The Makings of Pride: Getting Evansville back on Track.

There are projects on the Ward 3 “to-do” list that just aren’t getting done, issues just not getting resolved. This is problematic and is unacceptable for a city on the road back to greatness.

Like a great sports team on the way to the playoff games, our Evansville City Council needs ‘major league’ representation putting forth a ‘major league’ effort. For Evansville to take the next major move forward, we need this kind of major league effort.

This Ward has everything; it is the heart of the city with diverseness that is hard to understand. A major league effort is needed here to re-connect with the people and give them the sense that someone in city government cares. Enough of governing in-absencia. Let’s change direction and get the governing body and the citizens involved with each other once again.

There are two things on my mind concerning problems that are left unfinished:

1. The 600 block of E. Franklin – the pile of rubble remains into the 4th or 5th month since someone promised resolution. This lot is blighted and says something like ‘you don’t matter’.

2. The giant sink-hole at the corner of East Oregon and Garvin in front of ‘Buster and Becky’s’ remains into the seventy month with the streets all dug up. That establishment has been in the neighborhood for over 30 years and the owner has never seen anything like this. This is perhaps the third cave-in, and yet the problem persists.

There will be no ‘Trick-or-Treat’ on East Oregon this year. It is impossible for parents to navigate this mess with their little ones. This place is dangerous in the daylight, not to mention after dark. What does the city leadership tell those poor residents who have no access to their property except by one sidewalk and no street parking?

I would be really upset if I lived on Oregon next to the sink hole. I would feel like my voice did not matter anymore and that this is what life was like in Evansville; this is how it is going to be. If you listen to the people, you hear discouragement in their voices.

Where is the pride of ownership in this city? It has to come from leadership or it will come from nowhere. Strong leadership will motivate the people. There has been too much of politics and laziness in the past. This city needs change and do it quickly.

Pride of ownership is the attitude of the heart. The city needs heart to lead effectively. Leadership has to recognize that it will take heart to govern effectively. City leaders must lead with their hearts first. The attitude of the heart leads the head to get things done.

I have a big vision for the 3rd Ward and for the city. I offer leadership in the right direction and leadership with heart.

When I am elected to City Council:
· the rubble pile on East Franklin will be removed quickly.

· the miserable sink-holes on East Oregon Street will be repaired and the streets restored to the residents once again. These are my first two priorities. I will be on the streets every day until these two projects are completed.

· Then I will follow-up on the tips I have been getting from residents about drug deals on the streets and meth labs in the neighborhoods. Concerned citizens know what is going on. Can we tolerate any more for our cities’ children to grow up in neighborhoods where conditions like these exist?

· Next I will help to organize some of neighborhoods in Jacobsville block-by-block using my leadership skills and ministry know-how to get things moving again. I hope someday to introduce a program called Community One into several Ward 3 Precincts which will offer solutions for rehabbing and restoring savable houses and putting them back on the market.

· Along with these efforts, I will head to Precincts 11 and 12 where the sewer stench is horrific and I will work there until we come up with a plan to end this miserable condition for good.

· I will sign a petition to stop the Vectren rate hikes and then work to make sure the citizens of Evansville are treated fairly with respect to paying for utility services.

· I will be joining Lloyd Winnecke on the streets picking up trash and cleaning alleyways.

· I will volunteer to take the lead in solving the Roberts Stadium riddle and try to get that facility moving in the right direction. With a Masters Degree in Business, Marketing, I have the background to oversee such a venture.

As a candidate for City Council in Ward 3, my wife and I have personally walked the neighborhoods and spoken with residents in this area. I usually asked them, “has a City Councilman ever knocked on your door before?”, to which 95% reply “No”.

We have personally knocked on over 2,000 doors in Ward 3 in the past 11 weeks. We do not send others out to do our work for us. We do not just throw a flier on the porch, we try and talk with each resident. The Third Ward is the heart of this city with some fine citizens living there. I want the Third Ward to lead the way back to pride of ownership, so I challenge the other Ward Councilmen to match efforts in their Wards as compared to this Ward, to bring that same pride back into their Wards as well.

When elected, I plan to continue to walk the streets and continue to meet the people, to stir up interest, to bring back pride of home ownership and to remind them that someone at City Hall cares about them and cares about their neighborhoods.

Alan Leibundguth
City Council Candidate, Ward 3

Yesterday the City County Observer published an article on the words of sources that have in the past been reliable and accurate. The information that we were given and published yesterday was lets just say pushed the limits of truth too far. There were a number of postings that challenged the statements and a large number of back and forth posting took on a little too much of a life of its own.

Our sources for the information have all softened their words and the City County Observer has spent many hours in conversations with other people who should know so that we believe we have a handle on what went on.

First, there was no official letter of support for the Winnecke for Mayor campaign on the agenda nor was there a serious discussion about issuing one. What went on as should not be surprising is that there were a number of attendees who expressed aloud in non-official discussions that they intended to vote for Winnecke and that they as individuals support the Winnecke for Mayor campaign. It is also of note that some of the attendees support the Davis for Mayor campaign.

With respect to leaving the state democratic party, this was once again not an agenda item. There were conversations among some attendees where frustration with the Indiana State Party’s funding of some Davis for Mayor campaign expenses were expressed and even some questioning about what the State Party actually does for the local Party other than of course ask for money.

The CCO is contrite over the inaccuracy of the information and spent much time confirming with others after the fact what was real. As is our policy we are issuing this correction and clarification.

Time 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Subject SHERIFF SALE
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Thursday of every 1 month effective 10/27/2011 until 10/27/2011 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
The meeting actually starts at 10:00.
Categories ROOM 301

Time 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Subject AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND
Location 318
Reminder 15 minutes
LAURA @ 7806
Categories ROOM 318

Time 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject CODE ENFORCEMENT HRGS
Location 307
KIM JOSEY @ 7889
Categories ROOM 307

Time 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Thursday effective 10/6/2011 until 10/27/2011 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Sharon Evans @ 4982
Categories ROOM 301

Time 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject LICENSE & DISCIPLINARY BOARD
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Thursday of every 1 month effective 10/27/2011 until 10/27/2011 from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
LINDA PENDELTON@ 7880
Categories ROOM 318

Time 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject SS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Thursday of every 1 month effective 10/27/2011 until 10/27/2011 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
BONNIE @ 4927
Categories ROOM 301

Evansville, IN – Nonprofit organizations can learn how to identify funding opportunities using the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation Center’s online resources on Wednesday, November 2nd, at 9:30 am. The workshop will be held at McCollough Branch, 5115 Washington Ave., and will last approximately an hour and a half.

The workshop will focus on the Foundation Directory Online, a database which is updated weekly, that contains profiles of over 98,000 grantmakers, including local and regional funders. Other topics covered will be the print resources available to nonprofits in the EVPL Foundation Center.

The EVPL Foundation Center is a part of Business Central located on the second floor of Central Library. Computer work stations, microfilm and microform readers, copiers, meeting rooms, and the library’s reference and nonfiction collections are conveniently nearby. Can’t make it to the workshop on November 2nd? Free orientation sessions on the use of the EVPL Foundation Center are available by appointment by calling 428-8218.

The EVPL Foundation Center is a cooperating collection of the New York-based Foundation Center.

Registration for the November 2nd workshop is required by calling 428-8236 or visiting evpl.org.

Take That: October 27, 2011

IN RESPONSE TO: Democratic Power Brokers Hold Strategy Session

“When an obvious Central Committe operative like Clovis uses terms like “devious individual or brain dead nitwits” to describe sources, you can be assured the CCO got it right. Sounds just like the John Edwards love baby denials, the Mayors press release that a joint bi-partisan decision was made to not renew the homestead tax exemption at the Mayor’s April Fools day conference room meeting and Clinton’s finger wagging I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” JoeBiden

“Furthermore, why weren’t committeemen/women invited? I know I certainly was not! But if I had been, this is the message I would have delivered: ENOUGH!! Grow up! Democrats have chosen their candidate, and you should be respectful of that and ashamed of your recent behavior. Mr. Owen, if you have any decency left, resign immediately and take Alex Jarvis with you. I hear the Terry White campaign is hiring.” All4_1

“Clearly the topic of endorsing Winnecke was discussed. Connie Robinson’s endorsement was the reason for the meeting.” BigPappa

“Electing Davis will have two very positive benefits for Evansville:
1) The Machine will be finally, irrevocably dismantled. A new, principled Democratic party will rise in its place.
2) The Republicans will finally have to start standing on principle, too. They will no longer be able to cut backroom deals for scraps off the Machine’s table.
This may be the most important election Evansville has ever had.” VonKayel

“This is pathetic! A house of cards tumbling down, blown over by the very children who are its caretakers.” 292

“Johny’s legacy across this state will be how he destroyed the democrat party in southern Indiana.
Mosby clan– Red is rolling in his grave.” Sledgehammer

“I’d say this is the death rattle of the machine.” Blanger

“Perhaps this is the death knell of the political careers of some of the attendees. Me thinks some of these politicians should seceed to private life.“ satireevv