IS IT TRUE January 30, 2013

61
The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE that we hear that Evansville Fire Chief has implemented meaningful training programs to bring his department into the 21st Century?…that the it is reported that Evansville Fire Chief has scheduled a training program beginning today at 9:00 a m throughout the city?…that the Mole Nation tells us that code name of the City of Evansville Fire Department training program is titled “Operation Bed Bugs”?

IS IT TRUE we hear that the Evansville Fire Chief has implemented a random drug testing program?…that phase one of the random drug testing program selected 6th Ward City Councilman and Fireman, Al Lindsey to be tested for illegal drugs?…that Mr. Lindsey tested clean from any illegal drugs?…we wonder …we wonder how many of the 275 plus fire fighters were selected to take this “random” drug test in phase one?…the statistical odds of any one fire fighter including Councilman Lindsey being chosen to randomly is 0.36%?…even the most law abiding among us would have to question the true randomness of Councilman Lindsey’s selection?…one might just say that Al wins again against the smear machine?

IS IT TRUE that former Vice President of the United States Al Gore who actually won the popular vote in his quest to become president in the 2000 elections has been in the news quite allot lately?…it seems as though the man who missed out on being our president by a hanging chad or two and a Supreme Court intervention has sold one of his networks to Al Jazeera?…Vice President Gore is now reported to be richer than Mitt Romney who was tarred and feathered for having personal wealth of over $100 Million yet paying only 14% net taxes?…that Vice President Gore consummated his deal that made his net worth rise to over $300 Million in December 2012 just in time to avoid the new tax increases on his spectacular capital gain?…we doubt that the timing of the closing of this deal was a coincidence and applaud Al Gore for doing what every entrepreneur would do which is to time things to his own benefit while living within the law of the land?…Vice President Gore did exactly what Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, or even golfer Phil Mickelson would have done?…the travesty is that Vice President Gore has not been attacked in the mainstream media for self serving timing in making a deal with a network that has been often referred to as “the voice of Islamic extremism”?…this shows the true hypocrisy of the mainstream media as Al Gore got a pass on all of his lucrative investments in now bankrupt green energy schemes pushed forward by the Obama Administration?…we wonder in the spirit of mergers and acquisitions that have combined the names of the former companies if the “voice of Islamic extremism” will soon be known as AlGore Jazeera?

IS IT TRUE that Louis Milan and her family have recently filed suit against the Evansville Police Department for the commando style raid on their home last summer?…as it turned out the Milan family was guilty of nothing but not having a password on their home wireless network?…no charges were filed and all of the actual damages have reportedly been covered and appropriate apologies offered?…that is all well and good but any of us who have had to deal with even a fraction of such an overzealous event understands the trauma that the Milan family suffered and will continue to suffer from this event?…financial recompense is a way of life in the United States of America and some recompense is due the Milan family?…we wish the Milan family and the Evansville Police Department good fortune and a speedy fair settlement so both can get on about living a better future?

IS IT TRUE that the readership juggernaught called the City County Observer has continued into 2013 with traffic up 22% over 2012?…the CCO is on track to set a record for a month that was not dominated by an election or an act of utter political ineptness?…we thank our readers for the continued loyalty and growth?…there will be a paper copy of the CCO published in the next week or so?

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61 COMMENTS

  1. It’s shameful that Bolin hasn’t been fired. As for the web site traffic increase, I’m tired of the C & P BS so I’ve been coming here more.

    • FIRED! For what??? For a department that follows the intel? The morale of the vast majority of the EPD has went way up since he was named Chief! His popularity with the common citizen is higher than any other Police Chief in history. His command team addresses the issues of the community and not the issues of the media. Police officers are human and not super heros, therefore mistakes can happen. Before you say it, we can play “what if” all the time, like “what if” that idiot that sent those threatening posts did not send them, well, we would not be having this discussion. I have had positive contact with Chief Bolin, and my 5 year old grandson was amazed with Chief Bolin after the Police Chief took the time and spoke with him, leaving a lasting impression!

      • I don’t necessarily think the guy should be fired, but there needs to be a statement from him regarding the lesson learned here and what’s going to change going forward in terms of policy and procedure. Instead we get a Facebook post that deletes any critical comments. Not really indicative of a lesson learned.

        I understand the Department is in the middle of a lawsuit and might not be the best time to come out with a statement of culpability, but at the very least, they could give critics the respect of not deleting their comments so that an honest debate can ensue.

        • Mr Bolin can’t be fired he’s a political appointee and can only be removed by the mayor…

          In this case he’s a victim of a knee jerk reaction to a perceived threat to EPD which in this day and age I can understand, not agree with the end tactics used but I do understand his motivation.

          JMHO

  2. I think it may be time for Fire Chief and his cronies take a drug test.

    This testing program should be fair and balance. Treat this program just like the militaty does, everbody from the top of the chain of command to the bottom should be tested.

    • I feel that ALL employees of any government (local to federal) to include elected officials, should be drug tested at least twice a year. And yes, I am a government employee, and I would gladly take a drug test!

  3. Ex-Illinois Gov. George Ryan released from prison
    By MICHAEL TARM Associated Press The Associated Press

    Wednesday, January 30, 2013 7:55 AM EST

    CHICAGO (AP) — Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was released from federal prison and into a Chicago halfway house Wednesday after serving more than five years for corruption.

    Ryan, 78, left the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., five months before his prison term officially ended, having qualified for early release to a halfway house.

    Ryan did not stop to talk to reporters before entering the Salvation Army Freedom Center on the city’s West Side before dawn. He was accompanied on the ride from the prison by his attorney, another former governor, Jim Thompson, who said Ryan talked during the journey about how good it felt to be out.

    “Today is another step in a long journey for George Ryan,” Thompson told the mass of reporters gathered outside the facility.

    “He’s in decent spirits. It is such a stark change from penitentiary life he has to become accustomed again to being on the outside,” he said.

    Ryan’s release means Illinois no longer has the dubious distinction of having two former governors behind bars simultaneously. Ryan’s successor, Rod Blagojevich, is now Illinois’ lone imprisoned governor. The Democrat is serving a 14-year term for corruption at a federal prison in Colorado…….(more)

    ___

  4. I had all my comments deleted from the EPD Facebook page yesterday for pointing out that SWAT team overuse in recent years has led to an increase in incidents where innocent homeowners have been actually gunned down by police from mistaken identity (fact) and that the increased militarization of police forces will lead to increased infringements on our Liberty (debatable). Problem is, the EPD won’t engage in a reasoned debate or tolerate any pointed criticism with grace. Any comment that doesn’t say, “You guys are totally in the right. You’re just doing your job,” is deleted.

    Maybe this incident will cause the EPD a moment’s pause to think about the rights of citizens next time they dress up in SWAT mode and bust down a door – warrant in hand or not. The people still deserve to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, especially when we’re talking about “evidence” as flimsy as an IP address. Come to think of it, half the time I’m dialed into CCO, I’m on an English proxy server. CCO Editor must think he’s got a lot of English traffic. 😉

      • I only see one post that was deleted. I think it was because the person put someones address on there. All of the other comments are still there. I did not see any wisdom from you on there. Did they finally ban you?

        • They banned me without a valid reason. They’re totally inconsistent with their enforcement of their very vague policies. Having a differing opinion was the reason.

  5. “IS IT TRUE that Louis Milan and her family have recently filed suit against the Evansville Police Department for the commando style raid on their home last summer?…as it turned out the Milan family was guilty of nothing but not having a password on their home wireless network?”

    ———————————————-

    You have to scratch your head and ask the question “what happen to good old fashion police work?”

    We still have a detective office staffed by detectives, why not do the minimum amount of investigation before going off fully cocked/locked and loaded? What happen to going up and knocking on doors, asking questions, doing a follow-up on the intel gathered, assess the threat level, and take appropriate action?

    The Military has a ROE (rules of engagement) that to the normal citizen would see as totally absurd (and it is) but yet law enforcement doesn’t seem to be hampered by any such nonsense and can use what ever level of force they deem necessary to stop a perceived threat…it’s a very odd world we live in.

    Don’t get me wrong we have many good officers some that I’m very proud to call my friends, but the paramilitary leanings of most police departments make episodes like this more and more common every day, most of the time they get it right but when they get it wrong the potential for innocent people to be killed becomes a very real possibility.

    …in a society where laws are passed on the pretense that “if we can save just one life” it would make most of us think that an action like this is totally off the chart in response to an threat made by a internet tough guy.

    but it is JMHO

    • The hammer and nail met squarely on this comment.

      How about just a good old fashioned stake out of the house for a few hours before barging in? They probably would have seen there was no threat. The first option should never be SWAT and grenades.

      It’s like taking a bazooka to a housefly.

      • Brad….

        Check out this link from one of my favorite tech web sites…

        http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/06/swat-team-throws-flashbangs-raids-wrong-home-due-to-open-wifi-network/

        Notice this quote….

        “So the cops did some more investigation and decided that the threats had come from a house on the same street. This time, apparently recognizing they had gone a little nuts on the first raid, the police department didn’t send a SWAT team at all. Despite believing that they now had the right location and that a threat-making bomber lurked within, they just sent officers up to the door.

        “We did surveillance on the house, we knew that there were little kids there, so we decided we weren’t going to use the SWAT team,” the police chief told the paper after the second raid. “We did have one officer with a ram to hit the door in case they refused to open the door. That didn’t happen, so we didn’t need to use it.””

        ————————–

        This quote alone is enough to show that even EPD knew they over reacted and actually decided to do actual police detective work.

        Again JMHO

        • I know. Even the national press can cover this as a disgraceful example of over use of force, yet somehow half of the plebs of this City are still cheering the EPD on in this as if the lawsuit is unfounded. It’s like watching a wildlife documentary, but with people.

          I know some guys on the police force, and there are some good cops who don’t deserve to be tainted with this, but there is no denying this was a failure and policy needs to be reviewed.

          • So anybody that doesn’t agree with you is “a pleb? I guarantee I’m not in the lower class as you like to put it. I don’t troll on these web sites 24-7 like you do. Do you actually have a job?????? You seem to have a NEGATIVE opinion about EVERYTHING. You rarely have anything positive to say.

          • A “pleb” is just an everyman who represents the archetype of the masses. No need to be offended by that…unless you think I was referring to you and you think the masses are idiots.

            As for being negative about everything, that’s not true, although I can see where you might get that impression seeing as our leaders get so little right it makes it tough to stay positive. Plus I put my real name to everything I say, unlike most.

        • I agree. The fact that they didn’t send a SWAT team to the correct house after the first debacle tells me they knew they didn’t need that excessive force, they just wanted to use it because they COULD. Got some new toys from Big Brother and were itching to try them out.

          • You are a piece of work. It is a derogatory, used for a person of low social status, a common vulgar person. It means a stupid idiot of very little intelligence. You called the people of Evansville plebs, not me! Re read your post. You rant and rave so much, you cant remember what you’ve said. Seems like you might need a little more shut eye instead of trolling these sites all hours of the day and night. It’s obvious that you are anti government, against the fire department, police department, sheriff’s department and the three legged dog down the street! Geesh! Didn’t your mother ever teach you “If you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all”.

            • “If you cant say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” Come on troll, that is about the most cliche’ based statement designed to cater to bad behavior that has ever been invented. What about “EVIL PREVAILS WHERE GOOD PEOPLE REMAIN SILENT”. You are playing into the desires of fools and despots with your slogan.

              Momma’s tell us that so we don’t call Auntie Kate fat and Uncle Jim a drunk at Christmas. Silence of the good has no place in a functional republic.

          • I think perhaps what we’re seeing here is someone with their panties in a bunch because they can’t delete this comment like they did on the EPD page?

            If this is not an accurate assessment, you sure can’t blame me for getting that impression.

            I don’t think the average high-minded CCO readership has much of a problem looking around and seeing that society is generally filled with idiots and riffraff. Hell, we elected George Bush AND Barack Obama…TWICE. How else do you explain it? 😉

          • …besides, I did give them the benefit of the doubt. I said only “half the plebs” were still cheering on the EPD.

  6. Yea my big problem with drug testing is they always want to test the little guy who is doing the work ,, the politicans and the guy with money’s claim its against their individual rights ,,,, what the heck about my rights If I wanna smoke a couple joints on my days off don’t worry about it …. And you still have the nerve to go have a 3 martini lunch daily

  7. CCO/Al Lindsey: CCO sates “one might just say that Al wins again against the smear machine”

    Big Al is very lucky to have a job! He violated rules and then lied about it. It would appear to me he needs to be tested.

    Every government employee should be regularly tested.

      • I think the Mayor and City Council should step up and take drug tests first, and make it mandatory for ALL city employees to take them, and likewise for the county, the Commissioners and County Council. Take it a steo further, before ANYONE can run for elected office, they should have to submit to a drug test on the day they file for elected office and the day before the election! BA BAM!

  8. I hear that Al Lindsey and Evansville Fire Chief Connelly both served in the military.

    I’m sure both were drug tested many times while they served to protect the good people of this county.

    Can the Fire Chief and Al both tell the CCO readers if any of them tested dirty for drugs while serving in the military?

    Here’s your chance to come clean Mr. Linsdey and Fire Chief Connely.

  9. I don’t know if the editor is mocking the ‘bedbug’ training or not, but the presentation was provided because bedbug problems have surfaced at several midwestern fire stations. Firefighters and medics enter infested home, critters crawl onto protective clothing and equipment, critters get carried back to fire station bedding and furniture, critters get carried home to family and friends…

    Gross, to say the least. Potentially expensive as well, because getting rid of bedbugs involves high-dollar treatment by pest control companies and/or throwing out all the furniture and bedding in a fire station and purchasing more. Taxpayers would be on the hook for both treatment options.

    It was awareness training, took about 45 minutes including questions. Probably time well spent if it helps keep a fire station or some hose-jockey’s house from being overrun with bedbugs.

  10. I cannot comment on the SWAT case until it is finished in court. That being said, I will be happy to sit down with the editors of the CCO and answer every question they can think of pertaining to this case once it is resolved in court.

    Billy Bolin

    • This is a good start. If I were Editor I might begin by asking if you are aware of all the cases around the country where SWAT has been used on the wrong house and innocent people have been killed.

      My next next question might be if you had staked out the home before the raid? If so, what was observed that further led you to believe this show of force necessary?

      I might also ask did you ever drive by the residence with a laptop or smartphone to see if you could find an open WiFi before the raid?

      I would also be interested to know if you had any experts or computer scientists look at the IP address evidence an educate you on the realities of wireless routers and how they worked?

      When the door was already open and you saw a young woman inside, why didn’t you just knock, announce your presence and the fact that you had a warrant? Was there any reason to believe this person was a bonafide suicide bomber?

      That would be a good start for me. I hope the Editor takes you up on this offer. For starters, my first question could be answered without jeopardizing your case. Are you aware of these other incidents I mentioned involving innocent people being killed?

      • He said he would answer all questions when the case was over. Your question about was he aware of other incidents where innocent people were killed as nothing to do with the case. The word “other” implies it happened here. Are you aware of the number of cops killed while doing their job? Are you aware of the number of SWAT officers that are killed? Does that information have anything to do with this event? You continue to post on every story on here like you are the expert on all things. All question and no contribution is no way to go through life. I think you mean well sometimes, but it there comes a time where we have to let the doers do and the complainers stew. I m not happy about everything the government does, but to find fault in everything they do and continually post on here like you are better than EVERYONE does not help anyone. Including you.  This is the CCO, not the BLO.

        • “You continue to post on every story on here like you are the expert on all things. All question and no contribution is no way to go through life.”

          You’re calling yourself “inquiring mind” today, yet you don’t understand why I ask questions. What more can I say to that? Oh wait. That was a question.

        • BLO….. Now that is funny! Brad Linzy, have you ever heard of beating a dead horse? Give it a rest. Chief Bolin said he would be happy to answer questions after the case is finished in court.
          Since you so often love to state that you use your real name, I looked you up on Facebook. You refer to half of the citizens of Evansville and Vanderburgh county as idiots. You don’t like our local government, nor our police dept, sheriff’s dept, or fire department, so why dont you go back to Kentucky where you’re from. Since you work or worked at a music store, I hear the state of Kentucky is looking for some over zealous, over opinionated guitar salesmen. After all the grass is greener or in this case bluer on the other side

          • BL, your reference to another incident has nothing to do with this. You trying to use that to show the police were wrong is ridiculous. Although it does fit into your anti-government agenda. There are many officers murdered every year. Maybe you can google that. It might open your eyes and your mind next time you want to pretend to be an expert on all things police related.

          • LOL….mama always told me not to feed the trolls but in this case I can’t resist.

            Had it not been for Mr Linzy’s posts do you believe Mr Bolin would have made the offer to the CCO to answer questions, or for that matter even make a appearance here posting under his real name, it does show that the posts here on the CCO don’t go unnoticed so posting your’s, mine or Mr Linzy’s opinions are a worth the time and effort.

            JMHO

          • Blanger, there you are! I was wondering when BLO’s thatta boy, you go girl, BFF was going to give his Rah, Rah!
            To answer your question…. ABSOLUTELY YES, Chief Bolin would and will answer all the questions surrounding this case when the trial is over.
            Meanwhile, I’m sure he is taking care of many more important issues today. What are you and BFF doing to make a difference? Selling a guitar pic to a young aspiring musician doesn’t count.

          • LOL….too funny.

            I have no doubt that Mr Bolin has a open door policy when it comes to the media, but you missed my point about him posting here on the CCO, other than Mr Linzy’s posts why did Mr Bolin choose to do that? I can’t recall seeing him post here before or on the C&P so what was his motivation?

            Maybe he just wanted to? he’s a very busy man I’m sure so why take the time? something prompted him to come here, read the posts, and comment…you have any insight at all?

            JMHO

            • For the record the CCO supported Mr. Bolin as a good choice for Police Chief and stand by that support. He seems willing to communicate and to learn from departmental mistakes. Those are characteristics of a good leader.

          • Do you really believe that the only reason he will answer questions about this case is because of your post? You might be thinking a bit highly of yourself.

          • You’ll see in a post I made earlier on this article that I did not necessarily agree with firing Mr. Bolin over this. I did, however, have serious questions for him and didn’t feel those were being taken seriously at all when I posed them in the relative privacy of the EPD page. Only when they seemed to be deleted, ignored and even ridiculed by those in charge on the EPD page did I make my opinions known elsewhere.

            The EPD has brought this criticism upon themselves and when this is all over, they should be releasing a statement of culpability and telling the good people of Evansville – guitar salesmen and musicians included – what they will be doing to rectify this failure in the future.

            I think it took balls for Mr. Bolin to come here and make that offer and I’ll restate that I hope the CCO takes him up on it.

          • Editor, can you answer Blangers question? Has Chief Bolin posted on the CCO before? I believe he has.

          • Again you side-step the question, not once did I mention my posts which are always based solely on my opinion which I feel is just as important as say your opinion, as the old saying goes “everybody has one”

            But side-stepping the question doesn’t answer it and is a maneuver used when you have no defensive position on the topic same as calling Mr Linzy names, it serves no purpose.

            What Mr Bolin did was take a proactive approach by making a statement on the topic being discussed which is very much appreciated by everyone…what I’m looking for was his reasoning or motivation in thinking it was necessary to do so by take time out of his busy day to come to the CCO and make a statement.

            Nothing sinister about the question, nothing tricky, sly or underhanded, just an inquiring mind asking what I believe is a reasonable question…nothing more.

            And for the record I do fully support EPD, Chief Bolin, and all of the officers that serve the community everyday, they see the worst of humanity it’s a very difficult job, I have been a AFOP member for more years than I can count and as stated yesterday have many friends on the department along with a lot of retired officers that I’m very proud to call true friends.

            JMHO

          • Good people of Evansville???Wow, you’ve changed your mind from plebs (idiots) to the good people of Evansville.
            AGAIN…… Not a failure when ALL the details are made available AFTER the case is finished.
            You might want to change your profession. I think you being around all those amps in the music store has affected your hearing.

          • Blanger, your friend BRAD is the one calling names. He’s the one that called half the citizens of Evansville and Vanderburgh county Plebs, not I.

          • No no… You got it all wrong. I didn’t say “half the people were plebs”. I wouldn’t say something that stupid. I said “half the plebs were idiots”. If you’re going to attack me off the subject of the EPD’s massive screwup, at least don’t mischaracterize me.
            Look up the definition of a “pleb” before you proceed. A pleb is just the common man. Calling the masses “plebs” isn’t inherently a slight. Calling them the “idiot masses” is. I think many in the EPD might even agree with me here. They get to deal with idiot half day in and day out. I doubt this will be a revelation to any of them.
            Is “half” too large a percentage to designate? Maybe. That’s certainly debatable, but I’ll refer back to the fact that we managed to elect George Bush and Barack Obama twice, so some kind of idiot majority is at work here, whether you call them “plebs”, “idiot plebs”, “mindless masses”, “the mob”, “the bourgeois”, “Philistines”, etc. is immaterial to the result of their activities.

          • Troll…..

            Mr Linzey isn’t my friend, I’ve never met the man although I do share some like opinions with him, he seems intelligent, passionate about his beliefs, and seeming well educated.

            His opinion like mine or yours is just that “his opinion” which I do feel he is entitled to same as you are entitled to yours.

            But you seem to be like others who like to classify people or pigeon hole a thought or statement and point a finger trying to shame someone for being vocal, right or wrong is not for us (you or me) to judge on someone else’s opinion, we either agree or disagree on any given topic it’s that simple, it’s called diversity.

            This link my help you…

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

            JMHO

          • Re read your own post BLO. You’re twistier than a pretzel. Ill give you that. By the way I did look up the word Pleb and I posted exactly what it said. I posted exactly what YOU called half the people of Evansville. You’re not the only one with Google.
            So keep on twisting your tale.

    • Thanks for what you do for our community Chief. Thank you for what you did accomplish prior to being Chief, such as the hard work as Bosse’s School Liasion, CPO, 911 Gives Hope & Guns-N-Hoses, Kids Kingdom, and in what little spare time you have, helping clean litter from the streets of Evansville on Saturday mornings. You are a top notch person, who is not afraid of change. The Guardian is a sweet idea, and from talking with residents, effective also. And before anybody says it, NO, I am not a Police Officer, just a mere supporter of our community as a whole! Once again Chief, Thank You for the job you are doing, along with the fine men and women of EPD!

      Ed Ray

    • I think the bottom line here is most people in most jobs if they behaved in such a reckless manner they’d be fired on the spot. Think about that for a second. Also, whatever judge signed that warrant needs to be disbarred for such ignorance of technology in today’s environment. I wonder if the judge knew about the SWAT plan with TV crew along? This cowboy bravado must stop.

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