“IS IT TRUE” JULY 10, 2018

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We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

IS IT TRUE the revelation that Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr., CPA hasn’t paid the $369,000 in Victory Theater bills for 2017 has really got the attention of many people?  …he has taken $369,000 from the 2018 city budget to pay for the operating expenses of the Victory Theater for 2017 without City Council knowledge or approval?  …we wonder where  City Controller Lloyd is going to find the money to pay for the Victory Theater bills for 2018?  …we wonder why someone hasn’t contacted the Indiana State Board of Accounts to report this questionable transaction?

IS IT TRUE last week it was announced that the Thunderbolts Head coach and General Manager are moving on to greener pastures?  …we wish them the best in the future? …their unexpected departure leaves some daunting questions concerning the Thunderbolts hockey team past, present, and future financial activities?

IS IT TRUE to understand what economic risk if any that VenuWorks of Evansville LLC may have with respect to the Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey team, one must first examine addendum #6 to the legal contract agreement between VenuWorks and the City of Evansville that was discreetly funneled through the Evansville Redevelopment Commission? … this legal agreement deals with the operation and control of the Evansville Thunderbolts?  …in addendum #6 of this legal contract, it stated: “VenuWorks shall be entitled to utilize facility (Ford Center) staff and resources reasonably necessary in connection with its operation of the SPHL Franchise?”  … during any such periods in which VenuWorks operates the SPHL Franchise, ALL OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE SPHL FRANCHISE SHALL BE DEEMED AN EXPENSE OF THE FACILITY (Ford Center) AND ALL OPERATING REVENUES OF THE SPHL FRANCHISE SHALL BE DEEMED A REVENUE OF THE FACILITY (Ford Center)?”

IS IT TRUE the taxpayers and City Council members need to know who is responsible for the paying the for the administrative, support staff and players salaries of the Evansville Thunderbolts? …the taxpayers and City Council members need to know who is paying for the yearly SPHL franchise fees? …the taxpayers and City Council members need to know who is responsible for away games travel expenses (transportation, meals, and lodging) for the Thunderbolts?  …the taxpayers and members of City Council need to know who is paying for the medical costs for injured players for the Thunderbolts?  …the taxpayers and City Council members need to know who is responsible for paying for the marketing of the Thunderbolts?  …the taxpayers and City Council members need to know who is responsible to pay the costs of providing housing for the Thunderbolts players?  …the taxpayers and City Council members need to know who is responsible to pay for all the costs in getting the FORD CENTER ready for the Thunderbolts to play hockey?

IS IT TRUE it’s obvious the taxpayers and members of the Evansville City Council need to have an accurate and detailed breakdown down of the profit and loss statements for the 2017-18 Thunderbolt hockey season?  …its also obvious that the taxpayers and City Council members need to know where is the Ford Center getting the money to cover any possible losses incurred by the Evansville Thunderbolts?

IS IT TRUE that the boys of summer are out in force and baseball is drawing faithful crowds to Bosse Field to see the Evansville Otters attempt to make the playoffs?…once upon a time when Russ Lloyd Jr. was Mayor of Evansville we were very close to having an AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers playing in a $20 Million downtown baseball stadium?…all of the big shots in town were behind the project and the location was chosen to be where “The District” now sits?… The District has seen a parade of ribbon cuttings followed by closings and just recently was dealt a blow when RiRa’s closed?

IS IT TRUE the reason that Evansville missed out on the AAA Dodgers Affiliate is because Jonathan Weinzapfel made it a campaign issue deriding Mayor Lloyd for “taking us all out to the ball game” with a wasteful downtown baseball stadium where a court jester ran the bases?…the silly commercial worked and the baseball stadium was cancelled?…four years later when Weinzapfel became Mayor he forgot about how a $20 million baseball stadium was the butt of jokes and borrowed $127 million for the Ford Center that has never even paid its own operating expenses much less it’s $8 million per year mortgage?…it looks like we got taken out to the old ballgame after all?

IS IT TRUE that last Friday the Vanderburgh County Commissioners in conjunction with the Old Courthouse Foundation, Sheriff’s Office and the Vanderburgh Bicenntenial Committee hosted another successful “Lunch On The Lawn” event?  …that this event was the best one yet?  …this event offered many family-friendly activities such as a zip line, red-white-and Blue popsicles, food stands and more? …we are pleased to learn that the Vanderburgh County Commissioners and the Old Courthouse Foundation decided to build a   Bicentennial Park downtown?  …we are told that the downtown Bicentennial Park will be self-funded and paid for out of the funds from the Old Courthouse Foundation?

Todays “Readers Poll” question Is: Do you feel that the Winnecke Administration should give a detailed explanation to City Council on how much did it costs the City to subsidize the Thunderbolt Hockey team for 2017-18?

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12 COMMENTS

  1. The Thunderbolts were an awkward contrivance from the oddball rollout. Born from hoary old ice shavings in one of those little parking lot stands that sell flavored ice. Sired amid raucous laughter after dining on roasted pig. Never anything real about them except the expenses.

    Maybe that ‘superfan’ will step up again and explain how he came to bequeath ‘his’ beloved team to the taxpayers of Evansville.

  2. There isn’t a single administration person, council member or commission administrator that will honestly discuss or provide the financial information regarding the hockey team fiasco. Maybe if Levco gets elected he’ll call a grand jury to investigate the fraud. If he did so, I bet there will be people in addition to the GM and head coach leaving to pursue “other opportunities”, outside the reach of the grand jury subpoena. Alas, wishful thinking but I don’t know how else any truthful information comes out. Doesn’t matter, the taxpayer can afford continued fleecing for a useless hockey team along with ever higher water and sewer rates, a declining homestead credit not to even consider Vectren’s thievery? {Sarcasm Sheldon}
    Waste at EVSC?, that’s for another day.

  3. Watched the MSNBC leftist meltdown last night and the choreographed protests at the Supreme Court building with banners that had the nominee’s name pre-printed. Yep, just like they make baseball caps for both teams in a championship game and the the unused caps are destroyed. Trump could have nominated Barack Hussein Obama and the left wing nut bags would have protested that:
    ……………………………
    “Following President Trump’s Monday evening nomination of judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy’s now-vacant seat, hundreds of protesters outside the Supreme Court broke open boxes of pre-printed “Stop Kavanaugh” signs – wasting a substantial amount of paper as the other Supreme Court nominees’ pre-printed protest banners went unused.”

    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-10/pop-protests-erupt-after-trump-picks-kavanaugh-supreme-court

    • They don’t destroy the losing team’s championship hats, shirts, etc. They donate them to third world countries. I ran the Mexico City marathon in the mid nineties and many spectators were wearing Super Bowl champions shirts for the losing team.

  4. Trump has annoyed the Muslim open border crowd. Well done Mr. President!
    …………………………
    “Executive Director of the open borders organization Muslim Advocates, Farhana Khera, is asking Senate Democrats and Republicans to stop President Trump’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

    In a statement released hours after Trump announced Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, Khera said Kavanaugh on the high court would give a “green light” to the president’s “bigoted agenda.”

    https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/09/muslim-leader-brett-kavanaugh-will-green-light-trumps-bigoted-agenda/

    • Love these elite leftist meltdowns! Who knew that Trump wants to adopt “Shariah law”???
      ……………
      “Hollywood elites reacted with pure anger and outrage Monday night as President Donald Trump announced Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as his nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

      Marvel director Joss Whedon warned that “considering this nomination will cement the first American dictatorship.”

      Actor Ron Perlman presumed that a Justice Kavanaugh would bring America “back to Medieval Values, Shariah Law even, where old, bitter men get to tell women what is best for their bodies, lives, and well being is as done a deal as this is Twitter. Unless we say NO! NO!”

      https://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2018/07/10/hollywood-resistance-freaks-over-kavanaugh-nomination-will-cement-the-first-american-dictatorship/

  5. You said “baseball stadium” above? Do you realize from NOvember to April it would sit idle? Give a rest!

    • Nooe. They could hold the Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival Redux (a.k.a., Bull Island II) in it during the downtime.
      Whinney and/or Little Lloyd would probably be in attendance since they’re both good at blowing smoke…

  6. Look at the Fraud Center. It sits unused the biggest part of the time. Money from the community, circling the drain of the abyss, known as Evansville politics. At least baseball would have been interesting. There are sure some contributors on the forum that must be part if the problem. Some if their remarks are comical!!!

  7. The main reason that the Ford Center does not make money IS Venuworks and overpriced concessions. The Thunderbolts need to go!

    • Actually if you run the numbers arenas are darn near impossible to run at a profit if there is a bond to be serviced. Ford Center loses just under a million per year on operations. Then there are those pesky bonds that require another $8 million per year. That literally means that to cover all of the operations and make the payments a $10 million profit would need to be made from operations. Lets play accountant. If there are 100 events per year and the events average paying attendees each that amounts to 250,000 total attendees per year. That means to have $10 million in free cash flow that each attendee must spend enough cash to generate a $40 profit each. At a 10% net profit margin which is quite good that means each person will have to spend $400. Sorry folks, that is not going to happen. Warren Buffet could not manage the Ford Center to profitability when debt service is required. He also has never invested in arenas. There is a good reason for that, they all lose money until they are paid for. Even then it is a challenge because they are old and need to be upgraded to keep people interested. This was a boondoggle from day one that was sold to the public as an arena that would pay for itself and attract a new hotel without a subsidy. Never forget that as nice as the Ford Center is architecturally it has already picked the taxpayers pockets for over $50 million in debt service and operating losses. Roberts Stadium was profitable but it was paid for. It did need some serious work to be impressive though.

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