I hope my political instincts are wrong, but my prediction is that the Wishard referendum will pass 70-30. The off year election plays so much into the hands off the more organized medical community supporting the measure. It's virtually impossible to overcome. It is a shame because the Health and Hospital people have used underhanded, dishonest tactics from beginning to end to support the measure. Plus, anyone who thinks property taxes won't be used to pay for the project...well I have some swampland in Florida to sell you.
As the school referenda are in another part of the county, I don't have a good handle on them. Again though the off year vote plays right into their hands. I'm going to say they all pass about 60-40.
The legislature needs to take a close look at what transpired during this referendum election, including use of public, i.e. taxpayer, resources in support of the measures.
12 comments:
We shall see. I have to hope you are wrong.
Its a fact that all entities set this election year for their referenda because there would be low turnout and easier to mobilize a winning majority.
The Legislature needs to fix that loophole and require all to be at the time of a regular general election. AND they need to never repeat the underhanded way they gave H&H a pass on a rigorous referendum question.
HEI, I hope I'm wrong too. My instincts tell me otherwise though. They knew what they were doing putting this in an off year.
According to Raoul though, Health and Hospital had nothing to do with the timing of the election or the language in the billy giving H&H a pass on writing a referendum question that describes the project and how much is being borrowed. According to him, H&H had nothing to do with this and it was all done the legislature's doing. That's the same BS Gutwein was telling people. He tried to even sell that to a state rep who found it amusing.
There are so many red flags in this process; from the surreptitious insertion of the referendum into a late bill, the HHC nursing homes which aren't owned but managed by HHC, to the IU / Wishard land swap.
And politicians wonder why they are held in such disrespect!
You are probably right that this will pass. The medical community was highly organized and the media ate it up without any meaningful questions or serious debate.
That doesn't excuse the City County Council and Board of the Health and Hospital Corp. from explaining why they plan to spend $750 million of taxpayer money to build a new 300 bed hospital (53 beds less than the current Wishard), when Cook County Hospital recently replaced a old 13 building hospital campus and spent $123 million LESS money and got 164 MORE hospital beds.
So Gutwein would have us believe that the tooth fairy inserted the referendum into the bill.
As to why it is so expensive, think New York type politics, everyone gets a cut...
Apparently Indianapolis graft exceeds both New York and Chicago.
Is it a crime if no one tells the story?
Lucas Oil Deja Vu?
Jon, that's the story Gutwein was trying to peddle. I heard Rep. Phil Hinkle called him out on his trying to blame the special election on the legislature.
I just returned from my polling place. They say turnout is 'good', 'steady'. I didn't realize there would only be ballot boxes. I'd hoped to see the counter on a machine.
I just returned from the far west side to vote 'no'. Very light. As indicated in the Star News, the referendum wording is slanted and says nothing about building or using potential taxpayer $.
Why are we voting on paper ballots rather than using a voting machine? Would it not be easier to count and validate votes electroincally?
Jon, given the time it takes to set up and break down the machines, and the low amount of turnout, it probably wouldn't be any faster to use the machines.
Keep an eye on Gutwein to see whether he sticks around now or not. A sudden departure in a couple years will probably serve as advance warning of an impending property tax increase.
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