Monday, September 17, 2007

Carson Lands Job With Architectural/Engineering Firm

Just days after taking his appointed seat on the City-County Council, Andre Carson has landed a job as a "marketing specialist" for Cripe Architects + Engineers, Inc. according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. The firm does extensive government contracting work and boasts as major clients firms with close ties to Mayor Bart Peterson and Ice Miller's Lacy Johnson, such as Browning Investments. The IBJ writes today:

Andre Carson, who last month took over the City-County Council seat of Patrice Abdullah, has been hired by Cripe Architects + Engineers Inc. as a marketing specialist.

Carson, 32, is a grandson of U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, D-Indianapolis. He most recently was an investigator for the Indiana State Excise Police.

"We hired him because we needed a marketing specialist, not be because we needed a city councilor," Cripe Senior Vice President Dennis Southerland said. "He's a hard worker, a great young man."

Carson holds a master of science degree in business management from Indiana
Wesleyan University, Southerland said.

Abdullah, a Democrat, resigned his seat last month after the blog Advance Indiana reported that he was living at an address outside his district.

Carson is representing the 15th District until Election Day, Nov. 6, and running for the seat.

Much of Cripe's work centers on designing kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools as well as commercial projects by Browning Investments, Lauth Property Group and Duke Realty, and Clarian Health Partners.


The article claims Carson is running in the November 6 election. Again, Mr. Carson cannot be legally placed on the November ballot. Will someone in the GOP make sure Beth White has to comply with our election laws? A big hat tip to Polis Politics for catching this IBJ story.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cripe was also involved in the design and architecture work of 300 East.

Anonymous said...

Well now, isn't THAT convenient? Cripe wants to make sure their new sales guy proposes all kinds of new work for them to do on the taxpayer dime.

The public is going to flip.

Andre Carson's eligibility to be on council needs to be challenged.

Anonymous said...

Exhibit A: Cripe received no-bid contract for Indianapolis Midfield Airport terminal from airport authority courtesy of Lacy Johnson.

Anonymous said...

I have worked with Cripe on multiple projects. They are reputable and honest.

If you do any government work these days, it seems you're branded otherwise.

As for no-bid contracts...sometimes, they are appropriate. Not often.

It's just possible Andre has found a job for which he's qualified. I doubt it, but it is possible...

Anonymous said...

Well, that explains why he quit his gov't job. This one, I am sure, will be much more lucrative.

Andy Carson is a real piece of work!

Anonymous said...

"Andy Carson"


I was told by someone who knows that it is Andy (Jacobs)Carson.

Anonymous said...

"Andy Carson"
I was told by someone who knows that it is Andy (Jacobs)Carson.

You guys are really pathetic...

by the way, it's Andre

Anonymous said...

Putting a french twist to it does't change it a bit.

Andrew, Andre is the same.

Anonymous said...

All Carson did was drop the W.

Anonymous said...

Well, at least all the people that were bitching about the fact we have so many city-county council members that are government employees will have one less to bitch about. I guess that's a good thing, huh?

Anonymous said...

Gary--get it right, look at portion of the code that references last minute ballot vacancies...get it right

Gary R. Welsh said...

I got it right, 6:05. That seat became vacant when Abduallah said he moved out of the district last January, not in August when he got caught trying to pull a fast one on the voters. The Clerk's office, the Election Board and the Democratic Party knew Abduallah was claiming a residence outside the district before the May primary and did nothing. They have unclean hands and their illegal and fraudulent actions will not be rewarded by allowing Carson's name to appear on the ballot. The deadline for fillng the vacancy created last January have long passed by.

Gary R. Welsh said...

I got it right, 6:05. That seat became vacant when Abduallah said he moved out of the district last January, not in August when he got caught trying to pull a fast one on the voters. The Clerk's office, the Election Board and the Democratic Party knew Abduallah was claiming a residence outside the district before the May primary and did nothing. They have unclean hands and their illegal and fraudulent actions will not be rewarded by allowing Carson's name to appear on the ballot. The deadline for fillng the vacancy created last January has long passed by.

Anonymous said...

No doubt the boys at Cripe have had their eye on Andre for some time now. I can just hear the conversation at one of their recent staff meetings: "You know, we really need an excise police officer to handle our marketing for us, don't you think? What about that Andre Carson fellow? He sounds perfect for the job." And no doubt this conversation took place months before young Andre was lucky enough to find himself on the city-county council all of a sudden. I'm sure he's had his resume on file with them for a long time.

You know, some things just don't pass the smell test. This is one of them. Just one more item of evidence to demonstrate what a cesspool of nepotism and influence brokering our system of local government has become. I don't know if things were this bad in the Beurt SerVaas days, but if they were at least the Republicans were more subtle about it. Seems like the Democrats will stick it in you and break it off and don't care who knows about it.

Anonymous said...

Two corrections need to be made.

[1] His placement on the ballot meets all state election laws.

[2] Never in his 32 years has anyone call Andre Carson by the name "Andy"

Gary R. Welsh said...

anon 6:30, you can say his placement is legal all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that it is not legal. Our election laws are so regularly disregarded in this state it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if the Democrats were allowed to commit this latest fraud. If public employees can serve on the council in clear violation of the state constitution with the full blessing of our esteemed General Assembly, anything is possible. The rule of law is meaningless.

Anonymous said...

They have unclean hands and their illegal and fraudulent actions will not be rewarded by allowing Carson's name to appear on the ballot.

Despite all your Internet pleadings, I'm certain that Andre Carson will appear on the ballot this November.

anon 6:30, you can say his placement is legal all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that it is not legal. Our election laws are so regularly disregarded in this state it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if the Democrats were allowed to commit this latest fraud. If public employees can serve on the council in clear violation of the state constitution with the full blessing of our esteemed General Assembly, anything is possible. The rule of law is meaningless.

You're an officer of the court. Do something about it. Posting on a blog doesn't count.

Wilson46201 said...

So lawyers are no longer needed? Gonna resign from the Indiana Bar? Or are you going to hang in there taking money from clients knowing you are participating in a fraud and sham since "the rule of law is meaningless"? Wouldn't selling tractors be more honorable?

Wilson46201 said...

btw, it's "André" with an accent.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, so since when does a guy with a bachelor's in criminology and a master's in business management qualify to be a marketing specialist for an architecture and engineering firm? He may no longer make his primary living from the government, but it sure seems like he's been handed a do-nothing, make-work title so he can run his next campaign - but for which office?????

Anonymous said...

"Gonna resign from the Indiana Bar? Or are you going to hang in there taking money from clients knowing you are participating in a fraud and sham since "the rule of law is meaningless"?"

Speaking of rules of law.

For a lay person (someone not affiliated with the press) to bring a camera into the CCB is against the law. Wilson care to enlighten us on how you were permitted to do so. I understand that Chief Calis allowed it. Since when is a republican activist not allowed to bring in a camera into the CCB and a democrat activist is?
My sources inform me that it is a public safety/security issue, since the 911 attack, even folks with court cases aren't allowed to bring in digital cameras to produce evidence.
Wilson what you did was against the law with or without permission.

Is, "the rule of law is meaningless"?"

Is it when applied to democrats? Seems so.

Anonymous said...

I am not surprised at the relationship between Carson and Cripe. Cripe had the renovations contract for the Center Township Government Building while Julia Carson was Trustee.

A lawsuit will be filed if Beth White allows Andre Carson's name on the ballot in November. I am waiting to see a sample ballot in my district. Surely, she won't be that stupid this time before the November Election.

Lawsuits have a way of opening Pandora's Box!

Anonymous said...

4:36:

Carson is on the ballot. Go to this page:
http://www.indygov.org/eGov/County/Clerk/Election/home.htm

Download the 2007 Municipal Election Candidates (MS Excel format) from that page (or this link):
http://www.indygov.org/NR/rdonlyres/66396AA3-9A4F-4F0B-A969-AB4160C0D197/0/website.xls

Scroll down to candidate number 100. It's Mr. Carson.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Cripe one of the Investors in 300 East? The Lone White Guy?

Boy, this stinks.

Anonymous said...

"Crook Cripe"

Anonymous said...

I think this site has been taken over by the whiners, moaners, groaners and complainers who tell lies and half truths. The law is the law and Andre Carson is the only legal candidate on the ballot for city council in that district. The republicans didnt even care enough to run a candidate. bring on your lawsuit and waste your money.....it is real classy and mature to try to denigrate a person by telling lies about his grandmother.....

Anonymous said...

. . . bring on your lawsuit and waste your money. . .

That's the thing. The author of this blog IS an attorney. Since he has time to invest in this blog, he could certainly spend that time pursuing legal action like he calls for. If he did that, everyone would see that his positions are full of shit, and he wouldn't have anything to complain about anymore.

I liked AI better when it was more focused on fighting hatred, not perpetuating it.

Gary R. Welsh said...

"I liked AI better when it was more focused on fighting hatred, not perpetuating it."

That's it, pull out the race card every time someone raises a legitimate point about following the law. The election law applies to everyone. The election board 4 years ago allowed Councilor Patrice Abduallah to brazenly disobey our campaign finance laws ala Matt Kelty and he was allowed off the hook with a mere slap on the hand. Four years later he files a statement of candidacy announcing to the world he doesn't live in his district. The Election Board, the Democratic Party and the County Clerk knew his residency was outside the district and still allowed his name to illegally be place on the May primary ballot. Republicans aren't allowed to put a name on the ballot because they didn't file papers by the deadline. Yet, we are to believe that Indiana law permits Democrats to perpetrate a fraud on the public and still be allowed to put a name on the ballot after the deadline long passed. Remember, Abduallah moved out of his district last January, not in August. Democrats knew and chose to deceive the public instead of obeying the law. They only moved to fix the problem after they were caught--sort of like the way they are allowing Monroe Gray to amend his statement of economic interest after the fact and refusing to investigate his financial relationship with city contractors.

Anonymous said...

That's it, pull out the race card every time someone raises a legitimate point about following the law.

I wasn't even talking about race but if that's what you're sensitive toward, so be it. I was talking about your audience that has gone from having people like Masson and Stallio frequently comment, to being overtaken by rejects from IndyUndercover screaming "ghetto mafia" left and right. This seems to go hand-in-hand with the decline in your writing and reporting.

Yet, we are to believe that Indiana law permits Democrats to perpetrate a fraud on the public and still be allowed to put a name on the ballot after the deadline long passed.

You have the means and did nothing to stop it. You're just as guilty as the groups that you blame.

Remember, Abduallah moved out of his district last January, not in August. Democrats knew and chose to deceive the public instead of obeying the law.

A bunch of outlandish allegations without a scintilla of evidence to support them.

smyarian said...

After attempting to file for write in candidacy for City County Council in the 15th District, I was informed that I could not be a write in candidate because of the July 3rd deadline for this election. I am disturbed by this because Andre Carson, who replaced Patrice Abduallah on August 28th as 15th District City County Council person due his to forced resignation, did not file as a candidate before this deadline either, but was selected by a political party’s precinct committee, not the constituents of the 15th District. If Mr. Carson is allowed to run uncontested this election cycle, a travesty of democracy will be committed, and the citizens of the 15th District will not be able to vote for a candidate of their choice or be represented appropriately in the City County Council.

I challenge the legitimacy and validity of Andre Carson’s candidacy. I live in the 15th District and don’t know (as do many other 15th District constituents) who he is, what his agenda is, how he intends to represent the 15th District. All I do know is that he was selected by a bunch of politicians, not the people. If you go out on the street in the 15th District and ask people who Andre Carson is, they’ll say he is Julia Carson’s grandson. Is this the way to get into office? Is he just riding on the hem of his grandmother’s skirt? The last time I checked, we live in a democracy where the people choose who represents them, not a political caucus and most assuredly not a monarchy where political power is passed through generations.

Anonymous said...

Folks, nepotism and cronyism is alive and well not only in Indianapolis but all over the state. If you follow the successful A/E firms you will find they are some of the biggest supporters of political candidates and this support does not go without a price. The influence the large firms have state wide is daunting to the point where firms of a superior talent and ingenuity are passed over to make sure the money keeps flowing. Cripe's subtle attempt to hire a qualified marketing representative is actually a very smart move in central Indiana. Julia rules and Peterson stays in office because of her. Having a Carson on the team opens the front door to the City and other Democrat controlled governments. There is a big game out there in the A/E firms of influence and power. Congrats to Cripe for a good move and shame on the politicians for continuing their poor practices while sacrificing more of the people's money.