Sorry, Mayor Gregory "I've Never Met a Tax Raise I Couldn't Okay or a Well-connected Donor I Couldn't Benefit" Ballard and his coterie of campaign contributors will not be on Civil Discourse Now. Instead, two guests today have studied the cronyism that is YOUR Indianapolis city political system for several years.

   Pat Andrews, who blogs at “Had Enough Indy?” and Gary Welsh, of “Advance Indiana” will be our guests when we stream live today from The Sinking Ship, 4923 North College, today, August 16.
   Pat and Gary have written a lot about corruption in the City of Indianapolis. Since there is so much corruption in Indy, it makes sense that they have written a lot.
   I would propose some kind of game for Indy corruption. Some of the ground rules would have to be the effects of any corrupt program or contract would have to be limited to the City of Indianapolis, not simply originate here. Since this is the State Capitol, that could make things a bit open-ended. Dollar amounts are more important than total number of corrupt programs. After all the “bottom line” really is the “bottom line.”  There would be more points for identification of corrupt elected or appointed officials, and none at all for individuals in the private sector who foster corruption. If people from the private sector would count for points, anyone could start naming lobbyists, whose job is ... You get the picture.

   "Coterie of campaign contributors"---sounds like a phrase Burgess Meredith's Penguin would have muttered, teeth clenched and cigarette holder in the corner of one mouth, on the TV series "Batman."