IS IT TRUE? April 30, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the Ohio River has crested at 46.4 feet?…that the forecast for the probability of exceeding 48 feet has now be revised down to less that 5%?…that more rain is coming but that it would have to be another doozie for Evansville to crest at above 48 feet?…that Pigeon Creek remains the biggest risk to us if another deluge hits?…that we seem to have dodged a bullet and will not be needing to utilize our flood gates?…that testing them out this summer would still be a good idea?

IS IT TRUE that the Tornatta for Mayor campaign has disclosed in the neighborhood of $20,000 of last minute contributions?…that such rapid disclosure is only required when the HIGH ROLLERS who contribute over $1,000 at a time are the source of funds?…that Mr. Tornatta’s big haul came from the usual Indianapolis based Democratic supporters of Mayor Weinzapfel, local attorney David Jones whose firm currently represents the City of Evansville, and the Vanderburgh County Democratic Central Committee?…that individuals always have the freedom to do as they please with their earned money but that for the Democratic Central Committee to support a candidate in a primary while crying for a healing event afterward is quite disingenuous?…that between trying to keep candidate Davis from running until the Mayor had exercised his right of first refusal, pitching a childish fit over the fall festival booth, and now overtly supporting a primary candidate, the loyalties of the Democratic Central Committee are pretty well known?

IS IT TRUE that IF and we do mean IF Team Troy goes down in flames on May 3rd that the machine known as the Vanderburgh County Democratic Central Committee will go down with it?…that this battle for Evansville’s democratic heart is as close to an epic battle as we are likely to get here for a long time?

IS IT TRUE that on Monday the City County Observer will be publishing a personal interview with Evansville City Councilwoman Connie Robinson?…that our questions touched on all of the usual known interests but also explored the ways that Councilwoman Robinson uses the knowledge of the real entrepreneurial world that she earns a living in to help her cut through political clutter and make sound business decisions for the City of Evansville?…that Councilwoman Robinson also discusses her period of enlightenment when she changed her long time position from NO to YES on strengthening the Evansville Smokefree Workplace Law?…that this is a perfect example of lifetime learning and that lifetime learning is what keeps all who have the courage to do so both relevant and vibrant?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,458 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 1,312 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 there are now 551 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?

The Essential Need for Government Transparency

Introduction

The history of government transparency and accountability dates as far back as far as the Enlightenment Period and the passage of freedom of the press laws in Sweden and Finland in 1766 and then in the American colonies in 1789 as part of our Constitution in the Bill of Rights. In 1966 the United States passed the Freedom of Information Act(FOIA) and then the Presidential Records Act of 1978 in response to the Watergate Scandal.

Since about the middle 2000’s requests have been made by public interest and advocacy groups to put federal and state government spending on-line where it could be tracked, analyzed and scrutinized. Recent strides towards greater accountability and transparency accelerated dramatically in response to the Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan(American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). Due to the size and scope of the act there were calls for greater transparency and accountability to track the spending. In response to critics and to build support for the Act the Obama administration promised unprecedented accountability and transparency. So, as part of the Act the government website recovery.gov was created.

Since 2009, government transparency has quickly gained bipartisan support with both Democratic and Republican legislatures championing transparency legislation. According to a recent survey done by the Association of Government Accountants an overwhelming, 90%, of voters say they have a right to transparency in government financial management.

What is government on-line transparency? A checklist City residents should be able to determine through an on-line website:

• The cost of delivering essential services such as police, fire, water, sewer, and trash and snow removal

• Disclosure of all city government meetings and agendas

• Key information about the city’s elected officials and appointed administrators. It should include contact information and terms of service, the date of the next election/appointment

• Comprehensive information about all contracts it enters into with vendors

• Contact information for the person or department that handles open records requests

• Full information about contracts with lobbyists and grants to non-profits

Budgetary information is key

• The current budget both in table form and in pie chart form should be posted on-line

• Prior years budgets should also be posted with easy to understand comparisons showing dollar increases or decreases and their corresponding percentages

• Links to provide more detailed information should be provided

• A brief summary and commentary from the Mayor, the city council and the minority party should also be included

A checkbook summary should be available

The city’s checkbook register should be posted online. This information provided should include:
1. The amount of each payment
2. Date
3. Check number
4. To whom the payment was made (including the address)
5. Scan of Invoice or Purchase Order or Check Request (this often provides significant drilldown detail including who approved it)
6. What it was for
7. Budgetary authority for the expenditure
8. Functional expenditure category
9. Sources of funds
10. Links to the relevant contracts under which the payment was made

What are the costs and benefits of transparency
• Low cost – Spending transparency web sites are inexpensive to create and maintain
• Transparency increases accountability in government and elected officials
• It reduces the number of FOIA(Freedom of Information Act) requests often allowing the public to go right to the source of information requested
• It results in better targeted expenditures and tax incentives and allows officials and citizens to see if the targeted programs are delivering the desired results.
• It encourages proactive thinking and planning from elected officials rather than reactive
activities
• Increased civic engagement, the state of Missouri’s accountability portal received 13 million hits on its website in the first 18 months of its launch.
• Big savings to taxpayers, According to the US Public Interest Research Group, state comptrollers from Texas, Utah, and South Dakota all reported savings in the tens of millions of dollars in the first year of launching their websites after spending less than a million to launch the sites.

Conclusion

The city of Evansville faces a great many challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. The issues of consolidation, law enforcement, fire protection, Roberts Stadium, consolidated sewers, our parks and infrastructure, and swimming pools all have financial implications. The council and the public will need accurate and transparent information and data to guide them in making a good long-term decision. A transparency program with an online checkbook summary along with a summary of the city’s budget would help the public and the council in determining their financial priorities. Further a transparency program would shine a financial light on controversial issues. As the fiscal agent of the City, the Council owes it to itself and the public to implement a comprehensive transparency program.

IS IT TRUE? April 29, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the projected crest of the Ohio River is expected to rise another 5 inches today to a level of 46.6?…that the rate of rising has slowed and that the crest is expected to come tomorrow at comfortably below the 48 foot level that is where the first gates are needed to be installed?…that an at-large candidate for Evansville City Council who wishes to remain anonymous took on the task of searching for the Flood Gates and the hardware associated with them and is satisfied that at this time they have been located?…that a conversation that he reported to us regarding the installation is that a single gate may be a half a day job for a crew?…that he is not overly concerned with hardware but is concerned that in a very fast rising situation that the manpower needs to install the gates would be a challenge?

IS IT TRUE we are extremely impressed to see Vanderburgh County Commissioner Marsha Abell doing volunteer work in helping putting sand in bags to help her constitutes keeping their property from being flooded?

IS IT TRUE that the Courier and Press photography team should be getting multiple awards for the photographs they have published this week about the flood?…that the photos of the lightning strikes in downtown Evansville captured both the power of the storm and the resilience of the City of Evansville in striking color?…that those particular photographs could easily be used as fundraisers for a local charity?

IS IT TRUE that there was another meet the candidate night at the C. K. Newsome Center last night?…that the Mayoral candidates kept the substance at its oh so familiar low to nothing level?…that if they were doing an oral examination or a spelling bee that grades of INCOMPLETE would be earned across the board for not even trying?…that the people of Evansville deserve better?…that we truly hope that the general election actually produces more substance and less PARROT SQUAWKING of platitudinal nonsense?

IS IT TRUE that a couple of candidates did get on board and make some statements about litter and blight, two of the biggest turnoffs that Evansville has to the outside world?…that Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley called out Evansville for the level of filth in the streets?…that she is right to do so as the CCO has been preaching for a year now?…that picking up litter is FREE and makes a good first impression?…that it is amazing that 50 years have passed and the litter bugs still outnumber the enlightened?…that Conor O’Daniel seized on the urban blight and shrinking population issue as repellent to getting free money from the state and federal governments?

IS IT TRUE that with a shrinking population the 8,000 houses that he referenced as needing repairs are actually not needed at all?…that it is much smarter to spend $5,000 to tear down a house that no one wants than it is to spend $125,000 to repair it and still have a house that nobody wants?…that if we need anything from Uncle Sam it is a fleet of bulldozers to demolish the blight as opposed to $240,000 one bedroom apartments that we do not need either?

IS IT TRUE that true to past form that Troy Tornatta walked out of another candidate’s night after giving an impromptu 3 minute buzz word talk about jobs and economic development?…that Mr. Tornatta was later seen outside the C. K. Newsome Center chatting with two people?…that all the other candidates for office (mayoral and council) stayed the entire time?…that he left an impression with the neighborhood associations and that the impression he left was not what he would have hoped?… that if he had stayed he could have heard a lot of good questions from his potential constituents?

IS IT TRUE that the race for the Democratic Party nomination for Mayor is really more about a public mandate of Mayor Weinzapfel performance in office than about the candidates running for that office?

EPD Activity Report April 28 2011

IS IT TRUE? Part 2 April 28, 2011

IS IT TRUE that CCO MOLE #3 informs us that 1st Ward City Councilman, Dan McGinn recently sent the Evansville City Controller an interesting e-mail? ….that Councilman McGinn has been trying to get City Controller Jenny Collins to send an itemization of the City of Evansville legal services budget? ….that Councilman McGinn also states in his e-mail that City Attorney David Jones told him that he would send a copy of his contract detailing his duties and fees as approved by the Board of Public Works?…..that City Controller Collins sent Mr. McGinn an e-mail back? …that the e-mail had the following message–“We have been working with JWF the City’s third party administrator for the liability insurance on getting a three year average of the charges broken out so that we can put together a realistic detailed line item of the budget. We are very close to having this complete; I hope that within the next two weeks to have detailed budget line for the liability insurance to Council. I forwarded your e-mail to David Jones regarding the contract and will be getting a copy of that to Council members also”?….that all City Council members (even including Don Walker) were forwarded a copy of both e-mails? …that Jonathan Weinzapfel, Rose Young, David Jones, Lauren Jones, Elizabeth Barnes and Katy Nimnicht also were copied on these e-mails?…we wonder who were the 4 CCO MOLES sent these e-mails to CCO MOLE #3?

IS IT TRUE we want to publically thank Mulzer Crushed Stone for donating free sand to make sand bags to protect homes from being flooded?…that the City County Observer is proud to have Mulzer Crushed Stone as a member of this community? Oh, IS IT ALSO TRUE that we are extremely proud of the outstanding work that our local RED CROSS volunteers are doing in times like these

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville MSA was just singled out by the Gallup-Healthways survey to be the most obese MSA in the entire United States of America?…that our home tops the scales with a full 37.8% of our population considered to be obese?…that the determination of obesity is made if one’s body mass index is over 30?…that a 6 foot tall person that tipped the scales at 221 pounds would have a BMI of 30 and would be at the lowest end of obesity?…that the formula for BMI is available for you to use at the following link?

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

IS IT TRUE that obesity is associated with all sorts of health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart attack?…that economically obesity correlates well with high health insurance costs, low productivity, and depression?…that depression correlates very well with suicide?…that Evansville also ranks at the top of the list for suicide?…that maybe one of the most effective solutions to our economic problems and our suicide problems starts with a healthy diet and an exercise program?…that one municipal vehicle touting healthy lifestyles in the same fleet as many vehicles peddling large portions of fast food sends conflicting signals to the population?…that if Evansville is to get serious about economics it should first get serious about health?…that like picking up litter, this solution is FREE or may just save some money?…that “YUM YUM EAT EM UP” should not be the theme song for Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the full study is available on the CCO?

Yum Yum Eat em Up!!!

17 pages of activity today. We guess the rain inspired some crime

EPD Activity Report April 27 2011

Boulder Colorado is the leanest

Today the Gallup Organization and Healthways released the findings of a 2010 study of the shape of the 188 official Metropolitan Areas in the United States. The study found that in 174 of the 188 MSA’s that over 20% of the population is considered obese. The Evansville/IN-KY MSA was fingered as being the most obese MSA in America with a whopping 37.8% obesity rate. The top 10 MSA’s for obesity are as follows:

1. Evansville, IN-KY 37.8%
2. Hagerstown MD-WV 36.5%
3. Huntington-Ashland WV-KY-OH 34.6%
4. McAllen, TX 34.5%
5. Reading, PA 33.8%
6. Montgomery, AL 33.4%
7. Harrisburg, PA 33.0%
8. Cedar Rapids, IA 32.9%
9. Shreveport, LA 32.5%
10. Beaumont, TX 32.4%

On the other end of the scale (no pun intended) the leanest 10 MSA’s are as follows:

1. Boulder, CO 12.9%
2. Fort Collins, CO 16.5%
3. Provo, UT 17.0%
4. Honolulu, HA 17.6%
5. Thousand Oaks, CA 17.8%
6. Bradenton, FL 18.0%
7. Naples, FL 18.1%
8. San Francisco, CA 18.2%
9. Santa Barbara, CA 18.6%
10. Bridgeport, CT 19.3%

Some other findings in the report are that diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are significantly higher in obese states, that healthy lifestyles are less prevalent in obese states, that healthcare costs are higher, workplace productivity is lower, and that the population is less happy.

The entire report is available on the following link.

Obesity Study

IS IT TRUE? April 27, 2011

IS IT TRUE that mercifully the rain seems to have stopped for a day of sunshine and cleanup after one of the most persistence deluges that this area has ever seen?…that the Ohio River in Evansville is this morning at 46 feet and 1 inch?…that at approximately a level of 48 feet real problems start to happen?…that the level has risen exactly 6 inches in the last 18 hours?…that at that rate of rising that we are just under 72 hours from being at 48 feet?…that the projection of the crest is that the rate of rise will decrease and that the river at Evansville will crest at slightly under 47 feet sometime on Saturday?…that examining the other stations on the Ohio River both upstream and downstream of Evansville that every station within 100 miles is either a red or purple (moderate flood or major flood)?…that 48 feet is when classification goes to moderate flood and that 52 feet means a major flood?…that the good design and flow regulation of the Army Corps of Engineers is essentially regulating the river to keep the populated area Evansville below 48 feet?…that the Corps of Engineers is to be honored and thanked for this service?

IS IT TRUE that the Corps of Engineers can do a very good job of calculating and regulating water once it gets into the river but that it has no ability to deal with the runoff from creeks and streams?…that the real danger to Evansville is Pigeon Creek swelling further from runoff water or from additional rain?…that is the Corps can keep the river in check and the rains do not return that we will in all likelihood avoid a crest above 48 feet?

IS IT TRUE that there has yet to be any of the flood gates that are installed into the levee positioned for installation?…that the CCO has gotten some conflicting information regarding the locations of these essential gates?…that one source says that the gates have been misplaced and that there is a keystone cops scenario going on trying to locate them?…that another source says some gates have been found but that the connecting mechanisms that are required for the gates to function are missing?…that a very well placed and competent Mole #113 tells us that irrespective of what is missing and what is not that the hardware has not been maintained or tested in several years and that there may be problems with it?…that a shiny new car that is mothballed for many years will probably not start after that long a period of dormancy?…that no public official has come forward to reassure the people of Evansville through a public statement that the gates, the connectors, and the expertise is standing by poised to install the gates if needed?…that we also hear that the job of installing all of the gates is an all hands on deck job that will take a full day without glitches?

IS IT TRUE that the upcoming murder trial of Jeffrey Weisheit is budgeted to cost Vanderburgh County a total of $250,000?…that the cost of justice has gone up since the days of Wyatt Earp?…that justice, healthcare, gasoline, energy, food, etc. seem to be escalating greatly during the last days of this recession?…that even Vectren is getting a raise as the IURC granted Vectren and increase yesterday of about 9% which will add just over $10 to an average monthly bill?…that now Evansville will have electric rates that are 214% higher than Henderson’s up from the 188% premium we had to pay before this increase?…that electricity is the only thing we can think of that cannot be purchased remotely?…that Indiana needs a competitive landscape for electrical rates to be competitive for JOBS?...that we wonder if the Easter Parrots (candidates for office) would like to opine on how it makes any sense for a commodity to be sold at a 214% premium by crossing a bridge to another state?…that only borders between countries are typically used to milk people with protectionist schemes?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer encourages all of our readers to enjoy a day of sunshine, to help a neighbor, and the silver lining is that maybe this flood will spur the people of Evansville into a cleaning mode that will speed up the eradication of litter?

EPD Activity Report April 27 2011 Supplement

IS IT TRUE that Mole #3 predicts that the Vanderburgh County Commissioners will approve a Declaration of a State of Emergency for all of Vanderburgh County tonight?…that Mole #113 states that the gates to the entrances to the city have not been tested for nearly 10 years?

IS IT TRUE that the water level at the intersection of Pigeon Creek and First Avenue is only 22 inches below the road just after the bridge and next to Kleymeyer Park?…that the combination of the water level, today’s rains, the even heavier rains upstream from Evansville, and the blockages at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi could make for a rapidly rising situation for our water levels?…that we are sure that the Army Corps of Engineers will do their best to make sure that urban areas with low populations are used to hold water to the fullest extent before allowing the levels to really get out of hand in populated areas like Evansville?…that the people of Evansville may just owe a debt of gratitude to Newburgh and Shawneetown where flood levels are over 10 feet above flood stage?

IS IT TRUE that the place where the flood gates are to be inserted if needed do not appear to be poised for use as the brand spanking new gate supports down by Casino Aztar are?…that the gates that need to be located and tested are not the brand new gates down by Aztar?…that the gates that need to be tested and poised for deployment are the 1942 gates that were designed and built as a result of the 1937 flood that our questions are regarding?…that there are over 20 such sets of gates at the entrances to the City of Evansville where floodwall breaches were needed for transportation purposes?…that a tour of a good number of these levee breach locations did not yield even one single location where any apparent gate deployment has been done?…that we have been warned that the Ohio River at Evansville could rise as much as 6 additional feet?…that this is a lot more than 22 inches and that the gates will most certainly be needed if this occurs?…that we had all best hope that the river does not rise any more and that the gates will be located and placed in a maintenance program for future needs?

IS IT TRUE that Memphis Minnie and Joe McCoy wrote a song called “When the Levee Breaks” that was the inspiration for the Led Zeppelin classic by the same name?…that you can hear the original version by Memphis Minnie below?

IS IT TRUE that the version most of you have familiarity with is below: