Comments on Advance Indiana™: "No More Country Club Politics" Mayor Accepts Free Memberships To Country Clubs

The crime prevention money is nothing more than an...

2009-08-20T08:14:09.018-05:00

The crime prevention money is nothing more than an attempt to funnel money to a group of black ministers who claim they elected Ballard by "suppressing the black vote" for Peterson in 2007. Well, at least they're honest enough to admit they can't deliver votes for a Republican candidate. I'm serious. There are people in the Marion Co. GOP leadership who actually think the only reason Ballard won was because these ministers told their church members to stay home on election day. This is just how pathetic and sad our leadership has become.

Interesting. An added note -- I just learned the ...

2009-08-20T07:48:11.625-05:00

Interesting.

An added note -- I just learned the other night at a budget hearing that GIPC was given the job of administering the first round of crime prevention grants. $5 Million total funds, of which GIPC claimed about $1 Million for administration costs. I know I'd never give to a charity that had that kind of overhead costs.

The crime prevention grant funds come from the last Peterson income tax hike.

All of this is not about a few free tickets and th...

2009-08-19T23:05:38.350-05:00

All of this is not about a few free tickets and the mayor's attendance at an event. It is about doing what you tell people you will do.

Everyone lost site of the simple rule of being accountable for your promises, your platform and your ability to put your ethics in front of your political wishes and dreams of power.

Most people including Mayor Ballard when he was a gentleman serving our country could not even get close to a free ticket to an event. If the Mayors budget had a line item in it for PAYING for tickets to the events I would think the citizens would thank him for going to them, being honest about the services paid for and rendered.

This maybe the status quo to accept all of these freebies but the public is getting real tired of being taxed to death for the good old boys to have their basketball courts and their football fields and their friend come and go for free.

We paid for our tickets to our kids junior high and high school golf, basketball and volleyball and did not sit on the first row. Our kids did not go into the stands and start fights and get arrested for fights, shootings and such.

The common joe paid his way. Mayor Ballard campaigned as a common joe. Put it in is budget and let the CCC pass it and ay his way too! It is that simple.

If the sports teams weren't receiving tens of ...

2009-08-19T13:58:36.369-05:00

If the sports teams weren't receiving tens of millions of dollars in public subsidies, the free tickets to sporting events wouldn't bother me. Call me cynical, but when you study how much we've paid out to these sports teams from public funds and will continue to do so in the future, it's not hard to jump to the conclusion that there is a connection between our elected officials' willingness to subsidize them at a tremendous cost to the public and the free tickets they get from the teams' owners.

I want to clarify that I don't agree with the ...

2009-08-19T13:16:29.722-05:00

I want to clarify that I don't agree with the free tickets for the Mayor to ballgames. He is making a $100K a year. He can spring for the tickets. Still I think the free country club memberships are worse, given how much they cost.

IndyStudent, The Columbia Club hasn't been a &...

2009-08-19T12:15:05.305-05:00

IndyStudent, The Columbia Club hasn't been a "Republican" club for many years. You'll find just as many prominent Ds there as Rs.

Thanks, The Bird, for the clarification. I can rest at ease now that I know that the value of the free memberships is south of $100,000 instead of somewhere north of that figure.

While I'm sure it's a surprise to his arde...

2009-08-19T12:11:19.140-05:00

While I'm sure it's a surprise to his ardent supporters (or former supports, in your case, Gary), does it really surprise anyone that a Republican mayor got a membership at the Columbia Club?

I just want to rebut the assertion that these memb...

2009-08-19T12:07:06.573-05:00

I just want to rebut the assertion that these memberships are worth "$100,000 per year". Highland and Woodstock have drastically lowered or waived initiation fees, and monthly dues are no more than $1000 per month each. I'm not casting judgment on whether what the mayor is doing is right, just that the benefit is not into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Briefs, I'm sorry, but I believe there is a pr...

2009-08-19T11:34:44.200-05:00

Briefs, I'm sorry, but I believe there is a problem with a Mayor receiving country club memberships worth total maybe as much as a $100,000 per year.

I have less of a problem with his attending a few ballgames. Though the way he described it in the report, it's a lot more than a few games.

Ballard has pretty much layed to rest the notion that he is a "common man." What he is doing will have devastating consequences for the Marion County GOP for years to come.

Well, I understand that Peyton Manning thinks he s...

2009-08-19T11:31:07.932-05:00

Well, I understand that Peyton Manning thinks he should be allowed to play for free at any golf course he visits and eat for free at any restaurant he patronizes, but that doesn't make it right. A professional football game or a basketball game is not an official city event, although I realilze that is hard for most of the elites in this town to understand.

If I'm a Democrat political adviser to Ballard...

2009-08-19T11:29:12.436-05:00

If I'm a Democrat political adviser to Ballard's opponent in 2011, I take footage of his "end of country club politics" statement on Election Night, and then follow that with shots of the Columbia Columbia, Highland and Woodstock Country Clubs. I'd put a voice overlay about Ballard taking free membership at the clubs and how much it would cost the average Joe to join those clubs.

It's a no brainer political commercial and it would devastate Ballard's campaign.

Although some of your shots on the Mayor have been...

2009-08-19T10:39:32.612-05:00

Although some of your shots on the Mayor have been well placed, this one doesn't seem to ring for me.

I think the Mayor should be in attendance at almost every city event, and who should bear that cost? the taxpayers for expenses? No way.

If Tiger Woods shows up at a private club they let him play for free ... why not the Mayor of the City?

So....what you are saying is that Greg Ballard is ...

2009-08-19T10:35:29.465-05:00

So....what you are saying is that Greg Ballard is a liar! Is that really a new perspective? He has been a liar from the very first day that he was elected. He will be remembered for his unethical actions and his incompetent administration.