Comments on Advance Indiana™: City Hosed Indianapolis Taxpayers To Benefit Veolia, Big Surprise

A resolution thanking those that participated in t...

2010-05-11T13:50:13.226-05:00

A resolution thanking those that participated in the 2002 water purchased included the following individuals from Baker & Daniels:

Baker & Daniels: Theodore Esping, Thomas Froehle, Amy Kosnoff, Darla McKee, Jason Schiesser, Joseph Scimia and Allyson Tibbs.

speaking of silent politicos: Marvin Scott is the ...

2010-05-11T11:44:51.975-05:00

speaking of silent politicos: Marvin Scott is the Chair of the Indianapolis Waterworks Board. For an ardent Tea Partier like him, he's not said much about about this recent razzle-dazzle from Ballard.

Barnard, I'm pretty sure I recall reviewing do...

2010-05-10T13:51:57.324-05:00

Barnard, I'm pretty sure I recall reviewing documents where B&D's lawyers were involved in the purchase of the water company. There were several law firms participating in the transaction. It's hard to keep straight which law firm represented which client. Do you care to share which client B&D represented, if they didn't represent the City or Veolia?

Gary, Normally you're pretty accurate but in t...

2010-05-10T13:36:34.472-05:00

Gary,
Normally you're pretty accurate but in this case some facts need clarification. Baker and Daniels did not represent the City or Veolia on the 2007 deal (Taft represented the City and Barnes represented Veolia).

Also, Baker did not represent the city on the original 2002 agreement, Taft did.

Just throwing things out there in hope that they might stick is becoming more and more frustrating for us readers.

AI, There was a federal court case in 2008 where ...

2010-05-10T11:54:50.848-05:00

AI,

There was a federal court case in 2008 where B&T represented Veolia. That's where the assertion came from.

I can't confirm B&T represents Veolia; tha...

2010-05-09T09:58:57.390-05:00

I can't confirm B&T represents Veolia; that's Paul's assertion. I know the firm represents United Water. I've asked repeatedly for a public disclosure of the clients his firm represents, but I've gotten nowhere. Supposedly the firm is now required to register as a lobbyist for these firms, but there is nothing available online and no reporting is required until next year after the deal will have already been voted on. Also, the new lobby law has so many loopholes the firm could be representing someone before the city and not be required to report it.

So Veoilia's firm is Barnes and Thornburg. Wh...

2010-05-09T09:31:24.635-05:00

So Veoilia's firm is Barnes and Thornburg. Who represents Citizens Energy? How are the other big Indy law firms, ICE and Baker and Daniels, tied into toe utility sale?

I know the GOP Council caucus hired a Baker and Daniels lawyer to advise them during the Council committee hearing, and I keep hearing on Democrat blogs like IndyDemocrat and iPOPA that the reason Melinna Kennedy isn't speaking out on the water deal is her firm's association with it. But are they directly involved in the transfer?

I have ended all paid subscriptions to media sourc...

2010-05-08T22:34:16.919-05:00

I have ended all paid subscriptions to media sources. I sometimes do the job of their reporters and I send plenty of traffic to their websites. It would be nice if they acknowledged it and provided free service to bloggers like me who do our work as a public service. Mickey Maurer has enough money. I'm not putting any more in his pockets.

The story is available online to subscribers, unde...

2010-05-08T20:19:03.550-05:00

The story is available online to subscribers, under the "This Week's Paper" tab. By the way, you can subscribe to IBJ for a year in print (52 issues) and everything online for just $69. The information is here

Chris O'Malley couldn't be any clearer, an...

2010-05-08T17:50:03.934-05:00

Chris O'Malley couldn't be any clearer, and, again, IBJ deserves more applause, and more subscriptions. I aim to subscribe.

Yes, Indianapolis is as corrupt as Chicago, and we fleeced taxpayers need to stop rewarding both major parties that run Indpls, or as some of their highbrows say, 'govern' us Marion Countyites. Thank you, AI.

Will Ryan Vaughn recuse himself or continue to par...

2010-05-08T17:11:21.467-05:00

Will Ryan Vaughn recuse himself or continue to partipate in these deliberations as if his law firm has no financial stake in the outcome. I don't understand why the Dem council members haven't been all over it. They must like corruption ala Monroe Gray.

I believe Veolia's law firm was and is Barnes ...

2010-05-08T16:26:23.436-05:00

I believe Veolia's law firm was and is Barnes & Thornburg. Indy's all about buying poltical influence by hiring the right attorney.