Americans that when given the chance, white Democratic politicians will stab in the back Black elected officials and Black folks in Indianapolis.
In the last legislative session, House Democratic legislators voted Rep. Vanessa Summers, an African-American legislator from Indy, caucus chair. Her position meant that whenever the 39 members of the Democratic group met in caucus, Summers would be the presiding officer. She’d have to be informed of caucus meetings by leader Bauer.
But because Summers didn’t approve of the coup, the plotters disrespected a sistah by calling their coup caucus in Lafayette and not letting her preside.
Only one African-American House member attended the Lafayette coup. The other seven stayed away. Ominously that included Indianapolis’ five Black House legislators.
Do I think it was time for Bauer to give up his post? Yes.
House Democrats, as does the rest of the party, needs new, strong, 21st century media savvy leaders. I respect Bauer’s old-school style, but it isn’t suited for today’s rapid response, fast moving, political environment. The coup plotters installed Rep. Linda Lawson from Hammond as the new leader. I’ve heard she’s a respected, strong Democrat, but some question whether she has the stamina and drive to energize Democrats and attack Republicans in the campaign to regain seats in the Indiana House.
The first signal as to whether Lawson can handle the job is how quickly she reaches out to our community’s Black legislators to mend fences. And how fast she reaches out to our Black community to clean up the slight white Democrats showed Summers and by extension the state’s largest group of committed Democratic voters.
What I’m hearing
in the streets
I’d been expecting the phone call.
“Amos, this is (Bishop) Tom Benjamin.”
In a civil, focused, frank conversation, Bishop Benjamin took very strong exception to my July 20 column about concerns expressed about Benjamin’s handling of aspects of the Ecumenical Service early last month.
Benjamin emphatically insisted that he “didn’t do anything different” in the service he’s presided over for many years.
Bishop Benjamin is even more emphatic in saying that he welcomed “giving” City-County Council President Maggie Lewis a platform to shine during the service. And he vehemently denied that he “did not tell Lewis what to say” or not to say during her remarks.
Bishop Benjamin felt there hasn’t been a decline in attendance at the service. Though he acknowledges the service has been packed “wall to wall” when popular preachers are keynote speakers. “People like fresh” Benjamin told me.
Bishop Benjamin has had an extraordinary career as a spiritual and community servant/leader in Indianapolis. During his 42 years in our community, Benjamin’s had extraordinary access to five Indianapolis mayors.
But, Benjamin needs to hear and understand the frustrations our community’s Black elected officials have with the current mayor. Frustrations that Black elected officials never had with the four other mayors Bishop Benjamin’s had the privilege to know and counsel.
This column two weeks ago wasn’t a slight on a great pastor, but an appeal to a great servant of God and a great counselor, that peoples’ hearts are troubled.
In his final months as pastor of his great church, Bishop Benjamin could perform a most needed service by bringing healing and rapprochement between those elected to represent and serve our African-American community and the individual elected to represent the entire community.
If Bishop Benjamin can bring these two groups together, the way he’s able to talk and play golf with the mayor, he will have performed another great service to his community and his city.
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Did the office of Mayor Ballard pull the trigger too quickly on closing The Project Charter School? School officials tell me in May, under the gun from the state, they’d agreed to lengthen their school day and beef up the time devoted to teaching the basics. But folks in the mayor’s charter school’s office refused to meet with the school to discuss their academic changes.
If true, then the Ballard administration seemingly was out to get the school before their horrid ISTEP results were known. If true, the school deserved a fair hearing and they have not received it.
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Could the mayor’s minions explain why, when other city/county departments are suffering budget cutbacks and their employees denied raises, the mayor’s minions are enjoying raises ranging from eight percent to 31 percent? To accommodate the new deputy mayor of education, salaries of the other deputy mayors and the chief of staff were jacked up $20,000 each. Other top mayoral minions got huge raises.
As we face a contentious 2013 Indy budget fight with the specter of layoffs of city/county workers, remember the mayor’s minions are living high on the hog.
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As Just Tellin’ It completes 18 years in your Indianapolis Recorder, I’m still amused and a bit puzzled at how many think that what’s written in these pages is routinely said over the radio.
In this column’s tenure, I’ve never read the words I write over the television or radio programs I’ve hosted. Never. I can count on one hand over these years the times I’ve even brought up subjects written here on the airwaves I’m privileged to speak over.
The folks at the Recorder want you to read my words, views and opinions in this newspaper; either the printed copy or on indianapolisrecorder.com. My opinions and views in Just Tellin’ It are for Recorder readers. My opinions and views elsewhere are for listeners and viewers of those media.
I’d have thought after 18 years folks would finally understand that. But some don’t, so this anniversary time is a good time for a reminder.
See ‘ya next week as we begin year 19!
You can email comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
