[Southsider2k12]

http://www.michigancityin.com/articles/200.../26/news/n1.txt

Arnold wins Senate seat by 1 vote

By Laurie Wink, The News-Dispatch

LaPORTE - Former LaPorte County Sheriff Jim Arnold was elected by a one-vote margin on the third ballot during Sunday's Democratic caucus to fill the District 8 state Senate seat of the late Anita Bowser.

After the 70 delegates cast votes on the first ballot, only three of the seven candidates received more than the minimum five votes each. Since none of the candidates received a majority of the votes cast, a second ballot was cast with the three eligible candidates - Jim Arnold, Deb Birkholz and Jeff Jones, who was eliminated during the second vote.

The third ballot race was between Arnold and Birkholz, a retired steelworker and former president of a United Steel Workers local representing clerical and office employees at NIPSCO. Arnold was behind Birkholz by five votes on the second ballot, but appeared to pick up support from those who voted for Jones after he was eliminated.

When Arnold was announced as the new state senator, his wife, Lauren, let out a loud yell and seemed stunned, saying, “Oh my God.” After the couple embraced, Arnold thanked well-wishers.

“The election is over and we go to work for District 8 and the state of Indiana,” Arnold said. “I thank all the people who supported me and put their trust in me.”

Asked if he would run for the seat in the 2008 election, Arnold said, “Without hesitation.”

Birkholz said being from LaPorte rather than Michigan City probably cost her the election.

“I had hoped it would have gone differently,” she said. “I did this for Anita. Hopefully, it will all work out for the best.”

Birkholz was not ready to commit to running for the Senate seat in the next election.

In a pre-vote speech to the 70 precinct chairpeople from LaPorte and St. Joseph counties who would make the decision, Arnold indicated he set his sights on Bowser's seat four years ago, knowing he could not run again for sheriff. He said he did not intend to be another Anita Bowser, but to leave his own stamp on the position. He promised to be “accessible, accountable and visible.”

Candidates Donna Kavanagh, Rob Neary, Robin Oshinski and Joan Wiseman were knocked out in the first ballot after failing to get a minimum of five votes. Jeff Jones drew eight votes on the first ballot and seven on the second.

Votes were counted by Carol McDaniel, Dr. Vidya Kora and Clay Patton, an attorney from Valparaiso who also served as the meeting parliamentarian.

Owen Morgan, vice president of DLZ Indiana, presided over the Democratic caucus as chair of the St. Joseph County Democratic Party and district chairman. Morgan opened the meeting by paying tribute to Bowser, calling her funeral “one of the most vibrant exhibitions and celebrations of someone's life I've ever attended.”

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.michigancityin.com/articles/200.../28/news/n7.txt

Arnold sworn in

From Staff Reports

Indiana Supreme Court Justice Brent E. Dickson swears in newly elected State Senator Jim Arnold as Arnold's wife, Lauren, witnesses the ceremony

Jim Arnold was sworn in Monday as state senator for District 8, which covers northern LaPorte County and northwestern St. Joseph County. Arnold takes over the seat held by the late Anita Bowser, who died of cancer a month ago.

After a brief orientation, Arnold, D-LaPorte, was sworn in by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Brent E. Dickson in the Senate chambers. His wife, Lauren Arnold, attended the ceremony.

Immediately after the ceremony, Arnold began participating in activity on the Senate floor and was added as a co-sponsor to two bills that were passed by the Senate.

House Bill 1306, legislation to improve procedure and the flow of information for families and friends of missing persons, was approved 48-0. A second measure, House Bill 1595, would ease the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission's cash-flow problems by expanding the allowable funding sources other than property taxes. That bill was also approved unanimously by the Senate.

On the recommendation of senate Minority Leader Richard Young Jr., D-Milltown, Senate President Pro Tempore David Long announced Arnold's appointment as ranking minority member of the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee.

Arnold also will be a member of the Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters Committee; Education; Ethics; and Judiciary standing committees as well as the Corrections and Criminal Subcommittee and the Courts and Juvenile Justice Subcommittee.

A former LaPorte County Sheriff, Arnold has served in other statewide and national leadership positions, including president of the Indiana Sheriff's Association and on the National Sheriffs' Association Board of Directors.

Arnold was elected by one vote on Sunday by a Democratic caucus to fulfill the remainder Bowser's term in the State Senate which will expire in 2008.

[Southsider2k12]

Rick Richards with a pretty scathing op-ed about the Arnold victory

http://www.michigancityin.com/articles/200...30/news/n11.txt

Arnold master at exploiting system
Rick A. Richards

It's nice to go to a poker party with a hidden ace up your sleeve. It's even better when you can play it and not be accused of cheating.

And Jim Arnold had an ace up his sleeve to win - by one vote - the state senate seat held by the late Anita Bowser. Arnold, as an elected precinct committeeman for Center Township 3, was one of those eligible to cast ballots for Bowser's replacement. Turns out, his vote got him the job.

Was that an unfair advantage since none of the other candidates had a vote? Some might say it is. Others would say it's just Arnold taking advantage of the way the system works, and at that, Jim Arnold is a master.

The former LaPorte County sheriff has had a seat at the public trough his entire professional life. He's either worked for the sheriff's department or the Indiana Department of Transportation (after his first two failed attempts at being elected sheriff), or serving two terms as sheriff.

Now, as state senator, he has the job he has long coveted, even before Bowser's death.

In Arnold's political career, one thing has been a constant: He's always made sure that he and his family have been well taken care of.

Back in 2004, at Arnold's urging, his wife, Lauren, sued LaPorte County over back pay for the jail matron's position she was given by her husband. Arnold (who made more than $96,000 as sheriff) talked the widows or estates of three former sheriffs into joining the lawsuit and they all settled for back pay amounts from $5,778 to $15,048. The amounts were based on the difference of what they were paid compared to what they should have been paid under state law.

But Lauren Arnold's suit wanted much more - more than $45,000. Not bad for a job that paid a little over $30,000 a year. LaPorte County offered to settle with Arnold for $9,630, but she refused. She said she was a department employee, not a civilian employee, and she deserved to be paid the equivalent of a sheriff's department sergeant.

In August 2006, a decision in Superior Court 4 was handed down against Arnold.

That wasn't the first time Arnold sued the county. In 1995, in U.S. District Court in South Bend, Arnold sued the prosecutor's office for what he claimed was a “political firing” from his job as investigator.

And then there this interesting campaign promise: In his various runs for sheriff, Arnold promised to be aggressive in combating domestic violence. He pledged to have deputies undergo special training to recognize signs of domestic violence.

So what happens after he's elected sheriff? Last year, one of the worst instances of domestic violence in the county's history happened because the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department - thanks to a memo issued by Arnold - didn't send a squad car to the home of Tonya Goble-Studer, where her life was threatened by her husband, Gary.

And why wasn't a car dispatched? Because Arnold - a candidate who championed efforts to eradicate domestic violence - told the E-911 center to not dispatch officers when abuse victims requested escorts to retrieve belongings from their homes. An hour after Tonya Goble-Studer called - from a school lobby, no less - she and her mother were dead, both shot at point blank range by Gary Studer.

And now Arnold can add state senator - and member of the Ethics Committee - to his resumé. Wonder if he's learned yet the job doesn't come with a couple of state-owned cars and that the Senate doesn't have an opening for a matron.

Rick A. Richards is city editor of The News-Dispatch. He can be reached at rrichards@thenewsdispatch.com or at 874-7211, ext. 441.

[RedDevilMC]

Wow.

Did anyone attend the actual vote? I heard several different perspectives on it being open to the public.

[Southsider2k12]

I did not attend the vote, but I talked to one of the candidates who ran for the seat which belonged to Bowser. The feedback that I got was that it was an experience they would never forget, and were happy that they had done it.

[JHeath]

Wow.

Did anyone attend the actual vote? I heard several different perspectives on it being open to the public.

I did not attend, but am close to a few who did attend. I know the person who cast the final ballot.

I think a better question is this: why is Rick Richards so negative?

[Ang]

I think a better question is this: why is Rick Richards so negative?

Jenny,
I'm with you on that one. Why is he so negative? Typically I agree with a lot that Rick has to say. But the last two editorials he wrote really has me reconsidering my original opinion of him.
As for Jim Arnold, I don't think there is a way he could've manipulated the vote, nor do I think Jim wanted the position for personal gain. The last part of Rick's "story" was extremely juvinile in my opinion. I wonder if he just sick and having someone else write for him, or if he is really sick and lost his mind? Either way, I support Jim Arnold.

[Max Main]

I agree that Rick Richards has taken a much more negative, bitter tone in the last, say, year or so. Is he ok? Or is he just bitter and disillusioned, and has the forum to write it out?

[Southsider2k12]

I wouldn't read too much into this. If I had to guess, the tone of Richards writing is pretty simple... Two things sell when it comes to news: negative and sensational. I think they are just looking to sell some newspapers, nothing more.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20.../01/news/n1.txt

Arnold completes first week in state Senate
By Jason Miller, The News-Dispatch


INDIANAPOLIS - Jim Arnold likes to take credit for his election last week to the 8th District State Senate seat on many levels, chief among them that he had a vote in the Democratic caucus while his opponents didn't.

Arnold won the election by one vote over former union president Deb Birkholz last Sunday. He is a precinct committeeman representing Center Township 3 and cast a vote for himself in the caucus.

“I've gotten 15 calls from people telling me, ‘Hey Jimmie, my vote got you in',” Arnold said Thursday, sitting back in the large, brick-red leather chair he now occupies on the floor of the Indiana Senate. “I like to tell them, ‘Thanks, but it was my vote that got me in.' I was hoping all along it would come down to my vote.'”

Arnold finished his first week in the Senate Thursday, voting to pass a highly publicized bill allowing Indiana's horse race tracks to bring in slot machines.

After the session ended for the week, the former LaPorte County sheriff was met with a steady stream of hugs, hand shakes and pats on the back from senators leaving the floor.

He said after the room cleared that everyone in the chamber, regardless of party, made him feel welcome.

“It's been fast-paced and constantly changing, but everybody's been great,” he said. “It's been an absolutely great feeling.”

Arnold's election to replace Bowser, who died last month, is another coup in Arnold's political career in which he's followed the footsteps of his late father, Cliff.

Both men served as sheriff and now in the Statehouse (Cliff Arnold was a state representative for several years in the 1970s). Cliff Arnold also served as Michigan City mayor, a position Jim Arnold said he likely will never seek.

Arnold said he doesn't look at his position in the Senate as a birthright - expected because of his family's political lineage - but instead as a natural succession. He said he doesn't take anything for granted.

“Do I feel like I'm owed this position because my dad was here?,” he said. “No. I've worked hard for everything I've ever had. Nothing was ever given to me. My dad didn't get me a college diploma, he didn't get me elected sheriff and he didn't get me into this seat.

“Do I think I'm an elder statesman? I think I can be that when the time comes. I plan on being here for a long time.”

Arnold said his first few days in the Senate have been “weird,” in a way, because he sees a lot of people who served in the House with his father. Many of the lawmakers he spoke of now are looked upon as elder statesmen, as his father would've been had he remained in Indianapolis.

He's been reminded often of his father during his first week on the floor.

“Everyday, somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I remember your dad',” he said. “It's fun to hear that, but at the same time it's kind of a weird feeling.”

The Arnold family political tree doesn't stop with the Arnold bloodline. His son-in-law, Tom Dermody, represents Indiana's 20th District in the House of Representatives.

Dermody defeated longtime Republican State Rep. Mary Kay Budak in last year's GOP primary.

The LaPorte resident said Thursday he's received his fair share of good-natured ribbing from fellow lawmakers on his side of the political aisle, which is the opposite from his father-in-law.

“I've gotten it from other Republicans who've asked me which couch he stays on in my apartment,” Dermody said. “But it's all in fun. It's a joke. Sure, we'll compare notes and have a lot to talk about at holidays, but other than that, we haven't seen each other much.”

Arnold agreed.

“We've seen each other just passing in the halls,” Arnold said. “And I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about. But so far, I haven't stopped, so it's been tough to sit down and talk (to Dermody).”

Sitting in the same chair, at the same spot in the chamber as Bowser did, Arnold ruminated on his election to the position and the fact he'll retain the seat next year through a Democratic primary and general election.

A Senate seat has been like Arnold's Holy Grail for much of his life, and he intends to keep it.

“They can run anyone they want against me, but they're not going to beat me,” he said confidently. “I've wanted this for a long time. I'm gonna win.”
Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Max Main]

does he come off a little big-headed?

[mcstumper]

I for one was glad to see Rick make it known that he has his eye on Arnold. I know some people who have worked for his campaign in the past and I have always come away with an uncomfortable feeling. If I had to put my impressions into words, I would say: political lifer, cronyism and entitlement. Yes, I know you could say that about 75% or more of those holding office. Arnold does not appear to have his hands in anything bad, but I feel comforted that someone in the press is keeping very close tabs on him. That is one of the jobs of the press.

I want to see Michigan City being represented by new blood with new ideas and a positive attitude about the City's potential. The good ole boys need to be moved out.

[Ang]

I want to see Michigan City being represented by new blood with new ideas and a positive attitude about the City's potential. The good ole boys need to be moved out.

Yup!! I totally agree! It's going to be a long process though, the good ol' boys are everywhere--from the parks dept. to the school board and just about every place in between!

[JHeath]

Yup!! I totally agree! It's going to be a long process though, the good ol' boys are everywhere--from the parks dept. to the school board and just about every place in between!

lol...you two left that one wide open for me to make a shameless plug for a mayoral candidate, but I'll refrain.

[Ang]

Actually, I was going to suggest a Good Ol' GIRL (or girlS) could fill some shoes pretty well but, like Jenny, I didn't want to take advantage of a situation.

[5thGen]

Jim and Lauren Arnold are very stand up people. I know them both personally and professionally. Jimi's confidence and very gregarious, comfortable nature can be taken wrong easily by those who don't know him as "cocky". I moved here during his tenure as sheriff, and was always comfortable in his leadership. He truly wants what's best for his constituents, and prides himself on his transperancy and availability to everyone. How many sheriff's put their phone number & home address in the phone book? Most would consider that a bit risky these days. I look forward to watching him work in the Senate. And his wife Lauren is about the nicest person you could meet on this planet! Sincerely, they are very good folks, and deserve our support.

I agree, it is a major responsibility of the press to keep an eye on our politicians. I just was a bit dissappointed in the column. How quickly we forget that when he was president of the State Sheriff's Assoc. that he brought the annual convention HERE to MC, 200 sheriff's and their spouses from all over the state spent the whole weekend in our town. He really does care about us. This Senate seat is a new position for him, regardless of his father's service, give him a chance!!!

[Ang]

I agree with 5thgen. I worked with Jim many years ago when he was "just a deputy." I worked switchboard at Memorial Hospital and Jim moonlighted in security. He was wonderful to work with and when I left the hospital, he initiated my going away party. I've always admired Jim and looked up to him. I wish him well and I know that he will have everyone's best interests in mind, not his own best interest, while sitting in the Senate chambers.

[lovethiscity]

Actually, I was going to suggest a Good Ol' GIRL (or girlS) could fill some shoes pretty well but, like Jenny, I didn't want to take advantage of a situation.

Okay you two shy girls, I'll say it. And I say this from a mans perspective. Men have screwed s__t up pretty dam good. It realy is time to send the good'ole boys off to pasture..... so go ahead and vote WINSKI!

[Southsider2k12]

Okay you two shy girls, I'll say it. And I say this from a mans perspective. Men have screwed s__t up pretty dam good. It realy is time to send the good'ole boys off to pasture..... so go ahead and vote WINSKI!

I'll agree that what we have been doing, hasn't worked. I don't know if it matters whether male or female, but change is a necesity.

[Ang]

Normally I would tend to agree with lovethiscity, and say "Go Women!!" but then I have these nightmare flashbacks of Shiela Brillson and the whole ambulance/firetruck siren issue, train whistle issue, etc. Women can be very petty and Shiela was no exception. So, this time I'm going to agree with Southsider--MC needs change--across the board. Male or female shouldn't even factor in, just get rid of the "good ol' boys" and get fresh faces with fresh ideas .