Wasn’t there a park that was turned into a parking lot for a bar that went into the Julia Carson Government Center? Was Amos on his radio show complaining about this park closing? What about all those people defending the dinky parks, which to me, are pretty much nothing. If you want a park, go to Turkey Run, _that_ is a park.

Abdul, then the activists would have more to do than just whine. They would actually have to do the work. Don’t you know it is always better to have gubmint in charge of everything???
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(to those whocouldn’t figure it out, that was sarcasm)

Great idea, Abdul! Let’s see if those “activists” are actually willing to do long term hard work and give, rather than take, from their city. Something tells me that they prefer taking to giving. I hope they prove me wrong, though.

Abbie, SELL, SELL, SELL. All is going stong in Marion County.
For sale public assets to balance the State, er I mean City Budget.

Parks are for sale. Mayors Action Center is for sale. And the Jails (jail space) is for sale.

Just like the toll roads are for sale and the FSSA computer system is for sale (see today’s Indystar for further).

SELL SELL SELL

Abbie, maybe I missed it on your blog. You failed to publish Tulley’s excellent piece on the retirement package (theft) for Indiana Legislatures. Bad karma man. That is a story. Even the Star picked that up and beat you to the punch.

If you don’t want city abandonment of little parks, privatization of the MAC, or less money for the Arts- where do you want to reduce spending? Or, would you rather pay more taxes? Or, do believe the money’s there, we just prove it with an audit? Something has to give. With due respect to the Mayor’s attempt to tackle fiscal reality, I’m ready to give on the two parties. When reelection is a bigger concern that reality and vested interests instead of voters, it becomes harder and harder not to vote Libertarian.

Taxpayer834512…you warmed my heart! Thanks. The water IS sparkling clean in the Libertarian pond.

I would encourage local neighborhood associations to request 1st priority to purchase for $1 dollar the vacant lot if they submit a plan for maintenance and insurance to keep within a park-like setting. Absent that, the commerical concerns will take it over and the city loves that because it generates tax money. If neighborhoods want another Walgreens, Arbys, or McDonalds, they better hurry because that’s money to the city and no more city lawn maintenance.

Excellent idea, makes too much sense then the whinny activists will have to do something but point fingers.

It is now time for the neighborhood associations to organize the people who live in the park area to pitch in to tend it. The youth would find volunteering and working for something they enjoy to be rewarding.There is nothing better than work to give these kids a focus on something outside themselves.

Abdulm Dominatrix, and everyone else trumpeting this idea- Bart Peterson beat you to it. Hell, HUDNUT & LUGAR beat you to it!!

There are dozens and dozens of parks around the city that are ALREADY managed, cut, manicured and generally taken care of by neighborhood activists, groups and schools. It’s old, old policy in the Parks department. (And there’s actually one in your backyard, Abdul! Take a look around your own neighborhood!)

I just have one question: How, on this green earth, can parks ever be called a drain on city budgets? That’s what cities do!! They provide police, fire, trash pickup, sidewalks, streets, street signs, street lights, and, and….wait for it….PARKS!

Every civilized city in the world pays for a park system. And guess what: those cities that get all the new businesses, visitors, conventions and continue to grow have excellent parks. NY, Chicago, Austin, Charlotte, Seattle, and on and on.

If This Mayor is suggesting that they are not “essential” services, then he’s nuts. Would you honestly want to live in a city with no parks? (If anyone says yes, I’m going call bullcrap.)

If you are going to be a worldclass city, that attracts jobs, investment, and people who actually want to live here, you have to learn to do it all. You can’t just put 2,000 officers on the street and make it safe, but have everything else in your city fall apart. That’s what This Mayor fails to grasp.

BF,

I know the park you are talking about. It’s easy for parks to be a drain on a budget, especially when they run $4 million over budget. When you have tough financial times you have to tighten your belt. That’s a fact of life. If more people had done this in the past instead of engaging in budget gimmickry, maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.

First of all, what gimmickry? I understand history is written by the victors, but just cause This Mayor says it, doesn’t make it so. Bart could have skewered Goldsmith’s accounting practices, but never blamed past administrations for the situations he found himself in (pensions, jail, stadium, sewers, education, etc, etc.). He just fixed them. This New Mayor can do nothing but blame other people.

Trust me, any mayor in any city in America, check that, the WORLD, who wants to defend closing parks (and anyone else who wants to line up with him or her), no matter what the financial situation is, good luck!

Remember when ol Barty cut Parks a couple of years ago and the pools closed one week early? Saved money, but people lost their freaking minds!

I guarantee you that if you marched into Meridian Kessler in the middle of the property tax mess and told them you were closing Holliday Park, THEY would have slapped the Parks director.

OK, people need to tighten their belts. I agree 100%.

What has IMPD tightened? Have we even discussed take home cars? And the gas that officers get for free for personal use as gas prices soar? If you polled everyone in Marion County and asked them this:

“Would you rather a) have the city cut the free gas perk that officers get for PERSONAL use; or b) close the pocket park in my neighborhood?”

It wouldn’t be close. So if people are tightening their belts, ask all those officers to do their part. How does public safety suffer if an officer has to fill up his tank on his own dime instead of the taxpayers? I’d love to hear that argument.

Was I on the inside??? I’ll never tell…..

Patriot Paul,

Look at the city budget that Abbie has provided. City Council, Membership dues 2009 budget-$9,500. 2008 budget-$300. Elected Official per diem 2009 – $140,000; 2007 spending – $105,000; Office of Corporation Council(attorneys) salaries. 2009 – $2,141,972, 2007 – $1,632,573 (increase $400,000). Office of Finance and Management salaries. 2007-$2,592,249, 2009 – $2,958,101 (increase of $300,00).Corporation Counsel Charges (internal) (have no idea what this is) – 2007 – $21,379; 2009-$104,250. This is common place. A mayor/party has his interests and they will be taken care of. Park, arts, etc.. are not one of them. The budget depends on whose rose colored glasses you want to look through.

I wasn’t on the inside either, but was a lot closer than 99% of the people in this county.

I’ve suggested the idea of moving to an endowment based financing structure for Parks and Recreation that includes an eventual phase out of it being under government control or needing to be taxpayer funded.

As such, I think Abdul’s suggestion makes lots of sense. Except, I think transferring the assets for $1.00 without taking bids might open the city up to some legal wrangling though althought certainly part of the consideration in the package would be the commitment to not develop the land beyond what is necessary to maintain it as greenspace or a park, playground, etc.

With a combination of support, phased out over time from the City, voluntary contributions, fund-raising and a volunteer effort to assist with maintenance and such … over a period of year you could fund parks and recreation off of the interest of an endowment fund.

Why not?

Excuse the heck out of me if our novice Mayor is not as polished in flashing smiles as his predecessor when bad news rains around. Oh, woe is us. You’re telling me you would rather have Monroe Gray’s tenure, being tossed out of City-Council, and who knows how much money that appears to have been “off the books” as part of some sort of fantasy budget? Peterson inherited a mess, got us a better bond rating, and tackled a sewer system he could have ignored. You want to raise hell about insider stinks like the CIB- I’m with you. Otherwise, I say Ballard’s got reduce spending. If you don’t like where, make a suggestion.

It’s a good thing these posts aren’t representative of the community art large.

Folks are hopping mad about the parks budget because parks are a quality of life issue. And I’d bet my mortgage that is the overwhelming opinion of city residents. Letting folks adopt a park is not a new concept: the Nora Community Council began the adopt-a-median program in this city, and they administer it still (in their area).

We’ve failed to properly explain the need for parks, and that’s half the problem.

I think Greg’s a one-termer unless something drastic happens. Keep up this parks nonsens,e and it’ll be a sure thing.

Say, Abdul–gonna ask the council’s city employees if they’ll recuse on the budget?

One thing I notice about this budget. No hidden service and charges. Yes, that is used but if you look it is explained what is included. Not just one line of millions included in “service and charges. Now either take care of your little parks or they go up for sale.

You are correct, David, and that is welcome.

My suggestion on where to reduce is spending starts with IMPD. They get free cars and free gas, BOTH for personal use. A lot of departments around the country do the same, a lot don’t.

I think we should be one of the ones that don’t. Especially in tough budget times and ESPECIALLY with soaring gas prices.

“Free gas” being part of compensation, I think it’s reasonable for any large chunk of government to have their staffing levels, salary, benefits, and clients served measured against something comparable: school districts, police departments, Mayor’s Action Centers, legal contracts, you name it.