Apology

Due to computer problems, we have been offline for about a week.  As a result, these comments are not as timely as we would have liked.  We have not, however, seen the thoughts addressed in the media - nor in a quick scan of the usual blogs.  So we'll post anyway.

The new bailout plan proposes consolidation of the CIB and the County Building Authority into a new body - the Facilities Management Board (FMB).  We see this as a very questionable, if not in fact dangerous, move.

The CIB has served as a source of direct subsidy for professional sports.  We wonder about the psychological effect of placing this operation in the same relative position as the operation of the City-County Building, the County Jail, the Juvenile Justice Complex and all these other legitimate governmental functions.

Is the implication that the stadium or fieldhouse will now, or in the future, have the same claim on public funds as these other operations?  Would property tax funds now used for elevator repair in the C-C Building, for instance, become available instead for greasing the wheels of the stadium's mobile roof?

What provision will be made for separability of revenue streams to prevent this kind of fiscal sleight of hand?  Might it even work the other way?  Would the governor be so willing to increase diversion of state taxes if he thought the funds might find their way into the jail instead of the fieldhouse?

There seems little reason not to believe that, given decades of precedent, whatever the form of the new agency, it will be in the control of the downtown power brokers who always have been in charge.

Frankly, it looks to us like even more opportunity to play the downtown smoke and mirrors games, only with more shells under which to hide the pea!

Comments

[Vox Popuyli]

Will there be any oversight of this board, will there be any audit by the state board of accounts or is this just more deflection?

[Pascal]

Given the Republican leadership on these matters you could say that their view is that sporting, like public parks, is a government task for which citizens may have their property extorted. The other Party has not the capacity to think through things but hopes to pick up crumbs along the way to what they think is a honey pot.

[Indy Patriot]

Hokus pokus dominokus.