Latest news with #ChevyTahoeHighCountry
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Combat Banks, Beckwith, Rokita stunts with earnestness
When a fired federal worker approached Sen. Jim Banks on his way to an elevator earlier this month, Banks saw an opportunity. You can see Banks' face processing the situation. He knew he was on video and had a chance to go viral — but only if he acted like a jerk. Banks was up to the challenge. 'You probably deserved it,' Banks tells a man identified as Mack Schroder of his firing. 'Why did I deserve it?" the man asks. 'Because you seem like a clown,' Banks said. The doors close. Annnnnnd … scene. Cue the rage bait. Cue Banks changing his social media profile to a photo of his face inside the elevator. Cue Banks telling the world he "won't back down" from being mean to strangers. Briggs: Micah Beckwith and his Indiana DOGE bros are livin' large This is what you get when narcissists turn the public sector into an online fandom. You get Banks establishing dominance through public humiliation, an approach he'd presumably frown on for his children. You get Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith responding to criticism of his $88,000 taxpayer-funded 2025 Chevy Tahoe High Country by rolling up to the Statehouse in a Tesla Cybertruck as a troll. You get Attorney General Todd Rokita standing next to a pride flag on April Fool's Day to demean people who are different from him. These Republican leaders have drowned their humanity inside made-for-MAGA personas engineered to generate likes and shares. They are not working for you. They are insecure men laboring to fill up balloons of self-importance. Thankfully, it's not all leaders — and not all Republicans. Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen, a Republican, responded to Beckwith's Cybertruck stunt with a social media post redirecting the conversation to public service. "I wake up everyday thinking, 'Am I doing the best I can today to better the lives of those I serve?' I hope all our leaders in Indiana do the same," Jensen said. State Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis, offered a more direct response, standing in front of the Cybertruck for a video. "I would just say, you know, Mr. Lieutenant Governor, please focus on the things that matter," Gore said. "I carefully reviewed the Indiana constitution and Indiana code and trolling Hoosiers doesn't appear anywhere in your job responsibilities, but serving them does." Gore's video strikes the right tone, unlike a previous social media post he made cursing at Beckwith, part of an odd new profane trend in Democratic politics. Democrats can't beat Republicans by out-performing their incivility, but they do need to do something. I was critical of Democrats for not pressuring Republicans enough on accountability as Secretary of State Diego Morales flaunts his corruption. Gore's Cybertruck video shows the way. He's the right messenger because he authored House Bill 1518, bipartisan legislation that requires the state to buy base, non-luxury vehicles and would prevent excessive SUV purchases like those made by Beckwith and Morales. It's awaiting Gov. Mike Braun's signature. Gore's approach combats Beckwith's stunt with substance and earnestness. Democrats need to do more of that. Briggs: Diego Morales is rubbing our faces in his corruption. Impeach him now. It probably won't win over Republican base voters who cheer on Banks, Beckwith and Rokita, and it might not win any elections in the short term. But upright public conduct is not a means to an end. Democrats can model public service for its own sake while pointing out how Republicans are falling short. As I wrote above, not all Republicans are failing. Jensen is a strong, pragmatic leader in Noblesville. I've heard from other Republicans at various levels of government who lament the behaviors of the party's statewide elected officials and hold themselves to higher standards. I hope the Jensens of Indiana eventually prevail over the Republican Party. For now, though, the most prominent Indiana Republicans are more attracted to the public stage than the behind-the-scenes grind of governance. They are tearing down others to build themselves up. Democrats can be the party that holds basic human decency as strength and cruelty as weakness. Contact James Briggs at 317-444-4732 or Follow him on X and Bluesky at @JamesEBriggs. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beckwith's car, Banks' elevator and politics of narcissism | Opinion
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
$90K taxpayer-funded SUVs raise eyebrows, questions. Here's what to know
IndyStar reported this week that two taxpayer-funded luxury SUVs purchased by the offices of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Secretary of State Diego Morales were raising eyebrows at the Indiana statehouse. Those purchases would have been more heavily scrutinized if a recently passed, bipartisan bill heading to Gov. Mike Braun's desk had already been in effect. House Bill 1518 makes it harder for most state officials to use taxpayer money to buy cars from luxury or semi-luxury brands. It also requires car purchases to be a base, standard or government model of a car unless granted an exemption by the state. It was spurred in part by Morales' purchase. Here's everything you need to know. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith drives to the Indiana statehouse in a 2025 Chevy Tahoe High Country SUV, which cost taxpayers just less than $88,000 when the state bought it in February, IndyStar's Hayleigh Colombo reported. The High Country is the top trim level of the SUV. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales drives a taxpayer-funded $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali purchased last summer. Beckwith responded to the IndyStar report to defend the purchase, saying his office has already saved the state money and that his team of large men needs the large vehicle. Read both of those stories below, along with an opinion piece on the response by Opinion Editor James Briggs. IndyStar's original report: New $90K taxpayer-funded SUVs for Diego Morales, Micah Beckwith raise eyebrows at the Statehouse Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith responds: Beckwith says he's cutting spending in his office after facing criticism over $88K SUV Briggs: Micah Beckwith and his Indiana DOGE bros are livin' large | Opinion The choice of Kelley Automotive Group, which has donated nearly $375,000 to Indiana Republican-aligned committees and candidates since 2017, raised questions for some people who were already scrutinizing Morales' use of tax dollars to purchase a $90,000 premium SUV last year. Already this fiscal year, the state has spent nearly $15 million with Kelley Automotive Group, according to the Indiana Transparency Portal. The state spent nearly $10 million at Kelley Automotive Group during the previous year, and $6.4 million in the 2023 fiscal year. Read the full report below, along with James Briggs' column calling for the impeachment of Morales. Dealership ties: Diego Morales' $90K SUV came from dealership that gave him $65K in campaign donations Briggs: Diego Morales is rubbing our faces in his corruption. Impeach him now. | Opinion This story may be updated with additional reporting. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana politicians' $90K taxpayer-funded SUVs raise questions
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Micah Beckwith and his Indiana DOGE bros are livin' large
The small men governing Indiana need big cars — and they'll cut programs you depend on to afford them. "This is 'Indiana DOGE!' Best statewide team in the country," Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith boasted in January, chartering an unofficial local chapter of Elon Musk's federal cost-cutting wrecking ball club. Beckwith's since-deleted social media posts included a photo of Gov. Mike Braun, Treasurer Daniel Elliott, Secretary of State Diego Morales, Attorney General Todd Rokita, Comptroller Elise Nieshalla and Beckwith — front, center and most in focus. Even though Indiana DOGE includes one woman, make no mistake: this is man's business. Nieshalla is apparently confined to the office while the DOGE bros hit the town in taxpayer-funded land yachts. IndyStar on Wednesday reported Beckwith is driving a top-of-the-line 2025 Chevy Tahoe High Country SUV that cost the state about $88,000. When asked to explain the purchase, Beckwith said he and the boys can't possibly make do with anything less. "We needed a car that was big enough for the guys on my team, because the previous lieutenant governor (Suzanne Crouch) had a smaller car, because she had a bunch of women that would travel with her, and we got some big guys that go with us," Beckwith told IndyStar. "And so I said, 'Hey, I've got to have something that's good for three or four guys.' And so when you start looking at those models, I mean, the price gets up there when you're talking about a new car." Now, I don't know the heights and weights of Beckwith's big-guy roster, and I'm not sure whether Indiana's new public access counselor would consider that public record, but I do have insight into third-row vehicles as a father of young children. I think Beckwith probably could have found a better deal. I drive a spacious Volkswagen Atlas, for example, and it cost about half the price of Beckwith's top-trim Tahoe. My family also has a minivan, which, while admittedly not very masculine, is designed with maximum efficiency — DOGE! — to hold lots of teammates. Briggs: The Braun-Beckwith plan to abolish Carmel OK, sure, you can't expect Beckwith to drive a vehicle built for soccer moms. But this is America and there's a huge selection of large SUVs on the market, many of which cost less than $88,000 — even in 2025. That includes the highly rated Kia Telluride, which starts well under $40,000. If Beckwith really wanted to project DOGE vibes and also buy American, he could have thrown down for a Tesla Cybertruck, starting at $80,000. In fairness, though, it must be hard for someone of Beckwith's stature to find a car that costs less than my childhood home, because Morales' ride cost even more. Morales acquired a $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali designed to "immerse yourself in luxury," as IndyStar reported. Morales' vehicular excess hasn't gotten as much attention as Beckwith's because, at this point, everyone takes for granted that the secretary of state is irredeemably corrupt and Republicans aren't willing to hold him accountable. News of Morales' sweet ride comes as people are trying to figure out why Indiana's top elections official just spent 10 days in India on a sketchy "economic development" mission unrelated to his job and won't say who paid for it. Nothing Morales does surprises anyone anymore, because he has an impossibly long list of dubious behavior, including (probably) voting illegally, lying about his resume, mischaracterizing his military record, hiring his brother-in-law to a six-figure state salary while also giving him and other employees generous bonuses. Meanwhile, Braun is getting a state-funded helipad at his Jasper residence. A helipad! At his house! It would be kind of funny if the DOGE bros weren't demanding everyone else do more with less. Briggs: Mike Braun deserves every minute of his new political hell When news came out earlier this year that Braun's proposed property tax cuts would cost schools and local governments tens of millions of dollars each, the governor played a tough guy. 'Almost all of them are saying that they can't do without what they're having now. I would say, prove it,' Braun said of school districts during a Feb. 4 press briefing. 'Prove it that you didn't salt away a lot, that you didn't overburden the taxpayer by maybe making investments in buildings that weren't needed or other things that weren't essential.' "Prove it," Braun said. Prove you haven't been wasting money on "things that weren't essential," Braun said. Like a helipad? Former Gov. Eric Holcomb didn't need that. Like an $88,000 Chevy Tahoe High Country SUV? Crouch didn't need that. Like a $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali? Former Secretary of State Holli Sullivan didn't need that. Ah, but Indiana DOGE has masculine energy. The DOGE bros need big cars, heated steering wheels and quick access to helicopters. They don't care how many state budget cuts they need to make to eliminate unnecessary frills, as long as they get to keep theirs. Contact James Briggs at 317-444-4732 or Follow him on X and Bluesky at @JamesEBriggs. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Micah Beckwith brought an $88,000 car because he's a man | Opinion
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indiana Lt. Gov. announces spending cuts — along with taxpayer-funded car buy
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith talks at a town hall in Franklin March 31, 2025. (Photo from Beckwith's official X account) 'Mass spending cuts' to Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith's office have offset the taxpayer-funded purchase of a luxury car, according to a Wednesday news release. But he has also asked cash-strapped budget writers for other boosts, and told local governments to do more with less in a move to bring property tax cuts. The office said it's canceled a $195 subscription to the New York Times, renegotiated a contract to save $15,000 and won't renew almost $150,000 in other contracts. The services were for professional development, graphic design, social media and image hosting. Beckwith said when he came into office he asked his team to look for items and services that could be cut immediately. 'I knew there would be wasteful spending left over from the previous administration. Fiscal responsibility isn't just about numbers — it's about ensuring … that taxpayer money is going to essential services to Hoosiers.' 'One major purchase,' however, was a new car. The 2025 Chevy Tahoe High Country SUV cost taxpayers just under $88,000 when purchased in February, the Indianapolis Star reported shortly before Beckwith sent his release on cuts. The High Country is the SUV's most expensive model, with more features than lower-trim versions. The office noted that price tag is less than what it's saved through contracts. 'Overall, the Lt. Governor's office has already saved the state money,' Beckwith said in the release. The previous administration's car was in multiple collisions and had mechanical issues, according to the release, and wouldn't have been able to 'accommodate' Beckwith and his staffers for town hall trips and community leader meetings. 'We needed a car that was big enough for the guys on my team, because the previous lieutenant governor had a smaller car, because she had a bunch of women that would travel with her, and we got some big guys that go with us,' Beckwith told the Indianapolis Star. 'And so I said, 'Hey, I've got to have something that's good for three or four guys.' And so when you start looking at those models, I mean, the price gets up there when you're talking about a new car.' The release noted that, when the office submitted a request for a vehicle meeting its needs, it was given just two options by the Indiana Department of Administration. Legislation moving through the Statehouse now would have added greater scrutiny to that purchase. House Bill 1518 requires that the state buy or lease only base, standard or 'government' models, and bars luxury or semi-luxury vehicle brands if non-luxury alternatives use the same vehicle platform. Vehicles for Indiana State Police, the governor and short-term use are exempt. The Indiana Department of Administration can also grant an exception if it's 'necessary' for an agency's 'intended use.' Rep. Justin Moed, D-Indianapolis, filed the legislation after Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales's office used taxpayer funds to buy a $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali over the summer. Beckwith has also raised eyebrows for big asks from budget builders trying to navigate falling revenue and rising expenses. He requested to nearly double his office's budget to nearly $9.5 billion for each of the next two years — mostly to support faith-based initiatives, the Indianapolis Star reported. He also asked for more spending for agencies he oversees — even as Gov. Mike Braun has called on cabinet secretaries to identify 5% in savings across agencies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
