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HAND.
WE CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT BEING
THE 12th LARGEST CITY IN THE
COUNTRY WITH A BUS SYSTEM THAT
RANKS 89th IN THE NATION.
ATTEMPTING TO BRING MASS
TRANSSIT TO INDIANA.
TWO YEARS AGO, THE MAYOR PUSHED
TRANSIT.
IT WENT NOWHERE.
LAST YEAR, A SECOND ATTEMPT
FAILED.
JIM SHELLA HERE TO REPORT ON WHY
THE MAYOR AND OTHERS WON'T GIVE
JIM.
FOR GREG BALLARD AND BUSINESS
LEADERS, THIS IS A MATTER OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THEY HAVE TAKEN LAWMAKERS ON A
TRIP TO CHARLOTTE, WHERE THEY
SHOW A MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT
A BILLION DOLLARS.
THE VISIONS ARE MASS TRANSIT
BUSES THROUGHOUT INDIANAPOLIS
AND LIGHT RAIL DOWN FROM
DOWNTOWN TO NOBLESVILLE WILL NOT
BE A REALITY WITHOUT LOCAL TAX
HIKES IN MARION AND HAMILTON
COUNTIES.
PUBLIC TRANSIT IS NECESSARY
TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN A HEALTHY,
VIBRANT, TRULY LIVABLE CITY.
THE NECESSARY TAX HIKES MUST
BE APPROVED IN A REFERENDUM AND
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO
GIVE ITS OK FOR A VOTE TO BE
CONDUCTED.
ALL WE ASK IS THE RIGHT TO
LET THE VOTERS DECIDE IF WE
SHOULD MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS IN
OUR COMMUNITY OR NOT.
IN TWO ATTEMPTS, THE LEMING
LATURE HAS DECLINED TO GIVE THE
PROPOSAL A FULL AIRING.
THE BILL HAS NEVER GOTTEN OUT OF
COMMITTEE.
IT WILL TAKE SOME YEARS TO
GET THERE.
DESPITE OPTIMISM, REPUBLICAN
CONTROL AT THE STAYS HOUSE AND A
BIG TURNOVER AMONG LEGISLATORS
DIFFICULT.
SOME HAVE PLEDGED SUPPORT.
WE NOW HAVE CENTRAL INDIANA
ADVOCATES THAT ARE IN A POSITION
TO HELP US.
THE HOPE IS TODAY'S KICK OFF
LEADS TO A REFERENDUM IN 2014.
THE BIGGEST HURDLE MAY BE THE
BELIEF OBJECT THE PART OF SOME
LAWMAKERS THAT THE VOTE FOR A
REFERENDUM AMOUNTS TO A VOTE FOR
A TAX HIKE.
IF THERE IS A TAX HIKE, HOW
BIG MIGHT IT BE?
THAT WOULD COME AFTER THE
LEGISLATION ACTS.
IT WOULD BE A POINT THROBBERS
INCREASE IN THE LOCAL OPTION
INCOME TAX.
FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR IN
INDIANAPOLIS WITH A $50,000
INCOME, IT WOULD AMOUNT TO $10 A
POINT.
.3.
NOT BIG.