Carmel Redevelopment Commission Votes to Fund City Center Parking Garage

Copyright 2006-2009, Current Publishing, LLC

The Carmel Redevelopment Commission voted today to proceed with the construction of the City Center parking garage, a four-story garage with 624 parking spaces, which will serve the Carmel City Center downtown development.

The first stage of development will include site preparation, footings and foundation work.

The decision was made to proceed with the parking garage after City Council voted not to fund the garage.

Funds, which will now be dedicated to the completion of the parking garage, were originally planned to be used for future development of under used land between the City Center project (City Center Drive) and the Carmel Arts & Design District. The funding for the project is not borne by residential taxpayers but rather commercially assessed property taxpayers.

“The parking garage is important to the viability of City Center and the success of the Performing Arts Center,” said Ron Carter, President of the Carmel Redevelopment Commission.  “Fortunately, the initial projections for the City Center TIF district were conservatively estimated and the redevelopment commission is able to complete this integral part of the City Center development. This investment will pay a return many times over to the City of Carmel.”

McVEY SAYS BURTON’S SHIELD IDEA IS WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS

Copyright 2006-2009, Current Publishing, LLC

For Current in Carmel

Calling the latest proposal by Indiana Congressman Dan Burton an "enormous waste of resources and a questionable expense with little value for Hoosier constituents," Indiana Fifth District congressional candidate Brose McVey on Thursday called on Congressman Burton to drop his proposed "transparent shield" for the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

"Why is Dan Burton proposing to spend millions to build a glass house around Congress, when he ought to be spending more time in his district listening to the thousands of people who are hurting in this time of economic distress? Burton’s selfish ideas only perpetuate what most people already believe about Congress - that it’s a club for a privileged few. Congressman Burton’s been in Congress too long, since I was in college at Purdue," said the 47-year-old Carmel businessman. "It’s time to retire Dan Burton and his strange proposals. Let’s bring him home," McVey said.

Word of Congressman Burton’s bizarre proposal was reported by The Washington Post newspaper.

"The Congressman’s proposal is a perfect metaphor for his approach, his service over 28 years and what’s wrong with Congress. The problem in Washington is not that there are too few barriers between our elected officials and the public, the problem is there are too many," said McVey. "Unfortunately, at a time when Congressman Burton should be focused on protecting Central Indianans from the devastating policies of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, he’s more worried about further isolating himself from the citizens who have given him the privilege to serve."

Ridiculed by the The Washington Post newspaper for trying to "offer one of the wackier amendments to the legislative branch appropriations bill," the newspaper reported Burton declaring before the House Rules Committee last Thursday that "what this bill does is it would authorize a study to look at enclosing the chamber, the gallery chamber, with Plexiglas so that somebody can’t throw a bomb down on the floor and kill a lot of us," the sitting Congressman, whose first term began in 1983. The rules committee rejected Burton’s proposal, with the paper reporting that "before rejecting his amendment, members of the committee stared at Burton dumbfounded, according to sources in the room, as if wondering to themselves how to delicately explain to the Indiana Republican that he may be more in need of Xanax than Plexiglas."

The full article from the paper can be found here:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/06/_rep_dan_burton_r-ind.html

Born and raised in Hamilton County, Republican Brose McVey was educated at Purdue University and runs a small business in Carmel. During the campaign, he has challenged the sitting Congressman and others running in the election to reject PAC contributions, agree to term limits, debate substantive issues in front of voters, end publicly funded junk mail from politicians, and recommended that Indiana citizens contributing to the campaigns select the best candidate to run against Burton in next May’s primary election.

Also running for the 5th District Republican nomination are long-time Indianapolis State Representative Mike Murphy, former Indianapoliscoroner John McGoff, and Indianapolis lobbyist Luke Messer.