Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Auditor Attempts To Block Ballard From Illegally Wiring $6 Million To Blue Indy
WISH-TV is reporting that Mayor Greg Ballard's office illegally initiated a $6 million wire transfer from city accounts to a Regions Bank escrow account for the benefit of Blue Indy without first obtaining Marion Co. Auditor Julie Voorhies' authorization and without an appropriation made by the City-County Council for that purpose. Voohies sent a letter to Regions Bank advising it the administration had not followed Indiana law and requesting that it freeze the account.
The Ballard administration attempted to circumvent the clearly-established legal requirements by having the rubber-stamp Board of Public Works approve a $6 million payment from excess funds it says was already appropriated in this year's budget from several accounts, including the city's parking meter fund and not spent for other purposes within its budget. The council insists the Department of Public Works' current appropriation authority does not authorize such an expenditure.
WISH-TV's Bennett Haeberle has a hilarious conversation with two of my neighbors, Helen and Bobby Small, who had twice unsuccessfully attempted to test drive a Blue Indy car. Helen explained to Haeberle that Blue Indy has no local call center to support the service and when she tried to communicate at one of the electric car sharing service's kiosks via Internet satellite hook-up to Blue Indy support personnel in Paris, France to sign up for the service, the connection froze and prevented her from completing the transaction. I think I've only seen three of these cars in use in the downtown area since the service went live on September 2, and I'm unsure whether the cars were being driven by a Blue Indy employee.
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14 comments:
oh and they talk about democrats r looking for welfare.. it look like some republicans like to give money away and help their friends and lie and cheat
...and the parking meeters are as high a sin.. and he privatised it...what a jerk ..fm crystal
Finally, this is it.
A violation of federal money-laundering laws. Finally, the U.S. Attorney has clear jurisdiction and a live violation. If the transfer never occurs, the Ballard Boys still engaged in conspiracy to commit money laundering.
For the readers who are unfamiliar with the money-laundering laws, almost any improper movement of money triggers money-laundering jurisdiction.
My Facebook Page Stop Blue Indy NOW lights up anew with this news that Marion County Auditor Julie Voorhies sent a letter to Regions Bank advising that Greg Ballard administration had not followed Indiana law and requesting that Regions freeze the account. Not that this is "new news" when it comes to the shady Ballard and the many crony deals- quite a few reported to be "pay to play". Surely, it cannot be that only Councilors Scales and Adamson get just how deeply angry Indianapolis residents are over Greg Ballard's most recent illegal crony deal???
Again, thank you Gary for keeping the white hot light shining on Mr. Ballard's criminal and civil law breaking Blue Indy rental car business!
LIKE "Car 54" I shout "WHERE ARE YOU, MR. CURRY?!?"
And in light of your neighbor's two failed attempts to test drive the tiny Blue Indy cars, I am laughing- no, roaring- out loud at the Kyle Walker's back room chosen Republican Candidate for Ballard Term Three, Mr. Chuck Brewer, who proclaimed "Blue Indy" would be a success and, in essence, the thousands of Indy residents against it would eventually love it. When pigs fly, sir, when pigs fly.
At least Illinois puts their crooked politicians in jail after they are caught. Indiana does nothing.
So, what can citizens actually do?
At a minimum, citizens should boycott the service as a form of protest against the illegal manner in which our corrupt mayor awarded the monopoly business to the French company. I would get in Joe Hogsett's face about it since he's going to be the next mayor and so far has indicated he isn't going to do a damn thing to unwind the illegal agreement.
How come BlueIndy gets City-funded curbside rental stations but Hertz doesn't?
Great points both, Gary (7:48), regarding boycotting Greg Ballard's blatantly illegal Blue Indy rental car business and "getting in Joe Hogsett's face".
Boycotting shouldn't be too difficult for a battery powered rental car business that is already proved to be very expensive, very unreliable, and very much hated by the taxpayers whose neighborhoods are threatened, whose free parking spaces were stolen by Greg Ballard, and who were also "forced" to finance Mr. Ballard's special interest deal.
I, too, believe Mr. Hogsett will be Indianapolis' next mayor. Democrat Mr. Hogsett has a real duty to the people of this City as both a candidate and the probable next mayor to make a definitive statement about what he will or will not do about Blue Indy
Sadly, I fear the Democrat candidate will do absolutely nothing about Blue Indy. As the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Mr. Hogsett did absolutely nothing about the covert and overt corruption endemic to Indianapolis politics and especially part and parcel of the Greg Ballard Administration. It is often said the past is prologue to the future.
I propose civil disobedience: unplug the cars when you see them in their gifted parking spaces.
Official Misconduct - IC 35-44.1-1-1 Sec. 1. A public servant who knowingly or intentionally: (1) commits an offense in the performance of the public
servant's official duties; commits official misconduct, a Level 6 felony.
Time for the State Board of Accounts to refer to the prosecutor.
Anon 8:56 has the best idea! It would be too funny if everytime one was found plugged into a charging station, it was unplugged by passersby.
856 & 1146, like the idea, but soon thereafter you will see more tax dollars wasted when cops are forced to monitor these sites and install those fancy digital cameras to deter your "crimes". Just give it a year or two with sky high prices and crummy service they Won't be in business long.
Where is city councilor Scales on this?
"How come BlueIndy gets City-funded curbside rental stations but Hertz doesn't?"
Considering what Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, etc. pay IAA for the privilege of having access to the airport, why aren't there lawsuits filed? Oh right if they did, IAA would kick them out of the airport. Considering IAA filed lawsuits to shut down off-airport parking (but lost!), kicking out car rentals would not be much of a stretch.
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