Comments on Advance Indiana™: Who Needs Democrats When Republicans Act and Vote Like Them

Jabber, while what you say is true, that is true f...

2009-08-11T20:19:30.643-05:00

Jabber, while what you say is true, that is true for almost all the Democrats, not just Nytes.
Nytes still would not have voted "yes" unless the Rs needed her vote to pass the tax increase.

It's nothing but pure politics. The Democrats know perfectly well this is a potent political issue. They were going to make sure it passed if the D's had to give the Rs 1, 2, or 3 votes. It's a much better issue for Ds in 2011 now that it passed.

I wonder how much time my Republican friends spent...

2009-08-11T08:38:48.782-05:00

I wonder how much time my Republican friends spent considering the following three things:
1) Earlier reports about how the CIB "subsidizes" hotel rooms for groups who complain about the high cost of conventions.
2) Local businesses who rent hotel rooms for out-of-town members, entertaining clients, etc.
That means LOCAL people will be paying the higher tax, NOT just tourists, like they want us to believe.
3) Highest hotel tax in US. Goes right along with Indiana being Number 1 in smoking, obesity, school drop-outs, foreclosures, bankruptcies, syphylis, etc.
WE'RE NUMBER ONE!!! YEA-A-A-A-A

Mapleton-Fall Creek needs massive investment, so l...

2009-08-11T08:22:53.976-05:00

Mapleton-Fall Creek needs massive investment, so lets not fault that area because of Nytes' vote last night. If selection of that CDC as one of the recipients of these funds was politically motivated, then its the first solid political performance Ballard has made. His usual bumbling ways are more likely than a slick payoff here.

Nytes voted aye because she wants more money to go to her friends downtown and isn't considering the issue in any real depth. Just like the Rs, save Scales, who say they bought into the end times for downtown scenario.

That said, nobody here is so naive as to think that, if the Ds were in the majority, the vote outcome would be any different. In 2013, when the Democrats have regained the Council, they will raise the two other taxes for the CIB and, should Vaughn get reelected, he'll be back up on his soapbox with the fife and drum corps ringing in his head, demonizing the Ds for their fiscal irresponsibility.

While I do hope there are political repercussions for the votes last night, it is the Indianapolis residents who will continue to pay the price for these kinds of priorities.

The NSP program is just more of our tax money (fro...

2009-08-10T23:16:54.164-05:00

The NSP program is just more of our tax money (from the printing press) down a rathole. But a bunch of architects, engineers, CDC racketeers and other non-profit "leaders" will rake in the dough.

I told my friends in federal law enforcement that ...

2009-08-10T23:00:16.715-05:00

I told my friends in federal law enforcement that federal funds would be used to fund this City's Ponzi scheme before it was all over. See what those federal funds can buy you?

From this month's website newsletter for Jacki...

2009-08-10T22:35:05.195-05:00

From this month's website newsletter for Jackie Nytes' CDC, Mapleton Fall Creek:

Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation is chosen as a partner for Neighborhood Stabilization Plan Funds
“We set out to determine which community partners were best suited to help us transform entire sections of the city by making the most significant, immediate and positive impact with these funds,” said Mayor Ballard. “This is a great opportunity to bolster stabilization and revitalization efforts taking place throughout Indianapolis.” MFCDC will immediately begin a project development phase involving working with city staff and neighborhood stakeholders to address the following: Acquisition/Land Bank, Acquisition/Rehabilitation, Acquisition/New Construction, Demolition, Rental Development, Financing Mechanisms, and Administration.

At the same time, look for opposition to Jackie Ny...

2009-08-10T22:11:06.723-05:00

At the same time, look for opposition to Jackie Nytes in the Dem primary....

Sorry, art. The Dems don't fool me. They were ...

2009-08-10T21:44:55.092-05:00

Sorry, art. The Dems don't fool me. They were in on tonight's deal cooked up by the downtown elites. Nytes agreed to be the first vote to match a Republican defection. They had a couple of more in their pocket just like the Democrats did 2 years ago when Keller and Langforth crossed over to provide the votes needed for the passage of Peterson's tax increase. The downtown elites are celebrating tonight. They fooled some very stupid Republican councilors into ending their political careers tonight. They're most happy, though, that the vote sealed Ballard's fate as a one-term mayor. People have short memories. Scott Keller ran against Karen Horseman on a pledge not to raise taxes. He broke that promise on numerous occasions and then had the audacity to back the Democrat Bart Peterson for re-election. The voters in his district rejected him by a better than 2-1 margin at the same time they were voting for Ballard over Peterson. Some politicians will never learn.

How about a little credit to the Dems who voted ag...

2009-08-10T21:25:44.828-05:00

How about a little credit to the Dems who voted against it in agreement with your position?

Lutz and Vaughn had me nearly apoplectic. Vaughn ...

2009-08-10T21:22:37.578-05:00

Lutz and Vaughn had me nearly apoplectic. Vaughn in particular angered me - regurgitating the 'think of the jobs we'll lose' nonsense.

They are banking on the absurd 'doesn't affect residents' fallacy sinking in to enough soft brains such that it doesn't come back to haunt them at reelection time. Sadly, that's probably what will occur.

I'd back the Council 100% on a tax increase, promise to the contrary notwithstanding - if - IF, it were because this was an unavoidable predicament which befell the CIB.

In actuality, it has been a manufactured crisis and it was engineered by the CIB so the only 'practical solution' was to raise taxes.

That, of course, is a euphemism for 'we don't have the backbone to stand up and fix the real problem' which is their inability to conduct a legitimate, sensible and fair-to-all contract negotiation.

As long as the council is gutless and unwilling to force accountability within the CIB (or some new incarnation of it) and as long as imposing yet another tax continues to be so easy for them to vote for, we'll always be paying for their irresponsible and reckless spending.

And now that the Council has played their hand, we can all eagerly await the Brothers' Grand and Levengood Fairy Tale entitled 'Long Range Plan.'