1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: My name is Nigel Jason Hammer right over there with 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: our very special in studio guests the first of twenty 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: twenty six here in the Hammer of Nigel Show. 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: Council Member Michael Paul Hart joins us inph back with 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 2: us for twenty twenty six. Thank you for coming by. 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 2: So last night was the first City County Council meeting 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 2: of this year. Catch us up to date. What are 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 2: the folks that are the movers and shakers of Indianapolis 9 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: talking about? 10 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 3: Certainly? Certainly. 11 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 4: So last night was a bit of a different meeting, 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 4: primarily because it was an election of officers. So vob 13 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 4: Osiley is no longer the president of the City Council 14 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 4: and so we had to elect a new president vice 15 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 4: president of the Council, which was a big deal because 16 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 4: it hasn't happened in eight years. And what the president 17 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 4: does is they run the council office and so there's 18 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 4: a staff of fifteen sixteen people over there and they 19 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 4: hire them and then they set the initiatives. 20 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 3: Right. 21 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 4: So that's the first thing we did is a elect 22 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 4: a new president of the Council, which is it. 23 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 3: Is currently Maggie Lewis. So she won the election Is 24 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 3: this a good thing? 25 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 2: Is this any different than vob ossily? I mean, I 26 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 2: know it's only been one meeting, but what's the feeling. 27 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, So she's been president in the past. She was 28 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 4: president from twenty twelve to twenty seventeen. I believe the 29 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 4: guys have been there forever and this was Maggie Lewis 30 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 4: and so so she You know, we put up our 31 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 4: own candidate as the Republican Party. 32 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 3: I mean we're saying, hey, look, we're going to least 33 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 3: vote for our guy. Right. 34 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 4: We knew going in, right, we've got six votes. We're 35 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 4: not going to really be successful, but we're going to 36 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 4: give it a shot. 37 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 3: And it turned out how's you would expect. 38 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 4: But for the reasons that we believe is that she's 39 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 4: not going to change much of anything. If you look 40 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 4: back at what opportunity she's had over the time. I mean, 41 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 4: just looking back at our recent budget, I mean, we 42 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 4: were silenced on our own budget conversations. We were trying 43 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 4: to ask questions about the budget. You know, she was 44 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 4: silent on all the stuff with the sexual harassment allegations 45 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 4: with Joe Hawks and everything going on there. She's been 46 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 4: president in the past, and our city is still in 47 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 4: the same shape that is now. 48 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 3: So do we expect a different outcome. 49 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 4: I'd like to be optimistic and say yes for the 50 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 4: city of Indianapolis, But but the real media and the 51 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 4: real cock is last night we put up a different 52 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 4: candidate because the answer. 53 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 2: Was no, you bring up the sexual harassment scandal from 54 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: the mayor's office and his former chief of staff Thomas 55 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 2: Carl Cook. Thomas Carl Cook back in the news again. 56 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: He is he is a grand jury looking at some stuff. 57 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: Did Yeah, conflicts of interest and plus the touching, the inappropriate, 58 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: the harassment or whatever. 59 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 3: Right, yeah, and that's so what's that I'm the indie star. 60 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 4: And why it's so important now is it's translating over 61 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 4: to the deals he was working on with the person 62 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 4: he was having or one of the people he was 63 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 4: having relationships with, who was Scarlett Andrews, who was the 64 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 4: director of Metropolitan Development. So they have all the power 65 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 4: for the authority to give out these incentives eighty million 66 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 4: in incentives. 67 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 3: And this is huge. 68 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 4: Because a lot of these are grant Some of these 69 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 4: are grant dollars that are coming in from the state, 70 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 4: some of which I'm trying to get in projects on 71 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:02,519 Speaker 4: the east side. 72 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 3: Of Midneapolis, which is things that people. 73 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 4: Say all around the city is why do all these 74 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 4: grant dollars go downtown? Why don't they go into our townships. 75 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 4: I'm trying to get him to go to the townships. 76 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 4: But then you got Thomas Carl Cook having these relations 77 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 4: with the city leadership, funnel them all downtown to his 78 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 4: personal pet projects. 79 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: And again this used to be the right hand man 80 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: of Joe Hawks set the centerpiece of the sexual harassment 81 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: scandal and some horrible allegations against this guy. Many people 82 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: feel like Joe Hawk said knew what was going on, 83 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: turned a blind eye, ultimately brought him back to work 84 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 2: on his campaign. And I don't know about you, Counselor, 85 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 2: but this guy was so smug for a long time, 86 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: he'd be trolling us on Twitter, just a mouthy little 87 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 2: TOWRP to people like yourself and other Republicans in the city. 88 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 2: And this dude is as crooked as you can find. 89 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 4: And that's how you treated us. I mean, we only 90 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 4: had a couple interactions, right, but I have a clear 91 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 4: memory of my first day week as we had dinner 92 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 4: with the mayor and it was there was only five Republicans, 93 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 4: So it wasn't a whole lot of people, the mayor 94 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 4: and Thomas Cook, and the level of arrogance of this guy, 95 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 4: just his body postures, mannerisms, holding the glass of wine, 96 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 4: just laughing at his own jokes. 97 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 3: I mean, that's exactly what you. 98 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,919 Speaker 2: Can That's what happened when nerds get popular for the 99 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 2: first time, Right when nerds get popular or they get 100 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 2: their first piece of tail, they don't know. 101 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: How to handle it. 102 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 2: And that's what happened with this little needle winer. I'm sorry, 103 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 2: but that's totally what happened here. 104 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: Man. This report from the Indie Star, it is it's. 105 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 2: Wow, Wow, scathing. 106 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 3: I believe the kids get scathing. 107 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: Man. 108 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: So in regards to Joe Hogg set again, I don't 109 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: think you could rule out the fact that he might 110 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 2: run again. He said that he wasn't his last trip 111 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 2: around the sun here. But this loser can't get another job. 112 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 2: Nobody wants to hire this guy. He's got ex wives 113 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: to pay for a bunch of bad decisions he's tried 114 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 2: to work on. I don't think you've seen the end 115 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 2: of him. And you were telling me before we went 116 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 2: on the air he might have a new chief of 117 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: staff coming up. 118 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, So what's really interesting on that is his chief 119 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 4: of staff, which was Dan Parker, put in his two 120 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 4: weeks notice or a month notice to be done with 121 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 4: the role at the end of the year last year, 122 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 4: which is December thirty. First, what's really interested to note 123 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 4: is that position is a very powerful position. 124 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: I mean he's running running the city. 125 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: Ye right, when Joe goes missing during riots, you're a charge. 126 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 4: And here we are, what six days into the new year, 127 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 4: and our city doesn't have a chief of staff so effectively, 128 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 4: I mean you could ask who's running the city right now? 129 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 3: And that's a legitimate question. 130 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: Speaking with Michael Paul Hart from the city County Council 131 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: had their first meeting last night. So what are some 132 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 2: things that are on the docket for twenty twenty six, Like, 133 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: what are some projects that you would like to see happen? 134 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 2: What are some of the folks on the other side 135 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: of the aisle trying to push on to us take 136 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 2: a look into that crystal ball here. 137 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, the I think reoccurring conversation were to 138 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 4: continue to see is data centers coming up over and 139 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 4: over again. It started to come up last night it 140 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 4: was a special resolution, a ceremonial thing that didn't mean anything, 141 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 4: but it did bring up some insights to some of 142 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 4: the other counselors working on some things, primarily bringing more 143 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 4: transparency to the utility regulations that are often not discussed 144 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 4: during these or are put under NDAs. 145 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 2: Is that one of the things where you guys can 146 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: actually agree on things, Republicans and Democrats, because it feels 147 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 2: like the last time there was a data center trying 148 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: to be pushed on your district, you had folks on 149 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 2: the other side of the aisle go, hey, this is 150 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 2: your district. I'll defer to you on this. 151 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 4: We're finding a lot more room to agree, and I 152 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 4: think for similar reasons are well overall. I mean, there's 153 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 4: the tax abatement structures are bad, you know, the economic 154 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 4: opportunities for the city of Indianapolis are bad. And then 155 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 4: on the environmental side is where you'll see a lot 156 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 4: of the Democrats side really start to raise awareness the 157 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 4: transparency both Republicans and Democrats agree on. So yeah, I 158 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 4: think we're going to be able to put together some 159 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 4: things to try and make these more viable for the 160 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 4: city when they do comit at least in a more 161 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 4: transparent way throughout the year. There's a couple of counselors 162 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 4: putting some effort into that, and I plan on working 163 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 4: on those as well. But right now it's the beginning 164 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 4: of the year, so it's a lot of board appointments. 165 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 4: I put out a phenomenal I'm gonna brag of myself, 166 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 4: put out a phenomenal basically article on my own website, 167 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 4: Michael Paul Hart. 168 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 2: That's a Trump move right there. 169 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 3: That's phenomenal. That's the greatest thing. It's pretty good. I'm 170 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 3: not gonna lie. 171 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 4: But it goes into the importance of these board appointments 172 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 4: that a lot of people don't talk about. I mean, 173 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 4: and we talk about, you know, how communities are developed. 174 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 4: You know why that new gas station popped up, or 175 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 4: why all these houses over here have all this crappy 176 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 4: siding on it, But it's you know, devaluing your neighborhood. 177 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 4: All these happen through the boards that are appointed by 178 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 4: the mayor and the council. Well, now we're in board 179 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 4: appointing season right now, and these are things that people 180 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 4: need to pay attention to because they can come to 181 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 4: these like the public can come to these meetings where 182 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 4: these board appointments happen, and they can sit there and 183 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 4: yell and say, this person's not qualified. They work in healthcare, 184 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 4: but they want to make a decision on land use. 185 00:07:59,080 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 3: It's those sorts of. 186 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 4: Things that we're experiencing right now, we will for the 187 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 4: next couple of months. 188 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 2: But if you yell about the sexual harassment, then vob 189 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 2: oscley might kick you out. 190 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, you only get two minutes to yell. 191 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 2: But counselor Michael Paul Hart, if somebody wants to reach 192 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: out to you, if they've got questions, where can they go? 193 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, so two places. 194 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 4: They can go to Michael Paulhart dot com or they 195 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 4: can go to smart Indie dot org. 196 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 3: Either one of those places you'll get me Smartdie. 197 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 4: We're working to build and teach people all these things 198 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 4: about the boards, how to basically take control of their 199 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 4: own community. So either one of those two places you'll 200 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 4: get in contact with 201 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 2: Me, counselor thank you