Report on last night’s tragic vote
by Steve Vinson
Butler Tarkington Resident
The City County Council has voted against the people of Indianapolis. And they did it after once again turning a deaf ear to the public. WISHTV quoted President Gray, "There will be no public testimony, this evening." Why not? I asked Gray and the four at-large council representatives. No response. No surprise.
Why would they refuse to listen to the people? First, they still don’t get that they work for us. Second, they are ashamed that they lack the courage to do the right thing. No wonder they are ashamed. A 65% income tax increase to prop up a bloated budget while doing very little to eliminate the property tax is shameful. “We cut as much as we could.” With this statement, Gray reveals that he and his colleagues in the Council are out of ideas.
Did they really cut as much as they could? They cut about 1% from a budget of over $1 billion. They plan to spend $2 million more in 2008 than in 2007. They plan to put 3 million additional dollars in the hands of Clerk White, whose mismanagement disenfranchised voters in the 2007 primaries. Will more money help her? I doubt it when the problems were organizational. Money won’t fix incompetence.
If Mr. Gray, truly is out of ideas, he should play the Build Your Own Budget game on the Star’s website. I came up with over $20 million in cuts. Try it yourself here .
WISHTV’s Eric Halvorson reported Rozelle Boyd’s desperate cry, "...he says he hopes they [the critics] focus on their legislature, which has more influence over their tax concerns." Don’t worry Mr. Boyd, we will be focusing on our legislature – starting the day after we fire you and your cronies. Boyd’s call for mercy assures us that we have them on the ropes. They know their days are numbered.
Gray has had 5 terms to get it right, Peterson has had 8 years. They want another 4 years. They are out of ideas. We are out of patience. We shall show no mercy on November 6.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Council Passes Peterson’s Bloated Budget
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4 comments:
Quick update:
I received a response from Monroe. He let me know that it is a council rule not to hear public testimony on the night the full council hears and votes on the budget. I replied that it seems odd to me.
He also indicated that he felt there had been sufficient public input via the committee meetings and the online feedback solicitation.
I told him I hope the council can find more ways to cut the budget so that I and my neighbors will find it economically feasible to live in Marion County.
Steve, thanks for the update. Did Monroe Gray say that he acted on the will of the people that testified?
Their policy is to ignore us. Thus the need to replace most of the city council.
Another update:
Joanne Sanders replied today. She voted in favor of the budget. She gave a thorough reply. She reiterated that it is the council rules not to allow public testimonry at the final hearing and vote.
She also went into detail about the so-call cuts of the past four years. I think we have a disagreement regarding what should be considered a "cut".
This council are arrogant, nazis. If the voters do not get rid of them it is the death nell for Indpls. The elections may be so rigged that nothing can be done by the voters. They got away with the primary closed polls. Not one thing was done about it. Even when they say they will take public input they fix it so they delay it. We now have government against the people.
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