Is it merely a coincidence that One Southern Indiana’s new website seems to have been purged of references to the economic development organization’s board of directors?
I searched the site in vain, unable to find any mention of Kerry Stemler, chairman of 1SI’s board, who earlier this year (see links below) went on record on behalf of 1SI in support of the much publicized anti-obscenity outreach program espoused by Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana (ROCK).
Unfortunately, as we’ve taken the lead in reminding readers from time to time, ROCK’s aims are not restricted to the elimination of what it defines as pornography. The organization also advances an extremist evangelical Christian agenda that includes among its components an opposition to abortion, same sex marriage and stem cell research, among other divisive topics.
At Thursday’s city council meeting, New Albany’s legislative branch of government returns to the topic of a municipal tithe to ISI, this time in the form of just less than $50,000 to be drawn from EDIT funds. It is an arbitrary number based on the calculation of working New Albanians minus workers existing beneath the poverty level, multiplied by the sum of $3.50, and if I’m not mistaken, is less than what 1SI originally sought.
Naturally, the stated aim of the city’s monetary support of 1SI is to reflect gratitude for 1SI’s role in local job creation, and the dimensions of this partnership in the context of the longer view of economic development is one that I’ll leave to my more astute colleague.
My question is this:
If New Albany’s city council provides funding for ISI, is this to be construed as support of ROCK’s agenda?
After all, until someone at 1SI elects to emerge from the bunker and declare otherwise, it currently is in the position of supporting a ban on gay marriages without being able to explain why such a tenet has anything to do with economic development.
Thus, is seems suitably momentous that today is Day 30 of the Michael Dalby/One Southern Indiana Stonewall Watch, as we continue to await public clarification of the entity’s public embrace of ROCK.
Gee, what happened to all those board members?
NAC’s coverage:
1SI and the revitalization of housing stock?
1SI at the bat: Watch for the hit and run
Join the discussion: Is a stonewalling 1SI being disingenuous?
Familiar Tribune guest columnists (ahem) expose 1SI, Councilman Cappuccino.
Nobody listened to Eisenhower, either
Why is One Southern Indiana publicly endorsing a fundamentalist right wing agenda?
R.O.C.K. on, One Southern Indiana … but first, please answer these inconvenient questions.
