This letter is published without edit, opinion, or bias.
Administration Building
1 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Evansville IN 47708
Dear Councilmen McGinn, Mosby, Brinkerhoff-Riley, Robinson, Friend, Lindsey, O’Daniel, Adams and Weaver,
Gary, Indiana and Richmond, Indiana have defunded their Human Relations/Rights Commissions, and it is time for Evansville (and Vanderburgh County) to likewise defund its Human Relations Commission. The Human Relations Commission (HRC) has been a stain on our community with its incompetence, misuse of tax dollars, introduction of illegal actions, extremism, elitism and divisiveness.
Incompetence: The HRC has pushed for passage of an age discrimination ordinance (in effect in Evansville only) which makes Senior Citizen discounts illegal for apartment complexes, and potentially other situations. The HRC now realizes the mistake, but should have thought through this issue before presenting it to the City Council and County Commission.
Misuse of tax dollars:
Cronyism: The HRC in April handed $500 to one of its fellow Human Relations Commissioners for his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, of which he is a board member. Similarly, in November, the HRC handed $500 to the YWCA at the behest of one of its own commissioners. Astonishingly, this $500 was used to fund an event where participants simply held hands around a building! (The “Stand Against Racism.”)
Immoral/Unethical Favoritism: Just last month the HRC gave $200 to homosexual activists for their homosexual party (“Pride Picnic”) at Burdette Park. These were the same activists who pushed the sexual orientation/gender identity ordinance.
Other examples of such misuse can be cited. Clearly the HRC has no mechanism in place to evaluate community monetary requests on an equitable basis. Indeed, what business does the HRC have handing out tax dollars to private groups?
Illegality: The HRC worked sneakily to push a sexual orientation ordinance which criminalizes Christians and violates freedom of association. Neither the City Council nor County Commission have legal authority to pass such an ordinance. Further, in the past two years, the HRC illegally dragged a faith-based institution, St. Mary’s Medical Center, to court, only to be blocked by the Vanderburgh Superior Court judge.
Extremism: The HRC shamelessly pushed a gender identity ordinance which mandates that men dressed as women be allowed to use women’s restrooms, and other women’s changing rooms.
Elitism: The HRC never once went out into the community to face parents, school teachers, churches, pastors, businesses to defend their pro-homosexual agenda and ordinance.
Divisiveness: The HRC has invited racially divisive speakers, like Cornel West, to address its annual banquet. Its advocacy of programs and funding decisions is virtually oriented toward one race, as evidenced by:
– $3800 for a trip in 2008 to the Social Status of African-American Males Annual Conference
– $1500, $1500, $750 for Family Day in the Park (2009, 2010, 2011), put on by WEOA and Black Women’s Task Force.
– sponsorship of Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program to screen black males for hypertension and diabetes (2011, 2012)
– HRC was the legal applicant for $75,400 of federal funds from Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for the Boom Squad, whose application targets African American juvenile delinquency, which is less than 30% of juvenile delinquency in Evansville.
For these and other reasons, the Human Relations Commission should be immediately defunded. My tax dollars should no longer be wasted on its activities.
Glen Kissel
I have to agree with you Mr Kissel , I have no problem with tax monies going to a good cause but to give it to groups because of race ,religion and sex preferences is downright wrong
I completely disagree. NO taxpayer money should be spent on what some politician or Commission believes is a “good cause”. Who defines what is a “good cause”? The HRC probably thinks all the stuff it’s doing is a “good cause”. You might have your own definition that I find equally offensive.
This is the danger we face when we accept the idea that it’s ok to spend “a little” tax money here, or “a little” there on this group or that group whose mission sounds like a great thing.
How many who oppose spending on the HRC would be more than happy to spend that same money on some faith-based organization?
The only truly fair thing to do is stick to a principle that these sorts of activities of favoring one specific Group over another by taking tax money from Group A to give to Group B is immoral.
The answer…abolish ALL such Commissions and return the tax dollars formerly appropriated for that purpose back to the hard working people who earned it, so that they might give to the causes THEY support, or to invest in their business, or make their own families more financially secure.
Mr. Kissel, if just 1/2 of your information is correct, the HRC should be defunded years ago. Very disturbing information and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
This is a bunch of bull that I am glad to see is finally called out. There has been so much public money thrown into the 4th Ward that was only spent there to cultivate black votes that it is sickening. I wonder what the net winnings are for the 4th Ward as compared to the taxes that the residents have paid. I wouldn’t be surprised if Evansville’s 4th Ward is as good a getting handouts as Gary and South Chicago. The racist distribution of public money must be stopped. Thank you Mr. Kissel.
Ward 2 was awarded 52 Million to fix the Sewer System that is Decades upon Decades old and allowed many neighborhoods in that area massive flooding into their homes and streets unpassable! Ward 6 spent a hefty sum on Sidewalks that were crumbling in the past few years while a different Councilman was in office. What’s your point? Why does it always have to be “the race card” in Ward 4, Oh OPPS Connie Robertson is black so your going to Infer the problems she addressed in Ward 4 were Racially Motivated! Hmmm…..so the other Councilmen and Women did improvements based of their Race and Gender and sexual orientation? LOL! Hold the mirror up to your face as it seems your the one playing the RACE Card and no one else! The Writer of the Piece Above, Glen Kissel, took some of what the HRC did and didn’t REPORT on other things they Funded………I would like to know what other things HRC funded before I go out on a limb and Cry to City Council of my dissapproval of this group. Names of board holding persons who sit on this group would be helpful and discloseure of all Funding. His piece was apparent in this Attitude towards Gays (the PC term Mr Kissel is LGBT not Homosexuals the Gay community has a variety of orientations in it) and African Americans was all to obvious for US the READERS! No one get’s on the type of Band Wagon he is suggesting, no one with any common sence that is! If there is misappropiation of funding then I would be all in saying Heck Yes but all he has shown US is that he is targeting a few groups, African Americans and LGBT!
I agree everyone needs to take a chill pill on the race crap, and the bickering about homosexuals as well. Like it or not, they are citizens too and deserve to be treated equally. Go to your church and hate on them all you want, hell, you can even stand on the corner and shout about it if you want, it’s a free country, but the minute you try to use government force to limit someone’s rights, you’ve overstepped a line.
But that goes the other way as well. Don’t use government as a vehicle to gain special favors for perceived minorities or oppressed people either, because the oppressed have a way of becoming the oppressors.
It’s time for President of City Council, County Commission and County Council to bring this group in front of them starting this coming month so they can defend this alledged waste of taxpayers monies during budget hearings.
No way that any elected official should sit back and let our tax dollars being wasted in this manner.
If the information in Mr. Kissel letter are true then our elected officials should fire the Director of this Commission soon as possible.
It seems like the mission of this Commission is in conflict with it’s overall purpose.
Word at the civic center is that the Mayor wont touch this issue with a 10 foot pole. You guess it, he is in hiding once again.
Forth Ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson controls the political process once again.
Glen Kissel is clearly a friend of the gays.
Why is it only a racial issue when black people are discriminated against? When white people are discriminated against, why is that not a crime? Are white people of today to accept the punishment of a century of discrimination against the black people? Because whether we talk about it directly or not, this is what is happening in today’s society.
I must ask…where is my “being white and discriminated against†money? Where is my NAAWP organization? Where is my White Caucus in the State of House? Where is my “White Expo†license plate? Where is my Labor Relations representative when the job I applied for went to the other person because he/she was black? Why are hundreds of white people attacked every day in obvious race crimes from the black people, but racial charges are never brought against them? Point in case the controversial Ira Beumer case this year in which he was attacked by 4 black men that were targeting “white peopleâ€. If Ira was black and the four boys were white, does anybody really believe that this would not have been a racial hate crime in which race charges are brought against one or all of those boys? If this group is not discriminating, then where is their white race contribution?
I agree with Mr. Kissel. If you really want to stop the race hate…then preferential treatment based upon race!
Wait a tic…in reference to Mr. Beumer, he broke the law when he intentionally chased those young men. I am in no way defending their actions, they certainly deserved to be punished, but in our land of laws and (supposed) justice, said punishment is dispensed through the legal process, not vigilantism.
Of course the mayor won’t touch this, neither will the council. The problem with groups, commissions, or other organizations such as this is once they are started, they become untouchable. Any attempt to curtail or shutdown the organization is labled as playing “the race card”. Common sense and reliable governance loses out when finger-pointing at any action or comment is perceived as anti-diversity, anti-gay. A further investigation is warranted to determine what this commission is actually doing.
I think defunding the commsision would be a major no no. Mr. Kissel chose to target those things that HE felt did not need support. He didn’t raise an eyebrow or report that they provided funding for the Disability Advisory Board and that the commission also investigates housing complaints, sexual harassment complaints, disability discrimiantion complaints and other things that are not related to race and/or sexual orientation. Mr. Kissel neds to look at the whole picture before he cries for defunding.
I agree, but if $1 went to the Ku Klux Klan, we would be having the same conversation. Supporting racial groups white or black is wrong. If you want to end racisim then stop supporting racial groups!!!
I think all of the groups that the commission has provided donations to need to be scrutinized rather than just the ones that Mr. Kissel chooses to report. Also, I have attended Family Day in the Park, are the other businesses that provide funding for these “racial” groups also under Mr. Kissel’s watchful eye?
Wasn’t the 2009, 2010 and 2011 “Family Day In Park” was also co-hosted by 4th ward City Councilwomen, Connie Robinson. Also, I know you wouldn’t be surprized to hear what area this event was held.
Isn’t Connie Roninson political side kick, Lou Williams not only on the Human Rights Commission board but also employed by the City of Evansville DMD Department? Could this be a conflict of interest?
Please explain the 2 25,000 dollar temp jobs they are funding in the HRC. Temp jobs to do what and why????? I’m sure these temp people came out of the 4th ward. Does anybody have some answers??? LETS HEAR THEM!!
I commented about this when the golden ten article came out. I don’t think anyone wants to touch that one.
Connie Robinson is a big disappointment to her many white friends. I was one of them. I’m tired of her playing the race card everytime she turns around.
She is just not the person we grew to love and respect.
I’m really ashamed of her behavior!
She has pretty much filled a position or two in every city department with friends and family lately. It is getting a little weird actually.
If consolidation passes, doesn’t the HRC jurisdiction automatically extend to the entire County?
They are the Oppressors. No one has ever stopped a “gay” person from choosing to live that life. Yet anyone who disagrees with their lifestyle is arrested, persecuted, etc. Their horrific lie of a lifestyle choice has been forced upon the youngest of school children, confusing them even more by insinuating that they might not be heterosexual. Talk about gestapo tactics and brainwashing. Their agenda is a militant and stealth agenda to destroy all vestiges of moral society.
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