Star Columnist Criticizes Councilor for Putting Needs of City Ahead of Billionaire Sports Owners and Politically-Connected Developers

Indianapolis Star Columnist Matthew Tully

This morning, Indianapolis Star columnist Matthew Tully (yes, unbelievably, he is still employed at the newspaper) pens a column in which he opens by suggesting it will be a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of living in the city versus the suburbs.  I guess I should have known to expect more Tully drivel when he starts out a paragraph: "Crime? It's not much of a factor" when it comes to living in the City..."

Then inexplicably Tully turns the column into a rambling diatribe on Indianapolis City-County Councilor Brian Mahern.

On many evenings this year, I sat on my couch watching Channel 16, flabbergasted by the partisan, obstructionist actions of a few key members of the Democratic council majority, most notably Councilman Brian Mahern. 

Mahern and his allies have attempted to stand in the way of much-needed development projects, new schools and, most important, bipartisan cooperation. They've not offered reasonable opposition and alternatives, which would be welcome, but rather petty distractions. 

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So I've found myself asking more questions: Is this really the best we can do? How can a city tackle major problems if some of its leaders can't focus on the right things? It's hard not to wonder whether the low-caliber political antics are a warning of things to come in a city that's finding it hard to persuade smart people to run for office.

So while crime, schools and taxes don't cause me to seriously contemplate leaving Marion County, Channel 16 scares the hell out of me.

Mahern gets the most attention, as he has been the most ridiculous, offering bitter and often nonsensical opposition, stalling progress presumably for the sake of partisanship or his own ego. In meeting after meeting this fall, the council vice president veered zealously from grievance to grievance, with no apparent goal other than to throw a fit.

He'd have more credibility if he had simply stood on his desk and screamed: "Look at me!" Because that seems to be the motive behind the actions of a man with wild fantasies of someday becoming mayor.

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Still, he was hostile as usual at a meeting this week, and the tension between him and Lewis was obvious during a few exchanges. It's hard to imagine Mahern suddenly will return to being the reasonable voice on the council that he once was, but here's hoping.

I have concluded from reading his columns over the years that Tully is incredibly disingenuous.  He'll leave out and distort facts, misrepresent positions, etc., to make political points.  He does not appear to have any interest in an honest discussion of the issues.   But I now realize that there may be another factor involved.  It might also be that he is just not very bright.  Clearly Tully is not half as bright as the person - Brian Mahern - that he criticizes.

Councilor Brian Mahern

What has Mahern done that earns Tully's scorn?  Mahern played a large role in the tax increment finance study commission.  Mahern spent countless hours in meetings actually learning about the complex local financing tool.  Along the way, Mahern learned the truth...that it is a lie that TIFs only take money from the increment above the pre-TIF tax base.  He learned that TIFs often end up underperforming and it takes money from the base and other sources to prop them up.  That is money taken away from local services like schools, libraries and law enforcement.

Does Tully educate himself on TIFs like Mahern has?  Of course not. Tully is content to remain blissfully ignorant about how TIFs operate in practice, repeating lies in his column so he can support the pay-to-play political structure which robs our tax dollars so they can be handed out to politically-connected developers.

Mahern also opposes our tax dollars being given away to billionaire sports owners and believes those dollars should go to things like public safety and other city services.  Mahern takes the Capital Improvement Board to task for being incredibly irresponsible stewards of our tax dollars, most evidenced by repeated and well-documented lies about the Board's finances and incredibly bad negotiation skills.  Mahern notes that Pacers and Colts games require a great deal of law enforcement proceeds and asks that the CIB, which is suddenly flush with cash, pay a PILOT so that some of those expenses can be recovered, especially since the city is expending resources to benefit private business entities during the games.

One would think Mahern's position is incredibly reasonable, not to mention fiscally responsible.  But not in Tully's world.  Mahern is not supporting the elites over the best interests of taxpayers and that causes the columnist to pounce with his diatribe against the councilor.  Wait until next month when the Mayor proposes raising so-called "visitor taxes" to give the CIB yet more money.  Dare Mahern point out the FACT that Indianapolis already has some of the highest visitor taxes in the country and that some of these visitor taxes, such as rental car taxes, are paid predominantly by local citizens?  Tully's head might explode.  Do NOT speak the facts around Tully.  You want the truth? Tully clearly cannot handle the truth.

Mahern speaking out on these issues is the equivalent to the child pointing out the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes.  One would think that would also be the job of a responsible, honest political columnist.  But Tully is neither responsible or honest.  And, it turns out, he may be dumb too.

See also Pat Andrews take on the subject.