Open Thread - regional political gossip

Since the next couple days will feature lots of political rumors and yes some gossip, I think we'll keep this open thread rolling and you can put things in comments. I'll try to move solid information up to the main post, to start things off:

Update II: Jim Biggs announced today he will run against Bob Poporad for Porter County Council from Duneland area.

Update: Via the Building Indiana Blog - The La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau is suing the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City after the Blue Chip stopped paying the innkeeper’s tax on rooms it gives away for free. (This one floors me, the Convention Bureau wants a tax on something that is being given away for free?)

Word this morning that Jon Snyder, of Shoreline Appraisal Services in Portage, has passed level 2 certification for property assessing and is looking to enter the race for County Assessor. I have that one confirmed from a source in Indy.

With no confirmation so far, there have been numerous rumors floating that former Rep. Ralph Ayres may be looking at a run for county office as well. I have not talked to Ralph.

Sources report that when the 2010 Budget Order came out, Democrat candidate for Auditor Vicki Urbanik found an error which would have been a pretty big deal, and the stateDLGF and local auditor are scrambling to fix it. I know the spin coming out of the county offices was picked up by the Times, namely that Porter County may just get out tax bills on time this year, but there still seem to be issues in that office.

Blogger and Republican candidate for County Council in Lake County reports on Lake County Democrats who are behind on their taxes.

Statewide tea party groups are mobilizing to campaign against Washington insider and former Senator Dan Coats who wants to run in the primary for United States Senate and try to face Senator Evan Bayh. Although the tea party groups can barely agree on anything else, including which of the other candidates they do like, they have agreed on this one position. Also, early word this morning that Coats does not have the signatures he needs in the 1st District and is trying to get party insiders to help out.

Some may have missed this, former Portage School Board member Thomas Pappas in the Times suggesting that the school system attempt to recover losses from kids who attend Portage schools and don't live in the district. One interesting side note, now that the state is paying almost all the costs of our schools, do we really have the right to throw a fit when a parent is willing to drive from Lake Station to Portage to drop off their kids at school? Hmmm.