The Marion County Library debacle was only a warm up to the Lucas Oil Stadium mismanagement of taxpayer funds.
All the elite insiders have their hands in this mess and there is no one, not one person, fighting for the taxpayer right now except for a couple activist lawyer bloggers, Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden. Both of these courageous lawyers are lifelong republicans and know their way the manure spread without conscience by the country club members of the GOP.
Our beloved Mayor Ballard, who promised he worked for us, is deafeningly silent on this mess. And while Mayor Ballard had nothing to do with the creation of this problem, we hired him to straighten out previous messes...even if it costs him short term political clout with his new country clubbing friends. If the mayor does nothing about this problem, I am quite sure that it will cost him a re-election, no matter how much money the new friends he made after he was elected, give to his now enriched campaign coffers.
Ballard deferred millions of much needed city park maintenance, which are free facilities for Indy's citizens, yet says nothing while $60 million or so is being asked for a stadium that most citizens can't afford to ever use.
HFFT wants to know if Senator Luke Kenley is paid by the Colts, Irsay, Pacers and Simons to work for their interests in the State legislature? It's certainly starting to look that way. Each wealthy party who benefits from this extensive corporate welfare project gives generously to Kenley's campaign chest.
In this interview last night with WIBC's Steve Simpson, Senator Kenley talks about what might be amenable to the Colts and Pacers, yet never once talks about what is amenable to us, the taxpayer!
Senator Kenley refused to suggest that millionaire players salaries should be cut. Instead he offered that the people who clean the linens in the stadium should offer up their share because the multi-millionaire Irsay will never recoup his investment! Keep in mind, that Irsay already gets half of all events at the stadium, all the advertising revenues, and money from the concessions.
In contrast let's look at the Indianapolis Speedway operation. Here is a huge facility which must be maintained and staffed that does not ask for a dime from taxpayers. How is it that they make that model work?
Why are the Pacers and Colts deserving of anything more from our citizens' wallets? Why did Mayor Ballard, supposedly the 'People's Mayor', say nothing about this crisis after appointing the Simon's very own business attorney, Bob Grand, to head the CIB (Capital Improvement Board). Mayor Ballard put an attorney representing the Simons in there and no one representing the taxpayers. This isn't the mayor I knew before he got elected.
The time is now for Mayor Ballard to own his power, to speak for the citizens of Indianapolis, and to fight for us like he promised. He should never forget that The People own the trump card in this negotiation.
THE TAXPAYERS TRUMP CARDS:
If Irsay and the Colts pack up and leave town, the taxpayers will then get to keep ALL the revenue from the Monster Truck Rallies, Ice Capades, Concerts, Final Fours, Car Shows, and every other event held in the stadium. Right now, we only get half.
Los Angeles can't afford to build a stadium for the Colts (California is bankrupt) and Seattle can't afford the Pacers. If either team DID leave our city after they were built these two Taj Mahals, they would have a major PR disaster on their hands and neither would ever risk the negative PR at a time when all teams are struggling to sell high priced tickets in a weakened economy.
Indianapolis will get the Super Bowl in 2012 even if the Colts leave town.
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Thursday, February 12, 2009
Senator Kenley's suggestion for CIB shortfall: Ask people who clean stadium linens and other maintenance workers to pay
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4 comments:
I guess Kenley picked up that idea from Bob Grand.
Neither one seem to realize THOSE are the kinds of jobs that the stadium was supposed to create and expand.
The feudal lords have returned after having disappeared for several centuries.
Who was it that said "Let them eat cake"? Oh, yes, Luke Kenley, Bob Grand-iose and Greg "Bart jr." Ballard...
Greg (Bart Jr.) Ballard. Yep, that sums it up.
Taxpayers got snookered by Greg Ballard. Hope I'm wrong, but don't think that I am.
Where is he? Where is his leadership, his compassion for the people?
It's looking a whole lot like he sold his soul and sold us out.
Mel- I met you, sign in-hand. I will see you again, sign in-hand, if you get a "Let 'Em Go!" rally going for the Colts.
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