tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post6918875362031470504..comments2020-04-11T03:30:02.282-05:00Gary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-75608024511240094742009-02-14T17:03:00.000-05:002009-02-14T17:03:00.000-05:00Thanks, Diana. It carries no financial reward. That's for certain.Gary R. Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-83379513063822088392009-02-14T16:40:00.000-05:002009-02-14T16:40:00.000-05:00Well, Gary, YOU are running circles around the IBJ AND the Star. Too bad you aren't paid for your efforts. What you are doing is a great public service to taxpayers, and I admire you for it.Diana Vicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737045593571194790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-68074989681916859912009-02-14T16:08:00.000-05:002009-02-14T16:08:00.000-05:00The IBJ is running circles around the Star on these issues; however, Mickey Maurer completely undermines the work of his excellent reporting staff by becoming the enablers for these very people who are screwing us over by editorializing in favor of more bailouts and handouts to the downtown elites. I guess at the end of the day, the advertising revenue is just too important to him to risk alienating them.Gary R. Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-26638811123114254562009-02-14T15:25:00.000-05:002009-02-14T15:25:00.000-05:00Another excellent report.<BR/><BR/>It's gotten to the point that I don't even read the IndyStar online any more, though it's free, because it stopped being a newspaper. I learn more with a quick visit to Advance, Ogden, Abdul, etc than I ever could from reading a month's worth of the Star.<BR/><BR/>I've been trying to think up the next video project, but I can't focus - my eyes just keeping getting wider and wider every day from the criminal doings downtown.Unigovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15532072215831286109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-77263487217197960202009-02-14T13:10:00.000-05:002009-02-14T13:10:00.000-05:00Excellent reporting Gary. People are contacting me regularly now about a protest. <BR/><BR/>I keep hoping Mayor Ballard will take a stand on the side of the taxpayers, but I'm about out of hope. <BR/><BR/>It is time we take back our city.M Theoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01892309818226431745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-37176125758827832312009-02-14T12:09:00.000-05:002009-02-14T12:09:00.000-05:00Several years ago when I was working at a big law firm in town, a bond lawyer for the firm who worked on all of these deals tried to tell me that no property tax revenues were being paid on the mall because it was publicly-owned property and was being financed with tax-exempt bonds. I told him he was mistaken in that belief because even government-owned property must be taxed if it is being leased to a private business for a for-profit use (I knew that from my days working at the Illinois legislature as a revenue analyst). After arguing with me for ten minutes, this bond expert left, only to return an hour later to tell me I was correct. I couldn't understand how someone who was supposedly a public finance expert couldn't grasp that basic concept. In actuality, if the federal government ever really decided to enforce our laws on what bonds qualify for tax-exempt status, you would see a lot of these bonds lose their tax-exempt status. It is a major fraud that is being perpetrated on the American taxpayers.Gary R. Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-42463087419678729122009-02-14T11:51:00.000-05:002009-02-14T11:51:00.000-05:00It might be more accurate to suggest that self-dealing elites have taken control of the political parties that are generally found in power.<BR/><BR/>Voters are given choices outside of the usual suspects; but, routinely prefer to vote as though making a bet instead of voting for smaller, honest, transparent government.<BR/><BR/>People need to quit dressing up in a colored wig and body paint when they go vote for their favorite 'team' (of plunderers) and start voting based on what's best for their economic interests.<BR/><BR/>"If I give you a 45% chance at lethal injection a 50% chance of the electric chair and a 5% chance of escape, what are you going to vote for? The electric chair because you're likely to win?" - Michael BadnarikSean Shepardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04784017076656340302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-26497938252464147402009-02-14T11:45:00.000-05:002009-02-14T11:45:00.000-05:00I've known for a long time about the land-lease problem downtown, and how it continues to stymie development (financial institutions won't lend readily if the building owner doesn't own the land on which they build). I did NOT know that the Simons' held those leases for the mall properties! This explains all the corporate 'sponsors'. And I didn't know the Simons' weren't paying their lease on the mall, either!<BR/><BR/>What 'private investment downtown' are they talking about downtown? The big partnerships that came in a bought up all the parking garages and lots, so they could triple the parking rates for monthly parking and charge $20-40 for event parking?<BR/><BR/>It's so sad that a lot of people continue to believe this sham, this Ponzi scheme, is providing economic benefit.<BR/><BR/>But still, when the scam artists hold out there hands for more, an endless supply of sympathizers appear, wringing their own hands and imploring taxpayers to help them out.<BR/><BR/>ENOUGH!Downtown Indyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06239811599722585898noreply@blogger.com