IS IT TRUE March 14, 2014

1. Follow the money in Ferdinand.

2. Signature School can kick out underperforming or disruptive students. What can/does Glenwood and other similar schools do with kids that are not interested in learning? There needs to be consequences and accountability for all students in all schools. In another IIT this week the Editor said something about being stupid and poor does not necessarily go hand-in-hand. That’s definitely true, but I bet if you compared the family socioeconomics conditions of Glenwood and Signature School students you would see a big difference. Also a big difference in parental involvement and emphasis on the importance of education.

   • I agree. But the solution is not to eliminate Signature School, it is to reform Glenwood. And yes Glenwood can get rid of disruptive students as all public schools can. There are places that they are sent that are other public schools that are not even expected to perform well. Wasting the education for the 90% of students at Glenwood who are teachable to passivate the 10% that are disruptive is criminally wrong. In nearly every case at such a young age a problem child is a symptom of a problem parent. But we can’t talk about such things without being called names by the Mayor of NYC and his mental brethren.

   • On the other side of that school door there is an equal opportunity for every student who enters.

     The amount of support that student receives at home is not limited by the color of their skin.

     ___

     • That is only true if the children who enter are well-fed and well-cared for. The opportunity is not at all equal for those who lack family support and have no place to study and do homework.
       As for Charter schools, Evansville has done a good job with Signature School, and it should be extended to the lower grades. There are, however, many Charter schools that are not performing to accepted standards. Those bear closer scrutiny, but the truth is that there are not enough exceptional teachers and students to make all schools perform at the highest levels.
       I agree that DeBlasio is making a terrible mistake with NYC’s charter schools, and it is based on politics, which is deplorable.
       The utility experiment in Ferdinand sounds like a good thing, but how is the use of the existing grid being worked out? I hope this turns out well and can be expanded to larger markets.

   • I had the pleasure to volunteer to help facilitate leadership training with the kids at GLA last year. I went there on three seperate occasions and worked with the boys in 5th, 6th & 7th grades. I loved the opportunity because I felt like I was working with myself 25 years ago. Most of the kids that I worked with were the same race, socioeconomic background and the make up of their nuclear family was probably a single-parent household like I was raised in. I know that I made plenty of mistakes growing up in that environment and I hope that I was able to make an impression on the kids to avoid the same pitfalls that I dealt with. I think the editor may have stated that he has an issue with calling it “Leadership” academy. I think it’s a great name because it helps instill a feeling of pride in the kids. A “dress for the job that you want not the job that you have” effect.

     In my experiences with the teachers administration of GLA, I feel like they have a good staff that is dedicated to the success of the kids. The problem begins in the homes. This problem has no racial or socioeconomic boundaries. Our entire country is falling farther behind the rest of the developed countries. Signature represents the cream of the crop and I’m happy for them, but the mediocre and failing groups are growing at a break-neck speed. We, parents, need to take the lead and guide the children. If the parents won’t do it, other people in the community can help by mentoring and letting the kids know that we care about their success. You can’t imagine the effect that a little time can make. Most of these kids get no attention at home. On Wednesday, I went to a local gas station in the middle of the day and a kid around 10-11 was walking in while I was. I asked him how come he wasn’t in school and his first reaction was to get smart and say that I don’t know him. I replied that he is right, I don’t know him but I still care about him and that his education is important. You could almost see a physical transformation in him from me telling him that I cared about him. Imagine the effect if he got that more often. To improve our country and to help our kids, we need more parents and mentors.

     • Another thing which would help is to allow punishment in the schools by the teacher along with a witness, of course parents would be notified after the fact

       • I was paddled in school a few times and it had no long-term effect on my behavior. The onlt thing that changed me was having kids and not wanting them to have an absentee father. My mother and extended family did the best that they could in teaching me, but a lot of these kids have no parental direction. They are raised by pop culture, rap music, television, video games, etc. So if the kid has not been raised to understand what is and isn’t acceptable, corporal punishment damages them more than it helps them.

3. Mayor deBlasio of New York City is such an idiot that it is very surprising he was not nominated to be in Obama’s cabinet with fellow like minded idiots Kathleen Sebelius, Eric Holder Chuck Hagel and John Kerry.

4. Ed,

   I think the ’10 days to reply’ on the Audit is standard. Look at the ‘Review’ of the Arena by the SBOA, and the City was also given time to respond to the findings (of course, the City Administration objected to each and every finding. Remember: this Administration has never made a mistake . . .and by God, they never will !!).

   • Actually, the “10 days to respond” is one of several options that a municipality can select at the end of the exit conference. One choice is to simply accept the SBOA findings.

   • Yes, the city will have time for their official response to the audit exceptions.

     In the last “financial compliance audit” of the city, one of those exceptions was the city’s failure to follow statute on city contracts, specifically, the city’s failure to either perform and audit or independent review of the city contract with SMG for the years 2006-2011 for the operation of publicly owned entertainment facilities.

     At that time the city merely responded that they were having Harding & Shymanski look into the situation.

     Can you imagine trying to to get a handle on six years worth of financial information that was never previously audited or even reviewed by an official of city or state government?

     __

     • ” . . . get a handle on six years worth of financial information that was never previously audited or even reviewed by an official of city or state government ?”.

       For Harding & Shymanski, that would be to rubber stamp an ‘Unqualified Opinion’, and bill the City for six audits.

       “Consider it handled”, said H & S.

5. Heard that County Commissioner Marsha Abell and County Council member Pete Swaim attend the monthly Central Labor Union Council monthly breakfast at the FOP this morning. Saw Vectren President Brad Ellsworth introduce Marsha around to his union buddies. Aren’t Marsha and Pete union busting republicans? Doesn’t Brad work for the most republican corporation in Indiana? Nothing like election time politics.

6. It’s exciting to hear about Next Era Energy. I wish we had a co-op that local businesses could shop for better rates & service.

7. Why do you think Vectren officials donate to local, state and federal elected officials so they can influence them. Could this be called influence peddling? While i’m at it, wonder what qualifies Mr. Ellsworth to be hired as an Executive at Vectren?

8. In 2010 Brad had a big fundraiser on the 4th of July at the top of Vectren’s corporate HQ’s downtown.

   I was invited but said thanks, but no thanks.

   • He’s a tool. His vote/services just go to the highest bidder. No principles at all.

     • So you’re saying it was dimwits that elected him sheriff and to Congress. I have to agree with you on this one.

9. Is it possible that some if not most of the “deficit” balance in city financing is caused by over-estimating property tax collections? I mean after all the post-Great Recession foreclosures and tax sales, there are hundreds of absentee/speculator owners of property who are chronic tax delinquents. I know one former city council member who repeatedly warned a council finance chairman and a controller about over-estimating tax collections.

10. Excellent ITT today. Have I told you lately that I love what you do?

    “…we Americans may for the most part be oblivious to the churnings of the world but it would behoove us to stay informed lest the rumblings of the world may visit our shores once again?”

    Informed? is there an APP for that?

11. *IIT

12. Glad to hear about Next Era Energy and Town of Ferdinand. Would like to know more.

    Also, there is an entity called Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA), which is 60 municipalities in Indiana who have joined together to buy electricity at wholesale rates and sell to their users at cost. Here’s the link:

    http://www.impa.com/

    • Go Ferdinand! You made a great decision to support green energy in a state that does not have good track record with making good environmental choices. I hope to see Next Era Energy grow to serve more of Indiana.

13. Public schools, from Evansville to the left coast and back to the right coast, are absolutely killing America. And it’s not just K-12, higher ed is a complete disaster with more red tape than a Scotch factory.

    Simple new set of rules. First is for K-12, other two are for higher ed.

    Families making $82k or < get a voucher to go anywhere they want. All vouchers should be equal so if someone goes to a cake eating rich school they pay the difference.

    No more "out of state tuition." That's the worst rule in all of education. It rewards students who are too scared to move away from home and surround themselves in a completely stranger environment. It also punishes those who wish to go to a school outside of state borders.

    Education should be tied to work. The city of Louisville is fortunate enough to have a chamber of commerce that works. Their Earn & Learn program is kicking some serious azz. A student can work at UPS, sleep in a 3rd shift dorm, get their books paid for, get their college paid for, get a book stipend, and get a livable pay check. In return, the city of Louisville landed UPS' biggest prize, their air hub.

    There's a lot of buildings around town waiting for an earn and learn manufacturing program to bring them back to life.

14. Is it true that Vectren has an ad on your website?

15. So.

16. Interesting decision by Ferdinand’s Council. At the moment, there are over 147,000 Hoosiers deriving their electrical needs from the IMPA (Indiana Municipal Power Agency) Those communities who are members purchase their power on a whole sell basis off the grid and sell the power to their residents at cost plus overhead. How, as it appears, Sobic former GE Plastics has had enough of Vectren and will build their own power plant denying Vectren 80 Mega-Watts of billings. But, wait a minute, my mole indicates that the new Fertilizer Plant is partnering up with Sobic to share the electrical power. STOP the presses, our mole also indicates that Sobic will be purchasing it’s gas supplies from the Texas Gasline, not Vectren, So, my dear fellow residents, we will be left picking up the fixed cost that MUST be spread over a decreasing customer base. So, make sure you are belted up, the ride will be dumpy!

    • Thanks for the info! That’s a “heads up” we needed. It is past time for us to make a “great escape” from the clutches of Vectren, but I’m not quite sure how we go about it.

    • If what you say is true about Sabic the rates on residential customers in SW Indiana will rise dramatically whether Vectren or any other company is the state granted monopoly. The model for what will happen just played out across the river when the aluminum smelter in Hawesville shut down. I think the loss of base load has translated into about a nickel a kW*hr increase to other customers. That would translate into about a 30% increase in SW Indiana.

      Vectren gets blamed for all of this malaise but the reality of the situation is that they have been granted a monopoly and a guaranteed rate of return by the political appointees at the Indiana Utilites Regulatory Commission. Blaming Vectren is easy because their name is on the bill. The real blame lies with state policies. Indiana is not alone in granting monopolies and guaranteed returns. Residential ratepayers are always left to eat the cost when governments remove competition from the markets. Sabic and Alcoa have enough money to install their own power plants. Most people do not.

      I took the bull by the horns and installed a 10kW solar PV system at my home. I generate more electricity than I use. This month my overage will be about $125 which is enough to pay for my water, sewer, gas, and garbage collection. My solar investment essentially makes our house free to operate. Of course it took an act of the California legislature to force the power companies to compensate people who generate an excess on top of net use metering and time of use rate schedules. In Indiana what I have done in Cali is not possible due to archaic laws.

      • Sir,

        If Vectren gets a free pass from you because they were granted a monopoly, and our high rates are to be blamed instead on ‘state policies’, then:

        1) How to explain hiring former congressmen (Ellsworth) at bloated salaries; unconscionable compensation by Chapman + lieutenants; and plastering ‘chosen’ politicians with political contributions ? (is it a coincidence that Vectren is contributing $$$ to candidates who will support ‘status quo’ on the state policies you blame) ??

        2) Those Vectren ads the CCO has been getting paid for seem to have really transformed your views. Go back and read your clippings from 2010, when you righthly proclaimed that southern Indiana had the HIGHEST rates in the state, and some of the highest in the Country !!

        A big BOOOOOOOO to CCO for accepting Vectren ad money. By the way, Mr. Wallace, there is no net zero metering in Southern Indiana, so we can’t follow your lead in going to solar.

        • Vectren does not get to raise their prices a thin dime without the sanction of the IURC. That is a fact. Vectren seems to know the right hires to make and attorneys to retain to play the IURC like a bass fiddle. For that they bear some of the blame for the ridiculous rates in SW Indiana. They are however not breaking any laws and have no competition to keep them in check.

          The salaries of their executives and the choices of who will get those jobs is up to their boards of directors, but I like you question the value of the experience of certain ex politicians when it comes to keeping those electrons flowing. Yes, Vectren also has an internal PAC to maintain their monopoly status and grease the skids for future rate increases. It is not a coincidence that Vectren donates to politicians whom they expect to do their bidding.

          Vectren remains the highest rates in Indiana and while not the highest in the USA, it is when you compare the average electric bill to the average earnings. This fact is a by product of rotten public policy meeting a sophisticated management team that knows how to maximize the return on that rotten policy.

          One of the CCO’s proudest moments is the role that we played in stopping a $32 Million fee increase that Vectren tried to get approved for the dense pack upgrades. We were the catalyst that brought lots of people together to oppose this.

          By the way Indiana does have net zero metering but you do not have any provision to sell your excess generation. You can do solar and run your meter backwards to reduce you electric bills the same way California allows. What you are lacking is continuous sunshine and an incentive to overproduce. Overproduction is essentially a gift to Vectren and you can point that finger squarely in the direction of the political appointees at the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission.

          As for the ad, most of Vectrens ads have been to entice people to take advantage of programs to conserve on their utility bills. We are advocates of paths to sustainability and the ads promote it.

          • And yet, Mr. Wallace, the parade is passing you by.

            Your third paragraph was spot on.

            In the sixth paragraph, you justify running the Vectren ads (and collecting that money) because they promote ‘conservation’.

            Why not stop the hypocrisy ? Tell Vectren to go piss up a rope (paragraph 3) and have CCO refuse their money.

            CCO has its own forum. You guys can run your own Energy Conservation ads–under your CCO name. Use your So. Cal. lessons and apply them to EVV–and stop trying to justify these gougers in your ad space.

            Maybe CCO can not only report on local government happenings, but provide education on energy conservation best practices. Sounds like a winning formula to me.

          • So what exactly is the process of removing the current puppets from the IURC so that we can unhitch from Vectren? I am assuming that this is the order of the process to lose the current monopoly and improve our energy provider situation. I am guessing the first stop is dumping Mike Pence because he appointed members of the IURC and I have no problem with that at all. But is there a faster way?

      • Dear Joe,

        You live where the sun shines 300 days per year. The pay back in this neck of the woods is 16 years. The geo-thermal is approx 7-8 years. Unfortunately, most of our citizens would not qualify for the loan necessary to invest in these sort of things, much like those who live in very dated homes with no insulation and no money to install. What a paradox!

        • Dear Sunnysideup,

          It sounds like economic stagnation has your population by the cajones. Any home improvement that has a payback of either 8 or 16 years at today’s energy prices should be bankable and add at least it’s cost to the value of the home. In my case here in Cali the solar will add more to the appraisal of the house than it cost and provide free power for 25 years or so. Sounds to me like local custom or law as the case may be is suffocating your population. A paradox indeed.

      • Joe; we’ve heard of that Sabic planning well outside your region, as well. That’s just “another nail” to seal location research efforts for a new start-up in that local the way we see it.
        Timing would allow us to play that timing out as perceived. This was in the “sunshine” way back in early 2013, thought we would watch and see the result before we would plan anything otherwise.

        The Evansville/Vanderburgh basic operating utilities are no crown jewels in the competitive package there. Transportation Logistics are not really very good either,this really knocks down the score to a multitude of issues of concern.
        The county does fare a bit better in the logistical projections,however the inset utilities costing drag that down, as well.

        The commonwealth to the south is beginning to look as if the planned regional location would be better served by some sites we have explored, also directly available to a ready and available workforce as is regionally located inside the CCO Tri-state service area. Looking at the :30-45/min commute with unimpeded interstate access.

17. The folks in Dubois county were just lucky in the past
    they were considered too small to be bought up by
    Vectrin. They had to make do with their own muncipal
    utilities or rural electric. Ferdinand, Huntingburg,
    and Jasper each have their own independent electric
    utilities. Huntingburg and Jasper had also bought power
    from Vectrin but when their contracts came up for renewal
    they opted for better prices on their next contract and
    signed with IMPA. Even the natural gas utilities are
    independent municipal utilities that can buy gas off
    the two major pipelines that run through Dubois county. Maybe that part of that is part of reason their economy
    is doing better.

    • PS. Jasper has finally gotten through its lawsuit
      brought by local environmentalists over its
      clean energy center. http://www.jaspercleanenergycenter.com

18. OFF TOPIC:

    Front page of C & P Sunday paper (3/16/2014), a love-fest for the late Russell Lloyd Sr.
    On the eve of the 34th anniversary of his murder.

    34th Anniversary ? Is this trying to engender some good feelings for the Lloyd family in advance of the release of the SBOA 2012 Audit ?

    Could be completely wrong, but timing seems odd ??

    • Anything is possible from the C&P these days. I did find the commemoration of his death a little odd. You just may be right. Afterall, the C&P drowning, deep “in the tank” for the current administration. I wonder if they ever considered that honesty, instead of subservience, might get them more subscribers.

      • If you read the first part of Ethridge’s editorial today you might find it so contrived and saccharine that you’ll wonder if all the pink packets are accounted for.

        ‘Through the council’s contrariness, a better deal emerged for the city. Through Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s doggedness, the idea did not die. Through private investment, led by the folks at Old National Bank who do an inordinate amount of good for our community, it was pushed across the finish line’. ~~ CP

        I’m no judge, but I’ll give ’em 6 months in their current misshapen form. Scripps Howard showed what they thought of their Evansville product when they dug deep into their executive pool…and installed a sportswiter to close ‘er down.

        • You’re right about the lead-in to the story. The letters have been in the family all along, and it’s clear the family has had access to them. Maybe it’s an attempt to tie the current administration to better days.
          I’m with you on the “six months” prediction. Part of me hates to see the paper I’ve read everyday go, but I hate to see it suffering so at the end. It needs to be put out of its misery before it sullies its memory even more.

19. Off topic Part 2

    Front page, C&P (3-16 14)also.

    Smear movement towards the “CORE 2012” and Bruce Ungemtheim? Funds left over from the 2012 failed merger attempt. Trying to tie Bruce to these somehow for some type of damage towards him?

    Could get interesting as the “political union type boss”
    protects it’s insiders from a person that can stand on it’s own two feet! Seems to be a concern from the establishment by it’s movement these past several months.

    Has Abell been given the green light to join the second debate (county commissioners race) yet?

    • Awful good crowd at Armstrong last nite. Vocal support for a Citizen Candidate not a lifelong leach on the pulic dole. I saw a lot of open billfods, get a sign in that yard, I got’em in the trunk.

      • Crap! Wish I would had know that was going on last night. Would had pop in. Anything else in the near future? Have notice the abundance or those signs around here. Looking good!

      • I need a Bruce ungethiem sign. Where are they available?

      • See where a fund raiser is schedule for Bruce, April 5th. Looks like some great BBQ is on the menu.
        You don’t suppose they will let just “anybody” do the BQ-ing, would they onemeover?

        Go to Core2012 website for details.

        • At the fund raiser at least a half dozen grillers were seen milling aound, plotting the charing of pork in April at Burdette. R&R signs by facebook contact info : Ungenthiem for commissioner.

    • See where Marsha Abell won with about 5700 of the 11,000 votes in the primary of 2010.

      Core 2012 site mentions the membership of Indiana Farm Bureau of 5,000 strong in this county only, that will be backing Ungemtheim.

      Will get interesting!

20. Abell does not need to debate or run Wayne has endorsed her so she when win in the Rep primary no matter what!

21. will not when

    • Peekaboo I see you hiding in back of a screen name
      that goofball dude named wayne would not approve hahaha

22. ATTENTION ANY LOCAL ATTORNEYS — Where in Indiana law does it set up the IURC as the agency that decides what utilities are monopolies in what areas? From what I read in comments earlier, don’t citizens in the area in question have a say when contracts are up in changing providers or at least negotiating the next contract? Why is the IURC not mandated to provide meetings in the location of concern, not always in Indy ( which of course thinks it is the only place in Indiana.) What legal action is possible for citizens to take to correct the gross expenses of Vectren in SW Indiana? TALK TO ME.

23. Went to Bruce Armstrong event the other evening. Race is on. Marsha Abell better get ready for the political battle of her career. The”Bruce U For County Commissioner” team are poised to give Marsha Abell, Mayor Winnecke and his puppet Wayne Parke a political lesson they shall never forget.

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