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Ballard's Luau Demonstrates Community Strength
(posted Jan 19)
Mayor Greg Ballard's first Community Luau, hosted by the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, is expected to become an annual event. The event, which benefitted
the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis and Gleaners Food bank, was held
in the IMS pavilion, who donated the space.
Ballard said he selected the track for the January 19 host site because
its legendary and what it represents to the city.
Ballard said he use to tutor at the Boys and Girls Club as the reason
he selected them to be a recipient. The Mayor said he would continue to
reach out to Marion County residents with a Mayor's Night program
Community activists, elected officials, and residents were part of the
crowd of about 800 that came to meet the mayor.
Paul Wheeler, known as Patriot Paul, organized Hoosiers For Fair Taxation. He said Ballard joined the crusade to reform property tax system. "He is the man of the people," Wheeler said. Hoosiers For Fair Taxation wants total repeal of property taxes, believing the property tax system is immoral because the homeowner faces an annual eviction if he does not pay his property taxes. Kenneth Morgan, who organized the Indiana Voters League, said this is more of a movement than an organization. The IVL endorsed
candidates and used a word of mouth promotion by using a "chain relation", where
one person contacts somebody they know and creates a domino effect.
Morgan said they support candidates based on frugal spending, trustworthiness, and transparency. Morgan does not like the way Governor Daniels is pushing tax reform from the top down. He said it's the same procedure that landed the property owners in this crisis. Communities are destroyed when homeowners have to give up their home due to delinquent taxes. Houses pop up for sale and people leave the community. Morgan thinks Indianapolis will continue to have a mass exodus.
Property tax discussions did not dominate all of the social discussions. Kim Boyd of the Hope Team (Helping Other Prosper Economically) said she attended the event because
of Ballard's concern for the homeless. She said he attended a three hour
meeting Friday before the election that included conversing with the homeless
to better understand the situation. Boyd was impressed that Ballard committed
so much time to understanding the problem when homeless are not voting
members of society.
People receiving service is the key to any administration or neighborhood association. Boyd has long been involved with community. Boyd is also the past president of the Eagledale Neighborhood Association.
Boyd started the HOPE Team seven years ago when she was working at Vincennes University. She discovered many of the students had barriers such as transportation, child care, ex-military or ex-offender issues that prevented them from achieving their goals. She said she started contacting service organizations to help these economically challenged people. What she ascertained was that a vast array of programs already existed.
Boyd isolated the problem as a lack communication to reach those in need
of the service that prevents them from improving their quality of life.
Boyd was determined to close the communication gap by creating the HOPE
Team. Its mission is to establish relationships with other organizations
to help those in need of services.
Boyd said HOPE is designed to prevent a duplication of effort by other service organizations. She said in 2007 the HOPE Team distributed 400 pair of shoes to the needy and assisted six families during the Christmas season.
Hope Garrett, director of Restoring Lives West, said Boyd was instrumental with guiding her to partners and resources
that were needed to start the youth homeless community center, located
at 709 S. Lynhurst Drive. Garrett said the HOPE Team helped with providing
furniture to the center that is scheduled to open soon.
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