IS IT TRUE April 17, 2012

IS IT TRUE that on March 24, 2012 the City County Observer concluded collecting the necessary signatures required by the State of Indiana to request a field hearing with respect to the yet to be approved contract between the City of Evansville and Johnson Controls?…that we have not yet received any official notice of the request for a field hearing there has been a document issued that seems to imply that the request is not “necessary”?…that the justification for a field hearing not being necessary is most likely the fact that the project has been sold to the state as a “no cost” contract?…that the reason that the CCO petitioned for the field hearing is because we do not believe the assertion that the Johnson Controls contract will actually deliver the savings sufficient for it to really be a “no cost” contract?…that there will be an evidentiary hearing this Thursday, April 19th in Indianapolis at 9:30 AM in room 222 at 101 West Washington Street?…that written comments to cause #44123 will be accepted at the above address through May 2, 2012 so we encourage our readers who like us have concerns that the City of Evansville has once again rushed to sign a contract with high potential to become a “BILL OF GOODS” to send in their questions and comments?

IS IT TRUE that it was announced yesterday for the first time ever that Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to exclusively online publications?…that a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting was awarded to David Wood of the Huffington Post and that Matt Wuerker of Politico was honored with a Pulitzer for Editorial cartooning?…that NO AWARD WAS GIVEN in the category of editorial writing?…that for those who are insistent that print media is not in a dog fight with online publishing the awarding of Pulitzer Prizes to online publications in a head to head competition with print should put the purveyors of ink on notice?

IS IT TRUE that Keep Evansville Beautiful has released a rendering of a modernistic sculpture that will soon be welcoming visitors who come to Evansville by way of the airplane?…that the nearly $200,000 sculpture will be at the airport entrance with a purpose to give a good first and last impression to air travelers using the Dress Regional Airport?…that the CCO has been advocating for a positive airport experience for a long time now and that this sculpture may play a small role in a positive experience?…that one nagging question that we feel the need to bring up is “when will we be getting jetways”?…that the lack of jetways in inclimate weather guarantees a negative airport experience and that between rain, snow, cold, and humidity that inclimate weather is going on here over 200 days per year?…that a soaked or frozen visitor is unlikely to be impressed by any gateway sculpture in a way to remove the discomfort felt from not having jetways?…that we understand that donations made to KEB for a statue probably cannot be used for jetways and that jetway money should never be spent on a statue?…that we really hope that the jetways are installed before the sculpture because choosing form over function as in stadium but no sewers has become a way of life in Evansville?…that putting up a stature before investing in jetways sends the same message to visitors and residents alike and that message is that Evansville is not about substance?

IS IT TRUE that we are really wondering what has been going on with our federal government’s spending practices?…that between the arms trading to Mexican cartels, the GSA throwing over a million dollars in parties described by the Wall Street Journal as “raucous, extravagant, arrogant, and self congratulatory”, and now our secret service having “cathouse” parties with whores in Columbia before President Obama arrives it seems like there are no competent adults in charge?…that as the election approaches things like this will get tied up the chain of command and that if Washington really has become a frat house with our money that the guy who put the oblivious party animals in charge will eventually be asked to answer for these gross abuses of the public trust?…that it almost looks like the City of Evansville is running the country with all of the drinking, wasted money, and poor judgment on parade for all to see?