Why I’m Quitting the “Democratic” Caucus

Friends,

This past Monday, I attended my first full City-County Council meeting without being invited to the pre-meeting meeting of the caucus beforehand. 

Instead of spending the 90 minutes prior to 7:00 pm in a stuffy, back-door conference room, I spoke with constituents both outside the council building and inside the chambers. 

Instead of sitting in caucus and getting railroaded by mayoral staff (the mayor himself was usually indisposed) about what the council’s position would be, I got to listen to Forests for Indy and Animal Care volunteers and violence reduction community advocates and learn about their vision for the city. 

And instead of showing up 15 minutes late to our scheduled 7:00 meeting, I was able to respect the time of constituents - who had patiently found childcare, hurried through dinner, found parking, paid to park, and got through security just to be able to attend - by being in my seat and ready to work at our scheduled start time. 

I gotta say, it felt good. 

Other than me - and by proxy, the people of District 13 - being excluded from the caucus meeting, the Council meeting ran about the same way it has under President Osili.

For one, the Council completely fumbled what should have been an easy public victory in order to save face for Indy’s failed Mayor. For months, councilors have been privy to serious concerns about the leadership of Animal Care and Control interim director Kelly Diamond. I myself have received hundreds of emails from constituents raising concerns not only about how the agency is run, but about Director Diamond herself. Many Animal Care volunteers publicly raised concerns in the committee meeting to discuss Kelly Diamond’s appointment, but the mayor and the Council moved forward with the nomination anyway, right up until the Council meeting. Dozens of those same volunteers and activists showed up to Monday’s meeting to protest, but instead of voting down Kelly Diamond’s nomination, the council moved to table the proposal, without a word of explanation to volunteers beforehand. This would have been such an easy win to own - look! The Indy Council actually listened to the will of the community! - but our failed leadership managed to fumble an easy public victory, once again.

Instead of addressing constituent concerns, or even explaining its procedural sidestepping of Kelly Diamond’s nomination, President Vop Osili called the sheriff’s deputies to remove outraged constituents. (Sound familiar? Wasting months of his constituents' time, abusing procedure to settle public questions, and then calling sheriff’s deputies on meeting attendees are all part of the M.O. Osili employed to shut down the pro-ceasefire resolution.) Imagine emailing your councilor for months to oppose the allegedly cruel, illegal, and retaliatory actions of a public appointee, showing up at multiple council meetings, testifying against her reappointment, only to be dismissed without a word of explanation - and then, to have insult to injury, having the cops called on you for having the nerve to cry out in protest. 

If you’re wondering what actually happened with Prop 5, by the way, the Mayor privately withdrew Kelly Diamond’s nomination. President Osili knew that was happening, but failed to announce that development at the open council meeting - further demonstrating his open disregard for the public and Indiana’s open door law, which requires  public business to be done in public.

Leading up to the meeting, protests against District 13’s disenfranchisement continued. Just a month ago, nearly 60 constituents gathered to protect District 13 from President Osili and Democratic leader Maggie Lewis’s threat to strip District 13 of its only elected representative’s committee assignments.

This week, dozens of constituents marched from the near east side to the Council, rallying outside the Democratic caucus meeting.  Constituents led chants, including such bangers as “D Thirteen! We will be seen!” and “Follow the money: what do you see? Dems in bed with the GOP!”. A constituent with powerful bicycle-mounted speakers provided an amazing soundtrack, featuring everything from “Do you hear the people sing?” from Les Miserables to “What’s going on?” by Marvin Gaye. 

We had such a good time, we will be doing it again next month. I’m told artists and musicians will be planning a festival-like atmosphere ending with a picnic in front of the City County Building. Details are still being worked out, so watch this space. But one thing we know for sure already: if you’re reading this, we’d love to see you there!

The dichotomy was incredibly stark. Instead of being in a room full of politicians listening to why we needed to give even more public money to billionaires, I was able to laugh with, sing with, talk to, and most importantly hear my constituents.

That’s why, until both the leadership and the practices of my peers change, I’ve decided to quit attending pre-Council meetings of the not-so-democratic caucus. 

Yes, I am still a Democrat, just like when my constituents elected me. Sorry, Hogsett and Osili. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. And District 13 is absolutely insisting on full representation, to six committees.

But there’s nothing in the oath of office that requires Democratic Councilors to engage in anti-public behavior. Democrats like me could choose to spend our time with the people we serve, not just the powerful. We could choose to engage in dialogue with constituents, rather than taking marching orders from the Mayor. We could choose to have open and public discussions, rather than hiding behind carveouts in the public access laws.

Instead of meeting behind closed doors, I will spend the hour before full Council meetings holding a town hall at the City County Building, listening to constituents. We will provide printed copies of the Council agenda, and will help explain what it is that the Council is discussing and voting on at the meeting.

I call on my fellow Democrats to join me.

Our town hall “People’s Caucus” meetings will be open to all, and will be more powerful the more Councilors choose to join us. We will rotate the meeting chair between all Councilors who attend.

We will ask what issues constituents most want our attention and focus on. We will take notes on constituents’ preferred strategies and desires. And we will hear constituent comments about any agenda item they wish - not just the bare minimum required under state law, which are the only items up for public comment under the current Council regime.

The people of Indianapolis must lead the city of Indianapolis. Elected officials serve the people, not the other way around.

That’s why District 13 is fighting under a new and improved slogan:
“Six Committees And A democratic Caucus”

In love and solidarity,

Jesse