IS IT TRUE MARCH 11, 2016

1. School vouchers send tax dollars to pay for religious indoctrination.

   • Bob, do you really want to deny sick people doctoring. For a lot of people religion does more good than any other type of education. If not supported with vouchers how do you propose to pay for it? Tack it onto medical insurance cost or a tax on criminals who were not taught any morals.

     • Huh?

       • I am not a religious person but I like the title the city gave me – Volunteer from hell. Religion is a powerful force and should be utilized in helping people. If my tax dollar has to pay for education I prefer the religion based schools. I don’t care what kind of religion it is but I favor these schools over the traditional schools. I see more efficiency and effectiveness for each dollar spent. More of a focus on the kids than on the industry. A teacher in the religion schools make a fraction of the salary of the traditional and seem to be getting strong results.

         Maybe tax dollars should not be going to fund education?

         • You really need to familiarize yourself with the beliefs being taught in Fundamentalist schools, George. It is dangerous.

         • lkb, what is a fun da mental list school? Which ones in Evansville fall into this category?

         • You need to familiarize yourself LKB on what is taught. I know Mater Dei is a dangerous school teaching respect for tradition marriage and a right to life, but then I guess “fundamentalist.”

         • *they are not “fundamentalist.”

       • If we indoctrinate people with religion they can pray to be healed and it saves on the public healthcare burden.

         • “If we indoctrinate people with religion they can pray to be healed and it saves on the public healthcare burden.”

           ………………..Hmmm. What an extraordinary statement.

         • Don, Don’t try this if you cut off a finger but for emotional issues I would think it works well. Do you not believe people that claim to be healed by the power of god? The mind is a powerful thing.

         • Let’s be clear…..The results of healing can be helped by God……AND excellent health care, excellent health insurance, access to medical care and medicine and smart, well-educated doctors, medical staff, clinics and hospitals.

         • Don, I like your healthcare approach. Sounds like everyone gets everything they need. Is that socialism? How does one pay for that if they are not gifted with the talent to earn the $20,000 per person annual cost?

         • George…..I think they ask for God’s help AND work hard to pursue innovative, creative, efficient ways to fund, manage the cost of, and provide that healthcare for those in need and share with him who has none and whoever has food is to do likewise.

         • The very idea of miracles is that is that they defy the natural order. God uses them as one way of demonstrating His authority. While miracles can demonstrate faith, faith is also demonstrated in seeing God’s provision in the natural order.

           a few decades ago I remember hearing of a neighbor who contracted Rocky Mountain Fever as I did last year. He was a pastor of a faith healing church, and while his wife knew it was RMSF she trusted in faith rather than doxycycline. He died. My trust in doxycycline was not a lack of faith in God. In fact, my experience has deepened my faith and I am alive to praise God.

     • Like any angry, radicalized, and idle progressive, Ghost of course wishes both to deny ill CONSERVATIVE people medical care AND make them pay for his. Under the next version of Obamacare, we progressives will make access to health care contingent on support for the Democratic Party. It will be necessary to eliminate secret balloting in order to determine this.

       J. Coddington “Comrade Hugo” Fetlock IV
       Maximum co-coordinator
       Organizing for Idiocy
       Evansville Cell

2. New land banking bill is ready for Governor’s signature. It specifies full transparency with open meeting and audit under the State Board of Accounts. This law can be put to good use or abused. Hopefully Evansville politicos will not try to ignore what the State has agreed to like they have been doing with the tax sale reform bill. We need to fund this land banking slowly. If the city has $ 1.7 million available – lets first spend it on demolition as we set up a new “public” land bank. A new land Bank, a new name, a new board, and then accept the properties that the Brownfields has been holding “on behalf of the city”. The private Brownfields club can then go there own way and not have to worry about people like me and you crashing their party!

   • …..this whole idea of keeping the EBC Land Bank meetings and finances off the record and out of the taxpayer’s eye……is stunning. I literally can’t believe anyone would fail to demand transparency of land bank activities for the taxpayer. (And it is wildly manipulative and a lie to suggest that “City Council gets to vote on expenditures periodically” is in any way offering transparency.)

3. The budget woes are temporary. There will be plenty of cash when the local income tax is raised to 3 percent. The rate has to be raised for both the city and county. No getting around it. The city will be temporarily cash flush then so why not spend it now. That is just the way we allow government to work and we like it. You malcontents need to quit trying to hold onto what you have and join the party in trying to get a piece of the action. Government is now Business – just ask Realtor/Commissioner Joe Kiefer about county owned property.

4. Indiana Constitution

   ARTICLE 8. Education.
   Section 1. Knowledge and learning, generally diffused throughout a community, being essential to the preservation of a free government; it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to encourage, by all suitable means, moral, intellectual, scientific, and agricultural improvement; and to provide, by law, for a general and uniform system of Common Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all.

   * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

   ” it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to encourage, by all suitable means, moral, intellectual, scientific, and agricultural improvement…..”

   It would seem to me that a religion class would be an acceptable platform to “encourage moral instruction”.

   In any event vouchers are voluntary in nature and any parents who have a problem with their child attending such classes, will no doubt not be using the vouchers. I must say here though that the numbers of those taking advantage of the vouchers are increasing.

   I have often wondered what classes are available at EVSC that are dedicated to “encourage moral instruction”?

   • No one class is dedicated to moral teaching. The overall culture of our schools ARE dedicated to attempting to instill a sense of right-and-wrong and consideration for others. The sad fact is that NO school can teach those things, whether it is in a religious school or a public one. Morality, decency, and social conscience are taught at HOME, in the vast majority of cases.
     People who send their children to a religious school because they want them to learn morality that is not practiced in their homes are wasting the taxpayers’ money if they use a voucher. There are fewer behavior problems in the private schools because they have the option of tossing out the bad actors much more easily than the public schools.

     • Then again, they just might be better at dealing with the so called “bad actors” by making an appeal to the same moral code the rest of the students follow. Which is something I can not see any teacher in this present day public school system doing. You speak as if there are no Parochial school students who are in single parent homes, or low income homes, or all the other problems for which the public school system seems ready to grant special dispensation for to students who act out.

5. It is pretty clear to me that if the Mayor considers the items on his agenda to be quality-of-life issues, he isn’t at all familiar with the quality of many Evansvillians’ lives.

   • Is it true you will be able to put your kids on a leash and take them to the dog park for free but it will cost $10 each to go to wessleman woods?

     • Also heard that the wessleman woods manager want to change the theme from nature to a kids amusement park and that is why he needs money. Are they looking to the future – maybe competing with Holiday World in 20 years? Charging to get into the nature part in order to generate revenue to get rid of it?

       • WAIT A MINUTE.
         Isn’t Wesselman’s Nature Center a 501c3 nonprofit?
         Or……are people here suggesting it is a City Owned and Operated entity?

         Nonprofits have every right to figure out the best way to support themselves. Many have adopted entrepreneurial strategies from the “for profit” world….rather than sit back and die. Good for them.
         But as President Carter said when helping to raise money for Habitat for Humanity: “I would much prefer to climb a ladder and nail shingles on a roof than write a note asking for a gift to support Habitat. But I’m a realist.”
         The fact IS……local, historic nonprofits like Wesselman’s must have financial resources.
         And if Wesselman’s strategy for raising it’s financial resources is likely foundations, donor support, memberships and possibly “an admission fee”……it seems to me that those who criticize such decisions can do so most productively BY WRITING A CHECK so Wesselman’s doesn’t have to do that.
         For God’s sake. There are no millionaire’s on staff over there.
         Everyone demands something for nothing it appears……even from local, historic nonprofits.

         • Technicalities about who owns it?? I have no idea. I did get a call from a concerned citizen that claims to have a copy of the original deed. Others called suggesting that the park was moving in a different direction from the founders and those who have funded it over the years. I suggest it is a public resource of Evansville and community. Does the public get to weigh in or is it a closed board? Are the wishes of the founders and previous supporters to be respected or is it a piece of real-estate to be turned into whatever a current board desires? I don’t know – but will think about it.

         • Trustees and stewards of Wesselman’s making decisions about how to continue the sustainable stewardship of a “public resource” of the community….I’d say that describes it. But even nonprofits have to break even on their financial statements. It’s still a business. If you think you can contribute to better stewardship, sign up, become intimately involved as a long-term committed volunteer and donor, and serve on the Board of Trustees. I would suggest haphazardly questioning the integrity (yes, comparing old growth trees preservation to Holiday World is haphazard) of trustees and stewards is a delicate matter. Better hills to die on Sir.

     • There are some ancillary costs to be considered when visiting a dog park:

       http://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PDT/B1064200157/Disposable-boot-covers.jpg

     • Unfortunately that is true. The $5.00 scooper rental fee will apply at both venues. The leashes must pass exam by … Digger Chris Cooke. If yours isn’t up to city code Digger has an assortment of chokers, some studded with very old costume jewelry, for sale.

       The willful Little Guy is running a fee-based administration. As evidenced by the various city account balances, the city is broke. The mayor’s goofy projects will not be denied.

       • I wonder if anyone in this administration is worried about liability at this dog park? I can imagine a high potential for dog attacks on both other dogs and on people. What is it going to cost taxpayers to cover this liability, and will it be worth it when considering all the other spending on the table now that the city is facing?

6. I read that they want to charge $5 for an adult and $3 for kids. That makes it pretty expensive for somebody to take their kids for a walk in the woods. That’s a crock. Winnie needs to make sure they have enough money to let people in free and forget his dog park.

7. ‘…we don’t understand why the Mayor considers a Humboldt Penguin display at Mesker Zoo to be a “quality of life” issue for the City?’ ~~ CCO

   Those Humboldts are known to smuggle coke and bananas into unsuspecting zoos from Chile and Peru. The city might not only have to pay off that clown that likes to strut around the zoo with his gun, it might end up hiring him as a Humboldt Herder.

   If Winnecke wants to ordain them ‘quality of life’ beasts, I’d say he is running true to form. He might change his tune if he starts giving his new captives the same treatment he gives the rest of the citizens of Evansville. A march of amped up Humboldts demanding a prison upgrade, silver coke spoons and flushing toilets could cause the mayor to send Butterfly McGinn up the hill to quell the insurrection, leaving him with a scant 8 vote council majority while ‘Fly is on safari.

   As much as he likes to play dress up, Quality of Life Winnecke seems to have never heard that putting a bow tie on a penguin doesn’t make it Fred Astaire.

8. By proclaiming that life is good in Evansville, the mayor demonstrated that he is out of touch with many who live in Evansville. the state of the city is pretty rough for many. Some are still waiting for the Sunday bus service he promised because they have no way of getting to their jobs cleaning the hotels on the East Side on Sunday. Some are still waiting for the police department to return to real community policing and establish a relationship with residents that will stem the rising incidents of crime we are seeing as the weather gets warmer. Can the residents and business owners along North Main feel any safer as they wait for their new cement? Did the gym at CK Newsome ever re-open so children can play there on weekend afternoons? The mayor might as well have turned up his nose and sniffled, “Let them eat cake.”

   • I suppose he thinks penguins and bike paths will help take their minds off the worry about losing their jobs if they don’t find a way to work on Sunday. Of course they have no way to the zoo, and can’t afford admission. They’re too tired from hard work to ride a bike, and they don’t need the exercise.

   • When the donor class gives Santa Lloyd 2.8 MILLION DOLLARS he couldn’t be wasting taxpayers’ money on services to the citizens. He has projects which must be attended and of course with Nosby and the Weasel at the helm those pay-back dollars will be flowing to that Donor Class while the folks eat cake.

9. The mayor was honored with a leadership award last evening, just weeks after he gifted the organization with $20,000 the city council cut last year. In this time of overspending, the mayor finds facilitating meetings to show residents how to plant urban gardens to be a really important expenditure of precious city funds. We take care of our friends, and they give us awards. See how that works?

10. ….privilege of the victor in the last election.
    Obama hosted the new Canadian Prime Minister, not Romney.
    Winnecke gets to ritualize local funding grants….cause he won. It’s $20K, and it’s in the budget.
    This conversation is not about corruption.
    This conversation about this is all whining and resentment over getting beat.

    • Sounds like the conversation should be about a broken system. We have an irresponsible government – no matter who gets elected. As said earlier – everything has become a business with even the non profits and government trying to make friends and influence people with the public resources.

11. If will be interesting to see 5yrs down the road if all of this spending results in landing a truly major employer to Evansville similar to Princeton, IN landing Toyota, or, will it simply result in higher taxes, water/sewer/fees, etc ?

    It does appear that the State legislature if approving a lot of funding for the Evansville area. $42 million for Regional cities initiative.

    Whatever the truth is, the local media really supports Winneke, but there is so much information that the fail to print that I think local residents would want to here, but will not.

12. If I were Bryan Pagliano I certainly would not be hopping on any flights to Dubrovnik Croatia!

    • http://rashmanly.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/ae535d00-c168-4803-b4df-126bebd4acf41.jpeg?w=450&h=358

13. At the root thinking of those who do not support vouchers is the idea that government knows better than the parent and should have authority over the parent ion educational choices. We have an education system controlled by bureaucrats that is failing the student. If the public school system is made to compete in the marketplace, it will become better.

14. Here’s the facts . . . many years ago there was an article published in one of the national publications that stated Evansville was not friendly to business, i.e. labor problems. During the 70’s I drove though Evansville and it seemed every time I drove though here Whirlpool was on Strike. Just review the lack of economic development in the manufacturing sector for both Evansville and Terre Haute every union labor strong and compare us to places like Nashville, Lexington, and Ft. Wayne all cities which once was smaller than Evansville.

    • And we wonder why AK Steel goes to Spencer County and Toyota goes to the country county of Gibson. Those counties do not hassle developers. As long as our codes are so controlling compared to any other county in Indiana, Kentucky, and even Illinois (easier to develop in Cook County than Vanderburgh) do not expect any major manufacturer to land in Vanderburgh/Evansville. Just look who the inspectors are at the Building Commissioner’s office. All associated with the unions.

15. One of the biggest disgraces of this administration was the signing of this contract:

    https://city-countyobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Centre_Naming_Rights_Agreement.pdf.pdf

    From page 3 on, it is nothing short disgusting.

16. It’s interesting to read an editorial in the daily newspaper in which the writer cautions the administration about getting its financial house in order and taking a more conservative spending approach. It also mentions the recently-purchased city council’s very loving relationship with the mayor. However, for the past four years that same publication fell in line with the theory that city council did nothing but obstruct the progressive and wonderful leader who dedicates his free time to community conversations and picking up cigarette butts. Not once did reporters delve into finances or record-keeping. Watch carefully tomorrow night when Sarah Schuler will attempt to explain away a $400,000 oversight and Russ Lloyd will mumble through a request for an additional $3.9 million in excess of the current budget. Few, if any, council members will understand the implications of either matter. Young Mr. Elpers had better ask his father-in-law if this would be acceptable to the very cautious county council.

    • Jack Pate is not likely to ever get frog kicked out of the ERBC for hard-hitting investigative reporting. That is just one of those facts of life local citizens are forced to contend with. And it does not appear to matter who owns the local newspaper, their agenda prevails regardless of ownership. Politicians roll over for campaign cash, and newspapers roll over for advertising dollars.

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