Local Democrats are questioning whether a lobbyist who represents both the city of Indianapolis and the company the city
chose to receive a lucrative parking-meter operations contract might have influenced the selection.
Joe Loftus, a partner at Indianapolis-based law firm Barnes & Thornburg LLP, is the city’s chief Statehouse lobbyist
and also is registered to lobby for Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services Inc.
The city last month entered into a 50-year agreement with ACS in a deal city leaders are promoting as a way to modernize
meters and generate at least $400 million in revenue for road and sidewalk improvements in areas near the meters.The deal
still needs final approval from the City-County Council, which delayed a Sept. 20 vote on it.
Critics have said the deal would restrict the city’s flexibility when it comes to urban planning while raking in lots
of revenue for ACS—perhaps as much as $1.2 billion, according to an IBJ estimate.
Marion County Democrats on Tuesday charged in a press release that Loftus is “apparently using his contract with the
city to enrich other clients, most specifically ACS.”
When reached by phone Wednesday morning, Loftus acknowledged he has lobbied for ACS “for years,” but said he
was not involved in the negotiations from either side.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” he said. “Nobody’s ever attacked me like this. That’s
not acceptable.”
Loftus further said he’s never discussed the parking deal with Mayor Greg Ballard and pointed to an ethics ordinance
the mayor led that requires anyone contracted with the city to disclose other contracts.
But Ed Treacy, Marion County Democratic Party Chairman, argued that the appearance of a conflict is serious enough to question
the entire parking proposal.
“[Loftus] may not have talked to the mayor directly, but he surely is communicating to his staff,” Treacy maintained.
“A lot of stuff can be done by innuendo.”
City spokesman Robert Vane said he is confident that no conflict exists.
“I know from my conversations that he never spoke to the mayor about the parking deal,” Vane said. “Mr.
Treacy is a career lobbyist. It’s a little curious for him to be throwing stones.”
The proposal to lease the city’s parking meters would require ACS to bring 200 jobs to Indianapolis for at least seven years.
City officials this week began touting that part of the agreement, as the deal increasingly becomes a subject of heated debate.
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IBJNews
Democrats charge conflict in parking meter deal
Scott Olson
September 22, 2010
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In my opinion the estridge companies are crooks. They filed bankruptcy on their 'track housing' side of the business two weeks before they closed on one of my clients' homes. When my client first interviewed Estridge as a builder 6 months before, they specifically ASKED about the solvency of their business, knowing that some builders were struggling. Estridge truly misrepresented their financial situation at that time. I suppose I am more unhappy with the whole system than I am with the builder because what the heck==you can file bankruptcy on 'track homes' but still keep building and make money off of 'custom built' homes??? How ridiculous! They are all homes. How can a company be allowed to bilk thousands of dollars from their subcontractors but still be allowed to build houses?? they should have been made to pay back all their unpaid contractors before being allowed to profit from building any more houses! This alone makes them and the system crooks in my eyes. I would never build an estridge home and I would not recommend for my clients either. If they were truly 'bankrupt' how could they afford to keep building homes anyway??? The whole system needs fixed.
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I live a couple blocks east of the Angie's campus and my house is assessed for ~$160,000. If I could get that amount, let alone $384,000 (a 140% bonus), I'd sell in a minute. Either Angie's stockholders just got fleeced, or Angie's is getting about a 58% discount on their property taxes, if these properties are actually worth what they paid Mr. Oesterle for them. Which do you think is the case?
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Perhaps the IMA board is really to blame! They agreed to hire Charles. They can't seemingly find donors among themselves, or bring in new blood that will support the museums operating budget with an expanded museum and money to provide curators with something to do (ie buy art). The headlines of disarray at the museum and mass firings are hurting the reputation of the museum for some time to come. If people on the board had misgivings, perhaps they shpuld have more forcefully opposed efforts that they have seemingly been unable to fund, like expansion and the costs it has created!
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See, I told u Indyman and Dipsicle....this 8 days is overkill. It's barely worth a weekend....great job Tony George! Your dream has been fulfilled....he fans want the I r l back. Thats how good it was.....and that sucked.
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I have been in training for a short time now but right off I can see that safety and quality are the number one issues, my experience as of late has been a positive one, the employees along with Jeff the plant manager and the operation supervisor as well as the engineers are a highly motivated group of people, what an asset for the area to have and for company's in need of a quality metal products.
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Above is a part of a recent investigation into ACS.
Seriously folks let's get real.
Public officials are supposed to be trustees of the commonweal, not political
buccaneers seeking their own private gain. But sometimes, in what economists call a
principal-agent problem, those trustees forsake that obligation and misuse the power
delegated to them in ways that advance their personal interests rather than those of the
public.
Corruption distorts the allocation of resources toward projects that
can generate illicit payoffs. Besides the undesirable efficiency consequences arising
from this distortion, the effect is likely to aggravate social inequalities, because the poor and powerless suffer, by definition, a comparative disadvantage in securing special favors.
If the $500,000 has to be paid if the City-County Council will not vote for the ACS deal. Pay ACS's political blackmail scheme and get them out of town. Like all the other commentaries together with articles I've been reading have showed, ACS is not the kind of corporation we want in our town. Political blackmail, special interests, conflict of interests, WHERES THE FBI? WHERES THE FEDS?
Has anyone ever read ACS Ethical Standards they try to impose on their employees at the welfare office. Their employees aren't allowed to accept even a Christmas card. Yet the CEO's and Directors of this company have done just that.
ACS is a shameful, unethical, disgraceful hypocrite, not to mention the so called "leaders" of Indianapolis for creating this mess.
What an embarrassment to our city.
The least Ballard and Huber could do is pledge they will not accept an ACS job for the next 50 years.
Did Mayor Ballard get: Colts seasons tickets? Free Airfare for life from ACS? Free lifetime parking for the Mayor at any downtown location? Maybe he wanted a matching Mitch Daniels RV.
This deal is the height of fiscal irresponsibility. I'm ashamed that my Republican councilor may vote for it.
This city is struggling for revenue now...to make badly-needed infrastructure improvements, now....
We are still waiting for the first non-political recommendation from the Ed Treacys
in the Indy Dimocrat party to address this city's financial problem.....
ACS has numerous failed contracts throughout the United States and globally. They've failed our cities welfare system. Do we seriously want to keep entrusting ACS? Do we seriously trust a company that has no integrity, no ethical standard, and no transparency?
I submit a Securitization for 35 to 40 million say plus another 8 million for new meters be created and the bonds there with be sold with say an income stream to be outstanding for a period of 50 years (if based on the ridiculous income split with ACS)or more appropriately 10 years and let the business owners, ratepayors and taxpayers have the first right of refusal to the SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT in that exact order... Thus you align the interest of the business owners, taxpayers and ratepayers (and they can graft from themselves).
I guarantee this SUBSCRIPTION would be over subscribed. If not the State of Indiana can fill the gap and ALLOW PERF to make a solid investment for the Indiana Retirees as it would be a solid investment WITHIN INDIANA WITH BIG TIME UPSIDE. Thus the City of Indianapolis merely sells off a right to receive income for a period of time but never severed i.e. sold CONTROL of this PUBLIC TAXPAYOR ASSET.
I cannot believe the inept, possibly unethical leaders that surround themselves around Ballard. WHERE IS THE FBI? From Brizzi to the Mayors Office it is just simply unbelievable. What was that Movie called in Memphis THE FIRM... TOTAL MISAPPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC ASSETS, here...
These thugs have been caught. I hope the STAR will step up. THANKS IBJ great journalism!!
I think they should feature a REALITY TV SHOW that discloses the Grafters in Bell, CA ; INDPLS, IN , Cleveland, OH....
Check out the link to these Cleveland City leaders who were icked up by the FBI as well. Coming to a neighborhood near you soon. Click the link and read. Just how do people like Brizzi, Vaughn, Huber get in these positions?
http://www.cleveland.com/countyincrisis/index.ssf/2010/09/county_commissioner_jimmy_dimo_1.html
The notiont that Loftus had ZERO involvement in the ACS deal is laughable. He has a history of using his position in the administration to further his clients interests. Rememeber AT&T (Loftus' client) and how Loftus worked behind the scenes to get Rick Maultra fired because he challenged AT&T on legal violations and not paying rights of way fees.
If anyone thinks this is a Democratic thing...think again. We Republicans are also sick of Loftus and want him out of politics. Loftus has no interest in the fortunes of the Marion County GOP. He's just out to make money.
On the other hand, why do we (meaning city and state) have to have these very long (50 year) contracts? If we're getting screwed (which we probably are, or the company wouldn't do it), we have no recourse for a long time...
And to top it off, ACS is the company that failed in its contract with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
Expecially with ACS and Indiana's experience with them already. What are assureances this will go right?
We dont need to do this. I'm not a finance wizard, but cant the city run this program at a revenue stream, and then sell bonds to raise cash paying for it out of those future revenues (if you really need the cash now).