Friday, January 11, 2008

Outrageous Statement Of The Day

It's hard to top this statement from Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer in response to legislative efforts supported by Mayor Greg Ballard to do away with township trustees in Marion County. WRTV quotes Drummer as saying:

"I guess I'm just tired of playing politics with poor people, with people that need assistance," Drummer said. "Nobody's come up with a plan to say, 'Hey, we're going to be able to help these citizens that we serve.' And we serve an awful lot of citizens here in Center Township and just throughout township government throughout the state."

For a refresher course on Drummer's fleecing of Center Township, click here.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

You must admit that it appears that Greg Ballard has simply taken up where Bart Peterson left off! We are consolidating police departments, fire department and government offices which were filled by the process of election in order to save money? Yet; Bart Peterson had plenty of money for major construction projects and massive tax incentives for his rich buddies? Afraid that I have to agree with Carl Drummer on this one!

Anonymous said...

Carl Drummer has not been a good public servant and does not have much credibility in the Demo party. It would be worth abolishing the trustees' offices just to get rid of him.

Anonymous said...

Carl's hypocracy knows no bounds.

He's making more money than he's ever made in his entire life. He throws a lot of business to Ice Miller, and they pamper him wherever they can. He gets an unmarked police cruiser fully equipped, and he becomes an Uber-Landlord in Cener Township, which lets him rub elbows with some of the more powerful folks.

If he'd check his practices, and be honest about it, he actually demonstrates some traits which are pretty admired in the private sector. He might do just fine there.

He is the poster boy for bad government, though. Leave him alone. Sometimes you've got to give folks enough leeway to make complete fools of themselves. He's well on his way.

The poor relief statemtn alone is hilarious. $1.55 to deliver $1 of sdervices. And he says these things without cracking a smile. Like many of the pro-township folks, he fails to realize:

Hey, Carl--we can all see, we can do simple math, we can determine how you're fleecing us. It ain't pretty.

He'd do better to remain quiet, but of course, he won't.

Anonymous said...

Pull the tit out of his mouth.

Anonymous said...

Corrupt Carl has been taking from the taxpayers and wasting our tax money far too long. He is a textbook example of machine politics, with his 100+ payroll, and lies about "taking care of the poor." With all those giant office buildings...and where in Indiana law does a Township trustee get to buy a YMCA to create his own gym?

Why does Carl have an outrageous salary? Why a government car (is it because the township has so many buildings it is necessary for him to travel from one to another, instead of reporting to work like other government employees?)

The first thing Indiana needs to do is eliminate township government entirely.

Anonymous said...

Well, if the township had a pool car or two, that might make some budget sense. If it stayed at the fofice and was used by all. Instead, Carl drives around in what's basically an unmarked police car, compelte with radio and lights and siren. Seriously.

He loves fast cars.

I guess he needs the police crusier to rush to the homes of the poor to hand over their money.

Pul the tit from his mouth...priceless, and very, very true.

Consolation prize: it apepars his days are numbered, too...he isn't on the favored list to replace Julia.

Township government will be gone in ten years or less. The trustees statewide would be wise to gag and handcuff Carl, because every tiem he opens his mouth, he hurts their cause.

I'm not sure what else he could do in life. Seriously. But if you want a peek, google his name, and look at all the thigns he does with his moeny. It's embarrassing.

Wilson46201 said...

All these same complaints were raised by disgruntled Republicans back in 2006 and the voters of Center Township felt these whines and smears were unimportant. Drummer got re-elected better than 3-to-1. It's called democracy - get used to it!

Drummer spends no money without the budgetary approval of a 7-person elected Township Board representing the taxpayers.

It seems local government and control mean nothing to Republicans - they want centralized control away from the local taxpayers. What they cant win in the Townships, they hope to win in the Legislature...

Anonymous said...

We are used to democracy, Wilson. Here's a primer on civics, which should explain the method by which townships were established. There will be a quiz at some point. You mmight want to take notes: this class won't allow diversion from facts.

We told our legislators, whom we elected, to do away with duplicitous and overly-expensive layers of government. Looks like they're listening. Townships, by any reasonable measure, are at the top of that list.

It's a subtle point, I know, but try to pay attention: trustees are established by the legislature. The ways they raise and spend money are established by statute, governed by the legislature. Ditto with all local governmental units. So this fight is exactly where it is supposed to be: the General Assembly. After all, if government efficiency is the goal, you wouldn't exactly go to township boards to ask how to get there, now would you? They're often just a lapdog to the trustee anyway.

So, hope this civics lesson is complete now. Center voters in 2006chose from candidates, based on a system the legislature established, and may now reconfigure. "Get used to it!"

Voters won't buy the same pablum offered in the past. Democratic and Republican taxpayers are demanding more accountability.

If anyone thinks taxpayers don't want more accountability, I have two words for you: Monroe Gray.

Juice on.

Anonymous said...

hey, wilson. drummer is administering tax dollars collected across all of marion county but he was only elected by people in center township. so the people in center township may say that they want him and his ways, but the larger electorate of the county/state is saying get rid of him and all of his wasteful counterparts.

the message for marion county was loud and clear in november 2007. find efficiencies. cut wasteful spending.

that is democracy in action.

Anonymous said...

anon 5:42, the Center Twp. Trustee tax levy is collected only from those of us who pay property taxes in Center Twp.

Since we can't seem to vote him out at the polls, the Legislature is our best hope.

indyernie said...

Hey Carl I don't have a Corvette but I do have an Allante and a motorcycle. Can I store them in one of the county owned buildings that you control? I can't pay you for the space now but I can drop off the contribution for your campaign as soon as spring arrives. They won't take up much room. You will still have room to store the Corvette Clubs rides. Last time I saw them was in the Labor Day parade last year. I counted twelve to fifteen then one more won't take up very much room. Thanks Carl.
Carl...the space is heated isn't it? Tony Duncan still provides security right? Thanks Carl.

Anonymous said...

This outdated township system has got to go. This state is so far behind the curve it is embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

Wilson, you, of all people, should remember the 7 member board that you refer to is only an advisory board. Drummer makes the decisions......

Bart Lies said...

In essence, Carl is saying, "Gentlemen, we've got to protect our phony-baloney jobs!"

Wilson46201 said...

The Township Board has not been called the Township Advisory Board for over 18 years now. The Board has the very real and fundamental power of any "parliament": the budget. They control the purse...

Not a penny can be spent or a dollar raised from taxpayers without the approval of the Township Board. That's very fundamental power.

Yes, the Township Board doesn't micromanage but neither does any other modern Board of Directors...

Anonymous said...

I know the Center Board. And I've known most of them for over two decades.

They don't go to the toilet without getting the trustee's permission. Period. "Oversight?" HA!

Lapdog is a kind word for this group.

Wilson, you're not exactly an objective source of information. Your job for many years was to prop up this broken-down system.

Move on already. Most of the taxpayers have. Townships are so 1978. We're in a new century already...one where taxpayers demand accountability and efficiency, and where taxpayers don't accept duplicitous layers of government that we have to pay for.

It's over, Wilson. The bugle boy is getting ready to play taps. All the "services" performed by the trustee and assessors are going to be transferred to other units of government, where it can be done better and cheaper.

It's just a matter of time.

And when it crumbles like the Berlin Wall, Center will be the poster boy for inefficient bloated government. The property disposition alone will keep Ice Miller busy for years--on our dime.

Anonymous said...

We really must eliminate the patronage payroll over over 100+ on the Center Twp budget, and while we're at it, eliminate Carl's car with the illegal flashing lights/siren. Wellness Center? -This building has nothing to do with poor relief & sounds like a function of the Dept of Parks & Recreation!

I do NOT want to continue to pay for the unnecessary layer of government called township. It is a waste...not to mention a target for corrupt machine politicians to establish a fiefdom.