Maybe...

...it's just the season when some folks make up really ridiculous "wish lists" to send Santa Claus.  Maybe it's intended to be a joke.  We can only hope that's what is involved with an item in the morning paper a couple of days ago.

We refer to the suggestion that, somehow, it would appropriate for the Capital Improvement Board (CIB) to take responsibility for rehabilitating a building - the natatorium - which IUPUI apparently has failed to maintain properly for years.

It gets back to the tired old statements about needing the facility to maintain a "world class" reputation.  A gentleman identified as "national events and marketing director for Colorado Springs, Colo,-based USA Swimming" tells us, "As far as being the perfect facility for championship events, IUPUI is as close as we get."

Is one entitled to ask just how much financial support USA Swimming is prepared to offer for the rehab, operation and maintenance of this "perfect facility?"  Has the responsibility for paying for what one uses completely disappeared?

For that matter, has common sense disappeared too?  The CIB is mired in financial difficulties, among which are the thousands of dollars it already disburses for the support of organizations which have no valid claim on the tax dollars being so used.

Now IUPUI wants nearly $275,000 per year for 16 years to be diverted from CIB funds - which are already being diverted from legitimate governmental expenses - to "...be assigned for use by the natatorium...."

Even if the proposal is not outrageous on the face, we have two questions.  Could we be a little more specific as to the meaning of the phrase "for use by?"  And, based on precedent, isn't fair to predict that, without fanfare or even public mention, the 16 year period will probably be extended indefinitely?  Like the Food and Beverage Tax - the revenue IUPUI is asking for!

Almost no taxpayers wear red suits and have long, white beards.  We think the folks at IUPUI are old enough to be told there really is no Santa Claus.

Comments

[John Howard]

The really tragic part of this money grab is they waited until the facility had really bad interior damage. Their financial 'need' would have been much less if they'd fixed the leak long before now.

The burning question is, 'Why didn't they?'