Dysfunctional Democrats
When Center Township Constable Tony Duncan called City-County Councilor Vop Osili the “n-word” earlier this week at a Center Township Democrat Club meeting, you knew there is trouble in paradise.
The exact comment that Duncan used was “That nigga doesn’t know what he’s doing down there.” The comment was in reference to Osili’s support of expanding the downtown Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District to include Mass Ave and 16 Tech. The proposal passed out of committee on Friday and is up for a full vote Monday. It had been delayed for months.
You would think the battle over the TIF would have featured Republican Mayor Greg Ballard on one side and Council Democrats on the other. Not this time, this fight has been Democrat versus Democrat, or to be more specific old guard versus young turks.
One side has been led by former State Rep. Bill Crawford, Auditor Billie Breaux, Center Township Constable Tony Duncan. The other side Council President Maggie Lewis, State Senator Greg Taylor and Vop Osili. There are various other players, some major like the ministers and neighborhood and business groups that have been supporting the TIF expansion. And then there are the peripheral players like Council Vice-President Brian Mahern who all but politically neutered at Friday’s committee hearing when after the vote he began to read a statement and his microphone was turned off and the Channel 16 screen went to black.
While this all makes for good theatre, it reveals a deeper divide in the local Democratic party. The TIF district fight is symptomatic of something much deeper, much like a couple arguing too much sugar in the coffee when they are really fighting about something else. That same dynamic exists here.
The “old guard” who has been more aligned with County Chairman Ed Treacy and the Mahern clan has taken a more combative tone with the Mayor and have wanted to deny him victories. The “young turks” have decided that cooperation and collaboration work better in moving the city forward, especially in neighborhoods that are in the most need of services, public safety, jobs and economic development.
Even long-time Democrat stalwart and political heavyweight Lacy Johnson paid the “young turk” crowd a compliment recently. That was enough to throw anyone for a loop.
This internal battle that is waging is for the heart and soul of the Marion County Democratic Party and what role it will play in local politics, not only for the next few years but likely for the next 10-15.
Who will win? As one “young turk” sympathizer told me the other day. “Time is on our side, because eventually death is going to catch up with those old guys.”
