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IS IT TRUE October 22, 2014

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IS IT TRUE the Civic Center Moles are telling us that a change may be in the making with the Evansville Redevelopment Commission?…there is at least one seat that is up for re-appointment an it seems as though the seat has gotten pretty hot for the person sitting in it now?…to be a “good” member of the ERC one needs to have the ability to think analytically and have the backbone to call out the nonsense that gets slipped through the ERC?…it is time for an independent, intelligent, and courageous person who is in no ones pocket to be appointed to the ERC?…it is really time for five such people but if we can actually get one that will be a good start?

IS IT TRUE the shadow of a shovel in a pile of sand has not yet been seen down at the lot where the obsolete new hotel sign is?…no permits have been issued to start a hotel, and the Old National Bank has not announced a $14 Million payment to the Centre for the naming rights?…we suspect the wheels of progress ( if this is indeed progress) have once again collided with the truth of reality?…it is time to start according to the latest PR nonsense, but it is also 6 weeks from the time one better not start due to inclimate weather?

IS IT TRUE Mayor Winnecke got to do his favorite thing yesterday and flipped some sand along with a wildly hyped jobs announcement?…the hoopla was all over exactly 18 jobs that are being opened at Mead Johnson?…the total of the incentives granted to Mead Johnson to get these 18 jobs amounted to $3.75 Million or a federal stimulus busting $208,333 per job of incentives?…this is an okay thing for Evansville since these jobs pay about $60,000 each, but it is really a spectacular thing for the 18 people who get the jobs and relatively insignificant to the 120,000 other people who will not get one of these 18 jobs?…on the other end of town a new Los Bravos was announced which will have seating for 200 people?…it is a certainty that this restaurant will be hiring way more than 18 people and is doing so without the benefit of a public handout?

IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy is once again on the docket of the ERC and this time it is really ready to go?…that is of course if and we must say if some federal tax credits are ready to stoke the fire to get a flame started?…we must remind you that it has been 2,340 days since a proud former Mayor Wienzapfel proclaimed the deal of the century with one of his Indianapolis campaign contributors that would transform the classic old hotel into luxury apartments?…we hope it is for real this time but do not recommend holding your breath until this gets started to anyone who values their life?

IS IT TRUE a controversial mailer was were sent to people who live in District 76 which includes parts of Posey County, Vanderburgh County, and Gibson County? …this mailer was sent to people who live in District 76 which includes parts of Posey County, Vanderburgh County, and Gibson County? … District 76 voters are receiving this controversial mailer alleging that State Representative Wendy McNamara’s property taxes have gone down $700 since she became an elected office holder? …this mailer was sent out by the Indiana State Democratic Party?

IS IT TRUE the City County Observer has requested Ms. McNamara give us a official response concerning a controversial campaign mailer recently sent out to voters of her district? …as of today we haven’t heard from Ms. McNamara concerning this issue? …we have inserted the link of a copy of the controversial mailer sent out by Indiana State Democratic Party alleging that Ms. McNamara’s received special treatment concerning her property taxes?

Click on these 2 links to read : Mailer 1         Mailer 2

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Report

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

http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/recent-booking-records.aspx

EPD Activity Report

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

EPD Activity Report

Pence won’t cancel campaign trip to New Hampshire to appease Democrats

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By Hannah Troyer
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Democrats are calling on Gov. Mike Pence to cancel a trip to New Hampshire, home of the first presidential primary, and to release documents about his decision not to apply for a federal pre-kindergarten grant.

But the governor’s press secretary said Pence’s presence is needed to help other GOP leaders with issues in their states.

Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody, left, and Republican Gov. Mike Pence
Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody, left, and Republican Gov. Mike Pence
Pence is scheduled to campaign this month with Republican gubernatorial nominee Walt Havenstein and to make other campaign stops in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

“With all of the success Indiana has been having and his leadership role at the Republican Governors Association, Gov. Pence is in high demand to assist others in their efforts to bring conservative solutions to their states,” said Kara Brooks, a spokeswoman for the governor. “And he will continue to work on behalf of Republican governors as his schedule allows.”

But Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody said Pence needs to stay home.

He called for the governor to spend his time searching for other creative ways to pay for an expansion of preschool rather than campaigning on the East Coast. Last week, Pence opted not to apply for as much as $80 million in federal funding for pre-kindergarten over the next three years, saying there were too many strings attached to the money.

The state is preparing to launch a pilot program that will make state-funded preschool available to children in five counties. No expansion is currently planned.

Democrats have been critical of the decision not to seek federal money. They say it’s a sign Pence is trying to appease conservatives who are influential in the GOP presidential primary and dislike federal intervention in education.

Pence has insisted his focus is on Indiana but he has not ruled out a presidential bid in 2016. And Pence recently traveled to Iowa – another early primary state – to speak at a Midwest-Japan economic conference and at a fundraiser for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican seeking a second term.

“If he’s willing to take a pass on funding for early childhood education, he should spend all of his time at the Statehouse coming up with a solution that will help ensure more Hoosier children have a healthy and substantive start to their education,” Zody said. “Instead, he’s campaigning in New Hampshire and four other states.”

The Indiana Democratic Party also filed a public records request asking the Pence administration to release all correspondence with groups that lobbied him on the pre-kindergarten grant issue. The conservative group Hoosiers Against Common Core had called for its supporters to urge Pence not to apply for the federal money.

“The governor’s office said they would not be ‘bowed’ by lobbying ­­– so prove it,” Zody said in a statement. “Hoosiers deserve to know if their governor is more beholden to the interests of the tea party or the interests of the thousands of Hoosier children who will go without pre-school because of his political decision.”

Pence said in a guest column last week that “more federal dollars do not necessarily equal success, especially when those dollars come with requirements and conditions that will not help – and may even hinder – running a successful program of our own making.”

Hannah Troyer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

Guest column: Delaney says state must invest in roads, transportation

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By Ed Delaney
State representative

Indiana as the Crossroads of America is built around our geographical location and the ways to move about within and across our space.

This is where we invest our dollars, but Indiana’s policy on building roads, transit systems, sidewalks and bike-ways can be summarized in a sentence: Hoard our revenue to build a budget surplus and brag about our bond rating.

Well, you really can’t travel on bank deposits and praise from Standard & Poor’s. You need asphalt or rails. And if you resort to creative financing to do your building, you will pay more now and still more later.

Let’s start by bragging. Indiana is coming out of the Great Recession with $2 billion on hand and our credit unimpaired. Our Republican leaders love to contrast our positive financial posture with their caricature of Washington, D.C., or Illinois. Well, let’s have a big party and celebrate our success, but we need to get serious about our present and our future.

Our transportation situation is grim. The Toll Road windfall is behind us and its management structure is imploding. Gas tax revenues are in decline. Our city streets and rural roads are a mess. In the countryside, they are tearing up roads and returning to dirt. In our cities, we spend money on car repairs, not street repairs.

And how do we react to this? We fight over how to cut up a shrinking pie.

Some demand that all transportation dollars go for yet more concrete, with nothing for rails, sidewalks, or bikes.

Other so-called financial experts tell us that there is a way out. All we need to do is to invite private firms, frequently from abroad, to handle our transportation projects. All that our new partners want is fees (now) and guarantees (for later). The smart money folks have caught on to the risks in public-private partnerships and will make sure the public bears them. The bottom line is that our children may have some new roads, but at a high price now and a high risk later.

Indiana was able to borrow to build in the past. This was true when we had a modest surplus and interest rates were 5-6 percent, not around 1 or 2 percent. What we had then was common sense. We knew that when you have good credit you have choices. You can play games with financial engineering, you can fight over scraps or you can invest at reasonable rates, using your good credit.

Yes, invest. How’s that for an old-fashioned idea? Wouldn’t you like our children to help pay for roads they will use at today’s low rates? Or do you prefer to wait until interest rates return to more historically normal levels?

The state of Indiana could use our part of our surplus to create a revolving fund for infrastructure. It could make grants for innovative projects involving multiple government units. It could even make unrestricted revenue sharing available to local governments that work to meet financial goals.

I like bragging as much as the next person. Let’s brag that we use our surplus and our credit rating to do some good for ourselves and our children. Let us build roads, and transit and bikeways. Let’s do it while rates are low. And let us do it the old-fashioned way: borrow at low rates and pay off on time. We can even use our surplus to leverage this effort. And, if we create jobs and revive our cities and towns in the process, wouldn’t that be something to brag about?

Rep. Ed Delaney is a Democrat from Indianapolis. He is also planning to run for mayor of Indianapolis.

Coffee with a Cop Tuesday, October 21st 7:00 to 9:00 am

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On Tuesday, October 21st the Evansville Police Department and the Donut Bank Bakery & Coffee Shop will partner for another Coffee with a Cop event. Coffee with a Cop continues to be very well received and attended by the public. Coffee with a Cop allows citizens and officers to interact in a very informal setting to discuss a wide array of issues. There is no agenda and no PowerPoint just good coffee and conversation. Chief Bolin as well as other members of the department will be on hand to speak with those stopping by.

This month’s Coffee with a Cop will take place from 7:00a to 9:00a at the Donut Bank Bakery & Coffee Shop located at 2128 N. First Avenue.

Error in admitting drug conviction was harmless, 7th Circuit rules

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Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com

Although a witness’s changed testimony did not open the door wide enough to allow the introduction of a defendant’s prior drug record, the prosecution’s case was still substantial without the improper evidence so the defendant’s federal conviction will stand.

Evansville resident Kenneth Schmitt appealed his conviction and sentence for possessing a firearm while being a felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1). In part, he argued the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana erred in allowing the state to admit his prior conviction for possession of methamphetamine into evidence.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed the District Court did commit an error but found it was harmless in United States of America v. Kenneth Schmitt, 13-2894. The court ruled the government’s case would not have been significantly less persuasive if the conviction had been excluded.

Linking Schmitt to the drugs police found in the home he shared with his girlfriend was key to the government’s contention that the defendant owned the AK-15 semi-automatic assault rifle also found in the house. The prosecution argued Schmitt had the weapon because he was dealing drugs.

However during the trial, Jason Wyatt, the government’s witness, testified the drugs at the residence were his.

Defense counsel recalled Wyatt to the stand and got him to admit the meth as well as the marijuana and pills all belonged to him. The government seized on the testimony and argued Wyatt’s statements “opened the door” to admitting testimony that Schmitt previously had pleaded guilty to possession and to admitting Schmitt’s conviction record.

The 7th Circuit pointed out the defense did not open the door to evidence of who possessed the meth. The court ruled that conviction was not relevant and should have been redacted from the record.

Still, the error was harmless.

“But the prosecution’s case would not have been ‘significantly less persuasive had the improper evidence been excluded,’” Judge Ann Claire Williams wrote for the panel. “There was already ample evidence before the jury to suggest that Schmitt was a drug dealer, which could lead a reasonable juror to infer that he had a reason to have a firearm.”

Catch the Latest Edition of “The Indiana State Police Road Show”

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Catch the latest edition of the “Indiana State Police Road Show” radio program every Monday morning at your convenience.

Download the program from the Network Indiana public website at www.networkindiana.com. Look for the state police logo on the main page and follow the download instructions. The ISP Road Show can also be viewed via YouTube.

Go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5Bg1KjBd7H1GxgkuV3YJA or visit the Indiana State Police website at http://www.in.gov/isp/ and click on the YouTube link. This 15 minute talk show concentrates on public safety and informational topics with state wide interest.

The radio program was titled “Signal-10” in the early sixties when it was first started by two troopers in northern Indiana. The name was later changed to the “Indiana State Police Road Show” and is the longest continuously aired state police public service program in Indiana.

Radio stations across Indiana and the nation are invited to download and air for FREE this public service program sponsored by the Indiana State Police Alliance and Cops for Kids, a subsidiary of the Indiana State Police Alliance.

This week’s show features Stan Capobianco, Hazardous Materials Specialist at the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. Capobianco discusses the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office responsibilities and his duties as a HAZ MAT responder.
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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, October 17, 2014

Dustin Devers             Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Level 6 Felony

Lisa Filippes                 Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Level 6 Felony

Kenneth Jones              Sexual Battery-Level 6 Felony
Residential Entry-Level 6 Felony
Criminal Confinement-Level 6 Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

Nicholas Lengerich     Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More-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.

IS IT TRUE October 21, 2014

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IS IT TRUE that the proposed downtown YMCA Senior Citizens housing project is dead?

IS IT TRUE that the proposed Senior Citizens Lincoln and Canal Street loft apartment project shall be going forward? …the consultant for this project is Miller Valentine Group? …with the Mayors blessings, the EHA has submitted a tax credit application for the project even without officially owning the land that apartments will be built on?

IS IT TRUE that the tract of land the city owned at Lincoln and Canal without public discussion was quietly transferred back to EHA by the free spending Evansville Redevelopment Commission last week? …we can’t wait to see the scoring model for the tax credit proposals that come in from the developer and how DMD rates of them? …the 9% tax credit deadline is November 1, 2014?

IS IT TRUE we wonder why the Mayor didn’t inform 4th Ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson and other Center City developers and leaders about this project?

IS IT TRUE that it is down to only 2 weeks until the election and the elections for the Board of Directors (School Board) to govern the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is of utmost interest locally?…there have been many feature articles in various publications in which the candidates make their positions known on what they think the important issues are but the one thing that should be the first sentence of any of these features is “I WILL MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CHILDREN OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY WHO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL?”…most of the candidates seem to be absorbed in working with the unions, getting along with the teachers, and one even thinks he works for the superintendent (Mike Duckworth) who really works for the board, but the thing that is needed from all of these candidates if Evansville has any hope of seeing better scores from its schools is a focus on students?…we would suggest to our readers that as you evaluate who to support for school board to ask what the candidates are doing to make the learning experience for STUDENTS better?…if they can’t answer that with real substance move on to the next candidate?

IS IT TRUE that 97% of the CCO readers who responded to the poll question about spending TIF money (tax money) on a mural behind the McDonald’s on North Main was a waste of good tax money?…the amount of money in question was exactly $31,650 and could have been used for something constructive or to pay off debt as opposed to doing a mural at this time?…murals of course have their place but not in a City that has concerned for public health due to raw sewage discharges every time it rains more than an inch an hour?

IS IT TRUE Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has announced that he will be making an important “jobs” announcement at Mead Johnson tomorrow at 10:30 am?…Mead Johnson has been shaking with the schizophrenic stock market recently jumping up nearly 10% Friday on rumors that it was about to be acquired by Danone SA and then tanked by 6% this morning when the details of that rumor had some cold water poured onto them?…Mead Johnson Nutrition was also downgraded by Deutsche Bank this morning to “hold” from “buy” with a $103 price target?…the stock closed today at $97 after the two day roller coaster?…we do hope that the announcement tomorrow is positive for Evansville and hope that the company which relocated its headquarters from Evansville to Glenview, Illinois will continue to be a significant employer down of the bend of the river?

IS IT TRUE that the polls for the control of the United States Senate are stubbornly continuing to indicate that a republican takeover of the Senate is imminent?…since last week another state has been moved into the red camp by Real Clear Politics which is now projecting a 53-47 majority for the republicans?

IS IT TRUE we are sure to be treated to some kind of budget deal that is a compromise of compromises that will roll from the Evansville City Council over the next few days?…some things will be cut and others won’t but at the end of the day these characters couldn’t even agree on a reasonable number for revenue?…as long as that is the case the people of Evansville are set up to be victimized by intentionally false revenue projections?

IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy is once again on the docket of the ERC and this time it is really ready to go?…that is of course if and we must say if some federal tax credits are ready to stoke the fire to get a flame started?…we must remind you that it has been 2,340 days since a proud former Mayor Wienzapfel proclaimed the deal of the century with one of his Indianapolis campaign contributors that would transform the classic old hotel into luxury apartments?…we hope it is for real this time but do not recommend holding your breath until this gets started to anyone who values their life?

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