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The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Endorsement of Glenda Ritz‏

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Fort Wayne Journal Gazette – Published: October 14, 2012

Editorial

Indiana public schools are struggling under the leadership of Tony Bennett, superintendent of public instruction. His unproven experiment in school choice and privatization has strained local districts at the very time they’ve needed the support and resources of a strong Indiana Department of Education.
Fortunately, his challenger, Glenda Ritz, demonstrates the skill and passion to help all students and recognizes the state’s civic health and economy depend on strong public schools. Her experience in communicating a classroom perspective to legislators is sorely needed as educators grapple with a host of new laws and regulations.
Indiana enjoyed almost 24 years of steady, collaborative effort to improve public education under Republicans H. Dean Evans and Suellen Reed, but Bennett’s election four years ago marked an end to the partnership among policymakers, educators, parents and the business community. The noteworthy improvement Indiana schools have made in recent years, including higher graduation rates, is the result of the foundation Evans and Reed set.
Rather than follow their example, Bennett cleaned house, replacing experienced educators with a DOE staff whose frequent turnover has left school districts struggling to interpret rules and requirements. He took advantage of GOP majorities to push an expansive legislative agenda, including the nation’s most expansive voucher program. Before its effects are even known, he is looking to extend it, eliminating the restriction that vouchers go only to students who first attend public school.
While enthusiastically promoting vouchers and charter schools, Bennett has expanded state control of local schools and exercised authority to hand them over to for-profit operators. Through the rule-making process, he has weakened the licensing requirements for teachers and administrators and now champions the national Common Core academic standards – less rigorous than Indiana’s highly acclaimed standards – and a new test to replace ISTEP+.

Also troubling are his ties with out-of-state donors and corporate interests. He spent much of 2011 traveling the country, often at the expense of groups looking to privatize schools. His campaign donors include wealthy school-choice proponents. Wal-Mart heir Alice Walton gave him $200,000, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed $40,000. Some of the largest have come from groups backed by hedge-fund managers. Bennett’s campaign chest is nearing $1.5 million. Compare that to the $39,000 Reed had raised at the end of her 2004 re-election contest. Ritz has raised about $100,000 to compete against Bennett.
What she lacks in fundraising prowess, Ritz makes up for in experience. A library media specialist for Washington Township schools in Marion County, she is one of just 155 Indiana educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, considered the gold standard in teacher certification.

Ritz proposes more local input in policy promulgated by the state. She said she would begin with a comprehensive assessment of school needs, including curriculum and technology.
“DOE is going to be bottom up instead of top down,” Ritz said.
She also pledges to support early learning and to stop increased reliance on standardized testing, now misappropriated to paint public schools, districts, students and teachers as failures. The inaccurate depiction doesn’t serve the state in attracting jobs or retaining young families.
Voters should compare the leadership styles and results of a politically ambitious superintendent versus his two widely respected predecessors. Ritz promises to serve more in the mold of Evans and Reed; she’s the easy choice for Indiana’s top education post.

Open House Oct. 18 at EVSC’s Early College High School

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Open House is planned at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Early College High School on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The event will take place at Ivy Tech Community College – where Early College is housed – in rooms 101 and 102.
Now in its third year, Early College is enrolling this year’s eighth graders to be next year’s freshman class. The open house is designed as a night for families to learn more about the program and see the college atmosphere in which students will have their classes.
Students enrolled in the EVSC Early College High School spend half of their day at their home high school and the other half on the campus of Ivy Tech during their freshman and sophomore years. During their junior year, students will choose degree pathways offered through Vincennes University or Ivy Tech. Students may also enroll at select courses offered at the University of Evansville.
Students at Early College High School can earn a high school diploma and earn college credit toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
Early College allows students to attend college classes and explore career options; reduce family tuition costs; learn in a small, personalized environment, and gain self-confidence with high quality work experience and support.
Go to sites.evscschools.com/earlycollege to learn more. Have questions? Call Director Wendy McNamara at 812-492-0532.

Keep Evansville Beautiful & Alcoa Warrick Operations Sponsor “Cans for Cash Challenge”

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Keep Evansville Beautiful & Alcoa Warrick Operations Sponsor “Cans for Cash Challenge”

Keep Evansville Beautiful and Alcoa Warrick Operations are currently working together on a
six-week Cans for Cash Challenge, which aims to encourage more people to recycle their aluminum
beverage cans.
The challenge, which runs now until November 12, will award cash prizes to charitable
organizations that have aluminum cans recycled in their name. For every five pounds collected,
recyclers will earn a chance for a drawing that will benefit a charity of their choice. The winners will be
announced on America Recycles Day, which is November 15.
The recycler can keep the money they get from recycling the cans or donate the money later to a
charity. Regardless, every recycler who recycles at least five pounds will be able to enter a charity into
the drawing for cash prizes, provided by Alcoa Warrick Operations.
Entry forms for the Cans for Cash Challenge can be obtained from the two participating
recyclers: Material Recycling Inc. 2340 North Burkhardt Road or Tri-State Resource Recovery, 1500
Read Street.
Alcoa, which sponsors this local program with Keep Evansville Beautiful, has set a strategic goal
to increase the U.S. recycling rates of used beverage cans to 75 percent by 2015. Although aluminum is
the most recycled consumer packaging material on Earth, the United States lags behind many other
nations in recycling aluminum. This metal, unlike other packaging materials, is infinitely recyclable, and
a beverage can that is recycled today can be back on the shelf as a new can within 60 days.
“Empty aluminum cans equal money in your pocket,” said President Cheryl Musgrave. “But it’s
more than just a dollars and cents issue, it’s an important environmental issue. Recycling aluminum
saves significant amounts of energy.”
For more information, call Keep Evansville Beautiful at 812 425-4461 or visit them on the web
or Facebook.

Operation Hot Mess

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Academy for Innovative Studies and New Tech Institute
Announced as Co-Winners of
“Operation Hot Mess” Litter Competition
More than 500 volunteers picked-up trash during Saturday’s event

The Academy for Innovative Studies and New Tech Institute have been declared co-winners of the first-ever “Operation Hot Mess” high school litter competition. The schools will receive a free party for recruiting the highest percentage of volunteers to pick-up trash based on student enrollment.
More than 500 Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation high school students, teachers, family and friends picked-up trash ranging from cigarette butts to couches during the competition held on the City’s West Side Saturday. The volunteers filled hundreds of bags with trash and took them to the 14News parking lot at 1115 Mt. Auburn Road for a ceremonial dumping of trash into a large Allied Waste trash truck.
“Operation Hot Mess was a raging success! The turnout exceeded my expectations, and I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm,” said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “I look forward to doing this again next year and getting even more people from our community involved.”
The Academy for Innovative Studies, with an enrollment of 182 high school students, recruited 101 participants for “Operation Hot Mess” or 55 percent of their school’s high school enrollment. New Tech Institute, which has 206 students, recruited 97 volunteers or 47 percent of the school’s total enrollment.
For both school’s high percentage of participation – they will win a free party on Oct. 27, hosted by 14News and Heritage Federal Credit Union.
Operation Hot Mess Litter Competition Results:
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT # OF VOLUNTEERS % VOLUNTEERS (based on school enrollment)
Academy for Innovative Studies 182 101 55%
New Tech Institute 206 97 47%
Benjamin Bosse High School 763 25 3.3%
Central High School 1240 30 2.4%
Francis Joseph High School 1355 113 8.3%
North High School 1550 115 7.4%
William Henry Harrison High School 1166 37 3.2%

“Operation Hot Mess” is an outgrowth of Mayor Winnecke’s Clean Evansville initiative that organizes individuals on the first Saturday of every month to help make our community more attractive by cleaning up neighborhoods and roadways. The competition was made possible through the support of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, 14News WFIE-TV and Heritage Federal Credit Union.
Clean Evansville is coordinated by the City of Evansville, Keep Evansville Beautiful and volunteer members of the Clean Evansville Committee. Allied Waste provides trash collection services and Rural King donates supplies. Accuride, Vectren and Fifth Third Bank have committed employees to participate in the monthly clean-ups. Volunteers from other companies and organizations interested in participating should call Keep Evansville Beautiful at 425-4461.

IS IT TRUE October 16, 2012

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IS IT TRUE October 16, 2012

IS IT TRUE that former Evansville City Controller Jenny Collins was back before the City Council last night to answer questions posed by the membership about just how the MIPS software program integration was botched, who was involved in it, and who knew that the books of the City of Evansville had not been balanced during all of 2011?…the most illuminating admission of Ms. Collins’s testimony was when she clearly stated after some fairly strong questioning that former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel knew all about it?…she of course did not utter his name but she clearly testified that “her boss” knew about it?…the signature authorizing the $50,000 for consultants to dumb down the program and fix the botched integration came through the chain of command of the Public Works board headed by union boss Jack McNeely?…that at least we all know now and now it will be up to the City Council to decide what if anything should be done about it?

IS IT TRUE many of our readers who were watching were confused by the way Councilman Jonathan Weaver seemed to try to obstruct the investigation even overtly demanding that Councilman Dr. Dan Adams cease with the tough questions?…Councilman Adams response to Weaver was basically to tell him to shut his mouth in a slightly more civil way?…our readership has expressed the question of whether Mr. Weaver was elected by and is working for the people of Evansville or by former Mayor Weinzapfel and a consultant or two?…elected officials do need to be reminded on occasion that the voters put them into office as opposed to one or two puppet masters who encouraged them and helped them run their campaigns?…that Mr. Weaver has seemed pretty independent before last night but is by no means the only elected official in Evansville that seems determined to cover the tracks for cover-ups of the past?

IS IT TRUE that the intentional actions of the Weinzapfel Administration and the Winnecke Administration that led to the devaluation of Roberts Stadium finally weighed heavily on the City Council last night as they voted to approve the funding of its demolition?…the words of several council members came just short of sabotage and extortion but the message was clearly sent?…the actions committed against Roberts Stadium by the two administrations if done without the official sanction of highly ranking elected officials would be considered destroying public property and would be prosecutable?…this last hope for Roberts Stadium is typical of the decade that Evansville has just endured?…it did not have to be that way?

IS IT TRUE that last night’s actions in no way mean that Mayor Winnecke’s Roberts Park project will be going forward?…several people spoke on behalf of this remaining a public area including some supporters of the park?…the most well thought out analysis award for the night goes to Corey Mills of Woodward Commercial Realty who really had his ducks in a row when it came to the market for such a facility as Roberts and the risks and rewards associated with it?…among other things Mr. Mills stated that the industrial land currently on the market in Evansville is sufficient to cover 19.1 years of demand?…that is not exactly an inventory that would indicate a buyer’s market?…for Roberts to survive in such a market there would have needed to be a benefactor that was not profit driven with deep pockets and a ton of patience?..Mr. Mills made if perfectly clear that there are not many businesses knocking the door down to move into Evansville when it comes to commercial land?…in spite of that just yesterday the IU Medical School revealed that the Roberts location was under consideration for a 4 year medical school?…there are such facilities in other places that fit well on 37 acres and that use would be a productive and lasting one?…that campuses often have a park like setting that would serve both purposes?…that the IU med school at Roberts seems to be a WIN-WIN-WIN if creative minds can craft a solution that works?…if not this may just be heading for the Warrick County border where the hospitals have gone?

IS IT TRUE the Wall Street Journal recently reported that RedBox, the company that rents DVDs at its special kiosks all over the country as entered the ticket selling game? …that RedBox’s arch nemesis in this sector is going to be Ticketmaster? …that Ticketmaster has been described as a virtual monopoly by critics because of the exclusive deals they enter into with venues? …that even Pearl Jam at one time boycotted Ticketmaster because of their exorbitant fees of 30% or more? …that the Ford Center is already in a lengthy contract with Ticketmaster and will be unable to book any acts that sign on with RedBox? …that superstar Carrie Underwood has reportedly already signed on to this new ticket service and other acts will surely follow? …that if this trend picks up steam and proves successful, there may have been room for a competitive Roberts Stadium after all?

VHS Pet of the Week: “Weyer”

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Weyer is an 8 year old Golden Retriever. He is laid back and is very good with people and other dogs. He loves to go on walks too.

Reminder: USI hosts reorganization debate October 17

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USI
Organizers believe this will be the last public debate about reorganization before Election Day.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Sheriff Eric Williams (Yes) will debate County Treasurer Rick Davis and the Rev. Adrian Brooks (No) on city-county reorganization at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, in Carter Hall in University Center West. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

The moderator for the event is Brad Byrd, lead anchor for Eyewitness News and Local 7.

The debate is sponsored by the USI Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and the MPA Society.

For more information, call Dr. Matthew Hanka, assistant professor of political science, director of the MPA program, and advisor to the MPA Society, at 812/461-5204.

“Operation Hot Mess” Litter Competition

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The Academy for Innovative Studies and New Tech Institute have been declared co-winners of the first-ever “Operation Hot Mess” high school litter competition. The schools will receive a free party for recruiting the highest percentage of volunteers to pick-up trash based on student enrollment.

More than 500 Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation high school students, teachers, family and friends picked-up trash ranging from cigarette butts to couches during the competition held on the City’s West Side Saturday. The volunteers filled hundreds of bags with trash and took them to the 14News parking lot at 1115 Mt. Auburn Road for a ceremonial dumping of trash into a large Allied Waste trash truck.

“Operation Hot Mess was a raging success! The turnout exceeded my expectations, and I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm,” said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “I look forward to doing this again next year and getting even more people from our community involved.”

The Academy for Innovative Studies, with an enrollment of 182 high school students, recruited 101 participants for “Operation Hot Mess” or 55 percent of their school’s high school enrollment. New Tech Institute, which has 206 students, recruited 97 volunteers or 47 percent of the school’s total enrollment.

For both school’s high percentage of participation – they will win a free party on Oct. 27, hosted by 14News and Heritage Federal Credit Union.

Operation Hot Mess Litter Competition Results:

SCHOOL

ENROLLMENT, # OF VOLUNTEERS, % VOLUNTEERS (based on school enrollment)

Academy for Innovative Studies, 182, 101, 55%
New Tech Institute, 206, 97, 47%
Benjamin Bosse High School, 763, 25, 3.3%
Central High School, 1240, 30, 2.4%
Francis Joseph High School, 1355, 113, 8.3%
North High School, 1550, 115, 7.4%
William Henry Harrison High School, 1166, 37, 3.2%

“Operation Hot Mess” is an outgrowth of Mayor Winnecke’s Clean Evansville initiative that organizes individuals on the first Saturday of every month to help make our community more attractive by cleaning up neighborhoods and roadways. The competition was made possible through the support of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, 14News WFIE-TV and Heritage Federal Credit Union.

Clean Evansville is coordinated by the City of Evansville, Keep Evansville Beautiful and volunteer members of the Clean Evansville Committee. Allied Waste provides trash collection services and Rural King donates supplies. Accuride, Vectren and Fifth Third Bank have committed employees to participate in the monthly clean-ups. Volunteers from other companies and organizations interested in participating should call Keep Evansville Beautiful at 425-4461.

The Dog-Eat-Dog Welfare State Is Lose-Lose, by: YARON BROOK AND DON WATKINS

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John Maynard Keynes—not exactly history’s greatest opponent of government spending—is reported to have said he would be worried if government outlays ever surpassed 25 percent of GDP. Well, in recent years both American and British government expenditures have hovered around 40 percent of GDP. The bulk of that spending, perhaps as much as 70 percent in Britain, goes to feed the ravenous welfare state.

Clearly it’s time to question the welfare state. But such questions are too often viewed as taboo. Anyone who challenges it is viewed as seeking a return to the “dog-eat-dog” world of unfettered capitalism—a world where sellers supposedly exploited buyers, employers exploited workers, the rich exploited the poor.

But capitalism, to say nothing of poor old Fido, has gotten a bad rap.

Capitalism—real capitalism, not the mixed economies that have existed for the past century—is the system based on private property, free production, and voluntary trade. It’s not a zero-sum game where people battle over a fixed pie. Each person is free to create wealth and to trade it with others, such that they all benefit.

That’s the beauty of capitalism. Because all economic relationships are voluntary, people only enter into them when each party thinks it’s to his advantage. When you accept a job, for instance, it’s not because the employer forced you to work at the point of a gun. It’s because you valued the paycheck more than other possible uses of your time. It’s a gain for you and a gain for your employer. In some cases you may not be thrilled with the work or the pay, but the fact that a win may be smaller than you would have preferred doesn’t change the fact that it’s a win. And if what first seemed like a win turns out badly, you’re free to make a new bargain.

Capitalism isn’t dog-eat-dog: It’s win-win.

We don’t have capitalism anymore—not in Britain, not in the rest of Europe, not in the United States. What we have instead are massive welfare states. And if the false charge against capitalism is that it allows “the strong” to exploit “the weak,” then the true nature of the welfare state is that it allows “the weak”—i.e., the unproductive—to exploit “the strong”—i.e., the productive.

And exploiting they are. The Davey family, for instance, made headlines in 2010 for receiving £42,000 in state-provided benefits while driving a Mercedes, enjoying cutting-edge electronics, and continuing to have children (at the time of the story they had seven with another on the way). Mrs. Davey had never worked, and Mr. Davey had quit his job after he figured out he could do better by living on the dole. “I don’t feel bad about being subsidized by people who are working,” Mrs. Davey told The Daily Mail.

This sort of story does not represent some bizarre failure of the system—it captures the system’s spirit.

The truth is that the goal of the welfare state is to make the productive sacrifice for the unproductive. It establishes the principle that a person is entitled to state support simply by virtue of his need. But the state doesn’t have any money. In order to provide support, it has to take money from the people who earned it. Translation? A person’s need entitles him to your money. The less value he creates, the more rewards you owe him—and the more value you create, the greater your duty to serve him, and all the Daveys of the world. As Ayn Rand put it in her novel Atlas Shrugged, “If you succeed, any man who fails is your master; if you fail, any man who succeeds is your serf.”

How is that fair?

In place of capitalism’s philosophy of win-win, the welfare state puts everyone’s wealth up for grabs, ensuring that one person’s gain comes at his neighbor’s expense. Talk about dog-eat-dog.

Source: The Objectivist

Evansville Redevelopment Commission AGENDA

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Evansville Redevelopment Commission
AGENDA
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 – 8:30 am

Civic Center Complex – Room 307

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes of October 2, 2012

3. Approval of Accounts Payable Vouchers

4. Downtown Design Review
524 Main Street, Backstage Bar and Grill – addition of sidewalk café

5. Downtown Redevelopment Area
(RECONFIRMING from 10-02-2012) Resolution 12-ERC-37 – Authorizing Additional Repairs and Stabilization at Old Post Office
Resolution 12-ERC-38 – Authorizing an Agreement for Financial Advisory Services

6. Other Business

7. 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.