Sesame Street asks Obama campaign to take down attack ad featuring Big Bird, by: Daniel Strauss
Sesame Street wants President Obama’s campaign to take down its latest attack ad against Mitt Romney, which features footage of Big Bird.
“Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns,” a Tuesday statement on Sesameworkshop.org reads. “We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down.”
The Obama campaign said it would review the request.
“We’ve received and will review their concerns,” said an Obama campaign official.
The statement from the workshop behind the popular children’s show came a few hours after the Obama campaign released the ad, which attacks Romney for his call to cut PBS funding.
The heavy-hitting ad compares “Sesame Street” character Big Bird, whom Romney mentioned during last Wednesday’s presidential debate, to corporate titans prosecuted for financial misdeeds.
“Bernie Madoff. Ken Lay. Dennis Kozlowski: Criminals. Gluttons of greed. And the evil genius who towered over them?” a voice-over says as a silhouette of Big Bird moves on screen.
Romney’s mention of Big Bird during the debate brought the yellow puppet back into the national spotlight, causing a frenzy on the social media website Twitter and leading to a cameo by Big Bird on “Saturday Night Live.”
“I like PBS. I love Big Bird. Actually, I like you, too,†Romney said to debate moderator Jim Lehrer, the host of PBS’s “NewsHour.” “But I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for.”
The Obama campaign has since mocked Romney over the remark, with the new ad being the latest attack on the Republican presidential candidate.
“Big, yellow, a menace to our economy,” the ad says. “Mitt Romney knows it’s not Wall Street you have to worry about, it’s Sesame Street.”
Source: TheHill.com
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Leadership Evansville announce new VOICE dates
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Leadership Evansville announce new VOICE dates
“VOICE†Initiative to Gather Citizens’ Ideas for Evansville’s Preferred Future
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) October 8, 2012 – Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Leadership Evansville Executive Director Lynn Miller-Pease announce more visioning sessions for VOICE that include partnerships with local educational institutions, beginning with Ivy Tech Community College. VOICE is Evansville’s community-wide, citizen-driven vision process that allows community members to share their ideas, hopes and visions for Evansville’s preferred future.
Meeting Dates:
• October 10, 2012 @ IVY Tech Community College, 5:30- 7:30 p.m.
• October 29, 2012 @ University of Evansville Ridgeway University Center, 4- 6:30 p.m.
• November 14, 2012 @University of Southern Indiana Carter Hall, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Through facilitated sessions, VOICE aims to bring together diverse members of the community to discuss their dreams for Evansville in an open forum. The facilitation is led in such a way that respectful conversations will occur, all voices will be heard, and opinions will be documented, ensuring that the entire community has the opportunity to take part in creating a desired future.
“This is really about building trust amongst the members of our community and learning that if we all join together and have civil dialogue about our future desires and current issues, we can create a strong society that will thrive and grow. Through this effort, I am confident that Evansville will become a place where people from all over will want to live, work and play,†said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.
Multiple VOICE sessions will be held throughout the year in order to obtain feedback from people of all ages, all ethnic and religious backgrounds and multiple neighborhoods.
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“I firmly believe that communities with a shared vision, and an appropriate processes to capture, record and inspire action around common goals can achieve healthier, more vibrant futures,†said Miller-Pease. “The approach we are taking with VOICE is allowing citizens to actively create and participate in envisioning their own their own future, so they can dream big and be part of making it happen.â€
The VOICE Process
• Leadership Evansville will facilitate discussion sessions at easy-to-access public locations, such as Evansville Public Library System branches and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation schools. The sessions will be advertised in neighborhood newsletters, the newspaper, television, radio and Internet.
• Comments from each session will be available to the participants and the public. A summary and detailed notes will be posted on the VOICE Web site within one week of the session.
• Once all comments are collected, additional community sessions will occur to verify that the information collected truly represents participants’ opinions.
• Then, common themes and ideas will be grouped by topic area to serve guidance for those organizations, businesses, universities, individuals and government bodies with interest in that topic to move forward with further research and planning toward a common goal.
About the Leadership Evansville Facilitation
Since 1977, Leadership Evansville has been known for its superior processes and excellence in facilitation and leadership in the community. Its programming is researched, tested, evaluated, and refined. It continues to be emulated by leadership programs around the country because it is at the forefront of best practices. The LE facilitation method brings together people with different talents, gifts, and perspectives leaders committed to using diversity and creativity for the betterment of the community. It encourages individuals to make a commitment to create a better community, and to take responsibility for making sustainable changes. These attitudes, skills, and processes are taught to adults, youth, organizations, not-for-profits, businesses, educational institutions, neighborhood associations, churches, and other leadership programs. LE’s most recent projects include facilitations for the Glenwood Leadership Academy, Indiana Supreme Court Commission on Race and Gender Fairness, and the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana.
Monsanto Scarecrow Contest-Held in Conjunction with Old National Bank Boo at the Zoo
Monsanto Scarecrow Contest – Last Chance to Enter!
Held in Conjunction with Old National Bank Boo at the Zoo
Evansville, IN – Participate in Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s 2nd annual Scarecrow Contest, Presented by Monsanto! Create a scarecrow big or small, silly or serious, frightening or friendly! Zoo visitors will vote on their favorite Scarecrow between October 15th & 20th! Scarecrows will be displayed from October 15th – November 1st, 2012.
Being a part of this event is easy! Choose between the following two categories: Family/Individual or Business/Organization. First Place Grand Prize: $250 CASH plus prizes valuing more than $500! Second Place Prize: $50 CASH plus prizes valuing more than $500! Deadline to register: October 13th! Turn in your registration form and Scarecrow this Saturday, October 13th. Registration form and more information are available here.
WARRICK COUNTY GOP ANNUAL FALL DINNER & AUCTION
WARRICK COUNTY GOP ANNUAL FALL DINNER & AUCTION
WHEN: Friday October 12, 2012
5:30p.m. – Doors Open/Social Time
6:00p.m. – Dinner
WHERE: Chandler Community Center
Chandler, IN
COST: $17.50 per person
$30.00 per couple
AFTER DINNER, PLEASE JOIN US AS WE WILL BE AUCTIONING VARIOUS DONATED ITEMS BY EITHER
SILENT OR LIVE AUCTION.
RSVP BY Monday, October 8
th
FOR QUESTIONS OR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT TINA BAXTER AT 812-897-4257 or
ptbaxter@msn.com.
TO DONATE AUCTION ITEMS, PLEASE CONTACT LINDA HARDERT AT 812-430-3311 OR
lghmco@wowway.com.
______________________________________________________
Mail to: Warrick County Republicans
Fall Dinner Reservations
P.O. Box 127
Boonville, IN 47601
How many__________________ $enclosed__________________
Name(s)___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Please have mailed or called by 10/8/12
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, October 8, 2012.
Tony Binder, Jr. Failure to Register as a Sex or Violent Offender – Class D Felony
Illegal Sex Offender Residency –Class D Felony
Criminal Trespass – Class A Misdemeanor
Jimmy Dillon, Jr. Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Bryan Lewis Operating a Vehicle with a BAC of .08 or More – Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Dougneckeo Madison Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Marcus Sherman Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony
Serlida Smith Assisting a Criminal – Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement – Class A Misdemeanor
Otis Thomas Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury –Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Strangulation – 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
Keep Evansville Beautiful Indiana Department of Correction Teams with INDOT and Vanderburgh County Sheriff
Keep Evansville Beautiful Indiana Department of Correction Teams with INDOT and Vanderburgh County Sheriff
Press Conference: Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 10:00 am (Central/Evansville Time)
Keep Evansville Beautiful Office
209 Main Street
Evansville, IN 47708
Planning to attend: Keep Evansville Beautiful, Department of Correction Commissioner Bruce Lemmon, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams, and staff from both Branchville and Wabash Valley Correctional Facility
Branchville, Indiana – The Indiana Department of Correction is teaming with the Indiana Department of Transportation, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, and Keep Evansville Beautiful to assist Vanderburgh County with area beautification projects.
This partnership is the first of its kind for Keep Evansville Beautiful and the Indiana Department of Correction. The local non-profit organization Keep Evansville Beautiful will organize and oversee the project. Offenders from Branchville Correctional Facility and Wabash Valley Correctional Facility will be transported to Vanderburgh County to pick up and bag litter along most major thoroughfares. INDOT will provide all safety equipment, funding for waste disposal, and needed signage to inform motorists of any traffic changes. Vanderburgh County Community Correction’s offenders, under the supervision of the Vanderburgh County Sherriff’s Office, will then collect and dispose of all waste bags.
All IDOC offenders assigned to the work detail are offenders who have been cleared by the facilities to work off prison grounds and will be supervised by Indiana Department of Correction staff. Off ground work crews routinely pick up trash along interstates and work in Indiana parks throughout the state.
“This partnership is not only a great deal for Indiana taxpayers and Vanderburgh County but it provides an opportunity for offenders to give back to the communities from which they have often taken so much,†Indiana Department of Correction Commissioner Bruce Lemmon said.
“Keep Evansville Beautiful is delighted to partner with the Indiana Department of Correction, Indiana Department of Transportation, and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff to clean litter from our state roads. This partnership will create a better environment and encourage economic development in the area,†Keep Evansville Beautiful President Cheryl Musgrave said.
IS IT TRUE October 9, 2012 (Quips and Comments about AuditGATE)
IS IT TRUE October 9, 2012 (Quips and Comments about AuditGATE)
IS IT TRUE last night’s City Council meeting was the first in many years that had the kind of INTERVENTION language that can lead to positive change?…that people and cities have to come to the realization that they are face down in the gutter before a resolve to improve can really solidify?…that the City County Observer hopes that last night’s City Council meeting serves as a turning point for the City of Evansville that seems to many to be one scandal away from a Detroit style Kwame Kirkpatrick meltdown?…there were some very revealing statements made last night by a plethora of people that were not rehearsed that say much about where we are as a city?…here are some that we have chosen but we invite our commenters to add to the list?
“Evansville has no grant managerâ€
“Not having an unqualified audit opinion is troubleâ€;
“the SBOA Auditor was shocked and amazed that paralleling was not incorporatedâ€
“that earns an F in IT 101â€
“the Winnecke Administration was cited for not being forthcomingâ€
“Fraud has not yet been alleged by anyoneâ€
All from John Friend
“It was caught last year and it is important to note this is resolved†City Attorney Ted Ziemer (architect of the Earthcare Energy Contract)
“This is not completely resolved yet†Controller Russ Lloyd (30 seconds after Ziemer said it was resolved)
“the adjustments appear to have changed the cash balance by about $30 Million†John Friend
“Just when should the City Council have been notified†Councilman Conor O’Daniel
“The Council should know when the books are not balanced†Conor O’Daniel
“Are you telling us that we passed the 2012 budget without balanced books?†Council President Connie Robinson
“the contract looks like you could sell us a person with a GED and no experience for $90,000 per year†Connie Robinson
“Overdrawn accounts have been standard practice at the City of Evansville for years†Controller Russ Lloyd Jr.
“there may be a covenant violation with the Arena Bonds†John Friend
“Let’s finish this up†Russ Lloyd Jr. (repeated at least a dozen times)
“will there ever be a decent readable budget?†Dr. Dan Adams
“if we pay for an outside audit the SBOA may call the Attorney General on us†Russ Lloyd Jr.
“an outside audit will be about $250,000 and Russ Lloyd will have to pay for it†John Friend
“I was not the Controller when this started†Russ Lloyd
“GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT†Steve Titzer, CPA
“the old system with Excel to reconcile worked fine†former Controller Jenny Collins
“switching over without paralleling turned out to be a big mistake†Jenny Collins
“we always thought we were two weeks from being finished†Jenny Collins
“the accountants didn’t understand IT and the IT folks didn’t understand accounting†Steve Titzer & Jenny Collins
“the Munis system is working in Fort Wayne and Plainfield†Russ Lloyd Jr.
“the books at SMG were so bad we could not audit them†Steve Titzer
“the drug purchase money has been comingled for over 15 years†Russ Lloyd Jr.
“the balances were still changing for December 2011 in July 2012†Russ Lloyd Jr.
“Parking loses money so an account was never set up†Russ Lloyd Jr.
“the bottom line is the Weinzapfel Administration dumped a bucket of poop on the Winnecke Administration†Dr. Dan Adams
“You knew what to do and you chose not to do it†Councilwoman Stephanie Riley (directed at jenny Collins)
“We have a contractual issue here†Councilman Jonathan Weaver
“we are not a middle person in any of this stuff†Mark Rolley
“All you have to provide according to this contract is a warm body†Connie Robinson (directed at Mark Rolley)
“Who picked Tyler†several City Council members
“Matt Arvay, myself and MRC person, and the department heads†Jenny Collins (response to Who picked Tyler)
“we saved the City of Evansville $100,000 or more on an overkill server they wanted to buy†Mark Rolley
“I don’t remember if it was an RFP or an RFQ†Jenny Collins
“transferring money from the right pocket to the left pocket and back again runs up the transaction numbers†Umbaugh guy named Dan
“collapsing 8 funds into 2 destroyed the audit trail†John Friend
“most peer cities use CAFR reporting†Dan from Umbaugh
“CAFR was used in Evansville until 2003 when Russ Lloyd Jr. left office of Mayor†John Friend
“Evansville’s financial records do not even resemble those of peer cities†Dan from Umbaugh
And our favorite: “why is there nothing in the Courier and Press about this fiasco†that was posted in many comments and forms this morning.
IS IT TRUE those are the quotes and paraphrases we were able to capture from last night?…this is the voice of a City crying out for leadership and vision after a period in a Sea of Idiocy?…we truly hope that tonight is the night that starts the long climb out of this 60 year hole of incompetence and mediocrity that has been dug by Evansville’s public officials and sanctioned by the people of Evansville by continuing to vote them into office?
IS IT TRUE- Part 2 October 9, 2012 (AuditGATE)
IS IT TRUE October 9, 2012
IS IT TRUE topic #2 of interest in last night’s City Council meeting was of course AuditGATE? …AuditGATE is the name we are choosing to call the series of events and decisions that lead to the City of Evansville getting a DISCLAIMER statement on the 2011 SBOA audit because the accounts had not been reconciled for all of 2011?…Councilman John Friend made it clear last night that an even bigger and more costly negative associated with this buffoonery is a bond rating downgrade that would raise the interest rate on borrowing?…Friend stated that a 1% rise in interest rates would cost the City $1.3 Million?…what he didn’t mention is that for the $500 Million EPA mandated sewer project that same 1% increase will increase the interest expense by $5 Million per year for the life of the bonds?…that even a stooge can do the math on this one to learn that $5 Million per year for 20 years is $100 Million?…that Friend quoted the SBOA auditor as being “shocked and amazed that paralleling was not done during the time that the new software was being installed to preserve the ability to reconcileâ€?…the best description of what happened is that the Evansville Controller’s office got an F in Information Technology 101?
IS IT TRUE that one of the things of interest is the timing of who knew what and when with respect to failure to reconcile?…that Jenny Collins, the Controller for the Weinzapfel Administration and some staff members at this time would have been aware of the failures during mid-February 2011 when they would have tried to reconcile the books for January 2011?…that Ms. Collins testified that she brought some consultants in to attempt to correct the situation in the summer of 2011 so at that point the knowledge would have spread to the consultants and the approval chain to pay those consultants?…it is safe to assume that former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel would have learned of the failure to reconcile at the latest when Ms. Collins needed to pay her chosen consultants?…Winnecke Administration Controller Russ Lloyd was candid in admitting that he learned about these failures in January of 2012 when trying to reconcile the December 2011 books?…that the entrance meeting for the 2011 Audit opened on June 5, 2012 so at that time select members of the Winnecke Administration would have known?…John Friend was advised of what was coming at around that time by an associate at the SBOA?…the lid was blown off the 20 months of keeping the dirty little secret that the City of Evansville could not balance its books when the SBOA posted the audit a couple of weeks ago?…now we all know that the last 21 months have been a time of flying blind in the Evansville Controller’s office and now the real questions are what to do about it and how to prevent it from happening again?
IS IT TRUE that witness after witness stated things that can all basically be boiled down to WORKFORCE ISSUES?…Steve Titzer of Harding, Shymanski, and Associates, one of the consulting firms that Ms. Collins brought in during the summer of 2011 and the final signature on the embattled Johnson Controls deal that the Weinzapfel Administration jammed through in its final week, inelegantly but accurately stated “GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT†when it comes to integrating a software package?…the real problem with integrating the Munis system was started by an internal decision to make the shiny new MILLION DOLLAR software look and feel like the old software that it was replacing?…that is right, a decision was made to dust up, dumb down, and devalue the new MILLION DOLLAR software that has been integrated successfully in other cities across the country so the EVANSVILLE WORKFORCE IN THE CONTROLLER’S OFFICE would be more comfortable with it?…the question of WHO made that decision was asked by several City Council members but a real answer never was given?…Ms. Collins shared that two supposedly key employees left for better jobs during the integration?…Mark Rolley whose firm was hired to assist in the integration but not in financial analysis openly stated that his contract was priced so low that he could not hire qualified people to do the job so he did the best he could?…the most comical part of last night’s intense meeting was supplied by Council President Connie Robinson who read from the MRC contract and stated that “there are no qualifications or education in here for the person you supply to us. You could just get someone with a GED that did their best and we are on the hook for itâ€?…Robinson delivered the line in a comical way but that it was a pathetic exclamation point on the compensation packages offered for professional employees and consultants that the City of Evansville chooses to hire for dollars and nonsense purposes?…if the City of Evansville under the Weinzapfel Administration could not hire a Controller with a CPA who could not keep professional staff or hire qualified consultants it is no wonder the City of Evansville is in a position of having a DISCLAIMER AUDIT that puts its borrowing cost at risk?…this is a fine example of penny wise and dollar stupid public policy?
IS IT TRUE that the outcome of this latest core value based fiasco is that money was wasted, many funds were comingled, $17.7 Million of ARENA BONDS WERE ALSO COMINGLED, 21 violations of Indiana laws happened, DMD was singled out for having no written plan during the Weinzapfel era, and the City Council was disrespected and intentionally kept in the dark for over a year?…that the last and perhaps most illuminating cascade of stupidity was the exposure that the parking funds were comingled because the parking enforcement department is losing money?…that even middle school class would figure out that the answer to the parking enforcement department losing money is to institute FREE PARKING?…parking enforcement has been a losing proposition for as long as Evansville has had such a thing?…our challenge to the Winnecke Administration is either to remedy this in 6 months or get rid of it and make parking in downtown Evansville FREE?…we wonder if it is really worth making downtown shoppers angry so the City can lose money?…it is time for at least one touch of sanity in what has become a SEA OF MADNESS at the Civic Center?
EVSC School Board Approves JAG Program for Academy for Innovative Studies
EVSC School Board Approves JAG Program for Academy for Innovative Studies
The Board of School Trustee for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation has approved a partnership with Vincennes University to provide the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Program to selected students at the Academy for Innovative Studies.
Vincennes University will provide an instructor, a career building curriculum, assessments, interest inventories, and numerous opportunities to gain work experience and exposure to various careers for students in the JAG program.
“In order to qualify for JAG, students must demonstrate that they are motivated to graduate and successfully complete the program,†said Kristine Eichholz, assistant director of AIS-First Avenue. “Students must also meet income guidelines and JAG instructors prefer juniors or seniors. Staff members were asked to nominate students for the JAG class based on behavior, attendance, motivation, and grades.â€
The instructor will be housed at AIS for one day each week at each of the AIS campuses and will work with selected students at each campus to determine their career interests, do workshops on resume building, interview skills, and put them in situations where they have an opportunity to use the skills they have learned, including internship opportunities. JAG will also provide guest speakers, college visits, and learning opportunities to all students at both campuses.
“Our students have been extremely interested in this program. They ask every day if they have been nominated, and they quickly point out their attributes that make them JAG material,†Eichholz added.
Karen Scheessele, director of special services for the EVSC said, “The EVSC and Vincennes University have worked extremely hard to bring the JAG Program to students at AIS. It has the potential to make a profound impact in the lives of students who are selected to participate. This is a true example of bringing learning to life.â€
Funding for the program will be at no cost to the EVSC. It is provided through the Workforce Investment Act.