The Indianapolis Star summary of a debate between Mayor Greg Ballard and his Democratic opponent, Melina Kennedy, includes their views on whether taxpayers should be expected to finance private development projects. Both agree that it is your duty as taxpayers to help pay for the private development projects of fat cats who help fill up their campaign coffers.
Ballard, as ignorant as always, said, "I think that's almost the standard, and has helped attract developments and provide jobs. Spoken like a man who doesn't have a clue what the words "free enterprise" means. Just like President Obama, he believes it is the role of government to pick winners and losers in the private sector instead of letting free market competition make those decisions.
Kennedy chimed in, "It should be done judiciously and should be done in a way that's creative so that the city receives a return" on its investment. What return on investment is she talking about? She cited the Conrad Hilton deal she helped put together during the Peterson administration for Kite Realty where the taxpayers gifted $25 million to Kite, and one of the Kite family members landed a luxurious downtown condo atop the Conrad Hilton for which he was given a generous property tax abatement. Kite gave a lot of campaign dough to her former boss, Mayor Bart Peterson. Kennedy doesn't think as much of Ballard's North of South project headed up by Brad Chambers, who has given a lot of campaign dough to Ballard, because it requires taxpayers to assume too much risk.
Regardless of who wins this election, you can see that there will continue to be plenty of welfare for the rich who are willing to ante up their campaign contributions, while us lowly taxpayers can expect to pay higher taxes and expect less in basic city services.
