IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 1, 2015

1. The 1.2 million for “administration expenses” should be eliminated completely. If the arts people are interested in the district, surely they will donate their time .

2. Brownfields sounds like a den of iniquity.

   If the feds (HUD) demand a repayment of the money–that will leave a mark !

   Does the SBOA not even look to see that federal grants are used for their intended purposes ??????

   • The SBOA no longer examines the records like they use to. There is supposed to be a reliance on internal controlls. The SBOA looks at the big picture of $400 million taken in and $400 million spent. It is left up to us to know what our government is doing with the nickle and dime stuff less than a $ million.

     • Many thanks to you, Editor.

     • The sboa is a Republican run joke. They protect their political buddies.

3. 520k? Chump change compared to the crooks on Wall St who bankrupted our country then got golden parachutes for their trouble. Seriously, 520k for running an organization that large with that many employees is not that much. Look up the salaries of the thieves at the red cross and united way while you’re at it.

   • Good point.

4. Here, the funding for Brownfields should be $ 0 (not $ 700K).

   To slay the monster, have to cut off its food source. In the case of Brownfields, that’s cash.

   Clip them back to zero, and the monster will perish.

   • This monster could be tamed. Let them get together with the people they supposedly serve and raise their funds with bake sales and a food booth. They could be a nice little nonprofit if they would quit using our tax money to compete with and control the private sector with their wizardly actions behind the curtain.

5. Could someone point to a report or document which describes EXACTLY what Brownfields has accomplished ?

   • I have seen some of there claimed achievement in my study but none significant to be memorable – I can’t help with that one.

6. Gail has promised financial responsibility and put forward several ideas, many that I like, but we need for her to tell us how she will cut debt and spend more. We need to hold her to specifics. Otherwise we will find ourselves with the same I already know What winnecke will do and choke every time I see his commercial.

   • Normally I would agree. But in this race I am just looking at the negative vote side. The majority of citizens in Evansville would be better off with any other candidate. It is class warfare and us po folk have a choice between the Democrat or the Independent no matter the promises or platform.

   • Maybe she won’t spend more.

7. CITY OF EVANSVILLE

   BLIGHT, VACANCY, AND ABANDONMENT REPORT …….August, 2015

   http://www.evansville.in.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=19437

   • press, thanks for the link.

     Pg. 26, talking about Brownfields accomplishments with a Pilot Land Bank in Haynie’s Corner:

     ” Transferred parcels account for over 80 new housing units, for an investment of
     approximately $15,000,000.”

     What the hell does this mean ? Who made the ‘investment’ of $ 15 Million ? Over 80 houses, that works out to $ 187,500 per home ! This sounds like more of the Front Door Pride b.s. that Joe Wallace used to openly complain about ! HUD subsidized $ 15 Million in housing giveaways ?

     • Green_Light, this was not accomplished by the Brownfields, they have no employees. This was accomplished by the city DMD. I hear these nice, $200,000 dollar homes are spectacular with all new appliances and everything but a swimming pool. The best part, if you don’t make enough money to afford one of these, you can buy them for half price. Cheep to live in also – no property taxes. I think they were having trouble selling them mostly because people who could afford them do not want to live that close to Haney’s corner and there is a heavy subsidy to compensate people for that burden.

   • Press – And this was the product of our DMD resources. Just a bunch of garbage. Note the 2.3 million budget only has $1 million for demolition and boarding. That $1 million would probably be diverted to $200k boarding up vacant houses and 300k boarding special guest at the new downtown hotel and 500k left for demo of good houses for development of businesses like dpat car lots. We will just end up with more boarded up houses in the neighborhoods.

     • Assessing The Situation

       Over the years multiple factors have contributed to the number of vacant, abandoned and blighted homes in Evansville including:
       •
       Population decline
       •
       Loss of high
       wage/ low skill manufacturing jobs
       •
       The nationwide housing crisis
       •
       Property tax rates city vs. county

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

       I would strongly suggest that when putting together a proposed budget for the City of Evansville the Administration use the same assessing factors listed above for arriving at the amount of taxes to be levied on the citizens of the city.

8. Lots of good info in today’s IIT. Regarding Brownfields, specifically the Hud Brownfields funding, a simple search of HUD’s intent shows the money was used for purposes not remotely resembling HUD’s requirements. Who authorized the improper use of these HUD funds?

   • I wonder who caught on and turned them in – maybe the state board of account did finally catch on do something?

     • @ George: No, SBOA didn’t find it. The DMD finally realized that the ‘U’ in HUD did not stand for urbane–so they could no longer squander the dough on ‘The Beautiful People’.

9. “The commercial” is generating gobs of Ridicule from those who have seen it,
   —it’s so Hilarious,–and Ridiculous,—Parke must be the instigator of it.
   Nice one, it’s just too funny, LOL.

   • @Crash: did you notice that they included openly gay couples and african-americans in the commercial ? Is that supposed to make us all believe The Man has a big tent ? If you claim these are just passers-by, would downtown evansville really be that diverse ?

     p.s. they seemed very well spoken and ‘on point’ for passers-by !

   • Crap like that is why I love having NO TV!!!!

10. Cecile Richards is Ann Richards daughter. Ann Richards is the lady who delivered one of the best one liners in the history of the Democrat party when referring to George Bush she said “poor George, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth”.

    That said, I would have to question how Cecile got her $520,000 per year job. Is it because of her very famous Democrat mother, and the power of congressional support? Is Cecile just another spoiled patronage child? I wonder what kind of a one liner Ann Richards would deliver about the child of a well known Republican’s child pulling down a half million per year in a job that is partially funded by taxpayers. Poor Cecile, she was born with a gilded future in her crib.

    • You’re right, Joe. Had she been a Republican it would be a $5 million annually taxpayer funded job.

      • Maybe, but wrong is wrong, and legacy entitlement jobs are wrong at any price. Your argument holds no water on the scales of doing the right thing. One who robs (or has someone else do the robbing for their benefit) another of $520,000 by using political privilege is just as much of a thief as one who is paid $5M because of who they are as opposed to what they can accomplish. The real problem is putting people in positions who have no business being there. Both parties are guilty and they both use taxpayer dollars to do it.

        Cecile may be well qualified, but it would be interesting to see who else was interviewed for the job. My guess is that it was in the bag for her from day one. Can you give me an example of a patronage Republican kid getting $5M per year from a taxpayer funded job?

    • Can’t wait to see Crazy English Bob’s rant over your comments. It will be another of his posts that cause folks to bypass his statements.

    • Joe. Partially funded by taxpayers. Also partially funded by selling baby parts.

      • But to be fair, it is also partially funded by legitimate medical services provided to women.

        • Paid for by taxpayers. The same taxpayers who are paying trillions of dollars for health care for the same women via Obamacare.
          Sorry Joe. There is no earthly reason for federal taxpayer’s money to go to planned parenthood today. Obamacare dictates employers and insurers provide birth control and provide/subsidize health care. Can’t afford anything? Obamacare signs you up for Medicaid. There are no “services” women can only receive through Planned Parenthood.
          As an aside, radical left wing posters on the former C&P website (before the facebook requirement) argued and hurled insults at those of us who said Planned Parenthood did not do mammograms. Ma Richard’s daughter just confirmed: Planned Parenthood does NOT do mammograms.

    • The Wall St Thieves crashed the whole economy and were never asked about their salaries in front of Congress and she has to continually fight for women’s CONSTUTTIONAL rights continually by Republican and “Pro-life” jackals. So I say PO to those who question her salary.

    • Joe. If “Ma” Richards learned a prominent Republican’s son had been given an ultra high paying job job heading an organization that performed abortions and sold dead baby parts she would loudly proclaim “Welcome to the Democrat party.”

11. If all this is true about all this money being used wrongly why isn’t someone from the governors office or whom ever watches over these type of things find out what is going on I don’t know much about politics or money matters but I am a single 57 female and I am struggleing to just make ends meet I just don’t get how office holders are not held accountable for every penny spent it’s very depressing

    • You are so right, Tambra. It is very depressing. And saddest of all, this money was probably originally intended to help those struggling to just make ends meet.

12. How much does the President, Vice-president and the Speaker of the House make?

    • Nowhere close to Ms. Richards’ salary.

    • The President gets $400,000 per year which is not even close to enough for the tremendous responsibility that comes with the job. He also has a pretty nice house and plane provided. The real monetary incentive for being president comes after one is out of office selling speeches, books etc. I believe the other two guys are in the $200,000 range and I think that is too low for what they are charged with doing.

      I know a whole lot of people who make more that have high levels of responsibility and broad impact but it pales in comparison to those jobs. I made more than all three of those jobs combined back in my Silicon Valley days but that does not mean I did anything even close to the importance of these three jobs. Private sector is on a different wavelength when it comes to pay.

      • Obama, at $400,000/yr is grossly overpaid. Totally incompetent. IMHO.

        • So JB, are you up to the job? It would probably kill you, me, and a dozen other of these folks who regularly comment on the CCO. This is the most high pressure job in the world and mean that sincerely. Whether I totally agree with any president or not, I have to admire the person who has the guts to do the job.

13. Is it time for the City of Evansville to establish an Internal Audit Committee in the fashion of Fort Wayne’s committee?:

    City of Fort Wayne

    Audit Committee

    In 1990, the City of Fort Wayne established by ordinance an Audit Committee. The ordinance was amended in March 2013. The Audit Committee is composed of six members of the community appointed as follows:

    1) one member appointed by the Common Council;
    2) one member appointed by the Mayor;
    3) one member of the Allen County Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors;
    4) one member, approved by the State Board of Accounts, who is a chief financial officer of another governmental unit in Allen County and is familiar with governmental accounting in Indiana;
    5) one member appointed by the Common Council who is licensed as a CPA by the Indiana State Board of Accountancy and not an employee of a local unit of government; and
    6) one division director to be appointed by the Mayor on a rotating basis, no voting privileges.

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

    I believe an ordinance establishing such a committee is precisely what is called for in Evansville at this point in time.

    • Great post, pressanykey; I could not agree more !

      There simply are not enough checks and balances on the City Administration, I think such a committee would at the least “keep them honest”

      • Timm,–Looking back on how most people are raised, or how we assume they were raised, the point made that there needs to be a watchdog committee over people,– to “Keep them Honest” is sad, the Politicos are exampling that they have a total disregard of “Right or Wrong”, lack a “Moral Center”, and certainly do not “Honor their Father and Mother”. It seem these kinds of people permeate the world of Politics and thrive there as their handouts garner a lot of votes, and “friends” looking for a piece of the pie. Will it ever change? Across the Political spectrum–it doesn’t look like it , particularly given the the quality of the Candidates backed by the “Parties/Gangs”, and the low vote participation by the Citizens at Election time, thus handing the elections to the same(or same kind of) politicos over, and over, and over. ——–” We have met the Enemy, and it’s us”–Pogo

        • The voters have to also accept their share of the responsibility by electing people to office who do have a “moral center” and a commitment to public service, and a track record to prove their commitment.

          George Washington did not care much for the concept of political parties. He never conceived of a time when the country’s voters would not want to elect anyone other than the very best person they could find for public office. Nowadays it seems we can not get the very best people to run for office, and as a consequence you see what is happening to government at all levels. That is why more oversight is required.

Comments are closed.