IS IT TRUE November 22, 2013
IS IT TRUE the City County Observer asked the local person of authority and has learned that Indiana Landmarks took possession of the Greyhound Bus Station at the end of April 2013?…they are currently in the planning stages for exterior restoration?…nothing about doing anything to the inside or what the eventual use will be was offered up?…this is a far cry from the politically motivated claims of 5 years ago about a grand deal to completely refurbish the building inside and out and to then open it to the public for both public and private business to be conducted?…the McCurdy is privately owned, therefore Indiana Landmarks can’t shed any light as to its status?…both of these classic buildings that have been in deterioration limbo for over 2,000 days are victims of political ambition and campaign puffery of the highest degree?
IS IT TRUE it has now been 5 days since the scab was ripped off regarding the City of Evansville’s practice of letting employees and particularly the EPD and the EFD accumulate comp time in numbers that greatly exceed the limits set by the United States Department of Labor?…there has been no solution to this problem announced by either the Office of the Mayor or either of the unions that support these groups?… Larry Nelson, Evansville FOP President posted a comment on the CCO stating that,
“The Fraternal Order of Police, the labor organization for the Evansville Police Department, has not met with anyone from the City on this issue. Is it true that the Federal mandate for police officers in regards to compensatory time is 480 hours? Is it true that the FOP and the City of Evansville agreed to a cap of 200 hours years ago, somewhere around 1993? The police department has 285 employees. Could it be that those who have excessive time were employed before 1993?â€
IS IT TRUE this shines even more light on the disregard shown by the City of Evansville for rules and laws?…it seems as though there was a contract signed by the City and the FOP that capped the comp time accumulation at 200 hours which is much lower than the DOL limit of 480 hours?…with all due respect to the possibility raised by Mr. Nelson that these hours could have been on the books from before 1993 (20 years ago), the CCO KNOWS of several situations where people with well over 480 hours of comp time on their books have been credited with more comp time recently?…we even know of cases where people that were not even on the payroll in 1993 are among the 51 cases that exceed 480 hours?…we would like to invite Mr. Nelson to supply an op-ed column to the CCO explaining just how it came to be that some employees have over 10 times the contractual amount of comp time allowed and 5 times the legal limit?…we would also welcome such a column from the Firefighter’s union leadership?
IS IT TRUE in spite of what can be characterized as a taxpayer funded PR campaign to save President Obama’s credibility his numbers continue to plummet?…the Real Clear Politics average of polls now shows 55% disapproval and 40% approval for the President’s performance?…the drill down polls on foreign policy and the economy are even worse both having approval ratings in the 37% range and disapproval ratings in the 57% range?…the most recent CBS poll released this week is dramatically worse for the President?…this proves that at least for now the American people have demonstrated an understanding that they were lied to and have not bought into the President’s PR campaign?…it does appear that the PR campaign is extensive enough that many of the “talking heads†from the evening cable shows were invited to the White House yesterday to have the “talking points†for the week embedded into their minds?…we wonder if we are not going to be keeping that annoying part of the bill of rights that guarantees “freedom of the press†because someone obviously thinks it is junk?…the former Soviet Union had a state sponsored propaganda machine and it seems as though this Administration is trying to capture the opinion speakers from the news networks as his propaganda machine?…this is not unprecedented but it is unacceptable?
Everyone that is over the legal limit should be required to take off 1 day per week until they are below the legal limit. In 1 year, this will knock 416 hours off. Some people, it may take 2 years to get below the limit. Maybe the people that are closer to the 480 hour limit can stagger their time off (e.g. one day off every 2 weeks), so less people are off at the same time. They should come up with some rule (maybe a rotating schedule) that prevents them from always taking Fridays or Saturdays off so the days off are spread out over all 7 days of the week. No one that is over the limit should be allowed to accrue additional comp time. From now on, all comp time earned should have to be used within 1 or 2 years of earning it or it will be forfeited.
Rolling comp time leads to a problem with new hires. All time has to be used up or payed out before the position is filled. One would think this time was accrued so earlier retirement can be achieved. You have two years until you wish to retire but you are out earlier receiving full compensation before your public retirement kicks in. Mean while you are short employees for public safety unless you pay it out instead. This is total bs and should never have been allowed.
Public safety groups have to maintain a certain level of staffing at all times. While it sounds great to say “make them take a day off”, it is unrealistic. If you make them take a day off and they do not meet the minimum staffing because of it, they would have to hire someone on overtime. you would have to do that to make sure the staffing numbers are met. Then you could be adding comp to one bank to reduce comp in another. At the end of the day, the comp liability to the city remains the same.
I realize that, but we’re talking about 51 employees spread out over 7 days per week and 3 shifts per day (for EPD).
The president continues to outmove the obstructionists at every turn. He removed their hammer yesterday. The senate Republican’s penchant for misuse of the filibuster will now be severely curtailed. We’ll get another three or so good justices on that D.C. federal appellate court. Those who so hate Obama have refused to confirm several well qualified candidates and the country is worse off for it. That will now stop.
It matters little how low Obama’s numbers go. He isn’t running for anything. His coattails were always short anyway. The president is still more popular (and honest) than the national Republicans. Those who had such fun smugly denying the president his appointees and judicial nominees along with shutting the government down will soon be punished by the voters. The glee shown by his detractors at the ACA web site debacle will be short lived. That problem will be be fixed but for at least the next three years the Republicans in the senate won’t be filibustering any of his nominees for their venal reasons.
The president’s ‘PR campaign’ pales in comparison with the constant beaming of misinformation and outright lies into the little haids of their avid viewers by FOX.
Whoever thought having a black guy in the White House could cause a hair-on-fire panic in those with so little hair?
VP Biden on this type of power grab in 2005. “he prays to God that the Dems will never do this”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Dacnvjf8A
President Obama on the same subject:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhSKywjnqc
even John Kerry knows this is an abomination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW9MLsupIpQ
This bunch of hypocrits are singing a different song today. The difference between the republican threat and the democratic action is the difference in threatening partisan tyranny and actually executing a coup de tat. These clowns will regret this.
If you think this has to do with race you are as dumb as a post. This is about dictatorial power to force an ideology that most Americans do not want into the federal courts.
Very well said Dr. Chaos. The Omama socialization of America will be forced on us while they still are in office.
The website will surely be fixed sometime in 2014. The problem will not.
Exactly! I am so glad Harry Reid finally took the “Nuclear Option.”
The problems with the website are going to take a back seat to the nasty squabbles over the budget and debt ceiling. The “sad stories” if the 1.2% of the population that won’t be better off with ACA will just go away when the government shuts down again.
Stay under the bridge, Laura.
So says the totally clueless. It has nothing to do with hate and everything to do with lack of respect for a do-nothing President that will go down as the most divisive, dishonest polarizing person(I hesitate to use the word MAN) to ever hold the office of the POTUS. Obamacare very well will be the downfall of BHO. After the GOP takes control of the Senate in 2014 while retaining control of the House, both bodies will be in place for the impeachment & removal of BHO. Just as Dr.Chaos says, it has nothing to do with race. The BHO kool-aid drinkers are the ones that try the most to make race an issue.
Kill the race crap. Everyone that disagrees with Obama is not racist. The ACA is a catastrophe. It is another way to make us that work and pay taxes take care of those that won’t. My insurance premiums have went up over 60% in the last two years so someone else can have free birth control. It was an poorly thought out plan and now it’s blowing up in his face. Open your eyes.
Those with so little hair. Ha ha Good one.
Yea and don’t forget that there are approximately 90 other vacancies in the Federal Courts and now Obama can fill all those positions with progressive judges.
The Tea Party obstructionist as you called them will not know what hit them as not only will the three judges appointed by Obama to the DC circuit Court will get confirmed but 90 other positions will be finally filled. And these judges will serve this country until they die or retire. They are appointed to these positions for LIFE.
Over half of all the filibusters in the US Senate that ever occurred have happened during the Obama administration. That’s just uncalled for and it was the right thing to so invoking the Nuclear Option to put a stop to the GOP obstructionist tactics.
And they won’t be able to change this around as the Dems will control the Presidency and the US Senate in the next election(s). The voters won’t forget who shut down the US Government and will vote against the GOP members of congress as well as the Senate. And the voters won’t forgot who tried to stop them from voting either. With all the new Federal Judges sitting on the bench the Obama effort to prevent the GOP from impeding the people’s voting will be stopped in the federal courts. And more people will be voting and guess who they will be voting for? It won’t be those that tried to stop them from voting because they didn’t have a photo ID or some other stupid requirement.
Voting polls will be forced to stay open longer as well to allow more people to vote.
IMHO people should be able to vote on more than just one day or a few hours out of one day. People need to be allowed to vote over a period of weeks not hours. Then this country would truly be more represented by the elected officials. It’s time to stop this nonsense of only a few rich white men from being the only people voting.
Mirrors Of Delusion
Fragile is the mirror
Our psyche hides behind
Reflecting our delusions
From fear of what we find
Still we’re just the child
Shaken and alone
When brought out in the open
Outside our comfort zone
Confusion is a constant
The measure of all things
With the flooding of emotions
Our shattered mirror brings
Things that lay hidden
In recesses of the mind
Come out to rule the moment
Future thoughts aside
Lashing out at loved ones
Meaning no offense
Sharpness of the tongue
A spiritual defense
Saying many things
We rapidly regret
Slipping even further
Praying you forget
Sweeping up the pieces
Saving every one
Rebuilding our delusions
A battle just begun
Puzzling the pieces
From the many shards
Glue of understanding
Reducing many scars
Buffing it with love
Makes it shinny new
To find that little child
You’d need a jeweler’s view
When it’s all together
We say that we have grown
Our mirror shining brightly
With delusions all our own
Ed_ Schmidt
The intentional neglect of both the historic McCurdy Hotel and Mesker Amphitheater is absolutely shameful and indefensible.
The McCurdy belongs to the Kunkel Group, and they seem to be having financing difficulties.
EKB The old hotel is not getting any better being exposed to the elements as it is now. My guess is the place will most likely see the wrecking ball soon.
Its looks pretty far gone,and the infrastructure that serves it is in about as bad a shape for actual profitable use. Could be its just time?
I do agree with JB the thing should have never been allowed to deteriorate to the condition in which it stands today. What a shame.
I think your local paper the C&P referred to it as the dead bird hotel or something like that didn’t they?
Is it not easier to just roll the hours that are over the limit into the employees deferred comp account? I’m kinda’ sure all Indiana public employees fall under the same guidelines.
JMHO
“we wonder if we are not going to be keeping that annoying part of the bill of rights that guarantees “freedom of the press†because someone obviously thinks it is junk?…the former Soviet Union had a state sponsored propaganda machine and it seems as though this Administration is trying to capture the opinion speakers from the news networks as his propaganda machine?…this is not unprecedented but it is unacceptable?”
————–
Anyone who believes that we right here in the USA or Evansville don’t have a controlled media or propaganda machine is living under a rock, the government as a whole and both political parties have their minions in the media who support and promote their causes, the common man (or woman) has no voice in the matter unless you can add to their talking points to further their agenda, if you don’t fit that criteria you are labeled with whatever the current politically correct buzzword is for that day. (ie raciest, hater, homophobe, teabagger, the list of slurs is endless)
JMHO
Better to be called names than to be a tool for liars. The CP is the worst one locally followed closely by WEHT for being part of the Mayoral propaganda machine. It will probably not be long until news has to have official approval of the state before being aired. Who would have thought that the socialization of America could have happened so fast?
Not really happening that fast I’m in my late 50’s and it’s been slowly moving in that direction all my life.
JMHO
I would also say it’s better to be called names then to wind up dead, we haven’t reached that point yet, finger pointing and name calling is just the first phase, phase two is detention or incarceration, third stage is death squads. I believe Russia made it all the way to phase 3, we know Nazi Germany certainly did.
JMHO
Well you hit the nail squarely on its face with that comment Blanger!
In this locale it really looks they use they’re unconstitutional “politically appointed felon builders clubs”,corruption infused societies/private clubs/and organizations,and the overfed underhanded self-serving media to control the poorly represented masses while underhandedly executing the subjection of they’re fingered serfs for continued exploitation of somebodies social political ponzie funding.
My hope Yoda,is that some short fused backfired intentions will seal the deal on them someday,technology alone will shine the light all over that old stinking,festering, totalitarian government practice. They can hide from it maybe even try to control it,but in the end that will chew at them from inside out.
I understand there are some special watchers in the mix lately,sorely needed dealings I think , CCO you keep it up too. Put eyes and ears on everything involved,investigate,pry,investigate some more and be loud with the information,even go national,damn it even call FOX network news,some of these idiots are always referring to them anyhow,hell use’um then! Maybe turn this card on’um during the next three card Monte game,”the ACLU hand”….then watch the shills slip out the back,(jack) and fade to blue fast on that $%#&! card flip…
Honestly the “media collaboration” was a real “Nazi brown shirt,and Gestapo tactic. Sure does look like old WWII in color history channel stuff around these parts sometimes.
Emblems on the uniforms change faces behind the lenses do, trait doesn’t.
Watch what happens when the “meat” begins to be rationed and they start looking at the other dudes or dude’ettes plate around the Dinner clubs seating arrangement. Someones gonna get forked. Cordial manners,not so much.
JMHO
Thing is that media control or bias (for whatever reason) is just one small piece of the puzzle, the assault on humanity’s freedoms is everywhere you look and people freely give up their rights or claim to rights at every turn for just about any reason that is put in front of them.
Maybe I’m just a old dude who once saw life in a different perspective than today, maybe the road we are on isn’t the road I think it is but you know the road signs look very familiar to signs I saw in history books as a child in school.
As for technology, it will either be our savior (barring Christ’s return) or it will be the final blow to freedom only time will tell, currently it’s leaning in the direction of the latter.
Hey! but there is always hope, it has kept humanity humming along for a few hundred years in this country through a lot of adversity and bad times, I just hope that what looks like is coming down the road ahead of us is a illusion.
JMHO
Your memory is about as long as your arm. Your opinion on unbiased reporting is biased by if you agree with the story. WEHT gave way more exposure to the people that were against the hotel than for it and WFIE was “in the Mayor’s pocket” according to the opponents of the project. Now since WFIE reported the non-story of comp time, WEHT is the bad news and 14 is on top. Geez. Give me a break.
Excessive comp time was not “non news” when the Mayor (your buddy) used it as as excuse to fire Sherman Greer from the Emergecy Management Agceny and put Cliff Weaver in that position.
Phillip you have no room to talk about bias!!!!
Show me a link to an article that says that Sherman Greer was fired for excessive comp time. Just because you lack the ability to comprehend what you read does not make your false assumptions true. Sherman Greer’s offense was excessive overtime to a single employee in lieu of a raise to which they were not eligible. You make yourself irrelevant because you can’t stay in the realm of reality and facts.
Phillip if you are so smart why can’t you see it for yourself. Does your mommy still show you everything. Anyone with half a brain heard the Mayor and all the news coverage on Sherman’s termination or forced resignation. You’re a big boy now, do the research yourself or sit down and shut up!
It’s common knowledge as to why the Mayor got rid of Sherman. He wanted a loyal republican political supporter in that job instead of Sherman.
Like I said before if the Mayor thinks it’s wrong to have a department head allowing his employees to get too much comp time then the Mayor should have also fired the head of the EPD and the EFD. Now the roster comes how to the nest and the Mayor has no where to hide on this one.
2012 STATEWIDE PROPERTY TAX REPORT (with comparison to 2011)
http://www.in.gov/legislative/pdf/STATEWIDE_2012.pdf
Not all postings using the name “Pogo” are mine. Someone else is trying to make me look bad, but the readers are astute enough to tell the difference.
One of the posters said that federal judges serve for life. That is not true. The US Constitution states that federal judges shall serve “…during good behavior…” If you will do a cursory search, you will determine that US Representative Alcee Hastings WAS a federal judge UNTIL he was impeached.
But you do have a point. A former governor of Illinois was serving time at the federal prison in Kentucky AND was drawing full pay. It was not until about three years into his prison term that they began impeachment proceedings. Then he resigned.
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