xmpt wrote:
lubu wrote:
Worse yet, is that word from the assessor says that Hammond home valuations are down 48%! It will compound the effect of our tax rate caps. Resubmitting last year's budget is "bury your head in the sand" irresponsible. Plummeting valuations means more than just less tax dollars. It means even more people upside down on loans. People who will walk away from homes and leave the keys on the counter for the bank. Leading to more distressed properties. Leading to more need for tear downs. Leading to more properties not paying taxes. Leading to something looking like Gary with a few more baseball fields.
Thats a new twist. People don't pay their taxes and walk away from their homes and it is the City of Hammods fault for burying their head in the sand by submitting the same budget as last year, a budget that has to be approved by the state by the way. What would you suggest they do when over 3/4 of the budget goes to PD and HFD and their retirees?
Glad you chimed in. And your right, the city of Hammond is NOT responsible, Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr is. Let's put this in perspective. People by a home, the hope for good schools, a safe neighborhood and city services. Responsible government, not 3 or four $1,400,000 baseball fields and parks.
Tom builds a $35,000,000 charter school on a toxic waste sight. The cost over runs have never been addressed, allegations regarding food service, just pushed into the cost of the building, furniture, supplies, etc. There is some standing question why, the highly qualified first choice for principal left so quickly. Some believe he was directed to do something's that he believed were, let's just say problematic. For every kid attending the Charter school, it takes $7,500 per kid away from the Hammond School System.
The establishment of TIFF's take tax dollars away from the city at large, including schools, libraries, increasing the tax burden to the citizens. Article about 6 mo ago in the Times where the County Council openly chastised communities for having too many tiff's.
Then we have a Tiff, Woodmar where, when money was released, over $900,000 the SBA requested how that release met Tiff guidelines, McD never answered their inquiry, because the release never met TIF guidelines.
Crime, Gangs, Drugs and Prostitution are a problem.
The Hammond Police Department was understaffed for 9 years, until McD's 3rd term, when he was fearful of losing to Janiec. Only then did McD hire 10 cops. Force is down from what I have been told nearer to 20 cops. McD hires 10 and four more leave.[/b]
Their cars are over 6 to 8 years old on average!
They did not have the resource to by undercover surveillance equipment. A citizen purchased their first undercover camera, recorder and mike. WTF! So with Casino revenue being deflected to all sorts of McD personal interest, college bound, legal clinics, $1,000,000 festivals, $1,400,000 baseball fields, bicycle paths (Hammond put up $3,500,000 in participation funds), $11,000,000 of HUD funds intended for rehab of properties in Hammond and that money can't be traced because money was spent and can't be traced, contracts given not to the lowest bidder, but to a friend of Tom's, well then, it appears there is no hope. Some of these McD programs have never been audited.... lending to them a East Chicago "Second City" aura about them. Then you have to live next to this
http://www.northwestindiana.com/discussionforum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10556&start=450&sid=5a5f7ea2c82db81034ba039bbe8ce30b with a friggin McDermott Sign, a house that looks like it has needed some corrective measures for some time!
I don't understand how someone would allow their political sign to go up on every slum and rental in town!
How many times do you call the cops for help and they show up a 1/2 hour later? Cops don't have the staffing to do their job.
Actually X, I don't blame Hammond, I blame McDermott. That's my beef!