IS IT TRUE August 7, 2012
IS IT TRUE August 7, 2012
IS IT TRUE the CCO has learned that the decision of the Whirlpool Corporation to close the Evansville facility that is the last surviving group of employees for a company that once employed over 10,000 tri-staters was not unexpected or even a surprise to elected officials and their surrogates in the economic development world?…the local entities with responsibility for job retention, attraction, and creation learned about this only a few minutes before the media was alerted that the closing decision was final?…the choice by Whirlpool to only give local officials whom they know personally a courtesy call as opposed to an opportunity to sit down and talk about this emphasizes the long suspected fact that Evansville and Whirlpool like a facade marriage quit listening to each other long ago?…we will hear things like “one-third of the employees will be retiring anyway†and “the design group had already gotten too small by attrition to sustain†and that these things may have factual basis?…the cold hard fact is that Whirlpool mentally moved out of Evansville long ago and has just taken a long time to gather their belongings?…this will be the end of a the last chapter in the life of a manufacturing based economy in River City?
IS IT TRUE that there were high hopes that the Whirlpool Design Center would be a catalyst for other design groups to form in Evansville to access the experience and talent of the Whirlpool team over time?…the dream for some was for a Midwest Engineering Center to grow on the north side with smart appliance capability to serve the appliance based giants like Whirlpool, GE, Samsung, LG, Bosch, etc?…this was a very achievable dream on August 28, 2009 when the idea was hatched in Innovation Pointe?…the steps needed were not taken, Whirlpool was not as enthused as they could have been, and the key ingredients of local funding and ambition never materialized?…we can chalk the losses of the these last 217 jobs at Whirlpool up to a long term bad relationship and local ambivalence?…the real tragedy is that the 300 jobs at the Whirlpool Design Center could have become the catalyst for ten or more design centers that would have employed over 1,000 educated engineering professionals if and only if local investment and ambition would have come together?
IS IT TRUE there is a small ray of hope that somewhere on the payroll at Whirlpool there is a small hyper talented group of people with ambition who will see their pink slips as liberating them from the yoke of corporate drudgery so they can start and entrepreneurial business and determine their own future?…there are those that will scoff at this but the reality is that there are world class engineers in that facility today who have the talent to make this happen?…we are not so sure about the ambition and the investment dollars that will be needed to actualize such a thing?…if this group is disbanded or relocated and no Evansville based Appliance design group formed from the remnants the “the refrigerator capital of the world†will have made the full transition to retail customers of refrigerators in two generations?
IS IT TRUE there is one thing for certain that local officials can and should do to see justice done and fairness prevail when it comes to Whirlpool?…that Mayor after Mayor and Council after Council has bent over and taken their whacks every time Whirlpool threatened to have a layoff?…Whirlpool has gotten incentive after incentive that they have not satisfied the requirements attached to the incentive?…the value of these incentives is well into the millions of dollars?…the State of Indiana has already recaptured many of the incentives that they extended to Whirlpool?…there is no defensible reason for the City of Evansville and GAGE not to be wearing Whirlpool out by whatever means is available to them to get our money back?…to be outmaneuvered and bullied the way the City of Evansville and its surrogates have by Whirlpool only happens to cowards and rubes?…if our elected and appointed leaders sit there like a bunch of bumps on a log and let Whirlpool get by without paying back the incentives they have not earned the message to every business that has shaken the City of Evansville down for incentives is that Evansville does not have the spine to enforce the provisions and defaults will not be held accountable?
IS IT TRUE it is with an encouraging spirit that the CCO admonishes Mayor Winnecke and GAGE president Debbie Dewey to muster the courage and go get the people of Evansville’s money back?…if they will not do this then this City will never again get off the ground from this latest aggressive punch in the mouth and will be thought of as CHICKENS FOREVER?
Dianne Clements of the Human Rights Commission Speaks Out
As the Director of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission, I have been asked to respond to a letter written to elected officials by Mr. Glen Kissel. In recent months, Mr. Kissel and a small group of people have been criticizing the Human Relations Commission for alleged improprieties. This letter is an opportunity to clarify the nature of the work of the Human Relations Commission and the positive contributions that it makes to this community. We feel confident that any fair-minded person who examines all the evidence will conclude that the charges that have been made against us are unfounded.
The mission of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission is to promote equality of opportunity. The Human Relations Commission is also charged with assisting governmental and private agencies, groups, and individuals in reducing community tensions and preventing gender-based conflicts, or tensions between persons of different racial, ethnic, religious groups, persons with disabilities, or any other arbitrary differences.
Human Rights Commissions are engaged in three broad activities – enforcement, prevention, and training. The lion’s share of the work at the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission is in the area of enforcement. Allegations of employment discrimination constitute the majority of cases filed with the Commission. The Commission provides training to government and private organizations on fair housing and employment discrimination laws. There is no cost for this training. The Commission provides administrative support to two advisory boards – the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African-American Males and the Advisory Board on Disability Services. The majority of the employment discrimination cases received by the Commission are on the basis of race and disability. Moreover, the support that the two advisory boards receive from the Commission correlates with the overall mission of the agency.
Unfounded Charges of Misusing Money
In addition to supporting the initiatives of the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African American Males and the Advisory Board on Disability Services, the Human Relations Commission has participated in, and supports, a wide variety of events and organizations in an effort to advance outreach efforts in the community.
The Commission considers funding requests that are consistent with the mission of eliminating discrimination and efforts that promote human capital. The sponsorships have gone to a variety of groups and causes. Furthermore, all funds of our supported events came from donations and federal funds specifically designed to provide outreach in the community, not funding furnished by city or county budgets as alleged. A total of $3,700 was spent on sponsorships to six organizations in 2011-2012. The Commission views these sponsorships as a form of agency promotion necessary to help educate hard-to-reach populations. Again, the sponsorships help to effectuate the mission of the agency to eliminate discrimination and promote diversity and inclusion. The Commission is developing a written policy on sponsorships.
Unfounded Charges of Illegality
This is one of the most surprising claims made by our critics, and it is the one that is most easily dismissed. The suggestion is that last November, the Evansville City Council passed an “illegal†ordinance that “criminalizes Christians.†(Of course, anyone can look around Evansville right now and see that it is not against the law to be a Christian. Indeed, religious faith is alive and well in our community, and that is a good thing.) It goes without saying that the Human Relations Commission would never dream of proposing an ordinance to outlaw Christianity, and the Evansville City Council would obviously never entertain the idea of passing such an ordinance. So, where does this outlandish claim really come from?
Opponents of the new civil rights ordinance passed last November have frequently argued that it will force churches to do things they disagree with, such as hiring gay, lesbian or transgender employees. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, it is doubly incorrect. The Indiana Civil Rights Statute states that churches and organizations affiliated with religious organizations are employers exempt from review by the Human Relations Commission. Moreover, the new ordinance has explicit language that makes clear that enforcement in these new areas will be entirely voluntary. The plain language of the new city ordinance reads as follows:
“With respect to complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Commission’s authority shall be limited to the power to accept such complaints, notify respondents of the complaint(s) and attempt voluntary investigation(s) and voluntary mediation(s).†(City Code 2.30.010)
Furthermore, the Indiana Civil Rights Statute includes a clear statutory exception for religious employers that read as follows:
‘Employer’ means the state or any political or civil subdivision thereof and any person employing six (6) or more persons within the state, except that the term ‘employer’ does not include:
(2) any school, educational, or charitable religious institution owned or conducted by or affiliated with a church or religious institution.†(Indiana Code 22-9-1-3)
The specific language in the ordinance regarding sexual orientation was modeled after the Bloomington and Fort Wayne ordinances. The Bloomington ordinance has been on the books since 1993 and has never been held to be illegal. To assert that what the Evansville City Council voted for unanimously last November was somehow illegal and criminalized Christianity flies in the face of all the available evidence. It appears that some have misinterpreted the facts and possibly unintentionally misled the people on this sensitive subject.
Unfounded Charges of Incompetence
It has been suggested that the Human Relations Commission blundered when it asked that protections against age discrimination be added to the local ordinance. It is claimed that this language conflicts with existing federal fair housing regulations regarding the treatment of senior citizens, and this supposedly puts the city in an embarrassing position. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Human Relations Commission acknowledges that there are clear exceptions in the Fair Housing Act that provide for senior citizen discounts and the availability of rental properties for senior citizens only. Even in the unlikely event that a local government acted to prohibit senior discounts, federal law would trump the local government prohibition.
Some concerns have been expressed by a few property owners about this perceived conflict between the city ordinance and the federal guidance in this area, and we have been working collaboratively with them to address their concerns. Our belief is that the explicit exception for senior citizens already exists in the housing law, so it is unnecessary to restate it in our local ordinance. (This, in fact, is exactly what Indianapolis has done.) However, we have no objections to modifying the language of the local ordinance if this helps to clarify it.
The broader charge of incompetence is deeply offensive. Our small office has a trained staff of professional investigators who are required to keep up with developments in civil rights enforcement. Moreover, we have a dedicated and conscientious group of commissioners, all of whom are appointed by the city and county governments. The last time our commissioners were called upon to hold a public hearing to rule upon a discrimination case, they reached a unanimous verdict after careful examination of all the evidence. When their judgment was appealed in court, the decision was upheld by Vanderburgh Circuit Court Judge Carl Heldt and the Indiana Court of Appeals. (Whirlpool Corporation v. Vanderburgh County, City of Evansville Human Relations Commission and Harriett Layne.)
It is apparent that the allegations against the Human Relations Commission come on the heels of and are a result of adding sexual orientation and gender identity to its enabling ordinance. It is also troubling how race appears to be used to confuse and divide the community. While everyone has a right to their opinion, misinformation and misguided viewpoints should not be allowed to strip away gains made to ensure that all have equal opportunity and dignity in public life. Certainly one viewpoint should not be the final opinion on what constitutes civil rights and fiscal responsibility as it relates to government agencies.
No Human Relations Commission is perfect. We continually strive to provide good service and we are always open to any constructive criticism. Our objective is to serve the entire community, and we are committed to giving the best possible service to all the residents of Vanderburgh County, whatever their background may be.
In conclusion, the history of our Human Relations Commission goes back to 1948. A committee of white and black leaders was formed under Mayor William Dress to address the problems of blacks and their struggle to overcome the obstacles of discrimination in all facets of life. The Human Relations Commission became a city agency in 1965, one year after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In 1982, the long sought effort to expand jurisdiction to include Vanderburgh County was realized. An inter-local government agreement was passed by the City Council and County officials, giving the Commission jurisdiction in all of Vanderburgh County. Civil and human rights have evolved since 1948 and laws and regulations now offer protections for groups historically discriminated against – namely women, people with disabilities and sexual minorities.
Unfortunately, discrimination still occurs in society and the work of the Commission continues to be needed. We simply ask individuals and groups that have concerns with the Human Relations Commission come to the table and discuss their concerns. Any hostile effort only works to thwart the work of the Commission and does nothing to promote positive relations between groups in the community.
Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long but bends toward justice.†We believe it bends toward justice because of the collective efforts of people of goodwill. The Human Relations Commission is calling on all people of goodwill to come together. We cannot afford to be divided.
If anyone would like further information about the work of the Human Relations Commission, we invite you to contact us at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Diane Clements
Executive Director
Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission
This response from Ms. Clements is posted without edit, opinion, or bias.
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
This feature is sponsored by Chris Walsh For Vanderburgh County Clerk. Chris Walsh is a veteran county administrator that strongly supports our local law enforcement professionals . Chris is a candidate that possess a non-partisan attitude with a consumer friendly demeanor. Chris also stands against unification of city and county governments.
This ad paid for by the committiee to elect Walsh Clerk, Kelly Walsh, Treasurer
Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, August 3, 2012.
Tiffani Colschen Possession of Methamphetamine – Class D Felony
Shelly Garrison Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in a Schedule III Controlled Substance – Class B
Felony
Joyce Hanes Possession of a Chemical Reagents or Precursors With the Intent to
Manufacture a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
Elvis King, Jr. Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in a Schedule III Controlled Substance – Class B
Felony
Heather Kuenzli Theft – Class D Felony
Terri Lindenschmidt Possession of a Chemical Reagents or Precursors With the Intent to
Manufacture a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Driving While Suspended – Class A Misdemeanor
Lance Luke Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony
Christopher Roman Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class B Felony
Kent Stevens Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
James Whitledge Attempted Forgery – Class C Felony; Attempted Fraud – Class D Felony
For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Carly Settles at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at csettles@vanderburghgov.org.
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
SENTENCE CHART
Class Range
Murder 45-65 Years
Class A Felony 20-50 Years
Class B Felony 6-20 Years
Class C Felony 2-8 Years
Class D Felony ½ – 3 Years
Class A Misdemeanor 0-1 Year
Class B Misdemeanor 0-180 Days
Class C Misdemeanor 0-60 Days
The Palins Versus the Critics
From our seats in front of the television, it certainly feels like the TV network programmers have all the power to entertain us. But the press gatherings of the Television Critics Association in Tinseltown suggest that others audaciously think they should be in the driver’s seat, and they’re not shy about saying so.
The latest TCA press tour showed off the intimidating power of the television critics flailing away at young, shy Bristol Palin, who’s returning to ABC for an all-star version of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Look, there’s no doubt that Sarah Palin has figured out a way to benefit from all the media attention — mostly negative, often vicious — after the 2008 presidential race. The enemy of my enemy is my friend — and her support has grown by the millions. Her supporters across America made Bristol a fan-favorite on “Dancing,” even if she was hardly Ginger Rogers on the season debut. But the Palin-haters who dismissed her as being on the show only because of her famous mother proved their real agenda when Chastity “Chaz” Bono took a turn (as a “male”) on the program, and the crickets chirped.
In addition to the TLC series “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” and Bristol’s two turns on “Dancing,” Bristol is currently on the show “Life’s a Tripp” on Lifetime. Her father, Todd, will star in the fall on the NBC show “Stars Earn Stripes.” There’s no doubt the TV critics hate the idea of this family on television.
Washington Post critic Lisa de Moraes made great fun of how the Palins are cashing in to become “the Barrymores of reality TV” and competing with the Kardashians to see which shameless “family business” can do the most programs. The Palins have a good response: “I don’t think it’s our business,” Bristol said of her family, when one TV critic asked that question. “I just think you guys are going to be talking about us either way, so we might as well be doing something enjoyable and fun.”
“You haven’t gone full Kardashian,” joked ABC host Tom Bergeron. “No, not at all,” Bristol replied. Bristol kept up the “might as well have fun” line for the next hardball. She was asked: If you don’t like the harsh media attention, then why don’t you just go home to Alaska and raise your son, rather than make yourself a target? The “please go home” feeling in the question was unmistakable.
In the eyes of these critics, the Kennedys are American royalty, while the Palins are too cordoned off with reality TV divas like the Kardashians or hicks like the stars of “Hillbilly Handfishin’.”
A journalist also brought up a recent episode of “Life’s a Tripp” where Bristol’s son said an “F-word” that was bleeped. (I say “a journalist” because the critics don’t identify each other by name when they report on how they have picked on young Palins.) Gay activists claimed the little boy uttered their hated F-word, and Lifetime’s corporate line of defense was no, actually it was the more common F-bomb. The better question is why Lifetime felt that tantrum of profanity and brattiness was considered great television, instead of cutting-room floor garbage. The toddler bleeps haven’t helped. The “Tripp” show has performed badly enough that it’s now airing in a late-night slot.
The critics’ toughest hardball question for Bristol was how she would react if paired with a homosexual professional partner on the new season of “Dancing With the Stars.” It’s also a somewhat strange question. On Bristol’s previous tour of the show, bisexual comedian Margaret Cho and her gay professional partner, Louis van Amstel, danced to “Copacabana” with a gay-pride message. There was no storming off the set or critical comments from Team Palin. But that is never good enough.
Under fire from the journalists, Bristol answered: “You know what? I like gays. I’m not a homophobic (sic), and I’m so sick of people saying that, just because I’m for traditional marriage…” The media elite replied by happily tweeting the grammatical mistake.
Again, the media code is obvious: no “homophobes” in favor of traditional marriage should be allowed to star on a TV program — and certainly not in a room full of ballroom dancers. It doesn’t matter if they never say a word of protest or never plan an “educational” dance routine that honors Jesus and the ridiculed home-schooled kids who are allowed to study him in school time.
Would it be rude to ask Chaz Bono how she would feel if ABC paired her with a male professional partner, since she was (and is) female? Not just rude, it would be insulting. In the calculus of the TV critics, Bono must be applauded for her courage, and Bristol must be brought low because she’s a Palin.
L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. To find out more about Brent Bozell III, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
VHS Pet of the Week: “Mallie”
Greetings from Mallie, a 1-year-old spayed DSH. Mallie is probably one of the sweetest cats you’ll ever meet. She will do wonderfully in a home with children and other pets. Mallie craves attention and her new owner can bank on finding her right next to them almost all the time. Mallie has come a long way from the day she arrived at the VHS. Despite Mallie being a pretty awesome cat, she needs a little TLC as she is a bit on the skinny side due to a rough life before arriving here at the VHS. This wonderful cat will be the perfect addition to any family looking to add a ray of sunshine to their lives. For more information on Mallie, visit us on the web at www.vhslifesaver.org or call (812) 426-2563.
Mayor Winnecke Included in “U.S. Mayor” Magazine
Below is a link to download a PDF of the entire publication.
The August 6, 2012 edition of U.S.Mayor is now available at:
http://usmayors.org/usmayornewspaper/documents/08_06_12
Inside you will find:
– Philadelphia Leadership Meeting: July 18-20 – Nutter, Conference of Mayors Leaders Develop “Building a Better America†2012 Agenda
– Mayors React to Tragic Shootings in Aurora
– Nutter Stresses Jobs, Voting Rights at National Urban League
– Stanton, Sanders: Sequestration = 2.14 Million Job Cuts
– Berger, Becker Testify on EPA’s Integrated Water Plan
– Emanuel to Chair New USCM Infrastructure Task Force
Evansville Redevelopment Commission AGENDA: Hotel and Klenk’s Claim on Agenda
Evansville Redevelopment Commission
AGENDA
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 – 8:30 am
Civic Center Complex – Room 307
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of July 17, 2012
3. Approval of Executive Session Memo of July 24, 2012
4. Approval of Accounts Payable Vouchers
5. Design Review
329 Main St – Kunkel Group, exterior stair panels – solid color option preferred
Vendor Cart Approval – Gofer Vening
6. Downtown Redevelopment Area
Resolution 12-ERC-28 – Awarding a Contract for Remediation at Old Greyhound Bus Station
Resolution 12-ERC-29 – Authorizing Funding for Modifications at the Old Post Office for GSA
7. Other Business
Update on Downtown Convention Hotel RFQ process
Presentation of Facts about Klenck Company’s demolition claim
8. 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.