Indiana

HOW?S HE DOING?

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch used to have a catch phrase, “How am I doin’?”   He would ask that question to New Yorkers in just about any venue in an effort to gauge public reaction to job as Mayor.  

I bring this up because June is the sixth month of Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s time in office.  So I figured it would be nice to give the Mayor an evaluation.

For now, I give the Mayor a “B+”. 

He gets high marks for getting back control of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, getting the state to pick up a number of levies (pre-1977 police pension, child welfare, indigent health care), he also got the 2012 Super Bowl and we are seeing serious decreases in crime.  For all that, I give Mr. Ballard an “A.”

Where I think the Mayor falls short is when comes to being political.  The Mayor is not a political guy and doesn’t like to play politics.  He is about getting things done and doing the right thing.  Admirable qualities, of course.  But the the curse of being a big city mayor is knowing how to play the game and building the political infrastructure necessary to govern. 

I’m not saying you fill city hall with unqualified hacks.  That doesn’t do anyone any good.  What I am saying is that all things being equal, you hire your friends and allies, because they have as much to lose as you do.   So  for not using his vast political arsenal, but still putting good people in city hall, he gets a “B-”

So if you take the “A” for accomplishments, which 70 percent of the job and combine it with the “B-” for the political side of the job which is 30 percent, Greg Ballard gets a “B+”.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 06, 2008 (boomark / email).