So You Want to Move to Indy

A Project of Indiana Alliance for Democracy

 

About the City of Indianapolis

Indianapolis has spent a huge amount of money in the last 25 years to change its lackluster image as a polluted industrial city.  Today, our city has become a polluted amusement park.

How does the mayor deal with these problems? 

Well, regarding bad air, dirty water, lack of roads and sidewalks and failing or substandard schools, he hired a public relations firm to work on “our image.” Matthew Tully, “In search of image, city hires…”,Star, 4/28/03) 

Public money is always available, however, to lavish on elite private interests.

Infrastructure Background: 

Indianapolis has over 30,000 homes on aging septic systems, the second worst figure of any large American city.

No new streetlights were added by the City for over 20 years.  Due to the high murder rate, 100 are currently being erected.  (There were more streetlights in 1987 than exist today).

Indy is the largest city in the nation without a public access TV station. 

Former Mayor Goldsmith said this city “is not in the streetlight business” or “the TV business”. 

Prof. Sam Nunn of IUPUI has written that Indy’s continuing lack of investment in infrastructure could cause “quality of life” here to slide in the long term.

 

 More On the City’s Infrastructure

 

 

The American Lung Association has given Marion County a solid “F” for air quality every year since 1996 (Maureen Groppe, “Metro area near top…”, Star, 3/10/04 )

 

area near top…”, Star, 3/10/04)

Seven billion gallons of untreated sewage is pumped into area waterways each year.  An IU study reports that Indy lags the nation in building roads, sidewalks, schools and other public infrastructure that improves quality of life and encourages companies to move here. (Norm Heiken, “Study: Area lags…”, Star, 9/13/03)