IS IT TRUE? PART 3 March 31, 2011 The Voices of Consolidation!

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? PART 3 March 31, 2011 The Voices of Consolidation!

IS IT TRUE that following Emmons Patzer’s excellent presentation was former Mayor of Evansville and current Vanderburgh County Councilman Russell Lloyd Jr.?…that Lloyd favors partisan elections on the basis that parties recruit and vet candidates?…that the former Mayor is not in favor of the Combined Council having veto power over the Mayoral appointments because this will complicate an already challenging task of hiring qualified candidates to jobs that do not pay as well as their private sector counterparts?…Mayor Lloyd believes that at-large candidates on the Common Council should be part of the representation?

IS IT TRUE that the people who spoke from the rural parts of Vanderburgh County all seemed confused about why consolidation was even something that they should be asked to consider?…that that the people who dwell in the county were unanimous in their desire to have rejection thresholds apply to any consolidation vote?…that the term rejection threshold is one that is not known by many people and a term that only needs to be understood when one finds oneself in the position of being annexed or consolidated against their will?…that in 2009 the Vanderburgh County Commissioners (Tornatta, Melcher, and Winnecke) gave the MAYOR’S DOZEN the marching orders to incorporate a county wide election into the consolidation plan?…that means that the City of Evansville with a 2 to 1 population ratio over unincorporated Vanderburgh County could essentially vote in consolidation without a single vote from the county?…that this is reminiscent of two cannibals and a missionary voting on what is for dinner?…that in such a vote the missionary is very likely to be eaten?…that the people who dwell in the county are simply asking to be granted the right to offer CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED in the case of consolidation?…that the City County Observer believes that this is not only a reasonable demand but a deal breaker if the county is taken over by the City of Evansville in a lopsided vote?…that one speaker opined that the only economic development that would be helped by consolidating Vanderburgh County against its wishes will be the growth of Henderson, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson counties from refugees from Vanderburgh?

IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh County Farm Bureau was well represented last night and expressed the opinion that the FARM BUREAU MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO THE CONSOLIDATION COMMITTEE?…that the FARM BUREAU held a meeting at the 4-H Center to discuss the topic of consolidation and that 180 people attended?…that the other two public meetings were held at UE and USI both of whom were paid a combined total of $5,000 for the use of their facilities for holding the meetings?…that approximately only 25 people attended each meeting?…that when the FARM BUREAU asked for reimbursement of their costs to hold the meeting at the 4-H Center that the CONSOLIDATION COMMITTEE TURNED THEM DOWN FLAT AND REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THEM?…that actions like that leave very little to wonder about why the people of the unincorporated parts of Vanderburgh County have a paranoia about being treated like unwilling SUGAR DADDY’S by the City of Evansville?…that the Farm Bureau speaker complained that none of the members of either council attended the meeting at the 4-H Center and that only half of the consolidation committee attended?…that she referred to a meticulous set of notes that were taken and ignored by the councils and the committee?… that just this morning THE CITY COUNTY OBSERVER has contacted the Farm Bureau and offered to publish these notes in their entirety without bias or editorial comment?

IS IT TRUE that Republican Candidate for the 5th Ward seat on the Evansville City Council, Brent Grafton spoke briefly on the origin of the plan?…that Mr. Grafton as he often does spoke in an easily understandable parable in saying that in businesses “the President appoints his deputies and then they do his bidding”?…that he then said that is what we have here (in the consolidation plan)?…that we do not think this parable was really about a business or the President of the United States?

IS IT TRUE that two of the most cutting comments of the night came from regular citizens?…that one held up the consolidation plan and uttered the old Wendy’s phrase “WHERE’S THE BEEF”?…that Mike Sandefur not only used the “lipstick a pig” cliché’ but called Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel a “political pariah” for making poor choices while promising each candidate for office that they will be turned into political pariah’s themselves if they resort to backroom dealing and cram downs to get what they want?

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5 COMMENTS

  1. “that means that the City of Evansville with a 2 to 1 population ratio over unincorporated Vanderburgh County could essentially vote in consolidation without a single vote from the county?…that this is reminiscent of two cannibals and a missionary voting on what is for dinner?”

    Its a shame that story didn’t come up in last night’s meeting. It’s a perfect analogy!

    • Things must change before the plan goes to a vote.

      1) The unincorporated area now is home to 1/3 of the total county population. The plan only gives the unincorporated area 1/4 representation on the common council. That must change before the plan goes to a vote.

      2) The attorneys must render their opinion whether the 2010 resolution by 3 county commissioners can be amended at this time to inlcude a rejection threshold. Because if it can’t be amended, that means two of the current commissioners may be voting against moving the plan forward to a referendum. But it seems at this time that if those two commissioners stand by their statements, the plan must change to incorporate a rejection threshold.

  2. The C&P says that the topic of law enforcement dominated the meeting. Many in attendance have come forward to say that while law enforcement was certainly discussed, it by no means dominated the meeting.

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