IS IT TRUE July 10, 2013

1. Regarding the alleged “$1000 meters”. I’m not a fan of this project but it should be noted, there are other parts of the contract other than the meters and their installation. For one, the FOG process that will capture, burn, and generate electricity from the methanol generated from the decomposition process.

   • Okay, do you have a number on that piece? An accurate breakdown is what we seek.

     • The FOG part of this Johnson Control package is a big mistake. The City has no business getting into electrical generation. By City’s mere size and control over Vectren through permits etc, that can force Vectren to do whatever they want done that is close to being reasonable. The City should not be spending their limited funds to get involved in this type of activity. This is an inappropriate use of taxpayer money.

       A big part (50%) of the so called savings of the Johnson Control project is non-measurable paper made agreement between the City and Johnson Control. Think about that! These so-called savings will not be measured but agreed upon in advance between the City and Johnson Control –an absolute joke.

     • No, I have no information on costs or scope. Just pointing out there is more to the project than installation of meters.

       • That right there is in of itself a huge problem. The council has not done their due dilegence let alone provide transparency to the public.

         Can the City council tell the public with a straight face that they have been transparent and open with the public about this contract?

   • As presented, the total cost of the new meters, both commercial and residential is approximately 15 million dollars…works out to be $372 per meter…in addition, the centrifuge will remove the water from the sludge reducing the transportation cost. There was many needed improvements in this project…the initial contract had millions of dollars dealing with pork…apparently, the majority of the pork now is fried bacon…if the savings contract approach was not considered, each project on its own would required either additional sewer rate or water rate increases, or both…Those whose meters were reading accurately will now stop subsidizing those whose are getting their water and sewerage charges at reduced prices…

     • That leaves $30 million in the contract unaccounted for. We the public were told or got the impression that this contract was for meters. So what do we get for out $30M???

2. It’s time to replace every council member in the next election because they have sold out to the unions.

   The biggest disappointment in this whole vote was Al Lindsey. He needs to forget telling people that he is a voice of the common people, because we now know better. I’m a 6th Ward voter that have many family members living in that area. We shall be working our butts off to insure he shall not be re-elected.

   Everybody has figured our what our Mayor is all about- spend–spend—spend. If he thinks the Unions can get him re-elected he is wrong. Heck, they can’t even get one of there own elected to any office. They only thing they get is to have members appointed to powerful city boards.

   • Agreed. However if you run someone against any of the union toadies the unions and the city machine will support the one candidate with money and endorsments and shut out the challenger.

     Until that equation is changed nothing will change.

     • Remember–the City Council is 8 to 1 Democratic controled. There is no check and balance.

       • If you really think party affiliation matters at the local level, you’re a babe in the woods. Carol McClintock spilled the beans that they control the so called “Democrats” on the council. Your projection of hate for all things Democrat because of national politicians like Obama is childish. What party a city council member belongs to in a little podunk town like this is meaningless.

         • True. This proven, by our drunk Uncle Fester originally running as a Republican and losing and then switching to a Democrat and winning. I’m sure he didn’t have some big change in philosophy, he just realized he had to run as a Democrat to win.

           • It looks like Uncle Fester (Friend) is leading Lloyd “Chicken Fat” Winnecke in the CCO Mayoral poll. The real irony is that Fester the Democrat is really a Republican but Chicken Fat Winneke the Republican is really a Democrat. What an upside down corner of the world we live in.

         • Chicken – He’s not leading by much! The fact that Winnecke is only a handful of votes behind on the CCO is telling of how far Friend’s currency has sunk around here. I think even this crowd has had enough of Friend’s backstabbing votes.

3. Form 8-K for JOHNSON CONTROLS INC

   22-Oct-2012

   Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities, Other Events, Financial S

   Item 2.05 Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities

   On October 22, 2012, Johnson Controls, Inc. (the “Company”) announced a restructuring plan intended to better align its resources with its growth strategies while reducing the cost structure of its global operations. The restructuring actions relate to cost reduction initiatives, including workforce reductions and plant consolidations, in the Company’s automotive experience, building efficiency and power solutions businesses. The Company committed to the restructuring plan in their fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012. The restructuring actions, which are expected to be substantially completed by the end of fiscal year 2014, are the result of management’s ongoing review of the Company’s global cost structure.

   The Company expects the total estimated pre-tax costs associated with these actions to approximate $225 to $275 million, comprised of employee-related costs of approximately $180 to $210 million, asset impairment charges of approximately $30 to $45 million and other costs of approximately $15 to $20 million. The Company expects future cash expenditures for these restructuring actions to approximate $190 to $220 million.

   Also associated with the restructuring charge, the Company plans to record an increase to its tax valuation allowance of approximately $30 to $35 million. The increase in the valuation allowance is due to deferred tax assets within Power Solutions China which will no longer be realized as a result of withdrawing lead-processing operations from its Shanghai battery plant.

   Item 8.01 Other Events

   In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012, the Company changed its accounting policy for recognizing pension and postretirement benefit expenses. The Company’s historical accounting treatment smoothed asset returns and amortized deferred actuarial gains and losses over future years. By adopting the new mark-to-market accounting method, the Company will recognize those gains and losses in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. The adoption requires a retrospective revision to current and prior years’ financial statements. The Company is currently reviewing the financial implications of this change.

   The Company believes this new policy provides greater transparency to on-going operational results. The change has no impact on future pension and postretirement funding or benefits paid to participants. The Company expects the fiscal year 2012 fourth quarter non-cash pre-tax mark-to-market charge to be approximately $425 to $475 million given the significant decline in year over year discount rates.

   Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

   (d) Exhibits:

   (99) Press release issued by Johnson Controls, Inc., dated October 22, 2012.

4. I agree with you about Mr. Lindsey. He has sold us out.

   He should not be reelected. What a big disappointment.

   Oh, I expected the Mayor and other council puppets to go along with unions.

5. Okay, I am with you that the EPD can’t be closing a blind eye to Missy and Weaver driving around in a drunken stupor. The question becomes how have they not been caught because they do this on a pretty regular basis. They must be pretty lucky if the cops aren’t covering for them.

   • As a practice those who drive drunk frequently know the backroads and know to stay close to the speed limit!!!!

6. JCI 10 year chart:

   http://investing.money.msn.com/investments/charts?symbol=jci#{%22zRange%22:%229%22,%22startDate%22:%222003-7-10%22,%22endDate%22:%222013-7-10%22,%22chartStyle%22:%22mountain%22,%22chartCursor%22:%221%22,%22scaleType%22:%220%22,%22yaxisAlign%22:%22right%22,%22mode%22:%22pan%22}

   ___

7. Same old cronies,clowns and conmen that have ran this city into the ground are doing so again,again and again! The people need to stand up and vote for new blood and new people to try to control this spending. How about we fix the sewers and streets before the well runs dry!!!!!!!!!!

8. IS IT TRUE that this is day two of the CCO ignoring the bald and sunburned elephant in the room of the Finance Chair having an alcohol related embarrassment?

   IS IT TRUE that the level of being a hypocrite in the slanted hit piece in the first paragraph of the IIT today reeks of favoritism?

   IS IT TRUE that the CCO “Chosen One” will clearly be shielded by the CCO editors due to their long history of butt kissing to the City Council Finance Chair?

   IS IT TRUE that pointing out all of the alcohol allegations today about EPD and certain CIty COuncil members are the basest sort of slander and libel against people who have had ZERO proof of misconduct?

   IS IT TRUE that if the allegations in the CCO today had any validity that their would be multiple agencies to investigate (Merit Commission, State Police, Attorney General, etc), yet not one lowlife who claims to “know the story” can get on here and make claims without backing it up?

   IS IT TRUE that numerous court cases (all the way to the SCOTUS) have clearly stated that individuals possess a right not to be subjected to falsehoods that impugn their character, and this does include “public figures”. The CCO is serving as a vehicle for people to make malicious and unfounded statements, and that the laughable first paragraph hiding behind the First Amendment will probably not be sustainable by a blog site pretending to be a newspaper?

   IS IT TRUE that I predict that this post will be attacked by Bad Linzy and the Editors within minutes, and that the editors will probably remove it (as usual) because it counters their slant?

   • Well hey there, Jonathan!

     • For the record, I am NOT Weaver. In fact, I do not even like the guy (never have)

       • I think he meant Weinsapple.

         • Same answer. I am not Weinzeipfel either

   • What ever your smoking it is illegal in indiana ,,, this isn’t Colorado or Washington State

     • Reply meant for WOW

   • Your post will be allowed to stand as the inaccurate emotional piece of drivel that it is. By the way if you read IIT today there is not a single name or allegation made against anyone except the fictional character named Boss Hogg. I do commend you for standing up for Boss Hogg’s rights. The SCOTUS has been known to grant rights to fictional entities before so we assume you support such things.

     • The fictional Jefferson Davis “Boss” Hogg was the wealthiest man in Hazzard County. As his name would imply, Hogg was incredibly greedy. The “Boss” heading is a distant analogy to the corrupt New York City Tammany Hall era policitian Boss Tweed. Creator Gy Waldron said he wanted the character to be the personification of the seven deadly sins. Boss Hogg would do almost anything (as did the real life Boss Tweed) to get his hands on more money, including executing many nefarious and criminal schemes. However, he does not tolerate anyone (even the Dukes) getting physically hurt in the process. He owned most of Hazzard’s property and businesses — either directly or by holding the mortgages over the land. His lust for money often drove him to participate in criminal activities — usually by enlisting the aid of associates — mainly his right hand man and partner in crime, the dim-witted, bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. Together, the two schemed to frame the Duke family (Hogg’s most steadfast adversaries) for crimes they did not commit. Rosco’s deputies, Enos Strate and Cletus Hogg (Boss’s cousin), have also aided Boss Hogg, though Enos (and to a lesser extent, Cletus) were decidedly more reluctant to do so. According to Waylon Jennings’s narration, he had a “cradle to grave” earning plan; in that if you were a Hazzard County resident, you were born at the local hospital (owned by Hogg), you lived in a house that he owned the deed to, worked at one of his businesses, and when you died, his casket company would make your pine box.

   • ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Councilman Friend will have to face justice both in the courts and in the court of public opinion. The CCO has done it’s job and just because you seem to lust for Councilman Friend’s politcal head on a platter does not mean they should be.

     Meanwhile locals official are using bloated government contracts and unions as a conduit to pad the balances of campaign accounts.
     Unions are supposed to be a way for the common man and woman to band together and negoiate for better wages and working conditions not a pipeline right into the hands of politicians via the taxpayers and rate payers. What say you?

   • After reviewing the Kentucky, Mr. Weaver, it is clear that operating a boat while in the influence is an infraction (same as a speeding ticket)…first offense will cost Friend $200 and according to the reports, the boat encountered generator failure couple with extreme weather conditions…so, circumstantially, you have guests on board, lighting, high winds and more coming,no power, most individuals would opt to pull up anchor and head for safety…so Mr. Pharisee, cast the first stone!!!

9. Attorney Danks wrote a letter to City Attorney Ziemer, requesting a copy of the un-altered McGladry report. Has there been a reply?

10. To the poll: NONE OF THE ABOVE!

    • +2

      • +3.

11. A study group within the OECD has suggest
    ed the following broad principles for
    ethical conduct within public
    administrations. According to
    the organization, countries
    can use these principles as a tool to be ad
    apted to national conditions, and to find their
    own ways of arriving at an effective framew
    ork that suits their own circumstances. The
    principles are, of course, not
    sufficient in themselves, but
    are a means of integrating
    ethics management within the broader public management environment.
    17
    1.
    Ethical standards for public
    service should be clear
    Public servants need to know
    the basic principles and sta
    ndards they are expected to
    apply to their work and where the boundaries
    of acceptable behaviour lie. A concise,
    well-publicized statement, such as a code
    of conduct, of core ethical standards and
    principles that guide public service, for ex
    ample, in the form of a code of conduct,
    can accomplish this by creating a shared understanding across government and within
    the broader community.
    2.
    Ethical standards should be refl
    ected in the legal framework
    The legal framework is the basis fo
    r communicating the minimum obligatory
    standards and principles of behaviour
    are for every public servant. Laws and
    regulations could state the f
    undamental values of public service and should provide
    the framework for guidance, investiga
    tion, disciplinary action and prosecution.
    3.
    Ethical guidance should be av
    ailable to public servants
    Professional socialization s
    hould contribute to the development of the necessary
    judgement and skills to enable public servants
    to apply ethical prin
    ciples in concrete
    17
    The following principles for public sector reform
    are taken from the document “Best practices in
    combating corruption” by the OSCE, 2004 (available at
    http://www.osce.org/item/13568.html
    )
    .
    25
    circumstances. Training facilitates ethics
    awareness and can develop essential skills
    for ethical analysis and moral reasoning.
    Impartial advance can help create an
    environment in which public servants are more willing to confront and resolve ethical
    tensions and problems. Guidance and inte
    rnal consultation mechanisms should be
    made available to help public servants a
    pply basic ethical standards in the workplace.
    4.
    Public servants should know their
    rights and obligations when exposing
    wrongdoing
    Public servants need to know what thei
    r rights and obligations
    are in terms of
    exposing actual or suspected wrongdoing w
    ithin the public service. These should
    include clear rules and procedures for offi
    cials to follow, and a formal chain of
    responsibility. Public servants
    also need to know what prot
    ection will be available to
    them in cases of exposing wrongdoing.
    5.
    Political commitment to ethics should
    reinforce the ethica
    l conduct of public
    servants
    Political leaders are responsible for mainta
    ining a high standard of propriety in the
    discharge of their official duties. Their
    commitment is demonstrated by example and
    by taking action that is only available at
    the political level; for instance, by creating
    legislative and institutional
    arrangements that reinforce ethical behaviour and create
    sanctions against wrongdoing; by providing
    adequate support and resources for
    ethics-related activities throughout govern
    ment; and by avoiding the exploitation of
    ethics rules and laws for political purposes.
    6.
    The decision-making process should be
    transparent and open to scrutiny
    The public has a right to know how public
    institutions apply the power and resources
    entrusted to them. Public scrutiny should be
    facilitated by transparent and democratic
    processes, oversight by the legislature, and access to public information.
    Transparency should be further enhanced by
    measures such as disclosure systems and
    recognition of the role of an
    active and independent media.
    7.
    There should be clear guidelines for in
    teraction between the public and private
    sectors
    Clear rules defining ethical st
    andards should guide the behavi
    our of public servants in
    dealing with the private sector; for ex
    ample, regarding public procurement,
    outsourcing or public employment conditions
    . Increasing interaction between the
    public and private sectors demands that mo
    re attention should be placed on public
    service values and requiri
    ng external partners to re
    spect those same values.
    8.
    Public service conditions and manageme
    nt of human resources should promote
    ethical conduct
    Public service employment conditions,
    such as career prospects, personal
    development, adequate remuneration and human resource management policies
    should create an environment conducive to
    ethical behaviour. Usi
    ng basic principles,
    such as merit, consistently in the daily
    process of recruitment and promotion helps
    operationalize integrity in public service.
    26
    9.
    Adequate accountability mechanisms shoul
    d be in place within the public service
    Public servants should be accountable for their actions to their superiors and, more
    broadly, to the public. Accountability shoul
    d focus both on compliance with rules and
    ethical principles, and on achievement of
    results. Accountability mechanisms can be
    internal to an agency as well as government
    -wide, or can be provided by civil society.
    Mechanisms promoting accountability can be
    designed to provide adequate controls,
    while allowing for appropriately flexible management.
    10.
    Appropriate procedures and sanctions
    should exist to deal with misconduct
    Mechanisms for the detection and independe
    nt investigation of wrongdoing such as
    corruption are a necessary part
    of an ethics infrastructure
    . It is necessary to have
    reliable procedures and res
    ources for monitoring, reporting
    and investigating breaches
    of public service rules, as well as comme
    nsurate administrative or disciplinary
    sanctions to discourage misconduct. Managers
    should exercise a
    ppropriate judgement
    in using these mechanisms when actions need to be taken

12. If I had been on this Council I would have demanded to see the McGladrie study before making any “yes” vote on the JCI deal. That is only common sense – to want to see all the available information, to read it, to ponder upon it, to discuss it with constituents before making such a big decision that affects Evansvillians for the next 20 years.

    I wonder if the CC even too the time to study my proposal of meterless billing and optional meters or followed up on the revelations about the limitations of the battery life in these meters. My guess is, they read it, laughed it off, and went about their business as usual just like they did when they voted to pass the budget containing funding for tearing down Roberts rather than selling it.

    • Yeah, yeah, demand all you want, but being a windbag does not mean you get what you want

      • So anyone opposing the status quo is a “windbag”? It’s not about what I want; it’s about the dictates of common sense, which say decisions should be made only after one has examined ALL the available information. Only then can the decision truly be said to be an informed one. In the absence of all available information, there is ignorance, rashness, and desperation. Right now our City Council reeks of it.

      • Yeah how dare anyone ask for some accountibility and trasnparancy?!

        The cities books are in the penalty box, the Ohio river is being used like an open sewer, Klenk & Co are owed 300k+ two years later. The civic center and the Ford Center are huge money pits, and about to swallow up more millions like some monetary Jabba the Hut i.e. the proposed subsidy of the Hotel
        and $7MILLION DOLLARS of unreconcilable write offs in the city’s checking accounts!!!!!

        All Hail Weinzapfel, Ohhhhh mighty Weizapfel! Congressman….., Governor…., dare I say it…
        President!? ♪ Rum dumpty dum ♫ !

13. Yes, the City Council sold their souls to the Devil (Unions) on Johnson Controls. It was just a month or so ago that they lambasted Mounts during his presentation, and even the C & P said the project got a “chilly reception” or something like that. I think it was 7-2 opposed at that time. Hell, the City Council even started an APPEAL of the IURC decision ! What is the status of that Appeal ? Surely they wouldn’t vote 9-0 to approve the Bonds and then continue the Appeal ??

    As reported by CCO, Jack McNeeley called a caucus about 3 weeks ago, and all the D’s except Lindsay attended.
    Next thing you know, it’s 9-0 in favor. Pathetic. Very disappointed that the Council Members say shit like “they were won over by the cost savings from using the existing ATT fiber network”. Bullshit ! It is truly a gloomy day when our elected officials decide that getting reelected (union endorsement) trumps voting in the public interest. Bullshit, Bullshit, Bullshit.

14. Yep Jack McNeely snaps his fingers and even Adams, Friend, Riley, and Lindsay say Yes sir, right away sir.

    Now you know who your real Mayor is.

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