EDITORIAL: Fiscal Conservatism Is What Most People Of Evansville Espouse

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We believe that the City-County Observer has an obligation to our readers and the public in general to address the furor raised in the local mainstream media concerning the budget passed on Monday night by City Council.  The Mayor, the Directors of the various non-profits groups that had cuts made to their budgets, Council members Mosby and Weaver, and the Courier and Press Editorial staff all voiced their outrage at the budget cuts made by the City Council.  No one seemed to be concerned that the City has fallen into the habit of spending more than it brings in.  In fact, they seem to be angry that the Council has finally  put a stop to this fiscally irresponsible practice.  We want our readers to be aware that this was not a close vote.  The measure passed by an 8 to 1 margin, with Jonathan Weaver being the lone “nay” vote because he wanted more money to put in budget for public safety.

Yesterday the Mayor called all of the City department heads and Directors of affected non-profit organizations together in a session aimed at explaining the cuts to their 2016 budgets.  Chris Cooke, a vice president of United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE), an umbrella organization for the various neighborhood associations throughout the city which distributes grants to the neighborhoods, voiced the feelings of several people in the room when he said that the cuts were “outrageous.”   In case his name “rings a bell” for you, Mr. Cooke is the Director of the City Cemeteries, as well as a neighborhood group volunteer.  Lynn Miller-Pease of Leadership Evansville seemed to still be in a state of shock when she complained that the Council had given her no warning of the cuts.

We wonder if the non-profit organization leaders understand how hard it is for many middle class families to make ends meet.  Now we are faced with a proposed increase in the local Income Option Tax being pushed by the tax and spend Councilman Dan McGinn along with Mosby and Weaver.  This coupled with future increases in water and sewer rates will make the struggle even harder for them to make ends meet.

Second Ward Councilwoman Missy Mosby bemoaned the cuts, especially the ones to the overtime accounts for EPD and EFD.  We wonder why Miss Mosby voted for the cuts, if she finds them so onerous.  She could have joined her main ally on the Council, Mr. Weaver, as a “nay”.  We can only guess that there was some hidden political reason for not voting her “conscience” in the matter.  Perhaps it is the fiscal conservatism that most of the “real people” of this city espouse, or an attempt to be all things to all people.

The Mayor himself reviled the Council for making the cuts for what he described as “political reasons.”  We wonder if it has ever occurred to Mr. Winnecke that it is he who has continually demanded more “spending money” than the City has income.  He has engaged in a spending spree of epic proportions, without ever being satisfied.  This Mayor has demanded more than we could afford and made it necessary to continue to raid the “Rainy Day Fund.”  He also seemed to have a problem remember just how little  we are left with when he stated that we have two million dollars more than we do.  CCO has likened Winnecke’s behavior to that of a spoiled child and yesterdays performance seemed to reinforce that characterization.

The Evansville Courier editorialized on Tuesday afternoon that the City Council has “failed Evansville.”  We strongly disagree with that opinion.  We believe that the 2016 budget that was passed on Monday is the most fiscally responsible budget  that has come out of the Civic Center in many years.  It is the Mayor and his weak leaders he has chosen to be a part of his team that have repeatedly failed Evansville.  Monday evening the City Council took the first step to re-established financial solvency for the City by refusing to allow Mayor Winnecke to continue spending more than we bring in.  We congratulate the eight Councilors who stood up to stop the overspending.

In closing, we believe the coming City Election is not just a choice of leaders for the next four years.  We know that we are at a crossroads for the future of Evansville, and if we do not choose the fiscally responsible candidates we will all pay the price for their folly.  Please choose wisely and vote on or before next Tuesday.

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46 COMMENTS

  2. Why should City taxes fund “charity” organizations in the first place? Ones that the voters have no input regarding operation or goals? Yes, many are for good causes but some are just personal ego stroking do-gooder clubs. And many good organizations get nothing. Let them get out and beat the bushes for the money from donors or fund them out of their own money.
    My property taxes that fund the City’s budget need to go down, yet they’ve gone up despite the State mandated property tax cap. Why, our County Assessor has decided to jack up Evansville/Vanderburgh property owners’ assessed values on an arbritary basis and thus raising the income generated for the City and County.

    • Posey, The city only funds the charities that can not raise their own money. It is not like they are funding all charities. You sir must be one of those negative people, always bringing great things down, and wanting justification for your governments actions. You are old hat – reform like me and get with the program.

      As far as your taxes going up. You might want to blame that in part on the ignorance or propaganda of C & P. They actually printed that the new budget was needed to prevent forfeiture of $1.7 million in taxes to the state. It is hard to believe there employees are that stupid or irresponsible. The $1.7 is the amount under the freeze that the city is allowed to increase everyone’s taxes. Without the new budget, the total Levy would have been frozen at last years tax cap. No money forfeited to the state – just not taken from the taxpayer. This new budget is still a tax increase or a raising of the cap. That is why they all agreed to pass it – to raise the state mandated cap (levy) by 2.6%.

      The paper also made a stupid remark attributed to the city controller that the city would also be able to assess another million on new construction. How? Sounds good but makes about as much sense as saying you saved money by buying two half gallons of milk at 50 cents rather than a gallon for a dollar.

      The public has no clue. They are propagandized. If they did understand they would not be so positive. You need to get with the times, forget what you know. Become ignorant of government and be more positive all the time like me. Quit paying your taxes – let the bank take it out of your account. Increase your federal withholding so you get a bigger refund and you can claim you don’t pay taxes and can even enjoy and be thankful of your money they send back to you.

  3. It is hard to be for something when it affects your livelihood negatively. The C&P seems to think we have an unlimited resources. There was no mention in the editorial that there was no money to fund these nonprofits. I can only assume we are being set up for a tax increase. These nonprofits have replaced or supplemented the patronage workers. Does Mr. Cooke get a paycheck from United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE)? My point is these have to go first before a pennie is taken from public safety.

    • No, I don’t believe he does, but he is likely to represent his employer’s interests. It’s why businesses like to have reps on the boards of civic organizations.

  5. What has come out in this process is an object lesson in how you grow government without supposedly “growing government”. When one looks at the total amount of tax dollars going to these non governmental organizations it becomes clear how much money is going to these corporations.

    Why are we giving money to a museum that is sitting on a work that estimated to be worth upwards of $40. million, and has stated that they could not display the work, and have no intention to do so?

    It is to our own shame that the local population lacks the cultural appreciation sufficient to support the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra without infusions of tax dollars. To all those regular supporters of this jewel in the community I tip my hat. I am sure you will do what is necessary to ensure its survival, as you have always done.

    The Reitz Home should really find a way to be self supporting. I think a lot of people in the community feel that it has become more of a club than a museum.

    Leadership Evansville has a very fetching ring to it, but it has been in existence for quite some time now, having ushered many people through the program. In light of present circumstances in the city one can only observe and make your own conclusions about the effectiveness of the program in the public service realm.

    Take a look at what is going on around you and in the country and the markets. Things are flat, they have been for a long time, and they are likely to be so for quite a while longer. Think of the impact that is having on families and individuals. The very last thing that is needed is to raise taxes, like COIT, which is an “income” tax, but then again isn’t every tax a tax on your income? A lot of you have just had your property assessments raised. Even if the current levy was frozen for the next year it would still cost you more in taxes due to the elevated assessment.

    Cutting back on non essentials is prudent. It also is a good indicator of what the public really values. Currently there are just too many entities out there relying on handouts of tax dollars, and many of them got there through their political connections and not from public demand for their service.

    • Press that makes to much sense – you must be wrong. I see your trying to be positive but to not have everyone pay their fair share of philamonic ochesta is not positive. Even those that have never been, will never go, and cant even spell it should pay their fair share. We have to think about everyone.

  6. Fiscally conservative? Who? Both Mayoral candidates and the entire council strongly endorsed borrowing $60,000,000 (+ interest) as a bribe to locate the “Med School” downtown. No fiscal conservatism there.

    • “med school”? Another bait and switch. No longer the IU med school. Another giant vacuum cleaner sucking all the area resources into the downtown. Just moving what we already had to the downtown and making the community pay for the move while others line their pocket. oops, I forgot to be positive.

    • …..good job Commonsense. AND I might add, both candidates are showing they are NOT fiscally responsible for advocating a 25% increase in the local tax. (Neither Riecken nor Winnecke has disavowed the proposal.)

      More money to solve problems…..IS NOT fiscally responsible. The IIT fails, conveniently, to point this out today.

    • I don’t recall Gail weighing in on the bond issue. It was Winnecked who “fought like the dickens” for the downtown site. Rep Riecken did try to get full funding from the State in order to include Ivy Tech in the original plan.

      • …WAIT A MINUTE.
        LKB, your answer is highly evasive.
        Riecken has stated she is and has been fully on board with the Med School location downtown AND the public private partnerships that have been leveraged to make that happen. Like I said: evasive answer.

        I would say “I don’t get it” when I see this need for Riecken advocates “to run away” from the impression that Riecken is PRO-DOWNTOWN. And Riecken IS pro-downtown.

        But I do get it.
        You want to PRETEND that Riecken thinks the whole downtown area should be abandoned the way YOU do. That is backward, insignificant small-minded antibusiness sentiment, and NO WAY IN HELL Riecken agrees with that position.
        LKB, you want to help insure your equally small-minded anti-downtown sycophants (Bandana, please stand up, oh wait, you’re a cheerleader, you’re already standing) “think that is Riecken’s position too” …..so you post this total BS narrative.

        Nov 3rd is almost here. Let’s vote.

        (Bandana, save your keystrokes. No sleight intended. We both know I have little respect for anything you write. That is well-documented.)

        • Aww … my rejected little stalker/troll has appeared again and forgot to type my name in all capitals like it usually does. Raise up you slobbering filthy little troll. You don’t speak for Gail Riecken or anyone else.

          • BANDANA,
            Ha!…that was fun. I still don’t know what in the hell “raise up” means. It’s just strange.
            I am observing more of this pretend, please let’s pretend “we want to run away from Riecken’s pro-busines and pro-downtown” narrative from you. It is total BS.
            Bring on the election little man. Bring it on.

  7. I suppose the ultimate slap in the face to taxpayers by Mayor Winnecke was when Ben Kunkel got behind on his contractual obligations to the tune of $300,000. on the downtown condo complex where the mayor lives. Evidently Mr. Kunkel was short of the funds at the time so the mayor used taxpayer funds to pay his debt.

    This is how Mayor Winnecke operates, and it is why this city spends more than it takes in every year he is mayor. A lot of the things that go on inside this administration are no doubt actionable, but no one is interested in taking it up. Certainly not the local prosecutor.

    • The only way the Kunkel group could do more for the community is if we made them part of the government and gave them a tax rate of there own. Maybe a special tax on something just to give them for all the good they do.

  8. If we return Winnecke to the mayor’s office he’ll likely have enough of what’s left of his handpicked council slate with him (unless some more of them fall in the next week or so). You can then be assured of tax increases to cover his profligate spending. The little guy is dishonest to his core and his abysmal non-performance in office must not be rewarded with another term.

    • The 2016 City Council has already been “packed” with toadies to the Mayor. I believe that only Alex Burton, Connie Robinson, and the Libertarian candidate are not in Whiney-boy’s hip pocket, so his wish will be the command of the CC if we reelect him. If we let him back into the corner office on the third floor of the Civic Center, we can look forward to a dog park, bike paths, and bankruptcy – and we will richly deserve it.

  9. I think we should thank Conner ODaniel for his brave stand on the City Council budget cuts. He and John Friend and S. B. R. along with Al Lindsey were trying to do the right thing for all E’ville tax payers and we could see how some Council members were more interested in politics . My question is, did Dr. Dan throw his buddies under the bus , or did I miss something.

  10. I don’t think “Dr. Dan” threw his “buddies” under the bus. He threw the reasonable people on City Council under the bus, but I don’t think they are his friends.

  11. “Editorial: Fiscal Conservatism Is What Most People Of Evansville Espouse.”
    Good to see CCO recognize that most people in Evansville agree with the basic tenet of the “TEA PARTY”.

    • Well, they may say they do, but they don’t live that way. More house than you can afford, a too expensive vehicle purchased on credit, maxed out credit cards, negligible retirement savings – – sound familiar? It should, because it’s how many (most?) Americans live. No real surprise that our government lives the same way. We want what we want and we want it right now, ability to pay for it be damned.

    • Fiscal conservatism was the tenent of the republican party before there was ever a “tea party”. The republican party has strayed from that tenent and it has cost them dearly. Wayne Parke is a prime example of what is wrong with the party today. The man does not even understand markets and how they are created, and therefor he can not understand capitalism. The republican party of today seems to want to join the socialists in an effort to reduce the United States to a second rate power rather than a world leader. Which is just what the socialist currently in the White House has been doing since he took office.

    • Commonsense……in no way do I think most people in Evansville agree with ANY tenets of the Sovereign Nation/Tea Party animals. “Let’s burn down the country” is not tenet either.

      CS……by the way, you HAVE to be thrilled with the Republican Party today.
      1. Passing Obama’s budget with his increases in domestic spending after saying “No. Not gonna do it.”
      (They’re gonna do it.)
      2. Passing the Export/Import bank again after saying “No. Not gonna do it.”
      (They’re doing that too after all.)
      3. Voting in another John Boehner full-blown advocate, Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House. To make things WORSE, Paul Ryan is VOTING FOR THE OBAMA BUDGET!

      The GOP is in flames. It is a dumpster fire. It has no idea what it is doing. And it lies all the time: “We’re gonna repeal Obamacare!” “We’re gonna stop gay-marriage!” “We’re gonna shut down the government before we agree to increase spending on domestic programs!”
      (And I was kind on the preparation of that list of lies…..)

  12. I can not help but notice that Council member Dan McGinn always seems angry and confrontational . I have seen him out and tried to talk to him and he just does not seem to be easy to talk to… I am in his ward and he is not very helpful I wonder why he still runs for this office he seems tired of it. Why has no one challenged him for this position.

  14. As a long time observer of things that go on in Evansville, I have to disagree with the assessment that Evansville is fiscally conservative. Evansville is bi-polar with it’s residents being an extreme version of fiscally conservative that is better characterized as fiscal misers and local government acting more like free spending liberal democrats.

    A conservative or a prudent investor knows that certain things to solidify the cities infrastructure have to be done and endeavor to make these things happen. If Evansville was conservative and/or prudent the sewer systems would have been repaired long ago along with the roads and water pipes. Fiscal conservatives however do not invest in shiny objects like the Ford Center, dog parks, ball fields, and a host of other feel good projects that have no sustainability.

    To outsiders Evansville looks as dis-functional as a Kardashian marriage where no matter how much money comes in more is spent on trivial items. Shallow thinking and short term actions by the last 50 years of mayors has traumatized the populace. The people of Evansville think like misers because their spouse (city administration) spends money on cheap thrills that do not improve the day to day life of the average person. It does not look like things will be changing anytime soon.

      • First you have to get rational people who understand the difference in wants and needs to run. There are enough there to make a difference if they are engaged. Then you have to vote in a majority of them on the city council and one in the mayor’s office. The last 4 years have been nothing but a partisan battle of the network egos. Aim for the year 2020. The fix is already in to continue the nonsense for the next 4 years. It really doesn’t matter much who wins. The wrong folks are running.

        • This is a good conversation, and I think it means….there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats in Evansville.
          I give Indiana Enoch the most credit for calling this out earlier than anyone when he termed:
          “We know you’re Giddy for Gail, but what would she do different?” Good job kid.

        • Joe, it seems to me that Evansville developed over time into the town you have described because it was the hub of a small rural area and therefore became “to itself”. Isolated, It went its own way living in the mode of first the old German immigrants who were of necessity tight with the dollar. Then gradually money and things became the goals in and of themselves during and after the depression. Little things mattered because in many cases that is all you had. Beyond that, the wants became needs and the people who had power and/or money became the deciders of the wants. And people either went along to get along and stopped caring about the whole package, or moved away and learned that there were other ways of life that made more sense. When they think about it, people know what is the best way to handle money, but for many it is easier not to think.

          • A good friend who still lives in Evansville described it perfectly. He said Evansville is essentially an island that is 150 miles away from any other city. Of course the ocean is made of dirt, but the separation from other role models leads to colloquialism and cronyism. The leaders on the island think they run the world and act as though there is no accountability for them, but hold everyone who is not in the junta to a very high level. Thus, most of the population just stays home and doesn’t participate. It is not a formula for prosperity.

        • Good grief you ought to catch that last Winnecke add, its a complete load of hogwash.
          Evansville’s local mainstream media is as much to blame for the implosion of their cities funding as any of their crumby stinking politics.
          The “furrier and suppressed” laid out a out right repulsive blame game, mostly just lies and repugnant propaganda. 14schmooze had cry baby KC and his anti sunshine band on every news section in full whine and blame mode.
          Down right noxious untrue rhetoric , the people that use them as a news source are being duped to the maximum, that’s completely obnoxious.
          At least my contacts there no better and will likely vote to clear city hall of the dirtballs.

          https://featheredspirit.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/hogwashmeterred.jpg

    • Sort of like the Roman emperors who built the massive entertainment venues like the Coliseum to placate and subdue the masses.
      The only different this time is it’s the taxpayers who are going to be fed to the lions…

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