Bill Jeffers’ Letter to the Editor on Minority Representation in a Unified Government
During the local government reorganization committee’s series of public hearings, the Reverend Adrian Brooks expressed concern about what effect government merger will have on minority representation on the new common council. I share Rev. Brooks’s concern.
Currently, there is one African-American lady on the city council, and one African-American lady on the county council. For the city, that is one in nine representation which fairly closely matches our 11% African American population. On the county side, when you add the 3 county commissioners to the 7 county council members, the single African-American representative again approximates the percentage of African-American population in our community.
To my knowledge, there are no Hispanic representatives on either the county or city councils, or on the board of county commissioners. Yet there is a growing Hispanic population in Evansville, which we also should address in terms of representation on our legislative boards.
Under the current merger plan, with 12 districts and 3 at-large representatives proposed, a common council of 15 members likely will have only one African-American representative under status quo politics. What I’m saying is that if African-Americans only run for office in the single district with a strong African-American voter base, there will be only one African-American representative likely on the 15-member common council. And while I cannot read his mind, maybe that is what concerns Rev. Brooks. It concerns me too because that would water down the political influence of an important cultural segment of our community.
If the merger plan passes the referendum with its current proposal for 12 districts and 3 at-large council members, both political parties each must recruit African-American candidates for more than one of the 12 districts, and at least one of the at-large seats. The Republican should select their African-American recruits from districts with a strong Republican voter base, such as those in Center and Scott townships. The Democrats must do the same by recruiting their African-American council candidates from within their voter strongholds.
If the local political parties fail to prepare for consolidation well in advance by launching searches for potential African-American candidates who reside in 12 council districts proposed by the reorganization plan, then both parties are failing a significant and historic cultural constituency of our community.
Bill Jeffers
ERC Meeting Agenda: September 20, 2011 McCurdy Update on Agenda
The Evansville Redevelopment Commission has released the agenda for tomorrows meeting which will be on the 3rd floor of the Civic Center at 8:30 am. There are many routine duties and approvals of downtown architectural proposals that are scheduled.
The last item on the agenda is a review of the status of the McCurdy Hotel that has now gone for over four years without progress on the refurbishment.
There is no mention in the agenda regarding the downtown Convention Hotel or the status of the vetting of the two proposals that the ERC has had under review since mid July.
Link
ERC Agenda 9_20_2011
29th Annual Native American Days
Sustaining Traditions. Sustaining Nature.
September 23: 9am – 2pm
September 24: 9am –7pm
September 25: 9am – 5pm
Admission is $10 per vehicle
Angel Mounds State Historic Site is part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. It is one of 11 state museums and historic sites in Indiana.
Angel Mounds State Historic Site is open:
Tuesday – Saturday, 9a.m. – 5p.m.
Sunday, 1p.m. – 5p.m.
We are closed Mondays
Admission includes access to the museum as well as over 100 acres of the historical site, and also any special events or exhibits that are on display or available at the time of your visit. Admission is:
$4.00 for adults
$2.00 for children (12 and under)
$3.50 For Seniors (55 and up)
Downtown Today: 9/19/2011
Time 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Subject COMMERCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 9/5/2011 until 9/26/2011 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
KATHIE HOLLEY @ 5228
Categories ROOM 318
Time 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Subject TREASURER / SET-UP
Location 301
Reminder 15 minutes
MISTY @ 5251
Categories ROOM 301
Time 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Subject PORT AUTHORITY
Location 307
Recurrence Occurs the third Monday of every 1 month effective 9/19/2011 until 9/19/2011 from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
ROBIN HAYES
Categories ROOM 307
IS IT TRUE? September 19, 2011
IS IT TRUE? September 19, 2011
IS IT TRUE that yesterday’s New York Times had a poignant but relevant quote by Maureen Doud?…that it goes like this?
“So we’re choosing between the over-intellectualized professor and blockheads boasting about their vacuity? The occupational hazard of democracy is know-nothing voters. It shouldn’t be know-nothing candidates.â€
IS IT TRUE that there may just be or may just have been an alternate approach to securing new hotel rooms in downtown Evansville that was not seriously considered by the powers that be?…that there was at one time a proposal made that would have expanded the main hotel at Aztar by about 140 rooms?…that 140 rooms is what we have been told that studies indicate that the downtown Evansville hotel market can absorb comfortably?…that the proposal we speak of would have involved substantially less pubic money that the RFP that is currently being vetted has already committed to kick into the deal?…that the proposal would have made the 220+/- rooms that the RFP mandated available for conventions under the control of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau during the week?…that this proposal included investments in luxury transportation to shuttle hotel guests to and from the MLK Entertainment Complex?…that this ghost of Christmas Past should be discussed by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at its earliest convenience?
IS IT TRUE that a solution that required little or no public money and provided the hotel room requirements should have received more disclosure and discussion than it did?…that if such a proposal could be resurrected that it is still worth consideration?…that the City of Evansville and the Weinzapfel Administration are using a $3.5 Million contribution from Casino Aztar that was meant for an Arena project as part of the $8 Million incentive to a hotel developer?…that to take $3.5 Million from Tropicana or Casino Aztar and to hand it to a future competitor is flat out insulting to a complex that constitutes about 30% of all of the tourism revenue to the City of Evansville?…that reminds us of exactly what Mayor Weinzapfel accused Bill Yung III of Columbia Sussex of doing a couple of years ago?…that saying one thing and doing another is wrong even if it is SNEGAL (sneaky but legal)?
IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,604 days since the announcement was made on May 14, 2007 that the McCurdy Hotel was to be refurbished into luxury apartments?…that it has now been 1,457 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot?…that City Centre Properties and Scott Kosene the developers of the McCurdy project are both listed as contributors to the Weinzapfel for Mayor committee for 2010?
IS IT TRUE that in a short 51 days we will all know whether it will be Lloyd Winnecke or Rick Davis who will become the Mayor that will assume responsibility for executing the decisions that are playing out right now?…that that there are 103 days remaining in the Weinzapfel Administration?
IS IT TRUE that there are now 405 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?
IS IT TRUE? September 18, 2011 “Football Coaching and City Management”
IS IT TRUE? September 18, 2011
IS IT TRUE that University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong ripped his team up after a recent loss to Florida International that had never ever won a game against a BCS team?…that a paraphrase of Coach Strong’s words to his team is “you guys are not a good team, you are not as good as your next opponent (Kentucky), you are not living up to your potential, and I as your coach am ashamed of your performanceâ€?…that Coach Strong was very public with these statements and in many ways humiliated his players in the press?…that he worked them hard all week and gave them pure heck in every practice?…that the UL Cardinals responded with a 24 -17 win over the previously undefeated and heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats in their own home of Commonwealth Stadium?
IS IT TRUE that the negative feedback without any of the usual litany of pandering like “we are a good team that just had bad luck todayâ€, “our guys stepped up except for the key interceptionâ€, or “we are rebuilding and we have a good base on which to build†banter that usually follows losses that should have been wins WORKED FOR COACH STRONG?
IS IT TRUE that the same is true when the City County Observer chides the City of Evansville for neglecting our parks, ignoring the will of the people, entering into impossible agreements like the McCurdy and the 4-Star downtown hotel that Browning was going to build without public assistance, and fails to so much as pull credit reports or check the pulse of out of town developers (that’s called vetting) who respond to our RFP’s?…that the same is true when the CCO points out the fact that we have a problem with litter, dilapidated houses, and crime in some areas?…that the same is true when we publish negative feedback on anything at all?…that the City County Observer publishes negative feedback for the same reason that Coach Strong used disrespectful language publically on the Cardinals?…that Coach Strong and the CCO are doing this so that lessons can be learned and past failures can be corrected to forge a positive future?
IS IT TRUE that we are sure that Coach Strong was making suggestions on improvements all week in practice just as the CCO makes suggestions for improvements like vetting, cleaning, and having the guts to look into the mirror and be truthful?…that we are certain that the Cardinals who were talked to like dogs last week got some quick and immediate praise last night for their victory?…that the CCO regularly praises actions in Evansville and people who take positive actions like Ann Ennis of Keep Evansville Beautiful for her gateway efforts, Dunn Hospitality for private investment, and even the Evansville Redevelopment Commission when they finally hired an outside firm to VET the hotel proposals?
IS IT TRUE that yesterday’s win may just salvage the UL Cardinals season and lead them to a better year than last?…that the City of Evansville needs a series of big stake in the ground wins that are real and not fabricated for propaganda purposes of political origin to re-establish pride and belief in local government among our citizens?…that we got one this week with the announcement of the Dutch business setting up shop in Park 41?…that we got one last week with the opening of the Hampton Inn on North 41?…that we are eager to see if we will be getting another one soon with announcements regarding moving forward with the downtown Hotel and the McCurdy?…that after 50 years of floundering it is nice to have some days that it seems like some positive things are happening?
IS IT TRUE that it is not Evansville’s season that may be salvaged?…that what is at stake is Evansville’s very future as a relevant city?…that we support and encourage anyone who can to go out and get a win next week for the City of Evansville?
Mole #2.5 says Henderson Gas is $3.15 Today
Mole #2.5 just alerted us that gas in Henderson, Kentucky is selling for $3.15 this morning. He placed the call as he was pulling into a pump to save some of his green.
Mrs. Mole #1 is flustered because she just filled her tank in Newburgh for $3.47.
The typical difference in gas prices is between 5 and 10 cents but this morning the money saving bridge must be magic because only 5 cents of the difference is due to tax rates.
If you are heading to Kentucky or even close this is one of those rare days when the gas price difference may be worth the drive.
Standing in Line for Bob Seger Tickets at Ford Center was Worth the Wait
Joe Wallace braved the crisp weather this morning with about 150 others to score a pair of sixth row tickets positioned very well on the side of the stage for the November 9th Bob Seger concert. Wallace is shown in the picture after purchasing his pair of tickets with Scott Schoenike, the general manager of VenuWorks. Wallace queued up at about 9:20 this morning and was 35th in line. That placement netted him a choice of about the 12th row on the floor or 6th row on the side. When considering the possibility that 11 rows of tall people could be in front of him he chose the side for he and his wife Karen.
The mood was festive in the line with early risers being rewarded with near stage front tickets on the floor. There was a 6 ticket limit and many people were maximizing their possibilities. The crowd was distinctly the same crowd that would have queued up for concert tickets back in the 70’s and many stories of concerts past were exchanged. There were lots of ponytails, concert shirts, grey hair, and smiles as the rock and roll fan inside drew the crowd to downtown Evansville on this Saturday morning to get the best tickets available.