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IS IT TRUE APRIL 29, 2019

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We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way.

IS IT TRUE over the last several days we posted a “Readers Poll” that asked the question should THE CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER continue to publish their “IS IT TRUE” column? …we stated in last week’s ‘IS IT TRUE” column that unless there is a resounding public outcry for the “IS IT TRUE” column to be continued along with additional financial commitment (advertising) to support what it takes to do this column on a regular basis that this will be the last “IS IT TRUE”?  …a part of us wants to keep up the fight, but another part would like to live in peace without constant threats, disruption, and ostracism? …we urge you to go to today’s CCO “READERS POLL” and vote? …the fate of the City-County Observer “IS IT TRUE” is up to you?

IS IT TRUE our loyal readers and advertisers spoke in a resounding way and give us an unbelievable vote of confidence by a phenomenal 95% margin? …as of 10:30 last night, 841 people voted in this ‘Readers Poll”? …the “MOLE NATION” have spoken loud and clear?  …that 789 voted “YES”. 29 voted “NO” and 23 voted that they “Had No Idea”?

IS IT TRUE it looks like our mission to continue to call out the failure of our elected officials for choosing fun and games over substance, exposed idiocy and self-serving squandering of taxpayer dollars in search of votes, take the powers to task every time they do something underhanded to pick the taxpayer’s pockets?…we also pledge to continue to point to things like drug addiction in the parks, political patronage, nepotism, an escalating murder rate, and the neglect of public infrastructure for golden shovel photo ops?

IS IT TRUE that it looks like the “IS IT TRUE” column will be continued because we are also told we can expect additional financial commitment (advertising) to support what it takes to do this column on a regular basis?  …we are humbled by your support and pledge that we will continue to be your community “WATCHDOG”?

IS IT TRUE last week there was an item on the City Council agenda called the “Jacobsville Redevelopment Resolution”? …the purpose of this resolution is to expand the Jacobsville Redevelopment District in order to spur additional businesses in the area? …this resolution is called the MRDPA (Municipal Riverfront Development Project Area) and was created as a tool by the State of Indiana back in 1993 and has provided to many cities and towns help to expand their Urban/Economic Development areas without raising taxes?

IS IT TRUE that Indiana state statute requires that the MRDPA fall within 3,000 feet of the river or body of water and be designated redevelopment areas, which then can provide numerous business incentives such as a non-transferable special liquor license permit to help develop designated suppressed areas? …that Evansville DMD has utilized the MDRPA very successfully over the years by allowing Main Street and Haynie’s Corner businesses to utilize these special non-transferable liquor licenses?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville DMD just the designated new MRDPA area that falls in Pigeon Township because it’s an economically depressed area that has many vacant buildings, blight, and businesses that have failed?

IS IT TRUE that the City Council just approved the Jacobsville Redevelopment Resolution during their last meeting by a vote of 6 to 3? …the three City Council members who voted “NO” were Justin Elpers, Gabriel John Hayden and Missy Mosby?  …we are told that they voted for this same issue in other parts of the City of Evansville in the past?  …we are now told that since the last City Council meeting that there are two new businesses that have applied for this special MDRPA non-transferable liquor license permit?  …the businesses are the Rathbone and Evansville Brewhouse, which are located in the Haynie’s Corner area? …if these permits are approved by City Council this will make around 27 local bars and restaurants that have been approved for this special non-transferable liquor license since the law was adopted by the State??  …we hope that City Council members Justin Elpers, Gabriel John Hayden and Missy Mosby will correct the errors of their ways and vote for the Brewhouse and Rathbone special MDRPA  non-transferable liquor license permit?

IS IT TRUE we are proud of the success of the Ivy Tech LPN Nursing students for posting a 100% pass rates for their LPN State tests? …we would like to congratulate Ivy Tech-Evansville Chancellor Jonathan Weinzapfel and the faculty of Ivy Tech for preparing the LPN student for passing this extremely challenging test?

IS IT TRUE we are told that the At-Large Evansville City Council candidate Alex Schmitt led all GOP candidates by raising an impressive $22,000 through the reporting period?  …that GOP primary candidate Ron Beane reported that he raised around $11,000?

Todays“Readers Poll” question is: Should City Council have known who was paying the $3 million dollar costs to dismantle the dock at Marina Pointe before approving the move of the LST to the Tropicana area?

Please go to our link of our media partner Channel 44 News located in the upper right-hand corner of the City-County Observer so you can get the up-to-date news, weather, and sports.
We are pleased to provide obituaries from several area funeral homes at no costs.  Over the next several weeks we shall be adding additional obituaries from other local funeral homes.  Please scroll down the paper and you shall see a listing of them.
FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.

 

“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

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“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

“Right Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have two commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.
Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan’s comments are mostly about issues of national interest.  The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give Mr. Biden and Mr. Reagan exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT 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 “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “Left Jab” is a liberal view and the “Right Jab is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments of the two gentlemen is free to do so.

Commentary: Legislative Report Card—Incomplete

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Commentary: Legislative Report Card—Incomplete

April 28, 2019  

By Mary Beth Schneider
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS–It was supposed to be a celebratory moment. The Republican fiscal and legislative leaders lined up in the House, with a grinning Gov. Eric Holcomb joining them.

They had a budget that not only was balanced but kept about $2 billion in reserves and gave increases to K-12 education. It’s an achievement worth celebrating when many states are struggling with debt and budget cuts.

Two things, though, struck me as off.

The first was the optics. All white men. Not a single minority or woman with a meaningful role in deciding how $34.6 billion was allocated. I don’t doubt the lawmakers with top roles in the budget process spent hours listening to the requests from both organizations and other legislators, including women and minorities. But being at the power table matters, and having the deciding opinion matters.

There are more women and minorities than ever before in the legislature: 35 women and 14 minorities, out of 150 lawmakers. All bring a viewpoint and experiences that should be reflected in the budget, a spending plan that shouldn’t be as white as the paper it’s printed on.

The second thing that struck me was that the budget was emblematic of the whole session, promising more than it sometimes delivered in the fine print.

This session was largely about four issues: Hate crimes, K-12 funding, teacher pay and gambling. Gamblers did just great, raking in new casinos, live games at racinos and the ability to bet on sports from your mobile phone.

But the other areas are less clear. Yes, a hate crimes bill was signed into law but it wasn’t the explicit list the governor had asked for. Spelling out “gay” and “transgendered” was too much, so it is instead implied. That may be enough to get Indiana off the list of states with no hate crimes law, but the legislature could have passed a law that left no doubt.

The same is true with teacher pay. Yes, there is more money for merit bonuses. But there is nothing that increases base pay, already the slowest growing in the nation. The legislature that doesn’t hesitate to tell schools what classes must be taught and what tests must be taken decided teacher pay remains a local decision.

As always, there are winners and losers in K-12 funding. While schools saw about 2.5 percent increases each year of the biennium, those are averages. Traditional public schools are getting only about a 2 percent increase each year – and some districts not even that. Charter schools, though, are getting more than 10 percent each year; virtual schools, which have shown poor results but devour real dollars, are getting 5.25 percent the first fiscal year and more than 9 percent in the next. And vouchers, that use public dollars to pay for private schools, are getting more than 9 percent the first year and 5.6 percent the next.

In some ways, the session is as notable for things that didn’t happen as things that did. They didn’t, thank goodness, adopt legislation that would have made loan sharking legal so long as it was done in a payday loan office.

They didn’t pass legislation that would have codified in state law that it’s OK to shoot teachers with pellets during active shooter drills so long as they consent. The bad news, though, is that it failed over the good part of the bill that would have required anyone with a gun in school to undergo firearms training.

While the state increased funds that districts can tap to make their schools more secure, right-wing pushback killed attempts to improve mental health services in schools to help youths who may be suicidal – or, worse, homicidal.

Jen Hallowell, who lobbied for improving mental health services in this state where teen suicides have tripled in the last decade, was disheartened. A watered-down bill that created “student and parent support” grants passed, but not anything specifically that cited and tracked mental health.

With school shootings every parents’ fear, identifying mental health problems has been identified as a key component. “You can focus on the doors and locks and buzzers and buttons all you want,” Hallowell said, “but you’re not addressing the core cause.”

In the end, there were good things that happened, and things that are good because they didn’t happen. But there also is too much money unspent and too many needs unmet. Just ask Sen. Jean Breaux, the Indianapolis Democrat who was denied a mere $20,000 for a program helping low-income pregnant women.

Lawmakers didn’t fail as much as they left the Statehouse with work undone.

Mary Beth Schneider is an editor at TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalists.

Agenda Of Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners 

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civic center

AGENDA Of Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners For April 30, 2019

at 3:00 pm, Room 301

  1. Call to Order
  2. Attendance
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Permission to Open Bids for VC 19-04-01: Melody Hills Subdivision Street Repairs
  5. Action Items 
    1. Second/ Final Reading of CO.05-19-005: Amending Title 17 Land Use and Zoning
    2. First Reading of CO.05-19-006 Amending 15.20.090: Fencing and retaining walls in drainage easements
    3. First Reading of CO. 05-19-007 Amending 16.04.010: Parcelization of Lots
    4. First Reading of CO. 05-19-008 Amending 16.04.040: Illegal Split
    5. First Reading of CO. 05-19-009 Amending 16.08.060: Hearing Before Commission- Primary Approval
    6. First Reading of CO. 05-19-010 Amending 16.12.020: Required Improvements- Sewers
    7. First Reading of CO. 05-19-011 Amending 17.12.150: Illegal Nonconforming Use of Land or Structure
    8. Resolution CO.R-04-19-006: Defining Use of Clinics for Vanderburgh County Employees
    9. County Employee Anthem Health Insurance Renewal 
    10. County Auditor: County Employee Direct Deposit Directive
    11. Superintendent of County Buildings: Old Courthouse Lease Agreement with Aaron Tanner and Jordan Barclay
    12. County Clerk: Collective Bargaining Agreement
    13. County Prosecutor: Collective Bargaining Agreement 
    14. Amendment to IT Support Contract with ANCS
  6. Department Head Reports
  7. New Business
  8. Old Business
  9. Consent Items
    1. Approval of April 16, 2019, Meeting Minutes
    2. Employment Changes 
    3. County Commissioners: Letter to Vanderburgh Redevelopment Commission Regarding TIF Funds
    4. Area Plan Commission: Travel Request
    5. County Highway: Annual Operations Report
    6. Superintendent of County Buildings: Old Courthouse Fire Alarm quote 
    7. Weights and Measures Monthly Report: March 16- April 15 2019
    8. County Clerk March 2019 Report
    9. County Treasurer March 2019 Report
    10. County Auditor: Claims Voucher Report for April 15-April 19 and April 22-26
    11. County Engineer: 
      1. 1.  University Parkway TIF Pay Request No. 46 for $653,183.16
      2. 2.  US 41 Expansion TIF Pay Request No. 58 for $10,726.00
      3. 3.  Department Head Report
  10. Public Comment
  11. Rezoning 
    1. First Reading of VC-3-2019
  12. Petitioner: Anlene, LLC
  13. 12715 Petersburg Rd
  14. Change from Ag to R-2 with UDC
  15. Adjournment

MEET ALEX SCHMITT THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL

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MEET ALEX SCHMITT THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL

Alex Schmitt is running for the  Evansville City Council At-Large in the Republican primary. He’s a proud 4thgeneration Evansville native, West-sider, and F.J. Reitz graduate, who loves his hometown. He said, “that he was raised to give back to his community, serve his neighbors, uphold his Christian values, and preserve and respect the history of Evansville.”

He currently serves on the EVSC Foundation Board of Directors, Reitz Home Museum Board of Directors, Leadership Evansville Executive Board and Board of Directors, and is the Vice President of the Vanderburgh Humane Society.  Alex also volunteers for Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana, SMILE on Down Syndrome and Habitat for Humanity, to name only a few.  In 2018, he was recognized by the Evansville Courier & Press–Tri-State Business Journal 20 Under 40 as one of the top 20 young professionals in the area, and received the Leadership Evansville Alumnus of the Year Award.

He’s a practicing attorney and owner of a small local law firm. In his campaign literature, he states “that he understands the “importance of local economic growth, and will strive to ensure a better quality of life for the citizens of Evansville by being an advocate for the needs of our community.”  He says “If elected one of his personal goals is to finally fix our traffic and road problem.”

Alex says “he wants to make it easier for small and local businesses to not only get off the ground but to succeed and flourish”. He also feels “that we have outdated municipal ordinances that act as a great hindrance on the success of local businesses.”

Finally, “he wants us to think of our community as an investment and that investment takes patience, sacrifice, and hard work, and the only way to get more out of your investment is to put something into it”.  “If you want your investment to prosper, you have to put something into it.”

FOOTNOTE: Any candidate running in the upcoming City Council primary can send their election profile to the CityCountyObserver@live.com to C/O Justin Phillips, Editor and we will publish it at no cost. 

CONGRESSIONAL ROLL CALL VOTES

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How Bucshon, Braun And Young Voted

House

Roll Call

 Bucshon, Larry

Expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the public and to Congress

QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution

Passed on March 14, 2019
Aye

Providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 24, expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the public and to Congress; providing for proceedings during the period from March 15, 2019, through March 22, 2019

QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution

Passed on March 13, 2019
Nay

Federal Register Modernization Act

QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended

Passed on March 12, 2019
Aye

Senate

Roll Call Braun, Mike Young, Todd C.

H.J. Res. 46

QUESTION: On the Joint Resolution H.J.Res. 46

Joint Resolution Passed (59-41) on March 14, 2019
Nay
Nay

S.J.Res. 7 As Amended

QUESTION: On the Joint Resolution S.J.Res. 7

Joint Resolution Passed (54-46) on March 13, 2019
Nay
Aye

Motion to Table Inhofe Amdt. No. 194

QUESTION: On the Motion to Table S.Amdt. 194 to S.J.Res. 7 (No short title on file)

Motion to Table Agreed to (52-48) on March 13, 2019
Nay
Aye
 More

Ivy Tech Nursing Program Ranked 2nd in the State

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Ivy Tech Community College’s Evansville campus was recently notified that its Licensed Practical Nurse Program in the Barbara J. Hilton R.N. School of Nursing, was ranked 2nd in Indiana as the best nursing program by practicalnursing.org. 100% of the LPN graduates from the Evansville campus passed the NCLEX-PN test for the years 2014-2018. This exam is used by state boards of nursing around the country for testing proficiency and granting licensure, according to practicalnursing.org.

“We are so proud of the success of our students,” said Ivy Tech Evansville Chancellor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “The 100% pass rates here in Evansville of the LPN program indicate the high quality of our programs, faculty, and graduates, and the high demand for these graduates in area hospitals and other health-related facilities proves the success of the preparation our students receive.”

The 2nd place ranking is made by examining the NCLEX-PN licensing pass rates. According to practicalnursing.org’s website, NCLEX-PN exam pass rates for all PN programs were collected for five years, if available. If schools had the same pass rates after being ranked, additional program characteristics were then analyzed, including the 1) Looking at the number of students taking the exam — the higher the number, greater the ranking position and 2) the number of years of test data available – those with more years of data, the greater the ranking position

At Ivy Tech, the Practical Nurse (LPN) Technical Certificate can be earned on the way to acquiring the Associate of Science in Nursing degree and can be earned in about one year, after completing general education requirements. The program provides education in conceptual and technical skills for specific occupations. The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree can be completed in two years once a student is admitted into the program.

Dean of Ivy Tech Evansville School of Nursing Gail Lindsay said the faculty at Ivy Tech Evansville is unmatched in their dedication to the students. “Every day I see students and faculty who are working together to help the student be successful. Many of our students come to us with life challenges they are overcoming and still, they bring everything they have to the table and obviously, as the pass rates show, work to reach their end goal.”

In Indiana, 20 schools were analyzed for five years, with 5 being ranked.

THE NEW HARMONY GAZETTE NEWSPAPER LINK

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THE NEW HARMONY GAZETTE NEWSPAPER LINK

New Harmony Gazette May-2019-1

Justices Consider Whether Skype Appearance Violated Juveniles’ Rights

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Katie Stancombe for www.theindianalawyer.com

Indiana Supreme Court justices heard arguments in two consolidated and procedurally identical cases Thursday, questioning whether two juveniles who appeared at disposition modification hearings via Skype were denied their rights to be present.

The cases are C.S., Jr. v. State of Indiana, 19S-JV-00136 and Z.T. v. State of Indiana, 19S-JV-00137, in which the Elkhart Circuit Court separately adjudicated both C.S. Jr. and Z.T. as delinquents. A disposition modification hearing was later held for each, but both boys Skyped into the courtroom instead of appearing in person.

The Indiana Court of Appeals held, in part, that the juveniles’ appearances via video conferencing complied with Indiana Code section 31-37-18-1.3 (2007), noting that no requirements existed for a minor to be physically present at a hearing.

But both juveniles appealed, bringing before the high court the question of whether the boys were denied due process because, pursuant to Indiana Administrative Rule 14, they did not waive their right to be physically present by consenting to have the proceeding conducted via Skype.

Nancy McCaslin, representing both juveniles, argued the minors’ due process rights were violated by not allowing them to be physically present in the courtroom. McCaslin began by noting that several issues can arise if video conferencing transmissions occur in court, referencing statements made by the court reporter in both cases that noted much of what was communicated by the juveniles through the computer was indiscernible.

“These are some of the problems with Skype transmissions, because they don’t provide the privacy between attorney-client during the hearing,” McCaslin said. “They don’t provide for the court to see the demeanor of the young person. It is an impersonal way for a court to conduct a hearing for a juvenile.”

Justice Geoffrey Slaughter interjected, opining that the attorney and client’s inability to privately converse might still be a problem even if the parties had consented and complied with Rule 14(B). Justice Mark Massa agreed, arguing that Rule 14(A) explicitly allows courts to have detention hearings via Skype.

But McCaslin maintained that detention and disposition hearings are different, with the child’s future depending on the outcome of the latter. The problem is not whether the child is placed in the Department of Correction, she said, but the problem is with future harm. If juveniles feel they are being cast aside or uncared for by not being allowed to appear in court face-to-face with a judge, then they could rebel further.

“Navigating these turbulent waters of adolescence is not easy, and juveniles can become impersonal,” McCaslin explained. “The idea is to try and keep them from becoming criminals.”

Speaking as amicus curiae, Joel Craig Wieneke of the Indiana Public Defender Council, Juvenile Defense Project argued the right for an adult in criminal proceedings to be present at a hearing should also be extended to juveniles in non-criminal proceedings.

Citing Bible v. State, 254 NE 2d 319 (Ind. 1970), Wieneke reiterated the importance of in-court interaction between the judge and the juvenile and suggested an add-on to Rule 14(B) in regard to the best interest of the child.

“That is such a core and valuable process to get the child to buy into the system, to understand what’s happening to him, to accept the rehabilitation that we’ve used that to deny children the right to a jury trial,” he said.

When asked how a judge could build a meaningful relationship with a child through a 10-by-12-inch screen, state counsel Andrew Kobe argued that both C.S. Jr. and Z.T. had already appeared face-to-face before the judge during previous hearings.

Kobe faltered, however, when asked whether an oral argument would be as effective if he Skyped in from the attorney general’s office rather than being there in person.

“But I think that creates a question that shows what this case isn’t about,” Kobe said. “This case isn’t about when we should have Skype or video conferencing, and when we shouldn’t. That should be left to cases in which it’s preserved.”

Kobe further argued no fundamental error was committed in either case, noting that because no objections were raised, no one knows that nature of such an error would be.

“The state agrees that it would problematic to have complete proceedings through the juvenile system through Skype,” Kobe said. “But that’s not we’re talking about here at all, not even close.”

Kobe added that because there is no right to be physically present to begin with, it would be difficult for the state to find a reason how that would be fundamental error.

Helping Hoosiers Fight Addiction By Wendy McNamara

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Helping Hoosiers Fight Addiction By Wendy McNamara
Over the past several years, the number of opioid-related deaths in Indiana has substantially increased.
I supported legislation that would implement a set of guidelines to be followed by all doctors and office-based opioid treatment centers that prescribe Suboxone, a synthetic drug that helps people get off heroin. Similar to Methadone clinics, Suboxone clinics would be required to follow up on their patients to ensure proper recovery.
Patients with more frequent doctor interactions could have a higher chance of beating addiction. Physicians would be able to administer a more comprehensive treatment plan and better track their progress.
This bill would also require doctors prescribing Suboxone at these treatment centers to check Indiana’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program database. This could help prevent “doctor shopping” patients from traveling to several different offices or clinics trying to obtain Suboxone.
As legislators, we have a responsibility to the people of Indiana to make sure these clinics are correctly caring for their patients when they are treated with Suboxone. By enacting these commonsense reforms, we can continue to curb opioid addiction in Indiana.
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