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 that the newly elected Commissioner of Vanderburgh County was offered free tickets to professional sporting events from someone who does business with the county? …that County Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield declined the free ticket offer? …that he also declined an offer by another County vendor to wine and dine him at an expensive restaurant?  …we are told that Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield also said he won’t accept any gifts of any kind from anyone doing business or want to do business with the county?

IS IT TRUE we are told that County Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield would like to see road projects, professional services, and construction projects to be put out for competitive bidding?

IS IT TRUE we also hear that Mr. Hatfield will not appoint any members of his immediate family to serve on influential local Boards and Commission? …he is against the practice of nepotism in the public sector?

IS IT TRUE more than 700 case managers left their jobs with the Indiana Department of Child Services last year? …reviews of DCS found it wasn’t uncommon for one case manager to have more than two dozen children under their watch? …the assessment of the DCS found a ‘culture of fear’ among family case managers along with an overload of cases?  …this situation is an insult to the employees of the DCS, children in need of protection and the taxpayers of this great State?

IS IT TRUE it looks like the discussion if we should expand the Vanderburgh County jail is over?  …that we expect that any day now the State of Indiana will be mandating that our local elected officials finalize the plans on what kind of addition should they build to the current jail?  …that Vanderburgh County should now have the funds to build the addition to the jail because of the increases in the Wheel Tax and the County Income Option Tax beginning this year?  …we hope that the committee in charge of designing the new Vanderburgh County jail expansion will build it to accommodate our needs for at least the next 25 years?  …its time to serve the wine?

IS IT TRUE a group of American veterans who deal with some of the most debilitating mental anguish has called upon the State of Indiana to legalize medicinal marijuana? …some Veterans feel that legalizing medicinal marijuana and decriminalizing small amounts may just cut back on the overcrowding problem at the Vanderburgh County jail and VA hospitals ?…the veterans group also feel that putting someone who possessed a small amount of marijuana in jail at $50,000 per year cost to the taxpayers is bordering on insane?

IS IT TRUE that after over two centuries of statehood the State of Indiana has finally is allowing alcohol sales on Sunday? …last year a panel of experts established by the State of Indiana has concluded that firewater should be available on Sunday just like it is in nearly every other place on the planet?… Hoosiers have always been able to purchase booze on Sunday but only at certain times and only at bars or restaurants where beer and cocktails are marked up by a factor of more than 100% when compared to the cost at a grocery store or liquor store?…we are pleased that Indiana has finally come out of the Stone Age with respect to allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday?

IS IT TRUE that  the IRS documented that there has been massive migration of high earning individuals from high tax states to low tax states?…the big winner has been Florida with the losers being made up of Illinois, New Jersey, and New York?…we doubt that the people running these states with notice until their checks start to bounce?

IS IT TRUE last year we posted that Deaconess Hospital will be offering online doctor visits?…this is a forward-looking action to take and we congratulate the management team at Deaconess for that decision?…telemedicine, as such things are referred to, is a tremendous cost saving activity in addition to offering potentially life-saving diagnostics in an emergency case prior to transporting a patient to a care facility?…it is good to see an Evansville business being an early adopter in such an impactful field like telemedicine?  …we wonder how successful has this medical venture been since Deaconess launch it?