Simons are an asset to the community

Simons are an asset to the community

I found offensive the [April 20] article, “Simon says, city does.” The article goes on to question if the city got a raw deal from the Simon family, given all the tax breaks and other incentives extended to them, over the years, for the many projects that they brought to our city and state.

The Simons are obviously a tremendous asset to our community. They revitalized downtown, gave us a local basketball team and have contributed generously to hospitals, youth programs and many other charities. Their leadership and executives serve on numerous civic, charitable and business boards.

Frankly, my eyes glazed over halfway through the article, listing the millions here and there. I am certain that many, many other cities in the United States would give anything to have this family and this company in their neck of the woods. We should of course drive as hard a bargain as we could, in any negotiations with them, or with any other entity doing business with the city. We should, however, also express our grateful appreciation for their hard work, community spirit and generosity.

Rabbi Avi Grossbaum

Lubavitch of Indiana

The fact that you would print outdated information and a negative report on this family may be the reason your readership is down. Both Mel and Herb [Simon] have lost great fortunes in the last year, yet they keep giving to this city.

IBJ never reported when they did not move to California, and they could have. Keep taking cheap shots, and see how many points you can score. Reporting very unbecoming of your publication.

Michael A. Allen