“READERS FORUM” APRIL 17, 2019
We hope that today’s “READERS FORUMâ€Â 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?
HERE’S WHAT’S ON OUR MIND TODAY
Yesterday the House of Representatives voted on the 3rd and final reading of the gaming bill that first gave Evansville $6 million dollars, then took it out. We were told that not one State Representative from our area publicly spoke in favor of this money be re-instated to our coffers. State Repersentivities from Ft Wayne, Hammond, Gary, and East Chicago all spoke in favor of this bill because it favored their areas.
The good news is that the Sportsbook amendment stayed intact.
Oh, please read the new “Right Jab, Left Jab” article and sit back and watch CCO commenters Ronald Reagan and Joe Biden intellectually slug it out on national issues that might interest you.
WHAT”S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays “Readers Poll†question is: Do you think that the Republicans will take control of the Evansville City Council?
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.
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We Can Do Better’: Teachers Ask Lawmakers To Pay Attention To Public Education
We Can Do Better’: Teachers Ask Lawmakers To Pay Attention To Public Education
By Emily Ketterer
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS — In a sea of people dressed in red chanting “Red for Ed,†Indiana teachers and the state’s top educator sent a message to lawmakers to respect public education.
Jennifer McCormick, the state superintendent of public instruction, was greeted by cheers and a standing ovation from the educators at the Statehouse rally Tuesday.
“That’s usually not the reception I get in this house,†she joked.
McCormick addressed the hot-button issue of teacher pay, saying lawmakers are making a “false promise†to increase pay. She also talked about recent legislation to allow teachers to be shot with pellet guns during active shooter training and to allow guns in schools. She followed each issue with saying the phrase, “We can do better.â€
“To come back and say, ‘You can continue to be active in your active shooter training but allow for teachers to be shot with pellet guns,’†McCormick said. “We have got to be
The speakers at the rally spoke down more funding going toward charter school vouchers and virtual schools. When Joel Hand, lobbyist for the Indiana Coalition for Public Education spoke about vouchers that let parents use public dollars for private school tuition, his words were followed by “boos†from the crowd.
“We need to support funding for public schools and funding for all children,†Hand said.
Lawmakers from both parties were invited to attend the event, Hand said. Most of the Democrats from the House and Senate showed up to speak to the crowd; Sen. Ron Alting of Lafayette was the only Republican who spoke.
Alting talked about his public school education, and said public schools deserve more effort and funding from the legislature.
Tom Gayda, a teacher at North Central High School, said he doesn’t know why all parties can’t agree on the importance of public education.
“Republicans seem to be more excited about these, you know, charter schools and anything that’s not a traditional public school,†Gayda said. “And I think they’re losing sight of the vast majority of students in the state who go to public school.â€
As the session is nearing the end, this rally may be one of the last efforts teachers have to send a message to lawmakers to increase K-12 funding. But McCormick said this rally wasn’t just about this year, but about the future of public education––specifically noting she is going to be the last elected superintendent of public instruction after 2020, as the legislature has voted to make the position appointed after her term concludes.
“This isn’t about here and now. This is about five years down the road. Are we still going to be the state that’s number 50 on teacher pay increases?†McCormick said. “There is a lot on the line now with 2020 … Are we going to start asking (candidates) the questions about ‘Where are you philosophically on K-12’ and ‘Are you willing to dedicate resources?’â€
In other states including West Virginia, Kentucky and Arizona, teachers hosted walkouts in protest of education policies and funding. Gayda said with the extra funding for nonpublic schools, shooting teachers with pellets and also removing the state’s top election education position, Indiana teachers may walk out too.
“All these things they are doing is like an attack on what we do,†Gayda said. “It is getting real close to the point where you’re going to see Indiana teachers do some of the things that teachers in other states have done.â€
Emily Ketterer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
OLD NATIONAL EVENTS PLAZA WELCOMES THREE NEW STAFF MEMBERS
Old National Events Plaza is pleased to announce the addition of three new staff members in key positions within the company. Brian Liivak, Director of Operations, Lauren Birch, Human Resources Designee/Finance Manager and Reeya Vyas, Sales & Social Media Manager, have all joined the Old National Events Plaza team over the last four months and bring with them a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brian, Lauren & Reeya to the Old National Events Plaza team,†said Alexis Berggren, General Manager. “Each brings a wealth of experience, a fresh perspective and passion for our industry. I am confident their contributions will strengthen and improve our ability to deliver dynamic event experiences to our visitors.â€
Brian Liivak comes to Old National Events Plaza with almost ten years of experience in the event industry. Most recently, Brian worked as the Operations Manager at a four-building campus in Tucson, Arizona that included a convention center, 9,000 seat arena, 2,300 seat theater and a 500-seat community theater. In addition to overseeing all of the operations staff and event logistics, he spearheaded community engagement projects that helped create volunteer opportunities for venue employees in the community. Liivak graduated from Christopher Newport University with a Bachelor of Political Science and a Minor in Communication Studies. Brian’s experience in other markets, encompassing nine different venues, has helped him transition into his new role as Director of Operations. Liivak comments, “I look forward to the bright future of Old National Events Plaza and integrating into the great community of Evansville.â€
Lauren Burch has been a lifetime resident of Evansville, IN. Burch is a graduate of the University of Evansville with a degree in Sports Management. Burch was most recently the Accounting Manager at VenuWorks. Burch comments, “My interest in the Old National Event Plaza came from my love of working and organizing event staff in a hospitality driven industry. While searching outside my box, I was led to an opportunity to connect and work with a very cultural and diverse community. I look forward to this exciting opportunity and working with my team and the clients.â€
 Reeya Vyas joins Old National Events Plaza following her December graduation from the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Minor in Graphic Design. Vyas excelled in business studies at the Romain College of Business and was the Assistant Lab Coordinator in the Strategic Social Media Lab at USI. Vyas was the Vice President of Membership for Speaking Eagles Toastmasters and a Commencement Speaker. Vyas states, “I was attracted by the Old National Events Plaza’s mission to deliver excellence in customer service to all of their clients, and the commitment to being an integral part of community growth in the downtown area. I am looking forward to building the Old National Events Plaza’s online presence and working with clients. I am excited to be a part of a team that is dedicated to going above and beyond clients’ expectations.â€
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Funeral Services Set for Evansville Businessman Alton Schultheis
Funeral Services Set for Evansville Businessman Alton Schultheis
APRIL 16TH, 2019 
TYRONE MORRIS EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
Children First
Children First
by: Gail Riecken. CCO Statehouse Editor
As of today SB 1 has passed both Houses of the General Assembly. The bill addresses the critical challenge of meeting the needs of our Hoosier children who are Wards of the Court. Placement in foster homes is one of the main concerns of this bill and the bill categorically puts children first. (See Section 2 of the bill: Â Â https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/senate/1)
Whether it is the administration, the courts or criminal proceedings, “all decisions made by the department [DCS] or the court shall be made in consideration of the best interests of the child or children concerned.†(SB 1)
Speakers said over again that foster children are getting lost in the system. One legislator mentioned a young man who in his eighteen years in foster care was moved eighteen times.
Legislators heard the policy of moving around children has consequences. They heard factual information that confirms that information from Indiana public schools:
64% of Hoosier foster children graduate high school compared to 83 % of all children; and,
21% of Hoosier foster children are suspended in public schools vs. 8.9% of all children; and of the number of foster children suspended, 32% are Black.
The number of children in foster care has increased over recent years to the highest number in history, parental substance abuse – mostly opioids – the main factor in half of the families.
It will always be a moral struggle by well-meaning officials when they have to remove a child from his/her mother and father or change the placement of the child. But, given the new “child first†policy, there is hope the State will do a better job.
Appeals Court: Homeless Woman Must Comply With Panhandling Ordinance
Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com
A homeless woman challenging an Indianapolis ordinance restricting panhandling must comply with an injunction prohibiting her from violating the local code after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a grant of relief from judgment initially entered in her favor.
In May 2017, Ginger Tichy was permanently enjoined from violating Section 431-702 of the Indianapolis Municipal Code, which prohibits pedestrians from soliciting from or talking to a person in a vehicle that is on the road if the pedestrian is standing in a median or is within 50 feet of an intersection. The city subsequently moved to have Tichy found in contempt for allegedly violating the injunction.
Tichy responded by moving for relief from injunction under Indiana Trial Rule 60(B), arguing the injunction was overbroad and “impose(d) a serious burden on Ms. Tichy’s ability to engage in lawful, passive panhandling — an activity vital to her survival … .†Tichy also testified that on windy days she sometimes fell off of road medians but had never been hit by a car.
The Marion Superior Court granted relief to Tichy, finding the local ordinance was pre-empted by Indiana code. But the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed Tuesday, with Judge Edward Najam writing “(n)othing at all about Tichy’s testimony on her motion for relief from judgment under Trial Rule 60(B)(7) demonstrates exceptional circumstances that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time of the entry of the injunction.â€
“Indeed, the circumstances to which she testified at the hearing on her Rule 60(B) motion were the exact same circumstances that were the factual predicate for the injunction in the first place,†Najam wrote. “In effect, then, her motion under Rule 60(B)(7) simply sought to relitigate the merits of the original judgment, which is not an appropriate basis for relief under Trial Rule 60(B).â€
The appellate court also found Tichy was not eligible for relief under Rule 60(B)(8), rejecting her argument that her lack of counsel during the original injunction proceedings was a basis for relief. Not being represented by counsel is not an “extraordinary circumstance†considered under the rule, Najam said.
Thus, the court reversed the grant of relief to Tichy, declining to reach the merits of the case because of the error under Rule 60(B). The case is City of Indianapolis v. Ginger Tichy, 18A-OV-2202.
Tichy has also brought a federal suit against Indianapolis Police Chief Bryan Roach in his official capacity, arguing Section 431-702 is unconstitutional. However, Indiana Southern District Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker granted the chief’s motion to dismiss last month.
Young/Braun: GOP Brings Boom Times
Young/Braun: GOP Brings Boom Times
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Senator Todd Young & Senator Mike Braun
April 15, 2019
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/20190415/gop-brings-boom-times
This Tax Day, we celebrate higher wages, record economic optimism, record low unemployment and Hoosier families taking more of their paychecks home as a result of Republicans’ pro-growth policies of tax reform and regulatory certainty.
Last month’s stellar jobs report, which includes 196,000 new jobs and a 3.8% unemployment rate, cemented the longest streak of consecutive American job growth. This is thanks to pro-growth tax cuts and a bold regulatory agenda championed by President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans.
Additionally, we have increased the child tax deduction, and families across the Hoosier State are taking home more of their hard-earned money.
Young: Since Republicans passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 3.2 million new jobs have been created. Our unemployment rate is near a 50-year low, and jobless claims have dropped to the lowest level since 1969,
Additionally, manufacturing job creation was the highest in 2018 it has been in more than 20 years. As the most manufacturing-intensive state in the nation, this is particularly good news for Indiana.
Since we passed tax reform at the end of 2017, stories have poured into my office from Hoosier families who are earning more, and businesses that are paying their workers more and expanding their operations.
My guest to last year’s State of the Union, Chelsea Hatfield, is a prime example. When tax reform was signed into law, Hatfield, a young mother of three, was working as a teller at First Farmers Bank and Trust in Tipton. She received a raise and a bonus. This helped her go back to school to earn her associate’s degree, and it enabled her to put money away for her children’s college education. This summer Hatfield graduated and has been promoted to a commercial loan administrative assistant.
I recently had the opportunity to visit a third-generation small business in Fort Wayne. Dan Parker, the owner of Parker Towing and Recovery, was able to purchase several new trucks, thanks in part to tax reform. This means more trucks will be available to assist Hoosiers who have been in an accident or have had their car break down. Parker was also able to expand the company’s office space, and he gave his staff raises.
“We have less turnover now,†Parker said of the raises.
Tax reform also included a bipartisan proposal I have long supported – the creation of opportunity zones. The new tax code incentivizes investment in distressed rural and urban communities to help the least among us through the creation of tax-advantaged opportunity zones around the state.
Bottom line: Hoosiers are benefiting from tax relief.
Braun: I have built my life as a Hoosier entrepreneur.
When President Trump’s tax cuts were signed into law, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my company, and we followed numerous Fortune 500 companies and small businesses in sharing the benefits with our employees. This meant lowering health care costs by $1,400 and providing additional employee bonuses.
Critics such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may think these are just “crumbs,†but in Indiana, a couple of thousand dollars goes a long way, and I’m thankful for Trump’s economic achievements that have helped families save and thrive.
In addition to tax reform, Trump has achieved regulatory reform by eliminating nearly 200 job-killing regulations, saving American families and businesses $23 billion. When government gets out of the private sector’s way, the rising tide of prosperity lifts all ships.
If our country wants to keep winning – creating more jobs, higher wages and lowering the unemployment rate – we need to enact more pro-growth policies, instead of the failed socialist ideas peddled by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Party.
Conservatives should be proud of the economic opportunities we’ve created for Hoosier families and small businesses, and we can’t afford to take our country back to the failed tax-and-spend policies of yesterday.
As your two senators in Washington, we’re proud to be fighting for pro-growth economic policies that will keep this red-hot economy firing on all cylinders for families across our country.
Todd Young and Mike Braun are Republicans representing Indiana in the U.S. Senate.