With so much attention focused on the races on the ballot this year, I don’t want anyone to think I’ve lost sight of our fearless leader, Greg Ballard.

A few notes:

Let it snow: Ballard got lucky during his first few months in office. We had no big snowstorms, so he didn’t have to worry about commuters getting ticked because the roads weren’t plowed. Today, Ballard tells us that we can expect the roads to be less plowed this year because salt is so expensive. Someone should tell him that this is one of those issues that you can’t get out in front of. If you don’t plow people’s streets, they get mad. Period.

Homicidal maniacs: Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the uptick in murders since Ballard took office? In fact, if I’m not mistaken, we’ve already exceeded last year’s number of homicides — and it’s only mid-October. So much for the Public Safety Mayor’s campaign promises to bring peace to our streets. His only plan is to buy more jail beds, which history has taught us won’t solve the problem.

Official residence: Ballard and his wife, Winnie, traveled to Denver this week on some sort of fact-finding mission with local businessfolk. I’m told they stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, and at one point, Winnie, who follows her husband to work everyday and already has a taxpayer-funded assistant, allegedly told a small group of people that she thinks the Mayor should have an official residence. Really? While so many Indianapolis residents are fighting to stay in their own homes due to the credit crunch and shady lending? Channeling our First Lady: Let them eat cake!

On the teevee: I was flipping channels last night when I happened upon a pre-recorded town hall-style meeting where Ballard was front and center. I watched as he fielded softball question after softball question — and answered them with long, rambling diatribes. He actually managed to turn a question about balancing the budget into a lecture about how corporations should pony up more cash for privately funded parks. We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of Ballard’s election. It’s really a shame his handlers have squandered so much time without teaching him how to come across like a leader. He has yet to articulate a coherent vision for our city, and he remains an awkward speaker who appears visibly nervous when asked questions about public policy. His defenders will say that’s all part of his “average Joe” charm. I say we’ve gone almost a year without an economic development announcement that didn’t come from the prior administration or the other end of Market Street. You have to wonder if that’s because his handlers are afraid to send Ballard into a boardroom, where he might tell business executives about his awesome Chinatown plans.