Firm Tied To Past Public Corruption Case Will Manage Ballard's Pave-And-Sidewalks-For-Votes Scam

Mayor Greg Ballard's plan to borrow and spend $425 million on street and sidewalk improvements to buy votes ahead of next year's election, for which you will pay through higher sewer and water rates, has a manager. The IBJ reports on American Structurepoint landing this deal:

American Structurepoint has been tapped by the Indianapolis Department of Public Works as program manager for the city’s “RebuildIndy” infrastructure-improvement initiative.

RebuildIndy is the formal name of the massive infrastructure improvements Mayor Greg Ballard wants to make with $425 million in expected proceeds from selling the city’s water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group.

Observant readers of this blog will recall that this is the firm formerly known as American Consulting Engineers ("ACE"). The firm's two owners, James Wurster and Willis Conner, were indicted by former Prosecutor Scott Newman in connection with an alleged bribery case involving former State Rep. Sam Turpin, who chaired the House Ways & Means Committee at the time. Newman's case fell apart when the Court of Appeals threw out the original charges against Turpin, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The charges against Wurster and Conner had to be dropped, but the two haven't ended their influence peddling ways. They are among many contractors associated with the construction industry who have made large contributions to Mayor Ballard's re-election committee and have been dutifully rewarded with city contracts.You see how it works? Pay To Play is the Ballard way.

Incidentally, American Structurepoint is the same firm the City of Carmel has been using to manage its roundabout projects, the costs of which have come in way over budget.