Okay. Fair enough. But I don't see how returning control of IMPD to the mayor's office is going to translate into better policing. Or how it will lead to community policing, and David implied.

It's not like Ballard going to be out there with a clipboard and mirror sunglasses, transforming the force from a bunch of lazy, bumbling Michael Winslows and Steve Guttenbergs into a team of crime-stopping bada**es.

I'll admit I'm a little out of my depth here, but I don't see how this is going to translate into less crime in Indy. Crime had been going down in the months leading up to the election anyway.

All dude has to do is cut government spending, pure and simple, oh and repeal the 65% tax income tax increase. Johnson County here I come!

Because the problems that the merger created weren't necessarily the fault of the merger. Stupid redistricting, unresolved contract disputes, IMPD officers stuck with old/broken gear, and a Sheriff who is perceived to be content with how things are as long as he is raking in 300 large a year, collecting more medals for his uniform and gets to stay in control. I'd like to see the elected position of Sheriff dissolved in favor of a meritocracy a single UniGov "top cop."

I don't see the city getting any greener or artsier or "world class"-er under this new administration. I'm pretty disappointed about the whole thing and the night the of the election resolved to leave before things go to hell. Pathetic.

Things were already on their way to hell because there weren't enough Democrats with principles and strong spines. I'd much rather take a step backwards in terms of city funding for the arts and greenways than spend money we don't have on anything. I don't forsee the city becoming culturally crippled but I do see Ballard finding ways to keep the city fiscally sound and running smoothly in terms of providing services to its citizens. That is a foundation everything else can be built on sustainably.

Indianapolis is one of very few cities of size that give funding directly to artists and art groups. So you have to start off by recognizing that we've enjoyed an exceedingly rare situation here. I'd hope that line item won't go away completely -- if I've got my numbers right, it represents less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the city budget. But even if it does, our art community isn't going to pack up for Chicago or New York the next day. Creative energy is like water: it'll find a way to leak out of any construct we create to contain it. Things will just be a little bit harder, and some things won't get done, and that's sad.

As for Fountain Square -- when I was looking to buy a house two years ago, I looked at one about a block and a half off the fountain. Across the street sitting on a porch in his underwear was an old man chewing tobacco. He was hunched over and staring at me with a baleful glare. He looked exactly like a cast member from "Deliverance." I said, "Boy, I'd really rather not look at that every morning and evening." As I was leaving, I was stopped by an impromptu parade of kids riding in the back of pick-up trucks led by a motorcycle cop. There was a bunch of mothers with them, and every last one of them was monstrously obese and wearing those house dresses that look like a flowered sack with armholes.

I related all this to my agent and mentioned that the ad for the house said it was located "in the up-and-coming Fountain Square neighborhood." His response: "It hasn't gotten there yet."

The new Mayor had no published agenda when it comes to arts funding, but I like his position on the following:

http://www.ballardformayor.com/r...

1. Citizens are proud of their city, but they live in their neighborhoods

No matter where I was stationed in the Marine Corps (1978-2001), I was always proud to call Indianapolis "home." I can sense that most people in our city feel the same. We have a proud history with basketball and all that game means to us, our engaging downtown envisioned decades ago by our forefathers, the Indianapolis 500, and so many other aspects of our city that we talk about to others.

However, when we go to sleep at night, we think of our neighborhood. Is the school system providing for our children? Are our streets clean? Do our neighbors keep up their property? Is there a strong threat of crime? Does the city care about my neighborhood?

A great city is a collection of great neighborhoods. If the city administration is disconnected from its neighborhoods, as this one is, the quality of life will decline in those neighborhoods. Despite the attempts to revive areas of our city, our neighborhoods continue to suffer.

The Fall Creek development won awards but it shut out the middle class. Downtown is now a collection high priced condominiums, often with slums and high crime less than a mile away. Meanwhile, despite superhuman efforts by neighborhood advocates, the Eastside continues to limp along and Lafayette Square, just a few minutes from my house, can't rid itself of its unsafe perception.

Indianapolis previously had a very successful neighborhood program called the Front Porch Alliance. Statistics show that neighborhood associations increased by 300% while the Front Porch Alliance was in place.

Mayor Peterson dismantled the Front Porch Alliance in his first year in office. He's been trying to catch up ever since. Just recently, he instituted a neighborhood program in six neighborhoods. He has lost connection with the neighborhoods and crime is one result.

We need strong lower to middle class neighborhoods with good schools and a relatively low crime rate. We need the Mayor's office connected to the neighborhoods. Only then people will be proud of their city and their neighborhood.

I pretty much think that there won't be any discernable changes in any spectrum. I say this because there is only the constant bad mismanagement time and again.

My prediction: Even more cool people will flee to a better place, leaving Indiana more drained and disadvantaged.

My hope: That we figure out a way to fix financial and socio-economic issues to a point where there isn't a constant drain on the human capital of this city. We have all we need as far as amenities. We need more 'high value' individuals. Companies go where the talent is. The talent goes where it doesn't suck, and most of the country sees Indiana as a truly boring place to live.

Preconception is a pain to overcome, and having a completely worthless political apperatus really isn't helping. I recommend we all start making it our own responsibility to fix our communities problems, instead of half-heartedly placing our hope in someone who is a politician on any level. Recent history teaches that you should NEVER EVER TRUST OUR GOVERNMENT TO DO ANYTHING CORRECTLY. Even local governments.

Get out, see shows, BUY ART, use the library, pick up trash when you see, say hello to everyone you meet, give change to the needy, volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, clean up your yard and recruit lots of creative people into the city. But don't expect the local government to suddenly come about and work, they never really do.

I agree that we all must do our part to help the City stay clean,we must show pride in our community. We can't expect the Government to really get any thing done.Maybe it's a good thing the new Mayor has no experience then again maybe not.