Dear friends, family and neighbors:
A despicable, inaccurate campaign postcard was mailed to voters in Vanderburgh County today. I’m told the postcard was paid for by the Vanderburgh County Republican Party — but MAILED from Indianapolis with the SAME POSTAL PERMIT number (5677) that has been used by the VOTE YES campaign materials we’ve all been receiving. The postcard was obviously meant to discredit my name and credentials before I participate in the Consolidation Debate on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on WNIN.
FACT: The Committee To Elect Rick Davis does NOT owe ANY vendors whatsoever from the 2011 mayoral campaign. Rick & Julie Davis paid more than $40,000 out of our own pockets to help pay for outstanding campaign debt. This despite the fact that at the end of last year’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign I was advised by supporters to “SETTLE” my outstanding debts with local vendors and pay them pennies on the dollar for the services they rendered. I replied to a group of advisors that MY NAME was worth more to me than $60,000 and that these people did a good job for me and deserved to be paid our agreed upon amount. Less than a year later, ALL OF THE HARD-WORKING VENDORS have been paid for their services — because my name and my word means more to me than any win-at-all-cost political mindset. My wife and I LOANED The Committee To Elect $40,000+ in order to satisfy the committee’s debts and pay our vendors for their work. We did NOT stiff anybody. To me there’s nothing worse than saying someone doesn’t pay their bills. And that’s the message the Republican Party is trying to say about me. Pure rubbish and as dirty as I’ve ever seen politics played in Evansville. And that’s saying a lot after what we endured last year.
As always, thank you for your support.
Rick
Despicable.
If this is true it is lower than low. I don’t give a damn what party you are talking about, this is gutter politics and the individuals behind it need to be exposed for the low lifes they are.
The stench in this city has just gone up by degrees!
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This will backfire on the bastards if and when the public finds out about it, and their consolidation effort will go down in well deserved flames!
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So you only owe your bank? Thanks for clearing that up!
He paid the vendors and put the debt on his own shoulders. Understand?
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Just got this postcard yesterday. First thing that came to my mind is that this same Republican Party (the party of Winnecke) are racking up debt by handing out pay raises when the city books are not reconciled. This city is near broke.
BTW….I am generally a Republican backer but not this Mayor. Wish we could impeach him!
Likewise, I was disgusted when I got mine and if Wayne Parke had anything to do with this he needs a boot in his @ss.
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The Civic Center employees are madder then hell about this post card designed to defamed Mr. Davis.
This kind of under handed politcal tactic has really hurt the VoteYes campaign cause. People here at the Civic Center finally realize that this entire movement of the VoteYes campaign is Republican Party and Chamber of Commerce Southwest Indiana based.
We are really disappointed in Susan Kirk for allowing this type of thing to happen. What is she going to do when a formal complaint is filed against her, Vanderburgh County Repuplican Party and the Vote Yes committee concerning the mailer of this post card. Isn’t she a voting member of the election committee that shall receive and decide if this mailer was legal or not?
Shame on you Susan Kirk, Repulican Party, Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana and VoteYes people for doing this kind of under handed political mailer!
The Civic Center employees are mad? We rarely see Davis. He shows up at the early hour of 10:30 most days and is gone by the early afternoon. Don’t we elect these people to work at least as many hours as the people who vote for them?
I’m a Republican but I wish that Davis was elected Mayor last year. He would have cleaned the mess up! Good luck with your re-election bid, Mr. Davis. You have integrity and you are independent which is a rare trait in Vanderburgh County government.
Yes, the voter nullification performed by the people running the local democrat party on the outcome of their primary election was the sort of travesty that sours voters on the whole political process.
It was truly a case where the local “Boss Tweed” flexed his muscle and no one did a damned thing about it! One of the sorriest days I can remember, and they just keep piling up here in little Chicago.
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I was going to vote Yes for Vandygov. but not now. This kind of thing that you did to Mr Davis is insulting to the political process!
Shame on you Susan Kirk for allowing this to happen. I now shall vote for Mr. Davis because of your underhanded way of your trying to defamed Mr. Davis.
You were going to vote yes for ‘Vandygov?’ That’s laughable. You gave yourself away by saying that. Clearly, you are one of the three NO people (with 17 usernames each) that comment on here and the Courier site all.day.long. I am impressed with how well you are able to talk to yourself though. I give you credit for that.
I hope this isn’t the same Loretta that needs to retire to help stimulate the local economy. There are plenty of “NO people” around to comment without making up usernames.
Thanks, Rick…err, I mean, Whatever.
Clerk Kirk had no knowledge of the flyer. She had nothing to do with it. You owe her an apology for jumping to a very wrong conclusion.
Wayne Parke needs to be replaced, period!
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Looks like the Voteyes group, Mayor Lloyd Winnenke and his Republican party buddies and Susan Kirk just shoot yourself in the political foot.
Davis wins, VoteYes goes down in defeat and Lloyd Winnenke is a one term Mayor!
The best way to un-elect Mayor Winnecke is to vote YES on unification.
Why is this? If there is a yes vote, the4 terms of the mayor, county commissioners, county council and city council will effectively terminate their terms EARLY. Then we will have an election for mayor or the unified government as well as for the unified council.
It is just too bad that the Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department were not included. I can just see the savings from including those two departments. There would be savings in administration, laboratory services, crime scene investigation, finance, motor patrol, and others. The only segment of law enforcement that would not have been affected is the jail.
Immediately after the unification, I am planning to contact our state legislators and ask for a special law to be passed, negating the ten year requirement concerning law enforcement.
I recommend that you follow my suggestions.
While I agree with you 3 years vs 4 years, the cost is simply too high to even consider passing Vandigov for the sheer notion of limiting our current governing body’s term….I’ll suffer through a extra year and pass on unification, consolidation, reorganization, vandigov or as pressanykey sez the big group hug.
JMHO
That is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You had better rethink your logic.
Yes, and if your clothes catch on fire, the best way to put it out is with an ice pick.
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If they can not shove this consolidation effort down our throats this time, then the next time they try they will be forced to sell it on its merits, or lack thereof, because the rejection threshold had been reinstated for future consolidations of this type.
These people, who have destroyed Evansville, know that and they are truly desperate to shove this abomination through now. If they can not pick the pockets of those citizens living outside of Evansville in order to pay for their reckless spending, then they will have to face the consequences of their actions. Many people who were/are involved will go down in this action and not all of them will be willing to protect those people who have been operating behind the scenes.
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Rick,
As your brother I know first hand the person you are. I am proud of you and your integrity for standing up for the average person . I am not a cowardly worm who would throw those kind of lies around without attaching I find it ironic that the people who run this government are scared to put their name on posts…postcards…and other
Why not a recall election? There are enough disgruntled voters to oust Weinsapple Lite out on his tail before his 4 years are up.
Not sure what happened but my post should have read…*throw those kind of lies around without attaching proof or a name….either way I am sure everyone here gets the point. Keep doing a great job and remember…the truth told with bad intentions always does more damage than a faceless…nameless lie.
The GOP has stooped to new levels, and have self-destructed. Aside from the Presidential election, the voters of Vanderburgh county have had their fill of the GOP, and the post card is the straw that broke the Elephants back. If I were a GOP office holder or candidate, I would hang my head in shame
Please be sure not to hold the bumblings and lies that local Republicans are spreading against the RomneyRyan ticket. On a national level it is the Democrats that are spreading malicious lies. Here in Evansville it is the sell-out to Connie and Jonathan Republicans. Evansville Republicans = Obama + Biden
What a ridiculous waste of air this comment was. Those Republicans, like myself, who can’t stand Mitt Romney and refuse to support him likewise can’t stand Barack Obama. I cannot speak for everyone else, but my objections are based on the indelible fact that Mr. Romney supported TARP and just about every other disastrous policy of the last two administrations.
In my estimation if the Republican nominee loses this election the RP needs to go back to the drawing board on what it believes and what its candidates for national office should stand for.
The Republicans need to go back to the drawing board whether Romney wins or loses.
Could not agree more, but let’s do it after Obama loses this fall.
Aside from the Presidential? Romney is sinking faster than a boatload full of wives in Ohio and Florida. THAT election is over.
This mailer has Mayor Winnenke’s foot prints all over it!
To bad we couldn’t have a recall vote on this idiot!
Shame on you Susan Kirk for allowing this to happen. I thought you were better then that. This mailer may have just cost you the election!
I was going to vote for you but not now.
Winnecke doesn’t have sense enough to pour piss out of a boot, or pink tennis shoes, if the directions were on the bottom. He is a pawn.
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Clerk Kirk had no knowledge of the flyer. She had nothing to do with it. You owe her an apology for jumping to a very wrong conclusion.
From what I read it says paid for by the VCRP. Didnt the Vandy Dems do something similiar to Brent Grafton last year with out John Friend’s approval? Can’t blame the candidate for something an over zealous party chair does in the effort to win an election for his/her side.
This mailer marks the beginning of the end for a postive vote for “Yesvote” crowd!
It loses 57% to 33% thanks to Mayor Winnenke, Republican party, Susan Kirk, County Commissioner Joe Kiefer, Sheriff Eric Williams, Chamber of Commerce and “Voteyes” commitee members!
Starting today this “Yesvote” subject becomes a Democratic vs. Repuplican party issue!
I want to hear from Wayne Parke on this matter. Come on Wayne, were you involved in this mailer from Indy?
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Chairman Parke told me he supports Consolidation, but that his mind “could be changed”.
I also got the distinct impression he is not 100% happy with Mayor Winnecke.
I hope he comes out and distances himself from this Mayor and these Consolidation plans soon. His reputation isn’t being done any favors by remaining silent.
Well Wayne Parke told me in an e-mail that indeed the Vanderburgh County Republican Party paid for the Rick Davis mailer.
That is definitive proof of just how low some people can go, and drag others down with them by association.
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I like to think there is still time for Chairman Parke to show the kind of leader he can be. I’m not ready to write the man off completely. I do think he needs to be more outspoken in his positions and needs to be prepared to defend them more openly.
I would not give a dime to the party to use for low life crap like this mailer, nor would most the people I know who call themselves a Republican.
Did Parke not know that many in the party did not want to be associated in anyway with action?
Parke is the party chairman. Shouldn’t he be taking things to a higher plane instead of getting down in the gutter?
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Win at all costs politics, now you know why our local government is the hands of such incompetents as Winnecke, Weaver, Williams, Conner O’Daniels, Annie Groves, Z Tuley and Missy Mosby to name just a few. When will the voters wake up and quit voting in these incompetents. Rick is one of the most honest and dedicated office holders in our local government. Good job Parks for finally putting a face on who the YES people are. A bunch of self serving, back stabbing, fence jumping Democrats and Republicans with the same mind set. Vote NO for consolidation and yes for RICK DAVIS.
“Rick & Julie Davis paid more than $40,000 out of our own pockets to help pay for outstanding campaign debt. This despite the fact that at the end of last year’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign I was advised by supporters to “SETTLE†my outstanding debts with local vendors and pay them pennies on the dollar for the services they rendered. I replied to a group of advisors that MY NAME was worth more to me than $60,000…”
Mr. Davis, if this is true, you have just won my respect. If you treat every decision with this much principle, you would have been a great Mayor, much better than the sorry piece of work we have now.
This should be doubly meaningful to you coming from a Republican.
I can honestly say that what Rick Davis said about his debt is true. This man works constantly for the Taxpayers of Vanderburgh County to find ways to save them money/make more money by investments. He goes above and beyond to eliminate useless spending with the county tax dollars.
I have supported Rick from the beginning of his campaigning back in 2008 and I support him today! He is a hard working, honest, FOR the people kind of guy. It’s a shame how the Republican Party could send out such a horrible mailer with nothing but lies!
VOTE NO FOR CONSOLIDATION and YES for RICK DAVIS FOR TREASURER!!!
You have to admit his opponent, Susan Kirk is also a great candidate. She too opposes Consolidation, and I believe her when she says she had nothing to do with the mailer in question.
I’m beginning to think you could flip a coin in this race and still be ok. Mr. Davis has definitely impressed me with this letter. I hope the loser in this race finds a way to stay involved in local office.
Think about this—- vote NO on consolidation and win and then you are open to ANNEXATION within the next year. Can’t win for losing ,it will happen.!!!!!
If the best case for consolidation you can make is a threat of annexation, then you have already lost your argument.
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That postcard I received yesterday just swayed my vote for Davis. Backfire!
BTW, I want to call to Bruce Ungethiem’s attention that the latest consolidation between a city and county just recently happened. The city of Macon Georgia and Bibb County just consolidated, but there is a big difference in their path and the path Evansville is taking.
The rejection threshold was in place in the City Macon and in Bibb County.
That meant that their consolidation plan HAD TO BE SOLD ON ITS MERITS TO BOTH POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS in order for it to pass! As it happens a majority of people in both the city and the county agreed to the plan. It was not a landslide in either case, but the majority ruled in both the city and county.
It is permissible to include a percentage by which it must pass in your petition in order to keep a yes vote from just barely squeaking by and thereby not having enough support to give it the expectation of a successful implementation down the road.
In any event, this has always been my question to those who believe in the Evansville consolidation plan: If it is truly a plan that can stand on its own merits, why did you do away with the rejection threshold?
I believe I know the answer to that question, and so, I hope, does a majority of the voters in the city and the county. This is no plan, it is a power grab plain and simple.
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just a reminder; Many, many democrats joined with the demo/repubs. to prevent Davis from cleaning this city up. Still wonder why?
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