Consider this political irony. The Daniels/Ballard proposal is that taxpayers pick up $15 million in operating costs on the Conseco Fieldhouse for the Pacers, who are owned by the Simon brothers. The Daniels/Ballard plans asks that the $12 million worth of taxes be passed by the Indianapolis City-County Council ($4 million for increase in hotel tax, $6 million for increase in ticket tax and $2 million for increase in rental car tax.)
In short, the sole reason for tax increases under the Daniels/Ballard plan is to give the Pacers, i.e. the Simons, $15 million more per year. The Simons though are the biggest contributor to the Democratic Party in the State of Indiana. If the Republican council members heed Mayor Ballard's request that they band together to pass these highly unpopular tax increases they will not only almost certainly ensure their defeat in 2011, but they will put millions in the pocket of the biggest financial contributor to the Democratic Party.
Are we sure House Speaker Pat Bauer didn't draw up this plan?
3 comments:
Why should the Republicans support the tax increases, it is a lose, lose scenario. They get credit for the tax increase and give the Simons and 15 million to give to the Democrats.
It is a lose-lose scenario. But you have to understand, Marion County Republican politics is a different animal. We've been trained all along that we have to support leadership no matter what those leaders do. Anything else is betrayal. This includes elected officials. They are not trained to be leaders. They are trained to be followers.
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