Team Hammond will be taking a break for the Holidays. There will be no meetings in November or December.
The next regular meeting will be the last Tuesday in January, 2012.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Rittenmeyer On Ethics in Local Government
October Team Hammond Meeting
Guest Speaker: Shared Ethics Advisory Commission
DENNIS RITTENMEYER
ETHICS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tuesday, October 25
6:30 PM Meet and Greet --- 7 PM Program
Everyone is invited -- Bring a friend
NOTE THE NEW LOCATION
Community room of the Main Branch of
Hammond Public Library
564 State Street, Hammond, IN
(Across the street from All Saints Church)
Guest Speaker: Shared Ethics Advisory Commission
DENNIS RITTENMEYER
ETHICS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tuesday, October 25
6:30 PM Meet and Greet --- 7 PM Program
Everyone is invited -- Bring a friend
NOTE THE NEW LOCATION
Community room of the Main Branch of
Hammond Public Library
564 State Street, Hammond, IN
(Across the street from All Saints Church)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Mike Repay On How Government Works -- or Doesn't Work!
Mike Repay, newly elected Lake County Councilman will bring his unique view and experience in government work to the next Team Hammond Taxpayers Group meeting for an open discussion on what makes government work -- and what does not work.
He also will bring the new Lake County Government Budget for 2012, and will be available to answer questions on where our money goes when it heads off to Lake County government.
The meeting will be held in a new location -- the Hayward Branch of the Hammond Public Library. The date is Tuesday, September 27. Meet and Greet is at 6:30 PM, the meeting will start promptly at 7 PM.
He also will bring the new Lake County Government Budget for 2012, and will be available to answer questions on where our money goes when it heads off to Lake County government.
The meeting will be held in a new location -- the Hayward Branch of the Hammond Public Library. The date is Tuesday, September 27. Meet and Greet is at 6:30 PM, the meeting will start promptly at 7 PM.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Cid to be Speaker for August Team Hammond Meeting
Lake County Councilwoman Christine Cid will be the guest speaker at the Tuesday August 30 Team Hammond Taxpayers Group meeting. Councilwoman Cid will address the issue of "Cutting the County Budget: a work in progress"
The meeting will be held Tuesday, August 30. Meet and Greet is at 6:30 PM; the program will begin promptly at 7 PM. The meeting will be held in the Community room of the Main Branch of Hammond Public Library, 564 State Street, Hammond, IN
Please note this is a new meeting location for Team Hammond.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, August 30. Meet and Greet is at 6:30 PM; the program will begin promptly at 7 PM. The meeting will be held in the Community room of the Main Branch of Hammond Public Library, 564 State Street, Hammond, IN
Please note this is a new meeting location for Team Hammond.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Conservancy District Information
There will be a special informational meeting Thursday evening June 24 on the proposed Conservancy District plan. Team Hammond is joining with other groups to provide this chance to get your questions on the controversial proposal answered. The meeting will be held at Lincoln’s restaurant in Highland from 6:30 to 9 PM.
Also there will be an important public discussion of the Conservancy Distict plan at the Hammond City Council meeting on Monday night, June 26.
The meeting in Highland, at Lincoln’s Restaurant 2813 Highway avenue will be your chance to get questions answered, so you can make up your mind and speak your piece at the Hammond City Council meeting. (Lincoln's restaurant is just north of Ridge road, and a little east of Kennedy ave)
Just a reminder - there will be no regular Team Hammond Meeting in June or July. The regular meetings will resume in August.
For more info on the conservancy district or team Hammond meetings, call 678-6761.
Also there will be an important public discussion of the Conservancy Distict plan at the Hammond City Council meeting on Monday night, June 26.
The meeting in Highland, at Lincoln’s Restaurant 2813 Highway avenue will be your chance to get questions answered, so you can make up your mind and speak your piece at the Hammond City Council meeting. (Lincoln's restaurant is just north of Ridge road, and a little east of Kennedy ave)
Just a reminder - there will be no regular Team Hammond Meeting in June or July. The regular meetings will resume in August.
For more info on the conservancy district or team Hammond meetings, call 678-6761.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May General Meeting
The May general meeting of Team Hammond Taxpayers Group will be Tuesday evening May 30 at the Woodmar United Methodist Church. Meet and Greet will begin at 6:30, the meeting will begin at 7 PM.
The subject will be Hammond's Casino money-- where does it come from and where does it go?
The subject will be Hammond's Casino money-- where does it come from and where does it go?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Candidates Night at April Meeting
The April meeting of Team Hammond Taxpayers' Group will be Tuesday evening, April 26 at the Woodmar United Methodist Church at 7230 Northcote in Hammond.
Candidates running in the May 3 Primary are invited for an open forum. Depending on how many candidates come, time will be allotted for each candidate to make a brief statement, followed by an open forum for those attending to ask questions.
Come meet and talk to those seeking to guide Hammond into the next era.
Meet and Greet at 6:30, open forum will begin at 7 PM.
Candidates running in the May 3 Primary are invited for an open forum. Depending on how many candidates come, time will be allotted for each candidate to make a brief statement, followed by an open forum for those attending to ask questions.
Come meet and talk to those seeking to guide Hammond into the next era.
Meet and Greet at 6:30, open forum will begin at 7 PM.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
March Team Hammond Meeting
Team Hammond Taxpayers Group will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, March 29, at the Woodmar United Methodist Church at 7320 Northcote in Hammond.
The program will be in two parts. First a presentation on how to be a Hammond citizen watchdog, and learni to follow where and how your tax money is spent.
The second part of the program will take advantage of the non-partisan makeup of Team Hammond, with both Republican and Democrat candidates attending. A moderated forum will ask citizens to tell candidates How To Make Hammond Better.
Meet and greet with candidates will begin at 6:30; the program begins at 7 PM.
The program will be in two parts. First a presentation on how to be a Hammond citizen watchdog, and learni to follow where and how your tax money is spent.
The second part of the program will take advantage of the non-partisan makeup of Team Hammond, with both Republican and Democrat candidates attending. A moderated forum will ask citizens to tell candidates How To Make Hammond Better.
Meet and greet with candidates will begin at 6:30; the program begins at 7 PM.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
"February" meeting planned for March 1
The Primary election in Hammond promises to be very exciting. Several Team Hammond regulars have filed to run for office.
Because this is a very busy time, we are rescheduling the February meeting for Tuesday March 1. The meeting will be held at the Woodmar United Methodist Church, 7320 Northcote in Hammond. Meet and Greet at 6:30, meeting at 7.
This meeting will be very important -- we will be discussing plans for the new year, including the questions of what issues Team Hammond wants to address in the coming Legislative agenda.
With Better Government a highlight of our mission, we will also be discussing how best to achieve that in the coming year, especially with the important elections on the horizon.
Hope to see you all there!
Because this is a very busy time, we are rescheduling the February meeting for Tuesday March 1. The meeting will be held at the Woodmar United Methodist Church, 7320 Northcote in Hammond. Meet and Greet at 6:30, meeting at 7.
This meeting will be very important -- we will be discussing plans for the new year, including the questions of what issues Team Hammond wants to address in the coming Legislative agenda.
With Better Government a highlight of our mission, we will also be discussing how best to achieve that in the coming year, especially with the important elections on the horizon.
Hope to see you all there!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Questions to Bosma focus on education
Indiana house speaker addressed 100 people in town hall meeting at IPFW.
By Bob Caylor
of The News-Sentinel
Brian Bosma, the speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, came to Fort Wayne to hear what people think, and he found they’re thinking about education. Nearly all the questions he fielded during a two-hour town hall meeting Wednesday night at IPFW pertained to charter schools, vouchers or funding for public schools.
Bosma, an Indianapolis Republican, spoke for a few minutes before he took questions. In that time, he outlined the top priorities the General Assembly faces.
Topping the list, of course, is squaring spending with estimated revenues over the next two years. “We have a 2011 budget with 2005 state revenues,” he told more than 100 attendees. They filled all the chairs in three joined meeting rooms, packed open spaces to standing room only, and listened in an adjoining lounge and hallways. Bosma said revenues had never dropped to levels of six years ago, “not even during the Depression.”
Since both parties agree they won’t raise taxes to make ends meet, the answer is that most schools, social service agencies and other state-funded entities must “continue to do more with less,” he said.
Other top priorities this year include passing education reform, encouraging economic recovery (including finding a way to support unemployment insurance), redrawing legislative districts in line with 2010 census findings and bringing a return to civil debate in the legislature, Bosma said.
In answering the first question, Bosma affirmed his support for some mix of measures that will promote charter schools or possibly other alternatives to public schools.
“We need to give parents as many options as possible,” he said. That might include making it easier for school boards or groups of parents to start charter schools.
A more extreme measure – a “nuclear option,” Bosma said – would be enabling parents to get a portion of the funding used for their children in public schools if they move their children to nonpublic schools.
Many in the audience were teachers and let Bosma know they have strong qualms about making it easier to pull funding from public schools. The best-known of those who urged Bosma to be cautious was Mark GiaQuinta, president of the Fort Wayne Community Schools board.
“The biggest threat to educating kids the way we all want to educate them is getting to them early enough,” he told Bosma. Peeling more resources away from public school systems will make it even more difficult to provide exemplary early education for children, he said.
By Bob Caylor
of The News-Sentinel
Brian Bosma, the speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, came to Fort Wayne to hear what people think, and he found they’re thinking about education. Nearly all the questions he fielded during a two-hour town hall meeting Wednesday night at IPFW pertained to charter schools, vouchers or funding for public schools.
Bosma, an Indianapolis Republican, spoke for a few minutes before he took questions. In that time, he outlined the top priorities the General Assembly faces.
Topping the list, of course, is squaring spending with estimated revenues over the next two years. “We have a 2011 budget with 2005 state revenues,” he told more than 100 attendees. They filled all the chairs in three joined meeting rooms, packed open spaces to standing room only, and listened in an adjoining lounge and hallways. Bosma said revenues had never dropped to levels of six years ago, “not even during the Depression.”
Since both parties agree they won’t raise taxes to make ends meet, the answer is that most schools, social service agencies and other state-funded entities must “continue to do more with less,” he said.
Other top priorities this year include passing education reform, encouraging economic recovery (including finding a way to support unemployment insurance), redrawing legislative districts in line with 2010 census findings and bringing a return to civil debate in the legislature, Bosma said.
In answering the first question, Bosma affirmed his support for some mix of measures that will promote charter schools or possibly other alternatives to public schools.
“We need to give parents as many options as possible,” he said. That might include making it easier for school boards or groups of parents to start charter schools.
A more extreme measure – a “nuclear option,” Bosma said – would be enabling parents to get a portion of the funding used for their children in public schools if they move their children to nonpublic schools.
Many in the audience were teachers and let Bosma know they have strong qualms about making it easier to pull funding from public schools. The best-known of those who urged Bosma to be cautious was Mark GiaQuinta, president of the Fort Wayne Community Schools board.
“The biggest threat to educating kids the way we all want to educate them is getting to them early enough,” he told Bosma. Peeling more resources away from public school systems will make it even more difficult to provide exemplary early education for children, he said.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Team Hammond General Meeting
The first Team Hammond meeting of the New Year will be on Tuesday, January 25 at the Woodmar United Methodist Church at 7320 Northcote. Meet andGreet at 6:30 PM, meeting at 7 PM
Now that the property tax caps are in place, we will be starting to put together the agenda for 2011. The Indiana State legislature has an ambitious agenda that includes many issues that will affect communities like Hammond.
School reform is a key issue. Redistricting of course will be a big issue, as will local government issues that could eliminate or significantly change the function of townships. Another issue near and dear to the hearts of those in Lake County will be the governor’s initiative to curb nepotism.
THe primary election in May and the general electionn in November will mean lots of discussion of candidates and issues.
Plan to come to the meeting on Tuesday Jan. 25 and help Team Hammond plan their direction for the new year.
Now that the property tax caps are in place, we will be starting to put together the agenda for 2011. The Indiana State legislature has an ambitious agenda that includes many issues that will affect communities like Hammond.
School reform is a key issue. Redistricting of course will be a big issue, as will local government issues that could eliminate or significantly change the function of townships. Another issue near and dear to the hearts of those in Lake County will be the governor’s initiative to curb nepotism.
THe primary election in May and the general electionn in November will mean lots of discussion of candidates and issues.
Plan to come to the meeting on Tuesday Jan. 25 and help Team Hammond plan their direction for the new year.