indy politics

The townlet had a election yesterday. One of the old time members on the town council lost fairly significantly. Because these are volunteer positions, we should all be thankful for the service these neighbors provide in running our very small townlet government, one part of the larger metropolitan unigov in Indianapolis.

I did not get involved in the politicking, but offer these observations:

1) As Gov. Richards used to emphasis to her staff, government service and politics are a high calling. To work in government is to be a public servant. I think that holds for even volunteer positions. One's attitude about the public should reflect that sense of calling. You may disagree with the public. You don't have to take abuse from them. You have to uphold the law. But you also have to listen to folks and treat them, the citizenry, with respect. That's how democracies work.

2) People do things for their own reasons, not yours or mine. So when you want them to do something, it pays to figure out what's on their mind, particularly when it's a project or an enforcement that affects their property. This takes time. It means explaining yourself. It means listening to their concerns.

3) It's best not to arbitrarily cut your neighbor's tree limbs, giving them only two or three days notice that your are doing it, or get into a fight with them about it, particularly two weeks before an election.

In other news ... Mayor Peterson was re-elected overwhelmingly (63%). He is the first Democratic mayor here in a jillion years, and is very much a good government kind of fellow. He also has a passion for supporting the arts and cultural community. I am delighted he will continue in office.

The city-county council, our municipal legislature, just changed political leadership. For the past four years, the Republicans have had a one vote majority. They pretty much isolated the Democrats out of the decision-making process. Looks like the Democrats won a majority yesterday.

I think the Republicans could have perhaps survived one more time, but about a year or two ago, they split up into what is really two parties, the establishment civic-minded party, and the true-believer no compromise party. That probably took the wind out of their sails.

Their big effort this year was to put a label on the ballot that called themselves, the Rs, the A Team. A Republican judge overruled this in court. Nobody would have cared, but after all the publicity over the ballot law suit, it probably had a reverse effect on the Dems, motivating them to work harder.

That's another little lesson in politics. Don't enflame supporters of the other side right before an election. (see point three above) In the four years I've lived here, it seems like the Rs do that a lot. They've done it twice in campaigning against our U.S. Representative, Julia Carson. And they did it in the Sheriff's race last year. It's backfired each time.