Take from poor (relief), give to CIB

April 21, 2009
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dropThat drip-drop sound you hear is not the rain outside. It’s coming from the irony dripping off the most recent Capital Improvement Board bailout proposal.

A bi-partisan group of Marion County lawmakers is suggesting that the CIB budgetary shortfall be filled (at least in the near term) with reserves built up in township trustees’ coffers. Isn’t that money—at least in part—intended for poor relief? And fire protection too.

The irony in a suggestion that lawmakers take money that was taxed out of people’s pockets in the name of helping those less fortunate and turning it over to the Capital Improvement Board, which owns sports venues predominantly filled on a regular basis by the more fortunate among us, is pretty interesting to say the least.

Not surprisingly, the proposal forwarded yesterday by Reps. Ed DeLaney, Mary Ann Sullivan, John Barnes and Jeb Bardon, all Indianapolis Democrats, and Rep. Phil Hinkle, R-Indianapolis, isn’t gaining much support from township trustees or state lawmakers. No comment yet from the representatives of Robin Hood.
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  • Thomas PaineApril 21, 2009 11:44 AM
    This is beautiful!!! Actually, not a bad idea. Bringing truth in advertising to Corporate Wellfare!
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  • NickApril 21, 2009 12:03 PM
    Here's a little perspective. What do we get for $470 million?

    ($47 million annual tax increase for at least 10 years)

    Maybe keep the Colts and Pacers in the city with no additional investment from them at all.

    What did Michigan get for approximately $470 million of tax credits?

    $2 Billion of private capital investment and 7,700 jobs from four Advanced Battery Manufacturers.

    Who do you think is smarter?

    Source:
    http://themedc.org/News-Media/Press-Releases/Detail.aspx?ContentId=335cdabf-dd8c-44da-9cc6-c361347b65d3
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  • Gary WelshApril 21, 2009 1:22 PM
    I would agree with you, Anthony, if those stockpiled funds went for poor relief. We know that Center Township hoards cash and real estate in lieu of poor relief based on the outstanding reporting of the IBJ. The Wayne Township Trustee refuses to go along with a merger into IFD that would reduce property tax rates there for fire services. Instead, he's demanding higher property taxes and, if he doesn't get it, he's going to tap those reserves. I'd like to put pressure on all of these townships to consolidate. What the three lawmakers are proposing as I understand it is a pledge of those funds to cover short-term debt until a permanent solution is found.
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  • MarkApril 21, 2009 1:53 PM
    It's pretty telling that Wash. Township Trustee Frank Short says, I'm not interested in giving them any of my money. I beg your pardon? Whose money is it?
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  • indymanApril 21, 2009 3:16 PM
    Really a bad headline. Sure it turns heads, but it is not the truth. That said, I would rather the money come from already hoarded and taxed money sitting in township coffers doing no one any good then to have it come from new taxes and still have the township money sitting in a bank doing no good.
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  • MattApril 21, 2009 3:24 PM
    Congrats Indyman, you've just been sold a very nice bill of goods. How about we fix the system of this state's trustees, use the money for what it was intended, which is in fact poor relief, and find another way to bailout the Simons and pay for LOS operations. Novel idea, huh?
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • indymanApril 22, 2009 7:23 AM
    Well it seems the poor are being taken care of, and we still have stockpiles of cash, cars and real estate sitting in the portfolios of the trustees. As the IBJ has shown there are more than enough reasons to eliminate the trustee and replace them with a combination of County level offices and private charities. If a charity came to me asking for money and said their overhead was 60%, I would laugh in their faces, but that is what rate some of our trustees are collecting.

    All the trustee level does is pad their income, build political empires (the Carsons for one) and allow them to payoff political patronage positions. Boss Tweed would be proud.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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