Dear Vanderburgh County Democratic Party Leaders:
I must now move forward to bring to resolution the pending charges against some of the Central Committee officers. I have sent shortened, summarized versions of the charges to the named officers.
I would like to have a meeting with the named officers of the VCDCC along with the leaders of the VDP this week. I am proposing Friday, February 10, 2012, at 1:00 PM. Ii has been suggested that we meet in the VCDCC headquarters conference room, if it could be made available to us. If it is not available to us, I will select another site in Evansville.
It is my goal that the officers named in the charges, individually or collectively, with counsel from you leaders, can come to a proposal for the resolution of the charges. I will submit any such proposal(s) to the Eighth District Democratic Party Central Committee.
I incite the officers named in the charges to bring one council or counsel if desired.
I assure all of you that, while I have thoughts as to what I think it will take to resolve these issues with the 8th DCC, I have no preset agenda for resolution. I only want these issues resolved in the best interests of all Vanderburgh County Democrats. It has festered too long.
If no resolution is proposed or any named officer fails to submit a proposed resolution acceptable to the 8th DCC, I will appoint a fact finding committee to interview all relevant witnesses, review any relevant evidence and submit findings of fact, with or without recommendations, to the 8th DCC for the resolution of any charges remaining unresolved.
Please confirm this communication as soon as you can. If you wish another email address for the Party communications, please advise me. If I don’t receive notice as to availability of the VCDCC headquarters by Wednesday, I will arrange another site in Vanderburgh County and notify you.
Thank you for all you do for our Party.
S. Anthony Long,
Eighth District Democrat Chair
“…And our duty as a party is not to our party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed., to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.
So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause–united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future–and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.â€
This was the last lines of JFK’s speech he was to give at the Texas State Convention on the night of 11/22/63.
Thank you, Mr. Long.
We are grateful.
They got away with far too much for far too long.
Now we will rebuild this party and will be stronger than ever.
thank you Mr Long for not forgetting the rank and file. we will not forget and look forward to the November elections
Thank you, Mr. Long, for the LONG overdue investigation into the shenanigans of the current Democratic leadership, that cost us the Mayors’s office!!!! Stay focused on the PROBLEM of Mark Owen!!! He and Connie Robinson cost us the mayor’s position, and that is egregious!!
It’s insane to say that one or two people “COST” a PARTY an election. Lloyd W. won because he ran a better campaign and his platform appealed to a larger number of voters than Rick D. Plain and simple. No party is “owed” an election either. Candidates run and the best person in the majority of the public’s opinion wins, regardless of their “Party”.
That’s one of the biggest problems with all levels of government today… several people are too blindly aligned with whomever runs from their “party”… people from both parties are guilty of this. They essentially cancel each other out.
Voters who, ultimately, vote individually election-to-election are the swing voters that decide who gets elected.
All of this “party” nonsense is just that… it’s over-rated. People are free to vote… and support… whomever they feel will best represent them.
And…you really do believe this? that Mr Winnecke had no help from the democrats and that everyone who voted voted of their own free will for the candidate they chose themselves? In a town that has had how many republicans ever elected to the mayors office? in a town where the democratic party chose not to support their own candidate and to openly support the opposition? Where these actions have now brought resignations from top level democrats that I guess believed so strongly in Mr Winnecke’s platform of tanks to fight crime and city/county consolidation that they shunned their own candidate and risked their position in their own party and future in politics to support a republican?
All of this because Winnecke had a platform that appealed to a mostly democratic base of voters in the city?
I mean you no disrespect but do you believe in the Easter bunny or tooth fairy also?
JMHO
Thank you for doing the right thing, Mr. Long.
Rule breakers SHOULD face consequences. Glad to see this.
Hey let us be realistic here. Davis lost by 8 %. Winnecke got help from Democrats and won because he was the best Candidate for the job. Connie help him some to win—– but not 8 %.
An appx. 750 vote “swing” and Mr. Davis would be the Mayor.
Mr. Winnecke owes a Lot to Owen and Robinson for his victory.
According to the city’s website the Republicans got over 10,000 voters to the polls. The Democrats got 7,730 to the polls. In the end you have to wonder why the Democrats are unable to slate candidates that are appealing to the voters. Not to mention how a candidate like Linda Durham can get on the Democrat ballot unopposed. Where is the leadership to prevent these disasters?
Thanks go out to Atty. Long!! And thank YOU, CCO-this has been an exciting day!!! (The letter hints at “other officers” and there were plenty of hogs at Winnecke’s trough.) Many thanks from so many bewildered folks who had begun to think there was no way out of the snake filled pit that Vanderburgh County’s politics had become!
I know I speak for many when I say we are grateful-to be informed (C&P isn’t exactly the cat’s meow) and to be released from a situation where one KNEW everything was dead wrong, but were repeatedly denied any remedy. Thank you for your website, I enjoy it very much.
Thank you Mr. Long. We have been waiting to be rid of these self-serving, elitist “public servants”. They have done nothing but tarnish the party and force many of us true democrats into hiding. With your assistance it seems like we will have the opportunity to start 2012 with a clean slate. I assure you that your actions have revitalized a struggling Democrat base here in Southern Indiana. We will be fresh going into this 2012 election year and ready to support “real” democrat candidates with full force! Thank You!
Excellent post. There are many Democrats who share your views.
I look forward to rebuilding this party along with those who will work tirelessly for the PARTY and our candidates, as opposed to simply looking for the next opportunity on Main Street (pun intended) to line one’s own pockets.
The Vanderburgh County Democratic Party has been an embarrassment for a very long time, but today, we turned a corner.
We owe you many thanks, Mr. Long.
Mr. Long, you have removed a weight from many shoulders. You should now be able to bring Gubernatorial Candidate John Gregg to Evansville without fear of embarrassment. The real democrats of this county will be proud to show Mr. Gregg that he has our support and for the first time in a few years we will be able to do so OPENLY!
Once again I can be proud to be Vanderburgh County Democrat!!! Thank God you finally had the good sense to weed out these bad apples, Robinson and Owens!
Long Live Vanderburgh County Democrats!
Mr. Long is a throwback Democrat that believes and enforces their rules that a Democrat officer can not publicly support an opponent. Here the local Democratic Central Committee dared the State Democrats to act by openly sabatoging Rick Davis campaign for Mayor. Only a few Democrats come out of the mess without big stink. Dr. Adams, Rick Davis and Steve Melcher were always the class acts. Gail Riecken left the secretly called meeting where the letter praising Ms. Robinson was signed. Dr. Adams gets my vote for the next Democratic County Chairman. Dr. Adams can heal the wounds and his fairnes and judgment are really needed after this total embarassment.
Doctor Dan Adams will bring the party a true leader………Dan for Democratic County Chairman
Agreed. Dan Adams would be an excellent Democrat Chairman, even if only on a temporary basis to restore the trust lost over the past 8+ years.
I have known Connie Robinson for 22 years. She was my City Representative for 17 of those years. We are opposites in almost everyway. We often spoke, seldom agreed, and always left as friends. The Democrats have again come up losers.
The Democrats seem to back individuals like Gail Rieken who seem to be sneaking out alot. This is the kind of behind close doors sheep the Democratic Good Ole Boys Club wants.
Anthony Long, is refreshing! I believe He even knows that if the Indiana State Attorney General’s office looks at the McCurdy situation…and possibly other things…sought out by someone striking back at the NUTS in town….geez, see what all that could involve and happen….things MUST change in Evansville, Indiana, if JOBS can come here, it is 2012. I’m not involved in either Political Party. Anyway, this constant bickering like Dogs, is cRaZy stuff…I hear from Business people all over the State: Evansville/Vanderburgh county has a BAD reputation for business. Clean it up, however. If you don’t, the other smaller towns will continue cleaning your clocks. Enough of the petty, who can folks crunch for sport, C average stuff. Sure, some of it will continue, but, really, look around. The other smaller towns are having YOU ALL for Lunch! They are GROWING!!! These Dog Fights all the time will sometime end up in Lawsuits. I’m surprised we’ve not seen more of that. If you all like this FIGHTING and slopping whoever all the time so much, do an Annual Mud Wrestling Event with proceeds going to Charity. Whatever on who left what, Lets keep going FORWARD!!! It is 2012. Grow Up! Have a GREAT Day! and Weekend!
With the lack of principals displayed by the Local Party Leadership, Mr. Long had no choice but to act on these charges for the betterment of The Democrat Party
I am so happy to read this news today!!! Last year was my first experience in politics and I supported Rick Davis because I truly felt he was a GREAT man and would bring Honesty, Integrity and Accountability to our Mayor’s Office for the first time in a long time. I walked so much of our city talking to people about the kind of man Rick Davis is and from the responses I received I truly felt he would be our next Mayor until his own party mounted their campaign to keep him out of office. During the campaign our current Mayor took most of Rick Davis’s ideas and made them his own in the many commercials he ran. Without the Democrat Party support Rick did not have the funds to mount a campaign to show the public what our current Mayor was doing throughout his campaign, so our current Mayor won the election on most of Rick Davis’s ideas. It was a terrible first time experience in politics to watch the Democratic Party cost Rick Davis the Mayor’s Office. I want to Thank You Mr. Long for seeing what actually went on in Evansville during our election and taking action.
Let me make a suggestion. The two recent resignations are insufficient to end this issue. Great damage has been done by people who threw the rules overboard for their personal benefit.
Much could be done to atone for such trespass by appointing the person who actually won the Democratic primary for mayor to the chairmanship of the local party. It is the right thing to do, and the right time to do it.
__
Press, good points. How does Rick Davis Chairman and Dr. Dan Adams Vice-Chair strike you?
Roberts Stadium is more likely to be standing a year from now than from that happening
Davis and Adams could never serve together in the positions you mention. Party rules state that the Chair and Vice-Chair must be of different sex.
The party would be better served to look at someone else who doesn’t have the baggage that has caused a lot of this mess to help heal the party and unite it. Nothing against Rick Davis, but personally I don’t think he would be the person to do that. He does have a lot of supporters in this town and a lot who feel he got the shaft last year. But to unite the party, we need a young fresh face who has the energy to get the work and the fundraising done.
It strikes me as undoable since by rule the party chair and vice chair must be of opposite gender.
@ JoeBiden
We don’t see eye-to-eye on almost anything…however this is the best thought you have brought to the table in a long time. 😉
I think there would be more “hand-holding” for sure in getting things done if we had them as party leadership.
Hopefully Rick and Doc will read this and allow it to weigh in on their decision.
Here is a re post that is very timely:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
bubbageek 2:33 p.m. 10/31/2011
Excerpt:
” Vanderburgh County Democrats have drafted a resolution of support for Connie Robinson, vice chair of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party, after a complaint was filed with the state Democratic Party over her support of Republican Lloyd Winnecke for Evansville mayor.”
http://www.courie….
John signed this resolution. This aligns him with the “Good Old Boys” Democratic Committee which supports Republican Candidate Winnecke, contrary to the Democratic Voter’s choice, (by primary vote) Rick Davis. You can therefore take his endorsement with a block of salt.
In my opinion: All who signed this resolution must be removed from public service.
Here’s a list of the signers:
Jonathan Weinzapfel
Mayor
City of Evansville
Alberta Matlock
City Clerk
City of Evansville
B.J. Watts
Councilman
City of Evansville
Curt John
Councilman
City of Evansville
John Friend
Councilman
City of Evansville
Missy Mosby
Councilwoman
City of Evansville
Eric Williams
Sherriff
Vanderburgh County
Annie Groves
Coroner
Vanderburgh County
Z Tuley
Recorder
Vanderburgh County
Bill Jeffers
Surveyor
Vanderburgh County
Stephanie Terry
Councilwoman
Vanderburgh County
Mike Goebel
Councilman
Vanderburgh CountyKathryn Martin
Trustee
Knight Township
Fred Happe
Trustee
German Township
Jonathan Weaver
City Council at Large Candidate
Copy these names and take them to the polls with you. Vote against any and all who are running and opposed. …
__
Looks like the starting line up for the gang of cronies. These are the people we must get out of public office!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DITTO!
DITTO!! DITTO!!
Exactly. They signed their names to go against the party they represent.
Now Weaver is involved with everything Winnecke is involved in. He has blatantly spat in the face of democrats.
Republicans, please take him and the other two as one of your own, Weaver, Robinson, and Owen worthless! You have the freedom of choice, yes. When you are the president of Budweiser you aren’t going to endorse and back the competition.
Please for the love of God do not place Weaver, Melcher, Robinson,or Mosby in any position. Keep your votes for those that will have the city’s best interest at heart
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