Troy Tornatta Blog

2007 was quite an experience in my first year as a Commissioner.  I saw a political adversary leave, a newcomer resign, and a former council candidate get the office, to end the year.  IN ONE YEAR!  2008 will see the potential of two more moves on the Commission.  But wait, there’s more, a Presidential race, a Governor’s, and the re-election of Brad Ellsworth, just to name a few are on tap if you stay tuned.  There will be high gas prices, raising taxes, and possibly inflation.  WHAT A DEAL…  Now before you hit the panic button, locally things are on the upswing.  We are charging forward in a lot of different areas to secure our economic growth and presence.  The City has 3 new Councilman (Missy Mosby Ward 3, John Friend Ward 5, and Dr. Dan Adams At-Large) to address the new stadium and Wesselman’s new sportsplex.  The County is using our Washington D.C. connections to finish a western passage called the University Parkway.  That project along with the more than 33 miles of bike paths, the Green River Rd. project, and the Cross Point development will solidify our County as a mover and shaker.  But to continue growth there needs to be leadership with several different disciplines.  One must lead by example, taking the steps to tackle tough problems and prove them doable.  Two, a leader must lay out a plan that can be embraced by the other political officials and understood by the public for which they serve. And three, a leader must have communication skills.  The skills that provoke good dialogue and debate among the elected officials with a carefully thought out marketing campaign to get the community involved.  Let’s not forget to mention the money raising, glad handing, and kissing babies.  2008 will definitely be an interesting year.  I am stoked and ready…are you?  So get on the bus, fasten your seatbelts, place your tray table to the upright position, and enjoy the ride.        

Cheryl leaves, Whicker steps down, and next up is Jeff Korb the bow tie guy.  This personality does not need a bow tie to be remembered.  Some might call him flamboyant or gregarious, and some might say boisterous or obnoxious, but what ever profile category you put him in he is our new Commissioner.
I have now had the opportunity to work with Jeff for a good month and aside from his asides he is dedicated and penetrating.  He wants to learn and ask questions.  He has always been in the business of motivating people to do things that makes them better in some way, shape, or form.  I think that is where we have our connect and where politics takes a backseat.
Now before I sound sappy and start running his reelection campaign let me set things straight.  Did I mention we have only worked together for a month?  He is very green to how government works as anyone would be after their first month in the highest office in the county.  But to his credit he is a team player that understands the importance of doing the right thing instead of doing the right wing thing.
Not trying to speak too soon, but this new idea of 3 Commissioners from mixed parties working together for the betterment of their county might set a trend for the future.  People always say they have communication skills to stop all the bickering but have they proven through example…not until now.  I’ll let you know, time exposes all demons, and keep your seat belts fastened the experiment is still in progress

I know it has been a while since I have blogged, but a lot has happened over the summer.  Cheryl Musgrave gets hired as director of the DLGF, I supposedly gave her replacement Mike Whicker a heart event, and he was subsequently replaced by Jeff Korb a guy I ran against in 2000 for County Council.  Did I mention Bill Nix and I still had to run county government?
Believe it or not, government has run real smooth since Cheryl has left to handle our State’s finances.  Bill and I have each pitched in and coordinated efforts to further the county on a bi-partisan front.  Now we open it up to Jeff and with any optimism at all we continue to work in unison.

Second to Ed McMahon standing on my porch with my check for 10 million dollars, the news of Cheryl Musgrave resigning from the Vanderburgh County Commission caught me by surprise.  I got the news in Reno on business and I didn’t know whether to celebrate or try my new found luck on the blackjack tables.  Then the reality hit, Cheryl controlled the office and had a full plate.  She was in the middle of planning events, meeting with architects, and preparing agendas.  The set-up was not to my liking but as a minority member I knew my role.  We were now responsible for all the stuff that Cheryl did on a day to day basis.
Now with work and reorganization to fill her shoes aside, I think we will see an office where the tension goes away.  The uneasy feeling of walking on egg shells will immediately disappear and hopefully a warmer office will emerge.  It will change the way the county does business by being more open and receptive to new ideas.   The lone gun in the Commissioner’s office will be three headed again as it was intended.  That doesn’t mean we will always be singing from the same page, but we will at least be using the same hymnal.

     Have you ever known somebody that made a difference in your community?  Did he or she have a passion that made the project or event a success just because they were involved?  Well if both your answers were yes then you might know the same person I know.  I would have to say Judge Trockman would be at the top of my list of people making a difference in our community.
     I met Judge when I was elected to the Vand. County Council in 2001.  He wanted to start a program for those headed straight to a life of prison and addiction.  Using a Byrne Grant and the counties help he started the first Drug Court, and 150 graduates later it is going strong.  But it took his vision and a great supporting staff to pull off this monumental task of rehabilitating heavily addicted personalities.  All former staff, current staff, and support staff should feel proud that every graduation day a person on the program gets a second chance on making better decisions.  It will not be easy.
     First you have to be selected to enter the program.  An addict has to start attending group help classes daily and report to the daily reporting center.  That means every day, 365, sleet, snow, no car, no jacket, no excuses.  Counseling, encouragement, mentoring, accountability are just a few of the things a graduate will comment on during their short speech to an enthusiastic and emotional group of 75 close friends and family.  People cheer for the personal journey and the life they feel they got back.  They cheer for the children who got a participating parent back.  They cheer because they have found a connection again to a loved one that was taken away by a horrible addiction.  Some finally cheer because it is the first time that special someone has followed through with a grueling program (18 months) to make themselves better. 
     I go to the graduations because I learn from each of those graduates.  I learn that people can be rehabilitated.  I see how close families can be in times of crisis.  I realize every time I stand in the back of the crowded room that the Drug Court is worth every penny.  And as I am choking back every tear of joy for each graduate I know they have a long road ahead of them.  But I also take away that it would not be possible without the dedication of Judge Trockman, Debbie, Larry, Philip, and many others that change people’s lives to make a difference one graduate at a time.

     Spring might be my favorite time of year.  Temperatures start to rise, the air has crispness, and new radiant colors start to appear throughout the community.  The sky is bluer, the trees are greener, but then tax bills go out!!!  There is no other blanket you could throw over the happiness of spring but the dreaded property tax bills.
     The government needs to raise property taxes in order to run day to day operations of one of our biggest businesses…Government.  And if you take a look around the nation, we get hit less than a lot of other similar communities.  But it really only matters to the person that is used to and getting a bill that would normally be a lot less than the present one.  I feel your pain on this matter because my bill went up almost $500. 
     I have a suggestion for all of you who might want to sponsor hangings, firing squads, or even nasty letter campaigns toward the assessors held responsible for raising your taxes.  Ok are you ready?  Take a deep breath.  Instead of picking up the phone to yell at your assessor, call someone you care about and tell them you are thinking about them.  Make a friend feel special instead of belittling a county worker just doing their job because you are miffed about the amount of your hard working dollars you must give back to the government.
     I read an article that illustrates the paradox of our history.  “We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints.  We spend more but have less.  We buy more but enjoy less.”  
     “We have bigger houses but smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.  We have more degrees but less common sense; more knowledge, more experts, yet more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.”
     “We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values.  We talk to much, love too seldom and hate too often.  We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life.  We’ve added years to life, not life to years.  We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but we have trouble crossing the street and meeting a new neighbor.  We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space.”
     “We’ve done larger things but not better things.  We’ve cleaned up the air but polluted the soul.  We’ve conquered the atom but not our prejudice.  We write more but earn less.  We’ve learned to rush but not to wait.  We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate with each other less and less.” 
     Spring is a time of change and a time for new beginnings.  Take some time to think of ways to make new, it is never too late to become a better partner, neighbor, or family member.  Make somebody feel special today and spring forward.

     Long, long ago, people moved out to the county to experience that good clean livin’ feeling.  Buying a place where you could step off your back porch to look at the open fields and admire the beauty of the great outdoors.  Well the city keeps on moving in on the county and it is harder to find those places of rest anymore.  Some call it urban sprawl, but could it be people just want to live in the suburban setting.  No matter the case, this blog is really about dealing with some county issues in a city like environment.
     The first issue that comes to mind would have to be animal control in the county.  We, at this time, have no rules for addressing animal problems.  Dog bites, animal intimidation, excessive smell or noises are a few concerns for those who might have to live next to an animal(s) owner.  There was little concern because of the geography of yesteryear, but the 400 acre farm has turned into the 400 lots of 1 acre.  The horses and cows have turned into dogs and cats.  And let’s face it, sometimes you just can’t tell the city from the county. 
     Well the city has addressed the problem in a nearly 50 page ordinance that leaves no questions to the imagination.  We in the county do not need such a detailed document, but we do need the rules for the county.  So we have directed Sheriff Eric Williams to lead a committee in coming up with a set of objectives for a county ordinance.  As a Commissioner, I believe the county needs some language that holds accountable the owner(s) of animals that disturb the public around them.  There needs to be a consequence for not being a good neighbor and until this point neighbors have been frustrated with nowhere to go for help. 
     This Tuesday April 17th, 2007 we will introduce the counties version of an animal control ordinance.  It will be simple to understand yet comprehensive for our needs.  It will give our law enforcement some teeth to hold people accountable for violating the freedoms of their fellow citizens…which equals the pursuit of peace and happiness in the ever filling suburbs.   

     Well the gig is up, my numbers been pulled, I am no longer under the radar…they found me out!  Those are some of the quips I thought when I started to see quotes in the paper over the last few weeks.  But Tom Langhorne, in his March 28th article in the Local section of the Evansville Courier & Press, let the cat out of the bag.  He told all about my little secret blogs that anyone in the world can read.  It is not a big deal, I want to communicate to those who seek a little more insight than what is in the media. 
     By the way, I do have to thank someone for driving me to continue with the website.  His name is Hunter Nance and I hired his company, www.networkadvance.com, to set up my website for my Commissioner’s election.  If you want someone that is on the ball with your online material, look him up.  If that sounded like a commercial…well it was, but more like a public service announcement.    
     Once again, thank you for reading my blog.  I hope to bring readers closer to the decisions that affect all of us.  Keep you posted on projects like Green River Rd., the Baseline bridge, and The University Parkway to name a few.  And with that lead, I do expect to get some word on possible options on Green River Rd. thru traffic during construction.  I will not let the phrase “it can’t be done” take over my options.  We will try to make the upgrade as painless as possible.
     The Baseline Rd. bridge over the CSX tracks has a financial snag.  As I predicted the project is at $4 million.  In fact, it is about $4.7 million and counting.  We need additional assistance from CSX or we need to table the project until funding comes our way.
     The University Parkway is in the hands of our Sen. Bayh and Sen. Lugar and Congressman Ellsworth.  These three men have the opportunity to earmark the monies needed to move this crucial regional economic development project along.  We have a unified front from the Commissioners to see this road happen.  Did you hear me say unified?

     Early March it was unveiled to the public that there would be extensive work done to Green River Rd.  It was also established that it would take 2 years to finish the project.  But the madness began when the words road closure was announced in the paper. 
     The bridge crossing Pigeon Creek has been in need of replacement since 1980.  I give my fellow Commissioners credit for using a bonding mechanism for allowing this project to see the light of day.  I also think that the finished project will drastically upgrade the values of all properties in the area.  That being said, how do we get past the 2 years of Green River being closed?  And why can’t we just build temporary roads? 
     The DNR (Department of Natural Resources) is on top of and dictating the scope of the project.  They deal with trees and drainage which means we are told how to deal with the trees and drainage.  In other words they are not worried about using the ground for our short term best interests they are worried about using the ground for the environments long term best interests.  The corridor is not wide enough to handle lateral movement one way or another.  So to answer the question about temporary roads the answer is no.  So that means no other options?
     The only options I see are to try to speed up the project.  Putting incentives and penalties with timely work and possibly trying a 24 hr. approach.  These measures might cost a little more but the project has the potential to move along at a faster pace. 
     Those of you who live north on Green River Rd. please accept my apology for disrupting your lives for the next couple of years.  This problem, like the jail, was a problem Commissioners has to face head on.  The new product will be wonderful, but building the new product will be a headache.  I can only promise you that, as a Commissioner, I will look for every measure to bring Green River Rd. back better than ever and in record time.

     What happens when you can’t get Council support, State support, or Federal support for a project you want in your district?  Well one might venture to say you kill the project or at least table it until the sell is right.  No sir, not with this administration, you take it out of riverboat funds.  Riverboat funds have been used as an economic development tool allowing our county to land companies to expand our tax base.  The funds have also been used to supplement budgets for public safety or to allow the council to stretch matching grants from INDOT or Federal funding mechanisms.  I find it hard pressed that we would take $450,000 of unrestricted dollars to put toward a half mile bike path. 
     The overall plan for the path is to connect USI campus to Burdette Park.  It would be a two and a half mile corridor that would enable students of the college or park visitors a scenic route to exercise.  That product has merit and would be well received in our community.  But instead of getting the Council behind the project and moving State money in we are going to go it alone, in hopes that there will be more funding fall from the sky.  Well there might be funding or not but we are building it anyway…at least a half mile.
     I hope somebody reading this is as confused as I am.  It kind of looks like a ramrodded project to taught during a run for elected office.  The ole’ I can build a little bit and finish it when I get re-elected.  Well from my seat it becomes a little hard to swallow, knowing that there are projects more important to our Vanderburgh County.  The University Parkway could be a road to I-64 with the right amount of focus and collaboration.  This road has important regional impact with a growing USI campus, a Maritime Port that is bursting at the seams, and the potential for three ethanol plant to pop up in Posey County.  You might ask where the infrastructure is.  And I would answer there is none.
     The University Parkway will open up the west side of Evansville and Vanderburgh County for business.  It will naturally create a loop around the city and service Mt. Vernon and even Gibson County at a regional level.  It will attract energy and transportation dollars from the Federal government and will be on the map for funding at a State level.  When all granting bodies see the cooperation of a multiple county project they will jump on the band wagon.  This project will see the light of day much sooner than it would if we lost focus to opportunities of less significance. 
    There is no question that I support the USI to Burdette Park corridor.  As long as we have the funding and can do it as one project.  Now is that too much to ask for Vanderburgh County.