Thursday, November 05, 2009

I Guess Perry Township School Officials Should Have Broken State Law Too

An Indianapolis Star editorial bemoans the defeat of major school construction projects for the Perry Township Schools in Tuesday's referendum election. "Unfortunately for Perry Township Schools officials, they could not directly campaign under state law because their referendum dealt with construction," the editorial reads. Adding, "That prohibition ought to be lifted for the sake of voter education. At the same time, gaining voter trust was bound to be a tall order in a district wracked by years of high-level bickering and bungling."

Uh, that same state law applied to the Health and Hospital Corporation officials, who blatantly violated it on a daily basis throughout the last several months, aided and abetted by members of the local news media, including the Star. After urging the repeal of the law HHC officials broke but Perry Township school officials followed, the editorial states says "nothing improves the odds like a history of openness and credibility." The Star conveniently forgets that Perry Township had to follow the referendum law for major construction projects, which meant the wording of its referendum by law had to tell voters it meant a tax increase. HHC officials used their lobbyists to sneak a special law into the state budget that allowed them to place a referendum ballot question without making any pertinent disclosure the voters actually needed to make an informed decision. And the Star calls that open and credible? Give me a break.

5 comments:

Guest said...

Okay, so who exactly is responsible for the Wishard referendum question being permitted to be worded in the manner it was? Since in my book, it is an illegal question sham on the undiscerning public. In response to my letters to the Governor and various legislators asking this, I have recieved no response or a total avoidance of the question...Why, because after all the work to try to get relief from property taxes to have this master manipulation going on should anger everyone..Bad enough that the government cpa's managed to razzle dazzle us into property tax relief actually making us think we are really getting it. Anyone able to pinpoint the committee, person, legislator?
MB

Had Enough Indy? said...

As I understand it, state law prohibits a school district involved with a referendum from using taxpayer facilities and funds to promote one side. Should they use said facilities or funds, they must make the same available to those who represent the other side.

That's called fair. No, the law should not be rolled back.

The Perry school district had its backers form a PAC and it regularly sent school Principals, if not other administrators including the Superintendent himself, to meetings with the public. It's nonsense to think that some cone of silence descended upon those in favor of spending more money on buildings. Plus, this was called 'phase I' and they fully intended on coming back for a more expensive 'phase II' in a couple of years. Perhaps it wasn't the law that caused the public to reject the referendum, just perhaps the public thought it a bad idea.

Paul K. Ogden said...

The people chiefly resonsible are those deeply involved in the budgetary process. Clearly Senator Kenley knew about this. The H&H folks tried to get a provision inserted in the bill that would allow them to avoid a referendum altogether. Kenley stopped that, but then he agreed to language that let them do an off year election and allowed them to avoid putting into the question what is normally required in a referendum.

Guest said...

Okay, Mr. Ogden, you answered the people deeply involved in the budgetary process to my question as to the responsibility of the wording allowed on the Wishard referendum..To me that is not good enough for the citizens because this false referendum is exactly that and what point of law actually allows this? The one saying the government can do anything it wants without legal oversight of its actions.I think this should be pursued as this is quite simply -wrong- regardless of the outcome.
mb

swan said...

I agree with Guest. I am still outraged by that shoddy, shady abuse of the electoral process perpetrated on us voters, Tuesday.