Watchdog Indiana Home PageStop Local Option Waste (SLOW)
Not everyone chooses to be, or can be, a military patriot serving proudly in our armed services. We can, however, all be fiscal patriots dedicated to defeating the "Red Menace" of ruinous federal debt!
We everyday voters must provide the leadership that enables our elected federal public servants to effectively control our federal debt. We must "short circuit" the single-interest influencers who exploit our apathy and thwart the proper operation of our federal government. We must clearly demonstrate that the only legitimate reelection "third rail" is a failure to promptly reach a comprehensive consensus on how to deal with our runaway federal debt.
One way for us to provide the needed leadership is to dedicate ourselves to Stop Local Option Waste (SLOW).
Our local elected public servants too often seek to spend our hard-earned federal tax dollars on unnecessary nice-to-have local projects that do not address high-priority needs. They think it is appropriate to slop at the federal money trough by treating some of our federal tax dollars as "found" money that can be earmarked for any local grandiose whimsy whatsoever.
Our federal government borrowed 37 cents of every dollar it spent in 2010. Our current federal debt has skyrocketed to more than $15 trillion dollars. We can no longer afford the luxury of letting our local officials scrounge for federal tax dollars to help fund low-priority local projects.
Concerned Watchdogs use this webpage to provide information regarding the local government projects in their communities that waste their federal tax dollars.
Stopping wasteful local discretionary spending will not by itself win the federal debt war. However, by taking action to Stop Local Option Waste we will send a clear message to our elected federal public servants that they must put ALL possible solutions on the table NOW so a public consensus can be promptly reached on shared sacrifices to resolve our federal debt threat.
The following information summarizes by county the actions that Hoosier fiscal patriots have taken to stop the wasteful spending of our hard-earned federal tax dollars on unnecessary nice-to-have local projects that do not address high-priority needs.
We must provide the leadership needed to overpower the single-interest advocates whose cumulative efforts enable the Congressional gridlock that fosters ruinous federal deficit spending.Boone County
The Lebanon "Gateway" Project would waste our federal gasoline tax dollars. Our Indiana Department of Transportation officials need to thwart the dreams and schemes of the City of Lebanon to use the federal Surface Transportation Program to build a low-priority, unnecessary, nice-to-have "gateway into the community." Lebanon has many neighborhoods that NEED better street pavement, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street lighting, and stormwater improvements before $6,267,444 of our federal gasoline tax dollars are wasted on a mile-long "beautification" project. The $2,053,401 in local costs for the Lebanon Gateway Project would be more than twice as much as what Lebanon normally spends in a year on all its transportation budget. The $8.3 million total project cost almost equals the $11.1 million it costs the state to build a new I-69 mile from Evansville.
Hendricks County
The Hendricks County #1 waste is the Ronald Reagan Parkway that will connect to 1-65 in Boone County. Search for Brent Pittman Brownsburg, IN at flyergroup.com, LinkedIn.com and google.com for more information and details.
Marion County
If passed, the 2012 Indiana House Bill 1073 would govern "Public Mass Transportation" for central Indiana. HB 1073 has been filed at the request of the Central Indiana Transit Task Force, which would like taxpayer money to double the Indianapolis bus service and add train service from Noblesville to downtown Indianapolis. HB 1073 is Taxpayer UNfriendly because a Metropolitan Transit District could receive federal aid to build a commuter train service from Noblesville to downtown Indianapolis. Federal funds would be needed to build an MTD rail service. This MTD federal funding would worsen the "Red Menace" threat to our way of life because it would increase our runaway federal debt. The federal government borrowed 36 cents of every dollar it spent in 2010. The federal debt is now more then $15 trillion. If any future federal funding is available for rail transit systems, it will need to be allocated based on legitimate need. The Indianapolis metropolitan area would be a low priority for scarce federal rail transit dollars because of limited traffic congestion. Therefore, the only source of MTD rail service funding would be budget-busting federal earmarks. This MTD rail service federal funding irresponsibility must be a concern to every Hoosier who values fiscal patriotism. Detailed information regarding HB 1073 can be found at http://www.finplaneducation.net/central_indiana_transit.htm.
Most of the $12 million blown on Georgia Street for the Super Bowl were federal transportation funds. Is there a worse example of waste anywhere within a thousand miles? Send an E-mail to Indy Tax Dollars at fkm82848@msn.com for details."
While federal dollars will not be spent, the politically-inspired-and-wired unneeded and publicly-subsidized private parking garage in Broad Ripple that was approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals is a prime example of pork. Full information can be obtained from Meridian Kessler Neighbors Helping Neighbors by sending an E-mail to ckahlo@toast.net.
Rush County
The Citizen’s Journal at http://www.citizensjournal.net/ is devoted to the transparency of local government, local agencies, and public-related activities in Rush County. Journal articles are written by local non-partisan Citizen Journalists. The Citizen’s Journal is a platform for the Citizens of Rush County to civilly and openly hold discussions to improve their way of life.
This page was last updated on 11/27/12 .