Helping Out In A Patriotic Way

Calling all elected officials, members of the Carmel Clay Republican Club, individuals in charge of candidates campaigns, candidates up for election in the Fall and Friends of the Republican Party. The Carmel Clay Republican Club is again in charge of maning the Hamilton County Republican Tent at Carmelfest. We are looking for workers to help set the tent up and to help tear down.

Volunteers are needed Thursday, July 3rd to set-up from 10:00 am-2:00 pm, and to man the booth in three shifts - 4-6:00 pm, 6-8:00 pm, 8-11:00 pm. On the 4th, we need Republicans to fill the following shifts - noon-2:00 pm, 2-4:00 pm, 4-6:00 pm, 6-8:00 pm, and 8-11:00 pm.

We will need 2 workers per shift on Thursday and 3 per shift on Friday. All volunteers may park behind the Antique Emporium and the south building off Shoshone Place and walk over to the booth area. Instructions will be clear as to what to do and water and ice will be in abundance for the volunteers.

Your help is also needed at the County 4-H which is July 17th-21st with shifts July 17th-19th 10am-10pm and 20th-21-12pm-8pm. We have all time slots available. We should be very busy at both venues.

Please contact Peg Durrer Vice President of the Carmel Clay Republican Club at 846-3904 or by email pegd@gogop.org

Let's Celebrate Lincoln Day

Carmel-Clay Precinct Committeeman...The Lincoln Day Dinner is a long standing tradition in the Republican Party. As I've been active in the party more years than I wish to remember, I have seen county chairman come and go but many have of these chairman have strongly suggested that precinct chairman and vice should make Lincoln Day a function they should attend.

As I do a lot of the precinct committeeman training, I am encouraging you to attend Lincoln Day on April 16th. You will meet committeeman from all over the county. Candidates running in the primary will gather in one place at the same time. This will be an excellent time to ask them what ever you would like. You will meet county party officials covering all areas of Party responsibility. Most of all, you will learn a lot, by your attendance, to help you in your duties as a committeeman.

Hope to see you at the Ritz Charles on April 16th.

Peg Durrer
Carmel Clay East Vice Chairman and Precinct Committeeman training coordinator

A Slam Dunk Decision

The “bus” known as Carmel and Clay Township is at an intersection. We can either continue in the direction that the Republican leadership of Mayor Jim Brainard has taken us. Or, we can go in an unknown direction-driven by a Democrat or an Independent who not only have no road map, but have a bad sense of direction to boot. It's pretty simple really.

Jim Brainard is a visionary. Forget what you read in blogs. Forget the letters to the editor. For the most part, wizards who’d have you thinking we live in Oz write them. Just open your eyes and look around. Our city never looked so good. Our financial position has never been better. The leadership of our city is the best in the State. Carmel is the envy of every community in Indiana.

Carmel continues to have one of the lowest tax rates in the state. Our park system, almost non-existent fifteen years ago, is exceptional. Under Republican leadership, we have maintained our property values along with a high quality of life. Go south and have a look around. You'll see signs in front of homes saying, "For sale due to high property taxes". You won't see that in Carmel. Our older citizens don’t have to move because of doubled or tripled property taxes.

Jim Brainard has done more to improve Carmel than any mayor in Carmel's history and he deserves another term. Our whole Republican team needs to continue on the job and be rewarded for their success. Republican leadership and values are truly alive and well in Carmel, Indiana.

Telling It Like It Is

Bill Ruthhart refers to Marnin Spigelman in an August 11, 2007 article published by the Indianapolis Star as, "a Republican running as an independent for mayor". To those relying on The Star for their information, Mr. Spigelman is NOT a Republican. Do not vote for him thinking that he is a Republican who was somehow shunned by his Party.

Mr. Spigleman is a Carpetbagger. As defined by Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia, the term Carpetbagger has been around since 1900. The term has been used to describe outsiders attempting to gain political office or economic advantage, especially in areas (thematically or geographically) to which they previously had no connection.

Mr. Spigelman apparently registered to vote in Carmel in 2007. He evidently voted in the 2007 primary election for Republican Party candidates. Might he have done this for the sole purpose of being able to say, "now I can call myself a Republican?" His stint as a Republican, however, didn't last long. A month or so after proclaiming himself a Republican, he dumped his newly acquired moniker for that of "Independent".

A search of the Indiana Campaign Finance Database at Secretary of State Todd Rokita's office shows that Mr. Spigelman has not supported a single Indiana Republican financially. Congressional Quarterly's Money Line does not recognize Spigelman as contributing to any Hoosier Republican. He doesn't show up in any Republican candidate's campaign finance report as a contributor. These reports are on file in the Hamilton County Clerk's office.

Marnin Spigelman, comes to town, votes in one primary, then days later flips off "his Party". He hasn't contributed financially to any Republican, he has not offered to work within the Carmel or Hamilton County Republican Party to help get Republicans elected. He is not a member of the Carmel-Clay GOP Club. The only "Republican" who's agenda has been furthered by Marnin Spigelman is his own.

To those who choose to support Republicans, we hope this helps clear the air. We actively seek and encourage qualified Republicans to run for office. Marnin Spigelman is not one of those. He is NOT a Republican. He is a Carpetbagger.

Your Nose Is Growing

Desperate people are not good candidates for political office. When a desperate person runs, they make statements that are not quite truthful in order to purposefully fool voters. Such is the case with Sarann Warner, the Democrat running for City Council from District One. We were directed to Ms. Warner’s website and noticed what appears to be her sole issue for running: “Read about the ‘twin Ds:’ Debt + Density.”

Any clear thinking voter will recognize her intent right away. The website copy should state, “Read about the ‘twin Ds:’ Desperate + Democrat.” A smiling Warner wants you to accept fabrication as truth. Did she think no one would notice? If she’s willing to say untruths in order to get elected, what else is she willing to deceive us about? We have presented this Democrat’s issue point by point and include the truth that is lacking in her analysis:

"Carmel's excessive growth in recent years is starting to erode the quality of life that made us love Carmel in the first place!"

TRUTH: The number one measurement for quality of life is how many people wish to move into a city to be a part of the quality of life? Carmel’s net change in population is reflected in median value of owner-occupied housing units. Carmel has also measured quality of life issues in the past by the ability to maintain property values. Based on the year 2000, the median value of an owner occupied house is an incredible $205,400.00. By the way, the homeownership rate in 2000 was 79%. Not bad, no thanks to Warner who has no doubt benefitted from what she criticizes.

"With a density of over 4,500 people per square mile -- a density that has more than DOUBLED since 2000 -- Carmel is now more crowded than cities such as Minneapolis or St. Louis -- only fast growing Phoenix is more dense."

TRUTH: The last census in which we can compare all of the cities mentioned by the Democrat was 2000. According to the US Census Bureau, Carmel’s density was NOT 4,500 people but 2,096 people per square mile. Carmel is NOT more crowded than Minneapolis (6,956) or St. Louis (5,615). Don’t tell the other two, but the density of Phoenix, is actually 2,781. Assuming Carmel’s area (she doesn’t include the Township) was 4,500/sq mi, that would mean the City of Carmel would have a population of 81,000! Actually, our density today is somewhere around 1,400 per square mile. Pat Bauer must have taught Warner economics.

"Out-of-control growth threatens more than just traffic problems.
In time, it will means [sic] overburdened schools, where our kids will find overcrowded classrooms, and a loss in quality eduction [sic]."

TRUTH: No matter what growth is, evidently the Dem thinks she will have a hand in running the schools. Since Carmel’s inception as a city, Carmel-Clay Schools keep up with growth and manages it quite well. That is their duty. Has the system kept up with their charge? According to Carmel-Clay Schools website it has. “Carmel Clay School's assessed tax rate is among the very lowest in the state (279th of 293).” A loss in quality education? All Carmel Clay schools received the designation of Exemplary from the Indiana Department of Education, all eligible Carmel Clay schools received the designation of Four-Star School from the Indiana Department of Education, Carmel Clay Schools was named one of Indiana’s “outperforming” school districts by Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services; only 16 of Indiana’s 294 districts were recognized, etc, etc, etc. Our school system seems to be performing fine in spite of Sarann’s criticism. She’s run for Township Advisory Board and City Council. Perhaps School Board is her niche.

Although it is not our duty to give the Dems attention, it has been our pleasure to present Sarann ’s fabrications and ask that the voters in District One say NO to twin Ds and YES to twin Rs: “Re-elect Rick” Sharp. He does his homework and hasn’t learned a thing from Pat Bauer. And that's the TRUTH.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

What seems like a life time ago, a Hamilton County Republican Chairman got the winners of one of the most contentious Republican primaries in Carmel's history in the same room. The purpose of that pow-wow was to try to unify the Party in Carmel. Feelings were bruised-egos trashed. In fact, some of the winners didn't bother to show up. Maybe the "no-shows" were afraid they'd be asked to donate blood to a fellow Republican.

That was sixteen years ago and nobody died as a result of the meeting. There was no Kumbaya singing either. Since no real opposition from other political parties exists in Hamilton County, hard feelings and elections go together in Carmel like love and marriage. Ronald Reagan said, "Never speak ill of a fellow Republican" because he never experienced a Carmel Republican caucus. If he had, the Reagan rule might never have been penned. Why can't we all just get along?

A recent article from The Christian Science Monitor might provide the most insight. The writer disagreed with another person's approach on a project they were working on together. He tried to get the other to see things his way. So the writer prayed hoping to hear God's direction more than his own opinion.

God's message, according to "The Monitor" was to stop being argumentative and combative – that there was something better to contribute. Focus on the things that this person and he agreed on. And to go forward in a positive way.

So, to those who's candidates lost in the primary, we are asking you to support your Party's nominees. We need you to remain a Republican. If a Republican decides to leave the Party and run as an Independent or Libertarian they will lose. The cost to them will be more than the dollars spent in a losing effort. Most of all, it's not going forward in a positive way. Perhaps we can't get along because we are unwilling to ease up on our argument and focus on the similarities.

Cleaning up our conversations, with others or with ourselves, isn't about just being nice. It contributes to changing our community and Party - and getting along.

Overcoming The "X" Word

The "X" word. In politics, no word strikes with more impact than the word "taXes". More recently though, the X word has come to be defined as "eXcuses" - excuses for not voting. This election cycle, one side cites runaway spending as causing a rise in taxes while the other side counters with their facts showing taxes have gone down because of their prudent use of tax dollars. Each side claims the other is just plain wrong.

Whose right? That's up to the voter to decide. But too often voters on both sides are guilty of excuses. Fellow Republicans, we get the kind of government you deserve. It should be no surprise that registered voters are more interested in McDreamy or Bree Hodge than they are in a sample ballot. Or it's more important to wait in line for tickets to The Moody Blues than it is to cast a vote.

We are asking that the public use its influence to interest those registered to vote. How? By posting a comment promoting your choice for office and telling readers why. If you are a candidate, use this spot as a soapbox. If you are a citizen, we want your opinion. Our website gogop.org has resources that will let you know where you vote. The Carmel-Clay Republican Club held a very successful candidate forum. Now, the blog would like to do its part.

18% of the registered voters should not determine who governs Carmel for four years. So let us know who to vote for on May 8th. There's no eXcuse.