Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Is Barnes and Thornburg Derangement Syndrome really just Pay-To-Play Jealousy?

The Indianapolis Star this morning ran an editotial in support of an Indiana Senate proposal to strengthen open records laws. A common sense proposal.

Of Course, Paul Ogden uses the opportunity to decry his archenemy, the law firm of Barnes and Thornburg.

As readers of this and Mr. Ogden's blog know, Mayor Greg Ballard has relied on several Barnes and Thornburg principals in appointed or contracted positions, and this has caused Ogden and his supporters to recruit folks against the Mayor. Ogden of course says he is trying to give Mayor Ballard the benefit of the doubt.

But when Paul Ogden states that the only way for Ballard to redeem himself to the Ogdenites is to fire the CIB Chairman, the Corporation Counsel, and the former Deputy Mayor who represents the city in the Legislature, there is no benefit of the doubt. Fair readers of the Indianapolis Blogosphere, Paul Ogden is lying to your face when he says he is giving Mayor Ballard the benefit of the doubt.

You see, Paul Ogden is a lawyer at a small law firm. A good portion of his practice is suing public entities. He has sued the CIB on behalf of various parties, Marion County on behalf of the disgraced County Coroner, and sued many other public entities. Many of the people Ogden sues are represented by the popular Republican law firm Barnes and Thornburg.

I will say I thought Ogden's lawsuit against the sale of RCA dome artifacts was a good act on behalf of taxpayers. Note that sale was put in motion by the Bart Peterson clan.

On other items though, you wonder if Paul Ogden is repeatedly suing government entities to collect an easy paycheck. What "Republican taxpayer advocate" would ever sue taxpayers to pay for a Democrat Coroner's salary when he was proven incopetent by State Testing?

But remember what Ogden has said: The misdeeds of Democrats are just a distraction form looking At Barnes and Thornburg. The firm, Ogden says, uses dispicable tactics that make (anonymous) fellow attorney's "sick." Perhaps it is because Ogden continually loses to Barnes and Thornburg that he finds them "dispicable."

Ogden's blog is heralded as looking out for taxpayers and the start of a Revolution., but compared to the works of Jennifer Wagner or Abdul hakim Shabazz, there is little readership, and only a handfull of the same people who comment:

  • Mary Jo Thomas: The only one to provide counterpoint to Ogden's defamation of Greg Ballard and the Republican Party.
  • Sean Sheppard and Patriot Paul: Good folks who do not bash the Mayor when Ogden bashes him. They keep things in perspective and are good people who should be lauded.
  • Leslie Sourwine: Handle Burlingtonasacoach. The opposite of Paul and Sean. Uses Ogden's blog to advocate for a recall of Ballard. The loon said recently: "Fact: I think Ballard is criminal ."
  • Diana Vice: Also does not bash the Mayor, but is grateful for Ogden's assistance in a legal case of hers involving Barnes and Thornburg. She does not attack other persons, just praises Paul. To each their own.
  • Gary Welsh. Author of Advance Indiana. Welsh has an agenda different than Ogden, but agrees with Ogden on their hatred of the CIB and Ballard's experienced advisors.
  • Melyssa Donaghy and Hooisers for Fair Taxation. A fixture on the local political and blogging scene, but by all accounts, she is upset that she and other bloggers (Ogden, Welsh, Darla Williams) were not hired into the Ballard administration. Melyssa recently wrote: "I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I think the only way the Mayor can save himself at this point is to put you two lawyers (Ogden and Welsh) on that board."

Ogden wants Barnes and Thornburg gone so he can finally win some lawsuits and make some money, but Melyssa hits the nail on the head of Ogden's blackmail. Mayor Ballard has to fire his experienced advisors and hire Ogden and his inexperienced cronies, billed as the true taxpayer advocates. If the Mayor does not, Ogden will organize opposition to his reelection, as he has already begun.

Don't be fooled. Paul Ogden is no Republican supporter. He is no taxpayer advocate. Paul Ogden is simply an advocate of Pay-to-Play Politics. He just wants the checks payable to Paul K. Ogden.

14 comments:

  1. I'm somewhat miffed. I was sooo looking forward to being thrown under the bus with the rest. I guess it comes with being a non-entity. Sigh.

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  2. I am not a client of Paul Ogden. Please retract your statement NOW! Get your facts straight before you go spouting off at the mouth. You obviously don't know what you're talking about.

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  3. FIRST my name is spelled MELYSSA

    Second, isn't it fair that if Simon and Irsay have lawyers and elites on the inside of the CIB looking out for their interests, that the people have insiders at the CIB looking out for OUR MONEY. Or did you forget that the money is OURS?

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  4. Diana:

    I apologize if we have been confused, but Mr. Ogden writes as if he is your attorney.

    http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2008/12/wilson-education-center-heres-42-cents.html

    I have updated our post to reflect these new facts.

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  5. While I apprecaite the apology, "Mary Jo", I don't see where Ogden referred to himself as my attorney. I re-read the post in its entirety, and it's just not there. I do want to say, for the record; however, that I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to hire Ogden as an attorney, because I think he's not only a good attorney, but an honest one, and it's rare to have both at the same time.

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  6. I've heard that Ogden routinely files cases against the city and clients of B and T. Does anyone know is rate of success? That informatoin would be helpful in determining if we really our dealing with sour grapes.

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  7. Anon 8:40, you may have heard that Paul Ogden was my attorney-of-record, but it didn't turn out to be true. You might want to check the source(s) of your gossip, because what you're hearing might not be accurate. I'd especially warn you against using this blog as a credible source. The author of this anti-Paul Ogden blog doesn't have enough courage or credibility to sign his/her name to it.

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  8. Diana, I didn't say Ogden was your attorney. I don't even know you or Ogden. I just want to know if he writes those things on his blog because he has a professional interest in making them look bad. That's all. If he really has all these cases against the city and clients of B and T, to me, it underminds posts. Especially when he writes about "conflicts."

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  9. Anon, I was merely pointing out the fact that the author of this blog mistakenly claimed that Ogden was my attorney. She/He has since corrected the error. Ogden is one of many voices saying the same thing about B&T. They just don't like the sunlight.

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  10. Ok, but can anyone answer the question? Does Odgen just beat up the City and firms because he is losing cases? I spoke to some people at the City and they claim he has never won a case against them. Is it true?

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  11. It's true. Ogden has never beat the city and his "never been fired" by Ken Ackles is misleading at best.

    He was taken off the case and another attorney took his place. At best he did token work.

    You know you suck as an attorney when Ken Ackles doesn't want to be bothered with you.

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  12. Mary Jo, aka anon, aka B&T attorney very possibly one and the same but who cares, you are a real fruitcake unable to mimic even the minimal comment written by Paul Ogden. In addition your ranting does not discredit Paul but does enforce his credibility and you do it so well by providing links back to his blog where readers are able to compare what Paul actually said to what you attempt to infer he said. It's comical really.

    As far as my discontent with Ballard and B&T it goes the lack of ethics on both parties. I do not have any lawsuits against them but do take offense at Ballard's criminal actions of stealing taxpayer's money to give to the wealthy. Greed has turned many a good man into a lowly criminal and Ballard, in my opinion is quickly joining the ranks. As for B&T they represent a client I do have a problem with. An attorney has the responsibility to advise his clients to obey city, state and federal laws in addition to honoring contractual obligations. The client of interest, represented by B&T that I have an ongoing problem with continually disobeys the law as well as orders from the court. In addition they should face charges of intentional neglect and human rights violations. Whether or not Paul wins his suit against B&T and their client is yet to be seen. Unlike many attorneys with dollar signs in their eyes, Paul is simply seeking obedience of the law by a private corporation who receives taxpayers’ dollars.

    It has been months since Paul exposed the Mayor and City Council’s giving of a quarter of a million dollars of taxpayers’ money who just happens to be a B&T client, attorneys who just happen to sit in on council meetings side by side with the Mayor, who freely hands out money to corporations holding a contract with the city and which the city according to that contract didn’t owe the corporation. I’ve watched all the blogs very carefully to see if the Mayor has justified that giving of taxpayers’ money and to date an answer has not been provided. Criminals are famous for stealing from unsuspecting victims and then refusing to be held accountable for their actions. At this point so far I’ve not seen any sort of accountability out of the Mayor’s office. In fact the only actions I’ve seen lately has been to steal more taxpayer money and hand it over to clients of B&T. One has to wonder has to wonder what Ballard might have done to allow himself to constantly be under the thumb and control of B&T.

    Your problem, Mary Jo with Paul Ogden is that you don’t appreciate the fact that he is exposing you as well as the mayor for what is being done with taxpayer money. Unfortunately for you the activities going on behind closed doors and the refusal to be held accountable will cast a shadow over you and the rest of the attorneys at B&T for many years to come.

    Leslie Sourwine says how sad for you that the main posters at your blog is Mary Jo, yourself and you.

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  13. At least Ogden appears to have a moral compass and is willing to highlight issues that don't pass the smell test.

    He might not be Robin Hood, but he raises some good questions about CIB conflicts of interest and why these convoluted deals always result in shifting liabilities to taxpayers while profits flow to politically connected lawyers/lobbyists/business people.

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  14. Have you checked Paul Ogden's resume? It's quite impressive, to say the least. The lawyers at the big Indy lawfirms are so overrated, especially the ones at B&T who advised their clients, Tremco and the Wilson Education Center, that it was legal to engage in a no-bidding scheme, which the attorney general has ruled to be illegal. I think taxpayers deserve their money back for the poor legal advice.

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