IS IT TRUE May 17, 2012: Update

45
The Mole #??

UPDATE

IS IT TRUE that people on the Chamber of Commerce trip to Savannah, GA have called the CCO and told us that County Commissioners Marsha Abell and Joe Kiefer are also in Savannah on taxpayer dollars?

IS IT TRUE May 17, 2012

IS IT TRUE

that the Evansville Icemen are having a press conference this morning to officially announce that they are moving up in the pecking order of professional hockey leagues below the NHL?…that as the CCO has said all along, any winning sport will sell tickets in Evansville if those tickets are affordable?…the ownership of the Icemen is doing a good job of putting a good product on the ice and competing for championships?…as long as that combination of winning and good entertainment continues the Icemen will prosper?

IS IT TRUE the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana chartered a plane to take local movers and shakers to Savannah, GA to learn what Evansville can do to become more Savannah like?…that the fee to make this trip is slightly north of $900?…that Evansville City Council members Missy Mosby, Jonathan Weaver, and John Friend are on this trip?…that the City of Evansville is picking up the tab for their travel?…that is nearly $3,000 of taxpayer dollars that are being spent to send these elected officials to Savannah, GA to learn how Evansville can emulate the economic successes of Savannah?…that we are sitting on pins and needles to hear how Evansville is going to put in a deep water ocean port, become a tourist Mecca for southern culture, and establish a world renowned college of design?…that we also hear that the First Lady of Evansville Carol McLintock made the trip but do not think that the City of Evansville is paying her tab?…that the cast of characters on this trip will certainly become friendly toward one another which will compromise the budget process when it comes time for other people on the trip to come before the City Council hat in hand?

IS IT TRUE yesterday was the day when Ted Ziemer, the attorney for the Office of the Mayor was supposedly going to meet with the legal team representing Earthcare Energy to search for an elegant way out of this most un-elegant rock and a hard place?…that just a minimal VETTING effort would have prevented a need for this meeting to have ever taken place?…that we hope that some of the travelers to Savannah will bring up the process of VETTING and will take a few notes on that subject between bites of well seasoned southern food and sips of Southern Comfort?…there is nothing like a taxpayer funded trip to a resort location to stimulate the senses to learn new things?…that Savannah, GA and Evansville have about as much in common as the north pole and Miami?

IS IT TRUE tomorrow morning Facebook will make its debut on the public stock markets with a valuation of over $100 Billion?…that it was reported yesterday that over 1,000 employees of Facebook just in the San Francisco Bay Area will become instant millionaires?…that upon the sale of any of the shares that make these people millionaires the federal government and the State of California stand to rake in huge sums of money in the form of income taxes?…that the co-founder of Facebook has renounced his American citizenship and become a citizen Singapore that has ZERO capital gains taxes?…that the taxes saved by this individual are estimated to be over $1 Billion?…that he says it is not about taxes and to that we say BULL?…that at the end of World War II, Singapore was about the size of Evansville on a similar land mass as Vanderburgh County?…that strong leadership, a good plan, and favorable taxation rates have made Singapore into a world class economic engine with one of the cleanest and safest places in the world and a population of over 3 million?…that all of America can learn from the economic success of Singapore?

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45 COMMENTS

  1. The only economic development ideas that those three are learning are whatever they can absorb from a barstool. I’ll sleep much better tonight knowing that the Varsity players stayed home to mind the shop.

    • Just the Facts, you have missed the facts. This trip is not a junket or for economic development. It is a TRADE. Savannah, GA gets Mosby, Weaver & Friend; Evansville, IN gets three (3) Civil War reenactors. I wish Missy, Johnathan & John best wishes in the Georgia sunshine. To the Confederates . . . welcome to Evansville !

      • beerguy, I’m in on a 1 way ticket to Savannah, GA for Weaver and Mosby. Robinson too.

  2. Hi Ho Hi ho the gang of cronies take a taxpayers trip Hi Ho Hi Ho all this and know one will know Hi Ho Hi Ho!!!!! This gang needs to go!!!!!!

  3. Why not import some spanish moss for our historic district trees and line the riverfront warf with cobblestone?

  4. I wonder who else was on this $1,000 (plus expenses, plus salaries) plane trip being funded with city / county funds?

  5. A quick stop at Ms. Mosby’s Facebook page makes one wonder if she is on vacation…at least that’s the impression I had until I read this article.

  6. Back in my day we called this kind of tax payer funded trip a JUNKkET.

    Also it wouldn’t suprize me to hear that taxpayers money was use to allowed people from GAGE to attend this JUNKET.

  7. Maybe a member of the Chamber’s Board could provide the CCO a copy of the attendees list.

  8. Is there any truth to the rumor going around the Civic Center that the Vanderburgh County Clerk just hire a daughter of a well known preacher in the 4th Ward to work in one of her offices?

  9. Just had a friend of mine contact 6th Ward City Councilman Al Lindsey and inquire if he was ask to go to Savannah, Ga. junket. Mr. Linsey told her that that this is the first time he heard anything about this trip.

    I guess the Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor don’t consider 6th Ward City Councilman Al Lindsey a “Mover and Shaker” of this community. I bet the people of the 6th Ward do!

    The next question is I wonder if City Council persons Dan Mcginn, Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, Conner O’Daniel and Dr. Dan Adams were invite to go on this city funded “JUNKET”?

    • From a 6th Ward resident – Al is not a mover and shaker! I lost a lot confidence in him due to lying about his recent public issue. Plus he came out strong against the $4.8 million loan and probably lost even more support from the other democrats on the council.

    • Now now. We know that Mr. Lindsey does trips like he does drinks. They suddenly appear in front of him and then are forgotten. He may have already gone and come back and we will never know.

    • I read about this trip here. I would have declined if invited. Last night I spent my time determining the creating legislation and funding sources for every Board, Commission and Committee that is related to the City. I found funds without oversight, committees in quasi-oversight roles that have no members appointed, and I’m almost positive that both County and City Council are entitled to have a representative on the Economic Development Commission, which is currently made up of 3 Mayor appointments. I am pleased with how I spent my time, and I honestly hope that they are too. We all interpret service differently.

      • SBR – Your efforts continue to impress me. Will we be seeing the fruit of your labors anytime soon?

      • Councilwoman Riley:

        I do not believe it is fair to dump ALL of this on you. Would you be interested in an unpaid staff member so you can delegate some of that workload? I know the size of the task before you if you are serious about straightening this mess out and it is overwhelming in terms of research and compilation.

        I am fairly certain we both have the same goal in mind.

        __

      • Stephanie, I am so impressed with you. We are better off with you on the dock while others sail away on the Savannah Junket. Let us know how we can help.

  10. Any truth to the rumor floating around the Civic Center that the City Parks and Recreation Department and the Mayor office has pulled the plug on having any summer events at Mesker Amphitheatre?

  11. A Chamber of Commerce friend of mine just reported they saw County Commissioner Marsha Abell enjoying herself at the Savannah, Ga. political junket. Isn’t this the same person who ran as the “Friend Of The Taxpayers” platform in the last County election?

    No wonder she was quiet during the financial overview session concerning the GAGE budget! I guess it’s time we start watching the self
    annointed “Taxpayers Watchdog”! Ten to One odds that the President of GAGE is also attending this political junket!

    • The research I’ve done says you lost that one buddy. But there were other agencies that receive city & county funds that sent employees. No one seems to want to up the attendee list. How many can a chartered plane hold?

      • You are a pissed off elitist doing a very poor job of pretending to come down to what you perceive is our level of talking. You must work at GAGE. Your weird sounding posts that attempt to change the focus to a new scandal while also noting that Dewey isn’t involved coupled with your screen name doesn’t make it particularly hard to detect that it’s you. For all of your proclaimed intellectual superiority over your critics, you aren’t looking like a rocket scientist right now. Dewey makes $50+ an hour, and it looks like we just paid her to scheme all day on how to manipulate a blog. There is no end to GAGE’s arrogance and refusal to work for this community in the manner that has been demanded.

    • The timing seems off when Vanderburgh County is working to cut 10% off the Budget…..hopefully, soon, we’ll see who paid for their trip, no pun intended, or from Taxpayer money, is it a trip done/paid for every year………..Say, “Hi” to Paula Deen, when down there, or the Sons. Coming back to Evansville, Indiana, may not be so rosey! I’m sure the Fiefdom, it is Kingdom, will be cranky on the expense……….Sure, knowledge tours are great, but, really, no one has used the ‘knowledge’ ever here, once these folks come back, have they. Really? It sure would be nice if they did, or that folks allowed it here to happen. The Food there, must be out of this World….shopping….the Flowers this time of year…we want to see Pictures!…..I told a client of mine, who I’m working with them on a Project in another state, if that Government group really wants their situation…the Government Finds the Money…forget anything else….if they like something…..somehow the Money appears! POOF! Like Magic! Ciao!

  12. Arek Sarkissian, a reporter for the C&P arrived in Evansville directly from his last assignment in Savannah. I’m surprised they didn’t take him along as a tour guide, he should just about everyone.

    Evansville is not Savannah. No ocean, no Hilton Head Island, and worst of all, no Mrs. Wilkes.

    __

  13. They went to Savannah for a public reading of “MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND E’VILLE”

  14. Lost my bet!!!! No one from GAGE attended the Chambers Savannah, Ga. junket!!!!!!!

  15. Is it true:

    Warren Buffett made good Thursday on his promise to buy more newspapers, agreeing to buy 63 daily and weekly newspapers in the Southeast for $142 million from financially troubled Media General Inc. of Richmond, Va.

    And Buffett said Thursday he may buy more newspapers. “Any time we can add properties we like, to management we like, at a price we like, we’re ready to go.”

    The newspapers, in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida, would be combined with the Omaha World-Herald Co. into a new Berkshire Hathaway Inc. division called BH Media Group. They would be managed by World Media Enterprises, a new sister company of The World-Herald.

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    No doubt he plans to unload them after the fall election. Didn’t Obama just confer some sort of medal on Buffett?

    Geeeeezzzz, it is getting nasty out there.

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  16. “that all of America can learn from the economic success of Singapore”

    Yes, an economic success but a democracy in name only. The same political party has had total control since the late ’50s, with the same Prime Minister for over 40 years who was followed in power by one of his sons. Economic success by a successful autocracy.

  17. Why Savannah? I would think we could relate better and learn more from Clarksville TN.

    • A look at Jasper would be cheaper and more productive. They have a clean city, ew empty buidings, and the irst politian that even thinks about acting likeE’ville clowns is toast. They believe in working, having nice things, and getting the best deal, no inflated cost in civic projects. Look what they have budgeted or their ball fields, doesn’t even seem to be in the same train o thought.

  18. What’s the deal with County Commissioner Steve Melcher? He doesn’t get invited to anything?

  19. I just read the Courier and am completely disgusted. The three city council members just wiped out the council’s travel budget to attend a Chamber led tutorial on economic development. I can’t wait for them to get back and start talking about how the answer to business growth is less regulations on safety and the environment, getting rid of unions and offering the lowest labor costs around. That should go over well with their party.

  20. the very fact that they look for ‘ideas’ in the south, the miserable, wretched, right wing dominated, had the living …. kicked out of it and better never forget it, surrendering, sniveling south says it all. just how much failure do you clowns need to see, for christ’s sake?

    • Jack: Your stir stick is broken today. We would rather keep our focus on the real issues.

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    • ok, i’m back, damned dibetes. all of this name dropping and aspersion casting tends to work up an appetite. which leads me toooo, that’s right kid’s, you begged, you pleaded, today’s top 5 list… top 5 food booth’s at this week’s hoosier-fest over in gumpton…#5 Pink Slime… uumm, appetizers… #4… Squirrel salad… the secret to it is [ sly eye movement’s], you gotta run those sucker’s over twice… #3… Brains… yup, around here we just use em for vittle’s…#2…Frack gravy… you know, for dipping… and, coming in at a revolting #1… Ohio river water… all the toxin’s a demented body needs… well folk’s, that about does it for today’s rundown, why don’t you guy’s who believe in this sort of subversion pack up some gulf coast shrimp and a couple of peanut butter and macaroni, ugh, sandwiches, and take a buggy ride over. Damn this vile diabetes, i gotta go……

  21. Great, elected officials took a field trip to Savannah while the Mesker Amphitheater is closed due to lack of basic maintenance. The former regime wanted to destroy Roberts Stadium to force use of their downtown arena, but didn’t know they also intended to destroy Mesker Ampitheater. The political mismanagement of the City over the past 8 years is painfully obvious.

  22. How disgusting that their is NO shame in these leaches. The bill isn’t even in on their last mis-adventure and they’re off on a search for the next money pit. The chamber is willing to spend tax dollars to buy votes for their pet projects.

  23. Response to just the facts:
    You are fishing in the dark without bait. Besides why are so interested in who I am. Isnt this a blog to express free thought? Or is it for just comments from a group of buddies with code names?
    I will tell you that I am a concerned citizen who cares about evansvilles future.

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