IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council postponed action on the rezoning of a proposed apartment complex on Pollack Avenue Monday last evening because neighbors stated they had no dialogue about the project with the developers?…that 2nd Ward City Councilwoman Missy Mosby asked Council take a step back and not approve this project until the developers meet with neighbors to address there concerns?…we agree with 2nd Ward Councilwoman Missy Mosby asking Council to delay the vote on this project?…this is a good example of a City Council person standing up for the concerns of her constituents?
IS IT TRUE the City of Evansville has recently adopted a social media policy that seems to absolutely trample all over the 1st Amendment right to free speech of their employees both on and off the job?…from the beginning to the end this new policy that we referred to Monday as the Chris Cooke rule is so far over the line as to require public employees to post disclaimers on personal social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, etcetera?…there are plenty of examples of municipality examples of social media policies available online from jurisdictions where social media was invented like Palo Alto, California that is the birthplace of quite a few of the social media outlets covered by Evansville’s primitive attempt to join the modern world?…for those of you who are interested the City of Evansville’s one sided, self serving, first amendment violating social media policy is on the following link?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer has often pointed out the Tom Barnett assertion that the City of Evansville is afflicted with some 10,000 uninhabitable dwellings that would cost well over a Billion dollars to refurbish?…after spending a Billion dollars on this collection of dilapidated homes the collective value would be less than half of the cost to refurbish them?…for this reason these homes will never ever be fixed up by investors who seek to actually make money on their investments?…if there is one thing that former DMD Director Tom Barnett was absolutely correct about it was the abysmal state of the housing stock in much of the City of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE we are doing something with this IIT that we do not often do and that is to pay a great big complement to the Evansville Courier and Press for their diligence in pointing out anecdotal case after case of dilapidated properties?…one of the things that the CCO prides ourselves in is in staying on a subject for a long time so that people have many opportunities to have get it?…we have done this with the continuing saga of the McCurdy, the downtown convention hotel, Roberts Park, the ballfields, the sewer problems, the sidewalks melting, and the potholes that rattle our teeth and mess up our alignment when we are driving?…it is about time that one of the mainstream media members took on a task that has a shelf life of more than 2 minutes?…the Courier and Press has done a diligent job of staying on this problem and for this we salute them?
“IS IT TRUE we are doing something with this IIT that we do not often do and that is to pay a great big complement to the Evansville Courier and Press for their diligence in pointing out anecdotal case after case of dilapidated properties?”
Weren’t you guys the first ones to report the blight?
The solution is often to buy them but still lease them to people in their dilapidated conditions. Some renters are desperate, poor, and have no other option. The key is REAL code enforcement or wall off anything West of Vann and South of Diamond and create a prison zone like in “Escape From New York.”
Don’t bother with anything west of Weinbach and it’ll be like Siberia, everyone knows where it’s at but no one wants to go. If we end up with another liberal in office the economy will sink so low the number of abandoned houses will double. Another company to watch is GM, they are again operating off cash flow. The time for suppliers to receive their payments is already starting to increase.
Yeah, because we did so well under conservative Bush? His policies brought thus country to its knees.
Hey now! I live in that zone. I keep mine and my 2 elderly neighbors property nice/maintained…. can I get an exclusion?
No. You’re on your own. Maybe Kurt Russel will be able to come rescue you and you can figure out how to outrun Isaac Hayes at the big ending.
Then we both live in the same zone. I also take care of a disabled neighbors lawn. With both of us being honest, can we say we see the trend?
“IS IT TRUE the City of Evansville has recently adopted a social media policy that seems to absolutely trample all over the 1st Amendment right to free speech of their employees both on and off the job?”
—————
On that note, a story about a mayor in Peoria Illinois and his quest to have a twitter account shut down, it’s an interesting read that our city officials should study closely.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/how-a-mayors-quest-to-unmask-a-foul-mouthed-twitter-user-blew-up-in-his-face/
JMHO
Good find. Two things are for sure; One, the policy is ill conceived and shortsighted and two; there is no doubt the Mayor and city council have provided so much material for prodigy a person could go on for months. No doubt item two is an obvious statement.
I do see potential here for a version of the Peoria incident to embarrass Evansville. The Mayor is wielding a double-edged sword, and I don’t think he has the skill to do that safely. Be on the lookout for flying heads, if you have to go to the Civic Center. One of the very first may well be the Mayor’s own.
Of course, the door is open to all sorts of legal problems with this. It appears TZ and company will make some money off this one.
Ziemer wrote this prehistoric piece of shit policy. Now he can cash again when his shoddy work gets the city sued. He wrote the Earthcare pos too.
TZ does keep his eyes open for some billable hours! It helps make those generous contributions to Hizzoner and the GOP crew!
Interesting reading and great story. Everyone needs to read this.
Expecially Phillip and Wayne. 😉 🙂
This reminds me of when the VP was in town and had the US Secret Service ask the EPD to arrest John Blair when he was standing on the sidewalk across from the Center where the VP was attending a function of some sort. Over abuse of power which caused the City to pay out for a law suit that John Blair field against the city and I think won.
Abuse of power was evident on that day too.
There are as many reasons for dilapidated, unsafe housing as there are dilapidated, unsafe houses in this city. Some are owned by those who occupy them, some are abandoned because the owners have died and heirs are not interested in taking ownership of the properties, some are owned by people who mean well, but are finding that the landlord business isn’t as easy as it sounds on TV.
We also have more than our fair share of politically-connected slumlords who get richer and richer because they know that code enforcement doesn’t apply to them. There isn’t much we can do about them, until the voters rid us of the “inter-party ruling class” that currently runs the city, but we can certainly begin getting the neighborhoods to work together for their own improvement. I know we have some active neighborhood organizations, but we need more of them, and we need to coordinate efforts at neighborhood stabilization. This is someplace that public-private partnerships can shine, and we need to start polishing our neighborhoods NOW.
As the racist pseudo liberal elite flee to the burbs. As the demographics change they move further and further from the cities. I was at a race relations class many years ago and a very astute African American said there was little difference between the parties with regards to race. The conservatives say get close but don’t big, liberals get big but don’t get close. The liberals seem to be the first to abandon the diverse neighborhoods.
You’re about 50 years behind the times. “White flight” was what drove my parents to the ‘burbs about 55 years ago.
I live in a suburban neighborhood that is VERY diverse. We have African, African-American, Middle-eastern, Hispanic, and Asian families, all living within a block’s radius. You propably need to look up what “diverse” means.
Congratulations on having attended a race relations meeting and talking to a black person, though, even if it was many years ago.
You mentioned being around Washington Middle School and seeing so many houses for sale. The houses are for sale because of white flight.
There is no neighborhood in Evansville as diverse as the one you claim to live in. White flight continues today but the reasons for leaving the city now claims to be crime and better schools. Evansville is no different than Detroit except on a smaller scale. Detroit is an example of a liberal democrat city and the white liberals were the first leave.
You’re saying I’m lying about my neighborhood? I’d invite you over and feed your words to you if you were anyone I cared to socialize with.
Savannah Gardens is evidently considered a “suburban neighborhood” by some. 70 years ago my grandparents moved East of Boeke to escape the city but unfortunately the city followed them.
LKB: Stille the arrogant leftist aren’t you. So tough yet so caring for the downtrodden and poor. You talk big game, but i have yet heard about you being out in the neighborhoods helping the poor folk. All you do is flap your gums on CCO about how we should help folks and care for them. All the while you do nothing but play victim and spit out your messiah’s talking points. You are the type of person who divides people, not uniting them.
CCO,
What is the game plan for City Audit (seems to have grown quiet).
Previous reporting was Friday, 5/23. Is that still believed to be the case ?
Good post about Missy Mosby. Thanks CCO for giving her credit for standing up for people in her area.
7) ‘Social media sites are not the forum for venting personal complaints about Supervisors, co-workers or the City as an employer’.
Except for #8 which provides for firing people for violations, #7 is the reason for the policy. The rest is standard boilerplate, there to make a policy robbing an employee of his right to grumble publicly more palatable. The policy fails in that respect. I expect and hope the online comments about city government will accelerate.
I’d urge city employees who can document malfeasance, abuse or even theft by supervisors or other mini-honches to bring it to the public’s attention. It doesn’t take much, a fake name and a line or two designed to throw the bloodhounds off the scent. Pictures could be useful in any ensuing proceedings. Use your camera phone, attribute it to a mistake of the technologically unsavvy if caught and make them prove different. Dial it in from McDonalds lot so they can track your IP to a double cheeseburger with fries.
Just because someone is a city employee doesn’t mean they should reduce themselves to acting like a low-life. Even birds don’t shit in their own nests.
Spoken like an authority on soiling one’s own nest. Nobody should allow themselves to be silenced by an abusive employer. You’re a piece of work Myturn.
It is good that CCO gave Missy the recognition she deserves for representing the interests of those who live in the Second Ward. She deserves to be commended on the time and attention she gives her constituents, from what I understand.
It is also good that CCO makes mention of the Courier’s series on blighted housing, but the Courier clearly won’t do any hard-hitting reporting on those who own large amounts of “iffy” property. They probably won’t do so, because it would be awkward to cause grief for their fellow dwellers in the Winnecke tank. It looks like the hard work will fall to the CCO.
Thanks Rubber Duckie and Elkaybee for your kind remarks.
Yes, we were the first media outlet to take on the” Blighted Homes” issue but we really appreciate the excellent articles the Courier and Press did on this important social and civic issue.
As you may know sometimes we have called Missy Mosby to task when we felt she didn’t make good public policy decisions. However, we have been closely watching Missy actions as the 2nd Ward City Councilwoman and must say we are pleased with her recents decisions. Stay turned we shall be making an announcement soon concerning Councilwoman Mosby. We know that most of our readers will agree with this soon to be published announcement.
Editor; The CCO does well at the questions, however good analytics always connects the dots. Forward sometimes by a long string of’em leading back.
EKB; and the @council watch postings for the council person was somewhat amusing to our team when consensus came in.
After the meeting and the zoning compliance push around the other day the date showed an immediate mechanical connection to the councils persons real concern focus point.
I really wonder if the VFWs concern are the real drivers.
Upon data review it was through old political patronage “dots” to an old location for “sportin the ponies so too speak” something’s came up.
Isn’t under the same ownership, and time has taken a turn to sport that at the Ellis boards through electronic gaming.
Old indicators on that watering “hole” goes back to Mr.G days of at Paul’s fiddlers joint that used to be on Boeke road near Weinbach, as well as, “dots connections” the old Central Turners Club Downtown.
You see we found indicators that intersections patronage location used to have a nice little Hebrew Guy Owner. One might say he had some of the unseen books on the city government applications, as well.
“Sporting chance” the Lorrain park storm sewer additional was a “bait toss” also just to lower the stormy citizens water level as to stage against the “Sewers before Stadium crowd” back then when you’re current city controller was such a state of infatuation with Cher Bono.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infatuation
Currently as observed by overhead just follow the machine political signs, find the largest Wedding for Sheriff sign caddie wumpus to the site in question and the due cause of Miss Mosby’s concern sticks out like the fuzzy sewer overflow in the streets the VFW gut said they pushed car through.
Same problems down there, as the downtown Evansville sites,lousy infrastructure,and poor planning forward until that’s fixed, I must reluctantly agree with them though, the additional sewer influx isn’t going to help the infrastructure issues for productive growth.
BTW, there is a real nice boat dealer down there, as well as, the VFWs Charles Denby Post and others striving to do “legacy business throughput”. Due locational, regional metro focus points.
Here’s “one” of the dot connection propaganda rants from the analytics program.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/03/storm-worries-drained-for-now/
“KAPOW! 🙂
That is food for thought! Regardless of motivation, I do suspect Missy is right in what she did.
If the courier started the blight issue after you guys then they need to acknowledge it. That’s disrespectful to take someone else’s idea and run with it.
Good luck getting the cp to give credit to anyone but themselves. It’s just like Timmy to not recognize anyone in this world outside of the cp. If the cco was indeed first on this than I think the cp looks really bad on this not noble.
That social media policy is pretty much the carbon copy of any social Media policy that circulates through any Corporate office or establishment. I’ve always thought those were heavy handed and overreaching the bounds of an employer.
I understand the bit about not using Company, or in this case, city time to goof on facebook, twitter, etc, or getting approval before conducting Company or City business via social media, but telling people complaining about a bad day at work, or even reporting mistreatment or corruption via social media could get them fired isn’t gonna win them in my book.
Hey look. It’s the new State Board boss. On the scene to film his latest blood and gore movie about the audit!
Quentin is in the house ?!
Yes he is! The new local State Board boss looks just like him
Good to see CCO is becoming more objective in giving credit to our elected officials when they make good decisions for the public good. Thanks Missy for standing up for your constitutes.
More objective? I think the CCO looks for ways to praise folks who are doing right and acting right. Even a mosquito has to get to work before it gets a pat on the back.
I agree with I Williams post that the CCO has done the right thing by recognizing Ms. Mosby speaking up for the people in her Ward. CCO you showed class for posting positive remarks about Ms. Mosby.
I saw the courier’s piece on a dilapidated piece of property on Bell Ave. in the West Side and though it seemed liked they were hounding some very poor people in a difficult situation who simply did not have the money to rennovate or dispose of the property.
Seemed cruel to me on the newspaper’s part if I’m right about the financial status of these owners. Lot’s of people in a bad shape with all of the jobs lost in the Evansville area.
What happened to a newspaper championing causes of the poor ?
The private sector is allowed to control peoples speech so why not the public sector?
Dilapidated. Thats Mount Vernon. Most of the downtown square is literally falling apart and the clueless do nothing Mayor is busy touting $350,000 condos atop HUD Housing. The neighborhoods near there? wow No sidewalks and if there is is used as a driveway, rundown homes galore.
It seems like Missy is buttering the CCO up before next year’s election just because she doesn’t want to be the next Abell. Am I wrong CCO?
http://www.nesretro.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/funny-captions-get-on-the-squirrel-theres-no-time-to-explain.jpg
Mmm, maybe she is maybe not. Maybe she is one of the few in the current administration wising up to the reality there are people out there really paying attention to their decisions and said people (CCO) has one thing more than the rest of the local media outlets. At least that is what I’d like to think.
Social media definitions: We’ve seen this one about inert politicians around the country lately.
Seems to be an subject some trending traction with concern to some of the IiT today on our current analytics. facebook & tweets junk out there. it is humorous if in the right interchange context one might say.
1.
bye felicia
When someone says that they’re leaving and you could really give two shits less that they are. Their name then becomes “felicia”, a random bitch that nobody is sad to see go. They’re real name becomes irrelevant because nobody cares what it really is. Instead, they now are “felicia”.
“hey guys i’m gonna go”
“bye felicia”
“who is felicia?”
“exactly bitch. buh bye.”
“one of the things that the CCO prides ourselves in is in staying on a subject for a long time so that people have many opportunities to have get it?…we have done this with the continuing saga of the McCurdy, the downtown convention hotel, Roberts Park, THE BALLFIELDS, the sewer problems, the sidewalks melting, and the potholes that rattle our teeth and mess up our alignment when we are driving?”
The ball fields? I firmly agree the CCO stayed with the other topics but NO WAY on the ball fields.
The ongoing debacles of the historic McCurdy hotel and Mesker amphitheater are 2 large black eyes to the City of Evansville. Where is the political outrage on City Council?
Comments are closed.