Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Ballard Illegally Diverted Storm Water Fees To Pay For Vision Fleet Contract

The extent of public corruption involved in the awarding of that one-sided, 7-year, $32 million contract to an untested, unknown company with deep political ties continues to grow. We know Mayor Greg Ballard is the person who decided that Vision Fleet would be sole-sourced the opportunity to lease a fleet of more than 400 electric and hybrid vehicles to the City of Indianapolis. We know Ballard's administration broke at least five state and local laws in the process of awarding that one-sided, no-bid contract to Vision Fleet. Now the Marion Co. Auditor has uncovered the fact that city officials have illegally diverted storm water fees, which have been raised dramatically under Ballard supposedly for flood control projects, to pay for the illegal lease agreement. From Fox 59 News:
The Marion County Auditor discovered nearly $200,000 was diverted out of a storm water fund to pay for the city’s new electric car program. A letter released Tuesday morning shows an additional $93,000 was diverted out of the same fund to cover other expenses related to the rented vehicles. Both payments, according to the Marion County Auditor, are prohibited by city law.
How many more of our public tax dollars is this corrupt mayor going to be allowed to pilfer before either a federal or state prosecutor gets off his butt and indicts this man and the city officials he employs for blatantly ignoring laws in order to financially benefit the mayor's political cronies?

19 comments:

Unigov said...

Gary, if I had to pick just one source of news for this crazy town, it'd be your blog!

Flogger said...

From Council President Maggie Lewis:

“I appreciate Auditor Voorhies bringing to the Council’s attention DPW’s potential misuse of stormwater funds to pay for new electric vehicles that are being added to the City’s fleet. The information she provided is very concerning and will be examined thoroughly.”

A very, very tepid response from Maggie. No comments from Smoking Joe Hogsett??? Hogsett's campaign ad said he cut spending every year. Lets see the Budget for White Collar Political Crime must have been zero.

Anonymous said...

Ballard should resign and leave the state.

If he sticks around, Curry and the Feds have no integrity if they don't prosecute him.

Anonymous said...

I call on Mayor Ballard to resign immediately.

Anonymous said...

The money wasn't misued, IT WAS STOLEN !!! If you take money out of a fund that you are prohibited by law from TAKING then you are STEALING.
I am none to happy to see what my water bills have risen and then to hear that the bastards are stealing my money I am pissed beyond reason.
SOMEBODY'S ASS NEED TO GO TO JAIL AND IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW!!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Unigov 12:22-- Advance Indiana is the best place for real news.

Maggie Smith is so late to the party... this gal who dresses worse than some of the late night walking chicks on E. Washington Street proves she has been totally asleep at the wheel in our CIty Council Meetings allowing CORRUPT CRIMINAL GREG BALLARD steal our precious tax dollars for his cronies.

And yes, these funds were STOLEN, not misused. Whatdya wanna bet the attorneys and attorney firms who used Ballard's ignorant self will let Goofy Greg Ballard twist in the wind alone- hopefully Ballard will make the long trek to a federal prison- while the attorneys and GOP "leaders" live in their expensive downtown digs or their gated Carmel homes?

BALLARD DISCREDITS THE ENTIRE MARION COUNTY GOP... and the stinkin' ship is going down fast. They got head rat Ryan Vaughn off in time and protected with his overpaid position at the Sports Corp.

Hogsett will say nothing... he IS Greg Ballard in a leaner but just as corrupt body.

Anonymous said...

how many signature's would it take to get Ballard out of office Good idea but he has greased enough asses this will never happen But who do we have to blame cause people reelected the crook

Anonymous said...

Let me get this straight...crony deal after crony deal. lie after lie, under the thumb of the utterly debauched Greg Ballard but the Marion County GOP villified the Honest and Honorable City Councilor Christine Scales for admirably performing her duties in protecting the best interests of her constituency and for Marion County.

I also call on Kyle Walker and Bryce Carpenter to immediately resign.

Anonymous said...

Who's name went on the checks or on the wire transfers of this stolen money?

Anonymous said...

The Marion County GOP gave about zero help in the first election of corruptocrat Greg Ballard but it was every bit the corrupt and shameful Marion County GOP/Tom John/Tool Kyle Walker/dastardly David Brooks/Bob Grand who found in Greg Ballard someone who would sell his ex-soldier soul and they took advantage of it and, of course, assisted in pushing him through into his second term.

The Marion County GOP now wants to cram Chuckie Brewer down your throat. While Lying Joe Hogsett will be no better, Chuckie Brewer will be more of the same Greg Ballard in a thinner body with thinning hair... Indianapolis loses any which way it goes with the mayoral choices given to us.

Anonymous said...

Is there a worthwhile independent candidate out there anywhere?

Anonymous said...

Am I correct that it is the U.S. Attorney's Office, southern district / Josh Minkler who should be investigating, prosecuting these crooks?

Anonymous said...

Call me crazy but if I were a Marion County Republican elected to office or running for the first time or gaming for re-election, I'd be VERY concerned how Greg Ballard's long documented graft, corruption, lawlessness, and allegiance to special interests dragged down and damaged the entire November Republican ticket specifically and the Marion County GOP in general.

The dishonest Greg Ballard is seriously damaging the electability of just about any Republican in Marion County- except perhaps the electability of Christine Scales who proves time and again she is for truth and for the people and never for the pay-to-play gang.

If I were a Marion County Republican elected to office or running for the first time or gaming for re-election I'd be VERY concerned that the executive director of the Marion County GOP and his little minion BC and almost every GOP Township Chair are so out of touch and out of their league and so out of time they should be fired and/or replaced without hesitation.

The pathetically low public image of the stereotypically crooked politician we call Greg Ballard is set in stone as the epitaph to his tenure as mayor. Stop the stench of Greg Ballard now. Some say Ballard is contemplating a run for another office, maybe a state wide office (does the guy's ego really extend that far??)... Greg Ballard is the perfect example what Indianapolis, the Hoosier State, and the Republican Party do not need.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous 9:59, Chuck Brewer is your candidate if you want REAL change.

Anonymous said...

WIBC's Tony Katz is calling for someone's "head on a pike."

Anonymous said...

Chuckie Brewer will bring about REAL change, Anon 7:49?!? Seriously?? HAHAHA The guy who personifies Marion County GOP insider politics? The guy with multiple residences/multiple addresses who would better be suited running for mayor of Chicago using another of his addresses... LOL Now THAT has me ROTFLMAO. Not a chance.... not a chance.

Anonymous said...

Christine Scales please....!!!!

Sir Hailstone said...

"Some say Ballard is contemplating a run for another office, maybe a state wide office"

Assuming he'd collect the needed petition signatures, he'd never get past a statewide primary. There's enough animosity towards Indianapolis out in the primary active red areas that it would require a brokered State Convention similar to what was attempted with Jon Costas and Greg Zoeller to get Hizzoner on a statewide ballot.

Anonymous said...

Please, someone with sufficient infomation, click the link and make a request to The Department of Justice Public Integrity Section (PIN) which oversees the federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government. Section attorneys prosecute selected cases against state and local officials.