USI – Red, White, & Blue buses and West Connection will not operate USI
Winter Break
Thursday 12-19-2013 thru Thursday 1-9-2014
Service will resume
FRIDAY 1-10-2014
METS Holiday Schedule
12-24 Christmas Eve close early 6:15 pm
12-25 Christmas Day closed
12-26 regular scheduled service resumes
12-31 New Years Eve close early 6:15 pm
1-1-2014 New Years Day closed
1-2-2014 regular scheduled service resumes
The City of Evansville and METS wish you safe and wonderful holiday season!
By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz
IndyPoltics.OrgÂ
This may surprise some of you who have been following me for a while, but as anti-tax as I am, I believe local governments should be allowed to raise taxes as much as they want. I’ll give you a few minutes to digest that statement.
Welcome back.
Allow me to explain my logic. Â The town of Fishers, one of if not the fastest growing city in Indiana, is in the middle of a debate over whether to
Abdul Hakim-Shabazz is an attorney and the editor and publisher of IndyPoltics.Org.
raise its food and beverage tax. State lawmakers gave the town the authority to levy the tax this past legislative session. It basically would increase the tax 1 percent on items purchased in restaurants, bars and taverns. Currently, Fishers residents pay a total tax of 8 percent on food and beverages, of which 7 percent is the state sales tax and another 1 percent is the county tax. Revenue from the tax can be used for either economic development or to reduce property taxes.
I tend to view food and beverage taxes like user fees, they are completely voluntary. Unlike income taxes which you have to pay or sales taxes on any purchase (which you have to do unless you are completely self-sufficient) you choose whether to dine out or head over to a bar and have a cocktail or two.
The broader issue though is local governments have to go to the state of Indiana and basically beg for permission to levy taxes and raise the revenue they need to operate. I wish they had more autonomy to raise taxes without having to go to the legislature. They should have the power to raise taxes as much as they want, as long as it is set by a certain date in the prior fiscal year so people can plan ahead.
Now some of my lawmaker friends will freak out at this notion, saying they need to act as guardians of the taxpayers’ wallets and giving local governments that much authority would not be a good idea. I don’t think that’s as necessary as it might have been five, 10 or maybe 20 years ago.
I believe the taxpayer has the most powerful weapons in his or her arsenal to keep their local governments in check. First of all, they have the right to voice their opinions. They can show up at council meetings, call or e-mail their local officials and do everything short of storming the Bastille.  Their second option is to vote the you-know-whats out.   If they don’t like what the locals are doing they can get of their rear ends and vote them out of office. Of course the response to that is they would have to wait until the next election. Well, that’s where the second arrow in the taxpayers’ quiver comes in. If they can’t wait until the next election to vote, they can use their feet and vote right away, i.e. move.
There is nothing to stop someone who is sick and tired of the high taxes in one city or county, from packing up the family and moving a mile or two into a municipality or area that has lower/more reasonable taxes. Responsible, low-tax cities will be rewarded and high-tax, inefficient cities and towns will be punished. Think of it as Darwinism operating at the municipal level.  The strong, smart and fiscally sound will thrive. The bad will eventually wither up and die. And all those decisions will have been made at the local level.
By the way, the Fishers Town Council took a vote Monday night to postpone raising the food and beverage tax. They have until Dec. 31 to make a decision. I guess we’ll see by then if the first part of my theory can hold water.
Abdul is an attorney and the editor and publisher of IndyPoltics.Org. He is also a frequent contributor to numerous Indiana media outlets. He can be reached at abdul@indypolitics.org.
Welcome New Sponsor: Jagoe Homes   
Evansville Kings Semi-Professional Indoor Soccer Team Open Season at River City Saints
By Scottie Thomas
Tomorrow night, Saturday, December 7th, 2013, the Evansville Kings Semi-Pro Indoor Soccer Team will make their way back to Louisville for their first Regular Season game. The final score was 7-5, both times during their previous meetings, as the Kings held victory over the River City Saints, formerly River City Legends.
The game starts at 8:00 p.m. ET at the YMCA in Buckner, KY. The regular season begins this weekend for the Premier Arena Soccer League. With the Kings’ schedule being back-loaded, this game is important as they have a few weeks off before their next Regular Season game in the PASL.
The Evansville Kings are also proud to announce the welcoming of another sponsor to the team: Jagoe Homes. Chip Dormeier, son of player Daniel Dormeier, was happy to extend a sponsorship to the Evansville Kings after a history with the previous team. Jagoe Homes is ‘proud of our family traditions, our regional and nationally acclaimed excellence in homebuilding and community design. We are committed to providing this tradition of value to the homeowner in every home we build.’
The 2013-14’ Inaugural Season Schedule was officially released last week with the Kings having the pleasure of hosting three home games in the month of January, including their Home Opener on Saturday, January 4th, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. inside the friendly confines of Metro Sports Center.
For more game listings, please visit http://evansvillekings.wix.com/pasl for the official schedule. Thank you to our sponsors: Metro Sports Center, Husk Signs, Buffalo Wild Wings in Evansville (east side), Complete Nutrition, Shoe Carnival, City-County Observer, John Friend & Co., D-Patrick: German Cars, Tyler Saxe – Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, Beans & Baristas and The Shades 4 U Foundation.
For more information about the Evansville Kings, visit them on Facebook or on Twitter @EVVKings, or visit their website, http://evansvillekings.wix.com/PASL.
By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mike Pence will ask lawmakers in 2014 to cut more than $1 billion in taxes for businesses, parents and individuals and spend hundreds of millions more on roads, workforce development and preschool for poor Hoosier children.
Republican Gov. Mike Pence announced Thursday that his legislative agenda includes plans to phase out the property tax on business equipment and to create a preschool voucher program for poor Hoosier children. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com
But in an address at the BGD Legislative Conference in Indianapolis Thursday, the governor steered clear of any details – including how he would pay for his proposals – saying he’ll provide more specifics in the coming weeks. His speech came just after some legislative fiscal leaders had expressed skepticism about too much new spending.
“Our intention today was to lay out a very bold agenda for the upcoming session of the General Assembly,†Pence said. The goal was to begin “with policies that will increase employment in Indiana and also increase private sector investment.â€
“I hope this gives you all something to think about and something to talk about,†he said during the conference, where lawmakers and lobbyists were gathered for a pre-session event.
The day included sessions with legislative leaders and fiscal experts, some of whom had warned they were unlikely to spend much new money in 2014, a so-called short session. The state’s two-year budgets are created during long-sessions, which will next take place in 2015.
House Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, said his mantra for the session has been “don’t open the budget.†House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said, “As I look at the scope of these proposals, I wonder how he plans to reconcile new spending with his own reputation as a rabid fiscal conservative.â€
And Sen. Ryan Mishler, a Bremen Republican who serves on both tax and appropriations committees, said the state should probably have even more in the bank than the $2 billion cash surplus it currently boasts.
But Pence said lawmakers should act now.
The Republican said phasing out the personal property tax – a tax on business equipment – will be a key part of his agenda. But he provided no details about how local governments would deal with $1 billion in lost revenue, which is used to fund cities, counties, schools, libraries and other local services.
From left, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis; Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson; and House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, speak at a legislative preview conference Thursday in Indianapolis. The General Assembly convenes in January. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com
The governor said he will seek to “ensure that this reform does not unduly harm local government.†And he said lawmakers could approve a phase out of the tax and decide in future years how to replace the lost revenue, something he said would be more of a “tax reform†than a tax increase.
But Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, said that absent identifying a revenue source for local government, “we’ve got to be cautious†about eliminating the personal property tax.
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said his caucus will also propose cuts in the personal property tax but he said the plan will likely give local officials some discretion. He said the plan’s details are yet to be worked out but lawmakers could approach the issue like they did the elimination of the inventory tax.
In that case, lawmakers launched a phase out the inventory tax but also gave local officials the opportunity to eliminate it more quickly. That law also let local raise income taxes to help make up the lost revenue.
Pelath called the personal property tax plan a “corporate giveaways†that “is going to end up hurting families.â€
Pence also said he will ask lawmakers to create a voucher program to help needy Hoosier children go to preschool, although he did not say how it would be funded.
“The time has come for Indiana to provide access to pre-kindergarten for all the disadvantaged children in our state,†Pence said. “It’s time for us to give our most disadvantaged kids a better chance at success.â€
His plan would make vouchers available to children in families with household incomes of up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level, which is currently $43,567 for a family of four. Children could use those vouchers to attend a private or public preschool program that met state standards, he said.
Pence did not say how much the plan voucher plan would cost or how it would be funded.
Preschool is expected to be a priority for some Republicans and Democrats as well, although fiscal leaders in the House and Senate have expressed concern about the costs.
Brown said Thursday that lawmakers could put a preschool structure in place that determines who qualifies for the program. Then, he said, “it can be funded in a budget year.†That would be 2015.
Pence said he will also ask lawmakers to:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Release $400 million in transportation money the General Assembly set aside last year for future road projects.
-      Index the state’s $1,000 personal exemption and $1,500 dependent child exemptions to inflation, meaning they would increase over time to save individuals and parents more money.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Streamline adoptions in Indiana.
-      Develop a plan to raise public and private sector money to boost development in the state’s cities.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Create an Indiana Teacher Innovation Fund to promote classroom innovation.
Pence said the changes are necessary to keep the state competitive in the race for economic development and job growth.
“ We will rise to this challenge because the people of Indiana are the best people on earth,†Pence said. “They deserve nothing less.â€
Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.Â
IS IT TRUE that Mole #23 tells us there is a move afoot to privatize the Evansville Housing Authority?…it will be interesting to see who wants to  becomes a candidate for ownership of this often controversial agency?…as will be shown in later parts of today’s IS IT TRUE the ability of the private sector to perform when there is a profit motive at stake absolutely destroys the performance of government entities?
IS IT TRUE we have it on good authority that the Evansville Courier and Press laid off 12 people?…we also have strong information that 4 of those people were in the advertising department?…that should be the best revenue producing department that any paper has?
IS IT TRUE it was reported yesterday that the City of Evansville has declared the long suffering McCurdy Hotel to be a public nuisance?…such declarations typically are used by municipalities to get owners to accelerate any refurbishment efforts that they may be contemplating?…the City of Evansville even expressed the opinion that the old hotel us unsafe to occupy?…the City of Evansville unfortunately is quite complicit in the fall from grace that the McCurdy has gone through in the last 5 years since a smiling former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel announced a deal for a Carmel based business  to turn it into 96 apartments?…it is highly probable that between the parking lot purchase and an advance on some incentives that the people of Evansville will be out $1.4 Million for the city’s meddling into what was and should have stayed a private venture?…if the McCurdy eventually is demolished due to negligence and declaration THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE AND THE WEINZAPFEL ADMINISTRATION ARE CLEARLY TO BLAME?…it has been over 2,000 days since the faux triumphant announcement was made by former Mayor Weinzapfel during the same summer he claimed to have a deal to “build a 4 Star Hotel in downtown Evansville without public funding if only we would build an arena?”…the legacy of deal making continues to crumble?
IS IT TRUE that New Jersey has just legalized Internet gambling?… each of Atlantic City’s twelve casinos can operate up to five gambling websites so long as they screen out customers from out of state?…Peggy Holloway, senior credit officer for Moody’s Investors Service, says the new sites will “appeal to a younger, more Internet-savvy demographic that might lack the discretionary budget to travel to one of Atlantic City’s 12 casinos?â€â€¦fifty thousand people signed up online for New Jersey’s gambling sites in the first week?…that compares with 741 who signed up for Obamacare during all of October in New Jersey?.. the Obamacare website has been plagued with problems, but the disparity between the two programs is still eye-popping?…it should enrage the American people that after 3 years and $640 Million the federal government could not make a retail insurance website work but in a matter of weeks and likely under $1 Million, 12 New Jersey casinos could accomplish a similarly complex task?…if you want to understand why governments appear wasteful and broke you need look no further than this contrast in performance when there is a profit motive as opposed to burocrats gone mad?
IS IT TRUE in spite of the heartfelt speech that President Obama made on income inequality in America, the greatest elevator of people from lower class to middle class life is an intact household?…having two married parents in the home reduces the probability of child poverty by 82%?…71% of poor families with children are headed by single or unmarried parents?…income inequality is not primarily an economic problem. It is a problem of societal decline and the breakdown of family structures, accelerated by government but not solely by government?… the utter failure of Obama’s trickle-down-government approach is perhaps best captured by two contrasting statistics?… when he took office, we were a full year into a major recession?…economically, there was almost nowhere to go but up and, indeed, that’s what the Dow Jones Industrial Average has done?… in January 2009, the Dow was at about 8,000. It’s now at about 16,000 essentially doubling on Obama’s watch?
IS IT TRUE according to Census Bureau figures compiled by Sentier Research, the median American household income when the Obama household took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January 2009 was $55,972 (in 2013 dollars)?… five years later, the median American household income is just $52,529, a decrease of $3,443 – or more than 6 percent?… that’s during what most government economists are calling a “recoveryâ€!?…if Americans’ median income were now merely the same (in real dollars) as during the recession, that would mark Obama’s tenure as a miserable economic failure, instead, Americans’ median income has noticeably dropped?…t’s important to note that these median-income figures include government payments, such as unemployment?
IS IT TRUE President Obama is describing inequality as “the defining challenge of our timeâ€?… his agenda for the second term has been about everything but that?… his second term has seen payroll taxes go up for all working Americans and a prioritization of immigration reform, gun control, climate change and a host of environmental issues which – while they might appeal to his allies on Wall Street and in Hollywood – have nothing to do with income inequality?…in many cases, these policies are actually negatives for the working class, driving up the costs of goods and negatively impacting wages and working hours?…coming from a single parent home one would have thought that if income inequality were anywhere near the top of the President’s list that he would have brought this up 4 years ago?…the biggest way to help a family or a young person is to find a way to cultivate an economy where jobs are plentiful?…if one wants to see McDonald’s paying $15 per hour the way to do that is to have full employment so that competition for burger flipping talent will drive the wage up?…there are plenty of McDonald’s that do pay well over $10 per hour and some even above $15 per hour?…this happens in places where unemployment is very low and wages in competing businesses are high?
There will be a conference call Thursday evening with the weather service to determine the affect this potential winter storm will have on driving conditions on Friday. To be informed, it is suggested that you listen to the radio and watch the television stations on Friday morning to know if the civic center will be open or closed on Friday.
I will also attempt to send an email identical to this one as soon as the decision is made for work tomorrow.  This decision involves the county commission, mayor and public safety so all of us will be a part of the conference call. I would suggest that you watch the 10:00 PM news on Thursday in the event the decision has been made by then, we will attempt to get it on the news.
Marsha Abell, Vanderburgh
County Commission President
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Jawaun Eastwood                  Theft-Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class A Misdemeanor
Disorderly Conduct-Class B Misdemeanor
Pamela Montgomery                 Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony
Criminal Recklessness-Class A Misdemeanor
Resisting Law Enforcement- Class A Misdemeanor
Failure to Stop after Accident Resulting in Damage to an Attended Vehicle-Class C Misdemeanor                  Â
Logan Reed                                   Burglary-Class C Felony
Theft-Class D Felony
Pyhllis Smith                               Theft-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony
Orlandis Thomas                        Theft-Class D Felony
Thomas Traynham                       Operating a Vehicle as a Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D Felony
Jeffrey Bailey Sr                            Operating a Vehicle as a Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D Felony
Justin Deon                                  Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)
Kiana Green                                Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D Felony
Devin Hodges                                Theft-Class D Felony
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)
Megan Hodges                        Theft-Class D Felony
Georgina Hostettler                  Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Disorderly Conduct-Class B Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor
Paula Mayes                                Neglect of Dependent-Class D Felonies (Two Counts)
Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor
Amy Robertson                            Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug-Class D Felony
Nathaniel Ruffert                        Rape-Class B Felony
Criminal Confinement-Class B Felony
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon-
Class B Felony
Pointing a Firearm-Class D Felony
Domestic Battery-Class A Misdemeanor
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)
Stacey Sansing                           Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)
Domestic Battery-Class A Misdemeanor
                                                               Â
Michael Swope Jr                        Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)
Charles Tate                                 Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony
Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
James Taylor                               Robbery-Class C Felony
Strangulation-Class D Felony
Intimidation-Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class A Misdemeanors (Two Counts)
Interference with the Reporting of a Crime-Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Mischief-Class A Misdemeanor
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 considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
The Department of Music at the University of Evansville will present its annual gift to the community – the Holiday Pops concert – next week. This festive celebration of the holiday season will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 10 at the Victory Theatre in downtown Evansville. The 34th annual concert is free and open to the public.
Holiday Pops brings together UE ensembles and soloists to perform holiday music. The evening includes performances by the University’s choirs, orchestra, and wind, brass, and jazz ensembles.
This year’s program features students and faculty members performing sacred and secular musical selections, ranging from “Greensleeves†to “Sleigh Ride†to music from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet.
“Every year, it’s a joy to see talented students share their love of music with the Evansville community by performing in the Holiday Pops concert,†said Thomas Josenhans, chair of the Department of Music. “The collaborative efforts of UE students and faculty make this performance a local favorite every holiday season.â€
For more information, please contact the Department of Music at 812-488-2754.
Today, the Evansville City Council, as whole, filed a Resolution opposing House Joint Resolution No. 6 (“HJR 6â€), which is the proposed State Constitutional Amendment that would narrowly define marriage as only between a man and woman. HJR 6 would also prohibit the Courts of Indiana from recognizing the same-sex marriages of Hoosiers that occur outside Indiana.
As the Resolution states, City Council strongly believes that discrimination in any form adversely impacts Hoosier families and the ability of industry to attract the best employees. And as it is the intent and obligation of City Council to promote economic develop in Evansville, City Council opposes HJR 6 and the negative impact that it will have on Industry’s desire to do business in Indiana.
“I am proud to co-sponsor this Resolution. The State Legislature should spend less time worrying about how people formalize their personal relationships and a lot more time on economic development. HJR 6 flies in the face of job creation and fails to reflect the values of a majority of Hoosiers,†said Councilwoman Brinkerhoff Riley.
Brinkerhoff Riley went on to say, “leaving legally married Hoosiers in a limbo of permanent marriage is not good public policy. Same-sex couples divorce at the same rate as heterosexual couples. For Hoosiers that desire a divorce, there is no mechanism in Indiana to divide property or end the marriage. The State Legislature should be expanding access to Indiana statutes, not burying their heads in the sand, and pretending like the problem doesn’t exist. Hoosiers can now go to Illinois and get married. It won’t be long until Indiana has thousands of married Hoosiers that need a mechanism for divorce.â€
The Resolution will be heard by City Council next Monday, December 9, 2013, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center.
RESOLUTION C-2013- INTRODUCED BY WEAVER, MOSBY AND RILEY OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE COMMON COUNCIL.
A RESOLUTION BY SELECT MEMBERS OF Â THE COMMON COUNCIL THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE, IN
WHEREAS, in 2011, The Indiana General Assembly adopted House Joint Resolution No. 6 (“HJR 6â€), which would add a new section 38 to Article 1 of the Indiana Constitution, to read as follows:
“Section 38. Only a marriage between one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of married for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognizedâ€; and
WHEREAS, to become affective, HJR 6 must be agreed to by the 2014 General Assembly and ratified by a majority of the State’s voters voting on the question at the November 2014 general election; and
WHEREAS, IC 31-11-1-1(a) already provides that, “Only a female may marry a male. Only a male may marry a femaleâ€; and
WHEREAS, on August 21, 2013, a coalition of Indiana businesses and groups announced the formation of Freedom Indiana, a bi-partisan statewide organization that opposes HJR 6; and
WHEREAS, the Freedom Indiana coalition partners include Eli Lilly and Company and Cummins Inc., each of which made a significant financial investment in the campaign to have the Indiana general assembly reject HJR 6; and
WHEREAS, a Ball State University poll shows that 58% of Hoosiers oppose the Constitutional Amendment and only 38% support it; and
WHEREAS, Indiana, Purdue, Ball State, Butler and DePaul Universities have all expressed opposition to the Constitutional Amendment; and
WHEREAS, the Democrat controlled City-County Council of Indianapolis passed a similar Resolution and it was endorsed by Indianapolis’ Republican Mayor; and
WHEREAS, the Common Council recognize that discrimination in any form adversely impacts the ability of industry to attract the best employees; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent and obligation of the Common Council to promote economic development and to insure that industry is not discouraged from doing business in the City of Evansville; and
WHEREAS, the Common Council calls on Mayor Winnecke to join in this Resolution.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
THE COMMON COUNCIL OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA HEREBY urges the General Assembly of the State of Indiana to reject the proposed State Constitutional Amendment permanently defining marriage.
PASSED BY the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana, on the 9th day of December, 2013 on said day signed by the President of the Common Council and attested by the City Clerk.
Constance Robinson, President of the Common Council, City of Evansville, Indiana
Attest: Laura Windhorst, City Clerk
Presented by me, the undersigned City Clerk of the City of Evansville, Indiana, to the Mayor of Evansville, this day of December, 2013, at o’clock .m. for his consideration and action thereon.
Laura Windhorst, City Clerk
City of Evansville, Indiana
Having examined the foregoing resolution, I do now, as Mayor of the City of Evansville, Indiana, approve said resolution and return the same to the City Clerk this day of December, 2013, at o’clock .m.
Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor City of Evansville, Indiana
 APPROVED AS TO FORM BY TED C. ZIEMER, JR., CORPORATION COUNSEL
