Comments on Advance Indiana™: How Did We Arrive At The Point Where Our Government Picks Winners And Losers In Business?

Gary, the corruption starts at a local level and g...

2014-05-23T07:23:18.733-05:00

Gary, the corruption starts at a local level and goes all the way up. Last night, Andre Carson spoke at a commencement ceremony, his introduction ran five minutes and basically covered his political resume including his time on the Indianapolis city council.

This 3 term congressman (and every other one like him) qualifies for a us government pension after being in office for 5 years starting at about $14,000 per year (it goes up if he stays in congress longer) and that pension is on top of social security which is on top of any other pension he will receive. Assuming that he lives to be 87, this congressman will collect that $14,000 for 25 years, a benefit that I can only match by saving $375,000 in a 401k.

The business winners and losers are the ones who pick our government officials, these officials are the best that they can buy. Putting and keeping corrupt people in power is to these business's benefits,

It is a sad system, what is the best way of breaking it?

The blighted neighborhood at 49th & College is...

2014-05-22T11:10:52.865-05:00

The blighted neighborhood at 49th & College is about 25% bigger than the blighted Shell station.

I don't think the government should be providi...

2014-05-22T11:07:05.885-05:00

I don't think the government should be providing public funding for private real estate development projects, but the purpose of TIF districts was originally intended to redevelop blighted areas, not booming areas where development is already in full bloom as occurs over and over again in Indianapolis. The Upland project at least represented an attempt to redevelop a blighted neighborhood.

By the time a TIF District was formed, Leif no lon...

2014-05-22T10:34:30.467-05:00

By the time a TIF District was formed, Leif no longer owned an interest in any of the property. His original plan included a TIF District that ran from the Fairgrounds to the Art Museum, and 10th Street to 71st to fund the project. A later version, at least the last while he held some of the property, required a combination of Federal Tax Credits and other public contributions for funding. The current owner of the property is not, currently, seeking TIF funds. While it would be nice to have something buit at this location, given your preference for absolutely no government participation, why on earth would the previous project be "more desirable"?

Many of your readers see the banal stupidity of ou...

2014-05-22T09:10:34.902-05:00

Many of your readers see the banal stupidity of our large, centralized federal government apparatus. Somehow many still believe that most local governments operate in their best interests and just want to build the community.

That's a lie. Speaking as one with lots of experience in local government (not Indy or close to), most folks in local government are just as stupid, evil, conniving, selfish as your Indianapolis government.

We're all screwed until honest people stand up and start fighting.

Gary, you are not alone. I am not kidding perhaps ...

2014-05-22T09:08:07.067-05:00

Gary, you are not alone. I am not kidding perhaps we can start a support group.

Boss Tweed or Daley the Elder would recognize the system workings of the Government we have. It is Corporatism or Fascism.

Both Political Parties, call them Republicrats, rally to the same Flag.

The last Mayoral Election and the Republicrat Candidates avoided touching the Third Rail of Corporatism, Pay to Play and Corporate Welfare.

The Mega-Media Press here is nothing less than lap dogs for the system. The tradition of the Fourth State has long been dead in Indianapolis. The Press here resembles Pravda of the Old Soviet Union rather than the fine tradition of Muckraking.

I was drafted in 1969 and sent to Vietnam. I can safely say if they still had a Draft and I was called up today I would go to Canada. I would not defend this system as it now is.

ps - Google "The Uptown"

2014-05-22T07:50:41.095-05:00

ps - Google "The Uptown"

The "gentleman" you seek is in fact a re...

2014-05-22T07:29:37.155-05:00

The "gentleman" you seek is in fact a real estate developer who is still miffed because 100% public financing wasn't offered for a project he'd been pushing for a decade on property he doesn't own or control.

Zach Adamson voted against the Broad Ripple TIF lo...

2014-05-22T07:12:25.431-05:00

Zach Adamson voted against the Broad Ripple TIF loan. I believe you stated it was an unanimous vote.

You're not alone.

2014-05-21T22:24:40.062-05:00

You're not alone.