By Terry James
BLOOMINGTON – The latest candidate for Bloomington Mayor is calling his opponent Diana Hauman a racist.
Ian Bayne was on with WJBC’s Terry James Thursday.
“Diana Hauman who is running for mayor now – she actually, it was the only time she’s ever walked out is when we sent a black man up there to speak and I think she felt, I don’t know, I’m a little offended by it,” said Bayne.
“Are you saying she was racist?” asked James.
“That’s what I’m saying yeah,” said Bayne.
“Are you saying that Diana Hauman is a racist?” James asked again.
“You ask her why she walked out when a black man walked up there and didn’t do it when a white guy did it. You tell me,” said Bayne
We have contacted Hauman for a reaction.
Bayne is proposing lowering sales taxes, lowering property taxes and fix the streets. When asked how he would pay for these things, Bayne says he would make cuts to the budget.
However, Bayne says he will not look at the budget until he’s elected.
Update: Diana Hauman responds to being called racist.
“There’s a number of people who would be very surprised to learn that I would be considered a racist including my business partner who is a 6’6″ black man. I’ve been told by more than one person that I am color blind. I have friends across all races, nationalities. I don’t see that in myself,” said Hauman who admitted she has no idea what Bayne’s motives are.
“I think he, just a guess here, he still thinks he’s on shock radio, he’ll get people to call in and talk to him,” said Hauman.
Bayne accused Hauman of leaving a city council meeting while a black man from the radio announcer’s former station was speaking. She responded.
“I got up and left not because of the color of the man, I got up and left because the man was blatantly advertising his radio station. That’s not the forum, public comment is not the forum to advertise your business,” said Hauman.
Terry James can be reached at [email protected].
