Advance Indiana notes an interesting quote from the New York Post: “From 2001 to 2005, Goldsmith was senior vice president of Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services Inc. Last year, his old firm landed a 50-year contract from Indianapolis to manage all parking meters for that city. Under the contract, Affiliated even gets the money from tickets written by Indianapolis police. The contract barely passed the Indianapolis City Council by a 15-14 vote.”
The Ballard Administration has been quite candid about Goldsmith’s continued influence, with Ballard noting that he regularly “consults” with Goldsmith, and Deputy Mayor Michael Huber–who used to work for Goldsmith’s Deputy Mayor, Skip Stitt–calling the former Mayor his “mentor.”
Despite rumors that have persisted for several years, no one knows whether Goldsmith holds significant stock in ACS. But when Indianapolis makes a deal that so lopsidedly favors a private company for so excessive a term, and a former Mayor with ties to that private company is so influential a player with the current administration, it does raise questions. Especially when the decisive vote was cast by a member of the Council whose law firm represents ACS.
Mayor Ballard has yet to provide satisfactory answers to those questions.
and now they’re talking about giving the governor power to establish a toll road without legislative approval.
which friend of a politician will benefit from that deal? or do you think it will just go overseas like the northern indiana toll road?
some of the shenanigans being pulled by politicians amaze me. what amazes me more is so many people seem blissfully unaware that they are being sold out. i don’t understand how middle-class and below people can support some of this, it’s baffling.