Greg Ballard for Mayor

The Ballard Rules

2007-08-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, my book is entitled The Ballard Rules: Small Unit Leadership. Several people have encouraged me to write The Ballard Rules for Indianapolis, and so I have. I’ve been thinking about and developing them for several months now and they serve as a guideline as to what I think is important and how I would govern. It’s easy to put a plan together; it’s a whole different thought process to delineate your principles as to how you would execute the Office of Mayor.

I list the five rules below, but if you want to read the narrative about each one of them, please click over to ballardformayor.com and then click on The Ballard Rules. I’m sure most of you feel as I do about the direction of our city and that you want to help reverse course. The Ballard Rules are designed to do just that.

The Ballard Rules for Indianapolis

1. Public Safety is Job 1

2. Local government officials should make financial decisions based on the welfare of the city 10 - 50 years out.

3. The education level expected of children reflects the priority of its citizens and its government.

4. Community welfare is a direct result of private companies wanting to call Indianapolis home.

5. Citizens are proud of their city, but they live in their neighborhoods.

Update

2007-08-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

Again, sorry for the delay in posting. The campaign is going full steam and available time is getting less and less. We've been to a lot of different places, to include multiple days at the State Fair, where most days Marion County residents were in abundance and there were radio shows to do. That's why we were amused that Matt Tully dismissed our rationale for going to the fair, while missing the bigger point of a press conference that we need more transparency and openness in our local government.

We are a lean operation, no doubt, and it's no surprise that the Mayor will have more money in his war chest than we will, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we are right on the issues. Wherever people hear our message, they move our way. Most people in this city are fed up with the results of the past eight years. I've had enough of it. That's why I'm running. Have you had enough? Remember in November.

Reaction to the Poll

2007-08-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the reaction to an event is more illuminating than the event itself. The vehemence with which the Marion County Democratic Party responded to the poll was interesting, to say the least. Now I read on another local blog that the Mayor is starting to attend neighborhood association meetings, something I have been doing for months. Both reactions speak volumes.

Visibility

2007-08-16T05:28:00.000-07:00

Campaigning can be a lot of fun, but I sometimes hear that people would like to see more of me. I can tell you honestly that we go to absolutely every event we can and talk to as many people as we can. It seems to be working as more and more people are clearly hearing our message and are happy to see me or members of my campaign.

Last Saturday, we were at the book bag giveaway at the Walker Theater and then went to A Taste of Downtown hosted by Easley Winery. Sunday, I was at Ellenberger Park for the Farmers Market and then went to the State Fair, where we reside in the Agriculture for Mitch area in Exposition Hall. We've been to the State Fair three times this week and anticipate being there this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. I speak at the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations this Saturday and then will be in the Clermont Parade. After the parade, I anticipate visiting the Desert Moon Equine Academy that works with urban youth and will also try and get to the fair again.

We are busy, and we are out there. I truly appreciate everybody helping us spread the word. More and more people are coming on board. Thanks to all.

Sorry for the Delay

2007-08-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not posting more regularly. As you can imagine, the campaign trail is tiring and too often I opt for sleep rather than post. I also have several comments from visitors to place on this blog and I will get to them hopefully tonight. Remember in November.

Disturbed by Cartoon

2007-08-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

I was very disturbed by the recent graphic depiction of Mayor Peterson, Sheriff Anderson, and Council President Gray that was produced and circulated by a group not affiliated with my campaign. Considering my wife and children are people of color, I am discouraged and offended that such racially insensitive materials were brought into the political arena. While I understand the concerns of many that their leaders have failed them on issues of crime, taxes, fiscal management, and civility, human dignity must never be sacrificed to make a point. I call on those who posted this "cartoon" to immediately remove it from use, and to use better judgment when expressing their frustration in the future.

Walking Last Saturday

2007-08-06T03:31:00.001-07:00

I went walking and knocking on doors last Saturday on the Eastside with Ben Hunter, an outstanding City-County Council Candidate. Clearly, people are still angry with the direction of the city. Spread the word. We can change the direction of our city, and we will.

Quality of Life/Can We Afford Peterson Plan 3?

2007-08-06T03:29:00.000-07:00

What makes for a good quality of life in a city? It is a question that is extremely relevant for today’s Indianapolis. I moved back to this city after retiring from the Marines because I wanted my kids to call Indianapolis their hometown. Now, due to an ever-increasing crime rate and a declining educational system, the middle class continues to move out of Indy at alarming rates and even more families are considering moving every day. They get far better value for their dollar just outside of Indianapolis.

Companies looking to move to Central Indiana are choosing almost anywhere but Indianapolis. There are reasons that companies are moving to Hendricks and Hamilton Counties in droves while Indy lags behind. It’s disturbing, but understandable considering the direction this city is headed. Our tax base erodes even further and those choosing to remain in the city have their rates raised, as we have just seen clearly in the last two months.

Let’s look at some quality of life issues.

Crime. As any sociologist would tell you, physical safety is a foundation of human life. No one thinks about going to a ball game, reading a book, or enjoying the sunset while getting mugged. Higher-level pursuits are simply not relevant in a crime-ridden society. I’ve altered my behavior in the last couple of years and I’m sure many of you have also.

Indianapolis has a crime rate that is drawing national attention, and it is getting worse, not better. This is not part of a national trend; it is an Indianapolis problem. I could give you statistics until you drop, but just two will suffice. Murders were up 55% from 2005 to 2006, while nationally, for cities our size, murder was up 1%. This year, carjackings are currently up 145%!

The Mayor would tell you that he is not responsible for crime, since he gave away his police department to the Sheriff during consolidation. I have said repeatedly that I would petition the State Legislature to put control of the police department back underneath the Mayor. Isn’t that one of the reasons you elect a Mayor?

The Mayor has had eight years and his programs are in place. But crime is still out of control. Many will tell you that nothing new is coming to fight crime. Just the same old stuff. It’s time for a change.

Education. As many of you know, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. But it is also critical to the future of Indianapolis. Yes, companies look at our crime rate, but they also look for an educated population. When I do seminars and ask companies what is the most pressing problem for them, without fail they reply “Finding a good worker.”

Yet IPS graduates less than half of its students and many of our township schools are heading down the same path. Are we really focused on education in this city?

In the Ballard Rules for Indianapolis, which is on my website ballardformayor.com, I say that “The education level expected of children reflects the priority of its citizens and its government.” With the recent truancy problems at John Marshall Middle School and others, it seems to me that education is a low priority within our community. We are not only failing our children, many of whom will turn to crime without a good education, we are also dooming the economic development of the city of Indianapolis.

The Mayor has had eight years and education is getting worse. Many of you would say that the Mayor is not responsible for education. Really? Isn’t he responsible for the safety, security and well-being of the citizens of Indianapolis? He needs to weigh in and he hasn’t. It’s time for a change.

Taxes. Spending in this city is out of control. Not only the city budget, but also all of the taxing agencies (60+) are making your hard-earned dollars disappear. I could go on and on about this subject, but suffice it to say that long-term debt in this city has dramatically increased and all of the various taxing agencies are directly affecting your property tax bill.

The real problem is diluted accountability. No one in Indianapolis is looking out for the welfare of the taxpayer. All of the units of government operate independently with no oversight. Consequently, your taxes are raised a bit here and a bit there, but the overall effect is horrendous. The Mayor and his people know how this works; they just hope that you don’t.

The system is designed so that no one is responsible, but the Mayor should always be looking out for the welfare of the taxpayer. I would provide that oversight of the various taxing agencies and cut spending.

The Mayor has had eight years and taxes are out of control. It’s time for a change.

How are we doing on quality of life so far? Notice a pattern? No accountability, no one in charge. It’s easy to look out ten to twenty years and see what this city will look like? Sure we have some nice facilities and attractions, but soon the only people coming to see them will be from neighboring communities, if the risk is not too great.

Economic Development? Not unless we get crime and education under control. Without economic development, where will the jobs come from? In a few years, citizens of Indianapolis will be driving to Brownsburg or Carmel to their jobs, not the other way around. Which company wants to place their workers in physical jeopardy daily and have their workers’ children attend substandard schools? None that I know of.

I love Indianapolis, but you must see the warning signs. I’ve said repeatedly that the city is going in the wrong direction. Can you see it now? The Mayor has had eight years and the future quality of life for the citizens of Indianapolis is in doubt. Can we afford Peterson Plan 3? I truly believe that if we have four more years of this sort of government that Indianapolis will be lost for a generation or more. Think about it. Tell your friends.

Hiring Freeze or Not?

2007-08-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

A few days after the Mayor announced a hiring freeze, he issues a press release saying that he has hired two new neighborhood liaisons. Saying one thing and doing another is a definite pattern for this administration. Remember in November.

Rallies - Too Much Fun

2007-08-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven’t written in quite a few days. It’s been rather hectic, especially going to so many property tax rallies.

I went to the Indiana Tea Party in Broad Ripple last Saturday where a few hundred people showed up. They put their tax bills in a giant “teabag” and lowered it into the canal. It was great. We also registered quite a few people to vote, handed out dozens of bumper stickers (“Had Enough? Vote Ballard”), and signed up lots of volunteers.

On Monday night, I went to Advance America’s rally at Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria in Greenwood, hosted by Woody Burton. About 800 Marion County and Johnson County people showed up. They were treated to a terrific slide show presentation by Eric Miller on the questions surrounding property taxes. Eric also showed the audience how many and who in the State Legislature supported eliminating property taxes in Indiana. Several of those legislators who support elimination were in attendance to include Patricia Miller, Jon Elrod, David Frizzell, and Larry Buell. Eric noted that the Mayor of Indianapolis wasn’t present, but then said that his opponent, me, was. Some nice, long applause. It was a good moment.

What many people are finally beginning to see is that the only way to “reform” property taxes is to get rid of them. I know from my many years in the Marines that a government program’s main function is to grow. I’ve said before that Indiana keeps trying to reform these taxes by reducing their effects, but the real long term effect is a drain on wealth and investment. Property taxes are not a good indicator of ability to pay, and they dramatically hurt senior citizens who have done everything the right way, just to have their home of twenty, thirty, or forty years taken away from them.

Most of you know that I have called for the elimination of property taxes. Private property is part of what makes America great and separates us from many other countries. It’s not truly “private” property if the government can take it from you. I’d rather see a better mix of sales and income taxes. I know many of you want a straight sales tax, but I’m not there. I think that on a state level, it is too regressive and would hurt the poor too much. But property taxes have got to go.

Property Taxes Again

2007-07-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Owning private property is a hallmark of our economic system and separates us from most other countries in the world. Part of the American dream is owning your own home or business. If you think you own your home, don’t pay your property taxes and see who really owns your home.

Yesterday, I was at the Commission on State Tax and Financing Policy meeting where property taxes were discussed. I could only stay for two and a half hours, but the personal comments from the audience were powerful. Unfortunately, the committee seemed most interested in reforming the system instead of eliminating the system. The dichotomy in thought between the people and the committee was obvious and disappointing.

Many smart people believe property taxes can be modified or reformed. They miss the principle of private property and the hard-earned wisdom that a government program’s main function is to grow for the benefit of those in office.

I believe residential property taxes need to be eliminated as soon as possible with an ultimate goal of constitutionally eliminating all state-wide property taxes. Why not just modify the tax? I’ve talked with many people on this subject, including a noted economist/tax specialist who has researched state property taxes back to 1933 and worked on state taxing issues since the early 1970s. Property tax relief has been the mantra of all reform since the 1930s, but only Otis Bowen made it work and once he left office, the monster grew again. That’s what governments programs do. Grow. We must cut off the head of this snake or it will grow again. The American Dream awaits.

65% Income Tax Increase - Remember in November

2007-07-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ginny Cain, City-County Councilwoman from Lawrence said it best. Paraphrasing, she said that every year the city is in a crisis and every year the City-County Council votes to raise Marion County income taxes to solve that crisis. What she would like to see is some fiscal responsibility from the Mayor’s office. So would most citizens of Marion County; unfortunately, not enough members of the City-County Council share that sentiment. The income tax increase passed 15 - 13. The people of Indianapolis have to start seeing through this sham of an administration.

Since property owners have already been thrown for a loop, it was almost a given that the meeting was going to be raucous, almost tense. Several groups from the audience were thrown out due to protesting loudly before the vote. The chicken showed up. The words between councilors were much sharper than usual. It was fun to watch.

When I ask people who is in charge of Public Safety, I get up to five different answers, which means no one is in charge. Likewise, no one is in charge of Education across the county, where results are poor at best. No one in the county is monitoring the 60-plus taxing agencies we have, that tax us unmercifully.

So we have no county-wide leadership in Public Safety, which accounts for over half the City-County budget. We have no county-wide leadership in Education, which accounts for half of property taxes. We have no county-wide leadership on corralling and monitoring the 60-plus taxing agencies. But when there is an income tax increase to pass, we have county-wide leadership coming out of the woodwork.

The Mayor is counting on everyone forgetting about last night before the elections in November. Don’t let him forget. He’s the conductor of this orchestra and only by voting him out will this music stop.

Ineffectiveness and Value for the Dollar

2007-07-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

I’m sure they’re all nice people. However, a complete ineffectiveness, an inability to plan ahead and make things happen, is a hallmark of those whom we elected to serve us in our city. I was on the Greg Garrison Show last Thursday expressing my disgust that they can’t seem to do anything right, from running an election (remember the recent primary which was a shame on our democracy) to proper assessment of property taxes. What are we getting for our money?

Then just yesterday, I attended the monthly Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations’ (MCANA) meeting where Bart Peterson was the speaker. When questioned about the upcoming income tax vote at the City-County Council meeting, he was asked why we should trust him with more of our money, citing the federal dollars given to the city for those cameras that are intended to reduce crime and the city’s inability to make them work. The Mayor deferred to one of his staffers who said the cameras were harder to install that they thought (don’t businesses do this every day? – I had cameras installed when I worked at a company a few years back; it’s not complex). She said that in one case they installed a camera and then discovered there was no power source there; so they had to install a power source also.

Think about it. Who would install a camera or any device without checking if a power source existed? Nice people, but simply ineffective.

To my delight, Matt Tully of the Star ran a column on Friday saying essentially what I said on the Garrison show. On assessments, he said “That’s the government equivalent of a waiter spilling a pot of coffee in your lap – on purpose.” He then said “It’s hard to remember the last time we saw such an utter failure on the part of local government.”

On elections (he entitled the section Democracy), he said, “Polls didn’t open. Voters couldn’t vote. Democracy stalled for a day…Beth White was unable to provide a basic government service – in this case, an election.”

Tully then mentioned that IPS (remember that schools are over half of your property tax bill) might have to return hundreds of thousands of dollars to the state because middle school students only attended 177 days of school instead of the mandated 180.

He closed saying he didn’t even mention crime, The Central Library, or the coroner’s office.

Really, who’s in charge? Is anyone?

You can’t separate what has gone before from where we are now. As many taxpayers have pointed out at the various rallies and in the City County Council meetings, if the Mayor had done things correctly in the first place, crime would not have risen to where it is and he would not be asking for an income tax increase. If he had actually convened his Fiscal Policy Council, he could have reigned in all of these taxing agencies (such as the Library Board). He could have had public safety pension relief if he had effectively lobbied at the Statehouse; instead he now wants to raise your income taxes. He could have had fire and trustee consolidation (it was offered to him at the Statehouse and he declined to consolidate the trustees). Unbelievably, at the aforementioned MCANA yesterday, he said he was in favor of trustee consolidation. Anyone following the trail knows the truth here.

Instead, he fails to act early and then rides in on his white horse to save us from his own inaction. The citizens of Indianapolis have to see through this.

Nice people. Ineffective.

Anger and Property Taxes

2007-07-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

Anger. Raw, unadulterated anger. That’s what I felt. I could not believe that the Mayor wants to put a tax burden on our children to make up for his failing to take the proper actions for Indianapolis leading to this recent property tax crisis. How could he even think about doing such a thing? He could have:

1. Cut spending. For example: $1 million on public relations and $300K for lobbying efforts at the Statehouse this past session where his only legislative victory was to gain the ability to raise your taxes, which he promptly did. Look close to the flagpole with the Deputy Mayors and Assistant Mayors. How about having a Director of Public Safety and then a consultant to the Director of Public Safety? Then what does the Director of Public Safety do? There are cuts to be made.

2. Actually executed his Fiscal Policy Council, a good idea to corral and monitor all of the various taxing agencies in the county. Instead, as he frequently does, he trumpeted a new program and then did nothing with it. I talked to a member of the Fiscal Policy Council and he told me they’ve met twice in four years and actually did nothing. A very typical action by this administration. Glamour but no substance.

3. Effectively lobbied at the Statehouse this past session. He was rarely there and could not have been more ineffective than he was in representing Indianapolis. There was a plan for lottery privatization with $2 billion of estimated revenue that would have virtually eliminated the police and fire pension problems for not only Indianapolis, but many other municipalities. Instead, he now wants to raise your income tax to pay for this. He could have had his fire consolidation, but refused when the State would accede to this action as long as the township trustees were consolidated as well. He now talks about wanting the State to pick up the child welfare costs, a good idea, but where was this thought when the State Legislature was in session? Did he ask the state to pick up the school portion of property taxes? No. The Speaker of the House, a member of the Mayor’s own party, wouldn’t meet with him. He was a non-entity at this past session and we are all paying for it.

We held a press conference last Friday slamming the Peterson administration for this scheme. Amazingly, I was asked "What would I do?" You can see above what I would have done to avoid the situation.

What galls me is that the mayor has so many people fooled. He has a disturbing, long running habit of failing to lead and plan for the future and then pretends to ride in on a white horse as the savior. The people of Indianapolis have to start seeing through this. He does it all the time.

It makes me angry. Not only that he does it, but that so many people can’t see through it. It should make you angry as well.

Why I Want to Be Mayor

2007-07-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

The most common question I receive is “Why do I want to be Mayor?” Sometimes this is presented as just a straightforward question; other times it is tendered as something like “Why would want you want to put yourself through this?” No matter the nuance, I answer the same way.

I want to be the Mayor of Indianapolis because our city is heading in the wrong direction. When I look out ten to twenty years, I don’t see a thriving, vibrant city. Due to our crime rate that is well above the national average and still growing, the overall poor education of our children, and a lack of emphasis on serious, long term economic development, Indianapolis, two decades out, has the potential to be a blighted, dangerous city with a few pockets of success stories. The trend is already one of many middle class families moving to the doughnut counties to be in a lower crime area and nearer to better schools. Soon, Indianapolis could be a city that accepts only the very rich and the desperate poor. That is a recipe for social and economic disaster.

I feel compelled to run for Mayor because I want to make the difficult decisions to put the city on the right path. If these decisions cost me reelection, so be it. I only want to do what’s right for Indianapolis. When I retired from the Marine Corps in 2001 from Stuttgart, Germany, I could have moved my family to almost any city in the world. However, I wanted to my kids, then heading into high school, to call Indianapolis their hometown, as I love to do. I want all of our children to be proud to call Indianapolis their hometown, but I’m afraid that in a few years, Indianapolis may not be such a proud place to call home. It’s easy to be fooled by the glitz and glamour of some of our attractions, but at its core, the city is not going where it needs to go.

It is sometimes difficult for a city to look forward, but we must do so now. I believe government officials should always act in the best long-term interest of the community, but too many times, our government officials have looked to a short term, politically acceptable solution. That is a definite characteristic of the Peterson administration. It is time to change that philosophy. We cannot afford four more years of this administration.
Posted by Greg Ballard at 7:50 PM 0 comments

Love of Country

2007-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

The week of July 4th always rekindles my love of country. I wore the uniform for 23 years and it means more to me each passing year. This year, I was lucky enough to spend portions of two days each in the great communities of Beech Grove and Lawrence, participating in festivals and parades. I also attended an outdoor party at a friend’s house and my family’s annual reunion down in Martinsville.

On our way back from Martinsville, we stopped in New Whiteland at the Honor Our Heroes event. This is a tremendous annual event just south of Indianapolis attended by thousands. The event honors our military, and our police and fire department personnel. It is organized by many folks but Jeff Cardwell, who is running for City-County Council, is the driving force.

The highlight of the week, though, was the Naturalization Ceremony on Monday July 2nd at the Benjamin Harrison Home on North Delaware. I slipped in the back of the audience quietly. The proceedings were eloquently handled by Judge Sara Evans Barker with just the right mixture of humor and solemnity. My wife became a naturalized citizen in the 1980s in Los Angeles and all such ceremonies make everyone’s eyes moisten just a bit. It really drives home what it means to be an American. If you ever get a chance to attend one, you will enjoy it immensely.

Behind the Taxing Numbers

2007-07-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 1, 2007

Wow. I really could not believe what I was hearing at the Mayor’s press conference last Thursday on the steps of the Statehouse. The Mayor was issuing a call to the Governor to convene a special session of the State Legislature to deal with property tax issues. (Thankfully, Matt Tully of the Star pointed out the next day that the Mayor had used exactly the same tactic four years ago – even with the same headline in the official press release).

This was shameful enough, but then the Mayor said that he was not there to engage in finger pointing and then proceeded to point fingers at the Statehouse. Of course, most of the fingers should have been pointing at the Mayor himself with his failure to stand up for the citizens of Indianapolis during the last session of the State Legislature. When Abdul Hakim Shabazz of WXNT asked about what had gone before, the Mayor said he was not there to talk about the past, but only about the future and “going forward.” It was a page right out of Mark McGwire’s testimony on Capitol Hill. Unbelievable.

You simply can not take the last few days of income and property tax shocks and remove them from the context of what happened in the past. The Mayor has a sustained pattern of failing to act appropriately and then calling for dramatic action as a last resort with him as the savior. In my book, I tell leaders that they must take care of A, so that B and C don’t occur. The Mayor never takes care of A, so the bad news of B and C are always around the corner.

The Mayor is counting on the citizens of Indianapolis to forget about the past, so we should document it here. Everyone knew during the last session of the legislature that property tax increases would be enormous. This was no secret. The Mayor was largely absent and/or ineffective during this session and Pat Bauer and the Democratic majority in the House killed the proposal that would have provided $450 million in property tax relief this year. The Mayor’s own party did this. Instead, the citizens got a watered down version with much less property tax relief.

During the past session, he never requested that the state take over the child welfare costs from Marion County, but he did so during the press conference and even asked that the costs to be paid back be retroactive to 2005. Where has he been the past two years on this issue? He’s counting on everyone to forget his inaction.

The day before his press conference on the Statehouse steps, he held a highly orchestrated press conference at the Boner Community Center on the near eastside to announce a 65% income tax increase to fund $90 million for “Public Safety.” This press conference too positioned himself as the savior, but facts can be stubborn things.

The State Legislature wanted to provide $300 million dollars in pension relief throughout the state through lottery privatization, which would have gone a long way toward reducing the $30 million of police and fire pensions with which the Mayor is now taxing the citizens of Indianapolis every year. The Mayor did not lobby or support this bill and of course it was killed by his own party.

Additionally, he announced the hiring of 100 new police officers to great applause (no doubt a response to our campaign’s request to put more cops on the street), but until proven otherwise, these 100 cops appear to be those already heading for the academy. These new cops are or should be already funded, so why is he taxing the citizens another $11 million for these cops? Not to mention that these new cops will only replace those scheduled to leave the department by the end of the year, leaving the city essentially the same shortage of cops we have now. The Mayor is counting on no one breaking down this analysis.

If he was serious about putting more police on the street, he would call for an increase in authorization levels, but he never mentions this. He’s hoping no one will look more deeply when he says “100 more police.” What a sham. The FBI recommendation for cities is 2.5 cops per one thousand residents. Indianapolis is currently below 2 per thousand. I wonder why crime is high in our city.

Another $30 million of the $90 million tax increase is described by such words as “maintain” and “continue” and “pay overtime.” Aren’t these in the current budget? Another $10 million is to “fund current contracts for police officers and firefighters.” Did we not already budget to pay for our police and firefighters?

This $90 million tax increase needs to be scrutinized very closely. Thirty million of it could have been taken care of by the State Legislature this past spring. Forty to fifty million appears to be taxing the citizens of Indianapolis for items that are already budgeted for.

The Mayor’s only legislative victory at the Statehouse this year was to gain the capability to increase income taxes on the citizens of Indianapolis, which he promptly did. However, no one should forget the past, the Mayor’s inaction, that got us to this point.

We deserve better than this. The Mayor didn’t take care of our problems when he could have and he is now fixing it by siphoning off even more from our overburdened taxpayers. Very brazen. He’s counting on all of us not to notice.

Welcome

2007-06-17T19:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Greg Ballard for Mayor blog. I will use this space to communicate what I feel are the important issues surrounding Indianapolis and also to convey my thoughts and feelings about the Mayor’s race as it develops heading into the November election.

I have had a few people tell me the last couple of years that I should consider public office and frankly, with twenty-three years in the Marine Corps, all should understand that at heart, I am a public servant. Some friends believed I had the particular skill set to be the Mayor and wanted me to seriously consider running. Due to a peculiar set of circumstances, the nomination to be the Republican candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis fell to me. I am happy that it did, and trust me, I’m up to the challenge.

I want to be the Mayor of Indianapolis because our city is heading in the wrong direction. When I look out ten to twenty years, I don’t see a thriving, vibrant city. Due to our crime rate that is well above the national average and still growing, the overall poor education of our children, and a lack of emphasis on serious, long term economic development, Indianapolis, two decades out, has the potential to be a blighted, dangerous city with a few pockets of success stories. The trend is already one of many middle class families moving to the doughnut counties to be in a lower crime area and nearer to better schools. Soon, Indianapolis could be a city that accepts only the very rich and the desperate poor. That is a recipe for social and economic disaster.

It is sometimes difficult for a city to look forward, but we must do so now. I believe government officials should always act in the best long-term interest of the community, but too many times, our government officials have looked to a short term, politically acceptable solution.

This will be an overriding theme of this blog. I feel compelled to run for Mayor because I want to make the difficult decisions to put the city on the right path. If these decisions cost me reelection, so be it. I only want to do what’s right for Indianapolis.