"The Farm"

[Palehorse]

Yesterday the current Mayor announced a multi-million dollar baseball-softball facility to be built on the current farm land directly behind Meijer and the Hampton Inn on Scatterfield Road. He stated the project has been in the works for 2 years and is now set to break ground in April of this year, and bring 75 jobs to the city of Anderson.

The facility will encompass several diamonds outdoors, and two that will be indoor fields. The mayor states that this will be a facility that will be utilized by teams and entities across the midwest and that it has the potential to generate millions of dollars in revenues for the city via the increased traffic and business traffic created by those that utilize the facilities.

Thus far in drilling down into this project I have found several reasons for concern. First, of the 75 jobs this facility is supposed to create, only 1/3 of them have a POTENTIAL for full time status. Additionally, I strongly suspect that the lion's share of these jobs will be within the minimum wage compensation range. The remaining 2/3 of the jobs will be part time-seasonal positions.

Secondly, those of us in this state, and especially central Indiana, have watched as a professional sports entity pushed for the funding of Lucas Oil Stadium, forcing it onto the shoulders of taxpayers in Marion County and the surrounding counties. Among the validations used in selling it to the citizens was the promise of hosting a Super Bowl in 2012; something that looks very unlikely to happen now that the facility is up and running and games are being played there. So, if a professional sports league cannot follow through on promises of increased revenues etc., as with Lucas Oil Stadium, what makes anyone willing to believe that non-professional sports entities across the midwest are going to go to the expense of traveling to Anderson, Indiana to hold their tournaments and utilize the facilities ????

From the figures I've seen people of Anderson are being expected to subsidize the construction of this new facility with tax incentives and cash equalling 1 million dollars; of which about 275,000 will be paid back to the city over time once the facility becomes profitable.

Third, the city already has an under utilized sports facility, namely the Wigwam, and it is sucking upwards of 300k a year from the city coffers just in electricity usage. In addition, the city is closing schools, which are going to also stand empty and sucking city revenues to heat and maintain them, for no return.  So where is the city coming up with the money to fund this new venture?

Fourth - Is a 1 million dollar investment of the taxpayers money really a prudent use of those funds, when they only create minimum wage jobs, and the investment is based upon the possibility of potential returns on teh investment when teams across the midwest begin to utilize it? In these depressed economic times does that sound like something that is very likely to happen?

No. . . I do not think so. What I think this is in reality, is a smoke and mirror campaign to dazzle the citizens of Anderson into believing something concrete was accomplished by the current administration in the final year of its term, in the hopes they'll vote them back into office for another term! Politics! 

[me]

What I'd like to know is why nothing has been brought up about this until now.  Why weren't we given a chance to give our opinions on it?  Why hasn't there been a effort to bring real businesses to town instead of spending tax payer money on something that is going to probably be a waste and end up costing us instead.  Kind of smacks of that little Emgee plant deal that Lawler left Smith stuck with. 

[Palehorse]

What I'd like to know is why nothing has been brought up about this until now.  Why weren't we given a chance to give our opinions on it?  Why hasn't there been a effort to bring real businesses to town instead of spending tax payer money on something that is going to probably be a waste and end up costing us instead.  Kind of smacks of that little Emgee plant deal that Lawler left Smith stuck with.

Interesting that you compared the two, because someone who shall remain nameless, made about the exact same comparison to me just this morning! 

[me]

Interesting that you compared the two, because someone who shall remain nameless, made about the exact same comparison to me just this morning! 

Ya, he pulled several little little dirty deals toward the end but that is the one that sticks out most in whats left of my mind. 

[Palehorse]

Another potentially huge negative of this little deal is the fact that I am hearing the term "not for profit" related to its status, which mean that they will pay no property taxes. 80 acres of land removed from the revenue stream, along with the land for the  Ivy Tech Facility at exit 22. . . Instead of adding to the revenue stream the current administration is removing potential revenue sources from the realm of possibility! Great!  Add that to the increasingly empty properties around town and it spells disaster. . .

[me]

Another potentially huge negative of this little deal is the fact that I am hearing the term "not for profit" related to its status, which mean that they will pay no property taxes. 80 acres of land removed from the revenue stream, along with the land for the  Ivy Tech Facility at exit 22. . . Instead of adding to the revenue stream the current administration is removing potential revenue sources from the realm of possibility! Great!  Add that to the increasingly empty properties around town and it spells disaster. . .

Sure would be interesting to find out who owns it. 

[Y]

Is any taxpayer monies going into this project?  Either directly or indirectly?

If the facility is going to be NFP, and the owners are buying the property, I'm not certain whether there's anything the city can do to prevent the loss of property tax revenue outside of making certain all the NFP regulations are followed.

Being a NFP may be the only way the facility can exist because I suspect the facility won't be able to be self-sufficient without taxpayer aid - being an NFP is in reality taxpayer aid.

All in all, big whoop, I suspect this is another boondoggle for Anderson.

Anderson/Madison Co./Indiana appears to have a big 'L' on its collective forehead.

[Palehorse]

Is any taxpayer monies going into this project?  Either directly or indirectly?

1 million dollars, of which only 275,000 is going to be paid back! 

[Palehorse]

Well, that million dollar investment of our tax dollars is sure paying off now!

That tent they put up over there might just cover home plate, and if that's their idea of a ready to play facility by October of this year. . . Well. . .

They have had a bunch of very old heavy equipment parked over there for well over a month now, and in that time they have made a nice gravel spot at the road upon which to park it.

I'm betting the next storm front we have move through is going to pick that damned tent up and carry it across I 69, creating a huge traffic accident, for which the City will be sued!

[The Troll]

  Build it and the will come and pay.  My ass.  The Farm and the Wigwam are sure winners.  Suckers.   

[Palehorse]

They are putting the taxpayers of this city on the hook for yet another flop! 

[Palehorse]

Well, that "million dollar investment" of taxpayers money has now morphed into 6-7 million of our tax dollars; and when (not if) the Frm fails, taxpayers are on the hook for the whole thing!

This is NOTHING but bullshit! 

[The Troll]

Well, that "million dollar investment" of taxpayers money has now morphed into 6-7 million of our tax dollars; and when (not if) the Farm fails, taxpayers are on the hook for the whole thing!

This is NOTHING but bullshit! 

  Anderson Indiana building a 6 to 7 Million Dollar Amateur ball park?  Unbelievable.   

[me]

Lets just hope Smith can pull the plug on it like he did that Emge deal. 

[Palehorse]

Lets just hope Smith can pull the plug on it like he did that Emge deal.

I doubt it. Star Financial just bought the bonds so it's a lock now. . .

So when this thing goes belly up, we are ont he hook for it all! 

They can't even get the name straight. They are calling it "The Farm", and the signage that they have not posted yet, says "Indiana Prospects". . .