Latest Efforts To Topple Council President Tied To Demands By Some To Remove Scales From Public Safety Committee

There is nothing that rankles Republican council members more right now than Councilor Christine Scales' presence on the Public Safety Committee. The corrupt Republican council leadership bounced Scales from the caucus and stripped her of any committee assignments after she refused to take part in their agenda, which is neither Republican-like nor ethical. Council Democrats gave Scales a seat on the Public Safety Committee, drawing their ire.

During recent council hearings on the budget, Scales dared ask questions that were embarrassing to the Ballard administration, like creating a new job for Brian Sanford working under Public Safety Director Troy Riggs the day following his retirement as Indianapolis Fire Department Chief earning more than $100,000 a year despite his failing health being offered as the reason for his retirement. Sanford now earns much more than he earned working as fire chief after he began drawing a large pension check that is bigger than the paycheck earned by more than 90% of Indianapolis workers. Scales also stood her ground in opposition to the Republicans' efforts to raise taxes to fund pre-K education.

The Republican council members are trying to leverage members of the Democratic council to launch a renewed effort to oust Maggie Lewis as council president. A similar attempt failed last year when Councilor Brian Mahern (D) hopped in bed with the Republican council members in an effort to oust Lewis after members of his own party bounced him from his role as council vice president and replaced him with at-large council member, John Barth. The effort was thwarted when Councilor Scales refused to join other Republicans in the coup attempt. The threats being made against Lewis are reportedly over the top if she doesn't acquiesce to Republican demands to banish Scales from the Public Safety Committee and go along with their plan to raise taxes yet again through the elimination of the homestead property tax credit.

It's just further evidence of how morally debased the Republican leadership in Marion County has become. They're interested in raw naked power, and they could care less who they harm in the process as long as they get what they want, which never seems to align with the public's interest these days. Republicans have already drafted Tim Craft, an associate of CB Richard Ellis, which has been a beneficiary of Ballard's no-bid crony contracts, to challenge Scales in next year's Republican primary in her newly-drawn district because she votes like a real Republican would vote instead of the reckless, tax and spend ways of other members of the Republican caucus.