IS IT TRUE SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

1. Marsha Abell = another entitled republican idiot.

   • Ms. Abell and the Republicans are taking the “high road” for their political signs. Maybe, just maybe, the Democrats will do the same. EB, however, is simply clueless.

   • Yep.

2. Arrogance seems to be what the this Administration and the Local GOP Leadership is all about.
   What a bunch of too, too,– smug– Creeps.

3. What is the penalty for violating an ordinance–like the one which established the Casino Fund, and stipulated Cap Ex only ? If you violate the City’s weed/vegetation ordinance you get fined. When will the fines for violating the Casino Fund ordinance be assessed ?

4. I applaud Councilman O’Daniel for his principled stand last night, because someone needed to stand up and tell the truth about the sad financial fix Evansville finds itself in. I also applaud the members of the Council who did what they had to do in order to meet payroll. I’m sure that most of them had to hold their noses while casting their vote, but letting the city employees go unpaid smelled even worse than approving the loan.

   Mayor Riecken is going to have her hands full straightening out our finances and moving the City forward, but she is up to the job. On the other hand, Whiney doesn’t even admit that there are problems. It sort of reminds me of a Chihuahua pretending not to see the Great Dane coming toward him. In both cases, they’re ignoring the threat in hopes it all works out okay. It probably will for the Chihuahua, but it isn’t going to for Whiney.

5. Question: If Gail Riecken would have had a vote last night, how would Gail have voted?
   Would the CCO demand that Mayor Riecken elect “find another way to legally borrow money to pay the bills” when the time comes again on the calendar and the Mayor of Evansville has to pay bills?
   OR would those who NOW CRITICIZE these votes, find it perfectly acceptable for the new Mayor Riecken to employ the exact same tactic?
   (I know Pressanykey won’t answer this question…but it is still an appropriate question.)

6. I’m having trouble with what you find wrong with Marsha’s instructions to the sign committee. The way I read it, she is saying they should be sure that they only place signs in owner-authorized locations, but should not touch Democrat signs, no matter where they are located. Did I misread something?
   I’m no fan of hers, but the way I read this, she was giving the right instructions.

   • I agree with LKB, and that doesn’t happen much! Signs should only be on private property with permission of the owner. The owner can remove any unauthorized signs, not the other political party.

   • Ditto

7. If no permission take them down I have to get permission to put a yard sale sign up so should politicians

   • The sign people should keep their hands off other candidates signs, as they wouldn’t know if another candidate had permission or not. It should be up to the property owner, and that is in keeping with Marsha’s instructions as quoted here. Signs are purely up to the property owner. They give permission to put them up and they take them down if they don’t want them on their property. One party should NEVER bother the other’s signs.

   • I’m just trying to get some clarification here… If Winnecke rented the LST for a fund raiser, should he not have the right to put up signs on LST property (for at least the duration of the fund raiser)? I agree, if a political candidate puts up a sign without permission on private property, that should be an issue. Did the rental contract state “No Signs”? Did Gail get permission from Tiki Time to put up signs at her fund raiser? This seems to be a petty fight that you and the Riecken’s seem to be provoking.

     • DAVID

       It’s our understanding that Rieckens own the property that the Tike Time is located on. In fact the Riecken’s lease the property that the Tiki Time uses.

       Thanks for reading the CCO.

       Editor

       • Thanks for defending the Rieckens and ignoring the question of “should Winnecke have been able to put up signs on the LST”? I guess not, since Rieckens own the property that the LST is on… at least by your reasoning.

     • I believe the LST is run by a 501c3 nonprofit organization. If that is true IRS code states “Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.
       So that would make posting political signs or hosting a political fundraiser a prohibited activity.

       Certain activities or expenditures may not be prohibited depending on the facts and circumstances. For example, certain voter education activities (including presenting public forums and publishing voter education guides) conducted in a non-partisan manner do not constitute prohibited political campaign activity. In addition, other activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, would not be prohibited political campaign activity if conducted in a non-partisan manner.

       On the other hand, voter education or registration activities with evidence of bias that (a) would favor one candidate over another; (b) oppose a candidate in some manner; or (c) have the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates, will constitute prohibited participation or intervention.”

       So that would make th

8. Somehow we all knew your city council would cave in, Mr. O ‘Daniel was absolutely correct with his vote, your town is in deep CSO, that’s most likely going to spawn another overflow today with the expected heavy rain. And another thing , that 500-600 million isn’t going to cut it either. That’s going to end up closer to 840 million before the problem is really solved.
   The smallish convention motel, and the medical extension school will only compound the cost problem if built over that outdated logistically obsolete infrastructure.
   All this to simply move a private business car lot to a more visible location, feel for my people, they have been let down again, come to think about that “super duper let down generator” is about par for the course there. I really wonder how much the __ord center is losing daily as well.

   (Let down) noun
   r/1. a decrease in volume, force, energy, etc.:
   a letdown in sales; a general letdown of social barriers.
   r/2. disillusionment, discouragement, or disappointment:
   The motel plan was a letdown.
   r/.3. depression; deflation:
   He felt a terrible letdown at the end of the day.

   • I bet you a lunch that by the time the CSO is fully repaired and compliant that it will cost over $1 Billion. The time value of money will bite them on the backside for delaying this so long.

     • By the time the CSO is done, I’m betting everyone here will be eating baby food for lunch.

     • You could be right Joe, its going to be massive in size due to the continued neglect due the combined overflows and the 100 hundred year old supply sided water mains, those are pretty much at the end of their usefulness, as well. I’ve actually been studying the problem and think there is a real viable solution, comes in 11 steps, and probably cost a total of 220 million to do an Evansville project, it could be finished in eight to ten years.
       We’ve studied the problem for about four years and are completely confident in the methodology and the practical science involved……This works, we’ve modeled it all over the regions of the United States “The job creation would be immense coast to coast.”
       This would mean its done in half of their projected time for compliance, and here’s the real kicker the project focus would work in the replacement of the archaic supply mains as well. Seriously it can be done if the right timing of the phases are scheduled correctly.

       Another thing, the plan works from the outside in, newest to the oldest, so, old downtown would be the in the last phases. Basically it corrects the more vibrant sections where usage is the highest first. Another thing, its a bold innovative lucrative plan due to the fact there’s almost 700 other places in this country alone that are cruising along needing the same fix.

       We’re ready to propose this plan in some of Americas southern regions, that’s where the growth is and basically the weathers timing permits more hours on the job, so logically those communities would fit the early modeling on a more advanced schedule.
       Evansville Vanderburgh has also blown their cash on fruitless projects, and seem they are destined to continue such practices well into the future. It’ll have to wait till the politics get better from what we see.

       • Sounds like you want to do what the meter company did. They grabbed all the gravy meter changes in the suburbs. Then when they got downtown they had the city meter employees change those. I wonder if their contract was changed to reflect that.

         • No way. …..That’s crazy. We just want to end the CSO problem, and we will. That has nothing to do with any ones meters, It has everything to do with solutions dialed in for the fix for the planet.
           You see that’s the real science, you really lack that there. We can fix this and for a tiny cost compared to your lousy leaderships vison there. Your going to have think innovatively, and that’s exactly how this is done.

         • Nope we have the fix.

         • Hey the plan works just fine in the EU. Good grief why are the political’s so scared of progress in your region?

9. At last night’s Evansville Common Council Public Meeting John Friend made a statement to City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. after Mr. Lloyd and city attorney representative Mr. Marco DeLucio had made repeated references to State Property Tax Caps as a big part of the city’s problem with its finances.

   Councilman Friend, who is a CPA, stated that the State mandated property tax caps (Circuit Breaker) has been in force since 2010, and that this administration could hardly be unaware of the effects the caps were having on revenue when it created its very first budget and its subsequent budgets.

   http://iga.in.gov/static-documents/8/a/5/3/8a533872/exhibit_328.pdf

   I know that Councilman Friend’s comment did not fly over the heads of his fellow council members or the representatives of the Administration who were present, and yet it was ignored, and that is exactly what has taken place with this current Administration for its entire time in office: They have ignored the fact that their expenses have outpaced their revenue every year.

   Mayor Winnecke and his staff have had ample time to adjust the City of Evansville’s “lifestyle” to its “income”, just as everyone member of the public must do, but they have failed to do so.

   To the contrary, the expenses (“lifestyle”) keep going up, and no serious measures have been taken over the life of this administration to bring those expenses into line with the City’s ability maintain funding.

   This city has a history, going back for many administrations, of not taking care of what it has. Funds are robbed for those purposed to use on the “next” big project. The city has gotten deeper into the private enterprise system with the idea that local government can force markets where none actual exist. It funds private partners who are more than willing to take the public money, as they seldom bear any liability when the projects fail, and they walk away richer for the experience, while the taxpayers take it on the chin again.

   There have been a few people in the community who have sounded the alarm, but the establishment has resorted to its usual behavior in order to deal with these whistle blowers, and as a result the city has reached a financial crisis. If the city has to file for protection, those private partners of the failed PP projects will not be giving any of those funds back to the city.

   It is time for some real LEADERSHIP in this city, unfortunately the coming election offers no solution to the city’s woes. Please do not continue to ask yourself why Evansville can not retain its brighter college graduates, the answer is painfully obvious.

   • I agree that leadership is lacking. I find it not only in the elected officials but their appointed department heads. As reported in the C & P the Mayor is well liked by the millennials. It is a shame that most millennials left in Evansville seen to only think about themselves and lack interest the real needs of the city. We need future leaders but I don’t know where you are going to find them. One of the best examples of giving money away to private enterprise is the proposed gift to make the Brownfields a land bank. They have been a land bank but have been doing it with HUD dollar and now that that has been disallowed are withering on the vine. Now they want to be a bonding agent for the med school garage to skim a little off there to go alone with their real-estate business. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don try to get in the restaurant business of partner with a real-estate company and get into the property rehab business. The local builder are already claiming too much competition with the not for profits. How are we ever going to have private market rate development with this kind of meddling. The Brownfield Cor should go back to working on true industrial brownfield projects which Evansville has plenty.

   • I call BS on LLoyd with his property tax cap claim as causing the administration’s
     financial problem. If property tax revenue is down (?) it’s because of reduced assessments due to the recession, not homeowners property tax caps.
     Typical pol. It’s always the taxpayer’s fault, never the spending.

10. It seems like Russ led us to believe this was a payday loan that was going to be paid back when property taxes are collected in December. Nowhere else have I seen the word “loan”. This is a “transfer” and they are not required to pay it back. I guess we can expect another transfer as early as February in order to make payroll again. If there’s anything left. I feel sorry for those expecting a pension from the city. It’s looking more and more like a bankruptcy situation that will dispense that obligation.

    • If the city applies for a tax anticipation warrant from the Indiana Bond Bank to cover the shortfall in operating revenue, it does have to be paid back by the end of 2015, but the current interest on those warrants is at an historical low.

      I believe this administration is steering clear of the tax anticipation warrants precisely because they would have to be paid back by the end of the year.

11. This administration is utter bs

12. Come put a Winnecke sign in my yard and see how fast it comes down…

13. For the elite of Evansville, as Dan Mcginn stated, this is simply transferring money out of one account to fund the other account, when one account runs out of money. Most people in Evansville are not as fortunate as Dan, where they can just spend and spend and if one account gets low transfer from another. Most people have a more restrained fiscal policy. Maybe 10% can do that, for the other 90 percent of us the cities action is paramount to withdrawing your 401k or child’s college savings to put it in your checking account to pay your bills with the anticipation of a tax refund to replenish it. This is not sound fiscal policy for individuals or a municipality. I know interest rates are low right now, gone are the 15% rates but there is still the concept of earnings on the investment. The city’s operating funds borrowing of these funds from riverboat and rainy day is depriving the funds of interest income that is being used to fund operating expenses in the form of reducing interest expense. This method transfers riverboat and rainy day income to the general fund to be spent on operations – not a loan but a transfer. If the interest amount is insignificant than the administration should use the transparent method of funds standing on their own and borrow what is needed for the general fund and pay interest out of the general fund. Let the other funds keep their money and earn their own interest. Most of us (90% people) have done just that – borrowed money for something without touching savings or money designated for other purposes.

14. So the council, after ranting and raving for weeks about the mayor’s lack of fiscal sanity, simply threw in their cards and gave the mayor exactly what he wanted. Politics as usual.

    • What choice did they have? Money had to be borrowed out of other accounts or go get a loan or not pay the bills.

      Which one would you have picked? Mr Financial Wizard

      • If they have no choice, bb, they should rubber stamp everything the Mayor wants and keep their mouth shut.

        • The answer would be to get something in writing about the financial concessions and reduction in expenses Winnecke intends to make.

    • As far as I’m concerned now they are just as guilty as the mayor

15. Anything resembling check kiting is generally a bad idea. The only way to stop this administration’s improvident spending is for the city council to stand firm. It cannot do that. It apparently doesn’t mind being blackmailed to prop up a failed mayor. Winnecke has amply demonstrated his intent to spend beyond any projected revenues. His excuses for his money juggling (property tax caps, etc.) are old, tiresome and immaterial. Sooner or later outlay and income must attain some congruity, a basic thing apparently not on the lame Winnecke Administration’s radar.

    Winnecke has foundered as our mayor, Gail Riecken has earned a shot.

    • Weinzapfel did all the deals during his two terms, and Winnecke inherited all the debt service. Instead of going about trying to straighten up the mess, Mayor Winnecke has been content to add to the problem with even more spending that the city could not afford. That may well have been a fatal decision for the city, as currently its finances appear to be circling the drain and the drain can not be plugged by more borrowing.

16. A few years ago, someone placed a sign in my front yard. This infuriated me. So I called the party office and told them that if they didn’t get that motherf#(kin’ sign out of my yard, I was going to set it on fire and post it on YouTube. It was gone within 30 minutes.

    “Little Boy” Lloyd or Gail “The Girl” wouldn’t deserve the same courtesy!

17. In today’s pole, who voted NO on the right of property owners to remove unauthorized political signs?
    With all due respects, why do you (those who voted no), feel that the property owner DOESN”T have the right to remove unauthorized signs from his property?

18. There is a lot of bellyaching in here today. But the daily functional operations of the City are not a poker chip in a game. Some in here would go to those lengths. But it is not something even Gail Riecken would have done. “Thanks Steve. At the end of the day Council put the functional needs of the City above politics. It is simple stewardship on behalf of their constituencies.”

    • This would be equivalent to you cashing in your IRA to pay your Vectren bill. If it must be done, it must be done. However, if you were a responsible person you’d take steps to make sure you didn’t have to do it again. Cancel the cable bill, eat out less, give up beer, etc. Or you’d get a second job. I see no plans to decrease spending or increase revenue. If anything, they’re talking like they want to spend more. How on earth does it make sense that a city with a declining population has added 150 employees in the past 3 1/2 years?

      • English Bob: third line of your post: Cancel cable bill (yes), eat out less (definitely), give up beer (have you lost your marbles !).

        • Good point beer guy. I guess other cost saving measures would have to come first.

      • Good point, Bob. Another question. How can a city with no money borrow $60,000,000 (+interest) to build a med school downtown?

        • Easy, just do the math:

          https://youtu.be/f7pMYHn-1yA

          • Damned right.

    • HC, had to be a leftist Obama supporter voting to disregard private property ownership rights.

      • Now you’re making up shit. By the way, your private property rights tea party whackos want to give eminent domain powers to foreign corporations for their keystone china pipeline.

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