Well, well, well.
Could it be that The People and policy makers of our fair city really do read the blogs?
At an April 16th special public convention of our Indianapolis City Council desperate to learn about the unexplainable income shortfall and potential remedies for the CIB's inability to meet its obligations, Bob Grand publicly testified that the blogs have no influence on Indianapolis policy by asserting that no one reads them.
We, Indy's bloggers, beg to differ. Here's what Republican attorney Gary Welsh, publisher of the Advance Indiana blog, reported that confrontational night six weeks ago at City Hall in a very detailed post he titled "About that CIB meeting tonight."
Welsh writes,
"Grand says he has acknowleged his position and has sometimes abstained from votes to avoid any conflict. And to the suggestion that he step aside, he said, "I strongly disagree." He referred to "aspersions" cast on blogs that "not many people read." That brought jeers from some in the meeting room. Grand was there, at least. The Pacers and the Colts declined the committee's invitation to attend the meeting."
Today Terry Burns, publisher of the Indianapolis Times blog, reports that Governor Daniels, together with Mayor Ballard, are soon to announce the removal of Bob Grand as Chairman of the Capital Improvement Board (CIB).
City Councilor-At-Large Ed Coleman was our first elected public respecting official with enough kahunas to publicly ask for Bob Grand's resignation as Chairman of the CIB.
How appropriate that Libertarian Councilor Ed Coleman serves The People At-Large?
HFFT, Advance Indiana, and WIBC each documented City Councilor Coleman's move to be first to call for for Grand's resignation.
Hat tip to Indy's bloggers and to WIBC for reporting Coleman's courage. We're sure that more city councilors in the future will follow his lead in putting The People first, regardless of the pressure of insider politics and party.
Hat tip to Terry Burns, publisher of Indianapolis Times for breaking the story today. Burns writes:
"Daniels and Ballard have agreed to get rid of Grand by dismantling the existing CIB and turning over the responsiblity of running Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse and the Indiana Convention Center to either a newly configured agency or to an expanded Indianapolis-Marion County Building Authority. We also hear that there's a possibility of "outsourcing" management of the current CIB facilities."
HFFT is concerned about the potential accountability of a "newly configured agency" and "an expanded Indianapolis-Marion County Building Authority".
Together with the best of Indiana's blogger insiders, we will endeavor to keep, you-alleged-non-blog-readers, informed first.
--Melyssa for HFFT
5 comments:
I was at that April 16th special city council public hearing when attorney Gary Welsh (and blogger extraordinaire) confronted Bob Grand publicly.
Grand's face turned beet red and I swear I saw steam coming out of his ears as he declared, "No one reads the blogs!"
Melyssa, I think you're reading too much into what Burns says on his blog. I don't think they're doing the consolidation for the purpose of getting rid of Grand. That's just one of the positive benefits of the consolidation. Of course we don't know that Grand won't be head of the new Board and have even more power. Even if he doesn't what makes you think he won't contiue to pull the strings within the Ballard administration. Burns refers to Grand as the "Acting Mayor." It's an accurate description.
Mayor Ballard has steadfastly refused to acknowledge that appointing Grand was a mistake or even that the CIB had been mismanaged. Even if light of the powerful statistics offered by the studies, Mayor Ballard accepts no blame for his part in continuing to allow the CIB to waste taxpayer money.
I worry that even with Grand's removal, he'll still be running things from the side.
Bob Grand does not have our best interests at heart.
Simply Awesome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbOp_9VfR6o
Great job as always Melyssa. Several council members in New Albany deny reading our blog Freedom of Speech in New Albany, but for some reason they continue to contact us for information. As I stated, GREAT job lady. Keep up the good work.
Erik
Freedom Of Speech Blog
New Albany, Indiana
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