The Politics of Granting Exemptions By: Joe J. Wallace
The Politics of Granting Exemptions
By: Joe J. Wallace
Once again the Evansville City Council is facing a vote on a resolution to pass a comprehensive smoking ban that mirrors the Vanderburgh County plan. Tonight a vote will be held on this resolution and this time it seems as though the inevitability of a stronger smoking ordinance has finally sunk into the skull of a majority of our elected leaders. It is a foregone conclusion that some version of a stronger smoking ordinance will be passed in Evansville in 2012. The only variable seems to be the number of exemptions that may have to be granted to garner the 5 votes needed to pass a resolution.
Many groups have asserted everything from constitutional rights to stating that the science behind the damage caused by second hand smoke is simply mythology created by those who would impose their will upon the sovereign rights of others. The truth of the matter is that the constitutional assertion has been shot down in court on a number of occasions and the evidence that 2nd hand smoke kills is overwhelming. Then there is the conundrum of the economics of exemptions.
The real question that the City Council will be considering when considering just what exemptions are deemed “appropriate†by a majority all comes down to economics. How much will it cost for any business to be granted an exemption? Aztar management has asserted that passing a comprehensive smoking ban will cost the City of Evansville several million dollars in taxes and may cost over 250 of their employees their jobs. That is debatable, but for the sake of avoiding an argument lets accept that as truth. One thing is for certain, bar owners and restaurant owners do not pay enough taxes or employ enough people to meet the economic threshold for an exemption so this exemption debate is really just about Aztar.
If 2nd hand smoke is accepted by the City Council to be a hazard, the real question is how much does an exemption cost? For what price my friends and City Council members will you prostitute yourselves to a powerful taxpayer. To ascertain an answer in other areas where public safety was the decision driver when they were adopted I would like to pose the following questions.
What if all Mercedes owners were named John and wanted an exemption to our speeding laws? Since the annual license fee and the sales tax for a Mercedes is substantially higher than it is for a 5 year old Toyota, these Johns are paying more license fees than Toyota drivers. Should this collection of Johns be granted an exemption from our speeding laws? After all they could always trade their Benzes for Camrys and lay off the nanny, the landscaper, and the pool man paying less in taxes and eliminating jobs in the process.
What if one particular chain of restaurants that is prosperous and employs lots of people wanted to be exempted from health inspections? If this restaurant stood before the City Council and stated with confidence that without an exemption that would allow them to serve undercooked squirrels that they will most likely be paying a couple of million dollars less in taxes and may even have to lay off a couple of hundred people. Would our City Council give serious consideration to such a request?
Finally, the WalMart Corporation employs many people and lines the coffers of local government with revenue from sales, income, real estate, and other taxes. If WalMart could reduce the already low wages that they pay their employees they would make higher profits and thus pay more taxes. The same cognitive process that concludes that Aztar deserves an exemption from the same rules that every other business has to comply with should exempt WalMart from minimum wage laws for the same reasons.
The politics of exemption really does make for some most interesting discussion and it always seems like the exemptions come down to economics and that it comes down to the golden rule. For those who do not remember that rule is “he who has the gold makes the rulesâ€. Whatever the outcome of this year’s vote on a smoking ordinance it needs to make as much practical sense as possible.
If the City of Evansville has to compromise principles and make an exemption for Aztar that will be unfortunate but that also may be the economic reality of the situation.
With six of the current members of the City Council having committed to vote for a comprehensive smoking ban back during the 2011 campaign if a comprehensive smoking ban does not pass it will involve yet another case of politicians being purveyors of falsehood. Let’s also hope that at least the votes are decided in the Council Chamber instead of a local Democrat watering hole.
Just how on earth can an elected official (the seventh vote) transition from “I am my brother’s keeper†to “we can’t protect everyone†in two short years? Maybe when questions like that do not have to be asked then the City of Evansville can actually take a place among prosperous cities with growth potential. Until then more of the same seems to be the law of the land.
Tonight is an opportunity for this Democrat dominated City Council to prove that they have a basic understanding of what the concepts of truth, honor, and democratic principles really are. I will not count on them doing the right thing. Quite frankly I do not believe that a majority have the integrity to cast a yes vote for a comprehensive smoking ban as 6 of them have looked me in the eye and committed to do, but I do have hope.
IS IT TRUE? February 13, 2012
IS IT TRUE? February 13, 2012
IS IT TRUE that when the numbers were added up there have been 160 houses in Vanderburgh County that have been condemned due to meth related explosions or reactions gone bad in the last two years?…that amounts to more than a house and a half per week?…that these are the ones that get caught due to starting a fire and there must be many more houses out there that have problems that are not reported or are snuffed out with fire extinguishers?…that there has been some minimization of the meth problem in SW Indiana recently in other media outlets?…that the CCO formally would like to be on record as stating that media outlets, politicians, civic organizations, and even business advocacy groups that try to minimize problems like meth lab explosions with hollow meaningless phrases like “it’s a great place to raise kids†or “great quality of life†are really a big part of the denial problem that exists with this most horrible situation?…that when people try to paint a pretty picture of meth problems that they really are reduced to being “PARROTS OF PROPAGANDA†and can actually do as much damage to the quality of life of an area as a meth maker can?…that those of you who repeat such idiocy (and you do know who you are) would be well served to stop being PROPAGANDA PARROTS post haste?
IS IT TRUE that we now have the President of the Evansville City Council Connie Robinson on record stating that “we can’t afford fire trucks and police cars†if Casino Aztar is not granted an exemption from the pending smoking ban?…that whichever side one is supporting on this resolution this has got to be one of the lamest excuses ever?…that in a mere 15 years that the City of Evansville has gone from seeing the revenue from riverboat taxes go from being a positive lifestyle enhancement tool to basic survival?…that riverboats were sold to voters as a way to help schools and now if we tweak them slightly politicians cower that they can’t fix fire trucks or make the payments on the Ford Center?
IS IT TRUE that whichever way this vote goes that it is clear from the public statements of many of the elected members of the Evansville City Council that Casino Aztar is Evansville’s Daddy and our leaders know it?…that there needs to be the municipal equivalent of the Betty Ford Clinic for cities that find themselves with a monkey on their back in need of rehabilitation?…that this situation was not caused by Casino Aztar, they are just a business, it was caused by politicians who did not have the knowledge or the will to manage the influx of tax money without putting themselves into a position of needing cash that was supposed to be for extras and not for day to day operations?
IS IT TRUE that we learned of a deal where a struggling golf course was bought and refurbished using roughly $35 Million sourced through the EB-5 program?…that the doubting Thomas’s on the Evansville City Council should take note and study such things that are becoming routine elsewhere?…that EB-5 may be the most viable way to finance a new downtown Convention Hotel and the refurbishment of the McCurdy both of which are making as much noise as a cemetery?…that rejecting viable financing options in a city that is now cowering in fear over spare parts budgets for municipal vehicles is bordering on being the fodder of a Saturday Night Live skit?
IS IT TRUE that whatever the outcome of tonight’s vote that tomorrow the sun will rise over the Ohio River and there will sit the City of Evansville with its future before it?…that one thing for sure is that radical changes of many types are needed to get us out of the leadership positions in meth labs, suicide, and obesity?…that thus far the politics of the local government class of 2012 in whole do not appear up to the task?
Northbound Lane on Twin Bridges Closed this Morning
As a reminder to all of our readers – the northbound right lane on the Twin Bridges will be closed this morning for electrical work. This restriction is expected to last from 9am-11am.
After the northbound lane is completed, workers will be moving to the southbound right lane. This lane is expected to be closed for two hours as well. Estimated times: 11am-1pm.
If you plan on crossing that “money saving bridge” today, plan ahead!
Mesker Park Presents Orchid Escape
Escape to the tropics this winter. Hundreds of rare and unique South American orchids will be displayed throughout AMAZONIA. There is no additional fee for this special exhibition. Just visit Mesker Park Zoo between February 11 and March 10 to view this unique exhibit.
IS IT TRUE? February 12, 2012
IS IT TRUE? February 12, 2012
IS IT TRUE
that the more things change the more they never will should be the theme for this week in the City of Evansville?…that the Mole Nation is unanimous that the City County Observer should be the first to publish that an inside deal has been cut to make Jack McNeely, the long time President of the Central Labor Council to replace the recently departed Mark Owen as the Chairman of the Vanderburgh County Democrat Central Committee?…that while we respect Mr. McNeely we do have some concerns that his status as the President of the Central Labor Council may have some negative effect on job attraction efforts for Vanderburgh County in particular?…that if one pretends to be the President and CEO of a big manufacturing operation looking to expand and the name of Evansville is placed on the consideration list, that the fact that the Democrat Party have dominated local politics for well over half a decade will get your attention?…that as far as Vanderburgh County is concerned, whatever advantages that the State of Indiana may realize from the recently passed Right to Work law may be squandered by making a union president the most powerful Democrat official in the county?
IS IT TRUE that we encourage Mr. McNeely to get in front of this potential deal killer as soon as possible with a position paper on job creation and an explicit statement that a non-union organization that moves to town that pays fair living wages with respectable benefits that they will be welcomed with open arms?…that whether some people like it or not, Right to Work is the wave of the future in America and the stable balance to overzealous employers who really would engage in exploitative practice will be cooperative unions that assure a drug free, well trained workforce that adds value to the business?…that this whole RTW can be a long term win-win proposition if both sides get together and make good things happen?…that we have faith that Jack CAN do this and hope to see a future where Jack WILL do this?
IS IT TRUE that in another CAN DO BUT WILL SHE DO opportunity, the Winnecke Administration has appointed former Weinzapfel Chief of Staff Rose Young to be the Duchess of Red Tape Removal?…that as we have been positive on the idea of using Mrs. Young’s considerable knowledge of local government workings, there is real potential that people will see this as a “MORE OF THE SAME†appointment and maybe it is?…that Rose was certainly a loyal and effective Chief of Staff for former Mayor Weinzapfel and often was seen as tending to his career much better than he ever did?…that sometimes the best person to clean the skeletons out of the closets really can be someone who was on the team that put the skeletons there in the first case?…that the CCO sees this new appointment as having good potential to do some quick fixes as only Rose knows where and how some of the skeletons are?…that with her effervescent personality and accomplishment driven zeal some people may be surprised how much Rose can do?…that balancing this new appointment with her responsibilities of serving the Weinzapfel for Indiana Political Action Committee may be a bit too much of a case of competing interests?…that a good gesture right out of the box before the skeleton eradication starts would be to resign from any and all positions that require personal loyalty to the ex-mayor?
IS IT TRUE that tomorrow is the big day for the vote on a comprehensive smoking ban in the City of Evansville?…that both sides have been putting their best efforts forward to cajole the members of the City Council to do what they want them to?…that during last year’s campaign a full seven of the nine members of the council expressed support for a fully comprehensive smoking ban?…that only Missy Mosby consistently opposed it and Jonathan Weaver has never really tossed his egg into either basket?…that for this ordinance not to pass a full three of the other members of council will literally have to “reverse strongly and widely stated positionsâ€?…that the CCO is making no predictions with respect to the smoking ban and do not even agree among ourselves on this issue but will be featuring a point-counterpoint pair of editorials on the subject tomorrow?…that of course the pro-ban position will be taken by long time contributor to the CCO and former publisher Joe Wallace with the editorial supporting an exemption for Aztar Gaming Boat taken by the new publisher Mr. Tim Eckels?
The Maingate Democrat City Council Bar Tab from Jan. 23rd that the Indianapolis Consultant Paid For
This is a copy of the SAME receipt that was obtained by the Evansville Fire Department for their investigation.  The City County Observer has not edited or tampered with this receipt.  When the rest of the report is made available to the public any doubts you may have about its authenticity will be resolved.  At this point this is the only piece of the investigation report that we are able to publish.  This receipt is what the fire department investigator deemed as a legitimate record for the purposes of  his investigation.  From the CCO’s perspective the defense of  it’s authenticity is hereby declared over.
