As Indiana’s election looms, the enduring truth of one of Jennifer McCormick’s talking points is hard to miss: it’s time for a change.
Indiana has been ruled by Republicans for over twenty years. We’ve had Republican Governors and a Republican legislature–and for the past several years, a Republican super-majority in that legislature. For any political party, a persistent lack of balance–and thanks to gerrymandering, a perceived lack of any real competition–leads to corruption. (“Power corrupts” is as old and hoary an adage as “it’s time for a change.)
The problem with extended one-party rule isn’t simply that extremists can pass rules and push through legislation without considering contending viewpoints or public opinion–it’s that those exercising power come to believe that they can do anything they want, legal or not, without worrying about the consequences. Two recent stories–one from the Indiana Citizen and one from The Capitol Chronicle–are directly on point.
The Indiana Citizen reports on the continuing corruption of the Attorney General’s office headed by Todd Rokita. A Marion County Superior Court has sanctioned two state agencies and the lawyers from the Indiana Attorney General’s Office who represented them, detailing ongoing misconduct and ordering them to pay nearly $375,000. While the agencies involved are certainly not blameless, the responsibility for complying with court orders and responding truthfully to questions from the court and other litigants rests squarely on the shoulders of the lawyers representing them.
According to the court,
Respondents and their counsel committed multiple types of unacceptable misconduct on numerous occasions. They acted in an unreasonable manner with disregard for Petitioners, the Court and the orderly process of justice,” Joven wrote in the order granting petition for attorney fees and costs. “Further, Respondents failed to explain why the repeated acts of misconduct occurred and went uncured, failed to accept responsibility for the misconduct, failed to express remorse, and failed to identify steps that have been taken to prevent such unacceptable misconduct from occurring in the future.”
Worse, this evidently wasn’t the first time these lawyers had been sanctioned. Only a year before this case was filed, “the Indiana Department of Correction, its counsel from the attorney general’s office and the attorney general’s office itself were sanctioned in another case for making false representations to the federal judge, making false discovery responses and submitting a brief that contained false information.” In other words, despite that previous ruling, lawyers from the AG’s office persisted in conduct that violated their ethical and legal obligations.
Courts have also smacked down Todd Rokita personally. He hasn’t listened either.
Then there’s the case against Jamie Noel, the southern Indiana political heavyweight who who pleaded guilty earlier this month to 27 felonies. Noel’s corruption, and his cozy ties to numerous state Republicans, have been the subject of considerable reporting, but The Capital Chronicle has focused on the effects of that corruption.
When a life is on the line in the back of an ambulance, first responders are supposed to have the best tools available to give every patient a fighting chance, said former paramedic Crystal Blevins. But for many who worked at New Chapel EMS — the southern Indiana emergency service provider previously ran by now-convicted former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel — “the equipment and the medicine, a lot of the time, wasn’t there.”
“There was this lie being presented to the public about what New Chapel was giving — they weren’t fulfilling that promise. Jamey ran the service out of greed … telling us there weren’t funds for what we needed, and then we came to find out the money was there all along,” Blevins told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. …
Court documents indicate that Noel stole more than half of the taxpayer dollars provided to New Chapel by Clark and Floyd counties. In his last four years as leader, he pocketed at least half a million dollars in wages and spent $2 million more on vacations, clothing, Rolex watches, child support payments, his daughter’s college tuition and more, according to state auditors.
Noel served as the Clark County sheriff from 2015 until the end of 2022. He was also the Republican Party chair for both Clark County and Indiana’s 9th Congressional District. That made him the gatekeeper for southern Indiana’s Republican political hopefuls for the last decade.
Noel and Rokita are examples of the hubris that enables corruption. When a political party uses its legislative power to gerrymander the electorate and ensure its continuation of political control, that cronyism invites abuse by greedy and self-interested individuals who are confident that they are beyond the reach of angry constituents.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is definitely time for a change.
You are exactly right. The supermajority is ruining public education, public health and is run by a cadre of corruption.
Due to the right wing Republican media in Indiana, these stories are not widely know by voters. That makes change less likely.
Republicans were a viable party here in the City of Indianapolis until Steve Goldsmith and his highest out-of-state donor Warren Tyler (Vice President of a Columbus, Ohio bank) enacted their own contracting-out/privatization system. So many contracts went to Ohio developers I thought Indianapolis had been transferred to Ohio. Some no-bid contracts were awarded which caused problems and they managed to lose two $3 MILLION contracts two years in a row. These were approved by the Metropolitan Development Commission via the Department of Metropolitan Development; our CFO at the time was Ali Khan who had a Masters Degree in Personnel Development from the University of India. Indianapolis government has never fully recovered from their destruction of the local GOP.
I closely watched Braun’s election campaign ad this morning and realized that his full-screen pictures of and accusations against Jennifer McCormick’s campaign was more help for her than hindrance. She is “guilty” of every progressive campaign issue he accused her of with a brief notice at the end that it was an ad for Braun.
I think part of the problem is that the citizenry is so apathetic. Indiana has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country. For those who do bother to vote, the straight ticket option allows them to simply push one button or color in one bubble without thinking about the candidates at all.
That apathy is a significant result of gerrymandering, which convinces voters in “safe” districts that votes against the “safe” party are worthless.
Indiana political corruption was worse 100 years ago, during the reign of D.C. Stevenson and the KKK. Citizens of Indiana, informed by intrepid reporting by the Indianapolis Times, threw out the Klan leader who was sentenced in 1925 to life in prison.
During the three-week trial in Noblesville, Stevenson offered $3,000 for the assassination of the Marion Co. Prosecutor. A jailhouse snitch exposed and prevented that crime.
Stevenson then ordered his personnel to run the prosecutor off the road and kill him. That violent act was foiled by police.
Stevenson was quoted at his trial of having bragged, “I am the law in Indiana.” To an extent, that was true, but very courageous Hoosiers such as Prosecutor and IU Law School graduate William Remy proved Stevenson wrong.
One aspect of our lives that we shield our eyes from for some reason, maybe because it hurts, is that the one constant is change.
It is sometimes predictable; science knows its cause, energy, and can calculate its impact on matter, but many people hope to avoid change. Change in our lives is not so predictable but just as relentless.
We guess at the rate of it because we are so focused on very short times, like our lives, but it never stops, so there is that.
Spelling correction: D.C. Stephenson.
Oh, are these not the “Law and Order” Gopiggies?
Rick Scott’s opponent, here, has an ad stating that while he should have been in jail, he’s been in the senate, instead.
Sadly, Sheila is correct about “absolute power corrupting absolutely” and the cause of Hoosiers’ voting apathy being gerrymandering. There has been a voting season or two in the past where Hoosiers get their hopes up only to see them fall flat in disappointing results. The urge to vote after that happens is almost nil.
Sadly, corruption results from more than just gerrymandering and voter apathy. It’s the weak character of some people drawn to public service. Our county got roasted several years ago by a Democratic administration, causing politicians and voters alike to switch parties. Former Democrats are now Republicans, which is an amazing stretch of ideals. I’m unsure how someone can make that directional leap when the two parties differ. None of them have received a vote from me, but that hasn’t stopped locals from pulling a straight ticket.
It would take an amazing effort to turn Indiana around. The corruption by a handful of right-wingers won’t be enough. Our statehouse and branches of government wreak of corruption, but when the press only writes about convictions from court logs, what politician would be worried about the Softbank-owned Gannett newspapers?
If anybody caught the news about Bezos and WaPo, you’ll understand what I’ve been talking about for a long time. The NY Times has been doing the same thing, but this time, WaPo is taking a beating with thousands of subscription cancellations. Our conglomerate-owned media is a joke. It’s entertainment only and has zero motivation to change.
It’s important to call upon everyone to consider what CAN happen, if and only if, everybody who is eligible did vote! Imagine if even 60% actually voted, the entire dynamic of Indiana politics could change.
“When a political party uses its legislative power to gerrymander the electorate and ensure its continuation of political control, that cronyism invites abuse by greedy and self-interested individuals who are confident that they are beyond the reach of angry constituents.“
This is why despicable people such as Jim Banks, Mike Braun and so many other Indiana republican politicians are easily elected into office and are able to remain in office for as long as they choose to, but Banks has taken greed and self-interest to extremely high levels.
Indiana is one of many examples of what happens when Republicans have the power in government – state or national: They screw it up for the majority of citizens, but not for their donors. The GOP has been fundamentally corrupt for decades if not forever. Gerrymandering, Citizens United, voter suppression, tax cuts for billionaires, etc., etc., are ALL Republican initiatives. And guess what happened.
Todd can go on about how Democrats have some blame and corruption too, but clearly when Republicans have the majority in any level of government they do infinite harm for those they presume to represent.
Voter apathy? That’s the point.
it takes time to read,takes time to do everything one is required to do. our lives are focused on living,somewhere in some means that make our lives,easier.
the stautes of law are suppose to contain this type of graft. the bar assoc are suppose to come forth with the evidence and charge and convict. if the bar has its own to vote to so called smooth it over in favor of the bars crediability, the graft comtinues. todays news is thru ear shot. our senior posistion stands as we read,study,make imformed decision,and act upon it. not today. the general public only seems to stroke that cell,and move on. we have become numb to the vast amount of info thrown at us every second. hense, unless your siloed in a sublect,(we all are) then we can speak as informed and in the case above, make comment and act upon its crime. this scenario is repeated again everyday,by those who follow the issue. hopefully not over taxed to be too full. the idea is to be informed and know how to react,and to who/what.
the fact is, we live too fast. we live where we are expected to jump when called.
todays election is based on mere words of,whatevers. no facts needed from one side. its fake news montra has become the reason why many, disregard any form of fact. its merry merry the sun is shining as long as the liberals all die. per words of the RNC.recent wording from mccrush/johnsons saying harris is using a form of words(facist) to start something. seems the RNCs memebers now are all facists. how quaint. the entire project2025 is the same exact timeline that the RNC has played since reagan. every line. 40 years long. were tired. 9 years of listening to the news blair on every lie of trump,has done nothing to secure the rule of law. the RNC facists are now in charge of all media.(bezo,shoo,) billionaires are lining up for cabinet possitions,and graft made any way they want. the fact is, the working class will take,the hit. then we become mere economic slaves to the RNCs facists..
best wishes, i feel the shit will,hit the fan either way nov 6