Reply #6: Total Fluke

[democraticinsurgent]

Bart Peterson became the first Dem mayor in 32 years by winning in 99, re-elected easily in 03. When he ran for a 3rd term in 07 the state had just changed the property tax formula and many homeowner bills doubled or tripled. Though this wasn't his fault, Peterson got blamed for it, at least in part because he allowed local option income taxes to go up simultaneously. He came off looking insensitive and out of touch--which, to some extent, he was.

Ballard, who got the nomination only because none of the front-line Repubs were willing to run against a then-popular mayor, ran as an outsider who would end country club politics, kind of a pre-Tea Party candidacy.

So he was elected in a big upset that most didn't foresee. He wasn't given a chance by much of anyone until some late polling showed a big movement away from Peterson.

As soon as he took office, he apparently gave control over to a couple of big law firms who ran things in cahoots with Goldsmith back in the day. Since then we've had nothing but insider dealings, conflicts of interest and public money being shoveled off to private interests.

The Libertarian-leaning cadre who helped get Ballard elected were almost immediately shut out of influence as Ballard enabled the Good Old Boy network to run things.

That's it in a nutshell. Welcome back to Indy. ;-)