Welcome to the HoosLeft podcast, a show about Indiana politics, history, and culture from the unapologetic perspective of the Hoosier left. My name is Scott Aaron Rogers and I’m recording from Bloomington.
Today on the podcast, a return visit from Jesse Brown. Last year, the upstart Democratic Socialist upset Indianapolis city council vice president Zach Adamson in the Democratic primary before coasting to victory in November’s general election. I spoke with Jesse in October, just before the big win. He took the oath of office at the beginning of the year and left his job to focus on governing full-time. We’ll talk about his first month and a half in office, which has been anything but boring.
State Senator Aaron Freeman - the guy whose picture you may have seen recently dicking around on his phone while Cassandra Crutchfield tearfully told the story of her daughter Hannah, killed by a reckless driver on East Washington Street - that guy, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 52, which would shut down the IndyGo Blue Line rapid transit project. The Blue Line, in addition to drastically improving bus service in the Circle City - would add many pedestrian safety improvements to the Crutchfield’s neighborhood, the kind that might have saved her daughter, the kind that might save countless children’s lives going forward.
Freeman, who allegedly has no soul, is owned and operated by several donors in the auto industry. But this whore’s biggest client is Ray Skillman. Obviously, car dealers want people to drive instead of use public transportation, but according to Black Indy LIVE, Freeman’s sugar daddy also manages several “Buy Here Pay Here lots” — which have been identified as being predatory and targetting low-income residents with bad credit who might opt for Public Transportation with IndyGo.
Brown’s district 13 is home to many of those kind of residents, whom the leech Skillman would love to suck dry at a 24.99 annual percentage rate. Indianapolis wants the blue line - and voted overwhelmingly to raise their own taxes to pay for it. His constituents want the Blue Line. They’re asking him to fight for it. And Jesse is willing to oblige.
State Republicans have overridden local governments on municipal projects and ordinances - minimum wage, plastic bag bans, puppy mill prohibition, light rail, and renter protection, among others - many times over the last few years. To paraphrase Freeman, “they’re all for local government until it’s stupid.” Well, who gets to decide what’s stupid? Hoosiers in communities all over the state think state preemption, and Aaron Freeman, are stupid.
Brown said it out loud - and is organizing against this GOP overreach. His tactics have drawn the ire of some Indianapolis Democrats. We’ll talk about that, and I’ll have thoughts afterward, but first, please give me money.
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For a wide view of the global forces at work, check out Monday’ episode with guest Tom LaVonne. We reset the table, putting the current crisis of social breakdown in historical perspective. Tuesday, MADVoters’ Chelsea McDonnel stopped by to summarize the first half of the Indiana General Assembly’s 2024 session. Yesterday, I talked about the Democratic organizational structure with Monroe County party chair David Henry. Those are all available wherever you get your podcasts or at scottaaronrogers.substack.com. Tomorrow, I’ll have a written piece over there. Hope to have you aboard for the full ride.
Here’s my interview with Jesse Brown.
Once again, that was Indianapolis City Councilmember for District 13, Jesse Brown.
So, I want to talk about the Indianapolis Democratic officials with whom Jesse has been sparring, and Indiana Democrats at large.
“I know what other Democrats are trying to achieve, says Indy Star’s James Briggs, in a February 12th column. They’re building bridges to Republicans in the legislature who either represent Central Indiana or are sensitive to the region’s needs.”
He goes on to list several examples of Democrats working behind the scenes to file down the sharpest edges off of Republican legislation, to bring it from 100% terrible to 95% terrible, to get just a little more gruel in their bowls. [sound clip]
Briggs continues, “Make no mistake: That result was a loss for the city. But, as is often the case with Indianapolis-focused legislation, it could have been worse.”
He acknowledges this as “loser mentality,” but concludes that fighting back is basically just a tantrum, and we should accept our gruel, “leftists need a theory for how they can build the city they want. If their fighting is purely a matter of catharsis, then they have more of a loser’s mentality than the moderates they loathe.” [sound clip]
Awwww, bless your heart, puddin’. That’s adorable. Briggs still thinks Republicans negotiate in good faith, that they aren’t meat puppets whose donors’, no, owners’ hands are shoved so far up their asses that they can make their lips move. Make no mistake who’s doing the talking. [ya big dummy]
Freeman embodies this. He does not negotiate. He doesn’t even give grieving mothers the appearance of caring. His mind is made up. By his owners. Careful shaking Ray Skillman’s hand.
Don’t poke the bear. Run and hide. Build bridges.
For the fascists to march over?
People are looking for leadership, for a fighter, someone who will stand up to the bully instead of negotiating down from a beating to a wedgie.
Republicans are terrible, but their masters pull the strings so effectively [Hey, I thought they shoved their hands up the ass like a sock puppet?] whatever, work with me here. It’s a metaphor. They pull the strings so effectively, you’d be convinced elected Republicans were fighting for you, instead of against you. At least it looks like they’re fighting.
Pardon the gendered and misogynistic language I’m going to use for the next minute or so, but the people are hungry for balls. Wait. The people are hungry for someone that’s got some balls. Someone who’ll tell it like they see it. Someone who will dare to go big. Again, Republicans are terrible, but bringing back Nazism is certainly a bold strategy.
Indiana Democrats have to quit being such pussies. Especially in the face of the, you know, Nazism. We make ourselves look weak. People don’t want your detailed policy plan when the bully is taking their lunch money. Look, I’m glad we actually have detailed policy plans on the left. They are absolutely necessary, but we have to be both the brightest kid in the class AND the one who will punch the bully in the nose. I want a fighter in the streets and a wonk in the sheets. Spreadsheets.
As a Hoosier Democrat, and I’m just a lowly precinct committeeperson - boot me if you have to - but the strategy of the last 15-20 years has not worked. I understand, to use the word of author David Daley, who wrote a book about its consequences by this name, the 2010 red wave election completely Ratfucked this state. We’ve been trapped in a shrinking, gerrymandered corner ever since. It’s fight or flight time - and for the marginalized people of this state, there are fewer and fewer places to run.
Briggs opened his February 5th article, “A democratic socialist is rebranding Indianapolis as radical left — and it could cost the city at the Statehouse.” One guy on the flank of the party going to bat for his constituents does not exactly constitute a rebrand. It’s more like, rebranding our party as one with a fucking pulse? We don’t all have to become socialists, but we do need to change our tone. Hoosiers want a fighter. What’s the worst that happens? We lose? Again?
I’ll be back next week. Until then, this has been the HoosLeft Podcast. I’m Scott Aaron Rogers. Love each other, Indiana.
HoosLeft #22: Punching the Bully
Guest: Indianapolis City Councilmember, District 13 - Jesse Brown
Subscribe at https://scottaaronrogers.substack.com
https://www.jesseforindy.com/
https://www.indygo.net/blue-line/
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/52/details
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2024/01/26/indygo-blue-line-indianapolis-indiana-general-assembly-2024-sb-52-jockamo-pizza-irvington/72365259007/
https://www.blackindylive.com/did-ray-skillman-buy-off-a-senator-in-order-to-defund-indygo/
https://www.indy.gov/agency/city-county-council
https://www.indy.gov/activity/municipal-corporations-committee
https://www.indy.gov/activity/parks-and-recreation-committee
https://www.indy.gov/activity/environmental-sustainability-committee
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/preemption-of-local-laws-in-indiana/
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/dog-sale-regulations-state-preemption/article_28dd7b9a-cc45-11ee-a9c0-5399ad8e774d.html
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/03/06/state-locals-you-cant-do/80607546/
https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/james-briggs/2024/02/05/democratic-socialist-jesse-brown-attacks-aaron-freeman-over-blue-line/72455696007/
https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/james-briggs/2024/02/12/jesse-brown-socialist-movement-has-voice-indianapolis-but-needs-more/72537483007/
