IS IT TRUE? May 13, 2011
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners held a workshop last night to see if they could do a little surgery to the proposed consolidation agreement?…that the most discussed subject of the meeting was the power that the proposal grants to the Mayor of the County?…that the winds of change in the wake of Team Weinzapfel are most certainly toward clipping the wings of any future Chief Executive of a consolidated Vanderburgh County?…that if it is such a great idea to limit the powers of a Mayor at the county level it should be an even better idea to act now and limit the powers of the Mayor of Evansville and see how it works?…that nearly every astute observer seems to recognize that big changes are needed in the way the City of Evansville is run but that deficiencies are not so apparent in unincorporated Vanderburgh County?…that if some of the “big ideas†to improve a consolidated Vanderburgh County should be tested out in the City of Evansville prior to pronouncing them to be the magic bullets for Vanderburgh County?
IS IT TRUE that most of the time when a head of government has their wings clipped from a power perspective that it is a reaction to a strong self serving head of government that alienated the affections of the people the government is there to serve?…that without the poor top down governance of King George III that the United States of America may have never existed?…that without the self indulgent lifestyles of Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI that the French Republic may have never existed?…that in case after case a sharp transition where power was spread around in a change of government form that it was preceded by someone who abused the power that was entrusted in them?…that the discussion of the limitation of power of the Mayor of Evansville needs to examine the successes and failures of the Mayors of Evansville over the last 50 years?…that maybe the problems here can be solved by limiting the powers of the Chief Executive but that maybe what is needed is a more informed electorate that entrusts the City or County to less self serving leadership?
IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville should be the guinea pig for these ideas because the city is the outwardly dysfunctional entity that is in need of dramatic changes?…that if recently defeated City Council President B. J. Watts says “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it†is the mantra to follow then the Evansville City Council should get on about the business of fixing those things that are broken and leave the county to its own self examination?…that both Rick Davis and Lloyd Winnecke seem to be much more amenable to self limitation when it comes to Mayoral power?…that both of the gentlemen candidates are deliberative individuals who have indicated that they are completely open to surrounding themselves with highly qualified people as advisors?…that it is the person who holds the office of Mayor that determines the extent to which power is spread around?…that if a collaborative deliberative style is what is needed in the City of Evansville that our future is looking brighter because both of the candidates for Mayor have a more cooperative demeanor than we have been accustomed to?
IS IT TRUE that it has not yet been established that consolidation is the right thing to do?…that if the only reason to consolidate is to save money through efficiencies that not enough savings have been put forward yet to bother to consolidate?…that the consolidation proposal needs to be dissected for feasibility before it becomes a Magna Carta for the entire county?…that the right question to ask is still “WHY CONSOLIDATE?†as opposed to the presumptuous “HOW DO WE CONSOLIDATE†that the consolidation committee under the thumb of a STRONG MAYOR has been asking?…that we wonder if the powers of the Mayor of Evansville had been limited in the past if the question of “WHY CONSOLIDATE?†would already be answered?
IS IT TRUE that a tangible and measurable goal for efficiency should determine the answer to the question of “WHY CONSOLIDATE”?…that if a savings threshold of 10% were adopted that a savings level like that would likely benefit all of the would be governed?…that 10% savings of the combined budgets of the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County would amount to over $30 Million per year?…that any private company in America that can’t cut 10% through implementing lean principles is either perfectly managed already or has the wrong management team in place?…that the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County are certainly not perfectly managed which leaves only one conclusion as to which it is?…that if the consolidation committee show us $30 Million per year in savings that the probability of passing will increase dramatically?…that these powers that be do not seem to care for voting thresholds and will probably run from savings thresholds like a rabbit runs from a bird of prey?
The City needs to consolidate to show growth and add tax base. How else are we going to pay for all debt that Weinzapfel is going to leave as with!!!! Weinzapfel the little power that did as he wanted and told others to like it or leave it. I think the biggest sign of improvement is the change wanted by the voters in with Rick and out with Tornatta(Weinzapfel crony).
Consolidation,
What is Right with this picture? No Money saved.
This is a Power Grab, that would have us go from having a “King of Evansville” as we currently do, to having a “King of the County”.
Thanks, but,—No Thanks!
Consolidation = business as usual except 30% bigger.
The only driving force behind consolidation is the failed regime of the City of Evansville. If the City of Evansville was clean, prosperous, and growing there would be no urgency to consolidate. The answer to your question of WHY is simply because the city has collapsed under its own weight. The city needs the county’s money to bail itself out. That is why the “Last King of Evansville”, started this process before he learned that he could not last as King any longer.
…that the consolidation proposal needs to be dissected for feasibility before it becomes a Magna Carta for the entire county?…that the right question to ask is still “WHY CONSOLIDATE?†as opposed to the presumptuous “HOW DO WE CONSOLIDATE†that the consolidation committee under the thumb of a STRONG MAYOR has been asking?…
This is the question we have been asking since the idea was originated. Thank you for a great job of reporting…
The “Why” of this is easy to answer. It is because the Chamber of Horrors, err, Commerce, has gone to all the trouble of writing the law that allows this to happen and then promoted its passage. They then decided to use Evanspatch as a test case to give their toy a try, complete with making use of the loophole they planted in the law that makes the elimination of Rejection Threshold an option.
Then ,the local vote thieves, Winnecke, Tornatta and Melcher (although he has since repented for his sins against man), played their roles in this orchestration, as directed by the Chamber, and implemented the plan without Rejection Threshold.
That’s pretty much it. What else do you need? It’s proven to be a winner since the Chamber backs it 2,000%! The Chamber knows best.
Is it true that a local homebrew club was contacted by a state trooper Wednesday advising them that they will no longer be allowed to donate their “brews” for such charity events as SWIRCA’s suare and events at the Museum and zoo? Is it true that he had contacted someone at the Health Dept (whose name rhymes with Reese) and had his “backing” in this endeavor?
Is it true that this jack-booted state piggie apparently has chosen to start a vendetta of some kind, totally on his own, against homebrewers, even though state law explicitly allows such activities as well as serving their product to the public? Is it true that the employee of the health dept was going to find some way to stop dissemination of these brewers products, even though such disemmination is totally free of charge and given in sample size?
Is it true that this may be a result of publicity on channel 25 a few days ago about the club? Is it true that this lil’ state piggie was probably sitting at home watching TV and chugging a beer when he decided he was going to put a stop to this outrageous, “criminal” activity? How dare these people donate their time, beer and facilities to help charitable organizations raise money! It’s downright un-American!
Is it true that, if the facts as they have been presented to me, prove to be true, the CCO needs to jump all over this as an obvious abuse of power by a pair of otherwise irrelevant government officials? Is it true that the facts of this case can be easily obtained from the owner of Turoni’s, who is also a member of this club?
http://www.news25.us/story/14592949/got-beer-thousands-celebrate-national-homebrew-day#
[…] City-County Observer, IS IT TRUE, May 13……..”IS IT TRUE that it has not yet been established that consolidation is the right thing to do?…that if the only reason to consolidate is to save money through efficiencies that not enough savings have been put forward yet to bother to consolidate?…that the consolidation proposal needs to be dissected for feasibility before it becomes a Magna Carta for the entire county?…that the right question to ask is still “WHY CONSOLIDATE?†as opposed to the presumptuous “HOW DO WE CONSOLIDATE†that the consolidation committee under the thumb of a STRONG MAYOR has been asking?…” […]
Consolidation is not only about efficiencies and cost savings but also about speaking with one voice in attracting new business. Its about making sure there are not two sets of rules, regulations and ordinances. Its about having a real plan for growth as to zoning. It ends the gamesmanship of who pays for bus service to new businesses along the 41 corridor. It gives this area an opportunity for increased federal and state dollars that we miss out on due to our population decline. It increases our tax base to keep our financial house in order. And it gives EVERYONE a voice in the process.
For someone who wants to be thought of as an independent thinking candidate for City Council you are certainly overdosing on the Weinzapfel/Winnecke Kool-Aid. Real plans come from real thinking people which have not been in public office in Evansville for a long time. The inept governance here can’t even agree on the simple things.
As for attracting businesses, I am pretty sure that Greg Wathen is the one voice in charge of that already. Please do not delude yourself into thinking that consolidation will solve the legacy problems of Evansville. By the way the population of the county is not declining. The Kool-Aid drinking republic of Evansville has continued to lose population in spite of dimwitted policies like Front Door Pride and the Prosperous Future Arena.
As for the financial house, I have been reading how a City Councilman who is a CPA can’t even get contracts that the Redevelopment Commission has signed. As long as that is how Evansville does business the financial house will not be in order even if we merge with Henderson. Bad policy leads to bad finances and that is Evansville’s legacy.
The fact that you buy into this Utopian ideal makes me question your capacity to govern. Is the unicorn going to be your campaign mascot. It will go well with Mr. Weaver’s leprechaun outfit. I can’t wait to see the two of you together.
“Consolidation is not only about efficiencies and cost savings but also about speaking with one voice in attracting new business. Its about making sure there are not two sets of rules, regulations and ordinances”
Really? Maybe you have failed to read the proposal but there will STILL be two sets ordinances and regulations, one for the Urban district and one for the General Services District. City ordinances will not apply to rural residents. Any business that can’t navigate the “complex” situation that exists here probably isn’t sophisticated enough to run their own business. After all, the situation here is no different than in 99% of the rest of the country, now is it?
“Its about having a real plan for growth as to zoning.”
Explain this please. What exactly are you saying other than putting a few words together to form a sentence? What will be done then that cannot be done now?
“It ends the gamesmanship of who pays for bus service to new businesses along the 41 corridor.”
The businesses being served and the people riding these buses are who should pay, plain and simple. By having bus service, it allows these businesses to skate by by hiring people who cannot afford a car or pay $4 @ gallon for gas to get to an $8 or $9 @ hr job. Why should taxpayers bear the brunt for this service so businesses can make greater profits by paying lower wages? What service is it performing for taxpayers in general if it is not self-sufficient?
“It gives this area an opportunity for increased federal and state dollars that we miss out on due to our population decline. ”
Your only comment that makes even an iota of sense. That’s nice. Maybe, if the city wasn’t run so poorly, people wouldn’t be leaving. Your comment does provide a nice insight into your opinion regarding “freedom of choice”. You may as well have simply said, “You can run but you can’t hide! We will find your wallet eventually! We know what’s best and we will find a way to force it upon you wherever you go, like it or not!”
“It increases our tax base to keep our financial house in order.”
Funny, if I applied your mentality on this subject to my daily life, I would be in prison. If I want something I can’t afford, simply claim my neighbor as “family” and then steal it from them. If I just can’t seem to make ends meet and I refuse to disappoint my “kids” by simply saying “No.”, again, steal it from my neighbor. I could go on and on but you get the point (unless you’re a republican).
” And it gives EVERYONE a voice in the process”
Which process is that, exactly? The consolidation vote process? Well, you know that has already been stolen from rural voters by eliminating rejection threshold.
Oh, you mean all the other processes that come after consolidation? Oh, those? Well, ya see, Honey, the only reason they would even happen is because of consolidation. If there ain’t no consolidation, there ain’t no processes that we rural taxpayers should be eternally grateful to you for including us in. Get it? Do I need a hammer to drive that point home through your thick skull?
Thanks but no thanks. You can exclude us from all your beloved “processes” and we will get by just fine. You, on the other hand, may have to exercise some fiscal discipline. What a terrible thing! That sure won’t be getting you any votes when you actually have to start saying “No”, will it? It is much easier to steal your neighbors posessions than save to buy your own. Instant gratification is a wonderful thing but so fleeting. The more you get, the more you expect and you end up never being satisfied.
Amen Brother, Amen!!
Comments are closed.