Mary Ann "No Fancy House" Sullivan has been bludgeoning State Rep. Jon Elrod with a negative TV ad replete with lies, including a false claim that Elrod opposed property tax relief efforts. Sullivan uses Elrod's vote against an inferior plan, knowing that he supported a more comprehensive property tax relief plan, including a repeal of the property tax. The unfortunate thing in politics is that a lie can become the truth if it is repeated often enough. Sadly, Elrod has not learned this lesson from his failed congressional race against Andre Carson earlier this year. Carson and the DCCC pummeled Elrod with one false ad and direct mail piece after another without any response from Elrod. Supporters watched in dismay as Elrod's campaign never put out a press release or made any effort to respond to those negative attacks. I can't believe it's happening all over again.
What people in her district should be asking Sullivan is where she stands on a constitutional amendment making those property tax caps which Elrod supported permanent. People should also be asking why she has remained silent on the bailout of the Capital Improvement Board. Could it be that her husband has a big financial stake in the CIB? You bet he does. He's an executive with Shiel-Sexton, a local construction company with multi-million dollar construction contracts with the CIB for work on the stadium and convention center. Her campaign is being financed by the usual suspects. Even the Republican-appointed general counsel for the CIB has contributed to her campaign. Do you think there is any chance she will put taxpayers first?
It has always been my understanding as well that Jon supported repeal and I think there is little doubt he's the best candidate in that particular race.
ReplyDeleteThe more I hear about the corruption in cities just the size of Indy, the more I long for smaller cities out west. While I know there is corruption everywhere, in smaller areas like Rapid City, SD, Cheyenne, WY, and Billings, MT, there is only so much government corruption/cronyism. Smaller populations mean that there is just a limit to what folks can get away with. Why folks with money even continue to live inside the confines of the Cronyism Republic of Marion Co. astounds me. I think the telling point will be the push for the regional transportation plan, even though it seems that only two counties will get the benefit for the most part.
ReplyDeleteElrod's blind ambition is what will do him in, not Mary Ann Sullivan.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're joking Sean. Mary Ann is clearly the best candidate in HD 97. I feel like most of us Republicans even can agree on that.
ReplyDeleteFor me, Jon is the ticket buster and the reason I won't be voting straight ticket in November. He doesn't have a chance
Ms. Sullivan doesn't even know where her district is. Witness the billboards at Michigan & Dorman, East & Market, and the fact that she sent a campaign staffer to address the Cottage Home Neighborhood Association. Both billboards are in District 100 as is the entirety of Cottage Home. I'm willing assume that the East & Market St. sign is for the benefit of those constituents living north of the line with District 100 (Michigan). The one at Michigan & Dorman would not bee seen on a daily basis by the residents of Dist 97, only those of Dist 100. Does this woman not know her boundaries?
ReplyDeleteSullivan is the one who was first running for state rep., then changed her mind to run for city council, lost and then decided to run for state rep. again.
ReplyDeleteI would like to help Jon, but he has not returned my call after I spoke with his campaign manager. HFFT has not endorsed anyone in that race.
ReplyDelete1. AI, what single, solitary shred of evidence do you have that Mary Ann Sullivan wanted to run for state house before the CCC special caucus? I'm sure you must have something you are basing that on, what with being a "respectable" blogger. Please come back with something better than, "I heard".
ReplyDelete2. Ed, I am sure with your own (and your party's) illustrious history of dominating local and state elections I should differ to your campaign advice, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to do that here. Wouldn't it be nice if state reps only cared about the exact boundaries of their own districts and didn't dare communicate with their neighbors? I'm surprised you didn't throw her out of Cottage Homes and have her deported across the street.
I happen to believe that she will make a great representative, and we'll all know soon because she's going to win.
Good luck to you Ed, please don't ever (and I mean ever) cross that HD100 boundary- especially not to talk to (or listen to) the neighbors and community organizations right next door. I'm sure you don't need the wishes of good luck though, you sound like you know what you are doing.
Mark "I'll pretend to be a Republican for Sullivan", It is a fact that Sullivan was telling people she was going to run for state rep. before she sought the CCC race. She was having herself introduced around in the community for that very purpose. Sullivan is an insider elitist who is using phony populist issues to trick people into voting for her. She has demonstrated a willingness to tell whatever lies are necessary to win a race. Let's see, what is my opponent's strong point. He's been a tough proponent of property tax reform. He talked about it when he first ran and he kept his promise to voters. So let me just make up a complete lie and tell the voters of his district that he voted against property tax relief. I will use the money my wealthy downtown, elitist insiders give me to spread those lies. I don't care about the truth. If it destroys my opponent, I will use it. This is a woman completely devoid of any sense of decency. If she had any decency, she would have never run that totally false ad.
ReplyDeleteAnd make fun of Ed Angleton, Mark, all you want. We've seen very little of John Day in my neighborhood. I've seen a number of yard signs for Angleton and not one for John Day.
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected! I had no idea, honestly. I was sure I was right- and I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong. When you said that it was a fact that Mary Ann Sullivan was telling people she was going to run for the state house I was thinking to myself, "wait that's what I said I knew he was going to make up to sound like he knew what he was talking about- I'm not going to let him get away with that!" But then, like any good journalist, you followed it up with good, solid, facts. She was having herself introduced around in the community for that very purpose! The smoking gun! You are good at what you do sir, very good at what you do. I know you aren't ashamed- but I think you might be embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteInsider Elitist? What are you talking about? You need to come back to the pack my man. Stop making stuff up so that it seems like you know what you are talking about.
And I will make fun of Ed all I want. And you can rest assured that I will be back to make fun of you both when he gets creamed. And I've never even met John Day. But, I guess you know what you are talking about: yard signs are such THE indicator of who will win an election. That's what I always tell my friends and people running for office- "You want to know who's going to win in November? Go count yard signs- the yard signs never lie."
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI will freely admit that I have never dominated an election. Such a claim would absurd as this is the first time I've ever run for public office. I'm not a politician, I'm just a citizen who is standing up for what he believes.
As to State Reps caring about only the residents of their own districts, pitching your message to voters outside your district won't really help you get elected. Once you're elected then you go to meetings outside your district and gather input from all the citizens of this state.
It also brings to issue that if you're willing to spend campaign money reaching out to voters who can't vote for you, what are you going to do with the taxpayers money once elected?
But then what do I know, I'm not a professional politician.
Politics is largely about name recognition so I don't begrudge anyone having their signs out in places (slightly) outside their district, especially in a high traffic (to/from the district) area and given that volunteers usually do that work who may or may not have a clue where the exact boundaries are.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it appears that Mary is running as a fiscal conservative talking about cutting government and cutting spending (details were not available on her web site)? Is this a trend? Bob Conley in South Carolina is running for Senate as, basically, a Ron Paul style small-government, low or no tax candidate. Is this an upcoming trend?
Sean, That would last right up to the point she faced a vote on an issue that ISTA told her to vote otherwise.
ReplyDelete