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September 30

Takin' It To The Streets

Two years ago, as the property tax system was about to meet its' Waterloo, by way of citizen unrest and protest, there was already talk of an additional income tax being levied on the people of Muncie and Delaware County. There was never an obvious attempt first attempt at addressing a bloated local government. Before the ponies left the gate, " tax 'em " became The Plan. It was perfect - the politicians and those who pull the strings could retain control of a small army of foot soldiers whose livelihood depended on an archaic and incestuous style of governing one small Indiana city and county. It is a given, no one wants to lose his or her job, but in these perilous times, so many people are holding on by sheer will power - but, Muncie and Delaware County had changed. Not overnight, as some would have you believe, but over a span of 15 to 20 years. It was simply easier for those who have bled us dry for so many decades to sell it as an unexpected and stunning blow to the community...and, they would save the day. Hello, Bank - meet John Dillinger. John, meet Bank.

Meanwhile, a number of citizens had begun to group together out of concern, anger, panic and determination. This has come about before, but dissenting citizens had always been handled, or manhandled, if you will, into silence and inaction. The scrambling began early in the game. Sharks circling the bleeding victims, striking at will, one by one. It was an outrage ! The people taking to the streets, the meeting halls and open forums !? This was trouble, but they know how to handle " trouble. " Threats, intimidation, rumors, etc. To tear apart families, by any means necessary, to keep what it is " theirs. " One group managed to stay intact, by sheer will and dedication to purpose.

The goals seem simple enough - responsive and responsible government. A leaner, meaner, more efficient government.

Not so fast...why those folks must be anti - MFD, anti - MPD, anti - MSD, etc. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, but will it play in Peoria ? Oh, you bet it will. These trouble-making, un-effing-representable people who are close to opening the windows on the sordid truth of Muncie Politics have to go, or at least brought down in flames. And, so it began.

It didn't matter that many of our so-called local activists were simply greedy, power hungry hangers-on, waiting for their slice of the pie...that their motives were suspect and colored...they could paint themselves anyway they chose they did. Still, it comes down to this - I could glue feathers to my ass, but that doesn't make me a duck. The same should be said for those who slither about, making the most of surface gestures, while slowly insinuating their way into our collective memory banks.

Those who have slandered and lied, but have applied a " hands-off " to their own personal stories and histories.

For them, Muncie is a paycheck. To say it is more, would be a lie.

How many good people, who have done only that which would improve the quality of life in Muncie and Delaware County, how many of them have suffered vicious and untrue rumors ? How many families have been casually ripped apart due to dirty tricks and lies ? The people of Muncie were subjected to a war that never was...that these dissidents were anti - this or that...because it played very well, for awhile, to the sense of fear and dread of a population who had no idea what or whom to believe. To contact employers of those people, in the hope of hastening their termination from work. Ironic, isn't it ? Personal attacks are common and unwarranted, but a standard tactic in Muncie politics. The truth will set you free, it's said - but, if truth has become a victim in Muncie, how free are we ?

We didn't back down, we didn't roll over and we didn't play dead. We don't pimp our morals and ethics for a job or political favors. When you speak of The Party Of The People, you should be filled with pride and with purpose. Instead, The Party Of The People is long gone from our community. Both local parties have played fast and loose with the truth and in that, we have lost ground.

For many of us, it's not a job or a favor - it's a matter of doing what's right for all of us, rather than a chosen few.

12:04 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics

September 28

Well Worth repeating

Ordinarily, I would begin by thanking you, the duly elected members of the Muncie, Indiana City Council, for the great privilege of standing before you, but not tonight. On this night, two days after most Americans celebrated their freedoms and blessings, I find this meeting ironic and more than a little hypocritical. Tonight, a great many of the people you were elected to represent will find their American dreams a great deal more uncertain and insecure and their faith in the so-called Voice Of The People at a low point. Why should I thank you ? You collect paychecks, paid for by the very people your are about to hurt in so many ways. Your actions tonight may well tonight ruin countless lives. I owe you nothing, but contempt and scorn. With a few exceptions. There are some who respect the people they represent.
      Muncie, Indiana is Americas’ Hometown. Well, that’s the media has said over many decades. In many ways, that is very true, especially now. Like many cities and towns across the state and the rest of the country, the people of the United States are suffering and, until someone pulls a bunny from his or her hat, it may well get worse. The devil is in the details and there are alot of details – fuzzy, but not at all warm. When did The Big Slide really begin ? That’s a matter for economists to debate for years to come – economists and historians. It’s all intermingled, convoluted and growing more and more confusing as time passes. In retrospect, our national slide began a long time ago, when trust and faith in our elected leadership was dwindling even as our elected officials were running amok. Now, however, it’s under a very fine microscope and we’ve began asking questions and demanding answers. Specifically, however, Muncie is an island to itself, but very much with the eyes of the nation trained on us, as has been ever since the Lynds’ selected this city as The Typical American Town. In that respect, we were and we are, with few exceptions – a town also known as Little Chicago. If you are looking for a city whose reputation for corrupt politics and those who grease the wheels still at the helm, you have come to the right place.
      Perhaps 40 years ago, when Muncie could have, and should have, paid more attention to the changes happening in the world and, even more important, in the manufacturing sector, which kept us afloat, somewhat affluent and thriving, we closed our eyes and refused to believe anyone but Detroit could ever build a better mousetrap. What we forgot, what we chose to forget, was that we sent our best minds to post – war Japan and Germany. They taught Total Quality Management and our former enemies kicked our butts. Just as in the pre-war days, we had arrogance and ignorance working for us. They did it, but we didn’t want to see it – as long as we still had contracts and bustling factories. Never mind the writing was on the wall in the early 1970’s. Detroit and the good unions would save the day. Detroit got caught up in ego, greed and ignorance and the unions – well…they lost their way and the pension funds of many loyal workers.
     The huge gas guzzlers, arrogance and ignorance would prevail. NAFTA, while flawed, is hardly our only downfall, as one can easily note when locating former Muncie manufacturing concerns. They simply left this state. Why ? They crossed the river – not the Rio Grande, but the Ohio River. Why ?
     We avoided the technology advancements and failed to court them to the area. Why ? We have a terrific university and Ivy Tech, which has been cranking out tech engineers and designers for decades. They slipped through our fingers and I have to wonder why ? Hell, in 1957, My Weekly Reader was writing about the advent of the computer age. We did have time to absorb it and prepare, but we didn’t. Now, we cannot fail and we have to look forward and leave the past where it belongs.       The fact that we had already seen gas lines forming meant nothing, but a mere and temporary blip on our mental landscape. It was denial. Now, we have enormous debt to nations who would see us crumble in the dirt. We have local politicians who care only about what they can take from us, rather than work for us. We didn’t see the future, because the future would be a threat to the status quo. We have lost our security and sense of community.

      Now, there are empty lots where factories once stood and huge brick shells of memories and better days. Houses abandoned and businesses failing. Can we be strong enough to withstand these problems and the political back alley ambushes ?
      People have lost their homes to taxes and to eminent domain – a public law, in its widest sense, the right or power to take private property for public use. More precisely, it is the right of the nation, or those to whom the power has been lawfully delegated, such as railroads and public utility companies, to appropriate, by due process of law, the ownership and possession of private property, and to pay the owner of the property a just compensation. A declining tax base and the loss of property taxes as tax exempt entities gobble up our city, our hopes and dreams and everything we worked a lifetime to acquire. In short – our security. Our future, our hopes and dreams for our families. Progress might have meant prosperity and promise for this city, but it could also have spelled the end of Bad Politics and Bad Business.
      Now, horror of horrors – a local citizen based and staffed community advocacy group had blossomed and has shown no sign, much to the annoyance of those who preferred to keep the average citizen ” down and dumb, ” of going away anytime soon. There is too much to do here. The gut reaction was to hurt the sitting Mayor, regardless of the fact that it might hurt and destroy the people who choose to live here, via lies, rumors and a campaign of fear. Then, to attack the citizen activists ( not to be confused with Those Who Call Themselves Activists, But Are Merely Out For Themselves ), individually and as a group. These are the same people who would swear their concerns are, first and foremost, the people of this city. That is a lie, as far as I am concerned, but lying is not a sin to these people. It is, quite frankly, a means to an end, if not a religion or, at the very least, an education. We are their weapons and we are expendable, or so they seem to believe. I choose to believe this is not the case.
     People have had enough.
      We know there are no easy answers to the problems facing Muncie. You could say this about almost any other city and town in America today. True, some towns are doing well, but they have had visionary leadership and follow-thru. They also stood up to dynastic politics which have hurt many communities and shown them the door. We can, however, make a stand, speak out against those still in power and who are bringing along a new group of acolytes – better educated, more attractive and certainly more articulate. They are still the same people, just spruced up and more palatable to the public, which makes them even more dangerous, more self-serving and we have been warned…” they are coming ! ” Not that they ever left. Not while there was any sort of profit and power to be grasped and pockets to be picked.
      This is OUR city, too…not your private ATM. You owe us – the citizens – an explanation. Many explanations, come to think of it. With a financial tsunami coming our way, you were warned two years ago – but saw fit to have one – ONE – Finance Committee meeting in 18 months ? That’s YOU…looking out for US ? You hold secret closed door ( to the public ) meetings, but include those who have vested interest in keeping us down dumb and broke. You are presented a solid plan which could have helped Muncie, but it was never seen – perhaps, at best, by one or two, a brief synopsis. So…we are to trust you – again ? With what’s left of our money ?
      They will have you believe lies and untruths to be Gospel.
      They will have you believe they care for this city.
      They will have you believe everything they say and do is the truth.
      Deborah King – Eichholz

7:54 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics

September 25

" Coming Apart "

As anyone who knows me or has seen me struggle to walk the last few years, it was obvious that I needed help. In the first place place, that's not always as easy as it sounds. I have numerous issues, which fall under the umbrella of MCTD. Diagnosing an autoimmune patient is not always easy, nor precise. Having said that, a peripheral issue - which may or may not be related - surfaced sometime back, but when family duty calls, you put your life on a shelf and do what has to be done. Last Summer, I had reached the limit of my tolerance and diagnostics were overtaking what little free time I had. Dad had just been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and I was literally falling apart at the seams...well, at the joints. I'd scoot from Ball Memorial Hospital and headed for whichever Imaging Center / Pathology Lab / Witch Doctor might have The Deborah Watch on that particular day. In order not to alarm Dad, I lied. " I'm going to the dentist ! I'll be back later ! "

I've lost track of how many MRI's CT's, bone scans, xrays, EMG's and bloodwork was done, but it was ridiculous. Various new meds were introduced, as well as cortisone shots into the tops of my feet, which were found to be useless in my case, but very worthwhile to the ortho clinic. After my last diagnostic and last two visits ( to two separate doctors ), I was in tears. Not sad, but angry, frustrated tears, sitting in my car and screaming at the top of my lungs - " We are done here ! " Insert list of colorful swears, here !

My life changed yet again.

10:46 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | Health and wellness

September 12

Does Anyone See The Problem ?

Thanks but no thank you, mayor

By KEITH ROYSDON • kroysdon@muncie.gannett.com • September 12, 2009

MUNCIE -- Being mayor can be a thankless job, but Muncie City Council Democrats say Mayor Sharon McShurley doesn't deserve recent kudos for 2010 budget cuts. A group of council Democrats called a press conference on Friday to object to an article -- with the headline "Thank you, Mayor" -- that appeared Wednesday in The Star Press about McShurley's recent budget tightening.

The council members said the budget still needs $1.5 million in cuts.

"People were led to believe the budget is fine," council President Alison Quirk said.

Although McShurley is in the middle of an Asian economic development trip, her department heads responded to the press conference by saying they believed the $1.5 million could be recouped during negotiations over employee insurance.

The article noted that city officials -- who had considered implementing a local option income tax (LOIT) to offset millions of dollars in revenue shortfalls due to statewide property tax reform -- no longer believed LOIT was necessary.

In that article, Quirk was quoted as saying she was considering withdrawing LOIT proposals. But much of the credit was given to McShurley, who lad off 32 firefighters and five police officers in June to cut spending.

Council Democrats Quirk, Mike King, Jerry Dishman, Mary Jo Barton and Sam Marshall sat around a city hall conference table at Friday's press conference, which ended after a few comments from Quirk. Council Democrat Linda Gregory attended the conference and had no comment afterward. Council Republicans Brad Polk and Mark Conatser were not present.

Conatser left a voice mail message indicating he had "no idea" when the press conference was being held.

City Controller Mary Ann Kratochvil, who watched Friday's press conference from the sidelines, said afterward she had spoken to Quirk about the budget and believed that the $1.5 million cited by the council president could be recouped in upcoming negotiations over city employee health insurance.

During Friday's press conference, Quirk emphasized that council members were "concerned about the city's future" and "want to adopt a budget that is fiscally responsible."

She said she hoped members of the public would attend a public hearing on the budget set for 6:15 p.m. Monday.

"We have a very large task ahead of us," Quirk said.

Deputy Mayor Dick Shirey said later Friday he thought the press conference was "a little strange."

"I'm not sure they're helping themselves by bringing focus to it," he added.

Deputy Mayor Shirey, you just said a mouthful.

OK...we have a huge problem and there is a good shot at addressing it, if the Mayors' office and the Muncie City Council can work together. Oops...problem. Once again, there seems to be a little sleight of hand going on. Where were all nine members of the Muncie, Indiana City Council. I counted only six. We, as residents of Muncie and Delaware County, might have expected a little less partisanship if we are to believe this was nothing more than the local " damage control " get together for the benefit of the media and to curry favor with the voters. This is all too familiar. It harkens back to a time not so long ago...wait, it was earlier this year...when after 18 months of feet dragging avoidance and sloth, the Finance Committee DID meet, although one member was not invited to the meeting - Republican Council Person Brad Polk. Inexcusable and as transparent as Saran Wrap. Holy Moses, when Council Grand Poobah At Large Quirk said she aspired to a greater transparency in local government, she just wasn't whistling " Dixie. " I think our expectations were a bit different than her intent. Let me break it down for you...secret and / or exclusive meetings do not meet the criteria for transparency in government, not unless your are re-writing the " How To Rule A City " A to Z guidebook. In your stated ambition to lead us all into a new and better government, your idea of transparency isn't going to work. Here's why...we are on to you. The motive for your little meeting was just that transparent.

Actually, I explained to a good friend to expect something like this, as a pre-emptive strike at the Mayor, not so much her budget, but the Mayor, in her absence. Honey, when you launch an attack, you use Scuds, not Duds.

The budget will, most certainly, be ripe for tweaking - no argument on that, but your timing is off and so are your tactics. Change WILL come on Mayor Macs' watch. You will most certainly hate it, but if it is good for this City, then you and your Flying Monkeys should be willing to work together in a new and sustained effort to improve the government and the needs of the City.

You see, that's what wrong with your thought process and those who swear on their Mothers' backside to follow wherever you lead, coughing up those assessment dollars all the way - you screw over your own party members who may be running in the primaries ( if they don't play ball ) and when the smoke clears from the primaries, you fight the wrong fights. Personal attacks are simply unjustified and damaging to all of us. After the smoke clears from The Big Election, no matter who wins, everyone across Party lines should work together for the City, rather than work toward the next election.

Am I angry ? You bet I am...there you sat, all of you, like virgins about to be sacrificed to the Volcano God, but damn it ! - you are going to do what's right, no matter what it takes ! Just one thing wrong with that - times have changed. People are paying attention. Your focus is blurred and we have too much at stake for the usual political bull dung which emanates from the leadership on Muncie City Council. There are alot of angry and ticked off people...not just in Muncie, but county-wide. They sure as Hell are not happy to pay for the profligate spending practices of the past and the ongoing battle for the next election cycle, disguised as concern for the people. We've heard that before.

So, Muncie City Council...well, six of you, anyway...what a disgraceful sham ! You should be ashamed.

You represent only yourselves and your Partys' interests. A Party which no longer bears any resemblance to the original, as framed by Thomas Jefferson. The Democrat Party of Muncie, Indiana is nothing but a training camp for the worst possible politics and has very little to do with being The Party Of The People.

8:30 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs...

3:00 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics

September 09

" Where The Hell Were You ? "

It seems as if the writing was on the wall. The public indignation and condemnation of the Quirk - proposed LOIT on the already over-burdened and underemployed of Delaware County, along with Mayor MacShurleys' budget proposal, has a few people running for cover, I would think. since City Council President Alison Quirk is re-thinking LOIT. I have to wonder if it is consideration for a beleagured City and County ( yes, all of you folks in the County were going get hammered for their gross neglect and inability to effectively manage City fiscal issues ) or if it is, gasp and swoon, a nifty political ploy, soon to be augmented with swift damage control ? After all, there is always an election to consider...

The last couple of years have been difficult for all of us. Hell, the 20 or 30 years haven't been that great, come to think of it. Lack of foresight and vision clouded the eyes of the very people who were supposed to taking care of business. Now, it is obvious someones' business was taken care of, but it wasn't ours.

We saw major employers leave town. No, they didn't all jump on the first jet out of Muncie to Mexico or India...in some cases, they moved across the Ohio River and I am sure they had good reasons. We had a glimpse of what the future might bring, but the leaders in Muncie chose to turn a blind eye. We had manufacturing...we had Detroit pumping out cars which were fuel sucking, maintenance crazy, bombs on four wheels. In some cases, bombs is an apt description, although to be fair, they didn't drink as much gas. Small comfort - you might have saved gas money, but never lived to spend it. The tech world was about to explode on the worlds' stage, but we missed that hint. Hell, in 1959, My Weekly Reader knew it. Why didn't out town planners and Chamber of Commerce see it ? In our rush to The American Dream, people left the inner city in droves to their Freddy Kilowatt home of the future, leaving in its' wake, an enormous bounty of beautiful and, in somes cases, historically significant homes...now, many of those homes have become hovels and havens for drug dealers. Where the Hell was Code Enforcement ?

Within the last two years, working alongside men and women determined to light the way to a better Muncie and Delaware County, we have been through the mill. False accusations and characterizations were the weapons of choice and no one was left unmarked.

A carefully orchestrated war was instigated, which would incite fear and anger within the community. It didn't matter that it was based on lies and misinformation. The truth became a victim, just as much as any one of us. Signs and tee shirts began appearing - " We Support The Muncie Fire Department. " Other than screaming " shark ! " on a beach, there are few things as frightening as a burning home or dead firefighters.

I find this incredibly hypocritical. The MFD hadn't purchased new rolling stock since the 1980's. Fire stations had slipped into disrepair and within the last two years, a fire truck actually broke down en route to a fire.

In all those years, not one Cap project for the MFD. The union had to know. The firefighters had to know. Members of the City Council, a few ( past and present ) had to know, yet the ordinary people who took to the streets and meetings were targeted as being anti - MFD. All of us who live in Muncie assumed they were well taken care of, because we have paid and paid for it. Yet, the union and the City Council did nothing. How safe were the firefighters ? How safe were the citizens of Muncie ? Yet, we, the men and women who fought for something better, were painted as anti - MFD. I submit to you, faithful reader, on the basis of neglect and sloth, who was putting this City and MFD at risk and why ? Where the Hell were you, all those years, City Council and the Muncie Firefighters' union...where the Hell were you ?

In 40 years, Prairie Creek Reservoir had never been self-supporting, until this year. Isn't it strange that with a plethora of boats, swimmers, campers, etc., it actually cost the City hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to maintain. Where the Hell was the management ? A swimming beach and concession stand which didn't appear to keep books ? An employee of the City who pocketed 50 % of boat launch fees and God knows what else ? When Mayor McShurley didn't reappoint Ron Bonham to the position he had held the last 40 years, the public outcry was deafening. You don't fire Mr. Basketball that easy, do you ? Oh, the torrents of vitriol poured down upon Mayor McShurley, but she made the right decision. I do admit, no one ever sat a mower as did Mr. Bonham and, in truth, he did show PCR alot of love, but there are alot of questions...! Still, in all those years the City paid through the nose, where the hell was the public outrage and a public accounting for monies taken in ?

When HUD was pretty close to ordering a hit on this City for hundreds of thousands of dollars, the new Mayor tackled that sticky problem and it was resolved very well. Where the hell was the public thank you ? Where the Hell were you ? Helping spread rumors intended to hurt the Mayor personally, professionally and politically ??? Or, were you with a hardy gang of do-gooders, misrepresented as All Things Evil ???

Where the Hell will you be in the future ? I hope you will be walking with us, working with us, not for political or personal gain, but for Muncies' re-emergence as a thriving and wonderful city, in which to work and live. A hometown in the truest sense of the word, for Hoosiers and all people who want a standard of community excellence.

That's where I'll be.

9:15 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics

September 06

Prairie Creek : One Year Later

What If?

After hearing the news about Prairie Creek and the $30,000.00 in revenue generated this season, it did my heart good. An astonishing thing to actually make money for the first time in 40 years. I was focusing only on the financial aspect, and how this will go a long way to help in balancing the budget. Then I had a a sudden intuitive leap of understanding , and “what if” flooded my thoughts.

After the mayor failed to re-appoint Ron Bonham, the newspaper was flooded with letters. You could hardly pick up the opinion page without finding dozens of letters condemning the mayor and her actions. What with broken piers, lack of fireworks, no lifeguards, and the beach not being open on the cold Memorial weekend, you would be led to believe Prairie Creek was soon to be a memory.

Every city council meeting included at least 10 minutes of tongue-lashing directed at the administration for the poor management of one of our most precious commodities. Even as a council member suggested these concerns should be directed to the parks board, he was lucky to get out of the meeting with his head still attached. He was scolded for the suggestion and reminded they (city council) IS the fiscal body and Prairie Creek was all about money, and according to her (the scolding member of city council), losing revenue. Keeping in mind the fiscal body was oblivious to the fact it has always lost revenue. So much time was devoted to piers and fishing holes, that most agreed with the council person’s suggestion on the park board handling the problems.

In 2007, Prairie Creek cost an additional $140,000; in 2008 it was around $84,000, until finally in 2009 we really did have revenue. The Mayor said her goal was to make it self-sustaining and with the competent people put in place, it happened. An extrodinary team of people, from the Mayor to the laborors working to achieve a common goal and reaching it. You can take it to the bank, it won’t stop there!

Now, you may be asking (or maybe not) just what does this have to do with the title of this post. I’m glad you asked. Getting to it, hang tight.

As I said earlier, I was all about the revenue generated. But, I believe there is a bigger picture. Despite the onslaught of letters, the negative press, and the desire of some to see PCR fail, and therefore painting the mayor as a completely incompetent leader. Against all odds, Prairie Creek has succeeded! It has surpassed even our wildest dreams of how PCR should run. Now instead of moaning about the park, we are expecting even greater things to be accomplished. For the first time we are seeing PCR as it should have always been and an excitement we have never before felt.

What If?

What if the administration had not spent so much time defending her actions and fighting the constant opposition created by a few and got down to business? What if those who worked so diligently to wage a war had used that same energy in a positive and constructive manner? I can tell you, it would not have taken nearly this long to get where PCR is today. Can we afford to waste any more time?

Can this same success flow to other areas of our city? Yes, it can. But first, we should divorce ourselves from the very people who worked so hard to keep PCR operating in failure mode. It is obvious; those very same people would rather see our community fail, then to become a thriving and vibrant city.

Keep this in mind, it is pure and unadulterated politics. When a political party fights so hard to keep our city from progressing, it doesn’t just hurt the mayor, it destroys the citizens. It is really up to us.

Don’t allow the negative influences to hold back Muncie. Her success is our success. Dream and strive for a better community. It will do you good.

Thanks to BB and www.munciepolitics.wordpress.com !

7:17 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics

September 02

Keep Your Fingers Crossed !

If this budget is acceptable and meets the constraints of the projected financial shortfall and this city can be managed without enacting LOIT, we should be looking forward to celebrating. This is a step forward in a new Muncie. We've already seen some progress made under the McShurley adminstration, such as PCR supporting itself and even coming it with a profit for the first time in how many decades. The HUD mess Mayor Mac dealt with immediately after taking office. There have been mis-steps, to be sure, but we are possibly on track to re-inventing Muncie. When Brevini powers up and 400 + jobs are filled, hopefully people will see that we can bring in a better Muncie. I also hope the Mayor and the City Council will enter a new era of working together, rather than working against each other - that would be great news for all of us. The end of manufacturing plants in Muncie doesn't mean the end of Muncie. Now, we dig in and fight for progress and prosperity.

3:15 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | Personal Observations

From The Desk Of Jim Arnold

Kudos City Council. Kudos to the City Council Finance Committee for trekking into the treacherous turf of fiscal responsibility. Thank you for holding preliminary budget meetings, and thanks to the City Controller and to each of the department heads who have worked diligently to reduce their budgets.

It has given me hope to witness City Council oversight of the efforts of the controller and department heads to adapt to our current fiscal situation, and my optimism was bolstered when City Council president Allison Quirk recently expressed optimism that we should be able to make the budget cuts necessary to handle our budget shortfall.

This past Monday, it was noted that the police department staffing has been reduced to 98 officers and the fire department staffing has been reduced to 78 officers per the layoffs mandated by the mayor. With cost reductions driven by the 2009 layoffs, and other cost savings, the combined Police and Fire budgets for 2010 have been reduced by more than $3 million, with no additional layoffs anticipated.

Based upon the success of the ongoing budget reduction efforts, I respectfully ask City Council president Allison Quirk to withdraw the Local Option Income tax resolution that she introduced. The citizens of Delaware County cannot afford more taxes, and we cannot attract new business by raising taxes.

It is a new day. Muncie and Delaware County must learn to live within their means. It will require persistence and sacrifice, but it can be done, and it can be done without enacting Local Option Income Taxes.

Opportunity Costs.

At the recent Finance Committee Budget Hearing, Committee member Mary Jo Barton quizzed the Mayor on the cost of her upcoming trip to Japan with Todd Donati, Terry Murphy and a translator. Mary Jo made it clear that she opposes spending money to travel to Japan during the current budget shortfall.

Mary Jo’s heart may be in the right place, but I wonder if she would feel the same if the mayor was travelling to Italy, since Brevini recently announced it will build a wind turbine plant near Interstate 69 in far western Delaware County that will create 450 new jobs that could pay an average of $46,000 a year.

It is said that the opportunity cost of one use of an asset, is the cost of passing up the next best choice when making a decision. I applaud the efforts made by those involved in attracting Brevini to Delaware County. I acknowledge that there was an opportunity cost to those efforts, but I shudder at the opportunity cost to Muncie and Delaware County, if those extra efforts had not been made.

We must aggressively pursue new employment opportunities for our citizens, and Japan is an excellent place to look for investors willing to create those jobs. We do not know if the Mayor’s trip to Japan will secure new jobs for Muncie and Delaware County, but when and if it does we can ponder the opportunity cost to Muncie and Delaware County if the Mayor had not done so.

Stop, Look, and Listen

Stop, Look and Listen before you cross the street.

First you use your eyes and ears and then you use your feet.

The red light always says to "STOP", the green tells you to "GO"!

The yellow light means "CAREFUL" ~ important things to know!

Stop, Look, and Listen. Congress seems stymied by a simple concept that small children understand.

Stop: Children should not walk headlong into a busy street without following some simple rules; Congress should not plunge head first into “change” for the sake of change without exercising a similar amount of due diligence beforehand.

Look: Please take time to READ that 1,000 page “kludge monster” before you vote on it. Don’t vote for a bill until you have read it in full and understand, and don’t vote for a bill with a couple hundred new pages added at the last minute after the last time you studied it.

Listen: Listen to your constituents. Don’t assume that everyone who is against that behemoth bill, is a Neanderthal, a racist, a brown shirt, or funded by right-wing shadow groups shilling for the insurance industry as some would have you believe. Many of the fearful citizens speaking out at town halls are average citizens who are concerned that the “change” we were promised, has become a careless cacophony of squandered cash careening out of control with little concern for future consequences.

Our heath care system does need reform, but please stop, look, and listen before you damage it beyond repair

2:48 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | Personal Observations

And...That's One For The People Of Muncie and One For Mayor Mac !

Muncie Mayor Sharon McShurley trims budget plan for 2010

By NICK WERNER • nwerner@muncie.gannett.com • September 1, 2009

MUNCIE -- Like an out-of-shape prizefighter, the 2009 budget proposal from Mayor Sharon McShurley entered the ring bloated and unprepared to take on property tax caps. But under McShurley's direction, the 2010 budget proposal has dropped weight and is ready, the mayor hopes, for a rematch.

"I think people are surprised," McShurley said Monday. "I think a lot of people thought we wouldn't pull this off."

For 2010, McShurley is proposing an overall budget of $35 million, with the general fund accounting for $21.3 million. By comparison, McShurley proposed an overall budget of $40.9 million for 2009, with the general fund accounting for $26.2 million.

Unlike 2009, the 2010 budget proposal actually accounts for predicted revenue losses from new property tax caps.

While it remains unclear how much money the city will lose, current predictions are around $3.8 million in 2009 and another $2.7 million in 2010.

McShurley and city council never came to terms on a final budget for 2009 and the city was forced to certify Muncie's budget using outdated figures from 2008.

With a spending plan that would leave the city tapped out before the end of the year, the mayor in June laid off 32 firefighters and five police officers.

"They were tough decisions to make," the mayor said.

Most of the spending cuts for 2010 reflect ongoing savings from the layoffs and other changes this year.

McShurley predicted the city government taxpayers experienced in the second half of 2009 -- post layoffs -- and the government they will experience next year will appear relatively similar.

She does not expect any drastic cuts in services or further layoffs.

McShurley warned that her current general fund budget might still exceed predicted revenue, but that she hoped to make up for the difference in changes to employee insurance.

City controller Mary Ann Kratochvil filed the mayor's 2010 budget proposal with the city clerk's office late in the day Friday.

The city council has scheduled a public hearing for taxpayers at 6:15 p.m. Sept. 14.

The council has the authority to cut the budget more and is expected to take final action Nov. 2.

Chris Hiatt, president of Citizens of Delaware County for Property Tax Repeal, said he had not seen the mayor's budget proposal Monday.

He said he hoped the mayor and council can pass a budget that "works within our means" and eliminates an ongoing debate about whether to raise income taxes.

The following was taken verbatim from the responses to the Mayor McShurley article. Rather than applaud the Mayor and her administrative team, a few people who would like nothing more than to see Mayor Shurleys' administration fail miserably, even at the cost of a citys' progress, rebounded with posts regarding her language, the upcoming trip to the Far East, etc. Facts have been taken out of context and truth has become a victim to their lies, insinuations and rumors. In addressing the citys' past management and where we now find ourselves, I found myself. yet again, a target for their lies and bullshit. That's right...bullshit. So, I responded to Tylonius and Clark Kent. They could be twins. If ridiculous and misleading came in a two-pack. This is their worst nightmate - that Mayor Macs' administration might succeed where others have failed and therefore, no need to enact LOIT. Deborah

In Your Voice

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agedoldbeaver wrote:

Like I have said, he paints a pretty picture, but his brush is full of crap. Because some people do not want to see more taxes laid on the people of Muncie and Delaware County, we ( specifically me ) may be labeled as a Republican or a " Hater, " a word I dislike very much because it is misleading and so very junior high. If you scrutinize how the money is spent and look into conditions at MFD, you are obviously anti - MFD. That's a crock. When he was screaming about our safety and that of MFD, where the H was he, where were all of them, in the two decades, at least, when the MFD was left wanting for rolling stock, new equipment and rehabbed stations ? If safety was an issue, how safe were they in those years ? How safe was the city ?

Because we may dissent, we are painted far differently than we may be and I think that's reprehensible and purposely misleading. I don't vote a straight ticket for either party and have campaigned for candidates across the map. You have lied, again.

agedoldbeaver wrote:

Replying to ClarkJKent:

Replying to Bennni:

Clarjent, Fylonius, This is all about partisanship. Only if you define the parties as for or against higher taxes.

No I don't believe so. Its about who (or which party's) ideas are the ones that will be enacted. I believe Tylonius was right that if the CC were Reps instead of Dems but consisted of the same people then he and agedoldbeaver wouldn't have been having that discussion.

Wrong. The Party affiliation has nothing to do with my opinion...my opinion is based solely on the individuals' intent per LOIT. Ty has tried to paint me into that corner and into the anti-MFD corner. The simple fact is, I could by the same token paint him as a butt kissing hardcore 214 ( which should not be mistaken for The Real Democratic Party, as it has been stripped bare and bastardized by The Powers That Be and The Wanna Be Power's ) syncophant as well as one who participated in the " If You Ain't With Us, Your Against Us " war waged on the community, specifically volunteers with any of the reform groups ( such as CDCPTR ).

2:45 AM | Add a comment | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics