During a campaign appearance last week, Democratic mayoral candidate John Hamilton cited numbers from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report which he says show the city’s crime rate has increased 150% in the last six years.  But Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff, who conversed with Hamilton about the FBI’s numbers, said the stats are complex and require context to be viewed in the right light.

“I think it would be irresponsible just to throw out statistical numbers saying ‘we’ve got this increase in crime’ and not really look at everything else that goes into that,” Diekhoff said.

Speaking on WFIU’s “Ask the Mayor,” Mark Kruzan said he knew of the conversation between Hamilton and Dieckhoff, and went to the FBI’s website himself to learn more about the crime numbers.

“If you go to the FBI website and look at the Uniform Crime Reporting part of that site, it specifically tells you not to do what John [Hamilton] has done,” the mayor said.

Diekhoff said a growth in the city’s population and the resulting increase in downtown population density over the last decade play roles in the city’s crime rate, which the chief did acknowledge is up somewhat.  But he’s quick to say he believes Bloomington is a safe city which in 2010 was feeling the effects of the nationwide recession — a marked difference from 2004.

Neher longtime host of WGCL’s “Afternoon Edition” and WFHB’s “Interchange”. He also serves as a Co-Chair for the Higher Education Committee for the Monroe County Community Schools Foundation Fundraising Campaign Cabinet and was a founding appointee to the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability where he was elected Vice Chairman.

“These are both financing tools that will help local organizations who are trying to grow jobs or trying to become more sustainable,” Hamilton said. “They’re both actually loan funds, and they both are funded with existing funds that are in place right now that in my view are underutilized and can be better put to work in the midst of this economic crisis.”

Those underutilized funds that Hamilton is referring to are the Bloomington Investment Incentive Fund and the Downtown Community Revitalization Enhancement District. Hamilton said using the funds to invest in local businesses would help Bloomington become a model of progressive, sustainable development in the Midwest.

Mayor Mark Kruzan said that Bloomington already is a model of progressive, sustainable development and that investing all of the money from the funds in local businesses would not be fiscally responsible.

“At the end of the day as a family we just really all unanimously feel that we had to devote this time in our lives to continuing to serve the people of Indiana in some way,” said Pence.

Pence isn’t confirming he will run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, but says he will make a decision later this year. Pence says he is also considering returning to the US House of Representatives. He says ultimately his decision is still up in the air.

“We’re going to consider what role we might play in Washington on an ongoing basis in or out of Congress, but we’re also seriously considering coming home to Indiana and making a run for governor in 2012,” Pence said.

Pence has a couple of stops planned in Indiana today including one in Muncie.

Meanwhile Bloomington resident John Hamilton is still considering whether he’ll run for mayor and face Kruzan in the democratic primary. Hamilton is a former school board member and the husband of Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen. Johnsen was nominated to head the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, but she ultimately withdrew her name from consideration. Hamilton says he’ll announce his decision next week.

The deadline to file for office in Indiana is noon on February 18th.

“In the legislative seat that primarily takes up the city of Evansville, Gail Rieken defeated Cheryl Musgrave, who may be a candidate for mayor. We feel confident we’ll be able to hold the Evansville mayor’s office,” Parker said.

However, Musgrave on Monday announced she would not seek to replace Weinzapfel. Outgoing Republican chairman Murray Clark said Republicans are still looking to close a 20 seat disparity in mayor’s offices statewide, including the Evansville office.

“Fort Wayne continues to be an opportunity for us. The reelection effort of Mayor [Duke] Bennett in Terre Haute is going to be important and challenging,” he said.

In South Bend, the main action is in the Democratic primary, following mayor Stephen Luecke‘s announcement he won‘t run again. Representative Ryan Dvorak, former state treasurer nominee Pete Buttigieg and Saint Joseph County councilman Mike Hamann are all considering the race. Nine of Indiana‘s 13 largest cities have Democratic mayors. Parker maintains all except heavily Republican Carmel are within reach. Franklin mayor Fred Paris, Bedford‘s Shawna Girgis and Frankfort‘s Chris Pippenger are independents.

“I think the referendum was a big part of it,” Fielder says. “I also think that people have looked at our leadership at the top and decided that it was best for two parties to be sharing the responsibilities there.”

Election volunteer Brian Baker says he believes the main reason for larger-than-normal turnout was public dissatisfaction with government leaders at the local, state, and national level.”

“I think it’s largely due to some dissatisfaction not only locally,” Baker says, “but at the state and national level too. Just the turn of events, things that have happened the last couple of years, I think we’re going to see some changes.”

Fielder says more than 10,000 people voted early or absentee. However, Fielder adds he still feels additional early polling sites were not necessary for this year’s election.

MCCSC School Board President Jeannine Butler says she was confident the measure would pass… adding she was able to relax a little when early returns showed strong support for…

“I believe that this community will support this school system,” said Butler, “and so I firmly believe that in the end we’ll come out ahead.”

Superintendent J.T. Coopman echoed that sentiment, pointing to a strong volunteer base as the biggest cause of the victory.

“Without the grassroots effort this campaign would not have been successful.” said Coopman

While there were some vocal opponents… including defeated Indiana House District 60 candidate Steve Hogan… no organized opposition to Public Question Number 2 ever materialized. With the measure’s passage, the MCCSC School Board is now empowered to levy an additional $0.14 per $100 in assessed property value. The measure could generate as much as $7.5 million in revenue for the district over the next six years.

The funds have already been included in the district’s advertised budget. About 60% of voters cast ballots in favor of the measure Tuesday.

“When you work as a cancer nurse, there are very few things in life that are life and death,” Welch said. “Nobody is going to die over this. It hurts; it’s not comfortable. But the sun’s going to come up tomorrow and we’re going to move forward and continue to do our best for the citizens of the state. And that’s the way I have to look at it and the way I’m going to proceed.”

But Welch shrugged off the notion that Indiana House Democrats will offer consistent opposition like Republicans in the U.S. House have over the past two years.

“I’m not one to say I’m going to sit back and let things go bad just so I can win back the majority. That’s not the way I play. And I would not encourage any of my colleagues to be that way either,” she said.

Matt Pierce, who represents much of Bloomington proper, was never seriously challenged by GOP candidate Kevin Suddeth and collected better than 70% of the vote.