IS IT TRUE MARCH 18, 2016

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IS IT TRUE that former Lt. Governor Becky Skillman has been elected as lead director of Old National Bancorp?  …this doesn’t surprise us because Old National Bancorp has a repetition of being politically savvy?

IS IT TRUE that crime is rampant in certain sections of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wards of the city seemly without workable plans to attack this issue in a positive way?

IS IT TRUE we are hearing that some people are finally feeling that Its time to challenge the out of control nepotism and political patronage practices at the Civic Center?

IS IT TRUE some of our local elementary schools continue to post F grades while our extremely well paid EVSC Administrators create new slogans and workshops in an attempt to attack this unacceptable problem without measurable result?

IS IT TRUE that DMD and Evansville Brownfields Corp have been purchasing  vacant lots and dilapidated property in the North Main area way over assessed value?

IS IT TRUE over the last several years DMD also has given hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars for Facade Grants to political supporters of the Mayor?

IS IT TRUE we are tired of our elected officials awarding Legal,, Consulting and Construction contracts to out of town individuals and firms?  …we wonder why our local elected officials feel that our local professionals can’t provide these services?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you are finally  getting fed up with the practice of out of town firms that donate money to local elected officials campaigns being awarded contracts?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you are still upset that the Mayor and a few members of  2015 City Council wasted $200,000 of our tax dollars on the Earthcare Energy project?  …we bet if any employee of a business in the private sector would had done this type of thing they would had been fired?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you are you concerned that the Mayor continues to support deficit spending without regard to budgetary constraints?

IS IT TRUE do you think its’ appropriate that our part-time City Council members receive a $20,000 Health Insurance benefit package paid by the taxpayers?  …we wonder what your employer are paying towards your Health Insurance benefit package?

IS IT TRUE do you agree with the decision of the Mayor and City Council giving the Developer of the Downtown Hotel over $20 million dollars without having ZERO ownership?   …we wonder how many people in the private sector would agree to type of business deal?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if your concerned that the Mayor and the 2015 City Council committed exactly $57 million dollars to the I U Medical School? … do you realize that Evansville taxpayers has ZERO ownership. in this project when it is finished?   …we wonder how many people in the private sector would agree to type of business deal?

IS IT TRUE we wonder when your going to show concerned that 2,000 IVY Tech medical students have been left out of the new Medical School project?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you feel that its time for elected City  and County officials be encouraged to become “Good Stewards of the Public Trust?

FOOTNOTES: Our next “IS IT TRUE” will be posted on this coming Friday?

Please take time and read our newest feature article entitled “HOT JOBS”posted in this section are from Evansville proper.

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Todays “Readers Poll” question is:  If the Republican primary was held today for Vanderburgh County Clerk who would you vote for?

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29 COMMENTS

  4. ‘ …this doesn’t surprise us because Old National Bancorp has a repetition of being politically savvy?’

    Clever and appropriate use of ‘repetition’ instead of reputation.

  5. It does appear that any political officeholder of either party can find a lucrative future at either Vectren or ONB.

  6. Win-Icky always shows up to get his picture taken at any and all events, no matter how trivial. But coverage of yesterday’s Homeless Connect included no mention of this administration – job openings, METS services, DMD outreach or anything city government could do to lessen the burden that some residents endure. They can’t hide their core values. Also, good IIT today. Would have been a great blueprint for any true Democrat mounting a serious challenge for the office of mayor. Too bad there was none.

  7. Does anyone think that $20,000 health insurance in a country with a per capita income of $28,011 is sustainable? Even when compared with the median family income of $53,000 for the nation ($42,000 in Evansville) this is an insane level of expense. This cannot continue.

    • The city employees should be given a fixed amount with which they can purchase their annual health care from any variety of insurers of their choice. Certainly a figure between $6K to $10K annually should be more than sufficient. It is most likely the city granting favors to some local providers, as opposed to letting the employees shop for their own health care, that is causing such inflated costs.

      • 20k is too much for Healthcare insurance agree, however, please share your insurance company’s name with the rest of us. 6k to 10k will barely purchase major medical if any insurance at all. I would expect a reasonable rate of 12th to 15k.

        • Page 28 of the City of Evansville Handbook (revised February 2015) describes the city’s health insurance. It states that the city has a self insured group medical plan. To me, that means that they pay someone to administer the plan, plus paying the costs generated by employee usage of the plan’s coverage. If I were to hazard a guess I would say that “administrator” might also be a provider of services, like say, St. Mary’s Healthcare. I seriously doubt that this would be a recipe designed to hold down medical costs. It is more like a top of the line plan that exceeds the majority of the local labor force’s healthcare plans.

    • We all must keep in mind the realities of the situation. This city should have had it’s fill of Mosbys. What? At one time or the other there were as many as 28 Mosby’s on the City/County dole. Now, we are unfortunate to have the dullest of they all as the President of our Council. So, my fellow citizens don’t be surprised that not only does she have a lucrative health care benefit but now has an open account at the Evansville Country Club and you are paying the tab. Suckersville v. Evansville????

  8. IS IT TRUE we wonder if your concerned that the Mayor and the 2015 City Council committed exactly $57 million dollars to the I U Medical School? … do you realize that Evansville taxpayers has ZERO ownership. in this project when it is finished? …we wonder how many people in the private sector would agree to type of business deal?
    (CCO)

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    http://indianaeconomicdigest.com/main.asp?SectionID=31&subsectionID=235&articleID=77859

    It appears to me what we are providing are the land and the buildings, and most likely the cost of any rearrangements for utility hook ups. The occupants, one would hope, would be leasing their space, and those lease payments would go to servicing the debt on the bonds the city will issue. I am not sure who will bear the cost of maintaining the building and grounds, which is always a costly proposition.

    When one looks at the totality of the funds being poured into this project, from the city, from the state, from Indiana University, from the University of Southern Indiana, from Ivy Tech, and from the University of Evansville it boggles the mind to think that all that money is necessary to provide a shiny new space for this:

    http://mse.medicine.iu.edu/curricular-affairs/curriculum/ms-1-and-2/iusm-evansville.html

    It would seem the only drivers of the local economy are now, and have been for a very long time, the taxpayers. Who, by the way, as this publication frequently points out, never receive an equity stake in these projects that they pour millions into!

  9. ‘IS IT TRUE we are hearing that some people are finally feeling that Its time to challenge the out of control nepotism and political patronage practices at the Civic Center?”
    This ties in with what I wrote yesterday. Charging a $5 fee at wesselmans will create two patronage jobs. Most jobs that handle money the employees have to be bonded also. Also wonder if Boy Scouts will continue providing free labor to maintain the trails? Paid admission implies a certain level of upkeep that our town is not good at.

    • Evansville can build, but they can’t maintain. Have you seen the condition of the Ford Center?

  10. City council is not a full-time job, thus they should get NO benefits. It is called Civil Service for a reason. The insurance alone is the reason for the continuous line of realtors through the council positions.

  11. No local contractors or professionals getting projects from the local political mavens?
    Surely you’ve heard of Hafer and Associates, VPS Architecture, and Skanska (formerly Industrial Contractors)?

  12. I have no problem seeing a fee required to visit a local entity such as Wesselman Woods. Many out of town visitors enjoy it and contribute nothing to it’s upkeep; now they will. I go out of town and visit facilities like this and am expected to pay to gain admittance. I pay to gain entrance to our State parks. I pay to gain entrance to our National Parks. In addition it should serve as a detriment to the riff-raff who only visit it to trash it.

    • I’m guessing that those opposed to charging a fee to enter Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve (Wesselman Park, like all of our local City parks, will remain free) are opposed to charging a fee to visit Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden or the City’s public golf courses or Swonder Ice Rink or Hartke Pool? Or swim at Vanderburgh County’s Burdette Park (the park is free but the pool isn’t)?

  13. My spouse (City of Evansville employee) has city insurance. But yet I (the spouse) either has or “has been offered” insurance at my place of employement can NOT have city of evansville insurance.. So are you telling me that these PART TIME EMPLOYEES who have city insurance CAN NOT GET INSURANCE through their main employers?? And if they can, they should be forced to take their main employer insurance – – like the spouses of Evansville City employees have to..

    • I get what you are saying noitall. When I worked with insurance it was a mess entangling which spouse carried the primary coverage for the family (ie whose birthday was first in the year or some other rule) and to figure out if the spouse could get coverage through the other spouse or not or if it was required that it come from one or the other company. It is not as simple as Fitz (below) is stating. But yes if the part time city employee can get insurance through a spouse, then yes that is a rule that should be considered. And part time employees should receive less than full coverage with option to buy more. We were self employed our whole careers and as such had to cover the whole bill. We were also one of the few offices of our type in the area who started to provide some type of help for our employees. It wasn’t much at first but it was a help none the less. Until I see some better performance from our part time city council, they should start being responsible for their own lives.

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