IS IT TRUE August 14, 2012

17

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE August 14, 2012

IS IT TRUE CCO Mole #31 tells us that Chris Cooke the Superintendant of the City of Evansville cemeteries has resigned his position as a Democrat precinct leader?…Mr. Cooke allegedly resigned his Democrat party position over becoming angry over a position paper written about the dilapidated condition of the Oak Hill cemetery that was written by Evansville City Council President Connie Robinson that was published in the City County Observer?…that Mr. Cooke who like President Robinson was a vocal supporter of the Winnecke for Mayor campaign has now followed in Robinson’s footsteps right out of circle of Vanderburgh County Democrat Party elites?…in the big picture that both Mr. Cooke and President Robinson have liberated themselves by leaving the confines of party leadership and will be better voters through the eyes of independence?

IS IT TRUE that at the latest count eleven Olympic athletes have gone missing in London and are suspected of defecting?…that seven of these athletes are from Cameroon and four are from Congo?…that both of these countries are continually mired in civil wars, poverty, and oppression?…the CCO wishes these athletes good fortune in whatever country that they choose to seek asylum in and fully understand the risk they have taken to liberate themselves from the yoke of political oppression?…that we as Americans take many things for granted that people from the world of less freedom are willing to risk death for?

IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville budget hearings have started and that now is the time for competent and engaged members of the Evansville City Council to look diligently for any line items that have been snuck into the 2013 budget?…that the line to look for is that increase line from the previous budget?…that we have already had Mole Alerts that at least some of the raises that were deferred by the City Council last month have been put back into the 2013 budget in hopes that they will be approved when they are done the old fashioned way?…this is indeed the right way for department heads and even for Mayor Winnecke to give our merit raises but that the reason and motive behind every one of them needs to be fully vetted before approval?

IS IT TRUE there have been some people that were so upset at the recent report that Indiana is the 4th worst polluter in the nation that a study was done to determine just how much of that pollution was coming from the greater Evansville region?…that if Evansville is the center of a large circle that has a radius large enough to be a small state that the CCO suspects that the “State of Evansville” may have an even worse pollution problem that the State of Indiana?…this study is expected to be released soon and that the CCO will publish the results however ugly or pretty they might be?

IS IT TRUE that the subject of the City of Evansville being able to recover tax and other incentives offered to companies that do not come through with their end of the bargain came up at last night’s City Council meeting?…a young man representing GAGE who seemed quite competent on the subject was grilled a little by some Council members who justifiably are interested in recovering any unearned incentives that can be recovered?…the conclusions were that there have been several beneficiaries of incentives that have not lived up to their end of the bargain?…it was furthermore concluded that there are no clawback provisions, contracts, or memorandums of understanding that City Council’s past have put into place to hold companies that are granted incentives accountable to their end of the bargain?…the young man from GAGE seemed to imply that adding contractual accountability to the incentives would actually put Evansville at a competitive disadvantage in the business attraction game because other places do not hold the companies accountable either?…this just makes the whole GAME wide open for corruption and over estimating economic impact because THE MORE ONE LIES THE MORE ONE GETS and THE BIGGER THE LIE IS THE BIGGER A LIE IS TRANSMITTED TO THE PUBLIC BY ATTENTION STARVED PUBLIC OFFICIALS?…a town without accountability is a town without honor?…this whole concept of no accountability does not lead to good companies or good government and violates the common sense axiom we are taught as children of “Just because Johnny stuck his hand in the fire or told a lie does not mean it is the right thing to do”?…this sort of poor public policy is the sort of thing that makes things like Earthcare, the McCurdy, the Hotel, Whirlpools departure, and the fall of AIG probable and adds to the already tarnished reputation of elected officials?

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17 COMMENTS

  1. Same crooks and cronies continue to reap the payoffs to do as they are told!!!! We as a community must be willing to vote the bums out of office!!!!!!!!!

  2. I believe you said that the State of Indiana has gotten their money back from Whirlpool for incentives not earned? If so, or if they have gotten their money back from other companies in the past, are we to assume that it is common for states (or at least Indiana) to hold companies accountable, but cities don’t? This seems ridiculous, but since we are talking about something that a GAGE representative about the policies of the City of Evansville, its totally believeable.

    • Indiana’s economic development agency (IEDC) did indeed enforce clawbacks and make a recovery from Whirlpool. I assume that is not an isolated incident. The state has enforceable documentation to hold companies accountable. The City of Evansville has no such thing. We concur with you that this practice is unbelievable yet true. This practice would make SNEGAL blush.

  3. “..the conclusions were that there have been several beneficiaries of incentives that have not lived up to their end of the bargain?…it was furthermore concluded that there are no clawback provisions, contracts, or memorandums of understanding that City Council’s past have put into place to hold companies that are granted incentives accountable to their end of the bargain?” (CCO)

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

    This is how your elected council members, who must pass these incentive contracts by majority vote, oversee tax dollars?

    No businessman in his right mind would ever offer his own funds for a deal like this without the protection of a contract spelling out exactly what is required.

    In the absence of any enforcement of the incentive deals, how do we know some of the incentive funds did not wind up as kickbacks to those who offered the funds?

    We should not be having this discussion in 2012! This sort of old machine type government should have gone by the boards decades ago, but here we are. How disgusting is this?

    __

  4. Chris Cooke isn’t a precinct committeeperson, he is or was the ND ward political leader. Formerly a Republican, Cooke jumped parties when Steve Bagby brought him . He worked for Winneke and should have been fired for party disloyalty along with Connie Robinson and Mark Owen. Both he and Ms Robinson will undoubtedly continue to look out for whatever is in their best personal interest, irregardless of what’s best for the city of Evansville. I predict that Cooke willl jump back to the Republican party in an attempt to save his job after such a poor performance.

    • Yes a wild-eyed faction controlled by a vindictive politician who employs controversy, division and negativity as his primary stratagies had driven a wedge into the heart of the local Democrat party. Those who have not left the party are just operating as zombies in disorganized parade that is disintegrating into an aimless rabble.

  6. Mr. Cooke should be aware that if he trys to take Connie Robinson head on politically is shall be taught a political lesson he’ll never forget.

    In essense, Mr. Cooke needs to shut up and spend his time and efforts cleaning up the mess he helped created at both City owned grave yards.

    OH, in case Mr. COOKE doesn’t know, Ms.Robinson has forgotten more about local politics than he will ever know.

    • I cannot defend Mr. Cooke in regard to the present condition of Oak Hill Cemetery because I did not do a drive-thru before he took over the job there. But I’m sure the cemetery did not get into such disrepair in the few short years that Mr. Cooke has been its superintendent. It looks to me as if decades of neglect have taken its toll on Oak Hill Cemetery, and there are city council members whose terms extend farther into the past than Mr. Cooke’s short term as superintendent. Correct?

      However, I think the constant references to Mr. Cooke’s “disloyalty” to the Democrat mayoral candidate of 2011 deserve a little enlightenment. First of all, then Councilman Bagby brought Mr. Cooke into the local Democrat party because of Mr. Cooke’s strong leadership of a key 2nd Ward neighborhood organization. Subsequently, Mr. Cooke worked hard in his position as 2nd Ward leader. As part of his 2nd Ward leadership, he supported the 2nd Ward council candidate, Missy Mosby, much to Mr. Cooke’s detriment when the Ricky Ticky Davisians ran a disgruntled fireman against Ms. Mosby.

      So even though Mr. Cooke continued to work hard for Democrats after the 2011 primary, as the November election day approached, an over confident Davis surrogate reportedly visited Mr. Cooke and advised him to start packing his bags because Davis supposedly was going to replace him as Oak Hill Cemetery supervisor. If true, this is just one more example of the vindictive tactics used by the Ricky Ticky Davisians.

      If true, can you blame Mr. Cooke for taking an alternative course to protect his full time day job?

      • Mr. Cooke will have to do more to keep his day job than resign his post as 2nd Ward demo political leader.

        Perhaps locking the gates at night, making improvements to the grounds and showing a real work ethic at the cemeteries would be a good start.

  8. Lets hope next he will resign from his job as Superintendant of the City of Evansville cemeteries.

  9. Words in the street is that Mr. Cooke better get ready to fend off Preident and 4th Ward City Councilwoman, Connie Robinsons pointed questions concerning the mess at both City owned Grave Yards at upcoming budget hearings!

    Don’t be surprized to see additional questions coming from City Councilman, John Friend and Al Lindsey.

  10. Just when you think Dave Rector has set the bar low enough along comes Chris Cooke. Somebody needs to explain to city residents why people like this are still employed by the city.

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