Wednesday, February 28, 2007

WELCOME...PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

President Bush on January 8, 2002 signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act - the most sweeping refomed education policy in a generation. The legislation, which closely follows the President's agenda for America's public schools, passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan majorities.

President Bush stated in his speech:

The quality of our public schools directly affects us all as parents, as students, and as citizens. Yet too many children in America are segregated by low expectations, illiteracy, and self-doubt in a constantly changing world that is demanding increasingly complex skills from its workforce, children are literally being left behind.

It doesn't have to be this way.

If our country fails in its responsibility to educate every child, were likely to fail in many other areas. But if we succeed in educating our youth, many other successes will follow throughout our country and in the lives of our citizens.

This blueprint represents part of my agenda for education reform. Though it does not encompass every aspect of the education reforms I plan to propose, this blueprint will serve as a framework from which we can all work together Democrat, Republican, and independent to strengthen elementary and secondary schools. Taken together, these reforms express my deep belief in our public schools and their mission to build the mind and character of every child, from every background, in every part of America.

As America enters the 21st Century full of hope and promise, too many of our neediest students are being left behind.

Today, nearly 70 percent of inner city fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level on national reading tests. Our high school seniors trail students in Cyprus and South Africa on international math tests. And nearly a third of our college freshman find they must take a remedial course before they are able to even begin regular college level courses.

The priorities that follow are based on the fundamental notion that an enterprise works best when responsibility is placed closest to the most important
activity of the enterprise, when those responsible are given greatest latitude and support, and when those responsible are held accountable for producing results.

This education blueprint will:

* Increase Accountability for Student Performance
* Focus on What Works
* Reduce Bureaucracy and Increase Flexibility
* Empower Parents

Also our priorities in this blueprint consist of seven performance-based titles:

* Improving the academic performance of disadvantage students
* Boosting teacher quality
* Moving limited English proficient students to English fluency
* Promoting informed parental choices and innoviative programs
* Encouraging safe schools for the 21st Century
* Increasing funding for Impact Aid
* Encouraging freedom and accountability

In America, no child should be left behind. Every child should be educated to his or her full potential.

Source: President George W. Bush

Freedom of Speech would like to also Welcome home First Lady of Indiana Sherry Daniels, who will be speaking at the president's visit at Silver Street Elementary School.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

"A PROMISES MADE IS A PROMISE BROKEN"...GARNER KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN '07!

A flashback to Campaign '03...

James Garner
New Leadership
For New Albany!

* Garner will lead our city with professionalism. He will manage with a friendly business attitude.

* Garner will address the concerns of city employees to eliminate the current bitterness and low morale. This in turn will provide New Albany citizens with better services.

James Garner's Management Plan as Mayor

* Complete the long-overdue renovation of the city's sewers and set up a cost efficient program to maintain them.

* Make sure tax dollars are spent efficiently.

* Provide unity and stability for the people of New Albany. This will enable us to work together for common goals.

* Garner will hire our community residents for key positions. They will understand our city's problems and opportunities.

* Work with the City Council to resolve New Albany's existing problems and get our city government back on track.

* Have an open-door policy in City Hall to provide citizens with direct access to the mayor. You may have to make an appointment, but you will be able to get in to see him.

* Establish and maintain a realistic budget with better management and controls.

* Improve the city's relationship with local companies to stimulate their business growth and increase jobs.

* Create a working relationship with county officials to ensure the community's tax base growth through economic development.

Garner Is The Answer For New Albany's Future!

Source: Garner's Campaign 2003




Ready for the next installment of Garner Fiction?

We will give Mayor Garner credit for consistency on one front: he sure does love to spend as much taxpayers money as he can.

And he sure has honed that talent during the first three years of his failed term as mayor, offering us both record wasteful spending and record borrowing in one fell swoop.

Mayor Garner again proving that he's just another pig at the trough. The head pig no less.

When it comes to wasteful spending, mismanagement and abuse of taxpayers money Mayor James Garner is your man!

Freedom of Speech would like to know:

When will Jimmy find a new and better way to do city business and continues to hand out goodies, to the good-old-boy network or his political friends and campaign contributors!

Surely, you deserve re-election in '07...Right?



Wednesday, February 21, 2007

AN OPEN LETTER TO FIRE CHIEF RON TORAN

Dear Chief Toran,

It has been brought to our attention that you are considering promoting your son, Ron Brown to the position of Captain of the New Albany Fire Department. Is this just a rumor or is it a fact?

Freedom of Speech understands that all promotions at this level must be approved by Mayor Garner and your other son, Tony Toran, City Operations Manager. We hope that family ties had nothing to do with your decision.

Another question Chief Toran;

Were other members of the New Albany Fire Department considered for this promotion?

Friday, February 16, 2007

IS THIS HOW YOU DO BUSINESS JIMMY?

Is it true you used $13,000 to $15,000 of money withheld from employees to pay your business expenses?

Are you running our city in the same manner?

Is the money being withheld from our city employees salaries being turned over to state and federal tax agencies?

If you can't handle your business money, how do you expect New Albany taxpayers to trust you to handle our city money?

We no longer have confidence in your ability to run our city!

SHORTFALLS IN REVENUE 2006

An adequante revenue stream is vital to a municipality's ability to provide services that citizens expect. While revenue sources are vitally important to the health of a municipality, there are also many other factors that can affect a financial situation.

Auto Excise Totals................ -16.60%
CCI Fund Totals.................... -47.07%
Cigarette Tax........................ -46.93%
CVET Totals............................-6.55%
FIT Totals............................ -20.32%
Liquor Excise Totals............. -63.76%
Liquor Gallonage Totals....... -10.85%
Local Road and Street Totals -62.68%
MVH Totals........................... -6.79%

Source:

Department of Local Government Finance

Due again to these significant cost pressures, municipal budgets are being strained. To deal with the increasing cost of government 60% of municipalities reported a decrease in their cash reserves.

Freedom of Speech would like to say: we need to keep an eye on our nickels and dimes until the state approves our 2006 Budget!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

WAS THERE A MISPRINT?

"Mayor James Garner said he will consider taking the rare step of calling an unscheduled council meeting himself."

"Garner said, and we quote: "We can't wait any longer to fix this problem."

"Garner and Fire Chief Ron Toran have supported the bill as a method to improve and diversify the department."


Source:

The Tribune, February 14, 2007


Who is behind pumping up the heat on this issue?

Why all of a sudden do we now have a diversity issue?

Mayor Garner--If this is such a big issue, where have you been since 2004, 2005 and 2006?

Is there really a diversity problem in our city?

Or--Are you using this issue to build your political base for your '07 Re-Election?


And You Sir...need to realize "We can't wait any longer for you to fix" our sewers, streets and clean up our city!


"A leader has to lead, or otherwise he has no business in politics."
Harry S. Truman
1884-1972

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

JAMES GARNER'S 2003 PLEDGE TO NEW ALBANY

As Your Mayor, I Will...

* Complete the long overdue renovations of the city sewers and use my business background to quickly and efficiently put our sewer problems behind us. I will also work to find ways of streamlining our wastewater finances in order to ease the financial burden the current administration has placed on the residents of New Albany.

* Work to bring good jobs to the New Albany community by improving the city's relationship with local companies to stimulate business growth, providing opportunity for our children to stay and raise their families in New Albany.

* Work to address the concerns of city employees, including firefighters and police officers, to eliminate low morale and develop a plan to put more police officers on the street.

* Reverse our current mayor's practice of hiring "out of town" city employees and hire more community residents for key positions in city government, because I believe our residents best understand the city's problems and opportunities.

* Use my Master's Degree in Business Administration and experience as a small business owner to bring solid fiscal management to the city's adminstration, and end our current mayor's deficit spending.

* Fix our garbage and recycling program.

These are vital city services for which I will hold myself personally accountable.


Source:
Paid for and authorized by the Committee To Elect James Garner Mayor* Shane L. Gibson, Treasurer 1506 Sunset Drive * New Albany, Indiana 47150
www.garnerformayor.com



Why, this fellow don't know
anymore about politics
than a pig knows about sunday.
Harry S. Truman
1884-1972

Sunday, February 11, 2007

TWO PEAS IN A POD...PROMISES MADE, PROMISES BROKEN!

Is history repeating itself?

Former Mayor Doug England is one of the largest contributors to James Garner's campaign. When England bailed out of the race for Mayor, who did he endorse? James Garner! Now it looks like James Garner is endorsing England and his backwards ideas for New Albany.

Fact:
* Doug England spent millions for attorneys without fixing our sewer problems
* James Garner said he's spend millions for attorneys and voted 4 times against fixing our sewers

Fact:
* Doug England said no to Scribner Place/YMCA downtown
* James Garner said no to Scribner Place/YMCA downtown

Fact:
* Doug England faced regulatory problems from state and federal government agencies
* James Garner faces regulatory problems from state government agencies

WE HAD OUR FILL THE FIRST TIME!

Sources:

1. New Albany Tribune September 11, 2003

2. Stenographer's notes from July 17, 2001 public forum on sewers

3. Indiana Secretary of State website(ai.org/sos), business division Administrative shut-down of Garner's corporation for failure to file.


So, with this established history, it is now time to-re-examine some facts about former Mayor Doug England and current Mayor James Garner.

Is history repeating itself?

New Albany City government lies to "We The People"...And also lies to "We The Voters" one cannot help wondering if history is repeating itself. Can't help wondering indeed.

Fact:
* 1992-1999 Former Mayor Doug England promised voters if elected he would fix our sewers
* 2007 - Former Mayor Doug England promises if elected he would fix our sewers

Source: Dec. 2006 - Democrat Headquarters

Fact:
* 2003 Current Mayor James Garner pledges to complete the long overdue renovation of the city sewers and use his business background to quickly and efficiently put our sewer problems behind us.

Source: 2003 James Garner's Pledge to New Albany

Fact:
* 2007 Garner proclaimed that fiscal discipline, sewer maintance and law enforcement had improved in his mayoral term.

Source: News and Tribune January 25, 2007

Fact:
* 2007 Former Mayor Doug England promises democrat voters if he is elected mayor Fire Chief Ron Toran and City Operations Manager Tony Toran will be "gone" if you help me get elected.

Source: Dec 2006 - Democrat Headquarters

Fact:
* 2003 Candidate Garner pledge to Fire Dept. Union Rep. if you support me I will never make Ron Toran Chief of New Albany Fire Dept.

Source: March 2003 - City County Building

Fact:
* Former Mayor Doug England states: He's got the entire 3rd floor employees support for his election.

Source: Dec. 2006 - Democrat Headquarters

Fact:
* Mayor Garner states: He's got the entire 3rd floor employees support for his re-election.

Source: Jan. 2007 - City County Building

Fact:
* Mayor Garner states: I got the support of the Fire Department, Police Department and Street Department employees for his re-election.

Source: Jan. 2007 - City County Building

Fact:
*Former Mayor Doug England states: I got the support of the Fire Department, Police Department and Street Department employees and that's why I decided to run for Mayor.

Source: Dec. 2006 - Democrat Headquarters

Again we ask, is history repeating itself?

We would like to ask Former Mayor Doug England:
Why have you not filed your Official Candidate Papers?

Freedom of Speech will be listing the facts over the next few weeks concerning Mayoral candidates Doug England, James Garner, Larry Scharlow, and Randy Hubbard.

Freedom of Speech would also like to say:

There is an old saying that goes, "Fool me once, shame on YOU. Fool me twice, shame on ME!"

Then there is another saying, "WE WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN!"

e-mail your comments to: VoiceOfNA@aol.com

Sunday, February 04, 2007

ATC GALLONAGE TAX

IC 7.1-4-7 requires the Alchol and Tobacco Commission to deposit four cents ($0.04) of the beer excise tax collected on each gallon of beer or flavored malt beverage; one dollar ($1) of the liquor excise tax collected on each gallon of liquor, twenty cents($0.20) of the wine excise tax collected on each gallon of wine; the entire amount of malt excise tax collected, and the entire amount of hard cider excise tax collected into the state general fund for distribution to the state (50%) and cities and towns (50%).

The sum set aside for cities and towns shall be allowcated to a city or town based upon the basis that the population of the city or town bears to the total population of all cities and towns of the state.

The auditor of state shall, on the first day of April of each year and quarterly thereafter, distribute these amounts to the general fund of the treasury of the city or town.