Concerned Clergy Podcast

Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis
  • 0.0 (0)
  • News
  • Updated Weekly

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. 6d ago

    Concerned Clergy Podcast October 21, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: With early voting underway, Rev. Alexander and Pastor Greene devote the episode to education, joined by Rev. Dr. Wayne Moore, who is seeking a second term on the Pike Township School Board. Moore describes a district doing better than most but squeezed by the General Assembly, falling enrollment, and the loss of per-student funding to charter schools. The three discuss the record 38 school referendums on the November ballot, why they expect many to fail, and why they say school boards must explain the money to taxpayers. Greene warns that closed or failing charter schools can turn public school property into development land, and that the appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation will control who gets IPS buildings. The second half turns to Turning Point USA's Club America chapters in Indiana high schools, which Alexander maps on air and urges voters to ask school board candidates about. Callers Joyce, Barbara, and Imhotep weigh in on redistricting, what happens to charter school buildings, and curriculum that centers African-American literature. Greene closes by urging Pike Township voters to re-elect the three incumbents and announcing this weekend's march 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 — Welcome, prayer, and the education focus - Alexander introduces Moore, an incumbent on the Pike Township School Board seeking another term - Greene opens in prayer, thanking Moore for his willingness to serve on the school board - Moore says he is excited to join the Concerned Clergy conversation - Alexander says the show will center on education and urges voters in Pike Township, IPS, and every district with a school board race or referendum to pay close attention 00:03:27 — Moore’s platform as an incumbent - Moore is closing out his first four years and seeking a second term - Says he sits on the committee negotiating a contract for the district - Says education is under a “government gavel” and Pike Township is doing better than many other townships - Says no one knows what the General Assembly will do heading into 2027, and that the last two years have been extremely difficult for districts statewide 00:05:29 — A record number of school referendums - Alexander: roughly 38 referendums are on the November ballot and resources are stretched across Indiana; voters should back candidates who want to put resources into schools - Greene: Moore was instrumental in getting Pike’s referendum across the finish line by explaining it to the community - Greene says districts with surplus money now will face referendums again within a year or two - Greene predicts not all 38 referendums will pass, depending on who speaks for them and whether they’re explained rather than looking like another tax increase 00:08:37 — The Pike ballot and Moore’s warning on referendums - Moore: three seats, four candidates, and three incumbents; he strongly encourages voters to consider the incumbents given the state of education - Says not all referendums will be accepted, and that even districts like Carmel, Hamilton, and Zionsville are now signing up for major referendums - Says school boards and bargaining units must shift from “us against them” to working together for survival - Says the aim is graduation and proficiency, with as many teachers and services as possible kept in place 00:11:42 — Fellow incumbents and Pike’s biggest challenge - Moore names the other two incumbents as Terry Webster and Alonzo Anderson, saying there is work still to finish - Says Pike’s biggest challenge is a stronger budget, to secure staff and school security - Says nearly every district has lost students, and losing 200 students means losing the dollars that pay teachers - Says school boards need to communicate with the community rather than seek to be “important” 00:13:56 — Charter schools and the loss of per-student funding - Alexander says much of the student movement is due to charter schools scattering students in many directions - Greene: when a charter picks up a couple hundred students, the district loses funding tied per student, often learning of it mid-year and having to cut - Greene notes diesel and gas costs are straining shrinking school district budgets - Greene says this is why IPS needed to keep an elected board rather than an appointed one 00:16:36 — Moore on how charter funding is deducted - Moore: when students leave for charters, the money follows, and it comes out of the district’s funds - Says Pike’s state dollars are paid out to charters first; with 75 students gone to charters, the charter school is paid before the township - Calls it disrespectful to a township that has educated students for 132 years - Says Pike is effectively supporting two systems, the township district and the charter district 00:19:11 — Vouchers and the case for public education - Alexander says more Indiana vouchers now go to families earning over $100,000 than to lower earners, though the program was meant to help the less fortunate - Moore says he is running on public education and is a product of it - Notes IPS has existed for 173 years; says charters have a far shorter record and there aren’t enough successful ones to meet graduation and proficiency needs - Warns against “wolves in sheep’s clothing” joining public education boards 00:22:38 — Lawmakers’ role in school board structure - Alexander says many of the problems Moore describes are caused by legislators who change the rules and put boards in place to carry their water - Argues voters must look at the legislators making these laws as well as at school board candidates - Says the districts are suffering because of the laws lawmakers have passed 00:24:30 — Caller Joyce: redistricting and the courts - Joyce says Indianapolis was divided up to dilute the Black vote and that people should be able to vote on their own - Says some people in the courts need training, citing a police officer she says should not have been reintroduced to the force - Alexander thanks her and returns to Moore 00:26:41 — Do Pike families understand the referendum? - Alexander asks whether parents understand charter schools, the referendum, and other district dynamics - Moore: “Some do and some don’t”; most people are still gaining knowledge about the referendum - Moore says that if taxpayers paid for the referendum they ought to know about it, especially if the district needs to ask again - Moore hopes the board will set a clearer line of communication about referendums - Alexander previews Turning Point USA and says voters should ask school board candidates whether they support it in schools 00:30:23 — Caller Barbara: what happens to charter buildings? - Barbara asks whether charter schools own IPS buildings and what happens to the property if a school closes - Alexander says charters can acquire buildings for a dollar - Greene: this is how neighborhoods are gentrified, as failing charters leave property that becomes development land - Greene says the IPS superintendent has said she must sell schools, but the appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) will control who gets the buildings 00:33:03 — School property, data centers, and playing chess - Greene says charter-school rules are being modified, but that has not yet happened - Says school property is massive, including athletic fields, and is the kind of land a data center developer would love to get for a dollar - Says the Black community is often hurt because that money doesn’t flow into school systems the way it should - Greene: “while we’re playing checkers, others are playing chess,” planning five to ten years out 00:34:52 — Why charter schools struggle to sustain enrollment - Greene says he is pro-public education and that charters need a minimum number of students to be sustainable - Cites the STEM school on Michigan Road, which he says is in the news this week for being short of students - Says many charters lack resources for special-needs children - Says rising rents and utility costs push families to move, so charters lose students they counted on 00:37:57 — Turning Point USA’s Club America chapters - Alexander says falling birth rates mean “the math ain’t math” for adding schools - Presents a map of Turning Point USA’s Club America, its high school chapter program, and describes its toolkit and regional contacts - Says there are over 20 schools in central Indiana, with 11 on the north side of town and six on the south side - Urges voters to ask school board candidates whether they support Turning Point USA 00:41:06 — Moore on Turning Point’s reach and curriculum - Moore says the data shows 65 chapters statewide, including ones in Westfield, Huntington North, and Cardinal Ritter - Says most listed schools are outside Marion County except Brebeuf, that Ritter should be on the list, and that Pike and North Central are not yet on it while Decatur is “moving” - Says school boards aren’t discussing it and calls the curriculum “poisonous and dangerous,” saying he and Greene did a show on it - Moore says the group caters to young white people and shows no Black or brown students in its literature - Alexander lists Zionsville, Perry Meridian, Noblesville, Mooresville, Hamilton Southeastern, Franklin Central, Fishers, Brownsburg, and Brebeuf among the schools 00:45:33 — Governor Braun and Turning Point in schools - Alexander says everyone should know whether a school board candidate supports it - Moore says the group has no business in an extracurricular program in schools - Moore says Governor Mike Braun found a way to push it into school systems and that the announcement showed only white children 00

    Concerned Clergy Podcast October 21, 2026

  2. Oct 15

    Concerned Clergy Podcast October 14, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: With early voting underway, Rev. Tony Alexander and Pastor David W. Greene Sr. spend this episode in conversation with Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who is seeking another term. Mears describes his path from a west-side Indianapolis upbringing to the prosecutor’s office, his decision to stop prosecuting simple marijuana possession, and community-driven programs such as the Second Chance Workshop, a Saturday youth program, and an annual book bag giveaway. The hosts contrast his approach with elected officials they say ignore community input, citing Flock cameras and data centers. The second half turns to the two constitutional questions on the November ballot: Public Question 2 (judicial residency) and Public Question 1 (denying bail). Mears and both hosts urge a “no” vote on each, argue that Marion County’s appointed judges are unaccountable to local voters, and say Mears’s answer is simple: let Marion County elect its judges. A caller, Denise, asks how to get the word out; the hosts fault party leadership for not making the questions a turnout issue sooner. The show closes with a push for early voting and the Saturday, October 24 “March 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 — Show open, prayer, and introduction of Prosecutor Mears - Alexander welcomes listeners and previews the guest, who is “putting his hat back in the ring” for prosecutor - Greene opens in prayer for local, state, and national leaders - Alexander brings Mears on and asks him to share his vision for the office 00:03:46 — Mears’s background and the marijuana decision - Mears: prosecutor since 2019 and a 20-year veteran of the office; from Indianapolis’s west side and a graduate of Cardinal Ritter High School - Became the elected prosecutor in 2019 when Prosecutor Curry became ill - One of his first acts was to stop prosecuting simple possession of marijuana, citing racial disparities between usage rates and who ended up in the system - Says he wants resources focused on violent crime and on building relationships so contact with the office isn’t only “after something bad has happened” 00:06:44 — Second Chance and disparities in enforcement - Mears describes the Second Chance Workshop, which helps people get driver’s licenses reinstated and convictions removed from their records - Alexander: a youthful mistake can follow a person for life, and some communities pay for those mistakes longer and harder - Greene: the programs are packed, and word spread in the community that they aren’t a setup - Mears’s example: a student caught with marijuana on a college campus gets an administrative write-up, while the same act elsewhere in the city used to mean arrest and prosecution 00:08:49 — Why presence in the community builds trust - Alexander says Mears stands out for being active in the community — youth events, basketball leagues — rather than an “us against them” prosecutor - Mears credits the Concerned Clergy president for the advice to be with the community rather than against it - Argues trust cannot be earned “by sitting in your office”; leaders must meet people where they are - Says the Concerned Clergy’s power comes from its footprint in the community 00:11:02 — Community distrust of the system - Alexander notes community distrust about whether people will be treated fairly, and that few other elected officials make comparable efforts - Greene commends Mears’s outreach and says he “raised the bar” for elected officials - Greene: relationships are the key to trust and can’t be built with an us-versus-them mentality 00:13:38 — Ideas that come from the community - Mears: the driver’s license program grew from people who said they were afraid to drive their kids to school or get to work - Says many of his best ideas are “stolen” from community members 00:15:30 — Partnerships: expungement, youth basketball, and book bags - Mears: the Second Chance Workshop grew from a man who said he was fine with doing the time but not with a “life sentence” of convictions following him; Indiana’s expungement law made the program possible - Partnered with Don Carlisle, head coach at Ben Davis, on his Underdog program, which opens the gym on Saturdays for basketball and leadership development - Runs an annual book bag giveaway with Pastor Moore and Pastor Greene, after the pastors told him there was a need 00:17:32 — Officials who listen and officials who don’t - Alexander: it’s frustrating to bring community feedback to other elected officials who won’t receive it, and refreshing to see one who does - Greene: many officeholders are self-serving, hard to reach, and skeptical of the community, and go on the defense over issues like Flock cameras and data centers - Greene says decisions are implemented first and the community is labeled “troublemakers” afterward, and that some plans for 2027–28 are known to officials but not discussed with residents 00:21:35 — Council response to Flock cameras and data centers; first break - Alexander: on Flock cameras, body cameras, and data centers, the community raised concerns up front and was brushed off by the City-County Council and the mayor - Says officials now present moratoriums and limits as heroic when they could have had the conversation from the start 00:23:40 — Violent crime, conviction rates, and who decides - Alexander reintroduces Mears and Greene and asks how he responds to critics who question his commitment to prosecuting violent crime, noting Marion County doesn’t select its judges - Mears: conviction rates are the highest they’ve been in a number of areas, including homicides and cases involving children - Says he watches jury trial numbers closely because they reflect the community’s verdict on the office 00:25:53 — Mears on Public Question 2: judicial residency - Mears urges voters to watch for the question on the ballot to amend the Constitution so judges don’t have to live in the county - Says Marion County already can’t vote for its judges, who are appointed by Governor Braun, whom Mears says couldn’t get more than about 40% of the vote in Marion County - Warns judges could live in places like Hamilton County and have no connection to the community, calling it “a recipe for disaster” - [Note: Alexander reads the ballot language as follows: the Constitution would be amended “to permit the judge of a city or town court to reside in” the county where the court is located or the bordering county closest to the city or town. WFYI’s 2026 voter guide describes the amendment as covering city and town court judges, who hear misdemeanor, traffic, and city ordinance cases. The speakers discuss it as applying to Marion County’s appointed judges generally; that characterization does not appear to match the ballot language as read.] 00:28:07 — Alexander reads Question 2; Greene on how Questions 1 and 2 combine - Alexander puts the question on screen and reads it - Greene: taken together with Question 1, voters would have no way to address a judge who “goes rogue,” a possible “slippery slope” toward no-bail decisions - Greene says the Concerned Clergy, the Baptist Minister’s Alliance, and the General Association of Missionary Baptists in Indiana issued a statement urging “no” votes and calling the changes harmful to Marion County and the state - Notes the governor is appointing two more judges who retire at year’s end 00:31:07 — Judges in rural counties vs. Marion County - Greene: it’s problematic for Marion County, Lake County, and other counties with many Black and brown residents, and asks why electing judges works in other Indiana counties but not here - Argues rural judges are part of their communities and can be voted out; Marion County voters can’t do that - Alexander: Marion County keeps having things “taken away,” and its resources support other communities; teases the bail question after the break 00:33:40 — Public Question 1: bail and the Constitution - Alexander explains Question 1: judges would gain discretion to deny bail beyond murder and treason, which are the only exceptions now - Notes judges already have discretion over bail and bond amounts - Mears: bail has been a constitutional right since statehood to prevent governments from punishing people, including for political reasons - Says a bail decision isn’t really appealable and that the decision-maker would have no connection to the community 00:37:22 — Caller Denise: how do we get the word out? - Denise thanks Mears for acknowledging racial disparities and says she will vote for him - Asks how to spread the message that Questions 1 and 2 should both be “no,” especially to younger voters, and worries about judges brought in from small towns - [Note: Denise says Donald Trump was “found guilty” of rape and “did not get due justice.” Trump was found civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case and was separately convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records; he was not criminally convicted of rape.] 00:40:37 — Mears: a role for the parties; the question is “intentionally confusing” - Mears says he was at a community meeting discussing this very issue and sees a role for the state and local Democratic parties - Calls the bail question’s wording “intentionally confusing” — he says he had to read it three times, despite being an attorney for 20 years - Credits the Concerned Clergy, the Baptist Minister’s Alliance, and other groups for educating the public 00:41:26 — Hosts on getting information out - Alexander agrees and says the question is confusing and that the show is tr

    Concerned Clergy Podcast October 14, 2026

  3. Oct 8

    Concerned Clergy Podcast October 7, 2026

    https://concernedclergy.org https://progressiveindiana.net SUMMARY: With early voting underway in Marion County, Rev. Tony Alexander and Pastor David W. Greene Sr. devote this episode to walking listeners through what’s actually on this November’s ballot. The centerpiece is Public Question 1, a statewide constitutional referendum that would let a judge deny bail — at their own discretion, based on “clear and convincing evidence” — to anyone charged with an offense other than murder or treason, not just those crimes as under the current Constitution. Both hosts argue against it: Marion County doesn’t elect its judges, so there would be no way to vote out a judge who used the new power unevenly; judges already have supervision, electronic monitoring, and other tools short of denying bail outright; and data the ACLU of Indiana compiled from jails across the state shows more than 98% of people classified as high, moderate, or even low risk do not go on to commit a new violent crime — meaning the change would reshape due process for everyone over a very small number of cases. They also cover judicial retention votes (which only ask whether to keep standing judges, not elect new ones) and the wave of roughly 40 school-funding referendums on ballots statewide, including the IPS referendum, which the hosts say won’t prevent cuts regardless of the outcome and which stems directly from last year’s state property-tax legislation (SB1) shifting the funding burden onto local referendums. Two callers phone in: Imhotep, who connects the bail referendum to the economics of the private-prison industry and cites state-level data on how incarceration rates dropped after marijuana legalization, and Josephine, who asks the hosts to cut through the question’s wording with a plain “yes or no.” 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, early voting underway - Alexander: early voting began the day before at the City-County Building downtown; voters can also request a mail-in ballot - Greene opens in prayer for the city, state, and national leadership during the “election season” - Preview of tonight’s focus: ballot questions, the bail referendum, and school-funding referendums 00:04:48 — Why this midterm election carries real weight - Greene: this is a critical election for democracy, and voters need to know not just that to vote but who and what they’re voting for - Flags gas prices, an ongoing war, and school referendums (including ones in Wayne and Washington Townships) as consequences riding on this ballot - Greene: Public Question 1 (the bail referendum) will appear on every ballot statewide 00:06:26 — Indiana’s low turnout and the midterm trap - Alexander: Indiana’s voter turnout is historically poor, and many voters only learn about major policy shifts after the fact — e.g., through a letter saying a benefit or program has changed - Argues midterm elections are routinely underrated even though they directly affect property taxes, school assignment, and the legal process - Greene adds that redistricting and other “fast-tracked” changes are also in play this cycle 00:09:40 — Public Question 1: what the bail referendum actually says - Alexander reads the ballot language: current law denies bail only for murder or treason when “the proof is evident or the presumption strong”; the amendment would extend that denial to any offense if the state proves by “clear and convincing evidence” that no release conditions would reasonably protect public safety - Alexander and Greene summarize the practical effect: a judge could decide to withhold bail based on their own read of the evidence, before trial - Cites an ACLU of Indiana summary of the amendment’s text and implications, shared on the show’s Facebook page 00:10:22 — No elected judges in Marion County — why that matters here - Greene: Marion County lost the ability to elect its own judges years ago, so there is no way to vote out a judge who used this new bail authority unevenly - Argues it’s unwise to concentrate that much discretion in one appointed official with no accountability mechanism - Both hosts stress that an arrest is not a conviction — someone could be arrested for something “frivolous” and still lose their liberty pretrial under the new standard 00:13:26 — Political incentives: judges courting favor for appointment - Alexander: with a Supreme Court majority seen as deferential to the Trump administration, and a tiered system of lower courts, the “one or two bad actors” concern is bigger than it sounds - Greene: judges hoping to be appointed to higher (including federal) posts would have an incentive to deny bail aggressively to “impress” the president, particularly against people of color, since that visibility could help their career 00:15:16 — Judges already have non-bail tools; the gun-law comparison - Alexander lists the tools ACLU data shows judges can already use short of denying bail: supervision, bail conditions, electronic monitoring, no-contact orders, treatment, drug testing, and travel restrictions - Draws a parallel to gun-safety debates: just as advocates often note “there are already laws in place” after mass shootings, he argues the same logic applies here — existing tools are already available, and a sweeping constitutional change risks collateral damage (mistrials, dropped charges, successful not-guilty verdicts, plea deals) for people who never needed to be denied bail in the first place 00:18:01 — A Marion County example: wrongful accusation risk - Greene cites a real Marion County case near Riverside Park in which a police officer initially claimed a young Black man pointed a weapon, and video later showed that wasn’t true - Argues that under a no-bail standard, that same man could have been held in jail — losing a job, housing stability, and more — based on an initial accusation that didn’t hold up - Both hosts stress they aren’t accusing all officers of this, but that the risk of a wrongful initial account is real enough that a judge shouldn’t have unchecked discretion to deny bail based on it 00:20:48 — What the ACLU’s data actually shows - Alexander reads Indiana-specific data from the ACLU: 98.6% of people classified high risk, 98.9% classified moderate risk, and 99.4% classified low risk did not go on to commit a new violent crime - Contrasts this with the narrative pushed by local media, social media, and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) blaming prosecutors and “revolving door” releases for crime - Argues the actual share of cases involved is under 2%, often closer to 1–2 cases statewide per year by Greene’s framing 00:22:45 — Why amend the Constitution for such a small number of cases? - Greene: a change this sweeping would affect far more than the 1–2% of people it’s meant to target, since it resets due-process standards for everyone charged with a non-murder/treason offense - Alexander draws a comparison to national rhetoric about voter fraud, which he says affects roughly .00008% of votes over 30 years, yet is used to justify large-scale changes to voting systems — arguing the bail referendum follows the same pattern of using rare cases to justify broad disruption 00:26:01 — Recap: how to actually read Public Question 1 - Back from the first break, Alexander walks through the exact ballot wording again, pointing out that the question starts with “shall” and lays out the state’s proposed new standard - Frames the “due process” problem directly: the amendment lets the state act on what a prosecutor or judge believes before a trial has happened - Notes that people are regularly found not guilty, have charges dropped, or see evidence or witness testimony change — all reasons due process matters before bail is denied 00:29:42 — Drawing the ICE parallel - Alexander argues ICE’s current enforcement approach — presuming guilt, removing people without ties to or family in the countries they’re sent to, and offering no due process — mirrors what Public Question 1 would authorize domestically - Greene agrees, and adds that how this would play out “for anybody other than a white man” could look very different, warning this puts everyone on a path similar to ICE’s enforcement model - Both hosts conclude their recommended vote is no 00:32:09 — Caller Imhotep: misdemeanors, private prisons, and the marijuana-legalization data - Imhotep, drawing on family members who work as attorneys, argues the criminal justice system’s daily caseload is driven by misdemeanors and petty crimes, not major felonies — meaning this referendum’s effects would “leak down” into minor cases far more than advertised - Connects the push to the private-prison industry (citing CCA, a major private-prison operator) and its need for high occupancy to stay profitable, noting ICE enforcement has helped supply bodies to private facilities - Cites reported prison- and jail-population drops of 50–70% in states like Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada after marijuana legalization as evidence the private-prison industry has a financial incentive to find other ways to keep facilities full - Also raises concerns about a local public-affairs program (a prior day’s broadcast featuring Indianapolis City-County Council President Maggie Lewis) not asking tough questions about Flock camera use, the Dalys Jett investigation, and an incident involving a young man removed from a public forum 00:36:54 — Judge retention votes, explained - Alexander: in addition to the bail question, voters will see judge retention questions — a yes/no on whether to keep a sitting judge, not a vote for new candidates, since Marion County judges aren’t electe

    Concerned Clergy Podcast October 7, 2026

  4. Oct 1

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
See All (37)

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
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Progressive Indiana Network
  • Show Website
    Concerned Clergy Podcast