This morning our Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department identified, caught, and arrested two aspiring alleged copper thieves in the act of stealing some of the valuable metal from the State Group Industrial of Highway 57 north.
The complete department description of the events that led to the arrests of Brandon Fergurson and Elizabeth White is on the following link.
Many of our readers have expressed a desire to know exactly how much money that the Vectren Corporation has contributed to certain elected officials. In a first effort to answer their questions we have examined the 2010 disclosure document of the Weinzapfel for Mayor campaign.
As we all know Mayor Weinzapfel elected not to run for Mayor yet was in fundraising mode for all of 2010 before announcing his decision not to run in early 2011. Mayor Weinzapfel’s Vectren related campaign contributions just for the calendar year 2010 totaled $12,250 and included personal donations from Vectren officers Niel Ellerbrook, Carl Chapman, Robert Heidorn, Ellis Redd, and Mike Roeder. Mayor Weinzapfel received a $5000.00 donation from the Vectren Employees Federal Pac and another $4,300 from Vectren subsidiary the Energy Systems Group.
In an observation that is not related to Vectren’s contributions to the Weinzapfel for Mayor campaign it was noticed that London Witte that was recently selected by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to lead the vetting effort of the two proposals to build and operate a downtown Convention Hotel contributed a whopping $8,500.00 to Mayor Weinzapfel before the need for vetting had been acknowledged by the ERC.
Contact Information for Elected Officials
Ron Bacon: State Representative District 75:
http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislative/contact/contact-2-5.pl?data=h075
Sue Ellspermann: State Representative District 74
http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislative/contact/contact-2-5.pl?data=h074
Suzanne Crouch: State Representative District78
http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislative/contact/contact-2-5.pl?data=h078
Wendy McNamara: State Representative District 76
http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislative/contact/contact-2-5.pl?data=h076
Gail Riecken: State Representative District 77
http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_democrats/riecken_contact.html
State Senator Jim Tomes
Contact
Statehouse Mailing Address: 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
Statehouse Telephone: 800-382-9467 or 317-232-9489
Email: Senator.Tomes@iga.in.gov
Form Letter
Date
Return Address
Politician’s Address
Honorable ____________,
As an elected official representing the people of Southwest Indiana you need to be aware of a situation that hinders our ability as a region to attract businesses and burdens you constituency with one of the highest costs of living components in the world.
As you should know, Vectren Corporation has a monopoly on the delivery of gas and electricity over approximately 140,000 households and businesses in Southwest Indiana. When governments grant a company a monopoly they do so with the understanding that the company that is granted this monopoly will make its best efforts to serve the people well and to keep its rates competitive with other providers of the same product or service.
Vectren Corporation is not fulfilling its part of this covenant. Vectren’s residential electricity rates are the highest in the State of Indiana by 55% over the state average and by 41% over the second highest electricity provider in Indiana. Our nearest city to the south, Henderson, Kentucky that has a municipal utility that has a residential rate that is a full 66% below Vectren’s rate. As a matter of fact a typical electric bill in Evansville, Indiana of $155.00 would only be about $50.00 for the same use in Henderson.
As an elected official and as a steward of the people of SW Indiana’s well being does this disturb you? If it does not then it should because the people who put you into office are disturbed and confused. How can an electrical rate change so much at the border? There is no justifiable reason for a commodity like electricity to have a premium of over 200% that kicks in when one crosses the border from Kentucky to Indiana. You as an elected official and as a resident should be concerned too.
In an economy that is still unstable and a job market that is lethargic we count on our elected officials to push for good public policy that benefits the people of SW Indiana. Paying triple what our friends and neighbors to the south pay for electricity is not the produce of good public policy.
My family and I are begging you to do what you can to level the economic playing field for power costs in SW Indiana. Our air is still polluted, our sewers need to be repaired, and with power costs that are not competitive our probability for attracting jobs is at an all time low. Please do what you can to expose and reverse this oppressive monopoly.
Sincerely Yours,
Your name
December 1, 2010: It is time for Vectren to Explain Why SW Indiana is an ISLAND of Exorbitant Electricity Rates
December 1, 2010
https://city-countyobserver.com/2010/12/01/evansvilles-high-power-costs-rank-with-chicago-washington-d-c-boston-phoenix-and-coastal-california/
December 6, 2010: IS IT TRUE
https://city-countyobserver.com/2010/12/07/is-it-true-december-6-2010/
December 7, 2010: IS IT TRUE
https://city-countyobserver.com/2010/12/07/is-it-true-december-7-2010/
December 9, 2010: IS IT TRUE
https://city-countyobserver.com/2010/12/09/is-it-true-december-9-2010/
December 11, 2010: IS IT TRUE
https://city-countyobserver.com/2010/12/11/is-it-true-december-11-2010/
July 9, 2011: Evansville Competitive Realities Report
https://city-countyobserver.com/2011/07/09/evansville-competitive-realities-report/
IS IT TRUE August 21, 2011
IS IT TRUE that we are pleased that the Evansville Courier and Press has finally put the fact that Vectren has the overwhelmingly highest rates in the State of Indiana on its front page and above the fold?…that in the body of the article one learns that Vectren’s residential rate is 55% above the average for the State of Indiana and even as much as 288% higher than the lowest cost places?…that the headline in the hardcopy was “Vectren sets pace on utility billingâ€?…that on first blush for headline surfers it would be easy to conclude that they were announcing a new and improved way to send you a bill?…that at least the online headline reflects the body of the article which is unfortunately that Vectren’s customers are paying a tremendous premium for electricity as compared to the rest of Indiana?…that the City County Observer has been doing our best to educate the public to the reality of this monopolistic reaming for over a year now?…that we are quite pleased and impressed that the local flagship news agency has finally awakened from their coma to help us educate the public about this situation?
IS IT TRUE that the numbers with respect to Henderson were ignored in the Courier article but have been written about extensively in the CCO?…that Evansville competes for people and businesses with Henderson as they are very similar cities?…that Vectren’s residential rates when compared to Henderson’s are roughly 212% higher than they are across the money saving bridge?…that from a consumer perspective that such a difference would never survive a free market challenge?…that if a gallon of gas that is $3.50 in Evansville could be bought for $1.18 in Henderson that everyone would be well served to cross the bridge to buy gas?…that if $200 worth of groceries in an Evansville market could be purchased in Henderson for $67.26 that everyone would be well served to shop for food across the money saving bridge?…that the only thing that allows Vectren to “have their way†with the residents of SW Indiana is the Indiana State Legislature that sanctions this monopoly?
IS IT TRUE that if you are an average customer using about 1,000 kWh per month then over the course of one year you will be paying about $1,200 more for electricity than you would if you lived in Henderson?…that if you enjoy being treated like this then you should remain silent and write the checks?…that if you think this is a travesty and you want to make your opinion known that you should contact your elected officials repeatedly and let them know what you think?…that a good plan could be to send letters to your elected officials monthly when you pay your Vectren bill?…that 140,000 letters per month would get your elected representatives attention?
IS IT TRUE that Evansville competes with Henderson for jobs too?…that SW Indiana has been fixated on attracting manufacturing jobs for as long as most of us can remember?…that manufacturing using massive amounts of electricity?…that for all practical purposes that to an outside entity Evansville and Henderson are the same community?…that Evansville and Henderson use the same airport, roads, infrastructure, and retail businesses?…that if you are an outside entity that has decided to move to “Evansville†and are deciding where to locate that when you see that electricity is TRIPLE the PRICE in Indiana that your choice will probably be to choose Henderson?…that may explain to a large extent why the manufacturing base in Vectren’s territory has been shrinking faster than the population of the City of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that contrary to popular belief that Toyota and AK Steel our two largest attraction projects in the last 20 years are NOT VECTREN CUSTOMERS?…that we are not surprised by this?…that they are both about as close to Evansville as you can get without being in Vectren’s territory?…that we encourage you to read the Courier article for more details?
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/aug/20/vectrens-residential-customers-pay-states-rates/
Excerpts:
“Jobs — good, six-figure jobs, with perks like free haircuts and lessons on how to create the next start-up company — are here for the taking, at least for software engineers. And for anyone with a decent idea and the drive to start a company, $100,000 to get it off the ground is easy to come by.”
“Backing another start-up is a status symbol, the No. 1 splurge, and it captures both the tech industry’s belief in the future and its fear of missing the next big thing.”
“by 2010, start-up investing was booming again with money from angel investors playing with their own cash, and this year the I.P.O. markets opened wide to tech companies for the first time since 2007.”
“Twenty-two tech companies went public in the second quarter alone this year worth $5.5 billion, the highest dollar amount since 2000, according to the National Venture Capital Association. Only six went public in all of 2008.
The valuations of young start-ups, meanwhile, have been defying gravity. Almost 1,000 raised $7.5 billion from venture capitalists in the second quarter, up 19 percent from the first quarter and 61 percent from the same period in 2009.”
“You never change the way you dress,†says an executive at one hot start-up who made a small fortune at a previous one. He wore an orange T-shirt. “You don’t want to flaunt it,†he adds, “especially in front of your employees. So you might buy a car that’s nice but not too fancy — maybe a Prius or a BMW, but definitely not a Bentley — and take up a hobby like kite surfing. You occasionally charter a plane to fly privately, especially if it gives you more time to work on your start-up. Efficiency makes sense to engineers; splurging for splurging’s sake does not.”
“Instead, the biggest splurge for the valley’s nouveau riche is angel investing, putting $25,000 or $100,000 into a friend’s start-up to keep the cycle going.”
“That’s where all the money goes,†says Alex Rampell, a co-founder of TrialPay, an online advertising start-up in Mountain View. “It’s not about making it back. It’s about feeling good — and doing what’s accepted.â€
“The scene was an office-warming party for Airbnb, a service for people who want to rent rooms in their homes. It had just joined the club of start-ups, including Spotify, Square and Gilt, that were valued at $1 billion or more by their investors; its new office was befitting of a company with $112 million in fresh capital.”
Take That: August 20, 2011
IN RESPONSE TO: Sustainable and Unsustainable Affordable Housing
“I can’t really blame the city 100% for the FDP fiasco, it’s federal grant money therefor it has strings attached all the way back to DC, the way the money is being wasted is partially the fault of our city getting “free†money with little vision on how to get the most bang for the buck. It’s typical of any federal program to waste taxpayers money we are a bottomless pit when it comes to funding, the problem is local governments also look at the tax-base that way. “ blanger
“Thanks and congratulations to Rev. Brooks, the Memorial Community Development Corp. and Councilwoman Robinson for doing something that makes sense.†BigPappa
“Common Sense? Evansville? Weinzapfel and company,– “We don’t need no stinking Common Sense.†“We got Keys to the Public Piggy Bankâ€! Just 133 days till They’re gone.†Crashlarue
“The 620 Washington site was a money loser BEFORE the project was started. Somebody made a lifetime earnings off this house.†Taxman
“The house at 620 was also funded by Indiana Landmarks. It is a historic home that was saved through the efforts of the city and Indiana Landmarks. I commend Mr. and Mrs. Phillips for purchasing the house and moving into a struggling downtown neighborhood. It was for sale for quite some time and many others had the opportunity to buy the home.†Preservation advocate
“Who can argue with the Phillip’s logic to pick up a bargain due to a misguided government giveaway program. $300,000 out of the hands of the taxpayers to benefit the Phillips family. This house and the Front Door Pride program are Evansville’s version of the failed “cash for clunkers†where the president did the same thing with cars.
The Phillips’s simply took advantage of local government stupidity and were possibly rewarded with Mr. Phillips getting a political appointment to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission.
With relatives of elected officials buying FDP houses and political appointees being handed $300,000 discount deals on housing, Evansville is beginning to look like Venezuela. The other residents of the historic district spend their own hard earned dollars on their preservation passion. Why can’t elected and appointed officials do the same.†EvilUglyReality
IS IT TRUE August 20, 2011
IS IT TRUE that St. Benedict’s is not the only charitable organization to have been the unsuspecting recipient of counterfeit money this week?…that lower denominations than the fake $100 bill that was exchanged for $80 of real money in the nationally reported offering plate counterfeiter are showing up in Evansville?…that the latest charity to be the subject of counterfeiting was the Goodwill Industries Store at 4,600 West Lloyd Expressway?…that this time it was a fake $20 bill that was attempted to be used to purchase an ash tray?…that of course the person who tried this was more interested in the change than the ashtray but that the astute clerk used a marker that fingered the bad bill for what it was?…that when the clerk was contacting the store manager that the would be passer of a counterfeit Jackson grabbed the bill and ran off?…that someone within walking distance probably sold a $1 item later that same day?
IS IT TRUE that there are reports in the past week of counterfeit $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills right here in Evansville?…that it leads one to wonder if we have a new manufacturer that has set up shop here or if this is some criminal minded entrepreneurial attempt at Quantitative EASING?…that people in general are pretty good a survival and that in a rotten economy one survival trick would be to print counterfeit money?…that when one of our enterprising but lawbreaking citizens does this it is called COUNTERFEITING and brings the law arm of the law into sight very quickly?…that when the United States government prints money and quietly uses it to buy securities it is called QUANTITATIVE EASING?…that the net result is the same?…that both of these activities devalues our currency and makes us suspicious of our legal tender?
IS IT TRUE that it has been estimated that due to the collapse of home values that up to 50% of the homeowners in America are being over-assessed for property taxes?…that in states like Indiana that have mandated market value assessment that the only homes that are not over-assessed are the ones that were wrong to begin with or the ones that have changed hands in a recent transaction?…that if you are one of those homeowners whose home is assessed and taxed at a value that is higher than market value that you can appeal that assessment and correct it?…that savings of 20% or more are not unusual?…that the appeal process is very easy and that the staff of the Vanderburgh County Assessor’s Office can assist you with your appeal?…that City County Observer Mole #1 has made seven (7) appeals and has a 100% success rate?
IS IT TRUE that patent value gained broad national attention this week when Google paid $12.5 Billion for Motorola Mobility?…that over $7 Billion of those dollars were acknowledged to have been the value of Motorola’s patent portfolio?…that one of the largest holders of US Patents is the Federal Lab Consortium?…that GAGE has an agreement that makes the entire patent portfolio of the FLC available for preferred licensing to businesses in a 28 county region in 3 states in and around Evansville?…that this agreement was signed three (3) years ago in September of 2008?…that it is about time that this program became more than just a stack of paper?…that if the patent portfolio of Motorola is worth $7 Billion than it is not unreasonable to value the patent portfolio of the FLC to be valued at well into the TRILLIONS of dollars?…that this wealth of knowledge in pretty much free for the taking through GAGE and has been for three years?…that it is about time that GAGE and its sponsors like the City of Evansville did something tangible with this agreement?…that the HOW and WHO about doing something with this gift horse needs to be front and center in the upcoming campaign for Mayor of Evansville?
