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| Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard |
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is standing firm on plans to rename Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis.To see the rest of the story, click here.
The three block stretch is being reconstructed to accommodate a pedestrian mall and there is a competition to come up with a new name .
A Democratic member of the City-County Council, Angela Mansfield, has called for the mayor to drop plans to rename it , citing history, but Ballard told 24-Hour News 8 Reporter Jim Shella that it won't happen.
Georgia Street under construction.
"There's other things that are planned for it which is necessitating the name change," he said.
When asked to explain that Ballard said, "We'll have to wait for the next few days ... putting it together to make sure people understand what we're really trying to do on that street."
Meanwhile, Democratic candidate for Mayor Melina Kennedy added her criticism Thursday.
"I don't think we should change the name," she said, "but there are many bigger issues that the mayor ought to be focusing on."
Ballard says he will make an announcement regarding Georgia Street in a couple of days.
As I've said before, it doesn't matter even if 99% of the public is against the name change. Ballard simply doesn't care what people think. What Ballard cares about is what the downtown elites think. Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. wants the name change, so the Mayor's is going to carry out IDI"s orders regardless of overwhelming public opposition.
A Republican friend of mine asked why this issue is so important. In the grand scheme of things it is not. But it is emblematic of the attitude Mayor Ballard has consistently displayed toward the residents of Indianapolis He simply doesn't care what the average person thinks about issues. When it comes to the issues like the Pacers $33.5 million gift of our tax dollars, the 50 year parking meter deal, the Broad Ripple parking garage giveaway, or the $100 million North of South project, Mayor Ballard believes he is in office to take orders from downtown elites and implement their directives. If there is a perfect symbol for why Mayor Ballard does not deserve a second term, his attitude on the Georgia Street name is it.
4 comments:
We'll just get Kennedy to re-name it back to Georgia Street.
I don't understand their obsession with changing the name of the Street. It's not like there is anything inherently wrong with the current name. It's too late to have any meaningful impact for the Super Bowl and none of the names being tossed around are preferable to the current name. This will probably be the last year Indy hosts the Super Bowl anyway. Let's not kid ourselves. Who the hell wants to come here in February?
Somebody must be paying for the naming rights. The rights will pay for the cost of the heated streets and other fru-fru street expenses. KFC Way, anyone?
I'll be shocked if Jane is wrong - that it will be some type of naming rights deal to supposedly provide maintenance funds.
Once they blow through the half-billion dollars they stole and have to maintain all the expensive crap they have built; goodbye to any sort of maintenance anywhere else.
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