I know this doesn’t fall directly under Mayor Greg Ballard’s purview, but isn’t he the guy with whom the buck stops in this county?

Nothing from Tom Marendt’s wide-ranging career in education and government administration hinted at a detour into the justice system.

But board members who appointed Marendt last month as director of Marion County Community Corrections say his management skills will be key for an agency in transition.

So, the board voted to appoint a washed-up Republican township official with zero public safety experience to a pretty important position overseeing the re-entry of criminals into our society, and Ballard, who made public safety one of his priorities during his campaign, didn’t raise an objection?

Interesting.

Even more interesting is this long-lost promise that Ballard made when he was on the campaign trail:

The current administration uses hiring for high-level positions as favors or paybacks. I don’t have any political cronies, nor do I have an organization to which I am indebted. I will just hire the right people for the right job. All of my hires will be with the understanding that we work for the citizens of Indianapolis, and not to protect our own power or that of any organization. (www.ballardformayor.com, November 11, 2007)

That’s crazytalk, sir. Crazytalk.