IS IT TRUE: March 11, 2012
IS IT TRUE that last night is the last time that we shall ever hear the words “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the championship game of the Big East basketball tournament, starting at forward for the University of Louisville is KYLE KURIC of Evansville, Indianaâ€?…that Kyle has made the most of his career at UL playing in 3 Big East championships, winning two, and starting in the last two?…that Kyle is the kind of student athlete that makes one proud every time you see him play and hear his name called on the PA system?…that this hometown superstar as they say will be “going pro in something else†someday as his four years with Coach Rick Pitino will result in a quality education as well as a spectacular set of basketball memories?…that someday soon the words Coach Kuric may be used somewhere or who knows Dr. Kuric fits well too?…that this kid should make us all proud and the CCO wishes Kyle and the Cardinals well in the upcoming NCAA Tournament?
IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville that just spent $127 Million on a downtown arena is struggling to figure out how to afford $100,000 per year to keep a particularly troublesome fire engine ready to respond?…that this 13 year old engine known as Quint 8 probably should be replaced at a cost of roughly $800,000 but the City only has $300,000 available?…that cities do sometimes have difficult times financially but seldom will we see such a blatant case of spending necessary funds of frivolity as the City of Evansville has during the last several years?…that whatever funds that then Mayor Weinzapfel was planning to spend on building Centennial Park down behind the old Greyhound Bus building should be enough to provide our firefighters with either a replacement for Quint 8, lease payments on a replacement, or even another round of necessary maintenance?…that the Mole Nation tells us that this cash shortfall is just the TIP OF THE ICEBERG that will be revealed over the next year or so with respect to “deferred†maintenance while the party kept on rolling?…that wherever the money to incent the construction of a downtown Convention Hotel could be accessed to keep our fire trucks road worthy?
IS IT TRUE that there seems to be nine Front Door Pride homes on the market for a combined total of just over $1.1 Million that could be discounted and sold to buy a fire truck with?…that there is a plan to convert the old safe house into 33 apartments at a cost that exceeds $240,000 per apartment?…that overspending to build Front Door Pride houses that no one wants at even half the cost to build them and planning to spend $240,000 of taxpayer money to refurb apartments for $240,000 each that could be bought in the free market for $20,000 each is enough to shock and amaze even a third grader that knows how to count change?…that if Evansville wants to have anything left for its needs then it has to stop squandering massive sums of money on things that are not needed or wanted?…that this is a good time for the Winnecke Administration to start taking a second look at the unnecessary and inflated projects that the Weinzapfel Administration put into play during its waning days?…that if you add it all up from unnecessary overpriced housing, to internet based water meter readers, to Centennial Park do not be surprised if the total planned partying exceeds $100,000,000?…that in a place that can’t afford to fix a fire truck the capital investment plan is in serious need of review?…that we may just find out that the McCurdy debacle and the Executive Inn dilemma are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the price of Evansville’s Kardashian wedding style of partying disguised as capital improvements?
you forgot the millions we are going to be required to spend to get the sewer system into shape to satisfy the EPA.
While the sentiments expressed surely are well intentioned, has the editor researched the sources of funds for each of the redevelopment projects from which he proposes to transfer money to fire department use? Are any of the funds the editor proposes to transfer in fact legally available to spend on fire department maintenance?
They probably are not but therein lies one of the problems. “Gee kids we have plenty of earmarked funds available for a trip to Disneyland with rooms at the Ritz but the food budget is empty so we can’t eat”. We know this is not just an Evansville problem too.
it’s a national problem from the federal government on down. We need to learn to live within our means.
We probably could if our governments did not spend $240k on apartments that they can buy for $20k, build houses that no one wants at half what they cost to build, and allocate money for luxuries when needs are not met. Maybe we need to go back to the good old days of $100 hammers and $500 toilet seats. The things that are going on now make those things look like bargains.
All your ultra-conservative political theories and your apparent anti-anything-you-designate-as-“machine” agenda aside, how do you propose the city pay for the fire department issues subject of your “editorials?”
At least part of the money that is being used to fund the arena could have been used to buy a brand new firetruck. Maintenance may be a different issue. This is just one example of how funneling money to the arena hurts the city as a whole. It is no longer available to fund anything else. Until it is paid for, it will ALWAYS cost more than it makes.
Which part of which fund, exactly?
Lets take a trip way out into fantasy land here and say, just for sh*ts and giggles, that the previous administration was up front with the public about the state of basic services and infrastructure in the city, and allowed the public to chose between a new $127. million downtown arena, or improving the fire protection fleet and concentrating on repairing or replacing ancient infrastructure and cleaning up the city.
What do you think the people would have chosen?…… Your right! Weinzapfel knew that also, and that is exactly why he crafted his arena plan in a way to remove taxpayers from having ANY VOICE in his project.
That is government at its degenerate worst.
Now comes the new administration and its assessment of of some of the city’s needs. The problem is that as the last mayor was running up the capital debt for the city, some of the city’s largest employers took a nose dive.
We have multiple large publicly owned entertainment facilities and a zoo, none of which are self supporting financially, and we have a shrinking tax base into the mix.
So lets get real here, belt tightening is the order of the day for local government and it will call for some exceptional individuals who know that regardless of the pain involved in some of their decisions, it is the only path back to a fiscally sound city.
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Bravo Sir
Your response is crafted to appeal to the same people who have opposed the downtown arena from the beginning. But you did not answer the question as to which fund allocated to the arena could otherwise have been spent on fire truck maintenance/replacement.
Well said Press, spot on !
Firetrucks before Stadium (Arena). Start using the Aztar money to pay for Capital items and infrastructure. Make up the portion of Aztar which previously paid for the Arena bonds with “budget cuts”, and yes, that will include workers. The next consulting study needs to be one to identify all possible budget cuts. I think people will be amazed at the amount of waste from no-bid contracts, long-term “droolers”, etc. at the Civic Center.
Is it true that if a journalist calls around to a few fire department captains, he may be able to gather a few facts, figures, and insights into the issue at hand?
Ergo: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/mar/10/maintenance-maintenance-maintenance/
What happened to the money from Aztar, that was to be allotted to the EVV fire dept.? Was it diverted to cover some of Weinzapfel’s deals? I believe some of it was taken to buy more take home cars for the police dept..
What happened to the $15 mil. Aztar gave to Weinzapfel to use at his discretion? Did he burn through all of it before leaving office?
How about getting back the $800,000 from the McCurdy Project to help pay for what is needed in the town…and, that $600,000 Plus parking lot area next to the McCurdy sell it to whoever develops the building…..I just read another News Article tonight stating more towns are beginning to cut Pensions, Benefits, Insurance to City and County folks just to stay alive, otherwise they have to file for Bankruptcy: these are TOWNS….Our Vanderburgh County Budget is 75% JUST on what is needed for Employees….THAT is Too much money in just one area, IMO…also, the City County area that is just “sitting” there vacant for a few years at the cost of $500,000 a year…the old Jail…how about combining more City County offices, or add in another downtown Incubator. Sell off the other property NOT doing anything or of use….learn to sell it off. What are you hanging on to…really….It is 2012, and Creativity needs to start taking place. Not the continuous creativity of padding each other pockets to stiff the local Taxpayers….get back the $800,000 on the McCurdy building…why is that “all right” to over look and folks that embezzled money in the Counties and in Kentucky around us from a few thousand dollars to several thousands of dollars got the correct attention. Where are the ones looking at the Budget, really!
No one is around. There are so many other things that can get those Firetrucks…..No one in office to help get it turned around…..and, it needs to be turned around to FUND much needed things like this and the local Parks, the repaving of Roads, golly, help those people with their sewers, and the general upkeep of local public buildings. Good Luck, something needs to be done. C Average or even less in this. IMO.
Let’s face it, Wienie-Zapple shoved the Arena down our throats so that he could demand kickbacks from contaractors to him via his campaign fund. Let’s face it, at the very least one-half of the population of Evansville did Not want the Arena built, but the Courier pulled out all of the stops just so they could help their buddy the mayor while simultaneously screwing the taxpayers. And what did the Courier get in return from Wienie-Boy? How about huge drop in circulation?
And what about the 2012 version of Whiny-Zapple? Is he anywhere to be found? Is he living off his campaign contributions? Does anyone know what has become of him? More to the point: Does anyone care?
Hopefully he has already left town for good.
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