http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx
‘READERS FORUM” DECEMBER 8, 2018
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?Â
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Todays“Readers Poll†question is: What are the chances of Mayor Winnecke being elected to a third term?
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9-11 Gives Hope Hosts Toy Drive
9-11 Gives Hope Hosts Toy Drive
DECEMBER 7TH, 2018 
PAUL WILCOXEN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
It’s the 10th year for the 9-11 Gives Hope toy drive to help local kids have a more Merry Christmas.
The organization is hoping to fill a trailer located at Wal-Mart off of Burkhardt Road between now and Sunday, Dec. 9.
Santa will even be there Saturday and Sunday as well, taking free pictures with the kiddos.
After the drive ends, the toys will be delivered to the kids in time for Christmas.
It’s been very successful,†said Gives Hope treasurer Chris Rowe. “We’ve watched it grow to another location that we started in Henderson last year.
“I think we did Wal-Mart West, kind of had some trailers out there to bring us some toys out there as well. The Community has been great in supporting our cause here, and it continues to get bigger.â€
In addition to the Wal-Mart at Burkhardt Road off the Lloyd Expressway, unwrapped gifts are also being accepted at the Henderson Wal-Mart or Henderson Chevrolet, Buick, GMC Trucks.
Indiana Veterans Affairs Leader Resigns after Grant Scrutiny
Indiana Veterans Affairs Leader Resigns after Grant Scrutiny
DECEMBER 7TH, 2018 TYRONE MORRIS INDIANA
The leader of Indiana’s Veterans Affairs Agency has resigned amid reports that he awarded department employees grant money that was intended for struggling veterans.
James Brown’s resignation comes a week after reports surfaced questioning the management of Indiana’s military family relief fund.
The Indianapolis Star reports that at least 11 agency employees who are veterans received a total of at least $40,000 through the fund.
The fund helps veterans with food, housing, utilities, medical services, and transportation.
‘Sore Loser’ Isn’t A Good Look
‘Sore Loser’ Isn’t A Good Look
By Mary Beth Schneider
TheStatehouseFile.com
It is one of my favorite moments in American politics: The peaceful transfer of power after an election.
It is most visible each time a new president is elected from the opposite party of the outgoing president. Together, they put politics aside and ride to the inauguration. Any bitter feelings and resentments are secondary to respect the choice of the voters.
That same peaceful process is repeated in smaller ways as governors, mayors and others assume office every year.
After this year’s general election drubbing, though, Republican legislators in some states are trying to rewrite the rules to preserve as much power for themselves as they can while weakening the power of the incoming Democrat governors and other statewide officeholders.
In Wisconsin, the legislature voted in the lame-duck session for legislation to shrink the powers of the new Democratic governor and attorney general, during what the Madison (WI) State Journal newspaper described as “an all-night push mostly behind closed doors.†And just to make it clear that they think too many voters is what did them in on Nov. 6, the bill also reduces early voting opportunities.
The Wisconsin House Speaker Robin Vos pontificated that this was all about good government. “We have allowed far too much authority to flow to the executive. To you, this is all about politics. To me, it’s about the institution.â€
Notice he didn’t have that epiphany until voters chose Democrat Tony Evers over two-term Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
In Michigan, similar shenanigans are going on. For the first time in nearly 30 years in that state, Democrats have been elected to the office of governor, attorney general and secretary of state. The Republican legislature suddenly sees a need to shift power to themselves.
Losing in politics is never fun. But being the sore loser in politics is not just a bad look, it’s bad for democracy. This week we had the gracious example of President George H.W. Bush, who after a tough loss to Bill Clinton in 1992 left him a letter saying that Clinton was “our president†now. The letters Wisconsin and Michigan legislators are sending are making it clear that the new governor is not their governor.
If you think Indiana has a pure history on this, think again.
In 1994, Republicans won back control of both legislative chambers and the next year voted to diminish Democrat Gov. Evan Bayh’s power by changing the make-up of what was the State Election Board. Chafing at the fact the governor got to pick the head of the three-member board, with each party getting the other two picks, they opted to create a new commission that removed the governor from the process.
The question isn’t whether the four-member commission — which frequently ends any oversight with a two-two party-line tie — is better or worse than a three-member board. It’s that it didn’t bother them until it was a Democratic governor making the pick. (I couldn’t find similar Democrat action in modern times, but I suspect that’s more from lack of opportunity as they haven’t had both the governor’s office and legislature since the mid-1960s.)
The most notable Indiana examples come from decades ago. In 1933, Democrats won control of state government and voted to give the Democratic governor stronger powers. Republicans won back the legislature in 1940 and in 1941 repealed those powers while reorganizing state government into five departments controlled by commissioners, not the governor.
The Indiana Supreme Court had the final word, ruling that the governor is the state’s chief executive and the legislature can’t usurp powers bestowed by the state constitution.
It’s likely the Wisconsin and Michigan courts will have the last word as well. But we shouldn’t need the courts to tell parties to respect the voters’ will.
This isn’t about policies. Those can and should change with election outcomes. This is about power.
When the votes are counted, the declaration of the winner shouldn’t be the signal for the losing side to use what power they have left to change the rules. If reverence for democracy isn’t enough, maybe political parties will recognize this: Being a sore loser is not a winning strategy.
FOOTNOTE: Mary Beth Schneider is editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
REFLECTIONS By JIM REDWINE
GAVEL GAMUTÂ REFLECTIONÂ By JIM REDWINEÂ
REFLECTIONS
Memorials take many forms and have many purposes. Some are large in scope covering acres of land containing statues and museums, such as Gettysburg Battlefield, or are smaller in area but allow visitors to absorb history and meaning through sober reflection, such as the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site where Custer ambushed and killed Chief Black Kettle, his wife and most of his tribe of peaceful Native Americans.
What should be the design of a Posey County’s memorial to the people and events of October 1878? Of course, that is a community decision best made by representatives of various interests. However, I respectfully suggest the purposes of a memorial should be the same regardless of the physical structure:
To honor the victims;
To recognize the events;
To learn from the past;
And to inspire a desire to make a better future.
When one visits Gettysburg the opportunity to simply walk The Wheatfield as did the Confederates, or crouch behind short stone walls awaiting the charge as did the Yankees is to be transported into the soul of the battle of July 1863.
At Washita, to silently walk the dirt paths the fleeing Indian families took on foot as Custer and his soldiers pursued them on horseback is to experience the horror of November 1868. No museum is necessary.
Whereas the design of a memorial to the events of October 1878 in Posey County should be the result of careful planning with input from numerous persons, the location should be pre-determined. It should be where the murders took place, which was on the campus of our beautiful and historic courthouse.
I respectfully suggest a small area on the southeast corner of the courthouse campus be set aside and that there be medium size stones or marble steles with the names of the victims along with small marble benches where people could sit and absorb the events of 1878 while reflecting on their meaning. Of course, there could be a brief explanation of the events on a historical marker that would match the overall design. However, the design is not as important as the statement we as a community should make by finally publicly recognizing the events.
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