Comments on: Corruption? Sweet-heart Deal, or Just the Best Answer

By: Jim Sack

Jim Sack — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:06:29 +0000

Give a call to Greg Leatherman. 427 1140. Ask him the details of the deal.

By: cw martin

cw martin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:02:05 +0000

dean, would you rather let that eyesore sit there and rot because "the Man" shouldn't get a break? I realize that your style is to get attention by being confrontational, and you may or may not have a reason to lug that chip around on your shoulder. But to me, your attitude on this issue is rather doltish.

By: gad_fly

gad_fly — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:06:41 +0000

Things must be going well at Sweetwater, the stock market sucks, and Chuck Surack is bored, bored, bored! There is no other reason to invest in a dinky upper-end automobile brand that Ford dumped in 2008 because worldwide sales are going nowhere.

Tata Group of India bought the Jaguar and Land Rover business at a bargain price hoping that the sagging U.S. dollar would assure sales growth into the future. That is exactly the same strategy Ford used . . . and they lost a couple of billion dollars in the venture.. With Jaguar sales running at about 1,000 cars per month in the U.S., it would seem that the dealership investment would far outstrip the profit potential of the business in the short run. Return on investment is everything, but on the surface it would appear that there will be a long wait for Investment recapture, even with the generous help from the City of Fort Wayne.

Can you say: "Tax write-off, Baby?"

By: Diana

Diana — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:21:32 +0000

It's picking winners and losers. Do other car dealerships get a break? Your conclusion is bizarre.

By: ThanksAWB

ThanksAWB — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:55:56 +0000

Does anybody know what the true value of the land will be? If Mr. Surack gets the property for free, how much can he invest in the property since it is in a flood plain?Seems like the gentleman who owns the Dog House on Taylor Street is limited to how much he can spend to improve his business.

By: Very Wrong

Very Wrong — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:50:28 +0000

We have gone way too far done the path toward government hand outs in the name of “economic development” and have allowed the public to be fooled by what local governments are doing in the name of “economic development”. Economic Development has become ripe with hand outs, government interference with the free market, government favoritism, etc. This example is just one of many local examples. No one seems to care that the Alliance, Regional Partnership and IEDC, etc. are simply vehicles to give away our tax dollars or take our property yet this is exactly what we are all up in arms about at the national level – socialism.

By: Dean Robinson

Dean Robinson — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:05:13 +0000

From Jim Sack:
… Mr. Guerin was surprised the matter was on the agenda and recused himself from the discussion and voting: “He did not speak or participate in the discussion.” I was also told that the attorney for the commission, John Wernet, also recused himself because his law firm also occasionally represents Sweetwater Sound, the company Mr. Surack has built into an international musical instrument sales powerhouse.

So, that left the other members of the commission to decide whether to accept Mr. Surack’s offer. They did.

So Guerin and Wernet — because of their obvious conflicts of interests here — did not do their jobs. They had to remove themselves from doing their jobs because they are in bed with Surack. Then everybody else votes FOR SURACK and we're supposed to believe there was no conflict of interest … when Guerin and Wernet ADMIT a conflict of interest.

Do people actually think that Guerin and Wernet have absolutely NO influence on the commission?

Just beause Surack throws around a lot of money to a bunch of charities that do NOTHING to change the status quo, Jim Sack believes everything is above board.

Wow.

By: Dean Robinson

Dean Robinson — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:00:18 +0000

Millionaire Chuck Surack plans to put a Jaguar dealership in Fort Wayne … in the middle of a recession (or perhaps depression).

The crooks in local government (along with Surack's buddies in Fort Wayne government) are certainly ready to give Surack the land for a song with a SWEET tax deal — in which a millionaire with a Jaguar dealership will get a break on paying property tax.

Why don't citizens ever get breaks like Chuck Surack or Jerry Henry? Because most citizens are not millionaires with family and friends running city government.

Why does millionaire Chuck Surack need welfare from the taxpayers in Fort Wayne? Sweetwater Sound is one of the most profitable music retailers IN THE WORLD. I have purchased products from Chuck's company and probably will again — despite his arrogant behavior in this matter.

Chuck Surack is insulting the entire city just to show off this opulent lifestyle.

Fort Wayne, you just got Chuck Slapped!

Chuck, just stick with music-equipment retailing and stop promoting yourself as the Freemason elitist that you are. Sweetwater Sound does good business, as far as I know. Don't spoil your reputation by pandering to elitists with Jaguar tastes.