Home Blog Page 6947

IS IT TRUE? November 2, 2011

17

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? November 2, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer would like to commend Vanderburgh County Commissioner Stephen Melcher for calling his own party out for not paying their bills?…that Commissioner Melcher acknowledged that there was a long standing debt incurred by the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party for having an event at the Centre in October of 2010?…that Commissioner Melcher and other enlightened and responsible Democrats should keep the leadership of the local Democratic Party’s feet to the fire to PAY THEIR DEBTS, TELL THE TRUTH, and be the kind of people that the general public expects leaders of political parties to be?…that the recent dead beat finances, BoothGate, FloatGate, EndorseGate, etc. etc. etc. has literally made a laughing stock of the entire City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that at this point the Vanderburgh Democratic Central Committee cannot book an event at the Centre for non-payment, are being sued by the Baurhaus for non-payment, and will be facing very serious difficulties in finding a place to have a victory party in case any of their candidates are elected next Tuesday?…that the City County Observer would like to suggest that the election night party of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Central Committee should book their event at Roberts Stadium as the last event there was a celebration dinner?

IS IT TRUE that $3,500/23 = $152.17?…that this amount from each of “The 23” signers of the “Declaration of Drop Dead State Democratic Party” ponied up $152.17 that the Bauerhaus could be paid off in full today?…that it will start to be mystifying if this does not happen in the next few days?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO would like to thank the Vanderburgh Democratic Central Committee for supplying us with yet another GATE?..CHICKENGATE!!!…that we also are assured of yet another day of record traffic?…that by the end of this day November 2, 2011 that the CCO will have more pageviews than it attracted in all of November of 2010 when there were no GATES at all to speak of?…that well there was BoothGate, but it had not become a habit yet?…that the other new word now is CENTREGATE?????

IS IT TRUE that in spite of all of the idiocy and antics of the local Democratic Party that the business world moves forward?…that we know of entrepreneurs in three Evansville businesses that are expanding and are doing so without sticking their paw out for some greasing from the public trough?…that this is why entrepreneurs and only entrepreneurs will ever bring this town and this country out of the Great Recession?…that while the big companies that thrive on paying under-motivated and undereducated people paltry wages are shaking down local governments for incentives, the entrepreneurs just move forward?…that governments are a burden to entrepreneurs?…that banks are not interested in the business of entrepreneurs?…that this is why people like Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, and others for the most part just laugh at the ineptness of politics and have enough money to buy banks?

IS IT TRUE that the exposing of the shortcomings in political strongfolks is exactly what has been needed in Evansville for a half a century?…that whether we end up with a Mayor Winnecke or a Mayor Davis that if the “machine” is completely dismantled that this hotly contested election season and the next 7 days of hell will be worth it?…that these are the kinds of changes that Evansville has needed for many many years?

Early Voting by Party or NOT

17

Courtesy of our free overtime working Vanderburgh County Clerk Susan Kirk:

Total Early Votes: 5,951

No Party Specified: 4,929

Party Specified: 1,022

It looks like independent minds and not partisan drones are out there at at 5 to 1 majority.

Parks Protection and Maintenance By Pete Swaim, Republican Candidate for City Council at large

8

Parks Protection and Maintenance
By Pete Swaim, Republican Candidate for City Council at large

As the city election nears and voters are finally focusing on the issues, it is distressing to see the campaigns bog down in petty politics. Why all the emphasis on Float-Gate, Connie-Gate and Meeting-Gate, when voters really want to hear about who has the best ideas for making Evansville a more secure and successful city?

As a candidate for City Council at Large, I’d like to climb out of the bog and offer up my multi-part plan for securing and maintaining Evansville’s parks. Part One is how to refocus and make the parks a priority once again. Part Two is how to pay for more policing and ongoing maintenance in the parks, and perhaps a big investment for Robert’s Stadium.

Step One is to create a liaison from the Mayor’s Office to the city’s neighborhood associations. This Parks Liaison would be an existing city employee who would have daily contact with our neighborhood associations. These vital groups are a first line of defense in keeping Evansville a beautiful and successful city.

Step Two is to examine how the city handles concessions at city facilities, with an eye toward making the city some money. Let’s engage the public for some substantial ideas at the Parks Board meetings.

Step Three is to increase the flexibility of the city work crews and send them to priority locations, depending on seasonal needs.
Step Four–let’s encourage and recruit university clubs, Greek organizations and even sporting teams to adopt a park. This will build community pride while cleaning and improving the parks. Doing this will help these folks develop closer ties with the community and give them a stake in making it better. And, who knows, it might make more of our 17,000+ college students think about making Evansville their home.

Part Two begins with a close look at what the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau can address with the money from the Innkeeper’s Tax. I think a reasonable and simple argument can be made for tweaking the statute, if necessary, to let this revenue be used to “maintain and protect the city’s recreation areas.” By this I mean the major parks, pools, community centers and other facilities operated or maintained by the city. This additional funding source, plus any available grants, could open the door for the additional police protection needed to secure our investments in these facilities. Off-duty officers could be compensated to patrol the parks during peak problem hours.
Part Two also invites citizen input at the Parks Board about the possibility of selling naming rights to some of the parks. This money could then go directly to the Parks Foundation budget with a major portion dedicated to grants to the neighborhood associations for needed improvements. These projects would be overseen by the Parks Foundation Board.

Besides the obvious impact this would have on maintaining and protecting our neighborhoods, it could ease the burden on taxpayers, and perhaps even lower the tax rate. A reasonable tax rate is one of the first thing developers and other job creators look at.

I hope these ideas can be part of a city-wide town hall discussion. This meeting also should include brainstorming about the many potential uses for Robert’s Stadium. Many ideas have been bandied about in the last several months, but as far as I am aware, none have been seriously explored. Perhaps some additional naming rights could generate the funds needed to cover the utility costs.
It’s high time we all get together in a concerted effort to make Evansville the best Indiana has to offer. What are we waiting for?

Pete Swaim is a retired Vanderburgh County Deputy Sheriff, the former United States Marshal, and former Executive Director of Transportation and Services for the City of Evansville.

Link to Campaign Finance Manual

0

http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/files/2011_Campaign_Finance_Manual.pdf

Vanderburgh Democrat Party Still Servicing Debt to SMG for 2010 Event at the Centre

15


The City County Observer has learned today that the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party is working with SMG to make installment payments due to SMG for an event that was held in October of 2010.

Darren Stearns, Assistant General Manager for SMG confirmed that he has been working with the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party as they work down their debt and stated that SMG has chosen not to refer this debt to a collection agency. Mr. Stearns also stated that until this debt is paid in full that SMG’s policy for the operation of the Centre and other facilities is that no new events may be held.

When the City County Observer asked Mr. Stearn if the Democrat Party was aware of this debt he immediately responded yes. The CCO published the October 21, 2011 “Receipts and Expenditures Report” for the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party today. This report explicitly had a ZERO in the column for debt indicating that the Party had no debt at the time of filing. Mr. Stearns volunteered that decisions to accept payment terms are made at the sole discretion of SMG.

Other sources have told us that the amount of the original debt was between $5,000 and $8,500 including both catering and facility use fees.

This is a developing story:

IS IT TRUE? November 1, 2011 Afternoon Edition, Please Just Tell the Truth and Pay for the Chicken

23

Vandy Dems Love Free Chicken

IS IT TRUE? November 1, 2011 Afternoon Edition

IS IT TRUE that the discovery today that the Bauerhaus has filed a lawsuit to be paid for the food that was consumed at the Achievement Awards banquet held by the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party today was somewhat of a surprise because people who attended actually paid way more than the cost of the fried chicken to attend?…that this dinner was a fund raiser?…that certainly enough funds were raised to pay for the buffet style fried chicken and all the fixins dinner that was served?…that it merits concern anytime that a local business gets stiffed on a tab that we understand is just under the $3,500 limit that small claims courts allow?…that the attorney representing the Bauerhaus is a well know Democrat named Curt J. Angermier so this lawsuit does not appear to be politically motivated at all?…that one would think that someone in the inner circle of the Vanderburgh Democrat Party would have just stepped forward and paid this tab before it came to this?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #49 tells the City County Observer that this is not the only outstanding debt that the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party has?…that we are digging into this right now and expect to be making another post regarding the debts of the Democrat Party as early as tonight?…that now that we are speaking of debt that we are reminded that the “Report of Receipts and Expenditures of a Political Committee” report filed by the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party as required by law with Susan Kirk, the Clerk of the Vanderburgh County Circuit Court on October 21, 2011, CLEARLY STATED THAT THE DEBTS OWED BY THE COMMITTEE OR TO THE COMMITTEE ARE IDENTICALLY EQUAL TO ZERO?

IS IT TRUE that there is no question that the “Report of Receipts and Expenditures of a Political Committee” report filed by the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party is not correct?…that Bauerhaus was most certainly the site of the Awards Banquet?…that they have no reason at all to file a small claim against an organization that has been a long time customer of theirs so let’s just assume that their claim is valid?…that we wonder if the fact that no debts are listed by the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party on an official court document is the result of POOR FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT?…that if this is just a simple mistake then when the facts that we anticipate coming later today from Mole #49 are released if POOR becomes ABYSMAL, or INTENTIONAL?…that even if the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party admitted the debts, they do not have the money to pay them?…that the “Report of Receipts and Expenditures of a Political Committee” report filed by the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party shows a cash balance of only $2,152.16?

IS IT TRUE that getting stiffed on a debt seems to be the prevailing behavior in Evansville recently?…that Klenck Construction is still waiting for a satisfactory arrangement for being paid for work completed on the City of Evansville owned property that the Executive Inn and its parking garage sat on?…that Ford Center project manager John Kish stated clearly that the City of Evansville was not obligated or planning to pay for that debt which is over $300,000?…that both the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party, City of Evansville, and the Ford Center Project have somehow found plenty of money to pay OUT OF TOWN CONSULTANTS who make political contributions?…that the practice of stiffing LOCAL BUSINESSES and LOCAL TAXPAYERS must cease immediately?…that we expect to elaborate a bit more on the stiffing of Vanderburgh County Taxpayers very soon?

IS IT TRUE that we call upon someone who values the lost integrity of the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party to step forward with $3,500 and earmark a contribution to pay the Bauerhaus immediately?…that if not many people may be voting next week with the bad taste of 4 month old unpaid for chicken in their mouths?

Winnecke Releases “Listening to You” Plan

13

Lloyd Winnecke

Winnecke Listening_to_You

Letter to the Editor: Phil Hoy on the Vanderburgh Democrat Party

24

To the Editor:

To paraphrase Thomas Paine, “If we members of the Democrat Party do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately.”

The longtime Democrat office holders who have endorsed the Republican candidate for mayor apparently have forgotten why they are Democrats.

We are Democrats because we truly believe in equality for all people, because we join with labor unions in fighting for working families, and because we believe tomorrow’s leaders deserve the best public education. We are Democrats because we believe that all citizens have a right to quality, affordable health care, and because we believe that government exists to help the 99 percent and not just the wealthiest one percent.

In these troubled times, it is more important than ever for real Democrats to stand together. The current divisiveness will not only undermine our local candidates but those running for state and national office. I can’t help but feel that much of what is happening now is the result of personal grudges and misplaced loyalties within the Democrat Party. His opponent’s commercials depicting Rick Davis as a political “insider” are laughable, because it is the “insiders” in the Democrat Party who have lined up against him.

Rick Davis is the only candidate to stand up to Vectren and its rate increases. Despite his opponent’s commercials, he was the first mayoral candidate to state that our community needs to fight the meth problem. He has a jobs program. He has a quality of life program. And he has the “fire in his belly” to lead this community.

We have already lost so much and are at risk of losing so much more. It is time for all Democrats to come together and support the candidate who truly cares about all the people.

Phil Hoy

Rick Davis Responds to Councilman Curt John’s endorsement of Lloyd Winnecke

27

Rick Davis

By: Rick Davis

From the beginning I have said my campaign is about changing politics-as-usual in Evansville. Curt John’s endorsement of my opponent is about protecting the status quo. They both have a history of secret, backdoor meetings, including the one my opponent called in order to raise Vanderburgh County property taxes by $5.1 million. Winnecke and John served in silence after deciding to raise our property taxes without any public discussion or public input. It is further proof that the political insiders are circling the wagons to try to make sure one of their own succeeds the incumbent mayor and that the open government I have pledged never sees the light of day. But I believe voters recognize that the time has come for real change at City Hall.

After this story broke, instead of making changes in state law to ensure no other community in the state will ever go through this situation again, our local politicians responded by pointing fingers and passing blame. I am the only person who has proposed a solution to ensure this scenario NEVER happens to any Hoosier community again. I have sent a letter to my state representative, my state senator, and our governor, asking that the local homestead credit become an automatic credit unless it is voted down in public. As your mayor, I will drive to Indianapolis in 2012 to ensure the proposed change in law passes in order to protect our homeowners from this type of secret, backdoor government.

Vanderburgh County Democrat Party: Report of Receipts and Expenditures

6

The Vanderburgh County Democratic Party’s 2011 year to date Report of Receipts and Expenditures of October 21, 2011 shows the following:

Cash on Hand: $2,152.16

Contributions: $77,275.61

Expenditures: $75,123.00

Largest Contributions Reported:

Jonathan Weinzapfel for Mayor: $25,000

Local 104 PAC: $2,750

Robert Thomas Owen: $2,020

Elect John Friend: $1,868

R-Men Varsity Club: $1,750

Largest Expenses:

Matt Larsen (political consultant): $11,625.00

Justin Alex Jarvis (salary): $11,491.72 (includes some expense reimbursements)

Walker Building Development LLC: $6,332.50

Largest Political Donation:

Committee to Elect Troy Tornatta: $3,500

The file is over 2MB so we are working on compressing it. If anyone would like a direct email of the file please let us know the email to forward it to.

*UPDATE*

Link to PDF File

1...6,9466,9476,948...7,143Page 6,947 of 7,143