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Republican Chairman Wayne Parke’s Letter to the Editor

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Democrat Rick Davis appears to be running out of momentum. On Sunday the Courier & Press endorsed Lloyd Winnecke as a “proven leader” and its choice Mayor of Evansville. The Courier also noted that Rick Davis is running a one-issue, negative campaign – funded almost entirely by the Indiana Democratic Party. Davis will do his best to vilify Winnecke in an attempt to fire up a Democratic base that isn’t overwhelmingly excited about Davis himself.

It’s no surprise that Democrats are even frightened by Davis. As reported by various media outlets, one of his strongest supporters and a possible candidate for police chief, Sgt. Rick Hubbard, called in for the arrest of one of Davis’s Democratic critics at the Fall Festival parade for a minor traffic warrant. Hubbard had not made an arrest in 7 years (and he didn’t hang around for this one even though he called it in), and given that over 7,400 minor traffic warrants exist, this kind of arrest in the middle of a busy parade is certainly unusual.

Hubbard claims not to have targeted the critic and was merely tipped off to the warrant by “an unknown subject,” yet Hubbard knew enough to refer to him by a “derogatory term”. One of Davis’s family members even filmed the entire episode, knowing just the right moment and place it would occur.

Simply put, the evidence strongly suggests the arrest was questionable and politics at its worst. Apparently Rick Davis has a campaign team willing to use anything, including the alleged abuse of police powers, to get its way.

Evansville needs a new direction, but not the kind of change offered by Davis. We can’t afford to have city hall managed by a career politician whose campaign is full of negative attacks and questionable tactics. Instead, we need a proven leader with the experience, judgment and character we all expect in a public official. We need a leader who will focus on the future and bring more jobs to Evansville. That leader is Lloyd Winnecke.

Wayne Parke
Chairman, Vanderburgh Co. GOP

Absentee Vote Count Now at 6,692 Updated 11/2/2011

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Absentee ballots cast in the 2011 City of Evansville elections have already reached a total that in over one-third of all of the votes cast period in the 2007 election. The counts registered thus far by ward are as follows:

Ward 1: 1,716

Ward 2: 763

Ward 3: 688

Ward 4: 821

Ward 5: 1,855

Ward 6: 849

Position Paper on Public Safety, by: E. Lon Walters

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Public Safety
By: E. Lon Walters, Republican Candidate for Evansville City Council, 2nd Ward

Evansville Needs an Ordinance Requiring All Employees of Evansville Contractors, Volunteers and those that have Direct Interaction with Children to Conduct Employee Background Checks.

We must ensure sex offenders stay away from our children and out of our homes. To do so, the city of Evansville should require that all contractors conduct employee background checks as is permissible under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows
Employers to conduct background checks and report all records that are publicly available. As a
City Councilman, I will push for new background check requirements for contractors and those that work with or around children to prevent convicted sex offenders from working inside our homes and near children. To ensure the protection of our children, we need to consider explicitly barring sex offenders from any chance of working in a home or near children. As a City Councilman, I will push for reforming the local licensing laws explicitly banning anyone that is a convicted sex offender from getting a contractor’s license that can be used for in-home construction, repair, or those that have direct interaction with children. Employers can no longer take job applications on face value. They should be doing public criminal record checks and various types of background checks on new employees.

Working With Children.

Because children are so vulnerable, anyone that will be working with them in any capacity should be subject to a background check that includes any public criminal records. Employment may be refused to those who will work with, or near children, even if the criminal action was not against a child. Anyone with an assault or personal crime history may be a danger to anyone considered powerless against him or her. If you are going to be working with children as a school bus driver, driving instructor, or teacher at a school or day care center, these types of charges on the public records would be problematic. Any type of job that involves children should make you more prone to scrutiny. Yes, I am doing this at my company; it does not mean I will not give people a second chance. It does mean if they have been convicted of an offence against a child or any such personal crime that may be seen as a danger to someone that is powerless against him or her they will not be given the job.

Cost to Business

Doing background checks should not be an undue burden to the businesses required to perform them under this ordinance. Hiring the best employees is the most important task for your organization. If they work with and through their insurance provider, they may even see a reduction in their liability insurance cost that will more than cover the expense of doing the background checks.

My insurance company has a program set up through ISO, (Insurance Services Office, Inc), we are using IntelliCorp one of the companies owned by ISO, using this service a background check cost me $9.95 in most cases. If the potential employee has lived in many different locations, the cost can go as high as approx. $35.00. It is important that the service used be accurate, reliable, timely, reasonably priced, easy to use, and comprehensive. IntelliCorp even has a service designed for volunteer based organizations. There are many more companies available to use, I am just using a company I am familiar with as an example.

E. L. “Lon” Walters
Candidate for City Council 2nd. Ward.
Cell Phone: 812-305-4768

IS IT TRUE: Breaking News! Democrats Amend Campaign Finance Report

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE that on Tuesday November 1, 2011 that the City County Observer learned of and posted a lawsuit filed by the Bauerhaus seeking payment of a debt that the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party incurred and then never paid for their Awards Banquet held last summer?…that the CCO then cross referenced the official October 21, 2011 “Reciepts and Expenditures of a Political Committee” filed with the Vanderburgh County Clerk with the Bauerhaus debt and found that the Vanderburgh County Democrats reported ZERO DEBT on this official and required report?…that later that day it was learned and reported by the City County Observer that the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party owed other debts including one to THE CENTRE that is owned by the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County?…that much howling and denial followed these revelations and then today within 24 hours of being called out by the CCO something happened?

IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party on Wednesday November 2, 2011 FILED AN AMENDMENT TO THEIR RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF A POLITICAL COMMITTEE that included those two debts and others?…that the CCO shall be getting our hands on this AMENDMENT as soon as possible tomorrow and will post it promptly for all to see just what we are certain will be called an OVERSIGHT contains?…that no matter how this gets spun by the Democrat spin doctors that this was NO OVERSIGHT?…that we have confirmed with MULTIPLE DEMOCRAT ELECTED OFFICIALS that these debts were COMMON KNOWLEDGE?…that this appears to be INTENTIONAL on the part of the VANDERBURGH COUNTY DEMOCRAT PARTY?…that the CCO does believe that it is possible that many people in the party were tricked and were unaware but that it was common knowledge none the less?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO does take pride in being first to break this sort of thing?…that yesterday’s catch was not a result of a MOLE ALERT?…that yesterday’s discovery was simply reading two documents and connecting the dots on the part of the CCO?…that what not only mystifies but in many ways offends us is that none of the mainstream media in Evansville has even reported on this?…that when mainstream media fails to report on something that is as relevant as KNOWINGLY FILING AN INCORRECT CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT that it is a sad day in River City?

IS IT TRUE that if one really wants to know why so many things are just dealt with in a cavalier “LET IT SLIDE” or LET IT RIDE” manner in Evansville we need look no further than things like this?

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

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CCO Writer and Publisher Joe Wallace and wife Karen represented the CCO at the Bauerhaus chicken dinner which has recently made headlines. At this event, Joe and Karen enjoyed a meal that was assumed to have been paid by the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party. After receiving recent information about the unpaid bill and misrepresented debt, Joe Wallace and CCO owner Ron Cosby decided to take action.

“It’s a matter of principle,” said Ron Cosby. “We had two dinners and the Bauerhaus deserves to be paid for them.”

Joe Wallace added, “We don’t want to benefit from any of the snegal actions taken by the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party. We’re paying our share, they need to step up and take care of the rest.”

Evansville’s small businesses rely on payment from their customers. When stiffed for a significant sum by a local political organization, the business feels it much more than a larger company would. Evansville’s businesses should not suffer due to political games, snegal activity, or gross oversight of one of the most influential groups in town. We at the CCO hope that the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party will step up and cover their end of the bill.

Our check is in the mail.

IS IT TRUE? November 2, 2011 Will the Centre Ever Perform Financially?

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IS IT TRUE? November 2, 2011 Will the Centre Ever Perform Financially?

IS IT TRUE that the Centre has now released another report of the results of operations from a financial perspective?…that during the last year the Centre has added another $600,000 of losses to bring the 12 year total up to over $7 Million?…that Roberts Stadium is being slated for demolition by the Weinzapfel Administration because it costs about $400,000 per year to keep on ice?…that prior to the opening of the Ford Center that Roberts Stadium was actually running at a profit?…that it was and is the only paid for facility that is capable of operating at a profit in the City of Evansville?…that the dual thought process of the Weinzapfel Administration is nothing short of mind boggling?…that the Centre is owned and operated by the Vanderburgh County Commissioners who are now blaming the lack of a downtown Convention Hotel for losing 20% of the convention business in a single year?…that this was discussed three years ago, two years ago, last year, and today?…that the Vanderburgh County Commissioners are just as complicit in letting a hair brained scheme run amok that has resulted in no downtown Convention Hotel as anyone else including the Administration of the City of Evansville?…that going with the flow and refusing to call out idiocies is pretty much the downfall of downtown Evansville?…that hopefully in 60 days there will be the seed of sanity for a future of hope installed in the Office of the Mayor of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the hour that the Bank of America announced that they were going to be charging a $5 fee per month for the use of debit the City County Observer pounced on those rascals like a cat on a rat running through Bee Slough?…that our story about how the Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Regions, and other banks that were planning to feast on usury fees like this would backfire drew nearly 10,000 pageviews?…that only about 500 of those pageviews came from the Evansville area?…that we can thank our friends at Google for driving people across America who were incensed by this usury fee to the CCO?…that yesterday the Bank of America and several other of those banks have suspended their plans?…that this is a testament to the power of consumers in a FREE MARKET?…that where there are informed people who are aware of their surroundings that competitive forces prevail?…that if everything that we buy including electricity were competitive that the country as a whole would always be able to pound down usury fees like the B of A’s $5 fee?…that in a country that is being driven by fear and uncertainty that this reversal of intent is a validation that when left alone that capitalism and free markets are the best way to go?…that it is a hard but true lesson that everything that the government touches becomes a little bit less competitive even if it is called The Centre?

IS IT TRUE that if The Centre has lost $7,065,744 in 12 years and that it has received a total of $7,244,103 from the people of Vanderburgh County that it may just mean that the real operating deficit is $14,309,847?…that at an attendance of only 175,000 people per year that works out to a subsidy of nearly $7 for every warm body that steps in the building?…that the CCO is interested in what the projections were for the performance of this facility when it was committed to back in the planning stages?…that we would like to know if we were sold a pig in a poke by local government or if we all knew right up front that high six figure losses were expected every year forever?…that we also question the proposition that a downtown Convention Hotel will stop the flow of red ink?…that it really seems as though the financial projections of government paid consultants have about as much credibility as Khadafy’s Ghost would have as the guest speaker at a conference on human rights?

IS IT TRUE? November 2, 2011 McCurdy hits Another Fowl Ball: Pigeons Safe for 30 More Days

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IS IT TRUE? November 2, 2011 McCurdy hits Another Fowl Ball: Pigeons Safe for 30 More Days

IS IT TRUE that The Evansville Redevelopment Commission pretty much just rolled over an capitulated to all future extensions that will be needed for City Centre Properties LLC to have a perpetual extension?…that it does not matter whether the extensions are granted in 30 day increments, 60 day increments, or even full year increments, because given the total circumstance facing the ERC of the bitter pill of losing the building and the $1.4 Million of taxpayer money that has been sunk into it they literally have no choice?…that for the 4th time it has been concluded that the financing is solid and that it is just taking too long so as the song says let’s just “Let it Ride”?…that the City County Observer would like to dedicate the following song by Bachman Turner Overdrive to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission?

https://city-countyobserver.com/2011/11/02/let-it-ride-by-bto-dedicated-to-the-mccurdy-project/

IS IT TRUE that in all honesty between the four year building up this project as though it were the resurrection of downtown Evansville and the SNEGAL financing where an out of town developer that makes healthy contributions to the Weinzapfel for Mayor campaign is getting a cash out nothing down deal with not a dime of private money in the deal the ERC is as they say between a rock and a hard place?…that at this point any prudent group would have to grant extensions so let’s just make these extensions renew automatically every 30 days unless of course these people come up with some money?

IS IT TRUE that taxes are due in 8 days in the amount of $10,268 on the McCurdy?…that we shall really see how weak the ERC is in this situation if City Centre Properties just lets this tax bill lapse intentionally?…that they can slip one more tax installment perpetually without fear of the taxman stepping in with an auctioneers gavel?…that believe it or not if the financing is not rock solid and assured of happening very soon the right business decision for City Centre Properties may just be to let the taxes lapse?…that by giving a 30 day extension that the ERC even laid that one weapon that they have down before offering their belly in an up position?

IS IT TRUE that we wonder if the Office of the Mayor of Evansville comes with an annual annuity from City Centre Properties LLC?…that this Indianapolis based company, its shareholders, and its associated businesses have all been very generous to Mayor Weinzapfel’s various campaign funds over the years?…that we wonder if a Mayor Winnecke or even a Mayor Davis can count on this little money party continuing its tradition of enriching the Mayor of Evansville while not paying taxes?

IS IT TRUE that another consideration with respect to the McCurdy Project is if there will be sufficient cash available to do the job?…that the numbers are still based on estimates made in the 2007 – 2008 timeframe?…that construction costs have risen during that time and that some materials have been reported to have increased by over 50%?…that a design audit or dare we say a vetting process of the sufficiency of the funds being sought to do the job being proposed is in order?…that if you think errantly dropping $1.4 Million of taxpayer dollars into this project is problematic just wait until the developer has spent all of his $12 Million and needs another $8 Million to finish the job?…that then Evansville will have a real problem?

Four more Democrats Come Out for Winnecke

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In what is increasingly becoming what is taking on the appearance of orchestrated defections four more Vanderburgh Democratic Party lifers have joined City Council members Curt John and Connie Robinson in taking a supportive stance for Republican Lloyd Winnecke.

Today’s list includes 2nd Ward Precinct Committeeman Aaron Calbert, 2nd Ward Leader Chris Cooke, 4th Ward Leader Louise Williams and 4th Ward Committeeman Wilbert Robinson bringing the number of prominent Democrats endorsing Winnecke to Six.

In their statement the new four to break ranks stating a desire to see the work of outgoing Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel continued.

Downtown Today: 11/2/2011

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Time 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Subject PARKS BOARD
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the first Wednesday of every 1 month effective 11/2/2011 until 11/2/2011 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
GLENN BOBERG @ 6141
Categories ROOM 301

Time 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Subject SAFETY BOARD
Location 301
Reminder 15 minutes
TINA OWEN @ 7897
Categories ROOM 301

Time 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject Code Enforcement – Ron Beane
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs every Wednesday effective 11/2/2011 until 11/23/2011 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Categories ROOM 318

Time 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Subject ERA
Location 307
Reminder 15 minutes
CINDY RESING
Categories ROOM 307

Time 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject DMD
Location 318
Reminder 15 minutes
ASHTON @ 7825
Categories ROOM 318

Time 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Subject HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs the first Wednesday of every 1 month effective 11/2/2011 until 11/2/2011 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Categories ROOM 318