Monday, May 12, 2014

Republican Council Members Refuse To Let Christine Scales Be Seated With Their Caucus

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Once again proving that there is no bottom to how far the Republican leadership of the City-County Council can sink, Democratic members of the council offered a seat on their side of the aisle after Republican caucus members decided to go a step further than simply barring Scales from their caucus meetings; they're now barring her from sitting on the same side of the aisle with them. It seems that some Republican council members blame her rather than corrupt behavior on the fact that some of their own are under investigation by federal law enforcement officials. Scales expressed her gratitude to Democratic members for offering her a seat on their side of the aisle, while making it clear that she is the same conservative, principled, integrity-possessing Republican she has always been in sharp contrast to many of her fellow Republican council members who openly flaunt their addiction to political cronyism.

A special thanks is also owed to Councilor Mary Moriarty-Adams and her fellow Democratic colleagues who joined her in sending the re-appointment of Jennifer Lukemeyer to the Marion County Public Defender Board back to the Public Safety Committee for further consideration. This blog criticized the committee members for recommending her re-appointment despite her well-publicized role in facilitating the payment of a bribe to former Chief Deputy Prosecutor David Wyser by her client's father in order to obtain her early release from prison for her role in hiring a hit man to murder her husband. E-mails exchanged between Wyser and Lukemeyer made public following Wyser's indictment by the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed the disturbing extent to which justice is for sale in Marion County and the ease at which Lukemeyer discussed political contributions in the same conversation as a special agreement to release her client from prison long before the end of her original sentence. All Republicans, except Councilor Scales, voted against Councilor Adams' motion to send Lukemeyer's re-appointment back to committee, while all Democrats, except Councilor Brian Mahern, voted in support of Adams' motion. Lukemeyer is a Republican. As the saying goes, politics sometimes makes for strange bedfellows.

In other action, the council voted overwhelmingly to approve spending $8 million for street repairs to fix potholes caused by the harsh winter and to pay for unfunded snow removal costs. The council also voted overwhelmingly to require all homeowners and apartment owners to install smoke detectors containing a non-removable, non-replaceable 10-year battery. Councilor Scales argued that the ordinance pushed by Councilors Adams and Ben Hunter at the behest of lobbyists for Kidde, a major smoke detector manufacturer, creates a false sense of security because the new mandate allows the use of smoke detectors using either ionization or photoelectric sensors. Experts say that ionized sensors cause many fire-related fatalities because they fail to activate until it's too late in fires that smolder and create toxic fumes a long time before flaming. Residents often succumb from smoke inhalation before the alarm activates. Over-sensitive ionized sensors often frustrate homeowners, who have a tendency to remove the battery or the detector to put an end to false alarms.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

You published this for democratic principles or republicans...go's to show that the integrity exists with the gesture...Scales expressed her gratitude to Democratic members for offering her a seat on their side of the aisle, while making it clear that she is the same conservative, principled, integrity-possessing Republican she has always been in sharp contrast to many of her fellow Republican council members who openly flaunt their addiction to political cronyism.

Anonymous said...

Christine Scales represents The Voters!

I hope that the DOJ Public Integrity Section from Washington investigates the corruption of a councilman in District 21 as well as The Mayor in the activities that cost the taxPAYERS millions of dollars wasted in an unoccupied building called the Frank Straub Regional Operations Center!

It stinks!

Christine Scales has stood, time and time again, for TRUTH and Justice.

Chas. M. Navarra said...

Councilor Christine Scales again proves to be a classy, strong, and admirable representative for the people. Every Marion County Republican politico, whether elected or administrative or covert crony, involved in this mean-spirited and utter embarrassment from what bills itself as "the party of Lincoln" should be profoundly ashamed. Thank God the City of Indianapolis has someone of
Christine Scales' high caliber- there are so very few like her serving the people- she is a role model for both political parties to what the people need and deserve. The City would be greatly served and a far better place in which to reside if she were Mayor. Should she ever announce to run for Mayor, I will be one of the first to volunteer to do anything needed to help elevate her to the 25th floor of the CC Building.

Flogger said...

The City-Council reminds me of some High School Clique. It was like Christine wore the wrong clothes and clique would not let her eat lunch at their table.

patriot paul said...

I have high admiration for Christine Scales who time and again exercises her beliefs in standing for principle above party. Shame on the petty party partisans who have disgraced themselves as intolerant children.

Anonymous said...

Can the National Republican Party decertify the local Republican Party?

This local party is killing support for national candidates.

Gary R. Welsh said...

It's one thing for the local party to behave as it has towards Scales; it's equally as bad that nobody in the media even reports the fact that it's happening.

Anonymous said...

Christine has been a friend for many years and my personal observation is that she is a person of integrity.

Greg Wright

Hernan Dough said...

Gary- you are the media, they left news in favor of views for dues.

Anonymous said...

Well don't expect Pence to reign in the corrupt marion county gop. He has just appointed Jim Atterholt one of the worst Republicans in Marion county to be his chief of staff! If Pence wants to keep poking his finger in conservative's eyes than he should prepare to be unemployed come 2016!

Unknown said...

It's obvious that the biggest majority of so-called Republicans in Marion County are now RINOs.
Their only apparent goals are to be re-elected each time, instead of taking care of their constituents.
Now, I see, they are even dictating what kind of smoke alarm a citizen must have in their home.
FOLLOW THE MONEY.

Marycatherine Barton said...

Christine is the only Republican member of the Council who is not a money junkie, as is also our undistinguished R. mayor.