Time For Some Tough Love
It’s no big secret that I like Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. I knew him before he ran for Mayor and I think he is what this city needs at this moment in time. Instead of spelling out lofty visions full of empty platitudes, Indianapolis needs someone who gets down to brass tacks and deal with urban issues of crime, infrastructure and livability. I still believe that Greg Ballard is that person. However, the Mayor’s performance during the crisis involving the Capital Improvement Board has left him open to attacks by his enemies and some growing concerns by his friends and allies.
While I have never been a fan of empty news conferences, my friend Greg Ballard has made a serious misstep by not being more vocal regarding the CIB and its $47 million operational deficit. It is not the end of his administration by a long shot; but this is an incident that can have a long reaching impact on this city and his tenure as Mayor.
The Mayor’s strategy of focusing on getting results is one to be admired, however in the vacuum of his silence; others have come forward to fill the void. Whether it was Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats or House Democrats, by not being more vocal about his options to close the CIB operational deficit, my friend has allowed the issue to define him and not the other way around.
I do understand that Indiana cities and towns do not have home rule and they are at the whim of the Legislature. I understand he has inherited a situation that was not of his making. I also understand that Marion County Democrats reach a new level of hypocrisy when they question his role in the CIB mess. However, Greg Ballard is still Mayor and sometimes working behind the scenes to get things done unfortunately is not enough.
Believe it or not, the Mayor does operate from more of a position of strength than some might believe.
When the Pacers talk about being broke, someone should remind them that in 2011 the NBA renegotiates its collective bargaining agreement with the owners. It is unlikely that in this economic climate, which is going to last for a while, the Players’ union will walk away with as generous a deal as they do now. Therefore, the Simons will have a much bigger revenue stream than they do now, which means they should be able to contribute more to Conseco’s operations.
Second, the Colts have always been tough negotiators when they needed to be. It’s time for the Mayor to be just as tough. He should take a page out of the President’s book and remind Jim Irsay and Bill Polian that he is the only thing standing between them and Lucas Oil being burned to the ground (politically speaking) by an angry public. I would also say publicly while the Colts have been good citizens, Indianapolis needs them to be better citizens.
Third, when dealing with the General Assembly I would throw every non-tax increasing idea on the table as a way to close the operation shortfall; Sunday alcohol sales, expanding the downtown sports development district, privatizing Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Field House, a casino in Union Station, etc. Make sure the it is squarely on them if taxes go up. And for the record, I would not put bankruptcy on the table as some have suggested. I have researched what‘s happened to the handful of municipalities that have either filed or flirted with filing bankruptcy, the results are a lot more devastating and widespread than anyone could imagine.
I also would offer the public an apology for not being more vocal early on. Play it straight as you always have that you thought working behind the scenes would get more done, but you should also been more public about your wishes. Tell them you learned from your mistake and it will never happen again. You find them to be very forgiving, especially when they know you are fighting against putting anymore burden on the taxpayers to pay these facilities.
In the worse case scenario, I would ask the state for a loan to get through the next year, while at the same time have the Pacers provide an independent audit, the CIB do whatever restructuring it needs to do and let the Colts continue to demonstrate they would rather see citizens pay higher taxes and be bad neighbors. Hopefully by next year, a workable solution can be reached, especially if we have numbers that everyone can trust.
And one last thing, I caution anyone who reads this post with glee that my thoughts mean that the Mayor is done for, far from it. This crisis has wounded him, but he is not down for the count by a long shot. I think if anything, he will learn from this and will actually be a better Mayor because of it. But sometimes before you stand up, you have to get knocked down a bit, and sometimes it has to be friends who do the knocking down and who help you get back on your feet.
Now go give ‘em hell, Mr. Mayor.
