Northwest Indiana Discussion

The employees are siphoning the gas out of the vehicles and a tighter rein should be applied we need a gas zar and inspect those log books.

The county should purchase Vespa motor scooters and rain suits for non emergency employees and take away their county cars.

The employees in the county parks shoud not be driving big gas guzzling trucks.

1974 Vespa Model 125 Primavera motor scooter. Museum Catalog Number YELL 106381. This Italian scooter has a 125-cc engine, orange finish, and black vinyl seat with gray trim. The front has chrome trim and "DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/U.S. GOVERNMENT" in black letters, as well as the National Park Service "Arrowhead" decal at lower right. The handlebars feature orange turn lights and a large headlight at center. It is one of two motor scooters in the collection, and was used by Park Service staff for transportation over short distances, such as patrolling campgrounds.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/historyculture/scooters.htm



http://www.vespanomics.com/Platform.cfm



http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/2 ... plate=kart


http://powersports.honda.com/scooters/




http://powersports.honda.com/current_of ... 751&bhcp=1

Motor scooters popular in efforts to save on gas


BY JOE KAFKA
Associated Press Writer | Monday, May 19, 2008 |

Joan Kohler is not a typical new scooter customer.

But the 51-year-old restaurant owner bought a candy-apple red Honda last week as worries about the price of gas overrode any trepidation about learning to drive it.

With the average price of gas closing in on $4 a gallon, many cash-strapped motorists are turning to fuel-stingy motor scooters and smaller motorcycles. Dealers across the nation report brisk sales this spring, particularly for those that get from 75-120 miles per gallon.

"Ninety-five percent of those who come in mention high gas prices," said Lonnie Trujillo, sales manager for Vespa of California at Sherman Oaks, Calif. "Even though we're in southern California and have year-round riding weather, April sales were phenomenal," he added.

Sales of name-brand scooters such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki rose 24 percent in the first quarter of the year, said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council trade group -- noting that it's not exactly a hot sales period because of cool weather in much of the nation.

Many lesser-known scooters from China, Taiwan and South Korea also are sold in the U.S., but Mount said those sales figures are not readily available.

"We believe, anecdotally, that fuel prices are definitely having an effect on scooter sales," he said. "It seems likely that that's playing into scooter sales this quarter, as well."

The lowest-priced scooters such as the Chinese imports cost about $800, while name-brand bikes cost $2,000 to $3,000 and top-of-the-line models can go for $6,000 to $8,000.

Ross Petersen, a motorcycle and scooter dealer in South Dakota's capital, Pierre, said scooter and medium-sized motorcycle sales are propelled by gas prices. Even people who don't fit the biker mode are buying, he said.

http://nwi.com/articles/2008/05/19/busi ... 4b9c9f.txt

Sounds good to me you get no argument from me.

More proof that we need to end the take home car program and reduce the number of cars period. Let the non-cops drive their own cars and turn in mileage sheets.

You can't do that until you get more people voting who are paying into the dole than are feeding off of it.

CROWN POINT -- Skyrocketing gas prices could fuel a back-to-nature movement in Lake County government.
Though the county's petroleum budget for the year seems safe, officials are considering ways to cut back on gas use, including mowing less of the grass on county property.

Lake County Councilman Larry Blanchard, R-Crown Point, plans to meet with the county commissioners to discuss allowing portions of the acres of lawn around the county government complex to revert back to native grasslands.

"You can do it, like many golf courses do, and make it look really good," Blanchard said. "And it saves you a considerable amount of money on gassing up the mowers."

Lake County Parks Director Robert Nickovich floated a similar plan while meeting recently with the council.

The Parks Department took that tack during the oil embargo in the 1970s, Nickovich said, and much of the area they stopped mowing then remains prairie today, Nickovich said.

Lake County's gas budget is administered through the Sheriff's department.

The county has spent about $180,000 more in 2008 purchasing fuel than by this time last year, Blanchard said.

"We've spent $422,000 this year. By this time last year we had spent about $242,000," he said.

But since gas prices were already on their way up in late 2007, Blanchard said the county prepared for more spending.

"All and all, it doesn't look horrible," he said.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1003581,lcgas.article

Speaking of waste, Rudy would have looked even more wasteful without the reversal. Where does leadership start?

Gary mayor reverses cop take-home car policy
GARY -- Mayor Rudy Clay overturned an order from his chief of police Monday that would have parked all officers' take-home cars at the Gary police station.

Chief Lawrence Wright issued the order Friday as his colleagues in City Hall continued to explore ways to save money. Gary could be forced by the state to cut its $94 million operating budget next year by as much as a third, and take-home cars have become a crucial part of the debate.

Meanwhile, Clay defended the use of his 2006 Hummer H3, a vehicle the city leases for him.
Clay said he is carefully considering the elimination of take-home cars for city employees, and he said the transition must be more "methodical" and "organized" than the one Wright proposed.
"That's what's getting ready to happen," Clay said.
A police spokesman could not be reached for comment Monday. Del Stout, president of Gary's Fraternal Order of Police, said he understands the chief's reasoning but worries about how fellow officers will be able to react to emergencies.
"It just might be, if they're called in on an emergency basis, it might delay the response," Stout said.
According to city records, nearly 250 take-home cars are assigned to Gary's employees and department heads. Clay said his city is spending $30,000 a week on gas.
"We can't continue that," Clay said.
Those figures include Clay's Hummer, leased by city taxpayers for $5,000 a year. The U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency rates the model at 14 miles per gallon for city driving and 18 miles per gallon on the highway.
The Hummer brand has become so unpopular among consumers worried about high gas prices that General Motors is publicly considering its elimination.
But Clay compares his car to the 2003 Ford Expedition, now owned by the city, that was driven by former Mayor Scott King. Taxpayers spent more than $9,000 a year for the car, city records show. Government agencies list its gas mileage as 12 in the city, 17 on the highway.
King didn't face such a drastic, state-mandated budget cut as Clay now does, but Clay argues he's saving tax money by choosing the Hummer.
"It's a very economical car," Clay said.
The Hummer's fuel tank is filled at a set of city-owned gas pumps where, according to previously gathered records, the city pumped at least 54 gallons for the Hummer in July 2007.
Clay, who said he does business while he is on the road, also has a paid driver.
"I have to have my hands free," Clay said. "I do a lot of work while I'm in the car."
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he pays for about one-third of the gas pumped into the 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer provided to him by the Hammond Water Department, because he sometimes uses it for personal purposes.
Several of Gary's other department heads also use take-home cars, according to city records, but Clay said police and fire cars are the only ones, beside his own, that should be fueled by the city's pumps.

Clay, who said he does business while he is on the road, also has a paid driver.
"I have to have my hands free," Clay said. "I do a lot of work while I'm in the car."

Well we can only speculate as to the meaning of that.

Maybe he's a part time pimp to supplement his meager government compensation?

I still don't see why an urban government official needs a Hummer. Guess he figured a stretch limo would be too unpopular with the peeps.

It's laughable especially after you have posted how dangerous the city of Gary is and he claims it ain't.

Why not be riding in a tank with an armed guard and with several semiautomatic weapons in hand?

Here we go again do you think he does not know after making so many crucial life changing decisions he will run into some kooks looking to take his life this city is full of gun totting maniacal disgruntled people that he will have to lay off or fire do you think for one minute he and his driver would not drive through yards in 4 wheel drive returning gun fire at the families that are going to refuse to lay down and die with a pink slip.

His point of view seems to be that the only people in this city deserving of a check and they truly do earn their money is the police department.

In cities were there is no crime why in the SAM hell would an officer need a take home car?

This is the murder capital of the world and major industry is here and still investing and some would suggest strip law enforcement

EJ&E & CN are poised to spend $300 million dollars here and foreign investors from China. Private investors are poised to spend $125 million on a new transportation center.

I understand were you are coming from and it is very obvious.

These boards will not change anything.

I remember the good old days.

Long gone get over it!

When I came out of school gas was 27 cents a gallon and that was 1970 you could get 6 & 1/2 gallons of gas for $2:00

I could drive by the bus stops and pick people up not wanting to wait on a bus and make over $60 a day and the mills were only paying $13.00 a day.

You can't stop change learn to roll with the punches !



DON'T CLAM UP ON ME ARGUE BACK!

OR

HAVE A GOOD LAUGH JUST BECAUSE YOU SUPPORT OBAMA DON'T MEAN WE CAN'T ARGUE!

I hope that is change for the better? But if perception is change Rudy and Gary is in trouble, as we already know, along with the citizens that voted him in office. Any elected officials that are not working towards the citizens common good are working for themselves. As for the title Murder Capital , you make it sound like a badge of honor or something to be proud, but according to Rudy crime is down in Gary so why does he need Humvee? Are employees facing lay off so violent that Rudy needs an armored vehicle.....please save the safety and security issue? He loves the people of Gary....his employed relatives. If he’s that afraid of his employee’s maybe he shouldn't be in the position.