VOTER APATHY OR BURN OUT?

We’ve got a primary election coming up in our city on May 2. So far, early voter turnout has been pathetic. According to our county clerk, only 2.2% of registered voters have shown up to vote and there isn’t much time left. What’s keeping folks away from the polls? Is it voter apathy or burn out?

The truth is, most of us don’t vote in primaries unless there’s something controversial on the ballot. Like increased taxes for new schools, or whether or not we should allow a casino to move in and fleece the surrounding populace. Those issues get people to the polls. But most of us have found that no matter who we vote for, some things in the city never really change.

The city council is controlled by one party, so naturally the other party is pretty much staying at home. The current mayor represents the opposing party, but he’s been in office long enough to have a firm base of supporters who like things just the way they are.. As an Independent, I can’t see declaring a party affiliation just so I can vote in more of the same.

A perfect example is the on-going, abysmall state of our side streets and roads. District councilmen live in these neighborhoods, but they do nothing to improve the pothole issue for their constituents. And they’ve been getting away with it forever. Folks in low income neighborhoods have learned not to expect much.

VOTER APATHY OR BURNOUT? No matter who is elected, the city streets remain the same — VOTER APATHY OR BURNOUT? Folks have learned that the potholes will remain long after the election.

Sometimes, they attempt to cover the potholes with lumpy piles of asphalt or whatever they use to avoid re paving a tire-killing street. The council dithers around about how to allocate taxpayer and other, unexpected sources of revenue. God forbid they would do anything to lower the profits of car dealerships and repair services.

A pothole can puncture your tire or bend or crack your wheel. It can damage your tire’s sidewall or belts. Even a minor impact may knock your vehicle out of alignment. A pothole strike can damage your shocks or struts, or harm your suspension. They can cause fluid leaks under your car. But never mind, your local dealership or repair service will gladly fix all the damage.. Drivers pay an average of $600 for pothole repair work . It’s estimated one out of every ten drivers in 2021 sustained vehicle damage significant enough they needed immediate repairs after hitting a pothole.

Do local citizens believe that voting in the primaries will fix the city’s potholes? No, they’ve given up on that years ago. Which begs the question: Are voters apathetic or burned out?

February 22, 2023February 22, 2023

DANGER LURKS IN TRAIN TOWNS

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT TRAINS? Life as we know it would come to a standstill. For one thing, they transport toxic chemicals too dangerous to be carried by trucks. This latest train derailment in Ohio caused a massive spill of vinyl chloride that is threatening the health of the entire town of East Palestine. Why should I care? Because I have lived in a train town for a major part of my life. Danger lurks in train towns.

Not being a chemist, I’ve never paid much attention to vinyl chloride. But apparently it’s a compound needed to make polyvinyl chloride, a hard plastic resin used to produce tons of important products: pipes, wire and cable coating, packaging material. It’s also used for life saving devices such as medical tubing and blood bags. It is in footwear and kids toy. Also, paints, rubber products, and some cosmetics. Polyvinyl chloride has been in use since 1926.

As the saying goes, somebody has to do it. Transport vinyl chloride, that is. It’s typically shipped in liquid form, but can turn into poisonous gas under certain conditions, like in Ohio. Apparently, there are safety features available that trigger automatic braking on trains carrying hazardous materials, before they derail. But somewhere along the way, those safety features were deregulated under the Trump administration. I guess they cost too much money or something. Anyway, the Biden administration under Transportation Secretary Buttigieg didn’t do anything to re instate the regulations, so I guess we can blame just about anybody for what happened in Ohio.

DANGER LURKS IN TRAIN TOWNS when trains derail and spread toxic fumes from hazardous material spills

Why should I be concerned when I live across from a beautiful, green, well maintained city park that covers 177 acres? Because there is a railroad track going straight through the park. I can look out my window and–through the bare trees in winter– see railroad cars gliding across the hills. A lot of classy homes have recently been built along the train tracks down the road. And a whole new subdivision of high end condos continues to grow less than a mile away..

There are 40 railroad crossings in this small college town, with a dwindling population of 57,699 people. We have beautiful parks, 5 colleges and universities, a new convention center and a casino in the works. Why don’t people want to stay here? Are the railroads the elephant in the room? Is there a subconscious reaction to the sight of trains running through our city at all hours of the day and night? We may never really know. All we can do is hope we don’t have a train derailment like the one that just occurred in Ohio.

Danger lurks in train towns.

April 9, 2022April 9, 2022

JEWELER ARRESTED FOR CHASING THIEVES

If you’re getting low on dough, you might dig through your drawers for an old wedding ring or gold bracelet. There’s a jeweler in our local mall who seems to be a friend in need. Because he has a steady flow of customers with valuables they need to sell. But last week, a couple of men invaded his store, grabbed a bunch of gold stuff, and ran off without paying. The jeweler didn’t take it well, and went after them with a gun. Even fired a few shots in their direction. The irony is: they got away, but the merchant got arrested for chasing the thieves.

He’s actually facing one to five years in prison for criminal recklessness. Seems someone was sitting in their car with a couple of kids and feared they might get caught in the crossfire. But apparently, the merchant had a pretty good aim, and could see exactly where he was pointing his gun. No one was shot or injured. The robbers haven’t been found.

At any rate, there’s quite a controversy going on now. A lot of small business owners think he had every right to go after the thieves. However, the prosecutor, a Republican, said an owner can only defend his property INSIDE his store—not outside. A prominent Democratic lawyer quickly stepped up to his defense. Politics?

At first, the prosecutor said the store owner had to post the full bond of $25,000. But the judge let him out on 10%. And now, they’ve scheduled a jury trial to take place in the fall. That’s going to be a circus. You have to wonder how a 72 year old, respected businessman in the community would have to spend time in prison for trying to catch a pair of thieves. Those two must be having a good laugh. It’s not often that the thieves go free, and the victim goes to jail.

February 9, 2022February 9, 2022

DO TRASH COLLECTORS OWE US A REFUND?

Waste management is a big deal for seniors aging in place. If you’re going to fix meals and order stuff from Amazon, you will have lots of trash. Most everything you get online arrives in a cardboard box. Grocery products come in cardboard packages, or plastic containers. You can hire household help for most chores, but it’s not easy finding someone to get your trash from point A to B. And in our case, point C, because the trash can has to be dragged out to the street on pick up day. However, our Thursday trash pick up was canceled due to the big storm. Come Friday and Saturday, the cans were still frozen shut. By Sunday, we figured the city could send someone to empty our trash. Didn’t happen. Turns out they’re skipping a whole week. Was the waste management company paid for a week of doing nothing? And do trash collectors owe us a refund?

Here was Republic’s official statement:

“All routes were suspended due to hazardous conditions caused by inclement weather. Routes will resume on the next regular service day.”

So, instead of picking up one weeks’ worth of trash, they’ll be picking up after two weeks.. Unfortunately, they won’t empty overflowing trash cans. So, some of us may have to find another way to get rid of our pile of extra trash

It may seem like a small matter, but it’s not.

According to Mayor Bennett, the city of Terre Haute has a 2.6 million dollar annual contract with Republic Services for waste removal As a result. Republic receives around $50,000 a week for trash collection in the city. Since they didn’t have to do anything for one week, you can look at it as either a bonus or a big cost savings for them. Will they reimburse the city? I doubt it.

The pathetic thing was the lack of communication. A statement from the mayor or Republic Services could have come across the 6 o’clock news. But no one in charge told us anything at all. Only by checking on the internet could you find their official statement. Word of mouth doesn’t work well when you’re isolated due to a surge in covid cases and a major winter storm.

Does Republic owe the taxpayers a refund? I think so. Or maybe a bottle of champagne delivered to your door

January 31, 2022February 1, 2022

WILL GAMBLING RESCUE EDUCATION?

Our city has taken a hit lately, in terms of population. Consequently, enrollment in elementary schools has dwindled, and several are being shut down. Fewer kids being born is a bad sign for the tax collectors. Worse yet, college enrollment at our local State university is on a downward spiral. From a high of 11,000, spring enrollment now stands at 8,000. We’re struggling from a loss of revenue, and trying to figure out what to do. There’s a proposal to raise taxes to build new high schools, but that referendum may not pass. There’s only one ray of hope. A new casino was finally granted a license to operate here next year. The politicians are desperately seeking new tax revenue, and it looks like that may be their best bet. Will gambling rescue education in our city?

First, let’s look at college enrollment. Young people don’t attend college simply for educational purposes. The typical freshman often doesn’t even declare a major. They are looking for a new experience away from home. The social life. Parties, clubs, sports, fraternities, sororities. Meeting new people from other places, who have similar intellectual interests. Often, finding a husband or wife along the way. And the unspoken status symbol of having gone on to college. At our university, a majority are first generation college students. That is, the first in their family to attend college. They’re moving up! And they spend a lot of money at local restaurants and businesses while they’re here..

But the Covid-19 pandemic has changed all that. Online classes aren’t glamorous or exciting. And who wants to wear a mask everywhere you go? How many men and women are attracted to someone when you don’t know what they look like? Unless you are academically talented, you’re apt to skip college all together in favor of a highly paid job that doesn’t require a college degree. Restaurant servers often make $500 a night in tips.

The casino had to be voted in and approved by our citizens. Many people objected, foreseeing an increase in gambling addiction and organized crime. Still, the referendum passed, because it’s our only hope to generate new taxes. Will gambling rescue education? It looks like it.

August 23, 2021August 26, 2021

POVERTY’S FACE IN A COLLEGE TOWN

Educated people have higher incomes and better health habits, statistically speaking. Therefore, in a town with 5 colleges or institutions of higher education, our city should be thriving. But we’re not. The poverty rate is 26%, and according to the latest census, our population is dwindling. The juxtaposition of highly educated people with the poor and homeless continues to puzzle our leaders. If you drive through the city, you will see poverty’s face in a college town:

Walking past the library is a man holding a can of pop in his left hand, and a cigarette in the other. Across the street, a woman puffs away while wandering aimlessly. You turn the corner and drive into the inner city. There’s been a lot of effort to restore old properties, and government subsidized housing in run down neighborhoods. But it’s not enough. You’re still seeing deteriorating houses, porches filled with ripped , moldy furniture. Stray shopping carts. Homeless folks squatting outside the CVS store. People walking on crumbling side walks or through alleys filled with pot holes. Where are they going? Walking to the Dollar Store, maybe. Or perhaps to a church soup kitchen. Many are on some type of government assistance. They’re either too sick to work, or too uneducated or unskilled to hold any type of job. Some have mental health or drug addiction problems.

A few movers and shakers have made a valiant effort to improve our city’s optics. They’ve commissioned outdoor sculptures, and implemented a back- to -the- river project to enhance the area around the Wabash River—our most underutilized asset, at this point. They’ve even built a new convention center.

Put lipstick on a pig, and it’s still a pig. . There’s something wrong. Possibly it starts with the attitude of the “old guard.” People who’ve lived here all their lives, comfortable with their lovely homes, club memberships, and closed circles of family and friends

And then, there’s the CSX railroad terminal, which pollutes the city with high levels of diesel fuel. The town has 40 railway crossings, and none of them are pretty. There’s nothing aesthetically appealing about waiting while a long, ugly freight train rumbles by, or even decides to stop and regroup, creating mile long traffic stalls.

Our city is about to receive 38 million dollars in post covid-19 stimulus money, but the politicians haven’t decided what to do with it. Seems to me that if we want to improve our quality of life, we should start at the bottom and work our way up. Maybe open a center in the city’s core where the wandering smokers and pop drinkers can find some respite or free, walk-in counseling. Offer healthy snacks (no pop machines, please). Show videos on nutrition and smoking cessation. In a town full of educated people, we have to stop turning a blind eye to the misery right under our noses.

Poverty’s face in a college town in unfathomable.

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021

CITY CAN’T MANAGE TRASH CANS

Should someone be paid if they don’t do their job? Obviously not, in ordinary circumstances. The lawn service get paid when the grass is cut. A food server gets paid for the hours they’ve worked. But when it comes to city contracts, it’s a different story. In the case of trash pick up in our city, the Waste Management contract is awarded by the Board of Public Works. I’m not sure what those people do after the contract is awarded. Apparently, they turn the whole thing over to an office administrator, and that’s who you call if you don’t have enough trash cans. Trouble is, that person seemingly has no control over what the Waste Management company does or does not provide. If you complain about busted or missing trash cans, the reply is: “all I can do is e mail them.” And if they don’t do what you pay for? Repeat: “all I can do is email them.” Why such a flaccid response? Obviously, the city can’t manage trash cans.

The Board members, themselves, are appointed by the Mayor, but the entire process is shrouded in mystery. If you go to the Board of Public Works website, you can’t find the names of the board members. I did see a notice on the internet from 2009 that a new man had been appointed to the board after someone retired. But that was twelve years ago. Actually, the decision on who to hire for trash services is a fairly major decision, amounting to more than half a million dollars. But do any of these four people feel responsible for the efficacy of local trash pickup? Do they care if you have busted trash cans or fewer than you need for your rental property? Who holds the Waste Management Company accountable ? Some cities fine companies for violating contracts.

The company won’t empty overflowing trash cans, but the cans are overflowing because there aren’t enough of them. As Winston Churchill once said, “ It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” Why does our Waste Removal contractor have such a stranglehold on the Department of Public Works? Seems to me that the city can’t manage trash cans. Or maybe they don’t want to.