Seven Questions for State Senate Candidate Councilor Ryan Vaughn

As a candidate for State Senate and a sitting councilor, people have the right to know where you stand on issues that might affect them. In light of that, I have some questions for you:

1) Will you pledge to recuse yourself on any vote regarding the Capital Improvement while you are on the Council? You are employed Barnes & Thornburg which represents the Pacers who are set to get $15 million if this bailout goes through. Your boss is Bob Grand, the President of the CIB. If he doesn't get his bailout, it is an embarrassing political defeat for him. You have a huge conflict of interest in voting on any CIB issues. Will you do your ethical duty and recuse yourself?

2) If you won't recuse yourself on CIB issues, will you refuse to support any tax increases pushed by the Mayor to bail out the CIB?

3) Will you support a proposal that what has happened with the CIB be thoroughly investigated and that the Board be reformed so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again?

4) Will you call for an investigation of how the CIB leaders agreed, without a vote, to give the Pacers $15 million more when the Pacers say they didn't ask for the money?

5) Will you demand that the CIB drop its plan to pick up the $15 million in operating expenses on Conseco Fieldhouse, a building the Pacers get 100% of the income off of?

6) Will you demand that the Pacers and Colts open their books up to an independent audit so we can actually confirm whether they are telling the truth?

7) Will you demand that the Colts and Pacers make real contractual concessions before even discussing a deal?

Here's my hunch on the answers:

1) No...you'll claim you don't have a conflict because you don't have an "equity interest" in Barnes & Thornburg. Total BS. You know you can't vote against the wishes of the Pacers and Bob Grand exactly because of your job at Barnes & Thornburg. Equity or no equity, that is a conflict and everyone knows it.

2) Dodge the question

3) Dodge the question

4) Dodge the question

5) Dodge the question

6) Dodge the question

7) Dodge the question

Not exactly leadership material.