IS IT TRUE December 11, 2013

1. Trouble with a website with growing pains….
   Foot meet Mouth
   IAMIRITE?

   • Sorry, I got you & Phillus confused.

2. I think there is no arguing with the improvements to race relations in South Africa since Mandela was released from prison and elected to office, but I do believe a second look at his early history is in order. The reason he was in prison in the first place wasn’t just because the guy was black, it was because he was a leader of an organization that targeted civilians in bombings and other attacks we would have no problem today classifying as “terrorism”. In fact, the US State Department had Mandela and his former organization listed as a terrorist organization until 2008 when it was removed with some embarrassment and an apology.

   The near deification of Mandela was a work of the British press, racked with perhaps justified guilt about their colonial past.

   On a lighter note, has anyone seen Obama’s “selfie gate” scandal? It’s pretty hilarious stuff.

   • Brad…. What some call a freedom fighter others call
     terrorist. He served his time Respectfully and become a symbol of equal rights. You are clearly on the wrong side of history.

     • I accept that you have a point, yet modern history has traditionally rewarded non-violent operators such as MLK, Ghandi, and Jesus. The glorification of Mandela, while seemingly deserved for his later career, seems misplaced for his association with violence, and not just any violence, violence against civilian targets.

       • Nice use of examples……. MLK (wife beater), Jesus (socialist and fable) and Gandhi was no saint either. He refused to let doctors give his wife life saving western medicine in the form of penicillin to treat her bronchitis/pneumonia. She died. However, he took quinine when he contracted malaria. Great examples buddy.

         • Haha… Ok, so you rise in defense of Mandela because I dare question his use of violence against civilians, yet you attack Ghandi for his medical decisions and Jesus for being both a socialist and myth? Are you joking? 🙂

         • You also said modern history….. Lol.

         • Jesus lives. 😉

         • Lived. The rest is up to debate young man.

         • Not with me. Those debates only interest me after a few ales. Still too early.

         • Yea, I would need a buzz if I were u 2 😉

   • Link to Chicago Tribune article where our spoiled brat narcissist in chief is acting like a juvenile delinquent at a funeral while his wife sits dignified next to him. Of course a couple of Eurotrash Prime Minstrels are sitting next to the narcissist acting like they are on a reality TV show with him.

     http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-kass-met-1211-20131211,0,1949947,full.column

     • I just read that the interpreter for the deaf at that event was a fake and just signing jibberish. What a hoot!

       • I was just reading about that too. Apparently this wasn’t the first time this guy has faked signing at a major event!

         I can’t imagine what the deaf people at home must have been thinking…and what was this dude saying for like two hours? “Pig twisted moon chutes walk police cows water thanks”. I mean, hilarious.

       • I’m confused as to why that’s Obama’s gaffe. Did Obama set up this event in South Africa and hire the interpreter?

         • Yes, and he probably killed Mandela, too. Just ask any TP’er!

         • I didn’t see anyone anywhere saying the signer was Obama’s fault. I only commented on it because someone else mentioned it and I is pretty hilarious. 🙂

           On the other hand, taking selfies and appearing to flirt with a Danish ambassador during a memorial service for a major world leader is something he could control. That story is equally funny. The look of obvious displeasure on the face of the First Lady made even ME feel like I was headed straight to the doghouse.

         • I dont disagree with you, the “selfie” was dumb. He was trying not to be rude though. I laugh at the people bitching about him shaking the Cuban’s hand. What’s he supposed to do, walk right by him in front of thousands of people? The fallout from that would be even worse. He’s not condoning anything by simply shaking the guys hand at an apolitical event. The fact remains that Obama simply cannot win with some people.

         • Being an advocate of free trade, I would have done more than shake the Cuban’s hand. I would have sat down and talked about how to repair our country’s relations once and for all.

       • When he made scissors cutting paper sign, I was floored.lol

     • Obama is a national disaster.

   • I find it interesting that in his death, he is now the subject of so much scrutiny. It is like people are trying to ruin his legacy. His associations with communists was necessary because they were the only ones offering to help remove him and his people from oppression. I believe that there is good and bad in both non-violent and violent protests against oppression. Was Mandela’s crimes any worse than the crimes against humanity that were perpetrated by the government? I feel the same way about our current situation in the Middle East with Israel and the Palestinians. Where do we get the right to choose who’s right and who’s wrong when both sides have committed horrendous transgressions?

     • I think attacking legitimate state or military targets is defendable, even if some innocent people accidentally die, but targeting civilians is something else. George Washington didn’t go around killing loyalist covilians, at least not that we know about. Do you at least agree there is a distinction?

       • MLK had a quote that said, “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” Using that logic there are no innocents in their fight. If anything, history tells us that all is fair. America is still killing innocent people, except we call them collateral damage.I have never experienced the harsh reality of oppression, so I can not make the determination of right or wrong in that situation. I could not imagine what I would do if myself and my family were being subjected to that type of abuse.

3. Joe, does that family qualify for any subsidy? Make sure you paint the whole picture. Also, is the alternative (nothing) any cheaper or provide any benefit?

   • I expect the answer is yes and addressed that in IIT. To find out how much would have taken signing up which I did not want to do. I would point out that with a deductible that high even if a 100% subsidy was available for the policy the out of pocket would exceed one-third of their income.

     With or without insurance in this case the family would not have the funds to pay the deductible unless they had substantial savings which young families earning the median wage never seem to have.

     • I ran this quickly on the kff.org site. Your family would get a “bronze plan” for $569/year. The preventive care visits that come at no additional cost will cover healthy parents, and likely a child would incur little out-of-pocket costs.

       • So the scenario of the high deductible being too expensive is still a problem but the premiums for the insurance are about 90% mitigated. Is that the result from that site? The plan we found on healthcare.gov was essentially what have been getting called “junk” plans on MSNBC. The results after the subsidy then are about $48 per month with a high deductible after subsidy. That is about the same as a private plan was last year for his situation.

         • +1

         • The preventive care Dr’s visits that have no deductible mitigate the high deductible. Healthy people will need no more Dr. visits than the preventive care ones.

           • I realize that the Dr. visits with a $40 copay are roughly the same as what most people with employer provided plans or individual plans have now. The deductible is higher than most now but most healthy people don’t hit it anyway. I am not seeing this as very different for a family making $35k than what we have always had. It is clear that the sick and the poor come out ahead. Putting myself in the place of this fictitious family given the subsidy you posted I would go for the policy. I would still be in a heap of trouble if someone came down with cancer and had to deal with the $12k deductible. The $2500 deductibles that lots of people have had has always been something that people can manage. As wages increase the subsidy goes away. It seems like the real losers in ObamaCare are families pulling in $60k to $90k. The rich of course will get hosed but their numbers are low and they mostly have the ability to absorb the losses. It middle class are the ones that will lose the most. I think the family in the example we chose will be fine unless someone gets really sick OR has another baby. The last birth I heard the bill for was over $10k.

         • The cost for Izzy’s birth 3 years ago was about $3500 without Caesarian at Deaconess Gateway.

       • how about the hard working Americans that have lost their healthcare…..when the employer mandate hits next year barry has the numbers and knew up to a 100 million people will lose their healthcare……who pays for the so called subsidy when AMERICA is over 17000000000000 in debt and growing by leaps and bounds…….this is radical liberalism at its best…..turning the entire country into a detroit…….barry is a lying disgrace……..i love it when a deadbeat and and a toad likes to talk about spending other peoples money……http://www.usdebtclock.org/

         • Gee, I wonder what your fancy debt clock would look like without the Iraq fiasco.

           • The public debt increased under GWB by $6 Trillion in 8 years. $1.4 Trillion of that was due to the Iraq fiasco. In Obama’s first term (4 years) the debt went up by another $6 Trillion. So to answer your question without the debt from the Iraq fiasco the debt would be $15.6 Trillion today instead of $17 Trillion. Both numbers are a damn disgrace as is the fact that the last two dopes in office are responsible for 70% of the total debt that took 237 years to run up. Please stop using Bush as an excuse for that economic fool named Obama. Bush was no rocket scientist but he was better than Obama with managing the economy. Obama never held a private sector job. He is the most unprepared president we have ever had. I hope we can endure another 3 years of his incompetence.

             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_public_debt

         • What was Bush’s job? Managing daddy’s oil fields?

           • So you agree that the last two presidents have been completely over their head. I see you didn’t defend President Selfie. Bush did manage a baseball team and served as Governor of Texas. He was much better prepared than Obama to defend and protect the constitution of the USA. Obama doesn’t even respect the constitution enough to try to do his job. He sure is pretty up there giving a speech though. Is he related to the Kardashians? That is about how qualified he is to be president.

         • What was your lord and savior Mitchy boy’s estimate as to what the Iraq fiasco would cost? It was a grand scheme to line a few Bush cronies’ pockets.

         • What was Obama’s last job..hanging up signs on light post as a community organizer for Acorn..voting present in the IL Senate or being editor of the law journal at Harvard but never writing an article that appeared in it?

4. Oscar McGee has been a close friend of my family’s since before I was born. I have nothing but respect for him and the people that put in the hours attempting to clear the streets, but there is no denying that the streets were not cleared well. I understand the pattern of clearing the primary roads first and then the secondary roads, but I went down Stringtown from Maxwell to Diamond on Sunday and it still looked untouched. I heard the same complaints from people througout the city. I understand that it is a difficult job and that there was ice that made it more difficult. I understand that there are miles and miles of roads in Evansville that needed to be covered. My issue is that people keep saying that the city did a great job at snow removal and people are taking photo ops with the plows instead of honestly saying, “We understand that there is still more work needed. For the safety of the citizens we will continue to try to clear the roads better. Please be patient.” Save the pats on the back for later.

   • More work is needed, looking at not only your local area as well as the rest of the country,we should really start with the application of sustainable conceptual inclement winter weather management. Putting some innovative thought to the issue might approach a opportunity for a community that finds a critically thought out plan for logistical travel in times like this.
     After all the commerce revenue picture isn’t in Evansville alone its nationwide.
     Thus methodology that moves that into sustainable and highly effective,very affordable overall infrastructuring to support community needs will grow an region for the positive. Solutions through seasonal balancing can work incrementally per every seasonal infrastructure challenge presented. I have put some thought into this lately,huge commerce growth available,I mean look around the country people. What if you could actually defeat transportation gridlock incrementally across the board, while innovatively incrementally reducing the overall carbon climate footprint,in process. I have been observing the chemical balance issues with road deicing,lots of opportunity there. First of a timing management is key the component to application.
     Location,management for true infrastructure usage per hour is also incremental in success. That data can be recovered in any season,cloud based technology today offers real time,and less carbon footprint(fuel usage, per hour meter). Some other issues are such as what is put into the ecosystem life stream by the applications used today. Treatments to melt are advancing through good chemistry and plenty of research,however going back to seasonal infrastructure management,say just what does the salt do when applied to sidewalks drives and other surfaces,well some deicing methods cause concrete depredation at an alarming rate,pockmarks,surface failures and unsightly appearance,take say Franklin street and the business there,if the sidewalks and signs are important to district presentation then flinging deicing treatments all over them can reduce the quality of the surface. Driveways and personal residential properties as well,on any street. “Sweep the stuff off the sidewalks.”
     Also when clearing planners should be aware of the runoff content of the stormwater drainage structures,like the east side business district and the retention areas,what will the chemical salinity be in those after melting rundown,and where does that go next? BTW those are “freshwater fish’ in those ponding areas….City lakes and proposed water features such as the ones projected in the Roberts park area might put some seasonal thought to the whole process.
     Historically salting a fellas ground,or well, is a nasty concept. (dark ages),needlessly applying chemical to solve one problem can seasonally create another.
     Be careful what you wish for aye?

     On the Mandela stuff,his ability to Absorb,and Forgive,and Unite is probably the legacy,great leader,My take on his vision…something like this.

     www//youtube.com The World Outside my Window by David Peterson, both videos

     note: “The thin Green Line.” 🙂

5. “Tax cut could cost city millions” the headline screams. Now for the rest of the story.

   The tax under discussion is the business personal property tax, and the City of claims it will lose $7. Million if it is eliminated.

   When I saw that in the newspaper a lot of things came to mind. The fact that business was able to achieve the elimination of the Inventory Tax a few years back was one thought. That loss also had to be made up.

   And that is what it is all about really, who gets to make up the loss of revenue when business is able to lobby successfully for the elimination of yet another tax.

   If the City is truly concerned about this loss, why has it routinely granted 7 year abatement on this tax to any company that applies, and they all do, and why is it 7 years.

   It is 7 years because the depreciation period on the machinery is 7 years, after which time the amount is as low as it will go and they continue to pay at the low amount annually.

   So when it comes to making up this loss we have two areas to choose from, we have businesses and we have individuals.

   So what do you think the batting averages are for dodging taxes between businesses and individuals?

   Lets not guess here, lets go straight to the horses mouth:

   The monthly revenue reports of the Indiana Department of Revenue have all the figures.

   The last month for 2013 for which totals are available is October, so click on October. You will see column headings of “Individual Income” and “Corporate Tax”. Follow those heading over to the far right column for the “net collections” figures and you will see the disparity in the collections between Individual and Corporate taxes.

   If you also look at the December 2012 figures you can find on that page, somewhere, the totals for the entire year, which will again reinforce the disparity.

   So we are going to hear a lot about the business personal property tax in the coming media so called “coverage”, but what you will NOT hear is who is going to be tagged with making up the difference if this tax is eliminated.

   Want to make a bet on who that will be?

   ___

   • Indiana Department of Revenue link here:

     http://www.in.gov/dor/3657.htm

     __

   • Pressanykey- The inventory tax was regressive. It was levied on unsold inventory,–that penalized small business and start-ups, that had financed some, if not all of their inventory. That left these businesses paying interest to the lender, on the borrowed money, used to create inventory, –and taxes on that inventory they didn’t even really “own”, and as unsold, produced no profit to counter overhead.

     • That may have been the case for new car sales, but it is not the case for the inventory for all the goodies at all the big box stores and local manufactures like Mead Johnson.

       __

       • Press,–have you ever heard the word, “floor plan”?
         Most of the inventory ($$) at a Car lot are carried by a lender, the dealer doesn’t really “own” them either. But I was not speaking to that, I mention small business, and start-ups,–you know the main job creators. –and the big boys have enjoyed a “Duty Free” zone, the Evansville airport has had one for years.

         • Boat dealers really took it up the tail pipe, I needed inventory for the Feb boat show and they accessed on the 1st of March, all that on a seasonal business. What a Rip, its one reason I’m not a boat dealer anymore.

   • Press:

     Do you see the irony ? The City blows $ 45 Million on Johnson Controls for more accurate meters (could have just raised rates without buying new meters) and blows $ 20 Million on a subsidy to the Downtown Hotel (without ever seeing a business plan).

     Now, the City is crying “foul” when it will lose $ 7 Million annually on a tax on businesses ?

     Memo to politicos: save your money, and then you can afford to be “business friendly”.

6. “Want to make a bet on who that will be?”

   We know the answer to that. Corporate tax has always been a strange concept to me. The ultimate consumer (individual) is the ultimate taxpayer. We buy the products with the taxes built into the price.

7. May I suggest that CCO try another scenario on the ACA website. The “catastrophic coverage” option does not allow for any subsidy. The other plans do, so maybe you should see what your family with a median income would pay for a bronze or silver plan? I think it would be appreciably less.

   • Catastrophic plans are supposed to be cheap. They should attract under 30s who just want protection in the worst case. High deductibles should be accompanied by low annual rates. This smacks of paying for the scheme on the backs of the young and healthy, just as many have been saying would happen.

     • Hopefully, the younger applicants will be bright enough to look into more than one option!

       • LKB–Reports say they have, and are opting out. The Socialists probably think they should face jail time, Yeah, that’s the ticket, maybe that will wake them up to the fact it’s not their money,– they earned,– it’s the governments.

         • What reliable reports say that?

         • Probably another looney tunes baptist web site like the one some body posted as a legitimate source last week.

   • All of the other bronze plans shown had higher premiums and 5 figure deductibles.

     • Shocking they would be that..like gambling going on is Casablanca just shocking!!

     • You continue to ignore the preventive care visits that are free. If the worst happens, would you rather have a $12,000 bill or a $1 million bill?

       • The other alternative is, of course, just to suffer and die.

       • Such a family will pay neither so why would they care? The decisions on insurance are going to be made based on current cash flow. By the way you should work for or volunteer for the agencies that are explaining the ACA to confused people. You seem to have a good handle on it.

         • Let me give you a hint. The doctor, hospital, and pharmacy would rather you have the $12,000 bill. You may also be surprised that a lot of people of modest means have a lot more integrity than you give them credit for.

           • I know you are correct about what the hospital prefers. An account receivable is certainly better than getting stiffed. I hope you are right about human nature. I believe that most people if offered a payment plan that is not usury and works with their budget, debts like this will eventually get paid. It may be $50 per month for 20 years but that is better than nothing. If interest stacks up at a rate beyond their ability to pay they will not pay though. That is how it is now and it is unlikely to change. Remember, the supposed 40 million people with no coverage contains quite a few who do not buy catastrophic policies now even at $40 a month by choice. For people with existing conditions this is a chance to get insured period. They still have to be able to afford it.

     • I find it rather amazing that with ACA being a virtual bomb @ this point, that there are still some kool-aid drinkers that are firmly defending ACA. Give ’em credit for their loyalty. Or is it ignorance………Excuse me; I need to shake Raul’s hand and then go take a “selfie” of myself and some friends.

8. I don’t fault the workers for the deplorable condition of our streets, but maybe we should cast a discerning eye at the Mayor and County Commissioners.
   It should probably be addressed while the Mayor explains away the “sign” debacle, Ms. Holderfields letter, the “fuss” over the McCurdy, and announces the fantastic plan for the IU Medical School to locate downtown. Today would be a good day to do that. Are there any news conferences scheduled today?

   • Wonder what happen to the mayors campaign topic of bringing the “beet juice” pretreatment to the city streets that has been as he said so successful in the county?

     JMHO

   • I find it amazing that Winnecke’s short falls/miscues are very evident, but when it comes to BHO, you see no problems. Splain that one to me Lucy.

     • Oh, I see problems with Obama, but he’s the best choice a progressive-leaning liberal has these days. As for Winnecke, how can anybody miss his incompetency.
       Btw, I was Secretary of the USI Young Republicans, and cut the ribbon at the Russell Lloyd’s (the father) campaign headquarters. I didn’t leave the Republican Party, I got smarter with age and it left me!

       • The Republican Party has left a lot of people. It’s war hawkishness and abysmal defense of civil liberties in the last couple decades has harmed its repute among the young. Ron Paul brought me back. I realized that the Republican Party was always the party of peace, prosperity, liberty, and equality. The Democratic Party has been the Party of Jim Crowe, Keynesian economics, Marxist social and economic policies, welfare, and warfare.

         I believe the Republican Party is in a time of change, a change which was catalyzed by Paul and will be fully realized by the generation of young people currently being alienated by Obama.

         • Rand Paul is on record for wanting to overturn the civil rights act. Yep, he’s really going to galvanize the young educated vote.

         • Rubbish. He explicitly said he would not repeal the act at this stage in history, but had he been in Congress in 1964 he would not have supported it as written. He also said Jim Crow Laws needed to be repealed and should have been found unconstitutional. I agree with him on all counts.

           It doesn’t matter to anyone at this point…unless you’re a desperate Rachel Maddow looking for ratings, or a scared little Democrat who has only fear and no understanding of what true equality and freedom actually mean.

9. State highways were not clear until Yesterday.

   This was an “out of normal” storm with rain (preventing pretreatment), Ice followed by significant snow. Every commercial lot out there is worse than what is normally expected. People driveways that are usually pristine are more covered than usual.

   That the city/county is experiencing the exact same results as the State, Private and surrounding cities/states tells us that this is an unusual event.

   If perfection no matter what is the demand, well even this website falls short (Kunkle correction).

10. IG,Your pretty close with that assessment,the storm system that passed was one of the largest events ever responded to not only in Evansville but clear across the entire country.
    The timing and veracity of the thing was a strain on even the most advance logistics infrastructures in our nation. Exactly, why I study these things and try to apply some kind of a economical,however more effective solution to the issue at hand. Innovating the concept can start some major changes in the product of the service itself,and doing that to enhance our entire planets carbon footprint in process drives the huge commercial advantage one system will offer over another.
    Competitive effective solutions to a yearly problem that will only increase in events intensity forward without some planned and applied climate change solutions.
    Big picture incremental,this is how an area such as yours can mark growth forward.
    What if someone creates a concept that could prevent the nation wide traffic gridlock,and provide better safety numbers while in process,and reduce global carbon driven climate change incrementally?

    I think theres a solution at hand,in fact its already applied by various methods as of to date,however not in the realm of emergency logistical infrastructure management.
    Note: The site development for such a “conceptual production facility” would take lots of industrial manufacturing throughput space…”clue”.. an unused “potential actuality” of an aircraft manufacturing facility, or other similar underutilized production line infrastructures and logistics required. Plus 24/7 operational staffing required for effective global supply chain management.
    Location of applied preventative measures,for overall storm management infrastructures are critical to successful forward planned applications,timed asset inputs,and best locational distribution is critical.

    “Heck, some problems can sometimes be solved before they are created.”

11. That fake signer at Mandela’s service was really something once he got going. He started to resemble a third-base coach. For a while I thought Bush might get confused and try to lay down a bunt.

    • It turns out this guy showed up “signing” at another national event last spring in South Africa. It sounds like he gets off on being an imposter.

      • News reports are now saying that he has been suffering from a degree of schizophrenia through a major portion of his adult life.

12. Is It True that the county ran out of salt and that’s why the roads are awful?
    Is It True that the workers are fantastic but they can’t do anything without the materials it takes to clear the roads?
    Is It True that we loyal readers of the City County Observer expect the watchdog of the community to interview the workers of the county garage or the superintendent of the county garage to find out why a six inch snowfall kept kids out of school 5 total days. When was the last time Evansville schools were out 5 straight days? WE WANT TO KNOW! And we know the courier won’t do anything so we depend on the City County Observer for the facts.

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