Articles

ICVA: Stadium’s retractable roof worth the cost

Three music events with direct visitor spending estimated at $28 million that were hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium offer proof,
city officials said, that the expense of the retractable roof and other features of the $720 million facility are paying off.

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CIB OKs budget, but awaits council vote

Members of the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board this afternoon passed a $63 million budget for 2010 that hinges on the
City-County Council’s approval of a hike in the local hotel tax.

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Chrysler sticks it to Kokomo

Officials in Kokomo and Howard County are in a tough spot. The “new” Chrysler created after its bankruptcy
sale to Fiat contends it‘s no longer on the hook for $12.9 million it owes various local taxing bodies this year and
$12.3 million it will owe next year.

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ICVA might take out loan to market city for conventions

The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is so desperate for more marketing funding, the organization charged
with promoting the city as a convention and tourism destination is considering taking out a loan. While that
would be the last resort, ICVA CEO Don Welsh said it is one he will have to consider if the money can’t be raised through
local taxes.

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EDITORIAL: Partisan games plague council

The City-County Council wisely averted disaster for the Capital Improvement Board Aug. 10 by voting to raise the city’s
hotel tax from 9 percent to 10 percent, but the razor-thin vote was another disappointing case of elected officials making
decisions based on partisanship rather than good judgment.

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How â??bout that state fair!

Thereâ??s nothing quite like a state capital to blunt a crummy economy. Not only are legions of government
workers paid regardless of how the private sector performs, but capitals also have lots of small gold mines
â?? like state fairs.

In…

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Quest Information goes after government contracts

Quest Information Systems does the kind of contracting where any screw-ups—even those not necessarily of its own
doing—can bring an unflattering public spotlight. The Indianapolis custom software developer works for politicians
and bureaucrats, a group many businesses seek to avoid.

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Questions about â??clunkersâ??

â??Cash for clunkersâ?? has sent lots of gas-guzzlers to the scrap yard and helped car dealers move the metal.

But as Congress considers adding $2 billion to the initial $1 billion earmarked for the program, both the
political right and left…

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Wishard’s $754M request

The folks at Wishard Memorial Hospital have tough jobs. They care for the indigent, patch up more than their
share of gunshot wounds, and pay for most of it by billing government insurance programs, which arenâ??t
known
for lucrative reimbursements.

Ancient,…

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Construction jobs trickling in from road stimulus

Federal stimulus money for Indiana highway projects so far has put to work 1,222 people with a payroll of $1.27 million,
according to state records of 42 projects under way in which contractors have reported job data. The work, ranging
from paving to replacing bridge decks, had a total contract value of $39.2 million.

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City considering new parking meter plan

City officials are considering several proposals designed to wrestle more revenue out of
the city’s roughly 4,000 parking meters, including
the possibility of a long-term lease to a private firm, a move that netted Chicago more than $1 billion
last year.

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