IS IT TRUE JULY 31, 2015

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IS IT TRUE “when people fear the government we have Tyranny but when government fear the people we have Liberty”?

IS IT TRUE at yesterdays “Weaver and Burton” political fund raiser held at a local Westside Tavern generated some interesting comments?  …some of the Union leaders announced that they want Winnecke to be re-elected Mayor and thereafter they would like to have a Democratic Mayor?  …this is what one would call “Vision 2020″?

IS IT TRUE if Gail Riecken is elected Mayor of Evansville this will be the biggest political plum that the State Democratic party will have in the last 15 years. …if this happens she shall be the first female Mayor in Evansville’s 200 year history?

IS IT TRUE we hear that Republican Michelle Mercer City Council At Large Candidate is really getting the attention of voters across party lines …every time we turn around we see Michelle shaking hands and introducing herself to the voters? …it’s obvious that Michelle is in the race to win?

IS IT TRUE another CCO poster yesterday said. “A groups of concerned Hoosiers set up a meeting today with Senator Tomes to ask that there be a public hearing held in Evansville prior to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approving Vectren’s energy efficiency plan (which ratepayers will have to pay for on their bill ). Tomes attended the meeting — HE BROUGHT ALONG VECTEN’S LOBBYIST!!!!!! Who did his constituents elect? Who’s running the state? Please share. Guess what – no request for a hearing- you’ll learn about your tab when it silently finds it way onto your Vectren statement”? Say a big thank you to Senator Tomes.

IS IT TRUE the FOR LEASE sign has been removed from the $535,000 dilapidated and vacant CVS building located on Columbia and North Main earlier today? …we wonder what motivated someone at DMD to take down the sign? …our guess was “out of sight out of mind’ played a major role in this politically motivated move?  …since the City cannot find a tenant for the building, look for Kelley Coures, DMD Director to find someone to occupy the is building at LITTLE OR NO RENT?

IS IT TRUE we hear that the local Fire Fighters Union has invite City Council At Large Candidate Alex Burton back for a followup interview to determine if any additional endorsements will be forthcoming?   …we wonder if others who were not endorsed will be afforded the same opportunity?

IS IT TRUE people in the know are alleging that Alex Burton won the primary by receiving a large number of “One Punch” votes from the Center City? …that people are saying Councilman Weaver held a political fundraiser yesterday with Burton for the sole purpose of convincing him to share the political wealth?

Please take time and vote in today’s “Readers Poll”. Don’t miss reading today’s Feature articles because they are always an interesting read. New addition to the CCO is the Cause of Death reports generated by the Vanderburgh County Health Department.

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52 COMMENTS

  1. Mr Burton’s decision to affiliate with Weaver raises serious questions about Mr. Burton’s judgment.

    • Gun nut Tomes gave us the lawsuit by his fellow gun freak the opportunist Ben Magenheimer. He is unfit to continue to serve in the state legislature.

    • He brought the one person who could answer all their questions, and you are going to beat him over the head for it?

      I do not like the plan that allows VECTREN to use their wholly owned subsidiary, Miller Pipeline Inc., to try to accomplish on an accelerated schedule the upgrade of outside plant that they had neglected for years on end. Not only is the public’s pocket being picked by this program, but you can add the Evansville Water & Sewer Department to the mix with their accelerated program, by EPA mandate, for upgrading sewers after decades of neglect.

      The cold hard facts staring local citizens in the face is that for all rate payers of VECTREN and Evansville Water & Sewer, in addition to the common rate increases they have experienced in the past, they will be seeing these additional IURC approved program rate increases every 6 months until in VECTREN’s case the program sunsets, and in the Water & Sewer Department’s case Evansville is finally able to comply with EPA regulations.

  3. “IS IT TRUE if Gail Riecken is elected Mayor of Evansville this will be the biggest political plum that the State Democratic party will have in the last 15 years. …if this happens she shall be the first female Mayor in Evansville’s 200 year history?”

    So what? How does that improve our lot? If you think about it, it was the Democrats who gave us Winnecke in the first place.

    • No, it was hardshell unthinking Republicans like yourself that gave us Winnecke and want to do it again. Gail is a good person and an effective legislator, much smarter than Winnecke or his screwed up handlers and supporters. She’ll make us a fine mayor.

      Your flip, smart alecky responses to the editor’s legitimate points are about what we’d expect when you can’t muster a civil reply. I look for you to fall into your persecutÄ“Ä“ mode before the sun goes down. Cast your vote for Winnecke, as you will. It means nothing, it just underscores what has already become painfully obvious.

      • What I think is we need to hold these candidates’ feet to the fire on the questions of real concern. Gail is a Weinzapfel clone also. If we make her stand up on the real issues, then perhaps we stand a chance of change.

        What I am suggesting is we might be better off with Winnecke ineptness than a Reiken who might accomplish.

        Really, we are all in a lose lose situation and should not allow that to cause rifts between us.

        • Okay, but I don’t agree she’s a Weinzapfel clone or that we’re better off with Winnecke’s ineptness. Being inept should never be a reason to be re-elected no matter who the opposition is. He is still managing to throw millions away on studies, etc. and really hasn’t spent that 20 million yet, but will.

          If he is re-elected he’ll have a compliant, handpicked City Council to stamp his wishes. Gail does know how to get things done, he doesn’t. If she’s elected there just isn’t going to be much if any money available for her to throw away, of course the same applies to Winnecke. Weinzapfel took care of that. I do not think he should be rewarded with a second term and fear even with the city’s pockets empty he’ll still be able to do more damage.

        • My connection went south and my reply might have been lost. Surest way to have it show up later is try to write & post it again. So …

          Okay, but I don’t think Gail is a Weinzpafel clone. Winnecke is indeed inept but that should never be a reason to reward him with a second term, no matter who the opposition is. If Gail performed as he has I’d be writing the same stuff about her.

          If he gets back into office he’ll have a compliant, handpicked City Council to do his bidding. He will be working with a broke city (same if Gail is elected) and that will mitigate any further damage. However, I think he’d find a way to spend the lint out of the empty pockets (and he does have a money-finder extraordinaire on staff). He’s had his chance, he blew it. Him and his department heads seem to court federal suits. They are insanely expensive, win or lose, and we generally lose. We are on track to pay out a lot of cash money for them flaunting the law.

          I’ve never felt this way about a mayor in my life, but I really think Winnecke is weak, untrustworthy and bad for Evansville. Gail has a record as a legislator. Plenty to pick at there. Calling Winnecke the lesser of two evils doesn’t give her the credit she is due for her many years of public service.

          • Believe me, I know you always do, my position is not to award Winnecke, nor would I vote for the lesser of two evils. If that were the case I would. vote for Gail.

            I have two things in mind, maybe three.

            1) Have Gail make a public statements on the issues that matter so we might be able to hold her accountable. If she is all about transparency, then she needs to become less than opaque on the important concerns. I mean really Bandana, if you need a ride to Howell, ring me up and I carry you over there and back in the Studebaker.

            2) Relly on Winnecke’s legendary ineptness to keep accomplish nothing more than golden shovel moments. Does it really matter how many golden shovel moments he has?

            3) To pressure the true watch dog to bark rather than acting the lap dog.

      • Kiss me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you in favor of the arena when it was just a gleam in Weinzapfel’s eye?

        We should all be demanding better of our candidates. That’s why we’re get’n what we got’n. It’s time for the media to act like journalists rather than spin doctors.

        As I said, so what if the democrats are turning plum purple from excitement or that Gail would be the first woman mayor. We are passing up better options by accepting what the machine is cranking out.

        • I don’t remember having much of an opinion on the arena. It didn’t matter to me, it probably should have. Once they decided to shoehorn it in where they did I quit thinking about it altogether. Your question (and my answer) are totally immaterial to the crisis Evansville is facing as the machine gears up to reinstall our pitiful little accidental mayor.

          ☆ Gail Riecken For Mayor ☆

        • We should be demanding better candidates all around. The 2 currently running suck the big one.

    • I give a lot of Respect most of the time to your perspective IE,–but here I have to put the question to you,
      Where should we go,–do you think holding our breath will make both Winnecke and Riecken go away?
      Agreed the choices are pitiful in the coming election for the Evansville voters right on down to the Council Candidates. Winnicke’s Administration has proven itself a determent to the Citizen’s best interests, and the “2nd” City that lies outside of Downtown. Are you suggesting we need another term for Winnecke?
      I argue that you don’t hold that breath waiting for the Weinzapful clone to change his spots,
      Gail , warts and all, is the only choice at this point, if she doesn’t measure up to the Job, then she too can be a One term Mayor.

    • Enoch. “Improving our lot” is not important when you are “giddy for Gail”.

    • According to the drone owner it wasn’t over his property. Let the facts shake out and processes run their course before you get too giddy with your John Wayne fantasies. I’m sure they’ll investigate claims from both sides and figure out what happened.

  5. From King John to Winne the Pooh, we’re all losers. Career politician Gail won’t be any better (think sweetheart of a deal to dock the LST). We’re better off finding a way to resurrect the late Rick Davis or talking Mayor McFrank to come back.

  6. Alex Burton will vote on City Council exactly the way that Weaver, Mosby, Hargis/Melcher, Schriber/Mercer, Brinkmeyer, Elpers/Shoulders will vote. Try that on for a second. If Adams survives, for those that remember, we’ll return to the days where McGinn and Adams occasionally challenged the Mayor. There are absolutely no differences between the rest.

  7. IS IT TRUE if Gail Riecken is elected Mayor of Evansville this will be the biggest political plum that the State Democratic party will have in the last 15 years. …if this happens she shall be the first female Mayor in Evansville’s 200 year history?

    For years I’ve enjoyed reading the CCO. It’s one of the few news sources that’s not afraid of publishing news that is sometimes displeasing the Royal Court at 1MLK Blvd Palace.
    However, I’m so sick & tired of a candidate’s gender, race, etc. being touted as a benefit that the candidate would bring to office. WHO CARES? A candidate should be elected based on the merits of integrity, experience, intelligence, and their willingness to advance the prosperity of the citizens who elected them, without advancing their personal agenda.

    Based on the above IS IT TRUE statement, Evansville would be better off electing a stray dog as our next Mayor. If that happened, Evansville would have it’s first canine Mayor in its 200 year history. Evansville would also have the benefit of a honest mayor…dogs don’t tell lies.

  8. Where is Steven Speilberg? We had great expectations about Mr. Burton political future. This looks like a chapter in “Gone With the Wind”. So goes our hopes for Alex Burton political future. This sentence was taken down by Editor because post was insulting.

  9. If Gail is elected and council wants to preside over something she doesn’t like, is she going to run off and barricade herself in the Carmi Motel or Monica’s motel 8 in Henderson?

    • The fact that Winnie backers keep resorting to this juvenile “argument” reinforces the fact that they have nothing to praise their candidate for and no criticism of the way Gail has served the public for all of these years.

      • Winnie and Gail are both turds. Damn shame what they did to Davis. Actually could have had a fiscally sound and moral person LEADING the city. After what was done to him why would any true honest person want to run and be forced into the Evansville city politics bed of fleas?

        • The same disloyal elected Democrats that back stabbed Rick Davis are at it again. It would be very impressive leadership if Ms. Riecken called out these disloyal officeholders and forced the Democrat Chairman to remove them from the local party.

          • Yes it would. The one punch Republicans are the ones I get a kick out of. Trying to distance themselves from Winnecke’s failed administration while pretending maybe they’d vote for Gail if …
            They wouldn’t vote for her under any circumstances.

            Their dishonesty is well documented and they seem unaware that their lies and phony attempts at sounding even-handed go unbelieved.

      • As liberal Democrats, we should not be ashamed of Representative Riecken’s headlong flight to Urbana. She drove in a union-made car and stayed in a union-paid hotel room, following the orders of union leaders and wealthy progressive leaders in Indianapolis. One of the great things about Representative Riecken is that she has always been subservient to our party bosses, whether they be Frank McDonald, Frank O’Bannon, Joe Kernan, or Jonathan Weinzapfel. I would feel a lot better with her as mayor, knowing that she would never exhibit a spark of independence or original thinking. It’s not often these days that you see extremely affluent women of pallor toe the progressive line so perfectly without getting uppity about something or trying to exercise their own judgment.

        J. Coddington “Comrade Hugo” Fetlock IV
        Maximum co-coordinator
        Organizing for Idiocy
        Evansville Cell

    • Regardless about the Ubana deal she obviously was a loyal working family individual backing the union principles that elevated workers pay, safety on the job and benefits . . and NOW the union bosses have turned away and supporting Winnecke how took their members hard earned money gave it to Santa Lloyd who turn gave it to McNamara and Sullivan who in turn eliminated the Common Construction Wage and of course Gail was fighting the elimination. . . .PITIFUL

  10. For anyone who hasn’t done so, please go to the Riecken for Mayor Facebook page and let Gail know what you think about the hotel. She’s asking us, not telling us that she knows best, like Winnie.

    • And it’s refreshing. I can’t remember when a mayor or a candidate for that matter asked the people’s opinion on a large outlay of public money. Weinzapfel actively opposed it, crafting the purported funding sources for his monument to avoid a legal referendum. Winnecke doesn’t talk much to the public, he shovels dirt and hides. Unable to think for himself, he cares not one whit what anyone else thinks.

      • It’s a step in the right direction, but merely asking the question is leading with your finger in the wind and meaningless without action.

        • She is taking meaningful action, she’s running for mayor. You’re doing something too, rapidly becoming Wink’s most transparently rabid supporter. We’ve seen this obsessive behavior before. It just needed to be watered a little bit to attain full bloom. Just like the good old days when Gail ran against Hostettler. Are you following him around yet, attending his events and speeches? Oops, forgot, he doesn’t get out much and when he does you have to look quick. When the shovels are sheathed and the cameras stop rolling, he’s gone. Winnecke’s your man, he had you from the illegal Cross Walk. Embrace him. All good for Gail.

          ‘Leading with your finger in the wind’? I think it’s great she’s soliciting input from the citizens. There is nothing she could do or say that wouldn’t elicit some meaningless bumper stickerish response from you. Your man, Lloyd Winnecke, has been ‘leading’ with his finger somewhere too. If it becomes uncomfortable you might ask him to remove it.

    • Although I would rather she tells us what she thinks, this jester goes in the credit column. Just remember, Winnecke also asked our opinion on Roberts. So listening is great, but we need to hear from her.

      I will leave her feedback.

      • She’s said plenty. You just don’t listen. Winnecke’s your man, just as he should be. There was never any doubt. You’d probably vote for him over Hostettler if he was running. Winnecke will take public money and put a dog park at the Roberts site, he doesn’t care what you or any of his other supporters think. Once you help reinstall that little lightweight and he doubles down on his ineptitude you can, and probably will, say you voted for Gail. Just like you claim to have voted for Rick Davis.

        Winnecke’s supporters are weak. They cannot point to a single accomplishment in his miserable 4 years in office. They whip up goofy questions for Gail, generally things that have been answered, and just flog it to death, fooling no one. A few people are getting rich off of his administration, most of his supporters will remain poor and stupid. It is an old story, one they are used to. One they have become comfortable with. Back to his condo and the mayor’s office for Winnecke, back to the mines for the fools that voted for him.

        I’m sure Gail eagerly awaits your ‘feedback’. If you think you ‘need to hear from her’ why don’t you email or call her? It’s not that tough. She gets right back to her constituents but don’t be offended if she decides not to waste her time with you. Your mind is made up. Your votes and positions are very predictable.

  13. Mayoral Candidates: Will you pledge to reopen Mesker Amphitheater? Anyone home? Hello? Test 1-2-3?

  14. The only reason the Local 357 Firefighters PAC is meeting with Alex Burton is for clarification on a few points he made at our Candidates day a few weeks ago. Some of the PAC members asked for further info from him before they were willing to vote for his endorsement. As far as other candidates having that chance, the ones who were at the event made their points well enough, and the ones who were not there had their opportunity and did not deem it necessary to their campaigns to show up.

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