Saturday, September 23, 2006

Airport Project For Sale

The Indianapolis Business Journal's Jennifer Whitson reports that "three developers are vying for the chance to build a four-story, 250-to 300-room hotel connected to the new $974 million midfield terminal and garage at the Indianapolis International Airport." And who are the bidders? Whitson reports:


Indianapolis-based Mansur Real Estate Services wants to build a 300-room Westin. Locally based KMI Realty Advisors Inc. would develop a 254-room Hilton to be owned by local developer Al Kite . . . And Merrillville-based White Lodging Services Corp. pitched a 250-room Marriott . . .

Partial funding or low-cost financing from the Airport Authority may prove crucial to the deal's feasibility," said [hospitality consultant Rob] Hunden . .
.

Airport Authority staff hope to make a recommendation to the board on a favorite design in the next 30 to 45 days, according to Jay McQueen, who is supervising the bidding for the authority.

Observant AI readers will recall that the Airport Authority's president is Lacy Johnson, an Ice Miller partner, lobbyist, and close political confidante of Rep. Julia Carson (D). While the Airport Authority contracts with BAA to operate the airport, Johnson is the guy really calling the shots. The winner of this latest deal will no doubt be decided by Johnson as the board's president.

A couple of years ago the Star reported about a lawsuit the former airport director for BAA, David Roberts, brought after he was forced out of his job because he allegedly didn't follow Johnson's orders. The Star wrote on June 4, 2004:


The former airport director at Indianapolis International Airport alleges he was fired last year for calling attention to "political opportunism" in airport hiring and contracts by an influential Democrat that Mayor Bart Peterson named as airport board president in 2000.

Indianapolis Airport Authority board President Lacy Johnson and board members attempted to influence airport staff to hire political favorites of Johnson, including an embalmer for whom there were no suitable job openings, according to a five-page notice of the former director's intention to file a lawsuit, which was recorded with the state and obtained by the Indianapolis Star.

"Johnson attempted to influence employment of minorities, unionization of employees, allocation of space to airlines and concessionaires . . . engagement of favored contractors and suggested removal of BAA employees who were considered politically too Republican.

The former airport director, David Roberts, claims that in 2001 Johnson asked him to employ a "female state representative who was unqualified as an embalmer and who was a protege of Mr. Johnson's godmother."

The godmother "is also a Congresswoman," the complaint states, in an apparent reference to Indiana's only congresswoman--Julia Carson, a Democrat who represents Indianapolis.

When Mr. Roberts told Mr. Johnson there were no suitable vacancies, Mr. Johnson said, "Other companies do this," according to the complaint.

Johnson, an attorney at prominent Indianapolis firm Ice Miller, was out of the office and could not be reached for comment Thursday . . .

AI is told that the lawsuit was quietly settled to avoid embarrassment to the Peterson administration. The Indianapolis FBI office apparently missed this one as well. A lot of federal dollars are pouring into the work out at the airport and somebody should be checking up on how the dollars are being doled out.

Johnson has long been rumored to have a financial interest in various minority firms which have participated in government contracting opportunities elsewhere. As the president of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, he should be required to fully disclose every single business in which he has any financial interest, and that disclosure should be made publicly available. Until that is done, we have every reason to be suspicious of what is transpiring out at the airport under his leadership based upon the assertions of Roberts and Johnson's penchant for getting rich off insider deals--his latest deal--300 East at the Julia Carson Government Center. Absolutely no business in which Johnson has an ownership interest, or which is represented by his law firm, should be allowed to do busines with the airport authority.

25 comments:

Wilson46201 said...

IANAL but the rule-of-thumb in Indiana law about government conflict of interest charges is based on the basic principle of filing with the relevant authority a "declaration of involvement" - that is disclosing your financial interest in which you as a govt official may have with the outside entity.

Before Carson took over the Trustee Office, a previous top dog set up with his sister a shoe vending operation which contracted with the office. He filed the correct declaration of interest and so he skated...

Anonymous said...

More criminal activities, who is surprised? Lacy/Peterson/Carson can't do things the proper way, and if you don't do what they want you find yourself out on the street. Hello - FBI??? Are you reading?

November 7 will be the first wake up call for this group when Eric Dickerson wins the 7th District and we finally get some real representation in Washington.

Anonymous said...

Julia Carson has empowered Lacy Johnson....She must go.

Wilson46201 said...

Bring out the Smuckers! Dickerson is toast!

Anonymous said...

Advance Indiana - The Ghetto Mafia,
I told you so!

Wilson Allen 46201 is all over these blogs defending the actions of Julia Carson even when she is wrong.

Neither he nor Julia has answered questions regarding their conduct in public office. But he has a comment to counter any information about this group.

Wilson was doing the same thing while working as clerk for Center Township under Julia Carson, ghost employment, I would not be surprised about members of her congressional staff.

He says that he is retired but his role for the Mafia has not ended.

It is time for a clean sweep on November 7th.

Sir Hailstone said...

Wilson you can keep saying that to yourself and you might eventually believe it. However that does not make it the truth.

Anonymous said...

Advance Indiana:

Julia Carson has spent more time building her support group than anyting else, control freak!

The embalmer was State Representative Vanessa Summers, Julia Carson wanted Dr. Ackles to hire her as his chief deputy coroner, and he said no.

Anonymous said...

Advance Indiana:

They have gone too far!

I will publish my information soon, but first, let's get something straight, Wilson Allen is a non issue, but he is an antagonist for me.

I remain focused on helping to elect a new representative in the 7th District which is my choice. Raising issues of concern, and demanding answers from the incumbent.

What is so sad about this is each member of the Ghetto Mafia thinks and honestly believes that they own these offices. I was always taught that we the people have the constitutional right to elect a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Supporters for Julia Carson have terrorized voters into thinking they do not have a choice accept to vote for her. When you speak out against her, her "dogs' start barking at you. One of the reasons so many black voters in this city do not participate in the process today. They do not want to be attacked by them.

In fact; she has taken her black people for granted. If the black church community was aware of the antics she uses, they would dump her in a moments’ notice, and she knows it.

Her position is, she does not need to hold public debates with her opponents. She and her supporters have labeled decent white opponents as” racist”. The “race card” has been very effective in past elections, but it has played out. They were labeled a racist before their campaigns could get off the ground. As you know, members of the white community have shunned being labeled “a racist”. The labeling keeps them at bay.

Her position is, Julia Carson is above the law and she does not have to account for her actions or decision-making while in office. We elect our congressional representatives every two years. The 8th and 9th Congressional Districts are holding debates for the voters to make their choice. Voters in the 7th District deserve the same right.

To be honest about the whole issue of elections, I will decide which candidate to support and to vote for. No pollster or "goon squad" will force me to sit quietly by and not speak out in support for a change.

I am not an issue in this campaign, just exercising my freedom of choice. Her supporters were attacking me on these blogs before I began logging in about 4 weeks ago. They do not have to agree with me, nor I with them.

Her worst threat in this election is her untold history. History is relevant about a candidate this is what elections are about. None of the candidates are perfect from the top of the ticket to the bottom, but the voters have a right to know the truth; and.
THE TRUTH IS NOT MUDSLINGING!

Ironically, Julia Carson supporters have always accused the Republican Party of disenfranchising black voters, when in reality, it was the Democratic Party using goon squads" on election day in the black community.

State Senator Julia Carson can not deny that fact. She has even driven the van with her "goons" riding in the back on Election Day, going from precinct to precinct on Election Day harassing and intimidating precinct committeemen who were not supporting her or Andy Jacobs when he was in office.

30 years as a Democrat and while working as a precinct committeeperson, not one time did I have a problem with a member of the Republican Party on Election Day; it was always Julia Carson and her "thugs".

There is a long history of rivalry here because I do not believe as she does, and I fight back. This is not personal, it is business for me. She has been able to build her "thug machine” during her time in office, and frankly, I don’t' approve, and she knows it.

Wilson Allen is a prime example of the kind of people she has used supporting her, ("a thug mentality") If a majority of black voters were aware of people like Wilson Allen supporting her, they would question her judgment more seriously. In fact, when she uses her white supporters on Election Day in predominate black precincts, black voters think they are Republicans, another strategy to label Republicans as racist and anti-black.

Julia Carson uses anyone and everyone she can to further her own interests. When they are no longer useful to her, she turns on them and dumps them. Her supporters over the years have witnessed this but never questioned her actions. The reasons why attempts to discredit me has failed in the black community. THEY KNOW!

I have personally witnessed many of her clever strategies put in to practice, and I have been a victim of some of them. NO MORE! First hand knowledge with documented proof and JULIA CARSON KNOWS BETTER THAN ANYONE THAT I HAVE HER NUMBER. THE GAME IS OVER!

Anonymous said...

Well, amid the banal generalities and nonsense, I got two things from the above-noted War & Peace:

1. Jocelyn will share details, facts, documents names.
2. Para.4: Jocelyn correctly states that these officials have been treating their offices as personal property.

But cummon, Joc, Wilson Allen as a thug? That's laughable. He doeen't scare anyone!

I, too, have worked the polls for a long time: 25 years plus. I have served as a commissioner, and driven all over the county solving Election Day problems. The only actual dispute that required intervention was an absentee ballot counting and initialing issue. And it was civil.

Never, ever have I heard of any voter fraud.

And for the sake of all of us, can you:
1. Stick to the subject at hand; and
2. Keep it at 100 words or less.
The rants get a little old after awhile.

Honey if you've got the proof, release it now? What are you waiting for? Trying to hold your powder and keep it dry for that last week?

If so, aren't you just as guilty of manipulation as Julia's "thugs" ?

Call me: Eagerly awaiting Jocelyn's documented proof.

Anonymous said...

The Paper Chase:

Now we all know that Julia has had [all] public documents concerning her illegal behavior removed from public access.

So, given that, lets move on and search for other proof of malfeasance that's provable.

This is getting pretty stale and both wilson and Jocelyn are coming across as comments to immediately scroll past.

Anonymous said...

Jocelyn, FYI

You lose because you don't understand the element is surprise. You blab about what you're going to prove...all the while they remove your proof from the files.

Next time, just get the proof. Never give them the "heads-up" like you do.

Wilson46201 said...

Poor Jocelyn has been peddling her same tales over 20 years now - nothing has ever come from them. Even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then - Jocelyn is just covered in mud ...

Anonymous said...

I don't think there is anything there, Fed Up.

If I had it I'd certainly release it now. Most sensible people would.

And trust me on this one: the shenanigans at the airport are likely very true.

And the employee Mr. Carson wanted the coroner to hire is Vanessa Summers Barnes. She took a thriving funeral home run by her father and ran it into the ground.
But at least she'd understand more about corpses than a chiropractor.

Every time I see the words together in a sentence, chrio and coroner, I burst out laughing.

However, its pretty clear he had the balls to tell Ms. Carson to bug off.

Gotta admire that. Say....ya thnk his current troubles are in any way connected to his refusal to bow down to Queen Julia?

Anonymous said...

Sure they are, they've been pissed at him every since...who are they
?
Marion County Ghetto Mafia and those in attendance at the meeting:

Carl Drummer, Tony Duncan, Lacy Johnson, Julia Carson, Duke Oliver, Monroe Gray, Rep. Vanessa Summer, Rep. Bill Crawford, Bernetta-Sloss Tanner and Julia grandson's or nephew.

Constable Tony Duncan threatened to "get" Attorney Williams for disrespecting Julia by standing up for her client.

Duke Oliver said "the mayor is not going to like this" as though the Mayor is part of the Mafia. His silence somewhat affirms that.

Wilson46201 said...

perhaps Attorney Welsh could comment on the appropriateness of a candidate for Judge in Indiana making anonymous and inflammatory comments in blogs during campaign season? Describing specific elected officials as "Mafia" might a tad over the top.

It doesn't sound like the sort of judicial behavior that Randall T. Shepard would encourage...

Gary R. Welsh said...

And how would that compare to a sitting judge who gave your Julia $1,000 in a recent election cycle--the same one who prosecuted Julia's ex-husband for income tax evasion and got lots of help and support from Julia in becoming a judge. Just exercising her first amendment rights. Right?

Wilson46201 said...

Ms. Carson has long supported affirmative action in promoting female and African-American judges and political candidates ... When more gay candidates come out of the closet and run openly, she'd tend to support that grouping too.

Virginia Dill McCarty, local feminist icon, was US District Attorney for that tax case. The first thing Ms. Carson did as Trustee was to hire Atty. McCarty.

Gary R. Welsh said...

McCarty didn't actually prosecute the case, but that bit of information about Julia giving her legal work after the fact is even more enlightening. Thanks for helping add that piece of the puzzle to my research file Wilson.

Anonymous said...

Julia Carson had promised the attorney's contract to Atty. Charles Walton, Sr. for his support of her for Trustee in 1990 against incumbent Bill Smith.

Julia Carson double-crossed Atty. Walton and gave the contract to Atty. Virginia Dill McCarty, and the law firm of James Beatty, former Democratic Party Chairman.

Larry Dunville was treasurer of her campaign committee. She had promised him a position after the election. After she was elected Trustee, she double-crossed him and left him hanging.

Both Atty. Walton, Sr. and Mr. Dunville are deceased, and Julia Carson never kept her word with either one of them.

Anonymous said...

Response to The Ghetto Mafia:

Wilson Allen 46201, you have no influence in the black community. You are meddling. You are not African American.
Are you trying to tell black people what they can and can not do Wilson?

We call the members The Ghetto Mafia because they conduct themselves accordingly.

Do you remember Wilson46201 -
Drinking in the Trustee's office?
Liquor purchased at B & B's Liquor Store at 22nd and Central by Carson herself on the way to the office daily?

How often were cocktails served during the day in the Trustee's Office when you worked there? How many times was Carson intoxicated on the job? Do you remember? Channel 6 TV News showed her drunk in the office, slurring her words while her head was bobbing up and down during the interview.

Remember when Carson was nominated Woman of the Year in the Indianapolis Star? How many post cards did you address for her to win the nomination? She used certain staff members to flood the Star with her name so she could win. Do you remember?

Do you remember when she had certain staff members call in on radio talk shows from the office and attempt to harass and intimidate opponents on the air?
Do you remember?

Do you remember when she had Prosecutor Modisett coming to her office regularly and Police Chief Toler for meetings and how their presence was intimidating to employees not to tell? She even had them listen in on telephone conversations while she was talking to other politicians.
"Do you remember?

The bar/restaurant in the 300 Building would make it very convenient for cocktails to flow throughout the day for the alcoholics on staff.

Security can monitor and control who has access to the building while they are partying on the clock.

No, this bar in the building is a bad idea and you know it. Carson has always taken privileges as a State Senator, Trustee and now Congresswoman. Carl Drummer does not make a decision without her input, nor does Tony Duncan (ex- live in boyfriend). Each of you has been used to perform services for her. That is why they call her the Queen Bee! Ha! Ha!

Remember when Carl Drummer was a deputy constable for Tony Duncan?
they paid Carson kick-backs for getting them their jobs.

They smeared Taylor Seath, former Constable to get the job for Tony Duncan when they discovered the Constable earns over $100,000.00 per year from docket fees in the Small Claims Court. That was one sweet deal.

Now Carson earns $165,000.00 a year as a Congresswoman, Tony Duncan earns $100,000.00 plus a year as constable, and Carl Drummer earns $90,000.00 a year as Trustee and controls $11 million dollars of taxpayer money. They are living quite well off the taxpayers. Not bad incomes to have in your back pocket. The authority to grant lucrative contracts is given to their friends and associates who are loyal to them.

Do you remember when you and Tony Duncan switched the ballots and the ballot boxes at the special election for Trustee in 1996
To insure Drummer's victory?

You guys really fooled everybody in that crowded room? Chairman Kip Tew couldn't have the election results certified because of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Tandy. I know what you did! You helped to steal the election for Trustee for Drummer, and what was your reward?
Do you remember?

"Street tactics", arm-twisting, intimidation as well as dirty tricks are used to keep everyone in line and you know it.

Ironically, none are college educated, and yet they are making decisions which affect the lives of every citizen in Center Township.

These people will do whatever it takes to protect their jobs. What else could they do to earn this kind of salary?

How much did they pay you Wilson46201 Allen for your services as the Clerk for Center Township? Are you a consultant for this group now?

What goes around comes around!

Kip Tew was the Democratic Party's Chairman when they illegally elected Carl Drummer to office in a special election.

It was the same election where Wilson Allen and Tony Duncan switched the ballot boxes to insure Drummer's victory against Jocelyn-Tandy Adande.

She sued the Democratic Party in Circuit Court January 2, 1996 over the election.

Atty. Kip Tew did not have the election results certified by Marion County Clerk Sarah Taylor until the morning of the appearance in Court to answer questions regarding the conduct of this election on January 7, 1997, 1:00 p.m.

This was the same day that Carson was to be sworn in as Congresswomen in Washington, D.C. at 12:00 p.m. Ms. Carson had a timely visit to Methodist Hospital; the day after the lawsuit was filed.

This whole Center Township connection was rigged from the beginning, and it continues to be covered up.

Anonymous said...

I guess "guilt" persuaded her to seat Tanya Walton-Pratt on the bench.

Anonymous said...

Julia Carson is intidiated by small black females.

Notice how she has surrounded herself with deadbeat, uneducated men?

She is the worst thing that could have happened to the professional black women.

Wilson46201 said...

"Julia Carson is intidiated by small black females."

Darla obviously couldn't even make it as a secretary to Ms. Carson...

Anonymous said...

No, Julia can not claim Judge Pratt as one of her members.

emm said...

My husband did NOT have any settlement with the airport. He was forced out of his job,yes. Does anyone know why? Does anyone care? M Roberts.