Blue County in a Red State

Buzzcut's income taxes

2012-02-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

So I did my income taxes on Saturday. I got a bit of a refund, half of what I got back last year, despite only making a little bit more than I did last year. Marginal tax rates above a certain threshold are a bitch! In particular, the phaseout of the child tax credit really killed me. My marginal tax rate has to be over 50%.

So that "free code" for e-filing your Indiana income tax did not work for me. It was only for the web version of H&R Block, I like to get the disc and have everything on my computer. The code doesn't work with their software product, only the web product. So I filed the old fashioned way, on paper, in an envelope, in the mail.

I did discover that if you have an Indiana 529 account, you can get a credit for your contributions. I've never gotten more than a token refund from Indiana (reflecting our flat income tax), but this year I did much better than that. Look into it if you are able.

Lutas piles on Scheub

2012-01-31T10:57:00.000-08:00

Mike Lutas reports:

Called Scheub's office and he seems to be seeking legal advice. I suggested that core political speech might make the non-solicitation clause in the contract in this case a federal civil rights issue, especially with the new tack the Supreme Court has been taking lately regarding campaign donations.

He said he'd bring it up in a legal counsel meeting. He seemed a great deal focused on the unfortunate circumstance that there's an anti-civil rights commissioner who wants to ban gun shows entirely and that the Paul donation jar might have given him some ammunition to eliminate these events.

If this fellow really exists (Scheub didn't give me his name so I can't check), he is an even bigger civil rights offender. From my impression, Scheub made a tactical mistake and might be brought around to do the right thing.

I hope that we end up with fair grounds contracts that don't discriminate against our exercise of any of our rights whether they are 2nd amendment rights or 1st amendment rights.

I'll bet that the "anti-civil rights Commissioner" is Roosevelt Allen Jr.

Highland cops shoot and kill a man. What does it mean? STDs?

2012-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

This is an awful story. My sympathies and thanks go to the two police officers.

Should we be reading into this story? Here is a good Times comment:

I think what you mean is his statement makes 1000% sense. Highland is slowly slipping into the likes of Griffith, which is slowly slipping into the likes of Merriville, which looks more like Gary than ever. There is a clear, slow, decline in this neighborhood. You're totally right though. 1000 cops every square mile won't stop the crimes from happening. It's all about the GUTTER TRASH lifestyle. Okay so maybe the thugs aren't moving directly to Highland but that life style, that mo-thuggin' gunsta kill joo mammyjammas disrespecting thuggary is increasing. Deny it all you want but it's following a pattern. It's following a path. That path is South. You'll eventually stop seeing these stories reported on out of Highland because they'll become the norm. Deny it all you want but crime is up in Highland, which drives people out. People go out, house prices go down. House prices go down, Democrats move in. Once the Democrats move in and take hold you're in New Gary. Mark my words. 94 used to be the southern boundary for this sort of rubbish. 10-15 years everything north of Main, or maybe even US-30, will be just as bad as Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago and Gary.

This is what happens when the STDs (straight ticket Democrats) come to town. This is what Highland enables when it elects Democrats to the town council, who are more interested in placating the building trade unions by building Taj Mahal town halls instead of focusing on public safety.

Housing market still deeply F-ed up

2012-01-31T07:01:00.000-08:00

As we start to get into the hard core Presidential season, and the Obama propaganda machine really starts to hit on all cylinders, we need to keep in mind FACTS like this.

The housing market is STILL F-ed up, 5 years after it started to crash (I still remember when I bought my house in September of '07, and you simply could not get a Jumbo loan from any lender. That chaos, in my estimation, was the point that the recession really began).

Obama has not only done nothing to fix the real estate market, but what he has done has made things far worse. We don't need to keep deadbeats in the foreclosed homes that they can't afford (and who will just redefault later if we renegotiate their loan terms). We need to get these people out of those homes, and get those homes on the market as soon as possible, so that we can get the housing bust behind us. Until we do that, the housing market will just muddle along, never really recovering.

Have you looked around your neighborhood lately? Are there any homes for sale? Very few from what I can see, mostly overpriced stuff that has been on the market for literally years.

Real estate is just one sector that Obama has f-ed up. As we move forward with this Presidential campaign, we need to remind people of this fact, and we need to keep our eye on the prize: making Obama a one term President.

More on the Scheub/ Paulista incident

2012-01-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

Here.

Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub instructed a Ron Paul supporter staffing a vendor booth to leave a gun show at the Lake County Fairgrounds this past weekend.

Perry Sheetz, a Porter Countyresident, said he has attended the gun show about five to six times in the past year to host a booth that supports Paul, a Republican.

This past weekend, Sheetz said, Scheub told him his booth wasn’t appropriate for the gun show. The promoter paid him back his money, Sheetz said, and he left.

Sheetz said he has seen political booths at the gun show in the past and was confused as to why he was being asked to leave.

Scheub, a Democrat, told the Post-Tribune that Sheetz was asked to leave because he had a donation jar, something that isn’t allowed by virtue of the no-solicitation clause in the county’s contract for county fairgrounds rentals.

Scheub said the county enacted that rule about three years ago after people complained about one person harassing them for money.

Scheub also said politicking also wasn’t allowed as part of a rental agreement.

“People are there buying guns,” he said. “We said this isn’t the place to be politicking.”

While the contract specifies no solicitation, it doesn’t mention political propaganda. Hoosier State Press Association attorney Stephen Key said he has never seen “solicitation” to mean anything other than asking for money.

Scheub amended his stance and said while solicitation is banned, it is OK to hand out political pamphlets.

Sheetz said Scheub never specifically mentioned his donation jar as being the problem. Sheetz said he would have gotten rid of the donation jar if he had been asked.

“It was a very unpleasant experience for me,” Sheetz said.

Do something about the fascist Gerry Scheub TOMORROW

2012-01-31T05:33:00.000-08:00

From our good friend Mike Stulac:

Ok, next meeting the 1st, this Wednesday, at 10 ayem. My quasi-day off. I'm sure Ferg can provide all the Paulers you'll ever need. I'm dying for entertainment that I can afford on my meager budget (I make even less than poor little Shelli Vandenbalkenbocker, who can't afford fines for leaving Assembly, unlike Rich Republicans). I'm even up for a little audience participation, ala Rocky Horror or Tony & Tina's Wedding. I'll be easy to spot. I'm the guy who looks like me.

Gerry Scheub throws out Paulers from Lake County Gun Show

2012-01-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

The Lake County Gun Show was this weekend, and a group of Ron Paulers bought space at the show to campaign for Ron Paul. Along comes Gerry Scheub, and he kicked the Paulers out of the show.

Scheub claimed that the organizer of the show should not have let a political organization like the Paulers in. In fact, there is no ordinance in Lake County preventing political organizations from that venue, and the contract that the organizer had with the county only prevented soliciting, not campaigning.

As usual, Gerry Scheub is acting like a fascist. He doesn't even understand the basics of free speech (a county owned venue is EXACTLY the kind of place that the founders envisioned us executing our free speech rights, particularly political ones.

I don't think that old, white Gerry Scheub has any idea who he took on with the Paulers. Let's see if we can pack the next Lake County Commissioner meeting and let this jackass know how bad he really did.

Now that we've (almost) got Right-to-work, what else can Indiana steal from Oklahoma's economic development plan?

2012-01-30T08:19:00.001-08:00

How about Buzzcut's favorite economic development plan, getting rid of the state income tax?

Will cutting health benefits for Lake County public defenders "reduce quality"?

2012-01-30T07:20:00.001-08:00

That is what defenders of the status quo claim.

Of course, the whole "part time public defender" position is a scam in the first place. It is a way to give Democrat operatives like Tom O'Donnell benefits and a salary at taxpayer expense.

If they are so valuable, why don't we make it a full time position where they are truly employees of the county, and where they have to give up their "side jobs" and private practices?

They'll never do that, because that would impact the work that they do for the Democrat party. People like Mayor McCheeze's wife, who is a public defender in Julie Cantrell's courtroom, would never stand for it. It would take time away from doing her husband's campaign finance reports.

Health Insurance is bankrupting Lake County

2012-01-30T05:41:00.000-08:00

Nimeyer is doing a nice impression of a kinder, gentler Buzzcut, going after part time employees who get health insurance.

I'd like to know more about the 30 employees who cost the County nearly $6 million last year. Who are they, what do they do for the County, and what health issues do they have that cost so much?

Since Niemeyer is doing such a great job implementing "The Candidate of No"'s platform, he should next look into signing on with the State of Indiana's health insurance system, the high deductible, consumer directed plan that has saved Indiana so much money.

Lake County cannot afford to provide comprehensive health insurance anymore, whether they direct the plan themselves or privatize it doesn't matter much.

The HD-12 Republican Primary in one picture

2012-01-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

This pic is from a Karagan fundraiser in 2010. That's Bill Fine standing next to Pete Karagan. Karagan helped Fine run against Parras for judge.

I do wish that Fine wouldn't primary Karagan. There is an open Commissioner seat, not to mention three judges are up for election. Or wait until 2014, and run against Mrvan for Senator. Or run against Visclosky. Anything but against the guy that helped you the most in 2010, Pete Karagan.

More Dumezich guys file

2012-01-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hal Slager filed to run for State Rep. in the 15th. I would say that he is the man to beat on the R side, and he will put Tom O'Donnell down pretty easily.

That goes with Jerry Tippy running for Gerry Scheub's Commissioner seat. Dumey is going to be quite the power broker when he has a state rep, Commissioner, and two County Councilmen under his wing.

Democrat corruption blast from the past

2012-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

When guys like Thurm Furee say that Democrats are slightly less corrupt than in the past, what do they mean?

Those indicted through Operation Lights Out include:

* Rudy Bartolomei, at 61, of Gary, the Lake County sheriff and former county

commissioner, was charged with racketeering, extortion, conspiracy, mail fraud,

embezzlement of federal money and possession of an illegal firearm. The charges

involved kickback schemes and the use of county employees for personal reasons.

His wife, Dorothy, who had been chief bookkeeper for the sheriff's office, was

charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and embezzlement.

With a plea agreement and his cooperation in the investigations of other

public officials, Rudy managed to spare his wife jail time and serve only nine

months in prison. They were given new identities and allowed to keep much of

their assets when they entered the federal witness protection program.

* Michael Jankovich, at 76, of Hobart, the Lake County assessor for 18 years

and longtime local Democratic power, was sentenced to six years in prison,

fined $250,000 and ordered to forfeit $11,700 in bribe receipts after pleading

guilty to charges of racketeering and extortion in soliciting bribes from

businessmen in return for cutting their tax bills.

* Roland D. Watson, at 37, of Gary, the former deputy assessor to Jankovich,

was charged with taking bribes solicited by Jankovich and splitting the money

with his boss. He pleaded guilty.

* Frank A. J. Stodola, at 66, of Hammond, the former Hammond and Lake

Superior judge and former county commissioner, was sentenced to 12 years in

prison for racketeering, filing false income tax returns and was ordered to

forfeit $10,800 in bribe money. He was charged with selling his commissioner's

office "to the highest bidder."

* Noah Atterson Spann, at 48, of East Chicago, the county commissioner,

pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for racketeering

conspiracy, fined $25,000 and ordered to forfeit $29,615 in payoff money he

received from two janitorial firms in exchange for lucrative contracts to clean

the county government buildings.

In a separate indictment, a jury found Spann guilty of trying to defraud the

government during a county-financed sale of an East Chicago nursing home. He

was sentenced to serve two consecutive, five-year prison terms, with both terms

to follow the 20-year sentence.

Spann and his co-defendant in the second indictment, East Chicago attorney

Melvin Morris, were also required to repay the government $1 million in revenue

sharing funds and $535,065 to the county. Morris was sentenced to 20 years in

prison.

* Glenn A. Kuipers, at 42, was sentenced to two years in prison and fined

$5,000 for taking bribes in connection with the county-financed buy of an East

Chicago nursing home. He and his wife entered the federal witness protection

program after he pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Spann and Morris.

* Rudy Byron, at 51, of Gary, and a former Lake County inspector and aide to

Spann, was sentenced to nine years in prison and fined $15,000 for accepting

payoffs to help two janitorial firms get county contracts and for income tax

violations.

* Michael Mokol Sr., at 48, the Merrillville town councilman and former Lake

County Sheriff's Police chief under Bartolomei, was sentenced to 20 years in

prison for racketeering, conspiracy and bribery for taking money to provide

county police protection for certain proprietors of illegal gambling operations.

Mokol's co-defendant, Reginald Kinkade, 44, of Munster, a video poker

machine vendor, was also given 20 years behind bars for paying protection money

to Mokol.

* James Bradach, at 49, of St. John, a former insurance agent for Lake

County government, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for perjury and fined

$50,000. He lied about why he paid $350,000 to three men - Paul Gjebre, James

Phillips and Everett Hetrick. The money was allegedly used to cover Bradach's

gambling debts and not for the three men's help in trying to launch a medical

credit card program.

Gjebre pleaded guilty to perjury, Phillips was found guilty of perjury and

Hetrick was acquitted of perjury charges in separate trials.

* Saranettia Lang-Lampkin pleaded guilty to one county of extortion and two

counts of tax violations for accepting bribes while she was executive director

and president of the lake County Job Training Corp. She was sentenced to one

year in prison.

* Lavell Wilson, 56, and his wife Patricia, 40, formerly of Gary, were

charged this year with conspiracy to defraud the government, tax violations and

paying bribes to Saranettia Lang-Lampkin in return for securing job training

contracts from the federally funded agency she headed. Their trial is scheduled

for June.

* Vincent Kirrin, 64, a long-time East Chicago power broker who allegedly

boasted of his ability to "make and break" Lake County politicians, was named

in a December 1989 seven-count indictment.

The charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and tax violations involve a

janitorial services contract for the Lake County Government Center Kirrin

allegedly obtained illegally. His trial, which is scheduled for July, has been

delayed several times because of his health.

Democrat Rep. Dan Stevenson retiring to work with Dumey?

2012-01-27T13:29:00.001-08:00

That is my prediction, and it looks like it is coming true.

I agree with Stevenson that he could have beaten The Dingbat. Stevenson is solid in Highland and Griffith. The Dingbat is unknown there.

I wonder if Stevenson is going to move to Briar Ridge to be closer to Dumey, too. They'll car pool in with each other in Dumey's 'Vette.

Democrats yet again enable deadbeats at the expense of taxpayers

2012-01-27T13:13:00.001-08:00

Now Democrat Senator Lonnie Randolph is proposing tax amnesty for those behind on their property taxes.

My prediction is that the waiver of penalty and fees does little to nothing to get people to pay their back taxes. But this is just indicative of where Democrats are on the issue, always making it easier for the deadbeats to get by without paying their fair share.

Where Mara "The Dingbat" Candelaria Reardon got her nickname from

2012-01-25T14:01:00.001-08:00

Legislation like this:

Companies that sell to or invest in Iran's energy sector could be barred from doing business with state and local governments in Indiana.

House Bill 1181, sponsored by state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, requires businesses seeking state or local government contracts to certify they are not supporting Iran's nuclear ambitions.

You have to be kidding me. This is the same woman that says that immigration enforcement is a federal issue. Yeah, well, so is enforcing sanctions, dumbass.

Julie Cantrell was selling REAL fake IDs

2012-01-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

From an old Post-Trib article:

Julie N. Cantrell, a candidate for Lake Superior Court, County Division judgeship, was investigated eight years ago - as a 20-year-old Purdue University student - by university police about the source of phony identification cards underage students were using to buy booze. She admits referring some students to a person in the East Chicago license branch - where she worked in the mid-1980s for her father, Robert Cantrell - who could make driver's license-like cards with phony names, addresses and birthdates.

Why isn't Julie Cantrell in jail?

2012-01-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

Her father's crimes were her own:

HAMMOND | When Nancy Fromm and colleague George Safana started an addiction counseling service in 1997, Lake Superior Judge Julie Cantrell was one of the first to send a few court-ordered rehabilitation clients to the firm.

And when Fromm's firm was hurting for business two years later, Fromm recruited the help of Judge Cantrell's father, Robert Cantrell, in squeezing even more clients out of her court, Fromm testified.

But it could not have been known then that Robert Cantrell, an East Chicago political operative, would eventually be criminally charged in Hammond federal court for allegedly profiting from the very kinds of deals he helped set up in his daughter's court.

A federal fraud trial for Robert Cantrell resumes today following a two-day break in testimony.

"Robert Cantrell never took one dime from any case that went through that court," defense attorney Kevin Milner said last week during Robert Cantrell's fraud trial. "Even though that was most of the money, he never took one dime of it."

Between 2000 and 2003, Julie Cantrell's court sent more than $588,000 worth of business to Fromm's firm, Addiction and Family Care Inc.

It was almost half of the $1.3 million in profits that Cantrell is alleged to have helped Fromm's business earn between June 1999 and late 2005. All told, 75 percent of Fromm's business in those years came from contracts secured by Robert Cantrell.

Robert Cantrell has admitted using his political influence to generate the contracts and then taking as much as 50 percent of the profits as a consulting fee, arguing it was a legal arrangement.

"The evidence will show there was complete transparency in all these transactions," Milner said in the trial's opening statements last week.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Orest Szewciw agreed with Milner that Robert Cantrell did not get paid for any of the work referred from Julie Cantrell's court.

But that doesn't mean he didn't use it to his advantage, Szewciw said. Rather, the business from Cantrell's court comprised part of the leverage that Robert Cantrell held over Fromm, Szewciw said.

"This was business that was brought in by him, and it could be stopped by him," Szewciw told jurors in opening statements.

Julie Cantrell could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Milner said last week the judge is likely to be called as a witness in the case.

Julie Cantrell's magistrate, Michael Pagano, declined to comment on the trial Wednesday because it is a pending case.

Fromm told Milner during cross-examination that Julie Cantrell always had asked her father to make sure he was not profiting personally from the business from her court.

"He said from the very beginning he did not want to hurt his daughter, and he loved his family," Fromm testified. "He did not want to tarnish her court in any way."

Who is Julie Cantrell

2012-01-25T11:07:00.000-08:00

Buzzcut searches the Times archives...

When people first meet Julie Cantrell they are amazed to learn she is a Lake

Superior Court judge.

"They look at me and see a woman who is young, pretty, blonde and little,"

said Cantrell, 31, who was married in July. "But I explain to them that I

demand attention."

Cantrell was elected to the bench in 1996 at the age of 28. She remains the

youngest judge in Indiana.

During her campaign, her opponents challenged her qualifications because of her

age. It did not matter that she worked for the Lake County prosecutor's office

for three years and had a conviction rate of more than 90 percent.

"I get a lot of people saying 'How do you think you can do this?' ... I explain

to them it is not the years, but what you do with it. It is your enthusiasm and

the efforts to do things that is important - not your age. The truth is we need

to bring more youth into elected offices and into government. It helps promote

change."

Cantrell decided to become a judge because she wanted to do something

different, but did not feel the need want to go into private law. The elections

were approaching and a friend encouraged her to run. At first Cantrell laughed

at the idea, but the more she thought about it and consulted her peers, she

realized it was worth pursuing.

Cantrell first thought of a career in law while in high school. She had the

acting bug and was enrolled in speech and debate classes.

"I figured I could take my talents in to the courtroom," said Cantrell, who has

a law degree from the University of Tulsa.

Today Cantrell travels throughout the county to speak to students, particularly

those in high school.

"I do see myself as a role model ... I encourage young people to realize they

can do anything they want to do."

And this:

The Lake County judicial system is full of all different kinds of judges on all different levels.

Judge Julie Cantrell was elected to the Lake County Superior Court, and her staff handles misdemeanor criminal cases.

"We see 27,000 to 30,000 cases a year," said Judge Julie Cantrell. "And we make sure people who deserve to go jail, go!" Cantrell started her career as a deputy at the Lake County prosecutor's office.

During her three years in that position, she had a 95-percent conviction rate including 27 homicide convictions. In 1997, Cantrell was sworn into her current position, and over the past 10 years has enjoyed what she does.

"I love my job," Cantrell explained. "I get to help people and protect the community."

And helping others is something she's wanted to do ever since she was a kid. In fact, Cantrell believes she found her sense of justice in the sixth grade. "It all started with one of my classmates stealing my crayons in school," Cantrell said. "I made sure I fought for what was mine, and I've been doing so ever since!"

Outside the courtroom, Cantrell keeps busy with her family. She's been married for almost 10 years, and has three children. She thoroughly enjoys being a mom, and has fun as a Girl Scout leader. In addition, Cantrell speaks at DARE graduations at almost every city in the county. "It's important for kids to know the dangers of drugs," she said. "I feel very strongly about that."

Cantrell attended Purdue University and after graduation went on to obtain her law degree at Tulsa University. In addition to her duties as a judge, Cantrell teaches a political science call at Purdue-Calumet. In 1998, she received the Indiana Judges Association Award for excelling in public education. As for what the future holds for Cantrell, well, that's still unknown. "This is a great job, and I don't see myself doing anything different."

David Brooks agrees with Buzzcut about the poor

2012-01-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

People are poor because they don't work, aren't educated, and have kids out of wedlock.

Across America, millions of mothers can’t rise because they don’t have adequate support systems as they try to improve their skills. Tens of millions of children have poor life chances because they grow up in disorganized environments that make it hard to acquire the social, organizational and educational skills they will need to become productive workers.

Tens of millions of men have marred life chances because schools are bad at educating boys, because they are not enmeshed in the long-term relationships that instill good habits and because insecure men do stupid and self-destructive things.

Children really are the biggest victims of our lax culture.

Unfortunately, Brooks raises the trope that "early childhood education" is the answer. I wish it were, but all the evidence is that Head Start and similar programs don't work.

Legal gun owner 1, illegal gun toting criminal 0

2012-01-25T06:31:00.000-08:00

If only bank tellers in Munster were as well armed as fast food workers in Gary.

GARY — As one robber grabbed an employee and the other brandished a Uzi-type weapon, a Rally’s co-worker took quick action, firing at the would-be criminals inside the Glen Park store early Jan. 11.

The pair ran west, their robbery attempt foiled.

One of the suspects was found dead in a nearby vacant lot the next afternoon. He had been shot and killed by the Rally’s worker, investigators learned.

The results of the investigation are with the Lake County prosecutor, who will likely determine the Rally’s worker was justified in his actions.

Police declined to identify the employee.

“He feared for his life and that of his co-worker,” Gary police spokesman Sgt. Nelson Otano said.

The body of Marcus Patillo, 24, of 5864 Massachusetts St., Merrillville, was found in a weedy lot west of the restaurant in the 3600 block between Broadway and Washington Street. Police believe Patillo and his accomplice ran that direction after the worker shot at them. Patillo was pronounced dead at the scene about 12 hours after they entered the business through an unlocked employee entrance at 2:30 a.m. Jan. 11.

Workers were closing for the night when the men entered, restrained one employee and demanded cash.

Police said the restaurant’s service door, located on the east side of the building, didn’t lock properly and employees had reported the problem more than once.

The door opens adjacent to the drive-through lane and the lack of security was not a secret, Otano said.

Repairs were made subsequent to the shooting, police said.

Patillo was serving a five-year probation in Lake County after it was transferred from New Madrid County in Missouri in 2009. He was convicted there of possession of marijuana, court records show.

Otano said Detective Alex Jones is continuing his investigation into the incident. The prosecutor won’t make a final decision until additional information, such as the coroner’s report, is submitted.

Everyone in Calumet Township is incompetent

2012-01-25T05:43:00.001-08:00

Not that there was any question...

So they're having a Senate committee meeting for a law that sets a township's "assistance rate" (what they spend on poor relief) to 2 times the state average (adjusted for the poverty rate). This will put a huge hit on Calumet Township, whose assistance rate is 4.5 times the state average.

A lawmaker makes a motion to increase that to 4.5 times, and the Calumet Township officials at the meeting object, and say they want the 2 times rate!

They obviously did not know what they were testifying against.

Buzzcut completely vindicated regarding Michael Temores

2012-01-25T05:20:00.000-08:00

Hey, all you Michael Temores lovers out there, suck it.

Buzzcut is completely, 100% vindicated. Every single rumor and innuendo that I trafficked in is validated by the Times.

Isn't it interesting that I beat them to the punch by two weeks?

First up, that he had 100 tickets.

Second up, that he was getting them plead down or dismissed.

Third, that the cops knew of him, and were dismayed that he was constantly getting off.

Skafgaard's death was no surprise to Highland police Cmdr. George Georgeff.

"Law enforcement did whatever it could to keep him off the street," Georgeff said. "Once he moved out of our town, he pretty much stayed clear of Highland."

But Georgeff said Temores made the rounds, garnering a reputation among local law enforcement.

"They're all talking about this," Georgeff said. "Their feeling is this should never have happened."

Georgeff said had the courts not dismissed a violation of Temores' probationary license in 2003, when he was 15, he would not have been able to obtain a driver's license until he was 21.

Instead, when he'd be stopped, his driving license showed it was valid.

"Our officers were stopping him on a routine basis," Georgeff said.

Fourth, that Judge Julie Cantrell was at the heart of the scandal. Why didn't she comment for the story? BECAUSE SHE IS GUILTY AS SIN!!!!

The four pages of cases against Temores also surprised Lake Superior Court Judge Jesse Villalpando, one of three judges who saw Temores in their courts. The others are Judge Julie Cantrell, who declined to comment, and Judge Sheila Moss, who did not return a phone call.

"You don't see something like this every day. That's for sure," Villalpando said.

He said the cases in his court had been all minor infractions.

"Some of them were paid in the clerk's office," he said. "Others, dismissed by the state of Indiana, which the court is obligated to approve."

Fifth, that Democrat Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter is INCOMPETENT!

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said it's possible the plea bargaining process played a role.

"I've never seen anything as bad as this," Carter said of the number of cases involving Temores.

"If he had two or three charges pending, he might have pleaded to one," Carter said, adding his office will be exploring the matter.

"If a judge is not satisfied with a plea, we urge them to reject it and set it for trial," he said.

On the other hand, Carter indicated the system can only do so much.

"If (Temores) still drives on a suspended license, the court can't take the keys away from him," he said. "He's acting in defiance. It's like going down the street shooting at someone."

A lot of excuses there, and passing the buck ("The state made us do it! The judges can overturn my incompetent plea deals if they want to!")

When are people going to wake up and realize that voting for Lake County Democrat is the same as voting to let people die? These judges and prosecutor, as well as the elected officials that sit around and do nothing, are letting criminals and drunks stay on the street, and they're killing innocent people.

As usual, ya gots ta read the comments:

I posted these cases weeks ago. The Times needs to go to the last few cases that were handled and/or dismissed to see which prosecutor signed the dismissal or plea. Ask those prosecutors how they "missed" bringing up 100 cases on the court docket. I'll guess right now that it was Ms. McConnell. That's who Mullins' go-to prosecutor is. And file an FOIA request to see how much Mullins has given Carter's campaign fund over the last 10 years in the way of fund-raising tickets and "other" little transactions.

...

There is a Lake County Judge's son who has 25 cases, including speeding, possession of marijuana, other drug related charges, DUI, etc. and all of his felonies and most of his misdemeanors have been dismissed. This guy shouldn't have a license either, but thanks to mommy (and daddy who is a public defender in another Judge's courtroom)he continues to get out of most charges and those he doesn't get out of are plead down to much less (basically insignificant) charges. Why are his cases even heard in Lake County? Seems like it's a conflict of interest and possibly an ethical violation at the least. She is a Judge! Do you really think the other Judges are going to give her son a record? The Lake County Prosecutor's Office is a joke!

...

Much more to this story than meets the eye. In the 1980's a Federal Investigation of Lake County Courts found rampant corruption with the fix of drunk driving cases. A judge, prosecutor and 14 others were convicted, and served time. http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/article_c9e38ff7-e7e9-5f94-a9de-dd4002bcd2b3.html

What company snubbed Indiana because we're not Right-to-work?

2012-01-24T14:47:00.001-08:00

Volkswagen.

Their new assembly plant in Tennessee makes the Passat.

Brokered convention and Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull

2012-01-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

After South Carolina and going into Florida, it is looking more and more likely that, not only with the Indiana primary be consequential, but we could be going to a brokered convention.

Isn't that all the more reason to get Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull's Krazy Konvention Delegate math thrown out? Indiana's convention is going to be a real fight to decide who to send to the national convention. Why should KKKK get to decide who goes? Why should she have that power?

Pro-Alinsky propaganda in the Tribune

2012-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

If you were going to find out the "real" Saul Alinsky, would you do more than just consult the author of Salinky's hagiography?

I think this piece also speaks to how radical education and sociology departments are.

Bill Fine forces a primary in the 12th District

2012-01-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

It's official, Peter Karagan has a challenger.

Interestingly, on the D side, it looks like only Mara "The Dingbat" Candelaria-Reardon has filed. Where is Dan Stevenson?

I wonder if Stevenson is going to retire and get a job at Dumezich's firm? They'll have offices next to each other. They're buddies.

Obama says abortion should be legal so his daughters can get one

2012-01-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have long suspected that well off, educated folks supported abortion on demand because they personalized it. "What if my teenage daughter got knocked up? I want abortion available so her life isn't ruined."

Reading into Obama's statement on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I think he is one of these people:

As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption. And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.

It is a crazy way of thinking. Perhaps we should endevor to ensure that BOTH our sons and daughters have enough respect for their bodies and souls so that they resist the temptation that results in the "need" for abortion?

And if, God forbid, your son or daughter is in that situation, what is so wrong about giving the baby up for adoption? Why is the only answer the most convenient one, killing the baby?

Lake County Democrat corruption leads to fewer criminals going to prison

2012-01-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Incompetent and corrupt Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter strikes again. Read between the lines:

Lake and Porter counties are two of the largest counties in the state, both ranking in the top 10 in population.

However, they both send a relatively small number of inmates to the Indiana Department of Correction compared with other, according to numbers from the department. In 2010, Lake County, the second largest county by population in the state, ranked ninth in the number of inmates, 423, it sent to the DOC, behind not only other large counties such as Marion and Allen but smaller ones as well, including Wayne County, home to Richmond.

...

Another possible explanation then for the differences between Allen and Lake counties is the number of criminal cases that get dismissed. Allen County dismissed just 184 cases in 2010, while Lake County dismissed 804 cases. Even Porter County, which is smaller in population than Allen County, dismissed 336 cases.

Politically connected Democrat lawyers manipulate the system to get their clients off scott free.

Mark Kiesling is not an idiot today, 1/23/2012 edition

2012-01-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

Nepotism is alive and well in the Democrat party:

Yet with this vast pool of resources, it always seems like the folks in charge seem to find the best qualified people to place on the public payroll right in the next room.

The latest case is point is Tramel Raggs, the son of Gary City Clerk Suzette Raggs, who also was the city's deputy mayor under former Mayor Scott King.

...

Commissioner Fran DuPey, D-Hammond, who is in her last term, was particularly vocal about the way the hiring was slipped through at the last minute and said there is no need for such a position, much less one filled by the child of a prominent pol.

Before anyone brings up the obvious, yes, DuPey's son is a Lake County Sheriff's Department police officer. But unlike a "special assistant," he had to undergo testing initiated by the late Sheriff Bob Stiglich in response to criticism that there was too much political hiring going on in that department.

Do you think the county's director of the Department of Weights and Measures, Christine Clay, is related to Rudy Clay, the former Gary mayor, county commissioner and county councilman? Yep. Mr. and Mrs. Clay somehow found jobs on the payroll.

Did Lake County Coroner Tom Philpot hire his mother to be his office manager during his first term in office? Or in-laws during his stint as county clerk? You know the answer, which is yes.

The list goes on and on. Lake County Treasurer Peggy Katona hired her mom as her chief deputy. Judges have had wives and girlfriends on the payroll, although not necessarily at the same time.

In many ways, Lake County government is antiquated. It works off a Tammany Hall model of government that most places abandoned a century ago with civil service exams!

I'd like to see someone come in and really do an analysis of who works for Lake County government. How many people are precinct committeemen? How many are relatives of officeholders? How many are like Christine Cid and hold office themselves?

Then I would like to see each and every one of those people fired, and replaced with someone hired based on civil service exam results.

NWI steelmills are the biggest non-powerplant CO2 emiters in the county

2012-01-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

With Obama in office, this is not the list you want to be on.

The unions need to decide if they are standing with the people that they allegedly represent, or if they are for Democrats. The regulations that the Democrats are putting forth are eventually going to shut the mills and refinery, just like they shut down Stateline.

What are local Democrats fighting for?

2012-01-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

Higher taxes and less freedom, generally:

Senior citizens earning less than $50,000 a year would be exempt from state income tax if House Bill 1256, sponsored by state Rep. Shelli VanDenburgh, D-Crown Point, became law.

College students would not have to pay sales tax on textbook purchases under House Bill 1357, sponsored by state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster. But state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, would allow Lake County communities to impose a municipal sales tax under House Bill 1346.

State Rep. Dan Stevenson, D-Highland, created a process to recall elected or appointed officials in House Bill 1098. He also proposed in House Bill 1099 eliminating the requirement that a primary election voter publicly declare his or her party affiliation.

House Bill 1008, sponsored by state Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, creates incentives for manufacturers to open wind turbine factories in Indiana that would use American-made steel to produce turbine blades.

Employees in that factory, or at any Indiana business, could not be discriminated against in hiring based on their long-term unemployment status under House Bill 1161, sponsored by state Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City.

If state Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, could win passage of House Bill 1308, the state law capping Lake County's property tax levy as punishment for not imposing a county income tax would be repealed.

Even state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, was forced to abandon his own smoking ban proposal, House Bill 1063, and sign on as co-author to a Republican-sponsored plan, House Bill 1149, to keep the issue alive.

State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, also has co-sponsored legislation with House Republicans.

The smoking ban violates the property rights of business owners. Lowering taxes on seniors raises taxes on everybody else. Taxes should be as broad based as possible, with as few exemptions as possible, allowing rates to be as low as possible for a given amount of revenue.

Voting Democrat is a waste of time in NWI

2012-01-22T08:59:00.001-08:00

No local Democrat legislator is getting any of their legislation out of committee.

Indiana is a Republican state, and people who vote for Democrat state reps or Senators are wasting their votes.

It would be better to vote for a moderate Republican, one that will fight against Right-to-work, like every single local Republican other than Don Lehe (who is really from downstate, he only represents this area because of Democrat gerrymandering).

If anything, with redistricting and other trends, Indiana is becoming even more Republican. Voters will be increasingly throwing their votes away by sticking with the Democrats.

Buzzcut is right about the poor

2012-01-21T10:11:00.001-08:00

Once again, I am proven right.

People are poor because they're uneducated, they don't work, they don't get married, and they have kids out of wedlock.

People who don't have these pathologies do just fine economically.

I find the fact that the rich are more religious than the poor an interesting and counter intuitive tidbit. It just goes to show that doing well economically has something to do with "doing what you're supposed to do", getting along with people, and being social minded.

I will be ordering Charles Murray's new book.

Female abortion is on the rise worldwide

2012-01-21T10:09:00.001-08:00

It's a worldwide phenomenon.

The author says that there is little that the authorities can do. Outlawing abortion completely would, of course, do the trick, but liberals would never consider that.

"I'm not a rich Republican."

2012-01-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

It's whining like this that really makes me loathe Democrats:

"It's a great relief to know that I can do my job the way I feel that I need to do my job and not have to worry about harming my family personally because I'm standing up for what I believe in and what I need to do to protect the working families in our state," VanDenburgh said.

She said her family income nosedived and her husband and children suffered last year when more than $8,000 in fines were deducted following the Democrats' five-week walkout.

"This is a big deal for me; I'm not a rich Republican," VanDenburgh said.

Politics ain't beanbag. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Why are Democrats such whiners?

Who's running in Lake County, 1/20/2012 edition

2012-01-20T05:18:00.000-08:00

Democrat insider lawyer and welfare bureacrat (otherwise known as North township boardmember) Peter Katic filed to run for Fran Dupey's Lake County Commissioner seat.

That's the same one that Mike "Northside" Repay is running for.

So we have two Democrat insiders running for that seat.

The comments all revolve around Katic being a drunk. This is typical:

The alcoholic Peter Katic is running for office? This is the guy that totaled several county cars driving drunk. His favorite hang out is gone, McTaverns. Pete also had the misfortune of appearing drunk in court with a client he was representing and the judge realized Katic was seeing double and Pete got into some hot water on that one. Right Peter? Come buddy, your antics are the stuff of legend. Do ou really think we want to have a drunk deciding what is good for us? Grab a beer and find something else to do booze hound!

From a Kiesling commentary:

Last Friday, Katic was involved in a three-car wreck on Calumet Avenue and allegedly left the scene. When arrested, his blood alcohol content was 0.34, Munster police said. That amount would leave most people comatose.

In court downstate last month, he registered a .20, more than twice Indiana's .08 legal threshold for intoxication. And he had apparently driven to Lafayette, some 100 miles, with his client.

Back in 1996, when he was a county commissioner, Katic totaled a county-owned car when he slammed into a wall on the Borman Expressway on the Indianapolis Boulevard entrance ramp.

He drove home and reported the crash the next day, well beyond the time anyone could prove he'd been behind the wheel while drunk. However, a bartender at McTavern's -- about three blocks from the wreck site -- said he'd stopped serving Katic, who had been drinking whiskey and water that night.

So the D's are running a drunk and a bartender for this seat. How convenient!

Katic was arrested for drunk driving, multiple times in fact, but his name does not appear on the online docket. How does that happen? Must be nice to be a Lake County Democrat insider.

Once again, I have to ask, how do our police officers feel when they bust these drunk drivers and they get off scott free?

Then there's this:

When he was city judge, disciplinary action was taken against him by the

Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications for a Feb. 14, 1991,

pants-dropping prank in his private office.

The Supreme Court on July 1992 banned Katic from the judiciary for eight

years, issued a public reprimand and told the former judge to apologize to the

female clerk involved in the incident.

And in June 1997,

taxpayers paid $18,000 to settle a sexual harassment case that accused Katic of

making advances to a former secretary in the commissioner's office.

I don't even know how to respond to that.

I downloaded the Republican list of candidates, and it is frighteningly sparse. Pretty much just Karagan and our favorite fringe candidate from Gary, Jayson Reeves. Reeves enjoys losing to Van Til.

Van Til released his campaign finance report, and he has $30,000 on hand.

I think Van Til is the candidate most vulnerable to a Hank Adams type person. He has created a lot of ill will with his Conservation District crusade. I think he also will be blamed for Soliday's bill to fund a reconstituted Little Cal Commission with a widespread fee.

How do you fund a successful Republican campaign in Northwest Indiana?

2012-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

Jim Snyder shows us:

The largest share of Snyder's contributions during the last month of the campaign came from various political action committees, including $4,400 from the Crossroads PAC in Schererville, for a total of $13,293 for the year.

Crossroads PAC is described on its Facebook page as, "Concerned citizens who want to be active and involved in promoting conservative values."

Snyder took in $3,500 during the final month from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 in Countryside, Ill.; $3,000 from Indiana Realtors Political Action Committee; $2,000 from the Portage Firefighters Local 3151 and $500 from Conservatives Organized to Advance Tomorrow's Solutions of Indianapolis.

The next largest group to contribute to the final leg of Snyder's campaign were individuals at $11,620, followed by $7,500 from various corporations and $7,200 from other organizations, including $2,500 from the Indiana State Republican Party, $1,200 from Porter County Republicans and $1,000 each from Friends of Ed Soliday Committee and (Ed) Charbonneau for Senate.

Crossroads PAC, of course, is Dumezich.

What do the 1%'ers do?

2012-01-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

The New York Times mapped the professions of the 1%'ers.

Look at how many teachers are in the 1%! And more primary and secondary educators than college professors.

Considering that most teachers and college professors are public employees, that is outrageous.

We all need to be more like the 1%

2012-01-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

1%'ers work more, have more education, and are more likely to be married to working spouses than the 99%.

They work longer hours, being three times more likely than the 99 percent to work more than 50 hours a week, and are more likely to be self-employed. Married 1 percenters are just as likely as other couples to have two incomes, but men are the big breadwinners, earning 75 percent of the money, compared with 64 percent of the income in other households.

...

The 1 percent are family-oriented, nearly twice as likely to be married as everyone else. They have more children, but not more cars, than middle- and upper-middle-class families. For them, education is critical. A vast majority of 1 percenters graduated from college, and in a whopping 27 percent of couples, both partners have advanced degrees.

A lot of these people are liberals. So liberals live a very traditional, high achieving lifestyle, yet they don't demand or expect that of others, particularly poor people.

The answer to poverty in this country is simple, and it is illustrated by the 1%: work hard, get an education, and get married before you have kids (and stay married).

The problem is that Democrats (and many Republicans) don't preach what they practice.

Corrupt and incompetent Democrats make corrupt and incompetent arguments against Voter ID

2012-01-18T06:03:00.001-08:00

The Democrat talking point is that "voter suppression laws" like Voter ID keep Democrats from voting. You can see that argument here:

To the writer who seems to think that only Democrats are opposed to the voter suppression laws: People of all political persuasions who know the facts are opposed to them.

In one state, the documented acts of voter fraud over the last several decades is seven. That state's new law would not have prevented any of them. These laws are nothing more and nothing less than an assault on our democracy.

While this is one assault on our democracy, there are several others. By the time the misinformed realize what's going on, it might be too late.

- Thomas Herzog, Dyer

It is sad that Lake County Democrats can make this argument with a straight face (and somebody from Dyer, no less. Move back to East Chicago, Mr. Herzog).

Ask Joe Hero what real voter suppression is, it's having a Whiting Democrat poll worker come outside and rough you up for handing out Republican literature in front of "his" polling place. And then, when you call the police about it, they do absolutely nothing about it, because the cop is the poll worker's brother in law.

Why are there so few arrests for voter fraud? Because it is hard to prove and we have prosecutors like Democrat Bernard Carter, who are both incompetent and corrupt at the same time.

I think anybody with common sense can see that, in a time where you need to show your ID for almost every transaction, Voter ID doesn't disenfranchise anybody. I hope that Democrats keep making this argument, because it alienates them from normal, everyday people.

Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull appoints HERSELF to election board!?!

2012-01-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

I didn't see this one coming! I thought for sure that she would appoint "The Shooter".

First KKKK gives herself "Republican of the Year", and now this. It kind of shows how she is running out of people to do stuff for her, she has alienated just about everyone.

Volkswagen may be coming to Highland

2012-01-17T05:24:00.000-08:00

This would be sweet.

There are a number of car brands that have locations far out in Merrillville and far out in Orland, with nothing in between, or who don't have any presence in NWI. In addition to VW and Audi, I'm thinking of Suburu, Mazda, Land Rover, Mini, and Fiat.

There are plenty of abandoned dealerships in Highland, I hope that this is a start of a trend.

How Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull operates

2012-01-16T10:11:00.001-08:00

From an anonymous commenter, I have head this same thing from others:

In 2010 I personally begged Kim Krull to sell me a $80 delagate seat to the convention. 3 different city and town chairs told me seats were available to purchase during their and to contact Kim Krull. After repeated attempts to secure one of theese seats; at the end of a 2 week dilliberation I was then told that I was too late and time to purchase has now expired.

If you want to go to the convention (like I did in '10) you really need to be elected. But that is hard to do when KKKK and George "The Shooter" Janiec are manipulating the delegate counts.

Mark Kieseling is an idiot, 1/16/2012 edition

2012-01-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

New year, same dumbass Kiesling.

He admits that the closing of the Gary post office distribution center has nothing to do with right-to-work... and then writes a whole column about how it negates the right-to-work argument.

I love it when a columnist argues against himself. It saves me the time.

Kiesling misses the real story: how the Post Office unions, which are even more militant than the UAW back in its heyday, have totally ruined the Post Office. Postal employees make about twice as much as similar workers in non-union, non-government employers, and their work rules totally kill productivity.

The best thing that could be done to save the Post Office is to get rid of the unions. But Kiesling will never talk about that.

Nice writeup of Youg Republicans in the Times

2012-01-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Here.

Neal is right, there are PLENTY of Republicans in Lake County. The county is not nearly as Democrat as people think.

If we could get rid of the gerrymandering, if we could address the voter fraud and purge the rolls of nonexistent voters, and if we could recruit good candidates, we could make some serious inroads. Hank Adams is the roll model, go after the most egregious Democrats.

Michael Temores supporters going after Buzzcut

2012-01-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

To Buzzcut real reporting is to be done with facts and humility. You steal headlines from the news that is reported by others and you post your unfavorable opinions about real human people. You have no real evidence of any of your comments. Is buzzcut a gossip blog? You dont come up with anything that is not already public knowledge. Nothing your own.
Take this young man Michael Temores for example you are attacking him as well as his family. You dont even know them but you are so ready to convict him with-in the Buzzcut jury. Buzzcut are you an american? What happened to inocent until proven guilty in a court of law? Blue Country Red State reads like its american but it doesnt uphold our american standards INNOCENT until proven guilty. Where you there at the accident? Did you review the facts? Was one driver drunk or both? Who hit who? At 230 am who goes out for milk 30 minutes in the opposite direction from the house? Was Michael Temores the only one under the influence? Who had previous DWI? Do your research !! Was Michael the only one with previos DUI? Unless you are a witness and you were there your blog is just gossip and rumor. Why do you post with such anger twards people? Buzzcut you hide behind your nickname and hurt people. You are not paid to do this but you make a choice everytime you log on and you can type anything you want and I am shocked that day after day you are constantly an angry person. Life is full of choices that we as imperfect human people make everyday and sometimes choices result in fatal accidents. Michael Temores is a young adult he had an accidental collision that resulted in death. Do you honestly beleive that out of all of the DWI arrests accross the united states that the drivers intentionally want to kill others? We do not have all of the facts in. Do some real research investigate objectively. Report objectively.
Buzzcut stop hideing behind your computer come out and join the rest of the world of imperfect people. N

Why do I care about Michael Temores, or anyone that I blog about?

Lake County has a sickness. It is straight ticket Democrat voting. There are consequences to straight ticket Democrat (STD) voting. One of those consequences is that incompetent and corrupt people like Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter and Judge Julie Cantrell not only get elected, but get reelected time after time, and there is almost nothing that normal, good people can do about it.

Michael Temores is an example of what happens when the STDs have their way. He was clearly a menace to society every time he was on the road. In fact, his driving record, which is a public record that everyone has access to and which I linked to, was such that his license should have been revoked. Why wasn't it?

The fact is that Michael Temores lawyered up with some very influential Democrat lawyers, and they cut deals with Carter and Cantrell. THOSE people have blood on their hands.

Why is Buzzcut so angry and mean? The people that STDs elect are corrupt, shameless people. Being nice with these people gives them the advantage. The only way to take them out is to be singlemindedly focused, and a mean bastard. Buzzcut is both.

Why is Buzzcut anonymous? Because that is the only way that these things can be said. And they need to be said.

Why does Buzzcut deal in rumor and innuendo? Because most of the rumors turn out to be true, as in the case of Michael Temores.

Yet another Lake County Democrat goes to jail

2012-01-14T06:29:00.001-08:00

Gary director of community development goes to jail for mortgage fraud.

I think we have broken 80 now!

The details of this case are pretty bad. They were inflating the prices of Gary homes to rip off banks. This undoubtedly led to yet more abandoned homes in Gary.

Whether it's their policies or their personal actions, Democrats have left Gary a wasteland. A nuclear weapon would not have done the damage that Democrats have done to Gary.

Cy Huerter chimes in on latest Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull debacle

2012-01-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

Thank you NWI Times for publishing this piece and Mr. Dolan for writing it. You are showing that you can work for the good of Northwest Indiana. Bill, you should get a better handle on your dictionary though. Disaffect better describes Krull and Janiec than Hero. Krull and Janiec have proven themselves time and again to be disloyal. Hero is a stickler for details and that's just what you want an attorney to be. Joe has been just as tough on me during the 20 years or so that we've worked together, but, I've found that Joe is correct when it comes to researching, understanding and applying the law most of the time. We may not like these laws, but, we do need to do our best to either follow them or get them changed. In this instance, our Indiana Republican Party is negligent for not insisting that Krull follow its guidelines for allocating Delegates to Cities, Towns and Unincorporated areas and Krull is negligent for not presenting her plan to Precinct Committeemen in our County Party for consideration, comments and input prior to her submission to the State Party. Just like her problems with her illegal gun raffle or sending in her Redistricting Map 10 minutes too late to be considered by the State Election Board, again, the Krull / Janiec cabal demonstrate their incompetence, their dictatorial nature and their failure to lead our County Party in a positive direction. They should resign or be removed by our State Party before they can do more damage to our Party locally, statewide or nationally.

Cy Huerter
Highland

Mayor McCheeze leaving his wife for Kim Polland

2012-01-12T19:12:00.001-08:00

Well... maybe. He did say that he was going to welcome her "with open arms".

Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull delegate scandal hits the paper

2012-01-12T19:09:00.001-08:00

The Times finally gets around to the news Buzzcut broke yesterday.

Notice that neither Krull nor Janiec deny that they manipulated the delegate count. Krull just attacks the messenger, and Janiec rationalizes the manipulation.

These two are anti-democratic (small d) tyrants.

Thurm Ferree is a liar and an idiot.

2012-01-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Thurmee is a LIAR.

The property tax levy freeze was not driven by Mitch Daniels (although, to his discredit, he did sign it into law). It was voted for by every single member of our local delegation, Democrats to a one.

Democrats WANTED the freeze, because they thought it was the only way to get the income tax that they so desperately need to keep their patronage army in Crown Point employed.

What they did not anticipate was the citizen resistance to the income tax. I wonder, was Thermee outside the Lake County Council chambers with 200 of his fellow citizens during the veto over-ride session? Funny, I didn't see him there.

Pastore responds to slander

2012-01-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

Rob Pastore takes offense to Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull's slander:

IT IS TIME FOR JANIEC AND KRULL TO RESIGN

As reported in The Times, Kim Poland has resigned from the Hammond GOP chairmanship after a year and a half of complete negligence and mismanagement. You point out, “ Krull said Poland has done a great job, but understands she needs to step back.. ‘ She really put together a great team of people in leadership positions.’ Poland found candidates to run in elections, located qualified poll workers for election day, organized a debate and more, Krull said.” Really?

Kim Poland did not even fill the ballot, which is her first priority as chairman. I personally recruited Terry Ahearn to run for City Clerk, Brendan Ahearn to run for city council at large, and Adrian Ramirez to run for District 5 city councilman. Kim Poland hosted a Republican mayoral primary candidate debate in which only George Janiec and Democrat Jim Premeske were featured, while legitimate Republican candidates, myself included, were not even allowed to participate. Under Poland’s leadership, George Janiec was allowed to do nothing in his bid to oust McDermott, raising almost no money, having no organization, energizing no one, and diminishing the Republican legacy that Tom McDermott Sr, Duane Dedelow, Janet Moran, and others worked so hard to establish.

During my 11 month tenure as Hammond’s GOP Chairman, we hosted a steak-fry fundraiser in a year in which there was no election just to promote our presence in Hammond, developed a precinct committeeman program of active neighborhood involvement, had national and local candidates addressing our party organization, began actively recruiting new members into the Hammond Republican Party, and sang Christmas Carols to the patients at St. Margaret Hospital to lift their spirits and help rejuvenate our mission of service. It appears to me that George Janiec, then Lake County GOP Secretary, wasn’t comfortable having a potential mayoral challenger succeed, so he had Ms. Krull ask Jim Brown,( now also removed as a Republican appointee), to call me to tell me I was removed as Hammond GOP Chairman.

Ms. Krull did nothing in the November, 2010 election to secure the Republican vote in heavily Republican areas like Munster, St. John, and Schererville, allowing inadequate numbers of voting machines to lead to 90 minute plus wait times which contributed to narrow losses for Peter Karagan and others, as well as a very low margin of victory for Hank Adams.

John Curley did not pursue Acorn so heroically, invigorate the Lake County GOP, and fight election fraud so that Ms. Krull, Mr. Janiec, and their friends could misuse their authority to dissuade good candidates from running for office, fire town chairmen who represent a threat to their power, and illegally remove elected precinct committeemen. Other Krull / Janiec accomplishments include: creating a situation where Bill Fine could be thrown off the ballot for arguably the most important office in Lake County, allowing the suppression of Republican votes with insufficient machines, engaging in illegal gambling, and most recently, rig the state and national Republican conventions by limiting the number of delegates so as to appoint her own delegates in violation of Party guidelines calling for one delegate for every 550 votes cast for the Republican Sec. of State candidate in the most recent election. These people appear to have no regard for the law, no regard for other people, and no regard for the Lake County Republican Party.

Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull tries to throw State Convention

2012-01-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

So the delegate count to the Republican State Convention is out, and the breakdown by town is very, very odd.

The number of delegates is determined by the Republican turnout in the Secretary of State election. You get one delegate for every 550 votes you had for Charlie White.

So there were 43,666 votes for Charlie White in Lake County, so that's 79 delegates.

What got me interested in this was how many delegates they had from Crown Point (8), and how few there were from Munster (4), Schererville (4), and St. John (2). They're all towns of similar size, it seems to me. They should have similar delegate counts.

It turns out that Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull skewed the delegate count from areas she doesn't like (those towns), to areas she does like (Cedar Creek, Cedar Lake, and Lowell).

Here is the breakdown:

Town Krull Delegates Proper Delegates
Cedar Creek 4 2
Cedar Lake 3 2
Crown Point 8 8
Center Township 4 2
Dyer 5 5
Griffith 3 3
Hammond 5 7
Highland 4 6
Hobart 6 5
Hanover 3 1
Lowell 4 2
Munster 4 7
Schererville 4 8
St John 2 5
St John Tshp 3 2
West Creek 3 1
Winfield 4 3
Lake Station 1 1
Gary 1 1
Whiting 1 1
East Chicago 1 1
Eagle Creek 1 1
Merrillville 4 4
Calumet 1 1

Totals 79 79

Population Delegates
Lake County 43,666 79.39272727

This potentially impacts the national convention as well, as the state convention nominates delegates to the national convention.

This is the kind of petty shit that she does to screw people at every turn.

Karagan is in

2012-01-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

We have a race...

Munster Republican Peter Karagan is filing for state representative, house
district 12, this morning in Indianapolis. In a narrow loss in 2010, Peter
Karagan almost beat the incumbent Democrat in his first bid for public
office. Pete's focusing on job creation, economic development, and
lowering taxes and limiting government.

Peter Karagan is a local businessman who also serves as a certified
property tax representative licensed in the State of Indiana as a Level II
assessor/appraiser.

Peter Karagan resides with his wife, Georgia, and their two teenage boys in
Munster.

"If elected I will faithfully execute the duties of the state legislature
while being mindful of the needs of the citizens of my district", said
Peter Karagan.

Buzzcut at Luger fundraiser last night

2012-01-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

I checked out Lugar at a fundraiser he had last night. Dude is OLD, but everyone knows that.

I have nothing against the guy. I just think that at 80, he needs to hang it up. He certainly has more vitality than your average 80 year old, but is that saying much?

We should not be the Soviet Union, or North Korea, where our "Dear Leaders" are taken out of office on a gurney. People like Lugar need to know when to let go and let the next generation take over.

Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull ruins the Hammond GOP, too

2012-01-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

Add Hammond to the list of city/ town parties that have been ruined by Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull.

She removed Pastore as chairman for absolutely no reason, at a point in time where he was doing quite well recruiting committeemen and rebuilding the party. As a result, many people quit, and the party fell apart.

Then she appointed Kim Polland, who really drove the party into the ground.

Now Polland is quitting, and hinting that she may switch parties!

You can't make this shit up, nobody would believe you if you did!

All you Krazy Krybaby Kim Krull lovers out there, what town party is she positively influencing? Name one.

Michael Temores update

2012-01-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

So I finally got to talk to a Munster cop about Temores. He was VERY well known around the department, as well as in Highland and Schererville.

The way he got around all those tickets was by lawyering up. The lawyers got them knocked down from moving violations to something else (parking ticket, whatever) that did not count against his driving record.

Temores is still not in custody from the parole violation. I guess technically he has not jumped bail, but the Munster police do not know his location and are not confident that he will be taken into custody anytime soon. He is allegedly in Florida with his girlfriend, but what is stopping him from fleeing to Mexico?

Lake county FINALLY doing Buzzcut's bidding

2012-01-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Public defenders are losing their health insurance coverage.

Tom O'Donnell is screwed. Finally.

And God help us all, Jerome Prince is the President of the Lake County Council, and Mike "Northside" Repay is the VP.

What's Buzzcut's beef with Peter Manous?

2012-01-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

How does a person go to jail on a felony and not have their life ruined? You can just go around and pretend that you never went to jail? You can keep the house, have money to start a business, walk around and be in every bodies' face, like you're just some average person?

I think that that's fucking bullshit. The dude is where he is because he kept his mouth shut in prison and didn't rat out his friends. He is being rewarded for that (who are these Chicago investors? Why is "Southshore Chocolate and Creamery" not registered on the Secretary of State's website?).

Sorry, I'm not Jesus. I don't believe in unconditional forgiveness. You have to show total remorse. I don't think I see that in Peter Manous. I see somebody who gamed the system and whose only regret is that he didn't completely get away with it.

When we don't shun people like that, we give a signal to other wrongdoers that THEY can screw people and get away with it. People like Tom McDermott, Tom Philpot, and every other Democrat in Lake County.

Experts are wrong, oil spill edition

2012-01-10T06:34:00.001-08:00

All the scare mongering by "experts" after the BP oil spill has not come to pass.

It seems the experts didn't know as much as they thought that they did. Common theme of this blog.

Sue Landske against Right-to-work

2012-01-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

State Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, told The Times she will not vote for right-to-work if it applies to building trades unions. She wants to protect their unique training and hiring arrangements with contractors.

"If it changes, I may support it, but as it's written right now, I cannot," Landske said.

I think that is a very reasonable stance. The building trades are in a different situation than other unions. They do have their apprenticeship system, and that system is across multiple states.

The RTW legislation last year exempted the trades. I'm not sure why it doesn't do the same thing this year.

Why outdated fire fighting practices are hard to change

2012-01-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

Remember that ladder truck that Mayor McCheeze is trying to retire? The Hammond Firefighters' union picketed against the change.

This is very illustrative of why firefighters should not be unionized. This ladder truck is a jobs program for union members, not an actual piece of equipment used to fight fires.

Firefighters use the goodwill they have built up over the years and the good press that they get to manipulate the political process to their benefit. This is yet another example.

How much do Hammond firefighters make? According to Mayor McCheeze:

The city owns four ladder trucks, three of which will remained staffed. That's more than any other city in northern Indiana except for South Bend and Fort Wayne, which staff four ladder trucks, McDermott said.

Each firefighter costs Hammond about $100,000 a year, including salary, benefits and overtime. Removing three shifts of four firefighters from ladder truck 1 will save the city about $1.2 million.

The decision likely will mean more work for firefighters manning the remaining three ladder trucks, McDermott said.

"If you make $100,000 per year, you should be working very, very hard for it," he said.

This is why fully staffed stations with professional firefighters are not tenable. You can't have guys making that much money just sitting around waiting for a fire.

Peter Manous is a degenerate speeder, too

2012-01-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

What's the rule for speeding tickets again? How many violations before your license is suspended?

This dude has had 7 speeding tickets in the last 10 years. He also caused an accident in Hammond because of his speeding.

For his latest ticket, he was represented by Roy Dominguez.

Case Number Party Case Type Party Type D.O.B. S.S.N. Status
45D05-9712-CP-02227 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart PETER MANOUS Civ. Plen. OLD H5 Civil Defendant Closed
45D09-1105-IF-04349 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Traf Infract D09 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Open
45D09-0009-IF-09336 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Traf Infract D09 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45D09-0912-OV-04078 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Ord. Viol. D9 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45D08-9910-IF-13135 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Traf Infract D08 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45D09-0808-OV-02899 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Ord. Viol. D9 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45D07-0107-IF-07411 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Traf Infract D07 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 IDP
45D09-0903-OV-00879 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Ord. Viol. D9 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45D08-0210-OV-01842 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Ord. Viol. D8 Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45H04-1002-IF-10416 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Traf Infract H04 - HA City Ct. Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed
45I01-1102-OV-00458 Add PDF report for this case to your shopping cart Pay this traffic ticket (if payable online) PETER J MANOUS Ord. Viol. I01 - ME Town Ct. Criminal / Traff Defendant 05-06-1962 Closed

Mitch screws Buzzcut on Amazon sales taxes

2012-01-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

Damn you, Mitch! Damn you!

They're going to start collecting sales taxes on Amazon purchases.

I love Amazon because you don't pay sales taxes. Best thing ever (well, that and Supersaver shipping).

I guess all the money I spend on Amazon will be going to another online retailer. Maybe more eBay purchases.

Rich James laid off at the Post-Trib

2012-01-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

The Post-Trib had some layoffs at the end of December, and Rich James is gone.

I feel kind of sad. I don't feel the same kind of enmity towards this one man's hypocrisy and stupidity with any of the other knuckleheads at the local papers. And, of course, he's the guy that got me onto mocking office workers who wrap themselves in the "Region Rat" mythology. I owe him a lot for that one. ;)

Media lies about the Republican primary

2012-01-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

It kills me to hear the liberals mock this Republican primary field, calling them weak, insinuating that they're a bunch of lightweights.

You've got three former governors (Romney, Huntsman, Perry) and a former Speaker of the House. In reality, there has NEVER been a field as well prepared as this one.

If we didn't have a media that was totally in the tank for one party, we'd be hearing about how much better just about everybody in this field is than Barack Obama, who after all was only a Senator for two years when he was elected. He, by far, was the least prepared President ever elected, and his record shows it.

Morton Marcus is an idiot, Right-to-work edition

2012-01-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

He smears most of his fellow Hoosiers as anti-immigrant racists:

Should Indiana favor lower wages for workers? Should Indiana favor unilateral control of the work place by employers? Most Hoosiers would say no, if they thought about it. But mention unions as the countervailing force to business power and hackles rise on the Hoosier neck. Despite the fact that many Hoosiers are union members and many others benefit from their favorable wages, Indiana is at heart anti–union.

Why? The answer probably lies back in the 19th and early 20th centuries when we were an agricultural state with strong anti–immigrant sentiments. As industry moved in, so did foreign–born citizens. Both were resented by native–born workers of the land.

In effect, the right–to–work issue is more than complex economics. It is a cultural matter where sentiments ride as high as they do about Eastern versus Central time. The legislature should let well–enough alone.

Democrats are literally losing their minds over Right-to-work. This is just delusional. There are plenty of rational reasons to be anti-union. That Marcus needs to make shit up says more about him than anything.

Democrat Senator Frank Mrvan hates Republicans

2012-01-09T05:21:00.000-08:00

He said so at a Democrat anti-right-to-work whinefest:

State Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, said he wanted to point out "the hypocrisy in the Republican Party. You've got to hate the Republican Party," he said.

"I try so hard to be fair. I feel that I'm a senator for everybody in the state of Indiana. Unfortunately the Republicans don't. They're out to screw us more than anybody has ever done."

The last state to adopt a right-to-work law was Oklahoma in 2001. Mrvan said since then there has been nobody saying right-to-work is a good deal.

"Nobody's been jumping on the bandwagon, so why should we do it?" he said.

Peter Manous owns new Gayety's Ice Cream in Schererville

2012-01-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

Seen the new Gayety's Ice Cream in Schererville? It is owned by Peter Manous, the unrepentent felon and former Indiana State Democrat Chairman.

UPDATE: I am told by a more reliable source that Manous paid the feds $175,000 out of his IRA, and is on a payment plan for the rest.

Indiana helping me out!

2012-01-06T08:56:00.001-08:00

I was pretty pissed when Indiana got rid of their free online tax filing, but Mitch is looking out for me:

Dear BUZZCUT,

Last year you filed your Indiana state taxes using Indiana’s I-File website. We wanted to let you know I-File has been replaced by INfreefile.

INfreefile is a part of the Free File Alliance, a group of professional preparers working in conjunction with the IRS to offer free tax filing services across the country. Twenty-two states participate in the Free File Alliance.

The new INfreefile offers significant advantages over I-File.

* Both state and federal tax filing services
* Faster and easier to use

This year Indiana is able to offer free tax filing services to Hoosiers from six vendors. These vendors set their own criteria regarding qualification for free tax filing. Based on our 2010 records, you may not qualify for any of the INfreefile offers.

However…Three vendors have agreed to support former I-File users who do not qualify for their normal offer.

These vendors are:

* H&R Block
* Online Tax (OLT)
* TurboTax

You may choose any one of these three vendors based on your own preferences. Two require special pass codes to be used in lieu of payment, and one leads to a special webpage established exclusively for former I-Filer users. Here are your unique codes and the webpage:

* H&R Block:
* TurboTax:
* OLT: visit www.olt.com/main/oltfreestate/default.asp

H&R Block and TurboTax will allow you to file both federal and state (Indiana only) 2011 taxes free.
OLT will only allow you to file your state income tax for free.

Please retain these codes and the link for your own use. They are not transferable to others.

To start your 2011 tax filing, go to www.in.gov/dor/4604.htm. This page provides detailed instructions on each vendor.

I-File is still available if you need to print prior years’ tax returns. You can go to I-File to access those returns.

Should you have questions or problems, email us at freefile@dor.in.gov and we will endeavor to answer your question within two business days.

Thank you for being a loyal I-File user.

As long as I can file with H&R Block for free, I'm good. Thanks Mitch!

Lawsuit against tax freeze by Sheriffs union still alive

2012-01-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Attorney General tried to get it dismissed for technical reasons, and failed.

I am very confident that the union is going to win this one. This is the only piece of legislation I have seen that actually refers to "Lake County", rather than "a county with more than 400,000 people but less than 700,000". The politicians wrote this law so that it would be repealed by a judge.

The people hurt by Obama's EPA

2012-01-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

How would you like to be 51 years old, having worked at State Line Generating for 30 years, and have to go out and find new work?

What kind of work are you going to be able to find? These guys were unionized, represented by the USW. They're not going to be able to find work that pays the same, that's for sure.

Again, the irony is that the USW has and does support Obama.

Munster police search niteclub for evidence against Michael Temores

2012-01-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

Wonder what they were looking for? Surveillance footage?

Why didn't Hammond execute the warrant. Isn't that unusual?

It does seem that the Hammond PD have a conflict of interest, seeing as how they had so many cruisers outside the bar that night. Temores drove right by them.

Found this in the comments:

The same day Temores was freed on bond, his probation officer in a misdemeanor operating while intoxicated case before Judge Julie Cantrell asked for and received a bench warrant on a probation revocation filing.

The crash, which was captured on surveillance footage, happened about 2:30 a.m. A police officer who was in the parking lot at Broadmoor Clinic arrived on the scene 23 seconds after the crash and found Temores near the driver’s seat and center console. Court records indicate Temores had a blood alcohol level of 0.18 percent and also had marijuana in his system, court records state.

Temores was charged with 10 felonies and six misdemeanors and cited for two traffic infractions.

In his case before Cantrell, Temores pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge (posession of marijuana?) and was placed on probation for one year on Feb. 10.

Julie Cantrell failed to stop this guy before he killed someone.

Redistricting sharks are in the waters

2012-01-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

As mentioned by friend-of-the-blog Mike Stulac, Earlene Rodgers has a challenger.

I wonder if the district has changed as much as Snedcor says it has changed. You need a lot of R's and sane D's to overcome a Gary candidate, especially one as well known as Rodgers.

On the other hand, voting for a D is a waste of time in the Senate. This guy would do well to change parties the second that he is elected. He'd have a lot more power that way. Being white and a small business owner, he's not really a Democrat anyway.

Mayor McCheeze called Bobby Cantrell, "a standup guy"

2012-01-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

McDermott is either dumber than a box of rocks, or incredibly reckless:

Oh yeah. Did I mention Bobby is serving a term in federal prison on public corruption charges? Well, he is.

In one of his least savvy political comments, the head of Lake County's Democratic Party, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr., said he never believed Cantrell would rat out the Solons he's been in contact with since 1962 because he is a "stand-up guy."

Cantrell's a crook. Nice guy, I'll admit, but a crook nonetheless. Yet McDermott was right about one thing — Cantrell has kept his trap shut as far as we know and is quietly doing his time in a Club Fed in Kentucky.

Does Mayor McCheeze think that he's in a Scorsese movie or something? Why would you say something like that? Dude doesn't know when to shut the F up.

Yet another awesome letter to the editor

2012-01-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

This guy is good:

So the Lake County Redistricting Commission has spoken, and we now have two different commissioner district maps — a Democrat map in 2012 and a Republican map in 2013.

Besides it being illegal (you can only redistrict once per decade), it disenfranchises people in East Chicago and Griffith, who will not be able to vote for a commissioner until 2016, a stretch of six years since the last election. Everybody else in the county votes for commissioner in 2012 or 2014, which is no more than four years from the last election.

I can't help but notice that Democrats have sacrificed African-American voters in East Chicago and the Mansards in Griffith just so that old, white Gerry Scheub can have a slightly easier re-election. When are African-Americans going to wake up and see how Democrats disrespect them at every opportunity?

- Eric Krieg, Munster

Skillman advocates selling out taxpayers

2012-01-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman is advocating for allowing local governments to hold referendums to bust their tax caps, just like school districts can.

The beauty of the tax caps is that they are hard to get around. If you start adding loopholes, you make the tax caps irrelevant. Putting them in the constitution was supposed to fix that problem. I guess not.

The problem with referendums is that they are often vaguely written, even misleading, often on purpose. Do folks really know what they're voting for? Not usually.

Lake County Solid Waste District fails state audit

2012-01-04T05:48:00.000-08:00

When Gerry Scheub isn't disenfranchising African-Americans, he's out supporting a Sanitation District that pays for limos for big wigs.

The Sanitation District has to go, and so does Gerry Scheub.

Democrats F-up Griffith assessments again

2012-01-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

You read about this here first, weeks ago.

Is Jerry Tippy listening to Buzzcut?

2012-01-04T05:41:00.001-08:00

He's running for County Commissioner now, not in 2016.

Jerry Tippy, 50, of Schererville, announced Tuesday he will oppose incumbent Gerry Scheub and Democrat challenger Roy Dominguez, of Crown Point, in the newly drawn second district. His original plan was to run in 2016, but he said he’s been convinced that now was the better opportunity.

Who convinced Tippy that now's his time? Had to be me. ;)

Tippy (and Buzzcut) are correct. Scheub is mortally wounded, Dominguez is mortally wounded, they're going to beat the hell out of each other in that primary, and a Republican has an excellent shot at this thing.

Why so many anonymous commenters?

2012-01-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

If you google "Michael Temores", this blog is the #1 hit.

The Temores family has a problem with driving

2012-01-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

His sister (in law?) caused a multivehicle pileup on I-65. She was driving too fast and rear ended somebody, causing the pileup.

She's got quite a docket as well. She doesn't like to pay her bills in addition to driving recklessly.

Here's some more Temores related shit:

Traffic stop. At 3:37 a.m., Kennedy Avenue and 45th Street. A wanted man was seen driving a 1997 Pontiac. Police reports say Michael A. Temores, 18, 8600 Calumet Ave., Munster, was arrested on a Schererville warrant, charged with invasion of privacy.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/west-crime-times/article_97d786cb-e2cd-5b7f-9e67-762228730297.html#ixzz1iQRFy55R

Nice story about Lake County Young Republicans

2012-01-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

Here.

The Lake County Young Republicans re-emerged in 2011 after nearly eight years on the sidelines.

The group wants to improve outreach to young people and help develop Republican leaders between the ages of 18 to 40.

“Most people don’t realize that Lake County has one of the largest Republican voting blocs,” said chairman Mike Neal. “We have a huge group of young people here, and they may have opinions that have never been tapped into.”

In that vein, the group has discussed reaching out to students at several Northwest Indiana colleges, such as Indiana University Northwest, Purdue University Calumet and Ivy Tech Community College.

“I think 2012 is going to be a great year for us,” said LCYP member and Dyer resident Bob Starkey. “It’s a great opportunity for young Republicans to grow in numbers and find like minded people.”

Neal, 24, was elected chairman in June, after helping establish Lake County’s Young Conservatives Alliance a few years ago. The group meets monthly to discuss current work and listen to speakers on the state and local level, such as State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel. Neal said his lobbying work in Indianapolis on behalf the Indiana Family Association and Indiana Pastors Association has helped develop connections with various conservative politicians.

Neal, who lives in Schererville, works at Living Stones Church in Crown Point and as a field manager for Hoosiers for Economic Growth Network.

Neal said that the group has talked about recruiting candidates, but since they cannot support specific Republicans in a primary, it makes the process tricky.

“Right now, we’re connecting people with candidates and helping with campaigns and fundraising,” Neal said.

The group meets on the third Tuesday each month, and their next meeting is set for 7 p.m. on Jan. 17 at Twelve Islands Restaurant, located at 114 S. Main St. in Crown Point. Lake County Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, is scheduled to address the group.

Starkey, who ran for Dyer Clerk-Treasurer in 2011, said the group really fills a void.

“There was a vacuum,” Starkey said. “In the Young Republicans, everybody is either in college or just out of college, entry level and mid-career, and it’s good organization for the young and interested to start with.”

Larry Blanchard sucking at the teat of Lake County Government

2012-01-03T05:37:00.001-08:00

Here.

The dispute is over a county government policy requiring local government officials to set aside as much as $17,000 per full-time position annually to pay for employee medical services provided through the county's self-insurance plan.

Larry Blanchard, who helps administer the insurance plan, said he understands Batistatos' concern, but added a solution must be found that ensures the financial security of an insurance plan that has been struggling to pay too many expensive medical claims.

The convention bureau left county government's budget oversight several years ago, but it continues to offer employees access to the county health plan.

"The county asked us to stay because we have a young healthy staff, so we were good for their system," Batistatos said. "When we agreed to it, we were paying about $11,000 per head."

Besides the fact that Blanchard was rewarded with a job for years of "service" to Lake County Democrats, the county insurance system is yet another Democrat fuck-up.

If it were up to me, I'd set up their insurance exactly how Mitch set up the state's insurance system: a high deductible catastrophic plan with a health savings account to help with the routine care. That type of system has saved the state big bucks.

In Lake County, it would also serve to encourage all the geezers at the county building to retire. If they had to pay for more of their own care out of their own pocket, they would just retire and go on Medicare.

Dernulc is quoted in the article, and he doesn't seem to understand the issue:

Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, said he doesn't mind exempting employees who want to opt out of filing medical claims.

"He could take all his employees off; that reduces our (claims) risk. It's not the contributions that the issue. It's the risk," Dernulc said.

He doesn't seem to understand that young people don't use much health care, so their contributions are almost pure "profit" that can be used to pay for geezers whose health care costs far more than the $17,000 premium. So, yeah, if you exempted the C&VB employees, you would take $80 to $100k right off the top of that health plan, which very well might bankrupt it.

Hank Adams kicking ass and taking names

2012-01-03T05:33:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when you elect a Republican: shit gets fixed.

"I pick up the phone," Adams said. "Some can't believe they can call here and get me, but I have no problem taking phone calls from someone who is upset. A lot of times when you look at both sides of it, you can work it out to where it's fair to the other county taxpayers and fair to the property owner."

Could you imagine if we elected a Republican prosecutor? The DUI problem would be solved.

Yet more on Michael Temores

2012-01-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

He lives at 8600 Calumet.

If you are a St. Tom's parishioner, you undoubtedly know the house. It's the one across from the light, with the circular driveway, usually with a blue Hummer parked in it.

He posted $10,000 bail. Cash.

Who does Rick Santorum remind you of?

2012-01-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

He looks like Jerry Seinfeld to me.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Gary murders number 35

2012-01-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

That's really not bad for Gary. If you were not young, male, and black, you were unlikely to be murdered in Gary (or anywhere, really).

In fact, Gary had more murders than all the rest of Lake County combined, and then some.

As usual, the powers that be in Gary want to blame the problem on outsiders. Yet, I see a lot of drug use and dealing in Porter County (that's why I never go there!), but none of the violence.

Times is letting Democrats take credit for Hank's hard work

2012-01-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

There is one and only one reason that Lake County tax bills are going out on time. That reason is Hank Adams.

I know it. You know it. The Democrats know it. The Times knows it.

Yet they write this story, and don't mention Hank once.

I'm writing a letter to the editor, and I think everyone else should, too. The Treasurer had nothing to do with the tax bills going out on time. It was all Hank. It is outrageous that the Times would attempt to whitewash this issue for the Democrats.

Times reporter Dan Carden wrtites a biased anti-RTW piece

2012-01-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

This so called history lesson is extremely biased.

Carden says that passing RTW in 1957 caused Democrats to take over the House, Senate, and governorship, and repeal RTW. But the actual timeline does not fit that narrative.

In fact, RTW was not repealed until 1965. And Republicans won the house back in 1961.

The Democrat trend in the late '50s actually justifies RTW. My understanding is that the steelworkers unionized in the late 1950s, there was a massive strike right around that time, and they were very strong and politically active.

The biggest effect of RTW is to get unions out of politics. They're the biggest funders of the Democrat party.

Carden also writes:

Republicans won back the House in 1961 and kept it in 1963, but Democrats won a 78-22 majority in 1965 after a presidential election in which Republicans listened to their conservative base and nominated Arizona U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, who got clobbered in the general election by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson.

Little biased?

The Times is really pushing the union narrative that RTW allows people "to get the benefits of unions without paying for it". That is NOT what RTW does.

A commenter puts it well:

Employees should not be forced to join a union in order to get or keep a job and make a living. They never asked for these "services" in the first place and it should be their choice as to whether they want to pay to join a union. In this country under the Contstition we have the freedom to or not to associate with a private organization. The government should not force anyone to join a private union, or force them not to join a private union. Forced unionism is not an American value. Government and union coercion should not be tolerated. That's why the Wagner Act allows states to enact Right To Work laws.

Carden's editorializing can be likened to the person who when you are stopped at a red light comes up to your car and throws dirty water on your windshield, cleans it off and then demands that you pay for his service you never asked for or wanted in the first place. Liberal bias in the media and those who decide what to write and how to frame the words is quite obvious with people like Carden.

More on Michael Temores

2012-01-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Looking through his docket, he had numerous speeding tickets and other moving violations in Julie Cantrell's courtroom.

The dude is 24, and he has 25 tickets on file (and that's just Lake County, who knows where else he was speeding).

Don't you get to the point where you have a few tickets in a certain amount of time and then you lose your license? I must be naive or something. I do see that he got busted for driving on a suspended license.

He also left the scene of an accident with injuries. And drove without wearing his seatbelt.

He had a couple of lawyers. Steven Mullins, Randly Godshalk. Are these lawyers hooked up? Ferg?

You know, the dude had a lot of contact with LOTS of different cops (highland, griffith, schererville, etc.) I wonder how the cops feel when they read that this guy killed somebody? How do they feel about corrupt people like Julie Cantrell and Bernie Carter, who lets guys like this get off?

Who is Sparks?

2012-01-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't cared enough to investigate it in the past, but one of our anonymous commenters seemed to know, so I asked.

His name is David Hein and he lives on Baring Parkway in Hammond. All's fair here as he knows your name, occupation, and location and on other forums he boasts of how gutsy he is because he "signs" his name to all of his posts. Actually, he doesn't sign his name. He always uses "Sparks" but folks know who he is. The reason for this is his outlandish comments prompted some forum administrator to force him to choose between using his name or be kicked off the forum. Mr. "I Never Look Before I Leap" let his ego get the better of his common sense and gave up his name rather than guard his precious privacy. There you go! Have fun!

Here's what White Pages has to say. He's about 3 blocks away from Mayor McCheeze's place on Knickerbocker.

Don't go for milk at 2:30 in the morning

2012-01-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

You could end up being killed by a drunk driver.

It looks like the drunk was Michael Temores, who owns a trucking company. He made a huge mistake that night.

As usual, the real story is in the comments:

It is going to be interesting who is going to be Temores attorney. According to the Lake county, Indiana online docket this guy had 25 traffic cases on file.Was Judge Cantrell the judge for on of these cases?? Lake County Prosecutor's Office needs to take a look at themselves also!
Is this another Gary Wiess issue that the court system let them go. Attorney Weiss was killed by a Drunk drive. The party who caused this accident had many traffic cases and Judge Cantrell was the judge in one of the cases. If so, the Lake county Indiana Court System has an problem!
I am not related to Weiss , nor did I work for him. It just hurts me to see/hear innocent people killed or injuried because the someone chose to drink and drive!

Temores has been arrested 2 other times in the last few years for DUI and tons of other arrests.

This is not Temores first, second or third run in with the law. He is very familiar with the juvenile & adult court system in lake county.

He also owns a business in Munster... google C & R Remodeling and see how many different addresses come up for it... I saw 8 or 9 different home addresses. EVERYTHING about this guy is bad, bad news, and has been for the last 10-12 years. He is a con-man, and pathological liar. The Times story about Mike the Situation from Jersey Shore coming was likely all fabricated. Where does a guy under 30 years old come up with 2 million loan for renovations on this place? He opens businesses and they close in the blink of an eye. Crown Point caught on to him and now he's moved into Munster and Hammond.

http://www.bbb.org/northernindiana/business-reviews/auto-service-sound-systems-sales-and-service/sound-on-wheels-in-crown-point-in-41882

The "Developer" is Ray Rapchak Jr. Google him. Check out the beginning of his career... first business age 18/19 installing stereo equip. in Crown Point. Places catches fire, his partner was his soon to be father in law that killed himself suspiciously. He is as crooked as they come and the most arrogant person that I've ever had the misfortune of briefly meeting once or twice. When I read that this club was opening and saw his name was attatched, I knew it was a matter of time before something happened.... or before something happened to club to require insurance settlement. This developer hires dirt bags and men on work release . Mention his name to other local contractors and respectable "Developers" and hear what they have to say. I don't know if McDermott knew anything at all about his history before granting him a liquor license... he probably would assume his history is clean b/c the guy is young.... but he is a hustler and someone that McDermott will be very embarassed by as time goes on. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/article_146101a3-5f46-5677-aa10-dab700b70c88.html

There is a couple of stories here. Yet another drunk on the road because of Bernie Carter and Julie Cantrell. Also, this new bar run by politically connected people, who overserve known drunks.

Here is Temores docket.

New Hammond Democrat scandal?

2011-12-31T14:38:00.000-08:00

From the Times comments:

Interesting to note the one change in the city the Mayor didn't announce. The dismissal of the Director of the Housing Authority. They are not renewing her contract. Rumor is that a combination of questionable raises to herself and other favored few, plus keeping theMayor and the Board of Commissioners in the dark lead to her downfall. Is it true she was making more than the Mayor, not smart. Further ru mor is that her Asst. Director/Head Accountant will be next out the door. Remember this is federal money, is there perp walk in the future?

New oil and gas development makes the US a gasoline exporter

2011-12-31T07:55:00.000-08:00

This came out of nowhere, that for the first time in over 60 years, the US exported more gasoline and diesel fuel than we imported.

The article is kind of vague on how this came to pass. There is a huge amount of new oil fields coming on line in North Dakota, Montana, and Canada. The pipeline infrastructure can get it to the hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, but the network is not set up to get the oil to the Gulf, where it could be exported.

So there is a glut of oil at the terminal in Oklahoma, depressing the price there relative to the rest of the world. Mid-continent refiners are using that relatively cheap oil to make gasoline and diesel fuel which is priced more in line with what it costs in the rest of the world (based on that higher, global oil price), because the PRODUCT pipelines ARE set up to send gasoline and diesel from the midwest to the coasts, where they can be exported.

It is ironic, in a way. That XL Pipeline from Canada would bring Canadian, North Dakota, and Montana crudes to the Gulf., eliminating the differential between global crude oil prices and those in the midwest. It would probably lower the price of oil for most Americans. At the very least, it would bring oil markets back to sanity. Yet the Obama administration stands in the way.

Once again, Democrats put environmentalists before ordinary people.

Matty Reardon's dad? brother? loses a job

2011-12-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

In the article from the last post, Mayor McCheeze is shutting down the Hammond Urban Enterprise Association, putting Matty Reardon's dad (or brother?) out of a job.

He's probably ready to retire, so no need for the UEA anymore, right?

Isn't it crazy how all these people are connected and none of them have real jobs?!? As the tax caps and levy freeze cut deeper and deeper, and Mayor McCheeze has to start jettisoning the lower performers, we really get to see how all this worked for so long.

It looks like this guy is 55, and Matty is 45 or so, so they are probably brothers. I'm sure one of you lurkers knows, leave a comment already!

How much does outdated firefighting cost taxpayers?

2011-12-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

Burried in this story are some interesting facts about outdated firefighting:

The city also will stop manning ladder truck No. 8. Hammond has four ladder trucks, which are used less frequently than ambulances and engines. Truck No. 8 has the fewest calls for service in the city, McDermott said.

The truck won't be sold or decommissioned. It will be maintained, but it won't be manned. Instead of seven people per shift at that station, there will be four, and they will have the ladder truck available if needed.

Sometimes a ladder truck will sit for a week without being used. Truck No. 8 is where many of the senior firefighters want to be assigned when they're ready to retire, McDermott said.

Un-manning the truck will result in a $900,000 savings. No one will be laid off in the process, because the vacancies and savings will come through attrition, he said.

What do I mean by "outdated firefighting"? Firefighting has changed immensely over the last 20 or so years. Actual fires have plunged because of new technology. Having unionized firefighters sitting around waiting for fires (and manning specific pieces of equipment, rather than being flexible and able to man ANY piece of equipment from any house) makes no sense anymore, and we can see that it is very expensive, to boot.

I am sure my favorite Munster Democrat will chime in, and I'm not saying that I have the answers here (paid on call makes sense to me, but what do I know?), but something has to give, because this is enormously expensive.

Mayor McCheeze is stealing Buzzcut's ideas

2011-12-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

Mayor McCheeze came to the blog to hear the Janiec tape, or see the "Fair and Balanced Plan", and undoubtedly saw a post on privatization of water and sewer departments.

That is his latest proposal.

He wraps it up as "selling water to Illinois", but the big bucks comes from privatization (which has been done by Indy's Republican mayor).

Steal away, Mayor McCheeze!

Priceless Kusiak comment

2011-12-30T06:13:00.000-08:00

From an anonymous commenter:

Kusiak? Isn't he the guy the talks the union talk but doesn't walk the union walk? He loves telling war stories from his hardscrabble youth in Munster-when Dad's union went on strike they had to do with inferior cuts of steak and maybe eat Wonder Bread instead of going to the bakery. My gosh, you'd think he was the protagonist in the movie "Matewan".
He loves to invoke his brief past in East Chicago--I guess that adds to his "blue collar" street creds, but he lives in Munster with the rest of the Democratic "elite".
Yet, for all of his pro-union advocacy, he runs a non-union shop. What gives? Do his employees receive a "living wage"? What sort of benefit plan does he offer? Might his employees be better off if he ditched the boat about which he brags, moved to a nice 1,200 square foot house in Hammond, Gary, or East Chicago and quit being so concerned about having the Bishop Noll basketball court named for himself? Why doesn't he send his kids to a public school and split the BNI tuition across his workers? He asks nothing less of corporate executives.

Kusiak is a piece of work, as is his buddy Matty Reardon. Yet more north-side style douchebags (nice yuppie-glasses, Matty).