tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post6068392325151589101..comments2020-04-11T03:30:02.282-05:00Gary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-49726123800971421492009-09-11T10:58:14.823-05:002009-09-11T10:58:14.823-05:00I find it fascinating that they&#39;re asking the lowest-paid workers to take six-day unpaid furloughs.<br /><br />The CIB would benefit more if Barry Livengood took a six-day unpaid furlough!Hoosier in the Heartlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07049824713120857184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-50565968836421040982009-09-10T20:25:41.527-05:002009-09-10T20:25:41.527-05:00Paul - I thought we already had a politically connected law firm who has been hired to fleece the taxpayers?jabberdoodlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12773449819475280421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-64845860257726802802009-09-10T20:20:56.714-05:002009-09-10T20:20:56.714-05:00I have to admit I&#39;m kinda shocked that Ballard (which means Grand and Loftus) have turned on their own. Hope Barney&#39;s 401K has recovered sufficiently to see what life is like in the unemployment line. $18,000 per month is hard to subplant with Indiana&#39;s &#39;generous&#39; unemployment checks.<br /><br />If the City wants a new tack to take -- I&#39;d suggest running some numbers and looking at actual projections over a knee-jerk &#39;privatize everything&#39; approach.<br /><br />If you pulled the functions of the CIB, the ICVA, and IDI in house, I bet we could save a bundle. Then the hotel tax could be used to do what they call &#39;pay off the bonds&#39;. After that, maybe it could fund road work and parks and things that make life good for those who cannot afford tickets to the pro games.<br /><br />IDI - with its mere $1.1m per year from the Bond Bank and DMD, primarily, only duplicates the work of others. I even understand they ask City workers to contribute information that they then repeat back for their paycheck.<br /><br />The ICVA with about $8M per year of taxpayer funds and a total of about $11M per year, gives discounts for rooms, as AI has exposed, and they hire other companies to build their website and create ads touting our civic spaces. The room discounts can be foisted on the hotel industry. And the City can hire someone to put out RFPs for the rest, cutting out more than Welsh&#39;s $350-$400,000 per year salary for the ICVA&#39;s expensive act as a middleman. <br /><br />The CIB, with its $100M+ per year for 2008 and only $121M+ per year for 2009 and onward, puts on shows, which is a particular set of skills not associated with usual city functions. But, with some public input, I think we can pull at least part of the CIB&#39;s functions in house and save money in the process.<br /><br />And Gary, look at the &#39;operating reserve &amp; restricted escrow&#39; line just before the total for revenues. They cut back almost $16M when they got the additional money out of the Council. Hmmmm. Almost a wash. One hand giveth, the other taketh away. So much for cuts.<br /><br />As for the CIB, I&#39;m sure they just forgot the promise that they would post the budget details online. They value open government, as we have been told on numerous occasions.jabberdoodlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12773449819475280421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-7616231579315760252009-09-10T18:20:50.906-05:002009-09-10T18:20:50.906-05:00I love how they just consider any loan &quot;revenue.&quot; I guarantee you the CIB has no intention of every paying that back.<br /><br />Great report, Gary. I&#39;m not optimistic about contracting out the CIB&#39;s functions. First, no company is going to simply take over losing deals that the CIB has entered into. You&#39;d have to make it profitable to them and that means kicking in (taxpayer) money. <br /><br />Plus, you know they&#39;ll give it to some contractor who made big political contributions and of course an expensive, politically connected law firm will have to be hired to further fleece the taxpayers.Paul K. Ogdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137003328850866711noreply@blogger.com