taking down words

Myers Explains HIV/AIDS Policy And Responds To Critics

A rare shout-out to Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana for this great post on Woody Myers today:

Editor's Note: This is a guest post on Advance Indiana by Dr. Woody Myers, Democratic candidate for the 7th District congressional seat. Last year, Advance Indiana was the first to report on a possible bid for the 7th District seat by Dr. Myers. Because this site was also the first to note opposition he faced in New York from some corners of the GLBT community because of his supposed policies in responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis as Indiana's state health commissioner when New York Mayor David Dinkins appointed him to a similar post there, it is only appropriate that he be given the opportunity to set the record straight here. His campaign is also hosting a reception Wednesday evening, April 30 at 7:00 p.m at his campaign headquarters for the GLBT community to discuss his views.

I would like to thank Gary Welsh for the opportunity to address an issue that's recently come up on this blog.

Since my announcement for Congress in the 7th District of Indiana I've connected and reconnected with the people of Indianapolis and I've shared my thoughts on a wide range of issues. As we've reviewed the many important healthcare issues we face, my views and continued concerns regarding the HIV-AIDS epidemic here in Indianapolis and around the world have been discussed on numerous occasions. After completing five years as the Indiana State Health Commissioner, I was appointed New York City Health Commissioner for David Dinkins for almost two years, in 1990-1991. I was appointed in part because of my prior experience and knowledge of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I was honored to accept the position then and am still honored to have served in Mayor Dinkins' administration. While in New York, the City Health Department accomplished a number of its goals to improve the public's health. We strengthened environmental controls in a notoriously dirty city, worked with schools to develop better sex education programs, and made great strides increasing awareness of tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS. We reached out to and worked with the GLBT community of New York. Together we created a true dialogue between various communities affected by this insidious virus.

After accepting the position in New York and before I started work as NYC Health Commissioner, I was interviewed by a number of reporters the New York media, including a reporter from the New York Post. I was asked about many issues relating to HIV-AIDS and consistently said we needed to fight against the disease, not the people with the disease, exactly as I had done in Indiana with Ryan White. One of many questions asked was what to do about HIV-positive citizens who knowingly and purposely spread the virus with the sole intention of infecting others. I responded by saying that in those few and very rare cases, the solution was to follow the guidelines put out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Those guidelines required that in the specific instances where the disease was being spread to innocent victims purposely, the infecting individual should be restricted and treated. That was (and is) the policy of the CDC and was existing policy in New York.

The reporter (along with his headline editor) drastically exaggerated and took my comments out of context and presented me as an advocate for quarantine of all HIV-positive patients. This simply is not true, nor has it ever been true, and no one has any evidence whatsoever to the contrary. I have a record of responsibly educating the public on the true nature of HIV-AIDS beginning right here in Indiana where our state gained national attention while the Indiana
State Board of Health advocated for the INCLUSION of Ryan White into public school. When I left NYC to return to Indianapolis, the reporter later apologized for his initial article.

I will be proud to represent all of the people of the 7th district, especially those who are the most vulnerable in our society, including HIV-AIDS patients and their supporters. If you have any questions or would like more information I hope you will call our headquarters at 687-0707 or visit our website at http://www.myers2008.org/. I also hope you will join me and my staff tomorrow, Wednesday April 30th, in our headquarters for our GLBT Community Reception. The reception will begin at 7 pm and topics for discussion will include ENDA, the Federal Marriage Amendment and Don't Ask Don't Tell. Thank you for allowing me to address you in this forum.

Dr. Woody A. Myers Jr.

As someone who has been following the 7th Congressional District, I had concern over Woody Myers based no the rumors about his "quarantine" idea.  It seemed inconsistent with his other actions, specifically advocating for Ryan White to be able to attend public school, so I wasn't sure what to think.  Having this explanation cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about Woody Myers, and I am glad that he took the time to personally address the issue.

posted by tdwblog@gmail.com

Indy to benefit from Oklahoma anti-gay sentiments?

The next time I tell the right wingers that Indiana's lack of gay rights (and outright hostility towards the gay community by some legislators) are driving away economic development maybe they'll listen. Perhaps benefitting from a homophobic rant by an Oklahoma legislator will get them to look past their prejudices to their pocketbooks.

Once they realize it can affect their money, you see, I'll finally get my rights.

Tom Maloney, vice president of California-based Staubach Co., would neither confirm nor deny that the 1,000-employee, AAA-rated client company's top executive is a lesbian who expressed concern over Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern's recent anti-homosexual statements, as has been the topic circulating among local business leaders.

Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, said the issue is a major concern the chamber is trying to address. He confirmed a Staubach consultant was troubled by Kern's comments during a recent visit to the city.

"He told us straight up ... 'I cannot recommend to any of my clients that they should consider Oklahoma City because of that,'" Williams said. "When you have one of the nation's premier relocation experts making those statements, you should pay attention to that and not dismiss it.
...
Jeb Conrad, executive director of the Indianapolis Economic Development agency, confirmed Indianapolis is also a finalist for the same financial services office relocation.

"Indianapolis and Oklahoma City both have some good insurance and back-office opportunities, and very similar cost factors and real estate, versus the cost element that's associated with San Francisco. From my understanding from the consultant, we've both put pretty good deals on the table," Conrad said.

(Posted by Bil Browning)

Hard-hitting Media: Star Press on the Muncie GOP attack

Want to know a sure-fire way to get on an editorial board's bad side? Try physically attacking one of their reporters.

The Star Press wasn't amused:

Yes, Will Statom was back on the job Thursday morning in the voter registration office after tackling Nick Werner from behind, knocking him down and choking him in front of witnesses. This came after a verbal exchange in which Werner told Statom to shut up after Statom made an unprovoked derogatory comment to the reporter.

Statom accused the newspaper of promoting what he called an illegal meeting of the Delaware County Election Board and justified his behavior by saying, "When you promote illegal activities, there's ramifications."

By Statom's reasoning, it's OK to beat someone up (and an innocent bystander as well) to make a point. How juvenile.

Do we really need to say that violence that was unacceptable on the elementary playground and it still not acceptable when you are 56 years old?

In what other job can you assault someone in the middle of your workplace, be hauled off by the police, generate countless negative media reports, and not have to worry about facing repercussions? I guess working for the Republican Party does have its perks.

Posted by: Thomas

Rookie Mistakes: Star takes a crack at Ballard's tax promises

Want in on one of the worst kept secrets in the political world? Running for office is a lot easier than actually running an office. It's a lesson that most learn pretty quickly, but after 100 days at the helm, it looks like Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is still trying to catch his bearings.

Case in point: Ballard and the controversial COIT increase. He was against it before he was for it before he was against it again.

The Indianapolis Star isn't buying the naive optimism any longer:

As the city is now finding with police and fire consolidation, short-term costs may counteract any immediate efficiencies, with real savings coming in the long haul.

Yet Ballard, while running for office last year, blasted incumbent Mayor Bart Peterson's decision to push for the 65 percent increase in the local income tax. He also promised to cut the city budget, excluding public safety, by 10 percent in three years.

He now appears to be learning that managing fiscal reality is considerably harder than making promises on the campaign trail.

Posted by: Thomas

All Dolled Up: Carmel Moms Still Fighting Vicky's, Ignoring Sex Issue

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

You people are still upset about the Victoria's Secret display models? Seriously?

Carmel officials say the community remains about as child-friendly as they come. City zoning codes prohibit sexually oriented businesses, a move intended to keep negative elements away from families, said City Council President Rick Sharp.

Sharp, who moved to Carmel from the Miami area 15 years ago, said the decency discussion proves Carmel is wholesome.

"We are arguing about Victoria's Secret displays as a matter of public policy debate. How do you get more family-friendly than that?" Sharp asked. "There are places much better suited to take that fight than Carmel."

Fighters on the decency front acknowledge Carmel is no Las Vegas or New York City.

But they say sexual images are damaging, no matter where they're viewed.

"I'm concerned about our children. Why are they having sex at 12?" Victoria's Secret protester Lori Baxter said in an interview before the council vote March 17. "Could it be that we've promoted sex so long, we've become desensitized?"

What kind of topsy-turvy world are we living in when your crazy liberal blogmistress is speaking out against government regulation and advocating personal responsibility like it's this season's wedge heel?

Why are your children having sex at 12? Because that's when your body tells you to start having sex.

The better question, Lori, is why you don't parent your children instead of asking the government to cover up all the things that might remotely make them think about sex.

Porn shops? Okay. Brothels? Problematic and illegal. But Vicky's models? Get a clue.

Here's an idea: Instead of bitching about thongs like they're crystal meth, which probably also exists in your community and should be of major concern, why don't you take a little time to explain to your kids why women get all dolled up in lace and satin (it's not just for sex, you know), why men watch the Vicky's fashion show on CBS and that sex is a beautiful thing under the right circumstances, not something to be vilified and feared.

Or maybe you'd rather just have the government do that for you, too.

</rant>

BioTown USA: Just Because The Guv Said It Would Be Doesn't Make It So

Don't expect to see BioTown USA in the Guv's election year talking points.

Associated Press writer Tom Murphy provides us with this update on the project Mitch Daniels hailed as the next big thing back in late 2005. (A good idea? Perhaps. Another example of a guy who overpromises because he wants to look "bold" and then can't deliver? Absolutely.)

This one-stoplight farming hamlet had big dreams in 2005 when it was christened BioTown USA.

Its goal: to become the first U.S. community to meet all electricity and gas needs through renewable energy by using everything from farm waste to sewage.

Industry and government officials led the early charge. BP installed a gas pump offering an ethanol fuel blend, and South Dakota-based VeraSun Energy Corp. started building an ethanol production plant near town.

Former U.S. agriculture secretary Mike Johanns stopped by in support, as did the band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Visitors also included a group of Chilean corn farmers who were touring the Midwest and interested in learning more about biofuels.

But the visitors are long gone, and many say the excitement is too. Money problems, leadership changes and other obstacles have sparked skepticism that Reynolds will ever succeed at moving the state, much less the nation, toward homegrown energy and away from foreign oil.

"I'm not happy about the whole situation, and a lot of people in town aren't either," said farmer Tonie Snyder. He helped provide thousands of bales of corn stover last fall that were supposed to be burned using technology that now may never be built.

The Race Race: Four Top CD07 Candidates, One Uncertain Outcome

Does David O. have a leg up as a white guy in the Seventh District Congressional primary because he shares the field with three African-American candidates? The Star's Brendan O'Shaughnessy explores the potential racial divide among voters:

The presence of three well-known black candidates, including Andre Carson, for the 7th District congressional seat could split the black vote in the May primary and open the door to a white candidate.

It's happened before in other races in Indiana and in other states.

The possibility of such a split was on the minds of some of the more than 50 black political and community leaders who gathered in early December for a Colts game and discussion on who might be best suited to succeed the then-ailing Julia Carson, who died Dec. 15. She had held the seat since 1996.

Much of the talk centered on how to avoid the scenario that has since emerged, according to interviews with a half-dozen attendees.

"If you look at various congressional races where a number of African-Americans vied for the seat, it was won by a white candidate because of vote dilution," said longtime civil rights champion and state Rep. Bill Crawford. "We called the meeting to talk about that potential."

Other participants at the meeting referred to a similar situation in 1984 in the 1st District in northwest Indiana.

U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky, who is white, won that seat after defeating former state Sen. Katie Hall, who is black. Hall had won a special election but lost the primary to Visclosky when several other prominent black candidates created a split in the black vote.

Crawford said the objective of the meeting wasn't achieved because all of the potential candidates, except state Rep. Greg Porter, stayed in the race.

Get Involved: Obama Campaign To Canvass In Indy Tomorrow Morning

For those of you who prefer Sen. Obama to Sen. Clinton, the Obama campaign, which will officially open its new Indianapolis offices soon, is hosting a canvassing event tomorrow. Here are the details:

The Obama Campaign today announced it will host a Canvass for Change kickoff event on Saturday, March 21 at 10 AM in Indianapolis.  Obama supporters will hit the streets and go door to door to register voters and discuss Senator Obama's commitment to bringing our country together and tackling the tough challenges Indiana voters face.      

See below for more information:  

SATURDAY, MARCH 22
Obama Campaign Canvass for Change Event
*North parking lot
Indianapolis Obama for America Office
407 Fulton St
Indianapolis, IN
Program begins: 10:00 AM

Shameless Plug: It's Been Too Long Since We Added A Blog To The Rolls

Because we welcome diverse political viewpoints at TDW (which is why the comments are rarely moderated), please join the blogmistress in welcoming a new site to the rolls: Indy's Painfully Objective Political Analysis, brought to you by Indianapolis attorney Chris Worden.

It's a mouthful to say, but Chris is passionate about politics, and he makes some good points. TDW doesn't agree with all of them, but if we all agreed on everything, we wouldn't really need blogs, would we?

Game On: Guv Signs Executive Order Supporting Super Bowl XLVI Bid

In the waning days of the legislative session, the Guv took time out to sign this executive order, which agrees to cooperate with the National Football League's requirements for Indianapolis to host Super Bowl XLVI.

The meat of the order includes a pledge of full support, including public safety, fire and medical emergency services, traffic flow, decorative display services and public works at no cost to the NFL or either team; indemnification of the NFL and teams in connection with the governmental services provided; and active protection against unauthorized promotional activities during the two weeks prior to the event.