TIF Updates

 Anyone really interested in learning more about TIF (Tax Increment Financing) should read this  CLICK HERE...These professors from Ball St. aren't politicians they have PHD.'s in Economics and if you want to read their  complete study in PDF form here is another link  CLICK HERE..

 (When you get to the link... click on the picture (shown)  for the complete study in a PDF file)

Fascinating and very informative reading !!!

Inside the Clark County Jail

The Election That Never Ended...

 *********************************UPDATE***************************************************************************************************
NO DECISION TODAY; Attorneys will continue their arguments tomorrow in front of Judge Adams

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

The continuing saga of the Jeffersonville City councilman at large race in last Nov.'s election is back in the news this week. A court hearing is scheduled tomorrow to hopefully somehow straighten out and hopefully answer questions about the recount in the closely contested race for the 3 at large seats.

Accusations are flying back and forth by both Dem. and Rep. party chairs Galligan and Noel of politics being played, missing ballots,sleeping vote counters, counters being changed during the process etc.,etc., etc .The BatBlog has been told by a source close to the recount process "this is the worst cluster f_ _ _ I've seen, and that is truly saying something."

 In truth we will never find out who actually won the "Election that never ended" as the whole recount process has muddled any chance of actually determining who won.  It was a race for the whole election but the counts for Owen, Samuel and Cooley weren't even counted, only the totals of Rodriquez, Webb and Ellis.  Counting mistakes and discrepancies and a poor process have created a total mess.

 The BatBlog is calling for a total revamping of the  recount process as the current one obviously doesn't work. Create a 5 or 6 person panel or commission of non political, non partisan citizens chosen by judges from each party. Allow the panel and only them to handle, count and determine the validity and totals of  all the votes ...with a judge present to decide on conflicting matters. Keep all politicians , their attorneys , party chairs away from the whole process....and the conclusion of the panel is final.

The BatBlog isn't pointing fingers at anyone but allowing Noel, Gilligan, Perkins, Wilder and all the other political has been's and want to be's even near to the process is just begging to be what it end up being the "worst cluster f _ _ _" possible.  It's a shame for all the hard working candidates who invested their time and money in the race only to find out nobody knows who won. As well as the voters who took the time to vote, thinking their vote actually counted and expected that the true winner be determined only to find out it wouldn't happen ...This should never happen again...

Just Curious...What Happened to Ordinance No. 6

Just curious..... on the Jeffersonville City website  CLICK HERE  listing  ordinances, number 6 for 2016 has for some reason  either been omitted, forgotten about or Moe Zastawny numbered them...

Remember Moe's 10 point plan for Jeffersonville CLICK HERE  when he numbered them  0-1-2-3-4-5-7-8-9-10 (no number 6 either)

Anyway anybody know what happened to or where did ordinance # 6 go ???

Too Much TIF's (Tax Increment Funding)

The BatBlog has been pretty much supportive of the Mike Moore administration and his performance as Jeffersonville mayor, but  this week's announcement that Moore and the Jeff Redevelopment Commission would be extending the area of the TIF's districts locally is somewhat troubling. Hopefully caution will be used moving forward.

 The BatBlog has touched on TIF's before, (tax increment funding) is a controversial tool for redevelopment by municipalities that isn't understood by a lot of taxpayers and the majority of taxpayers don't even know what they are or how they work.  For a little insight on and an excellent article on TIF'S by Ball St. University  CLICK HERE.and here's another on how TIF's are bad for the taxpayers...CLICK HERE

TIF's can be effective tools when used correctly to redevelop blighted areas, unfortunately wise decisions aren't always the norm and when used unwisely TIF's may  actually adversely effect individual taxpayers with higher tax rates, and other consequences.... as the study has shown.

 The tax dollars captured in these TIF district's are also diverted away from other tax funded entities like schools, libraries, townships etc. With local financial problems by Clark Co. and the local school system requesting additional funding in the recent election with the referendum, one can see that TIF's  aren't always the correct solution to redevelopment, or in the best interests of public and taxpayers.

 The east end of Jeffersonville appears to developing quite well on it's own without added TIF funding and The BatBlog thinks it wise for the Moore administration to think carefully if this expansion is the right thing to do and is in the best interests of ALL local residents and taxpayers...

***************************BREAKING NEWS********************* 
Case Dismissed !!!

  The BatBlog is happy to report that the lady whose story about her arrest in the Jan. 30 edition of the BatBlog  CLICK HERE  has received notice from the Clark Co. prosecutor's office that her case has been dismissed without prejudice by the State of Indiana. The charges of possession of a controlled substance (2) counts that was dismissed,  were prescription medications which several had fallen into her purse and  were not in their original bottles.

While this middle aged lady MAYBE was technically in the wrong, she tried to explain her situation to the officers who still arrested her and took her to the Clark Co. jail. Her automobile was impounded and she spent 5 hours in the C.C. jail.

   As reported earlier by the BatBlog after going to court Judge Weber appeared to originally lean towards dismissing the case as the defendant told him she had documentation from her doctors of the prescriptions, but the prosecutor objected and asked for the case to be continued (later this month) in order for the arresting officers to appear. The continuance and charges were dismissed in the letter she received today from the C.C. prosecutor's office.

 While the outcome was a relief  to the woman charged and ultimately the right thing was done in this case , it still raises several disturbing concerns to the BatBlog. First it's total BS that this woman was arrested at all, she was  up front and honest, explained the situation but was ultimately traumatized. Having never been to jail or had so much as a parking ticket, the embarrassment and the trauma of being jailed plus the added financial burden of recovering her impounded car is not how honest citizens should be treated.

It appears to the BatBlog this was a case of over zealous possibly poorly trained county officers and a court and prosecutor that at least in this case was severely inept. An absolute funny thing about this whole thing is that neither the prosecutor or the judge even bothered to look at the documentation the lady went to the trouble to gather, to verify her prescriptions. She told them she had it (which she did) but they never even looked at the evidence to prove innocence or guilt.

Hopefully this is just an isolated case, because if our whole law enforcement and judicial system is run like this every day it is truly a comedy of errors. As we said before there are enough real bad guys out there....let's harass them ...not the hard working taxpayers....

Remain Vigilant my Friends

The Right Thing to Do - Jeffersonville City Council

  The BatBlog has been highly critical of the Jeffersonville City council in the past , and rightfully so. Things may be changing though, and congratulations are in order to this council particularly Dustin White who championed the new ordinance that separates the council as the City's  Park's authority...  For the N/T story CLICK HERE

This was the right thing to do. Our country was set up and thrives on checks and balances in government. As it was before this ordinance, the council was acting with both executive and legislative powers, with no separation  that is essential to democratic government.

I might take my ball and go home !!!

 Of course the dissenters (the vote was 5-4) led by Ed "Moe" Zastawny didn't want to give up their exclusive , dictatorial powers over the parks department.  Moe said giving the people majority power over the Park's was "a step backward"...Gee Moe, maybe you should move to Moscow and be a city councilmen over there. Moe must have forgotten the first three words of our Constitution "We the People." Power to the people is the foundation to which the entire Constitution depends.

  The new Park's authority will be made up of 5 appointees from the mayor's office and 4 from the City council. Hopefully the new authority will reverse the trend on foolish, unwanted, spending like the obscene amount directed toward a soccer field...

 The amazing thing about the vote is that four councilpersons (Moe, Gill, Samuels, and Hawkins who voted against) didn't see the conflict of interests and bad government the former Authority created. Makes you wonder about their political agenda and beliefs.

 Once again congratulations and thanks to the members(Owen, Jahn, White, Maples,Webb) led by  Mr. White who voted this in and returned this power to the people of Jeffersonville...