The Gary Snyder Show

What it would look like!

(Editors note:  Our headline, not Mr. Vance's)

05-blue-christmas

BY TIM VANCE

 No political agenda here......just thought you might enjoy seeing the lights again. It seems from the traffic going by Sunken Gardens that we all can still see the 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' in our minds........

As is true with many people in our community, my parents took me to see the lights in Sunken Gardens when I was a child and I continued the tradition by taking my own children.

Instead of Sunken Gardens being filled with light and hope.....now it's just filled with darkness. 

Seems like the perfect metaphor.

Huntington TEA Party Meeting

Meet some important candidates who will be on the Huntington ballot this May, learn about cap and trade, and hear an update on the Huntington city happenings. Do you think our country needs a miracle to get it back on track?  Does God still even perform miracles?  Hear about all this and more at the next Huntington TEA Party meeting!  Spread the word to your friends and family, all are welcome!

Monday Reads

7 stories Barack Obama doesn't want told  - John F. Harris | Politico.com

Fairfax hungry for more revenue - Fredrick Kunckle | Washingtonpost.com

The Jobs Imperative  - Paul Krugman | NYTimes.com

Lady Vikings vs. Homestead, Live Friday night at 8:00 p.m.

HuntingtonCountySports.com will be live Friday night, November 27 with play-by-play coverage of the Huntington North Lady Vikings as they take on the Homestead Lady Spartans.  Our play-by-play crew of Kris Underwood and Ryan Cunningham will be live starting at 8:00 p.m. as the Lady Vikings go after their first win.  Just click below to listen.

Friday Reads

Basketball Star Shaquille O'Neal Pays for Funeral of Murdered North Carolina Girl - Foxnews.com

MSNBC Exclusive: Fort Hood never happened!  - Ann Coulter | Worldnetdaily.com

Taxing the Speculators  - Paul Krugman | NYTimes.com

Voter Anger Is Building Over Deficits  - Karl Rove | WSJ.com

Employees good intentions will cost the City $$

BY STEVE MCINTYRE

 I am posting this information because the citizens have a right to know what is going on in City government and to be open and up front with the citizens of this community. I am not passing judgment on anyone, but I feel that ideas need to be fully researched before implementing them. I was not aware of the plan until I read it in the local paper after it happened. If I had any knowledge prior to the "event", I would have advised against it...Not because it isn't a good thought, but because Federal Labor laws prohibit it.

I appreciate the efforts of the City workers who tried to do a great thing for the community and I am NOT trying to be Scrooge here, but no matter how much "good intention" is involved, the City is required to follow the law.

13 City Street Department employees had their hearts in the right place when they "volunteered" to put up the decorative candy canes on the light poles Friday & Saturday. What they didn't have was someone with enough knowledge of Federal labor laws to know that these same laws prohibit an employee from doing their "job" for free. In order for the City to not break the Federal laws, it must pay each of those employees at a rate of time an a half of their regular hourly pay for each minute they "volunteered" on their time off.

Wednesday Reads

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist - Rowan Scarborough | Foxnews.com

Thanks for the Memories  - Maureen Dowd | NYTimes.com

Damn the deficit: Full speed ahead on health care  - Michael Barone | Washingtonexaminer.com

The White House's unprecedented use of 'unprecedented'  - Carol E. Lee | Politico.com

Talkin' Politics with Gary L. Snyder tonight at 6:00 p.m.

(Technical difficulties for the first 5 minutes, while unfortunate, these bugs are being worked out.)

Talkin' Politics with Gary L. Snyder is live tonight at 6:00 p.m.  Here is a look at our outstanding line-up tonight:

Andy Lyons, Republican Candidate for Indiana's 5th District Congressional seat

Luke Messer, Republican Candidate for Indiana's 5th District Congressional seat

Cindy Gamrat, Huntington TEA Party Organizer

Steve McIntyre, Huntington Common Councilman and HuntingtonPolitics.com Top 10 Loser of the year for 2008.

Trash tax and property tax appeal fails 4-3

BY GARY L. SNYDER

The Huntington Common Council, after a prolonged debate, voted down Mayor Updike's "Trash Tax" on a 4-3 vote.  An amendment proposed by Brooks Fetters to lower the fee from $10 to $3 was adopted by the council along with a sunset provision ending the fee after one year.  In the end, the adopted amendments were not enough as Steve McIntyre, Jason Fields, Erv Ebersole and Joe Blomeke voted against the tax and Keith Eller, Jack Slusser and Brooks Fetters voting for the tax.  The proposal to appeal to the State of Indiana to raise property taxes also failed on a 4-2 vote.  If passed, this would have allowed the city to increase the levie beyond current circuit breakers and would have cost homeowners more than any trash fee proposed.

Former Commissioner Endorses Banks

BY LARRY BUZZARD

I want you to invite you to breakfast with Republican State Senate candidate Jim Banks.

The breakfast will be on Saturday, December 12 starting at 9:00 a.m. at:

Ugalde’s Restaurant,

2990 West Park Drive,

Huntington, IN

 

I have gotten to know Jim very well over the past few months, and I am confident in his abilities to represent us in the Indiana State Senate.

No More!

(Below is the written version of Cindy Gamrat's address to the Mayor and Common Council at Monday's public heraring.  I've also included videos provided by Kyle Marlow of Cindy and Joe Gamrat's remarks.)

What has happened is our city officials have not been keeping track of actual incoming taxes from properties over the last year or more and are now surprised that the money they assumed would be there (money they have already spent) is not, due to a large number of appeals, due to a lack of fair and just assessments in the past.

Now the city has laid off firemen and is threatening to lay off more and possibly some policemen in addition if we tax payers don't belly up and support a new trash fee.

I have sat down with Mayor Updike about my concerns.  I have also stopped in to talk with our city Treasurer, who actually keeps the books and budgets, but she was not in.  I'll be trying to catch her again this afternoon.  At our last city council meeting there was no apology issued or responsibility taken by any city official regarding this negligence.

The Herald-Pressless

BY KEN ZUK

In Sunday’s Herald-Pressless, the editor decided that a citywide trash pickup fee was totally justified, for without the $120/ year tax increase per household “there will be more sweeping layoffs of city employees and loss of services”.  That sounds familiar to me.  Oh, yes I heard that same threat from the Mayor.  

Now if my memory serves me right, (and it ain’t what it used to be),  when our economy started slowing down, a little more than two years ago, the Herald-Press became pressless by selling off the presses and laying off eleven people.  The entire paper was then sold resulting in additional layoffs of experienced staff.  Some really good people found themselves without jobs in an ever slowing economy through no fault of their own.

Talkin' Sports with Gary L. Snyder, Monday, 6:00 p.m.

Since Thursday is Turkey Day, we are Talkin' Sports with me, Gary L. Snyder on Monday and that is either tomorrow or today, depends on when you are reading this.  Excellent line-up for Monday night:

Kaleigh Schrock, Ft. Wayne native and Komets Right Winger

Ty Platt, Head Coach of the undefeated Huntington University Foresters

Kelly Jones, Girls Varsity Basketball Coach of the Huntington North Lady Vikings

Children, Firemen and Politics

BY GARY L. SNYDER

(Note:  Public hearing Monday evening, November 23, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Heritage Hall in Hiers Park regarding the Mayor's proposed trash fee.)

As I sat down Sunday morning, keeping to my ritual of slipping on my robe and slippers, pouring a cup of coffee, lighting my pipe and turning on Sportscenter...Okay, I don’t really smoke a pipe but anyway, I do pour a cup of coffee and watch Sportscenter.  After Sportscenter, a show called “Outside the Lines” comes on ESPN.  Today's show dealt with Grove City High School in Ohio which lies just outside Columbus.

In April of 2009, the Grove City School Board cancelled all school sponsored sporting events until a referendum was passed raising property taxes on the homeowners of the Grove City school district.  The first referendum was held in the spring and failed by less than 400 votes, so no athletics for the kiddies.

Another referendum was held in November and that is where the story focused.  These poor children would have no school sports unless the taxpayers passed the referendum and raised taxes.  The school board was holding the community hostage by using the children as pawns in their tax-raising scheme.  The students were marching in the street and nagging their parents...how could it not pass again?  How could you not vote to support the children?  And in the end, the students allowed themselves to be used as victims to get what they wanted but maybe the community as a whole could not afford.  The referendum passed, taxes were raised and the school board still imposed a $150 participation fee for each sport.

Monday Reads

The Phantom Menace - Paul Krugman | NYTimes.com

Voters won't forget Saturday night  - Editorial | Washingtonexaminer.com

Major Hasan and Holy War  - Reuel Marc Gerecht | WSJ.com

Bishops flex muscle, see opportunities  - Jeanne Cummings | Politico.com