Repbublican Commissioners Denied Funds for the Poor

First Wayne Township Trustee Rick Stevenson save families from living in squalor and gets kicked in the teeth. Next Wayne Township Stevenson goes before the Allen County Commissioners to request funds for the needy and is denied.

According to an Indiana's News Center website:

Mar 09, 2007 - (Fort Wayne, IN)--The Wayne Township Trustee went before the Allen County Commissioners this morning requesting more than one million dollars in poor relief.

But the Commissioners denied the request. Now Township Trustee Rick Stevenson must go before the Allen County Council for the cash. Stevenson says at the rate he's doling out poor relief; the fund will be empty by the end of the month. If the County Council turns him down, he will have to go to the bank for a loan.

The fund is expected to be replenished in June when property taxes are distributed. (Edited by Paula Hinton)

Trustee Stevenson was somewhat vindicated when other residents were moved after a fire. Let's hope that the Allen Council vindicates Stevenson in understanding the needs to support it community and voters by giving him the money to do his job.

Consolidation--Is almost a done deal

First the big boys were not going to be upstaged by the small fries. With surrounding areas gaining more knowledge of the underlying reasons for City County push to consolidate, East Allen County are banning together. So Allen County Commissions are giving in to some type of consolidation for merging departments, only. The City will have to swallow the amendment consolidation agreement or the agreement fails. Or City Council can choose to make other amendments sending the consolidation agreement back to the Allen County Commissioners. With this back and forth amendment nowhere is the public involved.

The amended consolidation agreement does not follow the law under Indiana Code 36.1.5.2, formerly referred to as House Bill 1362. The reason because it would require community input before any type of consolidation. City Council consolidation agreement has thumbed its nose at the voters.

Council Person Sam Talarico is not running for his seat and is one of the co author of the push consolidation down the throats of the voters. The public was not supporting of City-County changing government, and the second co-author, Dr. John Crawford was not impressed with the unyielding Allen County Commissioners non cooperative. So the two new founding fathers, Dr. Crawford and Talarico flipped the steps, merge departments and study and then go to the people.


The joint parties will commission a study on how to consolidation city and county government. This circumvents of IC 36.1.5 requirement of public hearings on consolidation of city and county government. The local Republican leadership, believe like their fear leader, President George W. Bush, they know what's best for the people. It is not a government for the people, by the people, it is by elite businessmen seeking their own best interest.

According to Amanda Icone in the Journal Gazette

The commissioners will send a cover letter with the amended resolution to the City Council asking for the facilitator and the committee to review each city and county department for ways to make them more efficient, including possible mergers. The letter would also ask that a committee of council members and commissioners meet before the proposed study committee begins to ensure the elected officials work together.

East Allen County were quite aware of behind closed door dealing instead of open government for local citizen. East Allen County formed their proposal. And East Allen County will place it on a referendum for the voters to vote on it.

Communities in east Allen County are considering creating an umbrella government that could provide some services to 19 towns, townships and cities but maintain the independence of existing municipalities. The proposed hybrid government is expected to be on the November 2008 ballot for a referendum.

No surprise here. In the Harrison Square Study, consolidation will bring more people to work for city-county government. The Study suggest that having a jobs in the area (downtown) will encourage these folks to live downtown. Fort Wayne's new tool for growing its population seems to have failed. Fort Wayne has tried annexation to stem the tide of raced white flight from the core of the city. But elected official call it a more efficient and efficiency government.