Paul Ogden Hits a Home Run

Paul Ogden, author of OgdenOnPolitics, has hit a home run with today's blog entry "Cancelling the ACS Contract, What the Ballard Administration Doesn't Want You to Know; And About That ACS Jobs Promise...It's Not Legally Enforceable". I recommend you read it in its entirety.

Here are the CliffNotes:

1) While Deputy Mayor Mike Huber is touting the cancellation feature of the newly revised deal to privatize the parking meter system (a monopoly) through a 50 year lease with politically connected ACS, the contract has some nasty penalties should the City actually go through with cancellation.
2) If the City chooses to turn the cancelled contract over to another firm to operate, neither that firm nor the City can MAKE ANY MONEY from the meters FOR TWO YEARS. Unless, the City forks over an additional $5 million penalty to ACS.
3) If the City chooses to cancel the contract it is PROHIBITED from floating a bond to pay the cancellation penalty.
4) The promised movement of 200 ACS jobs to Indianapolis is totally unenforceable because a) it is not included in the contract and b) only Huber signed the letter of agreement and he is not legally authorized to commit the City to anything.

This proposal to privatize a monopoly that is owned by the citizens of Indianapolis, to benefit a few politically connected people, is short sighted and totally in keeping with Mayor Ballard's apparent effort to spend every last cent this City has before he is booted out of office.