Here's a chance to ask Hammond Mayor McDermott his positions on issues facing the city, as he asks residents to grant him a second term in office. His "Night Out" Q & A sesssion will be held THursday in Hammond's 5th District:
Mayor's Night Out - 5th District Jefferson Elementary School 6940 Northcote Avenue Hammond, IN 46324 It runs from 6 unti 9 PM> From what I am told, members of the audience submit their questions in written form, and allegedly most are answered. Former Hammond police officer Ruben Hinajosa says he was nearly arrested at one such "Night Out" when he carped about his question NOT being answered. I guess the only way to find out is to go there and ask a question and see what happens. I have had bad luck with questions to the mayor, most notably and publicly on his now-defunct program on WJOB radio. He wenrt into a 10-minute rant when I asked him how much his father, former Mayor Tom McDermott Sr., was paid by Cabelas and what service did he perform for the money. For those who don't keep close tabs on Hammond news, sporting goods retailer Cabelas is building a huge store at Indianapolis Blvd. and the Borman, on the former Woodmar Country Cub site. The current mayor pushed very hard to get Cabelas here, including threatening the Country Club with condemnation and securing state and city tax incentives worth more than $30 million for it. I still think my question about his dad's fee, rumored to be $1 million, is of legitimate concern to Hammond residents abnd taxpayers.
Another issue that the mayor could be asked about is the city's self-insurance shortfall, which was more than $8 million last year and could be even more this year. Hammond had to take a loan of future revenue from Horseshoe Casino to bail out the insurance. And to top it off, the mayor says the loan also obligated the city to build a new private school in the downtown area. So the true cost of the bailout likely won't be known for a few years. Funny thing about the loan, the city's written contract with HOrseshoe in which the loan is mentioned made no mention of the school. The mayor says he made a "verbal agreement" with HOrseshoe to build the new school. I'd like to ask him why such an important loan condition was not put into writing, especially since he is an attorney by trade? Coincidentally, the mayor's father also has a tie to this issue. A company in which he is a director had a contract with the city, awarded at the mayor's direction in what was supposed to be a cost-cutting move, to run the insurance program. It was canceled in less than a year when the company failed to live up to the contract. THat was a period of time in which a bona fide solution to the insurance problem was on hold. THe problem remains unsolved as of today. See, there is no end to the interesting questions to be asked of the mayor, what with the election coming up. So far, he has no Democratic opposition for the office.
_________________ "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
_________________
|