Democratic Mayor Candidate Joe Hogsett
The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, August 28, 2015. (Interview With Mayoral Candidate Joe Hogsett Starts At 20:00 Mark On PODCAST Media Player). Democratic mayoral candidate Joe Hogsett appeared on Afternoons with Amos for his 7th interview since announcing he was running for Mayor a year ago. Hogsett came to the program right after addressing the downtown Kiwakis Club unveiling his education proposals which Hogsett dubbed The Indianapolis Way. In a four part program Hogsett said he would expand high-quality Pre-K programs; create an initiative called TeachIndy where free or low-cost housing opportunities would be offered to young teachers willing to live and work in the city/county’s public schools. Hogsett would attempt to encourage an increase the numbers of Marion County 6th, 7th and 8th graders signing up for the 21st Century Scholars program which provides for students who make certain academic and lifestyle commitments tuition at Indiana-based colleges and universities. Hogsett’s education plan would also seen to curb the school to prison pipeline by encouraging smarter school discipline procedures. On the latter, in response to a question, Hogsett said he would incorporate the discipline ideas as part of Mayor’s charter schools charter agreements. Hogsett addressed the major issue of the week in the Black community, the call by Rev. Charles Harrison to institute stop and frisk policing in an attempt to curb rising violence.
Rev. Charles Harrison
Hogsett flatly said that while he “respects” Harrison, he “disagrees” with the proposal and opposes it. Amos pressed Hogsett on the arrogance of city officials on a number of projects from the Vision Fleet debacle, to the cricket field park controversy, to the Blue Indy electric car service which has angered many with their highhanded tactics appropriating precious parking spaces in Indy neighborhoods with no warning or notice. Brown bluntly asked Hogsett whether his administration would tolerate such highhanded actions without consulting communities. Hogsett answered no, but wouldn’t commit to reversing the Blue Indy service, though he said that if the City-County Council had concerns and took action, he would support them.
New Blue Indy Car
(Amos Commentary on Blue Indy Car Mess Starts At 3:48 Mark On Media Player. Commentary on IPS Board Election At 16:22 Mark). On September 2nd, Mayor Greg Ballard’s major initiative on electric cars, the Blue Indy car sharing service starts. In a commentary Amos talked about seeing the first Blue Indy cars deployed at a charging station near the radio station. Brown noticed the cars were from a manufacturer called PininFarina, an Italian maker of electric cars for the Bollore Blue Car service in Europe.
Airbag Safety Sticker Inside Blue Indy Car
Charges have been made that the original Blue Indy test cars didn’t meet American safety standards. Brown took a photo of an airbag sticker in the car, but said there’s no proof yet the cars meet those safety rules.
“Mysterious” Right of Way City Sticker
Brown also commented on a mysterious sticker on the windshield of the Blue Indy Cars describing a “right of way” sticker. A check with City-County Council officials revealed they’d never heard of such a sticker. Brown also blasted a decision by an unelected, appointed group, the Board of Public Works, that voted this week to transfer $6 million from revenue the city has received from parking meters and give it to the Blue Indy cars’ company – Bollore. No public input was allowed at the meeting.
Name Plate Of Blue Indy Car Manufacturer PininFarina
And there was no action or ordinance form the City-County Council, which has the final authority to approve spending of city funds for this project. Brown said this was another example of the high handedness of the Ballard Administration with Blue Indy, which has taken over parking spaces in neighborhoods, in front of businesses, houses and apartments for the car sharing service which critics say may not be successful as proponents claim. Amos also had strong words about the IPS School Board passing up the chance to make history electing the first Latino to the Board and the apparent lack of interest in helping children in from poor and working class households in remarks by new IPS Board member Mike O’Connor.
IPS Supt Dr. Lewis Ferebee / Submitted by IPS
(Interview With IPS Supt. Ferebee Starts At 57:33 Mark On Media Player). In the second of a two part Afternoons with Amos interview, IPS Supt. Dr. Lewis Ferebee talked about the Strategic Plan that was unanimously approved Thursday by the IPS School Board. Ferebee talked about several components of the plan which would include taking hard looks at moving middle school students out of high schools, and simplifying the grade configurations of IPS Schools. Ferebee talked about the IPS plan to provide more autonomy to IPS schools, with Amos wondering if a school had a bad principal wouldn’t that make the school environment worse; especially without strong oversight from central administrators. Ferebee also revealed that the plan would have many avenues to involve and engage parents in IPS, though the plan is vague on details. And Supt. Ferebee talked about the desire of IPS to seek a referendum in several years to upgrade IPS’ facilities. Amos though asked with revenues from property taxes and the state slated to be flat or lower over the next few years, how could the district afford another multi-million bond issue. Here’s the Link To the Full IPS Strategic Plan FULL TEXT IPS SCHOOLS STRATEGIC PLAN (Starting at the 1:15:39 Mark On Media Player) An engaging, wide-ranging Open Lines filled out the rest of the broadcast for the last Friday of August. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, August 28, 2015 Runs 97 Minutes. ©2015 WTLC/Radio One. PODCAST Starts After Brief Video Ad.
