Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of The Reporter, its publisher or its staff. You can submit your own Letter to the Editor by email to News@ReadTheReporter.com.
Dear Editor:
I saw in an article in another paper that Jeffrey McDermott of The Center for the Performing Arts stated: “We’ve been in the black for multiple years.”
I wish the leadership of this city was fully truthful and didn’t feel the needed to stretch that. He knows his entity gets over $4 million in free rent from the City, plus the entities that operate in the facilities get subsidies from the City each year.
However, this is par for the course: Mayor Brainard’s re-election campaign has gotten free rent from developers the last two election cycles, and he has failed to report that to the do-nothing Republican Party-controlled County Election Board.
Speaking of truth, though I disagree wholeheartedly with the efficacy of armed police officers in elementary schools and Obamacare-esque government provided mental health services at the schools, two Democratic city council candidates are honest to their party’s ideals of higher taxes and more government action by publicly supporting the referendum.
I see Mayor Brainard also supports the referendum, yet this is another time he stretches the truth regarding Carmel’s low taxes: He loves giving TIF-candy and tax abatements to favored developers like PEDCOR, whose CEO Bruce Cordingley sits on McDermott’s board, subsidized by the spending, debt and taxes of other government entities like Clay Township and the schools to cover his artistic dreams. It so happens the $5 million from the referendum roughly matches the amount of free rent and subsidies Carmel gives to keep Carter’s Green’s temples “in the black.”
Good thing those low-tax Republicans also supported the 911 income tax increase to make the safest city safer. At least the local Democrats are honest in their accounting: Government action costs money, and lots of it.
In black and white, the truth hurts.
Sincerely,
Eric Morris
Carmel
Formerly Home Place