Comments on Advance Indiana™: Surprise, You're Paying $29 Million To Veolia For A Poorly Done Job Just To Go Away

I predict this bit of history will be repeated -- ...

2010-10-29T22:30:20.848-05:00

I predict this bit of history will be repeated -- with ACS.

I pretty much surmised that Veolia would be shown ...

2010-10-29T17:13:21.411-05:00

I pretty much surmised that Veolia would be shown the door. I actually thought the dollar amount would be more then 29 million. Now all we have to wait for is the rubber stamp by the IURC. The truly sad part of this deal is the Water Company should have been under the Gas Company instead of city control the first time around. I suspect it would have saved the rate payers about 1/2 billion dollars if Peterson and Servas would have done the right thing.

Paul, The deal has always been contingent upon IUR...

2010-10-28T20:20:21.046-05:00

Paul, The deal has always been contingent upon IURC approval. No transfer of ownership can take place until that occurs. Now they are saying that likely won't happen until next Spring, which raises another question. We were told the deal had to be rushed through so they could take advantage of those Build America bonds before they expired. This approval schedule sits outside that date, but remember we were told the new hospital for HHC had to be approved in calendar year 2009. We had a special election last November instead of waiting for the May primary. Then the Citizens deal came along and we heard it had to be approved this year to get the Build America bonds. Now we know it's not going to be approved until 2011. These people lie at will to us without consequences.

Typical Indy contract - They always are in favor o...

2010-10-28T19:57:50.255-05:00

Typical Indy contract - They always are in favor of the contractor since the only goal of this and past administrations has been to disperse as much largesse as possible.

At least, one of my prayers has been answered - Veolia's gone - I wonder if they were getting feedback (behind the scenes), that the deal had no chance of getting approved by the IURC unless they jettisoned Veolia.

Now, if only the IURC would tell the city that they will approve the Citizens deal sans the theft of a half-billion dollars from ratepayers.

HEI, if I wrote or publicly verbalized the real level of my disgust - just with the Water deal alone - I might be subject to arrest.

Another great chance for Jackie Nytes to assist Ma...

2010-10-28T19:57:30.626-05:00

Another great chance for Jackie Nytes to assist Mayor Ballard and reap the rewards.

I've reached the point where I can't even ...

2010-10-28T18:45:38.770-05:00

I've reached the point where I can't even stand to listen to Mayor Ballard speak. He is so condescending and full of himself that I can hardly believe he's the same man who originally ran for the office. What an arrogant bag of wind!

Gary, when does ownership transfer? If it aleady ...

2010-10-28T18:12:14.756-05:00

Gary, when does ownership transfer? If it aleady has then wouldn't the contract have been transferred and then it would be Citizen's responsibility to pay and not the City? I know of course that we the public pay either way. That's what was so frustrating about the supposed sale. We the public are responsible for paying for a 30 year loan to fund the sale so the City can make improvements that will last 10 years.

If I were a councilor I'd be furious that they...

2010-10-28T18:09:14.250-05:00

If I were a councilor I'd be furious that they withheld this informtion from me before the vote.

Gary, when Citizens and the bloggers were at that meeting at council headquarters and you or someone asked about Veolia, I got the sense that Mr. Lykins and the other Citizens reps were very uncomfortable with the issue. I thought they were pretty refreshing in their openness at that meeting, then to hear them suddenly clam up on that issue and basically say they didn't have a choice but to keep Veolia. NOw looking back, I think they new then the City had a plan to pay Veolia off and they were sworn to secrecy.

Veolia needs to go no matter what the cost.

2010-10-28T17:33:48.357-05:00

Veolia needs to go no matter what the cost.

It just doesn't stop. There always seems to b...

2010-10-28T17:17:16.571-05:00

It just doesn't stop. There always seems to be tens of millions of dollars available to this Administration - to spend on what they find important.

And, you are correct; they absolutely had to have been working in this direction since the very beginning.

I am disgusted more and more every day.

Or better yet, Indy Student, why does the CIB say ...

2010-10-28T14:58:48.464-05:00

Or better yet, Indy Student, why does the CIB say the huge break-up fees the Pacers' lease for Conseco Fieldhouse provides doesn't exist in reality? Yes, the IURC must approve the deal. The firing of Veolia makes IURC approval more palpable based on its expressed views of the poor job Veolia has done managing the water utility.

Has the IURC approved the sale/transfer from the c...

2010-10-28T14:43:57.945-05:00

Has the IURC approved the sale/transfer from the city to Citizens yet?

And if I read the IBJ article correctly, IURC has to approve both the transfer AND the firing of Veolia, correct?

How come when I lose a job I never get a multi-million dollar "going away" package?