“Weighing Third Term, Emanuel Relies on Campaign Donors Who Get City Hall Benefits” — Sept. 8. Chicago Tribune, Jeff Coen and Bill Ruthhart by Jason Arp Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is receiving attention this week after an investigation by the Chicago Tribune found that over 60 percent of the millions raised for his re-election bid come from vendors to the city of Chicago. While it […]
By Jason Arp for The News-Sentinel Wednesday, June 07, 2017 12:01 am Before City Council takes another step in the direction pointed by executives of Downtown Inc., let’s make sure councilmen are asking the right questions, especially the Republicans on whom the community most depends to make sound economic decisions. According to the venerable free-market economist Thomas Sowell, three questions […]
Discussing Riverfront Development and other Council Matters with Pat Miller. Councilman Jason Arp
May 21, 2017 by Jason Arp Being a city councilman in a medium-sized city, you are going to come across the writings of Dr. Richard Florida in one way or another. Real estate developers, Chambers of Commerce heads and politicians of all stripes have learned that Florida’s concept of “quality of place” translates into big bucks at the taxpayers’ expense. […]
Government-run economic development entities are having a difficult time replicating the real thing. News stories from around Indiana point to problems related to creating what I call synthetic economies: The Muncie building commissioner is charged with wire fraud, theft and money-laundering; a Marion TIF district lost $2.5 million on a failed hotel project; Crawfordsville and Montgomery County defunded their economic […]
Eliminating Business Equipment Tax in Allen County As published in the Winter 2017 Indiana Policy Review Journal
In City Council committee chambers on Tuesday the viewing public heard something said that could significantly affect the future of Fort Wayne and the surrounding 11-county area. A seasoned veteran councilman mentioned that there would be discussion at the Fifth Tuesday meeting in January of an RDA tax collected from an increase in the Community Economic Development Income Tax. To […]
I left my recent city council meeting disgusted, having participated in the process of reviewing the compliance of businesses with their abatement agreements. State law requires us to grill companies unable to meet the hiring objectives set forth in their application for the abatement. The abatement process is ludicrous but it is only a symptom; punishing capital formation and production […]
“This is how Liberty dies . . . with thunderous applause.” — Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), “Revenge of the Sith” The excitement over Indiana’s recently announced Regional Cities awards reminds me of the scene in the 2005 Star Wars in which the Galactic Republic is dissolved and is replaced with an emperor. All in attendance responded in a joyous ovation. […]
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