“IS IT TRUE” NOVEMBER 15, 2019

IS IT TRUE that the shareholders of Gannett and Gateway have approved the merger between the two companies and the closing date is set for Tuesday, November 19, 2019? …this merger will create the largest owner of newspapers in the United States but a fear is evident among the rank and file employees of both groups that layoffs that are most certainly coming?…the companies have already made it public that at least $300 million per year in efficiencies will be found but financial analysts who have examined the terms of the deal are all saying that is the tip of the iceberg?…this deal is being enabled by a short term debt instrument of $1.8 billion at an interest rate of 11.5%?…this interest rate reflects the opinion of the lender that this a very high-risk deal as bonds like this carries the word junk as a prefix?…this is a sad situation for journalism in general that has been coming like an avalanche for several years?…the combination of aggregation of National articles, less local articles, and outward unabashed political bias in reporting has made a joke of newspapers across America and consumer demand has been reduced to rubble?…the reality is that if this merger fails to service this debt quickly, printed hometown papers across the nation may well cease to exist in the next few years?

IS IT TRUE it will cost $100 per person for the next 15 to 20 years to build a much-needed addition to the Vanderburgh County jail?… to achieve this goal the citizens of Vanderburgh County must be willing to allow the County officials to take this amount from their payroll taxes for the next 15 to 20 years?  …all individuals on Social Security or Disability will be exempt from this special use tax?

IS IT TRUE on December 4th, 2019 the Vanderburgh County Commission will be holding a public hearing concerning four (4) proposed designs of the Vanderburgh County Jail?  …the proposed jail designs were created by AmericanStructure Engineering after they gathered information from State, Federal. local law enforcement, elected officials, criminal justice experts, and other stakeholders?

IS IT TRUE that it’s obvious if the Vanderburgh County Council members don’t make a decision to expand the jail they will forever be known as being  “SOFT ON CRIME”?

IS IT TRUE we are told that a well-known businesswoman is seriously considering running for Vanderburgh County Commission seat that is currently held by Cheryl Musgrave?

IS IT TRUE that a couple of days ago we posted that former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel/Jones & Wallace and Democratic State Reperseentive Ryan Hatfield have shown interest in becoming the 2020 City Council attorney?  …we are now told that Democratic State Reperseentive Ryan Hatfield isn’t interested in being the legal counsel for the Evansville City Council?

IS IT TRUE the CCO readers voted in a current “Readers Poll” that they feel the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum in downtown Evansville should be turned into a Military Museum by an overwhelming margin?  …we are told that this historic military facility is currently known as a “Bingo Parlor”?

IS IT TRUE that our “Readers Poll” is considered to be non-scientific but trendy? …one of our recent polls asked: “Do you think the Republicans will take control of the 2020 City Council”?  …our readers voted 159 YES, 197 voted N0 and 59 people said they didn’t know? …it looks like our readers got it right?

IS IT TRUE our readers also picked the following winners in the Evansville City Council races:  Jim Brinkmeyer in 6th Ward, Justin Elpers in the 5th Ward, Alex Burton in the 4th Ward, Zack Hermounous in the 3rd Ward, Missy Mosby in the 2nd Ward, and Ben Trockman in the 1st Ward?  …our readers picked the following winners in the At-Large City Council races: Ron Beane, Jonathan Weaver, and Katitian Morley?  …not bad pickings for a non-scientific but trendy City County Observer “Readers Polls”?  …we give five (5) cheers to the City-County Observers readers for their amazing election day predictions?

IS IT TRUE we have been told by several Democratic party political movers and shakers are highly disappointed that the Democratic Party Of Vanderburgh leadership hasn’t called one strategy session to map out the future agenda and direction for the members of the newly elected City Council members? …we are told that many people are hoping that the newly elected Democratic 7 to 2  majority will find another Curt John in their ranks?

IS IT TRUE we hope that someone with common business and political sense with come forward and encourage the Indiana Governor to push our lawmakers to approve simulcast horse racing at casinos soon as possible?  …if the Indiana power brokers delay this decision the Commonwealth of Kentucky will have the upper hand in generating future gaming dollars because they will have both casino and simulcast gaming?

IS IT TRUE that former City-County Observer editor and occasional contributor Joe Wallace has accepted an appointment to the Technology Advisory Board of the California Utility Commissions EPIC program?…the EPIC program was established for the purpose of investing in promising technologies to further the use of renewable energy, to strengthen the electrical grid, and to assure that the California power grid is both reliable and sustainable?…the EPIC program invests roughly $130 million per year and has many applicants from all over the world competing for support for projects?… Wallace was invited because of his success in establishing the Innovation Hub or Renewable Energy in Palm Springs and for a lifetime of recognition as an engineering professional in the fields of energy, computer memories, laser-based metrology, and entrepreneurship associated with those technologies?

IS IT TRUE we are pleased with the way that State Representative Ron Bacon is representing the people in his district?

Today’s “Readers Poll” question is: Who do you feel is the number one TV station in this region?

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