Thursday, August 26, 1999 • Volume 6, Number 2 Page 1of8 =-·=-=..... --·•.:: .... -== Cottey attentpts THE -- Indy power play HOWEYT As L. Keith Bulen spins in his grave By BRIAN A. HOWEY in Indianapolis A powerful, long-time Republican Party county chair man is investigated on child molestation charges involving a POLITICAL relative. The probe is leaked to the media from the investi gating agency - the sheriff's department. Within hours, the sheriff, the lameduck mayor, the presumed mayoral nominee REPORT are all on the same page, saying the chair must go. But the script deviates. The powerful chair is cleared of the charges by an The Howey Political Report is published by NewsLink outside prosecutor with a good reputation. After a buffer Inc. Founded in 1994, The Howey Political Report is period of a few months, the chair returns to power, only to an independent, non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political process in Indiana. find himself under fire from the sheriff, the mayor, and numerous allies of the sheriff, who announce in a very pub Brian A. Howey lic way just days before the traditional Labor Day campaign editor and publisher kickoff that they are withholding patronage funds to the The Howey Political Report Office: 317-254-1533 county central committee. But their motivation isn't to pro PO Box 40265 Fax: 317-254-2405 tect the one unifying force - the mayoral nominee - from the Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265 [email protected] party's embattled chairman. It's nothing less than a power www.howeypolitics.com- play over who gets to be the next chair and the next sheriff. Washington office: 202-775-3242 They simply can't help themselves. That almost sounds like a sordid spin-off from a Business Office: 317-254-0535. Pager: 317-320-2722 Spencer Tracy flick like The Ltist Hurrah. Daytime number: 317-254-2400, Ext. 273 But this is the real-life drama surrounding Marion Subscriptions: $250 annually via fax or first County Republican Chairman John Sweezy. The embattled class mail. Call 317-254-1533. chairman is so detached from reality that he tells the Indianapolis Star that, "They have accused me of damn near © 1999, The Howey Political Report. All rights reserved. Photocopying, faxing or reproducing in arry everything but losing an election. And they can't do that." form, in whole or in part, is a violation offederal law The problem is that Sweezy's organization has lost a and ~strictly prohibited without consent of the series of elections and slatings which reached an embarrass- publisher. Continued on page 2 "QUOTE" OF THE WEEK INSIDE FEATURES
'Littleton was a wake-up call to the nation that Ticker Tape: Sheriff controversi s p. 2 violence is not restricted to inner cities .... ' HPR Interview: John R. Price P 4-5 Columnists: Julian, Colwell, Riley p. 6 -Tom Knarr, assistant superintendent of Hammond Horse Race: Anderson, Evansville, Community Schools, to the Times of Northwest Indiana Elkhart, Fort Wayne updates p. 7-8
Beginning Our Sixth Year! Thursday, August 26, 1999 Page 2of8 • E:X.PECTED 1 ~~ 3 TRILLION ~Jf;~1~4~DG-ET .SJ1RPLIJS 111;1;1:!J:i.~~~111uu
County Republican o· ..ganization is now or TICKE~:R Sweezy,Jrom page 1 im the future is not gc ,r g to have an ing low point in 1996 when Stephem impact on this race,'' "~ 1cil Gilroy cam T p E Goldsmith's gubernatorial campaign: paign spokei;man Car:~ Carter. ' I! I 111111, I 111~ astounded the wodd by losing not or1ly Sources symprnltbdic to Gilroy As Indiana school ,chiildlren•• the election but 1far·on County. acknowledge that Col ~ey and Lawrence returned to school thH> The Marion County GOP organi.:1:a·· Mayor Tom Schneide1r · 1;vho hopes to • month, numerous dii;tr1cts tion has become so calcified and f'os-· succeed Cottey as sh~:niff in three y~mrs - have implemented new safe silized that the Gilroy mayoral cainJHig;[] are attempting to sec1 m~ power. The rea ty 1Plans and hiredl acldi fon· has literally had to build an appaira.11:us son for the urgency o 11 J eir part is due to al securiti/ in the wak·e1 of around it headed by State Rep. Mike Sweezy's reassertion ol power after a the Littlieton, 1Coloradli:1, mas sacre. The Times of Murphy and Lesa Dietrick, with thrc~e l1eave of absence thm ]fhout most of the Northwest Indiana reported additional offices that direct north and! summer. When Statie Sen. Pat MiUeir took that Hammond's new t!mer south county volunteers and anothier for over the party's day-t:J1-day operations gency p1lan weighs ~O finances. The central committee is. :the during the S weezy in ,1,e s ligation, ma:ny pounds and tlhe distric:t scene of outdated walking lists and day·· felt that the l.eave of ~.lne:nce would spent $10,000 on cell time soap operas on the TV set. extend beyond the m~1yciral election. phones and another Gilroy campdgn officials :uc~ Both Cottey and Schneider have $189,000 on security ·1:1ffi. astounded at the timmg of Sheriff .fad;: been extremely help:ti11l lo the campaign cers. East Chicago s1~h,ools Cottey's power play this close to Labor most of the time, carr.p :i.ign sources say. expect to spend $130,IJ1~Q ~ on secL1Jri1ty personne~. :In Day. For the second time this year, The threats of Cottey, chneider and State Porter County, Porta911!,, Cottey's play for power hc:1, set up a Sen. Larry Borst to vdt lhold funds from Boone Township, Eas11 potential embarrassing situation for the county organizatim1 represent only a Porter County ancl Gilroy. The first occurred last Feb11mry "minor financial hiccup" to the GHroy Valparaiso schools we1re when the sheriff publicly relbulced Gilrcy's campaign, one know I ::clgable source said. adding Ml-time secw·itv stance on sheriff gun sales follow:ng an The Gilroy campaign h ;i:, already !budget officers. Lake Station :spent ABC News 20120 expose of Cotitey's ed and paid for most Jl tl1e fall campaign $19,0100 to upgrade remote department. Now they watclh as C:>tt1~y and is not dependent :m funds from the control lo 1cks and relentlessly seeks to secure power. townships coming int::i the centr!l.l. com Continued on iOage 3 "Whoever the chair of tihe :Mau'ion mittee. • Page 3of8 Thursday, August 26, 1999
The worries by Gilroy operatives Goldsmith understated about the come with the chain of command, where Sweezy controversy in Sunday's Star, say precinct officials are picking up the phone ing, "It could reach a point where it's dis TICKER to ward chairs asking who's in charge. tracting ... and quite debilitating to the The Gilroy campaign has expressed great party." T A P E faith that Murphy and Dietrick will be What Goldsmith isn't talking about able to assure that the chain of command is his own administration dragging out the audio/visual communica· will be orderly and efficient heading into final audit exit interview with the Indiana tions. Anderson Mayor Mark Lawler has ordered an Election Day. State Board of Accounts, which was sup increased presence of city But one Gilroy ally conjured posed to take place Aug. 25 after numer police, using 25 officers that images of legendary Marion County Chair ous delays. That ensures that any bad will be assigned randomly L. Keith Bulen, who was able to subjugate news from the audit will hit the press after in selected school zones those leading fiefdoms into common goals the Labor Day campaign kickoff. The {Anderson Herald-Bulletin). with unparalleled success. It is a history prospect of Gilroy being saddled with Fort Wayne Community lesson that Sheriff Cottey has apparently internecine party warfare and a prickly Schools is updating all never learned. audit report by the SBA could ensure a school surveillance systems clunky start of her fall campaign in a race {Journal-Gazette). All middle schools will have hand-held that virtually everyone predicts will be a Split personality metal detectors. All FWCS Nor have many other stalwarts in close donnybrook with Democrat Bart employees will wear identifi· the party. In fact, many leading operatives Peterson. cation badges. The district in the Marion County GOP seem to have has also hired five more split personalities when it comes to fratri Golden parachute? professional conflict media cide. When Sweezy declared last February Over the weekend, Goldsmith was tors, for a total of 13. East Allen Schools and DeKalb in the Indianapolis Star that "no one has telling the Star, ''The future looks pretty asked me to resign," HPR Publisher Brian High School have hired full· intense. Any number of things could hap time security officers. Howey wrote an articl~in NUVO pen after the election." Southwest Allen Schools Newsweekly under the headline: "Sweezy Several influential Republican has started to teach conflict should resign." That set off a torrent of e sources told HPR on Tuesday that a deal resolution skills in all mails from party operatives - many influ is being attempted to create a golden para grades. The Journal Gazette ential members agreeing with the main chute for Sweezy - one that would reward quoted Russell Skiba, asso assessment but acknowledging that it was him for 27 years of service and provide ciate professor of counsel· useless to do so because Sweezy was so him with a car and severance package. Ing and educationcil psy· chology and director of the entrenched. Some expected the deal might be worked lnsitute of Child Study as Others appeared to rally around the out within a week. embattled chair, including some who are saying Indiana schools "will But other sources say that Sweezy tum to fairly reactive now helping Gilroy manage the grassroots has been embarrassed so badly by Cottey approaches." organization that had to be created in over leaking the investigation to the press place of the party organization because it (Prosecutor Scott Newman insisted that Texas Gov. George W. Bush was so inefficient. A couple of influential the molestation probe leaks did not come won the Indiana operatives wrote e-mails lauding the arti from his office), and now this late summer Republicans' on-line straw cle to the publisher while at the same time power play that he will never go quietly poll with 35 percent of the writing messages to Gordon Durnil that and turn power over to Cottey. vote, followed by 23 percent for Pat Buchanan, 22 per· were sharply critical of the article (which Sen. Borst prophetically told the he forwarded). cent for Elizabeth Dole, 9 Star on Tuesday, "I predicted the leader percent for Dan Quayle, 4 ship situation would be concluded soon. percent for Steve Forbes, 3 Gilroy's Goldsmith luggage Within a week. Either that or it will be a percent for John McCain, The other tantilizingly brazen source of controversy day after day." and 1 percent for Gary stance in all of this is Mayor Goldsmith's, Meanwhile, that whirring sound Bauer, Orrin Hatch and Alan described by the Indianapolis Star as Republicans may be hearing is probably Keyes. GOP Chairman Mike "hand-picking Gilroy to succeed him." that of L. Keith Bulen, rapidly spinning. continued on page 4 lPagie 4 of 8 Thwrsday, Aug1L1.St :?i6, 1999 Jolh1n Rll Price :~m~1~tU:Dng tlhe u~s1,,~sues T A p E RepU1blican gubernatoria~ candidstte pushing for !~ambling tax hike •
1 1 Ii I 111'1 1 I 111 GREENCASTLE-Not many pun $5,000 if you want your picture taken dits and pros are giving Re]publican gJh;~r with David and a dim: er on the 31st, and McDaniel told the natorial nominee John R. Prioe much of .a $1,000 if you don't w rr t the picture, just Indianapolis Star tlhat he·- chance to win his party's 2000 nomina the dinner. And then t ~'' 2··~'s a PAC meet had hoped to attract about tion. But Price is earning an impre:;si 1 r1; ing before the event a 1c1 uhe word on the 2,000 people to the array of earned media and says me:.sag;e street is there: will be :11 couple hundred www.incigop.org web~:"t1~, but 6,2510 responded. will beat money. thousand dollars com]ni; from that. So I HPR: You've establi.shed an imn.ov think their Former Hudson lm.-tit1urttE~ ative threshhold thus far in this raoe:. plan is to analyst Carol D' Amico hi Price: I'm trying to get the ]Bsues raise about $1 said to lbe seriously ccmsid· to the level where people start talkim1g million that ering a run for Superimtun about the governor's race a!lld I thilnk it's Ft 11V night. The dernt of Public Instruction as happened. I N T E V I E invitation a Republican. If she l'Ulns, it HPR: Your earned media is i.mpn;:s --LJLlJIUIJ_._ll1IUIJ mak,es it clear would b·3 the second 1c:1:>n· sive from your coUege tuition prograrn, to they've got about half of that in placi~. So secutive GOP chaUen~11e to tax cuts for seniors, to raising the casim10 it will be a really big t'vent in terms of incumbent Suellen RE·1~c, who fended off a challmge tax from 20 to 35 percent. Are you sur·· fundraising. Frankly I tl 1 1k it's a politi from former State Rep. prised? cally strategii:: error bt c.rnse there will be David L1ohr in 1996. Price: To be honest, 1 reallly am. a lot of people out in 1he state who think I've run before imd I've goltten a .limle, but if you give $:2.5,000 t·o scimebody you Indiana Republican in this race we're getting four and fiv1~ might expect somethir1g for it. Chairman Mike Mc[1~11iel times what I've had before. HPR: So ~ :o sh will otJit-raise tried to talk otJJt-going 1=ort HPR: Is that resulting in an you. Do you belive id1~as can counter Wayne l\Jlayor Paul Helmke increase in money? money? • into challenging State l~ep. Price: Yes, and also an incre:as1~ in Price: The message always beats Ben GiaQuinta. But Helmke volunteers, and in people who sign ur:: oru the money and I give i'C·lI as my sotJirce dashed 1that idea, tellirlJ!~ the Journal Gazette, "I hav1e no our website, in letters, and :eceptivity in for that a new book by D ck Morris. interest ln running for ·JJiie the organization. Let's face 1t, when pea.. Vlhile I do n()t comm~.n :l him for his state legislature. Tfrte 10111ly ple think you're a serious candicfat~~ and moral life he is a gooc. political strate:gist thing I was thinking al:J1)ut read about you in their local papers amd his book The New Prince is about for next year was running they're more serious about taJlking ;to ymn. how the message beat:;. 1he money and he for govemor and I've HPR: Where do you .>tand fi.:nan gives countless exam~les. Of course we already announced I'm riot cially? That was really an issue in your had O'Bannon and Gcklsmith prove 1that. doing that." McDa111iel's Senate race, the lack of money. Frankly, if I had been on Mcintosh's advi pitch to Helmke was tl~1alt a Price: We're doing fiJ:11e. If I ha::l to sory team I would ha1,11e advised against run at GiaQuinta could! help pay all my outstanding bills today we d trying to raise it in a bi:g huge sum the GOP clinch contrc1l c1,f the Indiana House, anici that still have a cash balance. We will not be because in Greene Com ty, Monroe a grateful pam1 would bu raising the kind of dollars David (Mch:1- County, Brown Count/, they're not going willing to pay divid1end$; to tosh) is going to raise. As a matter of fact, to 1thin.k selling the go"'ernor's offfoe for Helmke down the road. there's a fundraising event David is hav campaign contribution; s a smart idea. ing on the 31st at the Colts Complex HPR: So you t!hmk the gambling A Monroe County jury has where he is soliciting people to giVF.! hnrn. issue is a hot button and because Purucker acquitted former Mo111l"r.iE! $25,000 to be a co-host, and there are 1.(1 is there means he's cedled that territory. County Sheriff Randy of those, so there's $250,000; and then Price: What I s,1id coday was t.ilat I Williamso111 on three c101unts $5,000 to be a committee rrember an:: dndn't think Gov. O'B:rnnon or Mcintosh of the1ft for improperly ~ming money from jail fu111ds Ito there are 43 of those, including Jim would be fighting to inc riease taxes on Purucker, the gambling lobbyist. TI1en it's riverboat casinos beca'.1se people who continued on page 5 • Page S of 8 Thursday, August 26, 1999 have given them contributions won't be from a Gov. Price? favorable to that. Price: Somewhere between $500 TICKER HPR: So you want to raise the tax million and a billion. A 5-percent hold on riverboat casinos from 20 percent to 35 back under most people's estimates is T A p E percent. What will that do for taxpayers? appropriate. Price: That gives us $229 million a HPR: The Democrats are already pay legal fees. Asked If he year. That, by the way, was based on what painting Mcintosh as an extremist. Do was surprised, Williamson they used to take in, which was $1.5 bil you see him that way? Do you fear they said no, "I didn't do any lion. But based on the July figures, which may try to paint you that way? thing wrong" (WRTV). One are the highest on record where we have Price: I don't think David's an alternate juror was State Sen. Vi Simpson, who told $141 million in one month from the nine extremist. I don't think the label extremist the Bloomington Herald· casinos, that translates to $1. 7 billion for works anymore. Times, "It is time to revist the whole year. HPR: Assess Gov. O'Bannon's the statutes governing the HPR: You contend that most of political state now and how you think bookkeeping and account· that money leaves the state. he'll emerge in 2000. ing practices of the sheriffs Price: Most of it, by their own fig Price: He's probably stuck in con office." Simpson said the ures. They put out a press release today crete. He can't go back and redo the '99 current statutes have been saying they put $300 million into the legislative session, which was a disaster "interpreted in different 12,300 people they employ, wages and for his administration. He went into it ways by different people. benefits, total, annual. So let's start with a with 60 percent support - some said 70 That indicates to me that benchline of $1.7 billion. Approximately percent. He came out of it with his major the statute needs some clar· lty." $1.4 million goes to cover the mortgages proposal not being well thought out, not on the riverboats. Then they pay the state being well supported and rejected by both Blackford County Sheriff about $305 million. Now by the time you parties. The AUL and the banking Paul Whitesell is currently take all those numbers and subtract them changes slipped through his fingers. He living in Delaware c~cnty, from $1.7 billion you've still got a huge allowed himself to be bullied into not and that has Blackford offi· sum of money there and most of that goes doing a special session. Everybody likes cials scurrying to see if he to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. So the ques Frank O'Bannon. I like Frank O'Bannon, still qualifies as sheriff. tion is we've granted these nine very valu but that does not translate into leadership. Whitesell said he sold his able licenses to do what nobody else can Full-day kindergarten is not going to do it. house in Hartford City on do in this state. My point is they don't pay HPR: But Gov. O'Bannon will July 1 and moved to Eaton in Delaware County. "We enough. Since we've got a lot of people come back and point to his community hoped we would be in our who really need property tax relief, by college program, Fresh Start and other new house before the end increasing the gaming tax by another $229 programs. He'll point to a consistent of the summer but because million plus cutting state spending by thread. of problems with contrac about $187 million or 4 percent - all of Price: The community college and tors, that was just not pos that together would give us our scholar Fresh Start are fine, but they still don't sible," Whitesell told the ship program, no property tax for seniors, address the problems that we have like 74 Muncie Star Press. and a 20-percent tax cut across the board percent of our 10th graders flunk the Blackford Commissioner for regular citizens. !STEP exam. We're not doing something Larry Hile said, "I don't HPR: Gov. O'Bannon has said he right. recall that he came before the commissioners to let us will freeze any expansion in gambling. Do HPR: Can you beat Mcintosh? know he was moving." Said you agree? Price: I will beat him. It will hap County Council President Price: I would. We've got a lot of it pen in such a way that people will say John Rains, "I had heard now. Let's freeze it. afterward, "I understood that," but ahead rumors. But I had not been HPR: Would you roll it back? of time people will say, "Nab, there's no told and he has not come Price: I don't think that's possible. way." Since 1992 there have been 16 before the council to report But let's tax it a little bit more. House members who have run for gover he was moving out of the HPR: Govs. Bayh and O'Bannon nor. Three of them were elected. Of the 13 county." Councilman David have been proud of the large surpluses. who lost, nine lost in primaries.•!• What kind of surpluses could we expect continued on page 6 Thursday, August 2ti, 1999 Page 6of8
1 1 TICKE:R COL U]{Il ~IT~'.; ]:~~5, 0 N ~NDIANA • T A P E 111 IUI I 1 111 Alan Julian, Evansville Courier d: Kevin Leininger, ,''ort Wayne News Montgomery added, "We Press - It never ceases to amaze me: how Sentinel - Embarrassed t y a series of could be in a bad situation·- events can unfold i.n the strangest ·ways. recent blunders by his st 1ff, Allen County if he's not legally our sh1niff Let's consider for a moment :some of the Prosecutor Robert Gevets is on the right and he is out there ma~dng news out of Bloomington, Ind., this st.rn·· track in requi1ring some: o:f his attomeys to arrests." John Cady of the mer - especially as it re'.ates to Interstat!e receive remedial instructicm. Shielding the Indiana Sheriffs Association 69. Earlier this summer the new-terrain public from those who 11ivould prey upon it said the statute would h<1ve is too important a job to ai;cept anything to be challenged before 11 route got a big boost from a coalitfon of decision would be mad11~." 22 Indiana mayors. In a very public: letter l1ess than exce:llence. Wh: her this back to Gov. Frank O'Bannon, the mayors :;a.id to-school edict improv~s the quality of New Casll:le Mayor Sherman the highway should take a direct route th at jlllstice in Alfon County or merely pro-· Boles deliv1ered his fifth passes roughly from Indianapolis to vitdes political cover fc r m elected prose consecutive decrease in the Bloomington to Evansville. The ma.yors, cutor, however, is largd~' 1JP to Gevers. city's tax rate. who collectively represent some 1.4 mil The truth is that the two most highly pub lion Hoosiers, include Steve Goldsmith of licized mistakes should not have been Vanderburgh County Commissioner Bettye IL.1ou Indianapolis, Evansville's Frank made by first··year law smdents. P1erh
Thursday, Aug111St 26, 1999 !?age 8 of 8 any danger." Status: Safe Lugar. Congressional DistJrict 2: R.epublkan: Mike Pence, State Rep. J,~ffLinder, Andrew Phipps, Brad Steele, Fred Wenger, Bill Frajzer, Luke Messner. Democrat: J )e Hogsett, State A p E Rep. Tiny Adams, State Sen. Tim LanEme., Troy Liggett, J.D. Lux. Geogn1p i;.i: Muncie, T Anderson, Richmond, ShelbyviHe, Columbus and East Central Indiana. 1~ 9 J results: Mcintosh 93,592, Hogsett 78,241. 1996 Results: M:::[r..tosh 122,288, Carmichael (DJ ! l,478, Zimmerman
(L) 4,662. 1998 Res11lt:s: Mcintosh (R; 1 99,584, Boles (D) 62,42'5, Federle (L) 2,236. 20!00! Rumors are rampant ir1 Forecast: Lutz is out on the GOP side rund. lvlcintosh Washington aide Luh Messer is consider school circles that lndia1na ing a run. Sources say Hogsett and Ad.:ums a.re signaling they won't run, b lt I- ogsett is officially is poised to lose a mum. If Hogsett is out, look for a c0inse11sus to develop around :Sen. Lana 1e, 'Nho will rumounce Congressional seat afier the a decision by Labor Day. General Sta1tw:: Le,ins R. 2000 Census. That has Congressional District 8: Hitep1U11hlican: U.S. Rep. John Hosl:e~:ler. Democrat: prompted Morton Marcus, John Hamilton, Dr. Paul Perry. Lilbertarian: Paul Hager. Geography: fa imsville, director of the lndian;i Bloomington, Vincennes and SW IndiEmE .. 1994 results: Hostettler (R) 93 5'!9, McCloskey (D) 1 Business Researclh C1 mter, 84,857. 1996 Results: Hostettler (R) l 09,582, Weinzapfel (D) 106,134, I-I 1§ e · (L) 3,799. 1998 to JPress lawmakers for as Results: Hostettler (R) 92,227, Riecken (:)) Bl,381: Hager (L) 3,395. 200~1, i;orecast: Hostettler complete a census count as reports $102,844 cash on hand as of Junie 30. Hostettler returns to district 1.0 press for the $792 possible. "I am concerned billion GOP tax cut JPlan. "In~tead of sub:;ta::utive tax relief, Clin::on's budget calls for more that Indiana have the m1ost spending," Hostettler scid as he- worked t::> d.rum up 8th CD support (Coun'e•· & Press). On the D complete count that w1~ can side, Hamilton raises $ i 24,000 and Perr)' $72,529. Perry declares himseff 2 Blue Dog Democrat possibly have for strictly and will accentuate his ties to .1e Rig.It t,) Life movement in Evansville. ( ~~ S
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