Indiana

If You Were Mayor?

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has come under fire lately because of the way he has handled the Capital Improvement Board issue regarding Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse.   Some criticism I think is well-place, some is just over the top and ridiculous.

So I figured before I hit the road to Chicago for more lawyer schooling, I figured I would open the forum and ask if you were Mayor how would you close the funding gap?  However, just so people don’t spout off nonsense, you have to act under the same parameters as the Mayor.   So here are the restrictions.

1. You have no taxing authority, so you must go to the Legislature for approval to raise revenue.
2. The Colts have a 30-year contract that they are under no legal obligation to break.
3. The public does not want any tax increases.
4. Most of your Republican caucus opposes tax increases as well.
5. The rest of the state has no desire to help, even though downtown Indianapolis generates 25% of the sales tax revenue in Indiana.
6. Municipal bankruptcy is also not an option, because you are not bankrupt.

Have at it.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on April 05, 2009 (boomark / email).