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Happenings At The Vanderburgh County Democratic Party
ADOPT A PET
Francie is a female calico kitty. She has a beautiful white belly & legs! She was surrendered with another cat from a household with too many animals. She’s about 2 years old. Her adoption fee is $40 and includes her spay, microchip, & vaccines. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 or adoptions@vhslifesaver.org for details!
Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab†July 27, 2020
Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab†July 27, 2020
The majority of our “IS IT TRUE†columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give our more opinionated readers exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and Middle Jab and RIGHT JAB† column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB†AND “MIDDLE JAB†AND “RIGHT JABâ€Â several times a week.  Oh, “LEFT JAB†is a liberal view, “MIDDLE JAB†is the libertarian view and the “RIGHT JAB is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments in this column is free to do so.
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Responsive employer
Mitch McConnell Hopes To Negotiate A Stimulus Agreement In The Next Few Weeks
Mitch McConnell Hopes To Negotiate A Stimulus Agreement ‘In The Next Few Weeks
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Friday he would like to negotiate a new stimulus package with Democrats “in the next few weeks.”
The time frame could spell financial calamity during a pandemic for millions of Americans collecting boosted unemployment checks, a $600 emergency federal supplement to state benefits that Congress approved in March. People on enhanced unemployment face a sharp income drop of 50% to 75% depending on their state’s benefits.
The final beefed-up payments in 49 states are being distributed on Saturday, followed by New York on Sunday. The lapse also coincides with Friday’s expiration of a federal moratorium that’s guarded one-third of the nation’s renters from evictions — or those living in buildings or homes with government aid.
Republicans have struggled to craft and release their anticipated $1 trillion legislation this week, due to fierce GOP infighting over priorities and the size of the spending package. It delayed their plan’s release until early next week when negotiations with Democrats are expected to begin in earnest.
McConnell said at an event in Ashland, Kentucky: “Hopefully we can come together behind some package we can agree on in the next few weeks.”
Unemployment remains high at 11.1%. On Thursday, the Labor Department said 1.4 million people filed for unemployment last week, up from 1.3 million the week before. It was the first increase since March, indicating the recession may deepen as the coronavirus pandemic rages on with rising infections in the US.
In May, House Democrats passed a $3 trillion aid package that would send additional stimulus checks to Americans, direct federal dollars to states and cities grappling with budget shortfalls, and extend the $600 weekly unemployment supplement through January. But Senate Republicans assailed it as a progressive wish-list and did not put it for a vote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California released a joint statement on Friday ripping into Republicans for delaying the rollout of their bill, saying “time is of the essence and lives are being lost.”
“This weekend, millions of Americans will lose their unemployment insurance, will be at risk of being evicted from their homes, and could be laid off by state and local government, and there is only one reason: Republicans have been dithering for months while America’s crisis deepens,” Schumer and Pelosi said.
Gov. Beshear Provides Update on COVID-19
Gov. Beshear Provides Update on COVID-19
FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 25, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Saturday, once again, announced the second-highest single-day total of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Kentucky.
“Today’s numbers continue a concerning increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our commonwealth,†said Gov. Beshear. “We expect to take additional steps next week if the case numbers don’t stabilize.â€
Case Information
As of 4 p.m. July 25, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 26,764 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 836 of which were newly reported Saturday. Twenty-two new cases were from children ages 5 and younger.
“Yesterday, there were more than 74,000 new cases and more than 1,000 deaths reported across the country,†said Gov. Beshear. “We know how to control this virus. We’ve seen states like New York – which had hospitals overflowing with sick patients in March and April – now reporting a positivity rate of 1% or less. If they can do it, we can do it. But we have to work together, stay smart, and wear face coverings.â€
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported five new deaths Saturday, raising the total to 696 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
“This is the part that never gets easier and never will,†said Gov. Beshear. “Every day that we do the right thing, we are protecting each other from the worst pain imaginable. My heart is with these families every waking moment.â€
The deaths reported Saturday include a 79-year-old man from Casey County; an 80-year-old man from Christian County; two women, ages 68 and 93, from Fayette County; and a 66-year-old man from Ohio County.
As of Saturday, there have been at least 582,521 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 5.41%, the highest rate reported in the last few months* and a sign the disease is spreading more actively in our communities.
“The number of positive cases in Kentucky is on the rise, but we can still avoid the crises confronting other states,†said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, referring to other states’ filled ICU beds and increasing deaths. “Our personal choices, right now and every day, will directly determine Kentucky’s situation in early August. Small acts of kindness and personal sacrifice will make a big difference. We can choose to delay a party or picnic. We can shop for groceries or go to the pharmacy when it’s less crowded. We can opt for an online or drive-up worship service. We can wear a face mask. Every one of us has a role to play in determining Team Kentucky’s future.â€
At least 7,421 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race, and ethnicity, click here.
Week in Review
Visit the Governor’s website for more information on this week’s updates, including those on: the new travel advisory, social gatherings limited to 10 people, Kentucky Commercialization Ventures, the state budget, long-term care testing and Healthy at School.
More Information
Read about other key updates, actions, and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media account Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and daily summaries of the Governor’s news conference at teamkentuckytranslations.com.
FOOTNOTES:Â Friday, we incorrectly stated that 5.28% was the highest positivity rate ever reported in the state. Until today, it was the highest positivity rate reported since the earliest months of the pandemic, when limited testing elevated the positivity rate even more.
The IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local Union16′ Offers Extensive Apprenticeship Training Programs
The IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local Union16’s jurisdiction includes Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties in Indiana, and Wabash county in Illinois.
If you’re planning a project within their jurisdiction, click the contractor’s button for a list of our signatory contractors.
IBEW Local 16 was chartered on December 13, 1899. Our members are divided into several categories of electrical work including Inside Construction, Maintenance Electrician, Residential Wiring, and Sign classifications.
Inside Construction
Inside Construction includes commercial, industrial, high voltage, motor controls, instrumentation, lighting, power distribution, parking lot lighting, traffic signals, etc.
Residential Wiring
Residential members meet the wiring needs of private residences including apartments, condominiums, etc.
Sign
Sign members assemble and install an assortment of signs including vinyl, electric, and neon signs.
Local 16 offers extensive and thorough apprenticeship training programs in the following fields:
Inside Journeyman
Wireman Installer/Technician Journeyman
Residential Journeyman Wireman
They also offer many advanced training courses for our Journeyman members at our J.A.T.C. training facilities located in Evansville.
Address and Contact Numbers:
9001 North Kentucky Avenue
Evansville, Indiana 47725-1397
Phone: (812) 867-9670
Fax: (812) 867-9675
Jobline:
Book I (after 6:00 pm): (812) 867-9705
Book II (after 6:00 pm):Â (812) 867-4132
Website:Â Â www.ibewlocal16.com
Business Manager:Â Paul Green
Business Agent:Â Don Beavin / Kim Musgrave (Dispatch)
Business Agent:Â Ryan McRoberts (Field Agent)
Business Agent:Â Brandon Wongngamnit (Organizer)
Business Manager / FinancialSecretary:Â Paul Green
President:Â Greg Hebbeler, II
Vice President:Â Ben Ipock
Recording Secretary:Â Daniel Gretler
Treasurer:Â Nick Vaught
Executive Board:Â Donald Beavin, John Brady Jr, Stephen “Bubba” Fenton, Ryan McRoberts, James Stidham,
Examining Board: Jeff Brady, Ray Pritchett, Scott Woolsey
IT’S COMPLICATED
IT’S COMPLICATED
Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine
Gentle Reader, should you have read last week’s column you may recall it involved issues of how our legal system processes non-violent illegal drug users. Well, I know at least one person besides Peg read it as that person sent me an email outlining his views about my views. As I was surprised that anyone had read my article and had even taken the effort to respond to it, I carefully considered his positions. It also helped that the reader has been a good friend of mine for several years and is well informed and thoughtful on issues of public interest. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we do not. However, he, and, I hope I, always respectfully hear out the entire discussion.
To recap last week’s topic, it contained my chance encounter with a convicted drug dealer who is still on probation after doing four years in prison. He shared the details of his crime and current status on his “split†sentence with me after it came out in our generally casual discussion that I, as a trial judge, had the experience of confronting a defendant in court who had stolen my car twenty years earlier. That surreal coincidence developed as set out below.
In 1965 I had just received my honorable discharge from the United States Air Force and had moved to Indianapolis, Indiana with my wife and son. I found a job selling encyclopedias for P.F. Collier Company door to door. One of my co-workers was a young man I knew as Sam whose last name was of the three-syllable type and hard to forget. Sam and his wife were as poor as we were but he fell in love with my 1956 Ford Fairlane convertible. I had paid $350 for it but planned to replace it with a more family suitable model.
Sam implored me to sell him my car for cash with the promise he’d pay me $50 per week for seven weeks as we received our Collier paychecks, assuming of course, that we sold anything. I acquiesced, and gave him the keys and never saw the car again. The next time I saw Sam was when he appeared in front of me charged with a home burglary to which he offered to plead guilty per a deal he and his attorney had worked out with the Prosecuting Attorney.Â
When I read the pre-sentence investigation a dim light began to glow. In open court, in the presence of Sam’s attorney and the Prosecutor the following colloquy occurred:
Judge:“Mr. ( ), your first name is in the pre-sentence as ( ). Have you ever been known as Sam?â€
Sam: “Yeah, that’s an old nickname.â€
Judge: “Mr. ( ), the pre-sentence lists your residence as in the state of Oregon. Did you ever live in Indianapolis?â€
Same (somewhat surprised): “Yeah, but I left there pretty quickly.â€
Judge: “Mr. ( ), when you were in Indianapolis did you ever sell encyclopedias for P.F. Collier?â€
Sam (really surprised): “Yeah, I did.â€
Judge: “Mr. ( ), you stole my car!â€Â
Naturally, I offered to recuse and get Sam another judge and I took a recess so Sam and his attorney could discuss the situation. But, as Sam had had about as much experience with our legal system as I had between 1965 and 1985, he just advised me that he only came to Posey County, Indiana to burglarize a home. Then he told me, “Judge, I just want to get out of your county jail and get back to prison as soon as possible.†After his attorney agreed and with the Prosecutor’s blessing, Sam got his wish.
This true story of how the system handled a defendant led the probationer I told it to to describe how his sentence had afforded him an opportunity to work and support his family versus simply serving out his entire ten-year sentence. In last week’s article I wrote approvingly of a system based more on forgiving 70 x 7 than long-term incarceration. My friend who disagreed with that approach supported his views with sound reasoning, albeit not as sufficient to persuade me.
 When I prosecuted drug offenses for seven years my views were similar to my friend’s but after forty years of judging such situations, I find myself doubting the efficacy of spending $20,000 per year of taxpayer funds to house non-violent offenders. However, I do understand those who think the way I used to. I am glad I serve in a legal system and live in a country where all rational views can be fairly debated and tested; that does remain true, right? And I am glad to have friends with the fairness to discuss such matters with an open mind.
For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com
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