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.

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
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.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS LET FANS DETERMINE RULES OF THE GAME IN EVANSVILLE ON TUESDAY, JAN. 22, 2013
2013 “You Write the Rules” World Tour brings unprecedented fan participation to
The Ford Center
(EVANSVILLE, IN) – Known as innovators of the game of basketball for decades, the world famous Harlem Globetrotters are again introducing something unparalleled in the history of sports and family entertainment, taking kid participation and fun to a whole new level when the Globetrotters come to the Ford Center in Evansville on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, at 7:00 p.m.
For the first time ever, during the Globetrotters’ 2013 “You Write the Rules” World Tour, your family’s smiles will begin before you even get to the show. Fans will decide the rules for the game that could affect the final outcome. This could be anything from playing with two basketballs at once, to getting double the points for each basket made.
Go online with your kids to www.harlemglobetrotters.com to vote for which ground-breaking rule you want to see implemented in the game. Then, get your tickets, and see the winning rules in live action at the Globetrotters’ world championship game.
Tickets, starting at $22.00, are on sale now at www.harlemglobetrotters.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the The Ford Center ticket office, or by phone at 800-745-3000. Information on group and scout tickets can also be found at www.harlemglobetrotters.com.
Before the game, take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience with your family where you get to actually spend time on the court with the Globetrotters one-on-one – shooting, trying out ball tricks, autographs and photos. The unique 30-minute pre-show, “Magic Pass,” will create memories of a lifetime.# After virtually every game, Globetrotter stars remain on the court for autographs and photographs with fans.*
-more-
Ford Center . 1 S.E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd . Evansville, IN 47708
This year’s Globetrotters roster features stars such as Big Easy Lofton and Scooter Christensen. They will join many other fan favorites, including, 7-foot-4 Stretch Middleton and female star TNT Maddox.**
The North American leg of the 2013 “Your Write the Rules” World Tour will tip-off on December 26, 2012, and will run through April 2013. The team will play over 270 games in nearly 240 cities in 45 states and nine Canadian provinces.
Sponsored by Howard Johnson Hotels, Greyhound Lines, Spalding, and Russell Athletic, the Original Harlem Globetrotters will celebrate their 87th consecutive year in 2013, continuing a world famous tradition of ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that continues to thrill fans of all ages. Throughout their history, the Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 120 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans—among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents—over more than eight thrilling decades. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters, and to purchase tickets and team merchandise, visit the Globetrotters’ official Web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com.
* Subject to availability.
** Rosters may vary in each city and are subject to change.
# All customers must have a game ticket AND Magic Pass for entry. Magic Pass sold separately. Soft/rubber soled shoes must be worn on court.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

This feature is sponsored by Chris Walsh For Vanderburgh County Clerk. Chris Walsh is a veteran county administrator that strongly supports our local law enforcement professionals . Chris Walsh is a candidate that possess a non-partisan attitude with a consumer friendly demeanor. Chris also stands against unification of city and county governments.
This ad paid for by the committiee to elect Walsh Clerk.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, October 12, 2012.

Timothy Beasley Possession of Methamphetamine – Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor

Michael Morrow Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury to a Pregnant Woman –Class C 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

EFD to Host Public Safety Fair

Many times the community only gets to see members of Public Safety when they are responding to an emergency. The Evansville Fire Department and other Public Safety agencies want to showcase their equipment and services without the dangers and the situation of an actual emergency.

On Sunday October 21st, from noon to 4PM, many of Evansville’s Public Safety providers will have demonstrations and displays so the community can see how well these agencies are prepared when the need arises.

The Evansville Fire Department will include displays on Firefighting, Fire Prevention, Investigation, Disaster Preparedness, Vehicle Extrication, Hazmat, Dive Rescue, Rope Rescue and Confined Space Rescue.

Other agencies also participating in the Fair; Evansville Police Department, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police, EMA, AMR, Deaconess Hospital, Red Cross, Safe Kids of Vanderburgh/Warrick Counties, the Mayor’s No Meth Task Force and Ohio Valley Search and Rescue.

There will be a Kids Combat Challenge Course set up to inspire our next generation of Firefighters. Car Seat Safety and Don’t Talk/Text & Drive information will be available. Come watch Mayor Winnecke and Police Chief Bolin wash a Fire Truck to “payoff” on the 2012 Guns & Hoses wager.

Food and beverages will be served by Firefighter’s Local 357.

The Fair will be hosted at EFD’s Administration Building, 550 SE 8th Street.

Where we are as a country:

* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
* Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
* New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
* National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
* Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000

Let’s now remove 8 zeros and pretend it’s a household budget:

If the Government was a family here’s the family budget:

* Annual family income: $21,700
* Money the family spent: $38,200
* New debt on the credit card: $16,500
* Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
* Total budget cuts: $385

Got It ?????

So what do our readers recommend for this family to do next?