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IS IT TRUE November 29, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE November 29, 2012

IS IT TRUE today we start off by thanking and honoring a great citizen of Evansville who passed from this earth yesterday after a long illness that didn’t always keep her down as it would have many others?…Marjorie (Marge) Soyugenc worked brilliantly and tirelessly for many years to make Evansville a better place?…her service as an innovator, a board member and in general as a person who could get things done will make Marge irreplaceable in this community?…Evansville and many other communities need a group of people with the spirit and competence that Marge exhibited?…this guy could go on for several pages with real stories about her positive actions and influence?…the CCO simply wishes to thank Marge and challenge others to live such an excellent life?

IS IT TRUE that two winning Powerball tickets were sold last night that are worth over $300 Million each?…given the fact that tax rates on the “evil” rich are about to increase and tax rates on investment income are likely to see dramatic increases there are advice columns all over the news world today advising the winners to take the lump sum right now, pay the 2012 tax rates to the United States and even consider moving out of the country to avoid future tax increases and confiscation schemes like the big hikes in inheritance tax?…just because the big check will say $300 Million does not mean they will get $300 Million?…the pre tax lump sum payout according to multiple websites is about 65% of the marquee number or $195 Million for a smiling $300 Million winner?…at today’s highest federal, state, and local tax rates on our “evil” rich of right at 50% that would mean the smiling $300 Million winner would actually cash a check for $97.5 Million when every taxing authority took their bite and enforced their rules?…that is less than 1/3 of the headline number?…if that smiling winner dies after the first of January and passes this unearned windfall to their heirs they will only be passing about $40 Million (13.3% of headline) on to their heirs?…with the authority to run a racket like this it makes one’s head spin at how any government could be in a bind for money?…weren’t all of these lotteries sold to us to make our schools solvent forever?…it looks like government pulled the wool over our eyes on this one too?

IS IT TRUE the CCO would suggest that the big winners take their winnings over 30 years, stay in the USA, and do not worry about tax rates?…statistically speaking a large number of lottery winners find themselves on the dole after having done their time in evil rich pergatory?…only by keeping that money out of their own hands would a future on the dole be removed from the world of possibilities?…the USA is becoming a better and better place to be on the dole so just pay your taxes, sit on the couch, and keep that reality TV blaring?

IS IT TRUE it is now widely asserted by people in the City of Evansville government that we “NEED” a hotel in downtown Evansville to make the Centre, Ford Center, and the Victory Theatre profitable?…Roberts Stadium was profitable and successful with no hotel close to it?…the Centre and the Victory Theatre consistently lost money with the 600 room Executive Inn right there next to them?…that was true before the Executive Inn fell into disrepair?…the Executive Inn even lost money and changed hands many times without financial success?…it is a foregone conclusion that without a substantial incentive ($20+ Million) from the City of Evansville there will be no private investor come forward to make the kind of investment needed ($50 Million or so) to construct and operate a convention hotel in downtown Evansville?…we are now told as we were with every other money losing public works project in downtown Evansville that “THIS WILL MAKE PRIVATE INVESTMENT FLOCK TO TOWN”?…when the Executive Inn was thriving there were about 30 storefronts empty downtown, when the Executive Inn was demolished there were about 30 storefronts empty downtown, so we wonder why anyone would think that a new hotel half the size of the Executive Inn with storefronts of its own will be any different?

IS IT TRUE what we really wonder is when the delusion that just one more brick and mortar project will revitalize downtown Evansville as a retail center will come face to face with the reality that bricks and mortar are not the winning lottery ticket to success?…we guess after squandering taxpayer money on a hotel that someone else will own the next step will be for the City of Evansville to subsidize restaurants, clothing stores, bars, and nick-nack shacks to “revitalize” the downtown?…the truth of the matter is that Evansville is a one-mall-town and always has been?…that is unlikely to change no matter how much taxpayer money is spent on downtown dreaming?

House Fire, 731 S. Cullen Ave.

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Fire Investigator Jennifer Hunt has finished her preliminary investigation on the cause of this morning’s blaze. Hunt pointed out that the majority of the fire damage was confined to the southeast corner of the basement. Although the cause of the blaze has been ruled as Undetermined at this time, Hunt doesn’t believe it to be Incendiary in nature.

Heavy smoke was reported by arriving Fire units shortly after 7 AM this morning making the actual location of the fire difficult to find. Although the actual fire damage was confined to a small area, the residence received moderate to severe smoke damage throughout the structure.

Six Stations responded to the blaze and Firefighters were on scene for approximately 2 hours.

Tri-State AIDS Holiday Project

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3rd Ward City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley

by Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley

I am writing you today about a project that I support, the Tri-State AIDS Holiday Project.This project met the needs of 560 adults and 354 children throughout the Tri-State last year.This year the project is serving 375 low-income households impacted by HIV/AIDS from 36 counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.By working with medical providers, we are helping households with family members who are on disability because they are too ill to work and families that are still working but having trouble making ends meet.

For so many, the gifts we give these households are the only boost they will get during the holiday season. For those who have made deliveries, and it’s very moving to brighten the day of the families that are struggling both financially and emotionally.We can only raise funds for this project with your support. Any donation you make is greatly appreciated, and will work to make a real difference in the lives of these families.

A donation from you allows us to provide each of these families a $100 grocery store gift card. Your gift today also allows us to concentrate on getting groups together to sponsor gift needs and organize deliveries to 375 low-income families throughout the Tri-State.

Checks can be sent to: TSA Holiday Project, PO Box 2901, Evansville, In 47728.Or, you can make a secure donation online at: www.AIDSHolidayProject.org.

Thanks for caring about this cause and for any support you can give this important project!

VOICE Continues Seeking Visions for Evansville’s Preferred Future

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(Evansville, Ind.) November 29, 2012— Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Leadership
Evansville Executive Director Lynn Miller Pease report that Evansville VOICE is still in the
gathering stage of collecting citizens’ visions and scheduling additional VOICE sessions.
VOICE is Evansville’s community-wide, citizen-driven vision process that allows community
members to share their ideas, hopes and visions for Evansville’s preferred future.

Over the last 10 VOICE sessions, we have heard over 300 visions of what the citizens of our
community want for Evansville’s future. Of these 300 visions, many common themes have
emerged from the sessions, such as: revitalizing downtown and the riverfront, more focus
on sustainability and the environment, additional parks, greenways, walking and bike paths
and embracing our community as a regional hub. All visions from the VOICE sessions have
been recorded and published on the VOICE website.

“I enjoy the sessions, because it is nice to meet others that care about the community. Every
session that I’ve attended is different, because everyone has a slightly different perspective
of the community,” said participant Phyllip Davis. “It’s also nice to hear people express their
ideas in a positive forum that encourages collaboration and creative thinking for the
betterment of our community.”

New VOICE sessions are quickly approaching, and we encourage all to attend.

Friday, November 30 @ Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana 4:30-
6:30 p.m.
o Light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres catered by Acropolis immediately
following the session in the Arts Council gallery
Wednesday, December 5 @ St. Lucas United Church of Christ 3- 5 p.m.

VOICE sessions will continue into the New Year, as we are still trying to reach out to all
stakeholders in our community. After we hear everyone’s voice, the next stage will be to
analyze all of the information and report back to the public to ensure we correctly heard
their visions for Evansville’s future. Then, common themes and ideas will be grouped by
topic area to serve guidance for those organizations, businesses, universities, individuals
and government bodies with interest in that topic to move forward with further research
and planning toward a common goal.

Now all we need is you. Participate. Because it takes all of us to create our shared future.

UE’s Matthew Knoester Publishes New Book on Democratic Education

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Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education at the University of Evansville, has published a new book, Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School.

Published through Teachers College Press, the book evaluates and describes a high-performing public school in Boston. The book describes the school’s successes — such as a high college attendance rate by its graduates and the portfolio process required for graduation — and also the challenges faced by schools like Mission Hill, including pressure to teach to standardized tests.

“The Mission Hill School is a small, personal, but informal K-8 learning environment where teachers hold high standards for children, who rise to those standards while taking a large amount of ownership over their own learning,” Knoester said. “Even if school leaders elsewhere cannot replicate the school due to various constraints, I hope there are parts that educators will find useful.”

“Matthew Knoester has done us an enormous favor by showing us, in detail, what could be — one example of how schools can be the building blocks for democracy, recreating community for all to taste, feel, hear, and see,” said Deborah W. Meier, author of the book’s foreword and a MacArthur Fellow who founded Mission Hill School.

Knoester is a National Board Certified Teacher and former teacher at the Mission Hill School in Boston, as well as schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College, his Master of Education degree from Harvard University, and his PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Knoester has published articles in journals such as Educational Policy; Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy; Pedagogy, Culture & Society; and Schools: Studies in Education. He is also the editor of the book International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education (Peter Lang Publishing, 2012).

Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Teachers College Press.

Source: Evansville.edu

Evansville Firefighters place at World Challenge XXI.

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This Friday, November 30th at 1 PM, Fire Chief Mike Connelly will present EFD’s Combat Challenge Team with Certificates of Recognition for an outstanding season.

There will also be a photo session and time for interviews with the media.

The presentation will be at the EFD Administration Building, 550 SE 8th Street, Evansville.

Staying true to form TEAM EFD once again had a successful year and made a showing at the 21st Combat Challenge World Championships dubbed WORLD CHALLENGE XXI.

As you can see from their 5 Regional competitions and a World Challenge results, TEAM EFD is a force to be reckoned with. Congratulations to the Evansville Fire Department Challenge team members: Team Captain Joey Jones, Adam Brock, George Madison and Marc Schiele. Their results speak for themselves.

Joey Jones graciously supplied us with a recap of this year’s competitions. His number is below if you wish to contact him.

Here is the Evansville Fire Combat Challenge Team Wrap up for the season. I have attached a few pictures. If it’s possible, we would also like to get the word out that we are looking for 2013 team sponsors.

The first 4 days of worlds are wild card days in which each team competes for a spot in the finals which are ran on the last two days. We were able to run fast enough in the Team, Relay, and Tandem to make it. Not all teams get the privilege to run on the final two days. The finals consist of teams from all over the world, not just the US.

Returning team members are Adam Brock, George Madison, and Joey Jones. Marc Schiele started competing with the team at the start of the 2012 season.

– Indianapolis, IN FDIC – April 19, 2012

1st place Male Tandem (Brock/Madison)

2nd place Male Relay (Brock, Madison, Jones, Schiele)

3rd place Team (Brock, Madison, Schiele)

Top 10 Individual Male (Brock)

Top 10 Individual Male (Madison)

George Madison personal record 1:42.92

Marc Schiele personal record 2:13.53

– Milford, OH – April 29, 2012

1st place Male Tandem (Brock/Madison)

1st place Individual Male (Brock)

– Albertville, AL – May 12, 2012

Top 10 Individual (Madison)

– Fishers, IN – August 3, 2012

1st place Male Relay (Brock, Madison, Jones)

1st place Male Tandem (Brock/Madison)

1st place Individual Male (Brock)

– Lexington, KY – August 11, 2012

1st place Male Tandem (Brock/Madison)

1st place Individual Male (Brock)

2nd place Team (Brock, Madison, Schiele)

3rd place Male Relay (Brock, Madison, Jones, Schiele)

Top 10 Individual Male (Brock)

Top 10 Individual (Madison)

George Madison personal record 1:41.07

Marc Schiele personal record 2:03.19

– WORLD CHALLENGE XXI, Myrtle Beach, SC – November 12-17, 2012

3rd place Male Tandem (Brock/Madison)

Top 8 Male Relay (Brock, Madison, Jones, Schiele)

Adam Brock Sub 90 personal record 1:28.93

George Madison personal record 1:40.78

Marc Schiele personal record 1:51.09

Relay Team Record and new Indiana state record of 1:15.42

Team Personal Record and new Indiana state record of 5:06.24 (combined time of the 3 fastest individuals make a team time)

Contact Joey Jones 812-760-4134 with any questions.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, November 27, 2012.

Stedman Baird Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury – Class C Felony

Donyea Brown Theft – Class D Felony

James Brown Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony

Norma Brown Battery by Bodily Waste – Class D Felony
Public Intoxication – Class B Misdemeanor

Tiffany Brown Theft – Class D Felony

Saul Calvery Criminal Mischief – Class D Felony

Louis Cooper Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Possession of Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Tyrone Dulin, Jr. Possession of Marijuana – Class D Felony

Sindey Forshee Dealing in Methamphetamine –Class B Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony
Possession of Methamphetamine – Class D Felony

Jeffrey Garrett Operating a Motor Vehicle After Forfeiture of License for Life – Class C Felony

Charles Hill Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Gary Hill Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury –Class C Felony
Battery with a Deadly Weapon – Class C Felony

Henry Kenoyer, Jr. Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony

Thomas Kirsch, Jr. Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class B Felony
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon – Class B Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Resisting Law Enforcement – Class A Misdemeanor

Katrina March Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony

Guy McGowan Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury – Class C Felony
Battery with a Deadly Weapon – Class C Felony
Intimidation – Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class A Misdemeanor
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)

Derrick Meredith Dealing in a Synthetic Drug – Class D Felony
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)

Jeffrey Reich Burglary – Class B Felony (Two Counts)
Theft – Class D Felony (Two Counts)

Jermaine Robinson Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony

Zachary Shafer Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury – Class C Felony
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)

Scot Sunderman Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class B Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony
Possession of Methamphetamine – Class D Felony
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)

Sarah Thomas Receiving Stolen Property – Class D Felony

Randall Wydicks,II Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class B Felony
Theft – Class D 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

The Fiscal Cliff Defined by the Washington Post: Link and Excerpts

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Excerpts:

“The fiscal cliff is an inapt metaphor for the looming consequences of some very bad congressional decisions.”

“The term “fiscal cliff” comes from testimony Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered before Congress earlier this year. But, as we mentioned, the “cliff” imagery has sparked some dissent. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities thinks it’s more of a “slope.” The Economic Policy Institute calls it an “obstacle course.”

“Five tax measures have provisions expiring at year’s end:

– 2001/2003 Bush tax cuts: These cut individual income tax rates, pared back the estate tax, lowered rates for investment income (such a capital gains and dividends) and expanded a number of tax credits, including the child tax credit. According to the Economic Policy Institute, these would cost $203 billion next year if extended.

– 2009 stimulus: This included expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides aid to low-income workers, as well as the child credit, and the American Opportunity tax credit, which helps families pay for college tuition. Extending these would cost $10 billion next year.

– Payroll tax holiday: This was included in the December 2010 tax deal and slashed the payroll tax rate on employees from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. Extending it would cost $115 billion next year.

– Alternative Minimum Tax: Intended as a baseline tax for high earners, the AMT is not indexed for inflation and would hit a lot of middle-class taxpayers if not “patched” before next year. A patch would cost $114 billion.

– Extenders: This is the catch-all term tax wonks use for corporate tax breaks that need to be extended regularly. Doing that again, as per usual, would cost $109 billion.

“Four types of spending cuts take effect next year:

– The sequester (or, as we sometimes like to call them, the big, dumb spending cuts that no one wants): Mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (better known as the debt ceiling compromise), this institutes a 2 percent cut in physician and other providers’ Medicare payments, and a 7.6 to 9.6 percent across the board cut in all discretionary spending, except programs for low-income Americans. The cuts are evenly divided between defense and nondefense programs, with analysts predicting a crippling effect on all affected departments and agencies.

The sequester can be averted either by repealing the portion of the BCA mandating the cuts or by passing $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction, which under the BCA’s dictates would prevent a sequester from being triggered. Its cuts amount to $50 billion next year, using EPI’s figures.

– Budget caps: Also in the Budget Control Act, these set a firm limit on discretionary spending within which policymakers must operate. They are set to reduce spending by $78 billion next year.

– Doc fix: This policy, passed every Congress for 15 years now but lapsing at the end of 2012, reverses temporarily cuts that Congress passed, and former President Bill Clinton signed, as a deficit reduction measure in 1997. The cuts, known as the “Sustainable Growth Rate” or SGR, require that growth in provider payments not exceed growth in Gross Domestic Product. If the doc fix is not extended, physician payments would fall by almost 30 percent, dwarfing the cuts enacting as part of the debt ceiling deal. That would cut spending by $14 billion next year.

– Unemployment insurance: Unemployment insurance was expanded following the recession, and due to the slow recovery this expansion has been regularly extended. Doing so again would cost $39 billion.

Link to article: This is a very good overview

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/27/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-fiscal-cliff-in-one-faq/?tid=pm_business_pop

IS IT TRUE November 28, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE that sometimes nuggets of truth are posted on the comment sections of both the City County Observer and the Courier and Press?…that while most comments are posted anonymously every once in a while someone uses their real name and posts something that is new and important?…that yesterday was such a day here at the CCO?…that Evansville City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley made a post in a response to one section of IS IT TRUE that dealt with the nasty smells that are in an around Roberts Stadium even though there has not been a hard rain in a while?…her explanation showed diligence, competence, and concern for the people of Evansville?…Councilwoman Riley explained how the angle of the large sewer pipes in much of the City of Evansville was too low to take advantage of gravity sufficiently to keep the contents of the pipe that causes the smell cleared out during dry times?…what this means is that when it is dry somewhere close below the surface and with a clear air path to the street is a bunch of fecal material waiting for a good rain to wash it away?…this is sort of a double whammy to the repairs needed to make our sewers work AND get us out of trouble with the EPA?

IS IT TRUE when it rains more than an inch an hour the south side, Bee Slough, and the Ohio River are gonna get slammed with raw sewage violating federal mandates?…this half of the problem is now known to be a $500+ Million problem and will have to be dealt with or face fines?…after the rains Evansville smells like a rear end due to those discharges?…the low angle problem exposed by Councilwoman Riley is why it stinks like a rear end when we have not have rain?…that means that the people of Evansville get to smell crap all of the time due to a poorly designed obsolete sewer system?…one early estimate to solve the second problem is another $500 Million bringing the total fix to get the EPA off of our back and to get the smell of a nasty arse out of our air to a Billion dollars?…that works out to a cost of $20,000 per residence assuming 50,000 residences will share the cost equally?…on a 30 year note this pair of fixes will be adding over $100 per month to the average Evansvillian’s sewer bill?…that like it or not this is a necessary condition to become an acceptable city for young professionals to call home?…those who claim that a $10 Million park, a $127 Million temple to sport, reading water meters from a shiny new $50 Million fiber network, or even a downtown hotel that needs $20+ Million of public incentives to happen will solve the City of Evansville’s image problem are delusional?…sometimes one can wonder if a continuous stream of brooze have been pumped into the Office of the Mayor of Evansville for a good long time now as it seems more like Cheech and Chong are in charge than Weinzapfel and Winnecke?…we are leaving it up to our readers to decide who is Cheech and who is Chong?

IS IT TRUE that one thing Mayor Winnecke did do that was right after taking office is to get some focus on the litter problem that has plagued Evansville for as long as most of us can remember?…the Mayor has led an effort that has removed many tons of litter and even has a decent number of citizens on board to pick things up?…the problem of litter to the visitor is still in place?…the best intentions and efforts of Mayor Winnecke and his litter army are never going to be enough to rid a city whose citizens treat it like a garbage can of litter?…for Evansville to ever be clean to a visitor it is going to take all of the 117,000 people who live here to stop living like filth is a good thing?…the CCO commends the Mayor for his litter elimination efforts and encourages the people of this town to get on board with him?…that Evansville may not have the financial resources to fix a Billion dollar sewer problem rapidly but it most certainly has the resources to eliminate the litter problem?…the only question is whether the people of Evansville have the pride and will to implement that FREE SOLUTION?

December’s Think Outside the Lunch Box to Discuss “18 Ways to Make a Baby”

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 147,260 fertility treatments took place across the United States in 2010, and more than one percent of all infants born in the U.S. are conceived using assisted reproductive technology. While such treatments have given hope to couples struggling with infertility, they also have raised many ethical questions and concerns.

Dick Connolly, professor of philosophy at the University of Evansville, will examine these issues in the final Think Outside the Lunch Box Faculty Speaker Series event of the year. His presentation, “18 Ways to Make a Baby,” begins at noon on Thursday, December 6, in the Blue & Gold Room on the first floor of Old National Bank’s headquarters in Downtown Evansville. The event is free and open to the public.

“In an age of donated eggs, donated sperm, and surrogate mothers, what counts as a parent, and what counts as a family?” Connolly said. “I hope people will carry away from this talk not a fear of the future, but a recognition of the complexity of the ‘brave new world’ of assisted reproduction and the need to think carefully before we act.”

Connolly, a native of Mt. Kisco, New York, holds a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College in Connecticut and a PhD in philosophy from Michigan State University. He has been a member of the UE faculty since 1971, having also served as a visiting professor at The University of Pittsburgh. He received the University’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year award in 1994 and the Sydney and Sadelle Berger Award for Service in 1998.

Connolly has authored articles on the 18th century Scottish philosopher David Hume and the philosophy of religion, and has presented papers on a variety of issues in ethics and applied ethics. Connolly also participated in an ethics seminar at Dartmouth College associated with the Human Genome Project. At the University of Evansville, he has taught courses such as Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Science, Bioethics, and Environmental Ethics at UE.

UE’s Think Outside the Lunch Box Faculty Speaker Series is in its third year and is typically held the first Thursday of every month. To accommodate the University’s winter break, next month’s presentation will take place January 10, the second Thursday of the month.

Connolly will speak for about 30 minutes, with 15 minutes allotted for questions and answers. Attendees are welcome to eat lunch during the presentation. There is a restaurant conveniently located in the Old National Bank lobby.

Source: Evansville.edu

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