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IS IT TRUE August 21, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE August 21, 2012

IS IT TRUE when it comes to the debt of the federal government that the ratio that matters is debt to revenue?…that number has leapt upward from 165 percent in 2008 to 262 percent this year, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund?… among developed economies, only Ireland and Spain have seen a bigger deterioration.

IS IT TRUE that in the last 4 plus years the Evansville Utilities Department has spent about $4.5 Million on soft costs? …that soft costs are defined as engineering, lawyers, accounting, and IT costs?

IS IT TRUE that last week the Civic Center was under attacked by fleas? …that makes the Civic Center being under attack by fleas and “moles” so far this month?…the people who run the Civic Center may be able to invest in deadly chemicals to rid the place of fleas but the MOLES ARE FOREVER?

IS IT TRUE we wonder if the County is still paying for the empty space that once housed the County jail? …if this information is correct the Vanderburgh County taxpayers have paid the Vanderburgh County Building Authority millions of dollars for this space since it was vacated by the Sheriff’s Department?…if we can convince all of the County Council members to attend and stay at a budget hearing they just might be able to find an answer to stop this extremely costly tax drain on our county budget?

IS IT TRUE we just learned that EVSC has a new tenant that just located on the old North High School Campus?…we would like someone one to explain what kind of Academy did the EVSC brain trust locate there?…we wonder why every school in Vanderburgh County taught on the elementary school level is called an Academy?…we wonder why all the other school systems in the region simply call their schools elementary schools?…that calling a building an international academy does not make the people in it international or academic?…that calling Forrest Gump a genius does not make him a genius?…that putting the slowest kid in a school in a T-shirt that says state champion on it does not make this kid a state champion?…that playing the name change game doesn’t really change anything but the name?

IS IT TRUE that liberal publication and historical Obama supporter Newsweek Magazine sort of shocked the political world with its cover article in it’s most recent issue?…the title article on the just released issue of Newsweek by Niall Ferguson is titled “Hit the Road Barack, Why We Need a New President”?…there is a link to the story at the end of today’s IS IT TRUE?…that one particular excerpt from this Newsweek article the following reads nearly like an indictment?

“In his inaugural address, Obama promised “not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.” He promised to “build the roads and bridges, the electric grids, and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.” He promised to “restore science to its rightful place and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.” And he promised to “transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.” Unfortunately the president’s scorecard on every single one of those bold pledges is pitiful.”

IS IT TRUE that this is a radical departure from the 2008 campaign when candidate Obama was on the cover six times with some of the most adoring articles imaginable that surely aided President Obama’s ascension to the White House?…that when your biggest fans start telling you it is time to go that there are serious problems with the campaign’s message and performance?…that is the time ever comes when Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Chris Matthews stand up and sing “Hit the Road Barack” that the party really will be over?…that in spite of the defection of Newsweek that the election remains statistically tied and that just because “Hit the Road Barack” is on the cover there is still not a hoard of starry eyed mindless zombies filling football stadiums for Mitt Romney?…that it seems as though the American people and even the liberal media are finally starting to see past the facade of President Obama but that at the same time the Romney Ryan ticket is not inspiring the disturbed, underemployed masses to embrace their brand of hope and change the way President Obama’s supporters did in 2008?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/08/19/niall-ferguson-on-why-barack-obama-needs-to-go.html

Mesker Park Zoo 5K

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Click Here to download the flier for the Mesker Park Zoo 5k

VOICE Community-wide Visioning Session

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The second VOICE community-wide visioning session will be held this evening from 5-7pm at Helfrich Park STEM Academy, 2603 W. Maryland Street. VOICE is an opportunity for residents of Evansville to share their dreams for our city’s future. VOICE meetings are free and open to all citizens. For a list of all upcoming meetings, visit http://evansvillevoice.com.

The visioning process has been successful in other communities including Chattanooga, Tenn. Through the Chattanooga Vision 2000 process, citizen input led to the development of an aquarium, a cultural center, restoration of an old theatre and bridge, plus much more. Evansville has the same potential.

VHS Pet of the Week: “Ebony”

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Greetings from Ebony, a beautiful 3-year-old DMH. Ebony is a very sweet cat who likes to spend her free time basking in the sun. She will do wonderfully in a home where she is the center of attention and gets lots of cuddles and lots of brushing, a girl’s gotta look her best, right? Ebony has lived with children but prefers quieter kids, too much activity sometimes stresses her out. Ebony is also fine sharing her space with other cats. She has lived with a dog but is very nervous around them so a canine free home might be best for this girl. For more information on Ebony and how to make her a member of your family, visit www.vhslifesaver.org or call (812) 426-2563.

As per Joe Biden’s request. Roberts Stadium Memory: Grand Funk Covers the Stones, Gimme Shelter

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Boscoe’s Championship Blues Set

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Evansville Redevelopment Commission AGENDA Tuesday, August 21, 2012 – 8:30 am

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Evansville Redevelopment Commission
AGENDA
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 – 8:30 am
Civic Center Complex – Room 307

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes of August 7, 2012

3. Approval of Accounts Payable Vouchers

4. Design Review
111 SE 4th St, Youth, Inc/Wired Coffee – paint, remove awnings, replace mirrored window film, exterior decals

5. Downtown Redevelopment Area
Resolution 12-ERC-30 – Authorizing the Release of the RFP for a Downtown Convention Hotel
Resolution 12-ERC-31 – Authorizing Execution of Development Agreement With Old Post
Office Management, LLC

6. Other Business

7. Adjournment
* This preliminary Agenda is subject to change. The final Agenda will be posted at the entrance to the location of the meeting prior to the meeting.

Comparing the Budgets: Evansville-Vanderburgh to Lexington Metro

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As per reader request to ignore the number of employees in local government and to compare budgets between Lexington, KY and Evansville and Vanderburgh County the CCO has done some analysis and has found the following budget numbers online:

Lexington Metro Government Approved 2013 Data

Budget: $290 Million
Population: 301,569
Spending per person: $961.63

Evansville Vanderburgh Combined Data (City 2013, County 2012)

Combined Budget: $339 Million
Population: 180,000
Spending per person: $1,883

City of Evansville Budget: $253 Million
Population: 117,000
Spending per person: $2,162

This comparison surely brings up some serious questions regarding the differences in spending per person. By any way of examining these budgets it is blatantly obvious that Evansville-Vanderburgh in part or in whole are spending double the amount per person than Lexington Metro is. Then the question arises as to whether or not such savings are to be attributed to consolidation of Lexington and Fayette County that happened well over 30 years ago. That is impossible to tell but it does make one wonder with these budgets readily available why the consolidation committee here could not find any significant savings. It is to be acknowledged that just over $700,000 in annual savings has been identified but is rather insignificant (0.21%) when compared to a $339 Million annual budget.

To achieve the resident efficiency of Lexington Metro on a scaled basis Evansville-Vanderburgh would need to propose a consolidated budget of $173 Million or nearly 50% of what is currently budgeted to be spent. The CCO is going to go out on a limb here and postulate that IF and we do mean IF the consolidation committee were proposing a budget that saves $166 Million through consolidation efficiency that the consolidation referendum would pass by a wide margin.

That begs the question of “why did the consolidation committee fail to identify or propose such savings”?

2013_City of Evansville Summary_Budget

Link to Complete 2013 Lexington Metro Budget:

http://www.lexingtonky.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=20806

Gallup-Rasmussen Poll Average: August 20, 2012

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The Rasmussen Tracking poll today shows Mitt Romney with a 44% – 43% lead President Obama Romney while Gallup’s Tracking poll shows Romney maintaining a lead of 47% – 45%.

The average of these two polls is now showing the Romney/Ryan campaign with 45.5% and the Obama/Biden at 44.0% both garnering slightly less support than last week.

The average approval rate for President Obama is now even meaning that the same percentage of those polled approve and disapprove of the Presidents job performance. The average approval rating for the President was 48.0% and the average disapproval was 48%.

In an examination of all polls published after August 13th and applying them to the elector count, if the election were held today and the most recent polls are accurate Romney would win the presidency over Obama by an electoral vote of 282 – 256

Taking Back Tax Abatements: What the Code Says

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The Commission shall require that applicants for Economic Revitalization Area designation enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the City following adoption of a preliminary resolution, and prior to the adoption of a final resolution. The Memorandum of Agreement shall contain the capital investment levels, job creation and/or retention levels and hourly wage rates the Applicant has committed to the City in order to receive consideration for Economic Revitalization Area designation. The Memorandum of Agreement shall also contain information relative to what the City and Applicant have agreed upon as “substantial compliance” levels for capital investment, job creation and/or retention and wage rates and/or salaries associated with the Project or Equipment.

Additionally, the Memorandum of Agreement shall indicate that the City, by and through the Commission, reserves the right to terminate an Economic Revitalization Area designation and the associated property tax abatement deductions if it determines that the Applicant has not made reasonable efforts to substantially comply with all of the commitments. If the City terminates the Economic Revitalization Area designation and associated tax abatement deductions, it may require the Applicant to repay the City all or a portion of the tax abatement savings received through the date of such termination. Additional details relative to the repayment of tax abatement savings shall be contained in the Memorandum of Agreement.

The applicant has executed a memorandum of agreement (“memorandum of agreement”) prepared by the Community and Economic Development Department. The memorandum of agreement is a legally binding agreement representing a contractual relationship between the applicant and the Council. It may become effective upon the Council granting the abatement, which includes provisions setting forth:

a. The tax abatement recipient’s agreement to fulfill the conditions upon which the tax
abatement is based (“conditions of abatement”);
b. The time within which the tax abatement recipient must comply with the conditions of abatement;

c. The tax abatement recipient’s obligation to respond to periodic surveys regarding compliance with the conditions of abatement;

d. The tax abatement recipient’s obligation to allow representatives of the Community and Economic Development Department to have access to the project premises and to perform inspections and audits as necessary to verify compliance with the conditions of abatement.
(4) Neither the applicant nor any related party of the applicant is delinquent or in default

e. The events which:
1. Shall entitle the Council to terminate the tax abatement in whole or in part; and
2. Shall cause the tax abatement recipient to be obligated to repay all or a portion of the property tax savings received.

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