The first project funded by the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) began today in the Mapleton-Fall Creek area of the city's near north side. Part of the $29 million in NSP funds granted to Indianapolis from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are being used to demolish a house in the 2900 block of North Park Avenue, making way for eventual new construction. "These funds are a welcomed assistance for our neighborhoods needing a boost to become vibrant again," said Mayor Greg Ballard. "I am pleased to see NSP funds being spent in a variety of ways to reduce and remove blight and help improve the quality of life for citizens throughout Marion County."Nytes has a made a career out of using government service to line her and her husband's own pockets. Will there be more government contracts for her husband's printing business like he won during the Peterson administration as a result of the yeoman's work Nytes did in helping pass his tax increases? Bear in mind that these are federal funds we are talking about. Jackie Nytes violated the Little Hatch Act when she ran for the partisan position on the City-County Council last time while employed by an entity that received federal HUD funding. Nytes had better plan to resign her position with the CDC before she runs for county office next year because she can rest assured that a complaint will be filed against her this time.
The Mapleton-Fall Creek Community Development Corporation (CDC), along with five other partners selected for projects in the NSP areas, were each awarded $1 million to begin work by the Metropolitan Development Commission. Federal guidelines dictate the funds can be used for acquisition of properties for the Indy Land Bank, acquisition for rehabilitation of properties, acquisition for new construction, demolition, rental development, financing mechanisms and administration of the funds.
The NSP funds were approved by Congress in late 2008 in an effort to help neighborhoods recover from the effects of widespread foreclosures. The Mapleton Fall Creek CDC is in the process of completing its plan for a 21 block area to be revitalized, including selective demolition, rehab of existing vacant and blighted homes, new home construction and eventual retail development. The plans also include the development three small neighborhood parks.
A public meeting is set for August 26th at Broadway United Methodist Church at 29th and Broadway at 6:30 p.m. to further the discussion on these projects. In addition to homeownership opportunities, quality rental homes will continue to be an option in the neighborhood especially given the number of duplexes in the area.
"Removing blight paves the way for building a stronger neighborhood," said
Mark Montgomery, Chairman of the Community Building Committee for the Mapleton Fall Creek CDC. "Projects like this restore hope to residents of the area who are tired of looking at abandoned houses."
Other partners in the NSP plan are the Concord Community Development Corporation, Southeast Neighborhood Development, Greater Eastside Housing Project Team, Englewood Community Development Corporation and the Michigan B&O Reinvestment Team.
On the subject of buying off and/or threatening and intimidating councilors prior to last week's tax increase vote, stories are beginning to surface of unprecedented pressure being applied to Republican councilors by the City's ruling elites. Didn't Gov. Mitch Daniels even get into the act by telephoning councilors with a not-so-subtle message for them? Didn't one councilor who planned to vote against the tax increase have his very business livelihood threatened by one of the elites if he didn't cast a vote in favor of the tax increase? And didn't another councilor break down in tears under the enormity of the pressure exerted on her. A source describes the actions taken by the proponents to win the favorable vote last week as a scene right out of the Sopranos. Are you surprised? Indianapolis is, after all, run by an organized crime syndicate, in case you hadn't noticed, even if they do have the audacity to think of themselves as "civic leaders."
12 comments:
These heavy-handed tactics need to be stopped and the way you stop them is to expose them to the light of day. The people who use these intimidation tactics can only succeed if people won't expose what they're doing. The minute people expose the intimidation the cockroaches scatter.
Indianapolis! The new home of Organized Crime!
......Um......what do we call our crime family?
.....I don't know Billy Bob.....
How about Corn HOLLY O!
Mary Lou, YOU ARE A GENIUS!
Was I supposed to be offended that powerful people used intimidation tactics? I wonder why I find myself having disdain for the intimidated instead. I have no respect for a city-county councilor who cries because she's pressured. When you know the right thing to do, there's nothing to cry over, is there? What a completely gutless caucus, crying to AI while not having the courage to name names. I can't even agree that the Governor was in any manner heavy-handed because we don't know what he said! AI turned Drudge on me - trafficking in innuendo without attribution.
none of those who were threatened will name names to AI says whoever we're talking about will get away with it. I can't even agree that the Governor was heavy-handed because I don't know the specific message he gave. Holy crap, man....AI turned Drudge/Entertainment Tonight on me! Come back when one of your folks grows a set.
I've got to tell you this story about Chris Worden. A friend of mine a couple of years ago encourages me to add a link to his blog, IPOPA. Worden supposedly really likes what I do here so he set out to do one from the Democratic perspective, or so he said then. As his blog implies, he was going to be "painfully objective." Well, the first time he wrote something ojbective that offended one of his Democratic friends he turned tail and ran from the truth as quickly as he could. Instead of being "painfully objective", the central focus of his blog became a personal attack on me or anyone else with whom he politically disagrees. My friend who originally recommended I link to his blog said he couldn't explain Chris' actions. Perhaps a prescription for Prozac might do the trick. Nobody in the Democratic Party cares what you think, Chris, and they think even less of what you have to say here.
Gary, I admire your courage. I want to hear more.
I took the time to contact two CCC members who I know. Both told me that the Governor did not call or put pressure on them.
When asked about the Fall Creek deal I was told that it has been in the works for months. It had nothing to do with the CIB.
I was told who was brought to tears. She is an emotional lady. She had a hard time dealing with the CIB issue. I can understand her tears.
Ernie, In case you hadn't noticed, the CIB deal has been in the works for more than a year. Wasn't it internal debates within the GOP caucus over the CIB that led to Coleman's decision to leave the party? There are conflicting accounts over who called whom, but suffice it to say, Gov. Daniels did speak to councilors about the deal, along with other members of the ruling elite, who exerted more pressure on them than any other issue to come before the council. Gov. Daniels told councilors the state could not take over LOS, even though it was built and is owned by the government he manages. I guess I'm not surprised that he won't accept personal accountability on this. Did he ever have to accept personal responsibility for dealing LSD out of his dorm room in college? I guess drug dealing isn't a bar to admission to the Indiana bar but past treatment for mental illness is.
If people I'm saying something defamatory about Daniels with that last comment, you need to check out a report WTHR's Roger Harvey ran back when Daniels first ran for governor:
Democrats from the Statehouse and City-County Council say Mitch Daniels needs to release all information concerning a State Police drug raid in 1970.
"I think anytime there's an arrest, indictment and conviction that the voters of Indiana deserve to know the details of what went on," says Representative Ed Mahern (D - Indianapolis).
In the past Daniels has acknowledged his consumption of marijuana while a student at Princeton University led to an arrest, two nights in jail and a $350 fine.
Mahern believes, "For it to be passed off as he was simply smoking a marijuana cigarette doesn't fully tell the story."
Eyewitness News learned the police raid happened May 14, 1970 in Cuyler Hall room 111, a two-bedroom suite where Daniels was staying with two friends.
Newspaper accounts reported that in addition to marijuana, an undercover officer bought other drugs, including LSD, during numerous visits to the room over about a three-month period. Another officer later testified he found enough marijuana there to fill two size-12 shoe boxes.
Five months later, a grand jury indicted Daniels on two counts, marijuana possession and maintaining a nuisance. The nuisance was maintaining a room for the illegal keeping and selling of narcotic drugs.
Eventually the prosecutor agreed to drop those charges and Daniels' pled guilty to a disorderly persons charge.
Daniels says the fact Democrats are focusing on it now 34 years later speaks volumes. "I think you can see this for what it is. I suppose faced with their record I would rather change the subject too. But, I wouldn't change it to a personal attack on somebody."
Daniels says over the years he's gone through at least four criminal background checks and served two Presidents.
Ellen Whitt is Daniels' campaign spokeswoman. "He's been through several background checks, has had the highest security clearance you can have for a position in federal government. I think this is a pathetic personal attack."
Paul you are absolutely right. Expose the city folks and the very ones you have been given at the local Prosecutor level, the AG level and the State Appointed Committee level.
It is very easy right now to make your point. It is all on your table right in front of you!
We did all the work, just read it!
AI,
Someone needs to ask some of the Governor's elite friends why their "pathetic attacks" on others to ruin reputations, intimidate, file false charges against people is alright especially when people took the very evidence of his friends criminal activity to him and he ignored all the while the friends gave themselves a forty year contract that all the State Agencies knew was unlawful and the GOVERNOR signed it.
The Governor knows because it was given to him in three ring binders. Ignore it and it will go away. If some folks in Indianapolis want to be painfully objective then do something about all the "pathetic" white collar crime of all the buddies helping each other out maybe the news media and whatever party might have far better things to do than worry about something 39 years ago. The Governor, the AG, the Prosecutor, the Lawyers and the bloggers could save themselves alot of time if they just do the right thing.
Clean up the fecal material in white shirts and ties!!!!!!!
The key, I Know, is to have an independent, outsider US Attorney appointed to run the Southern District of Indiana. It's never happened and all of the names the Democrats are circulating are all political insiders who will cover up the organized crime activity by our City's most influential citizens who are bilking taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars and calling it civic duty. What is going on in this town is every bit as bad as what has been taking place in Chicago. The only difference is that Chicago has had a string of U.S. Attorneys, in particular the current occupant, who have been willing to bring down the corrupt, self-dealing people in government.
AI,
You are correct in your analysis. The group of legal scholars, lawyers, business people and influential "honest" folks who helped Obama win Indiana need to call him, his Indiana contacts and his office and staff. Write him, remind him and insist in his naming a US Attorney who will get something done. Someone in Indiana who is honest and can have the ear of the President has to make the effort!
His platform was to make change and not let the same old BS continue. You all elected him and now it is time for Indiana collectively to do something about it.
If Chicago can it certainly can happen in Indianapolis but it must come from lawyers, legal scholars and such from the same mold Mr. Obama is cut from. That is the only way you will get change and things cleaned up.
Us little people who have tried got destroyed!
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