Did Strong Arm Tactics of Mass Transit Proponents Spur Backlash?

A columnist uses her position at the State's largest newspaper to write (now) thirteen columns promoting mass transit since the transit bill was first introduced in the General Assembly.  The Star and other media outlets refuse to do any critical pieces on the mass transit proposal.

Meanwhile an (alleged) religious coalition tries to ambush a state senator who has reservations about the mass transit and publicly embarrass him into supporting the bill.  Some $2 million of our federal tax dollars is spent promoting the mass transit bill, including buying pro-mass transit advertising from media outlets.  Mayors throughout Central Indiana are united in support of the bill.  The proponents' news conferences and rallies in support of mass transit are tightly scripted and never-ending.

You got the sense near the end, and I think we are at the end with the Senate's vote to send the mass transit bill to summer study committee, that a backlash was forming against mass transit advocates who didn't care about the details of the plan, didn't care about the projected cost or likely overruns, didn't care if it was even a feasible plan given Indianapolis' lack of density, didn't care that the Fishers high speed rail was over half of the cost of the project with minimal benefit to Indianapolis residents.  Proponents did not want an honest debate on the merits of this mass transit plan. They were all about ending the debate and controlling their message. 

Proponents not only were pushing a plan whose details they were unconcerned about, they were ready to turn over key decisions regarding mass transit as well as over $1 billion to an unelected, unaccountable board whose members are appointed by politicians. 

What could go wrong with that?  Well, for that answer you don't have to look any further than the Capital Improvement Board, another unelected, unaccountable board with members appointed by politicians.  Just the other day, the CIB, in a 15 minute meeting, voted to give Jim Irsay the billionaire owner of the Colts $2 million to build two new suites in a stadium less than five years old. This comes after the CIB voted to give the Pacers' billionaire owner $43.5 million to operate Bankers Life Fieldhouse, a facility for which the Pacers get 100% of the revenue.  The CIB is not about doing what is in the best interests of the people of the City of Indianapolis. The CIB is about making insiders and the politically-connected wealthy.  It's not clear why proponents of the massive mass transit expansion think the transit board would be any different.