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Monday, November 12, 2007
GOP Taps Cockrum For Council President
Those hoping for a fresh face from the GOP to serve as the City-County Council President may be disappointed in the GOP's choice. Robert Cockrum, a retired GM employee and 12-year veteran of the council has been chosen by the GOP caucus to be the next council president. The Republicans chose Lincoln Plowman, an IMPD police officer, to serve as its Majority Leader, raising once again the issue of a conflict of interest on matters pertaining to public safety. New-comers Ryan Vaughn and Kent Smith were given the largely ceremonial positions of Majority Whip and Vice President, respectively.
Gary,
ReplyDeleteBob Cockrum received it on longevity in service. You'll disagree with me on this but I think for the first year this was the right call. There's a bunch of newbies on our side of the aisle and there is the need for someone who has been around for a while to herd the cats.
Now that thud you heard coming from the far eastside was my jaw hitting the floor on Kent Smith being named Council VP. Kent is a great guy but naming an incoming freshman as Council VP surprised me. If this is a setup for a future Council presidency for Kent remains to be seen.
How's that repeal of the 0.65% COIT increase going to fare now? The "revolutionaries" will be waiting!
ReplyDeleteWilson is a sore loser.....
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Fred Mertz will be leading the council. Hopefully he won't fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteWhy the newcomer as vice president? Was he a compromise candidate?
ReplyDeleteanonymous 11:21 - My extremely extreme guess is perhaps they want to "try out" Kent and perhaps "groom" him for a leadership role on the Council.
ReplyDeleteBob is one of the nicest guys on the council. Longevity gets it done, tho...this is the establishment talking.
ReplyDeleteA hint to the wise: we Dems chose Rozelle as our first president. Pretty nice guy, been there a long time--and a complete unmitigated disaster as president. His loose-handling of King Ro is what led to the Monroe Gray nonsense in the first place. They needed adult supervision. But it wasn't Rozelle. Not even close.
Just sayin'.
Sometimes, experience isn't the best teacher. Voters last week spoke loudly about their desires. This may be a "slip but not stumble" kind of leadership.
The Republicans could do worse. At least Aaron Haith won't be lurkign overhis right shoudler, having to whisper every move into the president's ear.
(Giggle)
As a practical matter, Wilson, I'm not sure it is even realistic at this late date to repeal the COIT during the current fiscal year. The budget has already been adopted and the tax is being levied. Ballard will need the first few months in office to identify where to make the cuts to meet his goal. This talk of the Democratic-controlled council repealing it before they leave office is simply a way of wreaking havoc on the new administration, knowing it would force them to throw out the budget the Democrats had spent months preparing and beginning anew with a new budget. Further, there seems to be real hope of major changes in the property tax system to provide relief next year to homeowners. Ballard could be facing an entirely new financial perspective from a local government standpoint before the legislature concludes the session in a few months. It would be wise to make the decision on what to do with COIT knowing that outcome.
ReplyDeleteBye, bye Wilson. You need to groom some of your feloow democrat councillors on leadership after the shock is over1
ReplyDeleteAnd I should add, he will no doubt begin the process of trimming that Democratic-approved budget after he has been able to study the issue more closely and make rational decisions regardless of whether the COIT increase is repealed immediately.
ReplyDeleteTo Cockrum's credit, he was the only Republican council member (besides Keller and Langsford) who would even sit in on the hearings on the HRO. In the end, he voted against it, but at least he was willing to listen.
ReplyDeleteIt was Bob Cockrum who introducted the ordinance that resulted in the wastewater projects that are being done.
ReplyDeletebart peterson was trying to take credit for it during the campaign, but I attended many sewer/wastewater task force meetings while peterson was running for office the first time. He didn't start that.
Wilson, don't you have something important to do? Like re-arrange your spice rack, ive into Mitch's dumpster, go somewhere and speak out for the GLBT movement, or just enjoy a nice tall glass of shut the heck up?
ReplyDeleteman, you are as annoying as indyernie, garyj, and sir hailstone, combined.
Get a life, dude!
Some people like me enjoy good political discussion -- others hide behind "anonymous" just to make snide personal attacks on other commenters. Pitiful!
ReplyDeleteI think it is more like Fred Flintsone than Fred Mertz....now if the spineless Democrats elect Monroe Gray as minority leader, I will vote straight republican next year. Angela Mansfield is the only one brave enough to say publicly what everyone is saying privately. Gray is a sleazebag lsoer.
ReplyDeleteSee Monroe run.
ReplyDeleteSee Monroe lose.
See Monroe get indicted.
See Monroe go to jail.
See the Democrats win big in 08 without Monroe and his juice.
See JoAnne run.
ReplyDeleteSee JoAnne win.
See Joanne restore integrity to the Democrat caucus.
See the Democrats win again.
2:48, you need a short history lesson on the Combined Sewer Overflow issue.
ReplyDeleteCouncillor Beulah Coughenour (R), who retired four or eight years ago, began this worthwhile discussion in 1980. Her solution then cost $45-50 million tops. Her fellow Republicans poo-poohed it for over 25years, sacrificing it, and other expensive problems, at the altar of no new tax inreases. It was a shame. She had it right.
Bob Cockrum is a nice fellow, but I've watched him in council hearings and meetings for eight years now. He did not arrive at the CSO fix details independently. The Peterson administration proposed a fix in 2002, frankly, to satisfy EPA demands as much as to do the right thing.
I'm not sure Bob Cockrum can even spell Combined Sewer Overflow. He's awfully nice, but not terribly deep. That's OK--he'll be a decent president. He's civil and polite, qualities long since lost in the council presidency. And he doesn't pass my personal "fish" test. It's a tad snobbish, perhaps, but here it is:
Anyone who says "feesh" instead of "fish," you're going to have to explain things slowly.
I have found this little test to be almost 100% accurate.
Sadly.
B Cockrum was on WIBC's night news talk show this evening (taped interview before the CCC meeting).
ReplyDeleteInteresting points:
1. Yes, the IMPD will come back to the mayor, the ordinance "will have to go through the process" and he says "we are getting legal opinions" about whether the CCC can do this on its own. (without the State, he says...I thought that was resolved a couple days ago??)
2. Well, we don't really know where we can cut spending, we can't really do anything til January.
3. (Between the lines) No way Jose and government consolidation. He cited need for assessors to be in townships b/c they used to be at the City Co Bldg and they had constituent complaints about driving & parking... Also cited former single school corp in Marion Co outside IPS at one time (when? the 60s?) and how it was better to take it to the township level. Actual quote was something like "we're going to have to decide what kind of government service people want" (and, in his view, it seems to be "township")
Host of the show noted something like "Hmm, Mitch Daniels, Bart Peterson, Greg Ballard... all wanted consolidation. This guy seems to have other ideas."
As with legislature when R's controlled the southside townships will fight this tooth & nail, I predict, through both their state reps. and CCC members. (Of course Center hacks will oppose also...)