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LEGISLATORS: MEETING FOR RESIDENTS HIT WITH UNFAIR STATE PENALTIES SET FOR THURSDAY

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INDIANAPOLIS –State Reps. Gail Riecken (D-Evansville) and Ron Bacon (R-Chandler) and State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) said a meeting for area residents concerned they are being unfairly required to repay unemployment benefits has been set for Thursday (November 1) in Evansville.

The meeting – set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Browning Room of the Evansville Central Library, located at 200 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. – is aimed at hearing complaints from residents who were allowed to collect unemployment benefits, but now are receiving collection notices from the state’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to repay those benefits.

“In the past, these workers have collected unemployment during mandatory shutdowns,” Riecken said.

This year, workers followed normal practice, only to find out that DWD made a mistake by not properly informing them about changes in state law affecting their status. DWD then began sending collection notices, despite no official finding that any worker was to blame for this mistake.

“In many cases, the workers were told they were not legally classified as unemployed under DWD’s interpretation of state law, so they must repay the benefits,” Riecken said. “Some people are being asked to repay thousands of dollars that they simply do not have.”

In the Vanderburgh County area, the new policy has impacted many workers for the Community Action Program of Evansville (CAPE), but Riecken noted that legislators have heard complaints from workers in Posey, Gibson and Warrick Counties as well. They will attend this meeting.

“I know that workers in the Anderson area already are appealing DWD’s decision through the administrative hearing process to correct this situation,” Riecken said.

“The meeting in Evansville this Thursday will give residents a chance to see how many people have been adversely affected by this change in policy, and to examine potential options to protect their interests,” Riecken said.

“I want to emphasize the fact that this situation has cropped up through no fault of the workers,” she continued. “They did as they had been encouraged by their employers in every previous shutdown. They received benefits as they had in the past, then were told by DWD they must pay those benefits back. The mistakes were made by others, and I see no reason why they should be unfairly penalized.”

The Faces Behind the “Official” Unemployment Rate

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29% of our potential is not working but should be
The Numbers Behind the “Official” Unemployment Rate

By: Joe J. Wallace

Knowing a number of people who are unemployed, underemployed, or have exhausted their unemployment benefits and have essentially become “ghosts” as far as official statistics are concerned, an effort has been made to put real numbers of real people into three categories.

The categories to be examined are those who have jobs which is defined by the Bureau of Labor as people working for a paycheck for more than 30 hours per week, the official unemployed plus underemployed, and the people who for some reason are fully capable of working but are neither working nor looking for work.

The population of the United States as estimated by the Census Department should be right at 315 Million people today based on starting 2012 with 312.8 Million and growing at one net person every 17 seconds including births, deaths, and immigration.

The highest workforce to population ratio ever was 64.3% and occurred in 2001. Based on a 2012 population of 315 Million that would equate to 202,545,000 people who should be in the labor force today.

The lowest workforce to population since back in the 60’s when the dual income family started to emerge as the model is 58.3% and corresponds to from 2009 until now with little change. That equates to 183,645,000 people either working full time, part time, or actively looking for work.

The number of actual full time jobs right now is 45.6% of the population or 143,640,000 people working more than 30 hours per week.

Given those numbers the number of people either looking for a job or unemployed is 40,005,000 people (19.8% of historically capable workforce).

The number of people that have just given up and dropped out of the workforce for some reason is 18,900,000 (9.3% of historically capable workforce).

The total number of people that are either unemployed, underemployed, or have dropped out is now nearly 59 Million people (29.1% of historically capable workforce?

Our government tells us the “official” unemployment rate is 7.8% that only accounts for the needs of 15,798,510 of our citizens who qualify to be counted in “official” unemployment numbers. This undercounts the workforce by a full 43,106,490 capable people who should be working by all historical measures.

These people find ways to survive including doing odd jobs for cash, finding friendly medical professionals to help them get onto disability, buying and selling merchandise in the black market, relying on the generosity of others, accessing the social safety net, or living off savings. The bottom line is that we have over 43 Million people who are in the business of surviving and paying no taxes on their income or consuming the resources of others.

The earnings of 43 Million workers at an average wage of $50,000 per year amounts to $1.72 Trillion that income and employment taxes are not paid on. From an IRS perspective it creates a shortfall in FICA taxes of $263 Billion and income taxes of roughly the same amount. This also deprives employers of roughly $172 Billion in potential profits at a profit margin of 10% which is also taxable at appropriate rates.

By kidding ourselves and allowing our government to deceive us while patting themselves on the back, our country is squandering the most valuable asset that we have in the labor, the industriousness, and the spirits of 43 Million people. We need to demand truthfulness and transparency in our government officials and statistics lest we wake up soon when some more people become “ghosts” to the reality of an “official” unemployment rate of 5% with 50 Million people who have checked out and entered survival mode. That is a burden that the rest of us will not be able to bear.

Source for Data: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3252

IS IT TRUE October 30, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE October 30, 2012

IS IT TRUE that our first order of business and interest this day is to encourage our readers to think positive thoughts and take whatever actions are at your disposal to help the people whose lives have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy?…seeing the beaches like Absecon, Margate, and Atlantic City on the Jersey Shore where this guy spent two summers in the early 80’s was a bit disturbing as were the images of New York City under the flooding?…sometimes it takes a natural disaster to remind us that we are all in this together and that none of us controls each and every day of our lives?

IS IT TRUE that one of the additive elements to the perfect storm was the fact that the moon is full?…in the desert sky the full moon was in the constellation Taurus last night?…that could actually be interpreted with the statement “Full of Bull” which brings us to politics?…the sheer number of dollars spent on campaigns at nearly every level has gotten to be staggering?…the two candidates for President of the United States are expected to spend roughly $1 Billion each to get or keep a job that pays only $400,000 per year?…it would take a President 2,500 years before taxes to earn enough money to pay for their campaign?…Senate campaigns at about $10 Million are a relative bargain and only would take 60 years of pre-tax earnings to cover the campaign?…that a mayoral contest in a place like Evansville is even more of a bargain at about $1 Million since the Mayor earns just under $100,000 and could pay for the campaign in a measly 10 years?…City Council almost seems cheap at $25,000 that can actually be paid for in about 1.3 years which is less than the term of office?

IS IT TRUE that as money and campaigning goes it is when one stops running that cashing out becomes an option?…that former Indiana Senator Evan Bayh left office with roughly $10 Million in his campaign coffers?…former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel was holding over $500,000 in the Weinzapfel for Mayor coffers just before announcing that he would not be seeking a third term in office?…there are plenty of legal ways for the “leftovers” to find their way into the personal accounts of these guys and others and exploiting those ways is not so difficult?…that speaking of the former Mayor he was spotted with Democrat Senate candidate Joe Donnelly at a north side eatery recently?…if the CCO had seen this earlier we may very well have held back on our endorsement and stuck to the policy of non-endorsement that has served us well?

IS IT TRUE before Obama was president, the U.S. ranked 40th in “favoritism in decisions of government officials” and today, the U.S. ranks 59th, a fall of 19 places?… before Obama was president, the U.S. ranked 50th for lowest “burden of government regulation” but today, the U.S. ranks 76th, a fall of 26 places?…before Obama was president, the U.S. ranked 28th in “transparency of government policy making” and today, the U.S. ranks 56th, a fall of 28 places?…our nation was founded on the idea that freedom could only be preserved if a strong executive branch of government was checked by an equally strong legislative branch?… by choosing to assert his executive power over Congress at every turn, Obama has weakened our freedom?…high unemployment and weak economic growth are direct results of these actions taken specifically to avoid collaborating with people who do not share his own views verbatim?

IS IT TRUE that for months it has been predicted that if the Obama campaign sensed the possibility of a loss that the last week would see the race card and the Mormon religion coming from the campaign surrogates?…it is now one week until election day and this morning Real Clear Politics which is a very good aggregator of good articles has 5 articles on racism in the election and one about Mormons?…it has been reported that 100 Romney signs were swiped in greater Evansville over the weekend?…this is one dirty nasty path that the CCO hopes the presidential race does not go down?…the best article on RCP about this subject is on the link below?…that just before posting this article the sound of Chris Matthews voice in the other room just yelled “they are still fighting the Civil War” and he was referring to people not supporting President Obama?…if Matthews and other pundits really want to divide the country then they are doing the right thing?…the best course of action would be for Matthews to shut his damn mouth and stop fanning the fires of hate so whomever wins this election will have a chance of uniting the American people and actually working with the congress?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/10/30/perfect_storm_race-baiting_and_the_2012_election.html

Chris Young will perform live in Evansville

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On Sale Friday, October 12 at 10:00 AM

Chris Young will perform live in Evansville, Indiana at The Centre on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m.
(doors at 6:30 p.m.) along with special guests Thomas Rhett and Joanna Smith.
The last four singles that Young has released have all hit #1 on the charts, including “Tomorrow’ and the smash hit
“Gettin’ You Home,” a song that earned him his first-ever Grammy nomination. All signs are pointing skyward as Neon
debuted as #4 on the all genre Billboard Top 200 chart with more than 72,000 first week fans declaring their devotion to
Young. He’s also received glowing review in USA Today, People, Associated Press and Billboard in addition to high
profile TV appearances on Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live! And Fox & Friends.
While all the sales numbers, accolades and awards are certainly appreciated, what Young values most about this time in
his life is that he can make a living doing what he loves most! Website: www.chrisyoungcountry.com
Chriis Young Tiicket IInfformatiion
Tickets for Chris Young and special guests Thomas Rhett and Joanna Smith $29.75, $25.00 and
$17.50, plus applicable service fees. Tickets on sale Friday, October 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Available at The Centre Box Office, Livenation.com or charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

EVSC High Schools to Host Fall Plays

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Three Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation high schools will present fall plays next week, including Bosse, Central and Reitz High Schools.

Bosse High School will perform two, one-act plays Friday, Nov. 9, and Saturday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. Performances will include “The Patient,” by Agatha Christie and “Making Nice,” by Alan Haehnel. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Central’s drama department will perform “The Wizard of Oz” November 8 – 10 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. In addition to casting students from Central High School, Central’s play also includes a cast of approximately 70 elementary students from Central feeder schools to play the role of Munchkins in the production. Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for students. Children 5 and under are free.

Reitz High School will present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged],” November 8 – 10 at 7 p.m. In addition, the theatre department also is selling personalized key chains to raise money for the department. Key chains are available in a wide variety of colors and designs. To purchase a key chain, visit www.facebook.com/FJReitzTheatre.

2012 Vanderburgh County Democrat Party Event Schedule

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VOTE EARLY – You are able to vote at the following libraries: Central, McCullough, North Park, Oaklyn, and Red Bank, Monday through Thursday, Noon to 6:00 PM, October 15 until November 2. These locations will also be open noon to 5pm on Friday, November 2. The Election Office is open for voting Monday – Friday, 8am to 4pm until noon on Monday, November 5.
10/29 11:59 PM Applications for Absentee Voting by mail must be turned in to the Clerk’s office by 11:59 PM.
10/30 5:30 – 7:30 PM Ward Rally for the 1st and 3rd Wards – The Pub, 1348 E Division St, Evansville.
11/2 Last day to Early Vote at the libraries.
11/2 5:00 PM John Gregg & Vi Simpson Workhorse Tour GOTV Rally – VCDP headquarters, 401 SE 6th St, Suite 200, Evansville. Everyone is invited to join John and Vi for some fun before the crucial Get Out The Vote period leading to Election Day. Share this event with fellow Democrats as we want to show our great Gubernatorial ticket how much we support they have in Evansville!
11/2 5:30 – 7:30 PM Dave Crooks for Congress Rally in Mt. Vernon – Steve Moore’s Pole Barn, 6620 Carson School Road, Mt. Vernon. Immediately following the Gregg-Simpson rally, join Dave and friends for live music, rib-eye sandwiches, sides and drinks. Bring a chair so you can stay and enjoy the music. Sponsor $100; Friend $50; Guest $25; or whatever you can give. RSVP to Andrew Woods at (812) 617-1906 or AWoods@DaveCrooks.com
11/3 Saturday Early voting opportunities – Election Office in the Civic Center (8:00 am to 4:00 pm); Salvation Army, 1040 N Fulton Avenue (8:00 am to 3:00 pm); Northeast Park Baptist Church, 1215 N Boeke Road (8:00 am to 3:00 pm)
11/5 NOON Early voting in the Clerk’s office closes
11/6 6:00 AM until 6:00 PM ELECTION DAY – Vote Centers are open 6:00 am until 6:00 PM. If you need information about voting, about where to vote, need a ride to a Vote Center, or have any questions, please call (812) 464-9100.
11/6 6:00 PM Election Returns Party – Hadi Shrine, 6 Walnut Street, Evansville. Join fellow Democrats for snacks and refreshments to celebrate our Democratic victories!

If you have any further events to add, please email them to jenn@vanderburghdemocrats.com

Central Dispatch Radio Training

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Evansville/Vanderburgh County Central Dispatch will be conducting fire communications training this week with new employees. Portions of this training will be conducted on closed talkgroups of the radio system in cooperation with local public safety responders. However, we are aware that our local media partners and scanner enthusiasts often open scan the frequencies of our system and may hear transmission fragments and mistake these transmissions for real-world incidents.

The majority of this radio training will occur during the following times:

12pm-3pm – Monday, October 29, 2012
7am-3pm – Tuesday, October 30, 2012
7am-3pm – Wednesday, October 31, 2012

For those that monitor scanner traffic, training will be conducted on the following talkgroup IDs. These ID’s are being provided so that you may identify the radio traffic occurring on these groups is in fact training related. Furthermore, you may also properly program your scanner in EDACS trunking mode and lock out these talkgroups to avoid any confusion.

Training talkgroup ID#’s 1194, 1188, 1189, 1190, 1191, 1192, 1184, 1185, 1186, 1187

This radio training is the best and most realistic experience that can be conducted without putting responders at risk and is a necessary step in ensuring our Telecommunicators are equipped to perform at a level of professionalism that Vanderburgh County deserves.

The operations shift supervisor on duty may be called at 812.426.7331 regarding any questions about radio traffic you might be hearing

USI will host series of events to address the worldwide demand for energy

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The Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education and the Geology and Physics department at the University of Southern Indiana, along with the Indiana-Kentucky Geological Society, Illinois Geological Society, and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, will host several public events in November to address the demand for energy in the world and the ethical and environmental issues associated with extraction of natural resources.

The three free events will be held in room 1101 of the Education Center at USI.

The first event, a presentation by Richard K. Stoneburner, will be from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, November 1. Stoneburner is president of North America Shale Production Division BHP Billiton Petroleum and will discuss “The Exploration, Appraisal, and Development of Unconventional Reservoirs: A new approach to petroleum geology.” He is an American Association of Petroleum Geologists Distinguished Lecturer with more than 35 years of experience in the energy business. More information about Stoneburner is available at http://www.aapg.org/education/dist_lect/stoneburner.cfm#abstract.

On Wednesday, November 14, Dr. W.C. ‘Rusty’ Riese will make a presentation entitled “Oil Spills, Ethics, and Society: How they intersect and where the responsibilities reside.” The lecture will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Riese has worked in both minerals and petroleum as a geologist, geochemist, and manager during more than 39 years in industry. More information about Riese is available at http://www.aapg.org/education/dist_lect/riese.cfm.

The final event in the series, a viewing of the film “Switch”, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., Monday, November 19. The purpose of the film is to engage the audience in energy awareness and efficiency, and to find practical, balanced solutions to our global energy challenges. The movie will provide a summary of topics introduced by the two lecturers. Visit http://switchenergyproject.com/ for a video introduction to the film.

Source: USI.edu

November’s First Tuesday Concert to Feature “Frankenstein!!”

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In a nod to Halloween, the University of Evansville Department of Music will perform Heinz Karl Gruber’s Frankenstein!! for next month’s installment of the First Tuesday Concert Series.

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 6 in Wheeler Concert Hall. Like all events in the First Tuesday Concert Series, it is free and open to the public.

The performing ensemble for Frankenstein!! is comprised of UE music faculty and the resident string quartet, the Eykamp String Quartet. The work, a series of children’s rhymes by H.C. Artmann, is performed by a narrator and orchestra and was originally composed in 1971 for an arts ensemble in Vienna. In 1978, Gruber reworked the composition for both full orchestra and chamber ensemble. ?

“The 33-minute work is unique in that it requires the musicians and narrator to pick up and perform on toy instruments and also to be theatrical,” said Thomas Josenhans, chair of the Department of Music. “The performance of Frankenstein!! is sure to be both enjoyable and memorable.”

Poems in the suite include “Miss Dracula,” “Goldfinger and Bond,” “John Wayne,” “Monster,” “Frankenstein,” and “Superman.”

For more information on this concert or events in the First Tuesday Concert Series, please contact the Department of Music at 812-488-2754. For a full list of concerts, please visit the department’s online concert calendar.

Source: Evansville.edu

EVSC’s Career and Technical Center to Host Open House

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The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center will host an open house for current sophomores and juniors on Monday, Nov. 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center, which is located at 1901 Lynch Rd. The open house is for students interested in enrolling in Career and Technical Education classes.

The Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center (SICTC), which serves students from Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson counties, and the southern half of Spencer county, offers 21 courses of study in 10 different career clusters. All of the programs prepare students for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand careers including 35 of the Hoosier Hot 50 jobs.

Courses offered at SICTC include: Animal science/veterinary science; architectural design (CAD); Automotive Collision Repair Technology; Automotive Services Technology; Building Construction Technology; Computer Network Technology (CISCO); Culinary Arts; Diesel Service Technology; Electricity/Residential and Industrial Technology; Floral Design/Landscape/Greenhouse Management; Graphic Communications/Digital Media Technology; Health Sciences Education; Heating/Air Conditioning/Alternative Energy Systems; Industrial Maintenance/Plastics Technology/Advanced Manufacturing; Precision Machine Metalworking Technology; Pre-Engineering/Project Lead the Way; Pre-Engineering/Mechanical, Civil, Electrical; Public Safety/Law Enforcement and Fire Technology; Small Engines/Power Mechanics; Telecommunications Media/Radio and Television; and Welding Technology.

The Career Center is identified by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education as one of the top five secondary career centers in the United States. Students may also receive dual credit for 73 different college courses at nine different colleges and universities. Yearly, approximately 3,000 dual credits are awarded.

Individuals with questions may call the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center at 435-8438 or go to www.evscschools.com/sictc.

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