ITS TIME FOR ANNA HARGIS TO TAKE ON CITY BUDGET SHORTFALLS

Things don’t seem quite right at our Civic Center these days, They’re especially out of kilter on alternating Mondays at City Council meetings, when 1st Ward Councilman Dan McGinn chairs the finance meetings.  The City Council majority is Democratic, but Council President Missy Mosby (D) chose a Republican retired attorney for that powerful position on the City Council. We wonder what led her to make that decision. Maybe it was to emphasize the “collaborative” nature of her relationship with Mayor Winnecke and his wife.  But to be totally honest we just he don’t understand her thinking in this matter .

When the public tunes in on those City Council meetings every other Monday, they see money shuffled between accounts to cover expenditures, with plans to replace the juggled funds from yet-to-be collected payments.  Whats amazing is that Finance Chairman Dan McGinn rarely questions City Controller Russ Lloyd’s when he states that everything will come out okay in the end.

We can’t help but remember McGinn’s tenure as Mesker Park Zoo Director.  Amazonia was his pet project, he assured us it would turn the zoo’s finances around if we support this project.  We been told that he produced a six-figure cost over-run on the project.  We are now told that the Zoo is losing hundred of thousands of dollars every year, due in large part of the unexpected annual upkeep of the Amazonia.  We now understand why many of our readers worry about Mr. McGinn’s financial judgement.

Also, we can’t help but wonder if Ms. Mosby felt the need to appoint a Republican to be Finance Chairman why didn’t she choose 3rd Ward Councilwomen Anna Hargis.  Mrs. Hargis is a CPA and during last election  she promised  the voters that she will serve as a financial watchdog for the taxpayers but so far has failed to deliver on that promise.  We think its time for Mrs.Hargis to start challenging the deficient spending practices of the Winnecke administration.

In the upcoming 2017 budget hearings we hope that Anna Hargis, CPA will start challenging the city deficient spending practices and do a better job in questioning the continued waste of our hard earned tax dollars.

Bottom line, we have become more concerned about the City’s finances with the passing of every City Council meeting, and urge all of our readers to keep a closer eye on what is being done with our hard earned tax dollars.

We have a gut feeling that the city finances are in bad shape.  We feel that City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn or City Controller Lloyd,  Jr may not be giving the taxpayers of this community a true and accurate picture of our financial condition maybe Anne Hargis, CPA will.

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The special election will be during the general election November 8th between Republican James Comer and Democrat Sam Gaskins.

Bevin released the statement below following Whitfield’s resignation:“Both personally and on behalf of the Commonwealth, I want to thank Congressman Ed Whitfield for his many years of service to our state and our nation. He has served the people of Kentucky’s first district admirably, and we wish him all the very best in the years ahead. I will issue a proclamation declaring that the special election to fill this vacancy will be held on the same date and time as the General Election, which is November 8, 2016.”

FOOTNOTE: First elected in 1994, Whitfield announced his retirement last year in the midst of a House Ethics Committee investigation. The committee ultimately rebuked Whitfield for violating House rules, but said it was unintentional.

The Red Cross partnered with area media outlets, including 44News, to raise money for the victims of the Kokomo tornadoes and flooding in Louisiana.

By 7 p.m. Wednesday night, the effort had raised $17,730, the goal was $15,000.

Organizers say they will accept donations anytime even after the telethon has ended.

To donate, click the link provided here.

Tyrades! By Danny Tyree

Every Monday night in the fall of 1975, I ran until I was out of breath.

Despite rushing home from my afterschool job, Ialways missed the first five minutes of “All In The Family.”

I could certainly have used an iconic device that wouldn’t go into distribution in the U.S. for another two years: the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR).

I bring this up because USA Today reported that Funai Electronics, the last known manufacturer of VCRs, will no longer make them after this July.

The Japanese company cited declining demand (750,000 units sold last year, versus the peak of 15 million units annually) and the difficulty of procuring parts.

Parts? Given how outdated the device had become, I wonder if the parts were horseshoes so the Pony Express could deliver them?

Who is still buying 750,000 VCRs a year? One source said the Chinese, but I suspect that some distant tribe is sacrificing them to the volcano god. (“And here is a copy of Cheech & Chong’s ‘Up In Smoke’ for good measure.”)

There are probably a LOT of Third World nations proudly using the analogue technology. (“Maybe I earn only a quarter a day, but you can bounce that quarter off these abs after I finish all those Jane Fonda workout tapes!”)

In its day, the VCR was hailed as revolutionary. Yes, “revolutionary” in that the wobbly, ever-degenerating images made the characters all fidget like they were waiting for the GUILLOTINE.

Okay, the VCR was also revolutionary in that it offered an explosion of options for home entertainment. As a precursor of today’s Redbox, “time-shifting” and streaming media, it saved us from being at the mercy of theater owners and network programmers. Instead, we were at the mercy of idiot family members who forgot to program the thing or idiot family members who left the dog unattended to chew the cord. Even Bob Hope wouldn’t go near THOSE war zones.

The VCR spared us from sprinting to the bathroom at every commercial break. Sure, the Surgeon General issued a preliminary report that this change sparked a rise in cardiovascular disease; but he somehow got distracted from issuing a final draft. (“Who’s the idiot who taped over the ‘M*A*S*H’ finale????”)

The “leisure” device actually provided new things to stress out over. (“I’ve still got 567 hours of game shows to catch up on. I think Bob Barker should have promoted spaying or neutering ‘The Price Is Right’ instead of pets!”)

Remember the war between the VHS and Betamax formats of recording? And how leaked index cards in cursive handwriting revealed that the Democratic National Committee was involved in swinging support to VHS? (They even got Pres. Jimmy Carter to tell “Playboy” magazine, “I have lusted after grainy home movies in my heart.”)

The VCR was such a big deal that the Supreme Court had to rule on the technology in 1984, deciding that it was NOT illegal to copy TV shows for home viewing. In a sidebar, the Court also declared that videotapes are PERSONS, with the free speech rights to donate to political campaigns and demand reparations for being stuck in dusty bookcases or grungy yard sale boxes.

When the last shiny new VCRs have worn out, it’ll really be time to bury the technology. But don’t dig a shallow grave. The &^%$# things will probably CHEW their way out!

Dear Friend,

Indiana is on strong financial footing. As we closed out the fiscal year, our state’s reserve funds totaled $2.24 billion – the highest in our state’s history. More than $400 million in reserves will be used to help maintain our roads and bridges.

[Click here to tweet the good news!]

Our state is one of only a few states with a AAA credit rating, the highest possible, which saves taxpayers millions and signals stability to employers looking to expand or locate here.

At a time when many states, including Illinois, face budget shortfalls and higher taxes, we cut taxes for Hoosiers and job creators while making record investments in education and transportation infrastructure. Our fiscal discipline has paid dividends for Indiana and sets a strong foundation for legislators as we develop a comprehensive and sustainable long-term road funding solution next session.

Hardworking Hoosiers, job creators and Republican leadership have set our state up for a promising future!

Sincerely,

State Rep. Wendy McNamara