Point of Clarification
The other day I questioned whether Hamilton Southeastern Schools were running contrary to the law by advocating for their referendum on their website.
It turns out HSE is operating within the law because the referendum is for operational expenses. If it were for capital improvements, the school district would be in big trouble.
It still strikes some HSE taxpayers as odd that a school district can use taxpayers money to push for a measure that takes more taxpayers’ dollars.
That has also caught the attention of some officials in the Daniels’ administration so don’t be surprised if there’s a change in the law next session.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:41 am
While understanding a part of the law not allowing some use of funds for this or that–interesting is the state administration can use state funds (directly and indirectly) to advocate their position. Example: governor or other official holds a press conference in Indy or elsewhere and guess who footed the bill for facilities, travel, security, etc. etc. and they get their PR basically free by informing (on state's dollar) the media.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:41 am
It's easier for citizens to tolerate elected officials with an explicit political affiliation being a political advocate, than school systems theoretically there to teach the best they can with the resources available.
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I'm done with, “It's for the children.” “It's for the sick.” “He's disadvantaged because of…..” as irrefutable justifications that should somehow stop all debate immediately. It's not from any lacking in the heart for all Americans to aspire for “equal everything for everybody”, but from a lacking in the wallet.
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It's not a matter of our tax code and defense infrastructure not desperately needing overhaul- PLEASE, bring it on. But, in 2009, over 60% of our spending is on entitlements and approximately 20% on defense. If the proposed hospital referendum, school district lackings, and national health care legislation could be paid up front with explicit, verifiable, undeniable reductions in existent spending- I'm for it!
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If they are not, if these bureaucracies still make their case based on emotion instead of facts- we're still drunk at the party, ordering more cases of gin we can't pay for, except it's now close to dawn instead of midnight. Based on what we're doing, we're going to share our unprecedented hangover with the next generation.
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And, you're right. I used “the children” to make my point as well.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:39 am
I'm not 100% certain that there aren't other parts of the law that would apply to prohibit this activity. It's something that can be very complicated to research. I haven't had the time to really look into this in detail.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:49 am
In the current climate of “representative government” & local “journalism,” we can expect to “learn” that several Meridian corridor homeowners, are preparing to tear down and rebuild their homes, after discovering bursted or broken steam pipes in many of those still boiler heated homes…
This “new era” will likewise usher in a generation of maintenance free, self repairing buildings. “Welcome to the new Wishard,” they'll say, before telling citizens about any “new taxes.”
No doubt “those people” on Meridian “can afford it,” considering real estate appreciation, apparitional property tax caps & where they live. The more things “change,” the more they remain a shame.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:57 am
If you want to be bent out of shape. Take a look at the government funded website http://www.speaker.gov.
Talk about using public funds for political purposes. I find it perticularly interesting the political nature of the selected communities forums.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
What is surprising is that the distinction is made when little difference exists. Fer instance, check out any of the expenditures currently made from so called Capital Improvements Funds and see if those fit your definition of capital improvements. Might be wise to begin with the definition that exists independent of the law and its loopholes as I don't suggest illegality merely the abuse of language so as to decieve the public. What is constitutional in Indiana dates from the understanding of 1851 or so. The rest is Legislative artiface.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Regarding Referendums, if Wishard is in such bad shape it should be shut down like Winona.
Clients should be shifted to St. Vincents, Methodist, Community Hospital, & Roudebush Veterans Hospitals.
I noticed that three of these hospitals are now supporting the new Wishard. No wonder. If you read the press release it talks about preserving profit margins and makes unsubstantiated claims they can't support the needy clients.
Do they really deserve to be treated as non profits when they shift all the needy clients to taxpayer funded Wishard and capture profits in for-profit affiliates?
The much bragged about level I trauma center is duplicated by a Methodist trauma center a few hundred feet away. All four hospital networks in downtown do equally good deeds that supporters only attribute to Wishard.
(Clarian is the common thread between IU, Wishard, Methodist, and recent expansion hospitals in Bloomington, Lafayette and Muncie).
If IU and Clarian want a new downtown hospital they should back up the Wishard financing of “revenue” bonds instead of “general obligation” bonds backed by taxpayers which will bypass the property tax cap and are not restricted to construction costs of a new hospital.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Additionally, what ever happened to the desprately needed upgrades IPS schools that didn't even have air conditioning. (Covered in the IndyStar the past ten years)
Last I read, the business community that is supporting new $700 million Wishard Hospital and new $750 million Lucas Oil Stadium backed out of the second tranch of financing of several hundred million that was to be directed to IPS building upgrades to match township schools.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
On second thought……….. Methodist, St. Vincent's, Community, St. Francis, IU, Clarian, & Roudebush could back up Wishards “Revenue Bonds” for a new hospital if they think it is so important as a designated “safety net” hospital. This loan syndication would take property taxpayers out of the loop in guaranteeing Wishards $700 million loan.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Just read in the IBJ that Clarian restarts construction on a hospital in Fishers.
Guess wealthy, privately insured clients in Fishers, Carmel, Bloomington, Lafayette, & Muncie are more important than needy Medicare and Medicaid clients in downtown Indianapolis to this Non-Profit.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Check my twitter feed. Leaders of Clarian, St. Vincent, St. Francis and Community Health came out in support of Wishard Referendum Friday.
November 1st, 2009 at 5:34 am
Nick that is an EXCELLENT point. Shame on Clarian.
Most of the suburban for-the-wealthy hospitals have occupancy rates at or below 40%. Building ANY of them was a shameful indictment of government system which allow it.
Wanna know the rest of that horror story? Much of the time, those hospitals expand with construction loans guaranteed by a quasi-fed govt. corporation. Kinda like Fannie Mae for hospitals.
Did they have to prove need for beds? NO. They only had to prove good design.
It is disgraceful. None of these new hospitals that are around the city were needed. Not a damned one.
November 1st, 2009 at 9:47 am
Fleecing any taxpayer is disgraceful. But those dough-nutty hospitals aren't riding the backs of property taxpayers for their developmental bloat, like those referen-damned by the Wishard development.
Given their excess capacity & “sincere” support for fattening Wishard's development capacity at the tables of Marion County property owners; did it occur to anyone they take a lead in sharing or cooperating with Wishard on that otherwise fallow capacity, to benefit “others,” or citizens in need also known as taxpayers? Then again, it's so easy to forget, that bureaucratic “direction” would predictably indicate, “you can't get there from here.”
Unfortunately, it appears this isn't about helping “those in need,” but gorging those in greed. This seems to be about excessive, expanded government, helping itself to the earnings & equity, of citizens in need, of their own hard earned dollars; devalued tax by tax percentage, marxist bullying (plundering & power tripping), federal “stimu-lust” & counterfeiting by over printing.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:01 am
Sorry folks, the post below under “Jon” is mine. Mr. Elrod granted permission to post his letter & I failed to put me own name back in the box.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:34 am
Nick that is an EXCELLENT point. Shame on Clarian.
Most of the suburban for-the-wealthy hospitals have occupancy rates at or below 40%. Building ANY of them was a shameful indictment of government system which allow it.
Wanna know the rest of that horror story? Much of the time, those hospitals expand with construction loans guaranteed by a quasi-fed govt. corporation. Kinda like Fannie Mae for hospitals.
Did they have to prove need for beds? NO. They only had to prove good design.
It is disgraceful. None of these new hospitals that are around the city were needed. Not a damned one.
November 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Fleecing any taxpayer is disgraceful. But those dough-nutty hospitals aren't riding the backs of property taxpayers for their developmental bloat, like those referen-damned by the Wishard development.
Given their excess capacity & “sincere” support for fattening Wishard's development capacity at the tables of Marion County property owners; did it occur to anyone they take a lead in sharing or cooperating with Wishard on that otherwise fallow capacity, to benefit “others,” or citizens in need also known as taxpayers? Then again, it's so easy to forget, that bureaucratic “direction” would predictably indicate, “you can't get there from here.”
Unfortunately, it appears this isn't about helping “those in need,” but gorging those in greed. This seems to be about excessive, expanded government, helping itself to the earnings & equity, of citizens in need, of their own hard earned dollars; devalued tax by tax percentage, marxist bullying (plundering & power tripping), federal “stimu-lust” & counterfeiting by over printing.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Sorry folks, the post below under “Jon” is mine. Mr. Elrod granted permission to post his letter & I failed to put me own name back in the box.