IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 7, 2015

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IS IT TRUE we are hearing that people against consolidation are reminding the voters of Evansville about Mayor Winnecke’s strong pro-consolidation stance on attempting to force City and County Government to merge into one entity?  …they are also reminding the voters that 59%  of people voting on this issue rejected the Mayors plea to merge the City with the County?  …we also hear that are reminding voters that Gail Riecken strongly  opposed merging the City and County into one Governmental entity?

IS ITB TRUE charity is defined as benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity?  …this is a great personal trait, but should our tax dollars be spent while being charitable?  …last  weekend a charitable fundraiser held at Bennett Motors was manned by both on duty police officers and staff along with officers working overtime that got paid at time and one half rate?  …it would had made good economic sense if all the EPD police officers would had volunteered their time to work at this worthy charitable event since the City just borrowed $8 million dollars to pay overdue bills and make payroll?

IS IT TRUE that the  article we posted yesterday concerning Domestic Violence Assistance Hotlines that help victims of domestic violence and sexual assaults had over 1200 page views?  …we are extremely pleased that many of our readers took time to open some of the links provided in this post?  …we encourage all Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault victims not to be afraid to report acts of domestic violence against them no matter how politically connected or wealthy their attacker may be?

IS IT TRUE we are sick and tired of hearing our elected officials talking about Community Blight but doing very little about it?

IS IT TRUE its time for the taxpayers to be concerned about the total amount of local tax money that our elected officials have pledged to build a new Downtown Hotel and IU Medical School?

IS IT TRUE its time that our elected officials realize that our streets and sidewalks and our parks are in deplorable condition city wide?

IS IT TRUE that the Walgreen and Oak Hill Pharmacy on East Morgan have closed?  …you better not let the people at DMD and ERC know about these closings because they might want to spend $85,000 to paint a ugly abstract Mural on the side of Walgreens to help generate economic development in that area?

IS IT TRUE  because of a typo in the minutes of the Solid Waste Management District we posted the wrong increase in the 20156 Budget?  IS IT TRUE here is the corrected post?  IS IT REALLY TRUE on September 1, 2015 the Solid Waste Management District met in official session? …that the Solid Waste Management District voted to increase their 2016 Budget by .8%? …those who voted for this small increase were Missy Mosby, Bruce Ungethiem, Angela Koehler Lindsey and Bob Stone? …as of August 31, 2015 the Solid Waste District cash on hand was $161,906 and investments were $325,000 for a total of $486,906 in the operating account? …at the beginning of the year the cash balance was $472,766 which means the operating account was increased about $14,000 so far in 2015? …with a pretty healthy cash balance we understand why the Solid Waste Management District decided to increase their 2016 operating budget by only .8%?

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29 COMMENTS

    • No sir. It’s time to elect a new Captain and crew for this sinking ship and get it afloat!

      • If there is no new Captain, I’m on my way outta here. Btw, Gail Riecken is a licensed Riverboat Pilot, among her many accomplishments.

    • When will the S.S. Friend yacht throw a rope around the listing S. S. Evansville, and pull her safely to shore ???

  1. So.. The EPD holds a personal fundraiser for a couple of schools (of THEIR CHOICE) and we the tax payers are paying for this “fundraiser” by paying our police officers overtime? HOW AND WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? What is going on in this city? PITIFUL….

      • EB, more anti-police and anti-America nonsense from you. Give us a break and troll somewhere else.

    • “…it would had made good economic sense if all the EPD police officers would had volunteered their time to work at this worthy charitable event since the City just borrowed $8 million dollars to pay overdue bills and make payroll?”

      ‘Cops Connecting with Kids” is a pet project of Chief Bolin (taking at risk kids to Disney World). Not saying it is not a worthy project, but it is his personal thing. He can’t force officers to work for free at charitable events. I suppose they could volunteer, but I certainly wouldn’t volunteer my time for a charity that I might not personally be into. If off-duty uniformed personnel were detailed to provide additional personnel at this fundraiser, they deserve to get paid. If The Editor thinks it’s okay for the various department heads to be able to force their employees to “participate” unpaid in whatever pet charity the department head is into, that’s pretty screwed up.

      Also, certain EPD personnel are specifically tasked with participating in community outreach programs as part of their assigned duties. The EPD CPO (Crime Prevention Office) personnel exist to attend neighborhood association meetings, respond to mayor’s hotline calls, attend school and other community events, etc. I’m sure members of the CPO unit were in attendance at Chief Bolin’s charity and they were being paid their basic rate while on-duty.

      If The Editor has a problem with EPD on this matter, it’s a problem with EPD management. Don’t bust on the grunts for accepting an hourly wage for coming into work on their off-duty time.

      • If the head of the EPD is going to force the tax payers to pay the overtime for the “grunts” we damn sure have the right to question it. If he wants to solicit volunteers, that’s perfectly fine. But I’m not going to pay for officers to protect a private fundraiser when they could (and should) be out on the street protecting me, rather than hanging out at a fundraiser, making time and a half on MY DIME.

        Someone told me that Cops Connecting with Kids is part of an organization started by Fred Rogers and Company. So, if indeed this fundraiser was part of that National Organization Cops Connecting with Kids, does some the money raised from this event go to the National Organization? If not, does the money raised at this event have to be reported to them?

        If this event wasn’t a part of Fred Rogers Company “Cops Connecting With Kids” organization,then what Not-For Profit organization ran the fundraiser? Do they have a tax ID number with the IRS? Who is their Executive Director? Who is on their Board of Trustees? Who is ensuring that these moneys are used correctly? Who oversees the finances of this organization? Who ensures that 100% of the proceeds does to the kids and not elsewhere?

        I think if we, the public, are being forced to foot the bill for it, we deserve answers to these questions.

        • You have very good questions, and they DO deserve answers. My issue was with the tone of The Editor, the implication of which seemed to be that EPD line officers were somehow in the wrong for accepting pay for working this fundraiser off-duty. If I was mistaken on The Editor’s intent, he has my apologies. As far as YOUR post, I agree 100% with the sentiment.

      • Totally agree with you.. If they pay me OT pay – I might do it also. I don’t think anyone is busting on the grunts – – – this is for sure a management issue…. The current mayor should NEVER allow to this happen…

  2. seems that many people around here just want to get “THEIRS”….from the top of the food chain to the bottom…not much regard for the big picture.

  3. Is it true Evansville voters will hold Gail Riecken responsible for running and hiding in Illinois thereby attempting to thwart the will of the Indiana voters who won an election ?

    • IS IT TRUE that the Walgreen and Oak Hill Pharmacy on East Morgan have closed? …you better not let the people at DMD and ERC know about these closings because they might want to spend $85,000 to paint a ugly abstract Mural on the side of Walgreens to help generate economic development in that area?

      An $85,000 mural would let the taxpayers off cheap. These crooks will want to purchase the buildings for a million or two.

  4. Re-posted from yesterday. Three things that made the Fall Festival even more exciting.

    First there was the Fall Festival “Boothgate” where the Democrat Central Committee clandestinely towed their booth to Area 51 or other secret grounds to avoid use by fellow Democrat party members.

    Second, there was the Fall Festival “Floatgate”, filed with the pageantry and drama of a Democrat Central Committee insider arrested on the Democrat float:

    https://city-countyobserver.com/is-it-true-october-11-2011-mid-morning-edition-floatgate/

    Third, we now have the Fall Festival “Signgate”. “Campaign signs” of a suddenly mysterious and unknown origin, securely attached themselves to the Democrat’s Fall Festival booth blaming Republicans for the Inquisition, rise of ISIS and crop circles.

  5. IS IT TRUE that the Walgreen and Oak Hill Pharmacy on East Morgan have closed? …you better not let the people at DMD and ERC know about these closings because they might want to spend $85,000 to paint a ugly abstract Mural on the side of Walgreens to help generate economic development in that area?

    Not only that, It can house a lot of meth labs, located for convenient drug deals. “Evansville is moving forward!”

  6. Yes it is true that the opponents of consolidation are warning rural residents that annexation is a real possibility if Winny is re-elected. All At-Large candidates for City Council answered that annexation is one solution to increased revenue!

    • As Gomer Pyle would say; “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”. What did you think would happen when the consolidation fell through? Annexation (which should have occurred 20 years ago) is in the foreseeable future for all of those county residents who live in suburban areas (not rural farm areas) which are really extensions of the city and enjoy the benefits of the city without paying the going rate for them. If the City of Evansville was smart they’d annex Highway 41 all the way up to the Gibson County line; screw Darmstadt.

  7. I thought I’d post this once again until one of the other news organizations picks this up and does some investigating.

    Recently I received an official copy of the “Restraining Order Petition” between At-Large City Councilman Jonathan Weaver and one of his ex-wifes thats on file at the Vanderburgh County Clerk office. I find the Court findings concerning this petition extremely interesting.

    I originally thought that I would make this public document available to the local media. However after a second thought, I decided to let our local media do the research and report the findings of the Court concerning a “Restraining Order Petition” filed against an elected public official.

    If Courier and Press, TV Channels 25, 7. 14 and 44, and the City County Observer would like to have an official copy of this “Restraining Order Petition” they could pick one up at the Vanderburgh County Clerks Office. For your information I also understand that Mr. Weaver may have two (2) such petitions on file but the Judge sealed one of them from public view.

    Finally, in my opinion the local media are duty bond to research and make this information public!

    AFTER HEARING TESTIMONY FROM BOTH SIDES THE COURT CAN MAKE THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS:

    a. The Court could rule that Petitioner has shown, by a preponderance of the evidence, that domestic or family violence, stalking, or a sex offense has occurred sufficient to justify the issuance of this Order.

    b. The Court could rule if this order does/does not protect an intimate partner or child.

    c. The Court could determine if the Respondent represents a credible threat to the safety of the Petitioner or a member of the Petitioner’s household.

    d. The Court could determine if relief is necessary to bring about a cessation of the violence or the threat of violence.

    THE COURT COULD ORDER:

    1. The Court could enjoined the “Respondent” from threatening to commit or committing acts of domestic or family violence, stalking, or a sex offense against the Petitioner and the following designated family or household members.

    2. The Court could prohibited the “Respondent” from harassing, annoying, telephoning, contacting, or directly or indirectly communicating with the “Petitioner”.

    3. The Court could remove the “Respondent” and excluded him from the Petitioner’s residence.

    4. The Court can ordered the “Respondent” to stay away from the residence, school, and/or place of employment of the Petitioner. The Court could further ordered the “Respondent” to stay away from the following place(s) that is/are frequented by the Petitioner and/or the Petitioner’s family or household members.

    Submitted to the City County Observer

    Greg LaMar-Evansville

    • Greg Lamar,

      Please send a copy of this Restraining Order Petition concerning Jonathan Weaver to the CCO.

      CCO: please post it. Voters need to see with their own eyes the conduct of candidates. Character does matter !

      Greg, also recommend you send a copy of this to each of the media outlets you noted (TV stations, etc.). Don”t assume they read CCO, just send it to them directly. If its in their hands . . . . they have no choice but to spread the word, and let the voters decide.

  8. The last thing all of the media that is in the tank for Whiney wants to do is discredit Weaver. He’s “owned” by the Republicans to the point that they didn’t run anyone against him or his conjoined twin, Missy.
    Please just make it available to CCO, and maybe enough attention will force the other “media” too address it.

  9. If Riecken did oppose consolidation, she should make that a front and center campaign issue. I’m surprised to hear she did since most elected officials, community “leaders”, and the C&P supported it (Sans Rick Davis) while voters were overwhelmingly opposed.

Comments are closed.