Decatur Township Democrats Welcome Jill Long Thompson, Sept. 10

Gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson will address Decatur Township Democrats on September 10 at the September club meeting. Thompson, a former Congresswoman and Under Secretary of Agriculture in the Bill Clinton Administration, announced her candidacy for Governor in July. Long Thompson becomes the second of the three announced Democratic candidates to address the club. A late-July poll by the Beneson Group showed Long Thompson as the front runner for the Democratic nomination in this early stage. Also speaking at the meeting will be former U.S. Rep. David Evans.

Dinnertime is 5:45 p.m. with Long Thompson set to speak at 6:30 p.m. The club meets at Buffer Park Golf Course, 3825 S. Foltz St. in Indianapolis. Dues are just $5.00, and meetings are always free! Come and bring a friend.

Photo is courtesy www.valpo.edu.

Mayor Peterson Surprises Club with Visit, Talk at August Meeting

In addition to the announced program of Marion County Democratic Party Chairman Mike O'Connor and Marion County Treasurer Mike Rodman, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson also appeared at August 13's Decatur Township Democrat Club meeting.

The Mayor spoke about the progress of the City of Indianapolis and Marion County during the Peterson Administration and produced a solid case as to why he deserves to be re-elected to a third term.

Peterson touted the success of his charter schools program, the updating of city sewers, the progress made at cleaning up White River, and the securing of the pensions of our police and firefighters as accomplishments. The Mayor also proudly talked about the changes in the criminal justice system and how the Marion County Jail has improved under the Peterson Administration.

Not shying away from the tough issues, Peterson also addressed the topic on homeowners' minds right now...property taxes. The mayor talked about how consolidation will affect property taxes positively by saving money. He said that only 20 percent of the property tax money actually goes to the city and county government while nearly 50 percent goes to the public school system. Peterson answered several questions from club members. He also said that while property taxes rose county-wide by triple digits in some places that city-county spending accounted for just three percent of that hike.

Treasurer Rodman spoke on the payment plan allowing people to pay their property taxes over time. He also warned that the Governor's reassessment might actually RAISE some property taxpayers' bills. Rodman also told taxpayers to be vigilant and to take a close look at an insert that is coming out with new property tax bills to see exactly where their property tax dollars are going. He encouraged taxpayers to attend school board meetings and township advisory board meetings to understand more about where the money you spend on taxes goes.

Chairman O'Connor talked about the condition of the Marion County Democratic Party. He also talked about the progress of the party in aiding the Marion County Clerk's Office in finding poll workers. Decatur Township once again leads the county in making sure all of its slots are filled.

Also unannounced as a speaker was Democratic candidate for Congress in the Fourth District, Nels Ackerson. A Zionsville resident, Ackerson talked about his plans for fixing our nation's problems if he wins the party nomination and is able to beat Representative Steve Buyer in the fall of 2008. While the numbers don't look good for Democrats in the 4th, Ackerson cited the crossover votes that pushed Evan Bayh to a 130,000 vote win over Marvin Scott in 2006.

The meeting was well attended with nearly 60 people filling the room. Please make plans to come to the meeting on Monday, September 10.

Photo is courtesy of indygov.org.

Decatur Democrats Welcome Mike Rodman and Mike O'Connor on August 13

The Decatur Township Democrat Club will welcome Marion County Democratic Party Chair Mike O'Connor and Marion County Treasurer Mike Rodman on August 13. Dinner time is 5:45 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. The club meets at Buffer Park Golf Course, 3825 S. Foltz Street in Decatur Township.

O'Connor photo (L) courtesy of www.iupui.edu and Rodman photo (R) courtesy of www.marioncountydemocrats.org.