IS IT TRUE? PART 2 March 21, 2011
IS IT TRUE that Gail Riecken and the rest of the House Democrats bolted to Urbana, Ill after they received their yearly salary of $22,616.46 which was paid in 2 installments of $11,308.23 by direct deposit? …that they are not receiving the monthly travel checks and their daily expense per-diem since they are not working in Indianapolis?…that the House Republicans are also not receiving any daily expense per-diem and travel checks unless they are at work at the Statehouse?
IS IT TRUE that Gail Riecken won’t come to the Statehouse to do the work she was elected to do but she can attend meet your legislator sessions on Saturday’s and also manage to be on TV when it is convenient for her?…that Gail Riecken has her hair dresser come to Urbana to do her hair?
IS IT TRUE that Republican Legislators Ron Bacon, Wendy McNamara & Suzanne Crouch meet with and talk to constituents daily while at work in Indianapolis and also meet with local Teachers, Union Workers, and other constituents when they are home on week-ends to discuss the issues?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer wonders just how many of the taxpayers of the State of Indiana have jobs where they are paid in advance for the entire year of work?…that in the real world that if you accepted pay for the entire year and then decided not to go to work that you would not only be fired but you would have to give the unearned portion of the salary back?…that failure to give a salary advance back unless a contract specifically stated that it was non-refundable would constitute grand theft?
IS IT TRUE that it has been 5 days now since the people of Evansville returned from a 72 hour trip to the 3rd World in which we were all notified that old warning for trips to uncivilized foreign lands of “DON’T DRINK THE WATERâ€?…that having to go out and purchase water for consumption because the City of Evansville did not deliver an acceptable product amounts to some sort of liability for damages on the part of the City of Evansville?…that we are still waiting to hear what recompense will be offered for the approximately $1 Million that the people who rely on city water had to spend?…that writing everyone a check for $5 would be futile but that allocation $1 Million in the name of the people of Evansville to be used to reclaim our dilapidated parks would be a worthy and just form of recompense for the City Administration to pay?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer has gotten many comments that you can read online along with direct emails regarding the issue of CONSOLIDATION?…that the comments and emails are overwhelmingly against going forward with the plan for consolidation presented by Becky Kasha and her CONSOLIDATION COMMITTEE?…that Mole #69 predicts that unless major surgery is performed on the proposed plan that it will go down in flames at the 2012 ballot box just like its predecessor VANDIGOV did back in the early 1970’s?
IS IT TRUE that the absence of rejection thresholds seems to be the major complaint from the comments coming from the county?…that dilution of minority representation by having too small of a Common Council is a major complaint coming from within the City of Evansville?…that if you can’t win the county over rejection thresholds and you can’t win the city over dilution then there is no chance for this to pass?…that if consolidation is in our near future it is time to start adding some real CHANGE to a document that was generated by a committee who was afraid to propose CHANGE?…that reasonable people with an interest in the process realize the if there is one thing that the City of Evansville needs it is a healthy dose of CHANGE from the process that has driven people and businesses away for 50 years?…that if the county to a large extent has made some CHANGES by bolting from the City of Evansville and will CHANGE more by bolting from the county if the tired old ineffective ways of the City of Evansville are imposed upon them against their will?…that the Consolidation Committee and the people advising them would do well to abandon the single election format and ask the consent of the would be governed in an election with rejection thresholds?…that there may just be Mutiny on the Ohio is this is not the approach taken?
The County Commissars, in their infinite wisdom and grand desire to quickly and decisively begin the vote-rigging process on consolidation, chose to vote to reject “rejection threshold” with virtually no discussion nor advance warning to the public.
This VITAL part of the consolidation process should have been introduced for discussion and thoroughly explained at one meeting and voted on in the next, had anyone wanted to be “fair” and allow a reasonable time for public comment. Prior to the few minutes allocated to this crucial topic, how many residents of Vanderburgh County had ever even heard of “rejection threshold”? 1% at best (and that’s being very generous)? The simple fact is, these Commissars had no desire to allow time for the public to digest this concept and then make their wishes known. They knew what they wanted to do and just did it. The meeting may as well have been at the Kremlin behind closed doors.
As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”. The actions of Mulcher of the public’s trust, Whine-ecke until he gets what he wants and fly through things like a Tornado tell us everything we need to know about these “gentlemen”. They could care less about doing things the proper way. The public’s interests are only their concern when they happen to coincide with their own personal agendas. It’s “Their way or the highway” in the little world of these three Commissars. Where else can you find a merger between two separate entities in which both entities are not allowed to vote on the issue separately?
WARNING! Rural residents of Vanderborg, Resistance is futile! Prepare to be assimilated! The Commissars have spoken!
Welcome Magic Man. You have not lost your touch for perfectly descriptive language. Here is a question. If only 1% of the people in the county knew what threshold rejection levels were, how many know about “the borg”, the Kremlin, or Commissars?
Hmm, good question. I would guess somewhere around 90% of those of voting age 🙂 Maybe I should conduct an extensive, on-site survey at some of the local imbiberies and Wal-Mart. I’ll get right on that but it might take all summer!
Along those lines, I’d be willing to bet that 30% of residents, particularly those in the city, aren’t even aware of what is going on with consolidation and will just “pick an answer” if and when they get to vote on it. It’s a shame that one can’t be required to correctly answer three questions on the subject matter prior to being allowed to cast a vote.
editor ,correct me if im wrong please. for every 3 people residing in vand. county ,2 live inside the city limits and 1 lives outside the city right ? and didnt someone already say city taxes would decrease a little bit and county would go up slightly …well it sounds like the deck has been stacked so people would want to merge ,,if a vote is to be taken it should be by 2/3 in favor !!!
You are correct on the ratio. The actual numbers from the census are 117k in the city and 62k in the non City of Evansville parts of the county. Almost exactly a 2:1 margin in favor of the city. What happens when two people are offered the opportunity to vote themselves someone else’s money?
Thing is, county voters go to the polls in higher percentages than city voters, thank goodness!
I you are talking about percentages, of the 65 percent of Vanderburgh County residents who reside in the city, 100 percent of them also reside in Vanderburgh County. What some would propose is to dilute the county portion of our vote. Wouldn’t this be “taxation without representation?” I believe a war of independence was fought over this exact issue.
If you have done you homework, you will find that CITY residents carry the burden for COUNTY residents on many “consolidated” departments.
I am basing my figures on city vs county assessed valuations. It is almost an 80-20 relationship. If a city and county department split their budgets on a 50-50 basis, we city dwellers bear 90 percent of the burden. Yes, we pay our one-half and we also pay 80 percent of the other one-half.
I remember the battle fought over “vandigov.” There were a lot of good ideas in it, but it had one fatal flaw. It failed to recognize that there were county-outside-the-city residents who didn’t receive certain services. There was no provision for “special service districts.” The current consolidation plan does have special service districts as part of the plan.
I believe non-city residents should have their concerns listened to with changes to the plan where necessary.
To all: Study the plan and suggest changes where you feel they are necessary. Then let the majority rule.
What is the percentage of police activity in the City of Evansville as compared to the county? Same question for fire runs.
Her hair dresser??? I hope she is licensed to practice in Illinois.
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