Wednesday, July 11, 2007

GOP Challenges Peterson's Latest Crime-Fighting Ad

Watching Mayor Bart Peterson (D) and Sheriff Frank Anderson (D) sing the praises of their crime-fighting efforts in Mayor Peterson's latest campaign commercial, you could get the distinct impression the 8-year incumbent mayor and the 4-year incumbent sheriff just arrived on the Indianapolis scene to clean up the city. Keep in mind Peterson is promising nothing new this year; rather, a warmed-over version of what he served up to voters in his Peterson Plan 8 years ago in his first run as today's fare. Unfortunately, the local television stations are just cashing the welcome ad revenues and aren't scrutinizing the extremely misleading content of the ad. Marion Co. GOP Chairman Tom John is, however, making an effort to act as a one-man truth squad. John says of Peterson:

“Before Mayor Peterson stunned this city with his massive tax increases, the number one issue in this Mayoral campaign was crime,” John said. “The Mayor simply has not shown any real leadership on crime, which is why he is now spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads to try to fix his image.”

John noted that in Peterson’s most recent ad buy, the Mayor had to pull his original ad, in which he promoted his $90 million tax hike to fund public-safety-related spending, due to poor reception. Peterson has since been running spots with Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson promoting his crime-related initiatives.

“You can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Bart Peterson knows that it is wrong to call for a tax increase while leaving Marion County homeowners suffering due to the County’s poor handling of property taxes,” said John. “The Mayor can try and say he has been out front on crime, but the reality on the streets is far different than in the Mayor’s television fantasy world.”

John noted this summer’s recent arson wave, as well as the recent Federal Bureau of Investigation report showing little improvement in Indianapolis’ crime and murder rates. John himself was a victim of burglary in the past month, having several thousand dollars of property stolen from his garage in his Indianapolis home.

“What this city deserves more than anything else is an honest discussion of the serious impending issues facing Marion County,” John said. “Instead, Bart Peterson has consistently played the blame game and tried to pass the buck to everyone else on taxes and crime. These ads are nothing more than the Mayor’s effort to distract attention from and hide his actual record.”

John renewed his call for Peterson to change his course of action by cutting non-public safety spending, offer Marion County homeowners property tax relief, and to put more cops on the streets.

“Bart Peterson has spent nearly a decade as Mayor asking voters to help out Marion County government. The time has come for Bart Peterson to start asking what his administration can do to help the citizens of Indianapolis,” John noted. "Unfortunately, in the Mayor’s spree of spending and blaming, he seems to have forgotten that we have a government of the people, by the people and for the people—not the other way around.”

I'm wondering if this is how it's going to be throughout the rest of this campaign. Mayor Peterson runs totally false and misleading feel good ads, Tom John issues a press release and the local news media yawns.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

In answer to your question, Gary: yes. This is how it's going to be until Bart cruises to re-election.

By at least 10 percent.

I'm a Dem. but the ads are a little irritating, to be honest.

Anonymous said...

Nuvo ran a story on the bands that had their stuff stolen from a downtown storage unit. The Nuvo article said that theft reports alone are backlogged by 5,000. I think petty theft is running rampant in this city. I hightly suggest to everyone that they cut back on eating out one day a month and use that $30s to get a home alarm system. I would also highly suggest a high quality safe for those with rare coins, jewelry, laptops or other small electronics, firearms, or anything else of value. Wal-mart sells a basic safe for just at $300. Gander Mountain sells some higher quality safes at around $700.

Anonymous said...

We can help get that message across at the City Council Public Hearing on Monday.

This is our opportunity to completely roast Peterson and the ghetto mafia and corporate billionaires he serves with our money.

Everyone should make at least two signs, so we have plenty to share. I plan to bring a pile of posters with me.

Peterson, Scott Keller, and Monroe Gray cannot safely hide come Monday.

It's our DUTY, if we want to save our city, to tell Indy's citizens who are not paying attention the truth. I have no doubt having attended the protests that the mainstream media WILL put our signs on the air! Afterall, they live in this nightmare created by Peterson too!

Wilson46201 said...

With the local GOP so desperately underfunded, why is a party functionary getting the play in "earned media"? GOP mayoral candidate Ballard needs every bit of publicity he can get - why are other Republicans hogging the limelight and the message?

Anonymous said...

The political reality is that without money for TV ads a candidate cannot effectively counter the Mayor's claims. It's very basic, if you want to play you have to pay. Unfortunately, all of the "old Republican money" is now in Bart's campaign coffers.
Peterson's playing the same tune that the Republicans played for 35 years only now our Mayor is wearing a Democrat hat.