The noun "calumet" and the David White for Mayor Town Hall TONIGHT at the Calumet Club, 6:00 p.m.

I hate having to miss this forum. It's in my neighborhood, and as such, we're in desperate need of an antidote to ward off the pervasive Kool-Aid-drinking proclivities therein.

But alas, I have a previous engagement. Please consider coming out and talking to the candidate, all the while trying to imagine Deaf Gahan looking at you and saying: "Ask me anything."

You just can't imagine that, can you?

Meanwhile here's a smidgen of background on the actual word "calumet" (kal-yuh-met, kal-yuh-met), as posted here three years ago.

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Many readers already know about the Calumet Club in New Albany. There are also Calumet rivers, regions and towns. But what is a calumet as a noun? It's a Native American pipe.

Tobacco, indigenous to North America, followed Indian trade routes throughout the continent long before Columbus arrived, and pipe smoking took on a ritual and religious importance in many tribes. Naturally, the crafting of pipes became equally important.

The most famous Native American pipes are the long calumets or "peace pipes" of the Sioux and other Plains Indian tribes, which were made by attaching a wooden stem to a bowl carved from catlinite or "pipestone." (Pipestone is native to Minnesota, but due to intertribal trade was available throughout Native North America.) Other native pipe-making traditions included the smaller one-piece stone and ceramic pipes of the Iroquois and Cherokee tribes, wood and antler pipes of the Southwest Indians, and the post-Columbian tomahawk pipes with a metal pipe bowl and hatchet on opposite ends of the stem.

Calumet Club Dates in History, courtesy of the Calumet Club, illustrate that it was a thriving social institution on post-WWI New Albany. Finally, from the library's Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room comes this memento of times long gone.

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Democratic mayoral candidate David White understands that change begins with a whole lotta scrubbing, and NA Confidential advocates just such a deep civic cleansing. 

After eight years on the job, Mayor Jeff Gahan's list of stunning "achievements" is long, indeed: tax increases, budgetary hide 'n' seek, self-deification, daily hypocrisy, public housing takeover, non-transparency, pay-to-play for no-bid contracts, bullying city residents and bullying city employees. Eight years is enough. It's time to drain Gahan's swamp, flush his ruling clique and take this city back from Gahan's Indy-based special interest donors. 

NA Confidential supports David White for Mayor in the Democratic Party primary, with voting now through May 7. 

“David White for Mayor” Town Hall Meeting is at the library on Saturday, April 6 at 10:30 a.m.

And the candidate won't even know your questions in advance, as opposed to the incumbent -- who'll answer NO questions UNLESS he knows them in advance. I'll be there, and I hope to see you there, too.

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David White to Host “David White for Mayor” Town Hall Meeting

WHAT: Town Hall for New Albany citizens to publicly ask questions of David White, 2019 Democratic candidate for mayor of New Albany

WHEN: Saturday, April 6 at 10:30 AM

WHERE: New Albany-Floyd County Public Library’s Strassweg Auditorium

WHO: All citizens are welcome to take part in this public forum

WHY: David White is running for Mayor to put People First. His priorities are to promote financial security and sustainability, prioritize and mobilize resources to increase public safety and well-being, restore honesty and integrity to the mayor’s office, and support entrepreneurs and local business owners to produce higher paying jobs ... for a better New Albany

Since the last mayoral election Mr. White and the committee to elect David White have had the privilege of connecting with people across New Albany. Many have shared their stories of bullying and deceit. They’ve urged us to take up the fight again to bring honesty, trust, and integrity to the mayor’s office. David White will lay out his plan for doing that while inviting citizens to participate in a respectful Q&A. Please join us for open and honest discussion and learn how David White will put the People First.

The roots of inequality: “The CEO of Goldman Sachs said ‘Why are you attacking us? We are Democrats’.”

And when the mayor of New Albany and fellow Democrats propose demolishing 500 units of affordable housing without a credible plan to house those displaced, that's something we need to talk about, too, because an undemocratic fixation with "quality of life" only as it pertains to luxury developments is a problem, isn't it?

Bernie Sanders: Russia and Stormy Daniels distract us from real problem of inequality, by Amana Fontanella-Khan and Lauren Gambino (The Guardian)

More than a million viewers watch online as Sanders joins likes of Michael Moore and Elizabeth Warren to talk poverty

Enough about Russia and Stormy Daniels, the leaders of the progressive movement want to talk about growing income inequality in the US.

At a live-streamed town hall event on Monday night, Senator Bernie Sanders once again circumvented cable news to host a 90-minute panel discussion on poverty, the decline of the middle class and the consolidation of corporate power.

He was joined in Washington by Senator Elizabeth Warren, director Michael Moore and economist Darrick Hamilton while roughly 1.7 million viewers tuned in to watch online, according to Sanders’ office.

Speaking to the Guardian before the event, Sanders said: “We have to fight Trump every day. But we have to not lose our vision as to where we want to go as a country. We can talk about the disastrous role Russia has played in trying to undermine American democracy. That is enormously important. But we also have to talk about the fact that we have the highest rate of child poverty in any major economy of the world.”

2017 Minority Health Town Hall Meeting is this Wednesday (October 4) at St. Marks from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

I've just become aware of this town hall meeting about minority health issues and legislation, which takes place this Wednesday (October 4) at St. Marks United Church of Christ, 222 E. Spring Street in New Albany. It's from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., and you are welcome to attend.

It is my understanding that State Representative Ed Clere has been on the board of the the Indiana Minority Health Coalition for several years. To be honest, I don't know very much about the organization itself.

Indiana Minority Health Coalition history

In 1992, local minority health coalitions throughout Indiana were inspired to start addressing the health disparities among Indiana residents. With the help of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, they collaborated to develop the first 5-year Minority Health Strategic Plan for Indiana. As a result, these local coalitions were able to create the Indiana Minority Health Coalition to facilitate the adoption of the strategic plan as it passed through the legislative process. The general consensus among the leadership was that the Minority Health Initiative needed one statewide entity that could serve as a focal point and a unified voice for the local coalitions' concerns. Thus, IMHC was legally incorporated in 1994.

In recent months the IMHC has been organizing these town halls throughout the state, and Rep. Clere arranged one to occur here, even though we don't have an IMHC affiliate (Community Action of Southern Indiana is acting as surrogate in this instance).

IMHC's work during previous town hall swings has included educating about coverage under the Affordable Care Act and advocating for Medicaid expansion.

Our mission

“To enhance the quality of life through education, advocacy, and quality health care services for racial/ethnic minorities. To conduct research and training, develop policy, and create and maintain a broad-based network of affiliate agencies.”

Wednesday's town hall meeting might be a first step toward finding an IMHC affiliate here. I'm planning on attending.

Anyone else?

Clere Channel Network fails to rig Georgetown town hall meeting, so forced to consider genuine public opinion; ah, the humanity.

It must be an election year, because over at Rep. Ed Clere's Facebook site, most comments on right-to-work expressing opposition to the Parson's own ideology are being permitted to survive, sans the censorship of previous eras. Those of us who were scourged by deletion are deeply appreciative.

As for the town meeting described below by the C-J's Esarey (can't you just see Ron Grooms flailing ineffectually?), NAC's Jeff Gillenwater says it best, and I concur:

Yes, Ed, this is par for the course. Your constituents telling you one thing and you representing the chamber of commerce instead. Tolls, right to work, education... what's next?

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Legislators get an earful from right to work opponents ... Legislators hold town hall meeting, by Jenna Esarey, (Special to the Courier-Journal)

A town hall meeting in Georgetown on Saturday gave three Republican Indiana legislators a chance to hear the thoughts of their constituents — almost exclusively about the contentious right-to-work bill.

State Sen. Ron Grooms and Rep. Ed Clere said before the meeting at Georgetown Elementary School that they hoped to be able to discuss a number of issues facing the General Assembly, including a statewide smoking ban and a law on human trafficking.

Grooms, Clere and state Rep. Rhonda Rhoads were accompanied by Dale Chu, an assistant superintendent of the Indiana Department of Education, who answered a few questions about education.

But most of the crowd of 75 at the session was there to voice opposition to the right-to-work bill, which would stop any requirements that employees pay fees to unions they don’t join.

“Indiana doesn’t need it,” Jeffboat employee Jim Kincaid, a member of Teamsters Local 89, said of the bill. “Any state it goes to it’s destroyed the economy. It’s just union busting.”

“We’ve got to stop the right-to-work stuff,” agreed Georgetown resident Bill Miller, also a member of Local 89. “It’s plain old simple union busting. They can wrap it up however they want.”

After opening remarks, the panel took questions from the crowd written on index cards before opening the microphone for further comments at the end of the session. While the first few questions read dealt with other pending legislation or teachers’ issues, the majority addressed the right-to-work bill.

The legislation has been hotly debated in the General Assembly, with some House Democrats staging a boycott over the issue.

Several in the crowd asked why the issue could not be put to a referendum, allowing voters to decide the issue. “There is a constitutional question on whether we could have a statewide referendum,” Clere said.

Emotions ran high in the room as quiet mutterings grew into vocal outbursts from some in the crowd.

When Grooms said the legislation was all about creating jobs, one audience member shouted, “Move to China.”

“I’m not going to tell you that right to work will be the cure-all for the state of Indiana,” Clere said. “We need to do everything we can to make Indiana attractive for job creation.”

Of the 11 people who spoke at the meeting, all addressed right to work. Several suggested that the best way to deal with the issue was to elect different people the next time around.

Kincaid drew enthusiastic applause near the end as he told the panel, “Do what you’ve got to do. But remember in November we’ll be there.”

At one point, Clere spoke briefly about jobs that could be created if his House Bill 1111, the Historic Preservation Tax Credit, were passed. It would raise the cap on statewide credits for the preservation or rehabilitation of historic properties that have been vacant for at least a year.

But people on hand were focused on the right-to-work issue.

“This is par for the course,” Clere said. “This is what we encounter at the Statehouse every day.”

Just don't mention the ORBP!!!

Rep. Clere to hold town hall series (press release, as reprinted in his ex-column, also in the newspaper, and in a series of mass mailings from one or the other GOP national committees, and in the catechism according to St. Daniels)

State Rep. Ed Clere [R-New Albany] will hold three town hall meetings in October ... The meetings are scheduled at three different times of day to accommodate varying schedules.

Town hall meetings will be at the following times and locations: 11: 30 a.m., Oct. 13, Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana, 3000 Technology Ave., New Albany; 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 18, LifeSpan Resources, 33 State St., YMCA building, New Albany; and 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Oct. 22, New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, Strassweg Auditorium, 180 W. Spring St., New Albany.

Town hall meetings and mad hatters, this Friday at Floyds Knobs Elementary.

It is being reported on Twitter and Facebook that Representative Ed Clere will join Senator Ron Grooms and Dale Chu, Assistant Superintendent at the Department of Education, at a Town Hall meeting to be held this Friday, March 11, at Floyds Knobs Elementary (4484 Scottsville Rd) from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

It's BYOCS -- Bring Your Own Charter School. There will be ecumenical prayers to Saint Daniels, and wallet-sized photos of Tony Bennett strangling education in a bathtub. William Howard Taft is optional.

Alas, I must honor a long-standing obligation to entertain visiting dignitaries on Friday evening, and cannot attend this event. If readers are aware of further meeting details, projected protests, picketing or the like, please leave a comment here. Thanks.

Coffey: Call someone who cares, and by the way, can you come to my meeting as soon as I find a place that will host it?

Dan "Copperhead" Coffey managed another untitled blog post over the weekend, and announced a second Town Gall Meeting, although the date was wrong the first time, and he hasn't yet gotten around to telling anyone where it is being held.

Here's the garble.

We will have another Town Hall Meeting 6 p.m. to discuss concerns from our residents and a presentation with Paul Haub and others to discuss the crime problems facing our city. Everyone with questions or concerns is invited to attend. For information, call Dan @ 502-797-8347 (cell) or home @ 949-1262. Thank you and God Bless!

Sorry, I put the wrong date. The correct date is Wednesday the 7th at 6p.m.

For the record: Matt at the meeting.

A Tribune reader implies that she didn't see Matt Nash at the infamous sewer rate information meeting a short time back, but as this photo shows, he was there.

Forensics: Coffey's grand mal library seizure a textbook case of "patio envy."

Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz, after listening to (Dan) Coffey's presentation, said he would report back to Mayor Doug England that the sewer board “needs to pursue a coherent explanation of what's going on.”

He said Coffey's views are “a significant misconception with the realities of the finances of the sewer utility.”

These observations are from reporter Harold J. Adams's C-J coverage of last evening's "Coffey and Toadstools" slimefest at the library. Daniel Suddeath's Tribune coverage is here: Coffey musters opposition to sewer rate increase. I stopped reading after Suddeath quoted Coffey as telling the crowd that they weren't getting the "real truth," when I felt the urge to vomit all over his Bazooka Joe University degrees.

For the best coverage of masturbatory exercise, consult the Bookseller's notes via this Facebook page. It's all there in living ooze.

The big news of the day, which as always proved to be classified "information" that somehow didn't travel from the real world into the darker recesses of Coffey's cranium, was a deal with the Indiana Finance Authority (revealed by Rep. Ed Clere) that would wave wands, pull levers, rearrange furniture, and result in a lower rate increase. Back to Adams:

State Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, who announced the state aid, said he urged the finance authority to act.

“It's qualified good news,” Clere said, “because clearly a major rate increase is still necessary.”

No wonder my face time with Ed in Indy fell through yesterday morning. He was ignoring the self-serving bickering and perpetual rancor back here in the Blissful Kochertian Kingdom, and actually seeking compromise solutions for problems. He'd best be careful. As Coffey all but confessed, nothing short of installing the 1st district's reigning embarrassment as local Pope is going to alleviate this particular situation.

The circus comes to town, and wouldn't you know it: I can't attend.

Well, there go two days I'll never get back. The good news is that SB 75 sailed through its House committee and now goes to the full House next week for 2nd and 3rd readings before returning to the Senate. Thus far, it is largely unencumbered with amendments. More on that later.

Regrettably, I'm teaching my IUS "Here's to Beer" class this evening, and although I would love to crash Cappuccino's library self-aggrandizement seminar, otherwise known as a "town hall" meeting on sewers, it's simply impossible. Too bad, because the trognonymous voices already are dumping their tea leaves:

It's time to rumble citizens of New Albany. And a warning to Mr. Baylor, don't think you will be a majority at this meeting because were sick of you and you will be way out numbered.

That's, er, courageous of you, anonymous. Now, go have another Bud Light.

I'm told that the Bookseller will be there tonight, and will provide updates via this Facebook note page.

Earlier this afternoon, Daniel (trib_daniel) Suddeath provided these teaser tweets:

Little birdie: Major news coming on sewer rates, city may be able to phase rate increase over few years with initial 35-40 percent hike ... Special sewer meeting called for 4 p.m. tomorrow. Will let you know when I confirm details.

When I get home later, I'll try to collate information. Have fun, campers.