For months, Fort Wayne City Councilman Mitch Harper, R-4th, has asked the Henry administration for monthly financial statements to help the council make wise spending decisions.

At first, the administration ignored his requests, prompting him to have the council pass an ordinance this year requiring such statements. To date, the administration has yet to comply.

Harper on Tuesday again attacked the administration for failing to provide the data, which he said is common for any non-profit or neighborhood organization to receive at every meeting. For the first time, however, Harper wasn’t alone in his complaints.

Councilman John Shoaff, D-at large, told the administration he agrees with Harper that the reports should be delivered as required by law. Councilman Tom Smith, R-1st, said the failure to provide the reports was “the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen the administration deal with.”

“I’m glad I’m not the controller,” he said.

Rebecca Karcher, spokeswoman for Mayor Tom Henry, said a report for March should be provided to the council this week and the April report will follow May 21. She said it took the controller time to create the reports, prompting the delay.

Daniels vs. Bauer

In the parade of news conferences the day after state legislators failed to pass a budget, Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and Democratic House Speaker Pat Bauer exchanged a series of criticisms in a verbal sparring match.

So who had the best zinger? You decide.

Daniels on Bauer:

“Speaker Bauer said to me yesterday morning ‘we come from different worlds.’ I thought to myself, ‘that’s true. I come from the real world.’ ”

Then there was this gem in response to a charge from Bauer that Daniels kept raising the budget bar – “Well, wrong again. Let me choose a polite word: prevarication, invention, maybe hallucination. He’s been under a lot of pressure.”

Bauer on Daniels:

He called the unemployment bill an impossible dream come true done without the aid of the governor.

“He wasn’t there on that one, by the way. Of course, you know that. Did you find him? Have you seen him? Is he back? From wherever he’s been? Is he back? Oh, yeah, he came back yesterday to blow it up?”

Another variation on that theme:

“Someone at the end came in – he was gone for the entire session – and he came in and he sort of lassoed, tied up, his party here in the House. I know what you’re saying, you’re saying it to yourselves, that’s the caucus of ‘no’ over there led by the nowhere man. He was nowhere. So be it.”

Honoring colleagues

The Indiana Senate passed several resolutions and laws this session honoring former members of the chamber.

For instance, they recommended to the Indiana State Police superintendent that the Elkhart County State Police post be named after Robert Meeks, who left the Senate last year after 20 years. He also served 20 years with the Indiana State Police.

The Senate passed resolutions urging the Indiana Department of Transportation to rename a portion of the Hoosier Heartland Corridor Highway in Cass County the Sen. Thomas K. Weatherwax Highway and a section of U.S. 33 in Elkhart County the Sen. Marvin D. Riegsecker Memorial Highway.

Weatherwax decided not to seek re-election in 2008 after serving 24 years in the legislature. Riegsecker lost a battle with cancer in September.

The General Assembly this year also passed a law naming an educational technology fund in honor of Sen. David Ford, who died last year from pancreatic cancer.

More council ‘fun’

The City Council did more than just criticize Mayor Henry last week. Here are a few highlights:

•Councilmen Smith and Shoaff, the only current members of the council who opposed Harrison Square, both donned TinCaps hats at last week’s meeting. Shoaff admitted he hadn’t been to a game but has toured Parkview Field.

•Councilman Tim Pape, D-5th, left the meeting early, again. This time he left during the public-comment period while a resident was telling the council about concerns about the city’s tree trimming. To be fair, the man’s presentation wasn’t exactly succinct and pointed.

•Council members Tom Didier, R-3rd, and Karen Goldner, D-2nd, both abstained from voting on different issues without giving a reason at the council table, a practice growing in frequency among council members.

•The council spent nearly a half-hour discussing the best way to make meetings shorter. Although it didn’t work Tuesday, it could provide benefits in the future.

Save our schools

A week after East Allen County Schools Superintendent Kay Novotny released a final proposal to consolidate schools in the district, battle lines are already being drawn.

New Haven Mayor Terry McDonald made it clear last week what he thinks about the proposal that would close New Haven Middle School, possibly close Monroeville and Hoagland elementary schools, and convert Paul Harding High School into a tech school.

“New Haven-Adams Township is getting shortchanged,” he said during the city’s council meeting Tuesday night. “I find it unacceptable that the city of New Haven and Adams Township, the No. 1 taxing supporter (in the district), will lose any schools.”

McDonald urged the city council to share its thoughts on the proposal with school board members.

Amanda Iacone of The Journal Gazette contributed to this column.