LETTER TO THE EDITOR: THE CARROT IS REGIONAL CITIES INITIATIVE GRANT

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This year Governor Mike Pence and  the Indiana State legislature dangled a carrot in front of local officials and said if they wanted to try to reach that carrot, they must give up some significant local power.  The carrot is the Regional Cities Initiative Grant. The power they give up will be to a Regional Development Authority (IC-36-7.6). This money is not promised in any future budgets because it will be funded with tax amnesty receipts.

Out of five counties in the “Our Southern Indiana” region considering this, 3 have denied joining a Regional Development Authority. Washington County is willing to reconsider, but there are no promises they will join. The proponents of this thing have said in multiple meetings that “31 counties have joined an RDA!” Their insult is then worded, “Have we somehow cracked a magic code that makes us smarter than them”?  I argue “YES!” we have had people read the actual bill (IC-36-7.6) and sound alarms. Other counties might not have had Paul Reveres sounding alarms so their citizens don’t even realize yet what has happened to them.

Only when they realize they gave up their private property rights to an appointed board…
they realize that in order to supposedly create economic development they will be removing property from the tax rolls they realize that in order to get the state’s lottery money, they have to be willing to match it dollar for dollar they can’t remove any of the appointees without having widespread Regional Executive Agreement.

They realize other areas of the region can bind them with federal mandates by accepting funds with strings attached will they realize the beast their elected officials have created.
The only reason Clark County was able to be forewarned and engaged was because of the patriot, Kelly Khuri.  Without her being on the county council to sound the alarm when the RDA was put on the agenda, we would not have been prepared.  For ample proof of it, notice the counties that passed the non-binding resolution on the first read, and then when actually educated on the risks balked at the idea. Unlike Clark, which voted 7-0 against the non-binding resolution because we pointed out the facts.  One Southern Indiana immediately began focusing all lobbying pressure on them.  Without Clark, there was no “Region”.  The people who want this appointed board’s power could not give up on Clark!

I applaud Jim Wathen on the Floyd County Council for having common sense and the foresight to see 3 steps ahead instead of just the lottery ticket they are selling. His analogy with the hospital board was brilliant and factual.

Martina Webster

Sellersburg Indiana

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2 COMMENTS

  2. It sounds like a hell of a GOOD deal to me! Anything we can to to strip this local Evansville Redevelopment Commission of its power is a good thing. Shutting them down altogether would be even better.

    The governing Indiana statute for “redevelopment commissions” is IC 36-7-14. Operating under that statute the ERC has kept its hand on the wallet of local taxpayers since its forming. When, and you notice I did not say if, but when, the City of Evansville files for municipal bankruptcy, the ERC will be the agency that brought her to her knees.

    Is it surprising to anyone that the author of this piece is a real estate agent and a member of the city council of Sellersburg?

    https://www.linkedin.com/pub/martina-webster/2a/516/2b8

    I would wager that if her voting record was checked one would find that she has rubber stamped everything that their local redevelopment commission has put in front of her. just as the Evansville Common Council rubber stamps everything the ERC places in front of them.

    I am not sure that Governor Pence’s plan would provide much relief from the local graft and corruption, but hey, it damn sure couldn’t be much worse. It is sort of like sending Donald Trump to Washington, what does the voter have to lose? Every other candidate running is sure to be just more of the SOS if they are elected. Another Clinton or another Bush does not sound like a viable plan to me.

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