Jay-

Really??? You really would have rather the Colts never come here? Really??

Having an NFL team makes you one of the big dawgs in the country. Did you watch the Super Bowl this year or last? Did Did you fill out a bracket? Did you watch IU, Purdue, ND or Butler this past weekend? I'm guessing the answer is yes.

Dude, I think it's weird that sports are so big (to the US and every single country in the world), and we can debate that all day long. I don't know why sports lead the news every week during the NFL season. I don't know why Kelvin Sampson was a bigger story this year than property tax reform.

But here's the real world bottom line. Sports are important. AND it's a BUSINESS, that employs thousands of people.

Indiana put itself on the map with sports. This was a strategy employed by Governors Bowen and Ordd and Mayors Lugar, Hudnut and Goldmsith, LONG before Bart Peterson came on the scene.


And we were NOT guaranteed final fours every five years. We would NOT have continued to get them with the RCA Dome. Seen the Alamo Dome (2008) or Ford Field (next year)? They would have dropped Indy like a hot potato.

AND(oh I can do this all day) if you want to be the only one in the state (and the entire free world) who lines up against Peyton Manning, be my guest.

Maybe it is time to look at the Capital Improvements Board (CIB). Maybe that should be privatized - what a thought!

the_weasel

Say, Proud Indy Resident, did you ever stop to think *why* we have to pay so much to have an NFL team ? Why the RCA dome was good enough, then not good enough ?

Ever stop to think that the whole thing is rigged to extort money from taxpayers ?

I'd rather the Colts never came here, that we didn't still have to pay $75 million for the RCA dome, $600 million for the new Colts stadium, and that instead we'd either left the money in taxpayers' bank accounts, or put the money toward something useful, like public safety.

We already would have gotten the final four every 5 years abyway, we had 1997, 2000, and 2006, how many do you want ? Two a year ?

Peyton Manning didn't contribute one dime to St V's by the way...

Think Again-

You should think again. I guess you would have preferred the Colts leave.


Sure Jim Irsay got a lot of money, but this is the NFL. Either you want in or you don't. I guess you'd rather be Omaha or Lansing or Peoria.


Every city that lost a team regretted it and paid twice as much as it would have cost to keep them to get them back. Are all the cities and states across the country - with D & R mayors and governors - corrupt and dumb?


And Irsay not only committed his business to Indianapolis for 30 years - unbreakable. If you owned your own business and you just signed a deal that tied your hands for 3 decades, and cities and states will pay a billion dollars to steal you away (See Houston, Cleveland, Baltimore, Oakland & St. Louis), well I'd expect something too.

So I, for one, am pretty damn happy with the deal. And the Lombardi Trophy. And Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. And every time the word "Indianapolis" is mentioned throughout the world. And the 40 years of Final Fours. And new and bigger conventions.

A dog will return to it's own vomit, with savour. So, has this legislature. The only changes, favour the thieves.

Cry HAVOC! And, loose the dogs of WAR!

This means that NO ONE OWNS PROPERTY! PERIOD!
NO ONE EXCEPT THE GOVERNMENT! Or, those they deign fit for such privilege!

House Bill 1145
2008 Regular Session


Latest Information


DIGEST OF HB1145 (Updated February 19, 2008 2:56 pm - DI 84)


Tax delinquent properties. Provides that a county may transfer real property for which the county holds a tax deed to an abutting landowner for no consideration or nominal consideration.

Provides that a political subdivision that acquires real property from a county at a time when the county holds a tax deed for the real property may also transfer the real property to an abutting landowner for no consideration or nominal consideration.

Provides for notice to all abutting landowners before a county or other political subdivision initiates negotiations for sale or transfer of the real property.

Current Status:
Signed by the Governor
Latest Printing (PDF)


Action List
Introduced Bill
Fiscal Impact Statement(s): 1(PDF), 2(PDF), 3(PDF), 4(PDF), 5(PDF), 6(PDF), 7(PDF), 8(PDF)
Roll Call(s): No. 51(PDF), No. 214(PDF), No. 6265(PDF), No. 6329(PDF)
Indiana Code Citations Affected
House Committee Reports
Filed Committee Reports: 1145-1, 1145-1(PDF)
Passed Committee Reports: 1145-1, 1145-1(PDF)
House Amendments
House Bill
Senate Committee Reports
Filed Committee Reports: 1145-1, 1145-1(PDF)
Passed Committee Reports: 1145-1, 1145-1(PDF)
Senate Amendments
Engrossed Bill
Conference Committee Reports
Enrolled Act

House Bill 1164
2008 Regular Session


Latest Information


DIGEST OF HB1164 (Updated March 4, 2008 2:27 pm - DI 84)


Property tax deduction for model residences. Subject to certain restrictions, allows a 50% property tax deduction for property taxes first due and payable after 2009 for a model residence for not more than: (1) an assessment date for which the residence is partially assessed; and (2) the first three years for which the residence is fully assessed. Specifies procedures for obtaining a deduction. Provides that not more than three model residences in Indiana owned by the same owner or an affiliated group of owners may qualify for the deduction for an assessment date.

Current Status:
Signed by the Governor
Latest Printing (PDF)


Action List
Introduced Bill
Fiscal Impact Statement(s): 1(PDF), 2(PDF), 3(PDF), 4(PDF), 5(PDF), 6(PDF), 7(PDF), 8(PDF)
Roll Call(s): No. 91(PDF), No. 217(PDF), No. 291(PDF), No. 6247(PDF), No. 6328(PDF)
Indiana Code Citations Affected
House Committee Reports
Filed Committee Reports: 1164-1, 1164-1(PDF)
Passed Committee Reports: 1164-1, 1164-1(PDF)
House Amendments
Filed: 1164-1, 1164-1(PDF), 1164-2, 1164-2(PDF), 1164-3, 1164-3(PDF), 1164-4, 1164-4(PDF), 1164-C(PDF), 1164-C
Passed: 1164-3, 1164-3(PDF), 1164-C(PDF), 1164-C
House Bill
Senate Committee Reports
Filed Committee Reports: 1164-1, 1164-1(PDF)
Passed Committee Reports: 1164-1, 1164-1(PDF)
Senate Amendments
Engrossed Bill
Conference Committee Reports
Enrolled Act



Senate Bill 0062
2008 Regular Session


Latest Information


DIGEST OF SB 62 (Updated March 14, 2008 3:46 pm - DI 101)


Posting notice of foreclosure sale. Eliminates the requirement that a sheriff post notice of a foreclosure sale in at least three public places in each township where the real estate is located.

Current Status:
Signed by the President of the Senate
Latest Printing (PDF)


Action List
Introduced Bill
Fiscal Impact Statement(s): 1(PDF), 2(PDF), 3(PDF), 4(PDF), 5(PDF), 6(PDF), 7(PDF), 8(PDF)
Roll Call(s): No. 31(PDF), No. 192(PDF), No. 197(PDF), No. 350(PDF), No. 352(PDF), No. 6084(PDF), No. 6456(PDF)
Indiana Code Citations Affected
House Committee Reports
Filed Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
Passed Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
House Amendments
Filed: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF), 0062-2, 0062-2(PDF)
Passed: 0062-2, 0062-2(PDF)
Senate Bill
Senate Committee Reports
Filed Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
Passed Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
Senate Amendments
Filed: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF), 0062-D(PDF), 0062-D
Passed: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF), 0062-D(PDF), 0062-D
Engrossed Bill
Conference Committee Reports
Filed Senate Conference Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
Passed Senate Conference Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
Filed House Conference Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)
Passed House Conference Committee Reports: 0062-1, 0062-1(PDF)




2008 Regular Session


Latest Information


DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL


Penalties for failure to pay state taxes. Provides that a penalty for failure to pay tax by the due date is reduced to 5% of the amount of tax due if the person pays the full amount of the tax owed not more than 30 days after the due date. (Current law provides for a 10% penalty on the amount of tax owed if the payment is made any time after the due date.)

Current Status:
Representative Welch added as coauthor
Latest Printing (PDF)


Action List
Introduced Bill
Fiscal Impact Statement(s): 1(PDF)
Indiana Code Citations Affected
House Committee Reports
House Amendments
Senate Committee Reports
Senate Amendments
Conference Committee Reports

"Piper"
Ask Dave to FWD the URLs

Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.
Gilbert K. Chesterton, (The man who was Thursday)

Indiana Sports Corporation does not get tax money? Want to bet on that? Watch the Channel 16 broadcast of the CIB meeting where a board member talks about that the CIB has routinely given the Indiana Sports Corporation money in the past. The CIB represents the taxpayers and its money is taxpayer money. The board member did not see anything wrong with the Indiana Sports Corporation pocketing money from the sale. Spence is far and away the most knowledgable person on here.

FYI, for those people who think non-profit corporation are "charities," they need to take a business law class.

Wow, Abdul, you got Rev. Jeremiah Wright reading and commenting on your blog... only here he calls himself "Hamstrung"...

If the Mayor hires whites, he's racist. If he hires blacks, their tokens. Hamstrung, what will make people like you happy? Oh I get it, he must do only what YOU want. Then why don't YOU run for office?

So in order for hiring people other than white it has to meet some sort of litmus test. You, Hamstrung< are severely racist!!

Jay,

You think the ISC has a bad record?
Wait until you see what Ballard's up to. He is not hiring blacks and the one's he's hiring love 'other' ethnicities. He is going to turn our town into little China and shove all the blacks into ghettos and the unemployment line, except the inarticulate who will stand-in as a reminder to the uppity, educated articulate blacks that no matter what your accomplishments, you're still a N-word.

Having a longtime African-Amerian employee is not sucessful hiring practices, it's called tokenism.

Hiring Mays and Shrewsberry, who are owners and board members of one of the most notorious mbe Front companies, Shrewsberry & Associates, in the state is not remarkable either.

Good point, Dave, but...the taxpayers. main input is through election of the Council and the Mayor.

And the public spoke quite well on that subejct last November. My favorite candidate for mayor lost, but I heard the message and respect it.

And now we've got Bob Cockrum running the council. Nicer guy, not much brighter.

When you consider the taxpayer funding involved in these professional sports franchises; you can likewise make a case that taxpayers have some ownership of these teams.

Wait a minute. Instead of these proceeds/dollars going to good causes (charities), they will be going back to the taxpayers general fund. So the politicians can decide where to spend the dollars. Because politicians do such a good job of spending our dollars.

muckraker< "I’m still waiting for Monroe Gray’s indictment for Official Misconduct & Ghost Employment…

Well muckaker, don't get to excited because this is not news today. But the ethic committe met last night for the first metting of the invesigation. There may be a piece in the star today. They were the only one that showed. Next meeting will be in April. But don't get your hopes up. This only happen because I filed a complaint with the city council on this subject.

Whatever. This is all Ballard. When is he going to stop blaming everything on Bart?

And when is he going to give us our income tax dollars back?

GIVE IT BACK, GREG!

Thanks guys. When you sift through these posts (attempting to triangulate for spin), you might learn something. At least I'm trying.

The lawyer suing CIB has pointed out that some assets like the football field have been excluded from this CIB agreement leaving the profits for the Colts Foundation.

Published reports seem to indicate the field is also owned by CIB and taxpayers, not the Colts. Details, details, details...

Both the CIB and ISC are almost broke because of mismanagement.

CIB because of the overly generous agreement with the Colts leaving them a huge deficit for operating Lucas Oil Stadium and ISC because of a failed International Basketball event several years ago that lost millions.

Something needs to give or both will fall from financial weakness to failure.

damned fat thumbs and narrow Blackberry keyboard:
* "don't" and
* "shout"

sorry

Forest for the trees, Greg. Forest for the trees. I'm not spinning for Ballard. Hell I didn't even vote for him. But I admire him and respect his win and his leadership.

You doln't have to shouit every decision from the highest mountain-top.

He handled this one right.

Without question.

Think Again. I can accept that you want to think that "just maybe" the mayor is behind the reversal. However, my point is that we are crying for leadership, not political finesse. I recognize that not everything should be fought out in the open, but there does, in my humble opinion, need to be some select few examples of where the leader is willing to step on toes in favor of public good. This would have been a good time. Instead, he reduces himself to a statement that in effect said; "I was not a part of the original signing of the plan". You can spin this anyway you choose, but it is weak. I truly believe he was elected to show courage and leadership.

http://indytaxdollars.typepad.com/
April Fool!!

Spence: I missed no points. I, too, was angry about this auction and its proceeds. And the ISC taxpayer dollar thing is a myth. Please prove otherwise if you have any factoids.

Jay: I've worked with ISC on multiple projects over 20 years. This is the first I've heard about their minority hiring deficiencies, but a quick check of the EEOC and IDOL files indicates no complaints. That, of course, doesn't mean you're incorrect. I just haven't heard it. And yes, they are a national model for community-based sports organizations. Ask Atlanta, who just reworked their entity in the same mode.

And ISC gets not one cent of tax dollars. If anyone can demonstrate otherwise, have at it. Granted, they operate in and around government. They use governmenmt-subsidized or built venues for many of their operations. But when ISC sponsors a national wrestling competition, for example, and uses two exhibit halls at the Convention Center, ISC pays for them. I think they get massive infusions of government personnel and other resources for large events. But no direct taxpayer funding. And the rollover jobs their events bring to this economy, is vast.

And I am aware the mayor or his adjuncts control the CIB. Which was my point when I indicated his fingerprints are likely all over this switheroo. It did happen rather quickly. Maybe he just prefers not to trumpet his victory, and wants to move on.

Which would be rare for a public servant, but welcome.

I'm sure ISC could use some improvement. And I know their board is a cliqueish institution of good-ole-boys and girls.
It really would be helpful if you'd have some facts on your side before you type.

Blog on.

Spence, don't know where you're getting your information, but the Sports Corp has absolutely not received millions of taxpayer dollars. That is 100 percent false. As another poster stated, ISC is funded by revenues from events it brings to the city, from management fees for those events, from grants, from sponsorships and from memberships.
ISC is not a governmental body. It is a private not for profit. As such, its financial statements are in the public domain. Go look for yourself.
You also stated that CIB money was diverted to the NCAA relocation. Wrong again. That money was privately raised. The state provided the land for the NCAA HQ in White River State Park.
To Jay, the ISC is a national model. As for minority hiring, African-Americans and Hispanics have been part of the ISC staff. One of its employees with the longest tenure is an African-American female. Its board has included persons of color (Carolene Mays, Milt Thomspon, Bill Shrewsberry to name a few). The Local Organizing Committees of events ISC manages are models of diversity.

Nice try but the ISC receives millions of taxpayer dollars and has since it's inception. Much like the CIB it is a quasi-governmental agency operating with monies that are not "directly" shown in the city's budget.
You are completely mistaken about the Mayor's control of the CIB. The Mayor, thru his appointees has total control of the CIB and has often been referred to a the Mayor's slush fund.
You seem to miss the point that there is a current debt of $78 million still owed on the Dome. Who gave the CIB and the ISC the authority to divert our tax dollars away from the purpose for which they were intended by law, that being to pay for the soon to be demolished Dome?
Why hasn't the CIB, which controls the old Market Square site place that's rather valuable piece of real estate up for sale on the open market and the proceeds placed back in the city's coffers?
The CIB and the ISC are governmental bodies that were specifically created to operate without accountabilty to our elected CCC.
Had this not been the case then you can rest assured that had there been a voter referendum on the new Stadium ot would never have been built.
I want to know who gave the CIB the authority to diverts tax dollars away from paying off that $78 million Dome debt. Until the new Stadium deal was cut behind closed doors the public was never aware of the fact that $78 million was still owed on the Dome.
The CIB and the ISC need to be investigated.

9:03 am - "The ISC is a national role model" ?

ISC has a very bad record at hiring minorities.

Nice try tho.

How does laundering the proceeds of the auction through the CIB constitute a victory for the taxpayers? They will probably spend that money on getting a Super Bowl to come to town, not pay off the stadium.

So much misinformation, so little time.

Virtually no taxpayer money funnels through the ISC. They get sponsorship revenue, and actual ticket revenue, from multiple events. The ISC is a national role model for amateur sports promotion. It actually works pretty well. Nice try, tho.

Fred Glass indicted? If inept contract negotiation is a felony, he'd be in Pendleton, key thrown away. Alas, it is not. (He would share the cell with several folks...Brian Bosma among them)

Come on, folks. Elevate the conversation instead of throwing stink bombs into the room and then leaving.

The Mayor does not directly control CIB, but he has immense infleunce via his Chairmanship appointment and other appointments. I suspect his heandprint is all over this reversal. In government terms, it happened very quickly.

Hoping for a discussion on a higher plane...but perhaps hoping against hope...

Well, if they are part of Indianapolis government doesn't the Freedom of Information Act cover this? Don't we, as citizens have the right to look at the CIB's books?

I may be incorrect but it is my understanding that the Indiana Sports Corporation is funded largely by Marion County taxpayers. If this is correct then why is the city allowing this $200,000 to a public tax subsidized corporation?
The CIB, created by fiat via the State Legislature is funded entirely by our Marion County tax dollars but operates completely without oversight until scandal floats to the surface.
One of the main reasons that the Dome is not paid is due in part to tax monies earmarked specifically to pay off the Dome debt have been diverted over the years by the CIB without oversight. This is how Conseco Fielhouse and Victory Field were funded. Money also was diverted into other downtown projects as well such as the NCAA headquarters.
If a tax was imposed to pay for the Dome then why were those money diverted and under what law were these diversions of $$ allowed?
The general public and taxpayers in Marion County have absolutely no idea of how clandestine the CIB has been. The deals get cut first and the public finds out way down the road.
Personally, I would like for the books of the CIB be opened so that we can see how just how this "shadow" quasi-governmental group has operated since it's creation.
Both the CIB and the Indiana Sports Corporation are part of Indianapolis government but operate outside the rules and without oversight.

Will Fred Glass be indicted (as he should) for Official Misconduct, a felony?

-I'm still waiting for Monroe Gray's indictment for Official Misconduct & Ghost Employment...where are they Mr. Brizzi???

It is truly a shame when leaders in responsible positions need to be embarrassed into doing the right thing. This whole CIB needs to be looked at. Mr. Mayor Ballard did not earn any merit for this either. Rather than lead, he merely pointed the finger at others. Sorry Mr. Mayor, this is not why you were elected.