Politics Indiana V14 N44 Tuesday, June 24, 2008 JLT labors under the unity facade UAW, Schellinger don’t join Jill’s Convention confab By RYAN NEES INDIANAPOLIS - Jill Long Thompson has work still to do with the party faithful, who at the state convention Saturday appeared more swept by the candidacy of Barack Obama and even the muted appearances by the Hoosier Congressional delegation than of Indiana’s first female gubernato- rial nominee. And behind the scenes, the machinery of the Democratic establishment still appears to be exacting upon her nothing short of malicious ven- geance. The candidate was met with polite ap- plause as she toured district and interest group caucus meetings, but skepticism persisted especially amongst the roughly half of the party that supported her opponent in Indiana’s May primary. That unease was punctuated dramatically by the UAW’s refusal to endorse her candidacy the morning of the conven- tion, a move that appeared designed to rain on the nominee’s parade. Jill Long Thompson listens to her brother talk about her life and candidacy The UAW’s support provided vital to archi- just prior to taking the stage Saturday at the Indiana Democratic Conven- tect Jim Schellinger’s primary tion. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) campaign, which received See Page 4 Back home again with Jill By BRIAN A. HOWEY NASHVILLE, Ind. - In the Hoosier brand of guber- natorial politics, home is where the heart is. We remember Frank O’Bannon talking about his “wired” barn down near Corydon. In January 2005, Mitch Daniels talked about an “These days many politicians Amish-style barn raising. He expanded on that last sum- mer when he told the story in Lafayette of a FEMA worker are demanding change. Just like approaching an Amish man walking in the rubble-strewn path of a tornado. The federal homeless people.” expressed his amazement that the house before him was in pristine condition, hav- - George Carlin, who ing escaped the wrath of Mother Nature. To which the Amish man said, “Tweren’t there died this week at age 71 three days ago.” Jill Long Thompson gave a spiritual HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Tuesday, June 24, 2008 speech on Saturday Lubbers, who wrote a Howey Politics at the Indiana Dem- mid-1990s tome titled, ocratic Convention. “Get real or die.” Indiana It was too bad that As Indiana slowly is a nonpartisan news- only one Indiana TV but surely becomes a station (WISH-TV) referendum state (and letter based in Indianapolis bothered to send a I strongly disagree with and published by NewsLink crew to watch the Gov. Daniels on this one), first female guber- there will be communi- Inc. It was founded in natorial nominee ties that thrive because 1994 in Fort Wayne. set the tone for her they’ll vote to build coming campaign. schools and libraries, She talked of her maintain their parks and Brian A. Howey, publisher family homestead shower their business Mark Schoeff Jr. and Mark in Whitley County. districts with wi-fi. Others “That farmhouse will be overtaken by tax Curry, Washington really did look the crumudgeons and will ... writers same as it did in the die. Jack E. Howey, editor 1930s,” she said of a Indiana is home Beverly Phillips, associate time when her family to dozens of forgotten descended on the communities. A town like editor homestead for re- Attica thrived 150 years modeling. “The same ago because it was on Subscriptions: slate roof, the same the Wabash River. Then sturdy porch, the same white paint. the railroads came and $350 annually HPI via e-mail; But in many ways it had changed.” railroad towns like my hometown of $550 annually HPI & HPI Daily Thompson explained. “The Peru thrived. Then came the National Wire. rural electric co-op brought electric- Road, and U.S. highways and places Call 317-254-0535. ity to the farm in the 1940s. Running like Greencastle did well. When the water and the indoor plumbing came natural gas in East Central Indiana Howey Politics Indiana in the 1950s. But more significant ran out, Gas City suffered. Then came PO Box 40265 than the electricity, in indoor plumbing the Interstates and a city like Browns- Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. and the other changes in the house burg does well. While it sounds good, were changes in the opportunities for I don’t think every community can the people who lie on that farm and be saved. Muncie turned to the auto Contact Us in that community today. Those new industry after the natural gas ran out www.howeypolitics.com opportunities came about because of and, now due to corporate malfea- [email protected] the leadership and the policies of the sance of General Motors and others Democratic Party and organized labor. (there were industry and CIA esti- Main Office: 317-202-0210. From public education to college loans mates on the supply and demand of Howey’s Mobile: 317-506-0883. to civil rights and medical leave - and oil timetables) Muncie is in dire straits Indianapolis Fax: 317-254-0535. the list goes on and one - our party while Gas City, sitting next to I-69, has Washington: 202-256-5822. has made the difference.” become a logistics hub. Thompson did a nice job in But I am still having a hard Business Office: 317-254-0535. laying out where the Democratic Party time getting my mind around where ©2008, Howey Politics has been. She cited big drop-out rates Jill Long Thompson wants to take us. Indiana. All rights reserved. and 30,000 lost jobs and the “bad With Gov. Daniels, there was a fairly Photocopying, Internet forwarding, deal” the Indiana Toll Road lease is. explicit picture (literally) with his “Aim- Less clear is where she will take the ing Higher: Roadmap to an Indiana faxing or reproducing in any form, party. She has a “three-tiered” eco- Comeback” poster/brochure of 2004. in whole or part, is a violation of nomic plan for counties. She promises With Thompson, the picture isn’t as federal law without permission from to not leave behind a single town, clear. She explains, “In addition to the publisher. a single county, which is in sharp reforming our tax, healthcare, educa- contrast to Daniels image shaper Mark tion and infrastructure systems, I want HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Tuesday, June 24, 2008 to develop a ‘tier’ system in Indiana to help guide future But there’s a vast difference in being in the legislative development efforts. Modeled after successful programs in branch and being an executive. She did the latter when she Georgia, Nebraska and the Carolinas, this approach would was undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. encourage businesses to build or expand in the state’s We know she had 7,000 employees and a $10 billion bud- most economically distressed areas. Specifically my plan get. would categorize the state’s 92 counties into three differ- Being an executive tied to electoral politics ent economic tiers based on a variety of factors, including means having a network of relationships, clearly projecting a county’s unemployment rate, median household income, ideas and goals, and execution. I look at how a gubernato- population growth and assessed property value per capita. rial candidate manages a campaign. If you can’t manage a Counties within each tier $20 million campaign, how are designation would be al- you going to manage 6 million lotted different tax incen- people and a $22 billion bud- tives to help grow and get? There are troubling signs retain good-paying jobs. for Thompson here. She man- Sectors eligible include aged to qualify her candidacy’s manufacturing, telecom- signature requirements just munications, information hours before the deadline. She technology, research and hasn’t been able to raise much development, warehouse money (a $50,000 EMILY’s List distribution, life sciences contribution is only the sev- and tourism.” enth above $10,000 since her Some of us primary win). She clearly has wonder if we even need problems with labor - which had 92 counties, let alone the been her forte as a congress- townships. We know that woman - as there is trouble with of the 27 Kernan-Shepard the UAW, possibly AFSCME while Commission recommendations, Thompson can publicly the FOP, firefighters, sheetmetal unions are supporting only support one (only voting entities can raise taxes). She Daniels and there are divisions within building trades. wants to review privatization efforts of the past five gover- I watched a pleasing veneer at the Indiana nors. I’m not sure where that takes us. Democratic Convention and have to give Chairman Dan Of her economic development plans, she says, “As Parker credit for appealing stagecraft. But at a time when governor, I will focus on the impact of our state’s broad Thompson sorely needed credibility, there wasn’t an policies on growth as opposed to one-time giveaways O’Bannon, Kernan or Schellinger around (Birch and Evan aimed at luring any job - no matter the wage level - to Bayh along with Lee Hamilton were lavish in their praise in Indiana. The real barriers to growth in Indiana include an Chris Sautter’s bio film). outdated tax structure and a lack of any real policy to make Thompson did something I’ve never heard a gu- healthcare affordable and accessible to every Hoosier.” bernatorial nominee do: she told us she loved us. It was The problem here is that a year ago, just as her a poignant ending to a speech I wish more Hoosiers could campaign was beginning, a property tax crisis emerged.