Comments on Advance Indiana™: Is A Pattern Of Behavior By Simons Emerging?

I agree that a boycott of Simon's enterprises ...

2010-07-26T04:45:16.585-05:00

I agree that a boycott of Simon's enterprises is in order!!

If the big names are expecting favors - like Indy ...

2010-07-25T07:47:46.739-05:00

If the big names are expecting favors - like Indy showers on the Pacers and the Simon Property Group - in return for their generous charitable donations, can we really call it charity? Or is it just a cost of doing business?

Are there businesses that headquarter in places be...

2010-07-25T00:19:36.519-05:00

Are there businesses that headquarter in places because they like the locale, the culture, the weather, something besides being bribed to stay- or this is the norm everywhere?

My guess is in the landlocked Midwest, you have to sweeten the pot these days. I don't like it a bit. I'd rather have safe streets, good schools, and maintained infrastructure, but I suppose that's too sedate if you're not accustomed to Midwestern values. If you want to pursue some endeavor and want a national or international reputation for it, then it's now customary to put on the dog?

What happens when you craft this cosmopolitain facade, yet can't maintain the safe streets, good schools, and well cared-for infrastructure?

Did Detroit try things like raising the rates on utilities to pay for infrastructure before "eight mile"- or whatever that rotted center of Detroit is called? (before they led the country in nobody graduating from their inner city schools- until we started vying with them for that accomplishment).

The Simons have been good citizens in support of community endeavors at times, as have the Pacers and Colts. But, when is a business or a business that amounts to a attractive bauble of city-living too expensive?

There are Midwestern locations in which Wal-Mart got a tax break for building a new location, during a time they were noted for their sales of U.S.-manufactured goods. Local merchants sometimes closed their doors because of Wal-Mart's competition. When sales started to decline later, Wal-Mart went to cheaper foreign goods to prop-up revenue, and U.S. manufacturing was affected as part of a bigger decline. Then- sometimes, Wal-Mart moved away if they couldn't get the sales they desired. A town was then left with a fair amount of investment that went for naught, with less than what they had when they started from a calculation to keep a particular business around- to the detriment of other amenities of community living.

It's not an exact anology by any means. But, I'm trying to ask, trying to understand, how much is "enough" for the Simons, Pacers, Colts, et cetera? If we're supposed to spend all this money to keep them, then what are we to do about a local budget that is a wreck?

The latest deal also gifts the Virgina St. parkin...

2010-07-24T17:19:24.456-05:00

The latest deal also gifts the Virgina St. parking garage at $1 / year; parking fees that should have been paid to the CIB.

Thanks for the correction. We gave them a multi-mi...

2010-07-24T16:43:02.416-05:00

Thanks for the correction. We gave them a multi-million dollar incentive to stay downtown instead of moving to another location within the city limits. That's great.

Actually, I believe they only threatened to move o...

2010-07-24T10:33:41.699-05:00

Actually, I believe they only threatened to move out of the downtown - one can't have money flowing out of a Ponzi scheme! I know that the got permission at that time, by variance (height), to build a tower at Keystone at the Crossing.

But to your larger point; of course that is what they do - but it doesn't take much to make the city blink - unless your an average citizen.