MORNING MUSINGS
I have a lot of thoughts on my mind this morning, but only a couple are worth writing down. Republican Mayoral candidate Greg Ballard offered up his government consolidation plan Wednesday. It consolidates all township offices, going further than incumbent Bart Peterson’s plan. Peterson campaign manager Mike O’Connor says government consolidation would already be here had it not been for the GOP two years ago. Mike is right. I also like to remind him that Indianapolis would have also had consolidation last year had it not been for State Rep. Bill Crawford protecting the township trustees and refusing to go along with the plan that was on the table at the time. However Ballard is making enemies in his own party. My sources tell me a contingent of Perry Township Republicans is in a furor over his plans. This confirms my theory that fundamentally consolidation is not a Republican or Democrat issue, but a status quo versus taxpayers issue.
On a lighter note, the 130-year old Woman’s Christian Temperance Union is in town having a convention this weekend. Why do I mention them? The WTCU is an anti-alcohol group formed back in the 1800s. The group was successful in shutting down saloons and taverns and was also instrumental in the prohibition movement. However it was the prohibition movement that led to bootlegging and later organized crime. So you have to ask do groups like the WTCU really do society more harm than the “evil” they try to fight.
