IS IT TRUE July 19, 2012

33

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE July 19, 2012

IS IT TRUE Evansville City Councilman John Friend, CPA has heard the call from Jordan Baer regarding the shameful state of the cemeteries that the City of Evansville owns and is responsible for the upkeep of?…that Councilman Friend has introduced a resolution to the Evansville City Council for the purpose of requesting that the Winnecke Administration appropriate funds sufficient to put the cemeteries into presentable condition and then to fulfill their obligation of perpetual care for the cemeteries?…a couple of Civic Center Moles have informed the City County Observer that the reserve fund to take care of perpetual care obligations has been depleted over the years by a string of City Administrations until there is only a token amount of money left in the fund?…in all fairness to the Winnecke Administration they were not in charge when the neglect did its damage or when the reserve account was drained for who knows what?

IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County Federation of Republican Women invited Democrat Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams to speak on the merits of “Unified Government” recently?…that it is a foregone conclusion in some circles that Sheriff Williams shall be running against a sitting Republican Mayor in the next election cycle? …that “politics make strange bed fellows”?…there are several flies that could get in the ointment for Sheriff Williams?…that the dragon fly in the ointment would be the failure of the unification initiative on the ballot in November as Sheriff Williams lives about as far from the City of Evansville as one can without crossing into Gibson County?…that the other pack of flies in the ointment is that exercise in oligarchy known as the primary?…that as Mayor Weinzapfel and the Democrat Party anointed candidate Troy Tornatta learned in 2011, a primary is not as easy to rig as it once was?…there are many people out there who assert that Rick Davis may give it another shot and that he enjoys enough support among rank and file Democrats to once again emerge from the primary as the victorious nominee regardless of who the machine anoints to run against him?

IS IT TRUE the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library got a windfall of $1 Million recently?…that allows the nationally recognized library system to make some positive improvements in a timely manner?…that as for just over 15% of that windfall, it will not be spent before the ink on the check is dry but will be saved for a later time?…that building up reserves with windfalls is a lesson that all branches of government should learn from the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library and its board of directors?

IS IT TRUE that the raises that were recommended for the 10 golden employees are about to be put into the limbo of deferral while the City of Evansville commissions a complete study of the compensation structure the City uses?…after the study is complete there may or may not be adjustments made to the salary brackets used by City management?…this is exactly the step that the City County Observer opined about regarding the golden raises a couple of days ago?…that it is entirely possible that the Golden 10 deserve and will be granted the increases in four months or so when the study in implemented?…it is also possible that the study will tell a different story about struggling Midwestern cities that have all fallen behind the 8-ball when it comes to competing on a national basis?…at least the playing field will be level for all City employees with respect to the opportunity to be paid more as opposed to handing out raises to the Golden Ones based on self serving advice?

IS IT TRUE that another Civic Center Mole tells us that one of the Golden Ones is so angry over the deferral of a 5 figure salary increase that we may be hearing of their resignation soon?…if that is the attitude of this particular person that the City of Evansville is better off without them and they should have never been on the Golden List to begin with?

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33 COMMENTS

  1. Well written IS IT TRUE. Pointed and insightful comments.

    Your the best CCO.

    • Is it true that “they, their, and them” are plural pronouns so cannot pertain to one individual who is angry over the deferral of the salary increases, and that if the editor instead used “he, his, him,” or “she, hers, her” that we would be better able to deduce the angered one?

      Is it true that Eric Williams may be the sole Democrat capable of winning a countywide mayoral race considering the staunchly Republican and conservative leaning county voters, among whom Williams is far more popular than Davis? That we may all discover exactly how popular Davis is with the Republican and conservative leaning county voters this fall in his race against Susan Kirk?

      Is it true that it matters not where Eric Williams resides today with regard to a non-consolidated city election since in Vanderburgh County it is proven that residency in the county is no obstacle to being elected to a city office? That when Williams is elected mayor, that will make three “W” mayors in a row?

  3. Considering after the fall that Mr. Davis in all likelihood will have lost two elections in a row is it possible that local Democrats will give the nod to a two-time loser? Does Evansville need another Pee Wee Melton or John Paul Josey on the ballot every election regardless of success at the polls? We need new names and new faces running this city. Mr. Davis seems to be a good person with some interesting ideas but bruised fruit spoils quickly.

  4. It’s time to shake up the current council and get a new crop. The only way to really do that is through a new council map, which we’ll get with reorganized government. Thank God!

    • That map will be published by a “special commitee” appointed by the present administration AFTER the proposal is voted on. Why not use the plan drawn up by the surveyor, un-biasly,who is retireing at the end of this term? The answer is the gerrymandering map will look like a 2 yr. old with an etch-a-sketch went around neiborhoods to get as mant of the present cronnies a shot to keep a positian at the feeding trough.

      • That “special committee” consists of (article 10.2) ……nine (9) members of the existing City Council, the seven (7) members of the then existing County Council, the Mayor, and two (2) of the County Commissioners, as selected by the County Commissioners. Three elected officials now reside in ONE WARD. That should prove interesting. Vote NO in November

        • If that is what it is going to look like then why not just keep what we have? We can save a ton of money and a lot of confusion.

          __

  5. Rick should be the mayor, the dem central commitee should have been replaced at the orders of the state central committee. The invite of Williams just shows the plan of one party politics in this burg. Wieneke was hand picked by Weinsapple as an easy victim, to be compensated for “rolling over” with a cushy job for his long time Dem. cronie wife, Carol McClintock. My niece moved to Chicago, reads these internet blogs, and DEMANDS people here quit refering to “chicago style politics”. E’ville has Chicago beat hands-down in corrupt, back door thievin’ politics.

    • The Dem central committee was replaced by the members of the party. Carol McClintock is about as big a Democrat as Richard Mourdock. Saying Evansville has Chicago beat in corruption is like saying UK has IU beat in graduation rates.

  6. Jordan Baer has illuminated some cruddier aspects of our local perpetual backscratching cult, VERY true-but CCO and Rick Davis shed light(at least to me) on just how corrupt and self-serving some of our officials are. And let’s not kid ourselves-there are some brazen ones in there right now.
    Rick Davis saw this unfolding a long way back, tried to stop it, at his own peril-we missed out on an extraordinary opportunity to procure for ourselves a TRUE public servant (there are not that many whose campaign wouldn’t have wilted under the heat that man took from his OWN party) Now we’re seeing what we bought-it’s not good.

    • You are right about Rick Davis — the consummate public servant!! He is actually fairly popular and successful as Treasurer and should be reelected easily. Had it not been for the treasonous behavior of our FORMER party leaders, he would have been mayor. I guess the good news is Whineyapple and Mark Owen are gone.

  7. Am I reading this right? The CCO is stating that Rick Davis will win the primary no matter who he runs against? So, Rick Davis would beat Eric Williams?

    Wow. The obvious question is, How would he fund this campaign? Even after Susan Kirk beats him this year?

    • I don’t think the CCO said Davis would beat Williams, but they are saying it is possible. Also possible that Williams will not be eligible to be Mayor unless he moves or the consolidation passes.

      • Williams is selling his Warrington house and leaving St. James parish. He needs to follow Ellsworth, and skip E’ville. The atmosphere at the men’s clubgot chillier after his endorsement of the reorganization.

  8. I went into Republican headquarters last year to help my good buddy Pete Swaim in his effort to win city council. I could not believe my eyes. Sitting there stuffing envelopes for soon to be Mayor Winnecke was Chris Cooke. He’s the guy in charge of the cemeteries Mr. Baer is complaining about. For those of you who don’t know Mr. Cooke is also a Democrat ward leader. That tells you about Mr. Cooke’s ethics (work and social ethics). Why wouldn’t the cemeteries be a disgrace? They are a direct reflection on the man running them. Mr. Cooke.

    • And people say there were no back room deals to get Mr Winnecke elected…hard for a guy (Mr Davis) to beat two political parties when your expecting support from one of them….which makes Mr Winnecke a place-holder for the next machine candidate…Mr Williams, or the very low odds candidate of Mr Friend…

      It does make a person stop and wonder just what was so bad about Rick Davis that his entire party (the party of power here in Evansville) was against him and for die hard democrats to actually work in the republican headquarters or openly speak the praises of a republican candidate….kinda’ weird isn’t it? 🙂

      JMHO

      • Not too much to wonder about. He worked against 4 elected fellow Democrats and at least 4 other Democrat candidates before he ran for Mayor. I think what he got from his party last fall is called payback.

        • Is it true that if Democrats have a choice in the Primary between Williams and Davis, whether in the 2014 consolidated metro mayor’s race or the 2015 unconsolidated city race, their choice will be between an 8-year Sheriff with high powered administrative experience plus years of service as a chief deputy sheriff, and a most likely one-term county treasurer, two terms if he’s lucky, with a few years experience as a chief deputy recording clerk?

        • LOL…yep and I doubt they are through yet, I made the comment after the mayoral election that if I was Mr Davis I’d be looking for a private sector job ASAP.

          JMHO

  9. Why would any reasonable and conservate person vote for Williams for Mayor.

    The County Council have asked that all department heads and elected office holders cut their 2013 budget by 3%.

    I hear that Mr. Williams is asking the County Council for about a $250,000 in salary raises for his employees in 2013 budget.

    Also he asking for a major increase in his sheriff auto budget.

    More importantly, he asking for more money for his “Safe House” budget when at present time he has 100 plus vacant beds.

  10. civic center mole

    You got to be kidding about Sheriff Eric Williams 2013 budget requests.

    Who in the he– does he think he is to try to get away with something like that.

    You can surely bet that I shall be watching very closley Mr. Williams budget requests for 2013.

    • Is it true that the raises for the deputies are the result of them finally having a negotiated contract? That the raises were determined by collective bargaining, and not simply a capricious budget request by Sheriff Williams? That 6 of the 7 county council members voted to approve the salary increases? That the county council is dominated by four Republicans with two of the three Democrats being conservative Democrats, one of whom is a former Republican?

    • I’m highly disappointed with Williams. I voted for him, though I also thought Goedde would do a good job. He has turned into a career politian, something I truely hate. In addition to his putting Goedde in the court house, when he could be such an asset on the street, or in administration. Vengance is for the weak, Williams actions are not are not in our best interest. He doesn’t deserve another more-powerful post. I’ll never vote for him again, for anything.

  11. So your saying that 80 plus employees in the Sheriff Department get a big salary increase and the remaining 140 plus Sheriff Department employees only gets a token 2% raise. Also,the remaining county employees also get a mere 2% raise.

    Thanks to Eric Williams political buddies County Councilman Jim Raben and Commissioner, Marsha Abell for cutting a back room political deal with Sheriff to give 80 plus Sheriff’s Department a big salary increase.

    Can’t wait for these alledged conservative Republicans run for re-election. This shall be a major re-election issue. Oh, along with hiring kin folk to head county funded department and selling tires to county without bids.

  12. In re: the perpetual care fund, where do you think the money came from to build the Ford Center?

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