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IS IT TRUE February 27, 2013

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MaGoo Wrecks the Tin Lizzy

IS IT TRUE when a government on any level starts to provide a service and forces any group of people to pay for that service whether they want to or not it is called a TAX?…it is a TAX if it is $5, $10, $50, or more when it is mandated by government to go from the pocket of a business or individual into the coffers of government?…if government were to believe in their new program enough to actually give one money to participate that is still a redistribution of TAX money from others to whomever receives it?…yesterday the CCO came down pretty hard on the City Administration for their rush to vote require landlords in the City of Evansville to register and pay a $50 annual fee?…during the last 24 hours statements have been released by Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin and State Representative Gail Riecken regarding the proposed resolution and the state actions driving the urgency to act by tomorrow?…the fee has also been lowered to $10?…without the harsh challenge to the resolution by the CCO it is highly probable that neither letter would have been issued to the public and the fee (TAX) would still be $50?…to that extent our position was well taken and had positive impact?…reviewing the program, the candid letter from Chief Bolin, and several letters from members of Homeowner’s Associations who support the program we understand how fear and crime has driven the desire for such a program?…there is one thing that should be done to remove the words “NEW TAX INCREASE” from this resolution and that is to make it voluntary for landlords?…if it is all that it is asserted to be the landlords should embrace it and there will not be the legacy of establishing the program via a TAX INCREASE?…that in the case of absentee landlords this is clearly a case of “TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION”?…with this minor change from mandatory to voluntary couple with a fair and equitable enforcement of existing building codes this could become a VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION TO IMPROVE EVANSVILLE?…that is something that the CCO could throw support behind?

IS IT TRUE that the Indiana University Hoosiers last night lost for the 3rd time as the #1 ranked team in America?…last night’s loss opens the door for Gonzaga University, a small private college from Spokane, WA to assume the #1 ranking with a high probability of keeping that ranking going into March Madness?…that also turns Butler into a giant killer being one loss for two different #1 teams this year?…whomever thinks that a small private college cannot attract the talent to compete for an NCAA basketball championship is full of bull?…we hope that the Athletic Director of the University of Evansville is keeping his eye on Gonzaga and Butler with the ambition to elevate the UE program to the level that those two schools have achieved?…Jordan Baer did an excellent bit of research on historical attendance for UE basketball in response to this year’s team being poised to set an all time low attendance record since moving to Division 1?…close examination of the attendance history reveals that it is winning teams with NCAA appearances that put butts in seats of whatever arena a team plays in?…if UE were playing in the Reitz Bowl this year with Gonzaga’s record and ranking we would be setting an attendance record for the highest numbers?…UE has proven in its first two years at Ford Center that other than the number of seats the VENUE DOES NOT ATTRACT FANS?…what attracts fans is a winning competitive team?

IS IT TRUE that in 48 hours the so called “SEQUESTER” will become the law of the land and our federal government will have to cut $85 Billion (2.4%) from its planned spending for this year?…we call it planned spending because there is no approved budget and there hasn’t been one since 2008?…when compared to the size of the federal budget of well over $3 Trillion the “SEQUESTER” should be about as difficult for the feds to adapt to as a $20 pay cut to an average American family?…with the reinstatement of the 2% FICA TAX on January 1, 2013 the average American family did indeed get a $20 pay cut and with the rise in gas prices we all got another $20 pay cut?…if the average American family has already dealt with a 4% cut in take home pay this year that it is time for President Obama and the Congress to stop whining like five year olds and do their damn job?…the job at hand is to deal with a 2.4% spending cut in a way that does not crash the economy?…if they can’t figure this one out none of them need to be there?…Washington nowadays is run by the manufactured panic of the week like high school drama queens concoct?…what we really seem to have is an episode of Mr. MaGoo with President Obama driving the Tin Lizzy of a government while blind with Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid playing two of the little rascals sitting in the back seat cussing and flicking each other on the ear while the Tin Lizzy barrels closer and closer to disaster?

State Representative Gail Riecken Explains The Proposed Landlord Bill To Homeowner’s Associations

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State Representative Gail Riecken
State Representative Gail Riecken

Letter to City Councilmembers and Neighborhood Friends,

Because of a bill, HB 1313, that came to the floor of the Statehouse your efforts to fight crime, vandalism, trash and dangerous properties is threatened.

This bill says that after February 28 no local government can enact legislation that deals with these in relations of landlords and tenants to the City. Specifically, HB 1313 says:

Sec. 4. (a) As used in this 4 section, “regulation” refers to an ordinance, rule, or other enactment by a political subdivision relating to any of the following:

(1) Landlord and tenant relations.

(2) Rental agreements.

(3) Real property subject to a rental agreement.

(b) A regulation that does any of the following may not be adopted after February 28, 2013:

(1) Requires an owner or landlord to be licensed or to obtain a permit from the political subdivision to lease a rental unit.

(2) Requires an owner or landlord to enroll or participate in a class or government program as a condition for leasing a rental unit.

(3) Imposes a fee or other assessment for any of the following:

(A) Inspection of a rental unit.

(B) Registration of an owner, landlord, or rental unit.

(C) Any other purpose. However, this clause does not prohibit imposition of a fee relating to the construction of rental unit, such as a building permit fee.

This section expires July 1, 2014.

This moratorium is on until next year. In the meantime, there will be a summer study committee to look into the issue.

And, what is the issue? One city up north went wild and decided to partially fund their general fund from exorbitant fees charged landlords for inspections! It is reported they are charging $100 per unit.

This is not what the City of Evansville and the Evansville Police Department has in mind or is doing with the ordinance in front of you.

Please fight for our neighborhoods. This program is about knowing who can make decisions to clean up a property or remove an abandoned vehicle or a evict meth dealer. Make no mistake. The good actors will cry out for they are doing everything right. Thank them. But, ask them, what would they do in your position.

Yours truly,

Gail Riecken,
State Representative, D 77

FORD CENTER AND VICTORY THEATRE Offer Ticketing Innovations‏

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Ford Center and Victory Theatre customers now have two new tools to enhance their online ticket buying experience. Ford Center and Victory Theatre are the first venues in Evansville to offer fans an upgraded customizable ticket-buying experience through the Interactive Seat Map on Ticketmaster.com. This feature increases the ease of purchasing tickets in a desired seating area or price level. Ford Center is also one of only six facilities nationwide to offer mobile ticketing capabilities. Mobile Entry is one of Ticketmaster’s newest delivery methods, enabling customers to receive and display tickets on their smartphones.
Customers no longer have to settle for “best available” when searching for tickets for most events at Ticketmaster.com. The Interactive Seat Map lets the user navigate and choose from all available seats and configurations. Looking for a seat closest to Rodney Atkins’ stage? Need to purchase hockey game tickets grouped in several rows? Want to know which Disney on Ice performance has the most seats available in Section 120? Interactive Seat Maps give the customer that ability. This enhancement feature is available after the initial on sale for most events.
Ticketmaster has recently added a social dimension to the ticket-purchasing experience by integrating a partnership with Facebook. Once a customer connects their chosen event to their Facebook account, they can use the Interactive Seat Map to see which of their friends are planning to attend and exactly where they are sitting. The customer can also instantly share their own event plans by tagging themselves and their friends in their own seat locations.
“The Interactive Seat Maps on Ticketmaster are a great example of ‘personalized’ technology. We understand that our customers have different seating preferences and we are excited to offer the option for them to pick their preferred seat,” says VenuWorks of Evansville’s Executive Director Scott Schoenike. “Feedback from customers who have already used this feature has been very positive.”
Fans can explore and demo these features at www.ticketmaster.com/interactiveseatmap.

Mobile Entry is Ticketmaster’s newest ticket delivery method, and Ford Center customers are among some of the first in the nation to be able to use this option. During the ticket purchasing process on Ticketmaster.com, customers simply select “Mobile Entry” as the desired delivery option and the tickets will be available under Orders>My Tickets at Ticketmaster.com or on the free My Ticketmaster smartphone app. When the customer arrives at the event, the barcode can be scanned directly from their phone at entry. Ticketmaster also offers customers the capability to forward tickets to friends or family members by using a “Transfer Tickets” option within My Ticketmaster.
Learn more about mobile ticketing at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ticketfastmobileentryinfo/.
“We feel privileged to be on Ticketmaster’s radar for new, upcoming ticketing innovations and technologies and look forward to even more opportunities to better serve our patrons in the future.” states Schoenike.
Ford Center, located in downtown Evansville, opened in November 2011 and is owned by the City of Evansville. The facility is home to University of Evansville Division I Men’s and Women’s basketball programs and the ECHL Evansville IceMen franchise. For more information on Ford Center visit: www.thefordcenter.com, www.facebook.com/FordCenterEvansville or www.twitter.com/TheFordCenter. The Victory Theatre is a 1,900-seat historic theatre located across the street from the Ford Center. For more information on Victory Theatre, visit www.victorytheatre.com, www.facebook.com/VictoryTheatre or www.twitter.com/Victory_Theatre. Both facilities are managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC.
VenuWorks provides comprehensive management, booking and marketing solutions for arenas, theatres and convention centers throughout North America. Committed and innovative facility operators, VenuWorks represents public-sector owners of over 40 separate facilities in 19 communities in 12 states. In 2011, VenuWorks hosted over 10,500 events in its facilities. Based in Ames, IA the company was founded 16 years ago. For more information, please view www.venuworks.com.

FLANDERS Gives Back to Community

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EVSC

FLANDERS, a privately owned, third-generation manufacturer of motors, power systems, and automation solutions, is giving back to the Evansville community by sponsoring a leadership seminar for employees and partners of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation.

The seminar features leadership strategies created by The John Maxwell Company, a company that FLANDERS has collaborated with for years to promote leadership development training internally. FLANDERS cares for its employees and the community and routinely offers development opportunities that help cultivate great leaders.

FLANDERS’ passion for the community led to a natural fit when partnering with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation to develop its leadership in a two-hour presentation on February 27 titled “The Five Levels of Leadership.” International speaker Chris Fuller will be presenting the seminar which is based on an award-winning book by John Maxwell.

The presentation will be an interactive workshop that encourages individuals to reflect on what kind of a leader they are and how they might improve as a leader.

The five levels of leadership include:

1. Position – People follow because they have to.

2. Permission – People follow because they want to.

3. Production – People follow because of what you have done for the organization.

4. Personal Development – People follow because of what you have done for them personally.

5. Pinnacle – People follow because of who you are and what you represent.

Through in-depth explanations and examples, Fuller will describe each stage and demonstrate to those at the conference how they can move to the next level to become more influential, respected, and successful.

Fuller is an international leadership speaker, author, and consultant with experience in many aspects of business including leadership development, sales, strategy, and finance. He is President and CEO of Influence Leadership, Inc., a company focused on serving businesses and business leaders through the development and strategic growth of their people. Most notably, Fuller is the world’s leading facilitator and course developer of John Maxwell’s content.

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation has invited its school board, executive leadership team, principals, athletic directors, up-and-coming leaders in the corporation, and community partners that work directly with the school corporation on behalf of students and parents.

“The EVSC wishes to thank FLANDERS for providing this generous opportunity for our leaders who impact more than 23,000 students and their families every day,” said Superintendent David Smith. “While our leaders do a tremendous job every day with the multitude of complex decisions that must be made, we welcome the opportunity to learn more about developing our leadership skills as we strive to be better communicators and leaders in this changing educational landscape.”

Teens, Realtors & Vectren Join Clean Evansville Trash Pick-up Volunteers

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City of Evansville Seal

Teens, Realtors & Vectren Join Clean Evansville Trash Pick-up Volunteers will focus on South Green River Road Corridor
More than 100 people will join Mayor Lloyd Winnecke picking-up litter Saturday, March 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. along the South Green River Road corridor and around Harrison High School. The group will include more than 40 volunteers from Youth Resources’ Teen Advisory Council, 21 from F.C. Tucker Emge Realtors, 18 from ERA First Advantage and 25 volunteers from Vectren.
Volunteers will be divided into six clean teams. Team 1, led by Mayor Winnecke, will start near Washington Avenue and Green River Road and work east toward Royal Avenue. Team 2 will start near Harrison High School south parking lot and focus on areas along Fielding Road and Cullen Avenue. Team 3 will start near Green River Road and the Lloyd Expressway and works south toward Lincoln Avenue. Team 4 will start near Washington Avenue and Green River Road and work north toward Bellemeade Avenue. Team 5 will start near the Lloyd Expressway and Burkhardt Road and work south toward Lincoln. Team 6 will start near Lincoln and Burkhardt and work south toward Washington Avenue.
Volunteers gather at the parking lot in front of Washington Square Mall, at the corner of Green River Road and Washington Avenue, around 10:30 for the wrap-up ceremony. Following the a few remarks from the Mayor, the trash collected will be hauled to the landfill by Republic Services.
Volunteers are now being recruited for a city-wide clean-up on Saturday, April 6, which will be in conjunction with the annual Keep America Beautiful Great American Clean-up. Anyone interested in joining a team or forming their own team should call Mike McGarrah at Keep Evansville Beautiful at 425-4461.

Last City Public Road Meeting This Week‏

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City of Evansville Seal

The City of Evansville will host the last in a series of three public road meetings Friday, March 1, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 1301 S. Green River Road, to share information about 2013 road paving projects and to receive comments from local residents. Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will open the meeting with a brief introduction, and City Engineer Pat Keepes will present a PowerPoint presentation followed by a question and answer session. Residents who cannot attend the meeting may submit suggestions to the City Engineer’s office at 436-4990.

CHIEF BOLIN ATTEMPTS TO BRINGS CLARITY TO RESIDENTAL RENTAL LICENSE ISSUE

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billy bolin
I would like to try and bring a little clarity to the Residential Rental License issue. I have no problem with someone disagreeing with what we are trying to do, but I do have a problem with the false information that is being spread. In the February 26 Is It True, we were compared to the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution when it said that we were forcing the landlords to partner with us. Then we are compared to the Front Door Pride Program and Tom Barnett. Lastly, there is some rambling about us accelerating the Detroitization of Evansville and saying that this program will turn Evansville into South Chicago, the Bronx, Gary, Detroit and the USSR. My administration has been very accessible to the CCO, one simple phone call for clarification would have prevented this. To be clear, IT ISN’T TRUE!

This ordinance is not being driven by “Big Brother” but by two street level police officers who have worked closely with Evansville’s Neighborhood Associations for the past several years. The reason Officers Corbin and Krogman wanted this ordinance was to be able to more quickly contact the manager and/or owner of a property. I have been asked how this ordinance will prevent crime – it won’t. It is one more tool that will help law enforcement, nothing more, nothing less. We attend the neighborhood association meetings and follow up on the issues they present to us, many of these involve rental properties and apartment complexes. The problem is many of these properties are owned by people who do not live in Indiana or register them under an LLC with no contact information. As a former Crime Prevention Officer myself, I know with certainty how hard it can be to track some of these owners down. It is important to note that Officers Corbin and Krogman have been meeting with property owners, apartment associations, neighborhood groups, attorneys and city councilors for the past year discussing this ordinance and the Crime Free Multi Housing Program. They gave a shortened version of their presentation to the entire City Council last November. They have also received signed letters of support from thirty-two of Evansville’s thirty-eight Neighborhood Associations. The Ordinance is asking for owners of rental properties to register with the city, which means to provide:

1. The full legal name, address, e-mail and work number of each owner
2. The full legal name address, email, work and cell phone number of each property agent/manager
3. The address of each Residential Rental Building
4. The number of Dwelling Units in each Residential Rental Building

The fee for the license will be ten dollars ($10) per owner, per year, regardless of how many Dwelling Units they have. The original ordinance stated the fee was going to be fifty dollars ($50) and we amended it, as this was never about income. So if an apartment complex has one-thousand units, they will write one check for ten dollars ($10).

The above is all this Ordinance requires, nothing more. The Crime Free Multi Housing Program is separate from this and will be 100% voluntary – not forced. Officers Corbin and Krogman already have over sixty property owners and/or managers signed up to attend their first class. The CFMHP will happen with or without this ordinance. Here is a link about the program if anyone would like to read further: http://www.crime-free-association.org/multi-housing.htm

In the future, please feel free to contact me personally if you have questions on anything we are doing.

Sincerely,

Billy Bolin
Chief of Police

Footnote: This letter to the Editor of the City County Observer is posted without editing, opinion or bias.

Rep. Bacon to hold Third House

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BaconTowerSTATEHOUSE – State Representatives Ron Bacon (R-Chandler) and Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) will host a Third House session this Saturday, March 2.

Host: Pike County Farm Bureau and Pike County Chamber of Commerce

What: Third House meeting with Reps. Ron Bacon and Mark Messmer

When: Saturday, March 2, 9:00 a.m.

Where: Pike Central High School Auditorium; 1810 E. State Road 56 in Petersburg

Reps. Bacon and Messmer will discuss how the Legislature is progressing now that session is at the halfway point with bills changing houses of origin and will take questions from the audience. The public is encouraged to attend.

Arrest made in 5/3rd Bank Robbery

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Evansville Police have arrested 43 year old JOHN L MARTINEZ in connection with the bank robbery at 5/3rd Bank yesterday morning.

MARTINEZ was developed as a suspect during the investigation. He was located today and arrested without incident during a traffic stop on the north side.

MARTINEZ was charged with Robbery, CL-C Felony.

Councilman Al Lindsey Stakes Out a Position on Evansville’s $50 Landlord Club

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al lindsey

Sometimes a person just has to stand up for what they believe is the right thing to do. In the case of the City Council meeting tomorrow to discuss requiring all landlords to register and pay a $50 per year partnering fee to the City I believe the City would be overstepping their authority to require this. It is bad enough to cause chaos in the business community by playing favorites in the hospitality, retail, and restaurant business as is being pushed with the hotel but this landlord thing is too much.

As a City Councilman, I am in strong support of less crime and safe neighborhoods but have yet to see a case where a local or even the federal government has ever made things better by meddling around in housing. Just here in Evansville the Front Door Pride program overspent and underperformed while the old safe house project found a way to spend $240,000 on apartments that could have been bought from a real estate broker for $20,000. It just doesn’t make sense to force the nonsense of government onto Evansville landlords.

City government has some jobs it has been hired by the voters to do. These are to provide fire and police protection, maintain the roads, parks, and sewers, and enforce existing codes. Evansville does enjoy excellent fire and police protection but the other areas are performing well below what is acceptable. What the heck can a government that can’t mow the grass and fill potholes add to the rental property owners?

An annual tax on each rental property of $50 will just be passed on to the already struggling renters. If the City knows so much and this program is so good they should just do it for free. Some parts of Evansville do have blight and crime. Forcing landlords to fork $50 over to the City will not change that one bit. I know because I myself am a landlord and have experience with both good and bad tenants. The City has not been very helpful to me as a landlord and $50 a year will not make that any better.

I have only been a member of the City Council for a little over a year. During that year I have seen too many things to make me shake my head in disbelief. This one takes the cake. My intention is to vote NO on this resolution and encourage my fellow members of the City Council to do the same. It is time we learned to do our job as custodians of the City of Evansville and let others alone to do their jobs.

Al Lindsey, City Councilman 6th Ward