There are a few things we all need to understand about how business growth within a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) area affects Dubois County. TIF is a quick way to get funds for infrastructure development via the bonding process. As with any bond, it drives that government entity into debt until the loan is paid…
This letter and quotations within is in response to a recent letter opposed to TIF. In 2010, before I was elected Mayor, the Jasper City Council adopted a new Comprehensive Plan. On page 26 are these words: “create Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts”. Following precisely what citizens and council directed us to do, we held…
On December 17th, the Jasper common council will come together to discuss TIFs and to be fair, most of us have no clue what a TIF is. Simply put, when a TIF is put in place over a certain piece of land, it takes all the new property tax revenue and redirects it to a…
The Jasper Chamber of Commerce and Jasper HTC are promoting “Make A Difference Day” in our community on Saturday, October 25. Be part of this nationwide effort to do something for others. This is the nation’s largest day of community service as millions of volunteers across the USA work to improve the lives of others. Find out how you can…
A Letter to the Community of Jasper: From early morning on Wednesday, September 17 through mid-afternoon on Sunday, September 21, citizens of the City of Jasper experienced the first city-wide water boil order since 2004. Acknowledging the inconvenience that boiling water prior to consuming placed on our residential, commercial, and industrial customers, we also remain…
A lot has been written about Christian values recently and it appears Republican leadership is prepared to move forward by embracing some progressive Christian principles. When Jesus was asked “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” He replied and I paraphrase, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and Love your…
Having lost a sense of individual civic responsibility, it is we, the people, who must be held accountable for the fine mess the politicians have created. Through our own disengagement, and a failure to challenge their corrupt, special interest driven agendas, we have given the green light for the foolishness that now passes for governance….
I am sure most of you have heard about the thousands of illegal alien children crossing our border daily, an estimated 65,000 unaccompanied minors. Our government, the government that is supposed to be protecting our borders, issued a directive to border patrol telling them to allow unaccompanied minors into our country. These kids allegedly walked…
It is a wonder to observe the fawning love affair of the world for genocidal Palestinian maniacs. While, Israel, the sole democracy in the Middle East goes about its business, busily producing Nobel Prize winners, cutting edge technologies, and a world-class economy, its barbarian adversaries in the Gaza strip, seventh century throwbacks, spend their time…
As I was drawing to the end a very dynamic and thought provoking Survivor of Suicide Support Group meeting, my cell phone was buzzing out of control. Another suicide loss survivor’s phone also started to ring and she announced Robin Williams had died from an apparent suicide. Needless to say our meeting went into overtime…
