IS IT TRUE APRIL 29, 2019
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”? Â …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? Â …we are humbled by your support and pledge that we will continue to be your community “WATCHDOG”?
IS IT TRUEÂ 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 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?
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?
Commentary: Legislative Report Card—Incomplete
Commentary: Legislative Report Card—Incomplete
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.â€
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 CommissionersÂ
AGENDA Of Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners For April 30, 2019
at 3:00 pm, Room 301
- Call to Order
- Attendance
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Permission to Open Bids for VC 19-04-01: Melody Hills Subdivision Street Repairs
- Action ItemsÂ
- Second/ Final Reading of CO.05-19-005: Amending Title 17 Land Use and Zoning
- First Reading of CO.05-19-006 Amending 15.20.090: Fencing and retaining walls in drainage easements
- First Reading of CO. 05-19-007 Amending 16.04.010: Parcelization of Lots
- First Reading of CO. 05-19-008 Amending 16.04.040: Illegal Split
- First Reading of CO. 05-19-009 Amending 16.08.060: Hearing Before Commission- Primary Approval
- First Reading of CO. 05-19-010 Amending 16.12.020: Required Improvements- Sewers
- First Reading of CO. 05-19-011 Amending 17.12.150: Illegal Nonconforming Use of Land or Structure
- Resolution CO.R-04-19-006: Defining Use of Clinics for Vanderburgh County Employees
- County Employee Anthem Health Insurance RenewalÂ
- County Auditor: County Employee Direct Deposit Directive
- Superintendent of County Buildings: Old Courthouse Lease Agreement with Aaron Tanner and Jordan Barclay
- County Clerk: Collective Bargaining Agreement
- County Prosecutor: Collective Bargaining AgreementÂ
- Amendment to IT Support Contract with ANCS
- Department Head Reports
- New Business
- Old Business
- Consent Items
- Approval of April 16, 2019, Meeting Minutes
- Employment ChangesÂ
- County Commissioners: Letter to Vanderburgh Redevelopment Commission Regarding TIF Funds
- Area Plan Commission: Travel Request
- County Highway: Annual Operations Report
- Superintendent of County Buildings: Old Courthouse Fire Alarm quoteÂ
- Weights and Measures Monthly Report: March 16- April 15 2019
- County Clerk March 2019 Report
- County Treasurer March 2019 Report
- County Auditor: Claims Voucher Report for April 15-April 19 and April 22-26
- County Engineer:Â
- 1. University Parkway TIF Pay Request No. 46 for $653,183.16
- 2. US 41 Expansion TIF Pay Request No. 58 for $10,726.00
- 3. Department Head Report
- Public Comment
- RezoningÂ
- First Reading of VC-3-2019
- Petitioner: Anlene, LLC
- 12715 Petersburg Rd
- Change from Ag to R-2 with UDC
- Adjournment
MEET ALEX SCHMITT THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL
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.Â
CONGRESSIONAL ROLL CALL VOTES
How Bucshon, Braun And Young Voted
House
Roll Call |
Bucshon, Larry |
|---|---|
|
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution Passed on March 14, 2019 |
Aye |
|
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. |
|---|---|---|
|
QUESTION: On the Joint Resolution H.J.Res. 46 Joint Resolution Passed (59-41) on March 14, 2019 |
Nay |
Nay |
|
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 |
Ivy Tech Nursing Program Ranked 2nd in the State
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.â€
In Indiana, 20 schools were analyzed for five years, with 5 being ranked.