Attorney General Curtis Hill and staff.
WHAT: Press conference regarding the investigation into the late Dr. Ulrich Klopfer’s Indiana abortion clinics and other properties.
WHEN: 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.
WHERE: Office of the Attorney General, Room 219, Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis.
As a courtesy, please email Public Information Officer Melissa Gustafson at melissa.gustafson@atg.in.gov if you plan to attend the press conference. Thank you.
IS IT TRUE that the City-County Observer launched a speaker series in May of 2019 called the Living Outside the Box series?…this speaker series was named after a book by the same name that was written by Joe Wallace who has served as a content contributor to the CCO for roughly 10 years now?…this speaker series has promoted numerous business interest and each one draws bigger crowds?…this month the speaker will be John Dunn who is one of the legacy entrepreneurs in greater Evansville, Indiana?…a capacity crowd is expected to see Mr. Dunn discuss his personal philosophies on business and life?
IS IT TRUE that on October 25th, the CCO will host  their annual “Community Achievement Awards” luncheon at Tropicana-Evvavsville and it is going to be much larger than normal to hold what is expected to be a record-setting crowd?…the keynote speaker will be announced soon and it is a man of accomplishment in both the business and political world?…this keynote speaker is seen often on television and will be recognized by all?…it is now confirmed that Joe Wallace will be in attendance and is enthusiastically looking forward to visiting his former home and meeting the esteemed speaker?… Wallace will be available to autograph his books for any attendees who buy one or bring one that they already have with them?
IS IT TRUE since his book was published in April, Mr. Wallace has visited many California cities, Dallas, Denver, Evansville, Charlotte, New York City, Phoenix, Newark, Philadelphia, Rome, Florence, Athens, Ephesus, and Madrid as an author? Â …Living Outside the Box has not only launched as a #1 Category seller on Amazon but now has readers in 41 American states plus the countries of Japan, Mexico, Canada, France, England, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain?…one speaking event drew approximately 5,000 people and he is looking forward to a little rest and relaxation during a weekend in Evansville?
President Trump promised the American people that his Administration would address and correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and today, his Administration is taking steps to fulfill this promise.
Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took an initial step towards finalizing the proposed Safer, Affordable, Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule by issuing a final action entitled the “One National Program Rule,†which will enable the federal government to provide nationwide uniform fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for automobiles and light duty trucks.
A top priority for President Trump, when finalized, the proposed SAFE Vehicles Rule standards would establish attainable fuel economy and GHG vehicle emissions standards that will help ensure that more Americans have access to safer, more affordable, and cleaner vehicles that meet their families’ needs. The SAFE rule’s standards are projected to save the nation billions of dollars and strengthen the U.S. domestic manufacturing base by adding millions of new car sales. Most importantly, because newer cars are safer than ever before, the new standards are projected to save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of Americans from being hospitalized by car crashes.
“Today’s action meets President Trump’s commitment to establish uniform fuel economy standards for vehicles across the United States, ensuring that no State has the authority to opt out of the Nation’s rules, and no State has the right to impose its policies on the rest of the country,†said Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.
“Today, we are delivering on a critical element of President Trump’s commitment to address and fix the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards,†said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “One national standard provides much-needed regulatory certainty for the automotive industry and sets the stage for the Trump Administration’s final SAFE rule that will save lives and promote economic growth by reducing the price of new vehicles to help more Americans purchase newer, cleaner, and safer cars and trucks.â€
Today’s action finalizes critical parts of the SAFE Vehicles Rule that was first proposed on Aug. 2, 2018. This action brings much-needed certainty to consumers and industry by making it clear that federal law preempts state and local tailpipe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards as well as zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates. Specifically, in this action, NHTSA is affirming that its statutory authority to set nationally applicable fuel economy standards under the express preemption provisions of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act dictates that such state and local programs are preempted. For its part, EPA is withdrawing the Clean Air Act preemption waiver it granted to the State of California in January 2013 as it relates to California’s GHG and ZEV programs. California’s ability to enforce its Low Emission Vehicle program and other clean air standards to address harmful smog-forming vehicle emissions is not affected by today’s action.
This action will help ensure that there will be one, and only one, set of national fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles. The agencies continue to work together to finalize the remaining portions of the SAFE Vehicles Rule, to address proposed revisions to the federal fuel economy and GHG vehicle emissions standards.
In today’s One National Program Rule, NHTSA and EPA have made the following determinations:
Pursuant to Congress’s mandate in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, only the federal government may set fuel economy standards, and state and local governments may not establish their own separate fuel economy standards. This includes state laws that substantially affect fuel economy standards (such as tailpipe GHG emissions standards and ZEV mandates).
In addition, EPA is withdrawing the 2013 Clean Air Act waiver that authorized California to pursue its own tailpipe greenhouse gas emission standard (fuel economy standard) and ZEV mandate. As a result, these two programs are also prohibited by the Clean Air Act.
Moving forward, California must continue to enforce its programs to address smog and other forms of traditional air pollution caused by motor vehicles. The state must redouble its efforts to address the worst air quality in the United States and finally achieve compliance with EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards, where for decades it has failed to address serious, severe, and extreme non-compliance status in several areas within the state.
AGENDA
| I. | INTRODUCTION |
Agenda Attachment:
| II. | APPROVAL OF MEETING MEMORANDUM |
Meeting Memo Attachment:
| III. | REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS |
| IV. | SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY |
A. Motion to withdraw Ordinance R-2019-09
| V. | CONSENT AGENDA:Â FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE F-2019-20 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller F-2019-20 Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE F-2019-21 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Appropriations and Repeal and Appropriations of Funds Within the Department of Metropolitan Development Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 10/14/2019 Notify: Kelley Coures, DMD F-2019-21 Attachment:
| VI. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| VII. | REGULAR AGENDA:Â SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2019-12 An Ordinance Fixing the Salaries of Every Appointive Officer, Employee, Deputy, Assistant, Departmental and Institutional Head of the City of Evansville and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Levee Authority for the Year 2020 and Establishing Salary Administration Procedures Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller G-2019-12 Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE F-2019-15 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana Fixing the Salaries of Elected Officials for the City of Evansville, Indiana for the Year 2020 Sponsor(s): Council as a Whole Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller F-2019-19 Attachment:
C. ORDINANCE F-2019-19 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Appropriations and Repeal and Appropriations of Funds Within the Department of Metropolitan Development Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Kelley Coures, DMD F-2019-19 Attachment:
D. ORDINANCE R-2019-12 Amended An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as Part of 2800 Colonial Garden Road Petitioner: ANB Investments, LLC Owner: ANB Investments, LLC Requested Change: R-1 to M-1 w/UDC Ward: 1 McGinn Representative: Krista B. Lockyear, Lockyear R-2019-12 Amended Attachment:
E. ORDINANCE R-2019-20 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 8210 Woodbriar Drive Petitioner: Jina Lancaster Owner: Gladys Hammonds Requested Change: R1 to R3 w/UDC Ward: 1 McGinn Representative: Jina Lancaster R-2019-20 Attachment:
F. ORDINANCE R-2019-22 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 273 S Sonntag Avenue Petitioner: Justin Stark Owner: Justin Stark Requested Change: R2 to R3 w/UDC Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: Ryan Schulz, KDDK R-2019-22 Attachment:
G. ORDINANCE R-2019-23 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 3105 Broadway Avenue Petitioner: Richard & Linda Hogan Owner: Richard & Linda Hogan Requested Change: C4 to R1 Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: Richard & Linda Hogan R-2019-23 Attachment:
| VIII. | RESOLUTION DOCKET |
A. RESOLUTION C-2019-13 A Resolution Encouraging Changes to the 2020 Budget for SWIRCA Sponsor(s): Adams Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Josh Claybourn, City Council Attorney C-2019-13 Attachment:
B. RESOLUTION C-2019-15 A Resolution Encouraging Changes to the 2020 Budget for Mayoral Compensation Sponsor(s): Mercer Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Josh Claybourn, City Council Attorney C-2019-15 Attachment:
C. RESOLUTION C-2019-16 A Resolution Encouraging Changes to the 2020 Budget for City Council Compensation Sponsor(s): Mercer Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Josh Claybourn, City Council Attorney C-2019-16 Attachment:
D. RESOLUTION C-2019-17 A Resolution Encouraging Changes to the 2020 Budget for Hospitalization Sponsor(s): Mercer Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Josh Claybourn, City Council Attorney C-2019-17 Attachment:
E. RESOLUTION C-2019-18 A Resolution Encouraging Changes to the 2020 Budget for Non-Union Employee Pay Sponsor(s): Mercer Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 9/23/2019 Notify: Josh Claybourn, City Council Attorney C-2019-18 Attachment:
| IX. | MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS |
A. THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council is Monday, October 14, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
B. ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
| X. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| XI. | ADJOURNMENT |
Reparations Or Liberty
By Richard Moss, MD
Among many telltale signs of the tectonic fissures dividing the nation, perhaps the most telling is the near-universal call by prominent Democrats and others for reparations. This refers to a compensatory payment made to the descendants of African slaves brought to America through the Atlantic Slave Trade. It is unworkable but speaks loudly of the state of our politics and culture.
Proponents of reparations argue passionately of the stain of slavery, the long, dark shadow cast by this cruel institution across the American soul. This great evil, the original sin of slavery, has cursed the nation at its inception, at the founding, and in our founding documents. The country is thus irredeemably marred and defective, and the blot of that dark inheritance is fixed in our moral DNA. This insidious legacy lives on in America, in the systemic racism that pervades the nation, and the disparate outcomes of blacks and whites in all sectors of society today. Â
But there are counter-arguments. We begin with the obvious. Slavery ended in America 150 years ago by something known as the Civil War; roughly 750,000 soldiers died in that cataclysm, a great and bloody cleansing of the nation over that mortal sin. Furthermore, no one alive today in America is a slave or slaveholder, and sons and daughters are not responsible for the sins of their parents let alone of distant ancestors from more than a century ago.Â
Many of the Founders and newly formed states deeply opposed slavery. But some southern states demanded that the slave trade be protected. To obtain broad support to ratify the Constitution, the framers made concessions to pro-slavery factions. Had they attempted to eliminate slavery at the time, a political impossibility, there would have been no nation or Constitution. The Founders were painfully aware that the existence of slavery clashed with the belief that “all men are created equal,†but they also understood that they could not resolve the terrible inconsistency at the time. But they had planted the seeds for ending slavery in the founding documents and the principles of the American Revolution; they established states and a central government robust enough to ultimately eradicate the institution in a later generation.Â
There are other complexities. American blacks earn 20-50 times more than compatriots in Africa (David Horowitz). Blacks in America taken as a whole would represent the fifteenth richest nation in the world. The lives of American blacks today is incomparably better than it would have been had they remained in Africa. This, in no way, excuses the practice of slavery in America. Â
There were also 3,000 “free black†slaveholders who owned some 20,000 slaves. American Indians were also slaveholders and held them well after the end of the Civil War. Most Americans, even in the antebellum south, did not own slaves. Black Africans and Arab Muslims were also responsible for enslaving the ancestors of black Americans.
Most Americans today, including blacks that came later, have no relationship to slavery (in America) as they or their ancestors came after the Civil War (with the two great waves of immigration in 1880 and 1970). It would be improper to link them to slavery in this country.
Further, the reparations claim is not based on specific injury (such as Jewish victims of the Holocaust or Japanese-American victims of “internment†under FDR) but on race. It perpetrates a new injustice against those who committed no crime for the benefit of those who are not victims.Â
There is also no evidence that individuals living today are disadvantaged by a slave system that ended 150 years ago. There are many successful blacks in America today including black millionaires, a black billionaire, and a black President, among many black success stories, even as the black middle class is prosperous and growing.Â
Furthermore, poverty, unemployment, and incarceration rates for blacks were shrinking in the decades preceding the expansion of the liberal welfare state in the ‘60s, in some cases bettering their white counterparts (Thomas Sowell). Blacks were coming out of poverty and entering the middles class despite actual institutionalized racism at the time. Most black children then were raised in two-parent families. Â
That earlier progress halted and retreated dramatically since the onset of the federal welfare system and its associated social and cultural pathologies. These policies and behavioral factors explain racial disparities today far more than “systemic racism†or the “legacy of slavery.â€Â
Many Americans are mixed race, with complex ancestries that would be challenging to sort out for reparations claims. Â
Interpreting practices of centuries ago through a modern, 21st-century perspective is also problematic. Â Â
 The Civil Rights Act and Great Society Programs that began in 1965 already represents trillions of dollars in wealth transfers to blacks through welfare payments, subsidies, and preferential treatment based on race (Affirmative Action).Â
Slavery, furthermore, was not unique to the United States. Bondage in North America was a small percentage of slavery in the Americas. Brazil, for example, had 4 million African slaves compared with 400,000 in America. Cuba had 800,000 (Henry Louis Gates). In total, about 12 million African slaves were brought to the Americas, through the Atlantic Slave Trade, 95% of which went to South and Central America and the Caribbean, while only 5% went to America.
Then there was the Muslim slave trade, which had existed since the 8th century when it began enslaving Africans; it persists to this day. It enslaved as many as 17 million people from the coast of the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and North Africa. Muslim slave traders between 1500 and 1900 transported approximately 5 million African slaves. Arab Muslims also enslaved more than 1 million Europeans (whites or “Slavs,†hence the word “slaveâ€) between the 16th and 19th centuries, more than double the number of black Africans brought to America.Â
Western (white Christian) nations ended slavery, a universal phenomenon involving all races and cultures that dates back more than 5,000 years to ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and beyond. But slavery persisted in other parts of the world, particularly the Muslim World. Indeed, only a handful of Muslim nations have officially ended slavery and then not until the late 20th century.Â
Further, there are some 40 million slaves worldwide today (antislavery.org) including nearly 10 million in Africa, many of them black Christians enslaved by Muslims. There are millions of slaves in the Middle East and Asia (Arantxa Underwood). Yet those clamoring for reparations, so concerned with American slavery that ended 150 years ago, have little to say about slavery today.
No, reparations are not likely to bind the nation’s racial wounds, rather it will rip them apart, but perhaps that is the point. Peddling “race†has been a major growth industry in America and many who traffic in “racism†have benefitted from it. But they have also done great damage to American blacks, race relations, and the nation as a whole.
Apart from its divisive nature, impracticality, and cost, perhaps the greatest indictment of reparations is that it continues to treat blacks as victims unable to advance without government assistance, a disabling ideology that is destructive of blacks. Reparations serve to further infantilize blacks, and will perpetuate the same damaging incentives and moral chaos created by “Great Society.â€Â It will increase dependency, steal ambition, and build resentment; it will expand the black underclass; it will ensure that the pattern of family breakdown, illegitimacy, educational failure, criminality, incarceration, and economic and social dysfunction that plagues many blacks continues.Â
It would better serve blacks to appreciate their good fortune to live in America, to participate in the American enterprise, as many already do, to embrace the blessings of liberty and opportunity that this nation uniquely provides. It would benefit blacks to realize that the nation that ended the slave system more than a century ago has also helped them achieve the highest standard of living of blacks anywhere in the world. Blacks would profit by championing the American project, despite its history and flaws, while rejecting the toxic gruel of the Democrat Party, the intersectional Marxist Left, and the various race hucksters that emphasize victimhood, a debilitating message that will only hinder them in their lives, diminish their prospects, and make it impossible to engage in the American story.
It is far better to regard blacks, and all Americans, not as members of a racial group or as victims but as individuals, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights among which include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; to judge them not based on skin color but on character, talent, and achievement. Therein lies salvation for blacks, whites, and the entire nation. This is the American creed that will set us all free.Â
FOOTNOTE: Dr. Moss is a practicing Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon, author, and columnist, residing in Jasper, IN. He has written “A Surgeon’s Odyssey†and “Matilda’s Triumph†available on amazon.com. Find more of his essays at richardmossmd.com. Visit Richard Moss, M.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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With Missouri Valley Conference action just over a week away, the University of Evansville volleyball team faces its final non-conference test this weekend, traveling to Martin, Tenn. for the Skyhawk Invitational. Evansville opens with matches against UT Martin and Little Rock on Friday before completing the tournament on Saturday against Mercer.
Last Week Recap
– Just three days after Melanie Feliciano set the program record with 36 kills, Rachel Tam recorded 39 as the Aces took down Tennessee Tech in a 5-set thriller
– Tam’s 39 kills came in just 75 attempts as she hit .333; Feliciano had 19 in the win
– Allana McInnis excelled once again with 64 assists and 19 digs
– Last weekend, the Aces went 3-0 in the home Dunn Hospitality Tournament for the first time since 2010
– Feliciano’s 29 against Purdue Fort Wayne helped the Aces grab a 3-1 win; Alondra Vazquez and Rachel Tam added 14 kills apiece
– UE notched another 3-1 win in Saturday’s opener against Middle Tennessee State; Feliciano posted 27 kills with Tam totaling 14
– The most exciting match of the weekend came on Saturday evening when the Aces overcame a 14-10 deficit in the fifth set to defeat Eastern Illinois, 3-2
– Feliciano and Gabriela Macedo each broke program records in the win
Record Breaker
– Rachel Tam had one of the best games in MVC history registering 39 kills in the win over Tennessee Tech
– Her total set the Evansville program record was second in conference history, just one off of the all-time mark
– Tam’s 39 kills was the most for any NCAA Division I player in 2019
– Now averaging 4.09 kills/set, Tam is third in the MVC
– Tam has had at least seven kills in all eight matches in 2019
A Helping Hand
– Over the last two matches, Allana McInnis has had a total of 129 assists; that averages out to 12.9 per set
– She set her career mark with 65 against EIU before tallying 64 versus Tennessee Tech
– For the season, she is averaging 11.19 assists per set, tops in the MVC and 15th nationally
– She has recorded at least 29 helpers in seven out of the eight matches in 2019
– McInnis posted 22 or more assists in each of the last 14 matches of 2018 and has done so seven out of eight times in 2019
Top of the Valley
– Evansville currently leads the MVC with 13.69 assists per set and 14.63 kills per game
– Those stats rank 9th and 11th in the nation, respectively
– On the individual side, Allana McInnis paces the league with 11.19 assists, Melanie Feliciano is atop the conference with 5.19 kills/set and Hannah Watkins has posted a league-leading 1.35 blocks
– Gabriela Macedo is second in the league with 5.09 digs per set
Scouting the Opposition
– Host UT Martin is the first opponent of the weekend; the Skyhawks begin play with a 3-8 mark
– UTM has dropped its last five matches following a 3-game win streak with victories over FIU, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Gardner-Webb
– Jessica Reynolds has a team-high 2.26 kills while Kenzie Hinshaw has averaged 7.59 assists
– Little Rock enters the Skyhawk Invitational with a 2-7 mark, but have won their last two match-ups against Oral Roberts and Central Arkansas
– Carol Barbosa checks in with a team-high 2.95 kills per game with the defense being paced by Diana Giordani’s 4.50 digs
– Mercer will mark the final opponent of the tournament and comes into the weekend with a 5-5 record after defeating Southern and Tennessee State at the New Orleans Invitational
– Annie Karle has a team-high 2.97 kills per game with Emilee Wissmach posting 2.76 digs
EVANSVILLE POLICE MERIT COMMISSION
MEETING AGENDA
Monday, September 23, 2019
4:00 p.m. Room 307, Civic Center Complex
Â
