Parking Rates At Airport Raised; Politicians Still Park For Free

Faced with higher costs from a fancy new airport terminal and declining revenues, the Indianapolis Airport Authority is raising parking rates from between 12% to nearly 30% in an effort to boost revenues by $4 million. The biggest percentage increase will be paid by those choosing the cheapest parking at the airport in the economy lot. The politicians, including city-county councilors, state lawmakers and other selected state and local officials, will continue to receive free parking privileges at the airport in the covered garage next to the terminal. I guess this is another one of those tax increases that will only be paid by outsiders. Right?

Hero's Welcome For Lockerbie Terrorist's Return To Libya

The man who helped blow up a jetliner 21 years ago over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 persons, including 189 Americans, receives a hero's welcome from thousands of his fellow Muslims. When Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi stepped off the jet the country's leader dispatched to bring him home to Triipoli, Libyan Prsident Gadhafi's son personally escorted him off the plane with the roaring approval of the thousands waving flags who gathered to welcome him home. President Barack Hussein Obama pleaded with Libyan officials to avoid this very scene after his pleas to Scottish officials not to release him failed. Scottish officials decided to release Megrahi from prison early because he is dying of prostate cancer. Megrahi denies he committed the crime of which he was convicted. He served only eight years of a life sentence for his crime. Meanwhile, back in America, a 17-year-old Rifqa Bary pleads with her fellow Americans to understand that she will be murdered by her own family because she committed one of the worst conceivable acts in Islam--she converted to Christianity. Bary ran away from her home in Columbus, Ohio to Florida after fearing her life would be taken by the hands of her own father.

Indy Ranks In Top Five Cities For Dogfighting

Indianapolis now has another negative distinction. We rank among the top five cities in the country for illegal dogfighting. WRTV's Renee Jameson brings the news:

"The number of raids on dogfighting operations has doubled since the Vick case. The number of new laws is 26, including both state and federal, including a new law in Indiana, which makes it a felony to be a spectator in an animal fight," said John Goodwin with the Humane Society of the United States.

Indianapolis ranks among the top five cities in the country for dogfighting, which authorities attribute to its central location.

Indianapolis Animal Care and Control launched an Animal Cruelty Task Force two years ago and have since uncovered dogfighting rings in the city, officials said.

"Everything is so secretive. The only way to catch them is actually in the act," said lead investigator Lt. Jerry Bippus. "You got your other crimes to go along with it. You've got your drug dealing. You've got your weapons. And then you have gambling. That's what dogfighting is. It's all about the gambling."

Bippus said puppies bred from dogfighting champions can fetch up to $20,000.

Authorities said if people suspect dogfighting they should look for ownership of several dogs, tires or other items suspended from trees to provide jaw-strengthening activities and a treadmill, used to train dogs for fighting.

It's Time To Play The Conspiracy Card Again

Have you ever noticed how Democrats play the "vast right wing conspiracy" card whenever the truth is more than they can bear? Hillary Clinton played that card when her husband's serial adultery started to catch up with him. The media took up her cause and set out to assist she and Bill Clinton in destroying anyone who dared to aid in the government's case against her husband for perjury and obstruction of justice. After the body count piled up on the Republican side, Bill finally gave a half-hearted admission that he had done something wrong but said he only lied to protect his family. Yeah, right.

Last year, anyone who dared point up Barack Hussein Obama's undeniable Muslim heritage or simply uttered his given middle name was branded an anti-Muslim bigot shamelessly trying to link Obama to terrorists and questioning his patriotism. People seeking relevant information about the natural-born status of a would-be president, who at one time or another has held citizenship to three nations, were branded "right wing conspiracists" and derogatorily dubbed "birthers" for asking Obama to produce his original birth certificate and any foreign passports he has held during his lifetime. Continued stonewalling and the expenditure of millions of dollars on attorneys by Obama has so far succeeded in denying answers to the American people on that small matter we refer to as "constitutional eligibility."

Now we turn to health care. The American people see Obama's health care plan for what it is: socialized medicine. As opposition grows amid many unanswered questions by Obama and the Democratic proponents of his big government health care plan, out comes the "vast right wing conspiracy" card. The Washington Times reports on who Obama is blaming for opposition to his health care plan:

President Obama took to the conservative airwaves Thursday to charge that Republican leaders are engaged in a vast right-wing conspiracy to kill health care reform in order to repeat the 1994 mid-term takeover of Congress, which followed the defeat of President Clinton's reform plan.

"I think early on, a decision was made by the Republican leadership that said, 'Look, let's not give him a victory, maybe we can have a replay of 1993, '94, when Clinton came in, he failed on health care and then we won in the mid-term elections and we got the majority. And I think there are some folks who are taking a page out that playbook," the president said.

Appearing on the Michael Smerconish radio show, Mr. Obama said he would "love to have more Republicans engaged and involved in this process," but he vowed to win the battle, with or without support from the minority party in Congress.

"I guarantee you, Joe, we are going to get health care reform done," he said to one caller. "I know there are a lot of people out there who've been handwringing, and folks in the press are following every little twist and turn of the legislative process, but having a big bill like this is always messy."

I've got news for you, folks. The Republicans are so dysfunctional these days they couldn't possibly get their act together to organize anything against Obama or the Democratic Party. The Republican Party hasn't been behind the tea parties. And it certainly isn't behind the folks showing up at town hall meetings to bitch about what Obama's health care plan may or may not mean to them. In case Obama hasn't noticed, his party has overwhelming majorities in both houses of Congress, including a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. If he's having trouble passing his plan, it's a sure bet that more than a handful of members in his own party are having doubts about his plan. With the news media overwhelmingly on his side, the vast right wing conspiracy theory is always a safe card to play. Let's not let the truth get in the way when a lie will work.

Ballard Wants To Tap Rainy Day Fund To Aid Billionaire Simons

Would someone tell me when Mayor Greg Ballard reaches the bottom? Another day brings new outrage at his blatant hypocrisy. The man who ran against higher taxes and in favor of transparency in government is suggesting that the City consider tapping $16 million in rainy day funds to help provide an additional $15 million a year subsidy to the billionaire owners of the Indiana Pacers. [See below--the original blog poster IBJ's Anthony Schoettle is now contradicting his earlier blog post] The IBJ's Anthony Schoettle blogs today about the mayor's idea amidst skepticism from council members:

City-County Council President Bob Cockrum said it’s not an ideal time for the Pacers to come looking for help, but added that he is open to listening to the concerns of team officials and the city’s Capital Improvement Board, which is charged with overseeing Conseco Fieldhouse.

“The problem is, where does the money come from?” Cockrum said. “There’s certainly nothing in the Municipal Corporations Committee [budget]. I’m sure it will be discussed in September.”

One source of the funding could be the city’s rainy day fund, an idea floated by Mayor Greg Ballard. The mayor’s proposal, sources said, is to squirrel away as much as $16 million in that fund in 2010.

The only reason the City will have any extra funds in next year's budget is because Ballard decided to make permanent Bart Peterson's 65% income tax increase, a tax increase opposed by candidate Ballard. As I've previously discussed, the so-called surplus quickly disappears when you factor out the infusion of federal dollars rolling into the City's budget, funds that are not likely to be there in the future. The 2010 budget also relies on a rosier picture for tax collections than may actually materialize.

UPDATE: Well, now Schoettle is contradicting his own words on his blog. "Mayor Ballard has not publicly suggested the rainy day fund money should be directed to the Pacers," he now writes. "In fact, he has resisted the idea of spending that money at all." "Certain member os (sic) the council, however, appear more willing to delve into that fund." Who are you to believe? At first we're told the CIB bailout includes money for the Pacers. Then we're told it's off the table. Three days after the bailout is approved by the council, we learn the subsidy to the Pacers is back on the table. I'm beginning to believe you cannot believe anyone on what their intentions are. Schoettle suggests now the mayor "has not publicly suggested" the idea. What this suggests to me is that a source from the mayor's office mentioned it to him but now doesn't want it attributed to the mayor. Just blame it on those bad councilors.

Daniels' Administration Whitewashes CIB Audit, Big Surprise

The State Board of Accounts spent about two minutes writing up this whitewash of the CIB's past audit reports mere days after Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law the new state budget that included the controversial $21 million a year tax, spend and borrow plan for the CIB. Here's what the rubber-stamp auditors at the State Board of Accounts wrote in a letter dated July 7, 2009:

We have reviewed the audit reports prepared by BKD, LLP, Independent Public Accountants, for the period January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2008. In our opinion, the audit reports were prepared in accordance with the guidelines established by the State Board of Accounts. Per the Independent Public Accountants’ opinions, the financial statements included in the reports present fairly the financial condition of the Capital Improvement Board of Managers, as of December 31, 2007 and 2008 and the results of its operations for the periods then ended, on the basis of accounting described in the reports.

The Independent Public Accountants' reports are filed with this letter in our office as a matter of public record.

Thanks for your contributiion to the CIB Ponzi scheme, Gov. Daniels. Hope your buddy Jim Morris makes all the money you set out to help him and others make at our expense.

Here's the language included in the budget bill:

The state board of accounts shall audit annually the accounts, books, and records of the board and prepare a financial report and a compliance audit report. The board shall submit to the city-county legislative body financial and compliance reports of the state board of accounts. The board shall post the reports of the state board of accounts on the board's Internet web site. The city-county legislative body shall discuss the financial and compliance reports of the state board of accounts in a public hearing.

Extortion Efforts For Pacers Stepped Up

Indianapolis city leaders assured us that a $15 million dollar a year subsidy for the Indiana Pacers was off the table when City-County Councilors last week voted on a $21 million a year tax, spend and borrow bailout scheme for the Capital Improvement Board. Three days later, we learned that was a big fat lie meant to throw off opposition to the bailout plan. The IBJ's Anthony Schoettle renews those discussions on his blog today. I'm not sure whether the extortionist in this case is CIB Vice President Pat Early, who obviously doesn't represent the public's interest on the CIB, or the Simons. Schoettle writes:

The city’s Capital Improvement Board, which owns Conseco Fieldhouse, is still trying to figure out what to do about the Indiana Pacers’ request for financial aid to the tune of $15 million for the upcoming year.

The money is not allocated in the CIB budget approved by the City-County Council earlier this month, but the issue is not dead yet.

“We’re dealing with things one at a time,” said CIB member Pat Early, who has been the point person in dealing with the Pacers. “To say absolutely, positively, the Pacers are on their own is not an accurate statement. As we work through this, we are hopeful we can be creative.”

I’m not sure what “be creative” means, and I’m not sure Early does either. But Early added that there’s no thought that the financial problems facing the small market Pacers “will simply go away.”

“The Pacers are desperate to seek solutions to get themselves closer to break even,” Early said. “We’re not closing the door on anything.”

Early gave no indication where the funds would come from, but he did say the possibility of the Pacers’ folding or moving if this situation isn’t eventually addressed is a real one. He said the team’s ownership has not made any threats or comments about moving or folding the franchise, but the team’s financial challenges dictate city leaders consider that possibility.

“Then we still have all the costs associated with owning and operating that facility and no one left to occupy or operate it,” Early said.

Either Pat Early is the worst negotiator on the face of the earth, or he is orchestrating an extortion plot against the public on behalf of the Simons to get the additional money they want to subsidize their NBA franchise--the additional money the Pacers' management deny they ever requested I might add. The more than $400 million Indianapolis taxpayers have forked over to help the Simons build their business fortune over the years just won't cut it. The CIB's current board is scheduled to be replaced next January. You can bet every effort will be made to pull off this give-away prior to the seating of a new board.

Instead of worrying about how the taxpaying public can help the Simons purchase another $25 million mansion in Bel-Air, city leaders might focus their attention on a real threat to downtown's economic future. Vacancy rates are approaching a high-water mark not seen since the early 1990s before Circle Centre Mall opened. Safeco is abandoning space on North Meridian Street now occupied by 580 employees, who are being located to the City's far northside. Eli Lilly is contracting its Indianapolis-based employment and planning to lease out space in the Faris Building. Lilly's headcount at its downtown facilities is down several thousand from five years ago. "Departures by Safeco and Lilly would dump nearly 1 million square feet of office space-the equivalent of another Chase Tower-onto a market segment that already is reeling," the IBJ's Cory Schouten reports. "Observers say office-vacancy rates could exceed the 23-percent peak of the early 1990s before the market levels off," he adds. The continued loss of downtown jobs has a much greater economic impact on downtown than the Pacers. Has somebody figured out yet that businesses don't choose to locate downtown because there is a professional football or basketball team that plays there?

"No More Country Club Politics" Mayor Accepts Free Memberships To Country Clubs

I still remember it as if it happened yesterday. It was the night of the 2007 November municipal election at the Murat where supporters of Greg Ballard were celebrating his upset win over Democrat Bart Peterson. The Mayor-elect told his cheering supporters that his election marked an end to country club politics in Indianapolis. I just obtained a copy of Mayor Ballard's economic statement of interest he filed on May 1, 2009, which was only recently uploaded to the City's ethics web page. Although Mayor Ballard checked the box next to the word "NO" when asked if he had accepted "any entertainment, food, drink, honoraria, travel expenses and registration fees from a person who has a business relationship with any city/county agency department", an addendum attached to his statement belies that assertion. In the addendum, Mayor Ballard states, "I have been given a membership to the Columbia Club downtown and also the Highland and Woodstock clubs." He adds,"Although I have yet to play golf as a member at Highland or Woodstock, I may play in the future."

Well, isn't that special? The man who promised to end country club politics has accepted free memberships to three private clubs. I don't know what it costs today, but I recall that it used to cost as much as $50,000 to get a club membership at Highland. Woodstock's membership similarly costs in the tens of thousands of dollars to join. And the Columbia Club membership is worth a couple of thousand dollars a year. If he declared all these free gifts on his income tax return, he couldn't afford to pay the taxes on his mayoral salary.

There's still more. Ballard accepted two leather jackets from Rolls-Royce valued at $500. He accepted Celine Dion concert tickets from the Pacers valued at $500. Although he doesn't disclose the value of all the free tickets he, his wife and family receive, his addendum states:

Moreover, I make it a point to participate in as many activities as possible because it is important to lend official support to productive members of the community. Attendance at such functions is often necessary to further the City's economic development interests. Therefore, I regularly attend sporting events, including Colts, Indians, and Pacer games and the Indianapolis 500, as well as cultural events, such as Dance Kaleidoscope.
Tickets to events at properties managed by the Capital Improvement Board are often made available to the City. Additionally, the Pacers provide the City with four near court side tickets, and the Indians provide the City with four seats behind home plate. My staff and I routinely distribute suite tickets to employees and community groups so that more can enjoy those activities. From time to time, I use these tickets because I am an ardent supporter of our local teams.
Finally, this year, I attended the Super Bowl in support of the City's preparations for the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. This trip was funded by the Super Bowl Committee. My economic development trip to Japan was funded by the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC), with funds designated for economic development. Finally, I also attended the NCAA Final Four this year at personal expense, although the tickets were provided by the NCAA.

There you have it, folks. Our mayor has been totally taken in by the perks of office. He may have a cavalier attitude about accepting free tickets, trips and country club memberships, but I can assure you that you cannot accept all of these freebies and claim it doesn't influence your decision-making. Those court-side tickets to the Pacer games would cost you or me several hundred dollars a pop. The value of his free tickets to sporting events easily reach into the thousands of dollars annually, none of which are individually disclosed on the Mayor's statement of economic interest. In fact, his statement actually states he accepted nothing in excess of $100 value from anyone doing business with the city or county. That may be attributable to the numerous loopholes included in the City's ethics ordinance. For example, "gifts, favors, services, entertainment, food, drink, travel expenses or registration expenses from public agencies or institutions" are exempt from disclosure. I suppose if the CIB and the City get corporate suites to use for the Colts and Pacers games, along with free tickets, and give them to the politicians, they don't feel obliged to report these as gifts under this loophole. As far as I'm concerned, however, these are gifts from the Simons' Pacers and the Colts' Jim Irsay.

What is happening as a result of all of these freebies is that Mayor Ballard and his family are living well beyond what his mayoral salary of $102,000 would otherwise support. Is it any wonder that he's now for whatever the people who've bestowed all of these generous gifts on him support? For a guy who ran on the meme of "I'm just a common person like you", he's doing a hell of a job of being like one of them.

Jackie Nytes' Payoff Comes Quickly

The administration of Mayor Greg Ballard wasted no time in delivering the payoff to the CDC which employs City-County Councilor Jackie Nytes in consideration for her sole vote among Democratic councilors in support of the $21 million a year tax, spend and borrow bailout plan for the Capital Improvement Board. The administration puts out this press release today announcing the $1 million grant to the Mapleton-Fall Creek CDC, which employs Nytes as its executive director:

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."

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.

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.

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."