Council Meeting on Juvenile Justice Center

Kurt has been a strong voice opposing the Juvenile Justice Center.  He strongly supported me when I asked the members of the mailing list to write to the editor and also to the members of the County Council to express opposition and request Council represent us by opposing the project. 
 
I was an early supporter of a juvenile DETENTION center, and have not written off the concept.  So hopefully it stands out a bit when I echo Kurt and ask you to attend the meeting.
 
I did a column in January stating that the project was out of proportion to the original scope and intent of a proposed juvenile detention facility, that the plan needed to be scaled back and support - the consent of the governed - needed to be reestablished before moving forward.  I also predicted that the cost was going to be $25 million and not the $22 which the Commissioners were saying was unreliable and probably too high an estimate.
 
Since that time I have been appalled at the stonewall treatment given to the Taxpayers' Advocacy Group regarding their request for documentation.  I've got ten years experience working with these three Commissioners and a few on Council and the idea that there have been emails sent around that would cause public opposition to harden and support to wither is not at all far fetched.  It's also possible that solid good sense and high standards will be revealed and do a lot to restore public confidence and credibility in one or more officials.
 
I know exactly how long it takes to do these types of document searches, and it really should have taken no more than an hour per person named in the request.  I haven't seen what was submitted so I don't know offhand how many people are included.  But it has sure SEEMED like there has been clear and purposeful non-compliance.  Several people including active Republicans have called for the project to be halted until the documents were provided and the public brought up to speed on whatever they revealed.  Another active Republican joined in my opinion that support at any rate should be rebuilt for such a massive expenditure as well as scaling it back to original proportions to have a realistic chance of earning support.
 
Any vote moving this forward without the Freedom of Information Act compliance is in my opinion a vote to disregard the law as well as the rights of local citizens on the basis of just cause.  "Just cause we feel like it.  Just cause we CAN.  Just cause we don't think it can be stopped.  Just cause people that oppose us get mulched."
 
I used to say that a lot of state level red tape tangled us in order to protect citizens of a couple three prominent Democrat counties.  Not all are as colorful and notorious as Lake County political shenanigans.  But that was why we had to jump through needless state hoops here.
 
But now there is a state law requiring referenda before public construction projects of a certain size may proceed.  And so without missing a beat, Tippecanoe County stiffarmed public information requests, spurned transparency, ran a P.R. campaign that was shall we say uncomplimentary to opponents, plunged forward with two land purchases and votes to proceed, and then proposed to shift the entire amount necessary from income tax to property tax funding.  Basically, there are things that have been funded by the property taxes via the General Fund, and other things that are funded by the Economic Development Income Taxes (EDIT funds).  These funds are restricted so that only certain expenditures qualify - including building projects.
 
But this proposal simply moves millions of spending from EDIT funding onto the General Fund budget so that the millions paid for construction of this Juvenile Justice Center scheme (that mushroomed out of the original modest proposal for a detention center) may be paid from the INCOME taxes rather than the property taxes is nothing more than a shell game!  The law was enacted to be a tax relief measure.  This is an obvious and unseemly sidestepping of the intent of the law, a brazen maneuver that caught legislators consulted flat footed!  Imagine a couple college roommates.  One gets student grants which can be spent on texts ONLY while the other gets funds from parents that can also be used on educational materials like imported beers.  So the one kid takes the other shopping and pays for all his buddy's textbooks off the debit card which can only be used for texts and supply, and then the other kid pays for the cultural enrichment for each as they drink their way around the globe.
 
They may both be of age, they may not have exactly BROKEN any laws.  But they have certainly violated the intent of the rule.
 
I happen to think that the intent of the legislature is so obvious, and the potential for local government entities to shift everything ELSE onto their property taxes to spend income taxes on building projects that it will be disallowed or the law will be amended.
 
But Jeff Kemper said two weeks ago that public opposition was running 80%, and K.D. Benson said that the (packed) crowd at the last meeting showed public support.  A proper request for information and the law supporting it has been flouted, and plans shoved forward regardless.  A state law to protect taxpayers from this VERY SORT of bureaucratic predation is being sidestepped without a single elected official besides Jeff Kemper raising his voice in protest.
 
For these reasons, I want to ask each of you to please attend if at all possible and to make your opinions known in as civil a manner possible.  (Breaking order to clap is one thing, shouting down a windbag like me no matter how justified is not ok).
 
I personally was terminated from County employment under a pile of false accusations a week after losing the primary election so I am not likely to attend.  They know how I feel - the accusations started just after my column opposing the plan and process ran in the paper - and I think my involvement might be counterproductive.  But there are Council Members besides Jeff Kemper who have played by the book and should respond to an impressive, civil, and staunch opposition.
 
We owe people like Kurt and Michele Blaas gratitude for their courage and advocacy.  But we also owe them a little effort by showing support when called on.
 
Thanks for your time and consideration.
 
Rob

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