IS IT TRUE we are hearing that downtown St. Mary’s Parish is seeing an exodus of parishioners to other churches in the Diocese?  …that this appears to be in reaction to the most recent changes in clergy at the ST. Mary’s parish?   …we wonder if any of our readers can provide us with additional information concerning this issue?

IS IT TRUE that the extremely politically moderate Mayor Winnecke and his top lieutenant Wayne Parke have suffered a second crushing defeat in a month at the hands of the conservative wing of the local Republican party?  …that the first was the resounding loss of their chosen candidate for County Commissioner, Alex Schmitt, to the very capable Cheryl Musgrave? …the second defeat came last night at the party’s caucus, at the hands of their own precinct committeemen, when the conservative wing of the party chose well-known, and well liked small businessman Sean Selby over the past treasurer of the Vanderburgh County Libertarian party, Robb Myers to oppose Ben Shoulders for County Commissioner?  …we are totally surprised that this election was not even close with Selby defeating the Winnecke/McClintock/Parke backed Myers by a 57% to 43% margin?

IS IT TRUE that the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County are now paying surrounding counties to house our jail inmates, because we followed the penny-wise and pound foolish judgment of past County Commissioner  when building our County Jail/Corrections Center?  …we hear that our current, very hands-on Sheriff Dave Wedding may be seeking to alleviate the seriously over-crowded jail by seeking funding to build an addition to the current facility?  … we should keep partisan politics out of the discussion of how to solve the current over crowding problem of housing inmates in the future?

IS IT TRUE we were told that GOP Chairman Wayne Parke announced at last nights political caucus that he will support Sean Selby this fall?   …we wonder if he will also support Cheryl Musgrave?   …considering the poor record the Winnecke/Parke dream team has in supporting political candidates should be great news for Mrs. Musgrave?

IS IT TRUE that the local mainstream media is putting an overly positive spin on the legal settlement reached between the City and Mrs. Louise Milan?  …we are hearing that the spin doctors of the Winnecke  administration are telling people that the legal settlement costs was $100,000?  …we find this figure is not believable, because the legal appeal to SCOTUS alone likely cost that much?  …in addition to three years of legal wrangling, we won’t be surprised that the total legal costs for this law suit will go well over $1 million dollars?

FOOTNOTES: Our next “IS IT TRUE” will be posted on this coming Monday?

Todays “READERS POLL” question is:  Do you feel that Winnecke/Parke support of Robert Myers helped Sean Selby to win the Republican primary battle for County Commissioner?

Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS” posted in our sections.

If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com.

Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

God Bless the Little Sisters Of The Poor

By Tom Purcell

God bless the Little Sisters of the Poor. They just put our overzealous federal government back in its constitutional place.

The Little Sisters of the Poor is an international congregation of Roman Catholic nuns who have devoted their lives to caring for the elderly poor. Since the order’s 1839 founding in France, its mission has been to give dignity and love to the frail and weak in the very last stage of their lives.
When ObamaCare became the law of the land, it demanded that the sisters purchase insurance policies for the order’s employees that cover the cost of contraception, abortive drugs and sterilization. But the nuns could never do so because their vow is to advance the dignity of life for every person, including the unborn.
The Little Sisters sought a religious exemption from the rules, but, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a legal group that defended the sisters in court, the government said the nuns were not religious enough to be exempt. The government insisted that the ObamaCare exemption applied only to churches and church-controlled ministries.

The government threatened massive fines against the 27 retirement homes that the sisters operate in the United States — at a cost of $100 per employee per day or $70 million in fines per year. This amount represents one-third of the Little Sisters’ operating budget and would have severely hampered the sisters ability to care for the elderly poor.  So, in 2013, the good sisters sued the government.

They argued that their constitutional right to freely practice their faith was being obstructed by our ever-growing government. The federal district court in Denver, Colo., ruled against them.
Thankfully, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an injunction siding with the sisters. Her injunction temporarily stopped the fines as the case worked its way through the legal process.
The sisters appealed the district court ruling. They lost again in 2015 when the 10th Circuit Court ruled against them and sided with ObamaCare.

The Little Sisters filed a petition to the Supreme Court. Finally, last week, the Supreme Court gave the sisters a huge win.

According to the Becket Fund, “The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the lower court rulings against the Little Sisters, ordered the government not to fine the Little Sisters, and said the lower courts should provide the government an opportunity ‘to arrive at an approach going forward that accommodates the petitioner’s religious beliefs.’”

What is most puzzling about the whole situation, however, is that none of this was necessary.
The sisters “never sought to prevent the government from providing these (contraception) services, but have simply asked that the government pick a way that doesn’t force them to deliver services — like the week-after pill — that violate their faith.”

President Obama himself acknowledged that “the government can continue to provide these services without the Little Sisters and their health plan,” according to the Becket Fund.
So why did our government attack the wonderful sisters who have dedicated their lives to caring for the elderly poor?

It beats me, but it is a textbook case of why I and others worry about the erosion of our country’s most basic freedoms as our overzealous government extends its tentacles more deeply into every aspect of our everyday lives.

In our current state, it takes the incredible fortitude of a group of selfless nuns to protect and restore our freedoms.

They fought the good fight against a mighty foe so that they may continue to practice their faith freely in what is supposed to be the freest nation on Earth.
God bless the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Owing to the abundance of natural resources in southwestern Indiana when Evansville was founded over 200 years ago, many coal mines have existed in the region. This is Ingle Coal Mine as it appeared in 1901, about a half-century after it became the first coal mine to open in Indiana. It was located on the city’s west side at the base of a hill near the Ohio River. When the mine closed in 1918, the land was cleared so that the new West Side junior high school, which was later renamed Reitz High School, would have a less obstructed view of the river.
FOOTNOTES: We want to thank Patricia Sides, Archivist of Willard Library for contributing this picture that shall increase people’s awareness and appreciation of Evansville’s rich history. If you have any historical pictures of Vanderburgh County or Evansville please contact please contact Patricia Sides, Archivist Willard Library at 812) 425-4309, ext. 114 or e-mail her at www.willard.lib.in.us.