Concerned Clergy Podcast

Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis
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The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis is a fellowship of pastors and other concerned citizens who are God-fearing people who believe injustice, racism, ageism, classism and sexism to be contrary to the will of God. www.progressiveindiana.net

  1. 1d ago

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 30, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: With Indiana’s voter registration deadline and early voting landing within days, Rev. Tony Alexander and Pastor David W. Greene Sr. devote the full show to a get-out-the-vote push. They walk listeners through the Indiana voter portal (checking registration, finding a polling place, previewing a sample ballot), flag several Marion County-area races to watch — the open Secretary of State seat, the Senate District 29 race between John Ruckelshaus and Christina Moorhead, and J.D. Ford’s run against Victoria Spartz for Congress — and argue the Secretary of State’s office matters more than voters realize because of its role certifying elections. Both hosts raise concerns about voter intimidation (ICE presence at polling places), a rumored move toward martial law around the election, and the outsized influence of money in politics (citing Elon Musk’s nine-figure spending on Republican primaries). Two callers phone in: Imhotep connects Musk and Newt Gingrich’s political histories to a broader point, via George Carlin, about working- and middle-class voters repeatedly backing candidates who don’t serve their interests; Joyce offers practical turnout tactics — carpooling, free and discounted IndyGo bus fares for veterans and seniors, and organized “Souls to the Polls” drives. The show closes with Greene and Alexander debating whether Indiana, unlike other states seeing Democratic gains this cycle, has the party organization needed to produce a “blue wave” of its own. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 — Show open: disclaimer, prayer, and the voting calendar - Greene opens in prayer, asking for peace amid “a lot of confusion” and for the nation’s leaders - Alexander: Monday is the last day to register to vote in Indiana; early voting begins Tuesday - Both hosts stress the need for a concrete, “intentional” plan to vote rather than waiting for Election Day 00:04:40 — Voter rights under attack - Alexander: the Supreme Court has weakened civil-rights protections against gerrymandering and voter suppression under the current administration - Greene cites a rumor he heard last week that martial law could be declared around the election in mid-October — framed explicitly as something he heard, not confirmed - Alexander notes an executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to screen mail-in ballots - A Facebook commenter’s remark (”modern day slavery”) is read into the record as reflecting how some viewers feel about the moment 00:07:26 — Checking your voter status; previewing the ballot - Alexander walks through the indiana.gov voter portal live on the stream: checking registration status, registering, finding polling locations, and viewing a sample ballot - Notes Indiana has just under 4.76 million registered voters - Flags the Secretary of State race as the top of the ticket to understand, naming Greg Ballard, Max Engling, and Beau Bayh among the field 00:09:00 — Why the Secretary of State race matters - Greene: campaign ads increasingly omit party affiliation, making it harder for voters to know who they’re backing without independent research - Greene stresses candidates should be vetted on what their office actually controls — the Secretary of State doesn’t set gas prices or taxes, for instance - Both agree straight-ticket voting and surface-level impressions (yard signs, a friendly face) are a poor substitute for research 00:15:28 — Why the Secretary of State certifies — and why that’s dangerous - Greene argues the role is nationally significant because a president seeking re-election in 2028 would want sympathetic Secretaries of State in place, drawing a parallel to the 2020 call in which Trump asked Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find” votes - Alexander adds concerns about certifying elections and the use of fake electors in the past - Greene: turnout — specifically in Marion County, which he says needs roughly 60–65% turnout for a Democrat to win statewide — is the deciding factor 00:17:21 — ICE at the polls and the turnout fight - Alexander cites reports that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said ICE agents would be present at polling locations, and argues their purpose is both intimidation and a potential pretext to interfere with voting machines or ballot counting - Greene: even without an ICE-specific label, the presence of visible law enforcement is likely to depress turnout in minority communities - Greene cites Hendricks County as reliably Republican and warns Marion County turnout can’t make up for a weak showing in surrounding counties - References Tiffany Stoner’s narrow (few-hundred-vote) state house loss in a prior cycle as proof that turnout alone can decide close races 00:21:39 — Money in politics: Musk’s $100 million - Back from break: a Facebook comment about Pete Hegseth’s remarks on using Elon Musk in the midterms prompts discussion - Greene: Musk has committed roughly $100 million to help Republican candidates win races in states like Florida, Texas, and Georgia, underscoring how outside money can swing down-ballot races, including Indiana’s Secretary of State contest 00:24:50 — Senate District 29: Ruckelshaus vs. Moorhead - Alexander flags Senate District 29 (covering parts of Pike and Wayne Townships, Carmel, and Zionsville) as a race to watch, noting Republican John Ruckelshaus appears well-funded, citing large campaign signage already up - Greene: Christina Moorhead is the Democratic candidate; the race will again come down to turnout, including whether Democratic-leaning voters in Republican-heavy Zionsville show up despite the area’s lean 00:26:49 — The “blue wave” test - Greene: if Democrats are seeing gains (”a blue wave”) in other states but not in Indiana, that discrepancy deserves serious scrutiny the day after the election - Notes concern over reports the Speaker of the House may delay swearing in newly elected members - Frames the open question as whether Indiana will be part of any national Democratic wave or sit it out 00:28:28 — Why Trump is skipping Indiana - Greene observes Trump has been campaigning in reliably Republican states like Alabama and Arkansas where Democrats are now showing unexpected strength — but not in Indiana - Alexander and Greene read this as a sign the president isn’t worried about Indiana’s outcome, for better or worse - Greene credits strong Democratic organizing in Texas, Florida, and Georgia (citing Stacey Abrams’ track record in Georgia) for making those races competitive 00:33:19 — Caller Imhotep: Musk, Gingrich, and the crime bill - Imhotep connects the Hegseth/Musk midterm story to Newt Gingrich’s involvement, tracing it back to Gingrich’s role in the 1994 “Republican Revolution” and the 1994 crime bill, which he argues Bill Clinton still takes disproportionate blame for despite bipartisan support - Cites a George Carlin bit as the frame for his larger argument: working- and middle-class voters (making roughly $250,000 or less) repeatedly vote for billionaires and millionaires who “don’t care” about them - Invokes James Baldwin to argue some voters are motivated less by self-interest than by a desire to see harm done to others - Notes white voters helped elect Obama but have since shifted, pointing to unfulfilled promises (a $5,000 payment pledge, tariff relief) despite Republicans controlling the House, Senate, and presidency 00:38:00 — Greene responds: voting against your own interest - Greene agrees some voters back anti-ICE, anti-immigrant policies even while losing their own Medicaid/Medicare coverage or access to nearby hospitals, driven by a desire to see the policies hurt someone else - Argues this pattern holds consistently in poorer, rural areas, and that not voting functions the same way — preserving the status quo that benefits wealthy donors like Musk - Recalls Hamilton County flipping for Obama in a prior cycle when enough voters there were suffering economically, and wonders whether a similar shift could happen again given high gas and grocery prices 00:40:46 — Caller Joyce: practical turnout tactics - Joyce suggests organizing early-voting trips to the City-County Building, recalling how churches used to organize group drives - Flags that IndyGo (the bus system) offers free rides for veterans and half-price fares for seniors — a way to offset high gas prices while getting people to the polls - Suggests carpools and community incentives (”car parties,” games) to keep turnout efforts social and motivating 00:43:14 — Souls to the Polls and March to the Polls - Greene confirms two “Souls to the Polls” events, organized in part by the Democratic Party, on the two Sundays the City-County Building is open for early voting (Oct. 25 and Nov. 1) - Also flags an Oct. 24 “March to the Polls” organized by the Hoosiers Voting Alliance, a roughly 10-organization coalition that includes the Concerned Clergy, Indivisible, and the League of Women Voters, with activity planned across townships citywide 00:45:08 — Closing message: barriers are intentional - Alexander: voters should expect “barriers” to be intentionally placed in their path and plan around them rather than being discouraged by them - Greene: strong turnout this cycle sends a message to candidates ahead of the 2027 and 2028 elections that voters are paying attention, regardless of this particular race’s outcome 00:47:12 — Can Indiana lead a blue wave? - Alexander says he doesn’t expect Indiana to be part of any national Democratic wave, citing a lack of party cohesion and organizational strength compared to Texas, Florida, and Georgia - Greene agrees other states appear better organized a

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 30, 2026

  2. Sep 24

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 23, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene use central Indiana’s school bus driver shortage as a jumping-off point for a wider critique of the “school choice” system in Indianapolis. Their core argument: choice is meaningless if a family can’t get their child to school in the first place, and the shift away from stable, neighborhood-based community schools — toward a shifting landscape of charter operators, vouchers and district transfers — has placed an unreasonable research and logistics burden on parents, particularly those already stretched thin by low wages, housing instability and childcare. A WISH-TV news package on the regional bus driver shortage kicks off the discussion, followed by two callers — Mayhem and Imhotep — who argue the instability is by design: charter schools chase money while public schools lose local control, operators like Forest Manor get “flipped” repeatedly with little accountability, and the recent elimination of Enroll Indy leaves parents who were sold on it stranded. Imhotep also connects the current moment to the history of court-ordered busing in Indianapolis and argues that earlier generations fought harder for labor and civil rights than today’s generation fights for neighborhood schools. The hosts close by tying the bus driver shortage directly to a parallel teacher shortage — arguing that neither problem is being seriously addressed, and that both add up to kids simply not getting the education they’re entitled to. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:01 — Show open: no FM broadcast tonight, new call-in number - Different call-in number for tonight only, since Praise Indy’s stations are occupied with Circle City Classic prep - Show still streaming live on Facebook and YouTube; replay posted to the Progressive Indiana Network Substack - Preview of tonight’s topics: the central Indiana bus driver shortage, IMPD’s use of Flock camera technology, and new data showing families earning over $100,000/year benefiting most from Indiana school vouchers - Greene: “So much is happening in our community. We can’t stop.” 00:04:32 — WISH-TV report: central Indiana school bus driver shortage - WISH-TV’s Tre Drexelius reports Washington Township Schools is short about 20 drivers, leaving 9 routes without permanent assignments; office staff and mechanics have had to step in - Indianapolis Public Schools is down about 20 bus drivers; MSD Wayne Township also reports a shortage - Districts cite Indiana’s commercial licensing/CDL requirements as a barrier; Washington Township is offering free CDL training and hosting a “Drive the Bus” recruitment event - Brownsburg Community Schools is exploring a new bus schedule to improve efficiency 00:06:41 — Transportation costs and staffing strain across districts - Alexander: the report reflects issues playing out district-wide, including at IPS - Greene: transportation costs are volatile and largely outside districts’ control — gas prices, staffing costs — and cuts to other programs often follow - Greene: every township and county system around Marion County, from Zionsville to Lawrence Township, faces the same financial squeeze - Frames it as one more strain layered on top of already-thin school budgets 00:09:38 — “We can’t even find bus drivers” — the practical stakes - Alexander: no amount of debate over whether charter schools are “good or bad” matters if a district can’t physically get kids to the building - Notes the historic shift from neighborhood walking/community schools to today’s sprawling, district-spanning bus routes - Greene: the erosion of community schools has made families “much more dependent on transportation,” and that dependency has grown more costly over time - Greene connects the transportation strain to the ongoing IPS/IPEC referendum conversation 00:13:03 — No school choice growing up vs. today’s “restaurant” model - Alexander: earlier generations had no “school choice” — your school was simply assigned by where you lived, start to finish - Alexander: today, families are expected to shop for schools “like a restaurant or a gas station,” with no guarantee a given school will exist a semester from now - Greene: real accountability came from schools being locally answerable to the community; “choice” replaced that accountability rather than adding to it - Greene raises the core question: are parents actually being given good choices, or just choices? 00:18:24 — Charter money vs. public-school control - Alexander reads a Facebook comment from Imhotep arguing that “school choice” doesn’t actually give parents many real options — schools end up choosing students, not the reverse - Alexander: charter schools are largely driven by money, while traditional public schools like IPS are largely about control of assets and enrollment - Greene agrees, describing a pattern of allowing community schools to decline rather than investing in fixes, then launching charter alternatives that may not survive 00:21:01 — Charter turnover and “who owns it when it fails?” - Greene: over half of charter schools that open eventually close, while the funding that could have gone to sustaining community schools goes elsewhere - Raises unresolved questions about property ownership and accountability once a charter shuts down - Greene: real “choice” only helps if what’s being chosen from is actually good — otherwise “choice ain’t buying you nothing” - References Butler Lab School as an example of a strong option only available to families in a specific catchment area — not a citywide choice 00:23:59 — Education as “a Friday night date” / break - Alexander: the current system reduces choosing a school to picking a restaurant for date night — improvised, unstable, marketing-driven - Notes a school can be open in the fall and closed by the following semester with little warning to families 00:26:09 — Back from break; introducing Mayhem’s call - Alexander recaps the transportation/choice discussion and notes another Facebook comment from Imhotep about teaching his son local history 00:27:45 — Caller Mayhem: Forest Manor and “historic amnesia” - Mayhem argues the community has “historic amnesia” about how often Forest Manor’s building has changed hands as a so-called charter school, with little transparency about where the money went - Describes a pattern of operators taking over, extracting funding, and closing within months - Argues charter operators across “Naptown” exploit hopeful parents, using children as “scapegoats or guinea pigs” for financial gain - [Note: Mayhem does not name specific operators or dollar amounts on air, so these claims are not independently verified here] 00:30:51 — Alexander pushes back gently on “ignorant” framing - Alexander says he’s hesitant to call parents “ignorant,” noting most young parents never had access to information comparing school districts or outcomes - Frames the confusion as a structural failure, not a parental one 00:31:41 — Caller Imhotep: Project 2025, vouchers, and busing history - Imhotep connects Indiana’s current voucher expansion to arguments dating to Project 2025-style policy proposals, and cites a recent report that over 17,000 Indiana households earning above roughly $100,000/year now use vouchers — a shift from vouchers’ original framing as support for low-income urban families - Recalls being told, after moving to Indianapolis, about historic long-distance busing of Black students to Decatur Township-area schools, and references Judge S. Hugh Dillin’s role in that history - Argues his own generation (Gen X) and the boomers before it didn’t do enough to prepare younger generations for this fight, contrasting past labor and civil-rights organizing (citing the National Guard’s response to auto and steel workers in Flint) with today’s more “performative” activism - Criticizes local elected officials — naming Maggie Lewis and Carlos Perkins — as complicit for not using legislation to force change 00:35:39 — Enroll Indy shuts down; Forest Manor as a “prime example” - Greene notes Enroll Indy, the centralized enrollment system that helped drive the charter-school boom, is being eliminated - Calls the Forest Manor situation a “prime example” of the broader pattern: a school closes, ownership and its money trail become murky, and no one tracks what happened to the students afterward - Greene: this isn’t parents’ failure to do their own research — it’s poor choices “sold” to them by gatekeepers as if they were good ones 00:38:16 — “Gatekeepers” sell Enroll Indy, then pull it away - Greene: Enroll Indy was marketed to parents as transformative (”the greatest thing since sliced bread”) and is now being shut down with little public notice - Warns parents who relied on it won’t find out it’s gone until they try to log in - Greene: the resulting confusion and chaos serves the interests of the “gatekeepers” who built and are now dismantling the system, while anyone who pushes back is painted as “anti-education” 00:40:52 — Frustration: education quality shouldn’t depend on ZIP code - Alexander says all children — whether in Washington Township, Pike Township, Lawrence Township or IPS — should receive comparable quality education without parents having to “figure out” which is best - Notes quality can swing year to year at the same school depending on funding and enrollment, not just district to district - Both hosts agree an average 20-something parent, already managing housing, work and childcare, cannot reasonably be expected to also become an expe

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 23, 2026

  3. Sep 17

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 16, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: On Pastor Greene’s birthday, he and Rev. Tony Alexander dig into two connected fronts: the fallout from Indy’s Flock camera controversy and a devastating new report on Indiana’s early childhood education system. Following Chief Terry’s new policy requiring an active case number before officers can access Flock (automated license plate reader) data, the hosts scrutinize IMPD’s public FAQ page — which claims Flock cannot detect faces, gender, or race and shares no data with federal agencies — against a New Republic investigation into hacked Flock camera data showing images sorted, filed, and sold to over 2,000 agencies nationwide, netting the company an $8.4 billion valuation. IMPD’s own 301 leased cameras account for less than half of the 627 Flock cameras operating in Indianapolis, raising questions about who owns the rest and how freely data flows between agencies. The second half of the show confronts a new report ranking Indiana 51st in early childhood education, alongside the staggering fact that 518 Indiana child care programs — roughly 10 a week — have closed in the past year, displacing an estimated 25,000 to 26,000 children with no funded path back into structured care. Both hosts place direct responsibility on Rep. Bob Behning, the 20-year chair of the House Education Committee, and callers Imhotep and Reverend Phillips weigh in on Christian hypocrisy in governance and government dysfunction more broadly. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 Program open and birthday greeting - Rev. Alexander previews the two main topics: Indiana’s early childhood education ranking and a Flock camera systems update. - Happy birthday wishes for Pastor Greene, who leads the opening prayer for flood-impacted families across central and northwest Indiana. 00:02:27 Recap — Chief Terry’s new Flock policy - Rev. Alexander recaps last week’s Public Safety Committee fallout: Chief Terry has now stated Flock camera data can only be accessed by officers when tied to an active case number, with a fuller written policy still forthcoming. - Rev. Alexander is skeptical that IMPD’s public claim — that Flock is used only for license plate and vehicle images, nothing more — holds up against what he’s hearing from other sources. 00:04:46 The pattern behind the policy change - Pastor Greene traces the new policy directly to the officer caught running the same person’s plate roughly a thousand times for personal, non-case-related reasons — a pattern flagged nationally, not just in Indianapolis. - He notes the relevant oversight body, the General Orders Board, failed to reach quorum this week, stalling formal review of any new policy. 00:09:11 The Fraternal Order of Police’s likely position - Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene agree the police union will support keeping Flock cameras but will resist any restrictions on how they’re used — wanting expanded identification features, not tighter limits. - Pastor Greene stresses residents need to know exactly what’s in the city’s Flock contract, including which optional features Indianapolis is or isn’t using. 00:14:43 The New Republic investigation — hacked data and a 2,000-agency network - Rev. Alexander details a New Republic article showing hacked Flock data revealing highly specific captured details — down to a patch on a motorcyclist’s bag — that get uploaded, sorted, and sold to police departments nationwide, fueling an $8.4 billion company valuation. - Example cited: Alpharetta, Georgia (population 67,000) has Flock camera data accessible to more than 2,000 agencies, including colleges, an airport, and a federal Inspector General’s office — directly contradicting IMPD’s claim that federal agencies have no access to its data. - Pastor Greene argues broad data-sharing across law enforcement, university police (Butler, IU, Ivy Tech), hospital security, and neighboring municipalities (Speedway, Lawrence, Fishers, Greenwood, Southport) is functionally inevitable once a city buys into the Flock network — and that IMPD’s stated confidence federal agencies are excluded doesn’t hold up given how eagerly the federal government has sought other data, like voter rolls. 00:18:12 Who actually owns the cameras - IMPD’s FAQ states it leases 301 automated license plate readers, but the public Deflock map shows 627 total cameras in Indianapolis — meaning more than half belong to other entities: state police, universities, hospitals, and surrounding municipalities all plugged into the same shared network. 00:21:35 Indiana ranks 51st in early childhood education - A new report ranks Indiana dead last (51st) in early childhood education. - Pastor Greene reveals that as of last week, 518 Indiana child care programs have closed in the past year — a number Reverend Alexander calculates, at an average of 50 children per program, to roughly 25,000–26,000 displaced children, comparable to the enrollment of an entire school district the size of IPS. - Pastor Greene: displaced children aren’t landing in other daycare programs — they’re going to informal, unstructured care with relatives, setting them up to struggle against the same third-grade reading retention standards as everyone else. - Investments from the United Way, Lilly Endowment, and the state’s own Paths to Quality program funded facility upgrades that are now being abandoned — money spent building an infrastructure the state has since defunded. - The Paths to Quality pathway technically still exists, but several of the closed facilities were high-tier (Level 3 and 4) providers, raising the question of why anyone would still pursue it without funding certainty. - Pastor Greene: providers closed largely because voucher payments simply weren’t coming — a slow-moving application process left both providers and families without the money that was supposed to sustain the system. 00:28:01 Caller Imhotep — Christian hypocrisy and misplaced priorities - Imhotep argues that professed Christian faith among GOP leaders like Gov. Braun and the Lieutenant Governor is measured by works, not words — and their actions in office don’t reflect that standard. - He contrasts Massachusetts and (improving) Wisconsin against Indiana’s decline, and criticizes how a viral controversy over an individual’s identity and finances consumed public attention while displaced children were forgotten. - His closing argument: current U.S. war spending, if redirected and divided among the states, could fund enormous investment in children instead. 00:31:41 Ten a week, and nothing stopping it - Rev. Alexander reframes the 518 closures as roughly 10 a week, with no current mechanism in place to slow the pace. - Pastor Greene: 2027 is the pivotal legislative session — will lawmakers commit real, sustained voucher funding, or continue treating it as optional? He frames it as a 50-50 proposition. 00:32:07 What real commitment would look like — and the odds - Pastor Greene lays out what a credible legislative commitment requires: a real budget line, a public statement of intent, and follow-through — not another one-time gesture that has to be renegotiated every session. - He’s blunt that the current stopgap funding the governor released is temporary and expires by the end of December, with no long-term mechanism behind it. - Since Republicans hold the legislative majority, any fix requires Republican lawmakers explicitly acknowledging the damage their own prior votes caused — something Rev. Alexander calls a very high bar to clear. 00:38:14 Caller Reverend Phillips — a broader frustration with government dysfunction - Reverend Phillips voices frustration with state leadership, government shutdown coverage, and legislators he feels aren’t governing with clear thinking or public benefit in mind. - Rev. Alexander pushes back gently on the framing afterward: it’s not that these legislators are uneducated — they’re well-resourced with legal support and know exactly what they’re doing. The issue is priorities, not ignorance. 00:42:01 Naming names — Rep. Bob Behning and accountability - Pastor Greene names Rep. Bob Behning, chair of the House Education Committee for over 20 years and on the ballot this cycle, as the figure most responsible for the policy direction that produced a 51st-place ranking. - His challenge to voters: reelecting a two-decade incumbent overseeing this outcome without demanding accountability only invites other states, like Mississippi, to copy Indiana’s approach. - Rev. Alexander adds that Indiana’s failures get blamed on Black parents specifically, when the state’s 51st ranking and 518 closures span the entire state, urban and rural alike. 00:44:41 Redistricting fatigue and a possible opening - Rev. Alexander suggests the massive national spending on redistricting fights over the past year may not pay off as intended, given how many families across the political spectrum have been directly hurt by these closures — a potential opening for real electoral consequences in November. - Pastor Greene agrees the fallout could “blow up in your face” politically, since child care closures don’t respect income or party lines — everyone eventually needs a workforce, a level playing field, and functioning public systems, whether they’re rich or not. - His closing ask of legislators: a real budget commitment for 2027-28, not another wait-and-see promise. 00:49:08 Program close — birthday sign-off - Rev. Alexander warns that without funding, the current third-grade cohort will be the first to feel the full weight of this crisis in standardized testing, and it won’t be limited to Black children — it will hit families

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 16, 2026

  4. Sep 10

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 9, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene spend the hour dissecting a chaotic City-County Council Public Safety Committee meeting happening the same night, where IMPD Chief Terry presented her department’s budget request of roughly $400 million while facing pointed questions about the Dalys Jett case and the department’s use of Flock camera technology. Protesters demanding transparency on the Jett shooting packed the chamber and were repeatedly removed by deputies under Committee Chair Councilor Leroy Robinson before Councilor Jesse Brown intervened to explain the crowd’s frustration. Chief Terry told the committee IMPD had shared unredacted body cam footage with the Jett family and that evidence shows Jett shot one officer, striking his protective vest — claims that contradict what the family’s own representatives have said publicly, and that triggered the biggest wave of removals from the room. Both hosts return repeatedly to a central frustration: the department can deploy license-plate-reading Flock cameras instantly but has taken months to release body cam footage from a fatal shooting. The Flock conversation deepens with revelations that officers have used the system to track personal contacts thousands of times each, with no clear department policy governing appropriate use — a problem the chief says will go to the General Orders Board for review. Rev. Alexander walks listeners through a public website, maps.deflock.org, where anyone can see the location of Flock cameras in their neighborhood. Callers Guy and Joyce close out the show with reflections on voter registration deadlines, turnout, and community unity, and the hosts tie everything back to the 2027 mayoral election, where every candidate’s stance on Flock technology and police leadership deserves a direct answer. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 Station ID and program open - Rev. Alexander previews a lively Public Safety Committee meeting happening at the City-County Building the same night, where IMPD is presenting its budget. - Pastor Greene opens in prayer, noting he’s joining from a calmer setting than the meeting itself. 00:02:26 Why the crowd showed up — budget hearing meets Dalys Jett case - The Public Safety Committee meeting drew a much larger crowd than usual because attendees wanted answers from Chief Terry about the Dalys Jett shooting, not just the department’s budget. - Rev. Alexander: recently leaked video doesn’t reflect well on how officers handled the incident, and raises doubt about whether Jett ever fired at officers at all. - Pastor Greene: he’s long urged the previous chief to release body cam footage quickly after incidents like this — delay and editing erode public trust, especially now that doorbell and security cameras exist throughout most neighborhoods and will surface footage regardless. 00:04:49 The $400 million contradiction — instant cameras, 90-day body cam delays - Pastor Greene highlights the irony playing out in the same budget meeting: IMPD wants instant, real-time Flock camera capability while taking up to 90 days to release body cam footage from a fatal shooting. - His view: there’s no legitimate practical reason for that gap, and it directly erodes public trust on both sides — community and law enforcement alike. - He predicts, based on past pattern, that any video release will land late on a Friday afternoon heading into a weekend, timed to minimize news coverage. 00:07:00 Inside the chamber — protesters removed, then Councilor Jesse Brown steps in - Rev. Alexander recounts the meeting itself: livestreamed on Channel 16, packed with people demanding answers on the Jett case. - Committee Chair Councilor Leroy Robinson had sheriff’s deputies remove multiple attendees for talking over Chief Terry. - Councilor Jesse Brown eventually spoke up to explain why the crowd was upset — they’ve wanted direct answers from the chief and hadn’t gotten them. - Pastor Greene: the council chamber is supposed to be “the people’s house” — when people can’t get answers anywhere else, this is where they’re entitled to show up and be heard. 00:10:01 Chief Terry’s claims vs. what the family has said publicly - Chief Terry told the committee IMPD shared unredacted video with the Jett family and that evidence shows Jett shot one officer, striking his protective vest, in addition to one officer shooting another. - Rev. Alexander notes this contradicts everything reported from the family’s own spokespeople, who have said they were not shown unredacted footage — the only confirmed detail from the family’s side is that one officer shot another officer. - Pastor Greene: if IMPD truly has footage showing Jett fired first, releasing it would have ended the controversy immediately — the fact that it hasn’t been produced, despite ample time to review it, is itself telling. 00:13:29 The room erupts — and the case for showing the evidence - The night’s biggest wave of removals happened right after Chief Terry claimed to have proof of what happened — the room erupted in reaction. - Pastor Greene: if the department has definitive footage, community members would accept it and side with law enforcement. Initial public narrative treated Jett as a dangerous suspect; that framing quietly softened once more facts emerged, without acknowledgment. - His bottom line: officers absolutely have the right to defend themselves against gunfire, but there’s a real difference between that and firing indiscriminately because another officer is firing. 00:16:17 Watching the footage — “Keystone Cops,” and questions about training - Rev. Alexander describes available video as chaotic and disorganized — his own initial reaction was confusion about what he was even watching. - Pastor Greene reveals Jett had contacted police the day before the incident about an unrelated wallet dispute — undercutting any narrative that he was anti-police. He raises pointed procedural questions: officers shooting into the dark in a residential neighborhood, with other people’s safety at risk, simply because another officer was firing. - Both hosts: nearly a month later, basic questions about why an officer shot another officer remain unanswered, despite no real technological barrier to releasing that information sooner. 00:20:22 What accountability requires — and Chief Terry’s missed opportunity - Rev. Alexander: community advocates want balance — accountability wherever it’s warranted, whether that points toward the community or law enforcement. - He argues this was a chance for Chief Terry, new to the role this year, to build credibility through direct communication — an opportunity that instead deepened distrust. - Pastor Greene reiterates: the department is not being asked to defend an armed suspect firing at police — it’s being asked to prove, with evidence it already controls, what actually happened. 00:23:47 IMPD’s Flock camera stance — swimming against a national tide - Rev. Alexander notes that cities in Florida, Texas, and even Fort Wayne, Indiana are dropping or declining to renew Flock camera contracts, while IMPD is doubling down and pledging only to “better monitor” its use. - Pastor Greene: that pledge implies admission they weren’t monitoring it before — reportedly only after a national newspaper’s investigation surfaced officers repeatedly tracking the same license plates. 00:27:27 Highway-style plate scanning as harassment — and where the cameras are - Rev. Alexander compares Flock tracking to state troopers scanning every passing license plate on the highway — calling it harassment when applied without cause. - Pastor Greene raises a pointed equity question: are there more Flock cameras in Black neighborhoods than white ones? Rev. Alexander confirms a public site — maps.deflock.org — shows exact camera locations; a live search that night showed 506 cameras across Indianapolis. 00:33:45 Facebook question from Denise — accountability and no clear policy - A Facebook viewer, Denise, asks how IMPD decides who to investigate after a Flock hit, and whether an officer can simply accuse someone. - Rev. Alexander: there currently appear to be no clear rules governing Flock usage. Chief Terry told the committee a policy proposal will go to the General Orders Board for review. - Pastor Greene: officers already found to have tracked the same license plate over a thousand times illustrates how far unchecked usage can go — and warns that drafting, legally vetting, and negotiating any policy through the police union could take a year or more, during which officers facing scrutiny will simply argue no policy existed at the time. 00:39:18 Denise’s second question — tracking by race and religion - Denise also asks whether Flock could be used to track people by name in ways that reveal race or religion. - Rev. Alexander connects this to broader surveillance concerns: Indiana’s secretary of state has already shared voter data with the federal government, and DOGE-era access to Social Security data shows how much identifying information the government already holds outside of Flock — pointing to recent targeting of college students as an example of that data already being used. 00:40:37 Caller Guy — voter registration deadlines and historically low turnout - Guy cites 2022 midterm turnout of just 37.2% of eligible Indiana voters and urges listeners to confirm their registration before the October 5th deadline, sharing the Voter Registration Office phone number. - He frames the upcoming election as a check on the current administration’s efforts to further restrict voting access. 00:43:14 Caller Joyce — unity, gentrificatio

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 9, 2026

  5. Sep 3

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 2, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: Rev. Tony Alexander and Pastor David W. Greene Sr. spend the hour on two fronts: ICE’s active presence across every side of Indianapolis this week, and continued Northwest Indiana flood recovery. On ICE, both hosts press local leadership — particularly Mayor Hogsett — to speak out publicly the way Democratic leaders did in Minneapolis, arguing that those being detained are largely working people, not the “worst of the worst” originally promised. Pastor Greene announces a new sign-on campaign, backed by the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance, calling on the mayor and City-County Council to respond publicly. Caller Imhotep cites a claim that IMPD has the highest rate of police shootings of Black people in the country and describes IMPD detaining and handcuffing a coach and students from Crispus Attucks; caller Mayhem raises Indiana’s anti-mask laws and the fact that ICE is now exempt from them. In the back half, the hosts turn to flood recovery, spotlighting Indiana 211 data showing Lake County with over 41,000 storm-related cases — more than every other affected county combined — yet the weakest response. Councilor Oliver, a longtime disaster-relief organizer, calls in and draws the parallel to Katrina. The show closes with a practical walkthrough of how to apply for FEMA assistance before the October 25th deadline. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 Station ID and program open - Rev. Alexander opens in praise and prayer; previews the night’s two main topics: ICE activity in Indianapolis and continued Northwest Indiana flood recovery, with about 30 days left until early voting begins. 00:03:38 ICE is active across every side of Indianapolis - Pastor Greene confirms ICE has been operating on the east, west, north, and south sides of Indianapolis this week. - He traces this to AG Todd Rokita encouraging ICE to target any city he felt wasn’t complying with the state’s new immigration law. (Note: Greene incorrectly says SEA 75 — the 2026 Indiana law mandating local cooperation with ICE is SEA 76.) - This isn’t limited to people who are undocumented — Pastor Greene notes he himself could be stopped based on skin color and asked to prove his status, despite being a U.S. citizen. 00:05:35 A sign-on campaign and the mayor’s inadequate response - Pastor Greene announces a new sign-on effort, backed by an interfaith coalition including Rabbi Aaron Spiegel and GIMA (the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance), because Indianapolis leadership — the mayor’s office, the majority-Democrat City-County Council — has been largely silent. - Mayor Hogsett issued a statement, but Pastor Greene calls it generic: welcoming language about city services, not real leadership. - His challenge extends to mayoral candidates: if you want the job, say publicly where you stand on ICE before you’re the one who has to handle it. - This is not just for “the worst of the worst” — it’s people who have jobs, pay taxes, meet their court appointments, and have committed no crimes. Pastor Greene calls the current approach a witch hunt based on skin color and origin. 00:09:28 Why local silence matters — the Minneapolis contrast - Rev. Alexander contrasts Indianapolis with Minneapolis, where Democratic leadership at every level — mayor, governor, attorney general — spoke out publicly and in unison, making it a national story. - Indianapolis doesn’t have that same unified public stance, especially with no expectation of pushback from the governor’s office. - The faith coalition’s press release, “Indianapolis faith leaders call on Mayor Hogsett and City-County Council to respond to ICE activity,” includes a public sign-on link. - Pastor Greene: this is intentionally interfaith — Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians — because the moral objection isn’t limited to one tradition. 00:20:53 Caller Imhotep — leadership silence, IMPD shootings, and Crispus Attucks - Imhotep expresses disappointment in local leadership — naming Leroy Robinson, Maggie Lewis, and Carlos Perkins among others — for not verbally speaking out, contrasting with Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Memphis, which has effectively been under extended federal occupation for eight to nine months, including a fatal National Guard shooting of a Black man — reportedly a first in the country’s history. - He cites a statement from Nathaniel Lee that Indianapolis’s IMPD has the highest rate of police shootings of Black people in the country — higher than New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles — and criticizes the lack of accountability from city leadership on public safety. - He describes a recent incident: IMPD stopped students from Crispus Attucks near a dangerous 10th Street intersection, made them sit on the curb, and handcuffed the coach who came out to ask what was happening — a heavy-handed response to a legitimate traffic-safety concern that could have been addressed with a simple conversation. - His closing message: November matters, and flipping the House and Senate creates real accountability tools — up to and including charges against officials who fail their duties. 00:25:06 Caller Mayhem — masks, Indiana law, and who ICE really is - Mayhem argues Indianapolis police corruption predates Trump — this administration has just made it bolder and more brazen. - He notes Indiana has laws letting residents protect themselves against masked individuals falsely claiming authority — but points out no one can verify these masked ICE agents are even who they claim to be, or U.S. citizens themselves. - His example: his mechanic was detained at an ICE operation in Kokomo for four to five months. - Rev. Alexander clarifies: ICE is legally exempt from Indiana’s anti-mask laws — a change passed within the last year. 00:27:25 Response — judicial warrants, impersonation risk, and the cost of silence - Pastor Greene: masked, unidentified agents create real danger — homeowners can’t distinguish a legitimate ICE agent from someone impersonating one, especially without a shown judicial warrant (not an ICE-issued one). - Leadership needs to give the community and law enforcement cover by clearly and publicly rejecting these tactics — regardless of party. 00:29:21 New ICE rules and the Minnesota precedent - Rev. Alexander details the new rules as of September: ICE can now operate in unmarked cars, without flashing lights, without body-worn cameras, and masked without identifying themselves. - He cites Minnesota, where Renee Good was killed by ICE, then evidence and agents were removed from the scene entirely, with no accountability trail. - Much of this requires action beyond the local level — Congress needs to intervene, since this affects far more than one group of people. 00:31:45 The vote as the available lever - Pastor Greene: November is the clearest available action. He warns that ICE presence may be strategically deployed in heavily Democratic areas like Indianapolis specifically to deter voter turnout, and urges people to vote anyway. 00:33:33 Disaster recovery data — Lake County dwarfs every other county combined - Rev. Alexander presents Indiana 211 disaster report figures: Lake County, 41,608 people affected; Porter County, just over 5,600; Madison County, 3,138; Marion County, 1,909; Hamilton County, 1,791; Delaware County, 1,534. - Lake County’s total is more than double every other affected county combined — yet it received the weakest, slowest response of any of them. - Pastor Greene calls the data staggering and says resource allocation should reflect that imbalance — but predicts, if the dollars are tracked, they won’t. 00:38:49 Cleared streets in Marion and Hamilton Counties vs. ongoing outages in Gary - Rev. Alexander notes streets in Broad Ripple and Hamilton County have already been cleared, while residents in Gary and Lake County are still working to get their power turned back on. - Indiana 211 has confirmed it is prioritizing disaster-relief callers — meaning everyday callers with non-disaster needs are being asked to wait, a tradeoff Rev. Alexander flags as its own problem. 00:42:25 Caller Councilor Oliver — echoes of Katrina, and a new relief effort for Gary - Councilor Oliver, who organized Katrina relief caravans to New Orleans and Meridian, Mississippi in 2005, describes hearing the exact same pattern play out this time: an immediate, well-funded response to Carmel, followed by a full week of near-silence specifically about Gary — first vaguely referred to as “Northwest Indiana” before officials would even say the city’s name. - He’s organizing a new Labor Day relief effort with two trucks already secured and donations staging at Reverend Covington’s church, aimed specifically at Gary. 00:46:36 How to apply for disaster assistance — a full walkthrough - Rev. Alexander walks through disasterassistance.gov step by step: individual assistance applications, FEMA coverage for costs not covered by insurance (child care, medical, lodging, moving, funeral expenses), and video walkthroughs available in English, Spanish, and other languages. - Practical tips: call your credit card company and mortgage lender directly if you’ve been affected — many are offering grace periods and concessions. - The governor has announced roughly $2.1 million in available funds — both hosts stress this is a small amount relative to need and urge people not to wait, since funds could run out before the October 25th application deadline. 00:48:46 Program close — don’t wait - Pastor Greene: $2.1 million sounds like a lot until you consider how many people are in crisis — get your application in now rather than risk b

    Concerned Clergy Podcast September 2, 2026

  6. Aug 27

    Concerned Clergy Podcast August 26, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene spend the hour on a single, urgent story: Gary, Indiana went 14 days without power after the August flooding — one of the longest outages of its kind in recent U.S. history — and neither the state nor NIPSCO said a word about it until a Saturday press conference nearly two weeks in. Both hosts admit they didn’t know Gary was still without power until pastors organized their own relief caravan. Pastor Greene recounts how a coalition of faith leaders — Bishop Posey, Pastor Wayne Moore, Pastor Guthrie, Pastor Reagan Robinson, and others — self-organized within 24 to 48 hours, filling a 26-foot U-Haul with supplies that were gone within two hours of arriving in Gary. Meanwhile, Hamilton County received Black Hawk helicopters to lift bridges the day after flooding hit. Councilor Oliver, a longtime disaster-relief organizer going back to Katrina in 2005, called in to describe being ready to help anywhere in the state and never once hearing Gary mentioned by name from the governor’s office. Caller Imhotep, a Gary native, makes the case that Gary is actually on the upswing — new investment, a 55-year low in crime — and argues the slow-walked response fits a pattern of the GOP wanting federalism only when it benefits their own pet projects. Both hosts close by naming the plain arithmetic of the story: Gary’s median household income is just over $38,000; Hamilton County’s is $121,000. Reverend Phillips calls in with an extended word of encouragement and faith for the people of Gary, and El Amin raises pointed questions about what happens if an outage like this became permanent or more widespread — and whether the AI data centers in the area ever lost power at all. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 Station ID and program open - Opening headline: after 14 days, power has finally been restored to Gary, Indiana — ranking among the top 15 longest power restoration delays on record. - Pastor Greene opens in prayer for storm-impacted families, especially in Northwest Indiana. 00:03:19 A predominantly Black city left without the same response - Rev. Alexander frames the core question: Indiana is a Republican-led state, but the portion of the state that is predominantly minority — Gary — isn’t getting the same service or urgency in a disaster. - Rev. Alexander admits he didn’t know Gary’s power was still out as of last Wednesday’s show — it wasn’t confirmed restored until today. - Even with power back, Gary residents are dealing with spoiled medication, spoiled food, and trees that damaged homes, forcing some to relocate. 00:05:14 Mold, disease, and the scale of what’s ahead - Pastor Greene: mold is now a serious concern in flood-damaged homes across Broad Ripple, the Butler area, and Carmel — and Gary’s outage lasted far longer, compounding the risk. - The Marion County Health Department, including Dr. Caine and her staff, was deployed to flooded areas of Marion County to treat illnesses from stagnant water. - Pastor Greene: Gary has a long way to go, and “we” means all of us — this isn’t just Gary’s problem to solve alone. 00:07:02 Faith leaders self-organize a relief caravan - Rev. Alexander applauds the pastors who mobilized: Bishop Posey, Pastor Wayne Moore (Olivet Missionary Baptist Church), Pastor Guthrie (First Baptist Bridgeport), and Pastor Reagan Robinson, who held a joint press conference the prior Wednesday. - Rev. Alexander admits he assumed Gary had already rebounded — until the Saturday press conference revealed trees were still down, outside crews were on the ground, and NIPSCO had provided no coordination with the utility crews arriving from other states. - Pastor Greene: for him, it started Thursday with a phone call. Within 24–48 hours, Bishop Posey secured a 26-foot U-Haul, and the relief effort was underway by Friday. 00:09:39 The state’s rainy day fund — over $4 billion sitting unused - Pastor Greene: Indiana has more than $4 billion in surplus and rainy day funds. The governor could release those dollars directly rather than waiting on FEMA. - Carmel reportedly moved ahead with its own recovery work, trusting federal reimbursement would eventually catch up rather than waiting on it first. Gary needed that same posture of urgency. - Donations dropped off at Antioch, Bridgeport, and Purpose of Life churches reached Gary by Sunday — and were gone within two hours, including diapers being handed out on the spot. 00:12:29 The deafening silence — and a warning about assuming it’s over - Pastor Greene: this is, to his knowledge, one of the longest outages of its kind in the country — and the silence beforehand was deafening. Neither host knew as of the prior Wednesday’s show. - Pastor Greene’s caution: don’t walk away from Gary just because the power is back on. Two weeks of accumulated damage doesn’t disappear when the lights come back. 00:13:37 Black Hawk helicopters in Hamilton County vs. no tree crews in Gary - Rev. Alexander: the day after flooding, Hamilton County had Black Hawk helicopters lifting bridges. Gary couldn’t get tree crews to clear roofs, streets, or cars. - Even after the governor spoke up following Saturday’s press conference, Rev. Alexander asks: where were you before this? Gary has data centers, rate increases, and money flowing in — but couldn’t get basic tree-cutting crews organized. 00:15:22 Caller: Councilor Oliver — a career of disaster response, and total silence on Gary - Councilor Oliver recounts organizing relief caravans to New Orleans after Katrina in 2005 (turned back by fuel shortages, redirected to Meridian, Mississippi) and later helping rebuild homes there directly. - He was ready to help wherever needed this time — Hamilton County, wherever — but never once heard Gary mentioned by the governor’s office until it broke through independently. - His closing message: you can’t wait on government. He’s organizing a Labor Day caravan with Reverend Covington, Friendship, and Reverend Bates’s church to bring donated goods to Gary. 00:19:56 Response — the church can only provide temporary relief - Rev. Alexander: church-led relief is valuable but only ever temporary. Actual recovery requires state and federal funding and coordinated decision-making — someone with authority to say “we need this crew here, power restored there.” - Federal disaster funding has reportedly now been approved for Gary. 00:22:01 A pause for a listener in crisis - Rev. Alexander addresses a message received in the Facebook chat from a listener expressing suicidal feelings and hopelessness. - He takes it seriously on air, confirms the show has the person’s contact information, commits to reaching out privately rather than on the show, and offers words of encouragement: today is not the end, and tomorrow can be better. 00:23:07 Caller: Imhotep — Gary’s comeback story, and the hypocrisy of selective federalism - Imhotep, a Gary native, recently visited the King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta with his family and reflects on Dr. King’s actual message: not about integration for its own sake, but about the equitable distribution of tax-funded resources to Black neighborhoods that pay into the same system as everyone else. - He describes Gary’s genuine comeback: new investment from Mike Epps and outside investors, a 55-year low in the murder and crime rate, and a jobs program modeled on approaches used by NYC Mayor Mamdani and Baltimore Mayor Scott — both cities also posting historic crime lows. - His sharpest point: Republican governors — DeSantis in Florida, Abbott in Texas after Hurricane Harvey — routinely reject “big government” until their own states need federal disaster relief, then take it. Applying that same anti-federal posture to Gary while other governors got help is, in his words, criminal. - He also flags a class-action lawsuit filed by Attorney Allen alleging NIPSCO turned away contractors who came to help restore power. 00:28:03 Caller: Reverend Phillips — a word of faith for Gary - Reverend Phillips, who has family in Gary, offers an extended message of encouragement and scripture-rooted hope for the city: stay focused on God, stay together, and trust that the current hardship will not be the final word. 00:32:38 The “Michael” moment and the money already flowing into Gary - Rev. Alexander connects Gary’s current cultural spotlight — the “Michael” biopic, the Chicago Bears’ negotiations to relocate to Northwest Indiana, and major data center construction — to the core question of the night: if this much investment and attention exists, why couldn’t basic disaster response reach the people already living there? - His challenge: an area doesn’t deserve the economic development it’s chasing if it can’t take care of the people it already has. 00:33:54 Caller: El Amin — what if the outage had been permanent, and did the data centers ever go dark? - El Amin, whose wife is from Gary, asks what would happen if an outage like this became permanent or spread more widely — no ATM access, no working credit cards, spoiled food across an entire region. - He also raises a pointed question: were the AI data centers in the area ever without power at all? 00:35:22 Post-El Amin discussion — gentrification, intentionality, and NIPSCO’s history - Pastor Greene raises a pointed question: is the delay about caring for the people currently in Gary, or about anticipating who might move in and out as investment increases? - He notes NIPSCO’s documented history of underserving Black and brown neighborhoods, and argues that pattern, combined with the length of this outage, cannot be

    Concerned Clergy Podcast August 26, 2026

  7. Aug 20

    Concerned Clergy Podcast August 19, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: With central Indiana still reeling from record flooding, Rev. Tony Alexander and Pastor David W. Greene Sr. open with the question that will frame the entire hour: does our government actually care for the people? To answer it, Rev. Alexander plays a clip from a recent Senate Banking Committee hearing in which Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) walks through Matthew 25 verse by verse — “I was hungry,” “I was thirsty,” “I was a stranger,” “I was naked,” “I was sick” — and asks Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan of the Century Foundation to assess the Trump economy against each one. The data is damning across the board: 4 million Americans off SNAP (700,000 of them children), low-income families losing roughly $1,200 under H.R. 1, Medicaid cut by $1 trillion, ACA premium tax credits expired, immigrants terrorized by ICE, and the unhoused facing a NOFA lawsuit that could strip $3–4 million from Indianapolis’s permanent supportive housing funding. Between clips, Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene connect Warnock’s Senate testimony to the local Indianapolis reality: Streets to Home lost six unhoused residents to the floods and still can’t locate them; CICOA — Central Indiana Council on Aging — is barely surviving; the Fair Housing Center is operating under profound budget uncertainty; and Mitch Roob’s tenure leading FSSA gutted CCDF child care funding that Indiana is still trying to claw back. Caller Guy responds to the framing with an Animal Farm analogy — some animals think they’re more equal than others — and makes the case for supporting Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s defense of Haitian TPS workers and for turning out at the November midterms. The program closes with a voting urgency segment: check your registration on the Indiana Voter Portal, prepare for potential voter suppression at the polls in November, and get ready for souls to the polls. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 Station ID and program open - Rev. Alexander opens with flood recovery concerns — many central Indiana residents still displaced, no flood insurance, looking to FEMA for help. - Pastor Greene opens in prayer for storm-impacted families, including those living near the river. 00:03:28 Indiana flooding — FEMA, insurance, and the cuts that matter now - Central Indiana flooded unexpectedly last week with little warning — many residents are still trying to get home. - Many flood victims don’t have separate flood insurance and will need federal disaster relief. - FEMA has undergone massive DOGE-era staffing cuts. Pastor Greene: nobody worried about FEMA until now — and now we need it and it’s been hollowed out. - Pastor Greene: the president’s decision to release disaster dollars will be the critical variable; we’ll have a real answer within a month. 00:06:48 The central question — does our government care for the people? - Rev. Alexander frames tonight’s central question: does the federal government — and Indiana’s state government — actually care for the people? - We’ve already seen the administration admit in court that it withheld disaster funds from states that voted Democratic. That’s the backdrop. - Tonight, Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock from a Senate committee hearing will help walk through the answer using Matthew 25. 00:08:57 Senate hearing clip — Sen. Warnock and Dr. Morgan: hunger and SNAP - [From a Senate committee hearing] Sen. Warnock opens by citing a Fox News poll: more than half of voters say Trump’s economy only helps the rich; three in five feel pessimistic about the economy. - He introduces a Matthew 25 framework: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” - Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan (Century Foundation): 4 million Americans have lost SNAP benefits under this administration, including 700,000 children. One in three Americans has skipped meals to cope with the cost of living crisis. - Sen. Warnock: Republicans claim those cut from SNAP are able-bodied men — but you’re saying children are going food insecure. 00:11:32 Response — SNAP cuts, CCDF, and Indiana’s own record - Rev. Alexander: SNAP cuts aren’t just a federal story — Indiana is stripping child care benefits too, with school-age children losing access to programs right here. - Pastor Greene: applauds Warnock for using Matthew 25 to challenge self-described Christians in Congress. Children have also been cut from CCDF — the Child Care and Development Fund — here in Indiana. - Mitch Roob, who runs Indiana’s FSSA, oversaw cuts that Indiana is still fighting to recover from. Indiana is now just trying to claw back some vouchers, not all. - We’re cutting Medicaid, Medicare, and food programs — and calling it righteousness. That doesn’t line up with Matthew 25. - Pastor Greene: if you claim to be a Christian nation, how do you rationalize food deserts, people without housing, people without health care? 00:14:28 Christian nationalism vs. Matthew 25 - Rev. Alexander: are you Christian first or nationalist first? Are you putting Trump before Jesus? Are you putting policy before the Word? - Pastor Greene: they’re putting country before God. Matthew 25 says “I was a stranger and you invited me in” — that’s the direct counter to the ICE movement. - Lt. Gov. Beckwith has implied that to be a Christian you must be a white American nationalist. Pastor Greene: they miss the whole thing. Jesus himself is speaking in Matthew 25. 00:18:08 Senate hearing clip continues — clothing and housing - [Hearing resumes] Sen. Warnock: “I needed clothes and you clothed me.” How have the president’s policies been for poor, unemployed, or unhoused Americans? - Dr. Morgan: low-income families lost roughly $1,200 under H.R. 1 — the One Big, Beautiful Bill. The administration has imposed time limits and work requirements on rental assistance and proposed cuts to homeless support programs. Rising utility costs are also hitting the poorest families. 00:19:17 Response — the unhoused in Indianapolis; Streets to Home and the NOFA lawsuit - Pastor Greene: the Streets to Home initiative was working with a camp, hoping to get people housed — and then the flood hit. About six individuals can no longer be located. Please pray. - The NOFA — Notice of Funding Availability — which is the largest community financial instrument for homeless services in Indianapolis, is now in a lawsuit. The Trump administration restructured it without the required 60–90 day public comment period. - Even before the lawsuit, Indianapolis was set to lose $3–4 million next year. People in permanent supportive housing could lose their rental funding and return to homelessness. - The lawsuit could drag to the Supreme Court, which leans toward Trump. Pastor Greene pledges to keep the community informed. - Sister Denise asks about the Fair Housing Center — Pastor Greene: it still exists today, but its budget is in deep uncertainty. Amy Nelson could give a fuller picture; at the federal level, fair housing is not prioritized. 00:26:01 Response continued — CICOA, the nonprofit sector, and economic pressure - Rev. Alexander: CICOA — Central Indiana Council on Aging — which provides Meals on Wheels, ramp installation, and other senior and disability services, is barely surviving. - Pastor Greene: he’s not sure organizations like CICOA will even exist by end of 2027. They’ve already gone through a huge staff reduction and are running fundraisers just to hold on. - The entire nonprofit sector is suffering — fair housing, homeless services, senior services — because the government has pulled funding from entities that help people. - Pastor Greene responds to Denise’s question about economic conditions: yes, there’s enormous financial pressure across the board — AES bills are up, gas is up, people are in near-shock about what they’re dealing with. 00:27:29 Senate hearing clip — healthcare and Medicaid - [Hearing resumes] Sen. Warnock: “You looked after me.” How have the president’s health care policies been? - Dr. Morgan: Medicaid has been cut; ACA premium tax credits have not been extended, jacking up premiums for millions; employer-sponsored plan costs are rising. People are choosing between being uninsured or taking skimpier coverage. - Sen. Warnock: the Trump administration cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and called it waste, fraud, and abuse. Did they cut more than that? Dr. Morgan: they cut care for American families. 00:28:28 Response — healthcare in Indiana - Pastor Greene: healthcare is a terrible place right now. He was in a meeting today — not promising. Medicare is under attack; the state isn’t trying to add anything, only cut based on dollars and cents even where there are surpluses. - Indiana already went through major healthcare cuts in 2025 and 2026. Nothing in the forecast changes that in 2027. 00:29:36 Senate hearing clip — immigration; then caller Guy - [Hearing resumes] Sen. Warnock: “I was a stranger and you invited me in.” How has the Trump economy been for law-abiding immigrants and dreamers? - Dr. Morgan: families are afraid to go to work or send children to school because of ICE. Benefits and programs for law-abiding immigrants are under attack. The Trump economy serves the rich, Trump himself, his billionaire colleagues, and the banks that got him to roll back consumer protections. - Rev. Alexander on TPS: Haitian immigrants under Temporary Protected Status have been here legally since as early as 2010 — some for 15 years, with careers, mortgages, children in school. They’re being given 30–60 days to uproot. A minor league baseball coach in San Diego was detained by ICE. - Caller Guy answers Rev. Alexander’s quest

    Concerned Clergy Podcast August 19, 2026

  8. Aug 13

    Concerned Clergy Podcast August 12, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: Pastor Greene is back after several weeks away, and he and Rev. Tony Alexander spend a dense hour on Indiana’s education crisis — framing it as the convergence of federal gutting, state Republican policy, and local structural power grabs. The show opens with a brief update on the Dalys Jett case: as of airtime, the family was scheduled to view the body-worn camera footage that evening at 5:30 p.m., nearly three weeks after the July 22nd officer-involved shooting. The education segment anchors on two interlocking crises: 38 Indiana school districts seeking November referendums for operating funds they can no longer sustain after Governor Braun’s property tax restructuring, and the IPEC (Indianapolis Public Education Corporation) — the appointed, mayor-aligned body now controlling IPS — whose first executive director, Karega Rausch, has been largely invisible in the push to pass a $95 million November referendum. The hosts track IPS’s enrollment collapse from over 100,000 students in Amos Brown’s era to just over 30,000 today as a measure of the district’s dismantling in real time. Caller Imhotep connects underfunding of education to corporate tax avoidance, declining school lunch quality, and the ongoing stadium-subsidy dynamic — asking why the Chicago Bears owners might receive $2 billion in public support while children’s lunch trays go bare. Caller Guy asks the Concerned Clergy to host a community forum featuring former IPS superintendent Dr. Eugene White and other education advocates before the November election. Caller Pat frames the education crisis as deliberate racial suppression. Caller Mayhem closes with a sharp critique of voter complacency and political celebrity culture. Both hosts close on the need for constituents to know their local elected officials — and to know that those officials may no longer actually control the decisions that matter. Progressive Indiana Network is proud to distribute the Concerned Clergy Podcast. Help us continue to bring you more content like this by becoming a free or paid subscriber. WHAT’S INSIDE 00:00:00 Station ID and program open - Pastor Greene back after several weeks away; opens in prayer for storm-affected families. - Rev. Alexander previews the agenda: education dominates, with 38 referendums on the November ballot and IPS governance in flux. 00:03:25 Dalys Jett update — body cam viewing scheduled for tonight - Rev. Alexander recaps last week’s guest, Rev. Davanta Scruggs , representing the family of Dalys Jett, killed in an officer-involved shooting on July 22nd. - As of tonight, the family was scheduled to view the raw body-worn camera footage at 5:30 p.m. — a viewing that had been previously delayed because the injured officer had not yet given her statement. - Rev. Alexander: hoping the meeting happened; no statements yet as of airtime. - Both hosts: continuing to pray for the Jett family and for the injured IMPD officers who are recovering. 00:05:42 IPS at 30,000 — the enrollment collapse and what it means - IPS is the largest school district in Indiana, but that designation now means something very different than it once did. - When Amos Brown was regularly invoking IPS’s size to demand resources, the district served over 100,000 students. It now serves just over 30,000. - That enrollment collapse is the direct result of the dismantling Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene have been documenting for years — through charter expansion, neighborhood disinvestment, and policy choices. - The appointed IPEC board — which reports to the mayor, not to voters — will now be responsible for deciding which IPS school buildings get sold, to whom, and for how much. Taxpayers who funded those buildings for decades have no direct vote in that process. 00:09:19 38 referendums — the statewide school funding crisis - 38 Indiana school districts are bringing referendums to voters in November, seeking operating funds they can no longer sustain after Governor Braun’s property tax restructuring redirected school funding. - The crisis is statewide — not just Indianapolis. Rural and suburban districts, including some in Hamilton County and Zionsville, are in the same position. - Programs at immediate risk if referendums fail: sports, transportation, band, arts, counselors, teaching staff. Sports in particular serve a dual function — academic motivation and an outlet that reduces classroom disruption. - By 2028, even more districts will face referendums; some are relying on a surplus that won’t last. 00:15:04 The compounding cost squeeze — wheel tax, AES, and referendum fatigue - Pastor Greene: voting against a school referendum doesn’t mean someone is anti-education. It may mean they’re already drowning in compounding costs. - Marion County just passed a new wheel tax. AES Indiana rates went up this year and go up again in January. Each increase is marketed individually as modest — but together they represent $600 or more per household in new annual costs. - A family already stretched by AES increases and the wheel tax may support education but simply not be able to vote for more money. That context needs to be part of the conversation. - Pastor Greene: school districts need to be doing community meetings now — not waiting until October to ask people to vote on something they don’t understand. 00:20:07 IPEC and the invisible referendum campaign - Rev. Alexander raises the critical question: who is the public face of the IPS referendum? Because the answer appears to be nobody. - Karega Rausch, IPEC’s first executive director, is not visibly campaigning for the referendum. IPS superintendent Alicia Johnson is not visibly campaigning. Interim director Michael O’Connor is not visibly campaigning. - Pastor Greene: this may be intentional. Nobody wants to stand up and say “trust the seven appointed people we put in charge — give them $95 million.” Because that’s a hard sell. - The deeper question: is the referendum supposed to pass? Or is a quiet, soft campaign that ends in a failed referendum the actual plan — paving the way for a state takeover of IPS? - Pastor Greene: IPEC was created over the community’s objection. He and Rev. Alexander were both at the city-county building protesting. The community said no; the process went forward anyway — just like the data center moratorium vote. 00:29:13 Caller Imhotep — crony capitalism, school lunches, and the McCaskeys - Imhotep (turning 60 in October, political science minor) frames the education funding crisis as structural: crony capitalism — socialism for the rich, rugged individualism for everyone else. - Only 56% of Americans read at a sixth-grade level; most don’t understand the systems well enough to recognize how they’re being exploited. - The corporate tax avoidance angle: Meta, Google, NVIDIA all use offshore sites to minimize federal taxes, while states hand them whatever incentives they want. Meanwhile, education claws for every dollar. - The Chicago Bears stadium discussion: we still haven’t finished paying bonds on the RCA Dome (long demolished) or Lucas Oil Stadium — where the namesake contributed roughly $10 million of a $700 million facility. Now there’s talk of giving the McCaskey family (Chicago Bears owners) $2 billion in public money. Yet education has to fight for every penny. - School lunches: Imhotep reports hearing from young people that school lunches have looked paltry since the start of the year — a consequence of USDA program cuts under the Trump administration. - His closing argument: until corporations pay their fair share of taxes into the general fund, education will keep getting squeezed. 00:28:41 Follow-up — private money and ballpark projects - Rev. Alexander: Trump always claims to find private money for his pet projects. Somehow that money flows freely for ballparks and lawn projects, but not for education. 00:29:13 Caller Guy — spotlight Dr. Eugene White; host a community forum - Guy invokes former IPS superintendent Dr. Eugene White as a community resource who knows where the money goes and has the students’ interests at heart. - He notes a school board election is also on the November 3rd ballot — most people don’t know how many candidates are running or which districts are open. - His ask: the Concerned Clergy should host a community forum before November featuring Dr. Eugene White, Imhotep, and other education advocates. The Concerned Clergy used to be all over these kinds of issues. - Pastor Greene responds: he knows Dr. White well and can make that happen. The real challenge is getting people to show up — they’re at the cigar bar or on TikTok. The Concerned Clergy is not against a forum; the question is whether the community will come. - He also reminds listeners: a school board election won’t change much, because IPEC — not the elected board — makes the real decisions now. Strategy has to target IPEC accountability, not just school board races. 00:37:20 Caller Pat — deliberate suppression, not neglect - Pat argues the education crisis is not accidental — it’s a well-planned tactic. Deny education, health, and housing, and you choke the light out of a people. - The only Black students this administration cares about are those who can generate revenue — athletes being scouted for professional leagues. - Her call to action: stop being lackadaisical. Mobilize, organize, vote. - Pastor Greene: Ms. Pat is 100% right. Private schools don’t track their students into trades. They provide broad exposure. That’s by design — the tracking is for public school students, not for those whose parents can pay. - The cycle: undereducated people don’t vote. Voter suppression is therefore self-reinforcing. The appointed board, disappearing judges, disappearing school boards — it only happens where Black people are

    Concerned Clergy Podcast August 12, 2026
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About

The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis is a fellowship of pastors and other concerned citizens who are God-fearing people who believe injustice, racism, ageism, classism and sexism to be contrary to the will of God. www.progressiveindiana.net

Information

  • Creator
    Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Progressive Indiana Network
  • Show Website
    Concerned Clergy Podcast