Northwest Indiana Discussion

He who laughs last laughs the loudest. I ambusting a gut!

And what exactly are you laughing about today xmpt?

I think the vote differential is as much about the lack of leadership in the local Republican Party and their choice of really bad candidates than anything.

OTOB ... Fowler used McDermott's landslide as a ringing endorsement of the direction of Hammond. By that standard, Hammond should still be by yearning to catch up to East Chicago and Gary.

You can laugh all you want. But I will wait until the final chapter of McDermott's political career is written. When that happens we'll see who is laughing. My bet is it won't be you.

Thank you I think I will.

Matt you would have to admit for that margin of victory the citizens of Hammond see this administrations efforts and acknowledged their approval Tuesday. The republicans were free to choose whoever they want, unity of that party is their own responsability. Saliga would have been my choice but so be it.

Before you gloat too much it is actually a sad commentary on this city and county that hardly anyone bothered to vote. So hardly a mandate or glowing support. I said all along that a low turnout favored the Dems.

Who's gloating? Someone better check on JCMT.

I would say the Hammond Republican Party is pretty non-existant at this point. I said 4 years ago that the local party needs to be destroyed and those with any leadership need to be pushed out before anything can rise from the ashes. That hasn't happened yet, but one can be hopeful after the debacle of this election.

The turnout (despite slightly higher than 2007) is still ridiculously low. I believe it was about 35% in 2007 and don't think it improved much more than 5% this time around. A 40% voter turn-out is not a mandate in the face of a failed local party.

So would you say that the years that Pastrick won by 99% was an acknowledged approval?

Chuckie will be fine, he'll just be typing standing up for awhile after having "won by only 400 votes" shoved up his backside.

You got that right, Dat !!!

Yes, McDermott won with a whoping 11,000 or so votes. Incredulious! As to his future political career?

Hammond is financially in trouble. Gaming revenue on the decline. Property values and their resulting assesments have taken a substantial hit, 2o% to 30% less (estimate didn't do the math). Code enforcement lost the increased out of town rental fee's.

Hammond, or shall we say Tom has put a large track of land into TIF's that do not generate $$ for the larger city. The Charter School, well the recent D grade speaks for it self and it has taken $$$ away, to the tune of $2.5m away from the School City nd cost $33,000,000.

Blocking of streets with concerete barriers to fight crime... well it doesn't look good, doesn't sound good and the next quesiton, will there be a growing use of concerete barriers to fight crime? It says crime is a problem and there is no solution. Someone is going to ask Why isn't the other side of Calumet Aveune have concrete barriers?

And X, you certainly worked very hard at supporting Jr., If you are the City Council man, your going to need all the good luck in the world as you will have even a harder time with the city budget as the city has substantial $$$ shortfalls next year. You may not have enough $$ for your pensions payments.


If your not the city councilman, still good luck to you ask your really going to need it living in this city.

Installing barriers doesn't stop crime. The crooks just move elsewhere. They need to be caught and put out of commission. That barrier situation is the easy way out of a problem, not a solution. Police tractics will have to be revisited and new approaches must be in order. Don't kid yourself and listen to some die hard disapprovers, that say Chicago isn't getting better and crime isn't being reduced. This new Supt. of police in Chicago is handling it, one block at a time.It's a slow process, but in the end you will see great results. It's about time all the Chiefs from nearby communities join forces and do the same thing. How they are doing this in Chcicago is a guarded secret. But I bet the ACLU will start an uproar shortly. This is where the general public will have to step forward to defend any police action that is neccasary to fight this threat to our livelyhood.