IS IT TRUE PART 2 June 19, 2012 “Township Meltdown Raises its Ugly Head”

IS IT TRUEGerman Township Trustee Fred Happe wrote a check in the amount of $104,000 in January-2012 to the German Township Fire Department?… the check was not honored by the bank due to insufficient funds being on deposit?…that Trustee Happe later wrote another check to them for around $80,000 and they were able to cash it?… the reduced payment of $80,000 made to the German Township Fire Department by Trustee Happe caused German Township Fire Department a financial shortfall of about $24,000 for 2012?

IS IT TRUE the 2008-2009 State Board of Accounts Audit found a considerable number of posting errors that included checks and receipts not recorded in proper categories?…when the State Audit findings were reviewed by Trustee Happe he concurred with the findings of the State Board of Accounts?

IS IT TRUE the German Township Fire Department volunteers do an outstanding job to protect the property and lives of the citizens they serve?…that this fire department also has an outstanding Board of Directors?…that over the last 5 years that Trustee Happe has cut the German Township Fire Department budget over $100,000?…the City County Observer believes that the public should receive a detailed explanation explaining why over $100,000 was removed from the German Township Fire Department budget by Trustee Happe?

IS IT TRUE the CCO believes that it’s time the Vanderburgh County Commissioners should begin an official investigation in order to see if the German Township Trustee’s office is having serious financial problems?…that this probe should be spearheaded by County Commissioner, Steve Melcher since the German Township Fire Department is located in his political district?

IS IT TRUE the United States Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of the healthcare law widely referred to as Obamacare that was passed a couple of years ago along party lines?…the drug companies and the American Medical Association had quite allot of influence in the writing of this law and thus the savings that were promised have not been realized and projections for premiums and healthcare itself are now expected to rise even more?…there was a series of op-ed pieces in yesterday’s New York Times by a wide variety of authors from the practical liberal professor and former member of President Clinton’s cabinet Robert Reich through some fairly right wing authors?…that the New York Times being what it is there were more opinions from liberal authors than conservative ones but both points of view were represented?

IS IT TRUE the authors all expect to minimally see the mandate to force the purchase of health insurance to be struck down as unconstitutional?…that a clear majority expect the entire law to be struck down because there is no severability clause anywhere in it?…maybe if the congress would have actually read the bill or hired someone smart enough to understand it to read it for them that a severability clause would have been inserted and the country would not be faced with an “all or nothing” situation?…the drug companies and the AMA will be the ones having a stroke if the purchase mandate is struck down but the rest is allowed to stand because the purchase mandate was the means to pay for things like pre-existing conditions and 26 year olds staying on the parents plan?…the bull being tossed about regarding the 21 – 26 year olds is fairly false on the part of the insurance companies because the premiums for these young adults are currently paid by their parents?…this writer knows this because the premium for the two young adult daughters is about $600 per month and is paid by this writer?…this is much higher than it was before they turned 21?

IS IT TRUE it is disturbing to see that such a wide and impactful piece of legislation could make its way through the United States Congress without sufficient constitutional review?…this is what we get as a people when we do not even demand that our elected officials read the bills before they pass them?…in the case of most procedures that the United States already has universal health care?…that between Medicaid, Medicare, the Veterans Administration, and public health departments that many millions of people are already outside of the realm of private insurance and healthcare?…that of course going to these places for healthcare is not like going to the Ritz Carleton to get stitches or give birth but for the most part the care is equivalent?…that flu shots are a perfect example of a distribution system that is both public and private and are affordable to everyone?…that such routine things like that if we can’t get over needing to be treated like Princes and Princesses is the only way we will ever be able to afford universal health care?

IS IT TRUE that upholding the Constitution of the United States is more important than preserving a law that is now seen as flawed to the point of needing massive overhaul?…that the CCO encourages the Supreme Court to rule on the basis of constitutionality and to render opinions that the American people can understand and accept?…that in nearly every case that the health of each person is significantly impacted by their own lifestyle and that wellness programs, diet, and exercise are the keys to affordable healthcare for all but those that are impacted by actions outside of their control or by the dice of nature?…that we already have programs that can be adapted to provide care to those people should the law be struck down?

IS IT TRUE the parks of the City of Evansville have once again been called out for being a garbage filled mess where drug addicts needles, rubbers (condoms for those who don’t like that word), and liquor bottles ruin the place for families with children to enjoy these parks?…that the job of keeping 2,300 acres mowed and cleaned is a daunting task to begin with but it seems after at least a decade of people knowing the truth that the truth is finally being spoken?…that truth is that there are a number of people who do utilize and enjoy the Evansville parks that are using the parks for drug use and distribution, have sex in public, and even intentionally overturn waste containers to spread garbage all over the place?…we admire the attention to the litter that has been broadcasted by Mayor Winnecke and a small army of litter picker uppers?…these efforts while noble and the right just seem to be so small in the face of the garbage problem that picking up trash may be to Evansville about as effective as pouring a cup of coffee into the Ohio River to try and warm it up?…we wonder if the people of Evansville in total are just too full of slobs and irresponsible people for those who prefer tidiness and cleanliness to make a difference?…it sure seems that way?

IS IT TRUE that one thing for sure is that the City of Evansville is currently in the middle of expanding the park system by two with those being the 37 acres at Roberts Stadium and another being Mayor Weinzapfel’s last minute glorification announcement of the Centennial Park on the lot behind the old Greyhound Bus station?…that we are sure that both parks can be nice but will cost nearly $10 Million to build and another $1 Million or so per year to maintain?…this is happening when the parks director is open and honest about the fact that they can’t keep up with the mowing and litter removal at the parks that Evansville does have?…that given the state of Evansville’s parks and the admission of the people in charge that they can’t keep the parks we have in good order that the last thing Evansville needs to do is expand the parks?…what needs to be considered is to eliminate the problem parks by either letting them go fallow or selling them at public auction?…that maybe if there are only parks in neighborhoods where the people of the neighborhood patrol the parks then the City can actually keep the parks clean?…the goal right now needs to be to shrink the park system by eliminating acreage starting with the biggest problem parks?…the 2,300 acres may not be manageable with the kind of budget that Evansville can afford and the only solution is to take the size down to what an acceptable budget can handle even if that is going down to 1,000 acres or less?

IS IT TRUE that last week it was reported that the song “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood was banned from a classroom in a public school?…this song was widely associated with President Ronald Reagan and was played at his campaign rallies?…while we support the separation of church and state banning a song that still gives one a sense of pride in our country that was part of a campaign seems more aimed at the ideology of President Reagan than at violation of church and state?…the teacher that made the decision to ban this song needs to learn to read the words on the American currency that pays her salary?…it is time for such shenanigans to come with some consequence?…we hear that Cuba is hiring teachers and would like to suggest that the teacher who banned this song needs to get herself a job in Cuba where the currency may meet with her approval for political correctness?…this kind of nonsense will someday provoke a serious backlash at the ballot box and in public budgets?