Political Potpourri
I’ll be out chasing the President today. In the interim, here’s what I learned on the show this morning…
Major Moves
INDOT Commission Tom Sharp says the agency is up to the task of implementing Major Moves. Last year, an evaluation of state agencies showed INDOT needed the most improvement. He says since then, the agency has “re-engineered” itself, filled necessary positions and moved employees around for more efficiency.
Sharp also tells me the idea of moving I-69 west to connect with I-70 doesn’t look feasible. He says I-70 and 465 were not designed to deal with the increase in traffic that 69 would bring. He also says the area is prone to flooding and there are environmental concerns that must be addressed.
Indiana Voting
The Vice-Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission says Indiana is actually ahead of the curve when it comes to voting. Ray Martinez says Indiana is in compliance with the Help America Vote Act that mandates the creation of statewide voter registration lists for federal elections. Election officials across the state have been testing the system in a mock election. Despite some technical glitches, Martinez says Indiana is doing much better than other states. It’s nice to be number one in something other obesity, foreclosures and adults without a college degree.
Bart Peterson
Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson says the police consolidation merger is going much smoother than expected, despite reported problems over uniforms and pension obligations. The Mayor says costs considerations will be the final determination over the Department’s new uniforms, however he admits that it would likely be cheaper to fit 400 Sheriff’s deputies into new uniforms than all the officers in the police department.
The Mayor also commented on the proposed increase in the County Economic development Income Tax. Proponents say the tax is needed to offset the loss in property tax revenue due to the increase in the Homestead Exemption as well as the phase out of the inventory tax. The Mayor says he would veto the measure if needed, but he doesn’t think it would pass the full council.
