“IS IT TRUE” OCTOBER 14, 2019

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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 that 5th Ward City Councilman Justin Elpers has decided to do something about the serious shortfall in the City employee’s health plan this year? …Mr. Elpers is sponsoring an ordinance at tonight’s Council meeting that addresses this serious deficit budget problem? …we are told that people will be watching City Council members see how thy vote on this ‘Good Public Policy” issue? …it’s also time for City Council to put out an RFP request to area insurance carriers to find a more affordable employee health care plan?

IS IT TRUE many people are disappointed that the local nursing programs at IVY TECH-Evansville  have not been allowed to go downtown leaving the medical student count at less than 200? …because of this decision, the Downtown IU Medical School has a less economic impact on the downtown than the once projected student count of over 2,000 would have?

IS IT TRUE that local GOP party Chairmen Wayne Parke posted the following comment in yesterday’s CCO “Readers Comment Section”?  …Mr. Parke said; “There are a lot better Evansville At-Large City Council Candidates than Alex Schmitt. He is the 1st candidate to be fined by the Vanderburgh County Election Board for filing an improper campaign report.”?   …we are told that every time Mr. Parke says something negative about Mr. Schmitt it improves his chances of being elected?

IS IT TRUE we are told that several people are wondering why the Evansville DMD isn’t considering helping the Center City, Northside and West Franklin Street areas merchants with facade grants, low-interest loans for renovations of loft apartments and street and sidewalk repairs?

IS IT TRUE when former CCO editor and celebrated book publisher CEO from Palm Springs, California was asked about the CCO publishing a printed newspaper his answer was surprising?…Mr. Wallace quickly pointed out that newsrooms across the country that are delivering print products are on a 20-year shrinking spree with most newsrooms having significantly less than the reporters they had 10 years ago?

IS IT TRUE the election for the Evansville City Council begins in earnest during the Westside Nut Club Fall Festival?  …Candidates for Mayor and City Council alike were glad-handing with anyone who listens to them? …a small fortune was spent on tee shirts, balloons, pens, hats, munchy maps?  …now its time to accelerate the door to door campaigning and mail out the expensive political mailers? …just in case some of the City Council Council candidates forgot or didn’t know the voters care more about political platforms and less about what party they represent?

IS IT TRUE that a couple of our readers pointed out that the Republican At-Large candidate Ron Beaane’s recent campaign mailer stated that he is a small business owner?  …it should have stated that years ago he was an owner of a local neighborhood tavern?

IS IT TRUE we find it extremely interesting that several individuals who served on the ECHO Housing Board Of Directors during the time that a large sum of taxpayers dollars was discovered missing are still members of the board?  …we hope that they learned from this most embarrassing experience and now have become a “Good Stewart Of The Public Trust”?

IS IT TRUE in 1998 the Teamsters Local 215 established a Taft-Hartley Scholarship Fund? …the Trustees of the fund are Chuck Whobrey and Rick Voyles as employee Trustees and two Employer Trustees? ..since 1998 the fund has awarded over $3.5 Million Dollars in Scholarships to sons and daughters of Teamsters members whose employers contribute to the fund? …we look forward to publishing what worthy students will be awarded this scholarship for this year? …the CCO gives five (5) cheers to the Teamsters  Local 215 for establishing the Taft-Hartley Scholarship Fund?

IS IT TRUE the silliest false claim ever made by local leaders was that moving Roberts Stadium from Boeke Road to the new downtown Ford Center would immediately constitute the creation of many new jobs?….to think that moving a job from point A to point B created a new job takes a special kind of stupid?

IS IT TRUE  we would like to thank Ella-Watson Johnson Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Department public relations officer for sending us important news releases in a timely manner?  …we wish that Mayor Winnecke’s new PR guy would do similar?

IS IT TRUE that several months ago we urged City Council members not to buy into the statement that a salvage company will dismantle the old LST dock located at Marina Point for salvage value only?  …it looks like that didn’t heed our warning?

Today’s “Readers Poll” question is: If the election was held today in the City Council 1st Ward who would you vote for?

FOOTNOTES: This year’s awards luncheon will be held at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B. The registration begins at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon on October 25, 2019.  The Keynote speaker will be announced later this week.

Reservations for this event may be obtained by calling Mollie Darke-Schieber at 812-760-4233.  The deadline for registration is October 22, 2019. Last year’s event was a sellout.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Just read where if the half-pot from the Fall Festival isn’t claimed in 30 days, the Nut Club will keep the whole amount instead of trying to have someone else get a chance by drawing another winning number. Pretty chintzy, eh, Nut Club?

  2. Hopefully, during tonight’s Council, Mr. Elpers might ask Russ Lloyd about the State Board of Accounts’ strong recommendation to implement a “Spending Plan” and the particulars of that plan. Or, do we expect more increases in our taxes, i.e. full elimination of the homestead credit and other fees. Perhaps he might consider raising the question of why the IT budget was moved to the Water and Sewer Utility.

  3. So we have some board members of ECHO that were there when they had some misconduct charges. Robert Dion is still on the board of the HRC after committing an act unbecoming of a college professor sitting on a board funded by the city and county.

  4. “IS IT TRUE many people are disappointed that the local nursing programs at IVY TECH-Evansville have not been allowed to go downtown leaving the medical student count at less than 200? …because of this decision, the Downtown IU Medical School has a less economic impact on the downtown than the once projected student count of over 2,000 would have?”

    Yeah, lots of folks were fooled by that logic. Sure, some students/residents were added, but the majority of those students were already based here in Evansville and living somewhere. No new housing for students needed, which meant few new restaurants, businesses, etc. Just moved the students to one location instead of UE and USI. And when the students were asked where they wanted the school, they said on the east side (Burkhart or Newburgh). So the city spends $50 million to put it downtown with very little economic impact. Looks nice, though.

  5. IS IT TRUE that local GOP party Chairmen Wayne Parke posted the following comment in yesterday’s CCO “Readers Comment Section”? …Mr. Parke said; “There are a lot better Evansville At-Large City Council Candidates than Alex Schmitt. He is the 1st candidate to be fined by the Vanderburgh County Election Board for filing an improper campaign report.”? …we are told that every time Mr. Parke says something negative about Mr. Schmitt it improves his chances of being elected?

    Editor: You and your readers should spend some time investigating the gross campaign filling errors Alex Schmitt made in his legally required campaign filing. Also check out what attorney Scott Danks has to say about Alex Schmitt. AS I said there are much better City Council At-Large Candidates than Alex. Voters have an opportunity to vote for up to 3 candidates for the at-large positions but they do not have to vote for three–I suggest voting for two– Ron Beame and David Christmas.

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