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 Post subject: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:01 am 
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http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/0 ... 14f792.txt

I couldn't find the other thread discussing this but I doubt anybody here is surprised by what happened. The whole county knew this was gonna hit the fan! ;)

I chuckled by the quote about Rudy's Hummer as someone here had made mention of that too. :lol:

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:25 am 
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i realize your speaking of a different type of riot...but after reading tonights story in the times...i have to wonder where the heck the people of gary are on this issue. niether paper seems interested at all in their take. i have yet to see a business or home owner quoted as to whether they may or may not be concerned for their safety in light of all the public safety cut proposals.

are the papers simply incompetent or are they intentionally ignoring one of the more interesting aspects of the biggest story going in lake county? i cant imagine all of the reporters being so incompetent, so it must be coming down from the editors.

but furthermore. i cant believe there hasnt been some sort of mass demonstration. even in gary where ambivalence and antipathy has long reigned, surely there must be a few hundred people who are concerned and would like their voices heard. i mean after all they did have the miller citizens group. where are they on this issue?

is this is a media conspiracy?... i rarely would even remotely entertain that possibility.... or is this a preview of what will happen elsewhere. all of those activist who demand action...suddenly disappearing into the woodwork when the realization sets in on what the results of their action might wind up being?

i cant believe the citizens group would run and hide...especially when other than public safety...nothing has yet been significantly cut in gary. so im actually more suspicious of the media coverage at the moment.


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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 11:20 pm 
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i cant believe the citizens group would run and hide...especially when other than public safety...nothing has yet been significantly cut in gary. so im actually more suspicious of the media coverage at the moment.

This should not be ignored as it is a VERY big deal!

As you know I sometimes tend to use double meanings. Looking at Gary's cutting fire protection in half along with other cuts it may not be far off to see physical riots after deaths stemming from some of these cuts.

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/0 ... 819d4e.txt

And then there's the whole question of Gary Methodist and it's being on financial life support itself.

Things really can get real ugly, real fast over there if somebody can't figure out what's really important and how to protect it.

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 3:00 am 
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With looming bankruptcy, strained public safety services and a vanishing tax base, why is Gary buying property?

Dwindling property tax collections have left Gary's police and fire departments shortstaffed. Meanwhile, the city has spent more than $70,000 buying random pieces of property at tax sales, like the property above at 700 Broadway.

The purchases mean that -- at least for now -- none of this land will go into the hands of investors that would pay property taxes.


http://nwi.com/special/garypurchases/

OMG :shock:

I don't know how long this particular link will stay up but Gary is buying properties left & right when they can only afford half a fire dept? :roll:

I think the Feds need to make a drug raid on city hall. Someone MUST be smoking crack! :evil:

Here are some of the individual links:

http://nwi.com/articles/2008/08/31/news ... 05be35.txt
http://nwi.com/articles/2008/08/31/news ... 0f8a55.txt
http://nwi.com/articles/2008/08/31/news ... 0f8a36.txt
http://nwi.com/articles/2008/08/31/news ... 10a30d.txt
http://nwi.com/articles/2008/08/31/news ... 10a337.txt

I think it's time to put Gary into receivership. Nobody's stupid enough to come bail them out while they're pulling this kind of stunt. I don't care what, if any, plans they have. They have no money to do anything with these properties and keeping them off the tax rolls sure is not in the best interest of taxpayers today.

The only thing that comes to mind is that owning more property could increase it's bonding limit. But who's stupid enough to borrow Gary money long term outside of a ridiculous interest rate?

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 10:26 am 
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And the funny thing is, the city itself stopped someone who wanted to buy some of the properties from buying them

that person would have paid all the back taxes right after she owned them, and then redeveloped them, but the city cock blocked her and now they get nothing for the taxes

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 1:49 pm 
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Again, the only possible reasons I can see is maybe for some more borrowing collateral and perhaps a handshake promise of a Federal project from Obama. Except Gary has no money to match with anyway, not that any businesses are dumb enough to move in there as things are. So I'm thinking Federal housing projects. Just what they need, right? I'm surprised they even found the likely $10k - $15k a pop to raze some of the smaller buildings after what it paid for all the properties. Of course some of the back taxes would have put money in to the kitty instead of draining yet more out.

Forget demolitions! Just set a match to them. Nobody's being paid to cover that area I gather so they'll just burn to the ground anyway. :cry:

I think I even saw mention of taking some airport area property. Like the airport has a clue as to what to do with the property it owns already aside from renting some of it out to friends for peanuts? :roll:

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 2:02 pm 
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Rumor has it that Rudy Clay is going to cut cops on the street to afford to buy the rights to the old 70s era song LA International Airport. But he will change the words to Rudy Clay International Airport where the big jet engines spend their idle time. :P

I am sure the only problem with the airport is a need for more truckloads of money. :lol:

Is the customs office finished yet? And did they ever find someone to work nights who's sole responsibility is to hold the key to the terminal doors just in case of an emergency landing there at night? :smt003

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:29 pm 
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Mirage wrote:
And did they ever find someone to work nights who's sole responsibility is to hold the key to the terminal doors just in case of an emergency landing there at night? :smt003


I heard that when Clay's son photo contract for $35,000/yr was cancelled, the airport hired him for $45,000 to do just that :)

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:08 pm 
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I hope no Gary city workers get sick or hurt any time soon! Their insurance payments are in arrears.

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/0 ... 241878.txt

Ain't that funny? They are behind on health insurance just about the same amount as they spent on properties at the tax sale.

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:22 am 
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Maybe the city can sell those properties for what they paid for them and then fund the insurance

I wonder how Clay is going to blame King for this one

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:35 am 
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You know I was just about to post about Gary and saw the thread had a reply. I wonder what will be it's last day to exist, seeing as it can no longer pay it's bills.

If they can't afford to pay workers' insurance that's a problem. When they stop paying workers entirely at some point that's a disaster!

The more I think about it all, the more I see that the governor needs to use whatever means available to take control of the city and set an administrator or each and every taxing unit and over every department that receives tax money and the airport. He needs to lean the city budget and figure out how to afford more cops & fire protection, not less, in a 5 year budget plan. THEN maybe look at what can be done with those so far worthless lots. Because until they take care of these other areas the lots will continue to be worthless.

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:37 am 
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Bankruptcy is the only option right now Gary has.

A judge has already ruled that he can't cut pay, nor the number of fire fighters, but if they declare bankruptcy, all contracts are basically worthless

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:44 am 
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mike3775 wrote:
Bankruptcy is the only option right now Gary has.

A judge has already ruled that he can't cut pay, nor the number of fire fighters, but if they declare bankruptcy, all contracts are basically worthless


I stopped short of mentioning bankruptcy simply because unlike a business it will have to be a reorganization. They still have to repay the money, just under more favorable terms.

Oh, they CAN cut the number of firefighters. They just have to keep a min of 4 per truck. No min number of trucks though, which is how they staff at just 50% now.

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:48 am 
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True, but they will be free to get out of a lot of their deals as well though

Look at what happened with the airlines. they wanted the workers to take pay cuts, and they refused, so they declared bankruptcy and cut pay by 20-25% and the bankruptcy judge gavce the blessing

I can see Gary doing that

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 Post subject: Re: Gary Riots Over Spending Cutbacks?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:56 am 
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Roger that.

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