Transparency…Huh?? Who else submitted??? Please show me the money! I want the gang of Highlanders to provide us with the specific details of how “badly” the Citizens Gas proposal BEAT out the competition in dollars and “sense”! No Sir, that's notta gonna happen is it, didn't think so, the lawyes want the details to remain “confidential” until the final deal is sealed, we'll receive the comparison FACTS about 2012 if ever??

For what it is worth:

Democrat Mayors position on this issue:

Brian Williams
http://www.williamsforindy.com/Assets/pdf/lette...

Jose Evans Blasts Mayor Ballard’s Plan To Sell Indianapolis Water Company
http://praiseindy.com/daily-bread/amosbrown/cou...

Melina Kennedy Website
http://www.melinakennedy.com/

Should read: Democrat Mayor “Candidates”

OK, for what it's worth: if Dan Evans is involved, I'm running for the oposite door. Just sayin.' He's as “insider” as it gets. he's also arrogant, but that doesn't necessarily disqualify him from service.

I doubt it's back-room, in the strictest sense. But now we get to look at the details, and so far, there aren't enough details out there.

Everyone needs to chill out and look at the fine print. Exactly what has been on the website since Labor Day? Please enlighten.

We have no “details” form competitors to compare. If this deal goes through, we'll always wonder if we got enough money. But at the end of the day–the purchasing entity needs to survive, pay its bills and remain healthy. If they're saddled with debt, that might be mroe difficult.

And don't forget, the above boards suppsoedly approved the Citizens' ad/PR budget. Why in the world they eneded to spend six figures on the CEO's face is beyond me. It's contagious–we're looking at Chancellor Bantz's mug all over the place. And he's not that damned photogenic. He's got Ball State envy.

I'll anxiously await details. They're fun to read. Ever since I read the KFC “deal,” I learned these documents can be humorous.

And all these people were supposedly involved in creating this deal. Okay, I'm going to guess “no” on that one.

This is going to go down just like Mitch did over at IPL. Everybody is either going to lose money or go broke,,,except the board. They will all make millions of dollars like old Mitch did.

Of for cryin out Loud, Helvis…wwe don't know enough to know if that's true. Relax.

I haven't had time to review this story in fine detail, but the point of privatization is that, in theory, the private sector will deliver better service and for less money due to competition whereas the government doesn't have to worry about competition and has no incentive to provide a better service.

But if only one company makes a bid and, surprise, they get the contract for a long term deal, they have no incentive to provide better service or lower prices. And as seen in many privatization deals, the clauses that let the government fine, re-negotiate the details of the contract, or take back the entire deal, are rarely if ever enforced. Look at the absolute mess in Chicago with the sale of parking meters.

The main thing here is the gas company has been delivering great service with relatively low rates. By being a nonprofit trust all of the profits were being invested back into the company. Don't forget folks it was SerVas and Peterson who purchased the Water Company for easily 200 to 250 million more then it was worth which started the problem. Then like little unsupervised kids in a candy store they added on more debt till it topped out at 950 million. Joe Broyles (ex president of the water company) stated that if the debt exceeded 500 million you couldn't make any money. The city was going broke so they had to make the deal. I think the reason they chose the gas company was to pay them back (the water company should have gone under the trust the first time around) and they have shown they run their company well. As for politicians having some say in how things are run, god help us they were the ones who screwed up the first place.

The gas service does not have relatively low rates. The service and delivery charges, which they claim cover admin and pipe maintenance, are astronomical. Gas pipe maintenance is no more complicated than plumbing maintenance. Plumbers fix gas pipes just like plumbing ones. In one month alone these bogus profit charges were $155 of my $600 bill, yet never once have I had to touch any of the gas (or water) pipes in my house since I've lived here. Citizens Gas has made out quite well on me over the years with this outrageous added on fee. I guess they need to extort that extra money from their customers so the CEO gets good Colts seats. If you don't pay the fee, you don't have heat in your house.

Dan Appel of Gregory and Appel Insurance and backroom dealing?

Former Arts Council chair, Gregory & Appel's Dan Appel, steered public funding to flush insurance clients
http://hoosiersforfairtaxation.blogspot.com/200...

This isn't passing my smell test.