It's Finally Over

It's been a long time overdue on this place...way overdue. As we all know there was a bit of a Republican Revolution in Marion County. Both Indianapolis and Lawrence elected GOP mayors, and the CCC went from 15 D-14 R to 17 R-12 D. I was involved as the Libertarian candidate for Lawrence mayor, so I had front-row seats to all of the drama involved, quite literally.

With four candidates running, I knew this would be an interesting race from the get-go. The incumbent Deb Cantwell (D), former township assessor Paul Ricketts (R), independent Ron Ryker, and myself. I wanted smaller government, free of partisan bickering and moving forward for Lawrence. Cantwell alienated the police and fire departments (the latter her former employer), then pulled a shady waterworks deal only Tom Schneider could appreciate three weeks from the election. She made her bed, now she's sleeping in it.

As far as the rest of the county goes, what genius thinks that they can pass a 65% income tax increase and get away with it?? Apparently that genius was Mike O'Connor, and he got bit in the butt for it. Losing both the CCC and the Mayor's office is something that only pure arrogance does. O'Connor was purely arrogant, looking past Council President Monroe Gray's ethical problems, the income tax increase, and a demoralized police force, running ads painting Indianapolis as a worry-free city. Too bad it was false advertising.

The next four years will be very interesting. I want to see what Ballard and a relatively green CCC will do, and, more importantly, I'm interested in what Lawrence will become in the next four years; will it be a return to the old guard, a continuation of business as usual, or will the city keep moving forward? Only time will tell.