Loading ...A TALE OF TWO PROPOSALS
Two measures were introduced at last night’s City-County Council meeting; one would reduce the Public Safety Tax by 0.5 percent. Sponsor Vernon Brown says part of the tax was increased to cover the pre-1977 police pension debt, but since the state has now picked up that burden, Brown says the money should be returned to the taxpayers. Mayor Greg Ballard says he wants to repeal the entire tax increase, however he wants to do it as part of government reform and overhaul.
I always said the tax increase was a bad idea at the time because Hoosiers were facing massive increases in their property taxes. In the wake of events at the Legislature, I would rather keep the tax in place and use it to ease the burden on property taxpayers. Officials continue to look for ways to cut spending and find efficiencies.
The second proposal (actually there are two versions pending before the Council) would alter the city personnel code and allow the Mayor to name a fire chief from outside the Indianapolis Fire Department. Currently the chief must come from within IFD. The Mayor wants to change the rule and do a nationwide search. The fire fighters union is very skeptical of the plan, saying the best candidates for chief would come from within the department because they would understand the culture of IFD. My thought, the best person should be hired for the job, regardless of where they are from.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Why would 416 be against opening the applications for IFD Chief up nationally? One word….cronyism.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:48 am
An outsider might make all those Assistant Chiefs (without “portfolio”) actually turn in time cards and meet production goals, or something.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:18 am
No mention of Mr. Haith?
April 15th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Listened to Lincoln Plowman discuss this and other issues this morning.
When are you going to ask him the tough question: WHY, Mr. Plowman, are you even ON this council? Why shouldn’t you be disqualified, because of your job?
There is no member of the council who gets a more-frequent pass than Lincoln Plowman. This morning, he trashed Democrats in four of his first five sentences. While he may be right, it’s petty. He won, already. His party won. Move on.
The Republicans found stuff that was “hidden”, huh? Name them. How lame.
Or someone might start paying attention to Lincoln’s, uh….intellegence.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Do we need to compare the “intellegence” (sic) of Lincoln Plowman to Monroe Gray? At least he can put a couple of sentences together.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Firefighters local 416 wants to pick a chief from within the department to keep control of the chiefs office. They want to keep their politics in the job. There is a group of good old boys who sleep with the union and they don’t want any interference from the outside.
IFD is in sad shape and it is going to take a leader and an expert manager to fix it.
Whoever the new chief is. He will need to clean house and start over.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Many careers are enticing because they promote from within. I understand why the department would want to offer this position to a dedicated person who has made IFD their career choice.
April 15th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
The problem with using sales tax and the public safety tax of offset property taxes is the freeholders do not receive any benefit of owning any property. The landholders are reaping all the benefits of these income redistribution schemes. As a freeholder, I object to paying expenses for the landed gentry who get the benefit of years of appreciation. This makes me contribute to the lifestyle of someone living in Meridian-Kessler who crys about property taxes and I don’t receive the benefit of the inflated prices of their houses. Normally, my income is redistributed to welfare recipients. Now it’s also being redistributed to homeowner’s. One of these days people are really going to get fed up with the confiscatory policies of government.
April 15th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Politics may deem an outsider more suitable, but internal morale will suffer.
I suggest the Mayor have potential candidates submit resumes to him directly without allowing anyone in his office touch them. The candidates he’s actually looking for have been ’screened out’ and he’s has never seen their resumes nor does he know they exist.
If we can’t find a suitable candidate in such a large department that speaks volumes about the department, can an entire department be corrupt?
April 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
“The fire fighters union is very skeptical of the plan, saying the best candidates for chief would come from within the department because they would understand the culture of IFD. ”
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Understanding the culture; is that another way of saying we own him? That seems to be THE reason the Mayor should hire from outside the department.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Hmmm…are the fire fighters not interested in finding the best possible candidate??? It is what I look for when I hire someone regardless of where they came from or any other test. Isn’t a fire, a fire, a fire? Don’t they all, basically, put out the same way? And isn’t it time Indianapolis demand better than what we have had? Greeson was a disgrace, and is proof-positive of what is wrong with the current situation.
Let any viable employee of the fire department go head to head with all interested and PICK THE BEST. Oh, that is too simple.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
I know a lot of firefighters, and most want the best chief, from wherever (s)he comes. The union leadership, and the Vern Browns of the world, are feathering their own nests. Typical. This, too, shall pass.
That said, our department is one of the nation’s best. Very professional and a solid fire prevention program. They trip themselves up over some of the sexist remarks superiors sometimes make…but that appears to be clearing itself up.
As for the “Intellegence Race” between Monroe and Lincoln…damn, it’s a tossup. Ain’t local government great? Together their brain is like a golf ball on a 6-lane highway.
Again–neither should be on the council, nor should Brown. I think the Mayor is preparing an ordiannce to that effect, proposed to take effect with the 2011 election. Bully for him.
Now if we could just get some kind of qualifying BS test…the BS meters would go off big-time on the current council.
And again, Abdul–you’re one for tough, probing questions. Why didn’t you ask good ole’ Ford, er Lincoln, about the potential ban on public safety employees serving on the council?
April 15th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Where was the damaging info we were promised on Carolyn Mays? Or is this another Abdul hint that never comes to meaningful fruition?
April 15th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Well, for starters, Carolene Mays sits on the Board of a well-known mbe ‘front’ company, Shrewsberry & Associates. If you recall, this is the company that Bart Peterson & Bill Mays put together to steal minority business contracts from minority businesses.
Shrewsberry & Associates is really owned by Al Oaks a caucausian millionaire and part owner of the Center Township Investment group, a company recently certifed as a mbe company by the city of indianapolis during the last months of Bart Peterson’s tenure. The company is also to the same company that bull-dozed a kiddie park for parking spaces for their mercedez and bmws while they drink at their bar 300 East tavern in the Julia Carson Government building.
The Center Township Investment Group now has contracts with the city of indianapolis department of public safety.
The question I’d like to know is: Why do millionaires need women and minority setaside contracts?
When did an investment group of millionaires become eligible to be classified as ‘minorities’ for setasides.
Why does Shrewsberry & Associates, a private company, need legislators on their advisory board? Representative William ’shakedown’ Crawford is also on the board.
The Mays family, owners of the black newspaper in Indianapolis and employer/handler of the racist Amos Brown are greedy and have their fingers in every money pot–Too much power corrupts.
Definitely not Congressional material.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Board of Advisors-Continue
WILLIAM SHREWSBERRY
President and Chief Executive Officer
Shrewsberry & Associates
Bill Shrewsberry has served in both elected and appointed public sector positions including Jeffersonville City Councilman, Indianapolis Deputy Mayor, Executive Director of White River State Park and Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Administration. He also worked 27 years for Indiana Bell/Ameritech as an Outside Plant Engineer.
ALEX D. OAK, PE, RLS
President and Chief Executive Officer
Paul I. Cripe, Inc.
Al Oak is President and Chief Executive Officer at Paul I. Cripe, Inc. and has been with the firm for 30 years. He is a registered professional engineer, a registered land surveyor and has been recognized nationally for his contributions in the real estate industry by his admittance into the Counselors of Real Estate.
WILLIAM CRAWFORD
State Repesentative
Indiana General Assembly
Bill Crawford has served in the Indiana House of Representatives continuously since 1972. His House Committee assignments include Environmental Affairs, Ways and Means and Public Health. He is also employed as Manager of Community Relations at Ivy Tech State College.
CAROLENE R. MAYS
President and General Manager
The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper
Carolene Mays has worked extensively as a community advocate, communicator and business leader. As President and General Manager of the 106-year-old Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, she has been a catalyst highlighting positive and educational community, national and international news and events.
JAMES L. PERRY
Associate Dean
Indiana University-Purdue University
James Perry has three decades of experience as an educator, consultant, lecturer and author. In June 2001, he was promoted to Associate Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
YVONNE H. SHAHEEN
President and Chief Executive Officer
Long Electric Company, Inc.
Yvonne Shaheen epitomizes the corporate executive “giving back to the community.” She serves on the boards and is active in many organizations including Junior Achievement, Boy Scouts of America Children’s Museum, Arts Council of Indiana, Indianapolis Symphony, University of Indianapolis, GIPC, IREDP, CICF, IPIC and the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Two comments here. The first one is about the income tax. Remember, Ballard has only been in office for 4 months now. Now long enough to see if we can delete this tax. And remember folks, this city is 5.7 billion dollars in debt. How about taking that tax and see that is is directed to reducing this debt?
As far as the fire chef goes, I say yes to this proposal. Ballard does not intend to play politics, he owes no one so he can but the best man he can find into this job.
Thanks for reading
David