CHEERS & JEERS: June 6, 2009

June 06, 2009 12:08 am

— CHEERS
... to the police departments in Jeffersonville and Clarksville and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department for dropping excessive fees for incident reports.
Just days after an Evening News article and editorial, those three departments — the three in Clark County charging more than the 10-cents-per-page allowed by Indiana code — told the newspaper they would no longer charge for incident reports. They join the Charlestown and Sellersburg departments in that regard.
Once the error was pointed out, in print, to the departments, they responded in a positive way, and that’s a positive for our community.
— Editor Shea Van Hoy

JEERS
... to more credit card controversy in Jeffersonville.
Following findings of wayward spending by Clerk-Treasurer Peggy Wilder in a state audit late last year, a credit card was recently issued to Roger Hardy, information technology director, even though he wasn’t officially approved by the city council to have one just yet.
We’re not blaming Hardy, as it’s easy to understand why he thought it was OK to get a card. The council had asked its attorney, Larry Wilder, to draft an amendment to a credit card ordinance which would allow Hardy and another city employee to have a card. It’s just that the amendment hasn’t been presented and voted on by the council.
The clerk-treasurer’s office gave Hardy the paperwork to fill out to get a card and sent along a copy of the meeting minutes with the amendment language to the bank as proof he could have one.
The problem, again, is oversight. Someone at the clerk-treasurer’s office should be in charge of this process.
Then again, the clerk-treasurer’s recent history with credit cards hasn’t exactly inspired confidence.
— Editor Shea Van Hoy

READER JEER
.... Shame on you, shame on you, shame on you Greater Clark County Schools Board, for giving such a high salary and all the extras to the new superintendent. This takes much-needed capital from teachers’ salaries, programs and construction which makes for a great, not just good, school system. Our teachers are the ones that not only teach our students, but nurture them daily — thanks teachers!
I have heard retirees, such as I am, say, “I have no children in school so I am not interested in what goes on.” Think again and look at your tax bill.
The single highest expenditure is for schools, and therefore all taxpayers are bearing this extreme burden.
It was not a good decision for all Clark County — not just the students, but mostly for the students!
Thank you,
— Miriam E. White, Charlestown

Do you have someone or something to cheer or jeer? Submissions should be sent to Editor Shea Van Hoy at shea.vanhoy@newsandtribune.com or by mail at 221 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130.