Comments on Advance Indiana™: There He Goes Again

Paul....I made the suggestion for Ballard to defec...

2009-12-24T19:35:33.360-05:00

Paul....I made the suggestion for Ballard to defect AFTER he won the election, not before.

How about making political parties illegal?

2009-12-24T09:48:08.662-05:00

How about making political parties illegal?

HFFT, If Ballard left the GOP, he wouldn't ha...

2009-12-24T08:11:57.207-05:00

HFFT,

If Ballard left the GOP, he wouldn't have been elected.

Let's say Gary Welsh and I left the Republican Party. You really think that would help the cause of reform? No, it would hurt it. The corrupt Republican establishment though would be thrilled if we left the party because they would know we tossed away our chance at making a difference. It is within the party that we have any chance of making a difference.

The increased fee proposals are a part of the ille...

2009-12-23T20:28:29.170-05:00

The increased fee proposals are a part of the illegal creation of the Office of Code Enforcement by Executive Order (to become the legally created Department of Code Enforcement as of 1-1-2010). Barely anyone objected to this proposal, which resulted in splitting off half of DMD to create this new department and allow the Marine in charge (not Ballard) to build a small kingdom, by adding two deputy directors (two more than DMD had or has), a financial controller (instead of using the DMD financial team), etc. etc. So, these fee increase are intended to fund this department, without tax money. Of course, when it was with DMD, it was funded without any tax revenue also. Their split from DMD has also resulted in the Current Planning Section raising its fees to attempt to make up for the lost revenue that came from the existing fees of the Office of Code Enforcement.

There will likely be more increased fees and more fees for services that were without fees.

And don'r forget the $15M that IUPUI wants (al...

2009-12-23T16:48:23.267-05:00

And don'r forget the $15M that IUPUI wants (albeit from sharing tax revenue instead of outright gifting)

The sad part of this proposal is that it probably ...

2009-12-23T16:11:51.005-05:00

The sad part of this proposal is that it probably won't generate all that much money for the grief the mayor will get from business owners. I suspect the administration left about $1 million a year in revenues on the table in its recent negotiations with the private operators of the golf courses. And to think the City has over $20 million to give away to Tadd Miller and another $15 million a year for the billionaire Simons. The little people get nickled and dimed to death while the City has big handouts for the wealthiest.

Actually, Paul I don't think Cato is far off b...

2009-12-23T14:34:53.772-05:00

Actually, Paul I don't think Cato is far off blaming the whole Republican Party.

Those of you who don't approve, didn't stop this. I know you try, but let's face it there are more of them than you and you are fighting in a system that is based on a false right/left paradigm.

Ballard could have done something. He chose his company. He let the rats control him and let The People down.

Had Ballard left the party when I suggested it more than 2 years ago, we would not be having this discussion now.

Imagine the ripple through our country if the newly elected Mayor of our 12th largest city, defected from the Republican party and declared his Independence and told our citizens why.

Do people remember Ballard's election night? ...

2009-12-23T13:36:25.711-05:00

Do people remember Ballard's election night? Do you remember Brizzi on stage? Taking credit for Ballard's victory? Do you remember how Ballard just sort rolled over let those snakes take him from The People?

Does anyone remember seeing Brizzi once during Ballard's campaigning?

Ballard deserves Brizzi.

I suggested to Ballard two weeks before the election (when people still thought he would lose), that once he was elected, he should defect from the Republican Party.

Ballard's eyes lit up as I told him that's how he could show he's fully with the people and put the snakes in their place at the same time.

Ballard should have gone to the Libertarians or declared himself independent.

He CHOSE the company he keeps.

No, Cato, don't be blaming the entire Republic...

2009-12-23T13:26:23.467-05:00

No, Cato, don't be blaming the entire Republican Party because people like Ballard ignore its principles.

It's time to face the fact that the Republican...

2009-12-23T10:52:35.510-05:00

It's time to face the fact that the Republicans are not the party of limited government.

Plus, AI, Indianapolis is a lot more spread out th...

2009-12-23T10:03:30.520-05:00

Plus, AI, Indianapolis is a lot more spread out than other cities. That makes taking a taxi even more expensive.

Paul, If Ballard were a true Republican, he would ...

2009-12-23T09:17:54.385-05:00

Paul, If Ballard were a true Republican, he would be looking at doing away with some of those fees. Why do we regulate taxi cabs, for example. Indianapolis is one of the most expensive cities in America to take a cab ride. Let's deregulate and let the market correct this problem.

I can guess how Abdul will defend the tax, er fee,...

2009-12-23T09:10:21.097-05:00

I can guess how Abdul will defend the tax, er fee, increases now. He'll claim that they're not really tax increases and that this can be explained during a political campaign just like the CIB tax increases can be explained as only being against "visitors."

Any political strategist will tell you voters will not parse distinctions between types of taxes. Taxes are taxes are taxes. And that includes when you call them user fees.