Thoughts On Indy Mayor’s Race

In some ways, thinking about the race for mayor (lack of capitalization deliberate) in Indianapolis is to think of state and national politics as well. It is in many ways a reflection on establishment politics, the concept of a uni-party, and what happens when you put the utterly unprincipled into leadership positions.

The Indianapolis I knew when I first moved up here years ago is gone. Replaced with a battered, bleeding hulk under mayor Joe Hogsbreath, er, Hogsett — who still won’t say where he was the night Indianapolis was abandoned to the rioters in the 2020 riots. Where were you Joe?

Between Joe’s ruinous policies and the pro-criminal antics of anti-prosecutor Ryan Mears, crime has set new records under Hogsbreath’s rule. IMPD is hemoraging officers and not doing so well on recruitment as anyone with a brain can look at what is going on and know that the city government will NOT have their back no matter what.

Downtown has become a place I largely avoid even in daytime, between regular crime and the problems with the homeless who are everywhere. It’s not just downtown either, as this spills out along various roads such as Washington Street. Aside from people driving motor vehicles on the Pennsy Trail, you also have to watch out for the mentally ill homeless as they use the trail both to get around and as a place to live. Before my last surgery kept me home, I knew of at least two homeless camps off the Pennsy, one of them being fairly large.

If you’ve read me for a while, you know my thoughts on IndyGo. What used to be a fairly good service to get people around seems to be being used as mobile shelters for the homeless, and a convenient and free means for even more interesting people to travel around. Hello Big Dog and posse!

In short, Joe Hogsbreath and company have nose-dived this city into the ground at a higher speed and a more spectacular fashion than Fang Fang’s plane in China. A third term will have this beautiful city looking like Detroit.

So, this year’s election was just a touch important. For all that the Indiana GOP seems to have some sort of agreement not to seriously contest Indy, there were a number of nominees on both sides of the aisle this year. I won’t get into them, as it is now a moot point. I will say that my preferred candidate on the democratic side did not unseat Hogsbreath (dammit). My preferred candidate on the republican side, did not win either (dammit).

Instead, the republicans elected a local politician and businessman named Jefferson Shreve. Interestingly enough, I had caught a few earfuls about him from someone into local politics a few years ago, and he did not give me any reason to vote for him. In fact, all I saw was talk and, in my opinion, a lot of smoke being blown up the rumps of the voters. To be honest, the guy sorta squicks me, which is not something thoughtful pundits are supposed to admit, but I’m tired of the dance and more inclined to being straightforward.

So, the voters send up an establishment republican to go up against one of the worst mayors in Indy history (IMO, the worst). The opportunity for a clear distinction on policy was amazing. So, what did Jefferson Shreve do?

He repudiated a prior pledge to support the second amendment, and put forth a public safety package that featured gun control front and center. A plan of which large chunks can’t legally be implemented, and of one part that could, the harshest punishment possible would be a fine. Yep, that will scare them straight. A plan built around proposals that were the centerpiece of Hogsbreath’s campaign.

This, needless to say, highly PO’d conservatives and republicans who support the Constitution. In turn, Shreve’s campaign attacked and denigrated those voters and appear to have sought comfort in the arms of Adam Wren and also the ultra liberal Indy Star. Yep, if I were a republican candidate in trouble with the base, that’s exactly where I would go for comfort and help (/sarc). Then again, his senior advisor is Lubbers, and you might want to search Lubbers and Lugar for some interesting reading.

I will note that Shreve did go on the Kendall and Casey show on WIBC (a station who’s listeners his campaign has repeatedly trashed). He was treated fairly but did face some tough questions. Wish Rob had asked the two I submitted. That said, he came across to me as someone with a wet flacid finger up checking the wind. To be honest, I thought of Dante and the shifters listening to him.

I will also note that Shreve did NOT go on to other shows, shows which had invited him. That spoke volumes, especially given his and his campaign’s attacks on Guy Relford and the Hammer and Nigel show. In fact, I would urge you to find the H&N podcast for July 26 and take a listen as most of the 3-7 show dealt with Shreve. I would also suggest you read this post from Guy Relford (previous link goes to his Twitter, which is full of dealings with the Shreve campaign).

So, to sum up here are my personal opinions on him. Shreve renounced his previous pledge to support the second amendment. Oathbreaker. He waited until after the primary to show his true colors. Opportunistic coward. Seems to change positions on the basis of current polls. Shifter. There’s more, but the key measures of the candidate are in the above.

What truly bothers me is not that Shreve is just another bottom-feeding establishment politician. It is that the Indy/Marion county GOP, the Indiana GOP, and the national GOP have all tacitly said they are good with this. That they support the dishonesty (and that’s exactly what waiting until after the primary was) and the attack on the Bill of Rights (for that is exactly what this is as well). Which, in my book, tells you everything you need to know about the establishment GOP. No surprise, as the Indiana GOP is the party of higher taxes and bigger government. That’s a column or three hundred right there…

And, there was such a great opportunity for a clear-cut distinction on policy and leadership. I agree with Rob Kendall that there were a couple of good things in the Shreve plan. Hogsbreath has been serving as his own public safety director. As such he needs to be fired from that position for gross incompetence.

Indy needs a PSD, a return to proven and effective community policing and other programs, to support good law enforcement, and a commitment to mental health. Not politic or woke to admit, but the homeless largely suffer from addiction and mental health issues. You want to turn things around for the homeless (and us), start there.

Yes, Indy just re-elected Ryan Mears over a far better qualified candidate. May they get it harder and faster as they deserve, and I say that living here. Yes, I do want out. For a brief moment, there was the (faint) promise of the chance to prevent a Hogsbreath third term. A term that will destroy this city. Instead, we got Jefferson Shreve.

I will not vote for him. I don’t care about a letter after a candidates name. I care about the quality, the integrity, the honesty of the candidate. As such, I don’t care that he may be the lesser of two evils, to vote on that basis is still to vote for evil. Just don’t. Earn my vote, don’t contemptuously expect it because of a letter after your name or a rote recital of things you don’t believe.

Yes, this means Hogsbreath will win. That was pretty much a foregone conclusion anyway, and the city will fall even further. Shreve had a chance to show true leadership and possibly even win. Hard though it is to say, better he show his colors now, rather than later.