City-County Council members voted 15-14 Monday night to clear the way for Indianapolis to lease its parking meters to a private
firm, a move proponents say will upgrade the system even as it generates revenue for infrastructure improvements.
The deal called for Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services to give the city $20 million upfront and an estimated $363
million to $620 million in meter revenue over the life of the agreement.
ACS also agreed to add 200 jobs in Indianapolis in the next two years.
“This proposal moves us in the right direction in bringing our current parking system to its fullest potential,”
Republican at-large council member Barbara Malone said in a prepared statement.
Mayor Greg Ballard presented the privatization proposal in August, and the city worked to revise its terms after public outcry.
The changes gave Indianapolis greater flexibility in removing parking meters and the option of terminating the agreement every
10 years.
Opponents nevertheless have complained the deal is short-sighted and riddled with hidden costs.
“It is unfortunate that the council turned a blind eye to the costs that privatization of Indianapolis’ parking
meters imposes on Marion County taxpayers,” said Jeff Musto of U.S. PIRG, a federation of state public-interest research
groups. “Those who expressed concern … can at least take satisfaction in some improvements to the contract that
were won along the way.”
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City-County Council OKs parking privatization
IBJ Staff
November 15, 2010
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These higher rates Co. e about only because physicians are now hospital employees. otherwise physicians couldn't charge these rates and share the windfall with the hospital. Community/rural hospitals probably not buying physicians practices and thus weren't getting the windfall anyway.
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The incentive for poor people to get themselves off public assistance and "no longer be poor" is even with help...they're STILL POOR! Being poor, even with some assistance, isn't all that pleasant. (I speak from experience) It's a stubborn myth that poor people, who are on public assistance, are sitting in the lap of luxury. You should try living on just those "freebies" that you mentioned and see how meager they actually are. By the way, I didn't mean you had to buy/own a puppy...just pet one. :)
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As near as I can tell the minority has ZERO constitutional obligation to offer a quorum to the majority. A requirement for quorum was inserted into the constitution so that tyrannical majorities could not simply shove through odious and objectionable legislation (which is exactly what they did.) By allowing a tyrannical majority to charge fines against the minority for exercising their constitutional prerogative to deny quorum the court as made a mockery of constitutional governance in the state of Indiana.
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The voters elected the Reps to make a vote not walk out on the vote. They had to the right to exercise their opinion and vote "no" to the bill. Let me ask you this if you walked out of your job for 5 straight weeks would you get paid? Would you even have a job to go back to? If any elected official walks out on the people they should be arrested for stealing tax dollars from the public. They were elected to do a job and not leave when the job gets stuff.
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I have been to several of their locations in Pennsylvania and always go in for 1 item and leave with a basket full of things. I'm very happy they decided on Indiana, now if only they would put the other store in eastside.
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I'm not in love with this deal, but in many ways I'm more confident in a private company to make a profit than I am in our city government. Is it perfect - no. Is it, in my opinion, better than what the city has done in the past - yes. Does it hinder city planning - yes. However, we get new meters that take credit cards, upfront cash injection, and the back-end yearly (projected) payouts are higher than what Indy was earning previously. Given the current economic climate, the likelihood of the city financing these meter/infrastructure upgrades was virtually zero.
To me, the "pros" outweigh the "cons": especially if BR gets a parking garage out of it.
I find it amusing that the GOP who refused to participate in the drafting of the National Health Care cry out about special deals made behind closed doors, but this is exactly what Ballard and the GOP did. And then they truly ran it down the thoats of the tax payers.
Selling off city assets for a quick buck and a campaign contribution is just the beginning. When we give millions of dollars more than what it would take to update the marking meters to the wealthiest guy in the city for his basketball team and then claim there is no money for essential services, shows that this Ballard just does not know how to run government, does not care for the welfare of the city, and will probably run to some GOP retirement community once he is kicked out of office with all the slush cash in his pocket. What a louse he is and the GOP that went along with this
Your only hope is to start a RECALL NOW of the 15 council fools/tools who voted for this. Let's get moving and clear them out now. Anyone know the legal process in Indy to get started? Let's begin the RECALL NOW!!
You could see it on his face. He actually loses by winning. He is allowing his law firm to take advantage of his young associate status with empty promises that will disappear as soon as the real trouble starts.
He broke Googles rule of "do no evil" and a former governors simple rule to employees of "Do the right thing...ALWAYS".
These people are not dumb. They know the right people. They know how to push. They know how to move fast to avoid opposition.
Vaughn, Barnes & Thornburg, Ballard, and the multitude of public officials involved are utterly disgusting. There are likely more revelations of corporate malfeasance and dishonesty to come.
I'm waiting for the Indy Star to have an insert of rose colored glasses in the next edition of the Sunday Star. "Ohh everything is so purdy."