Gavel Gamut
By Jim Redwine

Peg, who was born a New Yorker and spent some of her formative years in Massachusetts, has a favorite tee shirt that says on the front “A Bostonian’s View of America” and on the back has an outline of the U.S. showing the east coast states and the west coast states with nothing in between. I thought of this image election night when I saw all the blue states on the coasts separated by all the red states in the middle.
Except for the occasional outlier, from west of the Alleghenies to the crests of the Rockies nary (as we Hoosiers are wont to say) a blue state appeared. And, from California to Washington by the Pacific and New York south along the Atlantic Ocean red was as rare as truth in war.
Now I have no idea what, if anything, this distribution signifies. I did note that every now and then some television wag would paint a toss up state kind of pinkish/robin egg blue. Indiana actually fell within that spectrum thanks mainly to the ouster of a Rhodes Scholar by a regressive in the primary.
One thing I do take from the Blue/Red/Blue portrait of our fair land is that those of us who live in less densely populated states are pretty much bystanders in presidential elections where the Electoral College is king. President Obama and Governor Romney took up residence in Florida, but hardly darkened our door in Indiana.
That would be just fine with me if the IRS would take the same attitude. I say we who are deemed irrelevant in the decision making process ought to be able to opt out of the financing of the dreams and schemes of the chosen ones. If we are not good enough to be invited to the party, we should not have to pay for it.
I know Joan Baez once tried this approach with the Vietnam War and the IRS was not amused. However, perhaps as her buddy Bob Dylan sang, “The Times They Are a Changing”. Why don’t we in the hinter lands test my theory? You go first and let me know if it works.

Evansville, IN – The recent Journey concerts that were previously postponed due to lead singer Arnel Pineda’s
illness have now been rescheduled as follows:

The November 14th, 2012 concert at the Tyson Center in Sioux City, IA has been rescheduled to
Tuesday, February 5, 2013.
The November 13th 2012 concert at the iWireless Center in Moline, IL has been rescheduled to
Wednesday, February 6, 2013.
The November 10th 2012 concert at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI has been rescheduled to
Saturday, February 9, 2013.
The November 11th 2012 concert at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN has
been rescheduled to Sunday, February 10, 2013.
The November 8th 2012 concert at the Ford Center in Evansville, IN has been rescheduled to Tuesday,
February 12, 2013.

All tickets for the originally scheduled concerts will be honored for the new shows. Refunds will be available at
point of purchase.

Since its formation in 1973 in San Francisco, JOURNEY has earned 19 Top 40 singles and 25 gold and
platinum albums. The band’s Greatest Hits album is certified 15 times platinum, bringing Journey into the elite
club of Diamond-certified album holders. Journey was awarded the prestigious “Legend Of Live Award” at the
2011 Billboard Touring Awards in honor of the band’s significant and lasting contributions to live music and the
touring business, and in acknowledgement of their commitment to the fans and the art of performing live. The
2011 Eclipse World Tour was one of the band’s most successful tours ever, drawing nearly a million fans and
ranked in the Top 15 Tours of the year. 2011 also marked the 30th anniversary of the band’s seminal anthem,
Don’t Stop Believin’, which was honored as the top-selling digital classic rock song in history by Nielsen
SoundScan. The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005. For more information, visit
www.journeymusic.com.

Evansville, IN – Girls Scouts from Troops #80, #65, and #458 will be helping plant seven native bald cypress trees at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden this Saturday, November 24 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The trees are part of an initiative to plant 2012 trees in celebration of Evansville’s bicentennial. The Girl Scouts will be decorating the seven bald cypress trees as well as many of the other trees at the Zoo with birdseed ornaments, many of which they made themselves. Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden staff will be providing instruction on proper tree planting for the Scouts in hopes that they will plant trees at home and around their communities.

A portion of the trees were donated by Combs Landscaping and others were purchased through a Vanderburgh Soil and Water Conservation District Grant. The Evansville Audubon Society, Wild Birds Unlimited, and Pedia Research donated supplies for the Scouts to make the ornaments. Botanical Curator Paul Bouseman stated, “Native trees provide crucial habitat for resident and migratory song bird by providing shelter and food. The work these Scouts are doing will have positive impact for many years to come.” The 2012 Trees in 2012 campaign continues through the end of the year. There is a 2012 Trees in 2012 Facebook page where participants can upload pictures of their trees. The public is invited to watch the November 24 tree planting at the Zoo.

AG Zoeller says joining the state’s protected

list is best holiday deal, a gift that keeps giving

INDIANAPOLIS – Attorney General Greg Zoeller said shoppers taking advantage of online sales can add one more item to the list – sign up for Indiana’s Do Not Call registry.

Zoeller said he extended the registration deadline from today to midnight (EST) on Monday, Nov. 26, to give Hoosiers more time during the busy holiday to sign-up their cellular and landline phone numbers.

“More than 2 million phone lines are registered on the state’s protected list,” Zoeller said. “Signing up will at least fend off legitimate telemarketers from calling or texting you and allow you to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office if you receive an unwanted call.”

The Attorney General’s Office has obtained 50 settlements or judgments since 2009 against robocallers and Do Not Call violators. The total awarded to the state since 2009 is more than $4.8 million and the total collected is more than $670,000.

Consumers, who have not registered before, can register their landline, cell, VOIP or prepaid wireless numbers at no cost. Zoeller said the updated list will take effect Jan. 1, 2013.

To sign up or to confirm a number is already on the list, visit www.IndianaConsumer.com or call 1.888.834.9969.Out-of-state area codes can also be added as long as the billing address is located in Indiana. Consumers do not need to re-register unless their addresses have changed.

Indiana’s Do Not Call registry is updated quarterly on the first of each January, April, July and October.

Zoeller recently launched a new portion of www.IndianaConsumer.com that includes information on robocalls. Consumers can find out what the Attorney General’s Office is doing to combat the calls and what to do if you receive a robocall by visiting http://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/2976.htm.

In September, Zoeller conducted a series of roundtable discussions with industry experts, elected officials and consumer groups to find more effective ways to prevent Hoosiers from receiving unwanted calls and text messages. Zoeller recently presented ideas from the roundtables during a key panel at the Federal Trade Commission’s Robocall Summit in Washington, D.C.

Excerpts:

“Business owners and investors are rapidly maneuvering to shield themselves from the prospect of higher taxes next year, a strategy that is sending ripples across Wall Street and broad areas of the economy.”

“In my 30 years in practice, I’ve never seen such a flood of desire and action to transfer a business and cash out,” said Kenneth K. Bezozo, a partner in New York with the law firm Haynes and Boone. “We’re seeing a watershed event.”

“Fears about the fiscal impasse in Washington, along with anxiety about fading corporate profits and weakening economies abroad, have pushed the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index down about 5 percent since the election.”

“The top rate on dividends, for example, could climb to 39.6 percent from 15 percent if no action is taken. Capital gains taxes, which now top out at 15 percent, could rise above 20 percent, many financial advisers say. Most investment income will also be subject to a 3.8 percent charge to help pay for President Obama’s health care law.”

“John Moorin, the founder of a medical equipment company near Indianapolis, said he sold about $650,000 in dividend-paying stocks like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola a few days after the election, worried about the potential increase in taxes. “I love these companies, but I’m so scared that now all of the sudden I’m going to get taxed at such a rate with them that they won’t be worth anything,” Mr. Moorin said.

“In the meantime, he added, it was “very difficult to do long-range planning with a government that moves as much as this does on so many issues.”

“Kristina Collins, a chiropractor in McLean, Va., said she and her husband planned to closely monitor the business income from their joint practice to avoid crossing the income threshold for higher taxes outlined by President Obama on earnings above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.

Ms. Collins said she felt torn by being near the cutoff line and disappointed that federal tax policy was providing a disincentive to keep expanding a business she founded in 1998. “If we’re really close and it’s near the end-year, maybe we’ll just close down for a while and go on vacation,” she said.”

“Some business owners say they are holding off on hiring plans because they expect tax rates to rise. Dyke Messinger, chief executive of Power Curbers in Salisbury, N.C., said he would like to fill four slots at his construction equipment company but would only hire three people because he anticipated that his tax bill would rise by $100,000.”

Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/business/investors-rush-to-beat-threat-of-higher-taxes.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0

Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, November 19, 2012.

Daven Boyd Strangulation – Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class D Felony (Two counts)

Derrick Davis Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony (Two Counts)
Possession of Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor
Reckless Driving – Class B Misdemeanor

Jerry Haney Assisting a Criminal – Class D Felony

Dylan Murray Auto Theft – Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement – Class D Felony
Reckless Driving – Class B Misdemeanor
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor

Kiora Sharp Receiving Stolen Property – Class D Felony
Dealing in Marijuana – Class D Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony
Unlawful Possession of a Handgun – Class D Felony

Lori Waters Assisting a Criminal – Class D Felony
Neglect of a Dependent – Class D Felony

Kenaz Zones Dealing in Marijuana – Class D Felony
Dealing in Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)

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