IS IT TRUE? Part 2 April 5, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Board voted last night to increase the tax rate on property in Vanderburgh County by 11.1%?…that the rate increase was approved to go from 54 cents per $100 assessment to 60 cents per $100 of assessment?…that this amounts to an increase of $60 in taxes for every $100,000 that your home is assessed for UNLESS you are one of the diligent people who has succeeded in having your assessed value reduced to reflect the DROP in housing values?…that if your home’s assessment recently was adjusted downward by 10% that mathematically this rate increase will not result in a tax increase at all?…that if the schools had a need for $540 from every $100,000 of assessed value last year and they need the same $540 this year but the assessments have fallen, that the only way for EVSC to remain revenue neutral is to raise the rate?…that the property owners of Vanderburgh County would be well served to concentrate on DOLLARS instead of RATES?

IS IT TRUE that we can expect similar RATE INCREASES in the next two years to make up for what is certain to be at least two more years of falling assessments?…that Indiana’s system of adjustment for assessment can run nearly two years behind actual market values?…that is why our assessments stayed high or even increased when our values started falling?…that is also why our assessments will continue to fall for a couple of years after our values stabilize?…that the CAP on the total amount of tax that can be levied will limit the effectivity of increasing the rate?…that in a falling market that the RATE to CAP ratio will only result in real dollar tax increases up to the point where the CAP is met?…that once again property owners all over Indiana need to concentrate on DOLLARS and not RATES?

IS IT TRUE that if values fell to ZERO as they have nearly done in some areas of urban squalor where crime, prostitution, and drugs drive families out and create abandonment zones then our schools will be in real trouble?…that in about the 3rd grade we all learned that ZERO times any number EQUALS ZERO?…that means that ANY RATE AT ALL times ZERO is ZERO?…that a falling market exposes a real weakness in PROPERTY TAX CAPS?…that in a rising market with market price assessment and a cap that things tend to work well and rate adjustments are seldom necessary?…that learning how to deal with falling real estate values is negatively affecting more than just schools?…that banking, credit, municipal budgets, family budgets, and yes schools are having to learn to cope with the ugly realities associated with the restricted cash flow that accompanies housing market meltdowns?

IS IT TRUE that learning is the operative word in this whole undesirable scenario?…that if Indiana can actually use cognitive thinking and cooperation to craft a way to adjust the property taxing process to assure adequate funding for EDUCATION and GOVERNMENT without handing politicians a blank check to finance cronyism and waste that it will be a testament to our education system that we can do so?…that defunding education on the basis of diminished valuation of real estate will not only make us a poor state from a net worth perspective but it will assure that we will become a dumb one too?

It is imperative to Indiana’s Prosecutors that any revision of the Criminal Code be comprehensive and balanced. Governor Daniels agreed with us. In fact, Governor Daniels stated that the sentencing reform proposal would provide “certain and firm punishment for the worst offenders.” Unfortunately, the original bill was neither comprehensive nor balanced. Nor did it provide any “certain and firm punishment for the worst offender.” In its original form it was simply soft-on-crime sentence reduction legislation. In Indiana, a person who beats a child to death will serve an average sentence of 5.1 years in prison. Indiana has more prison time reductions than any other state in the nation. Indiana’s Prosecutors were at the forefront of the creation of the Criminal Code Evaluation Committee created by the Indiana General Assembly whose mission was to conduct a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, and to make recommendations for improving, enhancing, and streamlining criminal justice in Indiana.
According to the Legislative Services Agency, the average sentence given by an Indiana judge to a Class A felony child molester is 41 years of incarceration. Yet, the average actual time served for that same Class A child molester is 7.5 years. For a non-capital murder charge, the range of sentence under Indiana law is 45 to 65 years. However, the average actual time served for a non-capital murderer in the State of Indiana is 16 years. For Rape the range of possible incarceration is 6 to 20 years. Yet, the average actual time served for raping a woman in the State of Indiana is 3 ½ years. This disparity between the court ordered sentence for serious felony crimes and the significantly reduced actual time served upon conviction of these crimes is indicative of a substantial flaw in our Indiana criminal justice system that works as a disservice to the victims of crime and a failure of public safety confidence in the “truth” of Indiana’s sentencing laws.

The Criminal Code Evaluation Committee had been expected to look at these and other significant issues in a detailed and comprehensive manner and provide thoughtful guidance to the Indiana General Assembly over the future course of criminal justice in Indiana. However, what appropriately began as a comprehensive systemic review toward comprehensive reform has turned into a budgetary boondoggle in the name of crisis management.

The crisis? Suddenly in 2010, the citizens of Indiana were being told that the Indiana Department of Correction is beyond capacity and climbing at a rate higher than any other state in the nation. Suddenly, there is no time to devote to comprehensive reform as this crisis is so acute the need for a quick fix takes priority over comprehensive reform.

This crisis of an overcrowded DOC was not evident a few short years ago when the Administration contracted with California and Arizona to rent some 1,200 beds to those states to help solve their overcrowded conditions. Apparently, Indiana prisons had the space to spare and the deal was hailed as a clever way in which to raise revenue by the Administration. Unfortunately, those California and Arizona inmates rioted, and the deal was cancelled.

Senate Bill 561 ostensibly packaged as “justice reinvestment,” was based upon the Council of State Governments dire predictions that Indiana was going to need to build more prisons now unless we reduced the number of felons going to the Department of Correction and reduce the amount of years they spend there. The truth is the prison population has remained essentially stable over the last 4 years. On February 1, 2011, the Indiana prison population was 26,873, which was exactly the same as it was on February 1, 2010. On February 1, 2009, it was 26,663 and the number February 1, 2008, 26,299. This represents a 2.1% increase since 2008. The Pew Center on States, issued a 2009 report that Indiana ranks 8th in the nation for persons under parole or supervision and ranks 30th in nation for persons in prison. That same report indicated from 2006 to 2008 the increase in Indiana’s prison population was .6% and Kentucky was the highest at 12%.

The data cited by the Council of State Governments to support that there was a crisis inappropriately relied on numbers from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which included federal prisoners held in the State of Indiana. Federal prisoners have no relevance to the Indiana state prison population and the inclusion of those numbers for purposes of evaluating Indiana state prison population has resulted in a gross exaggeration of the data to support its conclusion that our state prison population is exploding. Indiana should not risk public safety based on exaggerated statistics designed to manufacture a crisis.

The chief mechanism offered by the Council of State Governments for solving this “crisis” of too many inmates in the DOC is the recommendation that Indiana substantially reduce the penalty for selling drugs. Therefore, rather than proceed to comprehensive reform, Indiana will simply redefine what it means to be a drug dealer. Indiana will make it more difficult and costly for law enforcement to catch drug dealers and will release them earlier if law enforcement does catch them.
This “solution” as proposed under the original submission of Senate Bill 561 is magnified by the immense complexity of illegal drugs in our communities. Most conservative estimates cite illegal drugs as playing a significant role in 70% of all criminal activity, including murder, armed robbery, residential burglaries, and domestic violence to name a few.

Although we support comprehensive reform, Indiana Prosecutors offered revisions to the bill that still reclassified certain offenses and provided budgetary relief. However, our proposed amendments also addressed the worst of the worst felons by shutting the revolving door that exposes our community to the most dangerous and violent criminals well before they have served the full and appropriate measure of their sentence. In fact, the Pew Center agrees. Their March 2009 report stated “serious, chronic, and violent offenders belong behind bars, for a long time, and the expense of locking them up is justified many times over.” There are many lawmakers who have recognized this and are working to provide a more balanced bill.

Indiana’s Prosecutors were recently maligned as a “special interest” group and it was suggested that the committee of Prosecutors that have been working to improve this legislation with lawmakers are but a vocal few who do not represent “most” Prosecutors. Well, it is true that we don’t represent “most” Prosecutors. We represent all 91 elected Prosecuting Attorneys in the State of Indiana. All 91 who are fully informed and fully engaged in this threat to public safety emanating from a so-called crisis and diverting all attention away from the much needed reform that will provide citizens of Indiana with a fair and proportional system. We are proud of the “special interest” group we represent. The “special interests” of victims of crimes. The “special interests” of women and children. The “special interests” of the elderly. The “special interests” of law abiding citizens and anyone who expects justice to be done. Indiana’s Prosecutors recognize and understand the impact of criminal justice policy as it plays out daily on our streets and in our courts.

The original sentencing reform proposal was a threat to public safety. The amendments we have suggested are fair, reasonable, cost effective and most importantly protect the public. Indiana Prosecutors will continue to work with and support the lawmakers when they get it right and we will oppose all when they get it wrong. All in the interest of justice.

Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc.
Jim Luttrull, Grant County Prosecutor
Aaron Negangard, Dearborn and Ohio County Prosecutor
Curtis Hill, Elkhart County Prosecutor
Keith Henderson, Floyd County Prosecutor

Reinforces Commitment to Accelerate Adoption of Energy Efficiency Technologies

Today at the Technology Innovation Summit, Intel Capital, Intel Corporation’s global investment organization, reaffirmed its dedication to foster clean technology innovation with the announcement of five cleantech investments. The deals, which total approximately $10 million and span two continents, include first-time investment in U.S.-based CPower (demand response and energy efficiency) as well as follow-on investments in Ireland-based Powervation (digital power control) and U.S.-based companies Convey Computer (energy efficient high performance computing), Grid Net (smart meter infrastructure) and iControl (home automation and monitoring).

“Intel Capital has made a significant commitment to invest in the cleantech sector in recognition of the increasing need for alternative energy production and advanced energy management and utilization solutions,” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and Intel executive vice president. “The global nature of these five investments demonstrates our focus on accelerating cleantech innovation, emphasizing Intel Capital’s unique strength as a global, stage agnostic investor.”

“These investments share synergies focused on accelerating adoption of Smart Grid technologies, fostering energy efficiency and performance in ways that benefit consumers of electricity and power utilities as well as complement Intel’s strategic objectives,” said Steve Eichenlaub, managing director of platform technologies, cleantech and digital health, Intel Capital. “Each investment underlies Intel Capital’s commitment to invest in cutting edge technologies and support our expanding portfolio of cleantech-related companies.”

Details on the five new investments include:

CPower (New York) delivers targeted energy management services and solutions that enable companies to optimize their facilities and operations through energy reduction initiatives and earn market payments for those reductions. As an industry pioneer that has grown into one of the largest energy management and demand response firms in North America, CPower combines an understanding of energy management technologies, energy markets and the daily challenges of facility operators to maximize the value of energy sustainability. This is Intel Capital’s initial funding of CPower.

Grid Net (San Francisco) is a pioneer in providing the network operating system and management control plane for the Smart Grid. PolicyNet*, Grid Net’s standards-based management platform for all networked transmission, distribution and generation smart grid devices, provides cost-effective rapid deployment and management that leverages 4G broadband networks. Grid Net’s Series C funding round includes Intel Capital’s third investment.

Powervation (Limerick, Ireland) provides digital power controllers for server, desktop computing and communications platforms that deliver capabilities in automatic configuration and self stabilization. These devices speed design time and enable system stability as other power supply components age, leading to higher energy efficiency at the system level, faster time-to-market and lower overall system costs. Intel Capital co-led Powervation’s Series A funding round and this is its second investment in the company.

Convey Computer (Richardson, Texas) offers high-performance computing (HPC) solutions which aim to dramatically reduce energy consumption and boost performance. Convey’s HC-1* solution tightly integrates advanced existing off-the-shelf hardware – namely an Intel® Xeon® processor and Field Programmable Gate Arrays – with compiler technology that minimizes the programming challenges that have long withheld the potential of reconfigurable hardware. Convey’s Series B funding round includes the second investment by Intel Capital.

iControl (Palo Alto, Calif.) provides an IP-based platform that delivers monitored home security, remote home monitoring and home and energy management capabilities to security and broadband providers, enabling them to deliver enhanced, value-added services to their new and existing customers. iControl’s Series C funding round includes a follow-on investment by Intel Capital.

Intel Capital is focused on actively seeking and structuring investments in companies worldwide that are producing products and services in a variety of “green” areas such as energy efficiency, alternative power generation and storage, transportation and materials, with particular emphasis in support of Intel’s Open Energy Initiative, helping foster standards-based, interoperable solutions.

These five investments all support efforts within Intel to drive energy-efficient performance across Intel’s value chain. Intel Capital invested in and works with CPower, Grid Net and iControl as part of its Smart Energy efforts that focus on utilizing Intel® Architecture solutions and industry standards to improve performance, speed deployment and enhance security in large-scale deployments. Intel supports Powervation as part of its relentless efforts to improve the performance per watt of Intel Architecture platforms across multiple user segments. Additionally, Convey Computer complements Intel’s HPC efforts, distinctively augmenting Intel Architecture platforms to further boost both performance and energy efficiency across multiple target industries such as energy, transportation, financial services and healthcare.

About Intel Capital

Intel Capital, Intel’s global investment organization, makes equity investments in innovative technology start-ups and companies worldwide. Intel Capital invests in a broad range of companies offering hardware, software, and services targeting enterprise, home, mobility, health, consumer Internet, semiconductor manufacturing and cleantech. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested more than US$9 billion in over 1,000 companies in 46 countries. In that timeframe, 174 portfolio companies have gone public on various exchanges around the world and 231 were acquired or participated in a merger. In 2008, Intel Capital invested about US$1.59 billion in 169 investments with approximately 62 percent of funds (excluding Clearwire) invested outside North America. For more information on Intel Capital and its differentiated advantages, visit www.intelcapital.com.

IS IT TRUE that when the City County Observer and the Community Observer has e-debates that it is expected that the participants answer the questions on their own?…that the purpose for e-debates is for people with lesser face-to-face debating skills to take their time and to think through their answers before writing them down and submitting them?…that one of the best thinkers in the history of the United States was lethal with the pen but not so much so with the spoken word?…that the person who was much better with the pen than with the mouth was Thomas Jefferson?…that in an e-debate Thomas Jefferson would have answered the questions himself and won every format of that nature that he was ever entered into?…that vocal debates favor those who are charismatic, good looking (or pretty as Mohammed Ali would say), and those who have invested in a fine wardrobe?…that we trust those who agree to participate in e-debates to do the honorable thing and answer their own questions to the best of their knowledge?…that an essay on positions says much more about someone’s cognitive skills than a live debate ever will?…that the silver tongued devil often can win a vocal debate but is often challenged when faced with the need to think and communicate via the written word?

IS IT TRUE that CCO “MOLE # 3” keep saying that political signs don’t vote? ….the next time you see political signs along the road side please see if they are located on the public right away, on dilapidated rental property, in a vacant lot or located in a multi unit apartment complex? …..if the political signs are located on any of the above locations it highly probable that these signs don’t represent a person who shall be voting? ….the placement of political signs are use to create a “band wagon” approach to encourage voters to join their campaign? ….a great example of signs in locations that doesn’t represent a vote is located in the 6th Ward?

IS IT TRUE that “MOLE # 3” predicts that the highly regarded and politically connected 2nd Ward “MEGA PREACHER” shall be making a public endorsement of whom he feels who would be the best person that should be elected to the Evansville City Council seat in that ward? ….that his endorsement shall have a major impact on who shall be elected to the 2nd Ward City Council seat? ….that CCO “MOLE # 3” Already knows the answer to this question? ….when you least expect it the CCO “MOLE # 3” shall announce the “MEGA PREACHER” decision any day now?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO is extremely impressed that our newly elected Vanderburgh County Prosecutor, Nick Hermann is working hand in hand with our local law enforcement professional in tracking down and prosecuting sex offenders? …we are extremely proud of Mr. Hermann and local law enforcement fighting to keep our city safe from these offenders?

IS IT TRUE we wonder why Vanderburgh County Republican party Chairman, Wayne Parke has been so quiet lately? …..it could because he is busy figuring ways to get Republicans to take not only control of the Mayor’s office but also Evansville City Council?

IS IT TRUE we wonder what going on with our Vanderburgh County Clerk lately? ….we bet Susan Kirk is extremely busy planning that the upcoming general election shall run like a fine turned engine?

IS IT TRUE the CCO would like to thank Evansville City Councilman, John Friend for asking some hard budgetary questions concerning New Downtown Arena costs?

IS IT TRUE that the “dean of local politics” is retiring after serving 20 years in local elected offices? ….that Evansville City Councilmen Curt John has served us with class, dignity and honor during this time? …..we ask our readers to wish him well and congratulate him for a job well done when they see him?

18% Shooting Dooms Bulldogs Championship Dreams

After taking a lead at the end of the first half the Butler Bulldogs never got their shooting on track setting an NCAA final record for low shooting percentage and only shot 16% in the 2nd half. The Butler defense did its job holding UConn in the 50’s as their goal was. Butler was 6 shots away from victory but just could not find the range. It was a proud moment for Indiana and for small schools all across the country. Butler gave schools like UE hope and we hope that they capitalize on it and follow Butler into the final four in the future.

Shelvin Mack’s 3 Pointer Shifts Momentum at Half

The Butler Bulldogs shot terribly from the field (22%) in the first half but holds a 22 – 19 lead at halftime in the NCAA Division I basketball championship from Houston. Speaking for all Hoosiers and basically for anyone that is not from Connecticut or an alumnus of UCONN, the City County Observer says, “20 More Minutes Like that and the NCAA Championship will be BACK HOME IN INDIANA!

Bulldogs, this song is for you!!!!!! Give it a shot!!!

Butler has big edge in experience. No team with a freshman starter has won in 6 years, UCONN has 3 freshman starters

BUTLER
Location: Indianapolis.
Record: 28-9.
Nickname: Bulldogs.
Coach: Brad Stevens.
Conference: Horizon League.
Bid: Horizon champion.
Seed: No. 8.
Tournament record: 18-10, 11 years.
Scoring: Team 72.1, Matt Howard 16.7, Shelvin Mack 16.1, Andrew Smith 8.6, Shawn Vanzant 8.2.
Rebounds: Team 34.7, Howard 7.8, Smith 5.5, Mack 4.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team 12.1/11.1, Mack 3.5/2.4, Ronald Nored 2.4/2.1.
Three-pointers: Team .355, Mack 83, Howard 52, Zach Hahn 46, Chase Stigall 37.

Skinny: Butler is on a 14-game winning streak that gave it regular-season and conference tourney titles, and four NCAA tourney wins.

It is the first Indiana school to reach back-to-back Final Fours. In the tournament, Butler beat Old Dominion with a second-round buzzer-beater and top-seeded Pitt in a wacky foul-filled finish. It survived a late rally from Wisconsin to become the only 2010 Final Four team to make the regional finals and rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 9 1/2 minutes to beat second-seeded Florida, 74-71, in overtime. Then, in its Final Four semifinal, Butler’s defense frustrated VCU, 70-62.

The Bulldogs are the third team in tourney history to knock off No. 1 seeds in consecutive years before reaching the Final Four.

UCONN
Location: Storrs, Conn.
Record: 31-9.
Nickname: Huskies.
Coach: Jim Calhoun.
Conference: Big East.
Bid: Big East champion.
Seed: No. 3.
Tournament record: 51-28, 30 years.
Scoring: Team 72.8, Kemba Walker 23.7, Jeremy Lamb 11.1, Alex Oriakhi 9.6, Shabazz Napier 7.9.
Rebounds: Team 39.3, Oriakhi 8.7, Walker 5.4, Roscoe Smith 5.2, Lamb 4.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team 13.2/11.4, Walker 4.6/2.3, Napier 3.1/1.8.
Three-pointers: Team .333, Walker 75, Napier 46, Lamb 45.

Skinny: UConn is the highest seed to make this year’s Final Four. It’s the first time that neither a No. 1 nor No. 2 made it to the final weekend since seeding began in 1979. UConn also made the Final Four in 1999, 2004 and 2009 — all three times out of the West. The Huskies, 9-9 in the Big East this season, have won 10 games in tournament play since March 8.

UConn won five games in five days at the Big East tournament. In the NCAA tournament, the Huskies beat Bucknell, conference foe Cincinnati, second-seeded San Diego State, Arizona, 65-63, and Kentucky, 56-55.

UConn has three freshmen starters: Lamb, Smith and Tyler Olander. Walker, a junior, is UConn’s first All-America since Emeka Okafor in 2004.

Professor Muntean Recommends Focus on Entrepreneurs as opposed to Buying Low Skill jobs like Call Centers and Big Box Retail

April 4, 2011

News Release

Rather than chase after mature and declining industries through traditional strategies, Indiana should focus on maximizing the contributions of small, fast-growing and relatively young businesses, says, Susan Clark Muntean, a Ball State management professor who teaches in the university’s nationally recognized entrepreneurship program.

“Scholars, public officials, successful entrepreneurs and financiers must come together to rapidly devise and implement effective strategies to take Indiana from its agrarian and industrial past to its entrepreneurial and globally competitive future,” she says. “Empirical research strongly suggests that the old economic models and economic development strategies are not the answer. We need to question the wisdom of chasing after mature and declining industries through traditional strategies, which often represent a race to the bottom among states that give away the store in the form of foregone tax revenues in order to secure visible ‘wins.'”

These short-sighted strategies include temporarily delaying a plant’s closure or claiming large job creation numbers at low-skilled, labor-intensive call centers, distribution centers, service providers and big-box retail shops, says Mantean, who addressed members of the Indiana legislature twice this year on the issue.

According to the Statistics of U.S. Businesses, about 90 percent of employers nationally have fewer than 20 employees. In 2007, 85 percent of all Indiana businesses were micro businesses (fewer than 20 employees) and employed approximately one out of every five workers in the state.

Muntean argues that stimulating intelligent risk taking, creativity and innovation is good public policy.

“A failed start-up is not a net loss to society; those involved with the start-up venture, including the founders, venture capitalists, lenders and other competing businesses learn from attempts to launch a new technology or take a new idea to market. Later attempts by serial entrepreneurs may just launch the next Google, Facebook, Intel or Microsoft, which would be a boon to the Indiana economy for years to come.”

Source: Ball State University

Link to the Full Report:

http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/spring/article1.html

EPD Activity Report April 3 2011

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