“IS IT TRUE” FEBRUARY 21, 2019

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We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

IS IT TRUE that the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously struck down excessive fines and forfeiture that have become a revenue source for state and local governments for a violation of the 8th amendment of the United States Constitution?…there was not one dissenting opinion among the 9 justices that excessive and capricious fines are an illegal violation of one’s constitutional rights and the previous verdict of an Indiana court was vacated?…this all started when a young man who had inherited a Range Rover worth a reported $42,000 had his vehicle forfeited because he was transporting heroin in it for sale?…the fine that he was subject to for his criminal act was a maximum of $10,000 so an appeal was made because the Range Rover forfeiture exceeded the maximum fine?…if this guy had been driving a Bentley worth $200,000 the Indiana court would have confiscated it or if he was on a bicycle worth $100 that would also be confiscated?…forfeiture laws have been unfair in their punishments and have enabled police departments, cities, and states to legally steal private property that was used in a crime?…in an extreme case in California a large farm on Malibu Canyon Drive was confiscated because there were a small number of marijuana plants growing on the land?…in that case the land was worth millions of dollars and the fine for growing pot illegally was not even $1,000?…we applaud the Supreme Court for putting an end to this usury and random collection of laws that essentially legalize theft and encourage using technicalities to target asset rich law breakers just to steal the stuff?…we do not condone selling heroin and hope to see a maximum sentence for the crime of possession with intent to sell?…it is not a crime to own vehicles and property and it is good that the abusive nature of many state laws has been struck down?

IS IT TRUE that the Ford Center will be hosting another set of old classic rockers that were frequently booked at Roberts Stadium?…this time it will be these two creatures of the night called Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson coming to town to keep the grey-haired headbangers entertained?…when Marilyn Manson wrote the song “The Beautiful People”, it was in the spirit of making fun of the fun and games martini crowd that he had absolutely no use for whatsoever?…it will be interesting to see if any of the beautiful people of Evansville buy a ticket to be made fun of when Marilyn brings that one brown eye and one blue eye to River City?

IS IT TRUE during his last year in office City Councilman John Friend, CPA sponsored a “separation of funds ordinance” in order to ensure that the City Controller would not manipulate general fund balances?  …upon the urging of the City Controller and the former City Council Finance Chairman, Dan McGinn the newly elected City Council voted to repeal of this ordinance?  ...that the money collected from all sources are now put into one fund account which makes it extremely hard to track on how much money is in each city account?  …all we can that it now looks like the City of Evansville is borrowing money from Peter to pay Paul?
IS IT TRUE that no one would have guessed back when a small branch college was opened on Evansville’s west side called ISUE, that the day would ever come that working there would become a gateway to wealth?…that 7 out of the top 10 highly paid individuals on public payrolls are administrators and deans at the University of Southern Indiana?…even more shocking is that the list of 111 public employees being paid over $100,000 is full of USI administrators and staff?…that 29 of the top 50 are working for USI?…it may really take such big paychecks to attract college level talent but the real question is how are the students who spend their tuition dollars at USI doing?…the graduation rate at USI has been abysmal for years and while some graduates are finding local success, its alledged that some who graduated with high GPAs are waiting tables and struggling to pay off student loans?…paying teachers we’ll is a great thing if their efforts are truly raising the value of the local workforce and positively impacting young lives?…the performance of USI needs to be scrutinized quite closely to see if these big salaries are worth it?
IS IT TRUE we are told the members of Evansville City Council should start monitoring the financial activities of the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Department?
IS IT TRUE that on December 31, 2019, the Indiana State Board of Accounts will be requiring that all cities must use the accrual method of accounting?  …that Ft. Wayne, South Bend, and Indy have been using the accrual method of accounting for a number of years?
IS IT TRUE that in the past we have been a little critical of At-Large City Councilman Jonathon Weaver?  …we have been watching with interest how Mr. Weaver is handling the position of  Finance Chairmen of City Council?  …we must say we are pleased in the way he is conducting himself in this most important and powerful governmental position?
IS IT TRUE we wish that our locally elected officials, business leaders of this region, patriots and Veterans groups would feel similar about the Veterans Memorial Coliseum as they do the LST?  …its time that the citizens of this community demand that the Veterans Memorial Coliseum receive the same media attention and financial support as the LST does? …its time that the community brings back the “Veterans Memorial Coliseum”  to its original grandeur?  …we join VFW POST 1114  CCO poster in saying “God bless the United States of America and God bless our US Veterans”?
IS IT TRUE  it’s obvious that the current City Council could use the budgetary expertise of Curt John and John Friend-CPA?
IS IT TRUE that State Representatives Ryan Hatfield and Hollie Sullivan are doing a good job for people in their districts?
IS IT TRUE if the Evansville City Council would like to make some serious budget cuts they should look at putting City Employee Health Care fund “Consulting Services” out for bid during the 2019 budget year?  …we hear that the fee paid to the Employee Health Care fund “Consultants”  will surprise you?
IS IT TRUE that this year’s “COMMUNITY SERVICES AWARDS” luncheon will be held at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B. The registration begins at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon sometime in October 2019?

Today’s “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel its time for the City to focus on correcting the pothole problems?

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27 COMMENTS

  1. As usual, Trump will never comment on white, right-wing domestic terrorism. The “wall” would not have stopped this

    Coast Guard Lieutenant Arrested, Accused Of Planning Domestic Terrorism

    A lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard was arrested after the man accumulated a stash of guns and a political hit list, according to federal prosecutors

    Prosecutors said Christopher Paul Hasson, a self-proclaimed white nationalist, called for the use of violence to “establish a white homeland” and had a hit list of prominent Democrats, court records showed

    “The defendant intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country. He must be detained pending trial”

    Officials said they found a list of politicians and journalists Hasson intended to kill, firearms and at least 1,000 rounds of ammunition

    The list allegedly includes Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) were allegedly listed as “poca warren” and “Sen blumen jew,” respectively, according to court documents

    Officials said Hasson wrote a letter to a prominent American neo-Nazi in which he advocated violence and described himself as a “long time White Nationalist” and “skinhead”

    https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/430853-coast-guard-lieutenant-arrested-accused-of-planning-domestic

  2. Barack Obama And The Clintons Sue Breitbart, InfoWars, And Fox News For Defamation

    NEW YORK — In a stunning development, former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have filed a joint lawsuit in federal court, alleging that right-wing media outlets engaged in a pattern of “serial defamation and slander” of the two Democrats

    “For many years, Fox News, Breitbart, and InfoWars have engaged in a repeated pattern of smear-jobs, hit pieces, and outright defamation and slander. Whether it was insinuating Barack Obama was a secret Kenyan communist, his wife was transgender and making up any number of easily debunked conspiracy theories about him. But the non-stop vicious attacks against Hillary Clinton are really damning” lawyers read from a statement at the press conference

    Lawyers reminded reporters that right-wing media have spent decades calling Hillary Clinton a murderer. They have implicated Ms. Clinton in various crimes, and have generally hounded and assailed her at every opportunity they are afforded

    “And through it all, neither of my clients sued the press, because unlike certain white MAGA boys and their privileged families, they respected freedom of the press enough not to attack the news media for reporting the news. Now that the Sandmann kid is suing The Washington Post for reporting a news story, we figure people who were actually defamed might have a better shot at winning their lawsuit”

    This week the family of Nick Sandmann, the MAGA hat wearing and smirking boy at the center of a controversial viral video, filed a lawsuit against The Washington Post seeking $250 million. This sum their legal team admits in the filing they came up with because that’s how much Jeff Bezos paid for the paper. The suit alleges that the Post willfully smeared Sandmann, who they say has been cleared of any wrongdoing by a third party investigation done at the behest of the Catholic boys school that Sandmann attends. The legal bar for defamation against a news outlet is extraordinarily high.

    “If you read Mr. Sandmann’s complaint, it sounds like a MAGA brochure or a speech written by Stephen Miller. At least with our suit, it’s only politically motivated because the outlets we’re suing (Breitbart, InfoWars, and Fox News) actually did engage in politically motivated defamation of character against my clients. All The Post was doing was reporting on a story” per the lead attorney

    THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY

    • Ronald, I roll my eyes when watching you and Joe go at it on this sight. You both have pros and cons, but this story about Obama/Clintons suing is from a satirical news site – the very definition of fake news. Presenting it here as factual doesn’t help your credibility.

      • Sam

        Well, nuts. Until I saw this I did not realize I had not posted the link to the site. That was an error, not a design. Thanks for alerting me

        As a side note, I readily admit when I make an error

        http://bit.ly/2NiTRgv

    • Per his lawyer “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense”

      Not a shock that you defended KrazyKavenaugh and yammered about how accusations did not mean anything. However, when someone who has supported Democrats in the past is accused of something, that person is “obviously” guilty

      The difference is that Democrats welcome a FULL and COMPLETE investigation, and then (when warranted) a trial and utilization of the legal system. Right-wingers are happy to see Democrats go thru the legal system, but rethuglicans are apparently above that and “always” innocent

      • A new video of the Osundairo brothers, the two who alleged Jussie Smollett hired them to stage an attack in Chicago earlier this year, has surfaced online. The video shows Ola and Abel Osundairo purchasing supplies that were allegedly used in the attack.

        The video, which was obtained by CBS, shows the two brothers stepping up to the cashier’s counter to buy ski masks, gloves, bandanas, sunglasses, and red hats that resembled MAGA hats.

        https://www.vibe.com/2019/02/jussie-smollett-osundairo-brothers-caught-buying-supplies-camera

        • If Jussie is found guilty after an investigation and trial, then it was horrible and he will be held accountable for it. But there’s a reason the attack story was believable because hate crimes and right-wing terrorism are skyrocketing since Trump and Putin stole the 2016 election.

          Don’t suppose Trump is going to mention his follower and supporter and Coast Guard lieutenant who is a self-identified white nationalist who was just arrested with a cache of weapons and ammunition stockpiled to target politicians and journalists in a terror attack against liberal politicians and media members?

          Maybe Trump should mention the journalists in Pittsburgh killed because of the Trump lie-filled rhetoric about journalists being the enemy? Will Trump ever come clean about that and apologize? There are journalists in this country scared for their lives because of Trump comments

          When is Trump going to be held accountable to the five African-American kids he falsely accused of rape and who had to so unjustly spend time in prison? What Trump did to the Central Park 5 by taking out full-page ads in the New York Times is totally and utterly despicable

          How about the failure of Trump to even mention the white supremacists who killed a girl in Charlottesville who Trump never condemned?

          Jussie Smollett is being held accountable to the rule of law. News organizations have backed down from declaring him a victim and we all recognize that his false accusations were despicable and wrong. He will pay for his crimes. But what about all of Trump’s false accusations?

          Trump isn’t being held accountable for all his lies and misinformation. He isn’t even being held accountable to the rule of law after committing treason, espionage, conspiracy against the United States, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, campaign finance violations, tax fraud, and so much more

          Well, at least not yet

          • Boyd, as usual, we have no idea what your issue is. Maybe you need the medications. For months, day after day after day, we have had JoeBiden and others constantly posting Trumpian crap. Have you EVER made a reference about what they post? Using YOUR logic, their constant sniping and grousing about Secretary of State Clinton mean what?

            I find it fairly pathetic that anyone who comments on here in favor of Cheetolini is subjected to a constant barrage of negative things about the overwhelming FACTS that show the lies and obfuscation of Orange Man Baby in the White House

            It is also stunningly hypocritical considering the vast quantities of lies, crap, and other BS that was written about President Barack Obama. But those comments were A-OK with the racists and bigots because God Forbid the black President be recognized for improving America

            So why don’t you take a breather, call the psychiatrist, and get some help? Maybe take up yoga or go for a long walk, but in terms of telling me or anyone else to “get over” myself or any topic being discussed, your “opinion” is duly noted for being not necessary, not need, and not wanted

            Now I’m gonna have some more jelly beans while giggling about this hilarious suggestion

          • The judge who set “Empire” star Jussie Smollett’s bond at $100,000 gave the actor an earful after Smollett was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report.

            “As you stand before me we presume you’re innocent but the state read me a proffer that is outrageous. If true, the noose conjures up [the] greatest evil in this country,” Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. told Smollett.

            https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/empire-actor-jussie-smollett-bond-100g-following-arrest-false-report-hate-crime

    • Yeah, the crap coming out of this CIS group is undoubtably BS of the right-wing variety

      “Reports published by CIS have been disputed by scholars on immigration, fact-checkers such as PolitiFact, FactCheck, Snopes, media outlets such as Washington Post, CNN and NBC News, and immigration-research organizations. The organization has been cited by President Donald Trump on Twitter, and used by members of his administration

      The Southern Poverty Law Center designated CIS as a hate group in 2016, citing CIS’ circulation at the time of white nationalist and anti-Semitic writers, as well as its alleged ties to the American nativist movement”

      In March 2018, the Trump administration claimed that construction on a Mexico border wall would pay for itself by keeping undocumented immigrants out of the United States, citing a CIS report. The CIS report was based on data from the 2016 National Academies of Science (NAS) report. However, several of the authors of the NAS report said that CIS misused the data from the report, made unjustifiable methodological decisions, and that it was likelier that keeping undocumented immigrants out would reduce government revenue. The 18-member panel of economists, sociologists, demographers and public policy experts, and chosen by the National Academies of Science, CONCLUDED THAT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS HAD A NET POSITIVE FISCAL IMPACT

      CIS regularly publishes essays from a “public policy analyst” named Jason Richwine. In a 2013 study Richwine declared “No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against”

      The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published reports in 2002 and 2009 on John Tanton, who helped found CIS. Tanton opposed immigration on racial grounds, desired a white ethnic majority in the United States and advocated for eugenics

      (NOTE – When a right-winger supports eugenics it is just fine, but the right-wing regularly foams at the mouth about Margaret Sanger)

      The SPLC’s 2009 report charged: “FAIR, CIS and NumbersUSA are all part of a network of restrictionist organizations conceived and created by John Tanton, the “puppeteer” of the nativist movement and a man with deep racist roots. CIS was conceived by Tanton and began life as a program of FAIR. CIS presents itself as a scholarly think tank that produces serious immigration studies meant to serve “the broad national interest.” But the reality is that CIS has never found any aspect of immigration that it liked, and it has frequently manipulated data to achieve the results it seeks”

  6. “Cydnee Landrum: They can expect a very vibrant performance from a local drag performer. They’ll be reading several books, there’ll be sing-alongs, and crafts for the children and parents to do together.

    Brad Byrd: There is a misunderstanding of the term ‘drag queen’. Tell me about it.

    Cyndee Landrum: So generally, people like to conflate that with transgender, and though there can be people who are transgender who perform as drag performers, actually drag is a performance art form and it dates back to the Shakespearean times and it has evolved over time. And while we have come to associate it with men who may identify as gay dressed in exaggerated female form, we also see it evolving to drag kings with females dressed in exaggerated male persona, as well as people like me who really like the performance aspect of it, who dress in an exaggerated female form and they’re called drag dolls.

    Brad Byrd: So, what was the motivation for this particular event? As far as from the children’s perception.

    Cyndee Landrum: So, ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ is an event that has roots about six years and going on the west coast – the northern California area. And many parents came to us over the last year or so, because it has become an international event at various museums, libraries, cultural organizations, non-profits have adopted ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ in one form or another. Parents see it as a way to begin conversations about being different, self-expression, and to be a catalyst for those conversations with their children.”

      • Look at what nonsense the Library CEO is saying. Just who is this ‘PERFORMANCE ART” sideshow really for?

        “drag is a performance art form”… “as well as people like me who really like the performance aspect of it”

        • I was wondering who would make the first homophobic (and wrong) comment

          Drag has a long cultural history, spanning cross-dressing performances and deliberate parodies of gender. Men have been performing on stage as women since the Ancient Greek tragedies, Shakespeare famously cast men as women, and Baroque operas featured early examples of drag

          Your comment attacking the EVPL Director has zero basis in reality and is just further unwarranted hate towards an event designed as a benefit to children

          As Elsa sang: Let It Go

        • Wes C, I’ve read the paragraph by the Library CEO about the drag queens, drag kings and drag dolls several times, and can’t understand what she was trying to say about herself. Help anyone?

    • NOTE – This is the final paragraph in the interview:

      “It should be noted Eyewitness News has repeatedly attempted to interview Mr. Steve Ary. He has declined any on-camera interview. We have reported he has told protestors to not speak to the media. We have had extensive coverage of the protestors and video of Ary addressing various government bodies”

      If Ary believes so strongly that the media spreads lies and disinformation (which he has stated numerous times verbally and via social media) and also is supporting and advertising this event on behalf of EVPL (again, per what he has previously stated) then he should have the guts to stand up for what he believes and be prepared to answer questions and show why his “concerns” are valid

      However, the lack of courage to address the community thru an impartial interview just shows that these types fear the light and public scrutiny of their (arguably) hatred and lack of conviction to be able to support the misinformation campaign they have waged

      Ary should “put up or shut up” but will undoubtedly continue to spread hatred. As a “pastor” his actions are FAR from what we have been taught about love and compassion for everyone. And that is sad

    • Vandalism of this statue was wrong, and those who did it should answer for what they did. But considering police have NOBODY as a suspect, the issue is unknown for now

      The museum director told the news media he believes the fire was set by someone trying to make a “statement about racism, bigotry, and slavery”

      Those who did this made a mistake, but I cannot question that the south has exacerbated this issue by those who refuse to admit that Civil War confederate statues and monuments are a “celebration” of the above noted issues from the museum director of “racism, bigotry and slavery”

      And considering this is a marble statue, it will be cleaned

      As for your snide designation of “snowflakes,” this just shows how the right-wing cannot comprehend why people protest. Use of that as a general derogatory for anyone that complains about any subject has become tiresome. When the right-wing slobbers and drools and yells “MAGA” at Trump rallies, they are just “real Americans” while anyone protesting from the left is always a “snowflake”

      Hypocrisy, thy name is republican

  8. “IS IT TRUE it’s obvious that the current City Council could use the budgetary expertise of Curt John and John Friend-CPA?”
    There is a highly respected CPA now serving on the City Council that was willing to serve as Finance Chair but Democrats decided to go with a….wait for it…..real estate agent for Finance Chair. So maybe focus your frustration at the Council President.

  10. Andrew Smith (of Sewers before Stadiums), Joe Wallace and John Friend were financial visionaries.

  11. Kamala Harris’s Dad Calls Her Out for Perpetuating Pot-Smoking Jamaicans Stereotype

    “Harris’s father was not pleased with his daughter’s remarks and issued a statement published on the Jamaica Global website.

    Harris [father] wrote:

    My dear departed grandmothers (whose extraordinary legacy I described in a recent essay on this website), as well as my deceased parents, must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics. Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty.”

    Donald Harris is a professor of economics emeritus at Stanford University.

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/02/20/kamala-harriss-dad-calls-her-out-for-perpetuating-pot-smoking-jamaicans-stereotype/

  12. Ronald Reagan…YOU are hilarious!!!! Keep up the satire!! If you are going to have a night club act please post where you will be . I will buy a ticket..

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