IS IT TRUE APRIL 14, 2015

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IS IT TRUE City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley stole the show last night in her questioning of City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr? …Brinkerhoff-Riley questioned the City’s invoice to the Utility for 2015 payments in the amount of approximately $2.5 million in late December to keep the City’s general fund from being negative at the end of year? …this $2.5 million was revenue that should have been paid to the City in 2015 but was necessary to pay bills in 2014? …the City now will be short that amount for its 2015 budget? …for the City to end on a positive note on December 31, 2014, it required these 2015 funds plus sitting on over $5 million in 2014 bills?

IS IT TRUE Russ Lloyd, Jr agreed with City Council and acknowledged that a spending plan was necessary for 2015 in light of revenue not matching expenditures? …rather than offer suggestions for lowering spending, the Controller listed off City fees, such as golf, burials, parks and recreation and bus fare, that could be raised to generate more revenue? …City Councilwoman Connie Robinson lamented the fact that the poor and working class residents of Evansville would be hardest hit by fee increases?

IS IT TRUE that City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr is the king of cash advancements?  …in October of 2014 Russ approach the Vanderburgh County Treasurer, Ms. Susan Kirk and asking for and receiving advancement $2.8 million which was needed to shear up deficiencies in the City’s General Fund?… that this the fund pays our police, firefighters and the day to day city expenses?  …even after the advances the City Controller General Fund balance as of October 31, 2014 was upside down by $16.7 million dollars?

IS IT TRUE that on December 29th, 2014,  City Controller Lloyd showed up at the Water Utility Department requesting that $2.5 million dollars be transferred into the General Fund of the City?  …if that transfer had not occurred the General Fund balance as of December 31, 2014 would have been NEGATIVE by $2.2 million dollars?

IS IT TRUE after the Evansville City Council voted 9-0 in favor of a resolution asking for the repeal of RFRA, State Representative Gail Riecken said, “I am very pleased the Evansville City Council has followed my lead on standing up against RFRA and showing that Evansville is a welcoming and inclusive city”?  …she also stated “that this is a step in the right direction but we can’t stop here, we need to push for a local law that protects LGBT citizens from discrimination”?

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78 COMMENTS

  1. Could it be true we will be seeing the city controller with a pail working the major intersections of the city next?

    “Hey buddy, can you spare a dime?”

    If the IIT are correct, anyone claiming the city finances are in good shape must be a professional liar?

    IIT that “TIF” funds are draining the general funds of basic services, while these slush funds known as TIF’s are used for pork barrel projects that are not be worthy had it went through the general funding? Would anyone know the dollar amount this past fiscal year that when to all of those TIF’s?

    • corrections to last paragraph

      ….that are not worthy……
      ……that went to………

    • Professional liars? No, those are con men. Politicians are occupational liars. . Liars don’t go to hell, they go to Washington.

    • It’s not true that the TIF funds drain any accounts of any funds, that’s not how it works. What happens is the TIF funds actually cause the tax rates to be higher than they would be without the the TIF projects. The way it works is first a budget is set then the assessed value of all taxable property is certified. From those 2 figures the State Board figures a tax rate that will generate the needed funds. The assessed value of the TIF is deducted prior to the certification of the assessed value and thus the rate ends up higher to generate the needed funds. If the TIF were not used the rate would simply be lower to generate the same amount of tax revenue.

  2. GOOD FOR CITY COUNCIL – Another Blow to the Supporters of the Original RFRA
    The small minority of Christians who believe in an austere interpretation of the faith and who promoted the original RFRA law now look craven, insignificant and foolish. Worse? They failed to appreciate that the almighty dollar was going to be more important to Indiana citizens than the extreme Christian’s willingness to discriminate.

    You don’t agree? You are in the minority. (…and welcome to the real America)

    The president and chief executive of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce called the law “entirely unnecessary.” Giant American corporations including Apple and the NCAA (and it’s COLLEGE-EDUCATED CHRISTIANS across America opposed the law.

    But the one that really hurt? Eli Lilly and Company which pays 11,000 its highly educated Indiana employees very high wages. When Eli Lilly is unhappy, Indiana is unhappy. “The original RFRA legislation is bad for Indiana and for business,” Eli Lilly said. It is the key reason we worked with the Indiana Chamber and other businesses add the protected sexual orientation language to the legislation. By adding protection for sexual orientation, we prove we are better people than the bigots.

    • Quark,, we are not a minority, but even if we were your comment displays an ignorance of our nation’s form of government.

      We are a constitutional republic not a mob rule democracy. The majority, be it individuals, activist, businesses using economic terror or the government, can not trample the Constitutional rights of a minority.

      The government can not establish a religion, but by dictating what principles one must violate by participating in an event, the government is establishing a religion.

      But if you would, please tell me where the RFRA violates the Constitution or where any RFRA has resulted in any violation which you have accused such laws of allowing.

      • “The government can not establish a religion, but by dictating what principles one must violate by participating in an event, the government is establishing a religion. ”

        Indiana Enoch stated the above which I totally disagree with this statement above. The statement above is totally false and misleading. He just make this up out of his own little biased mind. This does not establish a religion. Sorry IE but you are way out on the limb and it’s about to break off with you on it. Have a nice fall.

        • And I totally disagree with the above statement because the above statement is out on a limb. Have a nice fall Moveon.

          Now where does this style of exchange get us moveon? It is nothing but opinion and what the left has mistaken for reasoning.

          I honestly respect your views and desire to hear your reasoning.

          Please, explain to me how I am wrong when I say the government dictating how I must live my faith is not establishing a religion.

          • INDIANA ENOCH,

            I have never heard of the government establishing a religion in the United States.

            Never.

            You want an explanation how you are wrong asserting the US is doing that? Preposterous. YOU explaining to the rest of us this outlandish idea of a government established a religion is the order of the day, Sir.

            Secondly, the Constitutional Republic worked perfectly Sir. The bigots were beaten back into their hole…and on this issue….it appears for good. The overwhelming number of Indiana Christian voters spoke, and the smart lawmakers did what their constituents demanded they do – beat back the bigots – and add protection for sexual orientation to the RFRA law. It is law now. An effort to discriminate wholly backfired, and the civil protection was added, ironically, when the intent was to enable some ignorant people with spurious intentions.

            That minority of extreme Christians who believe in some austere interpretation of the faith – LOST – and Justice prevailed.

          • It shows that your opinion is nothing more than wishful thinking Indianaenoch. What you said and what I quoted was not true. And I will do my best to counter such untruths. And I carry a parachute just in case. 🙂

            Your opinion is NOT fact. That’s all for now.

          • Moveon, then counter what I said. I at least gave a reason for my statement. When the government with no compelling interest can tell us what religious convictions we must violate, then it has established itself as a vicar of religious expression.

            I do not have a parachute. No reason to jump out of a perfectly good argument. 🙂

        • What compelling interest does the CC have in a baker, singer, minister, or any other person being forced to participate in a a same sex wedding?

          • Look. This is over. It’s already been established they violate their civil rights by denying business services. You cannot hang a WHITE’S ONLY sign in your business because your religion says you can…such discrimination violates the civil rights of citizens, even Christian citizens.

          • Show me what part of this law ever would have allowed for that or where any RFRA has resulted in a Jim Crow law. That accusation is either based on ignorance or dishonesty.

          • Indianaenoch. Show me that you actually read the RFRA law and then tell me how the City or the State formed a religion. Stupid is as stupid. I just described ISIS and you at the same time.

    • Quark. Here’s your chance to shine. Quote for us the exact words contained in RFRA that so offend you and fellow mob hysterics.

      • At this point, that is irrelevant. The law is changed Sir.

        Protections for sexual orientation is added to the law.

        No need to win the argument. The argument is won.

          • INDIANA ENOCH,
            Voting to repeal the RFRA is a waste of time, money and effort. Leave it on the books. It’s been eviscerated of it’s original spurious intentions anyway. In fact, at this point, the amended RFRA emboldens the rights of same-sex couples.

            Besides, people like you, who pretend they represent the majority of the Christian community (when you are an extreme minority believing in some austere version of the faith) do not deserve another opportunity to spout vile about other Indiana citizens.

            But something else is coming. And that is to ADD to existing civil rights law, Federal and State, the provision prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation (like, say the company Controller being fired from her job by her ignorant, biased and bigoted low-brow employer because he found out she is gay).

            You know INDIANA ENOCH, you are joining a notorious part of history. There are stories told today about a barbecue sandwich business owner (Piggie Park) who claimed his religion supported his decision to ban black people from his restaurant – violating THEIR civil rights just like you advocate doing the same for gay citizens. The US Supreme Court overruled him. He lost the case. And to further show what a despicable person he was, he put up a sign in his business for black Americans that said essentially, “Ok blacks, come on in! All of my profits from serving black customers will go to the KKK.”

          • Quark, I am not worried about who I represent other than Christ or being on the wrong side of history. History is often proven wrong in time and Jesus is sedom popular.

            What I am concerned about is when the government can eradicate constitutional rights with the word hate.

            In four paragraphs you offered nothing but your opinion of me and not one speck of evidence that any RFRA aw has resulted or could result in your accusations against it

            I have never witnessed so many dullards who can not grasp that if you can eradicate spiritual liberty in favor of sexua liberty, then what liberty can not be eradicated?

            So please, show me where the RFRA is unconstitutional, how it would allow a Jim Crow law, or when such a law has ever resulted in the abuses you caim.

            If you can’t, then I must caution you that it is termite season and one might fly into your open mouth looking for a home in that wooden noggin you sport. 🙂

          • Moveon, if I wanted to turn my Bible, I have a constitutional right to turmp it. So go bake me a cake.

        • You had no argument. You did not, nor do you now, know what the bill said. You simply joined the mob. Mobs don’t argue or debate. In all the thousands of words and insults hurled at supporters of the law I saw not one person quote words from the bill they found so offensive.
          The mob won as they always do. A few lied about the bill and the many joined the riot not knowing or caring what they were rioting for/against. Of course, their task was made easier by feckless Republican legislators.

          • Commonsense,

            You are right about the Republican legislators. They turned tail and ran from the small but vocal minority of Christians who demanded the sexual orientation language not be added. (Can you say, “Give us your money. Don’t expect our votes.”)

            But your other premise is fatally flawed – the idea that everyday citizens cannot point out to you the intricacies of the RFRA law to your satisfaction. It’s a ridiculous argument…it takes a legal scholar to respond accurately to this insignificant request of yours. Of course posters here can’t argue the fine points of the RFRA law…but then they are equally unable to argue quantum mechanics. But CLEARLY, the corporate counsel in the executive suite of Indiana businesses DID agree the law allowed discrimination. And THEY do know the law. That is good enough C-S.

          • Stop beating the horse CS. It already dead. Thanks to the public outcry about Section 8 and 9 of the act that was revised to grant protection for the GLBT community. It’s over so why are you still fighting the Civil War?

          • Quark. I did not ask for intricacies, I asked for words. You don’t have to understand them. Just tell us the words from the bill you find so offensive.
            After all, you may have joined the mob based on lies about what the bill actually said.

          • C-S, yours is a flawed argument…more importantly, it’s irrelevant. This is over, decided and the law. You want to win all the way to no money….its hilarious. (Another way of saying, this is irrelevant.)

            (Using words like “mob rule” is one way of describing a vote by legislators. I think, perhaps, it is more like the words of someone upset over losing the vote.)

          • Moveon. Thank you for illustrating exactly who Gruber was referring to.
            BTW: The Civil War was about race, not sexual preference.

          • Whew! Good job C-S. Some people think the Civil War was not about race. They think it was about States rights.

    • Holy Hyperbole, Batman!!!!! I love how you think you “know” what fellow Hoosiers think on a matter. Did you run a survey and a poll to find out? Or did you just sit in your little “coffee clutch” of like minded bigots, and pat each other on the back for being part of a lynch mob? You are just like Obama, where you believe that if you say something, then it has to be true. Your propaganda cries no weight here and it sure is not supported by any true facts. All conjecture and opinion, created by the LGBT minority, in an effort to make yourselves seem more special than you are.

      And of course you refuse to answer any questions that have been given you about what the bill says/means. As with most, if not all of the protesters, you have no clue what it states or what it means. You are following the lead of the liberal left and trying to make a big situation out of it, when there is no statement what so ever that says gays can be discriminated against. all the bill does is give the business owner the opportunity to have their case heard in court. period.

      • Put down your bong Brandon…..how about this fact: The RFRA was amended to include protection for sexual orientation.

        You are all blather, ignorance and insecurity Brandon.

        Good news. Next up, adding protection for sexual orientation to formal civil rights federal and state law. We’re gonna watch you go ballistic on that one B.

        • Again, mister insecurity starts off with the insults. Shows me you are a man (?) with no backbone, when you can’t debate with discussion, its all disinformation, name calling and obfuscating the issue.

          Keep dreaming flyboy. Your high falooting education sure doesn’t do you much good. You live and die by the liberal agenda. Keep telling everyone half truths and misinformation, eventually someone might believe some of it. But don’t come in here trying to pass your opinion off as fact and the law. You have no grasp on what the rest of the county, state or country believes or feels. You keep promoting your agenda and keep telling yourself that everything will be all right. But one day you will wake up and get smacked back into reality.

          Your last little string of words is just the next step in the liberal agenda and just because your ilk think it should happen, doesn’t mean it will. Your just like the loser president, keeping saying something over and over and eventually someone might believe you. Keep flying “High”

          • Why…that’s worth putting in the vault, pretty resentful stuff! It’ s a policy discussion Brandon. Hang on, it will sink in. And in case you didn’t notice, the GOP added the protection language for sexual orientation, and I’m one of them. Them Dems didn’t add it. Those are the facts. And they are undisputed. You look small B.

  3. So. The CC is telling people of faith the sexual liberty trumps spiritual liberty. . Besides being meaningless, this action by the CC is either based on ignorance of the RFRA or dishonesty about what the law allows. This city has told the religious community that their expression of faith is not allowed on a public sidewalk as other expressions have been and that one can be forced by the weight of government to violate one’s religious convictions.

    If by one word, hate, religious liberty can be banished to the pew, home, or heart, then what liberty cannot be banished by the same word?

    Was this vote announced in the CC’s agenda? Was public input sought? Is this vote even constitutional? How is it legal for the CC to side against religious liberty? They are the representative of all of the people including people of faith. A resolution which essentially supports the city’s ability to dictate that one can be forced to violate one’s religious convictions is the government establishing a religion and is a violation of my constitutional rights.

    • Enoch. You ask “what liberty cannot be banished by the same word?” Forcing churches to perform homosexual marriages? Something to ponder.
      Something else to ponder. Exactly what is the current definition of marriage?

      • Being as the court struck down our definition of marriage, Indiana has no definition of marriage. However that was our own legislator’s fault because they singled out homosexuality for exclusion. You cannot single out any group… Unless it is religious which has protection under the first amendment. Go figure how that works.

    • Question: If I owned a screen-printing shop and Mohammed Hussein asked my to print 1000 tees with Allahu Akbar, an Islamic battle cry, on full chest should I have the right to refuse his business?

      • In my opinion, that falls in a whole different category, calling for the death of innocent people.

        • We start down a slippery slope when we tell business owners they can’t be discriminating with regard to clientele.

      • Hit post to soon. Your point is valid however in that no one owns another person’s labor to force one to violate his principles.

  4. The S.S. Evansville is listing. She is taking on water, and Russ’ pail pales in comparison to the need to feed the monster, which is the General Fund. I could not believe McGinn’s comments last night, especially the one where he says he’s not surprised the City is burning through cash reserves; and he justified it by saying ‘ but we bought up a bunch of land downtown for future development . . . “. Hello, Earth to Dan: if you can’t afford to buy the Land, you also can’t afford to build the structure !”.

    Limeout

    • Not sure how the bean counter can request an advance from 2015 Sewer and Water funds to shore up the budget for 2014 without placing the request on a public agenda, and then sealing the deal with a consent agenda, no discussion mind you, nearly a month later in the absence of light.

      The rumpled one is a real piece of work. He ages health care expenses more than 90 days to the tune of $3 million, deposits 2015 advances into the 2014 revenue to the tune of $2.5 million, and ends up $300,000 in the black for the fiscal year. All the while faking a grin and telling us everything will be fine. Don’t worry. Trust me.

      He failed to mention the biggest revenue strategy in the works for some time. Increasing the sewer and water fees, year after year, mandate by mandate, until the sewer and water bills average $200/month. Can we get a little advance? No problem. Mo money Mo money Mo money.

      Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.

      • Which is why he was only a one term GOP mayor. The people voted him out of the Mayor’s office and he keeps coming back like a boomerang.

        Keeping Russ around shows a lot about what the current GOP thinks about the citizens of Evansville, IN.

  5. I was glad to see John Friend push back against McGinn’s observation that Friend’s crusade on spending was purely political. Tip to Friend re: the future: if asked again by McGinn about your motivation: “You’re damn straight it’s political; now tell me what YOUR administration is doing to fix the problem”.

    • IE: Own up to what you stand for and don’t back down so easily. Have some well established principles to live by and don’t let the Mayor and his underlings push the City Council Around.

    • Contrarily, I thought John Friend came off like Curly Joe, the bubbling Stooge, ill prepared and fumbling around for his papers, which he promptly failed to read and interpret properly. I also found Conor O’Daniels to have a remarkable television resemblance to Larry. Brinkerhoff Riley surprised me with her adroitness last night.

  7. Butterfly McGinn was once seen as the second coming. He proceeded to unzoo the zoo, was awarded a council seat without objection and now finds himself taking cheap shots at the Commodore as a weak defense to an indefensible administration’s financial shenanigans. His failure to show up for the bipartisan Tri State Voices show is not the action of a candidate who cares about an informed constituency. Fly’s ducking of the electorate puts him in the same foul stew as The Mosby, Holli Sullivan, Ron Bacon, and Wendy McNamara. They are afraid of their opponents, afraid to debate, quaking at the thought of the public finding out their true agenda before the election (the state legislators listed all voted for the reprehensible RFRA). They are, as a group and severally, ripe for de-election. Political ear of tin, McGinn?

    McGinn finally has a challenger this year. Never thought I’d be hoping for an avowed Teabagger to win an election but here it is: Bozikis for 1st Ward council.

  9. Government IS attempting to establish a religion. It is called atheism.

    One of the tenants of that (non) religion is that goverrnment edicts are superior to God’s law. The atheists and other non-thinkers among us are putting un-Constitutional procllamations superior to our US Constution. That is un-American.

      • No. He’s not right. He’s wrong. And he can’t write worth a damn.

        The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land in the United States.

        Not a Koran. Not a Bible and Not a Roll of Paper Towels.

        • Wow, you just can’t resist trying to insult every person who believes differently than you. Talk about a bigot.

          How’s this smart guy, the Constitution was created by men who were Christians and believers in God. They used their beliefs as well as the avoidance of failures in other societies, to help shape the Constitution.

          You sir are not as smart as you try to project yourself as. You are a dyed in the wool liberal who refuses to consider others opinions and views. And when you start feeling less superior than others around you you start with the put downs and insults. Please grow the hell up.

          • BRANDON, you need a dictionary and should look up some definitions: insult, bigot, supreme, liberal. I don’t think you have a fundamental understanding of common everyday English words. Your arguments are disjointed, obtuse, inaccurate and lack any clear distinction of elements.

          • And you, quark, would do well to read a bill before you join a mob protesting the language of the bill of which you, and they, know absolutely nothing. It was all a lie. Doesn’t that bother you?

          • Uh, last time I looked at the history of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution were composed by a group of individuals who were Christians (of various denominations including Protestants and Roman Catholics), Agnostics, and Deists. They remembered and understood the faults of a government sponsored and mandated religion.

        • Commonsense….the addended RFRA with the protections for sexual orientation has passed. It’s the law. I can’t figure out why you want to re-debate it. What is clear is the backlash against the extreme minority that pushed the original RFRA was quick and sudden – the GOP walked away from these people because they are extremists trying to pretend they are the majority. What IS coming is a totally, its-gonna-pass campaign to add protections for sexual orientation to all State and Federal law. The bigots in the minority actually propelled this forward…ironically.

  10. If the revisions to RFRA included protection for LBGTs, then why would the city council ask that it be overturned? Could it just be another case of political grandstanding?

    • Could be a case of doing the right thing, a rare occurrence with the current council. They can speak as a body and stamp it with a vote anytime they please, nobody has to like it and it’s not binding on anyone. It’s simply their viewpoint and a good one in my opinion. The political grandstanding took place when that foul bill was passed in the first place.

      • “Not so much” room for centrists on this mess anymore, we’ll keep the observation points up though. One has too see the blend to find the viable answers. That’s what we do during our analysis of certain areas. Main thing is to advance sustainable solutions at a cost that isn’t intrusive to the regions we select.

  11. The “spending plans” for the city of Evansville are its submitted “proposed budgets”! When those budgets are created in some fantasy land that bears no reality to actual expenses and revenue faced by the city there can be no result but chaos.

    Weinzapfel’s spending left the city in dire financial straits, from which it has not recovered. The present situation calls for some mature individuals with a moral compass and a passion to save this city to step forward and take the reins. Cuts are in order. Belt tightening is in order. A sell off of anything that does not add to the city’s bottom line is in order. But MOST of all, a competent financial officer must be found for this city, starting immediately!

  12. It is true, Press. Belt tightening is in order. Indebting taxpayers an additional $80 million for a hotel and a med school with no ownership in either is not in order.
    Speaking of fantasy land revenues, a full and accurate accounting of TIF zones and revenue would probably burst a few bubbles.

  14. The money’s gone. No one had any right to divert it to cover their asses. WHY is someone NOT scared of going to jail for this? How do responsible(?) people NOT swing for handling funds that weren’t released through proper channels?
    Why is no one concerned about this?

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