IS IT TRUE MARCH 13, 2015

1. I’d go out on a limb and say South Bend has a higher median income. Could be wrong.

   • If you focus on getting jobs in the city, making the city a place people want to live, & a more efficient place for business to prosper, yes you will have a higher median income. Blowing millions of tax dollars on pet projects won’t do squat.

     • Ghost is wrong again, as usual. Latest Census data has South Bend per capita income at $19,181. and their Median Household Income at $34,502.

       Evansville is at $20,984. for per capita income, and at $35,893. for Median Household Income.

   • Not to mention one of the most prestigious universities in the country, which brings an incredible amount of revenue to the city. Comparing South Bend to Evansville is apples and oranges. South Bend to Palo Alto would be a more fair comparison, or even Bloomington, if you wanted to stay in state.

     • But, one third of the city is tax exempt….and our Mayor’s degree was in DRAMA!!! of which we have over his hotel now motel dreams!!!

       • Drama. That figures.

     • Speaking of Motels….we just passed a milestone…last Tuesday March 10th was the first anniversary of the ground breaking ceremony…”The Day in the Sand” event…didn’t hear much about the festivities….should have had a cake and kool-aid event at the corner of MLK and Walnut….

       • Oh, Dancin…

         You mean the event where the City chartered a private jet and brought the HCW King, Rick Huffman to our fair city and by the way on the taxpayer’s dollar…and of course a very expensive dinner and wine…probably Opus One…costing us 15k in total???

         • Liquored Up,

           When the Wide Motel Downtown (WMD) is being built, OK with you if we chargeback that $ 15 K to HCW on their first draw ?

       • I think the next appropriate groundbreaking date would be April 1.

     • My Dear Phyllip…

       You should know about the “The Day in the Sand” event…are you not in Wayne’s World…got the special invite???

       • Your sentence structure (or lack there of) makes it difficult for me to understand what you are implying. I can tell…by the writing style…that you are probably…the same person as…Danceswithwolves and Liquored Up. Please use the sentence structure that you used when you posted under those names so I can understand you.

       • He’s living in Wayne’s World. 🙂

     • Dear Phyllip….South Bend to Palo Alto…there you go again make sure you start testing the product before use!!!

       • Could you please restructure your sentence so that it meets with Phyllis’s approval. 🙂 We sure don’t want to get her panties in a wad.

     • For those of you who like first hand information, here is a video of South Bend’s Mayor making his required annual address to the city council in February of this year:

       https://youtu.be/R93JjEiCiqA

     • Have you ever been to South Bend? South Bend to Gary is more apples to apples. Notre Dame is nice, but a small part of the city. Most of the city is a rotting cesspool that makes Evansville look like an up and coming Sun Belt City.

       The Democrats have controlled that place for all of eternity and it shows. The fact a buffoon like Patrick Bauer had repp’ed that town since he got out of high school nearly 50 years ago, should tell you all you need to know about politics up there.

   • You guys are all giving South Bend way more credit than it is due for prosperity. Citi-data reports that the median family income for South Bend was $32,606 in 2012 while Evansville’s was $34,104. South Bend to Evansville is apples to apples. They both are pining to return to the 50’s when they were both larger and more significant. They have parallel failure paths for the same reasons. Comparing South Bend to Palo Alto is just silly. They are as different as night and day. South Bend is pretty much Evansville without the river and colder weather.

     • South Bend does sound like it has a Mayor who can add and subtract which is something that Evansville has not had for a very long time.

   • Is it true, the ITT writer doesn’t tell the whole story ?

   • Where oh where may our Editor be ?

2. Find an equal percentage of vaccant homes and business in Jasper, the effort pays off.

3. CCO:

   1) Where is the comment on the Kunkel/McCurdy fiasco ? 2 weeks ago they delay a meeting on the grounds they will have their bank in hand and ready for the next meeting. Yesterday, they “bought more time” by paying back taxes ? Shyster City ?;

   2) Where is the comment about the Owen Block ? Developer Michael Martin has the building given to him by Indiana Landmarks, and then refuses to comment about stabilizing the foundation ?

4. Great to hear Wienzapfel is doing great as a chancellor. He wasn’t so great as a mayor. Funny how the errorditor bemoans our financial woes but finds a way to praise the city father who conceived them.

   I’m so giddy for Gail that the CCO got her campaign back on track.

   Insights like these are why I have been a faithful participant on the CCO.

   • INDIANA-ENOCH’s sarcasm:

     – “Insights like these are why I have been a faithful participant on the CCO.” –

     ….is dead-on correct Editor.

     NOTE TO RON COSBY, the editorial direction at the City County Observer right now is way too narrow. The IIT’s since Joe Wallace left are evidence the author is “swimming so deep in the soup” of one side of ideology….and a highly restricted ideology at that….as a result awareness of the professional obligation of the Editor’s larger leadership role is simply not possible.

     Depth is considerably lacking.

     One week, maybe two weeks, and viewership and acceptance of the CCO as any kind of authority will be starting a whirlpool down the drain….unless The Publisher starts providing some direction as to the future of the Editor’s position at the City County Observer.

     The City County Observer is heading towards a time when the most liberal posters are going to be talking to themselves every day. Everyone will have fun nodding in agreement with each other here (that is more sarcasm) unless The Publisher starts bringing some clarity to the Editor’s position.

     • +1

     • +1

       • * errorditorials I can’t even spell words I make up correctly.

     • I do not mind a bias as long as it is insightful. Understanding opposing views benefits one’s own views and changes us for the better. For example, I do not support homosexual marriage but would have never thought that the state should get out of the marriage business until I exchanged views with others and heard the suggestion from another person. I think it was Wallace whom I first heard make that suggestion.

       What we have been treated to is a write your legislator campaign to keep prevailing wage, a moveon.org clipbait campaign against Cotton’s letter, and now I learn that giddy for Gail is back on track, Weinzapfel is a great Chancellor, and oh by th eway the state GOP will hav etheir convention here if the Seveth Day Adventest don’t get the best parking places first.

       Well one last cup of coffee and I am ready fro my day. What’s sad is that those we suspect of writing these erroridtorials have far better capabilities and knowledge.

       • +1; except the last line.

       • IE, anyone who supports Cotton and the 47 idiots who violated multiple aspects of being an American citizen is a treasonous traitor, and basically a “keyboard terrorist”

         Your support of these 47 morons is appalling and disgusting. I would personally donate a significant contribution if all 47 were prosecuted and thrown out of office

         And if you try and tell me that you would have supported the same type of letters from Democrats when GWB was in office, then you are a hypocrite and a liar.

     • Shem you’re full of advice for other people. As far as I know you’re welcome to start your own comment board if this one no longer suits you. You could call it The Scold. Considering the public meltdown you’ve experienced the past few weeks, I don’t really think your predictions about the demise of the CCO have much credence.

       Your chickenshit comments to me on another article in defense of one of your cohorts who likes to attack LKB here was typical of what you’ve been writing lately. Rest assured they were given every bit of the consideration they deserved.

       In short, I expect you to straighten up or shut up.

       • …somebody’s in the red zone of their tachometer. What in the world are you talking about? Whew!

         • You think too much of yourself.

         • He’s also a stone liar. He’s commented 3 times so far this morning on what I was referencing, the things he claimed to know nothing about.

         • Oh man. You are a simpleton Bandana. Those comments are time-stamped AFTER the one posted in today’s IIT. And further, that is perfectly clear by reading those three posts. Calling someone a liar is a significant offense Sir. Especially when the evidence is perfectly clear you are mistaken doing so.

         • I knew exactly when your drivel was posted before I put up my comment about you being a liar, troll. There’s not a thing in the world you can do about it, simpleton.

         • BANDANA….it strikes me you are somehow wildly insecure about who the Editor of the CCO is, how the Editor of the CCO is treated, and who will occupy the Editor’s chair of the CCO in the future. Just sayin.

           Why is that? Cause you go out of your way to show offense when a third-party (me) tangles with Editor.

           Why is that Bandana?

       • Bandana
         Shem is a troll. He claims to be a kindly old Gpa’ but comes off as an immature obnoxious jerk … You know … like a guy who would comes to your house and makes fun of your sister’s birthmark
         over and over until you find yourself … compelled to bend his nose from one side of his face to the other.
         I would suggest we ignore him/her … but when he attacks our editor … over and over … he brings out the worst in all of us. Do to Shem … as you will. …

         • Thanks and good advice Bubba.

         • There is a saying about sermons, “when the content goes down the volume goes up.” The content of this forum is down, and now we begin turning one one another’s character. One thing I always liked about the CCO is that unlike the CP Bandana and I could engage each other without bending one another’s noses. I have truly come to like, respect, and admire Bandana, LKB, and many others with different ideologies. You did not see the level of personal attacks and people being censored and banned as was so prevalent on the CP forums. Now tensions are high, post are being removed, and the content is more on the order of the feeds I get from the Daily Kos.

           It’s time for me to contribute fewer clicks to this forum’s view count.

         • Bubba, “but when he attacks our editor” sheep being led down the primrose path.

         • Thanks Enoch. Same here.

         • Oh for God’s sake. Editor attacks for a living on this forum. And can take hardball with the best of them. It’s the job, and in fact, is what Editor wants. Free exchange of ideas. (I go after the Tea Party bastards relentlessly, but you whiners are making me admire the hell out of their backbones. Thanks bastards, at least you have character.) Bandana, you want to offer heat but complain when its too hot. Jesus.

         • Shem, you’re another one I have come to appreciate. Clearly things have changed around Joe leaving as editor, and I’m choosing to rachet it down to see where things settle. My silence might be louder than my words.

         • I-E, perhaps you are right. The inside politics of the CCO may doom this thing. But I hope for the best. You won equal respect from me on your same-sex marriage compromise…alas, more of an opt-out on your part rather than denying it, but it displayed that you do extend the respect even if you don’t understand it, nor can you accept it personally. It is such an honest position, and it has to be respected. Otherwise, we have similar pragmatism towards things…they’ve always been similar actually. I hope to see your posts here.

         • Bubba and Bandana

           If find it hysterical that the two of you have the all to accuse someone of being a troll. How about some education?

           An internet ‘troll’ is an abusive or obnoxious user who uses shock value to promote arguments and disharmony in online communities (look in the mirror). As two of our resident CCO trolls you continually stir up drama and abuse your online anonymity by purposely sowing hatred, bigotry, racism, mysogyny.

           The Sad Truths of Internet Trolls:

           Trolls are immune to criticism and logical arguments. True trolls cannot be reasoned with, regardless of how sound your logical argument is.

           Trolls do not feel remorse. They have sociopathic tendencies, and delight in other people having hurt feelings.

           Trolls consider themselves separate from the social order.

           Trolls do not abide by etiquette or the rules of common courtesy.

           Trolls consider themselves above social responsibility.

           The best thing we could do is ignore you, but I guess some of us feel an obligation to truth and ethics, so we dissect and destroy your propaganda and lies.

       • And we all know to expect that you have zero authority to make demands, so do us a favor and shut up. Take your own “chickenshit” advice

     • Shem

       As usual, you are absolutely spot-on in your assessment. I have a lot of respect for how you post. I wish others would put even a fraction of the thought and research you clearly do

       Keep up the good work, ol chap

5. The Mayor of South Bend sounds very able, like Senator Cotton:

   “Now comes Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, another Republican freshman, whose letter to the leaders of Iran warning against a nuclear deal with the Obama administration has caused an international uproar.

   At 37, Mr. Cotton is the youngest member of the Senate and had served as of Wednesday exactly 65 days. A graduate of Harvard and Harvard Law School, Mr. Cotton served as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq in 2006, one of the bloodiest periods of the war.”

   http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/us/politics/senator-behind-iran-letter-is-latest-freshman-republican-to-stir-things-up.html?_r=0

   • Mayor Pete of South Bend.,..I saw on facebook were he just got back from Afghanistan…an officer in the Army….must be a fascinating and very talented individual…he must live in really while the Poo is on stage…

   • The Mayor of South Bend is more intelligent and politically savy than Mr. Cotton, whose bumbling letter ignores history.

     “As long as congressmen, state officials and private individuals presumed they had the right to negotiate with foreigners, no foreign government could trust that anyone claiming to speak for the United States actually did. But these attempted negotiations taught Americans and foreigners alike that a decentralized system of foreign relations did not work. Increasingly, Americans began to see alternative negotiating as treason.

     Having a point person for foreign relations was one of the main motives for jettisoning the Articles of Confederation in 1789. The new Constitution added a president to the nation’s government, which previously had only a Congress. It also gave Congress as a whole (as opposed to individual congressmen) the power “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes,” and made the president “Commander in Chief,” with the power to make treaties, with “the Advice and Consent of the Senate.”

     The Constitution and the office of the presidency centralized American foreign policy making and made possible the rising power of the United States through the 20th century. It would be strange for a group of 21st-century senators to take advantage of the negotiations with Iran and return us to an earlier age of cacophony and weakness.

     New York Times
     Kathleen DuVAL
     March 13, 2015

     • dark light. Senators telling an adversary that if Obama gives them a sweetheart deal it must be approved by them, or they can take it away after he’s gone does not entail negotiation. And exactly who is Obama negotiating with? We have no diplomatic relations with the government of Iran.
       Foreign policy that made possible the rising power of the United States in the 20th century was conducted with the best interest of the United States as it’s guiding principal. It would, indeed, be strange for that principal to be jettisoned now.

       • The Tom Cotton letter to Iranian leaders was penciled by a senator with two months experience. It was signed by some members rushing off the Senate floor, with little or no analysis. There was no caucus-wide debate about strategy; no consultation with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who has diligently followed the nuclear talks (and who refused to sign).

         The half-baked Cotton missive was a poor scheme to express concern. If Republican senators wanted to make the point that an Iran deal requires a treaty, they should have made that case to the American people, not to the Iranians. Congress simply has no business conducting foreign policy with a foreign government.

         In this case, the result is not a weakened presidency but a weakened legislature.

         • The Pres. is in a round robin with the U.N. Iran and the American people. He conceded several things to start the talks an is now trying to work through the U.N. to get Iran sanctions lifted. Who in this group is he not representing, the American people. I never thought he would be this blatant about his aims.

     • There are few things more ironic than liberals trying to find support in the actions of the founding Father’s for Obama’s unconstitutional act of agreeing to the Iranian’s demands for their nuclear program.

       “It is an extremely important treaty because there is some bipartisan support for going to war with Iran if it moves forward with developing nukes. In addition, if Iran used its nuclear capability to threaten or attack Israel—or even a Sunni country like Saudi Arabia—that action could drag the U.S. into a war.

       It is precisely the kind of treaty that demands that the president get the advice and consent of the Senate because he is putting the U.S. at risk militarily and financially. If Iran were to renege on it’s promises in the treaty, the president will likely need congressional support to respond.

       But like his decision to go-it-alone on his health care law (e.g., not getting any Republican support) and his multiple go-it-alone executive actions (e.g., amnesty, suspending parts of the health care law), Obama has no intention of getting congressional buy-in, either the constitutionally mandated two-thirds vote of the Senate or a majority vote from Congress.

       That’s reckless, dangerous and likely unconstitutional.”

       http://rare.us/story/a-constitutionalists-guide-to-obamas-unconstitutional-treaty-with-iran/

       That last sentence pretty much sums up the legacy of the Community Organizer-in Chief’s Presidency: “reckless, dangerous and likely unconstitutional”

     • The intent of the letter was well founded, however, It was sent to the wrong recipient It should have gone directly to the president.

   • Cotton and guys like him are the reason why George Washington and our founding fathers made it where the President was a civilian and the Army answered to the President not the other way around. Guys like Cotton have too much testosterone than brains. If he was still in the service he would be court marshalled.

     • The founding fathers also created three branches of government so there would be checks and balances.

       • Yea and the legislative branch need to learn that it’s NOT the executive branch and it needs to stop trying to be the Executive Branch.

         • That works both ways. The Pres. should have his law writing pen taken away.

6. EMPLOYER: “Health insurance costs are higher because fat people….are fat, and they cause everyone else’s insurance costs to go up. We will not hire fat people. They are fat.”

   QUESTIONS:

   1. In a Right to Work State, does an Employer have the right to not hire someone cause they’re fat?

   2. Does the Employer have the right to fire someone who got fat after they were hired?

7. City of South Bend…….Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (2012)

   http://www.in.gov/sboa/WebReports/B42715.pdf

   Go to page 28 for the vitals and you will see what Evansville could have been if the local machine had been smashed into a thousand tiny pieces and some of the principals sent off to prison.

   The last CAFR produced by the City of Evansville was in 2004. Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel published that report, but being that 2004 was his first year as mayor the actual budget for that year was produced by the Russell Lloyd Jr. administration.

   It is significant in my mind that Jonathan Weinzapfel NEVER produced a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for any of the years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Why?

8. As a creative speller and free lance grammarian myself, I try not to go there with others. With perfect prose the errorditorial would would still fall short of even being useful for padding a bird cage.

   • IE

     I am so curious of who or what is writing these IIT’s.

     • I think it is the young man on the porch playing the banjo in deliverance.

       [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myhnAZFR1po&w=560&h=315%5D

   • IE

     Apparently the IIT editor did not like my questioning their prose and spelling 🙂 Now I really do question who is running the show 🙂 Man up ( or woman up ) Editor !!

9. “IS IT TRUE we have been watching with interest how our former will Mayor will perform as IVY TECH new Chancellor? …we are pleased to report that Chancellor Weinzapfel performance has been extremely impressive? …we applauded his dedication, vision and efforts in taking IVY TECH to next level? …we pledge to help Chancellor Weinzapfel to promote future events or projects he has planned for IVY TECH?”

   * * * * * * * * *

   I am sure that everyone is just sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see if Chancellor Weinzapfel does for Ivy Tech what he did for the City of Evansville.

10. “…we are pleased to report that Chancellor Weinzapfel performance has been extremely impressive? …we applauded his dedication, vision and efforts in taking IVY TECH to next level?”

    Um ok we’ll take your word for it I guess. But instead of just telling us it is impressive, why not bullet point a few stats, facts, or actions he has taken and let us judge if it’s impressive and worthy of praise. You’ve told us nothing…only a weak attempt to implant an opinion into the reader.

11. Where are all the posts going?

12. Editor:

    I suggest that you allow someone else to actually edit the editor. This site is screwed today. Laura, I am sorry I missed your note for the day 🙂

13. Et all:

    The Editor will not let message post, isn’t that hilarious, he, she, it must be upset 🙂

    • I’ve had the same problem before. It has now been close to three years since they blocked my former screen name. If I even put the former name in the post never makes it online. What I find so hypocritical was that I was apparently put on the “naughty” list because I defended my positions and opinions with facts and references. After a couple of months of the editor attempting to keep up (and the topic was censorship, which is sadly amusing) they decided to take away my ability to post under a certain screen name. The censorious ban exists to this day. Very sad

14. Editor:

    Bite me

15. Editor:

    A bit of an attitude today ??

16. It seems to me that when the comments turn to what is going on in local government, and the facts start flying, there is a corresponding increase in the number of disruptors showing up sporting new screen names. These disruptors make their rather ham-fisted attempts to lead the conversation away into other areas, and it is amazing how often they are successful. If this does not seem to be working, they start with the personal attacks.

    The best course of action is to ignore them, and let them throw their tantrum elsewhere.

    https://youtu.be/xgZ5dD7JeBY

17. Well the overhead sees all that mess, so , really don’t fret it to much. Its kind of different to a point but its not really the same as what Joe was sporting. Hoping the next phase of editors gets back to the defined purpose of the blog. What’s going on there isn’t pretty we just hope our people that chose, or have to remain there get some relief from the crumby governance pathway the place has been on for the last half century. Its certainly time.

18. We’ll just call semi adjusted bullshit till the tracks meet the actual road again.

19. Is Evansville ole knelt value still in government function in south bend? Just wondering .

20. I’m hearing Ron Cosby’s hip is doing well and soon he will be back as our governmental pit bull watchdog. Our best to Ron and his family for a speedy full recovery.

    • In addition to wishing a speedy full recovery to Ron Cosby, I was very surprised this morning to read David Cookers insightful and well written Commentary in the Courier & Pravda about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent speech to the joint session of Congress. It was not surprising that Mr. Cooker’s Commentary was excellent in every way, but it was surprising the far left leaning Courier & Pravda published any Commentary critical of Obama’s insistence to legitimize and protect the Iranian nuclear enrichment program (designed to lead to Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons despite what John Kerry claims). Mr. Cooker is a gifted writer and hopefully he can lend his talents to the CCO in the future.

      http://www.courierpress.com/opinion/columnists/coker-netanyahu-speech-historic-spot-on_21413477

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