Mayor makes terrorist remark

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WANE) - On Tuesday, Huntington Mayor Steve Updike gave his annual State of the City Address to a crowd at the local Huntington Rotary Club meeting.
 

The city budget was the hot topic, but this quote has caused some concern, it was printed in the Herald Press on Wednesday.
 

"They're like a little Taliban. They're pecking on the sides of you saying, 'You need to do this...,Stay out of it. Stay out of my city business, okay?" said Mayor Steve Updike.

"In this day and age you cannot call people who disagree with you a terrorist," said Huntington blogger Gary Snyder.
 

Some people thought Mayor Updike directed that quote at the people of Huntington. He would not talk to Newschannel 15 on camera, but he told us over the phone, that comment was meant for two to three people who live in Huntington County that he has had problems with in the past.

"A few negative people who aren't even members of the city of Huntington and don't pay taxes in the city of Huntington and that's who he was referring to," said Huntington City Council member Steve McIntyre.

Huntington blogger Gary Snyder and Huntington Democratic Party Chair Ken Zuk believe they are two of those people. They said the comment was directed at them, but they don't believe that makes it any better.

" (It's) actually directed at a lot more people than he thinks," said Democratic Party Chair Ken Zuk.

"This isn't the first time he's had an episode like this," said Snyder.

"This train's getting ready to leave the depot, and if you ain't on it, you're going to be left out," said Updike.

Mayor Updike made that comment at a public meeting in August. It was directed at people who were against a possible annexation in Huntington. Mayor Updike apologized for the comment, but Zuk says enough is enough.

"There are plenty, plenty of very capable competent people to replace him that are in the Republican Party, and I call on them to do the right thing, said Zuk.

City Council member Steve McIntyre doesn't think that's necessary. He says the pressure of the job may have something to do with these comments.

"When you're trying to do a good job it's hard to move forward and do a good job when people are pulling you back to stop you to tell you hey make sure you do a good job," said McIntyre.

In the Herald Press' story on Wednesday, the reporter wrote that Mayor Updike's quote was directed at some people in the city of Huntington. But Thursday Mayor Updike wrote a letter to the editor clearing that up.

Also, the Mayor told Newschannel 15 Thursday night a retraction to the original story will be in Friday's Herald Press.