Rivera's Proposal Attacks Indy's Poor, Neighborhoods, and Private Property Owners so the City Can Kiss a Little NFL Butt


  On June 27th, At-Large City-County Councillor Angel Rivera introduced what became Proposal #188.  According to the digest of the proposed ordinance, it "amends portions of the code pertaining to the permitting, licensing, and organization of activities related to special events licensed by the department of code enforcement, and adds a new chapter creating an annual license for ticket broker engaged in the sale or resale of tickets on public streets, sidewalks, and alleys."



Councillor Rivera



Oh, is that all?   Well that sounds innocent enough, I guess.  Like most digests and summaries these days, though, it's a nicely written paragraph that has very little to do with what the bill or ordinance contains.  In reality, they are written the way they are so folks like you and I with a little political interest look at the digest and move on, uninterested.

Let me tell you a little secret that Angel Rivera and any other supporters of Proposal 188 don't want you to know:  This ordinance is an all-out attack on property owners, neighborhoods, and the poor in our city, especially downtown and especially because of one week of festivities surrounding the 2012 Super Bowl.

Let's break 188 down...

First, Ticket Brokers.  188 repeals two other sections of code (specifically 407-107 through 407-109 and Chapter 431, Article II) regarding selling and reselling of tickets around NCAA events, NFL events and at Victory Field.  What it replaces these with is an attack on the poor who are trying to make a little income to support themselves by selling tickets on the sidewalk. It does this by saying no one can resell or repurchase a ticket within ONE MILE of: Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse, Victory Field, Hinkle Fieldhouse, MuratTheatre at Old National Centre, Indianapolis Convention Center, Indiana State Fairgrounds, and White River State Park...or any other place where more than 500 people can gather.  (Well, not quite no one....people with a license or with written permission from the event organizers are allowed....so no one.)

Is it really that bad to see some people trying to sell tix on the sidewalks?  Are they really that much of a bother?  I agree that there is some risk of counterfeit tickets, but it is a small one.  Besides, 188 does nothing to prevent counterfeit tickets other than saying you can't sell within a mile of the event and by saying the police have the right to inspect the tickets being resold or repurchased (the police probably won't know if it's counterfeit much better than you or I would).  This is just an attack on the poor, similar to the bills preventing panhandling, because the city refuses to let visitors know that the poor and homeless exist here in the Circle City. Ticket resellers present very little potential harm and this ordinance is not about fixing that.  The City doesn't want the resellers out there because the NFL doesn't want them there...it's as simple as that.

Next, 188 attacks the street vendors.  God forbid you try to buy a hot dog from someone other than the NFL or the NCAA, because that's basically what 188 prevents. The ordinance creates "Clean Zones" (their term, not mine....sounds like something established in the event of a plague).  These Clean Zones are a vague, undefined area (the clean zone for each event will be specifically designated at some unknown time before the event) where street vendors cannot make their living without the specific permission of the event organizer.  We all know what that means...no street vendors allowed unless they pay the NFL or the NCAA or whoever some outrageous fee that will make it unappealing and probably unprofitable for the vendors to be there.  I guess they'll probably go a mile away and try to sell their hot dogs to the ticket resellers.

The included events?  The 500 Festival, Indiana Black Expo, The St. Patrick's Day Parade, The Circle City Classic Parade, The Circle of Lights, The Indiana State Fair, all NCAA Championships or related events, Big Ten Championships or related events, NBA Finals or All-Star games and related events, NFL Super Bowl, Pro-Bowl, draft and related events, WNBA Finals or All-Star game or related events.  Yep, pretty much everything.

Finally, Proposal 188 attacks private property owners.  You know those ultra-convenient lawns that the owners will let you park on for a fee? These owners are responding to a market-based demand for close, convenient parking.  Well, don't get used to seeing them anymore.  If the property is within the aforementioned vague clean zone, you have to pay a fee for a license to allow for this parking. What damage was being done by the owners providing this service?  None at all.  This is just a way for the City to make a money-grab.  $75 for the right to let people park on your lawn or a big fine if you get caught doing it without a license.  And who are these property owners?  Again, they are almost exclusively the poor and the lower-middle class who are just trying to have a little extra to put bread on the table with.

The City won't have that, though.  You see, the NFL owns us now.  If the NFL wants to make the money, they get to make the money.  If the NFL says they don't want to see it, we'll pass an ordinance to make it illegal.  None of this is about doing anything that is better for the City in the long run, it's all about doing what the NFL wants for a one-day event and making it permanent.

Proposal 188 will probably be coming up for a vote on Monday 8/15.  That's not set in stone, yet, because the Council won't release their agenda until Friday 8/12 (they'd hate for us to have any real time to examine the proposals they'll be discussing).  I'll update on here if that proves to be the case.

***UPDATE***
Thanks to Had Enough Indy? for posting this update on 188. It points out the Rules and Public Policy Committee will have 188 at the top of their agenda tonight at 6:00 PM in room 260 of the City-County Building.  The blog also has some very good investigative reporting into the details of 188.  I recommend you check it out.

This Is Why It's Important to Field Candidates

Well-known Indy blogger Paul Ogden throws out a great point tonight while discussing this private investigator debaucle in Carmel. He mentions in a late night blog this evening that Carmel Mayor James Brainard is now a very politically vulnerable individual.

Unfortunately, no matter how vulnerable he may be, he will be winning yet another term as Carmel's mayor in this November's elections.  How can we be so sure?  because neither the Democrats nor the Libertarians ran a candidate against him.  You see, Carmel is an unusually huge Republican stronghold.  For whatever reason, the other two parties with ballot access in the state decided that running someone against Brainard just wasn't worth it.

One of the best ways for people and parties to gain name recognition and to be considered viable by the public is to get out there and fill every ballot position they can.  Ballot choices are also good for the voters, who are put in a position to let their voices be heard.  Alas, though, come November in Carmel, Indiana, a multi-term mayor with what is likely to be a pretty low public opinion is going to be elected to another term in office.

The point here is simple.  Get out there.  Get involved.  Run for office. Make sure voters have options.

The Impending Death of the Tea Party, Part II

Back in early April, I posted about the Impending Death of the Tea Party.  Well, guess what ladies and gentleman of the Tea Party, it's here.

Because of the recent Debt Ceiling deal, the Tea Party surely feels completely deflated.  They focused so hard on getting the "right" people elected, and those elected officials have nearly all let them down by increasing the debt ceiling by 2.4 Trillion dollars.  The "cuts" associated with the increase in the debt ceiling are hardly real.  They are loosely defined and they are spread over ten years.  The first $900 billion in debt ceiling increase, though?  It'll be here by February.

The Tea Party now has to make up it's mind.  They only have two choices: roll over and die (and become nothing more than a blip in the political and economic history of this country), or change your focus and charge on.

The Tea Partiers surely have now realized that they are not supported by the Republican Party.  The Republicans wooed the Tea party into bed on a first date by saying all the right things to them.  Now, it's the next morning and the Tea Party is awakening to a note left on the pillow.

Stay focused on electing Republicans to office in the hopes they are going to reduce spending, and true fiscal conservatives will lose faith in you just as you have lost faith in the swarm of Republicans you elected.

Change your focus, though, to electing Libertarians (both large and small "L") and you have a chance to find your cause revitalized.  You will be supporting officials who will be true in their support of limiting spending.

Support Libertarians, and you won't wake up some morning with a note on your pillow.  Instead, you'll find yourself with a ring on your finger.

A Short History of The Poker Boom, The UIGEA, and the Death of Online Poker Imposed by the Recent DoJ Actions

In 2003 an accountant named Chris Moneymaker won a $10,000 seat into the Main Event of the World Series of Poker by winning a $39 satellite on the online poker site PokerStars. As most of you know, Moneymaker went on to win the Main Event that year, parlaying his $39 in a $2.5 Million payday.

Moneymaker at the 2003 WSOP Main Event Final Table

Moneymaker's win, along with the introduction of hole card cameras, sparked a poker boom that was greater than anyone could have ever imagined.  The year Moneymaker won there were 839 entrants to the Main Event.  The next year there were 2,576.  The year after that there were 5,619, followed by an absolutely incredible 8,773.  Love him or hate him, The Moneymaker Effect (as it came to be affectionately called) was indisputable.

Poker, one of America's greatest pastimes, regained its place at the forefront of our culture. A position it has not relinquished...until now.

In 2006, on the last day Congress was in session before it adjourned, a very important port security act designed to keep Dubai from gaining control of a US port was brought up for discussion.  At 9:29 PM an amendment was added, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA. The UIGEA did nothing to criminalize playing online poker, or offering online poker to be played.  The UIGEA simply made it illegal for banks to process transactions within gaming sites...no more deposits or withdrawals.

Because of the importance of the bill it was being added to, the "last day of school" fever Congress had, and the late hour, no one objected to the fact that reading of the bill was waived.  Practically no one in Congress knew what else they were voting for, and the important Port Security act passed by a vote of 421-2, bringing the UIGEA along with it.

 The immediate reaction to the UIGEA depended on the online poker company.  Some of the poker sites, such as Paradise Poker and the enormous Party Poker, were publicly traded companies on the London Stock Exchange.  Because of Exchange regulations, these companies pulled out of the US market immediately.  Party Gaming, the parent of Party Poker, saw their stock plummet 60% in 24 hours.  They were moved from the FTSE 100 to the FTSE 250 within 2 weeks.

The non-publicly traded poker sites saw little threat from the UIGEA and continued business as usual.  With fewer places to play in the US market, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and especially PokerStars saw huge growth.  Transactions were a little bumpy for a short time based on a Department of Justice action against online transaction warehouse Neteller, but shortly resumed to normal.

All that came to a screeching halt on Friday.  The Department of Justice seized control of the websites of the three biggest remaining players in the US online poker market, Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Absolute.  The government also blocked the game to all US players.  The poker sites have, in turn, agreed to cease offering real money games to US players while the dispute is being resolved.

According to the DoJ press release on the matter, the sites are guilty of bank fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering.  Let me be clear, I believe the poker sites probably pushed the boundaries of what is legal to their full extent.  On the other hand, these are very serious charges, and the DoJ is returning fire by pushing the limits of the law in the charges it is pressing against the sites and their leaders.

While I think the DoJ is taking the laws to the extreme, my problem here is less with their actions than with the laws to begin with.  As I stated, there is no federal law against playing online poker.  There is no federal law against a foreign company offering online games to US players.  The only law is a banking transaction law that blocks players from engaging in a perfectly legal activity.  It is perfectly legal to go there, but they blew up the bridge.

Congressman Barney Frank and others have been involved in a highly bipartisan push to repeal the UIGEA, and regulate and license online poker sites.  It has never been more important than now to support this legislation.  The bills proposed to accomplish this are not perfect, but they are an important first step to protect one of America's greatest pastimes.  There is nothing wrong with an adult choosing  to play a game of poker in the comfort of their own home, and the laws should clearly reflect that.  Underhanded attempts to block a legal activity to take place, such as the UIGEA does, need to be stopped.

There is a million-member organization that is dedicated solely to the protection of poker players' rights.  The Poker Players Alliance.  Started after the implementation of the UIGEA, the PPA is fighting now to save online poker from its government enemies.  They have issued a press release on the matter.  Also, PPA Executive Director John Pappas has put up a video statement on the matter.

Now is the time to contact your senators, congressperson, and the Obama administration and let them know that you want the UIGEA repealed.  Tell them you want adults to have the right to choose to play a card game without government interference.  Let them know you are tired of government interference in online poker.  You can easily contact them through this link.  Thank you.



The Impending Death of the Tea Party

According to a recent CNN/Opinion Research survey, more than half of Americans now have an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party.  I must admit, I am not surprised.  Truthfully, I am shocked that it took this long.

The Tea Party started with the best of intentions, and the greatest of goals.  LOWER TAXES.  REDUCE SPENDING.  That got our country's attention. Our citizens are sick of the spending, and they are sick of the taxing.  The Tea Party got really popular, really fast.  Like most boom towns, you could expect some of that initial surge to wane.  This is more than just a standard settling, though...opinions of the Tea party have actually reversed.

Why would this happen?  Did our public suddenly change their mind on wanting spending reduced?  Did people spontaneously realize they wanted more taxes?  Of course not.  The change wasn't our attitude towards these things, the change was within the Tea Party itself.

You see, the Tea Party lost its focus.  It was originally an independent organization with its own set of ideals.  It became nothing more than an arm of the Republican Party.  People didn't lose their interest in lower taxes and reduced spending, they only maintained their existing disappointment with the GOP.

Once Tea Party supporters began to make the realization that their support was, more or less, Republican support, they lost their desire to stand with the group.  The Tea Party supporters are aware that the Republicans don't stand for real spending cuts, only for small and insignificant cuts that they use as political ploys to claim victory.

Those who no longer support the Tea Party changed their mind on the group because they feel we deserve more.  If all they wanted was to support the Republicans pathetic attempts at lowering the budget, then they would have supported the Republican plan from the word "Go."  That wasn't what they wanted, though...Tea Partiers wanted greater cuts than the Republicans would be willing to offer.

Now the Tea Party's infiltration from Republicans is nearly complete.  The Tea Party itself now is just another group out there saying "Please vote GOP!"  Our citizens have caught on.  The original Tea Party is gone.  What remains is a masquerade.  That's not what yesterday's Tea Party supporters signed up for.

Indiana One Step Closer to Discrimination in Our Constitution

The Indiana State Senate passed the gay marriage amendment by the disgustingly wide margin of 40-10.  Since the House has already passed the same bill, the first of three steps required to add discrimination to the Indiana Constitution is now complete.

Changing the constitution in Indiana requires two consecutive, separately elected legislatures to pass the bill.  If that occurs, the amendment must then be passed by the voters.  Should that happen, the amendment then becomes part of our state's defining document.  I talk more about this in my first blog on this issue, Gay Marriage in Indiana....Constitutional Discrimination Coming Soon!

There is already a state law banning gay marriage in Indiana.  Adding a constitutional amendment is unnecessary and redundant.  (Those two words describe so much of what government does...unnecessary and redundant.)  Proponents of the amendment love to say that the amendment is necessary to prevent activist judges from changing the law as it currently is.  The truth, though, is that attitude towards gay marriage is changing at an exponential rate.  Lawmakers know that within a very short number of years there will to be plenty of support to pass legislation making gay marriage legal and recognized in Indiana.  If they can pass an amendment now, then public approval of gay marriage will mean it will still take several years before it can be legal.

If this amendment passes another legislature and the voters, then our only hope to eliminate this discrimination will be...*gulp*...the federal government.  That's right, the feds.  If this amendment becomes a reality then the only way it could ever get removed from our constitution in a short period of time is if the Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional on the federal level.  That process could take even longer than the process of re-changing our amendment.

This is what our legislators are banking on.  They are begging for this to get passed now so that it will take years and years for it to ever get changed again.  They know that public opinion will soon demand recognition of gay marriage, so they take steps now to smack down that public opinion.  And that's what they consider a victory.

The bright side to all this is that there are still two more steps that must be taken to change the constitution.  After the 2012 elections, another State House and State Senate must pass the amendment, and then the voters must give it the green light.  We have time to make our opinions known, but we must be loud and we must start now.  Start talking to people and start calling and emailing legislators today to prevent an embarrassing horror from happening tomorrow.

What Happened to the Antiwar Movement?

The folks at reason.tv want to know what happened to the anti-war movement. Especially relevant now that Obama's dropping bombs of his own.

I love the stat that, despite being nearly identical, Obama's foreign policy has a 78% approval rating where W's had a 22%. As the video says, war is bipartisan. With things going the way they are in Afghanistan and Iraq, we will probably see these Republican wars that turned into Democrat wars last plenty long enough to turn into Republican wars again.