EPD Activity Report April 26 2011

City County Observer Readers Respond

As part of our December reflection period, we at the City County Observer solicited our readers opinions on the 10 most significant things that we need to get right in 2011 and how those things will impact day to day life for the people of Evansville. Our readers have nominated a list of 18 items that they hope to see come out favorable for the people of Evansville in the next year. The top 10 were chosen based on the frequency in which our readers suggested each item and on how realistic the probability is that this will be able to be done well.

THE TOP TEN

The 2011 City Elections: The entire City of Evansville slate of elected officials is up for election next year. It is expected that unlike the election of 2007 when Team Weinzapfel dominated the ballots that nearly every office will have serious contestants vying for office. The public’s discontentment with government’s performance of the past four years in many ways reflects the illusion of an 85% mandate that having weak opposition created in 2007.

For the first time in 30 years the elections for the governance of the City of Evansville appears uncertain in most offices. Only Dan McGinn and Connie Robinson seem invincible on the City Council and the race for Mayor of Evansville is really turning into a race that anyone can win. Will 2011 be the year that Republicans take back the Mayor’s office and control of the City Council? For the first time in a long time that is a possibility.

What constitutes getting it right? From a City Council perspective right is a council of nine independent thinkers who have both the curiosity and awareness of what it takes to get Evansville on track to perform minimally at national averages in all economic categories. Party affiliation is not important and should not be a yardstick when choosing who to vote for. The best City Council will be a smart principled City Council with a 5 – 4 party make-up. Which party? It does not matter as long as the partisan block of 5 who seem to vote in unison is stopped.

An Evansville for the next Decade Plan: Other cities had plans for the decade that just ended and Evansville did not follow any plan whatsoever. The most recent Downtown Master Plan still shows a baseball stadium where “the District” is and shows no Arena. The time for planning is now and the time for winging it must end. It is also time to engage in comprehensive planning with attention paid to economics, lifestyle, attractiveness, and competitiveness of the entire city not just the downtown.

Evansville has many plans going back to the 1960’s that seem to provide nice fat checks for out of town consulting firms and become dust gathering paperweights afterward. Is it possible for our current City of Evansville leadership to put together a plan for the decade that is both achievable and desirable? 2011 will tell us that answer.

Civic Beautification: Will 2011 be the year that Evansville finally embarks on a program that instills enough civic pride in our citizens that they will stop littering and start cleaning? This has been a problem for half a century with no solution in sight. The solution is for every person to stop littering and pick up 3 pieces of litter each day for all of 2011. If this simple plan happens at the end of the year the problem will be solved and it will be FREE.

Come on Evansville, LET’S GET PRETTY!

The Hiring of a new Executive Director for the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau: Let us all cross our fingers that everything that needs to be done to hire someone to this position can happen in 2011. We continue to tout our attractiveness, our favorable, weather, and our facilities as things that are great for tourists. Let 2011 be the year that the board of directors of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau figures out who to hire and convinces their funding entities to allow them to do so.

CSO Plan for EPA: Through most of 2010 Evansville was suffering through daily fines from the EPA for consolidated sewer discharges into the Ohio River. Near the end of the year the Weinzapfel Administration reached an agreement with the EPA to abate the fines for a period of two years with the condition that a plan is in place to solve the problem by the fall of 2012.

This is a difficult and expensive plan to develop. We are not able to find even a penny in the 2011 budget to work on this plan. This is not the kind of task that can just be pushed off to the next administration. It is quite important that 2011 is the year in which much of the planning to solve the legacy problem of CSO’s needs to be completed. It can also be used as on chapter of the decade plan referred to above.

The MLK Entertainment Complex: Simple tasks here. First finish the Arena on time and on budget and have a knock the ball out of the park opening act and a sellout for the UE vs. IU game which UE will win. Secondly the convention hotel must be authorized, permitted, and well on the way to completion by the end of 2011.

Mental Health Services Improved: Evansville and Vanderburgh County continue to be among the leaders of the nation and even the world in suicide. This is not an outlier as this troubling statistic has haunted us now for more than 5 years. Coroner Annie Groves has done a great job of promoting awareness during 2010 and it seems to have sunk in to the collective psyche of the people that we have spoken with. After over five years we finally seem to accept that this is a real problem. Let’s make 2011 a year that the awareness continues and some solutions start being formulated and implemented.

Improving the mental health services may even lead to a reversal in the arson rate which has soared during the last several years and to beginning to reverse the acceleration of drug arrests, particularly meth which our region is seen as having a particular problem with.

Pay Scales: 2010 was defined and will be remembered to a very large extent as the year that the scheme to pay Tom Barnett a competitive wage was discovered and corrected. From a government perspective this problem of non-competitive wage scales needs to be corrected. The governance of the region and even the business base of the region need to get a handle on what national competitiveness means and adjust the pay schedules accordingly.

This effort should be led by the City of Evansville since it was the city that was exposed for having to circumvent the pay scales to be competitive. It says something about a place when it can’t compete nationally. It says something much worse when a place like Evansville can’t compete with small southern towns like Paducah, KY and Eustis, FL.

2011 needs to be the year that the pay scales of the City of Evansville, Vanderburgh County, and even some of our local businesses are updated from the 1980’s to 2011.

Consolidated Government: What constitutes getting this right? We are not sure what will make this right but we are sure that unless the people of the City of Evansville and the unincorporated parts of Vanderburgh County think that their opinion has some importance, consolidation is heading for defeat.

Consolidation votes have faced difficulty in every case when the population of the city and county is one sided in favor of the city. Evansville currently has a 2 to 1 population ratio advantage over the county. Other cities that have approved consolidation at the ballot box have typically had a 2 to 1 population ratio in favor of the county. Why is this the case? Typically, prior to consolidation the “city” is not doing so well and has experienced population losses and economic decline while the “county” is doing fine. When the population of the “county” is sufficiently large and to have both the economic capacity to absorb the “city” problems, then and only then does consolidation pass.

The case of a city in decline and a county on the rise are mirrored in Evansville and Vanderburgh County. If the consolidation committee does not produce a plan that convinces the county residents that consolidation will benefit them, this is headed for defeat. 2011 will be the year that definition is either done right or not.

Smoking Ordinance Revisited: 2010 saw a deadlock at the Evansville City Council on strengthening the smoking ordinance for the City of Evansville. That was one vote short of passage. The Vanderburgh County Commissioners lead by recently defeated Commissioner Troy Tornatta made this one of the first places in America with over 100,000 people to reverse a smoking ordinance.

Recent polls show that only 27% of the adult population of Evansville smokes and that only 19% oppose a strong ordinance to eliminate smoking in the workplace. Several City Council members asserted that their constituents overwhelmingly opposed a smoking ordinance in last year’s tie vote. Polls show that they were mistaken in their assertions.

The Vanderburgh County Commissioners are on record that they will pass a comprehensive smoking ordinance in early 2011. Some City Council members used the excuse that both the city and the county should be the same to justify not passing a smoking ordinance.

This will be an election issue in 2011. With numbers like only 27% smoke and only 19% oppose smoking ordinances the 2011 Evansville City Council members who wish to keep their jobs had better read those numbers closely when considering how to vote when this comes up again. Our prediction is that either the 2011 City Council will pass a stricter smoking ordinance or a new City Council will do so in early 2012.

HONORABLE MENTION

Vectren Rate Increase: Would have been top ten if it were something that local government could do something about. Paying 188% extra for a commodity on this side of the river defies reason. It is up to our state legislators and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to level this playing field.

The First Street Dilemma: Will the McCurdy and the Riverhouse continue to just sit there? This dilemma is interesting but not worthy of making the top ten. If we can live for 42 months with only words we can live for 12 more. Eventually the developer will either perform or the Evansville Redevelopment Commission will have to find another one.

Roberts Stadium: 2012 is the year to deal with Roberts.

Evansville Arena: Part of the entertainment complex referenced above. The Arena is not a stand-alone project as hopefully was learned in 2010 in what became the Executive Inn fiasco.

Evansville Housing Authority: Expect some fireworks there. Some think that the EHA in 2011 will join the ECVB of 2010, and GAGE of 2009 as non-profits that were plagued by political decisions from outside of the entity.

Kicking off the Arts District TIF: Still formative. Not yet a top 10 issue.

Front Door Pride: If the banks ever start acting like banks again we will find out if this is a viable program. Financially, it is certainly not viable to buy for $200,000 and sell for $100,000.

Downtown Parking: The spaces as have been asserted are within walking distance of the Arena. The test for convenience, clarity, and tolerance of the public begins when the Arena opens.

Gateways to Evansville: All of the gateways to the city are considered to be ugly by many readers. This did not make the top 10 list because it does not seem to be a problem that the City of Evansville has the vision or the financial capacity to repair.

IS IT TRUE that with four days remaining in April that the City County Observer has already set a new record for internet site traffic for any month since publishing began?…that the Community Observer may just double its previous best month?

IS IT TRUE that farmers are very industrious and hard working people?…that the government of the City of Darmstadt voted to take every measure to prevent Darmstadt from being annexed by Evansville through consolidation?…that Darmstadt is an incorporated farm community and reflects the views of farmers?…that farmers are not only industrious and hard working but that they basically invented consolidation?…that to have a co-op whether it is for chemical purchase and storage, grain storage, expensive equipment, raising a barn, or in selling contracts on agricultural products are all based on the same principle as consolidation of government?…that farmers enter into cooperative agreements many times on a handshake because they realize the IMMEDIATE TANGIBLE BENEFITS that cooperation brings?

IS IT TRUE that farmers in particular would be the first to recognize any IMMEDIATE TANGIBLE BENEFITS offered by consolidation of the governments of the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County?…that when some committee, someday innovates the long arm of government enough to show IMMEDIATE TANGIBLE GAINS to both the people of the City of Evansville and the people of Vanderburgh County, that this will be recognized and the farmers, their county neighbors, and the people of the city will approve consolidated government?…that until both sets of voters recognize the FINANCIAL BENEFITS of consolidation that there will be substantial resistance to moving forward?…that after over a year of tightly managed and non-risk taking crafting of a consolidation plan that there are no substantial benefits that have been identified to merit consolidation?…that three less elected officials and a clerk saves each and every resident of Vanderburgh County less than $1 and that $1 is not sufficient to assume the FINANCIAL RISKS associated with joining up with the debt laden and $500 Million sewer needing City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau hired a law firm to advise them on the legality of their own policies and practices with respect to nominal gift cards, birthday lunches, and of course excessive Christmas parties?…that the that the law firm advised the ECVB had no guidelines in place and that they needed some guidelines?…that the law firm advised the ECVB to follow their codified mission according to state law?…that no policies were violated by anyone in the past?…that any thinking person over the age of 12 could have offered the ECVB the advice to craft some policies that are consistent with state law?…that the City County Observer is curious as to how much money the ECVB spent on legal advice that any lay person would have willingly offered for free?…that it would really be ironic if the legal fee to be told to “DO THE RIGHT THING” exceeded the cost of the Christmas Party that started the whole controversy in the first place?…that in 6th grade football practice a volunteer coach told us three things only about football and life?…his mantra was DO SOMETHING YOU LIKE, DO THE RIGHT THING, and DO YOUR BEST?…that we wonder where to send the bill for this simple but timeless advice that applies to everything that we do as a volunteer or for pay?

NEWS RELEASE

Type of Release: DNA leads to identity in 2004 Robbery
Date of Release: April 26, 2011
Approving Supervisor: Chief Brad Hill

Summary

In July of 2004 an armed robbery occurred at Indiana Downs 5480 E. Indiana St. The suspect is able to enter the business after it closes and detains the staff and night cleaning crew while he gains access to the money room. No one is present who can open the safe so they are forced at gunpoint to wait all night for the manager to arrive. In the morning the manager is forced to open the safe. The suspect flees with a significant amount of money. During the crime, the unknown B/M suspect asks for a drink and is given a glass of soda which he consumes (EPD offense 04-17290). This glass is later collected and swabbed for DNA by crime scene technicians. The DNA sample is entered into a national database with negative results.

In 2006 EPD was notified that the DNA that it submitted matched DNA that was submitted from a crime scene in Texas. Then in 2007 EPD was again notified about a match from a crime scene in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Although we were aware of the matches, the identity of the suspect was still unknown.

Finally in April of 2011 EPD was notified that the DNA matched convicted offender sample belonging to Lloyd Eugene Rhodes. Rhodes is currently housed in a federal prison in Colorado.

The numerous crimes that Rhodes committed across the United States are detailed in a second attachment. Through the use of national databases and good investigative work, numerous robberies and burglaries were solved.

Timeline of Events:

Indiana Downs Robbery 04-17290

Time line for suspect Lloyd Eugene Rhodes:
06/?/03- An Armed robbery occurred at K.T.’s restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. A picture was obtained from a surveillance camera of the unknown B/M suspect.

07/26/04 – An armed robbery occurred at Indiana Downs 5480 E. Indiana St. Evansville, Indiana. The suspect is able to enter the business after it closes and detains the staff and night cleaning crew while he gains access to the money room. No one is present who can open the safe so they are forced at gunpoint to wait all night for the manager to arrive. In the morning the manager is forced to open the safe. The suspect flees with a significant amount of money. During the crime, the unknown B/M suspect asks for a drink and is given a glass of soda which he consumes (EPD offense 04-17290). This glass is later collected and swabbed for DNA by crime scene technicians. (04-17290 supp W. Schafer) Case assigned to Det. Kenny Taylor.

06/?/05 – An armed robbery occurred at Jillian’s Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. The B/M suspect was apprehended a short time later by responding patrol officers. He matched the photo of the 2003 restaurant robber. Suspect had no ID and gave the name Michael J. Dotson when arrested. $25,000 cash bond was posted before they were able to discover via fingerprints the suspect was actually Lloyd Eugene Rhodes. Suspect fled the state. Cases assigned to Det. Jerry Zehdner, Louisville Metro P.D.

08/22/05 – EPD notified DNA from drinking glass in Indiana Downs case was submitted to the Indiana DNA database with negative results.

08/22/05 – 12/05/05 – A series of six armed robberies occurred in Austin Texas at restaurants and bars. A B/M suspect gains entry either just before the business opens or just after they close. Cases assigned to Det. Miller, Austin Texas P.D.

10/14/05 – Austin Police assemble a suspect description, surveillance photo and an artist’s sketch on a flier that is sent to local bars/restaurants and media.

10/24/05 – An armed robbery occurred at a bar named The Pour House in Fort Worth, Texas. The B/M suspect gained entry to the business before they open and robbed the business and manager at gunpoint (Ft. Worth incident report 05-132505) Case assigned to Det. D. Darracq, Fort Worth Texas P.D.

12/06/05 – Austin Police update the restaurant robbery flier and redistribute it. The media picks up the story.

12/09/05 – Victim in Fort Worth from The Pour House robbery sees the flier from Austin P.D. about their restaurant/bar robberies. She identifies the photo and sketch as her assailant. She reports this to Det. Darracq.

12/09/05 – Detective Zehdner from Louisville Kentucky sees a news story about the Austin Texas restaurant robberies and recognizes Lloyd Rhodes aka: Michael Dotson and contacts Austin P.D. He supplies them with the suspect’s name, alias, other information and a mugshot.

12/09/05 – Det. Darracq contacts Austin P.D. inquiring about the flier his victim saw. He is supplied with the name and photo of Rhodes. Victim picks Lloyd Eugene Rhodes out of a photo line up. Darracq obtains a warrant for robbery. He finds out the suspect is wanted in Kentucky, Colorado and Kansas.

12/12/05 – Det. Darracq is contacted by Det. Acosta of Dallas P.D. She has two robberies from October 2005 with similar suspect description and similar M.O.

01/?/06 – U.S. Marshalls and F.B.I. become involved in the cases. Suspect is tracked via financial activity to a residence in Los Angeles, California.

01/13/06 – Lloyd Eugene Rhodes is arrested in Los Angles. Makes incriminating statements.

03/13/06 – EPD notified that DNA from drinking glass in Indiana Downs robbery was matched via National DNA database forensic index (CODIS) to a can of Red Bull energy drink collected from a crime scene in Texas. Suspect identity is unknown. (ISP lab report Certificate of Analysis, Michael J. Spence)

02/01/07 – EPD notified that DNA from drinking glass in Indiana Downs robbery was matched via National DNA database forensic index (CODIS) to a stain from a piece of broken window glass in a case from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Police Department. Suspect identity is unknown. (ISP lab report Certificate of Analysis, Michael J. Spence)

09/06/07 – Rhodes convicted of violation of Hobbs Act in Federal Court. Sentenced to 166 months.

10/27/08 – Rhodes convicted of Aggravated Robbery in San Antonio, Texas. Sentenced to 15 years.

11/01/10 – Rhodes convicted of Aggravated Robbery in Houston, Texas. Sentenced to 15 years.

01/21/11 – Rhodes convicted of Aggravated Robbery in Fort Worth, Texas. Sentenced to 12 years.

02/?/11 – Rhodes believed to be turned over to federal custody to begin sentence. Sent to a federal prison in Colorado.

04/13/11 – EPD notified that DNA from drinking glass in Indiana Downs robbery was matched via National DNA database convicted offender index (CODIS) to federal convicted offender sample belonging to Lloyd Eugene Rhodes. (ISP lab report Certificate of analysis, John W. Pritchett) Due to the retirement of Det. Kenny Taylor, case reassigned to Det. Greg Fleck.

Votes Are Powerful, Use Them Wisely

By: Janet Christy

“A government contract for every small business and a grant for every woman, minority and veteran owned business,” is the cry that could get any candidate elected to any office.

But if you hear statements like this from a candidate the best advice is to question that candidate’s honesty and run in the other direction. Because, no matter how pleasing these promises might sound, they are not ones that any elected official can accomplish on their own. As a matter of fact there are many promises made by candidates for national, state and local offices in the heat of the campaign battle that they cannot keep.

Small Businesses, especially Woman, Minority and Veteran Owned Businesses, need to carefully investigate (or “vet”) campaign promises before they use them to make a voting decision. A candidate may have the best intentions in making a promise or they may simply be trying to get your vote. But “let the buyer beware.” It is up to you to determine if candidates can not only keep their promises, but if they can and will help and facilitate your business.

Here are 8 critical assessments that will help you evaluate a candidate’s ability and willingness to assist your business.

Beware of Lip Service

When you listen to or read what a candidate says, pay attention so that you are not deceived because you hear what you want to hear. Be certain that the candidate is not simply repeating phrases and words that are recognizable as “pro” for Small Businesses; for businesses owned by Women, Minorities or Veterans; or for businesses designated as Disadvantaged.

Watch for “I” statements

Since we do not live in kingdoms where one person has complete authority, there is very little that an elected official can accomplish on his/her own. So, if a candidate states that he/she will increase tax incentives and credits for Small Businesses realize that there will be other people involved in that decision. When a candidate pledges to decrease the number of bundled government contracts understand that not even the President or a Governor can do this alone.

Look for the details and the hows

Always ask how a candidate will bring a promise to fruition. If they claim that they will increase the access to capital for Minority Owned Businesses, ask for specifics. If they announce that they will ensure that affordable health care is made available to Small Businesses ask how. If you cannot ask them, then look for details in their speeches, interviews and websites. If you cannot find the details it may be because the candidate does not know how to accomplish the promise; or it may be that they do not truly understand the issue. If they do share details, be sure the plan makes sense. Be aware that “Robin Hood” strategies rarely work. A candidate simply stating they will tax large businesses and give incentives to small businesses is not a plan; it’s a sentiment – a feeling.

Do your homework

If an issue is important to you, then take the time to understand the issue. If you do not understand it, you leave yourself vulnerable to empty promises and campaign rhetoric. Your homework should include research and reading that will tell you who can really make decisions about the issue, how action can be taken and what the obstacles are. Then you can compare that information to what the candidates are saying. Knowledge is the best weapon for making sure your business issue actually gets real attention.

Notice the blanks

Take careful notice of the issues and questions that a candidate does not address or attempts to avoid when questioned. There are two reasons that a candidate might ignore or avoid something. 1) It does not matter to them; they do not think it is important. 2) They do not know or understand it enough to address it. Whatever the reason, if they avoid talking about it they will likely avoid taking any action.

Watch out for bounces

Do not be fooled if, when asked about a specific issue, a candidate talks about a different issue. This is a bounce or deflection. When they cannot or do not want to address an issue they bounce to another one they feel is safer or that they understand better. An example I have seen often is that when asked about Supplier/Vendor Diversity, the candidate talks about Workforce Diversity.

Statistics are in the eyes of the beholder

My grandfather used to say, “Figures lie and liars figure.” It was his way of saying you can use numbers and statistics to support whatever you want them to. Be cautious that when statistics are used by a candidate you understand where they come from, how they actually relate to the issue and if there are other statistics needed to get the whole picture.

Presence does not equal experience

Many times candidates will claim credit for an action, a law or an advancement when in reality they were only “present”. Present means they were part of the group that took the action, but were not actually responsible. It means they were part of the government body that enacted the law, but they didn’t introduce it. It means they merely participated in discussions on a development. Determine if your candidate can claim experience, which includes genuine involvement and not just simple presence.

Like anything else that is important, making choices in campaigns requires looking beyond a pretty face, the persuasive speeches and the pep rally excitement. Helping your business through your votes calls for work and examination.

Janet W. Christy is a marketing consultant and trainer to Small Businesses. She is also the author of “101 Winning Marketing Actions for Small Businesses” and “Capitalizing On Being Woman Owned.” More information on Janet, her firm and her books is available at http://www.leverageanddevelopment.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5002215

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Arena project manager John Kish reported to the Evansville City Council last night that the Arena was on time and on budget?…that the $127.5 original budget is on target and that the Arena is scheduled for a fall opening as Mr. Kish planned two years ago?…that when it comes to the Arena itself that all seems to be according to plan and validates and supports hiring Kish at what some people thought was an exorbitant rate to manage the project?…that up to this point that the City County Observer congratulates Mr. Kish on doing HIS JOB well and encourages him to keep it up through completion?

IS IT TRUE that the Arena is not an isolated project and that as skilled as Mr. Kish is as a manager that the greater management job of orchestrating the entire MLK Entertainment complex has not gone so well?…that the Executive Inn Dilemma that was exposed by the City County Observer cost the City of Evansville over $10 Million to purchase the Executive Inn?…that this $10M has not been included in any of the Arena budgets that we have been privy to?…that excluding the cost of the Executive Inn from the Arena project seems like intentional oversight?…that the grand maestro of the MLK Entertainment Complex also never included the eventual changes needed at Roberts Stadium in the Arena budget?…that sky bridges between the Arena, a new Hyatt Place Hotel, and the Centre were never included in the Arena budget?…that when all of the needed “non-Arena” direct spending is added up it is feasible that the “non-Arena” cost of the Arena will be over $20 Million?

IS IT TRUE that downtown Evansville is also suffering the economic consequences of having no downtown Convention Hotel for a period of at least three years?…that Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau records indicated over 10,000 room nights that were lost in a single year because of this?…that this revenue shortfall hits every hospitality provider and restaurant in greater Evansville right in the pocket?…that some of these conventions lost will never come back?…that the total cost of the Executive Inn Dilemma to the City of Evansville may eventually be as high as the Arena itself when all of the tangible and intangible costs are tallied up?…that if the grand maestro would have hired either Mr. Kish or someone like him to lead the band instead of working in a vacuum that the Executive Inn Dilemma could have been managed much better and maybe even avoided altogether?

IS IT TRUE that the Executive Inn removed over 600 hotel rooms from downtown Evansville rendering it quite limited as a convention destination?…that the new Hyatt Place will have about 220 rooms still somewhat short of the Big E’s total?…that there is a building within an easy walk of the MLK Entertainment Complex that could supplement the number of available rooms by about 100?…that the McCurdy as an apartment complex project is not one that the financial numbers work on?…that the McCurdy was built as a hotel and would make a very fine vintage hotel in downtown Evansville?…that a vintage hotel like the Seelbach and the Brown in Louisville or the Canterbury in Indianapolis is the possibly the only way to make the investment needed work for cash flow purposes at the McCurdy?…that four years of waiting for the financing of a project that makes no sense is enough and that the McCurdy needs to be dealt with in a sustainable manner without relying on government subsidies to exist?

IS IT TRUE that after 10 years without following a master plan that it is time for a new administration to show some vision and start putting together the substance of a new master plan for all of Evansville as opposed to just a few blocks?

EPD Activity Report April 25 2011

Seeks to Heal Party After the Primaries

The following letter was distributed to Vanderburgh County Democrats by Chairman Mark Owen yesterday.

Dear Friends,

Based on the current intra-party primary races, we have decided to postpone our annual Lifetime Achievement Awards scheduled for this weekend.

We will be setting the new date shortly after the primary.

This event, an annual celebration to honor outstanding Democrats, will also be an opportunity to re-unite all Democrats after the primary is over.

Thank you,

Mark R. Owen, Chairman
Vanderburgh County Democratic Party

IS IT TRUE that on Monday afternoon after the City County Observer called for assurances that our FLOOD GATES were in a known location and operational that the City of Evansville sprung into action to get those gates in place?…that the CCO was prompted to call for these assurances by a source very close to the situation who was concerned that the maintenance of said FLOOD GATES was lacking like just about every other thing in Evansville that needs maintenance?…that the FLOOD GATES that we were asking about are not the recently installed ones down by AZTAR?…that the FLOOD GATES of interest to the CCO are the ones that work with the old levee system that was build after the 1937 flood?…that we have not heard any report about these FLOOD GATES being installed?

IS IT TRUE that the IS IT TRUE Part 2 yesterday had the highest single day traffic of any story other than the breaking of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau Bachanallian Wine Festival?…that the story of Christmas parties past that was published yesterday is a story that the CCO declined to publish 2 months ago so the new Board of Directors could get on about the business of repairing the CVB and hiring a new Executive Director?…that we congratulate them on finding someone and wish him the best in his new position?…that Evansville is a bit larger than Galena, IL that is only about 3,500 people?…that most of the astronauts came from small towns so we expect no Mayberry style problems with Bob Warren?

IS IT TRUE that during the infamous 1937 flood that the Ohio River crested in Evansville at 19 feet above flood stage at 53.74 feet?…that on January 24, 1937 that martial law was declared in Evansville and 4,000 WPA workers came to town to help with the flooding?…that over 100,000 Hoosiers were left homeless by the 1937 flood?…that after the 1937 flood that the Evansville Vanderburgh Levee Authority District was established, which built a system of earth levees, concrete walls, and pumping stations meant to protect the city?…that the 1937 flood followed what at the time was the wettest month in Evansville history when nearly 15 inches of rain fell?

IS IT TRUE that April 2011 is flirting with the 1937 records?…that through Sunday April 24th there were just over 10 inches of rain recorded here?…that with the expectation of 6 to 9 inches over the course of this week that the rain total will exceed the total for the month that helped to cause the 1937 flood?…that even with the rain and water that Evansville is still just 2.4 feet above flood stage but that Newburgh and Mt. Vernon are nearly 10 feet above flood stage?…that in Evansville today that flood stage is 42 feet a full 9 feet above the flood levels of 1937?…that the system of dams on the Ohio River and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers do us a great service?…that we are hoping that our FLOOD GATES are in working order and that they serve us well if the need arises?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO will not endorse candidates period for the primary season?…that if we were in the endorsement business that we would consider the entire team and not split the support positions at for the person at the top of the ticket?…that the Courier and Press has endorsed Rick Davis for the Democratic nomination for Mayor but has endorsed candidates for City Council that are opposing Mr. Davis with every breath they take?…that to endorse candidates of the machine is to support the machine in what will surely be an effort to blunt every initiative that a Mayor Davis may put forward?…that keeping the block of Team Weinzapfel voters in charge of the Evansville City Council is the antithesis of everything that Rick Davis has campaigned for?…that supporting both Rick Davis and the City Council slate of the machine that has opposed him in every way is somewhat conflicted?…that elections make strange bedfellows?

Favors of any kind are grounds for a Bribery Charge

Any person in a position of power is prone to being a target for corrupt influence. People who wish to influence the political field, change the outcome of a trial, or have other decisions made in their favor may try to bribe an official. Bribery is a criminal act that involves offering goods or services, usually money, in exchange for swaying the decisions or actions of a person in a public station. Under Florida law, any form of bribery is illegal. Anyone who is discovered offering or accepting a bribe may be arrested for bribery.

Why Bribery is a Crime

Bribery of a public official is taken especially seriously because officials hold unique positions of power. Depending on their station, an official may have wide-ranging and significant control over major actions or decisions within the government. Taking a bribe is a violation of the oath that all officials agree to uphold when they accept their positions. It also allows one individual, the briber, to exert control over the government for his or her personal gain. Historically, states with more corrupt governments have greater crime rates, less effective justice systems, and fewer personal freedoms.

What Constitutes Bribery?

When an individual offers a bribe to a public official, one or more parties may be charged with bribery depending on the circumstances. For an act of bribery to occur, a transaction does not necessarily have to take place. A briber can be charged for simply offering a bribe, even if s/he never intended to actually go through with it. Any official who accepts a bribe or suggests that s/he can use an official position to exert influence in the briber’s favor could also be charged. Even if the briber never actually delivers the goods or services to the official, and even if the official never carries out the desired action for the bribe, both may find themselves charged with bribery.

Criminal Punishment

In the state of Florida, any instance of bribery involving a public official is classified as a felony. Specifically, bribery of a public official is a felony of the second degree, the penalties for which may include:

Imprisonment: Up to 15 years
Monetary fines: Up to $10,000
Community service
Registration as a convicted felon

Suspension or removal of the convicted official from office. A single bribery charge is a grave accusation that could have lasting effects on your life if you are convicted. As a public official or briber you may find yourself professionally ostracized and unable to find a job. A felony conviction will remain on your criminal record for the remainder of your life and could have lasting effects even many years later.

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