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Dr. Bucshon’s Statement on President’s Budget Proposal

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(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08) released the following statement in response to the President’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes $4 trillion in federal spending and would add $8.5 trillion to the debt over the next decade.

“Today, the President released a similar laundry list of tax-and-spend policy proposals as he has in previous budgets. These proposals serve to divide the American people rather than unite us under our common goal of expanded prosperity and opportunity for all Americans,” said Bucshon. “In his $4 trillion proposal, the President fails to balance the budget or even take a serious look at reform of the drivers of our debt. Instead, the President asks for higher spending, higher taxes, and higher debt. Fortunately, for middle class families who’ve seen their incomes drop almost four percent over the past six years, the President’s budget is only a proposal. Congress sets the budget for our country. 

 

“Our budget will not ask the American people to give more of their hard-earned income to maintain the status quo like the President has year after year. This has led to an $18 trillion national debt and failed to provide economic security to the vast majority of our fellow citizens. Instead, we will require government to do more with less and become more effective and efficient at serving the American people. Our budget will not only balance, but it will maintain critical government programs and protect our national security interests at home and abroad. And our budget will build a tax code that is fair to everyone and encourages economic vitality to grow incomes and increase opportunity for those climbing the economic ladder.”

 

Congressman Larry Bucshon, a physician from Southern Indiana, is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the 114th Congress, Bucshon will serve on the influential House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  The 8th District of Indiana includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.

Governor Pence Names Kent Abernathy as Commissioner of Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Thanks Don Snemis for Service at BMV

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Hires New Leadership to Continue to Improve BMV System Operations

 

Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today named Kent Abernathy as Commissioner for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Abernathy currently serves as Chief of Staff at Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Current Commissioner Don Snemis will serve as Special Counsel for Program Integrity at Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) effective February 12, 2015.

 

“Don Snemis has led the Bureau of Motor Vehicles with great integrity as he worked over the past year to identify and solve problems that have existed within the agency for several years,” said Governor Pence. “I am confident that Kent Abernathy, with an extensive background in leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, will continue to implement these solutions and serve Hoosiers well as Commissioner for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.”

 

Upon completion of active military duty, serving as an officer in the U.S. Army, Abernathy began a career in business and finance. He served in the banking industry in New York City before returning to Indianapolis, where he served as Vice President of National City Bank (now PNC) and Vice President of Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase) before founding his own consulting business, Eagle Advisors in Carmel.

 

Abernathy returned to active duty in September 2003, serving in leadership positions at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and Baghdad, Iraq. He also served as interim Director of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Liaison Office, under the command of the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, and later, under General David Petraeus. Abernathy retired from U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel in March 2010, shortly after joining the administration of Governor Mitch Daniels as Chief of Staff for IDEM.

 

He received his Bachelor of Science at United States Military Academy (West Point), his Master of Science in Management at Oakland City University, and his Master of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College.

 

Abernathy will begin his role on February 12, 2015.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, January 30, 2015

Teena Bartlett              Theft-Level 6 Felony

Robert Greene              Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Level 6 Felony

Quinton Jennings        Carrying a Handgun without a License-Level 5 Felony

Joshua Roach                 Possession of a Narcotic Drug-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Cocaine-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

Possession of a Controlled Substance-Class A Misdemeanor

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

Antoenette Talbot  Theft-Level 6 Felony

Damien Wilder            Strangulation-Level 6 Felony

Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Interference with the Reporting of a Crime-Class A Misdemeanor

Stephen Collums        Strangulation-Level 6 Felony

John Craddock            Dealing in a Schedule I Controlled Substance-Level 2 Felony

Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony

Dealing in Marijuana-Level 6 Felony

Taylor Danks                Unlawful Possession of Syringe-Level 6 Felony

Dugniqio Forest         Dealing in Cocaine-Level 2 Felony

Trafficking with an Inmate-Level 5 Felony

Steffanos Katechis     Dealing in a Schedule I Controlled Substance-Level 2 Felony

Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony

Dealing in Marijuana-Level 6 Felony

Colt Kissel                      Unlawful Possession of Syringe-Level 6 Felony

Willie Massey               Dealing in Cocaine-Level 4 Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

Willie Massey                 Dealing in Cocaine-Level 5 Felonies (Three Counts)

 

Ethan Rausch             Unlawful Possession of Syringe-Level 6 Felony

Cassie Speed              Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Level 6 Felony

Possession of a Controlled Substance-Class A Misdemeanor

Leaving the Scene of an Accident-Class B Misdemeanor

Whitney Steverson Theft-Level 6 Felony

Ryan Zehner                  Theft-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Level 6 Felony

Ladonna Spellazza   Theft-Level  6 Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

Hugh Gray                   Attempted Kidnapping-Level 3 Felony

William Houghland     Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury to a Pregnant Woman-Level 5 Felony

Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Jason Leonard                Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Jacob Aubrey                Attempted Kidnapping-Level 3 Felony

Peter Vellis                 Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Battery in the Presence of a Child-Level 6 Felony

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at kphernetton@vanderburghgov.org

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law

Boehner’s Dangerous Gamble by Liberal Mark Shields

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by Mark Sheilds
Mark Sheilds

Bipartisanship, that widely admired virtue so sadly rare in our nation’s politics, has been — since 1948, when President Harry Truman, rejecting the counsel of his own Cabinet secretaries, recognized the newborn nation — the hallmark of Unites States support for the state of Israel.
But that era is now over. It ended officially when, without so much as consulting with either the White House or the State Department, the Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner, unilaterally invited the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to address a joint session of Congress on March 3, just two weeks before the Israeli national elections, in which the embattled Netanyahu is fighting for his political life.
For Netanyahu, Boehner’s invitation, guaranteeing him global coverage and enhanced stature, is both the ideal campaign media event and a political gift. For the majority of Israeli voters who, according to polls, are not supporters of Netanyahu’s, the invitation from the House speaker can be reasonably seen as unwelcome American meddling in their country’s election.
More importantly, Netanyahu has publicly and fiercely opposed President Barack Obama’s sustained efforts to negotiate with Iran while maintaining tough sanctions on that country, an agreement ensuring that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. For many years, Netanyahu’s pitch to American visitors remained consistent: “This is 1938. Iran is Germany, and it is about to go nuclear.” Possibly angered by the Obama administration’s public pressure on Israel to stop the increasing surge of Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu made no effort to hide his support for Republican Mitt Romney over Obama in the 2012 presidential election. Earlier, he had been quoted in the Israeli papers indicting then-top Obama advisers Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod for being “self-hating Jews.”
Let us review the situation. The speaker of the House, a Republican, has deliberately provided a head of state who is manifestly unfriendly to the president of the United States, a Democrat, a unique forum to oppose and to criticize the foreign policy of the United States’ administration, probably to urge Congress to resist any nuclear agreement the United States might reach with Iran and, for good measure, to stiffen current sanctions against that country even more.
Boehner is not a naive man. Yet by this reckless political stunt, which embarrasses the Democratic president, he is undermining the very spirit and record of bipartisanship that, for nearly seven decades, has characterized United States friendship toward Israel. Boehner’s embrace and endorsement of Netanyahu risks turning U.S.-Israeli policy into just another partisan divide like same-sex marriage or global warming.
For interfering in the national elections of a close ally, for undermining the admittedly vulnerable prospects of a peaceful resolution of tension with Iran, for possibly alienating the coalition opposing Netanyahu, which could organize the next Israeli government, and for irresponsibly practicing easy politics over difficult statesmanship, John Boehner may score a few cheap points. But by what he alone has chosen to do, the speaker is, sadly, a diminished and less admirable public man.
To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2015 MARK SHIELDS
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM

Appeals court finds high-fence deer hunting not prohibited in Indiana

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Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com

Indiana law does not prohibit “high-fence” hunting of deer in Indiana, nor does it allow for the Department of Natural Resources to create regulations relating to the practice, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

The controversial topic made its way before the appeals court after the DNR appealed a ruling out of Harrison Circuit Court in favor of Whitetail Bluff LLC; its owner, Rodney Bruce; and other plaintiffs who sued after the DNR passed an emergency rule in 2005 that, in effect, prohibited high-fence hunting.

Bruce created Whitetail Bluff in 1999 on more than 100 acres in Harrison County to allow people to come and hunt deer he purchased that would roam on his fenced-in property. When he sought to open the operation, the DNR said at that time there were no laws that prohibited his business. The DNR decided in August 2005 to look into fenced deer hunting and reclassified deer under the definition of an “exotic mammal.” Its emergency rule also said that possessing a game-breeders license does not allow for the hunting of animals maintained under that license.

Judges Ezra Friedlander and Melissa May affirmed the lower court inInd. Dept. of Natural Resources, and Cameron F. Clark as Dir. of the Ind. Dept. of Natural Resources v. Whitetail Bluff, LLC, Rodney Bruce, et al., 31A04-1310-PL-502, which included amicus briefs from several groups, including the Indiana Deer Hunters Association and the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center.

The current statutory scheme does not prohibit high-fence hunting and the DNR is not authorized under I.C. 14-22-1-1 to promulgate rules effectuating that prohibition, the majority held. That section outlines what wild animals the DNR can regulate.

Chief Judge Nancy Vaidik dissented from her colleagues, citing this statute. She found that, unlike her colleagues, the statute allows for DNR to protect and properly manage resources that are both publicly and privately owned. She also wrote that Article 22 of Title 14 of the Indiana Code was written to give DNR regulatory power over all wild animals, but the majority found that article does not prohibit high-fence hunting of deer in Indiana.

“Our decision is not informed by our views regarding the ethics of high-fence hunting or the consequences of this practice with respect to the deer population of Indiana. Rather, it seems that the fundamental point of departure between our views on the question and those of the dissent is whether the current Indiana legislation addressing this subject can be fairly understood to prohibit the practice. Our colleague believes that it can,” Friedlander wrote in the majority opinion. “We, on the other hand, agree with the opinion issued by the Indiana Attorney General’s office in 2004 at the behest of Representative Friend that Indiana’s ‘existing statutes and rules do not directly address many of the questions surrounding the complicated and controversial issue of hunting privately owned deer kept on private property.’

Friedlander noted that the majority agreed with the 2004 AG’s opinion that if the practice is to be outlawed here, it will require further legislative intervention.

Beyond The Mirror Hair Salon Celebrates Grand Opening In Evansville

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 Beyond The Mirror Hair Salon welcome many attendees at its Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony held at the salon Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke was present to welcome the salon to the city.

Beyond The Mirror Hair Salon is owned by Cheryl Jacobs, a talented master stylist with over 36 years of experience in the hair industry. After running another successful salon with partners, Cheryl wanted to step out on her own. She found the location she wanted and had it refurbished. She then hired 6 additional stylists and a receptionist. At the age of 66, Cheryl was at last her own boss, a living example of the American dream.

“As a small business owner, it is great to see the amount of community support we had for our GRand Opening,” said Cheryl Jacobs, salon owner. “The Grand Opening represents the culmination of a huge amount of hard work, and we are happy to welcome customers through our doors.”

Throughout the day, visitors registered for a prize gift basket worth over $100.00. The winner of the gift basket was Rachel Gregurich of Evansville, IN.

Beyond The Mirror Hair Salon offers a variety of hair styling services ranging from simple haircuts to elaborate styles for weddings, proms or other special occasions. The salon provides hair services for men, women and children. A full line of retail products are offered to help clients maintain their style. The salon is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Appointments may be scheduled via phone or via the company’s website at http://www.beyondthemirrorhairsalon.com. Walk-ins are always welcome.

Ivy Tech Hosts Annual International Week Activities 

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Ivy Tech Community College will host its annual International Week from Monday, February 2 – Thursday, February 5. The goal of the event is to encourage global awareness, global learning, and cultural diversity. A variety of activities are planned ranging from a Zumba demonstration to discussion groups. The theme country for this year’s event will be Colombia. All activities are free, open to the public, and will be held at Ivy Tech’s main campus in Evansville, located at 3501 N. First Ave.

 

International Week 2015 – Schedule of Events

MONDAY 2/2:  

“Love in the Time of Cholera” Discussion Group

9 – 9:45 a.m., Room 140B

Colombian Culture Discussion Panel, free coffee and Colombian snacks

11 a.m. – Noon, Room 121

Zumba class demonstration

12:15 – 12:45 p.m., Koch Student Center

5:30 – 6:15 a.m., Koch Student Center

TUESDAY 2/3:

“Love in the Time of Cholera” Discussion Group

11 – 11:45 a.m., Room 140B

Alexandra McNichols, Colombian photographer, author, and activist

Noon – 1 p.m., Presentation in Vectren Auditorium, Room 147

1 – 2 p.m., Q & A with Alexandra McNichols in Bower-Suhrheinrich Visual Arts Center

                                

WEDNESDAY 2/4:

Colombian Information Expo: booths and poster sessions

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4:30 – 5:45 p.m., Koch Student Center

“Love in the Time of Cholera” Discussion Group

4:30 – 5:15 p.m., Room 140B

                

THURSDAY 2/5:

Free food samples by the Ivy Tech Culinary Arts department

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4:30 – 5:45 p.m., Koch Student Center

Movie showing: “Love in Time of Cholera”

1 p.m., Room 121

 

January 27 – February 21, the art of Alexandra

Tax Strategies to Ensure You Pay #NotOneDollarMore

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Small businesses should not pay one dollar more than they are legally required to in taxes each year. If you’re like most entrepreneurs, minimizing your taxes is one of the most challenging aspects of running your business. Join Sage Accountant Solutions’ Jennifer Warawa to learn the 7 things you must know before tax day in order to maximize tax savings.

USDA Invests $18 Million to Train Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

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Emphasis on military veterans and limited-resource farmers
New Orleans, LA – Feb. 2, 2015 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden (USDA) announced more than $18 million in grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The grants are available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill).”As new farmers and ranchers get started, they are really looking to their community for support. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program empowers these farmers and ranchers to bring innovative ideas to the table when it comes to addressing food security, creating economic enterprises, and building communities,” said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. “As we celebrate the first anniversary of the 2014 Farm Bill, programs like these are evidence that an investment in beginning farmers and ranchers is an investment in our future”.

The grant announcement was made at Recirculating Farms Coalition in New Orleans. Recirculating Farms received a BFRDP grant to develop training sessions focusing on soil-based production and aquaculture for new and beginning farmers in New Orleans.

The BFRDP program, first established by the 2008 Farm Bill, aims to support those who have farmed or ranched less than 10 years with workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance throughout the United States. NIFA awards grants to organizations that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers. Today’s announcement was funded by the 2014 Farm Bill, which continued authorization of this program.

The 2014 Farm Bill mandated at least five percent of BFRDP funding support veterans and socially disadvantaged farmers. Among today’s announcement, more than 15 percent of the funded projects have a substantial component that supports veterans and farming, while about 50 percent of the projects focus mainly on socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. A fact sheet with a complete list of awardees and project descriptions is available on the USDA website.

  • Since 2009, 184 awards have been made for more than $90 million through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. These awards are part of USDA’s deep commitment to beginning farmers and ranchers. Additional USDA investment in beginning farmers and ranchers include:
  • Since 2009, FSA has issued more than 8895,000 direct and guaranteed farm operating and farm ownership loans to beginning farmers and ranchers.
  • FSA’s microloan program, an important access point to credit for some new farmers and ranchers, has issued more than 9,600 microloans totaling $188 million. Seventy percent of these loans have gone to beginning farmers. Recently, USDA raised the ceiling for microloan from $35,000 to $50,000, giving new farmers access to more credit.
  • The 2014 Farm Bill also strengthens the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for new producers by reducing the premiums on buy-up level coverage by 50 percent for new farmers and waiving their application fee. USDA announced this new tool for farmers and ranchers in 2015.
  • USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grants program gives priority to beginning farmers and ranchers to help them increase revenues through value-added agriculture, marketing, and new product development. Since 2009, more than 25 percent of 853 awarded Value Added Producer Grants went to beginning farmers and ranchers.

More information about USDA support for new farmers and ranchers is available at www.usda.gov/newfarmers.

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is currently accepting applications for the 2015 grant cycle. Applicationsare due March 13, 2015.

Funding for the BFRDP program is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

IS IT TRUE February 3, 2015

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IS IT TRUE that the newly appointed Evansville Water and Sewer Board was told to go back and re-vote on past decisions made in January by the previous board because the makeup of the past board was deemed illegal?…we wonder if the Mayor is also going to require other City appointed boards to go back and re-vote on issues that other boards that had serving illegally since the new residency ordinance was passed by City Council?  …we wonder why the Mayor didn’t inform his buddies in the mainstream media about this issue?

IS IT TRUE that 4th Ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson shall announce this Wednesday at  4 PM at the Civic Center that she will seek re-election?  …you can expect a large group of 4th Ward voters to show up in support of Connie Robinson re-election announcement? …we hope that one of the At-large City Council members will take special note and see who attends Mrs. Robinson re-election announcement event?  …its  alleged if the 4th Ward have a heavy voter turnout on primary day that one At-Large City Councilman political career may be over?

IS IT TRUE the Evansville City Council is coming under fire in the mainstream media for allegedly being a clown show that cannot get anything done or agree on anything at all?…it is suspected that the source of these zingers is the Office of the Mayor which is complicit in any look of silliness on the City Council by continually doing things behind closed doors and failing to keep the City Council out of the loop on many important decisions? …is it any wonder that the City Council would be indignant about being blinded to the fact that the Mayor’s office authorized a $200,000 advance loan to Earthcare Energy,  spending hundred of thousands  of  taxpayers dollars on  vacant buildings and giving them away to special friends or has staged several theatrical ground breaking ceremonies for the downtown hotel which is still not designed in a way that it can attract financing?…the reality is that the Winnecke Administration has been a clown show and some members of the City Council have been in the rumble seat?…the City Council has been flying blind largely due to the fact that they are intentionally left out of the information loop?…as long as business continues to be done in a vacuum, the clown show will continue?

IS IT TRUE we are hearing that rank and file members of the Evansville Police Department are extremely upset with the Chief of Police decision to pay select officers “Special Duty Pay”  for attending a most important public relations trip to Disney World trip in Orlando, Florida ? …we agree that treating a group of Glenwood honor students to a free trip to Disney World is positive act? ….we do feel that officers who attended this worth while trip should had taken vacation time to attend trip and not being paid with “Special Duty Pay” from city funds?

IS IT TRUE President Barack Obama proposed a nearly $4 trillion budget package Monday aimed at improving the nation’s infrastructure and boosting middle-class Americans, but with a cost of tax increases on businesses and the wealthy as well as an end to existing spending caps?…the budget, much of which Mr. Obama has detailed over the past month, makes a case for easing Washington’s emphasis on deficit-reduction measures, given the strengthening economy?…it makes no new effort to fix the swelling costs of Social Security, Medicare, and the off budget obligations of public employee pensions which are the 800 pound gorilla in room when it comes to government spending?…neither party nor any President since the turn of the century has shown any willingness to tackle the real hard questions of long term financial obligations in the future to cash the checks written on the future generations?

IS IT TRUE that Super Bowl 49, just hosted by Phoenix, Arizona was one of the best played games from a spectators perspective in many years?…the University of Phoenix stadium which also hosts the Fiesta Bowl is a perfect venue for big time football games and the City of Phoenix seems to have a knack for doing a good job with such large events?…that was not always the case as back in 1950 Evansville, Indiana had a larger population than Phoenix by over 20,000 people?…to be specific in 1950 Evansville was home to 128,636 people while the water starved desert town of Phoenix had only 106,818 people and no prospects to be a significant city?…that was then and this is now?…in the last 65 years Phoenix has grown to become a major metropolis of 1.5 Million while Evansville has depopulated to only 120,000 after the most recent annexation?…to think that Evansville in an economic forecast model in 1950 would have had better prospects for the future than Phoenix is mind boggling to some, but the reality is that things were done much differently in the two cities and through a 65 year lens, Evansville’s mistakes are easy to characterize?…the problem is that Evansville keeps doing the same things and expecting different results which according to Dr. Albert Einstein is the very definition of insanity?…if the leaders of the past 65 years would have simply exercised a good game of “monkey see, monkey do”, who knows, perhaps Super Bowl 50 would be on the banks of the Ohio instead of San Jose, CA, that was also smaller than Evansville in 1950?

Please take time and vote in todays “Readers Poll”
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