Home Blog Page 7105

The Poll Results Are In on Head to Head Matchups

0
Bill Fluty

Republicans dominate all Polls, Reflecting National Trends for Independents

During the last half of August, the City-County Observer conducted non-scientific online polls for both of the national offices and for the Vanderburgh County offices of Assessor and Auditor.
In our polls for the congressional races our readers that elected to cast votes in our polls preferred Republican candidate Dan Coats who is running for United States Senator against the former Vanderburgh County Sheriff and local favorite son Congressman Brad Ellsworth. In the other poll newcomer Republican Dr. Larry Bucshon who is challenging the long time popular state legislator from Posey County Trent Van Haaften to become the Congressman from Indiana’s 8th District. In both races many votes were cast but much to our surprise in the end the Republican candidates garnered roughly a 2 to 1 margin over both Democrats. Our surprise was rooted in the fact that our readers are predominately independent.

National polls project a 20+ point margin of victory for Dan Coats over Congressman Ellsworth, but only project a moderate margin of victory for Dr. Bucshon.

The poll for Vanderburgh County Assessor pitting Republican Bill Fluty against incumbent Democrat Jonathan Weaver drew the highest vote tally to date of any poll conducted by the City County Observer.
In a race that attracted nearly 400 votes Mr. Fluty outpolled Mr. Weaver by roughly a 2 to 1 margin. Mole #3 tells us that there was some mischief going on among Mr. Weaver’s Democratic friends. It seems as though Mr. Weaver’s willingness to oppose the status quo and take independent positions inspired many of his pseudo Democratic supporters to cross party lines. Was this to send a message to Mr. Weaver or was it because a group of Democrats really want to elect a Republican to the office of Vanderburgh County Assessor? We are counting on Mole #3 to advise us on the real breakdown someday soon, so stay tuned.

In the race for Vanderburgh County Auditor between Republican Joe Gries and newcomer Democrat Maura Robinson, the results were even more one sided. In a poll that drew less than 200 voters Mr. Gries drew approximately 6.5 votes for every vote that Ms. Robinson attracted. One reason for Ms. Robinson’s shallow support could be her service on the board of directors of the politically embattled and controversial GAGE (Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville). As a newcomer who is not politically well known she may be able to explain her tepid support.

The City County Observer appreciates its readers expressing their preferences through voting in our polls and we will continue to solicit the input of our readers by posting polls. Next up, we shall see. Good luck to all of the candidates in the following campaign season.

LT. GOVERNOR SKILLMAN IN EVANSVILLE TO SUPPORT McNAMARA’S RACE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE (HD-76)

0
Wendy McNamara and Lt. Governor Becky Skillman

Lt. Gov Becky Skillman traveled to Evansville Tuesday to show her support for State Representative candidate Wendy McNamara, saying McNamara is “unique, qualified, and with a realistic outlook for today’s government.”

“When I met her a little over a year ago,” said Skillman of McNamara, “she made an immediate and positive impression. We have high expectations for her.”

Skillman also told the supporters gathered at Ri Ra that McNamara’s experience as an educator will be highly beneficial to the district at the State House.

“Wendy has superior skills in education and is people-focused,” said Skillman. “She will be able to hit the ground running and provide valuable input on day one.”

McNamara expressed gratitude for the Lt. Governor’s support of her campaign.

“I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman,” McNamara said. “I am grateful and welcome her support of my campaign and appreciate the energy that the Lieutenant Governor brings to Southwest Indiana.”

McNamara says that if elected, she will focus on the advancement of education in her district, bringing new jobs to Southwest Indiana, and fighting to keep taxes low for businesses and working families while promoting a state budget that is balanced and fiscally responsible.

To join McNamara at her next event, please visit: www.wendymac2010.com or join the group on Facebook at http://facebook.com/wendymac2010.

Letter to the Editor from Patty Avery

1
PattyAvery

The Zoning and Land Use subcommittee of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Consolidation Committee is to be commended for taking time to consider the concerns that have been voiced about the impact on farmers of simply overlaying the city’s ordinances on county residents.

As the subcommittee finalizes its recommendations, I urge them to remember that Vanderburgh County farms are small businesses. Many of their families were the original economic development engines as Southwestern Indiana took shape, and their ability to do business and be financially viable must not be negatively impacted by a consolidation effort.

Proponents of consolidation say they want a streamlined local government that creates a climate more conducive to economic development. Demand for locally-grown agricultural products is increasing. That means that a vibrant agricultural community is a boost to economic development. It would be short-sighted to not adopt the measures needed to protect the county’s family farms.

At Vanderburgh County Farm Bureau’s recent annual meeting, committee member John Bittner and Indiana Farm Bureau Vice President Randy Kron discussed the organization’s very real concerns about the proposals that are pending regarding consolidation of Evansville and Vanderburgh County. For consolidation to be a “win-win” for both urban and rural residents, Kron said, it is vital for the committee to fully consider consolidation’s lasting impact on those of us who live in or farm in rural Vanderburgh County.

For a final recommendation to result in a “win-win”, it should include establishment of ordinances and a tax structure that protect our area farms in any proposed transition to a consolidated government.

Sincerely,

Patty Avery

Red Cross Volunteers Responding to Hurricane Earl

1

(Evansville) –The American Red Cross is ready to respond to Hurricane Earl from North Carolina to New England, preparing to open shelters and feed those affected by the Category 3 storm that is bearing down on the United States, bringing heavy rains and sustained winds blowing at 125 mph.

In an effort to be prepared, volunteers from the Southwestern Indiana Chapter will leave on Thursday to drive an ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) from Evansville to Dedham, Massachusetts to ensure it’s pre-positioned and ready to help with relief efforts depending on the track of the hurricane. The Evansville based ERV and its volunteers are one of 150 vehicles and sets of crews headed to the East Coast in anticipation of Earl.

“Our local volunteers train year round for opportunities like this – to get out and help others in need during times when our local community is not affected by a large scale disaster,” said Matt Bertram, Regional CEO. “Volunteers are the backbone of our organizations and allow us the flexibility to pre-position vehicles, personnel and supplies in anticipation of disasters to ensure when seconds matter – help is available to those in need.”

Update about current Red Cross Disaster Operations:

+ Emergency planning is taking place in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

+ In North Carolina, evacuation orders have been issued for some of the barrier islands starting Thursday night and the Red Cross has 14 shelters ready to open with more than 80 additional shelter sites identified if needed.

+ People who are evacuating can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website, accessible at www.redcross.org, so that friends and relatives can find out how they are. For those who don’t have internet access, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register yourself and your family. Follow the prompts for disaster information.

+ The Red Cross has four warehouses stocked with relief supplies are on stand-by, and two trailers of relief supplies are en route to North Carolina, carrying clean-up kits, tarps, work gloves, comfort kits, and trash bags.

The work and mission of the American Red Cross is carried out and funded by donations from the community. To make a financial donation to help the people affected by this storm and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text – visit www.evansvilleredcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. The storm may also impact blood collections in the affected areas. To find out how you can be a blood donor, visit www.redcrossblood.org

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

“Lost in the Fifties” Reitz High School, Class of 1960 Reunion

0

Reitz High School
The “Lost in the Fifties” Reitz High School, Class of 1960 Reunion will be held the first weekend in October. Friday the 1st we will meet from 2:00 PM till midnight at Burdette Park, Shelter #18, dinner will be served at 4 PM and then at 6 PM we will go to Reitz for a tour of the school and then stay for the Reitz/North football game. Saturday October 2nd we will gather at the West Haven Chalet, 5510 Booker Road for a Buffet Dinner, Program, Pictures and dancing with music provided by a DJ. On Sunday October 3rd will be a good-bye brunch at Ri-Ra’s.

Invitations have been sent and classmates are encouraged to return registrations and checks as soon as possible so final preparations can be made. Any friends of the class or classmates that did not graduate and would like to attend this 50th anniversary are very welcome. If you have not made your reservation please call Bonnie Aramowicz or email her at bjaramo@wowway.com.

Check out the class website: http://freepages.school-alumni.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~reitzclassof1960/

Public Meeting for the Discussion of the Evansville Convention & Visitor Bureau Proposed Wesselman Park Sport Complex

1

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 6:00 p.m.

Place: Kevin Winternheimer Chambers 301 Civic Center Complex
One NW Martin Luther King Blvd.
Evansville, IN 47708

(Evansville, IN)- The public is invited to attend a public meeting regarding the discussion of the proposed Wesselman Park Sport Complex by the Evansville Convention & Visitor Bureau. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. and be held in the Kevin Winternheimer Chambers, Room 301, Civic Center Complex, One NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Evansville, IN 47708. A brief presentation on the proposed complex will be made by David Dunn and the public will be allowed to offer their opinion on the proposal.

Letter to the editor: “Shift in power – Democrats, African-Americans saw diminishing returns in ‘Unigov'”.

0

EDITOR’S NOTE – The following letter to the editor is the opinion of the writer and not necessarily that of the City-County Observer Editor or Staff

I recently read “Shift in power – Democrats, African-Americans saw diminishing returns in ‘Unigov'”. (From the Courier and Press, August 29, 2010 – http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/aug/29/shift-in-power/) This article detailed, “The losers were Democrats who suddenly faced a vote-rich opposition party for the mayor’s office and control of the council.” To me, counting the score – politically – of a consolidation seems odd and a bit cynical. But also counting the score – racially – WOW!

I thought we were Americans here. My goodness, why stop there, what was the score sexually? Did women or men gain power in the end? (Shesh, should males be concerned about a “loss of power” here? After all, didn’t the League of *Women* Voters start this whole process!) What about effects on the birthrate? How about age, had senior citizens been helped or hurt? How about teen employment? What about Hispanics and other minority groups, or local immigration?

This reporting stated, “Merging the city and county governments here helped improve what amounted to a scattershot set of public services, but it also diminished the political power of the Democratic Party, and traditionally Democratic African-American voters, in particular, for a generation”.

I can’t help but wonder if there is some bureaucratic agency that is assigned the task of keeping score with every legislative act on racial and political angles…

But, this strikes me as the kind of rhetoric Evansville residents are not accustomed to. To take the report literally, I have to wonder if that is the case, should we expect to have Al Sharpton in Evansville rallying against this League of Women Voters and their petition for consolidation before this is over?

Or should we read between the lines and assume that their “shift in power” – to some degree – may have been a natural reaction away from a trend of more concentrated, centralized power that had over time already ripped power from those rural areas?

In general though, is it even fair to examine the political and racial results of a “Unigov”… without considering or mentioning other major national events of a political and racial nature around those specific
election years mentioned? I’m no historian, but when Unigov came to exist, that was a time of significant racial and political tension nationally – most of which I would dare say Indianapolis “Unigov” didn’t cause! Could not some of these results cited have been side effects or reactions to other things going on in this country?

Maybe we’re too oversensitive or desensitized to racially charged conversations. But it seems to me that Evansville residents that don’t yet understand the consolidation objectives… well, perhaps we need to hear a re-examination of the League of Women Voters intentions and desires. Given the racial and political aspects that has been injected into the community dialogue now.

Dan Effinger
Evansville, IN

JFK Family Fun Day Huge Success

0
Sheriff Eric Williams with Caricature

CCO Outstanding 2009 Public Servant of the Year – Sherriff Eric Williams

By Ralph Edwards

The John F. Kennedy Club of Vanderburgh County held its 3rd annual Family Fun Day on Saturday, Aug. 28, at Burdette Park. The event, which began at noon, featured local Democratic Party candidates and was highlighted by featured speaker Pat Bauer of South Bend, who is the Indiana Speaker of the House.

The buffet included hamburgers, hot dogs, American potato salad, German potato salad, sea food chowder, chips, drinks and assorted deserts.

The Chairman of the Board of the City-County Observer, Ron Cosby made brief remarks saying that the City-County Observer will continue to be a nonpartisan publication, however he emphasized that he and his staff recognizes that there are outstanding candidates on both sides of the political aisle. He believes the mission of the CCO is to inform the electorate of who they are. He said today is an example of an outstanding public servant who we are going to honor. He introduced Don Counts, Editor of the City-County Observer and Dan Kisner, Staff Artist.

City-County Observer Editor Don Counts called Sheriff Eric Williams to the platform. Don stated “Eric Williams was elected Sheriff after nearly 20 years of service to Vanderburgh County as a member of the Sheriff’s Office. Eric is a true servant leader for our community. He served as the Chief Deputy Sheriff for eight years under former Sheriff and now Congressman Brad Ellsworth. Sheriff Williams is a champion of youth related and other community issues. Eric grew up in Vanderburgh County and now, with his wife Jude, they are raising their three children in Vanderburgh County. Sheriff Williams is committed to making Vanderburgh County a safe place to raise a family.”

Don had the honor to present Sheriff Eric Williams a privately commissioned caricature by Dan Kisner showing the Sheriff and his hero Barney Fife. The City-County Observer also presented Sherriff Williams with a $250.00 gift certificate for a Wing Party for 20 people at Show Me’s Restaurant and Bar for him and his friends.

Don also announced that Dan Kisner, staff artist for the City-County Observer will be sketching caricatures for a few more hours. After the speeches and presentations the crowd thinned as the guests were treated to free swimming, fishing and miniature golf for the rest of the day. There was an unofficial count of about 511 attendees to this most successful event.

Your Economic and Community Development Dollars at Work

0

Are We In or Are We Out!

Will the economy double-dip or are we still in a recession. Peter Cohan, president of Peter S. Cohan, a management consulting and venture capital firm, wrote in his latest blog for Daily Finance, that we really haven’t emerged out of the first recession; and, though growth might be occurring it is happening at such a slow pace it doesn’t feel like real growth.

Contrast our country’s anemic growth over the past three years with that of Japan’s lost decade where economic expansion came to a total almost complete halt from 1991 to 2000. During this period, most Japanese households didn’t feel the economic effects on a daily basis but the long-term impact of nearly negative growth shifted Japan from having the world’s second largest economy to a point where today China’s economy has recently surpassed it.

The Eagle has Landed!

Good news for Evansville Regional Airport with the addition of another daily Dallas flight on American Eagle starting in November. Most airlines are doing anything but adding new service and the new Dallas route comes at a good time as Evansville Regional Airport is also seeking a federal grant to add new service to the Washington, DC market, which will allow for greater air access to the east coast.

Capital Campaign getting ready to Start

It’s hard to believe that the Coalition’s inaugural three-year capital campaign is nearly complete. Due to the financial generosity of Southwest Indiana companies and individuals, we’ve been able to achieve some significant accomplishments over this same time period.

Since 2007, the Coalition has helped secure $346 million in new investment, 1,780 new jobs and $33 million in grant funds to build community capacity in an economic environment that some might say has been difficult at best. A third of the Coalition’s annual budget is generated by contributions from the private sector.

We’re getting ready to kick-off another three-year campaign and we firmly believe that the Coalition has provided real value for all of our partners. Our goal is simple – to maintain private investment at $400,000 per year. If we are lucky enough to increase that number by adding new investors, it would be a strong plus as currently 80% of the Coalition’s private sector contributions are provided by just 28 investors.

Within the next 45 days, the Coalition will be reaching out to you asking for your continued support. I realize that these are tough economic times to be asking for financial support but much of the new investment and grant funds secured for Southwest Indiana would not have come about had the Coalition not existed. Your financial support makes what we do possible, and let me thank you in advance for your consideration.

J. Gregory Wathen, APR
President & CEO

Trent Van Haaften to Speak to Vanderburgh County Veterans Council

1

Trent and his wife, Beverly, reside in Mt. Vernon, the same small town in Posey County where Trent was raised. The youngest of three children, Trent was the first in his family to attend college.
After graduating from law school, Trent returned home to Mt. Vernon and began work as Posey County’s Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Three years later he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Posey County.

While serving as the lead law enforcement officer for Posey County Trent cracked down on the meth epidemic and took on the toughest criminals. Unafraid to take on his own party, Trent launched the investigation that led to the conviction of a corrupt elected sheriff of his own party.

Trent’s expertise in the courtroom included being designated a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the prosecution of an international drug trafficking case.

After twelve years as a local prosecutor Trent went from the courthouse to the statehouse to use his experience as a prosecutor to work across party lines to pass the strongest anti-meth law in the country.

Trent built a reputation as a bi-partisan leader with a record of cutting middle class taxes, opposing new sales taxes and creating a half a billion dollar property tax relief fund.

While living in Mt. Vernon, Trent has given back to his community in a number of areas. He served as President of the Posey County Community Foundation, assisted in the development of a community-wide recycling effort while a member of the Solid Waste Citizens Advisory Board and taught many young people the importance of teamwork as a youth football coach.

Trent and Beverly attend First United Methodist Church, the same church Trent has belonged to as a child.

Trent’s family remains close as his parents reside in Vanderburgh County. Brett, Trent’s older brother, resides with his family outside Mt. Vernon, while his sister, Jackie and her family reside near Louisville, KY.

Trent will give a short presentation on issues concerning veterans, at the Vanderburgh County Veterans Council meeting, Thursday, September 2 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. See www.TrentForCongress.com for more information.

1...7,1047,1057,106...7,115Page 7,105 of 7,115