$25M cleanup fund set for 6 GM sites in Indiana

[Palehorse]

An Obama administration deal announced Wednesday will give six GM sites in Indianapolis, Anderson, Bedford, Kokomo and Muncie a share of the $773 million trust fund going to 14 states with old General Motors ties.

The $25 million coming to Indiana is for cleanup and administrative costs at the sites.

Indianapolis' stamping plant at 340 White River Parkway that opened in 1930 on the Near Westside would receive $3.7 million for environmental cleanup and removal of pollutants, and marketing of the redeveloped site. The metal plant is set to close in October 2011 as a result of the auto giant's 2009 bankruptcy.

A settling basin that was closed as a hazardous waste landfill at the former GM Allison Gas Turbine facility at 2701 W. Raymond St. will receive $1.66 million.

Another Indiana site, the former GM Delco Plant 5 in Kokomo, has already been razed.

"It's a nice location, a northern gateway to the city," said Mayor Greg Goodnight. "It's not really an unsightly parcel. It just needs some cleanup. . . . Development would be good."

The trust fund, first proposed in May, was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York and expected to receive final approval next year.

"This trust -- the largest environmental trust in our history -- provides support for aggressive environmental cleanups at these sites, which will create jobs today and benefit the environment and human health over the long term," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in Washington.

General Motors received $50 billion in government aid to get through its bankruptcy in 2009. GM is 61 percent-owned by U.S. taxpayers and plans an initial public offering that will allow the government to begin reducing its stake.

The cleanup funds will come from more than $1 billion provided by the Treasury Department to wind down "bad" GM assets set aside in the bankruptcy.

Indiana could apply for more money from the trust fund if cleanups prove more costly than forecast, said Barry Sneed, spokesman for Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

"We're in a pretty good spot," he said.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20101021/BUSINESS/10210420/-25M-cleanup-fund-set-for-6-GM-sites-in-Indiana?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com

First of all, I have a bad feeling about this one where Anderson is concerned. What is left to remediate in this town surrounding the former Gm sites? They have been torn down, leased out, or sold outright already. The vacant lots is all that remains today surrounding those properties not currently being utilized for another business venture.

So where is this money going to go, and just how much of it is coming to Anderson?

I smell a rats nest starting to form. . . 

[The Troll]

  In the army they called it a Charley Foxtrot.  For the middle class workers and taxpayers, it called a Cluster Fu*k.  And it's coming.   

[Palehorse]

  In the army they called it a Charley Foxtrot.  For the middle class workers and taxpayers, it called a Cluster Fu*k.  And it's coming.   

Yup! I can already see the starstruck glazing of the eyes of certain city officials, and the upcoming statements surrounding how this money is "going to be used to re-fund the general fund, from which the razing was originally funded", and the resulting game of grabass these financial transaction wizards are readying to execute.

Next thing you know we'll have twenty more cops, thirty more fire personnel (mostly brass), and the mayor going on a 60 day fact finding junket tour of Europe to "search for new business opportunities", while he awaits delivery of his brand new SUV. By Christmas they'll be squalling about how broke the city is and adding on a fire protection fee and police protection fee to our utility bills. . . 

And that empty expanse of weed choked brown hay on Scatterfield road that used to be GM will STILL be an empty expanse of weed choked hay come next fall. . . 

[Henry Hawk]

F'ing government needs to keep the F away from spending MORE f'ng money...PERIOD.

THIS is about the most retarded freakin idea I have seen in a long time...GM needs to figure out HOW to make MORE auto's at a profit....not worry about cleaning up old F'ing plants....THIS is all a political BS ploy.

and PH you are right, it is only going to fall into the hands of MORE corrupt f'ing politicians who will squander it away....

we need some f'ing Common Sense BACK in this Country.... .......

what a way to start this morning....

[The Troll]

F'ing government needs to keep the F away from spending MORE f'ng money...PERIOD.

THIS is about the most retarded freakin idea I have seen in a long time...GM needs to figure out HOW to make MORE auto's at a profit....not worry about cleaning up old F'ing plants....THIS is all a political BS ploy.

and PH you are right, it is only going to fall into the hands of MORE corrupt f'ing politicians who will squander it away....

we need some f'ing Common Sense BACK in this Country.... .......

what a way to start this morning....

   VOTE TEA PARTY.      More witch power.

[Palehorse]

F'ing government needs to keep the F away from spending MORE f'ng money...PERIOD.

THIS is about the most retarded freakin idea I have seen in a long time...GM needs to figure out HOW to make MORE auto's at a profit....not worry about cleaning up old F'ing plants....THIS is all a political BS ploy.

and PH you are right, it is only going to fall into the hands of MORE corrupt f'ing politicians who will squander it away....

we need some f'ing Common Sense BACK in this Country.... .......

what a way to start this morning....

The fund was set up as part of the deal to bail out GM, so the money is already there and isn't coming from our pockets Henry.

But still, given the fact that any environmental issues have already been remediated in Anderson, one really has to question what these funds will really be used for when they arrive. If it truly goes to replace funding expended by the city in addressing the issues, thats all good; and likely that will be the answer to the question from city officials whent he question is raised.

The problem I have is the shell game they will then play with the funds, transferring them to and fro until trying to track them will be akiin to finding a needle in a hay stack. And instead of using the funds to subsidize healthcare for the poor, or feed the poor, or heat the poor's homes, they'll go to some political pet project, or to fund some dubious project or travel agenda for the friggin mayor. They'll use them to bolster the PD and FD and put some friends to work in a brass position, then want to hit us up with some new "fees" on our utility bill to pay for it all when the money runs out.

I can see it happening right now! 

[Henry Hawk]

The fund was set up as part of the deal to bail out GM, so the money is already there and isn't coming from our pockets Henry.

PH, it is coming from the $1 billion provided by the Treasury Department and THAT is OUR money...it DID come from our pockets.....and this is another reason WHY I think it is a bad idea for Politicians to bail out GM....now THEY think they know more about running a business than they do....and THIS is NOT going to get our economy back nor is it going to help GM turn a profit.....this money will just go away, to the powers of greed, and GM or it's stock holder will NOT benefit from this at ALL.

[Palehorse]

PH, it is coming from the $1 billion provided by the Treasury Department and THAT is OUR money.... .

Ooops. I stand corrected. Yeah it is our money. . .

. . .But still, given the fact that any environmental issues have already been remediated in Anderson, one really has to question what these funds will really be used for when they arrive. If it truly goes to replace funding expended by the city in addressing the issues, thats all good; and likely that will be the answer to the question from city officials whent he question is raised.

The problem I have is the shell game they will then play with the funds, transferring them to and fro until trying to track them will be akiin to finding a needle in a hay stack. And instead of using the funds to subsidize healthcare for the poor, or feed the poor, or heat the poor's homes, they'll go to some political pet project, or to fund some dubious project or travel agenda for the friggin mayor. They'll use them to bolster the PD and FD and put some friends to work in a brass position, then want to hit us up with some new "fees" on our utility bill to pay for it all when the money runs out.

I can see it happening right now!

[The Troll]

  With all of the problems with General Motors, I think we are experiencing another repeat in history with Toyota, the #1 car maker.  Now they have got that big,  they must have a new BEAN COUNTER like Roger Smith of GM. 

  They are out to cut cost, so they can make more money.  After all of the years of safe use of brake fluid, Toyota is experiencing brake fluid problems, they also must be using substandard brake lines and fittings.  Some bad engineering like having a computer set up so it can accelerate the car and you can't stop it.  You could turn of the key off, but that locks the steering wheel.  Toyota cars should have a big red button in the middle of the steering wheel.  It's called a Emergency Stop Button.  But rather than fix their fu*k up they hide it, thinking they could hide it and would save a million dollars.  Instead it cost them millions and millions of dollars.

  Old Roger Smith really help kill GM.  After he got in as CEO,  General Motors produced some of the ugliest cars and ruined Oldsmobile Tornado with front wheel drive.  Old Roger hated design engineers because he thought they had too expensive taste when it came to building cars, they didn't build it cheap enough.  And boy oh boy did he set himself with a golden parachute worth million of dollars.

  How that GM has practically broke the union and got rid all of the over paid retired white shirt salary workers and dumped that load on us tax payers.  The GM engineers if let alone by the Bean Counters so they can make good cars again.  They can do it.  But I still hate to see Oldsmobile go into history because of the unfair importation of foreign cars. who pay no taxes to do so.

  Thanks free traders.  Well, you Republicans voted them in, happy?

[Palehorse]

Strange how all of a sudden all the chatter on this subject just went dead. . . Must mean the funds have been transferred to the local entities and now they are busy implementing the shell game. . .

[The Troll]

Strange how all of a sudden all the chatter on this subject just went dead. . . Must mean the funds have been transferred to the local entities and now they are busy implementing the shell game. . .

   I read the Anderson Herald Bulletin every morning,  to read the obituaries to see if I'm in it and the editoral page.

  Every day they are always pushing the Republican candidates and the Republican slant on the news.  Anderson version of Fox News.  I wish some foreign newspaper would come in and start printing a newspaper, I would drop the THB like a hot potato.

  Why can't they spend a little time watching and printing what Anderson and Madison county officials are going to do with all of that clean up money.  Put a spot light on it.  There is no better way to clear a dark room of cockroaches faster than turning of a light.   I know the first apartment my wife and I had in Pendleton, you could come in and turn on a light and actually hear them run. 

[Palehorse]

   I read the Anderson Herald Bulletin every morning,  to read the obituaries to see if I'm in it and the editoral page.

  Every day they are always pushing the Republican candidates and the Republican slant on the news.  Anderson version of Fox News.  I wish some foreign newspaper would come in and start printing a newspaper, I would drop the THB like a hot potato.

  Why can't they spend a little time watching and printing what Anderson and Madison county officials are going to do with all of that clean up money.  Put a spot light on it.  There is no better way to clear a dark room of cockroaches faster than turning of a light.   I know the first apartment my wife and I had in Pendleton, you could come in and turn on a light and actually hear them run. 

You are so right Troll! THB is nothing but a shill for the republican party! It's a joke how blatant they are about it too!

And I agree very much that this town needs a REAL newspaper and some respectable journalism to be executed. 

[Palehorse]

ANDERSON, Ind. — Madison County is owed $15.3 million in delinquent property taxes. . .

http://heraldbulletin.com/bigstory/x2073115572/Madison-County-hopes-to-recoup-15-3-million-from-tax-sale

Here we go. . . a possible opportunity to mingle funds for the benefit of cronies. . .

[The Troll]

ANDERSON, Ind. — Madison County is owed $15.3 million in delinquent property taxes. . .

http://heraldbulletin.com/bigstory/x2073115572/Madison-County-hopes-to-recoup-15-3-million-from-tax-sale

Here we go. . . a possible opportunity to mingle funds for the benefit of cronies. . .

  Did by chance see the old two story house all boarded up and about to fall down.  The county claims that there was over $34,000, thirty four thousand dollars in back taxes and penalties.  Why didn't they sell the damn thing earlier to some one with a little money who might have fixed it up and lived in it.  Oh no, they just sit on their hands and do nothing until the sky falls.

  I remember years ago, some how I under payed my taxes by 16 cents.  Received 5 letters about it.  Each getting more threatening.  So one day when I was in Anderson I went to the court house and walked up to the treasurers office desk and I laid out 16 pennies.  The woman behind the desk, with here lips curled down, said, what's this for.

  I told her that was for the underpayment on my property tax and why in hell, couldn't they just put in on the next half.  "You people have already spent more in postage than I owe in taxes." I said.

  With eyes rolled back in her head and with that pinch nosed voice they always seem to have.  "Hisss, we can't do that."  I got my receipt and left.